Section 027: Divergence of Interests

Although both Li Dong and Du Fuwei were regarded as traitors by the people of Zhangqiu, their situations were vastly different—worlds apart, one might say.

Let us begin with Du Fuwei. He was originally a soldier of Zhangqiu, eager for merit and glory. Volunteering to seek reinforcements from Zhang Xutuo in Qi Commandery, he failed in his mission but, by a twist of fate, returned with a band of mountain bandits. Though Zhangqiu was saved from peril by Du Fuwei and these bandits, he was nevertheless betrayed and thrown into prison by the county constable’s machinations.

Du Fuwei had rendered a great service to Zhangqiu, but the city repaid his kindness with enmity. Had it not been for Li Dong’s intervention through Du Yu, rescuing him from misery, his fate—life or death—would have remained unknown.

In tumultuous times, men’s hearts change in an instant. To survive, and to strengthen his own following, Du Fuwei had no choice but to open Zhangqiu’s gates and invite Zhi Shilang into the city. In the struggle between new and old powers, this allowed him to fish in troubled waters. At the very least, it was better than being hunted as an outlaw and traitor, forced to wander homeless as when Zhangqiu was ruled by Lu Li’er and the county constable.

If he played his cards right, he could also eliminate Zhi Shilang and bring his conscripted troops under his own command. The day when he would command an army of a hundred thousand was within reach. He could then rally the masses, rule the forests, and with a single call, summon a multitude to his side. At last, he would know the pride and authority of a leader.

Du Fuwei was a man of ambition. He sought not to rule the entire world, but to dominate his own domain. With only the meager military strength of Zhangqiu, he did not dare dream of conquering the Central Plains; but he relished the idea of becoming the warlord of a region.

At the same time, in Li Dong he beheld a grandeur, a kingly bearing he could never hope to emulate: calm amid chaos, flexible and resourceful, unbound by convention, enduring humiliation for a greater purpose, and ever considerate of others—a man worthy of admiration.

Li Dong, though also reviled as a traitor by the people of Zhangqiu, had his own inexplicable burdens. From the very beginning, he had been ensnared in the schemes of both Lu Li’er and Zhi Shilang.

Toward Lu Li’er and his daughter Lu Rou, Li Dong truly wished to protect them. Anyone willing to wed his daughter to him—no matter the hatred Li Dong bore him—through Lu Rou, Li Dong could not truly hate Lu Li’er. Moreover, his own father, Li Hun, served under Lu Li’er. In the Sui and Tang era, family background was everything. To marry a woman of Lu Rou’s standing would, in the eyes of ordinary folk, add glory to one’s name.

As for Zhi Shilang Wang Bo, Li Dong shared Du Fuwei’s ambition—he too coveted command of that hundred-thousand-strong army. Yet, as a man who had traveled across time, Li Dong knew well the tangled rise and fall of powers at the end of Sui, and possessed a far keener, longer view than Du Fuwei.

If he could seize Zhi Shilang’s army for himself, there were two paths before him. One was to lead the troops into the mountains and become a bandit—the most promising occupation of the time. But if he did so, he would face the formidable Zhang Xutuo, a famed general of Sui, both brave and loyal, whose gratitude toward the Sui was as deep as Du Yu’s. A battle to the death would be inevitable.

At this moment, peasant uprisings were only beginning to stir, and the Sui Dynasty remained strong. Emperor Yang of Sui had mustered two million men to campaign against Goguryeo. If only a tenth of these were dispatched, Zhi Shilang’s hastily gathered rebel army would stand no chance against the empire’s seasoned troops.

Retreating to the mountains as bandits would be a perilous affair, akin to painting a target on one’s back for all the Sui’s forces to attack. This would mean endless fighting, unceasing war, and a single defeat could spell utter doom.

The other path was to preserve the Sui.

Yes, to support the Sui’s rule, at least on the surface—thus justifying the preservation of his own strength, offending neither the mighty Sui nor stifling his own ambitions. To protect the Sui in practice meant protecting Lu Li’er and his people in Zhangqiu.

Thus, how Du Fuwei handled Lu Li’er and company was of utmost importance for future survival and development. He could not act rashly, nor kill them in a fit of anger.

Prompted by Li Dong’s question, Du Fuwei was eager to hear his opinion, which he greatly respected—indeed, could not help but respect.

After some thought, Li Dong said, “Of the three, we must kill one. Without a death, Zhi Shilang will not trust us. But we must not kill them all in a fit of rage. We must leave ourselves an escape route. If Zhang Xutuo learns Zhangqiu is under threat and comes to our aid, what then? Shall we flee in defeat alongside that hopeless Zhi Shilang?”

Du Fuwei pondered a moment, unable to grasp the deeper meaning behind Li Dong’s words. Shaking his head, he replied, “After all this, you would have us hand Zhangqiu back to Lu Li’er? I cannot do it.”

From the moment he opened the city gates, Du Fuwei was determined to seize power for himself. The future was a problem for another day, so he could not understand Li Dong’s strategy of biding time and concealing strength.

Li Dong did not explain further. “It’s still early,” he said, with double meaning. “Let’s visit them in the prison, so we can make careful plans for the future. Otherwise, when the public trial comes, if something unforeseen happens, it will be too late for regrets.”

Du Fuwei nodded. “Very well. It’s humiliating to see them, but since you suggest it, I’ll accompany you—at risk of my own life if need be.”

Li Dong smiled. “It isn’t so serious as all that.”

The two of them each mounted a fine horse and rode toward the prison in the northeast corner of the city.

The jail where Lu Li’er and the others were held had been completely taken over by Zhi Shilang’s men. They all recognized Du Fuwei, for Zhi Shilang had ordered him to preside over the trial of Lu Li’er and his companions. At this moment, Du Fuwei was a man of burning importance—everyone knew it.

All treated Du Fuwei with the utmost respect, fearing that a single misstep would earn his displeasure in front of Zhi Shilang, making the days ahead unbearable. No one would be foolish enough to offend a man of power for the sake of a stranger—doing so would only harm oneself.

The jailers fawned upon Du Fuwei, but Du Fuwei in turn treated Li Dong with the courtesy of a subordinate, making a gesture of invitation, and only following after Li Dong had gone ahead.

When Li Dong walked, Du Fuwei walked; when Li Dong stopped, Du Fuwei stopped. He followed closely, step by step. This respect and humility astonished the jailers, who all wondered: Who is this young man, to command such deference? Do his family even know how influential he is?

If this chapter receives enough support, I’ll post a third update tonight to give everyone a good read!