Chapter 109: I Must Go to Save Them

Inside the Eagle-Raising Mansion in the West City of Jinyang.

Jiang Baoyi, Wen Dayou, Zhang Pinggao, Xu Shixu, Zhao Wenke, Liu Wenjing, Pei Ji, and a host of other Jinyang officials and generals stood gathered, all staring at the three men bound before them.

In the heavy silence, no one spoke. Or rather, no one knew how to begin.

Had they not seen it with their own eyes, who would have believed that after a rebel force of over a hundred thousand troops marched south to attack Taiyuan, the East City of Jinyang—a place lacking any natural geographic advantage—would, after a brief engagement, end up with two rebel generals and one deputy commander captured and brought before them?

This caused Jiang Baoyi, Wen Dayou, Zhang Pinggao, Liu Wenjing, Pei Ji, and the others to harbor a secret, lingering doubt: was it truly a rebel army of over a hundred thousand attacking the East City, or was it the East City attacking the rebel army?

How much time had actually passed since the rebels began their assault?

Though everyone held their own thoughts, none could hide the deep shock etched in their eyes.

"To use these rebel generals to trade for..."

Jiang Baoyi looked at the group, then at Xiang Yifeng, Yang Boyue, and Liang Dan, who were bound and kneeling on the ground. He began to speak, but caught himself, pausing in silence for a moment.

"If we release these rebel generals, are we not simply letting a tiger return to the mountains?"

Ultimately, Jiang Baoyi chose a more tactful approach to voice his concern: was it worth exchanging a rebel general for the families of the surrendered rebel soldiers?

In truth, it was not just Jiang Baoyi. Zhang Pinggao, Xu Shixu, Liu Wenjing, and the others were equally skeptical of Fu Zihou’s plan to trade a high-ranking captive for the families of common soldiers. The influence and destructive potential of a rebel general, not to mention the merit earned from capturing them alive, far outweighed the value of two hundred rank-and-file captives. Any rational person knew how to choose.

Yet, because it was Fu Zihou who had captured them and he had already made the promise before everyone, no one wished to be the villain who opposed him. To be blunt, Fu Zihou’s prestige among the soldiers and commoners of the East City was unmatched. Now that the East City populace had moved to the West City, and with the rebel army routed and in retreat, the people of the West City viewed Fu Zihou as a fierce warrior and the savior of Jinyang.

With the West City residents watching the East City folk moving their belongings back and forth, none of the officials present wanted to ruin their relationship with Fu Zihou. Even if General Pan Changwen were still alive, he likely would not have risked his reputation to oppose Fu Zihou over this matter.

The captives were Fu Zihou’s personal trophies. Whoever spoke out would surely be mocked by the commoners as incompetent. More importantly, while they held little regard for two hundred surrendered rebel soldiers, they had no desire to turn them into two hundred new enemies.

"This matter will likely require further discussion with Commandant Fu! As all the East City garrison troops have moved to the West City, we need not fear even if the rebels return. The urgent priority is to immediately dispatch a messenger to report the events in Jinyang to His Majesty in Luoyang!" Liu Wenjing said to Jiang Baoyi.

Liu Wenjing was a clever man; he did not want to get involved in the prisoner-swap debate. Compared to the trade, he was currently more curious about something else.

"Especially since the Liang clan of Shuofang seems to have been involved in this as well..." Liu Wenjing noted.

Hearing this, everyone realized the shock that would ripple through the Luoyang court once the news of Jinyang reached them. As for the Liang clan, everyone instinctively followed Liu Wenjing’s gaze to Liang Dan.

Liang Dan felt his heart sink under the stares of the officials. Neither he nor his uncle had expected to lose! However, thinking of his other uncle, Liang Shidu, Liang Dan felt a sense of relief. The Sui Dynasty was now powerless to control the north; as long as they had the support of the Turks, it mattered little if Emperor Yang Guang knew. He might be willing to die, but the Liang clan in Shuofang would never be extinguished.

***

In a mansion within the West City of Jinyang, Fu Zihou lay sprawled on a bed in his undergarments, fast asleep. He had slept from the morning until dusk.

With soft footsteps, Cui Wenjin approached and leaned over the head of the bed, staring intently at him. Once a girl who had never done a day’s labor, she had learned to cook, prepare meals, and wash clothes. As she gazed at the sleeping Fu Zihou, her eyes were filled with fascination. She recalled the first time she had seen him.

"You are a meeting I never anticipated, and an impulse I cannot control!"

Cui Wenjin knew her background as a daughter of the Qinghe Cui clan, but she could not suppress the feelings she held for the young man before her.

Fu Zihou stirred, then groggily opened his eyes, immediately seeing Cui Wenjin leaning over him.

"What are you doing?" Fu Zihou asked.

Having spent much time together, he had grown accustomed to her. Any curiosity he once had about the daily lives of noblewomen had long since vanished. Aside from her status, education, and temperament, Cui Wenjin was much like any ordinary girl.

"I’ve made dinner. Get up and eat! It’s already dark!" Cui Wenjin stood up and retrieved his clothes from a nearby wooden rack.

"I’ll do it myself!" Fu Zihou struggled to sit up, feeling the soreness in his body.

In the dim evening light, Fu Zihou, Cui Wenjin, and the old man who taught Fu Zihou his swordsmanship sat down to eat.

"Have this! And this! Try this meat! And this too!" Cui Wenjin used her chopsticks to pile Fu Zihou’s bowl high with meat.

Fu Zihou stared at the bowl, his expression blank. It was nothing but meat—not a single vegetable in sight. He seriously suspected that Cui Wenjin was trying to raise him like a pig. Even the blind old man shook his head; despite his own age and infirmity, Cui Wenjin’s chopsticks only ever served meat to Fu Zihou. The girl truly lacked any sense of respecting the elderly.

"I’m going to visit two people later," Fu Zihou said as he devoured the meat.

"Who? I cannot go anywhere where there are members of the Guo clan!" Cui Wenjin replied. The Guo clan, like the Fanyang Lu clan, were long-standing allies of the Qinghe Cui clan.

She felt both miserable and happy. She had always loved meat, and since she had cooked these dishes herself, she rarely ate them, following her sister’s old advice that eating less meat would keep her figure more elegant. Yet, watching Fu Zihou eat with such gusto brought her a secret joy.

"One is the Jinyang Magistrate, Liu Wenjing! The other is Uncle Wen!"

Cui Wenjin nodded, trying to ignore her own hunger as she listened.

***

Inside Liu Wenjing’s mansion, both the hosts and their guests were surprised to see Fu Zihou and Cui Wenjin arrive carrying various gifts. If Fu Zihou’s first visit with Wen Dayou could be attributed to Pan Changwen, then with his current merit and prestige, it would not have been strange for Liu Wenjing and Pei Ji to pay him a visit instead. Why was he here in person?

"Zihou pays his respects to Magistrate Liu, Lord Pei, and Madam!" Fu Zihou bowed first to the men, then turned to Liu Wenjing’s wife, Madam Li, bowing again while gesturing to the gifts. "Madam, these are some tonics. They are good for your health."

"Does Commandant Fu have some connection to me?" Madam Li asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her in front of her husband and Pei Ji.

Fu Zihou was taken aback. Her gaze made him want to speak the truth, but thinking of the troubles that would soon face Liu Wenjing and his wife, and thinking of his teacher, he held his tongue. He merely shook his head with a smile.

"Madam! Do not be rude!" Liu Wenjing said, seeing his wife’s disappointed expression and signaling for her to withdraw. "Commandant Fu, please!"

Fu Zihou nodded to Madam Li, watched her depart, and then sat down with Cui Wenjin.

"Commandant Fu, your achievements are truly astonishing! A young hero indeed!" Liu Wenjing remarked after they were seated, his voice tinged with a hint of guilt. Pei Ji nodded in agreement, reflecting on their past assessments of the youth and feeling a sense of embarrassment. Fortunately, they hadn’t voiced those opinions aloud, or they would have been the laughingstock of the city.

In Pei Ji’s eyes, while he wouldn't compare the youth to Sun Wu, Bai Qi, Han Xin, or Li Mu just yet, Fu Zihou was certainly worthy of being called a "young hero."

"Magistrate Liu is too kind. It was merely a stroke of luck. If the rebels hadn't been careless, my efforts would have been in vain," Fu Zihou replied modestly.

He had come to visit because his residence was on the way to the Wen mansion, and he had intended to pay his respects to Madam Li. Seeing Liu Wenjing trying to flatter him, he steered the conversation toward the current situation. Both Liu Wenjing and Pei Ji were astute men; they realized Fu Zihou disliked such praise and followed his lead, discussing the intelligence they had gathered from the West City.

Moments later, they brought up the news they had just received.

"In the south, a relief force is engaging the rebel army. According to our spies, their commander is quite ferocious, having held off several thousand rebels with only a few hundred cavalry! Through interrogations of captured relief soldiers, the rebels learned the commander is Li Shimin, the second son of the Duke of Tang, Li Yuan," Liu Wenjing said, his eyes revealing a hint of regret. It seemed the Duke of Tang’s son was a fierce warrior, much like Fu Zihou. But he was outnumbered and, caught off guard by the rebel advance, was now surrounded.

"I am an old acquaintance of the Duke of Tang, and I have met his son Li Shimin. He is slightly older than you, Commandant. I never imagined he would come to rescue Taiyuan. To enter the Taiyuan Commandery with only a few hundred men is reckless. Now that he is besieged, his chances of survival are slim," Pei Ji added, his tone filled with pessimism. He felt little for Li Shimin, viewing him merely as the son of a friend, but like Liu Wenjing, he felt a sense of pity.

"What is it?" Cui Wenjin asked, noticing the sudden gravity in Fu Zihou’s expression upon hearing the news.

"I am going to lead troops to save him!" Fu Zihou said after a few moments of silence, his voice firm and resolute.

Liu Wenjing and Pei Ji, who had been wondering about the young woman accompanying him, were shocked by his words. Save him? The entire Taiyuan Commandery was crawling with rebels. Fu Zihou had only just managed to escape the East City—did he have a death wish?