Volume One Southern Sichuan Commandery Chapter 6 Deception

The middle-aged man was silent. Wei Fufeng’s heart trembled with anxiety and unease. After a moment, he heard: “Lord Wei, do you dare to kill Wang Jian?”

“My ancestor said, Wang Jian’s followers are in fact loosely organized, many forced into submission. If Wang Jian is slain, his men will scatter like monkeys from a fallen tree. My great-uncle’s own followers were largely coerced or bought by Wang Jian, leaving him with few trustworthy soldiers,” Wei Fufeng replied respectfully.

“As a high-ranking official of the court, charged with quelling rebellion, how can you sow discord among our own ranks? Your words are unreasonable,” the middle-aged man said coldly.

“Sir, my ancestor maintains that Wang Jian is a beast, fiercer than Chen Jingxuan. Now that Chen Jingxuan is besieged in lonely Chengdu, the city’s fall is imminent. Once Chengdu falls, Wang Jian will dominate West Sichuan, and then greedily seize East Sichuan and Hanzhong.”

“Precisely because my great-uncle is a minister of the court, he fears Wang Jian’s dominance in West Sichuan and his opposition to the court. In terms of the court’s interests, my great-uncle and you are united against a common enemy,” Wei Fufeng argued.

The middle-aged man fell silent. After more than ten seconds, Wei Fufeng bit his lip, raised his head, and respectfully said, “Sir, my ancestor also hopes you will petition the court to carve out Yuzhou (Chongqing), Changzhou, Luzhou, and Rongzhou, and establish a military governorship.”

“Hmm?” The middle-aged man’s brow arched, his eyes sharp as he fixed on Wei Fufeng, who immediately lowered his gaze and stood meekly.

“What grand ambition. Is this Lord Wei Zhaodu’s idea?” the man asked coldly.

“Sir, my ancestor relayed this to me. It is said the four prefectures border Nanzhao (Yunnan), making the establishment of a military governor necessary,” Wei Fufeng explained respectfully.

“Yuzhou belongs to our army, Changzhou and Luzhou to East Sichuan, Rongzhou to West Sichuan. As military governor of West Sichuan, what is your intention?” the man asked sharply.

“My great-uncle suggests establishing a military governorship in southern Sichuan, mainly to restrain Wang Jian and Gu Yanlang’s East Sichuan army, all for the court’s benefit,” Wei Fufeng respectfully defended.

Silence lingered. After a while, the middle-aged man said, “Rise.”

“Thank you, sir,” Wei Fufeng replied respectfully, rising to stand.

“You are the legitimate grandson of the Wei clan?” the man inquired.

“No, I am of secondary birth,” Wei Fufeng replied respectfully.

“Secondary birth—did you bring a letter?” the man asked.

“No letter. My ancestor merely sent me to communicate this request. He said whether it succeeds or fails, it is unrelated to the Wei clan. If it succeeds, I will be left as governor; if not, my ancestor will regard it as if I never came,” Wei Fufeng said respectfully.

“Empty words. Lord Wei is very cautious,” the man replied coldly.

“My ancestor said, close dealings between ministers and palace officials would displease His Majesty,” Wei Fufeng responded respectfully.

“You have nerve,” the man said dispassionately.

“I act on the orders of my elders. If I escape punishment, I count myself fortunate,” Wei Fufeng answered respectfully.

“Go now. Our army needs to deliberate,” the man said.

“I take my leave,” Wei Fufeng said, bowing respectfully, stepping back, and turning to depart.

After Wei Fufeng left, the middle-aged man asked, “What do you think? Is he really sent from the Wei clan?”

“I believe so, sir. First, his accent is from Chang’an; second, he is young and scholarly in appearance, not like a bandit,” a soldier replied.

The man nodded. The soldier added, “But Lord Wei’s demands clearly reveal ambitions beyond fealty.”

The middle-aged man replied calmly, “Wei Zhaodu is in a predicament in West Sichuan; seeking outside aid is understandable. Men of his sort are proud, and forced by circumstance to appeal to our army, he naturally seeks greater advantage.”

“Do you intend to agree?” the soldier asked.

“Wang Jian is a vicious wolf; he must be eliminated swiftly. Once Wang Jian is dead, Wei Zhaodu and Chen Jingxuan will no longer matter,” the man said.

The soldier nodded. The middle-aged man continued, “Wang Jian has already established his power in West Sichuan. Our plan to pit wolf against tiger has proven a mistake.”

The soldier was silent. The man continued, “Pass word: let Wei Zheng enter the guesthouse and see he is well guarded.”

“Sir, there are surely Wang Jian’s scouts in the city. This should not be made public; better to assign someone to guard him discreetly,” another soldier suggested.

“Very well, do as you see fit,” the man accepted, and the soldier left with a salute.

“Yuankai, go to Chang’an and inform father of this matter. Let him decide,” the man continued.

“Sir, granting four prefectures to Wei Zhaodu—won’t that cause future trouble?” the soldier warned cautiously.

“Trouble? We give Yuzhou now, but it’s easy to reclaim. Of the four prefectures, East Sichuan holds two and West Sichuan one; East Sichuan suffers most. Once Wang Jian is dead, our army can control the southern Sichuan prefectures and then seize both Sichuans,” the man explained confidently.

The soldier seemed about to speak but fell silent. The man continued, “The most urgent matter now is to eliminate Wang Jian. Our army has entered the Shannan West Circuit, but distant Yuzhou is still beyond our reach. Even if Yuzhou is made a separate governorship, it cannot be governed soon.”

“I understand,” the soldier replied.

“There is another point: Wei Zhaodu’s actions are tantamount to handing us the reins. In future, father can use this to coerce him,” the man said with a cold smile. The soldier nodded in silence.

Wei Fufeng stepped out from the intimidating gates of the governor’s residence, his heart still trembling with fear.

This was truly a gamble with his life. Had it not been for the bitterness of his resentment, he would never have dared to attempt such deception at the governor’s mansion.

Feigning calm, he returned to Old Feng’s side. Old Feng leaned on his cane, stepped forward to greet him, and called, “Young master.”

“All right, let’s find a guesthouse and await word,” Wei Fufeng signaled.

“Very well,” Old Feng nodded.

Wei Fufeng found a nearby guesthouse, ordered two rooms and food. Old Feng took one room; Wei Fufeng shared another with the woman in green.

Entering the room, Wei Fufeng drew near the woman and whispered, “I must ask you again to pose as my maid.”

“What were you doing?” she whispered.

“I used my great-uncle’s name to go to the governor’s mansion and seek troops,” Wei Fufeng replied.

“You went to borrow troops?” she whispered in surprise.

“Yes. With bandits rampant in Shu, we are alone and vulnerable. It’s difficult to reach Chengdu,” he whispered.

“Can you borrow them?” she asked.

“Governor Yang hasn’t replied yet; he told me to wait for word,” Wei Fufeng answered.

“If there are troops to escort us, do you still need me?” she asked.

“Even with an escort, there’s no guarantee of safety. The guards themselves may have ill intentions,” Wei Fufeng replied.

She fell silent. Wei Fufeng smiled, “Sister, let’s eat.”

Early the next morning, Wei Fufeng and Old Feng left the guesthouse and wandered the city.

As they walked, Wei Fufeng whispered, “Most of these are refugees from Huainan. Yang Xingmi and Sun Ru fought fiercely in Jianghuai, devastating the region.”

Old Feng nodded, “People believe Ba Shu is prosperous and peaceful, but they don’t realize war has reached Shu as well.”

Wei Fufeng whispered, “These refugees may be useful to us.”

“Useful? What do you mean, young master?” Old Feng whispered.

“It’s uncertain. Best not to say,” Wei Fufeng replied quietly. Old Feng said nothing.

A while later, Wei Fufeng’s gaze fell on a group of people—a dusty band of men, a dozen or so, surrounding two sedan chairs.

Half their clothing was torn, their bodies bearing visible wounds.

Wei Fufeng approached, bowed, and asked, “May I ask, where are you all from?”

The group eyed him warily. After a moment, a young man replied, “Who are you?”

“I am from Shangzhou, and seeing you, I thought you might be fellow countrymen,” said Wei Fufeng.

“I am from Suizhou,” the young man answered.

“Suizhou? That belongs to the Shannan East Circuit—has the war in Huainan reached Suizhou?” Wei Fufeng asked.

“Yes. The rebel army invaded Suizhou, and we left ahead of them,” the young man replied.

“Do you know, in the chaos of Huainan, who has the upper hand—Yang Xingmi or Sun Ru?” Wei Fufeng asked.

“I heard Yang Xingmi was defeated. We did not wish to fall into Sun the bandit’s hands, so we came to Xingyuan Prefecture,” the young man said, relaxing his guard toward Wei Fufeng.

Wei Fufeng nodded, “Sun Ru is brutal, no less than Qin Zongquan.”

“Sun Ru is a cannibal demon,” the young man agreed.

Wei Fufeng nodded, “Brother, coming from Suizhou, are you an official or gentry?”

“No. My father was the marshal of Suizhou, appointed by the court,” the young man replied, then clarified.

Wei Fufeng nodded, “Brother, are you here in Xingyuan to see Governor Yang?”

“We came to seek refuge with Governor Yang. My father has gone to meet him,” the young man replied.

“To seek refuge? Are you related to Governor Yang?” Wei Fufeng asked in surprise.

“No relation. We heard Governor Yang values talent, so we went to pay our respects,” the young man replied, eyeing Wei Fufeng with suspicion.

Wei Fufeng smiled, bowed, “In a strange land, meeting you feels like old friends. I hope we may become close in future. My name is Wei Zheng. May I know yours?”

“I am Yang Yuntian,” the young man replied, bowing as well.

Wei Fufeng nodded, “Brother Yang, I take my leave.”

“Farewell, brother,” Yang Yuntian replied.

Wei Fufeng turned to leave, continuing his walk with Old Feng, who leaned on his cane.