The war enters a quieter phase.
But it is no less dangerous.
Six months.
That is the time Wu An gave himself to rebuild Liang's army and prepare the invasion of Zhou.
Three months have already passed.
The army grows stronger.
But not strong enough.
Not yet.
And both sides know it.
The war moves into the shadows.
Espionage spreads across the frontier like rot beneath wood.
Liang spies infiltrate Zhou's supply depots disguised as merchants, priests, and deserters. They poison wells, burn warehouses, and sabotage bridges meant for military convoys.
Gunpowder shipments explode mysteriously during transport.
Granaries catch fire at night.
Caravans vanish on mountain roads.
Zhou does not remain passive.
Their agents slip into Ling An posing as refugees from the Southern Kingdom.
One assassin attempts to poison Liang's new artillery powder supply.
Another infiltrates the weapon workshops.
A third nearly succeeds in burning an entire armory before being caught.
Wu An orders executions immediately.
The captured agents are not merely killed.
They are interrogated publicly.
Then displayed along the walls of Ling An as warnings.
The message spreads quickly.
The shadow war grows brutal.
Inside the war chamber, the tension increases daily.
The reforms have worked.
The army is larger.
Better equipped.
The new musket formations show promise.
Artillery improvements are beginning to appear on the battlefield.
But the numbers still do not favor Liang.
Liao Yun studies the map grimly.
"If we wait another three months, the army will be ready."
Wu An remains silent.
Shen Yue answers instead.
"Zhou will not wait."
Scouts report that Zhou's frontier armies grow larger each week.
New conscripts arrive from the interior provinces.
Supply depots multiply.
Their defenses strengthen.
Every week Liang waits—
Zhou grows stronger.
One evening a captured spy is brought before Wu An.
The man kneels trembling in chains.
He carries a coded message intended for Zhou.
Wu An reads it carefully.
The report is detailed.
Weapon production numbers.
Recruitment estimates.
Training progress.
Even the condition of Liang's artillery.
The spy lowers his head.
"Kill me."
Wu An folds the message slowly.
"You have already served your purpose."
The spy looks confused.
Wu An hands the letter to Liao Yun.
"Send it."
The general blinks.
"Send it?"
"Yes."
"But it contains—"
"Inaccurate information."
The room grows quiet.
Wu An continues calmly.
"They believe we are half prepared."
"Let them believe it."
Shen Yue understands immediately.
"You want them arrogant."
Wu An nods.
"Arrogance makes men careless."
Far to the north, the Zhou imperial court receives the message.
The Emperor reads the intelligence report personally.
Wu An's army is rebuilding.
But slowly.
Not fully ready.
Not yet capable of invading Zhou.
The Emperor smiles.
Finally.
Proof.
The man who humiliated his legions is still struggling.
A minister bows beside him.
"Your Majesty, if Liang is not ready, we should strike now before they finish rebuilding."
The Emperor waves a hand dismissively.
"They will come."
The court watches him carefully.
"Wu An is desperate," the Emperor continues.
"He must attack eventually."
"Let him."
Another minister hesitates.
"But Your Majesty, attacking them while they are weak—"
The Emperor's smile widens.
"I want him to come north."
Silence spreads across the court.
Because they understand what he means.
"Let him march into Zhou," the Emperor says calmly.
"Let him believe he has a chance."
"Then we crush him."
The court bows.
But several ministers exchange uneasy glances.
Because arrogance has begun to creep into the Emperor's voice.
The same arrogance that destroyed the first siege.
Back in Ling An, the pressure grows.
Another month passes.
The army continues training.
But supplies remain tight.
Recruitment slows.
And Zhou's armies grow larger every week.
Liao Yun studies the frontier reports again.
"They now have eight legions along the border."
Wu An nods slowly.
"And if we wait longer?"
"They will have ten."
Silence follows.
The war chamber feels smaller now.
Because everyone understands.
The window for invasion is closing.
That night Wu An stands on the northern wall once again.
The wind carries faint echoes of distant armies.
Shen Yue joins him quietly.
"You're considering moving early."
"Yes."
"Even though the army is not ready."
"Yes."
"Because waiting is worse."
Wu An nods.
Zhou grows stronger every day.
If Liang waits for perfection—
They will lose the opportunity entirely.
Shen Yue watches the dark horizon.
"The Emperor of Zhou believes you are desperate."
"He is correct."
"He also believes he is stronger."
Wu An finally smiles faintly.
"Good."
Because arrogance is a weapon too.
The spies have done their work.
Zhou believes Liang is weak.
Zhou believes Wu An is rushing.
Zhou believes the invasion will be foolish.
And sometimes—
The best way to win a war
Is to convince your enemy
That you are making a mistake.
Wu An turns back toward the palace.
"The army marches soon."
"How soon?"
He pauses.
Then answers quietly.
"Before they expect it."
The shadow war has already begun.
But soon—
The real war will cross the frontier.