“The brothers in the stronghold now all believe that joining Prince Yu won’t result in us being used as pawns. With the stronghold’s combined strength of sixty or seventy thousand, everyone feels Prince Yu wouldn’t dare treat a force that size carelessly.”

Yu Chaozong drank from his cup — he had been drinking more and more frequently of late.

“Everyone reckons that Prince Yu’s total forces amount to only around sixty thousand, with half of those scattered across various postings. The garrison troops within Jizhou City number only thirty-some thousand.”

He looked at Li Chi: “These past few years, Yanshan Camp has trained without stop every day. Everyone thinks that if we faced the garrison troops in open battle, we wouldn’t lose easily — everyone thinks highly of themselves. But the truth is, our seventy thousand fighters could not defeat thirty thousand garrison troops fighting for their lives.”

Li Diudiu nodded. He believed this.

Yanshan Camp’s mountain outlaws were comparatively disciplined — they drilled constantly and remained battle-ready. But even so, that only applied to Yu Chaozong’s original core. The forces that arrived later had no such habits.

This army, relying on Yanshan’s natural defenses, could still hold the mountain. But the moment they descended, this force would be a flock of sheep against a pack of tigers and wolves in the garrison troops. No matter how many more sheep there were, faced with tigers and wolves they would be torn to pieces.

“Elder Brother Yu.”

Yu Jiuling urged: “Given all this, why not take your people and leave? They won’t listen to reason anyway. With your abilities, take the brothers elsewhere — in two or three years, your forces will be strong again.”

Yu Chaozong shook his head: “Many of the old brothers in the stronghold also think joining Prince Yu is a good path. If I stay, when something does go wrong, I can still save some of them — save what I can. But if I leave, they…”

Yu Jiuling said: “Elder Brother Yu has already tried to persuade them, and they’ve had their eyes blinded by the promise of fame and fortune. Keep talking and it won’t help. You can’t let those people drag you down with them, Elder Brother Yu.”

Yu Chaozong shook his head again: “I won’t think about that for now. I’ll hold things back for as long as I can.”

Li Diudiu looked at Zhuang Wudi, then rose and said: “Elder Brother Zhuang, where’s the outhouse? My stomach’s been unsettled.”

Zhuang Wudi stood: “I’ll take you.”

The two walked out one after the other. At the outhouse, Li Diudiu lowered his voice: “Watch yourself lately. If Bi Datong moves against Elder Brother Yu, you’ll be the first he targets.”

Zhuang Wudi nodded: “I know. I’ve just been staying inside the stronghold and not going out.”

Li Diudiu pressed further: “How’s your relationship with Fourth-in-Command?”

Zhuang Wudi said: “Aside from Big Brother, I’m on roughly the same terms with everyone else. Third and Fourth Brothers know me a bit better than the others. I don’t care for Old Five or Old Six, and even less for Second Brother. Third Brother is one of Big Brother’s close men, and Fourth Brother should be the same.”

Li Diudiu said: “If Fourth-in-Command invites you out anytime soon, do not agree.”

“Why?”

Zhuang Wudi was taken aback. He said with some confusion: “Fourth Brother can’t be on Second Brother’s side. When Big Brother was ambushed outside, Fourth Brother was the one who led men rushing after him to the rescue.”

Li Diudiu said: “I can’t say too much without it sounding like I’m stirring trouble between brothers. Only — that man’s eyes are wrong, and most likely he’s already with Second Brother. Elder Brother Zhuang, just bear it in mind.”

Zhuang Wudi thought it over. He wasn’t planning to go out anyway. So he nodded: “I’ll remember. Don’t worry. Though I still think Fourth Brother wouldn’t be like that.”

The two made their way back from the outhouse. As they walked, Zhuang Wudi asked in a low voice: “Do you think they’d actually dare to move against Big Brother?”

Li Diudiu nodded: “Just that there hasn’t been a good opportunity or a good pretext. The ones who want Yu Chaozong dead are many — but no one wants to be the one to bear the infamy. As long as no word comes from Prince Yu’s side, it’ll be all right for a time. Once that word arrives, they won’t care about infamy anymore.”

A flash of murderous intent crossed Zhuang Wudi’s eyes, and he murmured half to himself: “I’ll look for a chance to take out Second Brother first.”

Li Diudiu said: “Now that you’re back, how could he not be on guard against you?”

Zhuang Wudi sighed, wondering to himself: the stronghold was fine just a while ago — how did it come to this?

People… are fame and fortune really that important?

For a vague and empty promise from Prince Yu, is everything else really so easily cast aside?

The two returned to the room and sat with Yu Chaozong a while longer. When the hour drew late into the night, Li Diudiu and Yu Jiuling headed off to the guest quarters to sleep.

In Fourth-in-Command Wu Xionqi’s quarter of the stronghold, he had summoned Third-in-Command Zhou Daoshou over, poured him a cup of wine, then let out a long, heavy breath.

Zhou Daoshou asked: “Fourth Brother, what’s gotten into you? Old Seven is back and everyone’s happy — why are you sighing like this?”

Wu Xionqi said: “Third Brother, you still haven’t seen it? Big Brother actually doesn’t fully trust either of us. Never mind Second Brother’s side — even we two can’t speak our hearts to Big Brother. Look at Old Seven coming back — Big Brother said no one was allowed in to see him, and that included us two. It just feels stifling.”

Zhou Daoshou paused, then shook his head: “Fourth Brother, you’re not being fair to Big Brother. Old Seven just returned — there must be a great many things to report to Big Brother. Big Brother will tell us all in good time. Why do you need to be part of it right away?”

Wu Xionqi said: “Big Brother has changed. You still can’t see it?”

He drank from his cup and said: “Look at that young man called Li Dui — claims to be someone from the Military Governor’s side. Big Brother has been secretly in contact with the imperial authorities, and none of us knew.”

Zhou Daoshou bristled: “Is that not Big Brother’s lifesaver?!”

Wu Xionqi said: “Third Brother, have you gone muddled? The more I’ve thought about what happened up on the mountain that day, the more off it seems. How convenient that someone just happened to save Big Brother, and a person with ties to the imperial authorities at that? The way I see it, we’ve been suspecting Second Brother all along, and we’ve been suspecting the wrong man.”

He looked at Zhou Daoshou and said: “What if the imperial authorities deliberately arranged people to launch a fake ambush on Big Brother, then arranged someone else to save him — all to sow division in Yanshan Camp, to make Big Brother suspect Second Brother…”

Before he finished the sentence, Zhou Daoshou slammed his cup down.

“Fourth Brother, that’s a heartless thing to say.”

Zhou Daoshou said furiously: “I was at Big Brother’s side when he was ambushed — can’t I tell what kind of people those were? If we hadn’t fought with everything we had, Big Brother and I would both be dead! And now you’re speaking up for Second Brother at every turn — don’t tell me you’ve already gone over to his side.”

Wu Xionqi hurried to say: “Third Brother, how can you say that about me? I was trying to do you a kindness and warn you!”

Zhou Daoshou said: “I don’t need your warning. Who is good and who isn’t, right from wrong — I can see clearly with my own eyes. If you want to chase an official’s title, Third Brother won’t stop you. But if you go on making groundless accusations against Big Brother, don’t blame Third Brother for turning his back on you.”

Wu Xionqi said: “Fine, fine. Forget I said anything.”

Zhou Daoshou said: “I’m going back. I don’t feel like drinking tonight.”

He rose and walked out in large strides, pulled the door open — and the person outside suddenly drove a blade into him. The knife sank into Zhou Daoshou’s stomach with a dull thud.

Zhou Daoshou hadn’t for a moment expected anyone to try to kill him at Fourth Brother’s place. He was a man who still trusted Fourth Brother. When he looked and saw clearly that the one outside was Sixth Brother, his eyes went wide.

Sixth Brother wrenched the knife out and drove it in again. And again. And again.

Stabbing, he said: “Fourth Brother, don’t blame me. Big Brother is standing in the way of the brothers’ bright future. You were on Big Brother’s side — brothers have to do what they have to do for a better life ahead. I’m sorry.”

He drove the blade in six or seven times. Zhou Daoshou fell to the ground and, after twitching a few times, went still.

Sixth Brother wiped his hands, tossed the knife aside, and looked at Wu Xionqi: “Fourth Brother, didn’t I tell you? Third Brother was never going to believe you.”

Wu Xionqi’s face had gone white as a ghost. Looking at Third Brother’s body on the ground, his shoulders trembled without stop.

“That wasn’t… that wasn’t what we agreed — you were supposed to just talk Third Brother around. You…”

He raised his head to look at Sixth Brother. Sixth Brother shrugged: “Fourth Brother, this is Second Brother’s call.”

The words had barely settled when Second-in-Command Bi Datong walked slowly in from outside. He took in the body on the floor at a glance, gave it a couple of kicks to make sure the man was dead, and let out a breath.

He sat himself down in the room, poured a cup of wine, drank it, and said: “Fourth Brother, as you know — Third Brother had those cavalry forces in his hands. As long as Third Brother lived, Yu Chaozong could at least escape with his life. Only with Third Brother dead do our odds improve.”

Wu Xionqi strode up to Bi Datong and demanded furiously: “You told me — you said just to talk Third Brother round. Why did you have him killed?!”

Bi Datong smiled: “You’re right, I deceived you. When I told you to lure Old Seven out, that was a lie. Old Seven is hard to kill — his martial skill is too strong. Third Brother is also formidable, but his guard is too weak — easy to kill.”

He said: “I deliberately told you to lure Old Seven, and didn’t tell you we were going after Third Brother. Because I know your timid, indecisive nature — if you’d known we were going to kill Third Brother, you’d have acted unnaturally. You’d have given yourself away.”

He continued: “If I hadn’t told you, only said to talk Third Brother round — Third Brother would see that your expression was genuine and have no cause to be suspicious. In the art of warfare, what is this called? Deceive the heavens and cross the ocean? Cross the river using a decoy? Or strike east while attacking west?”

Wu Xionqi’s hands shook harder and harder with rage. He reached out and grabbed Bi Datong by the throat. Bi Datong didn’t move a muscle.

“Fourth Brother, think carefully. Zhou Daoshou died here in your room. Right now if we raise a cry, can you explain that away?”

Already with his hands at Bi Datong’s throat, Wu Xionqi’s eyes went glassy at those words, and his arms dropped powerlessly to his sides.

Sixth Brother came over with a grin: “Fourth Brother, isn’t that right? I used to wonder whether you were a spy sent by Yu Chaozong. Now that this has happened, the brothers trust you completely. That’s a good thing.”

Wu Xionqi turned to look at him, now largely numb.

“Sixth Brother.”

Bi Datong said: “Follow the plan. It’s not yet convenient for me to appear personally. When things reach that point, I’ll step in to save the day — and the whole stronghold will submit to me. So the rest of this — you and Fourth Brother handle it. I’ll play ignorant for now…”

He rose to leave.

Wu Xionqi’s instincts sharpened, and he immediately asked: “What comes next? What still needs to happen?”

Sixth-in-Command Gao He smiled: “Fourth Brother, did you think this was over?”

He pointed at Zhou Daoshou’s body: “You and Third Brother were having a drink together. Suddenly men in black appeared — they were clearly trying to kill you. Third Brother fought to the death to save you. But the man drove his blade right into Third Brother and killed him. You got a clear look at the killer’s face — and it was that Li Dui who just came up the mountain. You are the eyewitness to Third Brother’s murder.”

Gao He smiled: “Now I’ll go rally the men and push the whole force straight up to surround Big Brother’s stronghold — demand he hand over Li Dui.”

He and Second Brother Bi Datong walked out together, talking as they went: “The show is just getting started. Who told Big Brother to be so clever and say that Li Dui was the Military Governor’s man? Isn’t it perfectly natural for an imperial official to come up to Yanshan Camp to assassinate one of our chiefs? If it’s put charitably, Big Brother was deceived. If it’s put less charitably — wasn’t Big Brother colluding with the imperial authorities?”

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