Mountain Exploration

"General Jin, if we take this route, a side path should appear. Ah — there it is."

"Yes, I see it. Well spotted, Master Ma Su. Impressive."

"Haha, hardly. I used to hike these parts quite often, so I know the terrain well. Though of course, it's Wei territory now."

At present I was exploring the mountains between Wan and Jiangxia with my troops, using Ma Su as our guide.

He was serving as a guest staff officer attached to our unit — not yet formally assigned to the military command, so he was closer to a temporary member I'd requested for the campaign.

Still, his pathfinding alone was genuinely outstanding. Perhaps that was the same head that could rattle off endless volumes of classical anecdote without missing a beat.

"Hmm. This spot will do. All right — line those trees and set a few of these up."

"Yes, General."

At my gesture the soldiers planted several scarecrows they had brought along beside the trees. Then they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carved a small hole into each scarecrow's face and stuffed in a scrap of cloth with writing on it.

Watching from the side, Yu Eun offered a bit of commentary.

"Seeing this really takes me back to the days we were being chased through southern Jingzhou. Zheng Sui nearly gave us all a heart attack back then."

"I — I really thought there was something there!"

I laughed briefly at the memory myself.

"Exactly. I'm putting that old idea to work now."

"Ah, so you'd been planning this since then."

I had seen the method somewhere before — planting suspicious devices along a road to draw the enemy's eye. The scarecrows were simply one of the devices I'd chosen.

Once the scarecrows were in place, I stationed a portion of the soldiers there. They began laying traps along the roadside with rope and a few other tools.

"That should do for this spot. Master Ma Su, where might the other side paths be?"

"I'll show you. This way, please."

Following Ma Su's lead, we found another trail.

"There's every chance Wei messengers will use this route as well."

"Good. All right — set a few more here."

"Yes, sir!"

I installed another scarecrow by the path and left several soldiers in ambush.

"Excellent. No mistakes. We'll move on to the next location."

"Right this way. By the way — doesn't a good climb leave the body feeling refreshed? And the scenery is splendid. People really ought to live among the mountains. We should come out like this more often."

"Ah… yes, I suppose so."

Ma Su. Thank heaven you didn't go to Jieting.

Come to think of it, how was Liu Bei's main force faring after departing for Qishan? The Battle of Jieting would fall to them as well. Plenty of fine generals had gone with them — I trusted it would turn out well.

For a time after that, Ma Su and I continued hunting down side paths, planting scarecrows, concealing soldiers, and issuing operational orders.

Then a messenger arrived from Zhao Lou.

"Word from Master Zhao Lou. Wen Ping at Jiangxia has noticed the decoy army."

"As expected, then. Tell Master Zhao Lou to keep scouting the enemy, and when the time comes, to join us here."

"Yes, sir! Understood."

After sending the messenger off, I surveyed the final location.

"Wouldn't this spot serve well, General Jin?"

"Yes — the terrain is rough, and there's little risk of being spotted. Ideal. Liu Min, as commander of the Strong Crossbow unit, what's your assessment?"

Liu Min carefully studied the surrounding ground before answering.

"Yes. This should fall well within Strong Crossbow range."

"Good. Only the final operation remains. Gou Fu! Liu Min!"

"Yes, General!"

"You can handle this?"

"Yes! Leave it to us!"

I gave a single nod to Gou Fu and Liu Min, who answered with such spirited resolve, then turned to Ma Su.

"You'll assist as well, Master Ma Su?"

"Of course. This is my specialty, isn't it?"

"Then we'll leave this to you and head back to prepare for battle."

I handed a small detachment over to Gou Fu and Ma Su, reviewed the final operation with them once more, and left them behind as I descended the mountain.

Command of my soldiers rested with Gou Fu, and Ma Su was only a guest advisor — there was no risk of him freely directing the troops on his own.

Leaving them there, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠returned to Xinye with Yu Eun.

Back in Xinye, a welcome face was waiting for me.

"General Jin. A pleasure. I've been dispatched from Xiangyong."

"Ah — Master Fei Yi. Good of you to come."

Fei Yi, who had been stationed at Xiangyong, had come all the way to Xinye to support us. He would not take part in direct combat in this war; his duties would center on rear support — supply lines and maintaining public order.

"Xiangyong has lost a great many of its people as well. Will that be all right? Jiangling too, for that matter."

Liu Feng had already marched out at the head of a force, and Deng Zhi was away from Xiangyong on diplomatic and other business.

Which meant the ones remaining at Xiangyong now were Meng Da, along with Shen Tan and Shen Yi — all figures famous in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms for their betrayals.

History had already been altered so drastically that there was no guarantee they would turn traitor, but it still weighed on me. Fortunately, that particular worry seemed about to ease a little.

"As it happens, Lord Zhang Wan and General Zhang Yi, who were in Hanzhong, are said to be transferring to Xiangyong."

"Ah — that's excellent news."

Zhang Wan, one of Zhuge Liang's eventual successors, and Zhang Yi, among the last loyal retainers of Shu Han — both men I could trust.

"It would be good to get a few reinforcements to Jiangling as well. I put in the request before coming here, but…"

At Jiangling, which I could call my own base of operations, Xu Shu, Ma Liang, Pan Jun, Gan Yong, Feng Xi, and others had remained. (Feng Xi had stayed on after the Jingzhou campaign.)

With so many generals drawn away for the Northern Expedition, I had petitioned the central command for a few officers to shore up the rear — but I had yet to hear back.

Fortunately, Fei Yi brought that very news.

"Generals Shen Tan and Shen Yi are to have their posts reassigned to Jiangling."

"Pardon? Who?"

"Shen Tan and Shen Yi, formerly of Xiangyong, are scheduled for placement at Jiangling. That's why Zhang Wan and Zhang Yi are coming to Xiangyong in their place."

"Ah…"

Why those two of all people. After the Jingzhou campaign had concluded safely, I hadn't paid either of them much mind.

But the thought of the pair settling their rear ends firmly into my home base left me distinctly uneasy. And Huang Hao was already at Jiangling besides.

I didn't want to worry about it — but I couldn't help it. I would have to stay in regular contact with Xu Shu and Gan Yong and keep a close ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠watch on developments.

Along a quiet mountain path where moonlight filtered sparsely through the trees, two horses raced onward.

They carried Zhang Ji's messengers, bound for Jiangxia.

The moment Shu forces began advancing on Wan, the Wei army — fire at its feet — had moved at once.

The order from Zhang Ji that the messengers carried read as follows:

Knowing better than anyone how vital and urgent the order was, the messengers had driven almost without rest toward Jiangxia — until they saw the shadows of people standing beside the trees.

"Hold! Who goes there!"

Steel hissed free of a scabbard.

One messenger, startled out of his skin, half-drew his sword and glared at the dark figures. His horse, forced to a sudden halt, snorted hot breath in alarm.

"Wait — something's off."

At his companion's words, he sensed it too. The messenger edged carefully toward the mysterious shadows, but they did not stir at all.

"Are these… not people?"

Drawing a little closer for a better look, he soon had his answer.

"Bah — scarecrows! What are scarecrows doing out here?"

Tension gave way at once to anticlimax. But his companion remained cautious.

"There's no reason for scarecrows to be standing in a place like this. What if something's hidden here?"

Curiosity, they say, is the nature of man. For a moment the two messengers forgot their mission and examined the scarecrows. Studying one more carefully, they suddenly noticed something strange.

"There's something here."

"Hm? What is it?"

"In the face."

A scrap of cloth was wedged into a small hole in the scarecrow's face.

"Could be a marker left by an enemy spy."

The messenger pulled the cloth free at once and unfolded it. Writing was scrawled across the fabric.

By the faint moonlight filtering through the trees, they read the words. But there was nothing of substance.

"What's this? Just a poem?"

"Why would an ordinary poem be written out here? Could it be a cipher?"

So absorbed were they in decoding the meaningless verse that they never noticed the dark figures closing in around them.

"Don't move! You're completely surrounded!"

"Hhk—!"

At the sudden shout of brigands, both messengers spun in shock. Roughly ten shadows had ringed them in. Spearpoints, catching a dull gleam of moonlight, were leveled at their throats.

And so the messengers who had been meant to deliver that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠precious order were taken captive.