Volume Two: The Grandfather and Grandson Lords Chapter 60: Performing a Trick

Wei Fufeng’s face changed dramatically. He gripped his spear and tried to take cover behind a tree, but before he could, Amber’s father let out a roar and charged at the enemy general, brandishing his blade.

Wei Fufeng had no time for frustration; his instinctive movement to escape turned into an urgent rush to confront the foe.

He watched as Amber’s father hurled himself forward without regard for his own safety, swinging his military saber in a fearsome arc straight at the enemy general’s exposed face—the only unarmored part of the man, who was otherwise sheathed in heavy armor.

The enemy general thrust his long halberd up, intercepting the downward slash. He could not risk a mutual injury by leaving his face unguarded.

Clang! The halberd struck the descending saber with precision, snapping the blade in two and sending Amber’s father reeling from the shock.

The force of the blow also jarred the enemy general, causing his body to pause for an instant.

Suddenly, a long spear darted forward like a viper’s tongue, flashing past Amber’s father’s right side—a dark blur aimed straight at the enemy general’s face.

With a sickening squelch, the spearhead drove viciously into the man’s left eye, the impact making him stagger backward, shrieking in pain.

Reeling, the enemy general braced himself with his halberd, blood spurting from his ruined face like a wrathful demon. Fiercely resilient, he was about to lunge forward again.

But five sword-and-shield soldiers rushed in from both sides, their blades flashing. The enemy general, exhausted and at the end of his strength, fell beneath a storm of slashing steel.

Wei Fufeng reached out and steadied Amber’s father, who was swaying on his feet. With his right hand, Wei Fufeng held his spear at an angle, his expression calm and unperturbed.

Amber’s father turned to look at Wei Fufeng, his eyes filled with astonishment and surprise.

After assisting him, Wei Fufeng immediately planted his spear in the ground, seized a crossbow, pulled back the string, nocked an arrow, and took aim.

Twang! The bolt flew true, striking an enemy soldier in the upper chest and passing through.

By now, the other archers and crossbowmen had reloaded as well. In an instant, a hail of bolts swept the field, supporting the sword-and-shield soldiers as they finished off the remaining enemies.

Though the battle was brief, it was harrowing and brutal, forcing Wei Fufeng to confront the dangers of combat head-on.

He handed his spear to Amber’s father and went to order the field cleared, especially to collect the enemy’s armor and weapons.

The archers and crossbowmen stripped armor from the fallen and donned it themselves. Amber’s father took the heavy armor from the enemy general and put it on. His tall, imposing figure looked all the more formidable in the heavy gear.

The fighting outside the hills had ended as well—over two hundred of the Hedong cavalry were slain.

Sun Kui instructed his men to gather more than twenty fine horses, arming his own guards with all usable captured weapons. Horses unfit for service were sent to the supply corps.

Wei Fufeng sent a messenger to Sun Kui. After communicating, the Fufeng Troops left the hills.

When Wei Fufeng approached Sun Kui, he bowed respectfully and said, “Envoy of the Fufeng Troops pays his respects to the Deputy Commander.”

“Envoy Wei, you are too courteous,” Sun Kui replied with pleasure. Inwardly, he was deeply grateful for Wei Fufeng’s timely aid and directly honored Wei’s official position.

Wei Fufeng had already heard reports of Sun Kui’s background. He saw Sun Kui clad in a bright red official robe, about fifty years old, with dignified features and an imposing air—an officer who commanded respect without anger.

Wei Fufeng took in the scene, then glanced elsewhere and said calmly, “May I ask, Deputy Commander, that the arrows loosed by the Fufeng Troops be returned to us.”

“Of course,” Sun Kui nodded, turning to instruct a subordinate, who promptly went to carry out the order.

Wei Fufeng bowed his thanks and then said, “Deputy Commander, may I have a word in private?”

Sun Kui nodded and accompanied Wei Fufeng to a secluded spot.

Wei Fufeng spoke plainly: “Does it not strike you as odd, sir, that the Fufeng Troops were able to ambush the Hedong cavalry?”

“You must have learned of their movements,” Sun Kui replied.

“You are correct, sir. The Fufeng Troops discovered the enemy’s movements and so lay in wait at Shilou Mountain for some time,” Wei Fufeng said softly.

Sun Kui nodded. “Envoy Wei, you are a man of military acumen.”

“I would not say so,” Wei Fufeng replied. “I merely deduced that, with imperial reinforcements heading for Shizhou, the Hedong army would surely set an ambush on the way. They would not try to seize the city first.”

Sun Kui agreed with a nod. Wei Fufeng continued, “After learning the enemy’s movements, I dared not send word to you, sir, for among the imperial officers are many with ties to the Hedong army.”

Sun Kui’s expression changed slightly. “Envoy Wei, you should be careful with your words.”

Wei Fufeng replied calmly, “Hidden traitors among the officers are a grave threat. As we saw today, when the enemy appeared, your troops immediately broke and fled. If the officers did not run, how could the men have followed?”

Sun Kui frowned. Having narrowly survived, he recalled the chaos and terror. But he could not punish so many for fleeing.

“Deputy Commander, why not set a trap to expose these hidden traitors?” Wei Fufeng suggested.

“Oh? What do you propose?” Sun Kui responded. He had no desire to command a force he could not control.

“Tell your subordinates that the Fufeng Troops captured a Hedong officer who, in his rage at being betrayed, named imperial officers colluding with the enemy. Once the rumor spreads, summon all officers to your tent. Those with guilty consciences may try to escape. If not, you lose nothing,” Wei Fufeng explained. He did not wish to serve alongside hidden enemies, always looking over his shoulder.

Sun Kui nodded. “Very well.”

...

After returning, Sun Kui ordered the troops to make camp. The Fufeng Troops pitched their tents next to the central camp.

In the afternoon, Sun Kui summoned all officers. Each imperial battalion had five hundred soldiers, commanded by a cavalry captain, with a registrar and a patrol officer.

Soon after the summons, three battalions began to move suspiciously, marching away from the main camp.

Sun Kui, having anticipated this, sat in his carriage. When the scouts reported, he personally led several dozen men in pursuit.

“Hear me, soldiers!” Sun Kui shouted from his carriage, for he did not ride. “Song Hu has betrayed us for the Hedong rebels! You are fed and clothed by the court—do you wish to leave your homeland and become slaves to the Shatuo?”

The marching soldiers froze, turning to look at their captain.

Song Hu, the cavalry captain, saw the Deputy Commander approach and panicked, urging his men to follow as he rode away—exposing his treachery.

In truth, had Song Hu stood firm, Sun Kui could have done nothing.

As Song Hu fled, only five followers went with him.

Sun Kui immediately called out, promising amnesty to all who remained, and then rode toward another fleeing battalion.

The other two battalions, adjacent to Song Hu’s, did not wait for Sun Kui—those captains had already escaped with a handful of loyalists.

The rest of the men remained. Sun Kui, exercising his authority, reassigned the registrars and patrol officers among the companies, and promoted three registrars to captains.

With these adjustments, the officers gathered in the central camp.

Sun Kui introduced Wei Fufeng to them, even revealing that the plan to expose traitors was Wei’s idea, and that no Hedong officer had actually been captured.

Wei Fufeng was left speechless, unsure if Sun Kui was simply selfless or had some ulterior motive. In any case, he felt uneasy—those who resort to cunning are often viewed with suspicion and resentment.

...

With the military restructured, the army set out again, moving much faster this time. Sun Kui promised his men that once they reached Shizhou, they would feast on horse-meat stew.

As dusk fell, the army reached Lishi County. Before entering the city, Wei Fufeng and Sun Kui agreed that strict discipline must be enforced to prevent any disorder or harm to the populace.

Once inside, the soldiers ate the provisions prepared by the garrisoned Fufeng Troops, then lay down to sleep, well-fed and content. No incidents occurred, and morale was high—many praised Envoy Wei.

...

Wei Fufeng returned to his quarters, exhausted by his travels. All he wished for was to bathe, eat, and sleep deeply. Drawing water from the well, he washed himself, changed into a robe, and went to eat.

He sat with Amber’s father, having sent the other guards away to rest.

As they ate, Amber’s father suddenly spoke in a low voice, “So, you are a master of martial arts, sir.”

Wei Fufeng paused, surprised by his restraint—waiting until they were alone to bring it up. He replied gently, “I do know martial arts, but skill at arms does not guarantee survival.”

“Your spear moves like lightning. I would not compare myself to you,” Amber’s father murmured.

“My martial skill is unimportant. What matters is a good night’s sleep. With you guarding me, I can sleep soundly. With another, I might not dare close my eyes,” Wei Fufeng said softly.

Amber’s father was taken aback, then nodded. “I understand, sir. I will keep watch well.”

Wei Fufeng smiled and continued eating.

...

Now that the imperial troops were stationed in Lishi, Wei Fufeng prepared to withdraw. Early the next morning, he visited Sun Kui, citing the need to attack other counties and turning the city over to Sun Kui.

But Sun Kui urged patience, saying he needed time to discipline his troops and asked that the Fufeng Troops stay a few more days to deter unrest and protect the people. Wei Fufeng agreed.

After discussing official matters, Sun Kui asked, “Envoy Wei, are you from the Wei family of Chang’an?”

“Yes, from a collateral branch,” Wei Fufeng replied.

“Oh, so you are kin to Chancellor Wei?” Sun Kui realized.

Wei Fufeng answered frankly, “Chancellor Wei is my great-uncle, but the Fufeng Troops have no connection to him.”

“I had heard you came from southern Sichuan. How then are you unconnected to Chancellor Wei, who campaigns in Western Sichuan?” Sun Kui pressed.

“My great-uncle is the military governor of Western Sichuan. The governor of southern Sichuan is from a different branch. I once journeyed to join my great-uncle, but met an uncle, a descendant of Wei Gao, along the way. Thus, I became acting governor of southern Sichuan, and on my uncle’s orders, brought tribute to His Majesty, who granted me the title Marquis of Fufeng and military governor of Qianzhong,” Wei Fufeng explained.

“I heard the southern governor was appointed on the recommendation of the Privy Council. Does your uncle have ties to Yang Fugong?” Sun Kui asked.

“No,” Wei Fufeng replied. “My uncle made a deal with Yang Shouliang, deceiving him to secure the position, then seized Luzhou and established the southern governorship there.”

“What kind of deal could deceive Yang Shouliang?” Sun Kui pressed further.

“That is all past. Best left unspoken,” Wei Fufeng answered calmly.