The early winter of the tenth month of the second year of Shengping was very likely the busiest, most unsettled period Shouchun had seen in years. Its de facto mainstay, General of the Vanguard Army Liu Cheng, suddenly set out for Jiangling.
This was, in fact, a serious crime.
He was an Administrator, responsible for defending his territory.
When Xie Shang had fallen gravely ill, they had initially hesitated even to send him to Jiankang, proposing Liyang instead. It was Liu Cheng who had advised them not to worry about such empty formalities and to let the man return to Jiankang to see the Empress Dowager and emperor.
Likewise, Liu Cheng had originally intended to follow proper procedures. After all, Grand Marshal Huan Wen, who wielded the yellow battle-axe, theoretically had the authority to summon any general. His original plan had therefore been to have Huan Wen send an envoy, wait for Xi Chao to finish his business, and then leave together.
Now, however, regardless of what outsiders guessed or what the original plan had been, one fact remained: he had abandoned his post and departed without authorization.
Liu Cheng had traveled the road from Shouchun to Jiangling once before, so this time he knew the way. He had also dispensed with an organized cavalry escort, choosing to travel light with twenty riders, which made for greater speed.
Instead of going through Jiangxia, he went through Xiangyang. Zhu Tao, who had transferred to become Administrator of Xiangyang, was astonished to see him and assumed that something major had happened in the east, particularly in Jiankang-chiefly because, compared with Northern Yan's relocation of its capital, news of Wang Qia's death had only just reached Jingzhou.
Yet Liu Cheng merely said he had come to deliver New Year gifts to Huan Wen...