Jiannan Road, Chengdu, the Military Governor's Residence.
The spring rain lasted for three days, washing the bluestone streets of Chengdu until they shone brightly.
In the martial arts training ground in the backyard of the military governor's mansion, Yang Yan was practicing his sword.
He was forty-seven years old, but his figure remained as upright as a pine tree.
The sword in his hand was not a famous weapon, but just an ordinary military sword with several repair marks on the blade.
Every move and every stance is simple and unadorned, yet it carries the killing intent honed in the bloody battles of the battlefield.
"laugh--"
The sword pierced the rain curtain, and raindrops condensed into beads at the tip of the sword, which were then flung out in an arc with the force of the sword.
He had practiced this "Breaking the Formation" technique for thirty years.
When he joined the army in Yinzhou at the age of twenty, the first skill his superior, Li Jingang, taught him was how to break through enemy formations.
Li Jingang said, "Second Brother, there are countless sword techniques, but breaking formations is the most practical. On the battlefield, there's no need for fancy moves, only killing."
They were brothers in arms back then.
Li Jingang is the eldest brother, Yang Yan is the second brother, Ma Zongliang is the third brother, Niu Desheng is the fourth brother, and Hou Zongmin is the fifth brother.
The five men swore a blood oath to carve out their own territory in this chaotic world.
Later, they really carved out their own niche.
Li Jingang rebelled, fighting his way from Xiazhou all the way to Xijing, and then to the capital, where he became emperor.
Yang Yan should have been the second most important person, but due to the fall of Xijing and his overwhelming merits in Youzhou, he was stripped of his military power and became enemies with Li Jingang.
"General! Urgent report!"
Zhang Jian, the staff member, almost staggered into the training ground, the rainwater on his raincoat splashing on the bluestone slabs.
He clutched a rolled-up silk letter tightly in his hand, his face filled with panic.
Yang Yan sheathed his sword, the tip touching the ground, rainwater flowing down the blade.
He looked up at Zhang Jian, his gaze calm: "What's the panic? Has Xijing fallen, or has Zhao Muyun been defeated?"
"N-none of them..."
Zhang Jian's voice trembled, whether from the cold or excitement, "It was Yishui... Zhao Muyun fought a bloody three-day battle at Yishuichuan and annihilated Ma Zongliang's 200,000-strong army!"
"Ma Zongliang was captured, Li Biao and Li Bao were killed in battle, and the Fengtian Army... the main force of the Fengtian Army was completely wiped out!"
The sound of rain suddenly became clear.
A raindrop slid down Yang Yan's brow bone and flowed past the corner of his eye, like a tear.
But he didn't shed a tear; his eyes were as dry as a desert.
He reached out his hand, and Zhang Jian hurriedly handed over the silk letter.
Yang Yan unfolded the book and read it word by word.
His fingers were steady, so steady that it didn't seem like someone who had just heard earth-shattering news.
The silk letter was delivered at great risk by his former subordinates in Henan, and it detailed the course of the Battle of Yishui.
The ironclad defenses of the Mo Dao Battalion, the thunderous cannons of the Shenji Battalion, the heavy cavalry charges, the flanking maneuvers of the foreign cavalry... every description is breathtaking.
“Nine thousand broke two hundred thousand…” Yang Yan murmured repeatedly, slowly rolling up the silk letter and sighing, “Zhao Muyun, he won again!”
Zhang Jian said urgently, "General, this is a golden opportunity! Li Jingang's main force has been wiped out, and Lin Feng's army is pressing on the capital. The fate of the world is sealed!"
"If our 30,000 elite troops from Jiannan were to march north now, they could either capture Hanzhong or enter Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and surely..."
"Surely what?" Yang Yan interrupted him, his voice as cold as a sword's edge. "Surely get a share of the pie? Surely secure a better position in the new dynasty?"
Zhang Jian was speechless.
Yang Yan turned and walked down the corridor, inserting his sword into the weapon rack.
He took off his rain-soaked outer robe, revealing his muscular upper body.
His chest and back were covered with crisscrossing scars, like a map, recording his military career.
The most prominent scar is on his left chest, only an inch from his heart.
That was left over from the Battle of Youzhou, cleaved open by the captain of the personal guard of Wuzhu, the Left Wise King of the Tatars, with a scimitar.
What happened next?
Disregarding brotherhood, Li Jingang not only seized military power but also killed Yang Yan's own sister, who was married to him.
At that moment, he understood what "the bow is put away when the birds are all gone" meant.
"General..." Zhang Jian followed to the corridor, still wanting to persuade him.
Yang Yan raised his hand to stop him: "Mr. Zhang, I know you mean well. But do you know that because of my hesitation, we have already missed the best opportunity!"
What?
Pang Qing is still in Xijing and has not been able to find Yang Chaodu's whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the assassination squad and night watchmen sent by Zhao Muyun have caused widespread panic in Jiannan, with officials and generals afraid to go out.
But Yang Yan was helpless.
Those people are like ghosts in the night; they're impossible to catch.
At first, Yang Yan thought he could wait until the outcome of the great battle between Zhao Muyun and Li Jingang was uncertain and then sell his position at a higher price. However, Zhao Muyun suddenly made a great migration of thousands of miles, left Wuguan, and seized Dengzhou, thus taking the initiative.
When Yang Yan learned that Zhao Muyun had occupied Dengzhou and submitted to Liu Song of Jingxiang and Zhao Mu, the King of Lingnan, he knew that he would have no more chances to negotiate.
Jiannan, a small corner of the land, has a population of only 500,000 and an army of only 30,000. It missed its chance to establish a separatist regime.
Zhao Muyun's men have infiltrated this place like a sieve.
Once he has consolidated his power in the Central Plains, he only needs to send one or two armies to take Jiannan without bloodshed.
At this moment, Yang Yan fully realized his situation.
Now, Jiannan is in its final countdown.
"Issue the order to the three armies: Effective immediately, all roads in Jiannan shall be closed. The Micang Road and Jinniu Road leading north to Hanzhong, and the Xiajiang Road leading east to Jingxiang, shall all be blocked. Without my order, not a single soldier shall enter or leave."
"General, what's going on..."
"To protect ourselves," Yang Yan said calmly.
The rain was getting heavier.
After Yang Yan finished speaking, he put the broken sword back into the hidden compartment and turned to walk towards the study.
His back looked lonely in the rain, yet he stood ramrod straight.
Outside Chengdu, the garrison at Jianmen Pass received orders to close the pass.
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