Han Jin gradually captured some deserters from the Imperial Guards. They were filthy from head to toe, starving until their faces were sallow and gaunt. After repeated questioning, he learned about the predicament the Imperial Guards were facing. Even so, he still did not dare to advance rashly. Twenty thousand Imperial Guards was no small force, and he constantly weighed how much chance he would have if he faced Xiao Chiye head-on.
“The Imperial Guards performed impressively at the Nanlin Hunting Grounds,” Han Jin said from his seat inside the tent, looking at the deserters below. “When you fought us for control of the city gate patrols, you killed quite a few men. Now you’ve followed Xiao Chiye in fleeing Qudu as rebels—so how did you all scatter so easily?”
“Reporting to you, sir… we couldn’t go any farther,” the deserter replied, kneeling before him. “We ran all the way here with nowhere to go—no villages ahead, none behind. No rations, no camp. Straight ahead lies Cizhou, and if you look south there’s also the Qidong garrison. It’s obvious we’d be surrounded and wiped out.”
Han Jin pondered for a moment and asked, “Are there many deserters?”
“When I ran, there were only a few hundred,” the deserter said. “Right now the Imperial Guards are like duckweed in a muddy ditch—one rush and they scatter. They can’t hold together at all!”
Han Jin found it strange. “Didn’t Xiao Chiye try anything? I heard he enforces strict military discipline. His men are said to fear him greatly.”
“Sir, you don’t understand,” the deserter said after talking for a while, swallowing hard. “Could we get some dry rations first? Damn it, we’ve been running all the way here—I’m too hungry to speak clearly!”
Han Jin signaled someone to give him some dry food. The deserter immediately began wolfing it down on the spot, chewing as he spoke. “That’s exactly why we’re afraid of him! Back in Qudu we brothers had nowhere else to go, so we had no choice but to follow him. That already offended all you lords of the Eight Great Camps. Now he’s turned into a rebel—how would we dare keep following him?”
Han Jin saw how wretched these deserters looked. They had been captured and brought back, and they did not appear to be lying. He could not help but calculate carefully in his mind. First he ordered the deserters to be taken away, then he began discussing battle strategies with his advisers inside the tent.
Among the advisers was a man named Gao Zhongxiong, who had been the ringleader during the disturbance at the Imperial Academy. Because he had offended Pan Rugui at the time and had been thrown into prison without anyone to vouch for him, he had abandoned any hope of an official career and instead joined Han Jin’s camp. He was a passionate scholar who hated traitors above all else. Shen Wei, Pan Rugui, and others of that sort were beneath his contempt. Now that he had heard Xiao Chiye had attempted assassination and fled as a rebel, he was even more agitated and intolerant.
Gao Zhongxiong pointed at the map and said, “Since Xiao Chiye has already reached the end of the road, we cannot allow him to continue roaming within Zhongbo. The Governor-General commands strong forces and has Dancheng as support. I say there’s no time to delay—we should dispatch troops immediately to pursue him. If we capture him before he reaches Cizhou, it will be a great achievement.”
Han Jin was still hesitant. “But Xiao Chiye still has more than ten thousand men, and they are all hardened soldiers who fought at the Nanlin Hunting Grounds. What if this is a trap…”
Gao Zhongxiong disagreed inwardly. “The Imperial Guards’ morale has collapsed. Ten thousand men are no different from one. Right now they are nothing but a rabble—not worth worrying about. The Governor-General has already pursued them this far. If we fail to capture him quickly, we will have no explanation to give Qudu.”
Han Jin was quite tempted. “What if he colludes with Zhou Gui, the prefect of Cizhou, and plots to harm me?”
Gao Zhongxiong replied somewhat urgently, “Governor-General, Zhou Gui has a family to think about. Would he abandon his comfortable official post and conspire with a rebel like Xiao Chiye? He would not dare. If we march out now, we will surely catch Xiao Chiye off guard. Once we press the advantage, we will return in triumph.”
Han Jin had been sleeping in tents for days and had been bitten all over by mosquitoes, leaving him miserable. His heart was still set on Qudu. His elder brother Han Cheng had helped the Empress Dowager take control of the government; the Han family’s rise was right before them. This was exactly the time for him to return, gather friends, and celebrate in grand style. Every day he remained here, he grew more restless. Hearing Gao Zhongxiong’s words, he finally agreed after weighing the matter.
The next morning Han Jin rose early and set out with his troops through the dew. Following the information provided by the deserters, they pursued all the way to the wooded area outside the Mud-Sand River. In the forest they found earthen cooking pits, but they were far from enough to provide food for twenty thousand men.
Han Jin completely believed the deserters now. His spirits soared as he rode on horseback, drawing his sword and waving it forward. “The rebel has reached the end of the road! Search this entire forest—we will certainly find him!”
The soldiers of the Eight Great Camps rushed forward all at once.
Xiao Chiye was crouching by the stream washing his face. Hearing the commotion, he turned his head and saw Han Jin riding toward him.
The moment Han Jin saw Xiao Chiye, he shouted, “The rebel is here! Capture him at once!”
Xiao Chiye whistled to summon Langtao Xuejin. The scattered five hundred men looked as though they were panicking, shouting as they were chased through the forest. Seeing this, Han Jin felt his blood surge with excitement. He burst into laughter before shouting from afar, “Marquis, so you have fallen to this day!”
Xiao Chiye ignored the soldiers and fled on horseback by himself. Afraid he might escape, Han Jin immediately led his men in pursuit. The Eight Great Camps charged recklessly through the forest, following Han Jin as they thundered toward the northeast. Han Jin grew more anxious the farther they ran and shouted behind him, “Xiao Chiye! You’re already trapped in a dead end—why not surrender now?!”
Xiao Chiye turned back on horseback and attempted to resist, but he could not withstand the ferocity of the Eight Great Camps. The five hundred men were chased in miserable disarray. In the blink of an eye they had run out of the forest and straight toward the Mud-Sand River, where they were finally blocked at the riverbank.
“Xiao Chiye!” Han Jin reined in his horse and waved his sleeve. “Look around you—everywhere are soldiers of the Eight Great Camps! You are surrounded on all sides. Why keep struggling? Beg for mercy now and I may spare your life!”
Langtao Xuejin pawed at the ground. Xiao Chiye said coldly, “If you want me dead, fine. I only ask one thing—why didn’t Han Cheng come himself?”
“My elder brother is now a Prince Regent with countless affairs to manage. Why would he come here to deal with you?” Han Jin pointed his sword at Xiao Chiye. “Dismount and surrender. Then your Xiao family might still have a chance to live. You committed such monstrous crimes alone—yet you are willing to let your entire family die with you?”
“I have indeed made many mistakes,” Xiao Chiye said, slightly lifting his chin and looking down at Han Jin. “But it is not the Han family’s place to lecture me.”
The moment his words fell, several hundred men suddenly rose from both sides. Taihu Tiger charged forward on horseback, cutting off Han Jin from behind and surrounding him completely. The soldiers struck anyone they encountered, throwing the ranks into chaos. Han Jin’s personal guards were all Jinyiwei, specially assigned by Han Cheng to protect him. The instant they saw what was happening, they realized they had fallen into a trap. Immediately they lashed Han Jin’s horse with their whips, trying to escort him through the forest on the flank.
Han Jin had never witnessed such a scene. Back in Qudu he had excelled in military drills at the training grounds, but he had never fought a real battle. He was already terrified out of his wits. The horse beneath him bolted in pain, forcing its way toward the edge of the encirclement in the forest amid the protection of the Jinyiwei.
Shen Zechuan stood beneath the shadows of the trees, leaning on his saber as he watched Han Jin.
Han Jin tried to charge forward again, but a quick-reacting Jinyiwei pulled hard on the reins to stop the horse. In the cold sweat and blood, the men exchanged glances. Finally the leading man spoke.
“Vice Commander! Meeting today must be fate. For the sake of our past acquaintance, would you let us go?”
Shen Zechuan had grown much thinner these past days. The bones of his wrist curved like a new crescent moon as he held the saber, their shape faintly outlined beneath the pale cuff of his sleeve. His eyes seemed to hold ice that never melted, yet a warm smile gradually appeared on his face, like May thawing after winter.
“I know you brothers were entrusted with a task and have no choice but to carry it out,” he said.
The man knew Shen Zechuan’s temperament was sinister and unpredictable. Seeing him smile instead made him retreat several steps while shielding Han Jin. Behind them the sounds of killing shook the air, and Xiao Chiye was steadily approaching. Sweat ran down the man’s temples.
“Vice Commander, you have a boundless future ahead of you. Why suffer here with a rebel? If you would only release Governor Han and let him return to the capital, the Commander would certainly overlook past grievances and welcome you back to Qudu!”
Shen Zechuan suddenly laughed softly. His voice was calm and gentle, and when he smiled he looked very handsome. Beneath the shattered sunlight his pale skin seemed especially delicate. He slowly drew his blade; the long edge of Yangshan Snow slid against the scabbard.
“I am deeply grateful to Han Cheng,” Shen Zechuan said, gripping the hilt in reverse. After a brief pause, he continued, “My gratitude toward him is beyond words. When you return, please deliver a small gift of thanks on my behalf.”
A chill ran down Han Jin’s spine. He nearly tumbled from his horse.
By the riverbank, Xiao Chiye rinsed the blood from his two blades. Shen Zechuan crouched behind him to wash his hands. He submerged his entire hand in the stream and did not pull it out even after Xiao Chiye had finished cleaning his knives. Xiao Chiye crouched across from him, much taller, yet still close enough that their heads could nearly touch. Their hands met beneath the water, and Xiao Chiye clasped his fingertips.
Shen Zechuan’s crying was like a dream in the night, yet in the sunlight he appeared clean and composed. His index finger slowly stroked along Xiao Chiye’s hand, slipping between Xiao Chiye’s fingers until their palms pressed together, cool and smooth with the flowing water.
Taihu Tiger was leading men to clean up the battlefield. They would remain in this forest for the night. Soldiers were scattered not too far away, but Shen Zechuan pressed close, idly playing with Xiao Chiye’s hand—or perhaps deliberately tempting him after long planning.
He still carried the scent of blood.
Xiao Chiye let him do as he pleased and said, “Leaving only one survivor to go back—he might not really deliver the message.”
Shen Zechuan looked at the rippling surface of the stream. “He’s Jinyiwei. As long as his head is still on his shoulders, he has to finish the mission. Han Jin has fallen into our hands. If he cannot bring the news back, the mission counts as failure. Either way he dies—so he might as well die well. Besides, that sack of heads all belong to Jinyiwei with waist badges. He has to let his brothers return home for burial.”
Xiao Chiye wanted to wipe the blood from Shen Zechuan’s wrist, but people were everywhere around them. They looked at each other for a moment. Suddenly he grasped Shen Zechuan’s hand in return and leaned closer.
“You left your earrings in Qudu,” Xiao Chiye said quietly. “When we reach Libei, I’ll have new ones made for you.”
“We still owe several thousand taels of silver,” Shen Zechuan said, looking at him. “Tighten your belt and earn some money first, Second Young Master.”
“I could marry into a wealthy family,” Xiao Chiye said in a low voice. “Offer myself in exchange for money.”
Supporting himself against the soft sand of the streambed, Shen Zechuan leaned close to Xiao Chiye’s ear and whispered, “Five hundred taels a night…”
That faint trace of flirtation had barely begun to spread when Shen Zechuan suddenly straightened and turned back to Taihu Tiger, who was approaching but seemed unsure how to do so.
“Han Jin was eager to return to Qudu quickly, and with Dancheng supplying him, he certainly did not bring much grain. Tonight everyone should light the stoves and cook it all. Tomorrow morning we—”
Shen Zechuan paused abruptly for a split second. He shot Xiao Chiye a quick glance, then continued:
“…continue heading northeast.”
Xiao Chiye said nothing. He calmly rinsed a handkerchief—along with Shen Zechuan’s hand hidden beneath it—until it rubbed the skin into a faint red.