Chapter 9: Section Eight

The merchant stared dumbfounded at Huang Shi, the words striking him like a heavy hammer and stunning him senseless. Before he could recover, both men heard the violent crash of a door being battered down, and from the main street rose the united roar of a hundred voices: "By imperial decree we search for Great Ming spies! By imperial decree we search for Great Ming spies…"

The shouts of soldiers and the wails of women soon rose from beneath their feet. Watching the merchant's face turn ashen, then seeing him slump limply into a chair, Huang Shi shook his head helplessly. "I could not preserve the incense of your lineage. I am sorry, truly sorry."

Those words struck the man opposite like a bolt of lightning, instantly jolting him from his petrified state. The merchant lunged to the wall and snatched a small paper-cutting knife from the table.

Huang Shi watched coldly as the blade tip pointed at him from across the room, saw it tremble more and more violently. He leaned sideways against the window, arms folded across his chest, his gaze holding both contempt and pity. "Save your strength. You misunderstand me. I truly only wanted to say I am sorry."

The Later Jin soldiers kicked open the study door and surged in. The merchant laughed bitterly, reversed his grip on the small knife, and with one stroke cut off his own queue. He flung it contemptuously at Huang Shi's feet. "Traitor, take it."

As he finished speaking, the merchant's right arm dropped. The blade slipped powerlessly from his hand to the floor. Head high, he strode toward the doorway. Passing before Huang Shi, the merchant's mouth twitched, and he violently spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the face of the man by the window. "Pei! Traitor, may you die a wretched death."

Mentally prepared long before, Huang Shi did not even blink. He kept his arms folded across his chest. The saliva ran from the corner of his eye down to the corner of his mouth; he merely tilted his head slightly, guiding it to flow off his cheek. "I am a traitor to the Great Ming, and I have also received from you the grace of two meals and a maidservant. I do deserve this spit from you. You may spit a few more times if you wish."

The merchant, who had still been puffing his cheeks, was utterly dumbstruck upon hearing these words, his mouth falling wide open. Only after a long while did he shake his head, sigh helplessly, and walk past Huang Shi. He was immediately seized by several wolf-like Later Jin soldiers, his arms wrenched behind his back, and dragged out. No matter how painful the posture, he never uttered a single sound.

From this window one could see straight to the main gate. The entire household, young and old, had been strung into two lines by the Later Jin soldiers with ropes. An infant was torn from its mother's arms. Just as Huang Shi was watching a soldier impale the swaddled bundle onto a spear tip, a low voice full of respect sounded beside him:

"My lord, please move to safety!"

Huang Shi reached up and touched his face. The spit had already dried — so this was what it felt like to let spittle dry on one's face. His chest nearly heaved violently; he struggled to suppress his surging emotions. "I will grow more and more accustomed to it from now on," he consoled himself. This merchant had also gotten the benevolence he sought.

As he walked out the main gate, Huang Shi silently recited toward the direction where the prison cart had gone:

"I am sorry. I too want to live."

Once again seated in Li Yongfang's study, Huang Shi calmly accepted the fragrant tea handed to him by the maidservant, casually groping her chest as he did so.

"This is the travel permit issued to you by the Khan. With this you may freely travel throughout the entire territory of the Great Jin. When you leave, remove your queue."

"Yes, my thanks to the Imperial Son-in-Law."

"What will you say when you return?"

"This humble one will report to my master that, in order to win the Khan's trust, we had no choice but to sacrifice these agents to solidify the Great Jin's confidence. Now we have successfully obtained the travel permit as a credential. This was a highly successful stratagem of sowing discord, and future intelligence-gathering missions into the Great Jin will be far easier."

"Very good."

"My thanks for the Imperial Son-in-Law's praise."

"This is a letter for your master. Keep it safe."

Huang Shi walked over, received the letter with both hands, and carefully tucked it into his bosom.

"What do you think of that traitorous merchant's courtyard residence?"

Li Yongfang had already said he would bestow the traitor's property upon him, so Huang Shi casually replied, "Many thanks to the Imperial Son-in-Law."

But Li Yongfang's expression was exceedingly strange, faintly hinting at displeasure. Huang Shi was stunned for a moment before sudden realization dawned. "Many thanks to the Khan, many thanks to the Imperial Son-in-Law."

These words brought a smile to Li Yongfang's face. "Go back and tell your master: the Khan bestowed that courtyard upon you entirely for his sake. Since you are his personal guard, you must live in a manner befitting your status."

"Yes, this humble one obeys."

"The two singing girls who kept you company these past few days have already moved into that courtyard. They will wait for you there."

"My thanks to the Imperial Son-in-Law. This humble one will go through fire and water for the Great Jin."

After returning to Guangning, Huang Shi presented Li Yongfang's letter. Sun Degong was overjoyed that he had returned alive, believing the great merit of persuading Li Yongfang to defect was now in his grasp. However, he frowned as he studied the letter for a long while, reading it with utter bafflement, then waved his hand and dismissed Fei Liguo and the other personal guards. "Huang Shi."

"Your subordinate is here."

"The letter says nothing at all. It merely instructs me to ask you a few questions. First: how was the Imperial Son-in-Law's mansion that you saw?"

"Reporting to my lord, it was of indescribable beauty, truly a paradise on earth."

"Second: how was the appearance of the two singing girls given to you?"

Huang Shi twisted his mouth. "Peerless beauties of the mortal world. Your subordinate thought they were celestial maidens."

"Third: how was the residence given to you?"

Meeting Sun Degong's gaze, Huang Shi raised his head and answered, "Approximately four times the size of my lord's mansion."

"Fourth: how were the rewards? And the final fifth question: why were these things given to you? Answer them together."

"Gold, silver, jewels, and treasures beyond counting. General Li said these were bestowed upon your subordinate entirely because your subordinate is my lord's personal guard."

Upon hearing this, Sun Degong's face changed color and he roared in anger, "Huang Shi, you scoundrel, you dare act as a mouthpiece for the Jianzhou slaves? Do you not value your life?"

"Your subordinate would not dare. My lord asked a question, and your subordinate answered truthfully."

Staring into Huang Shi's pure and flawless eyes, Sun Degong spoke slowly and with a straight face, "His Excellency Wang instructed me to use our past friendship to persuade Li Yongfang to defect. The terms offered in the letter were to grant Li Yongfang the post of Assistant Regional Commander."

With the help of swallowing his saliva, Huang Shi barely managed to suppress the laughter that nearly burst out.

Perhaps sensing the mirth seeping from Huang Shi, Sun Degong's own eyes took on a mocking hue. "Huang Shi, you should understand: everything you have obtained comes from me."

"The grace of my lord's promotion and favor — your subordinate will never dare forget it for the rest of his life."

"What the Khan bestowed upon you is truly a great fortune."

"My lord sees clearly."

"Then there is no need for me to say more about such a large sum, is there?"

"With the blue heavens above and the thick earth below, if your subordinate leaks a single word without authorization, may his line be cut off and his descendants perish, may thunder strike him down from the sky." As Huang Shi swore this venomous oath, he inwardly cursed every one of Sun Degong's ancestors.

Before him lay the Guangning army uniform newly issued by Sun Degong. The clothes, freshly starched, were stiff and straight. Once donned, they fit tightly and closely to the body. He pulled on the high-waisted buffalo-hide military boots, which Huang Shi had specially coated with tung oil until they reflected a man's image. Walking to the desk, Huang Shi shook out the clinking chain-mail vest and pulled it over his head and neck. The custom-tailored metal vest was exactly the right width, its bottom edge just reaching his buttocks. Hundreds of fine steel scales glittered like a sky full of stars.

Next he fastened the rawhide belt around his waist. As his fingers slid over the edges of the dark soy-colored leather, he could still feel some rough edges that had not been fully polished smooth. He used both hands to cinch it tightly around his waist, attached the gleaming yellow scabbard, and slid in the glittering long blade. Huang Shi used a cloth dipped in water to carefully wipe the heart-protecting mirror and the shoulder armor, then put on the arm guards and wrist clasps. He tightened the scarlet cloak at the collar ring, letting its hem fall to his boot heels.

Finally, Huang Shi walked before the bronze mirror and watched the man in the reflection raise both hands high above his head, settling an all-iron silver helmet to cover his brow line. Behind it were deep-set eyes and a straight nose bridge, with a red scarf tied beneath a full black beard.

"The Provincial Governor of Liaodong summons — subordinate of Mobile Corps Commander Sun Degong of the Guangning Army — Company Commander Huang Shi to audience."

As this cry rang out, Huang Shi strode forward on long legs, his steps firm and powerful.