Past Events

Far East Army Walen Staff Headquarters

"Axu, do you understand the significance of Yang Minghua specifically promoting you over the usual ranks to Deputy Commander?" Luo Bo's expression was grave, showing none of the joy one ought to feel at a subordinate's promotion.

"Reporting to Lord Luo, I understand."

"Oh?"

Zichuan Xiu looked equally solemn. "It means that from now on, I can find a beautiful secretary to feast my eyes on, hide liquor in my office, and no longer fear the Inspectorate nagging me about every little thing, just like you!"

"Idiot! Use your brain for once. Read the order carefully—it was issued by President Commander Yang Minghua!"

"Then..."

"What kind of man is he? You should know better than I do, shouldn't you?"

Zichuan Xiu recited smoothly, "Our esteemed President Commander Yang Minghua is blessed with innate wisdom in official affairs, decisive in command, exceptionally brilliant, and farsighted. In private conduct, he is of noble character and dependable integrity. He treats his subordinates with warmth and kindness, is strict with himself and tolerant of others, serves the Commander-in-Chief with unwavering loyalty, and, more remarkably still, harbors no selfish thoughts whatsoever. With single-minded devotion, he considers only the family's greater interests and is deeply beloved by all officers and soldiers. Whether in benevolence, wisdom, or courage, he is a model among Zichuan soldiers, one I admire beyond measure! Heaven bestowed such a great talent upon our family; may Original God grant him eternal life. That would be an immeasurable blessing for the entire family..."

Luo Bo cut him off. "Enough. There are no 'ears' here. You can speak freely."

Zichuan Xiu once again wore that most innocent smile. "Why would Lord Luo say such a thing? Everything I said just now came from the bottom of my heart. Please believe that I sincerely admire and support President Commander Yang..."

Luo Bo stared at him, as though trying to find even the slightest trace of falsehood within that smile. "Zichuan Xiu's smile" would later become a widely circulated expression, generally used for people such as sellers of counterfeit goods and insurance brokers. As always, Luo Bo found nothing.

"You haven't forgotten what happened seven years ago, have you?"

In March of Imperial Calendar 771, the Liufeng Family launched a massive offensive against the Zichuan Family. A Liufeng Army raiding force slipped through mountain paths, bypassed the Border Defense Army's lines, and suddenly appeared outside the Imperial Capital. Zichuan Yuanxing, the previous Commander-in-Chief of the Zichuan Family, believed the Flowing Wind Army had penetrated deep alone and could not possibly possess substantial forces. Without waiting for reinforcements, he mobilized the Central Army and Imperial Guard within the Imperial Capital to attack. They fell into an ambush. The Central Army and Imperial Guard were almost completely wiped out, suffering more than eighty thousand dead, while Zichuan Yuanxing was gravely wounded. Only then did the Zichuan Family learn that the raiding force was led by Liufeng Xishan, the cunning and resourceful first heir of the Liufeng Family, and numbered as many as one hundred thirty thousand men!

Convinced that victory was already assured, Liufeng Xishan did not rush to assault the heavily fortified Imperial Capital. He detached fifty thousand troops to return and attack the Border Defense Army from both sides, while leaving fifty thousand infantry behind to besiege and attack the Imperial Capital. At that time, the Far East Army was locked in a critical war against the Demon Race, while the Border Defense Army and Black Flag Army were both pinned down by Liufeng Family forces and unable to move. There were almost no usable troops in the Imperial Capital, no generals to command them, and no outside reinforcements. The people were panic-stricken, convinced the family would perish at any moment.

At that time, Zichuan Xiu was still a cadet at the Far East Military Academy. Using "field training" as an excuse, and with the tacit approval of Far East Commander Ge Yingxing—who was also the academy's principal—he led a unit of eight hundred cavalry cadets back to the Imperial Capital. He arrived only in time to see his adoptive father, Zichuan Yuanxing, for the last time.

After Zichuan Yuanxing's death, the family was left leaderless. The Council of Elders, Commander-in-Chief's Mansion, Commanders' Office, and Military Affairs Department endlessly quarrelled, blamed one another, and shirked responsibility. Every faction claimed that only it could save the family from destruction. As a result, nothing was accomplished. They did nothing but hold meetings, discuss, elect, and vote, while no one knew how to deal with the fifty thousand Flowing Wind troops glaring hungrily outside the city. In a fury, Zichuan Xiu used the eight hundred cavalry he had brought back to launch a coup. He seized key locations such as the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion, Commanders' Office, and Military Affairs Department, gaining the authority to mobilize troops. He immediately issued orders to all army groups and local garrisons to rush to the Imperial Capital within one month. Of course, that was impossible. Even if they truly came, they would suffer terrible losses from pursuit along the way, and would also draw Liufeng forces from other regions toward the Imperial Capital.

The Liufeng Family roared with laughter. They all said the Zichuan Family's new eleven-year-old leader had gone mad and intended to throw every Zichuan soldier into a fight to the death beneath the walls of the Imperial Capital. They kept laughing until that nightmare of a late night. On the very night the orders were issued, eight hundred elite cavalrymen under Zichuan Xiu's command donned Liufeng uniforms and smashed into the Flowing Wind camp, killing and setting fires while spreading rumors: "Oh no! The Far East Army's main force is here!" "The Zichuan Family's relief army has all arrived! Their total strength exceeds one million!"

Awakened from sleep, the Flowing Wind soldiers faced darkness, flames, blades, and spears... They could not mount any effective resistance. Besides, they had no way to resist: everyone wore identical uniforms. Often someone would shout, "Don't fight! We're on the same side—the enemy is over there!" Then a blade would slash down at them... In that confusion, where friend and foe could not be distinguished, the only way out was to strike first. Of the twenty thousand Liufeng Family soldiers killed that night, more than half died at the hands of their own comrades.

Even Liufeng Xishan himself barely escaped with his life. At dawn, he had just gathered his defeated troops and was preparing to counterattack when, almost before his formations had fully assembled, Zichuan Xiu's cavalry appeared. After a burst of slaughter, the terrified remnants collapsed at the first blow. By evening, Liufeng Xishan made another attempt to regain control of his troops. Again, just as his men and horses were gathering, the sound of pursuing hoofbeats rang out...

The same process repeated seven times!

By the eighth time, Liufeng Xishan had retreated to the border between the Liufeng Family and the Zichuan Family. Ahead of him, three hundred thousand furious Zichuan Border Defense soldiers stood in battle formation, burning for revenge. Behind him, Zichuan Xiu led elite cavalry in a savage wolf-like pursuit. Liufeng Xishan would rather have shot himself than turn back and fight Zichuan Xiu again. He escaped only because his daughter, Liufeng Shuang, came to meet him, along with a tiny measure of luck. Later, many military historians believed that if Zichuan Xiu had not suffered an unforeseen mishap and had continued commanding the army, Liufeng Xishan could never have escaped, even with the genius Liufeng Shuang's assistance—let alone returned to inherit the position of Liufeng Family head.

But the two hundred thousand Flowing Wind soldiers who had come with Liufeng Xishan clearly had neither such a good daughter nor such good fortune. Fewer than one-third returned alive.

On the Zichuan Family's side, the victors' luck was far worse than the losers'. Zichuan Xiu had eagerly expected beautiful women to embrace the triumphant soldiers with flowers in hand. Instead, while pursuing the enemy, he was awakened from a dream in the middle of the night at camp and discovered that his guards had all been disarmed. All around him stood densely packed, fully armed military police execution squads from the family Inspectorate. At the slightest suspicious movement, he would be killed on the spot...

A polite military police officer regretfully informed him, "By order of President Commander Yang Minghua, you stand accused of 'illegally launching a coup,' 'insubordination,' 'unauthorized troop deployment,' 'arrogating power,' and other crimes. An order has been issued stripping you of command over the army. You have the right to remain silent and may state your case before the military tribunal..."

Every charge against him carried the death penalty.

Later, because of Zichuan Ning's desperate rescue efforts, Far East Commander Ge Yingxing's secret assistance, the furious protests of frontline soldiers, and the impassioned declaration made at the military tribunal by Sterling—his good friend and another of Zichuan's Three Young Heroes—"Loyalty is not a crime!" Zichuan Xiu was spared the death sentence.

Yang Minghua wanted to imprison him for life, but Far East Commander Ge Yingxing spoke first, saying lightly, "Wouldn't it be better to send him to serve in the harshest Far East Region? We need people there too." Because Ge Yingxing held great prestige and the Far East Army was powerful, Yang Minghua did not yet dare openly turn against him... Thus, Zichuan Xiu joined the Far East Army, starting as a penal labor soldier and earning promotions through merit: Warrior, Minor Banner Warrior, Red Banner Lieutenant, Deputy Captain, Captain...

And now Yang Minghua suddenly wanted to promote him directly to Deputy Commander!

"My lord, my memory has never been very good. Which matter from seven years ago are you referring to? Could you give this subordinate a hint?"

Luo Bo said, "Axu, you must understand that people always want dangerous things kept where they can see them. Your talent and strength are extremely dangerous to a certain person. If you honestly rose one rank to become a Red Guard Captain, you would command one hundred thousand Far East troops. A certain person would lose sleep over that."

Zichuan Xiu said, "But if I become Deputy Commander, wouldn't that person sleep even less soundly?"

"The problem is that the Far East Army currently has only three active Deputy Commander posts. We have no extra position to place you in. Understand now?"

"This subordinate heard two days ago that Deputy Commander Lei had disagreements with Commander Ge Yingxing and intended to resign. Wouldn't that leave an opening?"

"They reconciled this morning. Deputy Commander Lei has already withdrawn his resignation."

"I heard Deputy Commander Lin Bing is getting married and will be taking three months of honeymoon leave?"

"The groom-to-be ran away before the wedding, leaving only a note saying: I can't take it anymore! Now that old maiden, driven from love to hatred, is arranging a death squad to hunt him down..."

Zichuan Xiu sighed. "Now I have only one hope left. My lord, is there any chance your stomach ulcer will turn cancerous soon..."

Luo Bo said, "..."

"So after you become Deputy Commander, your only path will be to return to the Imperial Capital and wait for assignment as a reserve officer. But Commander Ge Yingxing also thinks that would be better, because Miss Zichuan Ning will soon turn sixteen and reach the legal age of inheritance. A certain person may well develop murderous intentions because of that. If you return, you can protect her nearby."

"But this subordinate is really bad at fighting..."

"Stop playing dumb in front of me. Save that act for fooling Roger and those other idiots! You were the one who assassinated the Demon Race commander in Hengchuan, weren't you? I know you don't want 'that person' to discover your talent and martial skill, but did you think you could fool me?"

Zichuan Xiu stared at him in surprise. "You..."

Luo Bo revealed a sly smile. "I am a retainer of the Zichuan Family, not a retainer of Yang Minghua. The one I swore loyalty to bears the surname Zichuan!"

"But Yang Minghua is your superior..."

"I am a Deputy Commander of the Far East Army. My direct superior should be Commander Ge Yingxing." Luo Bo said kindly, "Commander Ge has always told me to look after you."

Thinking of Luo Bo's meticulous care and concern for him over the past six years, Zichuan Xiu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He gave the old man before him a deep bow. "Zichuan Xiu, insignificant as I am, has received such care from Commander Ge Yingxing and from you, my lord... I can never repay this kindness in my lifetime! Whatever my lord commands, Zichuan Xiu will devote all his strength to carrying it out, without sparing his own life!"

Luo Bo stood up sternly. "President Commander Yang Minghua is currently acting with unchecked arrogance. No one can restrain him. He is already showing signs of disloyal ambition! Deputy Commander Zichuan Xiu, in my capacity as an elder of the family, I order you: use every means to protect Miss Zichuan Ning! She is the only flesh and blood Lord Yuanxing left behind."

He bowed to Zichuan Xiu. "Axu, I leave her to you!"

Zichuan Xiu raised his head and replied, "Understood! So long as Zichuan Xiu draws breath, I will never allow the young lady to suffer even the slightest harm! Please rest assured, my lord!" He returned the bow deeply, his heart surging with heroic fervor.

"Oh, and there's one more thing. Didn't you just say you would repay me with your life? Then the liquor you took from me..."

Zichuan Xiu said firmly, "No chance! I was only saying it... Three bottles of century-old wine and one bottle of royal brandy—they're worth far more than my life! Kill me if you want, but I'm not giving them back!"