Chapter 99: A Well-Trained Doctor

In the Former Han, it was stressed that government decrees should match the seasons. Outside the army, the execution of criminals and the strict adjudication of punishments had to be set for autumn or winter. If this rule was violated — for instance, by carrying out autumn and winter orders in the sixth month, the last month of summer — it would bring calamity and portents: the grain would not ripen, and wind and cold would come out of season.

Yet the Xin Dynasty, which had always strictly observed Confucian rites, issued a decree this year that broke that rule.

"The Son of Heaven has decreed: wherever the army marches forth, any who dare to rush about and violate the law shall be summarily beheaded, with no need to choose the season!"

With that loud proclamation, in the marketplace packed so tight it was a sea of people, the unlucky Wu family — except for the womenfolk with decent looks, whom Dong Xi in a burst of great charity took for himself — were all beheaded and their heads displayed to the crowd. Even children just past ten were not spared.

Over a dozen heads would be hung above the four gates of Tewu County as proof of Major Dong's merit in suppressing bandits. For a time, the whole county's people exchanged only glances on the road. Given this major's way of killing indiscriminately, when his money and grain ran short, whose household would he use the knife on next?

Even powerful and wealthy families could hardly protect themselves; ordinary households, whose grain was seized and whose able-bodied men were conscripted, had even less place to appeal. Everyone could not help missing the half-month and more when Diwu Lun had been in charge — truly a rare time of peace and quiet in the county.

When the execution oversight was finished, Dong Xi climbed smugly onto his war chariot, preparing to return to the Qujian Fort south of the county seat. The Wu family's womenfolk were all detained there, so Major Dong could go half a month without leaving the fort.

Now dusk was approaching, and the whole city had come to watch the beheadings, so the streets were somewhat clogged. Dong Xi's subordinates, without the slightest courtesy, shoved children and old people blocking the way into the roadside ditches with one push. The convoy advanced slowly along the main north-south thoroughfare.

Along the street were mostly two-story buildings belonging to wealthy households and merchants. One of them was the shop property of the Wu family, already swept utterly clean by the rampaging soldiers — not even a straw mat remained. Yet inside this room, which should have been completely empty, two men were now hiding.

Wan Xiu leaned by the window lattice, carefully wiping his bow.

It was not, of course, the one that had broken at Changling and that Diwu Lun later gave him. That was a long-limbed bow: heavy, with great stored power and long range, but a low rate of fire. The short-limbed bow in his hands was light; though its stored power and range were somewhat weaker, it could be quickly drawn and loosed.

It was precisely a weapon for close-range assassination.

The man who had come with Wan Xiu was Diqi Biao. He was a little nervous. "I still don't understand — why not use a crossbow? Lying in ambush and loosing a crossbow would be easier."

"I'm not as good with a crossbow as with a bow. And crossbows rely on volley fire to hit. Once Dong Xi is alerted and on guard, cocking and shooting again is nearly impossible."

That was why Wan Xiu preferred a more flexible bow.

He glanced at Diqi Biao and found him actually a bit tense — the hand gripping his blade was trembling.

"A veteran of the ranks who claims to have killed dozens, a knight-errant — can he be afraid too?"

"Once we act, we may be surrounded by hundreds of men." Diqi Biao grasped his own hand. He had not been very willing to do this to begin with, thinking the chance of success too low, but among those around Diwu Lun, he alone was the most suitable.

Wan Xiu, on the contrary, was unafraid. From the moment he stepped forward to take the punishment in place of Yuan She's son, he had put life and death out of mind. He spoke to reassure him: "Boyu has long since arranged everything. Whether we succeed or not, we withdraw by the back door, blend into the crowd, and at the next place don our armor — then we can change in an instant and become soldiers hunting down the assassins."

This assassination was something Wan Xiu had proposed on his own. Looking at the three of them, Ma Yuan had courage and decisiveness, and Diwu Lun was full of stratagems, while Wan Xiu felt he had not played much of a role and was somewhat ashamed. He wanted to use his martial skill and archery to do something.

"Even if I fail to escape afterward, to avoid implicating Boyu and Wenyuan, Wan Xiu can at worst die. To have lived these two extra years and done a few true deeds of a knight-errant — it's worth it!"

And if it truly came to that, should Diqi Biao be unwilling to die, Wan Xiu would help him along… Diqi Biao, killed while hunting down bandits, perishing together with them — that would be a fine outcome.

As they spoke in low voices, Dong Xi's convoy drew closer and closer. The two held their breath and carefully observed through a crack.

Though Dong Xi was only a mere Major, his pomp was considerable. Scores of men preceded and followed him: crimson horsemen clearing the way, halberdiers bringing up the rear. He himself stood swaggering on a war chariot without a canopy, the tall pheasant-feather crest on his head strikingly conspicuous.

Wan Xiu licked his lips. It was now seventy paces. He would wait until Dong Xi came within thirty paces, then suddenly rise and draw his bow — enough to loose two arrows, and he must hit his mark!

"A miss is fine too, so long as it can be said that the great bandits sent men to assassinate him, goading Dong Xi to march south and suppress the bandits."

That said, Dong Xi's conduct was too unpredictable. Every extra day he lived meant one more day of calamity for Tewu County — better that he die.

"Sixty paces."

"Fifty paces."

Diqi Biao called out the distance beside him. Wan Xiu had already nocked the bowstring. But just as he was ready to rise and strike at any moment, on the building to the left side of the street, window lattices flew wide open, and seven or eight crossbows suddenly thrust out. Aimed at Dong Xi's war chariot, the ambush crossbows loosed in unison!

"Assassins!"

Under the concentrated crossbow fire, Dong Xi's charioteer dropped dead on the spot. Dong Xi himself was struck by two or three bolts. Because he wore armor, none hit a vital point, and he only shouted in panic for the soldiers to protect him.

The crimson horsemen ran wild in the street, their slaughter blades swinging toward innocent passersby. The halberdiers charged toward the building where the crossbows had fired. Some men bearing large shields clustered around Dong Xi, shielding him — even a shield was raised above his head. The quality of the regular troops was, after all, far better than the Boar-Rush Braves.

Those who had tried to assassinate Dong Xi had long since fled. Even when one or two were cornered in a small alley, they shouted "upholding Heaven's way" and immediately stabbed themselves to death — without the slightest hesitation!

Wan Xiu and Diqi Biao, on the other hand, looked at each other in dismay. "Did Boyu arrange for others to act?"

Diqi Biao shook his head. "If there were, I would certainly know."

By now the street was in complete chaos, and Dong Xi was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, tightly shielded by a wall of shields all around. Assassination was no longer possible. The two had no choice but to desist in frustration. They changed into soldiers' armor, blended into the crowd fleeing in all directions, and vanished into the night of Tewu County.

…

When Diwu Lun arrived at Qujian Fort, he could hear Dong Xi's wails and cries of pain even from the main gate.

Dong Xi's trusted personal guards were extremely on edge. Even Diwu Lun had to remove his sword and be searched before he could enter. The moment he stepped inside, a thick, foul stench struck his nostrils.

The Company Commander explained, "The villains were vicious. Those crossbow bolts were smeared with dung-juice poison. Major Dong's wounds have all festered."

What a coincidence — the arrowheads Wan Xiu had prepared for Diwu Lun were also coated with these fine substances. It was only a pity that someone else had struck first, before they could be delivered into Dong Xi's body.

In this age, the death rate from injuries was extremely high. Whether scraping the bone to treat the wound could save him was unknown, but first, a divine physician was needed.

When he reached the innermost room, he saw a doctor with a pale kerchief wrapped around his forehead, carefully applying medicine and treating Dong Xi's wounds.

Dong Xi was biting an arrow shaft between his teeth to keep from losing his tongue during the intense pain. He glared at Diwu Lun and said, "The villains who tried to assassinate me — have they been caught?"

The wretch was truly treating Diwu Lun as a subordinate, issuing orders.

Diwu Lun said, "The County Magistrate and I, along with the Major's Company Commander, conducted a great search of the whole city but still failed to capture any of the villains alive. Though we cornered one or two, they all took their own lives."

The Company Commander at his side offered his opinion: "These were death-sworn men. Perhaps the great bandits of the Kushui River sent them to assassinate you in revenge for the Major's keen eye in spotting treachery and executing Wu."

"Was it really the great bandits?" Dong Xi poured another gulp of liquor into his mouth, his words squeezing through clenched teeth. "Those who want my life are hardly limited to bandits, are they?"

Dong Xi fixed his eyes on Diwu Lun, as if trying to see right through him, then laughed and said, "The powerful families of this county, for instance — they hate me too."

Diwu Lun frowned. "Does Major Dong mean… the Zhang clan? Is there evidence?"

"If it's proof of a crime you want, there's plenty to be had. It only depends on whether Major Diwu is willing to assist…" Dong Xi suddenly grimaced in pain, looked down, and cursed, "You quack — be gentler! Watch out, or your father here will behead you too!"

The old physician, trembling with fear, prostrated himself and kowtowed. Once the medicine was applied and Dong Xi felt much more comfortable, in his delight he rewarded the man with a great deal of money and silk.

Diwu Lun had heard that the County Magistrate and Zhang Chun had recommended renowned physicians of the commandery to Dong Xi, but he had rejected every one, ordering only the army doctor who had served under him for two months and whose background he knew thoroughly to attend him — though this doctor was also a man of the commandery.

It seemed Dong Xi intended to pin this blame on the prominent households of the county and make another fortune in the process. Diwu Lun gave an ambiguous assent, took his leave, and after thinking it over, sent Diwu Fu to inform Zhang Chun of the matter.

Zhang Chun was no Wu. To move against him, Dong Xi could not act on his own authority; he absolutely needed Diwu Lun's endorsement and also had to obtain the consent of the Swallowing-the-Hu General. Regardless of whether those death-sworn men who had attempted the assassination today were sent by the Zhang family, in his report to Han Wei, Diwu Lun still steered the matter toward the bandits.

He only regretted that Dong Xi had not died today, leaving Diwu Lun unable, for the time being, to produce Lu Cheng — whom he had prepared to have someone "capture and bring to justice" at the right moment.

However, at daybreak the next morning, before Diwu Lun, who had tossed and turned all night without sleep, had even risen from bed, he heard a piece of tremendous, joyful news.

"Major Dong, last night — died!"

…

When Diwu Lun returned to Qujian Post, he was met by the Company Commander's tear-streaked face — and the rigid corpse of Dong Xi, dead by violence.

Diwu Lun lifted the cloth for a glance. Dong Xi, who only yesterday had been so wildly arrogant, had died in a hideous state: eyes bulging wide, face contorted in a snarl, his fingernails caked with his own flesh and blood.

The Company Commander said, "After Major Dong had his wound dressed yesterday, he was already much improved. Who could have guessed that past midnight his injury would suddenly worsen — first an unbearable itching, so he clawed wildly at himself, pus and blood gushing out, howling in agony without cease."

"The Major ordered us to go find that quack again, but the old man had already taken his own life!"

"He left only a few characters written on the wall."

Diwu Lun followed the Company Commander to the doctor's quarters inside the post. The doctor himself hung from a roof beam, his feet still gently swaying. And the characters on the wall were, unbelievably…

"Avenge the Wu clan — enforce Heaven's justice!"

A chill shot from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head. Diwu Lun was now certain: the one who had sent assassins, and when the first strike failed, contrived to slip a trained doctor inside — it was absolutely Zhang Chun!

He just did not know how many favors Zhang Chun had bestowed in the past to make both a stalwart warrior and a physician go willingly to their deaths. That old man, who seemed utterly harmless, was truly not someone to provoke lightly.

Since the doctor was dead, exactly what medicine he had applied to Dong Xi — something that had caused an already difficult wound to suddenly worsen — could no longer be known. In any case, after thrashing through half the night, Dong Xi finally died violently at dawn.

Although events had yet again, and again, and yet again refused to follow the script of Diwu Lun's plan, the outcome was, fortunately, excellent. As Diwu Lun drew a slash through Dong Xi's name in his little notebook, though he could not absorb Dong Xi's men by force the way he had taken over Ru Chen's followers, at the very least he was once again the one giving the orders.

While urgently dispatching riders to report the matter to General Tunhu, Diwu Lun also organized a county-wide dragnet.

Effort did not fail the determined. At last, on a tip from the good-hearted masses, a suspicious-looking man in barbarian garb was seized from an unclaimed house in a squalid alley of the county seat!

Diwu Lun conducted the interrogation in person. "What is your name? Where do you come from?"

"Lu… I… I don't know."

Lu Cheng was still groggy. "Canal Commander Ma," after holding him for several days, had abruptly changed his tune, cheerfully agreeing to cooperate — and had even opined that they ought to eliminate Dong Xi and Diwu Lun first.

Lu Cheng had naturally clapped and cheered. The two men began drinking, and Ma Yuan got him dead drunk, stowed him in a cart, smuggled him into the county seat, and plied him with liquor daily. Only today did he see sunlight. Though not entirely lucid, he still instinctively tried to cover up.

"Refuses to tell the truth."

Diwu Lun waved a hand. "Torture him severely. Make sure he spills everything!"

And so, the next day, General Tunhu, having just learned of the grievous loss of his beloved subordinate Dong Xi, was abruptly struck by Diwu Lun's report: "A man has been captured, who claims to be Lu Cheng, younger brother of Lu Fang of the Anding Dependent State. These men falsely style themselves scions of the House of Han. They have gathered several hundred followers in Left Valley in Sanshui County, plotting to collude with the Qiang and the Hu, to throw our army's rear into chaos. The grain robbery and the assassinations were all the work of Lu Fang in league with bandits south of the county!"

…

PS: Chapter 2 at 18:00.