Chapter 186: Army Scum

"That was close…"

As he was led out of the camp by two Chu soldiers, Heifu realized his back was already faintly damp with sweat, and his palms were ice-cold.

This time, he had truly risked his own life.

But what other choice was there? With seven hundred men against two thousand, their odds of victory were far too slim. Heifu could only do everything in his power to raise their chances of winning, even by just ten percent.

Every extra bit of certainty meant far fewer of them would die…

Heifu had considered sending a subordinate to feign surrender, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to trust anyone else with it.

His men were all ordinary folk from small border counties, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

For instance, Dongmen Bao had martial skill and courage, fearing nothing in battle, but his temperament was rash. Ji Ying had a quick wit and a glib tongue, but was timid and crumbled under pressure. Li Xian was literate and meticulous, capable of handling minor tasks well — he could even manage the camp in Heifu's absence — but he was far too cautious and prudent for major undertakings. Xiao Tao was utterly loyal, with both guts and judgment, but unfortunately he stuttered; a mission like feigning surrender was far too difficult for him.

As for Gong Ao? That fellow had outrageous nerve, but every emotion he felt was written plainly on his face. Send him to feign surrender, and the next moment he might offend the Chu men with his words and get his head chopped off to consecrate their banners.

Looking around the city, the only person who could be called "both greatly wise and greatly courageous" was Heifu himself.

When he reported this matter to Li You, Li You's face showed hesitation, because Heifu was the commander he himself had appointed — what if something went wrong…

"It's far too risky," Li You said.

Heifu, however, laughed inwardly. "A mere junior centurion, risking his own life to save the King of Qin's son-in-law, Li Si's son, and winning a lone victory amidst a field of defeats — such a deed is bound to shine with exceptional brilliance."

Unlike the minor merits and petty rewards of the past, this time Heifu was staking his very life, and ten years of future wealth and rank, all on this one gamble.

"How can you capture tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den?"

After tossing out that famous saying from a later age, and under the admiring gazes of everyone, Li You included, Heifu resolutely marched out of the city!

"Thankfully, though the process was hair-raising, the outcome was not bad."

In truth, only by doing it did he learn that, so long as you didn't give yourself away, the man who came to negotiate surrender was not in too much danger — far safer than those political lobbyists who could be tossed into a giant cauldron and boiled alive at any moment.

The only trouble was that the method of surrender proposed by Dou Ran and Sun Feng made a feigned surrender difficult to pull off. But a boat will straighten when it reaches the bridge; there was no rush to find a solution once he got back.

Most crucially, Heifu's whole performance had successfully lulled the two Chu county dukes into lowering their guard against the Qin troops inside the city, making them believe the surrender was genuine.

The art of war says: appear humble to make them arrogant; if they are at ease, harry them; if they are united, divide them. Attack where they are unprepared, strike where they least expect it — this is the strategist's key to victory.

If Heifu had to feign humility, then as long as the enemy grew lax, they would have an opening to exploit!

Moreover, this trip had also brought Heifu an unexpected gain.

"So then, who was it that wrote to Dou Ran about what happened in Anlu County?"

…

By this time, they had already passed through the Chu army's position. The Chu soldiers were all sitting cross-legged on the ground waiting. Having learned that the Qin army was going to surrender, they were far less on guard now, their faces relaxed, their weapons set aside as they chatted warmly with one another, as if they had come not to fight a battle but to go on a hunt.

In the Chu soldiers' eyes, this war had already ended in their total victory, hadn't it?

They were wrong. For King Zheng of Qin, whose will was set on utterly annihilating the six states —

this war had only just begun!

Just then, Heifu suddenly spotted several Chu chariots and riders escorting a batch of dust-covered, bedraggled Qin soldiers this way!

"What's this?" He looked at the Chu soldier beside him, his face showing puzzlement.

"Your comrades."

The Chu soldier said with a face full of smugness, "All along the road, who knows how many have been fleeing from the north to the south. We've already captured two or three hundred, all held behind the formation under guard!"

Heifu's heart stirred, but he said nothing more. As he followed the Chu soldier onward, he brushed past these captured Qin soldiers…

A clamor rose up ahead. It was a Qin army officer, wearing the short cap of the "Bugeng" rank, being pressed to the ground by Chu men who were clumsily binding ropes around him. A nearby Chu soldier chuckled and said that only Qin men who resisted fiercely got this kind of treatment.

"As for you lot who are willing to surrender, there's no need for this."

The Qin officer, his hands now tied, stood back up. He raised his head and happened to see Heifu right in front of him, and instantly froze.

Heifu's eyelid twitched, and his steps faltered for a split second…

This was someone he knew — and someone who knew him!

Though the man's face was haggard and the corner of his mouth was still stained with blood, Heifu recognized him at a glance. Wasn't this Zhou Hua, the man he had chatted and joked with outside the main camp at Xiangcheng?

Zhou Hua, who was from Sanchuan Commandery and also a personal guard of some commandant, was now staring straight at Heifu.

His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, and it looked as if he was about to shout the name "Heifu" at any moment!

"Centurion Zhou!"

Heifu preempted him, striding toward Zhou Hua with a loud laugh and rattling off like a string of firecrackers, "Don't you recognize me? I'm Platoon Leader Zhong from the Southern Commandery troops!"

"Zhong… you…"

Zhou Hua was somewhat astonished. He and Heifu were old acquaintances; he knew Heifu was Li You's trusted man. Every time the commandant held a council in the main tent, the two of them would stand outside and chat idly, and their conversations had always been quite congenial.

But now, here was Heifu inside the Chu camp, calling himself "Zhong." What did this mean?

The Chu soldiers nearby were eyeing the two of them with suspicion and wariness. Heifu cupped his hands toward them and said, "How about letting me persuade this centurion to surrender along with us?"

The Chu men, suspecting nothing, allowed Heifu to continue speaking. Heifu switched to the Guanzhong dialect to exhort Zhou Hua, speaking at an extremely rapid pace. The Chu men were utterly baffled, only vaguely understanding that he was enumerating the benefits of surrendering to the Chu army…

Zhou Hua's expression grew uglier and uglier. He was just about to burst out cursing when, unbeknownst to him, amidst those hollow words of persuasion, during a brief pause, Heifu's mouth spat out two words with lightning speed!

"Heavy drum!"

The Chu men paid no heed to this tiny detail, but Zhou Hua froze at the words.

Heifu had already stopped speaking. Smiling, he said, "Centurion Zhou, how about it? Will you surrender along with me?"

"Ptui!"

Zhou Hua's face cycled through shades of green and white before he spat a mouthful of saliva at Heifu's feet and cursed, "You turncoat army scum! Do you think I'm some coward who clings to life and fears death?"

Amid a torrent of curses, Zhou Hua was shoved and jostled further away. Heifu, right in front of the Chu soldiers, twisted his face into a scowl and cursed him as "too blind to know what's good for him," but what he was thinking inside was…

"I wonder if he understood what I meant?"

…

While Heifu was inside the Chu camp, something else was happening within the walls of Tongyang City.

Tu Si, Zhai Chong, and Man — not long after Heifu had left, the three of them were called together by Xu Yang, mysteriously, for some unknown purpose.

"I won't deceive you gentlemen — when Heifu left the city, it was no feigned surrender, but a true surrender!"

Everyone's faces instantly changed dramatically. "Centurion Xu, you can't just say such things recklessly!"

Xu Yang sneered. "Heifu is a man of Nan Commandery. That land was originally Chu territory. For him, surrendering to Chu is like returning to his homeland — what is there to be surprised about?"

At these words, Tu Si sank into silent deliberation. Man remained utterly silent, his eyes strange, no one knowing what he was thinking. Only Di Chong spoke up in displeasure: "Centurion Xu, this is slander. Do you have any proof?"

Xu Yang declared with certainty, "Of course I do. If this were truly a feigned surrender, he could simply send some subordinate out of the city. Why go in person? In my view, he intends to meet with the Chu commander face to face, to sell out Commandant Li and the rest of us, in exchange for his own wealth and rank in Chu! He has already become a military traitor who has surrendered to the enemy!"

Di Chong shook his head. "Heifu does not seem like that kind of man…"

"You may know a man's face, but you can hardly know his heart. In such an extraordinary moment, one cannot afford to be unguarded."

Xu Yang looked at the others. "In my view, we should take advantage of Heifu being outside the city negotiating with the Chu commander, and make our escape through the west gate!"

Tu Si shook his head. "Did we not discuss this before? The enemy chariots and cavalry are circling all around. This land is flat as far as the eye can see. Even if we withdraw now, it is already too late…"

"So long as we do not all leave, it is not too late!" Xu Yang's eyes blazed. He finally revealed his true intent.

"Abandon the common soldiers. We take only a few trusted men, and escort Commandant Li away!"

The room fell silent in an instant. Xu Yang's words echoed in the ears of the three men. Di Chong and Tu Si were both stunned. Man suddenly raised his head, his eyes flickering unsteadily — no one knew what he was thinking.

Xu Yang said, "Even if Heifu's surrender is feigned, when we go out of the city to fight the Chu troops to the death, outnumbered and outmatched, it will still be nine chances in ten of dying. Better to slip out of the city quietly, leave behind Heifu's soldiers and those miscellaneous troops we gathered along the way to tangle with the Chu forces, buying us time to retreat. That way, we can certainly break free! Once we return to Shangcai, we will simply say that everyone stayed behind to cover the rear and hold off the enemy, in order to protect the Commandant!"

In that instant, the purpose behind Xu Yang's relentless urging of everyone to withdraw, ever since yesterday, was laid utterly bare.

He actually intended to abandon the main force, flee the position and desert the troops, caring only for his own survival!

"Xu Yang, so you are the true military traitor!" Rage surged from Di Chong's heart. He slammed the table and rose — only to find Xu Yang utterly unafraid, his gaze fixed somewhere behind him.

Several of Xu Yang's trusted men had already pressed blades against the backs of the three centurions!

"You three centurions, you are just as foolish as that Heifu…"

Xu Yang laughed heartily. "Whoever can escort Commandant Li to safety will be the great meritorious minister, and will earn the Commandant of Justice's trust and favor. As for the paltry lives of a few hundred soldiers from Nan Commandery — would the Commandant of Justice even care? That being the case, why should I share life and death with them!"

(End of chapter)