A Boat Ride in the Dead of Night
“It’s nothing much, but please accept this first. Consider it a token of gratitude for the valor you displayed in the last battle.”
With those words, Zhou Yu held out a helmet toward me.
“Ah. Thank you. It’s a truly splendid helmet.”
My own had been punched clean through by an arrow during the fighting. If I asked Gan Ning, I could probably get a replacement without any fuss. Receiving one like this from the Grand Commander himself, though—that was unexpected. Still, I had no good reason to refuse, so I took it. Somehow I doubted he had cleared time in his schedule just to hand over a single helmet.
“If I may ask something a little forward…”
“Please, go ahead.”
“What brought a Duwei such as yourself into the ranks in the first place? I am a military man myself, yet I find myself curious about your reasons.”
“I may have been born a woman, but I wished to pursue a greater purpose.”
“I see. Eastern Wu has no shortage of people who harbor great ambitions, yet I have never met anyone quite like Duwei Jin. In my view, you might well be given far greater responsibility. Frankly, the rank of Duwei seems a little modest for the scale of the ambitions you carry.”
Hmm. So he’s trying to recruit me after all?
I had heard that when I first arrived, Zhuge Jin—one of Eastern Wu’s senior ministers and Zhuge Liang’s elder brother—had tried to persuade his younger sibling to switch sides. Zhuge Liang had declined with such eloquence that no one took offense. How was I supposed to handle this?
“What do you say? To achieve one’s aims, the company one keeps is just as important, don’t you think?”
I drew a quiet breath and answered.
“Grand Commander, have you heard of the Peach Garden Oath sworn by my lord together with Generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei?”
“Of course I have.”
“I had not even been born when the three of them made that vow. Even so, the story left a deep impression on me. They swore that though they were born on different days, they would die on the same day. That they would stand together with those they first chose as brothers, no matter what came. From childhood I have told myself that such loyalty is something I must emulate for the rest of my life.”
Whether Zhou Yu had truly meant to draw me over or not, I set the Peach Garden Oath between us and spoke of the bond shared by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. He seemed to understand my meaning; he dropped the talk of great ambitions and suitable companions. Instead he laughed, open and hearty.
“Hahaha! Those three would be delighted to hear you say that.”
In my own estimation, the deflection had landed cleanly.
“May I ask one more question? Who is this young man?”
I nodded toward the boy who had been sitting quietly beside us the entire time, listening without a word. Anyone allowed to overhear a conversation like this was clearly no ordinary page.
“Ah, this child?”
Pride lit Zhou Yu’s face as he spoke.
“His name is Ding Feng. He possesses outstanding martial talent, so I keep him close and raise him myself.”
I left Zhou Yu’s presence turning the name over in my mind.
Ding Feng.
That was the name of a fierce general who would make his mark in the middle and later years of Wu. By the standards of the official histories, he ranked among monsters who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Guan Yu, Zhang Liao, or Wen Yang. And here he was still a boy younger than me.
Zhou Yu was already grooming him personally. If our paths crossed again someday, it would almost certainly be as enemies—and bitter ones at that.
“Do not take it too much to heart, Grand Commander. It seems the affinity simply was not there.”
Lü Meng offered the consolation, worried that Zhou Yu might feel the sting of rejection. Zhou Yu, however, remained surprisingly calm.
“I never expected her to turn after so light a persuasion. This time I only meant to show that we regard her with goodwill.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“It is. Our alliance with Liu Bei is still necessary for us as well. There is no need to create needless friction. I intend to draw her over gradually, given time. Had she switched sides so easily, I would have found it rather disappointing—proof that she was the sort who changes masters without a second thought.”
Zhou Yu planned to work on her slowly. Or, if necessary, through a political marriage. What he did not know then was that this had been his first and last opportunity.
Lü Meng nodded once and said, “She is an impressive girl, true, but still only a young girl. Whether she will become so great a figure remains to be seen, in my view.”
“I am only guessing myself. Yet the younger she is, the more boundless her potential. Just like young Ding Feng here.”
At those words the boy’s eyes brightened.
“Is Duwei Jin Cheong’s skill truly that formidable?”
“It is. You did not see her, but at her age, with that level of martial prowess, further growth is inevitable. What was your impression of the girl?”
“From the first glance she struck me as no ordinary person. I also sensed that she was quietly wary of me.”
“Haha. So heroes recognize heroes, is that it? Both of you seem to have sharp eyes.”
Lü Meng, who had been listening, spoke up playfully.
“Then if the two of you fought, who do you think would win?”
Ding Feng thought for a moment before answering.
“I still have no real battle experience, and I am young… But if I grow older and train hard, someday…”
His small eyes shone as he spoke.
After the first battle ended, a tedious stalemate settled in. Cao Cao’s forces, having taken a heavy blow, showed almost no movement beyond the occasional scouting party or messenger vessel. According to the intelligence Zhou Yu gathered, however, that stillness was the quiet of a wounded beast sharpening its claws. Once bloodied, it was now honing them to an even keener edge.
In truth, Cao Cao had built solid naval camps along the Yangtze, strengthened his defenses, and set about drilling his fleet. No grand maneuvers were visible from the outside, yet across the river one could see the vast stockades. Inside them, no doubt, the men were training and welding themselves into a single force. Every night they lit torches and bonfires that seemed to reach the heavens, flaunting the sheer scale of their army. The broad waters of the Yangtze caught the blaze and glittered as if on fire.
It was a constant reminder that Cao Cao still commanded overwhelming numbers, and it forced the allied armies of Sun Quan and Liu Bei to remain on perpetual alert, never knowing when the enemy might strike.
In all that time there had been only one movement large enough to call significant—and it had come not from Cao Cao’s side, but from Eastern Wu. Just like today.
“Duwei Jin. Would you care to join me for a little boat outing this evening? Lord Lu Su will be coming as well.”
“A boat outing?”
It was the night Zhuge Liang approached me out of nowhere. At first the invitation seemed completely random—until the realization struck. Wait. This is it, isn’t it?
“Come along. Everything is already prepared.”
I followed where he led and found myself at a stretch of riverbank where dozens of small vessels floated. Lu Su was waiting to greet us.
“Military Advisor Zhuge. And Duwei Jin has come as well.”
“Lord Lu Su. I trust you have been well? Oh—and who is this?”
An unexpected figure stood awkwardly beside Lu Su.
“What are you waiting for? Offer your greetings.”
Lu Su gave the man a light shove on the arm. He hesitated, then spoke first.
“Ah… I am Wu Fan.”
“Yes, of course. We have met before. I am Duwei Jin Cheong.”
Given that our first encounter had been a full-blown argument, the exchange could hardly be anything but stiff. Why on earth had Lu Su dragged this man along?
Zhuge Liang, who seemed already aware of the arrangement, said nothing.
“Come, come—no more standing about. Let us board.”
“Lord Lu Su, are we truly going on a boat outing? Do we need this many ships for a pleasure cruise? And what about all these scarecrows and bundles of straw loaded aboard? More to the point—we are in the middle of a war. Is a boat outing even appropriate?”
“Grand Commander Zhou Yu has already given his full approval. You need not worry on that account.”
“Well, I’ll be…”
The four of us climbed into one of the vessels and entered the cabin. As Wu Fan had noted, every ship was draped in cloth, and scarecrows stood thickly packed on the decks. Both the cloth and the straw figures had been thoroughly soaked with water. Add the dense fog blanketing this night, and the picture became unmistakable.
This was clearly a trip to Cao Cao’s camp to “borrow” arrows.
From the looks of things, Lu Su already knew. Only Wu Fan remained completely in the dark.
“Military Advisor, what exactly do you mean by a boat outing? And were these scarecrows placed here deliberately?”
I asked Zhuge Liang as if I knew nothing. Better to preserve his dignity than to show off. The memory of Yang Xiu, who had lost his head for constantly flaunting his cleverness, was still fresh.
“You will understand once we arrive.”
“Cast off.”
At Lu Su’s order the small fleet, crewed by only a handful of soldiers, set out together. Against the backdrop of a night made even blacker by the fog, the dozens of light craft slid silently across the dark water.
“Remain seated here, if you please. It would be dangerous to go outside. Let us drink tea while we wait.”
We gathered as Zhuge Liang suggested, clustered inside the cabin, and sipped the tea he had prepared. There was a certain charm to sitting in the fog-shrouded night, feeling the gentle rock of the boat while cradling a warm cup. I had nothing particular to do, so I was content to watch the show and enjoy the free meal.
“Military Advisor, we have reached the vicinity of the enemy camp.”
One of the soldiers at the tiller reported.
“The enemy camp?!”
Wu Fan, mid-sip, nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected news. Zhuge Liang, unperturbed, issued his next command.
“Good. Everyone stay hidden and simply beat the drums. All we need is to startle them.”
Almost at once the sound of drums rolled out across the fleet. Moments later, though nothing could be seen through the fog, a restless stir became palpable.
“Enemy! Night raid!”
The night air carried the uproar from the enemy camp all the way to us. Soon their own drums answered. It was the greatest commotion since the first engagement.
“What in the world are you doing?! If the enemy comes after us in force, what then? We barely have any soldiers!”
“Do not worry. The fog is so thick they will not dare pursue.”
Wu Fan voiced his alarm, but Zhuge Liang answered calmly and took another sip of tea.
“Loose! Pour the arrows into them!”
A voice shouted, and then came the sound of shafts thudding home in rapid succession.
Thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud!
So many arrows struck that the entire boat shuddered under the impact.
“Wh-what? Wh-wha…!”
Wu Fan broke out in a cold sweat and began to shout, while Zhuge Liang and Lu Su calmly refilled their cups, utterly unconcerned.
“What on earth are you people doing?! Turn the ships around at once—at once!”
“I keep telling you it is fine. Here, take a cup.”
“Mm. The fragrance is excellent.”
They tilted their teacups while Wu Fan bellowed beside them.
“Have you all gone mad and decided you want to die?!”
“Heh. Lord Wu Fan, there is no need for concern. We are inside the cabin; the arrows cannot reach us.”
“Even so! I simply cannot understand what you are trying to accomplish! Why go looking for danger like this? Quickly—let us turn back at once!”
And why, exactly, was this man dragged all the way out here to carry on like this?
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The denser the rain of arrows became, the thicker the cold sweat that rolled down Wu Fan’s face.