Dragon Boat Race Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Chapter Five: The Fog

Epigraph: Truth and falsehood indistinguishable in a nested plot; loyalty and treachery unclear in a deepening maze. Not that wisdom falls short, but that the dilemma of duty and affection demands deep thought.

The news brought by Ashina Yun, the Northern Di Princess, was like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand ripples in the commander’s tent.

Wu Ge gripped the secret letter tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. The delicate handwriting on the paper was indeed identical to Zhao Wan’s usual script. Could the woman who had mediated for them in the capital and rescued them at the palace banquet truly be a traitor colluding with the enemy?

“This is impossible…” Qin Gong muttered, his face ashen. “Why would Zhao Wan do this? She is already the Marquis’s wife, why would she conspire with Northern Di?”

Ashina Yun said coldly, “Power. My third brother promised her that, after the deed was done, he would help her control the Great Sheng dynasty’s government. Compared to a Marquis’s wife in name only, that temptation is far greater.”

Wu Ge slammed his fist onto the desk. “I will write a memorial immediately and expose her crimes to His Majesty!”

“You must not!” Qin Gong quickly stopped him. “A single letter is insufficient evidence. Moreover… this letter arrived too conveniently.”

Wu Ge frowned. “What do you mean?”

Qin Gong retrieved the letter from Ashina Yun and examined it carefully. “Princess, where did you obtain this letter?”

Ashina Yun replied, “It was found on my third brother’s personal attendant.”

“When? Where?”

“Three days ago, in the pine forest thirty miles outside Blackwater City.”

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Gong’s eyes. “Three days ago, Blackwater City was already tightly surrounded by the Third Prince’s army. How did the Princess break through the siege and happen to intercept this secret letter?”

Ashina Yun’s expression shifted slightly. “Are you doubting me?”

“I merely find it too much of a coincidence,” Qin Gong said calmly. “We have just fallen into a predicament, and the Princess appears with this crucial piece of evidence. Furthermore… this letter is far too well preserved.”

Indeed, the paper was smooth, and the handwriting was clear; it did not look like it had survived a battlefield skirmish at all.

Wu Ge also grew wary. “Princess, please explain.”

Ashina Yun was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “You truly live up to your reputation as Strategist Qin, the one who has repeatedly caused my third brother trouble. You are right, this letter was handed to me by someone.”

“Who?”

“I cannot say.” Ashina Yun shook her head. “But I can tell you that whether this letter is genuine or fake can be verified with one test.”

“How do we verify it?”

“In three days, a batch of military supplies will be transported from the capital. Only Zhao Wan and a few key officials from the Ministry of War know the transport route for these supplies. If they are ambushed en route, it proves the information was indeed leaked.”

This proposal was risky, but it was certainly the best way to verify the truth.

Wu Ge and Qin Gong exchanged glances, both seeing the determination in the other’s eyes.

“Fine,” Wu Ge said. “We will proceed as the Princess suggests.”

Over the next three days, the border situation grew increasingly tense. The Northern Di army frequently mobilized, seemingly preparing for a major battle. Inside Liangzhou City, the atmosphere was equally heavy.

Qin Gong secretly investigated Zhao Wan’s past and discovered that the Commandery Princess was indeed not simple. She had grown up beside the Empress Dowager yet maintained contact with various factions in the court. Even more surprising, she was an intergenerational friend of the late Su Mingyuan and had held multiple secret discussions with him before his downfall.

“If she truly colluded with Northern Di, what is her motive?” Qin Gong was baffled. “For power? But she is already the Marquis’s wife and the Empress Dowager’s most beloved niece-granddaughter, holding a position of honor. For revenge? Su Mingyuan’s downfall had no direct connection to us…”

On the evening of the third day, the anticipated military supply convoy was indeed ambushed en route. Fortunately, Wu Ge had prepared in advance and sent troops to meet them, preventing significant losses.

“Now do you believe me?” Ashina Yun asked.

Qin Gong, however, said, “On the contrary, I am more suspicious.”

“Why?”

“Besides Zhao Wan, at least five other people in the Ministry of War knew the transport route for these supplies,” Qin Gong said. “Moreover… this attack was too deliberate, as if it were intentionally staged to confirm Zhao Wan’s guilt.”

Wu Ge was confused. “Then what do you think the truth is?”

“I don’t know,” Qin Gong shook his head. “But I feel like we are being led by the nose.”

Just then, a close aide delivered an urgent report from the capital. After reading the military dispatch, Wu Ge’s face changed dramatically:

“His Majesty is gravely ill! The Crown Prince is overseeing the state!”

This news was even more shocking than the secret letter brought by the Northern Di Princess. The Emperor was advanced in age but had always been robust; how could he suddenly fall gravely ill?

“What does the military report say?” Qin Gong urgently asked.

“It says he was struck by a sudden, severe illness, and the imperial physicians are helpless.” Wu Ge’s voice trembled. “The Crown Prince has taken control of the government, and the Empress Dowager… the Empress Dowager has been placed under house arrest in the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility.”

Qin Gong’s heart skipped a beat. “What about Zhao Wan?”

“The report doesn’t mention her.”

Ashina Yun suddenly spoke. “I know where Zhao Wan is.”

Both men looked at her.

“She is on her way to Liangzhou,” Ashina Yun’s words were startling. “She set out three days ago.”

“What?” Wu Ge was incredulous. “Why is she coming to Liangzhou?”

“She said… she is coming to save you.”

This statement plunged the commander’s tent into deeper fog. If Zhao Wan was truly a traitor, why would she come to save them? If she wasn’t a traitor, what was the deal with that secret letter?

Late at night, Qin Gong stood alone on the city wall. The northern stars were exceptionally bright, but his heart was in chaos.

A cloak was gently placed over his shoulders. Wu Ge had arrived without him noticing.

“Still thinking about Zhao Wan?” Wu Ge asked.

Qin Gong nodded. “I always feel like we missed a crucial clue.”

“What clue?”

“The motive.” Qin Gong turned to face him. “Why would Zhao Wan do this? She is the Marquis’s wife, the Empress Dowager’s niece-granddaughter, a person of esteemed status. What benefit is there for her in colluding with Northern Di?”

Wu Ge was silent for a moment. “Perhaps… she wants more.”

“More?” Qin Gong suddenly realized something. “Wait… if His Majesty’s illness…”

His words were interrupted by a commotion below the city wall. A defending soldier shouted, “Someone outside the city requests an audience! They claim to be from the capital!”

The two men hurried down the wall and saw a woman wrapped in a cloak standing outside the city gate. Though travel-worn, her graceful figure was unmistakable—it was Zhao Wan!

“Open the gate!” Wu Ge ordered.

Zhao Wan walked through the gate, removed her cloak, revealing a tired but determined face. “I’m glad I made it in time.”

“Why are you here?” Qin Gong asked.

“Something has happened in the capital,” Zhao Wan lowered her voice. “His Majesty is not sick; he was poisoned.”

This news was even more alarming than the military report.

“Who did it?” Wu Ge asked.

Zhao Wan glanced at the surrounding soldiers. “This is no place to talk.”

The three returned to the commander’s tent, and Zhao Wan continued, “It was the Empress. She colluded with the Northern Di Third Prince, intending to install her own son on the throne.”

“Then His Majesty…”

“His Majesty is temporarily stable but requires rest. The Crown Prince now controls the court, but his position is unstable.” Zhao Wan produced a secret imperial decree. “This was written by His Majesty while he was lucid, ordering the two of you to immediately return to the capital to defend the throne.”

Wu Ge took the decree, examined it carefully, and nodded. “It’s genuine. But the border…”

“I have already made arrangements for the border.” Zhao Wan looked at Ashina Yun. “Princess, could you please explain?”

Ashina Yun smiled faintly and suddenly spoke in fluent Han Chinese. “Let me reintroduce myself. I am the head of the Great Sheng secret agents, codenamed ‘Skylark.’”

This transformation stunned both Wu Ge and Qin Gong.

“You are… one of us?”

“Yes,” Ashina Yun nodded. “Three years ago, His Majesty ordered me to infiltrate Northern Di to monitor the movements of the Northern Di royal family. The current internal strife in Northern Di was actually orchestrated by us.”

Qin Gong suddenly understood. “So that letter…”

“It was fake,” Zhao Wan interjected. “I deliberately had the Princess bring it to you to test who else in the court was colluding with Northern Di.”

“Why test us?” Wu Ge asked, confused.

“Because…” Zhao Wan’s expression grew solemn. “We suspect there is an even greater traitor in the court.”

She produced a list. “This is a list of officials who have been in close contact with Northern Di in recent years. Look at this name…”

Qin Gong followed the direction of her finger, and his pupils contracted sharply. “This is impossible!”

The name prominently displayed on the list was: Qin Gong.

“This is a frame-up!” Wu Ge roared.

“I know,” Zhao Wan said calmly. “But the other party executed it flawlessly. If I hadn’t received the news beforehand, you would both be prisoners right now.”

Qin Gong forced himself to remain calm. “Who is framing me?”

“The Empress, and…” Zhao Wan paused. “Your mentor, Li Zhen.”

Li Zhen? The Minister of War who seemed smooth but was actually loyal?

“Where is the evidence?” Qin Gong asked.

Zhao Wan produced a stack of letters. “These are secret letters exchanged between Li Zhen and Northern Di. They mention how to frame you, how to control the Ministry of War, and even… how to poison His Majesty.”

Qin Gong flipped through the letters, growing more alarmed with each one. The handwriting, the seals, the tone—they were all identical to Li Zhen’s. But…

“These letters are fake,” he stated with certainty.

“How do you know?”

“Minister Li has a habit; when he writes the character ‘bing’ (兵, soldier/military), the final stroke curves upward. The ‘bing’ characters in these letters all have a flat final stroke.”

This detail surprised Zhao Wan. “Are you saying…”

“Someone is imitating Minister Li’s handwriting, aiming to kill two birds with one stone,” Qin Gong’s eyes shone with sharp light. “To eliminate both me and Minister Li.”

“Who could it be?”

Qin Gong did not answer but looked at Ashina Yun. “Princess, you said you infiltrated Northern Di three years ago. Then you should know that the Northern Di royal family has a tradition…”

“What tradition?”

“Important documents must be written with a special ink that only becomes visible when heated.” Qin Gong took the secret letter that had implicated Zhao Wan and gently held it over the candlelight.

A shocking sight unfolded—another line of text gradually appeared on the paper:

“Qin Gong can be used, Wu Ge must be eliminated. After the deed is done, Northern Di is willing to cede the three Hexi prefectures.”

The signature beneath this line was: Seal of the Empress.

The commander’s tent fell into a deathly silence.

After a long time, Wu Ge asked in a strained voice, “So… the real traitor is…”

“The Empress,” Qin Gong said softly. “She colluded with the Northern Di Third Prince, intending to eliminate His Majesty, the Crown Prince, and those of us loyal to the imperial family.”

Zhao Wan’s face turned extremely grim. “We must return to the capital immediately!”

“It’s too late,” Ashina Yun suddenly said. “I just received news that the Empress has taken control of the capital’s Imperial Guard. The Crown Prince… the Crown Prince has been placed under house arrest.”

This news was the final blow, sinking everyone’s hearts to the bottom.

Outside the window, the north wind howled, as if mourning for the empire hanging by a thread.

Qin Gong looked at the flickering candlelight and suddenly smiled. “Since that is the case, we will simply have to… turn the tables on them.”

“What is your plan?” Wu Ge asked.

“The Empress wants the Northern Di Third Prince to eliminate us, doesn’t she?” Qin Gong’s eyes shone with resolve. “Then we shall grant her wish.”

He looked at Ashina Yun. “Princess, please send a message to the Third Prince. Tell him… that we have fallen for the trap and will lead our troops into Blackwater Valley in three days.”

“Blackwater Valley? The terrain there is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack…”

“Precisely,” Qin Gong smiled. “We will give the Empress and the Third Prince a… big surprise there.”

In that moment, the fog in the commander’s tent seemed to lift slightly. But everyone understood that the real contest had only just begun.