Dragon Boat Race Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter Four: The Game of Wits

Epigraph: The chessboard is set, and new storms arise; hidden arrows are harder to guard against than open spears. The decisive battle is not fought on the field, but the power struggle within the tent is far more perilous.

The two words “colluding with the enemy” exploded in the military tent like a clap of thunder.

Qin Gong felt a chill creep up his spine, but his expression remained calm: “Supervisor, what do you mean by that?”

The eunuch slowly smoothed his sleeve and took a secret letter from his bosom: “This was seized from the Di camp. It details our army’s deployment. And the handwriting… is identical to the Strategist’s official reports.”

Wu Ge reached out and took the secret letter. He only needed one glance before his brow furrowed.

“This is indeed the Strategist’s handwriting,” his voice was low, “but…”

“But what?” the eunuch interrupted shrilly, “The evidence is conclusive. General Wu, are you going to shield this traitor?”

An alarm bell rang loudly in Qin Gong’s mind. This was clearly a meticulously planned trap. He carefully recalled all the documents he had handled recently and suddenly remembered that a few days ago, Adjutant Wang had borrowed one of his manuscripts under the pretense of verifying military affairs.

“Supervisor,” Qin Gong stepped forward, “May I examine this secret letter?”

The eunuch snorted coldly and threw the letter onto the ground.

Qin Gong picked up the letter and examined it closely. The handwriting was indeed an excellent imitation, but…

“This letter is fake,” Qin Gong stated decisively.

“Oh?” The eunuch narrowed his eyes, “What insight does the Strategist have?”

“Supervisor, please look,” Qin Gong pointed to the corner of the letter paper, “There is an ink spot here, which was accidentally dripped while writing the character for ‘crossbow’ (弩, nǔ).”

He turned and retrieved a report he had recently written from the desk: “When I write, I never leave such an ink spot on the character ‘crossbow’. This is due to the imitator being unfamiliar with my writing habits.”

The eunuch took both documents to compare, and his expression subtly changed.

“Furthermore,” Qin Gong continued, “The deployment mentioned in this letter was only adjusted three days ago. At that time, the Di forces were already at the city gates. I had no opportunity whatsoever to send out such a secret letter.”

A brief silence fell over the tent.

Wu Ge spoke at the opportune moment: “Supervisor, it seems someone is trying to frame the Strategist.”

The eunuch’s face shifted between expressions, and he finally forced out a false smile: “In that case, it was my mistake. However…”

He changed the subject: “Now that the enemy is pressing hard, and the Strategist has attracted such suspicion, for the sake of stability, it would be best for him to temporarily step down from his Strategist post and rest in the camp.”

This was a move to seize power. Qin Gong understood immediately and looked at Wu Ge.

Wu Ge was expressionless: “The Supervisor speaks wisely. The Strategist has been working tirelessly for days and should indeed rest.”

He turned to Qin Gong: “You should recuperate in your tent for now. Do not move around without my command.”

These words sounded like house arrest, but were actually a form of protection. Qin Gong understood and bowed: “As you command.”

After Qin Gong withdrew from the military tent, the eunuch finally revealed a satisfied smile: “General Wu is indeed a sensible man.”

“The Supervisor has traveled a long distance. I presume you already have an excellent strategy for the current battle?” Wu Ge subtly changed the topic.

The eunuch stroked his beard proudly: “Before I left the capital, the Chancellor specifically instructed…”

Outside the tent, Qin Gong heard this sentence and his heart stirred. The Chancellor… the waters in the imperial court were indeed very deep.

Back in his own camp, Ah Sheng was pacing anxiously.

“Strategist, I heard the Supervisor wanted to punish you?”

“I am safe for now.” Qin Gong waved his hand, lowering his voice, “Go and investigate whether any of the people the Supervisor brought with him have been in close contact with Adjutant Wang.”

Ah Sheng understood and immediately left.

Qin Gong paced alone in the tent. With the Supervisor’s arrival, the court’s hand had reached the front lines. This war was no longer purely a military contest.

In the evening, Ah Sheng returned with news: “Strategist, there is an adjutant surnamed Li among the Supervisor’s entourage. The day before yesterday, he secretly visited Adjutant Wang, who is currently imprisoned.”

Just as he thought. Qin Gong realized this was a conspiracy targeting Wu Ge. And he was merely the first target to be eliminated.

“Strategist, what should we do now?” Ah Sheng asked worriedly.

Qin Gong pondered for a moment: “Wait.”

“Wait?”

“Wait for an opportunity.” Qin Gong’s eyes were deep, “Wait for them to expose their own flaws.”

This waiting lasted three days.

During these three days, the Supervisor, under the guise of reorganizing military affairs, frequently transferred generals and installed his own cronies. The front line fighting stalled, the Di forces watched menacingly from outside, yet undercurrents surged within the military camp.

Late that night, just as Qin Gong was preparing to rest, a faint knocking sound came from outside the tent.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.” It was Wu Ge’s voice.

Qin Gong quickly opened the door. Wu Ge slipped inside, carrying the dampness of the night dew.

“Commander, why are you here?” Qin Gong asked in surprise.

“To make a long story short,” Wu Ge lowered his voice, “The Supervisor intends to arrest Commandant Sun tomorrow on the charge of delaying military action.”

Qin Gong’s heart tightened. Commandant Sun was Wu Ge’s trusted favorite general. This was a further attempt to clip Wu Ge’s wings.

“Why?”

“Because Commandant Sun opposed the Supervisor’s battle plan.” Wu Ge’s voice carried suppressed anger, “The Supervisor wants to launch a proactive attack and engage the Di forces in a decisive battle.”

“Absolutely not!” Qin Gong blurted out, “We are outnumbered. A proactive attack is tantamount to seeking death!”

“I know that, of course.” Wu Ge gave a bitter smile, “But the Supervisor holds an imperial decree. If I repeatedly disobey, it will be considered defying the decree.”

Silence fell in the tent. Imperial authority versus military authority, loyalty to the sovereign versus protecting the nation—this age-old dilemma was laid before them.

“Perhaps…” Qin Gong suddenly looked up, “We can use their scheme against them.”

“How so?”

“The Supervisor wants a proactive attack, doesn’t he? Then let him have his wish.” Qin Gong’s eyes shone with a sharp light, “However, we will attack in our own way.”

He whispered into Wu Ge’s ear for a long time. Wu Ge’s brows gradually relaxed, and finally, a hint of a smile appeared.

“A good plan,” he praised, “However, we need someone to cooperate.”

“I will go find Commandant Sun,” Qin Gong said immediately.

“No,” Wu Ge shook his head, “You are still under house arrest. Your every move is being monitored.”

“Then…”

“I have my own arrangements.” Wu Ge stood up, “You rest well. Tomorrow… I fear we have a tough battle ahead.”

After seeing Wu Ge off, Qin Gong tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He knew that tomorrow’s game of wits would determine the fate of the Northern Expeditionary Army, and also his and Wu Ge’s future.

The next morning, the battle drums roared.

The Supervisor indeed ordered the entire army to attack. Eight thousand Golden Soldiers lined up outside the camp, facing Di forces that outnumbered them several times over.

The Supervisor sat on the high command platform, looking proudly at the military formation below: “General Wu, today I shall show you what true military strategy looks like.”

Wu Ge was expressionless: “I await your instruction.”

Just then, a swift rider galloped in: “Report! Our army’s banner has appeared on the Di army’s left flank!”

“What?” The Supervisor abruptly stood up, “Where did that army come from?”

Before he finished speaking, another rider arrived: “Report! Fire has broken out behind the Di army! Their grain supplies are being burned!”

The Supervisor’s face turned pale: “This… what is going on?”

Wu Ge slowly rose: “Supervisor, you wanted to see true military strategy, did you not? This is it.”

He pointed to the battlefield: “Our main force is conducting a feigned attack here to draw the Di army’s attention. Simultaneously, we dispatched elite troops to circle behind the enemy and burn their grain. We also ordered General Zhao’s remaining forces—who were not, in fact, completely annihilated—to provide support on the left flank.”

The Supervisor was dumbfounded: “General Zhao… wasn’t he already…”

“All warfare is based on deception,” Wu Ge said flatly, “If not for this, how could we deceive the Di people, and how could we… deceive the Supervisor?”

The situation on the battlefield had already begun to reverse. With their grain supplies burned, the Di army’s morale plummeted. The sudden appearance of the ambush on the left flank caught them completely off guard.

“Good! A fine Wu Ge!” The Supervisor was furious, “How dare you deceive me!”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Wu Ge bowed, “It was simply that the military situation was urgent, and there was no time to report the details to the Supervisor.”

Just then, Qin Gong, accompanied by Ah Sheng, walked onto the command platform.

“Supervisor,” Qin Gong saluted, “There is one matter I do not understand and wish to ask you about.”

“You… what do you want to ask?” The Supervisor watched him warily.

“The Supervisor said the day before yesterday that the secret letter was seized from the Di camp,” Qin Gong said slowly, “But as far as I know, our army did not engage the Di forces in battle during those days. Where did this letter… come from?”

The Supervisor’s face instantly turned ashen.

Wu Ge spoke at the right moment: “Supervisor, shouldn’t you offer the soldiers an explanation for this matter?”

The atmosphere on the command platform instantly became tense. Below the platform, the battle raged fiercely, and the banners of the Northern Expeditionary Army flapped loudly in the smoke.

This game of wits was far from over.