For a moment, Huo Zhizhang thought he had misheard.
Kill Li Kangshun?
But Li Kangshun was the son of Li Sizhou. If they killed him, the fragile peace currently maintained between You and Si Provinces would undoubtedly shatter.
To break with Si Province at this critical juncture, how would the people of the realm view their Youzhou army?
Huo Zhizhang's face flushed and paled in turns.
Huo Tingshan raised his brows slightly, not explaining immediately, instead watching his son's changing expressions with interest.
After his complexion had cycled through a range of hues, Huo Zhizhang gritted his teeth and said, "I accept the command, Father. When do you want him to meet the King of Hell?"
"You dare to act without even asking why?" Huo Tingshan gave a light scoff.
Huo Zhizhang stammered, "Father's decisions are surely correct."
Huo Tingshan sneered, "No one's decisions are always correct. Time gradually clouds the eyes of the wise. Wasn't Emperor Shengwen of Great Chu wise in his youth? He too loved the people as his own children and brought them prosperity. Yet in his later years, did he not take every last penny and spend it like dirt?"
Huo Zhizhang immediately said, "Father, you are not in your later years."
Huo Tingshan first retorted, "I am naturally not old," then looked at him with disdain. "How did I end up with such a dull-witted son? You learn nothing good, only picking up Xiong Mao's habits, carrying a thing on your shoulders just for show, never knowing to use it."
"Father, I'm not..." Huo Zhizhang's face flushed red again. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. "Father, why do you suddenly want to kill Li Kangshun? Given the current situation, moving against him will surely cause a rift with Si Province."
Huo Tingshan's expression softened slightly.
He first informed his son of the preceding events, watching his face change dramatically, before revealing the subsequent plan. "...Your mother has already guided Madam Zhuang to bring her son along. Barring any surprises, he will lead the Si Province guards. You will follow secretly on this trip."
Huo Tingshan said gravely, "On the return journey, or at the estate, they are bound to encounter a 'Jingzhou soldier' ambush. The other side will take advantage of the chaos to swap the person. I will arrange a 'Jingzhou army' to execute this muddying of the waters ahead of them."
Since Li Xiaotian had made contact with Chang'an, he would not dare, nor would it be possible, to collaborate with Jingzhou Governor Cong Liuqi. Therefore, that Jingzhou army must be fake, disguised by Si Province themselves.
If they can disguise a Jingzhou army, so can we, Youzhou.
Li Xiaotian, unaware the secret is out, feels no urgency. Thus, it's unlikely he would act on the journey there, as the estate is also a suitable place.
As long as we act before them, say on the way there, we can intercept them first.
"Father, taking action is easy, but how do we handle the aftermath? Si Province will certainly suffer casualties this time. But if all our guards return completely unscathed, it would be too strange. They would definitely become suspicious," Huo Zhizhang frowned.
But he couldn't bring himself to sacrifice his own brothers to die alongside those from Si Province.
Huo Tingshan already had a plan. "On the journey to the border, I ordered men to secretly collect some tall corpses from the mass graves. When the time comes, we can use the corpses as substitutes."
It was early spring, the weather was still cold, and they had saltpeter to make ice as needed. In fact, they didn't need to be too meticulous; as long as the corpses were dressed in Youzhou uniforms.
If they could casually produce a woman to impersonate his wife, why couldn't he retaliate in kind? With the corpses in place, their Youzhou side would also have "casualties."
Si Province might not accept it, perhaps even loudly proclaiming something is amiss. No matter. Youzhou just needs to firmly insist it was Jingzhou's doing. Pushing further, they could accuse the Si Province army of deliberately causing trouble and question their true intentions.
Father and son stood outside the tent for two quarters of an hour in the cold wind. In the flickering firelight, their faces became indistinct.
"I accept the command. I will not fail your trust, Father," Huo Zhizhang said solemnly.
Huo Tingshan said no more and turned back into the tent.
A charcoal brazier was placed near the tent entrance. Huo Tingshan felt a wave of warmth as soon as he entered. The light of the night pearls glowed faintly. Not far away, the beautiful woman sat on the soft bed, fiddling with several night pearls.
Hearing footsteps, Pei Ying turned her head. "Finished discussing matters with Zhizhang?"
Huo Tingshan acknowledged, then said, "Madam, tomorrow send a guard to the Si Province camp and tell Madam Zhuang you agree to go flower-viewing with her."
Seeing his calm composure, Pei Ying knew he had a plan. "What are you planning next?"
Huo Tingshan briefly told her the plan, omitting the part about ordering Huo Zhizhang to kill Li Kangshun.
Pei Ying understood.
So he wanted to play a game of thieves robbing thieves.
"Alright, I'll tell the guard tomorrow," Pei Ying agreed.
Huo Tingshan took off the pouch from his belt and hung it on a nearby stand. "Madam just needs to agree. There's no need for you to appear afterward."
Pei Ying's delicate brows furrowed. His words sounded as if she needn't accompany Zhuang Manxiang the day after tomorrow. "How can it work if I don't appear?"
"Why wouldn't it?" Huo Tingshan loosened his belt. "We'll act on the way there, before reaching the estate. Madam Zhuang won't have a chance to see you then."
Pei Ying felt this method wasn't very reliable. "The carriages depart from the military camp and will certainly meet up later. Given Madam Zhuang's temperament, she will definitely want to chat with me, and might even come to my carriage."
These days, the generals from both armies often dined together. Back and forth, Zhuang Manxiang and she had become increasingly "familiar."
"There's a man in the army skilled in vocal mimicry. He can impersonate you when the time comes," Huo Tingshan removed his outer robe.
Pei Ying was taken aback.
A vocal mimic? His army certainly had a wealth of talent.
"Huo Tingshan, I think it's better if I go along. A mimic only sounds like me; he isn't actually me. If Madam Zhuang insists on seeing me at first but ultimately can't, she will definitely become suspicious. Once suspicious, this trip might be canceled. We've finally got a situation where the enemy is in the open and we are in the shadows. If we startle the snake, we may never find such a good opportunity again," Pei Ying said softly.
She said quite a bit, but he only lifted an eyelid and uttered two words: "Not possible."
Pei Ying was momentarily speechless at his blunt refusal. After a moment, she recovered. "Why not?"
"A soldier skilled in mimicry is enough. There's no need for you on this trip," Huo Tingshan got onto the soft bed.
"Huo Tingshan, don't underestimate women," Pei Ying knitted her brows.
Huo Tingshan sighed helplessly. "Madam, I have never underestimated you. It's just that this journey is dangerous. There's no need for you to put yourself at risk."
Pei Ying said softly, "I'm not saying you underestimate me, but rather that you should not underestimate Madam Zhuang. Her son-in-law lost an arm by your hand, and her son-in-law's own brother also died by your hand. Yet, despite all this, she can still laugh and converse with us, which shows she is no ordinary woman. Such a person's thoughts are bound to be more meticulous than others'. From her perspective, she would want this trip to be foolproof."
Huo Tingshan did not speak this time.
Pei Ying continued, "You have men arranged in the shadows; I certainly won't come to harm. Huo Zhizhang will also accompany us on this trip. If you don't trust the soldiers to escort me, can you not even trust your own son?"
Pei Ying thought this would make his brow unfurrow, but after she finished speaking, a look of something like disdain appeared on the man's face.
"What do you mean by that?" Pei Ying asked, surprised.
"That boy Huo Zhizhang takes after me in nothing. Sometimes he's downright foolish. Even with him following secretly, I still cannot be at ease." Huo Tingshan pressed his fingers to his temples. "Let me think on it further, my lady."
Pei Ying lay down, pulling the quilt over herself. "Don't overthink it. We have the advantage of acting first; we are sure to succeed. Taking a step back, even if something goes wrong midway, you know the plan is to act during the first half of the journey. You can keep time, and if I haven't returned past the expected hour, you can bring men to find me."
Seeing her close her eyes, Huo Tingshan casually placed the black pearl back into its black silk pouch.
The light in the tent vanished.
After a long while, Huo Tingshan also lay down, pulling the person beside him into his arms.
The hot water bottle had rolled a bit further away under the quilt. Pei Ying stretched her foot to feel for it but couldn't find it. She simply drew her foot back, nestling against Huo Tingshan's calf for warmth.
The night passed in the blink of an eye. The rising sun lit a corner of the horizon, soon driving away the vast darkness from the sky.
Pei Ying sent a guard to relay the message.
Both sides were willing, and they quickly agreed, settling on departing at nine in the morning the next day. They expected to arrive at the estate by noon, enjoy the flowers and have lunch there, and return after midday.
After lunch, Pei Ying said to Huo Tingshan, "I have settled the time with Madam Zhuang."
Huo Tingshan took a small dagger from his sleeve. The short blade was no longer than a palm, its sheath and hilt both silver, exceedingly petite and delicate. "This dagger is quite lightweight; take it for use. My lady, for this trip, I am assigning Chen Yuan to protect you. He has good adaptability and is proficient with all kinds of weapons."
Pei Ying beamed with joy. "Alright."
Another day hurried by. On the day of the outing, Pei Ying rose early. After a simple breakfast, she boarded the carriage.
As Pei Ying was getting into the carriage, Meng Ling'er's heart inexplicably began to pound fiercely. She couldn't help saying, "Mother, I want to go too."
“Darling, you're not going. Stay obedient in the camp; I'll be back around noon.” Pei Ying smiled at her daughter.
Meng Ling'er pleaded, "Mother, please take me with you."
Pei Ying shook her head. "Darling, I'll be back soon."
Meng Ling'er bit her lip.
She did not know the details of this trip's plan, but she knew the enmity between their Youzhou and Sizhou was irreconcilable. Even though during several previous bonfire banquets, that Madam Zhuang had openly addressed the past, saying her daughter was preparing to remarry and was already considering new suitors, Meng Ling'er still felt it impossible that all grudges could be laughed away.
Meng Ling'er looked at Chen Yuan. After a moment of silence, he said, "Do not worry, young mistress. I will return the lady to you completely unharmed."
Without saying more to her daughter, Pei Ying instructed the driver, Guo Dajiang, to set off.
Soon, her carriage moved into the distance.
Huo Tingshan glanced at the worried young girl. "Your mother will not come to harm."
...
Not long after Pei Ying, traveling by carriage and leading a guard contingent, left the Youzhou army, she rendezvoused with Zhuang Manxiang's carriage.
"Has Lady Pei had breakfast?" Zhuang Manxiang proactively lifted her curtain.
Pei Ying said she had, and asked the other in return.
Zhuang Manxiang looked at the still-lowered curtain of the opposite carriage, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Lady Pei, I have something to give you."
With these words, Zhuang Manxiang directly stepped down from her carriage and approached Pei Ying's.
The driver, Guo Dajiang, swiftly scanned the other party's guard contingent. Seeing no movement from them, he looked back at Madam Zhuang, who held a silver box smaller than a palm in her hand.
Guo Dajiang hurriedly got down from the driver's seat. "Madam Zhuang, let me take it up for you."
Zhuang Manxiang waved her hand with a smile. "It's a lady's small item; I wouldn't trouble you."
This left Guo Dajiang at a loss. He looked to Chen Yuan for help.
At that moment, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the beautiful face of the woman inside. "Madam Zhuang has something to give me? How can I accept? I left in such a hurry today, I have nothing suitable on hand to offer in return."
Seeing Pei Ying inside the carriage, Zhuang Manxiang's smile deepened.
Zhuang Manxiang did not board the carriage. She merely stood by the window and handed the small silver box to Pei Ying. "It's nothing of great value, just a perfume box. This incense is quite useful for calming the nerves, so I brought some for Lady Pei."
Pei Ying accepted the small silver box. "Thank you. Since joining the army, I often have light sleep. I shall try it tonight when I return."
After presenting the small silver box, Zhuang Manxiang returned to her own carriage.
They set off again.
The estate mentioned by Zhuang Manxiang was neither too close nor too far from the military camp, about an hour's journey by carriage. This border area between Si and Jing provinces was mountainous, and the carriage's speed on the official road was not particularly fast.
Pei Ying silently calculated the time.
The plan was to act on the way to the estate, but the timing was certainly not right after just leaving the camp, lest there be no time to retreat. It had to be past the halfway point at least.
Time slowly flowed by. Half an hour later, Pei Ying couldn't help twisting her handkerchief tightly.
Wu Nanran sat opposite Pei Ying. "Do not be afraid, my lady. I swear on my life to protect your safety."
The journey from Chang'an into exile in Youzhou had been extremely arduous. When her younger sister arrived, she was already at death's door. If not for the fortuitous care of Huo of Youzhou, her only remaining close relative would have been lost, and she certainly wouldn't be living in comfort and plenty as she was now.
Pei Ying let out a breath. "I trust Huo Zhizhang. Moreover, the carriage was reinforced before departure. This trip should be fine."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Pei Ying heard a sudden eruption of chaos from outside.
There were sharp shouts, and also screams. In an instant, all was pandemonium.
Pei Ying's heart skipped a beat.
It's happening!
Chen Yuan raised his voice. "Protect the lady!"
This trip to the estate was initiated by Zhuang Manxiang, with her son Li Kangshun leading the escort team. The Youzhou side only had Chen Yuan. Relatively speaking, it had a bit of the feel of Sizhou holding the cards.
Li Kangshun was bewildered at this moment.
Their men were clearly arranged at the estate, so why were they here now?
An arrow, carrying a sharp wind, whistled and thudded into the chest of a Sizhou soldier, blood spurting out in that instant.
Li Kangshun's pupils contracted.
The thought that they had acted ahead of schedule instantly evaporated.
These weren't their men! Youzhou? Or Sizhou?
But at this moment, he had no time to think further. He barked orders for the guards to protect Zhuang Manxiang's carriage.
He drew his long blade to meet the enemy, while his peripheral glance caught the Youzhou army not far away, finding that their side was also in chaos.
Blades and swords flashed and clashed, the fight a tangled mess.
Li Kangshun breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed these were not men from Youzhou's side. In that case, they could face the enemy together.
However, just as he was about to look away, he inadvertently witnessed a scene that made his eyes widen in shock.
These raiders were indeed attacking the Youzhou side as well, the two groups exchanging blows back and forth. But upon closer inspection, one could actually notice—
No one had fallen!
Forget dead, not even a single person was wounded.
Unlike their own Sizhou troops, who were bearing the brunt of all the hidden arrows. In just a short while, several of their men had already dropped.
Li Kangshun's eyes nearly split with fury. "It's Youzhou..."
He had barely spat out these three words when a long arrow, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, shot towards him. Caught completely off guard, it slammed deep into his chest.
Li Kangshun, mounted on his horse, jolted violently. The sheer force of the arrow directly knocked him from his saddle. He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Inside the carriage, Zhuang Manxiang listened to the commotion outside, her heart filled with unease. Unable to bear it any longer, she lifted the curtain to look out, just in time to see Li Kangshun fall from his horse and vomit blood.
Her pupils contracted to pinpricks. "My son!"
No longer caring to stay in the carriage, a terrified Zhuang Manxiang, her soul nearly frightened out of her, hurriedly descended from the carriage.
Not far away, Huo Zhizhang, disguised as a Sizhou soldier, shifted his longbow and let loose several more arrows in quick succession, accurately shooting down several Sizhou troops.
Seeing the situation turning against them, another guard captain from the Sizhou side, disregarding any impropriety, quickly escorted Zhuang Manxiang back into the carriage. Turning back, he saw Li Kangshun lying on the ground, eyes wide and unmoving, clearly already dead. Gritting his teeth in secret, he had no choice but to have Li Kangshun's body moved into the carriage as well. He then ordered the remaining guards to fight a retreating action, escorting the carriage back the way they came.
Chen Yuan looked towards Guo Dajiang. No words were needed; the latter already understood.
Commandant Chen was telling him to ride ahead swiftly back to the military camp.
"If you encounter anything suspicious on the road, eliminate it swiftly," Chen Yuan said in a low voice.
Guo Dajiang nodded.
Military Camp.
Huo Tingshan had invited Li Xiaotian to discuss future plans. The two men sat at separate tables. Steam rose from the tea in the main tent, the atmosphere quite harmonious.
"Clip-clop, clip-clop." The sound of hoofbeats came from outside.
"Great General!" Someone hurried in. "The Lady was ambushed on the road!"
Guo Dajiang, who had returned ahead of the others, looked at Huo Tingshan. Their eyes met, and the man seated behind the table understood.
The deed was done.
