At the edge of the Huai Region.
"Hedong suddenly withdrew its troops. They even abandoned the last three cities they'd taken. Knowing His Majesty as I do, that was absolutely not his intention!"
Ever since Liang Shiyan received the battle report that day, he had followed the fighting in the north closely. For days, he drew on his connections at court to learn why Hedong had withdrawn.
But the more he investigated, the more suspicious he grew. Everything remained shrouded in cloud and mist, impossible to make out clearly. In the end, he simply stopped thinking about it.
"Fuck! I'm a fool. What's there to dig into? It must be those civil officials at court making trouble!"
With that, Liang Shiyan made up his mind. He had to attack!
Once fighting began, troop movements could no longer be dictated solely by the bureaucrats at court. They would have to consider the wishes of the generals at the front, too. Their hands would be tied.
Besides...
"General, more news has come in. Several great households in Shouchun have yielded and agreed to accept guidance. The households that threatened to make trouble now seem ready to lower their banners and silence their drums. A few members still refuse to accept it, but it looks as though they'll settle down in a few days..."
Liang Shiyan frowned. "You mentioned this guidance before. I was preoccupied with the situation in the north and didn't ask for details. Tell me now—what sort of guidance is it?"
The messenger told him what he knew.
A Coordinated Treasury, distribution according to labor, greater rewards for greater work—the more Liang Shiyan heard, the more his head ached.
"Zhao Bo, you explain!"
At his command, an adviser stepped out from the crowd with a smile. "General, don't be fooled