Novel The Great Game - The Young Master (Ch.308) [finished]

“You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life,
See that girl, watch that scene, digging the Dancing Queen.”
--ABBA, ‘Dancing Queen’

Chapter 143 – Samsara

“What is this…” Nangong Xie muttered in confusion, but kept his eyes on the alluring, veiled woman on the stage. Her form-fitting qipao dress was short, accentuating her hips and exposing her long, creamy white legs.


At the back of his mind, he wanted to order his men to stay vigilant. But Huang Ming was alone, and there were no signs of other people in the brothel coming out to challenge them. Besides, he had brought over a hundred men and he had left part of them to encircle the building. There would be no escape for anyone…


When the musicians started to play a sonorous drum beat, Nangong Xie allowed himself to be distracted by the woman on the stage, and soon his doubts faded away when the woman started her performance. She was not the most voluptuous of women he had seen, yet the way she moved her slender build was tempting beyond measure.


When the music played and the lights dimmed, the woman began to sway seductively. She kept her hands folded and positioned so that her back was half-turned to the viewers. Other than the small bells on her wrists and ankles, there was nothing else to indicate her style of dance. There were no long strips of silk or feathered fans or other traditional accessories that were the hallmarks of female dances of the time: she stood there by herself on the stage, she was the highlight.


As the drum beat became deeper and rhythmic, her body rocked back and forth faster. Her hips swung beguilingly in a figure 8 pattern, somehow her side profile made it seem as if she was projecting her pelvis and posterior enticingly towards her audience. Indeed, some of the men had subconsciously raised their grubby hands before realizing the object of their desire was far away on the stage. Others swallowed their saliva and gulped visibly. All felt their hearts pumping, urged on by the deep drum beat.


The woman, still with her back half-turned towards the audience; looked over her shoulder and winked, driving the men wild. One could even see the hints of a smile underneath her veil. Then she raised her hands into the air and mesmerized everyone present by undulating her body from the head, chest, stomach and derrière and then back up again, like the waves of a sea.


The men were completely entranced, they did not even think it was possible for a woman’s body to move in such a manner. They did not know where to look: whether at the woman’s teasing eyes, her swaying hips or the way the qipao’s leg slit was riding up ever so slightly each time her legs moved.


With all their attention towards the dancer, none of the raucous men noticed the shadowy figures creeping up upon them…


***


“That’s the last of them,” a delicate looking man dressed in fur-lined robes said.


If Nangong Xie saw the one who spoke, the Handsome Scholar would have recognized him as the rude and cowardly gatekeeper who had tried to stop him from entering the brothel earlier. Only, the gatekeeper was not a gatekeeper. He was no longer holding a broom, but a red-tasselled sword that was still dripping with blood.


This was Muge Jian, the wandering swordsman who was also known as the Masking Sword. With him were a few of his compatriots of the martial underworld, answering Huang Lang’s call for aid against Prime Minister Tong Xuan. A few of these aloof figures eschewed the idea of involving themselves with the worries of the secular world, but Muge Jian was able to find a few like-minded martial artists to lend a hand.


They had waited until Nangong Xie’s men were distracted by the loud cheers, wolf calls and whistles from inside the brothel. It was a simple matter for the martial artists and master swordsmen to soundlessly descend and take advantage of their laxness. Now the contingent of men Nangong Xie had left outside to guard the brothel lay dead, their blood running in the streets.


“What are we doing at a brothel? This is not what I expected when you talked about calling in on a favour,” one of Muge Jian’s friends said sarcastically.


“I’d rather be rescuing a damsel in distress,” another complained.


Muge Jian chuckled. “Damsels in distress are not very common, I’m afraid.”


“What about those inside?” someone asked hesitantly, looking over at the brothel. They could still hear the rest of Nangong Xie’s men cheering and whistling within the pleasure house.


“You just want to go inside!” a heroic sword maiden sneered, causing the rest to guffaw.


Muge Jian smiled. “Let’s go, our work here is done.”


***


Nangong Xie was of course unaware of what had happened outside.


In fact, he was unaware of what was happening right under his nose in the brothel. The rearmost of his hired help had been killed silently, their bodies were dropped slowly and noiselessly on the floor. Each victim had their mouths clapped shut and their throats slit before they could shout a warning. Even if they could, it would be drowned out by the loud cheering of their brothers, distracted as they were by the seductive dancer on the stage.


But Nangong Xie had brought a lot of men, and such an operation to kill them all cannot remain undiscovered forever.


“I can’t wait to get my hands on her!” one of the men had shouted and elbowed his comrade beside him, only to discover that he was nudging air and his friend had disappeared. Puzzled, he turned around…


…Only to be greeted by the ghastly sight of men clad in black standing in sea of dead bodies: Corpses of his friends with grisly cuts across their throats, their eyes still bulging from the moment of their sudden demise.


A shriek of alarm brought an immediate end to the festivities. The music and the dance halted, and Nangong Xie’s men turned around to see what the man had seen.


Swords, daggers and axes were drawn, angry and frightened voices now filled the air as the two groups faced off. Nangong Xie’s thugs outnumbered the men in black, but they were the ones shocked by the smaller group who stood menacingly over the cold bodies of their comrades.


How had these assassins killed so many of them without notice? Even more ominously, these men in black were not wielding any visible weapons of their own, yet the gaping wounds on the throats of the men that they had killed were obvious marks of blade-like weapons.


Nangong Xie came to his senses and forcibly parted his men aside to see for himself what had happened. When he saw the carnage, he turned pale. He whirled back at Huang Ming who was still calmly seated and drinking his cup of tea.


All of the Handsome Scholar’s rage returned when he saw Huang Ming’s nonchalant attitude.


“You! You planned this!” he screamed, his eyes shaking wildly.


Huang Ming smirked. “Yes, yes I did. So what?”


The Handsome Scholar clenched his fists and raised as if to strike at Huang Ming. The rest of his men glared at Huang Ming murderously, eager to extract immediate revenge on the seemingly defenceless young man.


But Huang Ming shot to his feet like a bolt of lightning. In one smooth motion he caught and spun Nangong Xie around to be used as a shield, deterring his men from attacking. The Handsome Scholar was going to struggle when suddenly a hidden blade shot out from Huang Ming’s underarm to poke dangerously at his neck.


‘So that’s how…’ Nangong Xie and his men thought belatedly.


“What do you want?” Nangong Xie hissed, his eyes focused on the sharp pointy end of the blade that was so near his neck.


“We’re going to have a long discussion about the prime minister,” Huang Ming replied.


Unexpectedly Nangong Xie exhaled with relief, causing Huang Ming to frown.


“So you need me alive,” the Handsome Scholar said with a smile.


It reminded Huang Ming that despite the several times he had outsmarted him, the fellow in his grasp was still a crafty and deep fellow. This was the person who had abandoned his friends to ingratiate himself to Cao Shuang for business, and then to stick to Lord Fang La when he came to Tianxin City, only to worm his way to Prime Minister Tong Xuan.


This was a man with resolve and decisiveness, and he demonstrated it once more when he shouted:


“Don’t worry about me, attack!”

Caught in a ruse,
Surrender did the scholar refuse.​

 

“Begone! Scatter before me!”
--Lu Lingqi, ‘Dynasty Warriors 8 XL’

Chapter 144 – The steel after the velvet

Nangong Xie’s shout caused Huang Ming’s face to scrunch up.


‘So much for cutting off the head of the snake,’ he thought wryly as the horde of thugs began to surge towards him.


The Handsome Scholar was right: Huang Ming wanted him alive for questioning. Yet the situation was clearly hazardous to his health, and Nangong Xie had clearly yelled out the command with the hopes of frightening Huang Ming to let him go and defend himself.


Nangong Xie had demonstrated his quick resolve, and so it was only appropriate that Huang Ming did the same. He released his hold, causing the Handsome Scholar to stumble forward to his men with relief… a relief that turned to a shriek of pain as Huang Ming viciously stomped on his calf. It was accompanied by the snapping sound of broken bone.


The blood-curdling scream from Nangong Xie turned the hearts of his men cold when they saw the way Huang Ming had coldly broke the fibula bone of the scholar’s leg. Nangong Xie himself added to the chill as he rolled on the floor while clutching his broken leg.


Huang Ming smiled coldly. ‘Now he can’t run,’ he thought darkly.


Nangong Xie saw the smirk on Huang Ming’s face and it ignited the fury within him. “Kill him! Kill him!” he shrilled. There was nothing left of his usual handsome demeanour: His hair had become undone, his eyes crazed, the veins on his neck and forehead bulging, his face twisted in rage and pain and lined with sweat and saliva mixing together.


Despite his exhortations, Huang Ming could see that most of them were still hesitant. Just as Huang Ming was feeling reassured, Nangong Xie’s voice cut through the air again. He too had seen the doubts of his men, and quickly made the decision to divert their attention to a softer target before they became too broken to respond to his command.


“You idiots! Get the girl! Take her!” he screamed, pointing at the stage where the tightly-dressed dancer was still standing. Those immediately facing Huang Ming regretted being in the frontlines, as it meant the ones nearer to the stage would have first dibs on her, the woman who had stoked their lust just a few moments ago before this chaos.


Huang Ming blanched when he saw the dancer was not running away, as if she was frozen by fear by the sight of savage men clambering up the stage to unleash their evil intent on her.


‘Why is she still there!?’


Just as it seemed that she would be captured, a figure wielding a silver spear charged out from behind the stage. With one sweeping stroke the newcomer swept the thugs off the stage. Those few who escaped the first blow were immediately speared mercilessly, suffering an even greater loss than the previous victims. They screamed and wailed as the silver spear stabbed out in quick succession, causing grievous wounds and bringing death to the disorganized mob.


Once the stage was cleared, the figure spun the spear with a flourish so that it whistled in the air before bringing it down in a haughty manner. The blood flicked cleanly off the spear point, and the glint from the silver made it seem all the more menacing.


Who else could it be but Zhao Sunli the War Goddess, resplendent in her scale armour of black and red? Having cut a swath of destruction before her, her eyes then glowered coldly on the survivors. They cowered before her glare, their morale broken by the sudden death of so many of their comrades.


Huang Ming nodded at her in acknowledgement of the fact that her dramatic entry and show of force was far more effective than his.


Zhao Sunli kept her eyes on the cowering men below the stage as she moved to shield the dancer behind her.


“My hero,” the dancer said with a pale smile.


“Why didn’t you run?” Sunli said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.


“My hips are killing me,” the dancer replied sheepishly, one hand on her pelvis to emphasize her words.


Sunli rolled her eyes. “That is what you get from moving about so lewdly.”


The veiled dancer blushed. “I’ll have you know that this was his idea,” she said defensively, her tone and her eyes making it clear that she was implicating Huang Ming.


Who else could she be but Qiong Ying, bereft of her Quan Lu disguise? Upon hearing that Nangong Xie had brought far more men than expected, Huang Ming concocted this visual ruse to distract them as the assassins hired by Huang Lang and Cao Shuang stealthily thinned out their numbers.


Huang Ming had taught Qiong Ying this dance as a humorous diversion in one of their private moments. When he had reminded her that she was the one who made the first move on him, Qiong Ying pulled a face to hide her embarrassment.


“It was because you were too slow! I could have easily hooked you in with a single dance,” she said in a huff.


“I’m sure,” Huang Ming drawled lazily. It annoyed Qiong Ying that she immediately danced for him to reclaim her honour. It was exquisite and graceful, enough to seduce any who had witnessed it. She knew that for a fact, she had dazzled and charmed all sorts of highborn guests and famous characters during her identity as the Lady of the Lichun.


She was infuriated when Huang Ming merely clapped at the end and said, “Nice, but I’ve seen better.”


“What nonsense,” Qiong Ying had complained. She knew of every dance there was as part of her upbringing, and supplemented her knowledge with even more styles during her years of hiding her true identity. She was confident in the graceful arts, but she was most proud of her dancing.


“There are so much more. Do you know the South River Horse Riding Style?” Huang Ming had laughed.


“What south river, what horse riding style?” she had repeated in a daze.


“Let me show you…” he said and proceeded to show her an utterly ridiculous and comical move. Her anger dissipated and that night dissolved into breathless laughter as he then taught her other dances, delighting her with dances that had arcane and mystical names like ‘samba’, ‘tango’, ‘rumba’ and so on…


On hindsight, Qiong Ying much preferred those intimate, interactive performances than the solo movement repertoire that she had displayed earlier. They seemed much more classy and stylish in comparison to the moves that Sunli had so roughly labelled as ‘lewd’. The ‘body wave’ for instance, made her feel as if her womanly parts were rippling and swaying like a snake. And it was causing cramps.


“Of course it was,” Sunli snorted.


“Don’t be so condescending, he might find the need to teach you too, it’s good exercise,” Qiong Ying chuckled mischievously. The suggestion was so jarring that Sunli nearly dropped her spear in shock.


“Never,” the Amazon growled hotly through clenched teeth, her tanned cheeks reddening with the mere thought of emulating those lewd movements.


“You’ll never know…” Qiong Ying smirked underneath her veil.


“Never!” Sunli shouted. She stepped forward to attack Nangong Xie’s men, eager to dispel the thoughts from her mind.


Obviously nobody else knew why she had yelled that particular word as her battlecry. Not that it was important, the shocked men were far more preoccupied with running away from the reach of her deadly spear.


Every flash of silver resulted in death, their bodies toppling over left and right as Sunli waded into the crowd. Eventually she reached Huang Ming and stood by his side, having carved a path of bloodied corpses in her wake.


“My hero,” Huang Ming said brightly, unknowingly repeating Qiong Ying’s earlier words.


Sunli scowled murderously at him.


“What’s wrong?” Huang Ming asked, taken aback by her glare.


“Never,” she hissed and ignored him, confusing him even further.

The War Goddess descends,
Her spear bringing many to their end.​

---

Notes:
1. ‘South River’ Style - ‘Jiangnan’ Style, Jiangnan being the Hangul (Chinese) transliteration of Gangnam. Thus, Gangnam Style.

2. Some had asked me about Qiong Ying’s earlier dance. Closest approximation (the song within is called 'Samsara', which I used as the title of the previous chapter:
https://www.facebook.com/100002584513737/videos/pcb.1419701144792689/1419700541459416

Also, the 'body wave':

Spoiler

and "the dance moves are killing me" was inspired by the top comment in that video: "my sister tried the dance on ma boy and she look like a dying shrimp"

3. Lu Lingqi is the fictional daughter of the mighty Lu Bu of the Three Kingdoms, one of the inspirations for Zhao Sunli.

 

GAHH NUF ALERTS PLEASE BE CONSISTENT!!!!!!!! THANKS FOR THE CHAPTERS! Now to stop yelling, @rdawv how are you doing?

 

Thanks for the chapter

 

“It’s raining men!”
--The Weather Girls

Chapter 145 – Escaped

Zhao Sunli the War Goddess’s arrival had turned the tide decisively. A large portion of Nangong Xie’s men lay dead and dying on the floor.


The Handsome Scholar found himself alone and surrounded by a ring of corpses, their blood pooling all around him, a a completely miserable and forlorn picture. He who had entered so full of fire and purpose, eager to wreak his revenge on Huang Ming was now stranded on the floor, one leg crippled leaving him helpless and unable to even dream of escaping.


A lesser man would have been broken, but this was Nangong Xie. He had watched on with morbid detachment as his men were decimated by Zhao Sunli with her silver spear, but the scholar was more surprised by Huang Ming’s nimble movements as he weaved out and under the clumsy swings of his hired men to slash at their throats and stab at their hearts with that short blade that was strapped to his underarm.


Whatever hopes of salvaging the situation with his men stationed outside disappeared when Huang Lang strolled in leisurely with bloodied swords.


“Everything is settled,” Huang Lang said and began to direct his men to clean up the scene.


Nangong Xie’s heart sank, knowing that his entire force had been wiped out.


“Everything is finished,” Nangong Xie whispered fatalistically. He was not even puzzled by Huang Lang arrival, nor the ill-fitting dandy moustache on the Celestial Qilin’s face.


Huang Ming squatted before him, the hidden blade withdrawn to leave him looking like an unassuming young man once more.


“Have you come to gloat?” Nangong Xie asked, his eyes flashing with defiance.


Huang Ming looked at him impassively, as if one was studying an insect.


“You brought this on yourself,” he said simply.


Nangong Xie’s had been sitting limply on the floor to ease the pain from his broken calf, but the flat comment caused him to suddenly lunge at Huang Ming, his hands clawing at his neck.


Huang Ming easily avoided the desperate struggle and swatted him aside, and the Handsome Scholar fell back clumsily.


Nangong Xie laughed hoarsely. When they had first associated, he was the stronger, the more clever, the more handsome. He was easily the leader of their generation in Tianxin City, while Huang Ming was only the perpetually sickly, lecherous drunkard who could only rely on his father’s name and his mother’s wealth.


Nangong Xie was a little older and the most accomplished among the Seven Stars, and he thought he had left Huang Ming and the so-called Seven Stars of Tianxin behind.


Yet the wastrel Huang Ming had surprised him again and again.


“You… who are you?” Nangong Xie questioned aloud.


“You never truly knew me,” Huang Ming replied with a slight smile. ‘How could you?’ he left unsaid.


Nangong Xie snorted, obviously dissatisfied. “Well, what now?” he asked.


“We have some questions for you about the prime minister,” Huang Ming said.


“You can save your breath,” Nangong Xie sneered.


“Then we have no use for you,” Huang Ming replied flatly. He stood back up and turned away.


“Are you just going to leave me here?” Nangong Xie called out, but Huang Ming ignored him and went over to confer with his brother.


“What are you doing?” Huang Lang asked quietly.


“He says he won’t talk,” Huang Ming shrugged.


Huang Lang gave Nangong Xie a cursory glance. “Wrap this up, we have to leave,” he said and turned away.


“You two are too poor at acting to frighten me into cooperate,” Nangong Xie mocked.


“You are not as important as you think,” Huang Ming returned.


“Kill me then!” Nangong Xie snarled. Huang Ming’s off-hand comment was especially galling. Having been the centre of attention in Tianxin City and then worked his way to become the right hand of Prime Minister Tong Xuan, the way Huang Ming had dismissed him struck a raw nerve.


“Well, you still have your uses,” Huang Ming smirked.


“You-!” Nangong Xie seethed.


There was a booming crash as a new figure dressed in black dropped in from the ceiling to stand in between Nangong Xie and Huang Ming. The floor tiles cracked and popped from the landing.


Huang Ming mouth fell open as the dust settled from the figure’s arrival. The newly arrived figure was huge and tall, and Huang Ming had to look up… and up. Huang Lang and his own men in black goggled at the sheer size of the person.


Despite the thick black cloth covering every inch of the figure except for the eyes, Huang Ming knew who it was. He knew of only one person of this size and stature.


“You?” Huang Ming asked disbelievingly, not knowing whether he should laugh or be frightened by the sheer amount of black cloth used by the newcomer.


The one who had arrived was the gargantuan woman that he had defeated in the royal banquet. The disguise was a poor attempt at subtlety and the effect was almost comical.


“You know this man?” Huang Lang asked, earning a hateful glare from the giant clothed in black.


“Woman,” Huang Ming corrected. “This woman is the bodyguard of Lord Aidi, the Jin Ambassador.”


From the way her eyes moved, Huang Ming knew she was smiling ferociously underneath her mask. It was as if she enjoyed this pointless disguise, this shared joke between them.


“What are you doing here?” Huang Ming asked.


The giantess ignored him and turned to gently pick up Nangong Xie. None was more shocked than the Handsome Scholar, it took all of his willpower not to whimper as the huge hands descended on him. Once he had confirmed that she was not mangling him, Nangong Xie opened his eyes… and found himself in a bridal carry.


“What is going on here…” Nangong Xie mumbled.


“Do you know this woman?” Huang Ming could not help but ask.


“No…” Nangong Xie answered before he could stop himself.


The giantess growled, a wordless admonishment for him to shut up and Nangong Xie complied.


Then the woman turned as if to leave.


“Wha… what are you doing… halt!” Huang Ming demanded. He turned to his brother and his stunned men.


“Well, stop her!” Huang Ming yelled, waving a finger at the woman’s general direction.


Huang Lang glanced at the gigantic woman and then back to his younger brother. “You stop her,” he said incredulously. Even his silent assassins who had so mercilessly killed Nangong Xie’s thugs earlier were shaking their heads.


“Men,” Sunli snorted derisively. Like Huang Ming, she too recognized the nameless bodyguard from the banquet.


The War Goddess gripped her silver spear tightly and stood in the giantess’s path. The disparity between their sizes was stark, yet Sunli stood unafraid and levelled the point of her spear at the giantess.


The giantess glowered at her, and one could sense that she too was itching for a fight if not for the Handsome Scholar in her arms.


“Drop the garbage so that we can fight,” Sunli challenged.


When the giantess did not respond, Sunli narrowed her eyes. Without further warning she thrust her spear forward towards the giant’s throat.


There was a metallic clang and the ringing echo of clashing steel as a sword deflected the spear down and away harmlessly away from the giantess.


Sunli was surprised by the weight of the parry.


“Allow me,” a new voice interrupted. Yet another figure had dropped down from the ceiling, taking the side of the giantess.


Now this arrival was unknown, but the voice and body was a man, though definitely not Lord Aidi himself. This man was taller and bulkier than the slender Jin ambassador.


Sunli scowled, more annoyed at having her spear stroke deflected than the prospect of facing yet another mysterious figure. But before she could launch a second attack, the man threw down a smoke bomb.


As ridiculous as it seemed, the thick smoke that billowed forth was enough to obscure their escape.


“What is this, a ninja festival?” Huang Ming muttered.

A quick dispersal,
A dramatic reversal.​

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks for the chapter

 

A long way to go before I reach this chapter

 

Recently very distracted.

---

“Give in to your anger. With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant.”
--Emperor Palpatine, ‘Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi’

Chapter 146 – Promises

Nangong Xie was not entirely sure that he should be grateful for the rescue. Though the giantess took some care while carrying him, every movement she made vibrated aggravated his injuries.


The smoke bomb that had covered his escape worked, but the resulting thick fumes launched coughing spasms. The man who had launched the incendiary then unceremoniously slipped a black hood onto Nangong Xie’s head. Helpless and blinded, Nangong Xie soon drifted into a troubled slumber.


He awoke with a start hours later when the hood was roughly pulled away… and immediately cursed as his startled reaction jerked his broken leg. Fortunately it was bound in a splint, a sign that he had been given medical attention while he was asleep.


The one who pulled the hood was the same man who had placed it earlier. Still clad in black, his identity was still unknown to Nangong Xie. At the corner of the unfamiliar room was the giant woman who had shed her own poor camouflage, glowering over him like some prison warden.


Like Huang Ming and Zhao Sunli, Nangong Xie had recognized the giantess from the royal banquet, but did not know her nor her master Lord Aidi personally.


“Apologies for the accommodations, but I am sure you can understand,” the mysterious man clad in black said with a soft chuckle.


“Who are you?” Nangong Xie demanded.


“You can call me your agent for redemption,” the man replied vaguely.


“What? What nonsense are you talking about?” Nangong Xie blurted.


“If I wanted you to know who I am, I wouldn’t be still wearing this, would I?” the man said sarcastically, pointing at the black mask around his face.


That simple, obvious fact embarrassed Nangong Xie. He should have realized it on his own. It took all of the Handsome Scholar’s willpower not to retort angrily, but he recognized his precarious situation at the hands of his mysterious rescuers and swallowed his anger.


“What happens now?” he asked instead.


“Obviously, you cannot stay here in Wu any longer. You will have to leave the country,” the man answered.


“What? Leave the country?” Nangong Xie exclaimed in disbelief. ‘What of my wealth… my power… all that I have built up?’


“You caused such a huge disturbance in the capital and lost a hundred men while assaulting a brothel,” the man stated mildly.


“The Prime Minister…” Nangong Xie started to say.


“You know Tong Xuan better than most. Do you really think you still have the Prime Minister’s favour after your debacle?” the man said derisively.


‘He is right,’ Nangong Xie thought dismally. Prime Minister Tong Xuan was not someone who cared too much for sentiments.


“Besides, you are still being hunted,” the mysterious man added dryly.


“Huang Ming! This is his fault!” Nangong Xie snarled. “Why is it every time I am on the brink of something great, he appears to get in my way?”


He slammed his fist down, which would have made an dramatic gesture if not for the fact that he was still on a bed and thus only made a muffled thump on the soft mattress.


The mysterious man watched on impassively as the Handsome Scholar vented his rage.


“Are you done?” he asked.


“What is it do you want? Why did you help me?” Nangong Xie asked hotly.


“Well, you still have your uses,” the man said, unknowingly echoing Huang Ming’s mocking words.


“You-!” Nangong Xie growled.


“How are you going to accomplish something ‘great’ if you are so easily provoked?” the man interrupted.


Nangong Xie raised a shaking fist, but then dropped it down limply; recognizing the futility of his anger.


“So what do you want me to do?” Nangong Xie asked slowly.


“Good,” the man in black said approvingly. “If nothing, your ability to adapt is admirable.”


“Hah,” Nangong Xie laughed harshly.


The mystery man folded his arms and matched his stare.


“Go north.”


“North?” Nangong Xie repeated. He glanced at the giantess at the corner of the room. “You mean… to Jin?”


The man nodded.


Nangong Xie gave him a glare and slapped the thigh of his broken leg as a reminder.


“You want a cripple like me to go to a nation of horse riders? Are you mocking me?” he asked sardonically.


“Your leg may be broken, but your mind is not,” the man replied evenly as he tapped the side of his head. “There is someone in the north who would appreciate your talents… If you can show them.”


“Fine,” Nangong Xie said through gritted teeth.


“Do not be so bitter,” the man said. “You will make your triumphant return some day,” he added ominously.


“Yes… I will return…”


Nangong Xie’s eyes glinted.


***


Later, in another room…


“How is he?” Lord Aidi the Jin Ambassador asked languidly from his luxurious seat.


“Malleable,” the man in black replied. “He is full of anger.”


Lord Aidi smiled slyly. “Like you?”


“I trust your preparations to depart are ready?” the man in black asked frostily.


“Of course. I cannot wait to leave this country,” Lord Aidi answered. “But what if Huang Ming decides to stop us from leaving?” he asked.


The man in black shook his head. “He has no reason to do so.”


“I had thought he would insist on searching for our newest recruit,” Lord Aidi commented.


“Their rivalry is one-sided, it only exists in Nangong Xie’s head,” the man in black replied. “As far as I know, Huang Ming himself cares very little for our scholar, this situation only developed as the means towards the end of Prime Minister Tong Xuan.”


Lord Aidi narrowed his eyes. “This Huang Ming… he is a very interesting character,” he said, still smarting from the way the young man had humiliated him at the royal banquet.


The man in black retrieved a letter and passed it to the Jin Ambassador.


“This is my report on Wu. I have included notes on Huang Ming and the King of Wu.”


“What of the Prime Minister?” Lord Aidi asked with a frown.


“I do not think he would be a factor for much longer,” the man answered flatly.


Lord Aidi took the letter almost reluctantly. “Do you really think that highly of him?”


“Do not let your personal experience cloud your judgement. You know our duty. That young man could be a person of interest,” the man in black said warningly.


Lord Aidi nodded, suitably chastened.


“I will be sure to pass it on,” he said. He stood up and sighed. “Such a beautiful country, wasted by an unworthy ruler.”


The man in black’s eyes remained calm. “You will find it far more enjoyable on your next visit.”


“Yes, I will return,” Lord Aidi said, looking forward to the future.


The man in black said nothing, but underneath his mask he was smiling cynically at how Lord Aidi had unknowingly repeated Nangong Xie’s promise.

Shadowy forces in league,
For the north they intrigued.​

 

Thanks for the chapter

 

“All the intellectuals and learned people have been recruited by the Qing dynasty. The only way we can defeat them is to use the remaining stupid people.”
--Chan Kan Nam, ‘Royal Tramp’ (1992)

Chapter 147 – The melancholy of Tong Xuan

Prime Minister Tong Xuan was not a happy man.


It was only a few weeks ago that he felt all-powerful, confident in his prestige and assured of his ability to do whatever he pleased. The King of Wu was sickly and weak, the Princess was spellbound by Nangong Xie and the royal court and ministries were led by men whom he had carefully selected for their loyalty to him.


His only rivals had been removed, leaving him all but in command of all the functionaries of the state. The upright Minister Jun of the civil office went missing after a mysterious fire at his residence, the corrupt Marshal Gao of the military forces suffered a reverse and disappeared.


The only one left was Grand Tutor Yuan, a decrepit old man who relied on his status of being Princess Wu Liying’s teacher. But how much power did he really have, when the princess herself was enamoured with Nangong Xie, a man who was also the Prime Minister’s retainer?


Then everything began to unravel. Prime Minister Tong Xuan had shared Marshal Gao’s concerns about the powerful generals in charge of their own legions in various parts of the country. Great General Huang Zheng was one of them, and in trying to removing this irritating thorn at their side, they only caused a grievous wound instead.


It would still be manageable had he been able to keep them far away from the capital. But suddenly the King of Wu seemed to come alive and actually displayed some kingship to summon Huang Ming for a reward, and to boost the morale of the country after the army’s misadventure in Wei.


Now the young man Huang Ming was the newest hero of the country, his dubious past now forgotten. Every attempt to stall and cast doubt on him failed, and there were even rumours of the Hero of Tigertrap Pass was to be given the hand of Princess Wu Liying.


Still, Tong Xuan was confident that this was not to be, for Nangong Xie had assured him that the princess intensely disliked Huang Ming who had made his fame with blood. Tong Xuan himself knew this to be true, did he not arrange for Princess Wu Liying to spy on the fateful day when Marshal Gao decided to to invade Wei for purely selfish reasons? Hadn’t he fooled the princess with his pacifist ways, warning her of the warmongers in the military?


So there was no reason for the prime minister to panic about the possibility of Huang Ming becoming the royal son-in-law…


Until Nangong Xie himself disappeared.


Tong Xuan had returned after his court duties, only to find a large part of his retinue had gone missing.


“What happened?” he asked his nephew Fang La.


“Sir Nangong Xie was provoked,” Fang La said blandly. “He took a group of your men to settle things with Huang Ming, I know not of the details.”


Tong Xuan was aghast, but decided to wait for the results instead of recalling Nangong Xie. But the hours became days and none of his men ever returned. It became apparent that something horrible had happened, for over the next few days Tong Xuan saw for himself that Huang Ming was still alive and well.


Once more the king had called Huang Ming to his private sanctum, one of the few places that still remained out of Tong Xuan’s reach. The relaxed way Huang Ming had followed the king told Tong Xuan all he needed to know: Nangong Xie had failed. There was no need to speculate the Handsome Scholar’s fate: either he had been killed by Huang Ming, or ran away to avoid being punished by the prime minister.


Tong Xuan could only return home in a terrible mood.


It did not improve when he saw the impassive attitude of his nephew, Lord Fang La. Recently the younger man only paid the most cursory of politeness to him and acting as if he was like a block of wood; unmoved and unconcerned with this latest crisis.


Tong Xuan admitted that his relationship with his nephew had deteriorated greatly ever since the debacle over General Huang Zheng’s military authority. But with Nangong Xie now gone, Tong Xuan needed him more than ever.


He tried to send some feelers for reconciliation, but his nephew rebuffed his attempt.


“I am sorry uncle, I have a prior engagement elsewhere,” Fang La said when Tong Xuan tried to invite him for a discussion. Tong Xuan by nature was a careful person: one of his minders later told him that his nephew did indeed went out to meet a lady.


That unexpected news lightened Tong Xuan’s mood somewhat, he was suspicious of Fang La unseemly interest with his youngest concubine and was therefore glad that his nephew was moving on from his scandalous infatuation.


Still, it did nothing to assuage Tong Xuan’s larger worries regarding Huang Ming’s growing closeness with the King of Wu. Suddenly, the prime minister felt quite alone, bereft of his left and right arms.


It was in this bleak atmosphere when the Imperial Guard’s Commander Wang Hong arrived to pay a visit. It was like a beam of sunlight had landed in the prime minister’s courtyard, he quickly told his servants to send him in and bring out the bottles of wine.


Wang Hong was a muscular man with rough features who looked more like a ruffian than an elite soldier. There were some disquiet about his appointment as the commander of the Imperial Guard, for he was all brawn and no brains. Indeed, it was only with Marshal Gao’s absence that Tong Xuan was able to push through Wang Hong’s elevation who otherwise would never be considered for the position at all.


Thus Wang Hong became one of Tong Xuan’s trusted creatures, for the new commander of the Imperial Guard owed everything to him. The brutish man was powerful but lacked finesse, therefore there was no danger of betrayal.


Wang Hong was not the most long-sighted of men, and would pick the simplest route to get what he want. Give him enough gold, wine and women and Wang Hong would have no reason to leave the prime minister’s side.


“Prime Minister, you don’t look well,” Wang Hong said coarsely.


“I am not well,” Tong Xuan sighed.


“Then I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” Wang Hong said without feeling. “Your Nangong Xie has vanished off the face of the earth. My men have found no traces of him.”


Tong Xuan grimaced. “I expected as much.”


Wang Hong snorted. “I told you, them scholar types are flaky,” he said and took a mighty swig from the bottle of wine.


Tong Xuan smiled, not wanting to point out angrily that he himself was a civil bureaucrat and not a muscle-head like Wang Hong.


Wang Hong belched and it took all of Tong Xuan’s willpower not to crack with disgust.


“You need to check your drinking,” Tong Xuan advised. “There are those who are covetous of your position, you must never give them a chance to catch you off-guard.”


“Catch me off-guard?” Wang Hong guffawed. “I am the Commander of the Imperial Guard! None are stronger than I!”


“Which is why you need to be careful,” Tong Xuan said sternly. “They might resort to underhanded means to harm you. Like using poison.”


Wang Hong paused, eyeing at the bottle of wine in his hand warily. Then he looked back up to see the Prime Minister of Wu watching him with amusement.


“Ha… ahahaha…” Wang Hong started to laugh and sweat.


“Now do you see? You must be ever vigilant,” Tong Xuan said genially like a kindly grandfather.


“I understand, I understand,” Wang Hong said while nodding profusely. But Tong Xuan noticed that his eyes never left the bottles of wine on the table.


Tong Xuan sighed, and wondered if the dearly departed Marshal Gao ever faced such headaches with his own collection of substandard subordinates.


Several days later his worst fears was realized, for Wang Hong had been killed.


Nangong Xie had disappeared, Fang La was distracted and now Wang Hong had been killed.


Tong Xuan could almost feel a noose tightening around his own neck…

The Prime Minister encircled,
His mind became garbled.​

 

Thanks for the chapter

 

Tonight's chapter will be delayed due to my country's national day and a couple of old friends flying back. It has nothing to do with Destiny 2's Open Beta, I swear...

 

For those wondering at the schedule disruption:
31st Aug - Malaysia's National Day (Wednesday)
1st Sept - Eid al-Adha (Thursday)
4th Sept - Commemorating Malaysia's success in the SEA Games (Monday)

Yes, a very long holiday weekend. That's not even all of it, Sept 9, Sept 16 and Sept 22 are also holidays (The King's birthday, Malaysia day and the Islamic New Year).

***

“You know nothing, Jon Snow.”
--Ygritte, ‘Game of Thrones’

Chapter 148 – Next

“Well, that was a mess,” Cao Shuang said sarcastically, a few days after the bloodshed at the brothel.


“One cannot account for all variables,” Huang Lang replied sagely.


“In normal circumstances I would have agreed with you,” Cao Shuang conceded. He then jabbed an accusatory finger towards Huang Ming. “But you! You should have told us about that… that giant woman.”


“I’m sorry,” Huang Ming replied contritely, “But I honestly did not know you are interested in such fetishes.”


Cao Shuang’s face turned purple. “You know what I meant! Why did you not tell us that Nangong Xie and the Jins were connected?”


“Because there isn’t one! Or at least, that I know of,” Huang Ming protested. “I only met the Jin ambassador and his henchwoman fleetingly at the royal banquet, I had no idea Nangong Xie was even in the capital until you guys told me about him!”


‘Fleetingly my ass, you humiliated the ambassador in front of our king and gave his giantess a full body throw,’ Cao Shuang mentally thought angrily.


“Well, at least Nangong Xie is done,” Huang Lang intervened.


“Done? He escaped!” Cao Shuang exclaimed. “What is there to prevent him from blabbing everything that has happened to the Prime Minister? Or to the Jins?”


Huang Lang the Celestial Qilin smiled. “Do not worry about that. We all know the prime minister’s character. Do you think he will give Nangong Xie a reprieve for his failure? We have covered up what had happened, but leaked out just enough to cast a shadow on him. Rumours about a bloody turf war in the capital, at the same time when the Prime Minister’s guards became significantly reduced? Those whispers alone will stop Tong Xuan from probing too deeply into this matter lest he be implicated.”


Cao Shuang nodded grudgingly. Then he looked sourly at Huang Ming. “But what of the Jins? Why would they rescue Nangong Xie?”


Huang Ming pulled a face. ‘Why do you accept Ah Lang’s words and yet throw me the hard balls?’



But he knew why: they were brothers-in-law, tied together by Cao Tianyun. Obviously Cao Shuang would not want to come down too hard on his beloved sister’s husband. And thus Huang Ming would have to bear the hard questions.


“I have no idea,” he admitted with a shrug. “Maybe she likes him.”


“And who was the masked man in black?” Cao Shuang continued.


“I said I don’t know. Maybe he likes him too. He’s the Handsome Scholar after all,” Huang Ming answered exasperatedly.


“Enough with your jokes,” Huang Lang admonished. “The man is obviously skilled to have deflected Ms. Zhao’s spear, and the smoke bomb he used is an uncommon tool. I will have to trouble Muge Jian to investigate this further, our mysterious man might have ties to the martial underworld.”


Huang Ming was very curious about that very martial underworld, and rued the fact that he missed witnessing Muge Jian and his heroic friends for himself. He was only told later about how they had committed the greatest of slaughter on Nangong Xie’s thugs outside of the brothel… while Huang Ming was depending on Qiong Ying’s seductive dancing and Zhao Sunli’s spear strokes to save himself.


Were there masters who move around on flying swords? Do they use martial arts that cause auras to show up visibly? Did the usual tropes from Earth about mystical creatures, magical treasures and disembodied spirit teachers also exist? What about secret sects, cultivation and nonsense like contribution points to hamper their own growth? What about refining immortal pills and elixirs and magic weapon forging, were they real?


Speaking of magic weapons, Huang Ming was reminded about the buried fake antiques his friends had dreamt up back in Tianxin City and wondered if they had fooled someone yet…


His train of thought was interrupted by the arrival of Zhao Sunli.


“We might not have the time to investigate further,” she announced.


“What do you mean?”


“General Yin Yanzhao has informed me that the Jin ambassador Lord Aidi and his entourage have already announced that they are returning back to Jin. As General Yin had escorted them here, it is natural for him to do the same for the return journey,” Sunli reported.


‘You went to meet him again?’ Huang Ming left the question unsaid, as it would putting personal matters ahead of official business.


“That is perfect,” Cao Shuang said. “He could search the Jins for Nangong Xie.”


But Sunli shook her head. “I have asked, and the general was displeased,” she said with a frown. “He had sworn to gave them safe passage, and to search the Jin ambassador would be very insulting. They had placed their trust in him, and he would not violate it even for a cursory search.”


“But surely he could see…” Cao Shuang started. He curbed his tongue when he saw Sunli’s eyes flash warningly.


“I have asked, and he has refused,” she reiterated in a flat tone.


“Ah… I see,” Cao Shuang said. Huang Ming marvelled at the way the young woman was able to silence the governor’s son with a glare, and smiled.


Cao Shuang caught the snickering look and growled at him. “This changes nothing, we need to silence Nangong Xie once and for all.”


“Well if he wants to go to Jin, let him,” Huang Ming said. “We only plotted against Nangong Xie because he was close to the prime minister. If he is abandoning Tong Xuan on his own, it is all the better.”


Huang Lang tapped the table with his finger thoughtfully. “Well, that is not idea, but that is one problem out of the way. However we have another problem,” he said. “General Yin leaving soon would hamper our designs for the next target, Commander Wang Hong.”


“I do not see the problem. I can kill him,” Sunli said, all fired up. She was already annoyed in the first place that Huang Ming had asked her to seek help regarding this matter. It was as if they were not confident in her ability to defeat Wang Hong by herself, which was all the more irritating considering that she had killed more men than anybody else in their little group.


Huang Ming saw that she was peeved. Her fiery disposition reminded him of her father, Zhao Tong the Thunderer.


“This is not just about killing Wang Hong, it is also about replacing him as commander of the Imperial Guard. Do you want the job?” he asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.


Sunli paused. Did she want the job? She thought herself the equal of any man, but was becoming the leader of home guards whose main duty was protecting the king and patrolling the capital city really that desirable for her? She knew it was a prestigious rank and would all but ensure a noble’s rank later, and many would leap at the chance.


“No,” she said and pursed her lips. She had no desire to stay cooped up in the capital, only wearing her armour and spear in parades and the rare occasions when the king would leave the capital for a tour. She was a warrior at heart, she wanted to serve and fight.


Huang Ming nodded, understanding her decision.


“It would be difficult to lure Wang Hong out in the first place,” Huang Lang said.


“Oh?” Huang Ming vocalized.


“Wang Hong is a drunkard and a womanizer, but lately he has kept a low profile at home,” Huang Lang explained. Then he smiled faintly. “It is as if he was frightened to stay at home, after how Nangong Xie had disappeared,” he added wryly.


“Oh, now you’re blaming me about how well our plan worked? It wasn’t my fault that the trap became so large scaled,” Huang Ming complained. “Besides, the plan was your idea,” he added.


Huang Lang nodded. “You are right of course, and I apologize,” he said with all the sincerity of a conman. “This time we should let you take charge and make the plans yourself to deal with Wang Hong, lest we repeat our mistakes as before.”


Huang Ming glared at his glib-tongued brother. “You-!” Huang Ming started to exclaim furiously. Then he stopped, because the sparks of a plan suddenly came to him.


The others stared at Huang Ming, puzzled at his frozen stance: his hand half-raised, a finger half-bent when he was about to point rudely at Huang Lang. Seeing how Huang Ming’s eyes were looking far away, they turned to look questioningly at Huang Lang instead.


Huang Lang smiled, knowing that the gears were turning in his younger brother’s head.

He loves to plot and scheme,
In his eyes, a gleeful gleam.​

 

ch149 delayed, came back too late

 

What was supposed to be Sunday's chapter... Apologies.

----
“Humans were drinking alcohol five-thousand years ago, and we're still drinking it now. Alcohol is humanity's friend. Can I abandon a friend?”
--Yang Wenli, ‘Legend of Galactic Heroes

Chapter 149 – The bait

Nobody knew what Huang Ming had planned: he hurried composed a letter and had it delivered with urgency. But within a few days, a single merchant wagon arrived at the capital. It would not be unusual except that it was gaily decorated with bold characters that shouted “Ma Family Brewery”.


It was also escorted by a powerful contingent of guards. In fact, the ratio was completely disproportionate: the merchant had employed an entire company of men to defend a single wagon.


This disparity obviously drew the attention of those who saw it… and smelled it. There was a heavenly fragrance of herbs and flowers emanating from the wagon.


The escort guards brusquely kept curious spectators at bay and rode ahead to open a wide path for the wagon.


“What is so special about this wagon?” an onlooker dared to ask one of the guards. All around him, rubber-neckers, profiteers and other gossip mongers leaned in to catch the conversation, just as eager and curious about the presumably precious cargo.


“Only the best wine from Tianxin City. It is a special blend that is only made once every ten years,” the guard replied proudly.


“Ten years? Why?”


The guard smiled and was about to respond when another, older guard came over to knock his head in a reprimand.


“Don’t go blabbing about the clan’s secret! Do you want to get struck off the clan register? Go make yourself useful!” the older man admonished. The younger guard turned pale hastily and quickly ran off.


The older guard snorted in satisfaction of his powers, but the same onlooker who had questioned the previous guard now turned his attentions to him.


“Brother, why so secretive?” the onlooker asked.


“None of your business,” the older guard said brusquely.


But the rumourmongers were not so easily deterred, they literally pressed some gold pieces into his hands. Eventually the guard accepted it ‘reluctantly’ and stuffed the ingots into his uniform.


“This is a special tribute from the Tianxin City branch family of the honourable Ma clan,” the guard confided. “Every ten years, the Ma clan would have a gathering in a different city for wine tasting and to decide the next premium recipe to be officially entered into their roster. This time it happens to be in the capital.”


“You mean, it’s a competition?”


The guard nodded. “Of course! Every branch wants their own blend to win. Expect to see more wagons like this over the next few days, they will be coming from all over the country.”


“Why only once every ten years then?” someone asked.


“What do you know about brewing wine?” the guard sneered. “It takes time to research and develop new blends. Ten years of preparation is nothing!”


“Then why haven’t I heard of this before?” a young man spoke up.


The guard looked at him contemptuously. “How old are you? The last competition was ten years ago, did you even have hair down there back then?” he asked.


The crowd laughed as the young man was shamed.


The news spread across the capital, with the details distorted and exaggerated with each telling as more wagons streamed into the capital. Fanciful descriptions of heavenly nectars fit for the gods soon reached the ears of Wang Hong.


Wang Hong was soon drooling and had even thought of marshalling the Imperial Guard on a sudden ‘inspection tour’, but he still had the presence of mind not to act impulsively.


“A wine competition right when I have sworn off drinking? Somebody is trying to set me up!” he said to himself, proud to have seen through the ruse.


He was about to send a message to Prime Minister Tong Xuan for his warning when General Yin Yanzhao came to call on him. Wang Hong was rightfully puzzled, for he had no dealings with the so-called North Star.


Wang Hong only saw General Yin fleetingly when he had escorted the Jin ambassador the royal banquet. General Yin himself was completely forgotten after Lord Aidi’s dramatic entrance and subsequent humiliation by Huang Ming.


“This general greets Lord Wang Hong,” General Yin greeted.


“What brings you here, general? Shouldn’t you be preparing to escort the Jin ambassador back north?” Wang Hong asked directly.


General Yin had a sheepish look. “Yes, you are right. But I have intentionally delayed it for a small matter, and I was hoping for a favour,” he replied.


All of a sudden, Wang Hong had the impression that General Yin Yanzhao was a meek person and not at all like the warrior oft-told in stories. Combined with the faint impression of him from the royal banquet, Wang Hong thought that those stories were simply exaggerated.


Probably one of those who relied on his familial connections, Wang Hong sneered inwardly. Unlike himself who had to use all sorts of flattery to catch the eye of the Prime Minister.


“Well, what is it?” Wang Hong asked.


“I was wondering if you had received an invitation to the Ma clan’s wine competition,” the general said.


“What? It is a real thing? I thought it was just rumours!” Wang Hong said with astonishment.


“Oh, you didn’t know of it?” General Yin said, greatly disappointed.


“Explain!” Wang Hong demanded impatiently.


“Ten years ago the competition was held in a northern city. My father received an invitation and he brought back a bottle of the finest wine I have ever tasted.”


“He actually went to the competition? How was the wine?” Wang Hong asked, leaning forward in his seat.


“I was still young then, and there was only a single bottle. My father… he was so stingy that he only gave me half a cup,” General Yin sighed in reminiscence and subconsciously smacked his lips.


It caused Wang Hong to gulp.


“Your father… General Yin Yanxi… even someone as brutish as me knows of his fame. But how did he get the invitation?” he asked.


General Yin shrugged. “My father never told me the details, but it seemed he had saved a Ma family caravan in the past as it travelled the north.”


“And so you come looking for me, in the hopes of getting the wine again?” Wang Hong asked, still suspicious.


There was a sad, wistful smile on General Yin’s face. “As you are aware, my father died in battle. While I do crave the wine, my first wish is to make an offering over his grave. He said it was the best drink he had ever tasted, and I thought it was suitable as a libation.”


Wang Hong nodded, but inwardly he was rolling his eyes. How wasteful to pour a divine drink for the dead, when there was so little of it for the living!


“I am sorry to have troubled you with this trifling matter,” General Yin said apologetically.


“Nonsense!” Wang Hong thundered. “You are a filial son, doing your best to commemorate the memory of your father! That alone is a worthy cause!”


General Yin cupped his hands. “I am humbled by your praise. But since you did not receive an invitation, this is all moot.”


“Have you tried asking them directly?” Wang Hong suggested.


“I have not, as they are quite secretive. This is the first time in ten years that I have heard the Ma clan surfacing so near, which is why I dared to impose on you,” General Yin said.


Wang Hong was finally convinced. “Though I do not have an invitation, who are they to deny me if I was to show up?”


“But the competition is a closed, private affair. We should not offend them,” General Yin replied hesitantly.


“They are merchants, so what if they are offended?” Wang Hong scoffed. “Besides, I will tell them that I wish to present their wine to the king as gift. Surely they will not pass up on this honour.”


General Yin’s eyes widened. “You are very astute, Commander Wang Hong,” he praised.


Wang Hong laughed loudly, tickled by the praise from this so-called famous North Star. Wang Hong himself did not have any appellation, and he thought those famous personages that had them were merely blowing hot air to promote themselves.


How right he was! Look at how this Yin Yanzhao was grovelling before him, all for the sake of a drink for his dear, departed father!


“Come, we shall knock on their doors and ask boldly for to ‘inspect’ their wine, as it is our right as guardians of the country!”

Even a general is employed,
To play the part of a decoy.​

 

Thanks for the chapter.

 

Yay! Thanks!

 

“Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.”
--Homer Simpson

Chapter 150 – Sprung

Driven by his lust for the heavenly wine, Wang Hong hastily forced General Yin Yanzhao to go with him to the Ma clan.


They were soon stymied by a large crowd at its doors. Only the presence of guards of the Ma clan prevented the loud, boisterous crowd from breaking down its doors to loot the place.


The arrival of the imposing figures of Commander Wang and General Yin soon subdued the restless gathering.


“Clear off this rabble!” Wang Hong growled and the Imperial Guard obeyed by shouting and shoving aside the civilians who ran away in panic. Those who protested or continued to linger were manhandled, resulting in blackened eyes, bloodied noses and broken teeth.


General Yin’s face was impassive but inwardly sighed as Wang Hong’s men cleared the area. How low have the Imperial Guard fallen! They were supposed to be the elite soldiers that protected the King of Wu and his palace, yet they behaved little more than armed thugs in uniform. None of them even questioned the validity of Wang Hong’s orders who treated them as his personal lackeys.


The Ma clan guards at the doorway eyed at Wang Hong warily. They were grateful for the dispersal, but now faced an even more daunting problem.


“Bring out whoever is in charge! I want to speak to him!” Wang Hong said in domineering fashion.


A few moments later a perspiring, barrel-chested merchant appeared.


“Ma Jun greets his excellency,” the merchant greeted as he bowed deeply.


“I heard you have some contraband here,” Wang Hong said roughly, humiliating the merchant by not returning the greeting.


Ma Jun was terribly shocked by the accusation. “There is no such thing! We are law abiding merchants, all our paperwork are in order!”


Wang Hong sneered. “We shall see! Open up, I shall conduct an inspection personally!”


“Sir, I beg your kind understanding… My clan is in the midst of an important event…” Ma Jun said hesitantly.


“Get out of my way!” Wang Hong snarled and Ma Jun drew back fearfully. Seeing the stout merchant cowering brought a sinister smile on Wang Hong’s face. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he could smell the sweet aroma of wines.


“Commander Wang, perhaps we should give them some face,” General Yin ventured to say.


But Wang Hong smiled scornfully. He was spurred by the tantalizing scent of alcohol. Having forcefully curbed his drinking over the past few days, how was he to resist?


“Why so timid like a woman? We are men of authority, we should flaunt our powers!”


He ordered his men to search the premises. Ma Jun the merchant panicked, waving his arms in despair as the dozen or so men stormed in.


“Stop! Stop! Sire, I know what you seek! Please, call your men back and I will give it to you!” he shouted plaintively.


Wang Hong smirked at General Yin. “Do you see now? Why give them face when we should be the ones demanding for it?”


General Yin could only nod and smile, not wanting to antagonize the commander. The meek gesture only increased Wang Hong’s disdain for him.


Ma Jun brought out a slim bottle of wine and presented it to Wang Hong with both hands.


Wang Hong glared at the merchant. “One bottle? Do you think we’re beggars?”


Ma Jun hurriedly shook his head. “No, of course not! This, this is just the first offering!” he explained. He quickly opened the bottle and a waft of fruity smells exploded.


Wang Hong was literally salivating. He all but snatched the bottle and sniffed at it. He closed his eyes and smiled with pleasure as he breathed in deeply.


“Just as the rumours say,” he cackled a moment later. He was about to take a swig from the bottle, but was suddenly reminded of Prime Minister Tong Xuan’s warning. He stopped himself and reluctantly passed the bottle to General Yin.


“Here, drink this,” he said gruffly.


General Yin’s eyes widened. “Many thanks!” and took a deep pull from the bottle unceremoniously.


Wang Hong could not help but gulp and swallow his own saliva as General Yin relished the taste and drained the entire bottle.


“How is it?” he asked cautiously as the general wiped his lips with the back of his hand.


“Outstanding!” the general said. “A pity there’s only so little of it,” he continued, eyeing at the empty bottle mournfully.


Wang Hong had watched with a pained expression as the general drank, but he kept a close eye to see if there were any ill effects. Other than the faint blush of red in the general’s face, there was none.


Wang Hong then kicked out at Ma Jun impatiently. “Bring out everything! Hurry!”


Ma Jun could only clench his teeth and sob, the very picture of a distraught merchant. More bottles were brought out, and Ma Jun could only wring his hands and clutch at his sleeves in despair.


Still wary, Wang Hong nodded at General Yin. “Go and find a bottle for your father,” he grunted almost unwillingly.


“I will have to taste to find out,” General Yin said slowly. It was just what Wang Hong wanted to hear: he needed someone to taste them all for poison and the so-called North Star had volunteered himself to do so.


“Then take a sip from each!” Wang Hong said generously, as if they were his to give. He paid close attention to General Yin for tell tale signs of poisoning. However, the way General Yin gleefully stooped to unseal and smell each bottle was tearing at his heart, even though his mind was telling him to be careful.


Soon the courtyard became filled with intoxicating smells as General Yin opened each bottle and savoured each gulp.


Eventually Wang Hong ran out of patience and swiped an opened bottle for himself. Without nary a thought he poured the sweet nectar down his throat. Each drop was like the brief rain in a desert: swallowed eagerly and disappearing just as fast.


“Fantastic!” Wang Hong praised and smashed the empty bottle down.


By now General Yin had made his choice, guarding the bottle in his chest, as if afraid Commander Wang Hong would go back on his word.


Wang Hong noticed it and sneered at General Yin. “Do you think I would covet yours when there are so many here?”


General Yin was taken aback. “Surely you’re not taking all of them,” he said in astonishment.


“And why not?” Wang Hong said and drained a second bottle that was also opened by General Yin.


“We can’t go around seizing the private properties of others, it isn’t proper,” General Yin protested.


“Your words ring hollow with that bottle in your chest,” Wang Hong said, full of contempt for the general.


“I was planning to pay for it,” the general said defensively. “We should not be too overbearing…”


Wang Hong laughed harshly. “How womanly of you! I am the law here!”


General Yin grimaced. “Sir, please watch your tongue. You risk offending people with your reckless words.”


“Risk? What risk is there from these merchants?” Wang Hong asked loudly. By now he had drained his third bottle that had been tested by General Yin, and the empty vessel too joined its smashed brethren around his feet.


“Well, what if someone here challenges you?” General Yin asked.


Suddenly the atmosphere turned cold. Wang Hong narrowed his eyes.


“Do you mean yourself?” he growled. He snapped his fingers and his dozen men quickly surrounded General Yin in a ring.


“Do you think I’m a mere fool? To lure me here with alcohol right at the time when I was trying to abstain myself, you think too lightly of me!” Wang Hong said with a leer.


General Yin affected a frightened look. “Commander, you have made a mistake. If I meant you harm, I would not have come here unarmed,” he pleaded.


Wang Hong threw back his head and laughed uproariously. “Gentlemen, the brave General Yin Yanzhao the North Star!” he barked to his men, pointing at General Yin insultingly.


General Yin stood silently as he was surrounded by a ring of scornful laughter.


“Nobody in their right mind would dare to fight you,” General Yin said. “Besides, you are the Commander of the Imperial Guard. Who would dare to kill you?”


“Hah! Kill me?” Wang Hong said. He raised a fist high and shook it challengingly.


“Who dares to kill me?” he mocked aloud.


“I dare to kill you!” a savage voice shouted from behind.


Shocked, Wang Hong turned around but could not react any further. A spear thrust flashed and lodged itself in his throat. The great Commander Wang Hong fell over with a gurgling a mouthful of blood, a hole in his throat and his eyes wide in disbelief.


As his life began to fade, Wang Hong saw that his killer was a woman. A woman, of all people!


If he had a few breaths more, he would have recognized that the deathblow was delivered by Zhao Sunli the War Goddess. Perhaps then he would not be so discontented.


Wang Hong soon expired, his heart full of dissatisfaction.

Driven to drink,
He was hoodwinked.
Provoked a strife,
And lost his life.​