Reunion in the North
In Zhao, the moment of reunion was unfolding not only in the west but also in the north.
At the northernmost edge of Zhao, the frontier fortress of Yanmen that stood against the Xiongnu and other northern barbarians.
Li Mu, the Zhao general in charge of that region, held a modest private banquet with just the two of them to celebrate the return of the girl he had sent away.
“So? It’s been a while since you last saw Handan. What did you think?”
“Eh, people are the same everywhere you go.”
Sima Shang shrugged her shoulders and lightly dismissed her time in Handan, as if the entire experience had meant almost nothing to her.
Yet even as she spoke those words, scenes from her days in Handan naturally floated through her mind. While one part of her thoughts replayed those memories, she continued answering Li Mu’s questions without the slightest hesitation, as though her mind were perfectly divided.
“Lord Jianxin? Yeah, he did seem a bit strange. He isn’t pushing as aggressively as before, and lately there have been quiet murmurs that we should join hands with Qin instead of Wei.”
Exactly what Lord Xinling had feared and what Li Mu had suspected was now coming to pass.
After returning from his diplomatic mission to Qin, Lord Jianxin had begun to change little by little. Having felt on his own skin just how powerful an adversary Qin truly was and how great the rewards would be if they aligned with them, he was gradually transforming into a pro-Qin faction member.
“And what about His Majesty and the court’s reaction?”
“I didn’t go to court directly, so I can’t say for certain, but according to Master Feng Qi, the anti-Qin faction still holds the majority. There’s also talk of nominating General Lian Po for the vacant position of Right Chancellor now that Lord Pingyang has grown too old and stepped down.”
“If General Lian Po is appointed Right Chancellor, we won’t have to worry about Lord Jianxin anymore.”
It would be natural for him to keep Lord Jianxin in check, and in the best case, even a purge might be possible.
“Though there was one strange fellow whose name kept coming up.”
“A strange fellow?”
“Guo Kai. Apparently he’s on bad terms with General Lian Po, but His Majesty is backing him.”
“Guo Kai… Guo Kai…”
Li Mu repeated the name several times. Even though he had only heard it, an ominous chill ran down his spine.
For now, the most pressing concern was Lord Jianxin’s gradual shift toward the pro-Qin faction and the enormous power he commanded. Yet for some reason, an instinctive feeling told him that Guo Kai was the one who truly demanded attention.
I hope Lord Xinping ascends to the position of Chancellor and steadies the court.
At times like these, he missed Lord Pingyuan, who had already departed this world.
Though Lord Pingyuan’s strategic insight could not match that of Lian Po or himself, he had at least clearly understood who Zhao’s true enemy was. Moreover, he possessed the generosity to open his heart and communicate with those around him. While he could occasionally be overly confident, Lord Pingyuan had earned the respect of the royal family, nobles, scholar-officials, and common people alike. Simply by existing, he had brought stability to the court.
Had Lord Pingyuan still been alive, neither Lord Jianxin’s shift nor Guo Kai’s rise would have been cause for worry. If Lian Po could compensate for Lord Pingyuan’s weaker military judgment, Zhao’s western front would have been an impenetrable fortress.
But now Lord Pingyuan was gone, and Lian Po was tied down by court affairs.
Is it time for me to leave?
Li Mu realized that the moment to depart from the northern lands he had grown to love was drawing near. He was not merely a brilliant strategist and tactician; he was a rare talent versed in both civil and military affairs.
The transformation of Yanmen and Dai—from lands ravaged by Xiongnu raids into territories where people no longer worried about survival—was entirely thanks to Li Mu’s efforts. He was more than capable of filling the vacancy left by the late Lin Xiangru.
If Li Mu rose to the position of Chancellor and Lian Po became General-in-Chief, Qin would no longer dare look down on Zhao as it had in the days when Lin Xiangru still lived.
But of course, things are never that simple. Reaching the Chancellor’s seat may not be impossible, yet the fundamental problem is that our nation’s national strength has grown far too weak.
The most effective and straightforward solution Li Mu could envision was clear.
The Vertical Alliance.
To achieve that, they would need to find reliable allies in other states who shared the same vision…
Chu has Lord Chunshen. If Lord Xinling eventually returns to Wei and regains his position, there will be no need to worry about them either. That leaves only Yan and Qi.
In Li Mu’s eyes, Qi held no promise. They had adopted a policy of befriending the distant and attacking the near, forging close ties with Qin while harboring resentment toward the other states that had once driven them toward destruction.
On the other hand, Yan is worth trying.
And the person who could make that success possible was someone Lord Pingyuan had already identified before his death.
Just as Li Mu was about to bring up the topic, Sima Shang unexpectedly spoke first, almost hesitantly.
“Hey, Uncle.”
“Hm?”
“That guy you told me to go see—Ji Dan.”
Sima Shang paused for a moment as if choosing her words carefully, then spoke in a tone that suggested she was mentioning it without any particular thought.
“He was pretty interesting.”
She still couldn’t hide her feelings from the genius who had learned every military tactic under her command. Though she tried to act indifferent, her true thoughts were completely transparent to Li Mu’s eyes.
Suppressing a smile, Li Mu played along with her intentions.
“Oh? In what way?”
“Well, at first I spoke to him casually and he didn’t even react, so I thought, ‘He’s a prince of a state, yet he has no dignity?’”
From their very first meeting, when she had addressed him without any formality, Ji Dan had shown no change in expression and simply continued the conversation naturally.
At first she had wondered if his time as a hostage had worn down his self-respect to the point that he no longer properly understood his own status and position. But Ji Dan was hardly the spineless, people-pleasing type. He possessed a certain strength of character.
After spending more time with him and observing his relationships with those around him, Sima Shang had been able to form a clear assessment.
“It feels a bit weird for me to say this, but… he was someone who understood benevolence and righteousness. That Ji Dan.”
To hear the word “benevolence and righteousness” come from Sima Shang’s mouth—the very same person who claimed to despise such sentimental talk and followed only the principles of military strategy—was something even her teacher Li Mu had not expected.
Perhaps embarrassed by her own words, Sima Shang’s cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly shouted, “Anyway, that’s how it is!” and mumbled the rest.
Seeing the girlish demeanor she had not shown once since turning ten, Li Mu could no longer hold back his laughter. Even when Sima Shang glared at him with narrowed eyes, it did nothing to stop him.
“Hey, I said stop laughing!”
“Hehe, I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because I’m happy.”
Li Mu was genuinely delighted—both publicly and privately.
Sima Shang had always been better than him at reading people. If even she evaluated someone as understanding benevolence and righteousness, that person was a true gentleman.
There was no longer any reason to hesitate.
“Shang-ah, I’m sorry, but I’ll need you to travel outside once more.”
“Huh? Again?”
“Not right away. After a little more time has passed.”
From what he had heard from Feng Qi, Ji Dan had sought out Mao Sui. Li Mu still could not fully grasp what Ji Dan’s ultimate goal was, but it was clear that he was gathering his own people.
The fact that Ji Dan had not returned immediately to Yan was hardly a secret. Yet one day, without fail, Ji Dan would return to Yan.
“Really? Where this time?”
“Ji.”
“…The capital of Yan?”
“Correct.”
There was no need to ponder why someone would travel to the capital of Yan.
Especially not when speaking to Sima Shang, who had already gone to Handan and met Yan’s hostage.
Ji Dan had left Handan somewhat one-sidedly and anticlimactically after the arrival of Yan’s envoy. A reunion with him was not something Sima Shang particularly disliked.
However, showing that on her face was something her pride would never allow. After quickly running the calculations in her head, she asked in a deliberately reluctant tone.
“Do I really have to go?”
Yet she could not hide the excited undertone in her voice. Managing his expression with effort, Li Mu answered seriously.
“The Vertical Alliance is no longer a choice for Zhao—it has become a necessity. This is for the alliance with Yan, so I’m counting on you.”
“But I still want to learn more military tactics from you, Uncle.”
“You’ve already learned everything. What are you talking about? What you need now is not knowledge from books, but real-world experience and broadened horizons. You know that well. Simply studying military texts will only turn you into another Zhao Kuo. Only by traveling the world and expanding your vision can you truly become a general worthy of the title. This is both a request and a lesson I am giving you.”
With Li Mu providing such a perfect justification, Sima Shang decided there was no longer any need to refuse.
“Mmm~ I’d rather just stay here in Yanmen or Dai, but if you’re asking me that much… I guess I have no choice. Fine. I’ll go to Yan for you.”
Sima Shang did not realize that a gentle smile had already formed on her lips as she grumbled about doing it all for her uncle.
Yan. Ji.
There stood the Yan branch of the trading company Ji Dan had established.
Inside the branch building, a woman read the letter that had just arrived. With longing in her eyes, she gazed out the window facing south.
“So he’s finally coming.”
A breeze blew in, stirring her greenish hair.
“I wonder if he’s become a little more grown-up?”
Jing Ke, the head of Yan’s branch, smiled softly as she waited for the boy who would soon arrive.
