Chapter 032: A Farce at the Courthouse

When Wang Bo, the Lord of Wisdom, saw Li Dong hurried back, his face was beaming with delight. He turned to those on either side and said cheerfully, “Set a seat for him!”

Li Dong offered his thanks and knelt to sit at one side. Naturally, he was placed closest to Wang Bo, which subtly gave the impression that, apart from the Lord of Wisdom himself, Li Dong held the greatest weight among those present. Even Du Fuwei and the others, though they commanded their own forces and wielded some power, merely stood respectfully at the edge of the hall.

Before Li Dong arrived, Meng Rang and Jia Xing had occupied the most prominent positions; now, with Li Dong present, they were relegated to a lower rank, which left them feeling somewhat aggrieved. Meng Rang was indifferent, but Jia Xing felt deeply resentful. Since joining the rebel army, Li Dong had rarely appeared here, had earned no merit, killed no enemy—by what right did he sit above me? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Was it simply because he had defeated the leader Wang in one battle during the siege? Is that so remarkable? If I do not humiliate him publicly, he won’t know who the real strategist here is.

Wang Bo surveyed the assembly and spoke: “The Qi Prefecture’s Zhang Xuduo is leading his troops to attack Zhangqiu. It is said he is a fierce and mighty general, a tiger of the Sui court. Who among you has a strategy to repel his forces? Speak and share your thoughts.”

Jia Xing hurried forward, bowing as he said, “Zhang Xuduo is hot-tempered but lacks cunning. According to our scouts, he has brought just over twenty thousand men to Zhangqiu—surely no match for our hundred thousand troops.”

These details were well known to nearly everyone present, thanks to the scouts. Wang Bo, however, was slightly displeased. “Speak of what is important,” he said.

Jia Xing grinned to himself; this was just the effect he wanted. Li Dong, having arrived late, would not know these things. By telling him now, he could lull Li Dong into complacency, instilling an attitude of contempt for the enemy—a sure path to defeat. If Li Dong lost a battle, his standing before Wang Bo would plummet. Then, when I trample him further, he will know who the true strategist is.

With this thought, Jia Xing glanced at Li Dong and said with a smile, “Though General Li is young, he is full of wisdom. Surely, breaking these mere twenty thousand troops will be a trifle for him. All of us look up to General Li as to a lofty mountain—we listen eagerly.”

Li Dong replied at once, “Here, among such illustrious generals, how would a mere youth like myself dare to speak? Master Jia, please do not continue to disgrace me.” In truth, the moment Jia Xing opened his mouth, Li Dong knew what he was up to. If you, Li Dong, could defeat a hundred thousand conscripted troops with only three thousand men, how could Zhang Xuduo’s mere twenty thousand trouble us, with our hundred thousand strong?

Li Dong’s modest refusal was deliberate, lest he reveal any flaw. If he were goaded into rushing into battle, he would be rash rather than wise. If the Lord of Wisdom saw through him, he might not leave the city unbound. More perilously, he carried a blood-sealed letter from Lu Li’er; if discovered, it would mean disaster.

For now, what he needed was for everyone to urge him to take the field, so that he could not but accept. Thus, his leading the troops out would be perfectly natural, raising no suspicion about his motives. Once outside the city, the Lord of Wisdom would no longer have the final say.

The more Li Dong demurred, the more Jia Xing thought him faint-hearted and eager to see him embarrassed. Looking at the Lord of Wisdom, Jia Xing thought, “Well, this is your chosen young hero—now he’s revealed as a coward.”

The Lord of Wisdom, too, hoped Li Dong would lead the army out. On one hand, it would preserve his own strength by letting Li Dong and Du Fuwei’s men die in battle; on the other, it would test their loyalty. Wang Bo had long thought Du Fuwei’s opening the city gates had motives that were less than pure, though he could not say exactly what was amiss. Now was the perfect opportunity to send Li Dong out with Du Fuwei and the Longcheng Ridge bandits—whatever happened to them would not affect the grand scheme of the uprising.

Li Dong’s humility only increased his anticipation—how could one who had shattered a hundred thousand troops hesitate before twenty thousand? As Jia Xing glanced his way, he nodded to encourage him to continue.

With support behind him, Jia Xing straightened up and said with a smile, “When you defeated the hundred thousand, did you remember you were but a boy? You’re being too modest. Since joining our forces, you’ve yet to win any real glory. Now, as we need talent, I hope you will not refuse again.”

Jia Xing’s words made Wang Bo’s brows twitch twice, and though he said nothing, his displeasure was clear. To speak thus of defeat before the assembled officers would embarrass anyone.

At this, Meng Rang, sensing Wang Bo’s intent to test, rose and said, “Indeed. This battle will reveal whether Da Lang is truly capable or simply lucky.”

The Lord of Wisdom’s expression changed slightly; Li Dong noticed this, understanding his displeasure with Jia Xing’s remarks. Inwardly, he cursed Jia Xing: “Now you’re in trouble, don’t blame me for being unkind.” Outwardly, he smiled and said, “If I truly defeated the Lord of Wisdom with only three thousand men, then where did the hundred thousand conscripted troops inside Zhangqiu come from?”

“Made of paper?” Seeing the assembly’s faces tense at his words, Li Dong added this remark.

Du Fuwei, Zhang Junke, and the others who had stood silently by the hall burst out laughing, while the rest dared not, merely glancing at Wang Bo and noting his heaving chest—clearly angered by Jia Xing and Li Dong’s exchange.

Only now did Jia Xing realize he had gone too far. To repeatedly mention the Lord of Wisdom’s defeat by Li Dong was to rub salt in Wang Bo’s wound—an act of folly.

Seeing the moment was ripe, Li Dong declared loudly, “Zhang Xuduo leads the regular Qi Prefecture troops, who are well-trained and well-equipped, unlike the hastily gathered conscripts of Zhangqiu. If Master Jia wrongly believes twenty thousand men are not worth mention, he is guilty of underestimating the enemy.”

“In the face of great danger, instead of considering how to repel the foe, you twist words and plot in the hall—do you think I am unaware? Jia Xing, it seems you are more false than true!”

Jia Xing fell back onto his seat in fright, unable to speak for a long while.

Wang Bo arched his brows and exclaimed, “Well said! Heroes think alike. The regular troops of Qi Prefecture cannot be compared to those of Zhangqiu. But does the General have any plan to force the enemy to retreat?”

Having put Jia Xing in his place, Li Dong felt completely at ease. Now that the Lord of Wisdom had spoken, the matter could proceed smoothly. He bowed and replied, “It is too soon to judge whether the enemy is weak or strong. Though I am unworthy of great responsibility, I am willing to lead a detachment outside the city to probe their strength and disposition. I beg the Lord of Wisdom to grant me this request.”

The Lord of Wisdom laughed heartily, “It seems I was not mistaken in you. You are the real talent here. Take Du Fuwei and the others with you—what do you think?”

Li Dong was quietly delighted; if he had been given other troops, matters would have been more complicated. This was just what he had hoped for—why not accept?

“Amitabha! General Li, what strategy will you use to force Zhang Xuduo’s army to retreat?” The person who spoke had been meditating the whole time and had not joined in the earlier banter. Now, as he spoke, everyone knew he still doubted Li Dong.

Li Dong looked toward the source of the voice; it was Master Lingtong from Daming Monastery. As Lu Rou had said, he had a crafty, shifty look—gaunt, his eyes half-closed, inscrutable and ambiguous, with an air of unfathomable depth.

For no reason, Li Dong felt a chill. He thought, “This man has been quietly observing—did he spot a flaw in what I said? With his formidable skills, few here could match him. What should I do?”

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