Chapter 456: Plotting Assassination

The Di were a Rong people widely scattered across the western frontier. Their customs resembled the Qiang yet differed; they had numerous clans and settlements. In the western reaches of Yizhou were the White Horse Di and the Python Di.

In Longyou were the Clearwater Di, the Lueyang Di, the Linwei Di, and others. The Di who lived deep in the mountains, half farming and half hunting, had since ancient times occupied the very bottom of the region's ethnic contempt chain. When the Han opened up Yizhou and established Wudu Commandery, they pushed out the Di settlements, scattering the people fleeing among the valleys. When the great Qiang chieftains, inveterate raiders, harassed registered Han households, they would face imperial counterattacks — but seizing Di people brought no retaliation whatsoever, so they took to plundering the Di as slaves.

Wei Ao courted the dependent-state Qiang and Hu, yet toward the Di he maintained an attitude of contempt and suppression. That was why the Di were so stirred by the outsiders' gold-cake offensive.

The Di man who had brought grain to the Wei army under cover of night called himself "A Yun." Before being singled out and trained as a death-sworn agent by Gongsun Shu's subordinates, his identity had been "Python Di." Now disguised as a Clearwater Di, his appearance raised no suspicion — and how could the Wei army possibly distinguish the accent differences between two Di settlements?

On his first day infiltrating Mianzhu City, A Yun was hailed as a lone hero. Wan Xiu personally gave the order to arrange decent quarters for him, and he slept a comfortable sleep on a cot. The next day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, he heard wave after wave of battle cries.

A Yun immediately scrambled out of the tile-roofed house where he had taken shelter and saw the Wei troops — who by all rights should have been too famished to fight — drilling in the city's open ground under Wan Xiu's leadership, roaring in unison.

This was a show of bravado, meant to make the attackers outside realize that the defenders were still tenacious, still had the breath to shout.

However much A Yun might be a lone boat sailing in to join the army, bringing a few sacks of grain, he was still just a low-status Di man and could not immediately work his way into Wan Xiu's inner circle. He was placed with the other Di men, under the command of a Platoon Commander.

Those who had volunteered for the Wei army were all impoverished Di. They warmly came over to get acquainted with A Yun.

"You — what settlement?"

A Yun said, "Clearwater Hezhi." Hezhi was the Di people's name for themselves.

"Doesn't sound like a Clearwater man."

Clearwater was in the neighboring county; the Clearwater Di were a branch of the White Horse Di. Even though the Di lived in the mountains with little contact between groups, and a different accent every ten li was common, A Yun's was far too different!

"My mother was Lueyang Hezhi." A Yun could only fob them off with this. These local Di had never been to Lueyang and did not press the suspicion.

Having learned this lesson, A Yun thereafter stopped speaking the Di tongue and communicated only in his heavily accented, half-baked Han speech, which made it even harder to detect his origins.

A Yun was also quietly observing the Wei army. He saw that although they had been besieged for a full month, their order was impeccable — ample proof of the commanding General Wan's ability.

"Only the men on duty get to eat, and they have to bellow a few shouts before they go up on the wall." The men of his platoon admired him and held nothing back.

"The rest get chaff gruel."

Because the grain had run out, many of the Di who had joined Wei had thrown down their bowls and fled; this platoon was already more than half empty.

The veterans taught A Yun that if his turn for wall duty did not come, he should find some of the ever-scarcer stalks and withered grass, lie down on it, and shut his eyes — that was the way to conserve strength. Of course, one had to ignore the belly-growling, louder than snoring.

But as A Yun secretly observed the other platoons, he found little grumbling, because General Wan himself drank only thin gruel each day. The men joked, "That belly the General built up eating and drinking well back in Right Fufeng — it's gone now."

Wan Xiu, his midsection restored to the flatness of his youth, was also deeply solicitous of his soldiers. He often came down to the camp to inspect, shared their food and clothing, inquired into every matter great or small, and could even recognize each soldier's native place and face.

The Platoon Commander, a veteran from Wei, said proudly to the Di soldiers, "I hear that back when His Majesty first raised the army in Wei, we Boar-Rush Braves used to say: General Ma is like a stern father, and General Wan is like a loving mother. Father Ma disciplines us; Mother Wan cherishes us."

Such an "approachable" manner should have made him an ideal target for assassination, for such men are open and forthright, setting no guard against others.

Yet A Yun also noticed that several personal guards constantly shadowed Wan Xiu, inseparable, intentionally or otherwise blocking suspicious persons — such as a newly recruited Di like A Yun — from getting too close to Wan Xiu.

"They are the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

The Platoon Commander told A Yun that he had heard these men had been assigned to General Wan by the Diwu Emperor himself, because Wan Xiu was too fond of drawing close to people, and His Majesty the Emperor feared for his safety.

A Yun nodded. No wonder people often said Diwu Lun was innately suspicious. It seemed that the companions sent to Guanzhong along with the "Panda" by Emperor Gongsun would have little opportunity!

But no matter. Emperor Gongsun did not demand a single fatal strike from them. Long-term sleeper "death agents" were the whole purpose of training death-sworn operatives. Whatever the means, completing the mission in the end was all that counted.

After two days of observation, A Yun was more certain than ever: Wan Xiu was the soul of this army.

The moment he died, morale might instantly collapse. Of course, it was also possible that affection for General Wan would cause the slightly wavering morale to rebound, uniting them in shared hatred and leaving the Long and Shu armies even more at a loss.

So A Yun had to find the perfect moment: one where he could get close to Wan Xiu, and where Wan Xiu's death would send Wei army morale plunging.

The first thing he needed to do was further prove himself! That very afternoon, when the Long troops launched another assault on the small city, the Di soldiers' turn came to be sent up onto the wall. A Yun was quite valiant and a fine bowman, shooting down several Long soldiers who approached the wall in quick succession.

This bravery was noted by his comrades and his Platoon Commander. Everyone on the wall was pointing and murmuring about this newly recruited Di man, and A Yun redoubled his efforts.

Right — where was Wan Xiu?

He looked left and right, and finally the Platoon Commander told him, "The General is on the other stretch of wall!"

So he couldn't see his valor. A Yun instantly deflated, and his bow-drawing grew listless.

He would not, of course, wait passively. After this assault was beaten back, A Yun sought out his Platoon Commander and listened as he chatted with the others, heavy with worry: "The grain is all gone. Even the straw we sleep on will soon be burned up."

A Yun immediately volunteered, "I do have a plan to break the siege!"

This new Di soldier had already brought the Platoon Commander a number of pleasant surprises. Pressed for details, A Yun kept his mouth shut: "I must see General Wan before I can speak."

So the Platoon Commander reported it up the chain for him, level by level. At the battalion level they were accommodating enough — after all, they had seen A Yun kill the enemy with their own eyes. But when it reached the "brigade" level, the Colonel was thoroughly impatient with this little Di: "General Wan shares food and clothing with the rank and file every day and is busy inspecting every corner. Do you think you can see him just because you want to? If you have a plan, spit it out. If not, get back to your hovel!"

How could they treat a lone hero this way? A Yun had no choice but to divulge his brilliant scheme: "I am willing to go to the Clearwater Di and persuade the Di chieftain to send troops to our aid."

"You can persuade the chieftain of an entire settlement?"

The Colonel was of the imperial clan. His surname had been Diyi, his given name Jiming; now he was simply called Wu Jiming. He was also an old stalwart who had followed the Emperor from the beginning, transferred to serve under Wan Xiu the year before last.

He eyed A Yun suspiciously. Since the Wei army had arrived in the area, they had done no small amount of work on the various Di groups, but the Di were innately distrustful of outsiders and dared not rashly gamble between Long and Wei. So far only individuals had volunteered; no entire tribe had thrown in its lot to help.

To gain an audience with Wan Xiu, A Yun began to boast: "The Clearwater Di chieftain is a distant relative on my father's side."

Diyi Jiming was half believing, half doubting. "Clearwater County is no more than two or three days from here. In that case, take three Di soldiers, slip out of the city, and go quickly and return quickly."

A Yun refused. "To persuade the Di chieftain, I must have a token from General Wan. I wish to pay my respects to the General..."

"A token from the General?"

Diyi Jiming's eyes swiveled, and he left. A Yun waited until the sky was nearly dark before he sauntered back, bearing a gold cake and a seal with its ribbon.

"This is the seal of the County Chief of Mianzhu Circuit. If the Clearwater Di chieftain is willing to aid Wei, he shall have ten times this much gold afterward, and Clearwater will be his to govern!"

As Diyi Jiming handed the gold cake to A Yun, he paused, looked at him sternly, and said, "You risked death to bring grain, to avenge your father, and you are not one to hang back in battle. I should not doubt you. But if you dare deceive me and make off with this gold cake, then your Clearwater Di kin will have no good days ahead!"

A Yun understood. This Colonel had most likely not reported to Wan Xiu at all. If the plan failed, he would pretend it never happened; if it succeeded, he would claim the credit himself. That was why he refused to let a mere errand-runner like A Yun meet Wan Xiu.

Never had A Yun imagined that the crucial step in his assassination would be stymied by bureaucracy and a superior's greed for credit. The small city had been besieged for two months; the situation was this dire — how could the Colonel not be panicked? A Yun was anxious on his behalf!

No matter how he pleaded, the Colonel would not relent. A Yun was so furious he truly wanted to stab this mission-ruining Colonel dead on the spot — but trading his own life for this man's would be far too cheap.

So A Yun feigned the temper of a barbarian, flaring up in rage: "Since the Colonel does not trust me, then I need not go!"

"You Di slave, are you mocking your father here?" Diyi Jiming erupted in equal fury. This clash resulted in A Yun being hauled off and thrown into the dank, gloomy county jail.

Emperor Gongsun's assassins were only the first generation. They had martial prowess in abundance and were not bad at adapting to circumstances, but having trained too long deep in the mountains, they were ultimately somewhat lacking in worldly wisdom and human tact.

By Wei army rules, this was called "confinement." But ordinarily confinement still came with meals; now there was not even gruel to drink. A Yun was ravenous and exhausted. The flimsy jail lock naturally could not hold him, but if he simply left, what would become of his plan to assassinate Wan Xiu?

"At this point, I have no choice but to slip out, infiltrate Wan Xiu's headquarters residence, and wait for a chance to strike!"

But that was far harder than blending in beside him and launching a fatal strike.

Just as A Yun was caught in this dilemma, his brief half-day confinement came to an end.

It was the Platoon Commander himself who came to release him, his face no longer showing reproach but brimming with delight.

"A Yun, A Yun, come on out."

A Yun was utterly bewildered. When he walked out of the county jail, what he heard and saw were soldiers all over the city — whether full or hungry — already a sea of jubilation.

"They've pulled back, they've pulled back! The Long troops have withdrawn!"

Everyone on the walls and in the city was spreading the news. For some unknown reason, the Long troops were slowly withdrawing westward. This meant the siege that had lasted two months was finally lifted.

A Yun merely blended into the crowd, staring blankly at this scene. Since this battle was over, he had become a fish stranded on the shore after the tide receded. His eyes instantly went wide, his mouth gaped as he struggled to breathe, and he wondered: what should he do next?

"Come on, hurry."

It was the Platoon Commander who saved him, parting the crowd and pulling A Yun forward. "The General wants to see you!"

The Long troops had finally retreated, and Wan Xiu was very pleased. But he told everyone not to let down their guard — this might be an enemy ruse — so he sent scouts to investigate. Before long, they returned with captured Long soldiers who had scattered and lost their way, and reported:

"The Di chieftains of Qingshui, Lüeyang, and Rongyi have combined three thousand troops and are closing in on Mianzhu Circuit, forcing the Long army to withdraw."

What was going on? Why had the three Di clans, who had originally maintained strict neutrality, suddenly tipped to one side?

"Wasn't the youth who risked a lone boat the night before last a Qingshui Di? Send him to go ask what's happening."

Wan Xiu had no time to track every move of a Di recruit, but he did keep some attention on A Yun. Once he inquired, Diyi Jiming, who had originally still wanted to quietly eliminate A Yun, hurriedly had him released.

A Yun finally got his wish, drawing step by step closer to Wan Xiu. But around General Wan, Embroidered Uniform Guards still encircled and protected him, making it impossible for A Yun to get close enough to assassinate him.

Meanwhile, Wan Xiu was issuing one military order after another, one of which was for A Yun.

"I hear your parents were Lüeyang and Qingshui Di, so you should know their language and customs. Here's the plan: accompany my scouts out of the city and go make contact with the various Di chieftains outside."

Wasn't this asking for his life? A Yun was horrified. Faking a few lines to deal with the Linwei Di was one thing, but if he met genuine Lüeyang or Qingshui Di, Di custom demanded that upon meeting, you had to recite your ancestors three generations back. Wouldn't that expose him instantly!

A Yun immediately prostrated himself. "General, your subordinate has an urgent matter to report."

Wan Xiu's gaze swept over. "What is it?"

A Yun raised his head. "It concerns confidential matters, and can only be told to the General alone."

He wanted to stake everything on one desperate strike before being exposed!

But Wan Xiu's forthrightness exceeded A Yun's imagination. He actually burst out laughing and looked at those around him. "Between me, Wan Xiu, and my comrades and subordinates, there are absolutely no secrets. Speak! Say it out loud!"

A Yun's face instantly flushed crimson. What was he supposed to say? And the Embroidered Uniform Guards around Wan Xiu were already beginning to eye A Yun with suspicion, their hands moving toward their sword hilts.

"Your subordinate wishes to accuse the Colonel!" A Yun, pushed to desperation, simply leaped up, pointed at Diyi Jiming in the crowd, and lodged a satisfying accusation, recounting how he had proposed going out to seek aid from the Di chieftains, only to be blocked by the Colonel.

Wan Xiu looked toward his right-hand man. "Colonel Wu, is this true?"

Diyi Jiming reacted quickly as well and immediately said, "It is indeed true! When this Di man suddenly came to offer his plan, your subordinate had his doubts. But considering our army had been trapped in a long siege, I could only follow good advice and give it a try."

"But the General is overworked — how can he personally decide every single matter? Before the army set out, His Majesty even said that the General's health is not very good, and that we must not let Lord Wan 'attend to everything personally.' Yes, those were the exact words. Therefore, we must share more of the burden. What your subordinate could decide on his own, he took the liberty of doing. There was absolutely no jealousy of worth or cutting off communication between superiors and inferiors. Locking him up afterward was simply irritation at his barbarian temperament — anger at his failure to make good."

A Yun once again suffered a great loss from his lack of emotional intelligence. Wan Xiu actually found Diyi Jiming's half-true, half-false words very reasonable. And then the military judge stepped forward with a dark face and accused A Yun of insubordination against a superior!

The Wei army, as a feudal military force, was not the least bit democratic. Unless one was an army supervisor bearing imperial orders, a subordinate absolutely could not question a superior officer. If everyone pulled a stunt like this, how could troops be led?

"After all, he's a Di. The rules must be taught slowly."

Wan Xiu, however, had a good temper and smiled. "He meant well. We must not chill the heart of a brave man. How about this..."

"Three more days of confinement!"

And so A Yun escaped the danger of having his identity exposed before his "own kind," only to return once more to the gloomy jail. Truly, he could weep but had no tears. Disheartened and despairing, all he could think of was prying the lock that night and staking everything on a single thrust.

But at dusk, when the Platoon Commander came to see him with fragrant, steaming food, he told A Yun a piece of tremendously good news.

It turned out that Wan Xiu had already sent men out of the city to make contact with the three Di tribes that had come to help. Among them was even a Commandant of the Wei army — none other than Embroidered Uniform Commandant Zhang Yu. He had ridden to the city walls, paid his respects to Wan Xiu, and also delivered urgently needed grain supplies.

The Platoon Commander said, "Commandant Zhang says it's all thanks to General Wan drawing the main Long forces here, which allowed Generals Geng and Wu to exploit the gaps in the Long lines, cross Long Mountain, and heavily defeat Wei Ao at Jieting. General Wu then struck east at Long Slope, causing the defending troops to collapse. His Majesty successfully broke through the pass, and now the main army has entered Longyou!"

And the various Rong tribes, being weathervanes, seeing that Wei Ao's defeat was certain, only then — when Zhang Yu went to offer amnesty and recruitment — immediately turned their spears around and came south to the rescue.

The food in A Yun's mouth was hot, but his heart had gone utterly cold. Killing Wan Xiu now would have little impact on the course of the war. Was it really worth trading his own life for this?

"Don't you go blaming General Wan." The Platoon Commander thought A Yun was disheartened from feeling wronged, and so said, "The General put you in confinement out of care. You young fellow, your temperament really does need changing. Who ever heard of skipping ranks to accuse a Colonel to his face? We were all scared to death."

He laughed again. "A lot of men have died these days, leaving many vacancies. I've been promoted — from tomorrow on, I'll be a Battalion Commander. General Wan thinks very highly of you and wants to promote you to Platoon Commander, specifically leading the Longyou Di troops in my unit. There aren't many yet, just thirty or forty men, but they'll surely grow in number later."

What does this have to do with me? A Yun shoveled his rice, and just as he was lost in confusion, the Platoon Commander's next words sparked a bold idea in A Yun, who had lost contact with his organization, and let him find the best way to serve his Emperor Gongsun:

"Who knows, one day you might become the first Di Colonel of Great Wei, and have an audience with His Majesty!"

That's it!

A Yun had a sudden realization and thought to himself, "Why not continue lying low and climb up step by step? That way I can get closer to Wan Xiu, win his trust, and find a more convenient chance to strike. Who knows, I might even get an opportunity to assassinate Diwu Lun when the moment is right!"

PS: Chapter two will be up in the middle of the night.