Chapter Twenty-Nine: Presenting the Cloak

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Although Zhao Huai'an was already on his guard against Song Jian, his face still wore a broad smile.

Accompanied by two shrewd and overbearing guard soldiers, he walked to Song Jian's camp.

Yes, Lu Zhongyuan was the shrewd one, while Zhou Dexing was the overbearing one.

Though Zhou Dexing's words had sounded as if he were speaking on Zhao Huai'an's behalf, they revealed just how audacious the man was. He cared nothing for power or rank; he was a thoroughly formidable sort.

A man like that could cut down Zeng Yuanyu today and Zhao Da tomorrow.

Zhao Huai'an was therefore perfectly clearheaded about the two guards. Neither was a good man, and if he wanted to win them over, he would need to employ some real methods.

While turning these matters over in his mind, Zhao Huai'an had already left the Boye Army's camp. Before him stretched a vast level plain, large enough to accommodate ten thousand men.

Only then did Zhao Huai'an notice that camps like the Boye Army's stood in every direction. Joined together, they surrounded the central plain like the trigrams of the Eight Trigrams.

The sun had risen by now, and its light shone upon the snow-covered open ground until it dazzled Zhao Huai'an.

Covering his eyes, he took some time to adjust before beginning to study the place.

Twelve racing tracks had been cleared through the snow, each running directly to the streets between the outer camps. The one Zhao Huai'an and the others were walking along led straight south.

Ahead of them, in the central camp, row upon row of long halberds formed a gate. Armored guards in gleaming bright-light armor stood with one hand resting on their swords, while a huge command banner snapped in the wind.

Brilliant. That was Zhao Huai'an's first impression of the Tang army. Every suit of bright-light armor looked like a mirror, reflecting the sun's radiance and making the whole world blaze with light.

Walking along the enormous, empty camp street, Zhao Huai'an felt shaken for the first time. Warfare truly was the foremost affair under heaven. Once caught up in it, a man could only feel his own insignificance.

Men had already spotted the three of them from the watchtower above the gate. They shouted something down, and moments later a squad of armored guards rushed out from behind it.

Then Zhao Huai'an looked up and saw a squad of soldiers charging toward them with great force.

The man at their head wore no armor. Instead, he had a black headcloth and a large crimson robe. One hand rested on his saber, while the other gathered up the front of his garment. His face was stern and expressionless, and he came stamping forward in leather boots.

For one moment, Zhao Huai'an thought a martial-arts performer from a Peking opera had just made his entrance—clang, clang, clang!

The man led the armored guards over and stopped Zhao Huai'an, looking him up and down before shouting:

"Seize him!"

The two guards behind him immediately rushed forward to pin Zhao Huai'an down.

Acting on instinct, Zhao Huai'an threw them both to the ground. Then, while the crimson-robed military clerk stood stunned, he seized him and twisted him into his arms.

It happened too quickly. Not only had the guards failed to react; Lu Zhongyuan and Zhou Dexing had not reacted either.

The moment they saw what had happened, the two men knew things had gone badly wrong. Even so, they moved directly to Zhao Huai'an's side and faced the other guards.

The guards were furious by now. One of their officers drew his saber and cursed:

"What nerve! Entering the central camp without permission is already a capital offense, and you still dare to take a hostage and resist arrest? I, Wang Jian, will cut open your chest and pull out your heart to see just how great your courage truly is!"

Wang Jian shouted loudly enough, but he himself did not move an inch. He was relying entirely on bluster.

Zhao Huai'an had by now understood the situation and hurriedly explained:

"I'm here to see Governor Song. I have his pass tally."

Wang Jian hesitated. Almost involuntarily, he glanced at the crimson-robed clerk held in Zhao Huai'an's grip, his mind caught in a struggle.

At that moment, the crimson-robed clerk noticed Wang Jian wavering and shouted:

"You damned bastard, seize him! You know the consequences!"

Being called a damned bastard clearly angered Wang Jian. But before he could say anything, Zhao Huai'an kicked the man hard behind the knee.

Still locking the military clerk's neck with one arm, Zhao Huai'an glared at the surrounding guards and roared:

"You bastards dare toy with your grandfather? Aren't you afraid Governor Song will punish you for it?"

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He could already sense that something was wrong. That man in the crimson robe had clearly come for him. Had he offended someone?

After Zhao Huai'an shouted those words, the guards fell silent.

Wang Jian in particular cast a murderous look at the crimson-robed clerk. He had realized that someone had been using him as a weapon. Even so, he stepped forward and cupped his fists toward Zhao Huai'an.

"Let me see the pass tally first."

Zhao Huai'an nodded. Lu Zhongyuan hurriedly handed it over. Wang Jian examined it, and once he confirmed that it was genuine, his face relaxed.

"So you're Zhao Da! I wondered what sort of hero could be so formidable. Li Si told me earlier that Governor Song had encountered a great hero, and I was hoping to meet him. I never expected it would be today."

As he spoke, Wang Jian pretended to rebuke the guards beside him.

"What are you all standing around for? It was only a misunderstanding. Go pull Commander Zhang back."

The guards hurriedly smiled and prepared to take advantage of the opportunity to drag the crimson-robed clerk away. Zhao Huai'an, however, pulled the man behind him and cast the others a sidelong glance.

"Li Si means Li Shitai?"

Wang Jian looked somewhat embarrassed and no longer dared interfere. As he hesitated, footsteps suddenly sounded behind them. He turned around at once and saw Li Shitai approaching with a squad of men.

Only then did Wang Jian breathe a long sigh of relief. He and the other guards stepped aside.

Li Shitai had run all the way there. The guards at the gate had sent word that something was wrong—Yan the Sixth had actually brought men to arrest someone.

Yan the Sixth was the man in the crimson robe.

Now that Li Shitai had arrived, he saw that Zhao Huai'an really had come and hurried over. But when he drew close, he found Yan the Sixth held in Zhao Huai'an's hands like a chick, and he burst out laughing.

Li Shitai straightened his expression and first said to Wang Jian:

"Old Eight, Governor Song sent me to receive Lord Zhao. You may return."

Wang Jian nodded, cupped his fists to them, and led the guards away. As for Yan the Sixth, they did not spare him a glance.

Zhao Huai'an had a bellyful of questions, but from Li Shitai's expression he knew this was not the time to ask them. He glanced at the crimson-robed man in his hands, then punched him unconscious.

He dropped the man onto the snow and entered the camp with Lu Zhongyuan and Zhou Dexing behind Li Shitai. Their path was clear all the way.

After Zhao Huai'an and the others had left, another group rushed out from inside the gate. In a panic, they lifted Yan the Sixth from the snow and hurried eastward, where a camp flew countless banners marked with the character Yan.

...

On the way, Li Shitai hurriedly asked Zhao Huai'an why he had come. When he learned that Zhao wanted to exchange defensive sectors, Li Shitai slapped his thigh.

"Zhao Da, you've made a mess of things! You really shouldn't have entered the camp directly. It was only a minor matter. When Second Young Master Xianyu came to see you, you could have mentioned it in passing."

He looked Zhao Huai'an up and down, then glanced at the two retainers behind him, who were likewise empty-handed, and laughed.

"You foolish coward, you came to ask the governor for a favor empty-handed? No wonder you can't make anything of yourself in the Lizhou Army, despite those skills of yours."

Zhao Huai'an had no time to trade barbs with him. He urged Li Shitai to explain what was really going on.

Li Shitai had not wanted to say any of this, but since matters had already reached this point, he simply told Zhao everything he knew.

The man who had tried to make things difficult for him was called Yan the Sixth, a member of the Yan Qingfu clan. Yan Qingfu was the Military Governor of Eastern Sichuan.

The Yan family and Governor Song's faction were sworn enemies.

Four years earlier, when the Eastern Sichuan Military Governor Yan Qingfu had gone to relieve Chengdu, he had grown jealous of Song Wei's achievements. Song Wei was Governor Song's uncle and a military governor in his own right. Yan Qingfu had therefore seized Song Wei's troops, and the two sides had been bitter enemies ever since.

Thus, as soon as Zhao Huai'an entered the camp and displayed the pass tally Song Jian had given him, someone had hurried to Yan the Sixth with the news. That was why Yan the Sixth had brought men to arrest him.

Li Shitai told Zhao Huai'an that he had been lucky to seize Yan the Sixth first. If he had fallen into that man's hands, then even if Governor Song had gone to rescue him, Zhao Da would already have been dead.

Zhao Huai'an walked along with a dark expression. After Li Shitai finished speaking, he asked:

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"I'm only a nobody. Why would Yan the Sixth bother with me? And does our Governor Song himself have some grudge against the Yan family?"

Li Shitai paused. Seeing that Song Jian's great tent lay just ahead, he glanced left and right, then finally pulled Zhao Huai'an aside and whispered into his ear:

"At the beginning of the tenth month, Governor Song led troops across the river to engage the Nanzhao army. It was Yan Shihui of the Eastern Sichuan troops who fled with his army, abandoning the governor on the far bank. Think about that for yourself."

Even after saying this, Li Shitai still seemed uneasy and added:

"If you hadn't finished teaching me that Tang boxing, I wouldn't have dared tell you any of this."

At that moment, Zhao Huai'an understood everything.

Damn it. Old Zhao had been dragged into a struggle within the army. He was only a common soldier—how was he qualified for any of this?

His heart bitter, Zhao Huai'an nevertheless showed not the slightest fear on his face. He gave a dismissive snort.

"What's the big deal? By the way, you're acquainted with that Wang Jian?"

Li Shitai had not expected Zhao Da to be so broad-minded that he was still asking about Wang Jian at a time like this. Even so, he answered:

"He's one of our men from the Zhongwu Army. He's from Xuzhou. He used to slaughter cattle, and he also sold illicit salt. When he could no longer make a living, he joined the army. Since he was the eighth child in his family, he acquired the nickname 'Damnable Eighth.' He doesn't like people calling him that, though."

Zhao Huai'an had not expected Wang Jian to have such a colorful past. He patted Li Shitai on the shoulder.

"Ask him to come drinking with us later. We should thank him."

Li Shitai was utterly speechless. Zhao Da was thinking about drinking even now. Still, they would certainly have that drink. Men outside the camp could drink freely; inside the main camp, military law was strict.

He pushed Zhao Huai'an toward the great tent, then shouted inside:

"Governor, I've brought Zhao Da."

Song Jian's voice immediately came from within.

"Come in."

Li Shitai patted Zhao Huai'an and gestured for him to enter.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Huai'an pulled a piece of pure white fox fur from inside his robe, shot Li Shitai a sidelong glance, and then entered with great respect.

Behind him, Li Shitai ground his teeth. Before, he had worried that Zhao Da was having a hard time. Now he was afraid Zhao Da would advance too quickly, until one day Li Shitai would have to sit below him whenever they drank.

That Zhao Da was truly infuriating, playing these little mind games with him.

...

Li Shitai, Lu Zhongyuan, and Zhou Dexing had not waited long outside the tent when Zhao Huai'an emerged once more. This time, however, he wore a sable cloak over his shoulders, and it was obviously extraordinarily expensive.

Li Shitai recognized it at once as Song Jian's cloak. He immediately turned sour as vinegar.

"Zhao Da, Governor Song even gave you this cloak? You really, really..."

As he spoke, Li Shitai reached out to touch it, but Zhao Huai'an slapped his hand away.

Zhao Huai'an gave a disdainful snort.

"Have you forgotten who our Zhao Da is?"

Yet inwardly, Zhao Huai'an was sighing as well.

"Old Song, Old Song, you're making things very difficult for me. First you give me a carriage, then a man, and now sable fur. Are you determined to take me in as your dog?"

Burdened with thoughts, Zhao Huai'an followed Li Shitai out of the camp.

Outside, Zhao Huai'an waved farewell to Li Shitai. He gazed at the imposing, martial camp, shook his head, and headed back.

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