The Grandmaster Strategist

Volume 6, Chapter 38: Sovereign's Grace Weighs Heavily

[As the Duke had been arrested, the powerful Prime Minister ordered that the members of his faction be seized to control all generals and thus military authority. The Prime Minister planned slowly and carefully.

The eldest son of the Duke, Yun, was sixteen years old. He fought with Shi Guan across Huaixi, widely known as brave. Guan received extreme effort from him and even loved him. Guan had a daughter styled Yujin who was seventeen years old. She was also skilled in battle. Each time she went into battle, she wore silver armor, rode a white steed, and carried a spear and bow. Fighting side by side with Yun, it was impossible to distinguish who was better.

In the thirteenth year of Tongtai, the Queen Dowager tried to wed Yun to Grand Princess Shuning, who was well-known for her virtue. Everyone was jealous; only Yun was unwilling. He said to his father, “I would like to marry a kindred spirit.”

The Duke and Guan had long had an understanding and permitted it.

When the royal envoy reached Shouchun, the Duke’s beloved daughter fled from the city. Guan tried to hand her over to the royal envoy in chains. Yujin was enraged when she heard. Ignoring her pregnancy, she carried the woman out of the city, her sense of justice venerable.

The royal envoy dispatched troops to pursue her, nearly all of whom became casualties. The two women both vanished without a trace. The envoy grew fearful, dreading that Yun wouldn’t give himself up and impelled Guan to send troops to Zhongli.

Guan purposely delayed, waiting five days to dispatch troops. Upon reaching Zhongli, Yun had been waiting for a long time. Listening to the royal edict, he said, “The Lu family is loyal. May it be taken as evidence by both the Heavens and man.” Thereupon, he calmly let himself be arrested.

Afterwards, Yun led the Flying Cavalry and elite troops in triumph to Jianghuai. The army wished to halt there, but Yun admonished them and ordered them back to camp. None dared obstruct him given his present prestige.

—Southern Chu Dynastic Records, Biography of the Duke of Loyal Courage]

Third day of the tenth month, Chuzhou.

Pei Yun stood atop the Zhenhuai Tower, distressed. The autumn scenery before his eyes had lost its luster. The result of the Battle of Jingxiang had reached his ear. The intricacies of the battle left him flabbergasted.

Lu Can had set out from Yiyang and availed himself of the opportunity to capture Xiangyang. Afterwards, he struggled long against Gucheng, deadlocked in Xiangyang. Each change made one cast a sidelong glance. The loss and recapture of Xiangyang was even more confusing.

Only once Pei Yun learned the king of Southern Chu, Zhao Long, had relieved Lu Can of command and recalled him to Jianye did he vaguely understand the bloody Battle of Jingxiang and Xiangyang changing hands was designed against Lu Can. But even though Pei Yun figured this out, he still grew ever more astonished.

The School of the Military2 once said:

[Jingxiang is the most important region in the world. The Yangtze River cuts east and west, connecting the States of Wu and Shu. Following the great river leads to Xiang and Gan,3 very convenient and fast. The Han River winds north along Jiangxia to the northwest, and from the northwest of Xiangyang, flows into Hanzhong and Guanzhong. In the north, it flows into Nanyang and Luoyang. Whether on water or dry land, all are passages. If one desires to rule the world, one must possess Jingxiang.

Every time the world divides, when feudal lords declare independence, Jingxiang is always the first to bear the brunt of battle.]

Within the region of Jingxiang, the towns of Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Jiangxia were all militarily important. And Xiangyang was the most important. If Southern Chu possessed Xiangyang, they could march north on the Central Plains. If Great Yong owned Xiangyang, they could terrorize Jingxiang.

When Great Yong was first founded, it constantly eyed Xiangyang, but at the time, Xiangyang was under the defense of the Prince of De, Zhao Jue, steady as Mount Tai. Time and again, the Yong armies were thwarted by the high walls and sturdy defenses of the city. An indeterminate number of brave soldiers broke their bodies and gave their lives. Xiangyang was the regret at the heart of Great Yong’s troops and officers.

Finally, in the eighth year of Longsheng, Jiang Zhe came up with a scheme. By using the opportunity created by Yang Xiu capturing Huaidong and drawing their enemy north, they captured Xiangyang by taking advantage of the rift between generals. Once Xiangyang landed in Great Yong’s hands, Southern Chu no longer had any chances to counterattack. Although Lu Can defended Jiangnan such that it was impregnable, he was powerless to jeopardize Great Yong’s foundation.

Due to Xiangyang’s import, not even the Yong emperor leading troops into battle would recklessly abandon the strategic town. However, Jiang Zhe turned the important location into bait, lightly giving it up. Although they eventually regained Xiangyang, all that was left was a ravaged and isolated city after the inferno. The citizens of Xiangyang had gone south across the river as well, so it would be difficult to return Xiangyang to its former glory for many years.

No matter how grand Jiang Zhe’s style was, for the moment, Pei Yun fretted over news he learned from Shaolin. Yong Emperor Li Zhi didn’t know anything about this battle before it took place, as Jiang Zhe had issued falsified imperial orders. Putting aside the alarming danger of this battle, Jiang Zhe’s boldness appalled Pei Yun to the breaking point. If the Yong emperor condemned him, it would likely be difficult to snake out of the grave crime.

An uninvolved person might watch from the sidelines, but many people had long been unsatisfied with the immense favor given to Jiang Zhe. While the war was stuck in a stalemate, he was still frolicking among the mountains and rivers, disregarding military affairs, which resulted in the Yong emperor’s court filling with many more accusatory memorials. Now that he’d committed this serious crime, not even the Imperial Princess of Ning, Princess Changle, could likely protect him.

Some people might even take the opportunity to kick him while he was down, but Pei Yun couldn’t think this way. He had received extra care from Jiang Zhe these past few years, to say nothing of Jiang Zhe’s son, Jiang Shen, being the last disciple of his respected master.

Three years ago, Yang Xiu had attacked Chuzhou and Sizhou, and Pei Yun could be called the loser of both battles. And before this, the governor of Chuzhou, Luo Jing, was assassinated. This seriously offended the empress’s elder brother, Gao Rong, and coupled with his defeats to Yang Xiu, many important ministers of the court petitioned the emperor, wishing to have him denounce and punish Pei Yun. If not for Jiang Zhe’s aid, as well as the Yong emperor remembering the rescue Pei Yun conducted for him, Pei Yun would likely be a criminal in shackles today.

For the past few years, Pei Yun had been recovering his strength, retraining his army. The Xuzhou Barracks had fully recovered its strength, itching for a fight. If Jiang Zhe were demoted, Pei Yun deeply feared he would be implicated. If he lost command, he would lose any chance to scrub away the humiliation of his defeats, so compared to the average person, Pei Yun was most worried about Jiang Zhe’s plight.

Serious concerns on his mind, Pei Yun didn’t even hear Du Lingfeng’s footsteps as he ascended the tower. He only reacted when he heard Du Lingfeng’s voice reach his ear. He listened to Du Lingfeng report, “General, a letter has reached Xuzhou. The Emperor handed down an edict reprimanding the Prince of Qi; His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince; and General Zhangsun. Marquis Jiang has been demoted two feudal ranks. Later, he also decreed that the Marquis was dismissed from his post as the adviser to the Jiangnan Command Post.”

Pei Yun was shocked, but he concealed his worries. Face calm as still water, he replied, “Such wrath from His Imperial Majesty is difficult to avoid. However, has nobody within the court vouched for him? Whatever else may be the case, Xiangyang is still in our military’s hands.”

Du Lingfeng hesitated for a moment before saying, “According to news from Chang’an, the Emperor exploded with fury when he read the battle reports. Although Prime Minister Shi and the ministers urged reconciliation, Xiahou Yuanfeng of the Bright Inspection Department took advantage to denounce Marquis Jiang as shirking his duties and even raked up his past, exposing his whereabouts for the past three years. Only then did rage show on the Emperor’s face, and he decreed castigations, wanting even to strip the Marquis of title and post. If not for Prime Minister Shi tirelessly pleading for leniency, I’m afraid he wouldn’t have even kept his title as marquis.”

Pei Yun gave a mental sigh. Shifting his gaze, he looked upon Du Lingfeng to also see unease on his face. He smiled and said, “Ever since you accompanied Marquis Jiang to Xiangyang, you’ve always trembled with fear when you bring up Marquis Jiang’s name. Now, Marquis Jiang has committed a crime, so you should be delighted. Yet why are you in this state?”

“This can’t be blamed on Lingfeng. Martial Uncle doesn’t know that I still have lingering fears when thinking about accompanying Marquis Jiang to Xiangyang,” Du Lingfeng said in embarrassment. “At the time, Jingxiang still belonged to Southern Chu, yet Marquis Jiang spent many days loitering at Mount Xian. This disciple was constantly anxious. Marquis Jiang was injured, so if the Chu army discovered us, I was afraid it would implicate Master and the sect, not to mention how difficult it’d be to save our lives. Yet Marquis Jiang refused to sympathize with us bodyguards, even gazing into the distance at Xiangyang’s turrets. Even General Huyan and several bodyguards were trembling in fear, afraid something would happen. No wonder everybody says Marquis Jiang is a strange character. Lingfeng prays he’ll never have to attend upon him ever again for the rest of Lingfeng’s life.

“However, Jiang Zhe has committed a crime, yet this disciple feels perturbed, but not because of giving thought to Martial Uncle. Martial Uncle has always viewed fame and wealth with extreme apathy. The Emperor also rather values Martial Uncle, so even if Martial Uncle is implicated, this disciple believes it likely won’t be a serious problem. It’s just that, for some reason, this disciple feels that if Marquis Jiang is dismissed, it will probably be more dangerous.”

Pei Yun was surprised. He didn’t expect his martial nephew, who’d always been candid and lacked cunning, to be this astute. His master, Great Master True Compassion, once said that Jiang Zhe had a deep sea of knowledge, with thorough and secretive thinking, gentle and treacherous. He also had the expert Demonic Shadow, Li Shun, by his side serving him. If Jiang Zhe were not restrained and allowed to act as he pleased, he would likely create earth-shattering turmoil with a momentary slip-up.

They were fortunate he was working for the Yong emperor. Although the heroes of the world had it bad, the ability to effect the unification of the country was an otherworldly achievement. Moreover, that man could still eliminate many hidden threats even with restrictions on imperial power.

Just now, Pei Yun learned Marquis Jiang had been demoted, and he grew concerned. If Jiang Zhe became so estranged with the Yong court due to this that he fled into jianghu, it would likely not be a blessing for the world. He didn’t expect Du Lingfeng to also vaguely reach this line of thought. It looked like his martial nephew was no longer the impulsive youth of the past due to many years of experience. With a smile, Pei Yun said, “Come to my place for the next few nights. I want to see your progress.”

Du Lingfeng was overjoyed. He knew his martial uncle was going to give advice on his martial arts. He couldn’t help rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Pei Yun gave a mental laugh at the sight and said, “All right, I’m a little tired. Let’s go to Du’s for drinks.” Ever since the startling changes in Chuzhou three years ago, the Du Family Restaurant became famous throughout Jianghuai. Zhuang Qingpu getting justice for his master and the Du Family Restaurant’s green plum wine were both eulogized throughout Jianghuai. Even Pei Yun loved the wine, but he was prestigious and illustrious now, so it wasn’t appropriate for him to often visit the restaurant. He was despondent today, so he wanted to distract himself at the restaurant.

Although the Du Family Restaurant was famous throughout Jianghuai, it still looked the same as before and hadn’t been expanded. No additional jugs of green plum wine had been brewed either. Proprietor Du may have been a merchant, but he was rather reclusive. If one weren’t a talented individual at some point, it would be difficult to buy a jug of green plum wine even if one offered a huge sum. But if one were an elegant and outstanding scholar, one could be gifted with vintage wine. In this fashion, the reputation of the green plum wine grew. Most of the many normal people who couldn’t try the wine would drink several small cups of the Du family’s aged wine.

The Du Family Restaurant was essentially packed with customers. If one did not reserve a seat ahead of time, one would be shown the door. However, Pei Yun wasn’t concerned. There was a table upstairs set aside throughout the year, just in case of individuals like Pei Yun, or for famous Jianghuai scholars dropping by. It prevented a situation in which no seats would be available.

Changing into casual attire, walking on the street, Pei Yun felt his mood lift considerably. Proprietor Du heard of his arrival at the restaurant and went out to greet him, though a strange expression showed on his face. Pei Yun didn’t pay it any mind. Right as he ascended to the second floor, he heard a sonorous and kindly voice sing:

[“Dawn mist shrouds Qin Tower,

Again adding to the parting sorrow.

Facing the wind, I pour one out for the country.

Singing all of ‘Yang Pass’ makes it hard to stay,

This regret lingering.

Green plums collected fill my sleeves,

Light snow falling.

Fermenting yearly into Du Family Wine.

Drinking alone on a skiff,

Until dead drunk.]

“The artistry of this poem by Zhuang Qingpu is far reaching. His skill is clear to see. It’s a pity he was cut down in the prime of his life. Truly tragic and unfortunate.”

Pei Yun was a little taken aback. Although Zhuang Qingpu received esteem and love from Chuzhou people, he had assassinated a governor. As such, few people praised him in public, lest it fall upon the ears of the Yong military and cause trouble. And from the person’s accent, it sounded like someone from Chang’an. As it was a person of Yong, why would they praise Zhuang Qingpu uninhibited?

Suspicious, he stopped in his tracks and heard another familiar voice say, “Although the good man’s words aren’t wrong, you must guard your tongue.”

Pei Yun was even more shocked. The man had just been demoted. Why had he come back to Chuzhou? Swinging his gaze around, he saw no local customers save for several figures he knew at a glance were expert, elite bodyguards with lidded eyes. They were sitting scattered around the upper floor. Growing more astonished, he tidied his robes and stepped forward, saluting the speaker in the suite. “Why did the Marquis not inform Pei Yun that the Marquis stooped to come here? This general could have prepared a feast for the Marquis as a welcoming dinner.”

Behind the curtains, Jiang Zhe’s elegant voice drifted out. “Jiang Zhe has been freed from his post as advisor. If not for His Imperial Majesty’s great grace, I fear I wouldn’t have just been demoted two ranks in the nobility. There’s no need for General Pei to go through such ceremony. I’ve come today simply because I remembered the green plum wine here. Fortunately, Old Du still had a few jugs left, or else I would’ve come in vain.”

Pei Yun brushed the curtain aside and entered. He said with a smile, “This general admires the Marquis’s indifference to being favored or humiliated. However, I would assume that His Imperial Majesty will eventually empathize with the Marquis’s painstaking efforts in making Lu Can lose overall command. Even if Xiangyang were lost, it could be recaptured. Besides, Xiangyang hasn’t been lost yet.” He wondered to himself who among the imperial family Jiang Zhe called a “good man” was. It sounded like Jiang Zhe’s tone carried some respect.

Walking into the suite, Pei Yun was surprised. He saw Jiang Zhe sitting with a handsome young man around nineteen years old, drinking and conversing. Although he wore a plain yellow robe, he looked distinguished, his might contained and unseen. Pei Yun was astounded to see that the young man was Crown Prince Li Jun, Vice Commander of the Jiangnan Command Post.

Mind racing, thoughts flashing by, Pei Yun fell to one knee and said, “This general salutes His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince, long may he live. This general didn’t know Your Imperial Highness arrived, so didn’t personally welcome you. Please forgive me, Your Imperial Highness.”

Li Jun stood up and reached out in a gesture to help him up. “Rise, General Pei. The general’s defense of Chuzhou has prevented Southern Chu’s Huaidong army from marching north on Qing Province and Xuzhou. You’ve worked hard and performed a valuable service. We’ve always been fully aware, and We are grateful. Please don’t be overly formal.”

Jiang Zhe, meanwhile, wore an indolent expression, not budging an inch from his seat. But Li Jun didn’t seem to mind. Pei Yun remembered hearing people say that Crown Prince Li Jun had a very close friendship with Jiang Zhe. Now, it looked like the rumors were true. He then noticed Jiang Zhe didn’t have the look of defeat on his face he was supposed to have after being demoted, and he also had Li Jun going incognito with him. Pei Yun’s mental worries were swept away, and he stood and said calmly, “Your Imperial Highness and the Marquis must carry instructions to come incognito to Chuzhou. This general has kept the army combat ready for three years, waiting only for orders to come down to march south and erase the shame of past defeat. Please assign orders, Your Imperial Highness.”

I couldn’t hold back a yawn, thinking, The past few years have probably bored Pei Yun to no end. Hard fighting has occurred every year in Sichuan, Jingxiang, and Huaixi. Only Huaidong has been relatively peaceful. Once he saw Li Jun, he asked for a battle assignment. He is truly restless. I gazed over at Pei Yun expressing himself meaningfully and sincerely to Li Jun and saddened.

This time, the plan had called for discord between the military and political leaders, the king and ministers of Southern Chu. The stratagem would deplete a huge amount of strength from the hostile power, but it also included an avenue to resolutely retire while in high office.4 As a result, I had purposely hid some key details from Li Zhi and had cavorted for the past three years.

After this Battle of Xiangyang, documents accusing me flew like snowflakes, as expected. Li Zhi was enraged as well and stripped me of title and military post, sure enough. I had expected all of this, which would precisely allow Southern Chu’s foolish ruler and powerful minister to go after Lu Can without worry. As for the impact of losing the emperor’s favor, the following events wouldn’t need Li Zhi’s involvement, anyway.

I had single-mindedly thought of taking advantage of these events to retire into seclusion to avoid seeing my former country be conquered. Right as I was gratefully listening to the imperial demotion decree, I secretly received a confidential congratulatory missive, to my surprise. Li Zhi didn’t blame me one bit for acting on my own initiative and even said that devastating Lu Can was better than capturing ten cities.

Seeing my plan to escape from obligation once again popping like a bubble, I couldn’t help feeling angry and frustrated. If I hadn’t constantly kept in mind my unfinished business in Southern Chu, I would’ve immediately fled from the situation. However, I didn't know how events over there had progressed. Presumably, within a couple months, there would be a result.

***

Fifth day of the twelfth month, Jianye.

Yulun walked out of Shang Chengye’s private residence. It was already midnight. The light snow that had been drifting down and swirling all day had stopped at some point. It was impossible to make out any hint of light from the moon and stars in the dark and gloomy night sky. The lantern in his hand could only dispel the darkness within the radius of a few zhang in the misty night. Song Yu felt like his spirit was as gloomy as the night.

After blindly walking an indefinite distance, Yulun stopped in his tracks. Before his eyes was a wooden door painted black. Hanging on the door was a green palace lantern. The light wasn’t terribly bright, but in Song Yu’s heart, this was the only ray of light shining in the darkness. This was Liu Rumeng’s residence in Jianye, the Willow Courtyard. Since the onset of winter, with the cold air intensifying, Liu Rumeng had quit the pleasure boat and lived in the city. Although the Willow Courtyard wasn’t large, it was secluded and elegant. It often made people not want to return home.

Yulun reached out to knock on the door when he suddenly felt timid. One hand was in midair, unable to be moved forward in the slightest.

He dimly remembered Liu Rumeng holding a red paper umbrella and wearing white clothes, standing in the snow to see him off before he left today. Delicately opening her red lips, she said, “Sir, Rumeng may be a loose woman, but she knows the loyalty of the Grand General. Shang daren and Sir are friends. If you can persuade him to make a tactful plea to the Prime Minister to avoid conflict between the General and Prime Minister, it would truly be a blessing to the nation. If the exalted, unyielding, jade pillar of state collapses, that would be self-destructive, serving only to sadden our friends and gladden our enemies.”

However, he couldn’t do that. When Shang Chengye told him with a heavy heart that Shang Weijun was still indecisive, he said, “Grand General Lu possibly rebelling is no longer important. Just, Prime Minister Shang has offended the Grand General this time. I don’t know if Grand General will forget about this. This time, Grand General willingly gave himself up to arrest and ordered his deputy generals to not cause trouble. But who knows if he’ll disregard his life and reputation next time and allow the Prime Minister to blame him.” When Yulun saw Shang Chengye’s thoughtful expression, he knew Lu Can was another step closer to death.

In less than two months, the world had been turned upside down. After the Battle of Xiangyang, the Prince of Qi and the crown prince were both reprimanded. Even Jiang Zhe, immensely favored by the emperor, was demoted and stripped of salary. Not a few days later, more news spread—Jiang Zhe had been relieved of command by the Yong emperor. Even the Yong military showed indications of shrinking back to their defensive lines. Each sign pointed to the war that had lasted for years coming to an end. But as a result of foreign aggression vanishing, Southern Chu’s internal squabbles grew more pronounced.

Once Lu Can was hauled off to Jianye, King Zhao Long only met him once in a hurry before imprisoning him. Lu Can’s wife and children who remained in Jianye were put under house arrest. Even Lu Yun leading an army in Huaixi was arrested by mounted officers in red uniforms and taken back to the capital. Only Lu Can’s second son, Lu Feng; third child, his daughter, Lu Mei; and longtime daughter-in-law, Shi Xiu, were missing. However, Lu Feng and Lu Mei weren’t adults yet, and Shi Xiu was also Shi Guan’s daughter.

For the sake of having Shi Guan tactfully offer his services, Shang Weijun wouldn’t go too overboard and only gave orders to apprehend them. But even though he didn’t care much, the Fengyi Sect repeatedly sent out experts in search of the three people’s whereabouts.

Yulun didn’t know why the Fengyi Sect was so tense, but after several days, he learned from the mouth of Shang Chengye that an expert of the Fengyi Sect had gone to Huaixi to assist the royal envoy in catching the Lu family members. They didn’t know whether she was dead or alive, as she’d disappeared without a trace. Shang Chengye had brought up this affair just to gloat a little, but Yulun speculated to himself about whether an operative of the Secret Camp had acted.

Lost in thought for an indeterminate amount of time, Yulun suddenly sensed a surprise sword attack from the darkness. His long-tested experience in life-and-death situations allowed him to immediately return to his senses. Throwing himself aside, he dodged the sword like a specter, his body sticking to the wall like a dead leaf. Eyes glowing, he gazed into the darkness, vigilance in his eyes. Although the sword thrust didn’t contain any killing intent, Yulun dared not be negligent in the slightest. He pointed the folding fan in his right hand ahead and coldly asked, “Who is here spying?”

A resonant voice came from a dark alley, saying, “Excuse me, Sir Song. I’ve waited here for Sir’s return for a long time, wanting to pay you a visit at home. To my surprise, Sir stood before the door for a while. I feared Sir would get a cold, so I woke Sir up with my own ways. Please don’t blame me, Sir.”

Yulun had regained his icy stern manner by now and lowered his eyes without saying anything. He knew he’d recently felt ill at ease and hadn’t noticed someone in the darkness. However, that person also had to be an expert, otherwise they wouldn’t have easily hidden from his eyes and ears. Thoughts running wild through his mind, he coolly said, “Song Yu is just a frivolous wastrel. Why does sire wish to see me?”

The other person went silent for a moment before saying, “Sir is good friends with the son of Prime Minister Shang. Everybody in Jianye knows this. The Grand General has been falsely imprisoned and his life uncertain. Moreover, nobody knows where Prime Minister Shang is holding Grand General. So this one took the liberty of coming to ask about it. Sir is highly magnanimous and doesn’t lust for power, which everybody in Jianye knows about. Even though Shang Chengye cannot incorporate Sir into his camp, Sir presumably knows about the Grand General’s loyalty. Please be so kind as to give me a reply, Sir.”

Fear shot through Yulun. That person knowing about his friendship with Shang Chengye was not unusual, but how did that person know he could find out where Lu Can was being imprisoned? Not many people knew he could extensively influence Shang Chengye, so who had sold him out? He then remembered that Liu Rumeng, in the courtyard behind him, was one of the people who knew. For the past two months, she’d frequently urged him to make strenuous efforts for Lu Can’s sake. Could she have betrayed him?

Unrestrainable anger rising within him, a stubborn look shining in his eyes, he sternly declared, “I do know the matter sire wants to ask about, but making me talk will be impossible.” With that, an icy killing intent surged over his body. He spiritually sensed two people in the darkness. One had an overpowering presence of sword, while the other had immense internal energy. Although he could sense the two people were allies and it would be difficult for him to win, he strengthened his resolve even further, intending to fight to the death.

One of the individuals in the darkness apparently perceived that Yulun’s aura had changed and sighed lightly. Walking out of the dark alley to the front of the door, the dim lantern light illuminated his refined and handsome face. This man was a Confucian scholar in hemp robes who carried a long sword and whose presence was overwhelming. The expression in his eyes was nebulous. Staring at Yulun’s face, his eyes carried a hint of regret.

Yulun took a step forward and gently waved the folding fan in his hand, the beautiful woman on the fan seeming to appear and disappear. His jaunty stance, though, expressed pride and aloofness.

The Confucian scholar in hemp robes clasped his hands together. “Sir Song has misunderstood. This one has no malice. This one just wants to know about General Lu’s circumstances.”

“The life or death of the Grand General is a matter of the court. What has it to do with you, a commoner? Neither are you an official paid by the monarch nor are you a son of an aristocratic family. Why involve yourself in others’ business?” Yulun frostily asked.

The Confucian scholar sighed, “Sir is mistaken. Two months ago, the Grand General landed in jail. All throughout Southern Chu, people worry. Not only have civil and military officials petitioned assurances to the court, even nongovernmental scholars voiced grievances. Why do you say the rise and fall of the nation is none of our business? Sir has no mind for wealth and wanders the world. When I heard of Sir’s conduct, I revered it. Why aren’t you willing to tell the truth? Are you devoted to defending that traitorous Prime Minister who’s jeopardizing the country?”

“Sire believes his own lies,” sneered Yulun. “Even though Grand General deserves well of his country and is innately loyal, many more of Southern Chu’s aristocracy and civil and military officials are jealous of him than respect him, though many respect him. Look at how many of the officials voicing grievances to the court are third-ranked or higher. And what about his trusted deputy generals?

“Yang Xiu is silent, although he did send a few justification memorials to the court. And he seized command in Huaidong, surreptitiously forging a bond with Prime Minister Shang. Shi Guan not only handed over his son-in-law to Prime Minister Shang, he’s also willing to cling to the rich and powerful. Yu Mian did try to send troops, but unfortunately, Rong Yuan barred the river with chains and forced him to return. He failed to carry through.

“There’s also that Rong Yuan. He used to be a loyal minister and famous general too, but now he’s sent three accusations against the Grand General. The last accusation condemned Grand General for collaborating with the enemy to the point the Southern Chu traitors escaped by the skin of their teeth, Xiangyang being lost then regained. The other two accusations are crueler, saying Grand General desired to be king of Jianghuai, but there’s no trace of it yet. These two charges cannot be explained.

”Never mind that man. Which of the powerful aristocratic families of Southern Chu don’t wish to kill the Grand General to seize his remaining military authority? Even if an individual like you is working for the sake of the Grand General, what use is there? Sire can at most coerce Song Yu alone. Even if Song Yu tells you where Grand General is imprisoned, what can you do to rescue him?”

The scholar reflected on the words. The other person in the darkness couldn’t hold back and walked into the lantern light. He said coldly, “You vagabond, how can you know the Grand General’s thoughts? If not for Grand General’s restrictions, I fear Southern Chu would already have flames of war springing up everywhere! However, if Grand General’s truly been harmed, I fear the troops loyal to Grand General will no longer be able to restrain themselves. As long as you tell us where the Grand General is being imprisoned, we absolutely won’t give you a hard time.” Able to be clearly seen in the light, the latter person was a Daoist priest wearing a yellow hat.

Yulun scoffed. He gently waved his fan absently, seeming to want to continue debating the Daoist. Unexpectedly, a black light suddenly shot out of the fan ribs at the yellow-hatted Daoist priest’s throat as the fan opened and closed.

The Daoist priest didn’t expect Yulun’s sudden attack to be so ruthless and was caught off guard. He watched as the concealed weapon was about to take his life when a sword glinted, and the black light was knocked aside. The Confucian scholar in hemp robes wielded his long sword, his eyes full of anger, and said, “Such a trick certainly makes you one of the vicious and merciless. Have at you!” Before he finished speaking, his sword, glinting like a white ribbon, was shooting into Yulun’s face.

Yulun swiftly retreated and evaded, waving the fan in his hand to stop the momentum of the sword. As the sword and fan clashed, Yulun’s expression slightly changed. The hemp-robed Confucian scholar’s internal energy was calm yet solid, many times stronger than his own. The sword strike nearly made him drop his fan. Probing his enemy’s limits, Yulun launched himself all over the place, not staying still and searching for an opportunity to attack.

The Confucian scholar’s swordsmanship was fair and honorable, his defense tight, his offense firm. He was like a famous general leading a professional army in capturing cities and seizing territory with no openings to speak of.

Yulun was anxious. This type of swordsmanship was the worst for his assassin style of martial arts to face. Unless he took him by surprise, it would be very difficult to get an opportunity to succeed.

Yulun was irritated, while the Confucian scholar was surprised to no end. The young man’s martial arts were treacherous and ruthless. When the young moved away from his sword, he flowed freely, but if he barely exposed an opening, the young man would assail his vital points like a demon. After just a few exchanges, the Confucian scholar got an unusual feeling. The young man had to be an assassin whose hands were stained with blood, or else he wouldn’t have such skill and murderous intent. But although the Confucian scholar was somewhat disturbed, his swordsmanship became even firmer.

The two men exchanged nearly a hundred blows, and though they seemed evenly matched on the surface, Yulun could faintly feel his martial arts being stifled by his opponent’s swordsmanship. An intense killing intent filling him, he decided he might as well launch a technique that would destroy both sides, not sparing his own life. He would end it in a single blow with the swordsman. For some reason, he vaguely felt that if Liu Rumeng had betrayed him, it was most likely for this person, so he hated him even more.

The Confucian scholar frowned deeply. He had received an intelligence report that Song Yu knew many pieces of information he wanted to learn about, and the man had always come and gone as a lone soul. Song Yu also had a rather noble character and should be able to be moved with appeals to friendship, so he’d come to inquire. He didn’t expect the man to actually fight to the death for an unknown reason. Although the scholar would eventually achieve victory, if he killed the man, for one, he would lose the chance to pry for information, and for two, he’d inadvertently alert the enemy.

The thoughts lingering, he furrowed his brow and said, “Sir Song, if you keep refusing to stop, I’m afraid my brother will get offended.” Then he continuously struck with his sword, making Yulun even more hard-pressed and forced to constantly retreat.

Right as Yulun retreated three steps, the yellow-hatted Daoist priest flew over, a horsetail whisk having appeared in his hands. He had decided by himself to approach the center of Yulun’s back. These two men tacitly agreed upon pressing the young man’s acupoints to make him stop.

To their surprise, Yulun seemed to have expected it. As the Daoist tried to press the key acupoint at the center of his back, Yulun twisted his body around like a civet cat, ignoring the doom of the long sword penetrating his heart. The fan in his hand shot out three rays of black light, the Daoist surprised he would desperately fight against him. The Daoist, seeing he was about to die to the concealed weapon, roared in anger.

Right at this moment, the silent darkness of the night was broken by three notes of a zither that sounded like silk ripping. It sounded like it came from a sharp blade of the underworld. Traversing a dozen zhang, the rays of black light Yulun shot were snapped out of midair. Meanwhile, the Confucian scholar in hemp robes wielding a long sword and the yellow-hatted Daoist priest wielding a horsetail whisk were knocked off balance by an invisible force. By just a hair’s breadth, they avoided the tragedy of both sides killing each other. Within a second, the three men were stunned, frozen in place.

From out of the darkness walked a black-robed young man, his face covered by a black scarf. He approached them and bowed, saying, “Young master Song, sorry to have offended you. Please, based on our usual acquaintance, don’t mind it.”

Although the man was masked, Yulun recognized him immediately. Bewilderment showing up on his face, he asked apprehensively, “What’s going on? B-Brother Bai.”

The masked man saluted and replied, “Please forgive me, young master Song. Swordsman Ding is trying his best for Grand General. Without knowing where he’s held, it’s difficult to take action. And if not for the foolish ruler and treacherous Prime Minister plotting against him, it wouldn’t have been appropriate for me to voluntarily rescue the Grand General. To obtain correct information, Swordsman Ding asked the Pavilion, as we used to be on good terms. The manager knew young master Song might know insider information, so for righteousness, we had to turn our back on the old promise and guided Swordsman Ding to young master. If I’ve offended you, please forgive me.”

Yulun’s expression changed multiple times, clarity gradually appearing in his eyes. He gazed at his old associate, then glanced into the darkness, trying to speak but faltering.

The masked man stepped forward again and said, “Young master Song, you’re an old acquaintance of the manager of the Pavilion. The manager also knows that breaking the promise and bothering you would be over the line, but please consider that General Lu is Southern Chu’s pillar of state, young master, and cannot be allowed to be broken. Feel free to speak your mind.”

Helpless despondency glimmered for a second in Yulun’s eyes. “I was graced by the favor of the manager but cannot return it. Even if I die, it will hold no value. Since the manager has asked, this one shall say all he knows. General Jiang is imprisoned in the Qiao family’s abandoned courtyard in the city. But I’m afraid that within a few days, his fate will become clear. I also admire General Lu’s behavior. When General Lu is being executed, I will personally be there to send him off. If the manager wishes to know about General Lu’s survival, he might as well pay attention to this one’s whereabouts.”

The Confucian scholar in hemp robes and yellow-hatted Daoist priest were both overjoyed. They went over and prostrated in thanks. Yulun merely sneered, giving them the cold shoulder.

At this time, several zither notes rang through the darkness, vaguely expressing comfort. Yulun’s mind raced, and sadness and happiness mingled on his face. Without knocking on the door, he jumped over the wall into the Willow Courtyard. Then the playing of a flute drifted through the darkness, the sound plaintive with infinite resentment. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the wind.

The Confucian scholar appreciated others’ talent, and when he heard the melancholy contained within the flute playing, questions arose within his mind. He asked the masked young man, “Brother Bai, may I please ask what involvement Sir Song has with the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets? If he’s reluctant, I fear the great undertaking will be destroyed in an instant.”

“Swordsman Ding need not worry. Sir Song has more than a surface-level relationship with my pavilion,” the masked young man said with a smile. “It’s just that he retired from jianghu many years ago. According to our pavilion’s rules, he would no longer have any involvement. This time, the manager had to break the promise. Presumably, he’s unhappy, but the manager treated him with grace heavy as a mountain. He’s also a man who values relationships and loyalty. As long as the manager orders it, he won’t betray us.”

The Confucian scholar let go of his concerns. Saluting, he said, “Please thank the manager for his great grace on behalf of this one.”

“Everything is for the sake of the people of the world. Why discuss grace? This one will be taking his leave. If you have any problems, please direct them to Supervisor Han,” the young man solemnly replied. Then the young man silently ducked into the shadows. In the darkness, a zither played the music of parting, the sound vanishing a moment later.

Adoration on the Confucian scholar’s face, he said, “The manager of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets is an extraordinary person on earth, as expected. If not for his assistance, we could never have had a chance to rescue General Lu.”

Doubt crept onto the yellow-hatted Daoist priest’s face. “The manager of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets has always worn a white muslin mask. Even his figure was concealed underneath wide robes. Is brother Ding sure he’s the person we encountered on Zhenze Lake?”

“Although his face and figure could not be seen, he must be the young master Yun we encountered that day based on his zither playing,” the Confucian scholar replied. “However, a personage like him would never reveal the truth face to face. But obtaining his assistance is a blessing from the Heavens. We shouldn’t try to get to the heart of the matter.”

The yellow-hatted Daoist priest continually nodded as he listened, but he worriedly said, “Enacting a prison break is, in the end, a disloyal deed. I rather hope the King can sympathize with the Grand General’s deeds of defending the state. If he hands down a pardon, it’d be best. Nothing would happen.”

The Confucian scholar groaned, “We can only hope the ruler’s grace is as deep as the sea and can put himself in the loyal subject’s shoes.” Even he felt this was wishful thinking and couldn’t help sighing softly. He faded into the dark night, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The yellow-hatted Daoist priest sighed, “‘Sovereign’s grace as heavy as the Nine Tripod Cauldrons, / Vassal’s life as light as a hair.’5 When the Prince died as a result, how could the Grand General be fortunate enough to be spared hardship? I was too wishful.” With that, he also sank into the night.

In Southern Chu’s royal palace, Zhao Long was reading a confidential missive written by Shang Weijun and curled his lips. It was just the killing of a minister. Why be so cautious? It was also submitted in the deep of night, and people were forced to commit suicide to keep it secret. This was clearly the grave crime of rebellion, but family members were only sentenced to exile. The idea of worsening their sentence floated into this head, but after a moment of thinking, he couldn’t be bothered to meddle. He slapped on the word “approved,” then left the document on the desk. He walked toward the rear of the palace in a daze. There were beautiful women waiting for him there.

Notes:

1- 君恩九鼎重, jun'en Jiuding zhong - lit. sovereign’s grace as heavy as the Nine Tripod Cauldrons; a reference to the poem of the same name (君恩九鼎重), set to the ci, “Water Melody” (水调歌头), by the Song Dynasty poet Shi Xiaoyou (石孝友)

2- 兵家, lit. military school; one of the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Warring States period

3- Both the Xiang and the Gan are tributaries to the Yangtze River and reference Hunan and Jiangxi, respectively.

4- 急流勇退, jiliu-yongtui - idiom, lit. bravely withdraw against a torrent; fig. retire in one’s prime, make a quick retreat before crisis

5- This is a line from the poem mentioned in Footnote 1.