Chapter 5: Forging Military Orders

It must be said that Han Dang was also a man of extraordinary valor. Hearing the other party press him so in return, he said no more. The two merely discussed the specific details of the night raid once more, settled on a plan, and then split up to act, each going to rally their own connections.

And just as Gongsun Xun had said earlier, nearly everyone in every critical post throughout Lulong Fortress knew he was Chief Clerk Gongsun Zhao’s nephew and the person the Chief Clerk trusted most. Moreover, those belonging to the Liaoxi Commandery contingent knew even more—that he was a ranked officer within the commandery and the only son of Lady Gongsun. Thus, from the barracks to the armory and even the allocation of horses, he met with passage at every turn. And Han Dang, though not long in the army, had also greatly won the soldiers’ hearts.

And so, the matter proceeded with astonishing smoothness.

“This is how it stands.” In a spacious barracks below Lulong Tower, Gongsun Xun finished recording the roster of soldiers sortieing and set down the bamboo slips and brush. “My uncle has made his resolve. Tonight, Han Dang and I shall serve as the vanguard, leading you brave men to raid the camp. First, cloth, coin, and grain shall be bestowed upon your families according to this roster. If the deed succeeds, there will be further rich rewards. If it fails, we will not abandon you all to your fate. In short, the roster is here—reward for advance, punishment for retreat. Even if we fall in battle, my Anli Trading House and the Liaoxi Gongsun clan will support your wives and children in the government’s stead… Do any of you have anything to say?”

“We obey the order!” Han Dang took the lead, accepting the ‘military order’ in his capacity as the designated commander.

“We obey the order!” The crowd naturally roared their assent.

“Shh…” Gongsun Xun suddenly made a very strange gesture, but everyone understood it meant to keep silent. “This is a secret raid—no clamor. It is enough that you understand. If your personal gear is lacking, there are weapons, armor, bows, and crossbows in the room; take what you need. The horses you brought vary in coat color, so I have already had men allocate black and yellow warhorses suited for a night raid. They are now stabled in the corridor below, properly tended by the laborers… If there is nothing else, rest here in this room and quietly await my command.”

After waiting in silence for a long moment and seeing that no one spoke, Gongsun Xun rose, holding the bamboo slips: “Since no one has anything to say, then Brother Yigong, keep watch here. I will go see my uncle to submit the roster and return later… A-Yue, come with me. I have matters to instruct you on.”

A-Yue was, of course, Gongsun Yue.

Gongsun Yue immediately rose upon hearing this and followed his elder brother out, leaving Han Dang to settle the thirty-odd soldiers and retainers.

Outside, the cold wind had grown fiercer, and the moon was completely absent—truly a fine season for killing and arson. Gongsun Xun walked ahead, Gongsun Yue behind. Only after they had passed the soldiers’ barracks did they lower their voices and begin to speak.

“A-Yue, do you still remember what I told you to do?” Gongsun Xun spoke first.

“I know,” Gongsun Yue answered, head lowered. “First, steady our uncle—tell him not to panic. Tell him that the Son of Heaven has just come of age and still wishes to achieve something in border affairs. If we can take over a hundred heads, he, as the commanding officer of this fortress, will surely be promoted to a prominent thousand-bushel rank.”

“And if he still dares not?” Gongsun Xun pressed coldly.

“Then speak bluntly. Tell him that everyone in the commandery and the clan knows his rank and position were bought with our aunt’s financial support. To receive a mother’s kindness yet abandon her son—he would fear the contempt of all under heaven.”

“That is correct.” Gongsun Xun exhaled a long breath into the cold wind. “This uncle of ours was never raised from childhood to be a useful man. His own elder brother died in the plague, and the clan had no choice but to bestow the grace-appointment quota upon him. He craves fame and profit, but more critically, he appears sturdy yet is inwardly a coward—his courage is far too small. Just frighten him a little, and you will be able to issue orders directly through his mouth. Do you still remember the rest of my arrangements?”

“If fire rises in the enemy camp, first order the cavalry out to follow and sweep the field. Then, under the pretext of reinforcement and defense, transfer the garrison troops from the left and right Cloud Towers and Plum Tower to guard the fortress, and release two companies of elite infantry out of the fortress to provide support…”

“That last part is the most critical.” Gongsun Xun nodded. “I have faced off against the Xianbei many times accompanying the commandery troops, so I know some of their habits. Right now, the Xianbei camp holds not only soldiers and horses but also captured Han people. If the infantry does not quickly link up, and some Xianbei noble who knows warfare organizes a counterattack with light cavalry and stiff bows, I fear things will truly go awry!”

“Understood.” Gongsun Yue lowered his head in acknowledgment. “But, elder brother?”

“What is it?”

“It is one thing that you trust this Han Dang—he indeed has real ability. And manipulating our uncle is not impossible; the man is truly cowardly. But a night raid to kill the enemy—warfare is perilous and deadly. You are a man of great prospects; why must you personally venture into danger? Let me go in your stead. Elder brother, you handle our uncle yourself and command the troops inside the fortress. Would that not be the best of both worlds?”

“A-Yue, I appreciate your kind intentions,” Gongsun Xun said, unable to suppress a silent sigh in his heart upon hearing this. “It is just that…”

It must be said, Han Dang was the first ‘hero of the Three Kingdoms’ Gongsun Xun had internally marked for recruitment. Yet this statement was somewhat problematic, because according to his mother’s words, this very cousin before him—still within the five degrees of mourning kinship—was probably the first ‘famous general’ he had ever recruited. It was just that the two had grown up together since childhood, the fraternal hierarchy was firmly established, and Gongsun Yue’s family had been poor, often relying on deliberate financial support from Gongsun Xun’s mother. Over time, some things had come to seem so natural that no one had ever given them much thought.

“It is just what?” Gongsun Yue could not help but press.

“It is just that I have lately become utterly convinced that this world is about to change,” Gongsun Xun answered with a touch of emotion once he had collected himself. “From now on, every man will have to fight for his life. Today, I am merely a minor officer in a commandery, and out there are merely two thousand mixed barbarians. If, under such circumstances, I still cannot stake my life in a desperate gamble, how in the future could I ever trade up to a high position, sit securely within city walls, and watch others stake their lives for me?”

Gongsun Yue lowered his head and thought for a moment. “Elder brother, were you provoked by the matter of our cousin Bogui? I know that after he suddenly became the commandery governor’s favored son-in-law, though you appeared delighted on the surface, inwardly you were deeply resentful… Still, elder brother, there is no need to be impatient. This time you have sought a letter of recommendation to study the classics in Luoyang. In the future, you will surely be able to overtake him from behind.”

Gongsun Xun did not correct the other’s misunderstanding. He merely sighed faintly. “A-Yue, say no more. I appreciate your sentiment, but my resolve is set. As for you—keep this roster safe. Since I have promised to provide for these men’s wives and children, I must see it done. After the new year, I leave for Luoyang. If matters become urgent and I have no time to give instructions, this task will still fall to you to explain to my mother.”

“Aye.” Gongsun Yue had no choice but to nod.

“Keep this safe. You go change into your armor as well, and bring me my bow, lance, and armor. I will wait for you atop Lulong Tower.”

“Yes.” Gongsun Yue bowed his head once more.

And so, the two brothers parted ways for the time being at the end of the barracks. As for how Gongsun Yue carried out his tasks, that is another matter. Gongsun Xun, meanwhile, made his way straight up Lulong Tower and began observing the Xianbei camp outside.

The cold wind atop Lulong Tower was even more biting. The few Liaoxi soldiers on night watch were all huddled inside the tower rooms. After several invitations for the young master to come inside were politely declined, they could only shrink back in as well.

However, as Gongsun Xun faced the cold wind and gazed down from the tower, the great Xianbei camp not far away presented an entirely different scene. Perhaps it was because the plundered wealth and goods were too abundant, or perhaps because over a decade of continuous Han military suppression had given the Xianbei a tremendous sense of superiority—these Xianbei dogs were so wildly arrogant that they reveled all through the night. Even at this hour, the camp was still brilliantly lit, and one could hear arrogant laughter and the wails of captured Han people carried on the wind.

To be honest, this scene stirred an inexplicable emotion within Gongsun Xun, who had often done business with many Xianbei alongside his mother in ordinary times.

One must understand, his forging of military orders this time, his planning of the night raid for Han Dang—though it appeared broad-minded and heroic, beneath the surface lay a heart of utter darkness and selfish calculation.

Think about it. If the night raid failed and they fled back in disarray, Han Dang would be utterly unable to remain in Lulong Fortress. Would he have any path left but to follow Gongsun Xun far away to Luoyang?

And if it succeeded, and Han Dang earned merit, that was also fine. For having earned merit, he would then have prospects here, which was equivalent to being tethered to this place. Gongsun Xun could simply wait two or three years, until he returned from Luoyang, and then slowly recruit and win him over under an entirely different status.

In any case, once this deed was done, this Han Yigong could never again inexplicably run off south to seek out some Sun Tiger. When the time came, as long as Gongsun Xun was willing to put in the effort, this man would sooner or later be a piece in his pocket. After that, whether recommending him to someone else or keeping him by his side as a bodyguard, it would all be quite satisfying.

And as for the other reason… though Gongsun Xun was loath to admit it, even setting aside the existence of this Han Dang, Han Yigong, these Xianbei before his eyes were also blocking his, Gongsun Xun’s, path to promotion!

Had he not been the one cursing and grumbling all these days?

But then again, at this very moment, casting aside all these calculations and utilitarian motives, Gongsun Xun clearly felt a primal impulse belonging to a son of the Han borderlands stirring eagerly within his heart. He now found himself impatient to gallop out beyond the fortress, bend his bow and level his lance, trample this encampment flat, and grind these barbarian dogs to pulp!

Of course, the time to strike had not yet come. As the art of war states, a commander must not fight on impulse.

“Elder brother, your armor, bow, and lance have all been brought.” Just at that moment, Gongsun Yue arrived as instructed, right on schedule.

“Help me don my armor.”

“Right here?”

“Right here.” Gongsun Xun answered coldly. “I must keep watching the enemy camp’s condition and seek the moment of opportunity.”

“Yes.”

Thus, Gongsun Xun finished donning his armor. He did not return to the barracks, but instead faced the cold wind, leaned on his tempered-steel long lance, and sat cross-legged atop Lulong Tower. Then, without a word, he narrowed his eyes and stared silently at the Xianbei encampment, lost in thought.

Slowly, after who knows how long, the lights in the distant enemy camp finally began to dim. The sounds of human voices in the wind also began to fade. Looking down from the tower’s vantage point, one could even see numerous figures scattering around the central great tent where a fire pit still blazed—this band of Xianbei, having caroused half the night, were finally heading back to rest in exhaustion.

“The time has come!” At that very moment, Gongsun Xun on the tower suddenly opened his eyes, then braced himself on his long lance and slowly rose to his feet. “A-Yue, go tell those commandery soldiers to open the gates!”

Gongsun Yue, standing in attendance at his side, immediately bowed his head to receive the order.

A poem says: Amidst the seats he rose, lance in hand; to slay the barbarians, he set life aside.

(End of Chapter)