As evening fell on the second day, Wei Liang arrived at Shiyi in haste. At the city gate, he shouted angrily, challenging the defenders to battle. His voice carried to the top of the city walls.
Shiyi, located in the northern part of the Taihang Mountains, was backed by natural defenses, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. The current Prefect of Shiyi, Chen Pang, courtesy name Xiaoxian, was Chen Rui’s uncle and had been guarding Shiyi for many years.
While Chen Xiang and his son Chen Rui were known for their cruelty, Chen Pang had a good reputation. He cared for the people under his rule and had won their hearts. Years ago, Wei Liao’s father, Wei Jing, had attempted to attack Shiyi several times. However, due to the enthusiastic support of the people who provided supplies and assistance to Chen Pang, these attacks were unsuccessful.
A few years back, when Wei Liao was still a hot-blooded youth, he had set his sights on Shiyi again, determined to capture this western gateway with his overwhelming force. Upon hearing this news, Chen Pang, wary of Wei Liao’s fierce momentum and fearing an attack under some pretext, submitted a memorial to the imperial court. He described the situation in his prefecture, lamenting that the people were content and settled, but now, with rumors of war, countless families were fleeing, abandoning their fields and wells, leading to untold suffering. This was a veiled accusation against Wei Liao’s military intentions.
The imperial court, naturally unwilling to see Wei Liao grow too powerful, issued an edict to intervene. Wei Liao consulted Gong Sun Yang, who advised that Shiyi had long been under Chen Xiang’s control, and Chen Pang had cultivated goodwill among the people. Even if they captured it, they would need to leave a large garrison to defend it, potentially negating their gains. He suggested that consolidating their current territory should be the priority, as the time for westward expansion was not yet ripe. Moreover, they lacked a just cause for war and would not have popular support. Based on this advice, Wei Liao decided to postpone the attack, and Shiyi narrowly escaped danger.
Several years had passed since then, during which Chen Pang had been training troops and stockpiling supplies, with Shiyi remaining peaceful. So when a gate officer suddenly reported that Wei Liang from Youzhou had come to challenge them to battle, it caught them off guard. There had been no prior intelligence about this. Alarmed, Chen Pang hastily mustered his troops and ascended the city walls. Seeing only Wei Liang with a dozen or so followers below, without any large army in sight, he felt somewhat relieved.
Wei Liang was a fierce general under Wei Liao’s command, and Chen Pang had certainly heard of him. Suspecting there might be more to this sudden appearance, Chen Pang engaged in a conversation from afar. When Wei Liang saw Chen Pang appear, he said nothing more, just gave a cold laugh and shot an arrow with a message attached to the top of the wall. The arrow whistled through the air with a menacing sound and embedded itself in the flagpole on the city wall.
Chen Pang ordered someone to retrieve the message from the arrow. As he read it, his expression changed dramatically.
…
Just a few hours earlier, his nephew Chen Rui had arrived at the city gate, calling to be let in. Chen Pang had heard about the defeat at Boling earlier in the year and assumed Chen Rui had already returned to Jinyang in Binzhou with the main army. He was surprised to see Chen Rui suddenly appear here, so he opened the gates to welcome him. Chen Rui looked exhausted, claiming he hadn’t slept the previous night and had been rushing towards Shiyi. When asked about his journey, Chen Rui was evasive and unclear. Chen Pang noticed a carriage with Chen Rui, its sides completely covered, concealing whoever was inside. When questioned further, Chen Rui remained vague, only saying it was a female companion who was too shy to show her face.
Chen Pang knew his nephew had a reputation for lechery, with numerous concubines in his household. Seeing that he had brought a woman along even while fleeing after a defeat displeased Chen Pang. He admonished Chen Rui, warning him not to cause any trouble for the city’s residents. Chen Rui nodded meekly in agreement, so Chen Pang had someone escort them to their quarters, choosing to turn a blind eye to the matter.
He had assumed his nephew had brought in an ordinary woman, or at worst, someone he had abducted from somewhere. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would be Wei Liao’s newly wedded wife, Lady Qiao from the Qiao family of Yanzhou.
This revelation was shocking beyond measure.
Chen Pang ordered the city gates to be tightly guarded, forbidding entry to anyone. He then hurriedly left the city walls to confront Chen Rui.
…
Upon reaching his quarters, Chen Rui had dismissed everyone, allowing no one to remain. Once everyone had been sent away, he carried Lady Qiao from the carriage directly into the room. After closing the door, he removed the cloth gagging her mouth and untied the ropes binding her hands and feet. Seeing the bruises on her jade-like wrists where the ropes had cut into her skin, he was filled with remorse. He moved closer, intending to take her hands and soothe them, saying, “My beauty, please don’t be angry! I’m not usually so rough! I was just afraid you might cry out and arouse my uncle’s suspicions. If you hadn’t struggled, how could I bear to treat you so harshly?”
Lady Qiao avoided his outstretched hands, turning away as she slowly rubbed her numb wrists. She silently observed Chen Rui with cold eyes.
Chen Rui stood nearby, staring at Lady Qiao, his eyes fixed on her.
After a night of jostling in the carriage, she looked weary, with faint dark circles under her eyes and slightly disheveled hair. But this did nothing to diminish her beauty; rather, it added a touch of fragile charm that made one want to protect her.
Chen Rui, a robust man, had been with women since he was fourteen, bedding no fewer than a hundred. Among them were many beauties, but he had never seen anyone like Lady Qiao. The more he looked at her, the more infatuated he became. He couldn’t get enough of her, wishing he could somehow consume her entirely. His heart felt as if countless insects were biting at it, an unbearable itch. Unable to control himself, he lunged forward and embraced her, trying to kiss her as he pleaded, “My beauty! I truly love you! That Wei Liao is heartless, sending you away the day after your wedding. Perhaps he’s not even a real man? If he’s not a man, you shouldn’t want him! Just be with me! I’ll cherish you from now on…”
Lady Qiao was startled and tried to dodge his mouth. She managed to avoid his lips but was caught off guard when he grabbed at her lower body. In her struggle, one of her shoes and stockings was pulled off, exposing her foot to Chen Rui’s gaze. Her foot was as white and delicate as a piece of tofu. Chen Rui stared at it, transfixed, and swallowed hard. Barely resisting the urge to seize and bite it, he hesitated for a moment before drawing his sword and threatening, “If you don’t submit to me, I’ll kill you!”
Finding herself in Chen Rui’s clutches, Lady Qiao couldn’t help but feel afraid. However, she had begun to see through him somewhat. His lust had overwhelmed him, and he didn’t seem to care about making a fool of himself in front of her. Now he was threatening her with a sword, but she sensed it was likely just an empty threat. Gradually regaining her composure but fearing he might force himself on her, she angrily said, “My Qiao family has governed the people of Yanzhou for three generations. We are a respected clan. How dare you treat me so disgracefully? If you continue to be so disrespectful, I would rather die than suffer such humiliation from you!”
An angry beauty has its charm. Faced with such a face that could be both joyful and angry, Chen Rui’s hand weakened, and he could no longer hold his sword. It fell to the ground with a “clang,” and he dropped to his knees, saying, “Alright, alright, I won’t force you. Do you want me to marry you before you’ll be with me? That’s no problem! My wife’s position is vacant, and marrying you would be perfect…”
As he was speaking, sudden footsteps approached from outside, followed by a “bang bang” of someone knocking on the door. It was his uncle, Chen Pang, calling out.
Chen Rui’s face showed annoyance. He jumped up from the ground and was about to go out when he suddenly stopped. Turning back to Lady Qiao, he whispered, “Don’t let my uncle know you’re Wei Liao’s wife! If he finds out, he’ll surely send you to Jinyang!”
After this warning, Chen Rui finally opened the door. He didn’t let Chen Pang see Lady Qiao inside, stepping out and closing the door behind him before asking, “Uncle, do you need something?”
Chen Pang’s face was grim. Pointing at the door, he asked directly, “Is the woman you brought back Wei Liao’s wife?”
Chen Rui was startled and was about to deny it when Chen Pang’s finger jabbed his face as he shouted, “Are you trying to bring disaster upon Shiyi? Of all the women you could have taken, why did you have to target Wei Liao’s wife? How could he tolerate such humiliation? Wei Liang is already at the city gates, challenging us to battle! Where is she? Before Wei Liao arrives, send her out immediately!”
Chen Rui hadn’t expected Wei Liang to find him so quickly. He was stunned for a moment, but when he saw Chen Pang about to push open the door, he couldn’t bear the thought of giving up the beauty he had just obtained. Moreover, he already had a grudge against Wei Liao. He blocked Chen Pang’s way and said with a cold laugh, “So what if I’ve taken Wei Liao’s wife? If he has the ability, let him try to take her back from me.”
Chen Pang stamped his foot and said, “Fool! I’ve worked hard for years to maintain the current situation in Shiyi, and now you’ve just handed him a perfect excuse to attack us! Get out of my way immediately!”
Chen Rui was taken aback for a moment, but then replied nonchalantly, “Let Wei Liao come if he dares. I’m not afraid of him! The previous battle at Boling was lost only because I wasn’t prepared enough. I’ve been wanting a rematch with him to determine who’s superior. Let him come!”
Chen Pang was so angry his hands were shaking. Seeing his uncle’s lips turning purple, Chen Rui thought for a moment and then tried to placate him, “It’s not easy to capture Wei Liao’s wife. How can we just return her? If word of this gets out, what will become of our reputation in Binzhou? Besides, even if we send her out now, it’s too late. Wei Liao will attack anyway! I’ve already sent a message to Father, planning to exchange her for two of Wei Liao’s cities. Shiyi is backed by natural defenses and is as solid as a fortress. Didn’t Wei Liao’s father try to attack before? He couldn’t take it either! Why should we boost the enemy’s morale and diminish our prestige, Uncle?”
“Did you send a message to Jinyang?” Chen Pang asked.
Chen Rui swore to heaven that he had.
Chen Pang began to hesitate.
If Jinyang already knew about this matter, he probably couldn’t decide to return Wei Liao’s wife on his own. Now that they were in this predicament, they could only wait for a response. After much deliberation, he glanced back toward the room and then left with a look of frustration.
After Chen Pang returned, he sent someone to observe the city walls. They reported that Wei Liang was still in the same spot, sitting on his horse with his sword. Knowing that this matter couldn’t be resolved easily, Chen Pang recalled his conversation with his nephew. Still uneasy, he quickly wrote a letter, sealed it with his official seal, and called for a trusted messenger. He ordered the messenger to deliver the letter to Jinyang with utmost haste. As the messenger left with the letter, Chen Pang paced anxiously in his room. Suddenly, he heard a voice at the door, “Uncle, don’t you trust your nephew?”
Chen Pang looked up to see Chen Rui holding a sword to the messenger who had just left, forcing him back into the room. His face changed, and he angrily said, “Yunqi, what is the meaning of this?”
Chen Rui sneered, “Uncle when I was in Jinyang, I often heard people telling Father that you were cowardly by nature. They said you were willing to kowtow to Wei Liao for peace just to gain a good reputation for yourself. You may have gained some fame, but you’ve tarnished our Jinyang’s prestige. Now that I’m here, how can I stand by and do nothing? Uncle, you’re getting old and should take good care of yourself. You can leave Shiyi’s affairs to me with peace of mind.”
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen armored warriors rushed in from behind him and put their swords to Chen Pang’s throat.
Chen Pang was furious. He berated Chen Rui, calling him an ignorant upstart, with tears streaming down his face: “I knew you were different when you were a child! Today, you’ve truly gone too far! Shiyi, which I’ve guarded for over a decade, might fall today because of you and a woman!”
When Chen Rui was young, he was mischievous, and Chen Pang disliked him, often speaking ill of him to Chen Xiang. Chen Rui had long harbored resentment towards his uncle. Hearing Chen Pang curse him now, he became enraged. He ordered his men to gag Chen Pang and take him away under guard. Then he issued an order, claiming that he had taken control of Shiyi’s defenses on his father’s orders. He declared that from now on, he would be in charge of everything in the city, and anyone who disobeyed would be executed under military law.
The officials and soldiers in Shiyi were bewildered. However, Chen Rui was the Third Prince of Jinyang, with military achievements and the favor of Chen Xiang. Now that Chen Pang was nowhere to be seen, and Chen Rui was wielding his authority with an official seal, threatening to execute dissenters, no one dared to disobey. They all trembled in fear and followed Chen Rui’s orders.
Seeing the officials and soldiers of Shiyi showing him such respect and obedience, Chen Rui’s frustrations of the past days vanished.
Shiyi had a garrison of 20,000 elite troops, and its terrain provided additional defensive advantages, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Now he was waiting for Wei Liao to come. If he could defeat Wei Liao, not only would he redeem himself in Jinyang, but he would also be able to hold his head high in front of the beauty. She would no longer dare to look down on him.
Chen Rui’s chest swelled with pride. He led a group of archers to the city walls. Seeing Wei Liang still at the city gate about a hundred paces away, he ordered the archers to shoot a volley of arrows to drive Wei Liang back. Then, leaning out from the city wall, he shouted, “Go tell Wei Liao that after I, the Third Prince, marry the beauty, I’ll meet that fellow and fight him for three hundred rounds!”
Wei Liang was forced to retreat several dozen paces by the arrow volley. He saw Chen Rui laughing wildly on the city wall as he left. Not knowing the condition of Lady Qiao inside the city, nor whether the swift horse had already delivered the message to Xin Du, Wei Liang pondered for a moment. He ordered his soldiers to stay behind and continue to gather intelligence on the city’s situation, while he turned his horse around and rode back.
Anxious and filled with self-blame and guilt, Wei Liang rode hard without stopping. By evening, when he reached Qingyun, over a hundred li away from Shiyi, he saw in the distance on the opposite road flags waving and dust rising to the sky. Recognizing Wei Liao’s banners, he charged straight into the troops. The soldiers recognized Wei Liang and, seeing his dust-covered face and anxious expression, made way for him.
Wei Liang rode directly to Wei Liao, dismounted, and fell to the ground, kneeling before him. He kowtowed and said, “I beg Lord Marquis to punish me with death! Lord Marquis entrusted me with the important task of escorting Lady Qiao, but I have failed in my duty, causing her to be in danger. I have no face to meet Lord Marquis again! After I capture Shiyi and rescue Lady Qiao, I shall request to take my own life to atone for my crime!”
Wei Liao dismounted and helped Wei Liang to his feet, asking, “How is she?”
Wei Liang looked up at Wei Liao, seeing his intense gaze. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally said in a low voice, “That scoundrel Chen Rui announced from the city walls that he would first marry Lady Qiao, then meet you in battle for three hundred rounds…”
The air around them suddenly seemed to freeze.
Wei Liao stood motionless. A moment later, one of his eyelids twitched twice. With a swift “shing,” he drew his sword and with one stroke cut down a nearby old willow tree as thick as a bowl at the waist.
The willow bent and crashed down with a loud rustle.
Wei Liao’s face darkened as he turned his head and said, enunciating each word clearly, “Issue the order: We march through the night to attack Shiyi. Show no mercy. Whoever captures Chen Rui alive will be richly rewarded!”