Chapter 163: Spy Within a Spy, Scheme Within a Scheme

Generally speaking, once a man turns traitor, he becomes even more dead-set on destroying his former comrades than the enemy ever was.

Take Amin, for example. A fellow who, on the surface, looks like he's all muscle and no brain.

Before, under pressure from Hong Taiji, though he hated Hong Taiji and wished him dead, he kept playing the fool and acting crazy, like some later-era husky, doing nothing but brainless, clownish things, hoping to slip past Hong Taiji's notice and save his own skin.

But after making contact with the Great Ming's Embroidered Uniform Guard and secretly accepting the Great Ming's appointment as Guard Commander of Jianzhou, Amin now wished for nothing more than Hong Taiji's immediate death — he even wished the Great Ming would rise up at once and smash that dog Hong Taiji to death.

In Amin's view, the seventeen- or eighteen-year-old Chongzhen was clearly far more formidable than Hong Taiji. Last time Hong Taiji reached the very walls of Beijing, he still got smashed like a dog by Chongzhen — sooner or later he'd be forced to kneel.

Since Hong Taiji was no good, and Amin couldn't beat him himself, he might as well just throw in his lot with Chongzhen. When Hong Taiji knelt, Amin would only need to make a show of loyalty, and then here in Liaodong, he could still shut his gates and call himself king.

So, after Hong Taiji summoned Daishan, Amin, Dorgon, and the others to discuss the troop deployment, not even half a day had passed before the news reached the Embroidered Uniform Guard agents the Great Ming had planted in Shenyang.

As for troop dispositions, grain and fodder quantities, and the march route — basically everything there was to have — the Great Ming side ended up knowing the entire plan for attacking Dongjiang in even greater detail than the common Jianzhou barbarians did.

And yet, after receiving the Embroidered Uniform Guard's secret report, Mao Wenlong merely noted down the troop dispositions and grain information, then sneered and burned the secret report to ashes.

Shang Kexi, watching the cold sneer on Mao Wenlong's face, asked curiously, "Grandfather, what are you laughing at? With secret intelligence like this, wouldn't it be awfully convenient to give the Jianzhou barbarians another drubbing?"

Because Shang Kexi's father had also died a miserable death at the hands of the Jianzhou barbarians, and Shang Kexi was still young, Mao Wenlong had always been especially fond of him — no less than he was of his own children.

Hearing Shang Kexi's question, Mao Wenlong laughed. "You fool — your hair's gotten shorter, but has your sense gotten shorter too?"

Shang Kexi, unwilling to concede, said, "Grandfather, that's not fair. With this secret report, we'd know exactly which route the Jianzhou barbarians are taking.

If we set an ambush in advance — whether we dig some horse-trapping pits or bury some of those palm-thunder bombs Uncle Geng the Second used last time — wouldn't we be able to kill a good number of them?"

Since the only people in the room were Mao Wenlong, Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, and Zhang Xianzhong — and apart from them, only Mao Wenlong's personal bodyguards, no one else — Mao Wenlong saw no need to hold back.

He said bluntly, "Do you think that brat Hong Taiji is so easy to deal with? Everything else in this secret report can be trusted — only this march route cannot be trusted at all.

As long as the general direction doesn't deviate, what does it matter which specific road they take? It's nothing more than a few extra detours."

As he spoke, Mao Wenlong turned his gaze toward Zhang Xianzhong — the man he had appointed Assistant Regional Commander after Zhang brought him Šoto's head as a token of surrender when joining the army — and asked, "Jingxuan, what do you think?"

Zhang Xianzhong, on the strength of his great merit in capturing Šoto alive, had already had a memorial requesting honors and his appointment as Assistant Regional Commander submitted by Mao Wenlong, so he was extremely respectful toward Mao Wenlong.

Hearing Mao Wenlong's question, he cupped his hands at once and said, "In reply to the Grand General, if this humble officer were leading the troops, the march route would certainly be changed.

Whether or not there are enemy spies, one must never follow a single road all the way — if you walk right into an ambush that way, the harm would be immense."

Mao Wenlong stroked his beard, already streaked with gray, and laughed.

"Jingxuan understands military matters — far better than this fool Kexi.

That brat Hong Taiji has long suspected there's a traitor among their Jianzhou ranks. How could he possibly follow the plan in this secret report to the letter?"

Shang Kexi was greatly alarmed at these words. Unable to contain himself, he shot to his feet and asked, "If that's the case, shouldn't we notify that spy? So he doesn't get found out by that dog Hong Taiji?"

Mao Wenlong had noticed that the Embroidered Uniform Guard officer who delivered the message had been standing there smiling without a word the whole time, and he already had a sense of the situation. He barked, "Sit down!

A true man should remain unmoved when Mount Tai crumbles before him — look at yourself, what's there to panic about?"

Shang Kexi, seeing that Mao Wenlong seemed angered by him, promptly cupped his hands in apology. "Grandfather, calm your anger — your grandson was merely anxious at heart."

After Shang Kexi sat back down in dejection, Mao Wenlong stroked his beard again and spoke. "In the end, he's nothing but a Tartar. Even if that brat Hong Taiji sees through him, it's just a case of dog biting dog, both ending up with mouths full of fur. Why should we trouble ourselves over him?"

Only then did Shang Kexi realize the truth of it. They were all Jianzhou barbarians anyway — if they died, they died. If there was a first one, wouldn't there be a second? At worst, they could just find someone else to prop up.

As this thought was still in his mind, he heard Mao Wenlong say, "Zhongming, Jingxuan — come take a look. If the Jianzhou barbarians come to Dongjiang, which routes could they take?"

Geng Zhongming said in his usual brash manner, "In this humble officer's view, there are only two routes the Jianzhou barbarians can take. Either they go via Benxi, take the Caohe Fort road, pass Xin'an Fort, and come down through Kuandian.

Or they take the Lianshan Pass road, go through Tongyuan Fort, then come via Fengcheng and Jiuliancheng."

Mao Wenlong grunted in acknowledgment. Seeing that Zhang Xianzhong had not spoken, he asked, "Jingxuan?"

Only then did Zhang Xianzhong shift his gaze from the map on the table, cupping his hands. "In reply to the Grand General, in this humble officer's foolish opinion, it is unlikely the Jianzhou barbarians will take the Tongyuan Fort route."

Mao Wenlong, now intrigued, said, "Explain."

Zhang Xianzhong continued, "This humble officer passed through Tongyuan Fort on the previous occasion.

Apart from a victory mound, all the Grand General left there was an empty fort — not a single living thing remained inside, and the Jianzhou barbarians never bothered to restore it. If they take the Tongyuan Fort route, I fear their supply lines will not be easy."

Mao Wenlong nodded. "That's not much of an issue — a little fort like that, whether it's there or not, makes little difference either way. The real trouble is that right now we can't be sure which side they'll actually take."

After pondering a while longer, Mao Wenlong went on. "In the end, it's only a handful of possible routes. Zhongming?"

Geng Zhongming, hearing Mao Wenlong call his name, knew orders were about to be given. He stood and cupped his hands. "Your general is here!"

Mao Wenlong said, "Take a centurion's command and scout the area around Xin'an Fort. If there's any movement, report back at once. You are not permitted to engage the Jianzhou barbarians."

After Geng Zhongming acknowledged the order, Mao Wenlong continued. "Jingxuan, you will also take a centurion's command and scout the area around Dingliao Right Guard and Fengcheng. Same orders — no engaging the Jianzhou barbarians; report back immediately if there's any movement."

Just as Mao Wenlong and his men were discussing how to deal with the Jianzhou barbarians, the Jianzhou army in Shenyang had already begun its march, intent on smashing that disgusting pest Mao Wenlong to death — in Hong Taiji's eyes, Mao Wenlong, relying on a bit of petty cleverness, had tried to make a fool of him time and again, a crime deserving of ten thousand deaths!

However, much as Mao Wenlong and his men had concluded in their discussion, after crossing out of Shenyang territory, Hong Taiji — who had originally planned to go via Fengji Fort — suddenly issued an order, summoned Daishan, Amin, Dorgon, and the others, and after a round of discussion decided to change course eastward, taking the Qinghe Fort road and then turning south.

Hong Taiji watched the men depart to carry out his orders, the cold glint in his eyes impossible to suppress.

Got held up by a stupid client's dumb problem — only just managed to crank out this chapter now. The Tyrant feels like he's dying of misery.

(End of chapter)