Chapter 493: The Fate of the World by the Roadside

The cat trotted alongside the Daoist, occasionally turning its head to glance back at the two armies growing smaller and smaller in the distant mountains. Then, just as often, it turned to look up at the Daoist beside it.

“Was that person really the emperor?”

The calico cat wore a puzzled expression, asking almost the same question it had asked on the night they first returned from meeting the emperor.

With its small mind and limited understanding, it couldn’t quite grasp why such a drastic change had occurred.

Song You, too, remembered that night.

A grand banquet in the palace.

The emperor, seated high above all, supreme and untouchable. He had gazed down at the world with the indifference of a god, his presence so imposing that even the little cat had been deeply shaken.

And so, Song You answered just as he had that night.

“Yes, he is the emperor.”

“Why isn’t the emperor powerful anymore?”

“An emperor himself is not powerful. What makes him powerful is the recognition and loyalty of the people.”

Song You walked forward, leaning on his bamboo staff. Each step sent dust scattering into the mountain air. He did not turn back to look at the distant scene. Instead, he lowered his gaze to the cat, meeting its amber eyes—clear, curious, and full of confusion.

Patiently, he explained, “Some emperors earn the people's recognition and loyalty through their own merit. Others inherit it from their ancestors.”

“Mm...”

“Like gods, emperors must have virtue and ability. They must love the land and its people to truly win their hearts,” Song You continued. “But if an emperor loses the people's trust—if the world no longer recognizes or follows him—then he becomes nothing more than an ordinary old man. Just as you saw today, Lady Calico.”

“Mm...”

The cat continued its quick, light steps, keeping its head turned as it stared at the Daoist.

Then, too distracted by its thoughts, it bumped into a roadside stone.

It paused, but only for a moment—without concern, it simply hopped over the stone and resumed walking, still staring at the Daoist, lost in thought.

With a casual flick of his bamboo staff, Song You sent the stone tumbling off the road and out of sight.

“Lady Calico, watch where you're going.”

“Daoist priest, tell me...”

“What insight do you have this time?”

“Can the sea snails in the fields be eaten?”

“...”

“Can the sea snails in the fields be eaten?”

“...”

Song You shook his head, then finally smiled. “Lady Calico, you truly have a kind heart.”

“So, can they be eaten?”

“They’re called land snails.”

“Then can they be eaten?”

“Of course.”

“I saw a lot of them...”

As the Daoist and the calico cat walked further, the armored soldiers behind them faded from sight. The countless hoofprints and dust clouds stirred up by the marching army no longer seemed to matter.

Onward they traveled, gradually entering Luzhou.

The closer they got to Changjing, the more rumors swirled on the wind.

Song You had mostly pieced together the current situation.

Prince Shun had seized Changjing but had not rushed to proclaim himself emperor. The elite imperial troops stationed in and around the capital—including in Angzhou, Jingzhou, Guangzhou, Luzhou, and Fengzhou—were largely under his command. Any dissenters had been swiftly suppressed.

This included the Longwei Army, which Song You had personally encountered before.

Meanwhile, the crown prince had fled to Yizhou, where he had gained the support of the local governors and military forces in Yizhou, Xuzhou, and Yunzhou, consolidating an army of tens of thousands.

Beyond that, the farther a prefecture or commandery was from Changjing, the more its officials and generals seemed inclined to support the crown prince.

Both sides were locked in a distant standoff, exchanging letters back and forth. When they weren’t blaming each other, they were trying to persuade the other to surrender. Neither side was willing to back down, leading to a prolonged deadlock with frequent skirmishes.

Within Great Yan, many powerful aristocratic families had been entrenched in their regions for generations. Their deep roots and vast resources meant that, historically, they had always possessed the potential to rise as warlords—or even transform into emperors. At this moment, they, too, were watching and waiting.

In the south and southwest, several regions that outwardly submitted to the Great Yan court were, in reality, highly autonomous. Culturally, they had never fully integrated with Great Yan. In times of chaos, such places would either declare independence or at the very least, break free from central authority to establish their own rule.

Fortunately, Great Yan was at its peak—its strength extended far beyond mere territorial control, military power, or economic might. Its cultural influence and national confidence were unparalleled.

This strength had taken root in people’s hearts.

Even the poorest peasants, who struggled to fill their bellies, still felt a strong sense of honor and belonging to “Great Yan.” Even foreigners from lands thousands of li away admired and longed for Great Yan.

This was a sentiment that only those who had lived at the center of the world could truly understand—despite the many hidden tensions within the empire.

Moreover, since the chaos in Changjing had only just begun, most commoners who heard the rumors at first refused to believe them. Even when they accepted that disorder had erupted in the capital, they still did not think it could shake Great Yan’s foundation.

Under such circumstances, it would be difficult for anyone to overthrow Great Yan’s rule in the short term.

Anyone who rebelled now would become the enemy of all.

***

On the first day in Luzhou, Song You rested by a roadside tea stall.

Before him sat a small pot, filled with simmering snail meat, with two slices of ginger floating in the broth—the tea stall owner had kindly provided them.

This was the season when land snails were most abundant.

Last night, after camping in the mountains, Song You had woken to find that Lady Calico had already gone scavenging and returned with a massive pile of fresh snails from the nearby rice paddies.

After briefly blanching them in hot water, a quick stir-fry turned them into a fragrant, steaming dish.

To show his gratitude for the stall owner’s generosity, he bought a few steamed buns from them. Breaking a bun open, he stuffed it with the snail meat, eating leisurely while listening to travelers discuss the events ahead.

One of the speakers was a scholar who had seemingly just arrived from Angzhou. He spoke vividly, drawing the attention of many stall customers.

“The Marquis of Wuan has marched south?”

“Do you think you can fool Brother Liao? That massive banner bearing the character Chen of the Marquis of Wuan—who could possibly mistake it? It’s only that the news hasn’t spread widely in Luzhou yet. But in Angzhou, it’s common knowledge!”

“Brother Yuan, please speak! When did the Marquis of Wuan march south? Where is he now? And which side is he supporting?”

“I’ve only heard rumors, mind you—but they say the Marquis of Wuan received orders from both the Crown Prince and His Majesty, marching south to restore order in the name of the throne. He brought with him the elite northern garrison iron calvary, and has been advancing unimpeded. As of now, he has already reached the outskirts of Changjing.”

“Then that means he’s supporting the Crown Prince!”

“The Marquis of Wuan is here! Stability is assured!”

“It had to be the Marquis of Wuan...”

At this table, four scholars sat together. Though they appeared frail, their bold discussions of state affairs put even seasoned warriors to shame.

“In my opinion, with the Marquis of Wuan’s arrival, the chaos in Changjing is as good as settled. Otherwise, it would disgrace both the title Wuan and the unparalleled prestige he has built over his lifetime,” the scholar surnamed Yuan said, though he shook his head with a hint of regret. “But I fear for the Marquis of Wuan’s safety...”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Brother Yuan, are you suggesting that the Marquis has become too powerful—that now, having restored order, he might pose a threat to his own ruler?”

“But the Marquis of Wuan acted under the Crown Prince’s command. He did not move his troops on his own accord. And just as he did last time when entering the capital, he has surely left his younger brother behind in the north to guard the border. That force alone numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Even the former emperor would not have dared to act against him with such a stronghold in place!”

“You gentlemen may not know the full story...”

The scholar surnamed Yuan spoke slowly. Even recalling the rumors he had heard sent a chill down his spine.

“They say that when the Marquis of Wuan marched south, he brought only ten thousand elite cavalry. Yet from Yuanzhi City all the way down, he crossed Yanzhou, passed Caotou Pass, then through Hezhou, bypassing Beifeng Pass and Jiaxing Pass—without encountering a single obstacle.

“Every checkpoint commander, upon recognizing him, opened the gates without hesitation. Some even sent troops to follow him. Travelers along the route witnessed it with their own eyes.”

“This...”

“From the northern frontier to Changjing—it’s a full three thousand li! And he covered the distance in just half a month. The only battle he fought was two hundred li outside Angzhou, where he encountered General Li Chenghao, who had rallied the elite forces of Angzhou, Jingzhou, and Fengzhou to make a stand.”

The scholar surnamed Yuan glanced around at his audience.

“Do you know how that battle ended?”

“How?”

“The Shenwei Army[1] of Angzhou, the Huwei Army[2] of Jingzhou, and the Longwei Army of Fengzhou—combined, they numbered over forty thousand, all elite troops.”

“But against the northern garrison iron cavalry...” Yuan paused, his voice steady.

“They were utterly crushed in a single charge.”

The moment he spoke, the entire table fell into stunned silence.

They had all heard stories of the Marquis of Wuan’s past feats, but never before had they so clearly grasped the sheer power of him and his northern garrison.

“And now?”

“Now, the Marquis of Wuan has encircled Changjing with his iron cavalry, and reinforcements continue to arrive. My family wrote to me, urging me to return home—they don’t dare stay in Angzhou any longer for fear of war reaching the city. So I left in a hurry.

“Originally, I had planned to visit a few elder brothers in town for a drink, but who would have thought—alas, what virtue or ability do I, Cheng Xiao, have to deserve my elder brothers personally coming to receive me?”

“...”

A small, fair hand suddenly reached out in front of Song You and took one of the steamed buns.

His gaze naturally shifted away from the table of scholars, following the little hand until it landed on Lady Calico.

The tiny girl, expressionless, took the steamed bun and, despite being caught, acted as if nothing had happened. Her eyes only briefly flicked to his, then lowered again, observing how his own steamed bun was stuffed with snail meat.

Carefully imitating him, she tore the bun in half and placed the snail meat inside before taking a bite.

As she ate, she glanced up at him.

“Is it good?”

“Is it good?”

“I think it's good.”

“Then I think it's good too.”

“...”

Song You shook his head but said nothing.

After finishing their meal and tidying up, they continued on their way.

The closer they got to Angzhou, the more prosperous the roadsides became—but the effects of the chaos in Changjing also grew more apparent.

However, news of the Marquis of Wuan marching south to restore order had already spread.

His presence alone carried an almost divine authority.

Just hearing the words “The Marquis of Wuan is marching south to restore order” was enough to convince countless people that the world would soon stabilize. The unrest that had just begun to ripple through the land was quickly calmed.

After two days of travel, they entered the mountains.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept up along the roadside.

“

Meow

!!”

Lady Calico nearly jumped out of her fur, leaping straight up in shock.

From the woods beside the official road, a strange fox had appeared at some point. Its fur was yellow, its body as large as a dog, and its eyebrows were long like whiskers. Yet, it trotted alongside them as if it had always been there, occasionally turning its head to glance at them.

“Little kitty got scared again?”

Song You, however, remained unperturbed. He turned his head to look at the fox. “You’ve come again?”

The cat, now having recovered from her fright, mimicked her Daoist companion and also asked, “You’ve come again?”

“Indeed. I went to Changjing for a couple of days. Originally, I should have taken the mountain paths to avoid being seen, but when I sensed you were here, I thought I’d drop by for a chat.”

1. Shenwei Army literally translates to Divine’s Might Army. ☜

2. Huwei Army literally translates to Tiger’s Might Army. ☜