Rescue
I had been continuing to handle various matters in Jiangling alongside Xu Shu.
First came the work of sending some of the prisoners toward Xiangfan. Releasing them would only increase the number of mouths Cao Ren had to feed, which would leave him in quite a predicament.
We decided, however, not to free Yu Jin just yet. Holding him captive could prove useful later when negotiating a truce—or, failing that, we might even persuade him to join our side.
Beyond that there was the matter of sending supplies to Guan Yu, training the troops and further strengthening the defenses, gathering ships against future need, dispatching messengers to Liu Bei, and so on. There was no shortage of work.
If one piece of good news emerged amid the busyness, it was that Pang Tong had joined forces with Guan Yu.
Cao Hong had been driven back, and Guan Yu now had Pang Tong, Ma Chao, Pang De, Ma Dai, and others at his side. For the moment, at least, we could set our minds at ease regarding the northern front.
“I hear you’ve been entrusted with the education of His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Yes. Though I’ve been too busy lately to see him much.”
Liu Shan was being kept under protection in the deepest part of Jiangling Castle. The intent was to spare him the worst sights as much as possible, though I was also considering sending him back toward Yizhou.
We had caught our breath, yet the problem that remained was still Sun Quan.
As I worked through one task after another, I kept repeating the same silent plea. Please, just don’t come.
But was this as far as fortune would favor us? Before long the news I least wanted to hear arrived and shattered that hope to pieces.
“Master Xu Shu! Disaster! They say Lu Xun of Wu is leading a great army toward Gong’an!”
“!”
Xu Shu and I both widened our eyes. What we had dreaded had come.
We had expected it, yet that did not mean we could simply cast the anxiety aside. Sun Quan would be throwing everything into this war; it was only natural.
“At present Governor Zhao Lei and General Shi Ren are holding Gong’an, but whether they can truly hold it…”
Those two would struggle against Lu Xun. Especially if Shi Ren turned coat, the damage would be catastrophic. There was no choice…
“I must go to Gong’an.”
I sighed. I had barely settled in Jiangling, and already I had to head south again. Looking at it this way, I realized just how few capable people had remained in Jingzhou. Even after sending Xu Shu, Ma Su, Gou Fu, and the rest, it had come to this…
“Yes. It will be hard on you, but please. I will send another messenger to His Majesty the King of Hanzhong to request reinforcements. And I will consult with Lord Ma Liang as well to devise countermeasures.”
“Yes—leave the rear to you. I’ll be off, then.”
This time I decided not to take Liu Shan with me. Gong’an was all too likely to become a fierce battlefield, so I left him inside the sturdy walls of Jiangling. His bodyguard Guo Yi would remain with him, of course.
I set out in haste for Gong’an with Wang Ping, Yu Eun, and two thousand of my direct troops, praying that all would be well.
Yet even the road to Gong’an proved anything but smooth. Reaching it required crossing the river south of Jiangling, and because Guan Yu had taken most of the nearby ships in preparation for the floods, gathering vessels again cost us precious time.
“Gather the ships at once. And against any emergency, have every man carry as much grain as he can manage.”
With the advance already faltering, the slow supply train would have no choice but to trail far behind. So I ordered the soldiers to hang pouches of provisions at their belts.
The gathering of ships dragged on so long that, in our urgency, we were forced to cross with only half our strength.
We somehow made it across and reached the vicinity of Gong’an—only to find that time had not waited for us.
The castle we finally reached was a cauldron of chaos. Black smoke rose here and there as if fires had been set, and worse still were the two armies locked in a tangled melee outside the walls.
Has Gong’an already fallen?
I could not help thinking so. Almost no allied soldiers were visible on the battlements, and those outside were surrounded front and rear, fighting for their lives.
From the look of it the castle had already been taken, and our forces were being pincered while trying to break free.
There was only one decision I could make.
“First break the encirclement and rescue our own! Wedge formation!”
“Yes, General!”
If Gong’an had already fallen, we lacked the strength to retake it here. The best we could do was extract as many allies as possible and send them back to Jiangling.
Our unit was long practiced at punching through enemy lines. Formed up, we drove straight into the enemy’s rear and tore a path open.
I led the way, spear whirling as I advanced; the soldiers answered with fierce battle cries and charged after me.
Having shattered one arm of the encirclement, I spotted a familiar face.
“Governor Zhao!”
Zhao Lei’s expression turned grim the moment he saw me.
“General Jin. I am ashamed. We tried to hold on somehow, yet Gong’an was taken from us…”
His cheeks were hollow, dark circles heavy beneath his eyes. Beside him Shi Ren wore a face on the verge of tears. From that look, at least, it seemed he had not intended to betray us—likely because Mi Fang’s earlier treachery had already been nullified.
“Yes. There’s no time, so listen carefully. Take the path I just opened and head straight for the river. Our ships are waiting there; you can ride them all the way to Jiangling.”
“And you, General Jin?”
“I’ll stay behind to cover the rear, then follow.”
“General!”
“We have no time for this. Preserve as many troops as you can and leave this place. Hold Jiangling no matter what! If Jiangling falls as well, even our forces at Xiangyang will be in danger!”
He opened his mouth to protest further, then shut it firmly and nodded.
“…Yes. I will preserve the troops and escape without fail…”
Shi Ren’s chin trembled as he too acknowledged the order.
“And Wang Ping!”
“Yes, General!”
“You take our unit and get out of here as well. Guide the friendly forces as you go. Bring even the stragglers still behind us and make certain you reach Jiangling—”
“General, no. Let me stay with you—”
“There’s no time. Someone who knows where the ships are must go with them. This is an order! If I’m not there, you command our unit. And hold Jiangling at all costs!”
Wang Ping clearly wanted to remain, yet he grasped the weight of the duty laid upon him.
“…Yes. I will protect the General’s troops and return them to you. I believe you will come back.”
“Good… And Yu Eun!”
I turned to him. He was smiling.
“General. If you tell me to leave as well, I may just get angry.”
“Yu Eun…”
I was grateful for the man who had always stood firm beside me through every hardship.
And so Yu Eun and I remained in the rear with a handful of troops to shield our allies.
Zhao Lei and Shi Ren’s forces pushed up the path I had opened; Wang Ping led the greater part of my own unit with them.
I watched their retreating backs once, then turned to face the enemy surging forward like a tidal wave.
“I am Jin Cheong! Any who have the courage, step forward!”
Yu Eun and the few remaining soldiers raised their own battle cries and followed. Our numbers were small, yet charging with the resolve to die made our momentum razor-sharp.
Though I had taken the rear guard, I of course had no intention of dying here. I only needed to buy time.
I disrupted the enemies trying to pursue the retreating allies, then slipped back the moment they swarmed. Again and again.
“So you’re the one called Jin Cheong? Stop running and face me!”
A mounted general bellowed and charged as I tried to fall back.
Clang! Clang!
After turning his spear aside twice, I spurred my horse and pretended to flee.
“Running again! You’re pathetic for a so-called fierce general! I’ll take your head and claim the foremost merit!”
He pursued, hungry for glory—exactly as I had intended. The instant he closed in and thrust, I checked my horse and twisted aside.
His spear whistled over my head. While he reeled in surprise, the blade of my own spear swept across his throat.
Dragging the Blade, Back Slash—Taodao Beikan.
“Gah!”
Mortally struck, he screamed and toppled from the saddle. The Wu soldiers around him flinched.
“What is the situation? The encirclement has been broken.”
Sensing the ominous shift, Lu Xun questioned his subordinate.
“A general named Jin Cheong appeared, broke through the lines, and allowed the enemy to escape.”
“This…”
Until they had taken Gong’an and closed on the fleeing enemy from front and rear, everything had gone well. He had expected to annihilate them or take them prisoner.
But after the report that a unit had suddenly entered the field from the north, he had begun to suspect his calculations were slightly off.
“A considerable portion of the Gong’an garrison has broken free, and General Li Yi, who was pursuing that person, has been killed.”
At that, Lu Xun swallowed dryly. To appear out of nowhere, rescue the allies, and even slay Li Yi in the process?
Jin Cheong… Jin Cheong.
He had heard the name from Zhou Yu and Lu Su—that there was a female general of uncommon talent.
“Where is that person now?”
“They say she is still on the field, darting this way and that.”
“Still inside the encirclement! Seize her! We must take at least that one!”
“General! More enemies are coming from that direction!”
Zheng Sui, who had stayed in the rear with me, shouted.
Still at the fringe of the encirclement, scattering the enemy, I had no chance to catch my breath before another wave bore down on us.
Come to think of it, covering the rear or snatching allies from the jaws of defeat was a role Zhao Yun often played in the Romance—yet here it seemed I was the one filling it.
I cut the thought short and spoke to the men remaining with me.
“We go once more. Ready?”
“Yes—of course! Only give the order!”
We were a mere handful against the enemy, yet every man left here was braver and more loyal than any other.
I gauged the size, direction, and speed of the approaching force and decided where to strike first.
“Hit the left first! All of you, follow me!”
“Yes!”
I tightened my grip on the spear.
And charged straight into the enemy lines.