Chapter 27: Power from Behind

These past two days, Gao Xianzhi had been extremely anxious. He knew clearly that the problem lay in his memorials submitted to the imperial court. Last year, he had submitted two memorials suggesting a campaign against the Small Buleh tribe. However, problems arose when Cheng Qianli learned of his submissions from someone in the Ministry of War and immediately reported him to Fumeng Lingcha, accusing him of bypassing proper channels to submit his reports.

Gao Xianzhi paced back and forth in his room, pondering a strategy.
“General Gao, I think there’s only one solution now—delay things until an imperial edict arrives.”
Feng Changqing, who was by his side, was also worried. He and Gao Xianzhi were closely tied; if Gao Xianzhi fell, so would Feng Changqing’s future.
“But what worries me is that the emperor’s edict doesn’t specify that I should lead the army. Instead, it leaves it to Fumeng Lingcha to choose the commander. If that’s the case, I’m sure he won’t choose me.”
“He probably won’t. Given the emperor’s wisdom, he must have realized why Gao Xianzhi bypassed proper channels and the risks involved. Since Gao Xianzhi did this, there are only two outcomes: dismissal or reappointment. There will be no more ambiguity.”
At that point, Feng Changqing asked cautiously, “Is General Gao starting to regret it?”
Gao Xianzhi snorted and said, “What do I have to regret? I’ve long been tired of Fumeng Lingcha’s mediocrity and preference for safety. Rather than being suspected by him and used as a pawn, I’d rather take a chance. Even if I fail and get dismissed, I won’t have any regrets.”
“Even so, General Gao, you still need to be strategic!”
“I know. I’ll apologize to him like a subordinate.”
Gao Xianzhi’s lips were almost bitten through from sheer tension.

…

At noon, a sensational rumor spread throughout Kucha City. Gao Xianzhi, the commander of the four garrisons, had stripped off his upper clothes and knelt in front of the governor’s residence. He had been kneeling there for hours, but General Fumeng ignored him. Soon, everyone in Kucha City was talking about it. Some said Gao Xianzhi was apologizing for privately rewarding Li Qingan; others claimed Fumeng Lingcha wanted to replace Gao Xianzhi with Cheng Qianli. All sorts of rumors circulated through the streets and alleys of Kucha.

In a tavern in the Central Plains, several generals were furious. Bai Yuanguang even drew his sword and slammed it on the table, shouting, “General Fumeng listens to slanderous words, twists the truth, ignores right and wrong. He doesn’t reward those who deserve it nor punish those who have faults. What crime has General Gao committed to have to kneel naked and suffer humiliation before the whole world? Enough! With such a general, I might as well quit being a soldier!”

Xi Yuanqing’s face turned pale as he drank cup after cup. He was most worried that Gao Xianzhi would be demoted, leaving him no chance to gain promotions. He was already 33—how many more years of youth did he have left?

Even the usually calm Duan Xiushi turned pale. He was at a loss as to what to do about this situation, his heart filled with worry for Gao Shuai’s safety.
“Yuan Guang, don’t be impulsive. It’s not just you who’s anxious; everyone is worried. Calm down.”
Duan Xiushi glanced at Li Qing’an, who had been drinking silently since entering the tavern. At first, everyone thought he was angry because he was suspected of embezzlement, but Duan Xiushi realized it wasn’t the case. Li Qing’an wore a smile, his expression calm, as if he had a plan.
“Seventh Brother, do you have any solution?”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly. Gao Xianzhi’s ruse hadn’t worked as he expected. With Cheng Qianli in the governor’s mansion, how could Fumeng Lingcha be persuaded? Over the past few days, he had also been thinking about Gao Xianzhi’s strategy. He had tried several times to advise Gao Xianzhi but was turned away. He knew Gao Xianzhi didn’t want to implicate too many of his subordinates, but when the nest is destroyed, how can any egg remain intact? His own fate was now tightly tied to Gao Xianzhi’s.
He downed the wine in his cup and said, “I do have a solution, but it’s difficult for me to handle alone. We all need to work together and take this risk.”
Hearing that Li Qing’an had a plan, the others urged him, “Seventh Brother, hurry up and tell us what it is!”
Li Qing’an waved his hand, calling everyone over, and whispered, “To save General Gao from this trouble, only one person can do it…”
……
Bian Lingcheng also heard about Gao Xianzhi kneeling in front of the governor’s mansion. However, he didn’t intend to get involved. Resolving conflicts between generals wasn’t within his authority. His responsibility was only to ensure the army remained loyal to the emperor and stayed in the barracks.
His decision not to get involved didn’t mean he wouldn’t report to the emperor. It was also his duty to keep the emperor informed about the movements of the Anxi generals. A few months ago, he had sent the emperor a secret letter detailing the conflicts among the high-ranking officials in Anxi over the past year. Gao Xianzhi’s achievements had made him a threat to the emperor, and he was gradually being distrusted by Fumeng Lingcha. Gao Xianzhi had proposed attacking the Small Bule, but Fumeng Lingcha rejected it outright, saying, “The road to Bule is dangerous; we must not advance!”
He had reported all this to the emperor in his secret letter, believing the emperor would know best how to handle it.
“Eunuch sir, something terrible has happened!”
A young eunuch serving him rushed into the room, pointing outside in panic. “Hundreds of officers have surrounded our mansion!”

“Clang!” The teacup in Bian Lingcheng’s hands fell to the ground. He slowly stood up. Why had the troops surrounded his residence? Were they planning to rebel? No! That couldn’t be right. If they were to rebel, they should be surrounding Fu Menglingcha’s residence instead. After a moment’s thought, he understood. A wry smile appeared on his face—it seemed impossible for him to stay out of this now.

Outside the residence, hundreds of officers were furious. They had heard that General Gao was about to be removed from his position by the military governor, and Cheng Qianli would take his place. This news was like a spark thrown into boiling kerosene—the officers could no longer sit still. They organized themselves and came to Bian Lingcheng’s residence.

The door opened, and the military supervisor Bian Lingcheng stepped out. Faced with the officers whose emotions were running wild, he appeared extremely nervous.

“Everyone, calm down first. Please listen to me.”

The officers refused to listen. They surged forward and surrounded Bian Lingcheng. The crowd was agitated, shouting loudly, “If General Gao is removed, we won’t work anymore!”

Bian Lingcheng was short in stature and surrounded by the tall and burly generals from Anxi, making him feel as if he were in a land of giants. His face was pale as he stammered, “I really knew nothing about this from start to finish. It truly has nothing to do with me.”

Standing in front of Bian Lingcheng was He Lou Yurun, the leader of the officers. He was over ten feet tall, with a strong build, resembling a black tower. He looked down at Bian Lingcheng and said sternly, “We know it has nothing to do with you as the military supervisor, but you must take charge of this matter. Moreover, the situation is extremely critical. Have you thought about it? If we all leave, who will control the soldiers?”

He pushed aside the crowd and pointed in the distance. “Military supervisor, look!”

Thick smoke could be seen rising from the military camp in the distance, filling the sky. Big drops of sweat streamed down Bian Lingcheng’s forehead. His face turned red, and suddenly he shouted, “Get horses ready! Let’s head to the military governor’s residence!”

The officers cheered loudly and followed Bian Lingcheng in a grand procession toward the military governor’s residence.