Jiang Wei’s sudden return to Qingmian County was like a pillar being planted in the center of Fang Biehan’s heart.

The two of them conferred privately for a while, and in the end Jiang Wei decided to approach the people from the Court of Justice himself — to see what kind of attitude they held.

That Jiang Wei would be willing to do so came as a surprise even to Fang Biehan.

That night, Master Ye was in his room reading when a knock came at the door. He seemed to have grown accustomed to unexpected visitors by now, and rose to answer it.

“What rank do you hold in the Court of Justice?” asked the figure outside.

Master Ye replied, “What rank do you hold in the Mu Camp?”

Jiang Wei said, “My rank in the Mu Camp is high enough to make the people of the Court of Justice very happy.”

Master Ye smiled. “I’ll return the same answer — my rank in the Court of Justice is high enough to make all of you very happy as well.”

Jiang Wei smiled too, but didn’t step inside. He took a few steps back. “Seize him. First light tomorrow, we escort him to Mei City.”

At Jiang Wei’s command, dozens of Mu Camp soldiers surged forward, training their crossbows on Master Ye.

Master Ye, however, didn’t react at all. With his level of alertness, could he really have failed to hear dozens of people approaching from the front? But the front courtyard was full of men, and there was no movement whatsoever from behind. What kind of way was this to capture someone?

If this was the full extent of the Mu Camp’s operational ability, could the Mu Camp really be considered a match for the Court of Justice?

So Master Ye went back into his room, sat down, and poured two cups of tea — one he placed before himself, the other across the table.

When Jiang Wei saw this, he raised a hand. The dozens of soldiers behind him stood down, easy and unhurried.

“Can you fight?” Master Ye asked suddenly.

Jiang Wei, mid-step through the doorway, paused instinctively, then nodded. “Well enough.”

Master Ye smiled. “If you can’t fight, you’d be better off not coming in. You might find yourself subdued and used as my ticket out of the city.”

Jiang Wei said, “If you wanted to leave the city, why wait until now?”

He sat down across from Master Ye and looked at the teacup in front of him.

“I am Jiang Wei, Liao Officer of the Mu Camp,” he said, introducing himself briefly. Then he asked directly: “For someone of my standing — if I were to surrender to Prince Ning, what position would your side arrange for me?”

Master Ye said, “We can guarantee your life.”

At those four words, a cold flash crossed Jiang Wei’s eyes. The corner of his mouth curved into a cold smile.

“If that is the attitude with which you’ve come to negotiate,” he said, “then at most I can guarantee your life.”

Master Ye smiled. “Many thanks for that. When I came here, I didn’t expect to make it back alive.”

Jiang Wei: “I don’t believe there’s anyone in this world who truly has no fear of death.”

Master Ye said, “Neither do I. But when I think of how, the moment I die, this place will be leveled to the ground, I find there’s nothing I can’t accept.”

Jiang Wei laughed out loud. “What a joke. If Prince Ning could breach Kao Shan Pass and enter Shu Province with ease, why would he need to send you here to take this risk?”

Master Ye said, “You misunderstand. Coming here is not a risk for me — it is my duty. Otherwise, why would the Court of Justice exist at all?”

He looked into Jiang Wei’s eyes. “Just as in your Mu Camp — the man who went to Da Xing City knowing full well he would die, and still brought Yang Jing back out. If there were no people like him, why would the Mu Camp need to exist?”

These words seemed to strike something in Jiang Wei. The cold light in his eyes vanished in an instant.

“He deserved respect,” Jiang Wei said quietly, head lowered.

Master Ye said, “As an opponent, I felt the same.”

Jiang Wei raised his head and looked at Master Ye. “He was my good friend. But he died at your people’s hands. Do you truly think I would let you walk away from this?”

Master Ye said, “You still have another good friend.”

Jiang Wei was briefly stunned.

After a moment, he said, with a touch of bitterness: “You know quite a lot.”

Master Ye said, “Several of the Banner Officers were rather candid with me. Perhaps it’s because they felt their own standing was such that there was no need for games. You, on the other hand, are different — you’re a Liao Officer of the Mu Camp, so naturally you have to keep up appearances.”

Jiang Wei gave a cold snort. “You’re not a very likeable person.”

Master Ye said, “Did you think Prince Ning would send someone likeable to deal with you?”

Jiang Wei had no desire to keep dancing around in circles. He asked directly once more: “I need a clear answer from you right now. If I surrender, how will I be arranged? And what of my friend, and the men under my command?”

Master Ye said, “If you simply surrender like this, I’ll tell you plainly — we can only guarantee your lives. Your friend’s death weighs on you, it enrages you — but don’t forget: his men broke the legs of Prince Ning’s sworn brother.”

Jiang Wei went silent.

After a long pause, he asked, “Then tell me plainly — what must we do, after surrendering, to be treated with generosity?”

Master Ye said, “Kao Shan Pass.”

Jiang Wei shot to his feet. “With a few hundred people here, you think we can take Kao Shan Pass? There are at least forty thousand elite troops stationed there — the most battle-hardened force in Shu Province’s army. Are you out of your mind?”

Master Ye said, “Wealth and glory don’t come cheaply. You clawed your way up to Liao Officer in the Mu Camp — did that come easily?”

Jiang Wei said, “Then there’s nothing to discuss.”

Master Ye said, “Then perhaps you could tell me what your limit is.”

Jiang Wei said, “I know of a narrow path. It cannot accommodate a large force, but getting a group of capable, skilled fighters through should be manageable.”

“And then?” Master Ye asked.

“If you want to stage a coordinated attack from inside and out,” Jiang Wei said, “I can arrange for the elite fighters you bring through the path to disguise themselves as Mu Camp soldiers and enter Kao Shan Pass through the rear gate.”

“At most, perhaps seven or eight hundred people could get through. Any more would raise suspicion — and even that number might not be achievable.”

“I will help you deceive them into opening the rear gate of Kao Shan Pass. As for whether you can breach the front gate and hold it until your main forces arrive — I make no promises.”

Master Ye said, “That level of sincerity is, frankly, not enough.”

He said plainly, “Taking Shu Province is not a question of difficulty for Prince Ning, only of timing. If he is not in a hurry, he can seal off Shu Province entirely and simply wait a few more years.”

“But those of us here have a duty — to do everything in our power to hasten the unification of the realm under Prince Ning. Faster is better.”

“If even this condition cannot be met, and we are taking on risk with no guarantee of outcome, then it may be better to simply wait those few years.”

Jiang Wei smiled. “Shu Province is the land of abundance — grain aplenty. The siege strategy you speak of is meaningless.”

Master Ye smiled as well. “You won’t yield, I won’t yield. In the end there’s nothing to discuss. So why not both give a little ground?”

Jiang Wei asked, “How so?”

Master Ye said, “You and Chief Banner Officer Fang together — your Mu Camp forces number at least a thousand, surely?”

Jiang Wei said, “I came to Qingmian County with only a dozen or so attendants — no troops. The Mu Camp soldiers under Chief Banner Officer Fang’s command come to roughly six hundred in all. As you’ve probably gathered, he’s been sidelined within the Mu Camp and never held real authority.”

Master Ye said, “You field six hundred, we field six hundred — can that number get into Kao Shan Pass?”

Jiang Wei said, “You want our men to go to their deaths as well?”

Master Ye said, “There must be some form of guarantee. With both our people mixed together, both sides will feel a little more at ease.”

Jiang Wei frowned. “I need to discuss this with Chief Banner Officer Fang.”

Master Ye made a welcoming gesture. “Once you’ve discussed it, please do send word. I’ll need to return and report this to our forces attacking Shu Province.”

“Forces?” Jiang Wei’s expression shifted sharply. “You mean Prince Ning’s army attacking Shu Province is already close to Kao Shan Pass? That’s impossible. Don’t think I don’t know how Prince Ning’s forces are deployed — General Tang Pidi only just defeated Han Feibao. His troops need to regroup. They can’t be here this fast.”

Master Ye said, “Do you know how many generals of the same rank as General Tang Pidi serve in our forces?”

Jiang Wei was visibly taken aback again.

Master Ye said, “General Xiahou Zhuo commands two hundred thousand troops from Ji Province — they are not far from Kao Shan Pass now. General Tang Pidi’s forces will regroup and follow. He’ll arrive no more than three months behind General Xiahou.”

Jiang Wei’s mind raced. Everything this man had just said forced him to overturn every plan he had carefully laid out in his own head.

If what this man said was true, then surrendering or not surrendering was truly a matter of the most urgent urgency.

Jiang Wei asked, “How long do we have?”

Master Ye said, “Twenty days at the most before the main forces reach Kao Shan Pass.”

Jiang Wei’s brow creased into deep thought. He said nothing for what felt like a quarter of an hour.

Master Ye was unhurried, sitting quietly to the side, drinking his tea and waiting.

When Jiang Wei had made up his mind, he looked at Master Ye. “If I agree to do everything in my power to help you take Kao Shan Pass, can you grant me one condition?”

Master Ye asked, “What is it?”

Jiang Wei said, “Earlier you told Chief Banner Officer Fang that you could help us take revenge. If you kill Dou Qusheng for us, forget hundreds of men — Fang Biehan and I will join the vanguard ourselves and fight side by side with your people to storm the front gate of Kao Shan Pass.”

Master Ye nodded. “Since it is something I gave my word on, I will do everything in my power to fulfill it.”

Jiang Wei rose a second time. “I’ll go and confer with Chief Banner Officer Fang now. I’ll also arrange for people to escort you safely out of the city tonight. It will be better for you to go and meet your people under cover of darkness — if you return in daylight, you’ll still be worried about us tailing you.”

Master Ye smiled. “Why would I need to go and meet my people?”

Jiang Wei’s gaze sharpened. “Surely you don’t think you alone can kill Dou Qusheng?”

“That is precisely what I was thinking,” Master Ye said.

Jiang Wei shook his head. “You may have that confidence. But I absolutely do not believe it. If Dou Qusheng were that easy to kill, Fang Biehan and I could have avenged ourselves already — we wouldn’t need to be negotiating with you.”

He said firmly: “If your people don’t come, there is nothing further to discuss.”

Master Ye considered this. At present, Fang Biehan seemed to have genuinely been moved. But Jiang Wei was still wavering — he had shown little real sincerity.

If they actually helped him kill this Dou Qusheng, perhaps Jiang Wei would finally commit. And if Jiang Wei’s cooperation allowed them to take Kao Shan Pass from the inside, it would spare countless soldiers of Prince Ning’s army from having to die in the assault.

If it came to a full frontal assault on Kao Shan Pass, the casualties would be catastrophic.

At that thought, Master Ye nodded. “I’ll concede on this point. I’ll go back and bring some help.”

Jiang Wei shook his head. “We both need to see each other’s sincerity. A handful of people — I don’t believe you’d have the strength to kill Dou Qusheng.”

Master Ye said, “We’ll see once we’ve tried.”

Jiang Wei thought to himself that he couldn’t be too unyielding, or neither side would have a way to step back gracefully.

So he nodded. “You go and settle your side. I’ll settle mine. Before dawn, come back and give us an answer.”

Master Ye gave a nod.

Jiang Wei clasped his hands toward Master Ye. “I hope both our sides can be satisfied.”

Master Ye gave a quiet sound of agreement. “I hope so too.”

—