Chapter 41: Dark Clouds Looming Over the City

Hanchang County, Ba Commandery.

Cheng Ji, the Magistrate of Hanchang, picked up the document resting on his desk. Recognizing the seal as that of Sheng Dao, the Magistrate of Liangping County, he noted that they had met a few times and shared a modest acquaintance.

In the document, Sheng Dao claimed that several bands of bandits had recently appeared in Liangping County. Since the County Commandant of Liangping was unable to repel them, he requested that some Cong tribesmen be recruited from Hanchang County to assist in suppressing the unrest.

The request seemed unremarkable; Liangping was indeed facing a formidable bandit threat, and it was common for a magistrate to seek reinforcements when the local commandant proved insufficient. Everyone in Ba Commandery knew that the areas surrounding Hanchang were home to many Cong tribesmen, who were renowned for their fierce combat prowess. Even during the transition between the Qin and Han dynasties, Emperor Gao had recruited these very tribesmen to help pacify the Guanzhong region.

Given these facts, Sheng Dao’s request seemed entirely logical and reasonable.

However, as he pondered this, Cheng Ji shook his head. While logical, the request was improper. Had the order come from the Provincial Governor’s office, he would have complied immediately without hesitation. But the document bore only the seal of a county magistrate—a rank that did not grant Sheng Dao the authority or the standing to command the conscription of the Cong tribesmen.

Despite the polite, almost flattering tone of the letter, Cheng Ji remained unmoved. After a moment of reflection, he drafted a reply. He informed Sheng Dao that this matter was beyond his jurisdiction, advising him to apply to the Provincial Governor’s office first. If a mandate from the Governor were produced, he would have no objection to the recruitment.

Moments later, Cheng Ji finished the letter, signed his name and title, affixed the Hanchang Magistrate’s seal, and handed it to the messenger sent by Sheng Dao, instructing him to return and report.

With this official business concluded, he rose to stretch his limbs and walked to the window to observe the sky. It was growing increasingly gloomy, heavy with dense clouds. The air was stagnant, devoid of even a whisper of wind, suffocatingly oppressive. He knew these were the signs of an impending thunderstorm.

Yet, beyond the coming storm, it seemed something was amiss in Ba Commandery. Sheng Dao’s request for the tribesmen felt peculiar. Having met the man before, Cheng Ji did not recall him as someone who would disregard protocol. There must be some deeper shifting of tides. Cheng Ji sighed, hoping his intuition was merely a groundless suspicion.

***

Linjiang County, Ba Commandery.

Yan Yan, the Commandant of Linjiang, stood upon the city walls, his hands resting on the battlements as he gazed out at the vast, distant river. He enjoyed this sensation—climbing high to gaze into the distance, letting his thoughts roam free, finding solace in the expansive view.

But the weather would not allow him to remain on the ramparts much longer. The dark clouds in the sky were gathering with greater intensity; the summer thunder could break into a downpour at any moment.

"Time to go down," he thought. His legs, which had stood still for a long while, began to move toward the stairs of the watchtower.

Yan Kai, who was serving by his side, breathed a sigh of relief. The rain was imminent, and thunder was inevitable; the top of the tower was no longer a safe place to be. He asked with curiosity, "Brother, why have you had so much leisure lately, always climbing up to look into the distance?"

As the Commandant of Linjiang, his brother Yan Yan was responsible for security and military preparedness. However, because the Magistrate, Xie Yuan, was an incredibly slothful man, all the administrative affairs of the county usually fell to his brother, leaving him almost no time to breathe. Recently, however, Yan Yan had grown idle, frequently bringing him up to the city walls, which struck him as strange.

Yan Yan did not respond immediately. He thought of his superior, Xie Yuan. Ever since receiving visitors from the Xie clan some days ago, this lazy magistrate had become uncharacteristically diligent, handling every political matter himself and forbidding others from intervening.

When things happen against the norm, there is bound to be a hidden motive. Beyond his sudden devotion to administration, Magistrate Xie had begun calculating the number of soldiers and the state of the county’s armaments, taking over the duties of the Commandant and pushing him—the legitimate Commandant—to the side, barring him from military affairs.

He replied to Yan Kai, "Magistrate Xie has been like a bird that hasn't flown for three years; now he is preparing to soar into the sky. That is why I have found myself with some leisure."

"That is a good thing," Yan Kai said, his tone light. "If you were still doing the work of the Magistrate for him, being driven like an ox or a horse without a moment’s rest, you wouldn't even have the time to climb up here. That would be a pity."

Hearing this, Yan Yan’s eyes darkened, and he fell into deep thought. If Xie Yuan were merely managing civil affairs, he as Commandant would not mind. But according to news from his contacts in the government offices, Xie Yuan seemed to be plotting something. He feared that within a few days, a great upheaval would descend upon Linjiang.

However, as the situation had not yet erupted, he needed to observe. Just then, a streak of lightning tore across the horizon, illuminating the sky, which had turned pitch-black from the heavy clouds.

"The storm is here," Yan Yan sighed to himself.

***

Liangping County, Ba Commandery.

Lou Fa, sitting at the end of the banquet table, sipped his wine slowly. His position at the very back allowed him a clear view of the outside. As a clap of thunder shook the air, rain began to patter down in the distance.

"The rain has finally arrived," he remarked. Along with the rain came a gust of wind that swept into the hall, breaking the stifling tension and bringing the refreshing scent of damp earth.

He took another sip of wine and glanced at the men plotting at the head of the table. Seated there were the clan leaders of the Xie, Yang, and Bai families, along with Liu He, the Assistant to the Governor of Jingzhou. As the host, Magistrate Sheng Dao was permitted to sit among them.

"Brother Yang, in your opinion, whom will the boy Liu Zhang send to Ba Commandery?" Liu He asked.

Yang Ping smiled broadly. "I suspect it will be General Zhao. He is a local of Ba Commandery and is familiar with the terrain. Yang Huai has been campaigning in Zitong Commandery for years, and Gao Pei recently went to Yuexi Commandery to suppress the Sou tribes."

"It is all but certain that General Zhao will lead the troops here."

The great clans had their own means of gathering intelligence from Chengdu. Based on the current situation, Yang Ping gave his assessment.

"Excellent," Liu He said, satisfied. He had heard from Yang Ping that Zhao Wei was not a man of quiet ambition and would likely resent being trampled underfoot by the Easterners. If Zhao Wei came, there might be an opportunity to turn him against his masters and march together upon Chengdu.

He voiced his strategy: "Regardless of whom Chengdu sends, we must first occupy Jiangzhou to block any reinforcements from the capital. Then, we turn our forces toward Baidi and Kuimen to invite the troops of Jingzhou to advance westward."

"If we move toward Baidi and Kuimen first, those two cities are heavily fortified and difficult to take quickly. If the Chengdu army reaches Jiangzhou and appears at our rear, we will be caught in a pincer, which would be most unfavorable."

The others nodded; Liu He’s plan seemed sound. Seeing their approval, Liu He felt a measure of pride. His plan was tailored to the current situation, but he had hidden selfish motives. If they were to capture Baidi and Kuimen first and bring the Jingzhou army into Shu, he would merely be paving the way for Liu Biao. Furthermore, there had been no movement from Jingzhou yet; if they captured the cities and discovered that Jingzhou offered no support, the mob of allies before him would likely scatter like birds and beasts, which would be disastrous for his greater ambitions.

At that moment, a young man rushed into the hall, disheveled and drenched from the heavy rain. With every step he took, small puddles of water formed on the wooden floor of the government office.

The men at the head of the table frowned; it was a grievous breach of decorum. Yang Ping was particularly incensed, as this was one of his own kin responsible for intelligence, and to rush in so recklessly was a humiliation to his house.

The young man, however, could not afford to care. He strode to Yang Ping’s side and whispered a few words into his ear.

As the message reached Yang Ping, his irritation vanished, replaced by a look of panic. His voice trembled as he revealed the news: "A massive fleet of multi-decked warships has passed through Quyin and is heading toward Kuimen."

The words sent a shockwave through the room, and the sound of wine cups shattering against the floor echoed through the hall.