Dragon Canon

It was late at night, and all was quiet.

The capital city of Bianning Commandery was mostly silent save for the echoing voices of the night watchmen. Occasionally, the sound of sparse footsteps would appear from the empty streets.

A group of soldiers on night patrol was walking down the main street. Even in their uniforms, they looked more like a gang of ruffians.

It was still wartime, so a night curfew was in effect. In reality, the capital city was teeming with night owls coming and going like it was their own backyard. The patrolling officers wisely chose to turn a blind eye to all of it.

In the back garden of the vice administrator’s residence, Sun Chao’en had set up a table and was hosting Wei Yuan and Yue Qilin. For some reason, Yue Qilin looked deeply troubled. He had already downed several cups of wine in silence.

Wei Yuan had just arrived and wasn’t sure what had happened to the young general. So, he asked.

Sun Chao’en let out a sigh. “That commandant who died not long ago, Song Chao, has a young cousin named Song Zhongliang. He serves as a censor in the court. After learning of his older cousin’s death, Song Zhongliang has come to take his sister-in-law and her children back with him. The children are one thing, but his sister-in-law is currently staying at General Yue’s residence. How could we possibly let him take her away?”

“Continue.”

“In response, Song Zhongliang submitted several memorials in the court, making up all sorts of false accusations and fabricating numerous charges against General Yue. On top of that, our grain embezzlement is a little too much—we’ve had to burn down several granaries in a row to cover it up—and this gave Yuan Qingyan an opening to submit a memorial of his own. Oh, I should also mention that Commander-in-chief Yue had offended the Eunuch Clique as well. With all these forces joining hands, the court has stripped General Yue of his post and reassigned him to a non-combat role. His successor is already on his way and will take office in two days’ time.”

Yue Qilin said, “I don’t really care about my post as a skirmish general, but the one who’ll be replacing me is Feng Lin, a dog of Yuan Qingyan. If he insists on investigating until the end, some of our arrangements will be exposed.”

Wei Yuan couldn’t help him with that.

If there was one thing that could not be covered up, it would be the whereabouts of one million catties of military provisions. The quantity was simply too vast, and there were inconsistencies everywhere. It simply couldn’t withstand scrutiny.

But Sun Chao’en wasn’t the least bit worried. He replied smilingly, “No need to fret, General Yue. It would actually be a good thing for you to spend a few days in a non-combat role first. Your uncle has attracted too much attention, and his position isn’t secure right now. If you don’t step down, you and the army under your command would almost certainly catch even greater attention from the court.”

Yue Qilin paused, a gleam flashing in his eyes. He asked, “Have you heard any rumors, Lord Sun?”

Sun Chao’en raised his cup toward the west before answering, “Come to think of it, this has something to do with that one in the west. The latest news from the court said that he had routed the Shaman army, beheaded two Great Warlocks, and gravely wounded an important figure, forcing them to flee. As a result, the Shamans’ strength in the western regions has greatly diminished, and they no longer have the capacity to invade for the time being.”

Yue Qilin glanced at Wei Yuan, his eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief. He had known from their last meeting that Wei Yuan was capable of great deeds, but he hadn’t expected him to keep upping the ante with no sign of stopping.

Wei Yuan was frowning as well. The battle had ended only a few days ago, but not only had the Western Jin court learned of it, they had also disseminated the news to the western regions. It was a little too efficient.

Who knew how many Western Jin spies lurked within the realm of Qingming? Such activities were impossible to prevent, and Wei Yuan had no intention of going out of his way to screen or stop them. One thing concerned him though: they had only been accepting people into the realm as of late, not sending them off. How, then, had these spies managed to transmit their reports?

Internally, Wei Yuan resolved to perform a thorough purge once he returned to the realm of Qingming.

Sun Chao’en continued, “Since the Shamans won’t be invading anytime soon, Commander-in-chief Yue’s presence here is somewhat redundant. Some in the court are already pushing to have him transferred back to the north. If it weren’t for Inspector-General Chen fending off all the criticism on his commander-in-chief’s behalf, a royal envoy might already be on his way.”

Yue Qilin was taken aback. “The grinding isn’t done yet. Isn’t it a bit too early to get rid of the donkey[1]?”

Sun Chao’en cast Wei Yuan another glance before replying, “This isn’t killing the donkey after the grinding is done. It is making room for someone else. Your uncle doesn’t want to wage war in the west, but others do. That is why his position is no longer secure. The day before yesterday, an Oversight Advisor Zuo had submitted a memorial accusing Commander-in-chief Yue of colluding with bandits, harboring enemies to bolster his own power, and allowing the rebels to grow ever stronger. He demanded he be stripped of his post and imprisoned for a thorough investigation.”

Yue Qilin slammed his fist down on the table and yelled angrily, “These bastards!!”

After downing several glasses of wine in furious silence, the skirmish general suddenly looked at Sun Chao’en and asked suspiciously, “The memorial was only submitted the day before yesterday, and you already know about it? How do you have such reliable sources?”

Sun Chao’en gave him a smile. “I’m currently in the service of the Right Counselor, and the entire court is filled with my peers and old friends. I’m also quite diligent about writing letters, so naturally, I’m well-informed.”

Yue Qilin’s expression turned cold. “So, I’ve already lost my position, and my uncle is about to lose his as well. In that case, why did you invite me to this meal?”

Despite what he said, he added, “That isn’t to say I’m not happy to dine with Mister Zhang, of course.”

Wei Yuan remained silent, waiting for Sun Chao’en to continue. He had attended this meal with a specific business in mind, and he was confident that his friend wouldn’t waste his time.

Sure enough, Sun Chao’en said, “General Yue, I am hurt that you think so lightly of our fellowship. We’ve shared tens of thousands of taels of immortal silver together; it is a bond that will see us both killed if it is discovered. All things considered, how can you not trust me? You and I belong to the same clique, and one cannot form a clique without first becoming fellows, right? Just belonging on the same side is not enough to qualify one to join a clique.”

Yue Qilin’s expression softened slightly, and he gave Sun Chao’en a wry smile. “I’ve lost my position. I simply do not have the standing to remain in the clique.”

“Rises and falls are commonplace in officialdom. Is there anyone in the court who hasn’t experienced multiple advances and setbacks? You may have taken a step back now, but it won’t be long before you make your comeback.”

Sun Chao’en’s words were somewhat cryptic, so Yue Qilin said, “Please enlighten me, Lord Sun!”

“It so happens that your situation is connected to Mister Zhang’s affairs. I’ve been wondering how best to take advantage of this for the past two days, and a perfect opportunity has just presented itself.”

Sun Chao’en took out a map and unfolded it. It was a hand-drawn map depicting the entire western regions, as well as everything inside and outside of Hanyang Pass for thousands of li. Wei Yuan could tell at a glance that the map was extremely precise and detailed, so much so that he felt an immediate urge to seize it.

Sun Chao’en let out a chuckle and said, “I’ll give you this map later.”

Yue Qilin looked slightly uneasy but said nothing. Having led an army for many years, he knew that for the likes of Wei Yuan, owning such a map was like gaining a pair of wings. The question, though, was that the map strictly covered the western regions only. What did Wei Yuan intend to do with it? Head east or east[2]?

Sun Chao’en cleared his throat and got down to business. “A princess of Zhao and a princess of Ning are on a diplomatic mission to Western Jin to celebrate the First Consort’s birthday. The delegation originally planned to travel through Inner Jin, but after the Shamans’ defeat, they decided to travel through the western regions instead. Specifically, they’re planning to leave through Hanyang Pass before proceeding to the royal capital. This route saves them a thousand li of travel. By the time this delegation reaches Bianning Commandery, General Feng Lin would have replaced General Yue already. Thus, escorting the delegation is his responsibility.

“So, my suggestion is for General Yue to hand over the command without delay and let General Feng Lin take over this assignment immediately.”

“Are you suggesting something might happen to the delegation?”

Sun Chao’en replied affirmatively, “A delegation of this size is bound to fall into the clutches of the Heaven Fighting Gang!”

Wei Yuan nearly spat out the mouthful of wine he was drinking. He then put on a thoughtful expression and asked, “How far do you think the Heaven Fighting Gang will go?”

“A few guards are bound to die. I wouldn’t be surprised if the delegation loses a few pieces of valuables as well—it’s the only way to demonstrate the Heaven Fighting Gang’s strength. That said, it is rumored that the princess of Ning is as beautiful as a heavenly immortal and favored by fortune, so I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s also the younger sister of the First Consort, so no one would dare to truly set their sights on her.”

Wei Yuan’s expression darkened. “Do you really think the Heaven Fighting Gang is capable of withstanding a joint military campaign by two states?”

Sun Chao’en replied, “The robbery is merely a show put on for others to see. The main purpose is for someone to gauge the Heaven Fighting Gang’s strength and, while they’re at it, meet with the gang’s leader.”

Wei Yuan asked, “Who’s asking for a meeting?”

“The Xiang Marquis[3], Wang Qian.” Sun Chao’en handed him a piece of jade paper.

Wei Yuan gave it a thorough look. Wang Qian was the maternal uncle of the First Consort of Western Jin. He is serving in the Ministry of Rites. Though his rank was high, he held little real power. He was granted the title of Xiang Marquis solely because of his relationship with the First Consort. Why would someone like this suddenly want to meet him?

Sun Chao’en proceeded to explain the situation in detail.

The first Consort was originally a princess of Zhao. Three years ago, when she became the King of Jin’s consort, the man had failed to attend court for an entire month. The First Consort was no pushover either. From the moment she gained the King of Jin’s exclusive favor, she had been placing her relatives in key positions across the realm. As she was originally a princess of Zhao, the relatives she appointed were all from her mother’s side of the family. The Xiang Marquis was a central figure within the First Consort’s faction.

Wei Yuan, well-versed in history, quickly pieced together the situation and asked, “Is the First Consort seeking outside support?”

“Exactly. The news leaked from the Xiang Marquis’ camp and eventually made its way to me. I thought you could use someone to speak on your behalf in the court, so I made the connection.”

Meanwhile, Yue Qilin was growing increasingly uneasy the more he listened to the conversation. Finally, he couldn’t hold it any longer and said, “You know, there is absolutely no need to discuss this in front of me! I didn’t hear a thing!”

Sun Chao’en chuckled. “If the delegation is attacked, Feng Lin is guaranteed to be charged with dereliction of duty. You will be reinstated to your former post very soon.”

“But I don’t want to get mixed up with the First Consort’s affairs!” Yue Qilin protested.

Sun Chao’en grinned like a fox. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. The First Consort has set her sights on Commander-in-chief Yue; you’re just a package deal.”

Wei Yuan frowned. “So, I’m going to become part of the Consort Kins Clique?”

“Didn’t you say long ago that you wanted to find a towering tree to lean on in the court? The First Consort is no small tree—she’s at least a clique in her own right.”

Wei Yuan felt a headache coming on. “Sure, I was planning to get slightly involved so I can muddy up the waters and take advantage of the chaos, but I never intended to join the Consort Kins Clique. If I haven’t seen this dossier of yours, I wouldn’t even have known that the consort kins had a clique.”

Sun Chao’en argued, “If the consort kins weren’t so weak, you wouldn’t even have a chance to get involved. You do know that the Qingliu and the hereditary nobles are dying to wipe you out, right? If you don’t choose the consort kins, then tell me, who else do you think you stand a chance at joining?”

Wei Yuan replied immediately, “The eunuchs.”

1. 卸磨杀驴, to get rid of someone once he has ceased to be useful. I decided to make it a bit more colloquial in this case. ☜

2. Not a mistake. It means that he can only be thinking of one thing. ☜

3. A specific title. Don’t really have a good translation for it. ☜