Chapter 1: The Stone That Caused Trouble

Zhangqiu County stood with imposing city walls, with an arrow tower and a watchtower every few yards. Beyond the city, canals crisscrossed the land. The southern mountains rose a thousand meters high, the central plains stretched out in fertile abundance, while the northern lowlands brimmed with water, and the Yellow River and Little Qing River were the largest waterways within the county.

The scouts responsible for keeping watch gripped their weapons inside the towers, so idle they hardly knew how to pass the time. Suddenly, fluttering banners were spotted on a distant hillside, followed by the appearance of a vast army, surging like a black tide across the hills, swiftly advancing toward the city.

The scout leader turned pale with fright. “This is bad! We have enemy forces approaching!”

Charcoal, prepared in advance, was stacked beside the outpost. In a hurry, they brought it over and set it alight. Once the fire was roaring, they broke off green branches and piled heaps of fresh grass atop the coals.

The moisture-laden leaves and branches were slow to catch, sending up a billowing, dense white smoke. The smoke twisted and curled above the ramparts like a monstrous serpent.

Troops stationed in nearby county towns, seeing the smoke rise, understood that Zhangqiu was under threat. Some spurred their horses to come to the rescue, while others hastily prepared their defenses, ensuring that the rebel army’s sudden assault would not catch them unawares.

This was the legendary “wolf smoke”—beacons of war.

Within half an hour, thick smoke was rising above all four gates of Zhangqiu, east, west, south, and north. Clearly, Zhi Shilang had marched swiftly and surrounded all four gates, determined to seize the city in one fell swoop.

As the smoke rolled through the air, a government trooper was already scrambling, half stumbling and half running, to the county office to report to the magistrate.

Seeing the soldier so flustered, Magistrate Lu Li’er’s expression darkened. “Why such panic? Compose yourself!”

The trooper knelt on one knee, trembling as he replied, “Your Excellency, Zhi Shilang is leading a vast army and has reached the gates of Zhangqiu. Please, your guidance.”

“Ah!” Lu Li’er staggered, steadying himself against the doorframe, forcing himself to remain calm. “How many soldiers do they bring?”

“They have the four city gates surrounded, Your Excellency. They are already preparing their meals. Judging by their numbers and the ferocity of their advance, there are close to a hundred thousand men and horses. They are certain to attack tonight.” The trooper’s voice grew stronger as he spoke, no longer as nervous as when he first entered.

Lu Li’er’s brow furrowed deeply. With a wave of his hand, he urged the trooper, “This is too sudden, we are wholly unprepared. Quickly summon the county captain and the assistant magistrate to the office for counsel. Do not delay!”

His voice trembled as he spoke the last words. The situation was dire. Most of the county’s troops had been conscripted by the emperor to fight in Liaodong, leaving Zhangqiu with little manpower and scarce provisions. If battle broke out now, the city’s fate was precarious.

The trooper answered and darted out, sprinting to notify the county’s other officials.

By then, the common folk had also heard the news and were in chaos. Some gathered their valuables, preparing to flee; others beat their chests and wailed in despair; still others, emboldened, slipped out of the city, eager to join Zhi Shilang’s forces.

Outside the high walls of the county office, five or six children, oblivious to the crisis, were still playing their game of tossing stones, competing to see whose stone would fly the farthest and highest.

A boy, a head taller than the rest and looking about fourteen or fifteen, appeared from nowhere and joined them. He picked up a stone and, without aim, hurled it hard—so hard that it sailed right over the office wall.

He said, “Are you trying to get yourselves killed? Go home quickly, the city’s about to fall!”

Suddenly, an angry shout rang out from inside: “Who threw that stone? Audacious brats, seize them at once! Ow!”

The children clung to the older boy’s arm, refusing to let him go. “You bad egg! You owe us a stone! Bad egg, pay up!”

In a flash, several fierce-looking government troopers burst out from inside, seized the children without a word, tucked them under their arms, and marched them back into the office—leaving the older boy behind.

“Let me go! Why are you grabbing me?” protested the older boy, though he showed no sign of fear, remaining calm and composed, unlike the others who cried and struggled.

“Save your words for His Excellency. We’re just following orders,” said the tallest trooper, holding the boy tighter as they entered the magistrate’s presence.

“Kneel!” barked the troopers, shoving the children to the floor.

The children, still at the age of mischief and innocence, had never seen such severity. They began to bawl, tears and snot streaking their faces.

Only the older boy stood unafraid, his posture proud, watching the troopers to see what they would do.

The troopers lined up at attention. In the center sat a middle-aged man, slightly portly, clutching his forehead, blood trickling between his fingers as he hissed in pain.

The older boy’s heart sank. Disaster! The stone had struck the magistrate himself. Now he was in real trouble. His eyes darted, searching for a way out.

A trooper gave him a sharp kick behind the knee, and unprepared, the boy fell to one knee. But he quickly straightened, dusted off his trousers, and said, “Why should I kneel without cause?”

Lu Li’er, hearing this, said to the troopers, “Enough, they’re just children.” He examined them with stern authority. “Who threw the stone into the office just now?”

The children, still sniffling, all turned to look at the older boy, too frightened to speak.

Seeing himself identified, the older boy replied calmly, “That’s right, I threw it. But with such a high wall, how could I have seen what was inside? It was just bad luck, a pure accident, nothing more. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!”

The troopers thought, what nonsense! You injure someone and then blame them for standing in the wrong spot? Without a word, one kicked his leg again. “Sorry, I wasn’t aiming for you—I was kicking the air. You just happened to be in the way.”

Lu Li’er grew even angrier. Blood streaming down my face, and he dares to argue? Can’t see inside the office? Since when does a magistrate become ‘something’ to be overlooked?

He slammed his bloodied hand on the desk, about to order the boy punished, when several people hurried in. The trooper who’d brought news returned, followed by the assistant magistrate and the county captain.

They glanced at the kneeling children in surprise, and then at Lu Li’er’s injured forehead. “Your Excellency, what happened here? How were you wounded? Did a stray arrow from the rebels strike you?”

Lu Li’er, embarrassed to admit he’d been struck by a child’s stone, replied, “The rebel lord of Zouping has gathered ten thousand troops and now besieges our city. Most of our men have been sent by imperial command to Liaodong, leaving only the old, the weak, and the infirm—hardly a force at all. What recourse do we have?”

It was the county captain’s duty to protect the people. He stepped forward and said, “Since the late emperor’s reign, we have seen no battles. Our weapons are ill-prepared. If fighting breaks out, casualties will be heavy and the city will be lost.”

Lu Li’er asked urgently, “Is there no strategy to repel Zhi Shilang?”

The captain replied, “There is one way, but with the city surrounded and enemy soldiers everywhere, it’s risky.”

Lu Li’er’s eyes lit up. “What is it? Speak!”

The captain glanced around, then said, “We need a brave trooper to ride a swift horse, break through the siege, and request reinforcements from the Qi Commandery. If the commandery forces attack the rebels from behind, and we sally forth from within, we could catch them off guard—an inside-outside pincer move.”

No sooner had he finished than the troopers beside him shrank back, dreading being chosen as the messenger. Ten thousand enemy soldiers—whoever went would be like a lamb among tigers, with no hope of return.

Note: The county captain in this context is akin to a police chief and chief judge, responsible for local security and registration, with subordinate officers. In the second volume of this book, Zhai Rang is mentioned as the legal officer of the Eastern Capital, equivalent to a deputy police chief and deputy judge.

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