Fierce Battle (Part 1)
The tent was brightly lit, and the weather was hot. Wei Jue, dressed in a thin shirt, was sitting in front of the desk.
The seats below were occupied by several individuals, all dressed as literati. I recognized two of them: one was Wei Zhao, and the other was Wang Ju, who had served as the eulogist for my wedding with Wei Tan.
Wei Tan put me down and had Ah Yuan support me. He bowed to Wei Jue and said, "FuQin."
I also performed a bow and said, "Greetings, Jiu Shi." Wei Jue nodded, and after a moment, his gaze fell upon me, and he smiled. "I heard that my Er Fu sprained her foot, and it seems to be true.'"
Feeling embarrassed, I slightly lowered my head and said, "I have troubled Jiu Shi with my carelessness." While saying this, I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat in my heart. He knew about my sprained foot too. This old fox, his ears and eyes are so far-reaching?
Wei Jue stroked his beard and said, "It was Meng Jing's negligence in taking care of you. You may punish him."
Everyone laughed.
At this moment, Wei Jue noticed Wei An entering behind us, which made him even happier.
"Child, come here!" He beckoned Wei An with a wave of his hand.
Wei An walked over.
Wei Jue looked at him and asked, "Did you shoot and kill Liang Chong's son with an arrow?"
Wei An pursed his lips and replied, "No, it was a soldier who shot and killed him. I only made the crossbow."
"Oh?" Wei Jue burst into laughter, pulling Wei An to sit beside him. He then turned to Wei Zhao and said, "Next time, if Ah Rong complains about Ah An not focusing on his duties, let her join the battle and see if she can win a fight."
Wei Zhao smiled faintly and replied, "Exactly."
After the formal greeting, Wei Jue had us take our seats and had someone serve tea to refresh ourselves. There were no designated seats for women in the military tent, and considering my injury, Wei Jue had a camp bed brought in and arranged for me to be placed next to Wei Tan.
"Shu Huang and my Er Fu's family are old friends, and you also participants in the wedding ceremony. They should be familiar," Wei Jue said to Wang Ju.
"Indeed," Wang Ju replied. Then he greeted me with a bow and said, "Furen, I hope you are well."
"Nonsense," Wei Jue laughed again. "My Er Fu injured her foot. How can we say she is well!"
Everyone laughed along.
I spoke to Wang Ju in a soft voice, saying, "Qie is well, the foot injury is not a major concern."
The attendants brought tea, and Wei Jue and the others did not shy away from discussing military matters in front of me.
Apart from Wei Tan and Wei Zhao, the rest of the people present were advisors, most of them in their early thirties with some gray hair. I tried to sit upright and listened to their conversation attentively.
Tan Xi's forces are gaining significant momentum as they advance from the north. Wei Jue was known to attack Tan, but in reality, they withdrew and were on the defensive. The troops of Tan Xi have relentlessly pressed forward and now pose a direct threat to Wu Zhi. If Wei Jue retreats any further, he will have no choice but to fall back to Luoyang, resulting in the majority of Henan falling into the hands of Tan Xi.
The current predicament we face has two main aspects. Firstly, the scarcity of provisions and supplies has become a grave issue. Secondly, Tan Xi has constructed earthen mounds outside our military camp, from which he uses powerful crossbows to rain down upon our soldiers. In the face of this protracted warfare, the availability of provisions and supplies is of utmost importance. If our soldiers become fatigued, their offensive and defensive capabilities will be greatly diminished. Moreover, with Tan Xi positioned above us and raining down arrows with his formidable crossbows, our soldiers are suffering casualties, leaving Wei Jue at a loss for effective strategies. Caught in a dilemma, morale has plummeted.
I listened from the side, and secretly, I was shocked.
With such a dire situation, wasn't it a critical moment? I glanced at Wei Tan, and to my surprise, his expression remained calm and composed, without a single furrowed brow.
As the others discussed matters, Wei Jue suddenly looked at me.
My heart skipped a beat, knowing that it was now my turn to speak or respond.
However, Wei Jue smiled and said, "Meng Jing doesn't know how to be sympathetic, Ah Jin has been through a lot on this journey. There's no need for you to sit here with us. Take some rest."
Although Wei Jue's words were initially directed at Wei Tan, they were actually meant for me.
Wei Tan and I exchanged a glance and I obediently bowed to Wei Jue, saying, "ErFu will comply."
*****
Wei Jue had specially arranged a tent for me, and as I sat down on the cot, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
That old fox…
Talking about sitting there idly, the discussions in the tent were meant for me to hear. They wanted me to understand the current stakes so that I could think about how to persuade Zhao Jun.
It wasn't just a polite gesture to ask me to rest first. They wanted me to act as a mediator, and they specifically valued the bond between my father and Zhao Jun. If I were to hastily rush over without proper preparation, not to mention the fact that my arguments may not be ready, who would be convinced by my exhausted and haggard appearance from this journey?
Lying on the cot, I pondered. But then again, was Zhao Jun really that important? I had met him at home before; he was skilled at chess but quiet and reserved. Was someone like him worth Wei Jue pressuring me, his daughter-in-law, to step forward and negotiate surrender?
*****
Inside the tent, it was quiet, with no disturbances. After having my meal and freshening up, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, it was already dark outside. I turned over and thoughts of Zhao Jun came to mind. I couldn't fall back asleep.
Not long after, I heard voices outside, and soon after, the tent door opened, revealing Wei Tan's figure illuminated by the lamplight.
He had changed his clothes and, as he approached the cot, he unfastened his sword from his waist.
"Still hasn't sleep?" he said, somewhat surprised to see me awake.
"En," I responded.
Wei Tan's gaze flickered with something as he sat down on the cot. "Thinking about tomorrow?"
"En, Let's have a talk, can we?" I didn't plan on hiding anything at this moment. Wei Tan's presence was convenient, and there were certain things I wanted to clarify.
Wei Tan placed the sword on the desk and took off his boots.
There was a fresh scent of recently bathed skin on him, with a hint of sweat, but it wasn't unpleasant.
"Go ahead," Wei Tan propped up a pillow, half-lying down beside me.
"Is it necessary for Zhao Jun to surrender?" I asked.
"Not necessarily to surrender," Wei Tan adjusted his position, finding a comfortable posture. "During Tan Xi's conflict with Dong Kuang, Zhao Jun offered advice several times, helping Tan Xi gain control of Hebei."
I understood, but I was still puzzled. "If he's such an important person, how did he end up being captured by ChengXiang?"
Wei Tan slowly explained, "Tan Xi tends to rely on his trusted subordinates, but he's also suspicious. Zhao Jun and my father are from the same hometown and had a good relationship during their time in the court. Now, while Tan Xi is at war with my father, although Zhao Jun has made contributions, Tan Xi has become wary and has started to sideline him. To avoid suspicion, Zhao Jun volunteered to guard Feicheng, but was intercepted by our forces on the way."
"Oh?" I pondered for a moment and couldn't help but smirk. "In that case, why doesn't Zhao Jun just surrender?"
Wei Tan smiled wryly. "It would be better if he were willing to surrender. However, he values his reputation greatly and would never want to be labeled as a traitor."
So, it was a matter of saving face.
I fell silent, gazing at the top of the tent and letting out a sigh.
Wei Tan glanced at me and calmly said, "You don't have to worry too much. FuQin sees the war at a stalemate and hopes to gain some strategies from Zhao Jun. He knows how stubborn Zhao Jun can be, and if you can't persuade him, he won't blame you either."
"En," I smiled faintly.
However, I had a different thought in my mind.
It was precisely because the war was urgent that I had to persuade him to surrender. Since Wei Jue had made me married into his family because of my background, it was my duty. If persuading Zhao Jun to surrender could benefit the war, both publicly and personally, it would be advantageous. I had no other choices.
******
We had been rushing all the way, and we were all exhausted. After Wei Tan said a few words, I heard his breathing, indicating that he had fallen asleep.
I had slept for a while, but my sleep was restless. Just as I finally fell asleep, I woke up to a bright day, and Wei Tan was nowhere to be seen.
When Ah Yuan came in, she had a mysterious smile on her face.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Furen will find out soon," she replied.
After I changed and freshened up, Ah Yuan called out, "Come in!"
The tent door opened, and a soldier entered, pushing something.
"Furen, Si Gongzi made a pushcart overnight," Ayuan said excitedly.
I looked at her in surprise, then turned to look at the thing called a "pushcart." It had two wheels and a simple bed in the middle with a backrest. It truly resembled what Wei An had drawn on the wooden board.
"Overnight?" I asked. "And where is Si Shu?"
"He couldn't wait for you to wake up, so he went to sleep," she replied.
Me: "..."
I thought to myself, Although it's a new contraption, Wei An's thoughts are truly magical.
I sat on the pushcart, and there was even a place to rest my feet. Ah Yuan pushed me around effortlessly. I had initially worried about how awkward it would be for Wei Tan to carry me around or for me to hop around with Ah Yuan's support. But now, with this contraption, although being pushed around was a rather silly thing to do, it was much better than the previous alternative.
There were important matters to attend to today, so I couldn't indulge too much in playing around. After fooling around with Ah Yuan for a while, the guards brought porridge, and I started to have my meal.
Not long after I finished eating, someone arrived, and it was Wang Ju.
"Greetings, Furen," he greeted with a bow.
"Wang Gong, there's no need for so much formality," I said, looking at him. "What brings Wang Gong here?"
Wang Ju replied, "I assume Furen already aware of the matter concerning Zhao Jun."
Indeed, it was about that.
I nodded. "Indeed."
Wang Ju continued, "One wonders if Furen has come up with a plan?"
I looked at him and said, "Qie haven't thought of one yet. Does Wang Gong have any suggestions?"
"One dares not," Wang Ju said. "Furen, One had a relationship with Zhao Jun in the past. He values loyalty and filial piety above all. Zhao Jun's wife and mother have already been sent to Yongdu by ZhuGong (Wei Jue)."
I was taken aback.
Wei Jue taking Zhao Jun's family to Yongdu was definitely not a casual invitation. This action was clearly a threat.
What kind of relationship did they have, what kind of hometown?
I smiled and said, "If Wang Gong were Zhao Jun and heard this, I wonder if he would be willing to surrender?"
Wang Ju remained calm. "This matter is just a pretext. If it proves difficult to persuade him, it can be used as leverage."
I didn't say anything. After a while, I nodded. "Thank you, Wang Gong. I will consider it on my own."
This statement had the intention of seeing him off. Wang Ju was an astute person and didn't overstay his welcome.
"Furen," he stood up and whispered, "Please don't worry. If there is anything I can do to help, please feel free to ask."
I looked at him and smiled faintly. "Wang Gong's kindness is well received."
Wang Ju glanced at me, bowed, and left.
*****
Although they all said I shouldn't worry too much, I still thought about many things.
When I arrived at the place where Zhao Jun was being held, I took a deep breath.
"Do you want me to accompany you inside?" Wei Tan asked.
"No need," I firmly refused.
"Are you sure?" Wei Tan raised an eyebrow.
I looked at him and said, "It's just meeting an old acquaintance, not facing death."
Wei Tan smiled and let the guards open the wooden enclosure, pushing me inside.
The prison in the military camp was rudimentary, but Wei Tan treated Zhao Jun exceptionally well. The single cell was clean and tidy, furnished with a desk and a bed.
Coming from a noble background, Zhao Jun had strict discipline and manners. He had apparently heard the noise and knew that someone had come to visit. By the time I reached the door, he was already sitting upright on the mat, adopting a welcoming posture.
"Zhao Gong," I said.
He saw me and a look of confusion appeared on his face. After a moment, as if he remembered something, his expression suddenly changed.
"Fu Nǚ…" he opened his mouth in surprise but stopped himself. After a moment, he changed his address, "Furen."
With that, he adjusted his attire and greeted me with a formal bow.