Dragon Boat Race Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chapter Four: The Rift

Epigraph: Beacon fires rise from the sudden upheaval in Beidi, rumors spread as generals and ministers fall out. It is not that the bonds of friendship are weak, but that the chaos blinds the eye, making it hard to discern the truth.

The first autumn rain of Yonghe’s fourth year arrived suddenly. Large raindrops hammered against the glazed tiles of the Ministry of War’s yamen, and also hammered against Qin Gong’s heart. He clutched the urgent border report he had just received, his knuckles white from the force.

“Beidi’s Third Prince assassinated his father and usurped the throne. The First Prince led the remnants of his forces to the border, requesting asylum…” He murmured the words on the military report, his brow deeply furrowed. “The Third Prince demands that our nation hand over the First Prince, or he will raise an army and invade our territory…”

“Lord Vice Minister,” the clerk reported from outside the door, “Minister Li requests your immediate presence for a meeting.”

The atmosphere in the Ministry of War’s council hall was heavy. Li Zhen sat in the main seat, flanked by several key officials from the ministry, all of whom looked grim.

“You are all aware of the situation,” Li Zhen began directly. “Beidi is in turmoil, and the border is in crisis. His Majesty requires us to immediately formulate a countermeasure.”

A seasoned and steady official spoke first: “This subordinate believes we should immediately dispatch troops to reinforce the border, and simultaneously refuse to hand over the First Prince. If we bow to a patricide and usurper, what face will our Great Sheng have left?”

“Face?” another official countered. “The border garrison currently has less than fifty thousand troops. Beidi’s Third Prince commands a large army. If a real fight breaks out, we may not gain the upper hand. It would be better to temporarily agree and plan for the long term.”

The officials argued back and forth, but Qin Gong remained silent. It wasn’t until Li Zhen called him out by name: “Vice Minister Qin, what is your opinion?”

Qin Gong slowly raised his head: “This subordinate believes we should immediately dispatch the Zhenbei Marquis to the border to take command.”

This statement stunned everyone present.

“Absolutely not!” someone immediately objected. “The Marquis has just recently married. Sending him out on campaign now, I fear…”

“Precisely because the Marquis is newly married, he must be sent,” Qin Gong said calmly. “The Beidi people fear the Zhenbei Marquis the most. As long as the Marquis stands at the border, he will deter the enemy forces. To subdue the enemy without fighting—that is the best strategy.”

Li Zhen pondered for a moment. “Vice Minister Qin has a point. I shall immediately enter the palace to request an imperial decree dispatching the Zhenbei Marquis.”

When the news reached the Zhenbei Marquis’s Residence, Wu Ge was playing a game of Go with Zhao Wan.

“Marquis,” the steward rushed in to report, “An imperial decree has arrived from the palace, ordering you to proceed to the border immediately to handle the Beidi situation.”

Wu Ge’s hand, holding a Go piece, paused. “Understood.”

Zhao Wan placed a piece, her voice soft: “Once you leave, I wonder when you will return.”

“The border is unsettled. As a military general, it is my bounden duty,” Wu Ge looked at her. “I only regret that I must leave my wife to guard an empty chamber.”

Zhao Wan smiled: “Marquis, what nonsense are you speaking? Campaigning for the nation is a general’s duty, and I naturally support it.”

However, that night, Wu Ge quietly went to Qin Gong’s residence.

“Was it your suggestion to send me to the border?” he asked as soon as he entered, his tone complex.

Qin Gong nodded: “It is the best option right now.”

“Why?” Wu Ge grasped his wrist. “Do you want me to leave that badly?”

Qin Gong saw the pain in his eyes and felt a pang in his heart: “Precisely because I don’t want you to leave, I must send you.”

He led Wu Ge over to the map. “Look, Beidi’s Third Prince has just usurped the throne, and his foundation is unstable. Although the First Prince was defeated, he still holds prestige among the former tribes. If we can help the First Prince regain his position now, we can ensure peace at the border for at least ten years.”

“So you intend to…”

“I am going with you,” Qin Gong said firmly. “This time, we must completely resolve the threat posed by Beidi.”

Wu Ge was stunned: “But what about the court…”

“Leave the court affairs to Zhao Wan.” Qin Gong had planned everything meticulously. “She will maneuver in the capital, and we will campaign outside. Only by coordinating inside and out can we succeed.”

The plan was so audacious that even Wu Ge was taken aback. But looking at Qin Gong’s resolute eyes, his doubts gradually faded.

“Alright,” he tightly gripped Qin Gong’s hand. “We will go together.”

Three days later, the Zhenbei Marquis led his army out on campaign. Unlike previous times, the Vice Minister of War, Qin Gong, was also accompanying the troops. The court was abuzz with discussion about this, but the Emperor, considering Qin Gong’s experience in Beidi affairs, ultimately approved the request.

On the day of departure, Zhao Wan saw them off outside the city gates.

“Marquis, Vice Minister, please take care on your journey,” she handed them two amulets. “These were obtained by me at the Cining Palace. May you both return safely.”

Wu Ge accepted the amulets and said, with rare gentleness: “I entrust the affairs of the capital to my wife.”

Zhao Wan smiled and nodded. When her gaze met Qin Gong’s, she gave a slight nod.

The army set off, heading north. The closer they got to the border, the more tense the atmosphere became. They saw fleeing commoners along the way, fear etched on every face.

Ten days later, the army arrived at Liangzhou, a major border town. The Liangzhou commander traveled ten miles outside the city to greet them, tears welling up with emotion upon seeing Wu Ge:

“Marquis! You have finally arrived!”

“What is the current situation?” Wu Ge asked.

“Beidi’s Third Prince has amassed two hundred thousand troops at the border, challenging us daily. The First Prince is hiding with his remaining forces in Heishui City, and his situation is precarious.”

That evening, Wu Ge and Qin Gong discussed countermeasures in the command tent.

“Two hundred thousand against fifty thousand—the disparity in strength is too great,” Wu Ge said, his brow furrowed as he looked at the map. “A direct confrontation is not feasible.”

Qin Gong’s finger moved across the map: “We may not need a direct confrontation. The Third Prince committed patricide and usurpation; not everyone within Beidi is necessarily loyal to him. We can start from there…”

Just then, a personal guard reported: “Marquis, the First Prince has sent someone with a secret letter.”

The contents of the letter surprised both of them. The First Prince expressed willingness to submit to Great Sheng, asking only for help in avenging his father’s murder.

“What do you think?” Wu Ge asked.

Qin Gong pondered for a moment: “We can agree, but we must demand a show of sincerity from him.”

“What sincerity?”

“Have him hand over Beidi’s troop deployment map.”

This was a bold demand, but if the First Prince could indeed provide the deployment map, it would undoubtedly have a decisive impact on the war situation.

Three days later, the First Prince indeed sent someone with the deployment map. After verification, the map was confirmed to be genuine.

“It seems the First Prince is truly at the end of his rope,” Wu Ge said.

Qin Gong, however, felt that something was amiss: “It’s too smooth… The Third Prince clearly knows the First Prince is with us, so why hasn’t he launched a strong attack?”

This question was answered the next day.

Early that morning, an urgent report arrived from the border: The main Beidi army had retreated thirty miles!

“Retreated?” Wu Ge was incredulous. “What are they planning?”

Soon, even more astonishing news arrived: Beidi’s Third Prince had sent an envoy, expressing willingness to declare vassalage and offer tribute, asking only that Great Sheng hand over the First Prince.

“Just as I thought,” Qin Gong sneered. “The Third Prince never wanted this war. He amassed troops at the border simply to force us to hand over the First Prince.”

“Then we should…”

“We will use his own scheme against him,” a sharp light flashed in Qin Gong’s eyes. “Agree to his demand, but require him to personally come to Liangzhou to surrender.”

This proposal stunned everyone.

“Have the Third Prince come to Liangzhou? That’s too dangerous!”

“We want him to be afraid to come,” Qin Gong said. “If he is afraid to come, it proves he is guilty. At that point, we will have justification to support the First Prince’s restoration.”

As expected, the Third Prince delayed his reply after receiving the message. Meanwhile, an unsettling piece of news arrived from the capital.

“Marquis, Vice Minister,” the messenger presented a secret letter. “This was sent by the Madam’s people.”

Zhao Wan wrote in the letter that someone in the court was impeaching Wu Ge for hoarding military power and deliberately delaying the war. Worse still, rumors were being spread that Wu Ge was secretly colluding with Beidi, harboring ill intentions.

“Nonsense!” Wu Ge roared in anger. “I am fighting for my life on the front lines, and they are stabbing me in the back!”

Qin Gong appeared calm: “This day was bound to come sooner or later. Fortunately, we were prepared.”

He took out a memorial: “I wrote this long ago, detailing the battle situation and our plan here. As long as we send someone to rush it back to the capital, the rumors will collapse on their own.”

However, the day after the memorial was sent out, the situation at the border changed.

The Beidi army suddenly launched an attack, targeting Heishui City—the city where the First Prince was located.

“They are trying to silence him!” Wu Ge immediately ordered his troops. “I will go to the rescue!”

“Wait!” Qin Gong stopped him. “This might be a feint to lure the tiger out of the mountains. If you leave with the troops, Liangzhou will be vulnerable.”

“Then what should we do? Should we just watch the First Prince be killed?”

While the two were arguing, another piece of bad news arrived: The convoy transporting grain and supplies was ambushed en route, and all the provisions were stolen.

“Beset by troubles both internal and external…” Wu Ge gave a bitter smile.

Just then, the personal guard brought in an unexpected person—Beidi’s Grand Princess, Ashina Yun.

She was the youngest daughter of the late Beidi Khan and the full sister of the First Prince. She was travel-worn, but her eyes shone with determination.

“I can help you,” she said directly. “I know my Third Brother’s troop deployments, and I know who is supporting him from behind the scenes.”

“Who?” Qin Gong asked.

“Someone from your Great Sheng,” Ashina Yun’s words were shocking. “It was my Third Brother who colluded with certain people in your court to kill my father, the Khan.”

This news struck the tent like thunder, stunning everyone present.

“Do you have proof?” Wu Ge asked.

Ashina Yun produced a letter: “This is correspondence between my Third Brother and a certain high official in your court. It details how they killed my father and framed my Elder Brother.”

Qin Gong took the letter, and the more he read, the more alarmed he became. The handwriting on the letter was clearly…

“This is impossible…” he murmured.

“What is it?” Wu Ge asked.

Qin Gong handed the letter to him, his voice trembling: “This is… Zhao Wan’s handwriting.”

The tent fell into a dead silence.

Wu Ge stared intently at the letter, his face ashen. He never imagined that the wife who was maneuvering for them in the capital was actually colluding with Beidi’s Third Prince!

“Are you sure?” he asked Qin Gong, his voice hoarse.

Qin Gong closed his eyes in pain: “I have seen her writing. I cannot be mistaken.”

In that moment, the air in the command tent seemed to solidify. The foundation of trust had collapsed, leaving only a profound sense of betrayal.

“What do we do now?” Wu Ge finally asked after a long silence.

Qin Gong took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: “We will use their scheme against them.”

He looked at Ashina Yun: “Princess, are you willing to cooperate with us in putting on a performance?”

“What kind of performance?”

“A performance… to purge the sovereign’s side of corrupt officials.”

Outside the window, the north wind howled, signaling that this winter would be exceptionally long. And in the distant capital, an even greater storm was brewing.