The Grandmaster Strategist

Volume 6, Chapter 39: Loyalty Is Strong as Steel¹

The Duke sat in prison for two months. Prime Minister Shang, using the excuse of the events in Xiangyang, ordered the head of the Ministry of Justice to try the Duke. The Duke argued clearly, and all officials couldn’t say anything in response. Prime Minister Shang worried, shifting tact to falsely accuse the Duke’s eldest son, Yun, of conspiring to rebel to save his father.

As his execution rapidly approached, his body battered and bruised, some say Yun said, “Prime Minister Shang must want the father and son generals to die. Even if unwilling to yield, we also cannot avoid it. What harm is there in going through the motions? It would spare you some hardship.” Yun angrily said, “Death is death, but how could I leave a bad reputation behind?”

Prison sentence incomplete, the Duke’s deputy generals all received orders to placate the army and simply petitioned the court, vouching for the Duke. Only Yu Mian rose up in rebellion to save the Duke when he heard the Duke was imprisoned but was stopped at Jiangling. Prime Minister Shang blamed the Duke for this. The Duke personally wrote a letter to dissuade Yu Mian. When he received the letter, he sadly retreated.

Prime Minister Shang dared not add to the Duke’s crimes, worried the Duke’s deputy generals would finally revolt and wished to pardon him.

When private aide Ning Qian heard, he confidentially advised Prime Minister Shang, “With the Grand General around, all generals will rely on him. With the Grand General dead, all the generals and family members in Jiangnan will have no leader. Who would dare to rebel?”

Prime Minister Shang’s son, Chengye, also advised, “Capturing a tiger is easy; releasing it is hard. Since he’s become an enemy, he cannot be pardoned. Otherwise, we, father and son, will die ignominious deaths.”

Prime Minister Shang made a decision and entered the royal palace late at night, seeking a secret royal edict. The King permitted it without investigation. Thus, the Duke was ordered to commit suicide with poisoned wine. That year, he was thirty-five years old. Everyone in the country who heard about it grieved. It was impossible to count the number of people who wore mourning apparel and privately offered sacrifices to him.—Southern Chu Dynastic Records, Biography of the Duke of Loyal Courage

On the seventh day of the twelfth month, snow fluttered in the north wind. This year, winter in Jiangnan was extraordinarily cold. The inside of Jianye looked bleak. Inside a corner of the city, in the long abandoned Qiao Courtyard, the atmosphere was even colder and more somber. Although a dozen pavilions, terraces, and towers stood in the courtyard, most of them were dilapidated buildings with wind blowing through every part. Wintry winds devastated them; not even lighting raging furnaces could ward off the bone-chilling cold.

Inside the widest tower, it was just as icy and gloomy, but not a brazier was around. The cold wind rushed through the gaps in the wood floor, turning the room into an ice cave. However, the man living here didn’t seem to notice. Although he only wore a worn, gray cotton gown, the bone-chilling cold didn’t seem to make him shiver in the slightest. He was also chained to a cangue weighing a dozen catties.² With every slight movement, it clanked. His wrists and ankles were rubbed raw and swollen. But this man looked calm and completely indifferent.

His gaze roving, he watched snowflakes slowly flutter into the room through the broken window lattice. The man suddenly showed a hint of a smile and walked over to the window, pushing open the two damaged window lattices. He tranquilly gazed over the heavy snowfall covering the ruined courtyard. Allowing the swirling snow to hit his face, the snow permeated his lapel and hair.

When he opened the window to appreciate the snow, an indeterminate number of gazes focused upon him. When they realized he wasn’t doing something strange, the sets of eyes lost their vigilance.

At this moment, someone outside the door cleared his throat. Then an elderly man wearing purple clothes pushed the door open and entered. Behind him was a black-robed scholar, a box of food in one hand and a jug of wine in the other. The shackled man continued to gaze out the window, paying no attention to his visitors.

The purple-robed elderly man felt admiration at the sight of this. If a normal person were imprisoned here for over a month, they’d likely be on the verge of death. Besides, the shackled man used to be honored as the Grand General. Even if he hadn’t lived a life of luxury, how could he have suffered such hardships before? However, the man was still as firm and unyielding. He had never heard him utter a bitter word nor seen him denigrate others. If not at the behest of the prime minister, he wouldn’t be willing to torment the man.

The scholar’s gaze fell on the man at the window appreciating snow. Complicated emotions swirling in his eyes, he set the box of food in his hand to the side and withdrew a sumptuous meal. Then he took out an exquisite silver jug and a wine goblet. He filled the goblet to the brim and put it on the table. The purple-robed elderly man deferentially said, “Grand General, please dine.”

Lu Can turned around. Although he’d been locked up for months, making him thinner and look more sickly, his eyes still burned brightly. They contained none of the sorrow of a hero at the end of his life. He glanced at the lavish meal, then swept his gaze over the unfamiliar scholar in black robes. He said with a smile, “Sir Ou personally came to deliver my meal today, changing it again from the usual cold prison rations. Presumably, Prime Minister Shang has made his decision. Today is the day Lu Can loses his life.”

Shame appeared on the face of the old man in purple robes, Ou Yuanning. After Lu Can was locked up, he was subjected to torture, but he refused to confess. A clamor of discontent rippled through all levels of society, and Prime Minister Shang locked Lu Can up in the Qiao Courtyard and shifted to trying to force Lu Yun to confess.

Shang Weijun was ruthless and knew that for Lu Can, a powerful man with high status, some private humiliation could weaken his willpower. Although it wouldn’t be enough to force Lu Can to surrender, being able to humiliate the always iron-willed foe satisfied him. Unfortunately, it backfired. Although Lu Can suffered the utmost misery, he showed no hint of surrendering besides his gaze growing ever more indifferent.

Ou Yuanning sighed gently, uneasiness filling him, and said, “The Grand General’s eyes blaze like a torch. The King has already decreed that today will be the day Grand General bids farewell to the world. In two hours, the edict to commit suicide will arrive. Prime Minister Shang has ordered that, as the Grand General is an important minister of the court, his departure cannot be cavalier. Therefore, he had this one set out wine to send you off.”

No angry surprise showed on Lu Can’s face. He looked at Song Yu and asked, “Who are you? Why are you here?”

Song Yu was taken aback. He didn’t expect Lu Can to not be indignant or resentful when he heard his life was about to come to an end. Instead, he was interested in asking about Song Yu’s history. He walked up, saluted, and answered, “This commoner, Song Yu, is a close friend of Prime Minister Shang’s son. I heard General is going to depart, so I came to see you off. And though General is in jail, who knows how many people in Jianye want to rescue General. In the past, the general trend of events was uncertain, so those people dared not act recklessly. Now that the edict to commit suicide has been given from above, the news will inevitably leak. Prime Minister Shang fears people will learn events cannot be controlled and will attempt a prison break. Therefore, he ordered Elder Ou to personally come to waylay them. Although this commoner’s martial arts are mediocre, I was fortunate to be appreciated by Prime Minister Shang and Elder Ou. Therefore, I obeyed and came.”

Ou Yuanning furrowed his brows. Song Yu didn’t speak a lie, for Shang Weijun had greatly increased the number of experts guarding the Qiao Courtyard precisely because he worried people would attempt a prison break. This was also why Song Yu had come here. However, he didn’t have to divulge it and speak bluntly.

Lu Can felt only that Song Yu had a candid character and wasn’t a stickler for formality. “Since that’s the case, have a round of drinks with me as we wait for the edict to arrive.”

Song Yu peered at Ou Yuanning. Ou Yuanning thought, This Song Yu’s martial arts are excellent. With him here, even if something unforeseen happens, he can kill Lu Can first. I still have to prepare the defenses in the courtyard. The Fengyi Sect members are still outsiders and difficult to trust. It’s better for me to personally inspect the area. With these thoughts, he said with a smile, “Since the Grand General is in the mood, Song Yu should agree.” He then took out a key and personally unlocked Lu Can’s shackles and removed them. “Grand General, please drink slowly. This old man will be leaving first.” With that, he gave Song Yu a meaningful look. Song Yu nodded imperceptibly before Ou Yuanning turned and walked out.

With his shackles and cangue removed, Lu Can’s body became much lighter. Walking up to the table, he picked up the wine goblet and downed it in one gulp. “Good wine! You should sit too. Drinking must include a partner. One person drinking is too lonely.”

Song Yu glanced around the room and grabbed a chipped teacup. After pouring it full of wine, he refilled Lu Can’s goblet. Raising his cup, he toasted, “Being able to pour wine for the Grand General is an honor for this commoner.” Then he downed it in one gulp.

Lu Can smiled and sipped wine, chatting and laughing leisurely, slowly asking about Song Yu’s life experience. Song Yu didn’t hide anything besides being part of the Secret Camp, which had never been leaked before. He even bluntly spoke about his past as an assassin. As they spoke, Song Yu felt that the Grand General before him was affable and sincere, and he felt cleansed by a spring wind. It was like drinking a mellow wine.

Lu Can, meanwhile, felt that although the young man often looked enraged and downcast, he was an outstanding talent. When asking about military strategy, he was rather insightful, and both his character and bearing had good points. He advised, “Young master Song is extraordinarily talented and should serve the country. How can you stoop to being a bandit and sink into depravity? Young master Song has earned Prime Minister Shang’s respect, so should enlist to serve the country. Come to think of it, Prime Minister Shang would give a nod of approval.”

Astonishment flickered in Song Yu’s eyes. “Grand General was framed by Prime Minister Shang and ordered to commit suicide by the King. Do you have not even a word of complaint? And are even trying to persuade this commoner to serve the country?”

Lu Can indifferently replied, “I am no sage. How could I not gripe? But grumbling is just grumbling. My complete loyalty to serving the country has not changed in the slightest. After I die, Prime Minister Shang will suppress and supplant my former subordinates. I can see that young master Song is rather talented and has earned Prime Minister Shang’s trust. If you can lead the army into battle, it would be a blessing to the nation to the troops.” After saying this, he changed the topic and talked about the experience he gained from leading troops into combat.

Song Yu became even more amazed and full of admiration. He thought of how he’d carried out Jiang Zhe’s orders, many times offering suggestions of backstabbing, leading to Lu Can being put in this position. He could hardly absolve himself of the blame. He was seized with shame and remorse listening to Lu Can speak eloquently, who was imparting ideas about the art of war. Finally, he couldn’t bear it and prostrated, saying, “Grand General’s great kindness makes this one terribly ashamed. By plunging the Grand General into this fatal position, this commoner’s crime is not minor. How could I keep listening and benefit from your advice?”

Lu Can was stunned. Although the young man had earned Shang Weijun’s high regard, he likely wasn’t qualified to offer advice, so why would he speak so?

Seeing Lu Can’s expression, Song Yu grew ever more regretful. He opened his mouth to speak, but he realized it would only be rubbing salt in the wound if he told Lu Can and would only do harm. Crestfallen, he said, “Keep drinking, Grand General. This commoner shall wait outside.”

Lu Can looked sad. “Since that’s the case, you can go.” He was an astute man and had felt it in the air. Watching Song Yu walk out of the room, he smiled bitterly and raised his eyes to gaze out the window. A little while later, the blowing snow outside the window fell harder, dancing in the wind, dreamlike. Falling into a trance, he thought of the past, each and every event unforgettable.

All of a sudden, the sound of a zither came from the haze of the snow. It sounded like the blowing snow, linked together in thousands of ways and getting into every opening, proud, aloof, icy, and unpredictable. Lu Can felt his mind undulating with the playing of the zither, his internal energy and blood swelling, and his heart pounding. He took a few steps to the window and allowed snowflakes to hit his face, finally calming himself. He gazed out over the courtyard with shining eyes and saw blood spray amid the dense blizzard every now and again, looking just like red plum blossoms. Battle cries, screams, and the clashing of weapons arose one after another, disrupting the tranquility of this snowy landscape.

Lu Can knew at heart that people were attempting a prison break and became suspicious. All his former subordinates received strict orders from him absolutely forbidding them from causing trouble in Jianye. So who would come to break him out of prison? According to what Song Yu just said, Shang Weijun was merely suspicious of him. He didn’t expect people to actually attempt a prison break.

Listening closely, he heard “kill” come from every direction. The attackers were quite methodical; they were not a disorganized mob. Just, progress was difficult. It was clear that Shang Weijun had placed a large force here, intending to kill all the attackers in one fell swoop. Lu Can’s thoughts came fast as lighting, and he suddenly had a dark foreboding. Could someone from among his retinue be trying to lead Southern Chu heroes to their deaths here? At this point in time, only by personally making an appearance would he avert this disaster by making the people who’d come to break him out of prison withdraw.

Coming to this realization, Lu Can leapt out the window and sprang towards the loudest cries of “kill.” His shackles had been removed and he was still strong and skilled even though his strength had greatly suffered due to being imprisoned for many months. To his surprise, as soon he landed in the snow, a person stood before him, a folding fan opening and closing, blocking his way. Lu Can gazed at the frosty and stern Song Yu and roared, “Get out of the way! This general absolutely cannot allow our Southern Chu heroes to massacre each other!”

Song Yu may have admired Lu Can for seeing through the mysterious plan this quickly and not being blinded by the thought of survival, but remembering the strict orders he had been given, he could never let Lu Can stop the destined tragedy of the internecine strife. A harsh light glowed in his eyes. “This commoner has orders that forbid the Grand General from taking a step away from here. Before the King’s edict arrives, I invite the Grand General to drink in the room. Grand General need not trouble himself over events occurring outside.”

A chilling light glinted in Lu Can’s eyes, and he bellowed, “Are you a man of Chu or Yong?”

Song Yu grew fearful, but he held his head high and replied, “Song Yu was born in Southern Chu and grew up in Southern Chu.”

Lu Can figured out the meaning of his words and sneered, “But you don’t consider yourself Chu. I’m speechless. But if not for this, why would you block Lu Can’s good intentions of resolving the fighting?”

Song Yu steeled his heart and replied, “If Grand General goes now, it’ll be difficult to escape the poisoners. If he stays here, if the attackers win, Grand General can still return alive. Isn’t that the best of both worlds? Why follow the path to one’s own doom?” Then he flapped his fan and attacked.

Lu Can wasn’t skilled at the martial arts of jianghu and was trapped by Song Yu. He couldn’t escape. A chill ran through him. He thought about how even if he gave his life here, he couldn’t prevent the calamity of civil war. As they exchanged blows, he felt stronger about fighting to the death.

Dozens of zhang away, Ou Yuanning stood in the snow, fists clenched, eyes bulging from anger as he faced a white-robed, masked figure sitting upright and playing the zither.

A moment earlier, a surprise attack was launched. Ou Yuanning essentially watched that man cleave through the defenses like a hot knife through butter. They were fortunate the man seemed to have come alone, as he had charged into the Qiao Courtyard on his lonesome.

Ou Yuanning ordered the guards to repel him and personally pursued. To his surprise, the man was quite vicious. He easily took the lives of the dozen bodyguards defending the courtyard. More abhorrent, the man sat in the snow and played the zither, the music sounding like a sharp blade, each note seemingly trying to disembowel him.

On the ground lay the corpses of two of his disciples, who’d been in the prime of youth. Yet they’d died horribly before his eyes. Ou Yuanning wanted to act many times, but even though he could clearly see the white-robed man sitting in the snow playing the zither was completely defenseless, the man didn’t seem to have any openings to exploit anywhere. He was full of uncertainty and couldn’t help hating the man.

While Ou Yuanning pondered just who this person was, for he’d never heard of such an expert’s presence in Jiangnan, he searched for an opportunity to attack. Getting all the more despondent, he blinked and suddenly realized the snowflakes within the range of several zhang were dancing to the music of the zither. It was wildly different from the blowing snow many zhang away. He finally realized the man’s zither music had created a net and locked him in. If he still didn’t act, the only outcome would be death.

Ready to die, Ou Yuanning howled as powerful qi surged over his body. The weird snowflakes were sent flying in all directions in a split second, and he suddenly felt the oppressive force on his body lighten. Not hesitating anymore, he threw a palm strike while he charged at the white-robed man. Amid the surge of wind stirred up by the palm strike, snow sprayed up.

The other man laughed hard, stopped playing, and stood up to meet the attack. A faint voice that reached Ou Yuanning’s ear said, “The zither martial art harming the enemy is still unfinished. Let’s see how many blows you can exchange with me, old man!”

Before he finished speaking, Ou Yuanning sensed the other man’s palm strike appear before his eyes. The broad sleeve billowing, a fair-skinned right hand hid in the sleeve, feinting an attack. This skill of waiting for his opponent to act first also surprised Ou Yuanning.

With a thundering boom, the two palms struck each other through the man’s sleeve. His sleeve was crushed to pieces that looked like butterflies flying. Ou Yuanning felt like the other man’s internal energy was ethereal. The palm strike seemed to hit the air. The other man also retreated in surprise and said, “What a good dissipating palm, using softness to overcome toughness. The palm strike actually had extreme strength behind it. Truly worthy of being an iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Ou Yuanning could determine that although the other man’s martial arts were unbelievable, he wasn’t much stronger than him. It was just that his martial arts were strange and unpredictable, which had put him at a momentary loss and disadvantaged him. Ou Yuanning had an idea now, and his confidence soared. He attacked the other man again. He faintly heard Song Yu’s voice, who was likely stopping Lu Can. If he lost and let this man rescue Lu Can, it would be catastrophic. With these thoughts, he attacked the white-robed man with all his strength, holding nothing back.

This exchange was different from the previous one. They both used an equal measure of power. Even though the white-robed man had, in truth, more knowledge of martial realms than Ou Yuanning, Ou Yuanning had deep reserves of internal energy that had grown more extensive as he grew older. With this trade-off, it wouldn’t be easy for the white-robed man to obtain victory.

Amid the flurry of blows and billowing snow, the figures of the two men intertwined. Ou Yuanning’s purple clothes could still be made out a bit, but the white-robed man had long blended into the blowing snow. There was barely any distinction between the two of them.

In the blinding snowstorm, whistles with a regular pattern reached the white-robed man’s ears. He was surprised, knowing over half of the jianghu heroes who’d come in the attack with him were dead. He could no longer tangle with the elderly man. Taking a deep breath, he forcefully and abruptly stopped his coming attack on Ou Yuanning. He threw a palm high into the air, spraying falling snow into Ou Yuanning’s face.

Startled, Ou Yuanning caught a glimpse of a golden missile amid the snowflakes. He tried his utmost to dodge, but it was too late. He felt intense pain below his ribs. Reaching down and touching it, he felt blood gushing out.

A dark object suddenly flew out of one of the white-robed man’s sleeves, resembling the wild eddies created by a flood dragon. It wrapped around Ou Yuanning’s neck in the blink of an eye.

Ou Yuanning bellowed, hating the white-robed man for his shameless machinations. Caring not about survival, he charged, throwing a palm strike. This time, he used all his strength, and the white-robed man wasn’t able to completely evade. The palm strike hit the white-robed man’s shoulder.

The white-robed man seized the opportunity to beat a meteoric retreat. Lightning fast, Ou Yuanning was dragged forward by the bullwhip, his breathing uneven. The other man retreated several zhang to reach a large tree.

Ou Yuanning was overjoyed. Disregarding the whip growing tighter around his neck, he put all his strength into a palm strike against the white-robed man. To his surprise, the white-robed man came to an abrupt stop, pressed up against the trunk of the tree. He vaulted up over a horizontal branch, then rapidly dropped.

In the blink of an eye, everything stilled. Ou Yuanning’s big and tall figure swung in the wind. His limbs dangled limply, neck broken. He had been forcibly hanged on the tree in the courtyard.

The white-robed man coughed softly and lifted his face veil. He spat blood, as vibrantly red as plum petals, onto the snowy ground. He said with a sigh, “That man was a good opponent, as expected. It’s such a pity we didn’t have the time to learn from each other. I presume you weren’t willing to die like this either.” Then he retracted the bullwhip, which made Ou Yuanning’s body fall to the ground, showering snow into the air.

The white-robed man walked back to his original spot and picked up the guqin that had almost been covered up by the snow. He didn’t even look at the corpses sprawled across his surroundings. He trod farther into the courtyard.

Lu Can could feel his blood pumping and qi surging as he gasped for breath. The torment he’d suffered for weeks made him powerless to resist the young man named Song Yu. He hadn’t even exchanged a hundred blows and he was already unable to hold on. Seeing how the young man was still full of energy, he sighed gently. Pulling out of the duel, he leaned against a wall and said, “Just who exactly are you? If you truly are a confidant of Shang Weijun, you should be killing me right now. Seeing how you don’t have any murderous intent, are you truly what I expected? You’re a secret agent of Yong.”

“Grand General is overly concerned. I’m not a secret agent of Yong,” Song Yu briefly replied. He made a casual remark, but his gaze seemed to penetrate through the endless blowing snow, looking out into the mysterious distance.

The white-robed man had come close by this time. His gaze swept over Lu Can’s body and landed on Song Yu for a split second. Song Yu was shaken and silently retreated behind Lu Can. Although he didn’t know who that person was, he knew that since that man could impersonate the manager of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, it had to be a trusted confidant of Jiang Zhe. So fear rose in him, whereas it was Lu Can who could relieve him.

The white-robed man didn’t say anything and suddenly beat a hasty retreat, fading into the blowing snow in the blink of an eye. Bewilderment flickered in Lu Can’s eyes, and he looked back at Song Yu, seeing him a little uneasy and silent. Lu Can was slightly agitated.

Outside the Qiao Courtyard, of the loyalists leading the defense against the prison break attempt, there were Shang Weijun’s trusted warriors as well as some swordswomen in tight-fitting clothes. The swordswomen had two leaders. Both had their faces veiled with muslin. One was dressed in finery and beautiful makeup, while the other wore plain azure clothes. Their swords blasted frost, moving unfettered. When they attacked an area, an untold number of people died to their hands.

It wasn’t until Ding Ming stopped the two of them with his own strength alone that the situation stabilized. He quickly recognized the two women’s swordsmanship. The Fengyi Sect had operated in Jiangnan for many years. He’d experienced their swordsmanship style before. But in today’s battle, Ding Ming finally experienced the true power of the Fengyi Sect.

The two swordswomen combined their sword attacks to create a stance with the grace of a swimming dragon. It weaved in and out, magnificent and ruthless. If not for Ding Ming also being an expert swordsman, he would hardly have been a match.

After fighting for half an hour, Ding Ming realized his side had suffered terrible losses. If it hadn’t been for using the formations tempered on the battlefields of Wuyue, it would have truly been difficult to beat the lackeys of the aristocracy. In addition, their enemy’s reinforcements hadn’t arrived yet. Reason number one being that the Qiao Courtyard was remote, and reason number two was that there were many people who revered Lu Can in the royal guard who had been persuaded by the agents Ding Ming sent. They’d been dissuaded from acting and were deliberately delaying. However, if things went on for too long, they likely couldn’t stop reinforcements from coming.

While Ding Ming worried, a white-robed man slowly walked out of the courtyard. Nobody saw how he did it, but he flew like a willow catkin and threw a palm strike at the back of the woman dressed in finery.

The woman sensed the slicing wind of the palm strike behind her and put all her strength into evasion. Although she dodged the strike, she could no longer cooperate with her partner against their enemy. The azure-clothed woman had been concentrating on fighting with her partner, so she exposed huge openings at this moment.

Ding Ming gave a low roar, light seeming to spill out of his sword. Blood spouted, and the charming body of the azure-clothed swordswoman trembled, her blood instantaneously soaking through her shirt. She collapsed to the ground.

Ding Ming didn’t hesitate. Body and sword working in harmony, he bounded at the swordswoman dressed in finery. When the woman saw her partner dead on the ground, she cried out in surprise and turned to flee. However, Ding Ming’s attack didn’t falter, and he easily caught up to her. He thrust and pierced the center of her back.

The woman dressed in finery yelled in anguish. She stabbed her sword behind her fast as lightning. Ding Ming barely saw the glint of the sword flash before his eyes before it reached his heart. He let go of his sword and swiftly fell back. Her thrust was a clear and present danger to his life. He saw it was going to pierce his heart, yet it came to an abrupt halt. Out of nowhere, a black bullwhip had wrapped around the blade.

Ding Ming breathed a sigh of relief. Looking to where the bullwhip came from, he saw that the manager of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets had personally saved him. Meanwhile, the woman’s body slowly fell to the ground. Ding Ming got scared. He thought, Just from this attack on the verge of death, this woman’s swordsmanship is not much worse than mine, in fact. If she had been willing to pluck up her courage and fight me, she absolutely wouldn’t have died this quickly. The swordswomen of the Fengyi Sect truly deserve their excellent reputation.

While Ding Ming was lost in thought, the notes of a zither, sounding like the ripping of silk, reached his ear. He was shocked. He saw the white-robed man pointing at the courtyard and although he couldn’t see the man’s face, the man was clearly giving off a displeased aura. Ding Ming couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed and, ignoring the engagements outside, ran into the courtyard with the white-robed man.

He had promised before attempting this that he would persuade Lu Can into agreeing to leave Jianye with them. However, he’d been blocked outside for a long time, and he’d nearly forgotten about the promise. He hastily went over and picked up his long sword. Turning around, he walked into the courtyard.

The white-robed man’s eyes glimmered for a moment as he looked outside at the sides still locked in a stalemate and continued deep into the courtyard.

As Ding Ming followed the white-robed man into the courtyard, the swordswomen of the Fengyi Sect saw their two leaders had fallen. Two women dressed in tight-fitting clothes rid themselves of their opponents fighting them and ran over brandishing their swords. The woman dressed in finery was already ice-cold to the touch and wasn’t breathing. The woman in azure clothes, though, had merely fallen unconscious.

After the two women hurriedly bandaged her wounds and gave her medicine, the azure-clothed woman finally and slowly regained consciousness. Her gaze stayed on the body of the woman dressed in finery for a moment, eyes full of grief and despair. One of the women in tight-fitting clothes whispered, “Seventh Miss, maybe we should retreat.” Her tone was fearful.

The azure-clothed woman shook her head and said, “We have no path of retreat left. First, carry second sister’s body over to the side. Now go. Don’t let any of the criminals escape. Set off the signal for reinforcements that’s on second sister’s body. Summon the city’s sons to come to the rescue.”

Tears fell from the eyes of the swordswoman who’d spoken. She walked back to the woman dressed in finery. She retrieved a small ball wrapped with mulberry paper and threw it into the air with a snap of her wrist.

Perturbed, the small ball split open, showering sparks, and a gout of flame spewed through the air. In midair, it turned into the shape of a phoenix and also cried like the phoenix. It startled all on this wintry night.

The azure-clothed woman partially closed her eyes, teardrops streaming down her face, and whispered, “Second sister, third sister, you both passed this way. Why must I continue to live such a hard life?” The cold stole over her, her consciousness fading, tears freezing into two icicles on her beautiful, fair-skinned face.

Lu Can stood in the snow, a thick layer of snow covering his entire body. But he didn’t intend to wipe it off. Song Yu stood behind him as if both protecting and monitoring him. The sounds of battle just reaching his ear, Lu Can was at a loss. He knew he could no longer prevent the deadly battle before his eyes, so he quietly waited for the moment it ended, as well as waiting for the decree to commit suicide to arrive. As long as he stayed here, nobody’s plot could smoothly unfold.

Sure enough, a few moments later, he saw two people trek through the snow to them. One of the people neared him, then prostrated and said, “Ding Ming kowtows to the Grand General. Please follow us out of the city, Grand General. Troops have come to your aid outside the city, vehicles and horses at the ready. There are guards all along the route, so you can rush straight to the army.”

Lu Can’s gaze swept right across Ding Ming and instead settled on the man wearing white robes whose face was covered with white muslin, which even veiled his eyes. He calmly asked, “Who is sire? Why partake in this affair?” Although blowing snow had blocked his vision, he knew that if this man hadn’t killed Ou Yuanning, Ding Ming and the others could never have broken into the courtyard. As such, he questioned the white-robed man’s motives.

Ding Ming was surprised and worried the white-robed man would get angry. To his surprise, the white-robed man simply replied with indifference, “Brother Ding used to be a good friend of mine. He persistently sought my help, so I came to the rescue. Otherwise, even though Grand General has admirably served the state and the people, what would us jianghu commoners have anything to do with this?”

Lu Can was relieved by the response. He thought, If he hasn’t deliberately come to rescue me, I need not worry he is plotting something. Turning his gaze to Ding Ming, he sighed, “Swordsman Ding need not have taken such pains. The life or death of Lu Can is of no consequence. But you are the leader of the Wuyue Volunteer Army. Should anything happen to you, wouldn’t that allow Dinghai to take the advantage? Better that you speedily return to Wuyue. Don’t involve yourself in these major affairs of court.”

“Grand General speaks in error,” Ding Ming loudly replied. “I’m merely a man of jianghu. If I die, someone else can lead the army, but without the Grand General’s competent leadership, how can it be possible to withstand the Yong heavy cavalry? How can Grand General sit and watch the Yong military march south and willingly be murdered by that treasonous minister?”

Lu Can smiled wryly and said, “Brother Ding, you’re well-intentioned, but the life or death of Lu Can is no longer of consequence. Even if I can escape from Jianye, I’ll become a rebel. If that comes to pass, Prime Minister Shang will certainly give the order to purge my former subordinates, and Southern Chu will descend into civil war. Does brother Ding wish for me to stage a coup? Rather than cause a civil war, brother killing brother, it’s better for me to obey the law and die. With patriots like you giving your life for the state, Southern Chu can stay safe and sound. After some years pass, maybe someone better than me can march north into the Central Plains and prevent the Yong military from ever marching south again.”

Tears fell from Ding Ming’s eyes as he listened. “For the sake of the country and the people, Grand General gives his life, fatigued by the long journey. Today, he still thinks of the state and the commoners. Everything that treacherous Prime Minister does truly makes one bristle with anger. If Grand General leaves Jianye, hides among the army, then petitions for forgiveness, perhaps a civil war can be avoided. If Grand General doesn’t go, we refuse to leave from here and prefer we die here.”

Lu Can smiled. “The life or death of Lu Can, one person, is unimportant. The safety of family and country is important. Prime Minister Shang has definitely planted trusted assassins among my former subordinates. If I run away, I fear they’ll all be butchered. Furthermore, the families of the troops of the army all live south of the Yangtze. If Prime Minister Shang suspects them of rebellion, their families will end up slaughtered and scattered to the wind. How can Lu Can, one man, harm the men under his command? Please, brother Ding, don’t bring it up any further. You can leave. I refuse to ever escape from Jianye.”

The white-robed man coldly piped up, “Why spout this nonsense? Just knock him unconscious and take him away.”

Right after the words were spoken, a harsh light shot out of Lu Can’s deep eyes. His peaceful and tranquil manner became brutally oppressive in the blink of an eye. It was the aura of a grand general that could face down millions of men, an aura developed on bloody battlefields. Yet his face remained just as indifferent. He folded his hands behind his back and stood straight. Lu Can frostily said, “Does sire truly believe he can do whatever he pleases with excellent martial arts?”

The white-robed man was shaken. His gaze focused on Lu Can’s face for a moment through the muslin veil. He saw on Lu Can’s features that he thought death was preferable to dishonor. With a gentle sigh, he said, “Grand General wishes not to cause civil war in Southern Chu, but that’s just a pipe dream. No matter what, the civil war is inevitable. The Grand General needs only say yes, and I’ll spirit Grand General out of Jianye. Whether you wish to return to the army and raise troops or flee far away and wander through jianghu, I can fulfill Grand General’s wish. Does Grand General not think of his family? No egg will remain intact when the nest is upset. Even if the Grand General is willing to go to his death, Shang Weijun absolutely won’t let the Grand General’s family live.”

Lu Can’s gaze didn’t weaken in the slightest. Although the white-robed man’s speech was incisive, it didn’t leave a mark on Lu Can’s heart. He’d already thought of all this a decade ago. He didn’t give a rebuttal, simply showing a resolutely stony smile. Then he raised a hand and pierced his heart with his bladelike index and middle fingers. Blood spurted out, and although his fingers barely penetrated and didn’t hit any vital regions, the meaning was clear as day.

With no time to be surprised by the strength of Lu Can’s fingers, Ding Ming stood up nearly instantly and withdrew. He took a dozen consecutive steps backward, eyes filled with grief, and said in a trembling voice, “Grand General, Ding Ming shall obey.”

Lu Can gazed at the white-robed man with unsympathetic eyes, and a light glinted in the white-robed man’s eyes. Lu Can smiled. Putting force into his fingers, blood gushed out.

The white-robed man could feel Ding Ming’s imploring gaze. He knew that if he acted even now, he might be able to prevent Lu Can from committing suicide, but Lu Can’s mind was made up. Even if he rescued him out of here, the result would be no different. Moreover, if Lu Can died on the outside with the reputation of being a rebel, it would have been better for him to die here, which would preserve his loyalty. Besides, that man had said he needed to leave Lu Can a choice. With a gentle sigh, the white-robed man vanished into the snow, disappearing without a trace.

Lu Can was relieved at knowing the situation would finally be under his control. Gazing at Ding Ming, he evenly said, “Brother Ding may go. Don’t add to the casualties; avoid by any means necessary more internecine strife, as that would only please Great Yong. You should also pay attention to the people around you. Great Yong is best at using spies. You have to be careful.” Although he also wanted to warn Ding Ming to be careful of Song Yu, standing behind him, and the white-robed man whose origins were unknown, he knew if he spoke too clearly, Ding Ming likely wouldn’t escape Jianye alive. Rather than making that happen, it was better to have Ding Ming be vigilant to prevent the Wuyue Volunteer Army from losing its leader.

Lu Can watched Ding Ming hide his face and retreat, then zither music drifted through the blowing snow, the music mournful and seeming to bid farewell forever. A strange thought popped into his mind. He was certain he’d heard the music before, though it might not have been this piece. However, the undertones sounded just as aloof and bleak. Thinking of this, he laughed at himself, for he wasn’t an expert in the meaning of music. How could he tell the difference between the playing?

Lu Can pulled out his fingers, allowing his blood to drip out, and brushed the snow off his body. He walked into the room, poured a cup of wine, raised it, and said, “‘I vow to restore His Majesty to sovereignty with my morale greatly enhanced, / Earning myself renown and success that never end. / Deplorably old I’ll be before any achievement attained.’ It’s a shame I haven’t achieved my aspirations before dying and being discredited. Son Yu, why aren’t you leaving as well? Do you think I haven’t seen through your disguise? If you hadn’t been a mole for them, I’m afraid the white-robed man or Ding Ming would’ve killed you first.”

“Why would Grand General say that? I obeyed orders to defend Grand General and to use force to stop Grand General from leaving this place,” Song Yu evenly stated. “Later, Grand General’s pleading stopped those two from killing me. Grand General is giving up his life and refusing to flee presumably due to concern for this one’s strict observance of his duty?”

Lu Can laughed despite himself. Ignoring the blood flowing out, he raised his cup and said, “Well said. Wisdom such as yours is rare. Speak, what’s your relationship with my esteemed master, Jiang Zhe? I do believe only Sir can create this situation wherein my life and death is so thoroughly exploited. For a talent like you, I assume you’re a disciple of Sir?”

Song Yu’s expression shifted a little. He looked into Lu Can’s candid face and whispered, “I’m a disciple unworthy of Sir. I turned my back on the relationship long ago. I’m indebted to Sir’s mercy for not taking my life. This time, he ordered me to frequently slander and harm General. Of this, I’m ashamed. Even if General spreads the news, I wouldn’t blame General.”

Lu Can furrowed his brows a bit. “I can hear what sounds like resentment in your voice. Could it be you hate Sir? But if that were true, why would you obey and execute his orders?”

Song Yu swept his gaze outwards. He’d already seen the signal for reinforcements the Fengyi Sect fired and knew people would soon enter to investigate. He whispered, “I used to have an old grudge against Sir, but Sir didn’t know. However, now that I think carefully, I cannot blame Sir. I also took advantage of Sir’s grace and my associates’ close friendship, so I couldn’t reject Sir’s orders. It’s just that I’m terribly uncomfortable with hurting General. General is of loyal character and has a noble and benevolent nature. Yulun couldn’t bear the remorse for the rest of his life.”

Lu Can sighed. “This has nothing to do with you. Sir is merely adding fuel to the fire. Even if his scheme didn’t exist, this crisis would be unavoidable several years later. I had simply believed I could accomplish my long-cherished ambition of marching into the Central Plains and preventing the Yong heavy cavalry from eyeing Jiangnan. I just hate that this day arrived too early. Only now have I realized that the piece Sir played atop Gucheng wasn’t to drive back the enemy but to bid farewell. After the piece ended, we would never see each other again. This was the significance of Sir’s playing.”

The sound of footfalls reached Song Yu’s ear at this time. He promptly cleared his throat and said, “General, shall I wrap your wound?”

Lu Can’s gaze shifted. “Are you going to stay in Jianye after today?”

Song Yu understood the implication and whispered, “This affair has ended. This one is free from concerns and will never interfere in the north-south conflict again.”

Lu Can smiled and nodded, replying, “That’s good. I believe you aren’t lying, as I’ll be forced to take your life otherwise, even with how ardently sincere you’re being with me. Presumably, if I say a few words, Shang Weijun would prefer to believe some of them. If you see Sir again, thank him for me, please.”

“Many thanks, Grand General, for your magnanimity. If there’s a chance, I’ll be certain to relay your words,” Song Yu whispered. He was about to say more when he saw figures moving out of the corner of his eye. He fell silent.

Reinforcements were entering the courtyard. Walking at the very front was Shang Chengye. All behind him were armored troops. He had personally led the reinforcements to the dilapidated Qiao Courtyard. After all, Lu Can’s life was most closely tied to Shang Chengye and his father.

Also behind Shang Chengye were several eunuchs in crimson clothes carrying the royal decree and poisoned wine in their hands. The two groups met each other on the road and hurried over together.

Seeing Lu Can sitting in place and drinking wine, Shang Chengye breathed a sigh of relief and stopped in his tracks. He looked at Song Yu, appreciation in his eyes, and gestured for him to withdraw.

Song Yu hid the sadness in his eyes and walked out of the room. After taking his place behind Shang Chengye, he watched a crimson-clothed eunuch read the decree aloud in a high-pitched voice. Song Yu wasn’t paying attention and only dimly heard phrases like “commit suicide” and “public execution.” Afterwards, he looked through the wide-open door to see Lu Can grinning as he poured a cup of poisoned wine and looked around at everyone with a clear and warm gaze. Lu Can paused a second longer on Song Yu’s body, then raised his cup and drank, ignoring his bloodstained breast.

Song Yu’s vision blurred, and he quietly took a step back, feeling like his own life was ending alongside Lu Can’s suicide.

Footnotes:

1. This is likely a reference to a poem entitled “The Heavens Help the Song Dynasty” written by an anonymous Song Dynasty poet.
2. Roughly 6 kilograms (about 13 pounds)