Securing Xiangyong
The reception of Xiangyong was proceeding smoothly… or so it seemed?
Thanks to the active cooperation of Shen Tan and Shen Yi, the city was being secured without incident. As expected of men who poured every ounce of effort into preserving the seats they currently occupied—for the moment, at least, they seemed reliable enough.
But just because things looked peaceful on the surface did not mean I could let my guard down. Jingzhou had failed to quell its internal turmoil and fallen into Sun Quan’s hands; Xiangyong, too, needed its house put firmly in order.
The greatest worry here was the discord between Liu Feng and Meng Da. The moment I arrived in Xiangyong, I had sensed the uncomfortable current running between the two of them. In actual history, Liu Feng had gone so far as to seize Meng Da’s military band—their relationship had been abysmal.
My appearance had temporarily cooled their power struggle, but before I left Xiangyong I intended to cut away every last sprout of instability.
And then there were Shen Tan and Shen Yi. They were bowing and scraping and treating us with the utmost warmth for now, yet I still could not feel any true loyalty from them. Knowing in advance that history had them betraying us later only made it worse.
So the man I had requested from Liu Bei for the sake of internal harmony was none other than Fei Yi. His time to shine had come.
“Come, come. Allow me to pour each of you a cup. Please, accept it.”
Fei Yi had gathered everyone together and was now hosting a banquet. His defining strength: he mixed well with people, drank well with them, fostered unity, and mediated grudges. In short, he was the ultimate social butterfly. No wonder even Sun Quan was said to like him.
I had not asked Liu Bei to send him all the way here for nothing.
“With such splendid gentlemen among us, truly our lord is blessed. From here on, there is nowhere to go but up!”
“Indeed! Lord Liu Bei, having taken Ba-Shu and Hanzhong, now shakes the entire realm with his momentum!”
“With every passing day, Lord Liu Bei’s dominion over the land seems more and more within sight. Hahaha!”
Shen Tan and Shen Yi, who had been awkward and watchful, brightened at once once Fei Yi began pouring wine and speaking words so pleasant to the ear. The atmosphere soared as if it might take flight.
Even Liu Feng and Meng Da, who had been so at odds, at least managed not to lose their smiles while Fei Yi was present.
Come to think of it, this reminds me of the days I spent with Lady Sun in Jingzhou. I used to keep her company so she wouldn’t cause any trouble. I hope she’s doing well.
“Hahahaha!”
“There’s more here.”
“I’ve never tasted wine this fine in my life! And the food is excellent as well!”
Fei Yi, for his part, never failed to live up to expectations. I myself could not drink and rarely attended drinking parties; I could never manage what he was doing.
Though Fei Yi was a man who could never refuse a cup, he never forgot his duty. He drank, but never to the point of senselessness, and he remained at the banquet until the very end. He even showed the extraordinary care of looking after every single guest who had been laid out by the wine.
Yet his love of revelry came with a fatal flaw: he could not bring himself to suspect others, and he failed to keep at arm’s length those who ought to have been kept at arm’s length.
In the original history he rose as high as Grand General, and even then he was said to have loved gathering people for drinking feasts. But a man of such rank inevitably attracts the risk of assassination.
History records Fei Yi’s end thus: at a New Year’s banquet he once again invited people without suspicion and drank until he was thoroughly drunk. Among the guests was a man named Guo Xun who had surrendered from the north; watching for his chance, Guo Xun stabbed Fei Yi with a blade hidden in his horsewhip.
Fei Yi died, and Guo Xun was of course executed. Zhang Yi had warned him to beware of assassins, yet he met that end all the same—a deeply regrettable affair.
In short, his sociability was beyond question, but his ability to sense danger left much to be desired.
Which was why I had also brought Deng Zhi.
“Lord Deng Zhi. Have you discovered anything untoward?”
Deng Zhi and Fei Yi were still more colleagues working alongside me than subordinates under my command, so I addressed them with respect. It was different from Wang Ping, whom Liu Bei had fully assigned as one of my officers.
“There have been some careless points in the handling of supplies and administration, but as yet no signs of collusion with the enemy or any move toward betrayal.”
“I see. That’s a relief. You’ve worked hard.”
Deng Zhi was the exact opposite of Fei Yi in temperament. Inflexible and blunt, he mixed poorly with people and refused banquet invitations outright—yet he was meticulous and sharp-eyed, making him perfect for the role of danger detector.
While Fei Yi dealt with people and cemented harmony, Deng Zhi and I were touring the interior of Xiangyong to check for any reactionary elements. Fortunately, nothing untoward had turned up so far.
“Yes. From what I have investigated as well, there is nothing yet that raises suspicion. For the time being, I believe we may trust that their surrender is sincere.”
“Understood. Then I shall go and finish the remaining work.”
“Yes, please do.”
“Very well.”
And with that he vanished, saying only what needed to be said in his usual blunt fashion.
Even when he had gone as an envoy to Zhang Lu, he had made no small talk whatsoever, yet he had ruthlessly caught every sloppy piece of work and every underhanded trick. He was probably off now to put an end to whatever was currently grating on his nerves.
That same personality had once made me feel as if I had a thorn in my throat when we went to Hanzhong; now it was nothing but reassuring. Bringing him along with Fei Yi had been well worth it.
I was sitting in the office writing my log when someone came to see me.
“General Jin. I have come to report.”
“Ah, General Wang.”
Wang Ping entered and greeted me. He currently held the post of Deputy General; given that rank, he was still senior to Yu Eun, who was only a Xiaowei. Yu Eun had come under my command first, but Wang Ping had joined Liu Bei’s army earlier, so there was no friction over seniority.
Come to think of it, the first general’s rank I myself received was Deputy General as well.
“Were you writing a log, General?”
“Mm. It’s my job. I’m finished now. What is it?”
“Then I shall report. I have surveyed the interior and structure of Xiangyong and completed the placement of the troops and the distribution of equipment accordingly. Lieutenant Yu has examined the exterior of the city and the surrounding terrain. Tomorrow he will scout the advance routes toward Jingzhou and the places where we may cross the river.”
Thorough as ever. Dependable. Wang Ping was the type who, once he decided something needed doing, finished it with stubborn precision—exactly the thorough, model soldier his appearance suggested.
“Good work. It seems today’s tasks are done, so you may go and rest. Ah—and one important matter: starting tomorrow, gather as many boats as you can.”
“Boats, General? The kind one rides?”
“That’s right. Enough to transport at least two thousand men.”
Wang Ping tilted his head for a moment, then understood at once.
“Ah—needed for crossing into Jingzhou. Yes, General. I shall take charge of it.”
“And gather as much grain and matériel as you can manage. If you need money, use as much as you like. I brought plenty.”
With Liu Bei’s additional support I had received ample military funds; for the time being, money would not be a worry.
“Understood, General.”
“Good. By the way—do you still mean to practice reading today?”
“Yes. Whenever I have time, I must learn even one more character.”
“I’ve finished my work for the day as well. Shall we read together, then?”
“If you would, I would be most grateful. Please look after me. I shall study hard again today!”
It was a fairly well-known fact that Wang Ping was illiterate. That a man with the image of a scholarly general could not read had surprised even me when I first learned of it.
According to the records, the characters he could write or read numbered fewer than ten. Yet he had known how to have others write for him in a coherent fashion, and when others read historical works such as the Book of Han or the Records of the Grand Historian aloud, he had grasped their essence and greater meaning.
In other words, he was intelligent—he had simply, regrettably, missed the chance to learn letters in his youth.
While marching with me to Xiangyong, Wang Ping had taken to reading a little each night; he claimed it was because of me. Back when I had been Zhang Fei’s subordinate, the habit had stuck: every night I would read a little from military texts or write the unit log. Seeing that, Wang Ping had decided he, too, ought to learn to read.
The resolve was admirable, but how easy could it be for a man who knew no letters to start reading them? So whenever I had time, I taught him.
Thus, whenever we could spare a moment, we read together. After several days of not reading because of the reception of Xiangyong, Wang Ping was brimming with enthusiasm.
“General, I do not quite understand the meaning of this character.”
“Ah—that one has such-and-such a meaning, but here you should interpret it this way.”
“Indeed! Reading it like that, I understand.”
“Right. You’re a quick study.”
Teaching was never easy, yet Wang Ping was a student who made the effort worthwhile. He still had a long way to go before he could read fluently, but he was the sort who, taught one thing, understood two—his comprehension and reasoning were excellent. If only a talent like this had learned letters from the start.
Watching him grasp things one by one was tiring, but it left me deeply satisfied.
“That will be enough for today. There is more work tomorrow, so go and rest.”
“Yes. You must be tired, yet you still take the trouble—I am truly grateful, General. Still, I ought to reach the point where I can read as fluently as you and write logs as well, and soon.”
“You have fine talent, General Wang; it will come soon enough. And as for unit logs and the like, I can write those, so don’t be too impatient.”
Wang Ping took his leave and returned to his quarters.
The matter of rescuing Jingzhou still weighed on me, yet having such capable people at my side eased my mind a little. Internal discipline and administrative work fell to Fei Yi and Deng Zhi; the training, placement, and scouting of the troops to Wang Ping and Yu Eun.
Affairs in Xiangyong were progressing smoothly; all that remained was to choose the right moment and advance on Jingzhou.
The reception of Xiangyong, and the harmony with the new members as well, seemed to be falling into place without a hitch…
Just then, a child’s voice slipped through the crack of the door and into my ear.
“General, are you there? May I come in?”
I paused for a moment, then answered. Right—I had been so busy I had briefly forgotten about Liu Shan. Why was he coming to me at this hour of the night?
“…Ah, Young Master Liu Shan. Yes, please come in.”
The door creaked open, and Liu Bei’s son stepped inside.