Chapter 74: Hurry and tell Lord Wei—she means it!

Eastern City.

Dou Lichuan and Cai Ran hurried back to their residence, entering the room where Chu Bo and Song Jianfeng were waiting.

“What’s the situation?” Chu Bo immediately inquired as soon as the two arrived. Outside the city gates, the digging of a moat had already begun. They had just gone to gather information and heard that it was the new Commandant of the Eastern City who had requested the Magistrate of Jinyang to dig the moat.

As for this new Commandant, they hadn’t discovered much—only that he was very young, yet had been granted the title of Valiant Commander by the Sui court.

This made Chu Bo extremely anxious. The plan to attack Taiyuan Commandery had already been thoroughly discussed; Duke Wei had dispatched envoys to negotiate with the Turks, asking them to launch an incursion against the Sui garrisons at Mayi and Yanmen, tying down their forces and making them hesitate to move. For this, they had already sent most of their family’s wealth to the Turks as a show of sincerity, as well as part of their promised reward.

At this critical juncture, nothing could be allowed to go wrong in Taiyuan.

“Hahaha! There’s no need to worry!” Cai Ran said with a broad smile, seeing the worry on Chu Bo’s face. “The two of us have already inquired at the Tang household! Tang Maochun himself learned from his elder brother Tang Xian that the young Valiant Commander, fearing deliberate suppression by Pan Changwen, met with Liu Wenjing, the Magistrate of Jinyang, late at night to request permission for the moat!”

Seeing the confusion on Chu Bo and Song Jianfeng’s faces, Cai Ran explained with a grin. Tang Xian, styled Maoyi, was Tang Maochun’s elder brother. Had they not heard the truth from Tang Maochun himself, they never would have guessed at the intricate scheming behind the digging of the moat—a web of intrigue and power plays.

Cai Ran then recounted in detail all he had learned at the Tang residence.

“So that’s how it is!” Chu Bo nodded after understanding the full story. He was well acquainted with Pan Changwen, knowing him to be a narrow-minded and entirely incompetent man.

After discussing with the other trusted aides of Duke Wei and the general Zhen Zhaier, the reason they dared to attack Taiyuan wasn’t only because they had gathered enough carpenters and prepared vast stores of timber for siege engines. As soon as word came from the Turks, they could launch the assault on Taiyuan, assembling ladders, battering rams, catapults, siege towers, and covered wagons outside the city to seize Jinyang in one fell swoop. But more crucially, the commander defending Jinyang was none other than Pan Changwen!

Pan Changwen was merely a Sui general who owed his position to family connections. With the Turks’ assistance and no reinforcements from Mayi or Yanmen, Duke Wei’s hundred thousand strong army, supported by so many siege engines, was sure to take Taiyuan.

Now that it was certain the Valiant Commander was digging the moat as a gesture of weakness toward Pan Changwen, Chu Bo felt much more at ease.

“Send word of this to Duke Wei!” Chu Bo ordered Song Jianfeng, who nodded and immediately left to send someone.

“Have you heard how that young Commandant earned the title of Valiant Commander?” Chu Bo asked, turning to Dou Lichuan and Cai Ran.

Dou Lichuan exchanged a glance with Cai Ran. “He is the one who led the Sui reinforcements at Qinghe County and defeated Zhang Jincheng!” Dou replied.

“What, it was him?” Chu Bo’s expression shifted slightly. He had already heard, some time ago, of Zhang Jincheng’s failed assault on Qinghe County, but never guessed the one who defeated Zhang Jincheng would turn up in Jinyang.

“No need to worry too much! It’s been established that back then, Zhang Jincheng was caught between Yang Shanhui’s resistance and repeated interference from other reinforcements. That youth only managed to win by launching a surprise attack!” Cai Ran gently reassured Chu Bo, telling him not to be overly concerned.

In Tongjun, the veteran Sui general Yang Yichen commanded more than a hundred thousand troops, so news from Qinghe had always been sparse. When Cai Ran learned at the Tang residence that the new Commandant of the Eastern City was the one who had defeated Zhang Jincheng, he too was startled. But after hearing the details from Tang Maochun, he put his mind at ease. Yang Shanhui did have some reputation; though the particulars were unclear, with Yang’s help distracting Zhang Jincheng, it was not surprising that the youth’s sneak attack succeeded.

“Besides, with the Turks holding off the garrisons at Mayi and Yanmen, and with our massive forces and siege engines, what can a young commander possibly do to stop us?” Cai Ran added, a faint smile curling his lips.

In Cai Ran’s eyes, any lingering doubts faded the moment he pictured the hills covered with siege engines.

Zhang Jincheng’s defeat did not mean others would fail as well. Under Duke Wei’s command, after years of lying low and seeking out carpenters from the south skilled in assembling siege engines, they were nothing like the short-sighted, bloodthirsty Zhang Jincheng. Zhang aspired only to banditry, but Duke Wei was made for greater things.

“All the same, caution is warranted! We must remain vigilant and keep a close watch these next few days. Under no circumstances can anything jeopardize the attack on Taiyuan. If Duke Wei seizes Taiyuan, he will surely proclaim himself emperor, and then we will all be ministers of merit!” Chu Bo urged Dou Lichuan and Cai Ran not to let down their guard.

Jinyang was the natural stronghold of Taiyuan; across the river in the Western City stood not only the palace but also warehouses stocked with armor and grain. Seizing Jinyang would allow them to overlook Guanzhong’s Chang’an and even Luoyang beyond. Duke Wei’s ascension was within reach; they must be careful at all costs.

Taking Jinyang—this Eastern City—was the first step. Not only was it the first step toward Duke Wei’s imperial claim, but also the beginning of his great enterprise.

“Rest assured!” Cai Ran replied, exchanging a look with Dou Lichuan. The thought of one day helping Duke Wei seize Taiyuan and proclaim himself emperor, and of the honors and riches that would follow, set their hearts ablaze.

With Taiyuan in hand, they would become ministers in their own right, never again mere outlaws.

...

Eastern City.

With the matter of the new moat, not only were people inside the city abuzz with discussion, but even outside the walls, idle sons of noble families and scholars gathered to watch the endless lines of laborers digging and hauling earth.

“To dig a moat around Jinyang—what a pointless endeavor! For decades, Jinyang has always been the one sending out troops to attack others; never has anyone dared to attack Jinyang!”

“Exactly! In the Western City, where all the elite and the palace are, no one is digging a moat! Why bother here in the East?”

“I heard this request came from the new Commandant of the Eastern City, a Valiant Commander appointed by the emperor himself!”

“What? That’s it? A Valiant Commander? With that kind of timidity?”

In the midst of the bustling chatter, the scions of noble houses and numerous scholars found the moat-digging laughable—an idle project for those with nothing better to do.

In these troubled times, when regions everywhere were beset by banditry, the new Commandant, having just taken up his post, concerned himself not with suppressing rebels but with digging a moat. What cowardice could drive such a farcical act?

As time passed, more and more onlookers gathered, and the rumors spread ever further.

Inside the city, Fu Zihou sat in his quarters. After issuing strict orders to all the soldiers and currying their favor, he began to plan further.

“You’re saying this is the Liu family’s mansion?” Fu Zihou pointed at the map, glancing at Hu Jingyuan and Yin Tianzong, who nodded. He circled the residence on the map.

“And this is the ancestral home of the Song and Zheng families? So their wives and children must still be in the city, correct?” he asked.

Hu Jingyuan and Yin Tianzong nodded, exchanging puzzled glances, unsure of Fu Zihou’s intentions.

With the city abuzz about the new moat, Fu Zihou seemed utterly unconcerned with public opinion. He didn’t bother going out to supervise the work or silence the scholars; instead, he gathered his lieutenants to ask about the addresses of the city’s noble families.

“Let today’s discussion go no further, or you’ll be punished by military law! Soon, I want you to bring several soldiers familiar with the local terrain to accompany me outside the city,” Fu Zihou instructed, offering no further explanation.

As he memorized the marked locations on the map, Fu Zihou resolved that, should rebels appear—regardless of whether they attacked the city or not, and whether he himself was present—the families of these noble houses would be the first to be rounded up and brought to the barracks.

Fu Zihou knew all too well the nature of the aristocracy: as long as their own interests and safety were not threatened, they cared little for the fate of others. If the rebels surrounded the city, these people would most likely conspire with them to save their own skins.

At that point, not only might they help the enemy open the gates, but their influence and connections could spread rumors and sap morale—an equally deadly threat.

Morale and unity were as crucial to city defense as food supplies.

Fu Zihou intended not only to prevent the nobility from collaborating with the enemy but also to coerce them into rallying the commoners to defend the city.

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing Fu Zihou’s orders, Hu Jingyuan, Yin Tianzong, and the others quickly bowed in assent.

None of them—neither the two brigade commanders nor the four squad leaders Lai Bo, Zhou Xingyao, Ma Huer, and Wu Liuzi—had any idea that Fu Zihou was already prepared to move decisively against the city’s noble houses.

Just then, a soldier hurried into the room.

“Report! Commandant, the Eastern City has delivered armor and grain!” he announced.

Fu Zihou was surprised and delighted, quickly rolling up his map and leading his men outside.

At the eastern city gate, carts laden with armor and grain were ferried across the river. The assembled onlookers—noble sons and scholars—broke into fresh discussion.

“Look at that, even more grain and armor being brought in!”

“They should change his title from Valiant Commander to Cowardly Commander!”

“Exactly! He’s so young—who knows how he even got that title?”

To all the aristocratic youth and scholars, this new Valiant Commander seemed the very picture of cowardice. Especially when Fu Zihou arrived in person with his officers, and the men and commoners of the Eastern City finally got to see just how young the Commandant was whom everyone mocked as timid.

“Count the supplies and store them in the warehouse,” Fu Zihou ordered. He could clearly sense how, upon his arrival, the voices of mockery quickly died down.

Under the gaze of all, Fu Zihou surveyed the endless stream of carts full of grain and arms, his satisfaction obvious. He had never expected it would be so easy to obtain all the provisions and armor he needed.

He had even prepared lavish gifts to present to Pan Changwen and Pei Ji at a later time.

“Send word to widen the moat as much as possible—work faster!” Fu Zihou ordered, glancing at the laborers digging the moat.

Yin Tianzong nodded and relayed the order to a nearby soldier.

“Come! Let’s inspect the other areas outside the city,” Fu Zihou said, heart at ease as he looked at the carts of food. Whatever happened, he had done his utmost for the commoners of the Western City, and his conscience was clear.

With the problems of provisions and internal threats solved, there remained a third major task: scorched earth measures. Any place where the enemy could rest or set up camp should be sabotaged; any tall towers offering vantage points for the enemy should be marked for burning at the first sign of trouble. Bamboo groves suitable for making arrows must be ready to be set ablaze, and water sources must be marked as well—dead animals or poison could be hidden there in advance, causing heavy casualties or even disease among the enemy. Nothing could be left to chance.

For decades, with the rise of Buddhism and Daoism, the city had been preoccupied with building temples and pagodas and had never conducted a thorough inspection. Fu Zihou was determined to mark everything clearly during this period.

Outside the eastern gate, Dou Lichuan, Cai Ran, Chu Bo, and Song Jianfeng, having heard the news, hurried to the crowd. When they saw the carts full of armor and grain being transported into the city, they were dumbfounded.

What on earth...?

Was this the act of a sane person?

Even Song Jianfeng, and especially Cai Ran and Dou Lichuan, were left speechless.

Chu Bo’s face was particularly grim as he gazed at the endless lines of carts loaded with military supplies.

“This is bad! That brat is serious about defending the city! We must inform Duke Wei at once and have him launch the attack immediately before it’s too late! Hurry!!!” Chu Bo cried in panic to Song Jianfeng and Cai Ran.

Seeing the scene before them, no one could guess what other unpredictable measures the young Commandant might take if given more time.

“Agreed!” Cai Ran, realizing the gravity of the situation, nodded frantically and, together with Dou Lichuan, made ready to deliver the news to Duke Wei in person.