Although Luo Weiran didn't say much, Fang Jie did glean many thoughts from his words. Of course, he couldn't verify his assumptions, nor did he have any reason to believe they were true. The Northwest Fan Gu battlefield was thousands of miles from the capital, Chang'an; to draw conclusions based solely on Luo Weiran's few words was clearly hasty.
But one thing was certain: there was something wrong with the war in the Northwest.
Fang Jie understood the quality of the Sui army and knew the terrifying destructive power of five thousand men gathered together. If he could learn more about the first battle, perhaps he would be certain his judgment was correct.
In fact, on the vast battlefield in the Northwest, many people were questioning whether Emperor Li Xiaozong's two separate troop deployments were truly correct? Was it truly correct to hold back the two hundred cavalry? Was it truly correct to leave the valley five miles away? Was it truly correct to launch a final attack? Fang Jie finished his wine, smiled, and said to Luo Weiran, "I know what I should and shouldn't say. How could His Majesty's wisdom compare to mine? I stand at the foot of the mountain, gazing up at the view from the summit, while His Majesty stands atop the mountain, overlooking the world. Undoubtedly, His Majesty sees more clearly."
Luo Weiran nodded, "It's good that you understand this principle. Although the war in the Northwest didn't go as smoothly as initially anticipated, at least we successfully passed through the Wolf Milk Mountain Gorge. The battlefield is on Mongol Yuan territory. In any case, the Mongol Yuan's losses are far greater than ours."
Fang Jie remained silent, but inwardly disagreed with Luo Weiran's viewpoint. Luo Weiran came from a background in the martial world. Although he had worn official robes for over a decade, his position hadn't involved military affairs. Being outside the court, he didn't see many things clearly.
The battlefield was indeed on Mongol Yuan territory. As he had said before, five thousand elite Sui soldiers had defeated over ten thousand Mongol Yuan soldiers; by all accounts, it couldn't be considered a defeat. But war is far more complex than simply comparing the losses of both sides. With 700,000 troops converging on the Northwest, what was the cost to the imperial court in dealing with this war? And what immense financial and material resources were expended in training those 5,000 elite soldiers?
The Mongol Yuan dynasty's losses were mostly among herders. The Mongol Yuan court didn't spend a single copper coin on them, and the lost herders were only the most marginalized people of Manduqi. Relatively speaking, the imperial court's 700,000 troops, staying in the Northwest for a month, consumed resources equivalent to plundering half of Manduqi. If they couldn't conquer the entire Manduqi within two months, even if they did, the gains would be negligible. Of course, the honor of expanding territory by a thousand miles couldn't be ignored.
However, even if they captured the thousand miles of grassland of Manduqi, it would be an exclave for the Sui dynasty. What price would they have to pay to retain it in the future?
When discussing the war in the Northwest, Da Quan, Shen Qingshan, and the other two remained silent. Except when Da Quan's expression changed slightly when discussing the Sui dynasty's conquest of the Shang dynasty, he listened calmly to Luo Weiran and Fang Jie's conversation. To be honest, he, Qilin, and Shen Qingshan were not from the Sui Dynasty, so they lacked the inherent pride of the Sui people. They didn't feel any frustration about the setbacks in the northwest campaign.
In fact, when Daquan heard that the Sui army of five thousand had almost been wiped out, he felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
After all, he was a citizen of the Shang Dynasty. And the Shang Dynasty had only been destroyed a little over twenty years ago.
"This news is from a month and a half ago. No one knows the current situation in the Northwest. After all, they are thousands of miles apart, and the time it takes for news to travel back and forth is enough to change the course of the war."
Luo Weiran said, "Perhaps the army has already captured Nirvana City."
Fang Jie nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "This war, from the beginning, was not a war of annihilation. I think everyone knows that with the strength of the Sui Dynasty, winning a war is not difficult. But to destroy the Mongol Yuan Dynasty like they destroyed the Shang Dynasty… is difficult."
"Not difficult."
Luo Weiran sighed, "It's simply impossible… His Majesty only wants to expand the territory."
Hearing this, Fang Jie suddenly felt a pang of emotion. He remembered that His Majesty had mentioned several times that all the emperors of the Sui Dynasty had the merit of expanding the territory. How could he, as the emperor, really only defend the territory without expanding it? He didn't want his name to be recorded in history books as merely "mediocre."
The emperors of the Sui Dynasty were all so obsessive.
For some reason, a vague unease arose in Fang Jie's heart as he thought about this. This kind of obsession was indeed a driving force, but sometimes, was excessive obsession truly a good thing?
Just then, a burst of cheers outside interrupted Fang Jie's thoughts. The large dog sitting near the door opened a crack and peeked out; the cheers immediately flooded in like a tidal wave.
"What's wrong?"
Fang Jie asked.
The large dog paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle, "Come and see for yourself."
Fang Jie got up, walked to the door, and looked downstairs. The entire lobby was in an uproar; many people were clapping and shouting, as excited as if they had won a five-million-dollar lottery. Then, Fang Jie saw the young master of the Red Sleeve Pavilion slowly walk onto the stage and gesture with his hands to signal the guests to calm down.
"You distinguished guests are truly fortunate today. Master Xi accepted Young Master Fang Jie's invitation to perform a graceful dance with flowing sleeves. If you hadn't obediently returned to your seats, I can't guarantee that Master Xi wouldn't have refused to come out due to the noise and commotion."
Hearing this, Fang Jie couldn't help but be taken aback.
"Because of me?"
He murmured, turning to look at Luo Weiran and the others, his eyes full of doubt.
He did indeed want to witness Xi Zhuxin's unparalleled elegance with her flowing sleeves, but because of Xi Huamei's cold words, Fang Jie hadn't spoken of it aloud. He had only mentioned it briefly while talking to Xiao Dingdian; he didn't believe that with his and Xiao Dingdian's influence, he could get Xi Zhuxin onto the stage.
But without a doubt, Xiao Dingdian's words about it being because of Young Master Fang Jie had made all the men below jealous, and would soon ensure that Fang Jie's name would be discussed again in Chang'an.
Before Fang Jie could figure out what was going on, a servant in a blue robe and small cap approached with a smile. He stopped at the door of Fang Jie's private room, bowed slightly, and said, "May I ask if you are young Master Fang? My master would like to invite you for a chat."
...
...
There were several princes in Chang'an, whose status was noble but who held little real power. Among these princes, the most leisurely, wealthy, powerful, and prestigious was naturally Prince Yi, Yang Yin. Fang Jie truly hadn't expected to encounter this important figure at the Red Sleeve Pavilion.
Although Prince Yi, Yang Yin, didn't concern himself with court affairs, he was, after all, the Emperor's younger brother. After the struggle for the throne years ago, none of the defeated princes fared well. In fact, only this sixth prince, Prince Yi, was still alive and well, able to reside in Chang'an for so long instead of returning to his fiefdom.
During the struggle for the throne among the seven princes, Yang Yin, though not explicitly siding with the current emperor, was neither on the side of the eldest nor the third prince. Therefore, he faced little repercussions after the emperor's ascension. However, due to a foolish act eleven years prior, the emperor intentionally distanced him from court. For a member of the royal family once so ambitious and passionate, this was a devastating blow.
Initially, the prince was indeed melancholy, locking himself in his study and refusing to leave. It took him a full year to recover from his despondency. From then on, he began a life of pleasure, either meeting with a few renowned scholars in Chang'an for excursions, composing poems and essays, or frequenting brothels and pleasure boats, indulging in boundless debauchery. He would also take his servants hunting outside the city or relax by the river fishing.
This prince possessed abundant wealth, handsome appearance, and a high social status. The women in the brothels treated him with more warmth and intimacy than if he were their own husband. Over the years, Yang Yin not only earned the title of Chang'an's most notorious connoisseur of fine wine, but his talent and reputation also spread far and wide. He had a wide circle of friends, yet remained indifferent to court affairs. He often enjoyed drinking and merrymaking with friends, discussing only matters of romance and anecdotes.
He was also an avid collector, reportedly amassing numerous paintings, calligraphy, and antiques over the years. Huai Qiugong, the Minister of Rites, who shared this passion, frequently visited Yang Yin's residence to admire his treasures.
Such a carefree and leisurely prince was the envy of many men.
However, for some reason, Fang Jie disliked him from the very first glance. The two had no direct interaction, except during the martial arts academy examinations when the prince orchestrated a scheme to test Fang Jie's character. Had Fang Jie not been cunning and cautious, he might have been defeated.
Because of this lack of interaction, Fang Jie was taken aback when he heard that Prince Yi, Yang Yin, had invited him for a chat. Immediately, he understood why Xi Zhuxin had agreed to perform the flowing sleeve dance. With this thought, he lost even the desire to watch.
Although Prince Yi, Yang Yin, and Hongxiuzhao had a grudge from over a decade ago, given Prince Yi's noble status, his personal apology upon Hongxiuzhao's reopening made it impossible for the feud to continue. And even if Xi Zhuxin was strong-willed, she couldn't refuse an invitation from a prince.
Therefore, Fang Jie lost all interest.
But he had no choice but to go.
"Please lead the way."
Fang Jie turned and said a few words to Luo Weiran and the others, then followed the servant in the blue robe and small hat down the corridor to the other side. When he appeared in the second-floor corridor, a wave of excitement surged below.
"Thank you, Young Master Fang!"
Someone shouted, immediately drawing everyone's attention to Fang Jie. Fang Jie frowned slightly, but quickly put on a smile. As he walked, he clasped his hands in greeting to the people downstairs. Most of the guests were wealthy gentlemen, lacking official titles. Many were envious of Fang Jie's prestige, but quite a few also wanted to curry favor with him. Those of true status wouldn't sit in the main hall.
Fang Jie felt somewhat uncomfortable in this situation, even though it was exactly the effect he wanted. And since this effect was bestowed upon him, the feeling was unpleasant.
Fang Jie was somewhat surprised; what was the purpose of this prince giving him such great face?
When Fang Jie reached the private room opposite the corridor, the door creaked open. Prince Yi, Yang Yin, dressed in casual clothes, emerged from the room with a broad smile, looking like a kind elder he hadn't seen in a long time.
"I only just learned of your presence here. Had I known earlier, we should have sat at the same table. If I hadn't seen you talking to the young manager of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, I would have missed you. Since you don't visit my residence, I had no choice but to invite you over for a chat."
His tone was gentle and kind, radiating warmth.
Fang Jie quickly bowed in greeting, but Yang Yin stopped him, saying, "In this place, formal greetings aren't very pleasant. Come, come, come in and let's talk."
He pulled Fang Jie's hand and turned to enter the room.
For some reason, when Yang Yin pulled him back, a story suddenly came to Fang Jie's mind.
"Xu You secretly slipped out of the camp and headed straight for Cao Cao's stronghold, where he was apprehended by soldiers lying in ambush. You said, 'I am an old friend of Prime Minister Cao. Quickly inform him that Xu You from Nanyang has come to see me.' The soldiers hurriedly reported this to the stronghold. At that time, Cao Cao was just taking off his clothes to rest. Upon hearing that Xu You had secretly come to the stronghold, he was overjoyed. Without even putting on his shoes, he went out barefoot to greet him. Seeing Xu You from afar, he clapped his hands and laughed, and together they entered."
When this scene appeared in his mind, Fang Jie couldn't help but laugh.
His expression seemed one of delight and flattery, but a strange light flashed briefly in the depths of his eyes.