Chapter Eighty-Three: The Situation Escalates

Wei Wenzhong was well aware of the deep bond between Zhang Huaiwei and Chen Ying. If he refused Zhang Huaiwei’s request for leave, he would undoubtedly offend both men. After much consideration, he decided to grant the leave.

Zhang Huaiwei’s request for leave in his personal capacity seemed to set a shining example for the others. Captain Duan Zhigan of the Second Meritorious Battalion declared, “General Wei, I too wish to take leave. I’ll treat you to a drink soon enough!” Without waiting for Wei Wenzhong’s approval, Duan slung his crossbow over his shoulder, hoisted his spear, gripped his saber, and dashed off toward Chen Ying’s residence.

“General Wei, my stomach’s not right, I need a leave!”

“General Wei, my mother is ill, I must return home to care for her!”

“General Wei, my old ailment has relapsed, I need time off to recuperate!”

…

Wei Wenzhong was stunned. He didn’t need to think with his brain; even his knees would tell him these thousand reasons for leave were all fabricated. The most outlandish reason of all—someone claimed his sow was giving birth and he needed to go home to attend to it.

Yet, as he looked at the fervent faces around him, Wei Wenzhong could only muster a bitter smile. The mood in the Second Meritorious Battalion was dangerously volatile—on the brink of slipping out of control. Wei was a master of forging unity, adept at pleasing everyone and avoiding offense. But when it came to imposing authority in the army, that was not his strength. If Chen Ying were here, he’d have cracked his whip, lashed a few troublemakers, and no one would dare raise a fuss.

But Wei Wenzhong lacked that sort of resolve and daring. He thought, if he dared refuse these requests, these furious soldiers might just tear him apart—they seemed ready to devour him alive. The more he thought, the more he feared. As for the officers and veterans of Chang’an, he couldn’t say, but these new recruits from West County would surely risk mutiny.

If the army mutinied, his position as Vice Commander of the Fifth Rank would be finished. And so, from the Second Meritorious Battalion of over fifteen hundred men, more than a thousand requested leave, armed and armored, all surging toward the Chen residence.

…

Though Princess Pingyang Li Xiuning, Prince Qin Li Shimin, and Crown Prince Li Jiancheng led their own guards racing toward Chen Ying, the first to arrive at the Chen residence was neither Li Xiuning, nor Li Shimin, nor even the soldiers of the Second Meritorious Battalion. It was, instead, High County Magistrate Gao Wanqing.

Gao Wanqing looked rather disheveled—his right eye bruised violet, his face scored with scratches. There was no need to ask; clearly his tigress of a wife had lashed out. Gao had suffered greatly from Chen Ying’s scheme to kill by another’s hand. Liang Zan, ever mischievous, had disguised Luo Song as Gao’s nephew Shen Qishen. When Li Xiaoguang, enraged, found Gao, he refused to listen to any explanation, seized Shen Qishen, and beat him mercilessly.

After that savage beating, Shen Qishen, in agony, confessed even to peeping at a neighbor’s widow bathing when he was seven. In truth, the moment Li Xiaoguang laid eyes on Shen Qishen, he knew he’d been played—though he hadn’t clearly seen Luo Song’s face that day, he recalled Luo looked similar to Shen Qishen.

Yet once Shen Qishen opened his mouth, it was clear this was not the man. Still, Li Xiaoguang was a prideful man—knowing he was wrong, he took his anger out on Shen Qishen, breaking both his legs. Even if healed, the boy would be crippled for life. Gao Wanqing suffered most; Li Xiaoguang vented his rage on him, beating him thoroughly and then smashing up Gao’s home inside and out, until Gao was forced to pay a huge sum to placate him.

Though Gao Wanqing chose to settle the matter, his wife would not have it. Her life’s savings gone overnight, she turned her wrath on Gao, subjecting him to every shrewish torment—pinching, twisting, scratching, pulling, gouging, clawing, raking—until he dared not return home at all.

As Li Chuqiu hurriedly left the mansion, she ran into Gao Wanqing, who, seeing her distraught expression, guessed trouble had struck at the Chen residence. Gao brought two officers and a squad of archers to Chen’s house. The Chen residence was no grand mansion, and with Chen Ying held hostage by Wei Zheng, chaos reigned—Lan’er wept helplessly, Old Zhou merely sighed and groaned.

Gao Wanqing strode into the front hall with his archers. Seeing Chen Ying held at swordpoint, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed the blade at Chen’s throat and ordered his archers forward.

The archers of Wannian County nocked their arrows, bows drawn taut and ready to fire. Gao Wanqing shouted at Wei Zheng, “Audacious villain! Do you know the crime of attempting to murder a founding earl of Great Tang?”

Wei Zheng replied with a faint smile, “And what crime would that be?”

Gao Wanqing said, “Defying your superiors and attacking a founding earl—your clan will be exterminated, your property confiscated, your wife and daughters sent to the pleasure quarter. Surrender now and lay down your arms, and I may let you keep your corpse intact!”

An ordinary villain would, upon hearing this, likely make a desperate move and use Chen Ying as a shield. But Wei Zheng was no ordinary man—he was shrewd, and if he failed to see through Gao’s ploy, he’d have wasted his thirty-odd years of life.

Wei Zheng glanced at Chen Ying and shook his head, “Lord Chen, you don’t seem to have many friends—some people would love nothing better than to see you dead.”

“That’s right, only mediocrities are free from envy!” Chen Ying laughed. “A young, talented, dashing, noble, righteous, loyal, and commanding figure like myself—if no one envied me, that would be strange indeed.”

Wei Zheng retorted, “Perhaps it’s your mouth that earns you such envy!”

“If you kill me, you’ll merely be someone else’s tool, and that will forever stain your name, Wei Xuancheng,” Chen Ying said with a smile. “Before long, all under heaven will hear that Wei Zheng was manipulated by a coarse county magistrate into killing a founding lord… But if you release me, you’ll be dissatisfied. Wei Xuancheng, why put yourself through this?”

At this point, Wei Zheng had intended to silence Chen Ying for good, but now, whether or not he killed him no longer mattered—the situation had already slipped beyond his control. With dozens of archers and Gao Wanqing present, if even one escaped, word would soon spread that “the Wagang men murdered a founding marquis of Great Tang.”

Wei Zheng sighed deeply, filled with bitterness and helplessness. In that instant, he seemed to age ten years—failing even in this small matter, how could he face Li Mi? With this thought, Wei Zheng raised his sword to his own throat.

Just as he was about to cut his own life short, he found that, no matter how hard he tried, he could not finish the act. Turning, he saw Chen Ying gripping his wrist with all his strength.

Though Chen Ying was no match for Luo Shixin in strength, he was far stronger than Wei Zheng. Wei Zheng struggled for some time, his face flushed red. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“Master Wei, why put yourself through this?” Chen Ying said. “Matters haven’t come to such an end.”

Wei Zheng was taken aback.

“I can help you complete your mission,” Chen Ying continued. “The condition remains the same!”

“To have Luo Shixin surrender to you?” Wei Zheng replied. “Isn’t that asking too much?”

“I care for nothing else—my one and only condition stands!” Chen Ying twisted his neck, glanced at Luo Shixin, and then offered Wei Zheng a meaningful smile. “You’d best decide before my men arrive, or all our previous dealings are off!”

“Can’t you name another price, Lord Chen? This is truly too much!” Wei Zheng pleaded. “Why not ask for money? Any sum under a hundred thousand, I have authority to grant without consulting Lord Wei.”

“Never mention money to me again!” Though Chen Ying was not the richest man alive, he had many means to make a fortune.

“You know what you must do—I won’t teach you. How you persuade Luo Shixin is your concern. Just bring him to me,” Chen Ying said coolly. “I guarantee you’ll complete your mission, surrender to Tang without a hitch, and all the heroes of Wagang will be rewarded.”

Wei Zheng looked utterly conflicted, as if suffering from constipation, and nodded slowly. At that moment, a thunderous shout rang out: “Surround them, let none escape!”

Chen Ying stared in disbelief at the newcomers.