The Grandmaster Strategist

—Zizhi Tongjian, Yong Records Volume Four

On the thirteenth day of the first month of the twelfth year of Southern Chu’s Tongtai era, the twenty-second year of the sixty-year cycle, in Southern Chu’s capital of Jianye, the Lantern Festival was approaching. An air of jubilation permeated inside and outside the city. The Southern Chu army’s twin triumphs in the Huaixi region and at Guazhou Ferry last year caused the entirety of Southern Chu to fall into a fervor.

Over ten years ago, the Prince of Yong, Li Zhi, sacked Jianye and carted off the King of Southern Chu and all the officials. It made a tremendous impact on people’s minds, and water under the bridge be that as it may, nearly every Southern Chu citizen felt they were in a precarious position, even with a new king and having solidified the defenses in Jianghuai. They worried the iron heel of Great Yong could trample their present splendor and prosperity at any time, so over the years, Jiangnan gave rise to many unruly persons who vowed to take revenge for the past humiliation, as well as even more aimless wastrels who drowned themselves in alcohol and fantasies. The great victories Lu Can achieved in Huaixi and at Guazhou Ferry not only washed away the past disgrace, but also rebuilt the Southern Chu military and civilian confidence. Furthermore, Lu Can stopped being the target of the literati’s attacks and became the famous general who turned the tide. He could lead the Southern Chu military and populace in resistance of the millions of troops of Great Yong, a hero who could safeguard the splendor and prosperity of Jiangnan.

On this Lantern Festival closely following the great victories, every person, no matter their social class, was interested in expressing their joy by celebrating the holiday. As a result, this year’s lantern decorations were far more impressive than in previous years. The city blazed with light, just as bright as the Jade Palace of the Emperor of Heaven and the halls of the immortals. An untold number of lotus lanterns floated on the Qinhuai River, as if the Heavens’ Celestial River had fallen to the mortal realm. All sorts of colorful lanterns hung high off all the pleasure boats, similar to how richly decorated jade palaces looked. In addition, the songstresses and dancing girls wore rainbow-colored clothes while singing and dancing on the pleasure boats. The singing was as sonorous as nature, and the dancing was as graceful as the immortals. The display of fireworks and sea of lanterns² turned night into day, the sights and scenes enrapturing the people and making them forget about the rest of the world. And this was just the thirteenth. If it were the day of the Lantern Festival, the interior and exterior of the city of Jianye would be even more magnificent and bustling.

Dignitaries flock to the capital,But this man alone looks wan and sallow.¹

On this festive occasion, however, some people couldn’t speak of their suffering. In the study of the residence of the prime minister, it was dark and stormy. Shang Weijun, who had all the power in the government, sat behind his desk with worry written all over his face. An additional three people sat or stood in the study. A middle-aged man with a reserved expression stood behind Shang Weijun, the only son of Shang Weijun, Shang Chengye. He was of limited ability, never having his own opinions on problems. Shang Weijun often wanted to promote him to important positions, but he always had to abandon the idea. As a result, Shang Chengye could only hold a sinecure position in the Ministry of Personnel, and there wasn’t a seat for him in this study. As a matter of fact, he was a wild and womanizing personage outside. However, he trembled with fear before his father, afraid to be unbridled.

A middle-aged man with slender eyebrows and eyes like slits sat in the Grand Tutor chair to the left of Shang Weijun. He was the Minister of Revenue, Yin Duanhua, a disciple of Shang Weijun as well as his confidant and faction member. And to the right of Shang Weijun sat an old Confucian scholar. He was Shang Weijun’s master strategist, Ning Qian. Shang Weijun had relied upon this man’s vicious schemes against officialdom intrigue for decades.

After a long silence, Shang Weijun could no longer take it and asked, “Sir Ning, Duanhua, do you two have any ideas? As Prime Minister, I’ve delayed and delayed the bestowal of awards, but the day after tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. Whatever happens, I should reward the army. However, Lu Can is already the Duke Who Suppresses Distant Lands and holds the post of Grand General. If he is awarded again, he’ll be enfeoffed as a prince. It would be uncharacteristic to not enfeoff him as a prince, as this is the infallible law.³ If this isn’t done, how can he be awarded? The Huaidong army’s authority has been lost by now, and all of Southern Chu’s military power belongs in Lu Can’s hands. Once Lu Can becomes unhappy, I’m afraid we’ll all die an ignominious death.”

“That’s right, Lu Can petitioned for military expansion and war preparations several days ago,” said Yin Duanhua in worry. “He already controls the near entirety of the military power, but he still wants to expand the military. Isn’t this bad?”

Shang Weijun shook his head and said, “You worry too much. Military expansion is necessary. Almost all of the Huaidong army was destroyed this time. If the military isn’t expanded, there will be no way to solidify the Jianghuai defenses. Furthermore, if the military is expanded, we’ll also have a chance to plant our own people in.”

The old Confucian scholar’s eyes glinted with a harsh light. He said, “This may be the Your Excellency’s thoughts, but if Lu Can is allowed to levy troops, I fear the recruits will always obey Lu Can’s orders.”

Shang Weijun waved it off. “There’s no way around this. No one among us can lead troops, and that Luo Louzhen ruined all my hard work in Huaidong. Alas, let’s not talk further about it. Let’s discuss how to grant titles and rewards instead.”

The old Confucian scholar twirled his beard and said, “It would be better for Your Excellency to exchange terms with Lu Can. Doesn’t he want to expand the military? This must be debated in the court. Your Excellency will promise to support him in levying troops and preparing for war as long as he waives this occasion’s awards. Your Excellency can give him some additional fiefs but will not promote him in the nobility. In this way, won’t everybody be happy? And this passes surface-level inspection. I believe Lu Can will forgo rank and title for Your Excellency’s support.”

Shang Weijun had been nodded the entire time Ning Qian was speaking. He replied, “Sir Ning speaks the truth. Military expansion is no small task. Without the funds of the court, it’s impossible to carry out smoothly. Although Lu Can is abhorrent, he knows to appreciate kindness. Let’s do this: Didn’t his son show distinguished service in battle? Grant him the officer rank of colonel of the sixth rank as compensation.”

“This does takes advantage of father and son. But how do we reward the other distinguished troops? Award them too little and they’ll kick up a fuss; award them too much and most of these men will feel grateful toward Lu Can. How many will think it the favor of the King and Prime Minister?” Yin Duanhua asked.

Ning Qian shut his eyes without a word. He didn’t much agree with Yin Duanhua’s statements, but seeing Shang Weijun sitting with a thoughtful expression, he didn’t speak out in opposition.

Shang Chengye spoke up at this time. “In reality, the military isn’t a sheet of iron. This time, Lu Can and Shi Guan performed great deeds, but though Yu Mian and Rong Yuan defended well, it’s still a trivial honor. It would be best for Father to grandly reward Shi Guan and pass over Yu Mian and Rong Yuan. Yu Mian is a lost cause, but Rong Yuan isn’t a diehard follower of Lu Can yet. The man is also somewhat narrow-minded, thus he must resent Lu Can. Father may want to comfort him some in private. That man has true skill and genuine knowledge and is the former subordinate of the Prince of De. He’s always been a loyal patriot. Maybe he’ll even cast his lot as one of Father’s men.”

Not only did Shang Weijun’s eyes light up, Yin Duanhua and Ning Qian also nodded their heads. Shang Chengye had never said much during these meetings, but when he suddenly offered advice on this occasion, it was a spectacular scheme. Both Yin Duanhua and Ning Qian sat up and took notice, praising him again and again. Shang Weijun, however, knew the depths of his son’s intellect and asked in surprise, “Your words today have substance. Whose idea could this be?”

Shang Chengye blushed and answered, “Father, it comes from a new friend I made, a poor scholar. He has no interest in taking the imperial examination, instead composing lyrics for the songstresses in the pleasure district. He may be among innumerable cocottes, but he leads a clean and honest life. Your son saw his noble bearing, so I humbled myself to make his acquaintance. I’ve spent the past few days drinking wine with him and accidentally brought up the important authority the Grand General currently wields, which has surpassed Father’s. He smiled while saying that Lu Can still cannot hoodwink the populace and is not all-controlling. As long as this remains the case, the actions taken shall be effective.”

Emotion flashed in Shang Weijun’s eyes. “You had better carefully investigate this man’s background. With your status, you must be cautious when making friends.”

“Your son simply made friends with him over poetry and wine,” Shang Chengye said in embarrassment, “so I don’t understand much about his life story. However, this man is magnanimous and elegant, and he’s brilliant. It’s a shame he has seen through the ways of the world and doesn’t care for glory and rank. If Father wishes it, your son can try to recruit him to Father’s administration.”

Shang Weijun shook his head. “Let’s wait and see. One must be cautious when employing others. But a man this skilled cannot be overlooked. Win him over first. If there are no problems with his background and status, it won’t hurt to invite him into our faction.” Shang Weijun then hesitated before adding, “Another thing. I had originally planned to promise my adopted daughter, Ling Xiang, to Lu Can’s eldest son. If they had married, it would have given several more bargaining chips to control the Lu family. Unfortunately, Lu Can declined the proposal. Do you all see any room for recovery?”

Ning Qian furrowed his brows for a second. He knew who this Ling Xiang was. She was the adopted daughter of Ji Xia, the head of the Fengyi Sect and Yifeng Hall, but also recognized Shang Weijun as her adopted father. In fact, Ning Qian also knew of Ji Xia and Shang Weijun’s affair. Although Shang Weijun also heard various rumors about the Fengyi Sect, the attraction of a former Great Yong noble consort was too much, so Shang Weijun fell into the tender trap of the Fengyi Sect. Lu Can denying this marriage proposal had long been within Ning Qian’s expectations. It would have been strange if Lu Can hadn’t declined. The wife of the Lu family’s future head of household should obviously be a lady who hailed from a noble family in Southern Chu. How could they marry off their eldest son to a woman of unknown origin? After a tad bit of hesitation, Ning Qian tactfully said, “Your Excellency, if you wish for a marriage alliance, you should consider Grand Princess Shuning.”⁴

“Grand Princess Shuning!” murmured Shang Weijun. Grand Princess Shuning was the younger half-sister of the current King Zhao Long—same father, different mother. She would turn fifteen this year and had the best conduct and looks. However, her mother had died long ago, so she had no place in the royal family. Shang Weijun had even forgotten about her existence. Now that he heard Ning Qian’s reminder, he had a revelation. If he promised any old princess to the Lu family, this would be the best way to win them over. After all, they still needed to rely on the Lu family to resist Great Yong. Furthermore, if the Lu family held rebellious intentions, Grand Princess Shuning could play a role in ways normal people could not.

While Shang Weijun and his trusted aides were plotting in the study, Lu Can and company entered the capital after receiving orders to return to the city for awards. They did not wish to alarm the commoners, so Lu Can entered the city in disguise. Gazing out at the wealth and peace filling his vision, he sighed softly. Although he had achieved great victories at Huaixi and Guazhou, he could not forget that the strategic towns of Chuzhou and Sizhou in Huaidong had fallen into Yong hands. In addition, the Yong military could march a large army south at any time. When the time came, Southern Chu would face even greater pressure. And most important, Great Yong had suffered such a crushing defeat that the Yong emperor would surely reinstate Jiang Zhe. He feared that his respected teacher would accompany the army south when Great Yong campaigned south once more.

However, his distress clearly did not affect the two youths behind him. Shi Xiu peered all around her at the lanterns on either side of the road. Fascination and wonderment shone on her beautiful face. Lu Yun was pointing the scenery alongside the road out to her, acting as the most perfectly hospitable host. The two of them were complying with royal commands to come to the court to receive awards. Although Shi Xiu was a woman and would, by convention, not be in the list of awards, the two of them had become young heroes all Southern Chu citizens sang praises of. And because of the ambiguous intelligence report, as well as a mistake in Jianye, Shi Xiu also received the decree to enter the capital to be rewarded. Even though Shi Guan had sent in a memorial explaining the situation, Jianye decided in the end to recognize the mistake for the sake of inspiring morale. Vague wording was used in the decree to have “Shi Yujin” be rewarded. No mention of Shi Yujin’s gender was brought up.

Staring at the radiant lanterns on either side of the street, Lu Yun felt rather tense and uneasy. Months ago, he left Jianye for the Yong capital without saying goodbye. After he returned from Chang’an, his father immediately sent him to Jiangxia, after which he journeyed to the battle in Huaixi. By his own calculation, he had been away from home for nearly ten months. His mother had probably worried her heart out for him, and he feared his mother would punish him harshly this time. The punishment of kneeling and being beaten with the cane was nothing compared to the embarrassment of having his younger siblings see it happen. On second thought, it would be best if he thought of a way to make his younger siblings beg for his mercy to their mother. But this required he first bribe them. After some reckoning, his second younger brother was fond of mounted archery, so he could give his second brother the bow decorated with rhinoceros horns the Prince of Jia had gifted him. The bow and arrows manufactured by Great Yong’s Ministry of Works were the pick of the best, and he himself was too embarrassed to use the treasured bow Li Lin had bestowed upon him to shoot Great Yong troops to death. And his littlest brother was still young, so he could buy masks and puppets off the street as gifts for him. As for his youngest sister, Lu Yun’s heart skipped a beat when he remembered the golden headband in his breast pocket. Then he thought of the Princess of Zhaohua’s beautiful face that alternated between joy and anger. The tender and beautiful young woman whose figure had been fading from his memory brightened again.

At this time, Shi Xiu impatiently called out, “Little brother Yun, are you even listening? What are those lanterns? They’re so pretty.”

Lu Yun snapped back to his senses as he blushed. Turning his head to look at Shi Xiu, he saw the resplendent sheen on this young woman’s face, the woman he had fought alongside saddle to saddle. Her face, ruddied by the cold wind, looked very tender and charming. In this moment, he suddenly realized the person beside him was a girl. He was struck by a thought and took the golden headband out of his bosom and presented it to Shi Xiu, stating, “Big Sister Xiu, this is for you.”

Shi Xiu was infuriated and had been about to correct Lu Yun’s term of address when she saw the golden circlet ringed with flowers. She was still a young woman in the end, and her big, bright eyes curved into crescents. She took the golden circlet and loved it so much she could hardly tear herself away from it.

A half-formed thought floated into Lu Yun’s mind. Shi Xiu and I are close friends, so even though the Princess of Zhaohua told me to gift the headband to my little sister, it’s alright to bestow it upon Shi Xiu, right?

But right at this second, Shi Xiu reluctantly presented the golden circlet back to Lu Yun and whispered, “This is too valuable. You should keep it.” Shi Xiu may never have paid attention to these trifles before, but this golden circlet was exquisite beyond compare. It was presumably worth far more than its weight in gold. How could she accept such a precious present?

A light glimmered in Lu Yun’s eyes. He whispered back, “A friend gave this to me too, so just think of it as keeping it safe for me.”

Shi Xiu wanted to refuse him, but she couldn’t open her mouth for some reason. She could only look down and fiddle with the golden circlet. As she did so, her gaze happened to stumble across a word as tiny as a grain of rice where the plum blossoms connected to each other on the golden circlet. Shi Xiu focused her sight on it and read “Zhaohua.” Touched, she smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll keep it safe for you.”

Lu Yun felt a heavy burden lift off his shoulders. He smiled in return and asked, “Once the fifteenth arrives, can I take you out to enjoy the lantern show? We’re just scratching the surface⁵ right now. There are many more fun places you haven’t seen yet.”

Shi Xiu’s eyes lit up. “Yes! I’ve heard that the Qinhuai River is very fun, and the water is covered with lotus lanterns. Also, there’s juggling, acrobatics, singing, and dancing to watch.”

Lu Yun nodded his head in agreement, and a sweet smile appeared on Shi Xiu’s face. The two of them scooted closer on horseback and whispered, discussing how to have fun. In this moment, the two of them weren’t famous young heroes in Jiangnan, but a couple kids who hadn’t yet grown up.

Lu Can heard the two children’s whispers quite clearly. A small bit of his irritation vanished. When he thought of the marriage idea Shi Guan had alluded to, he couldn’t help but smile. Then he thought of his wife and children he hadn’t seen in over a year. He felt an infinite tenderness well up inside of him. Whipping his mount, he increased his horse’s speed and trotted forward.

The residence of the Duke Who Suppresses Distant Lands was in south Jianye. The mansion was stately and imposing. The central gates were open today, and they were decorated with lanterns and festoons. As the family head was returning from victories in battle, the entire family had to come out to welcome him. The leader, a middle-aged woman, looked elegant and beautiful—Lu Can’s wife. Behind her stood two children, one on her left and one on her right. The boy on the left, who looked around ten, was similar in appearance to Lu Yun, but the boy was a little more urbane. He was Lu Can’s second son, Lu Feng. The girl on the right looked around eight, but even though she was young, she already appeared as beautiful as a pearl. She was currently leaning against her mother’s side and sneaking glances at the group of people. She was Lu Can’s only daughter, Lu Mei. Behind these three was another middle-aged woman who was carrying a small boy around three years old. The small boy was born with a dignified and strong appearance. He was exceedingly cute, the youngest son of Lu Can, Lu Ting.

Shi Xiu stood next to Lu Yun, not knowing why her heart was racing. She had long since learned that Lady Lu came from a noble family, so she certainly adhered to the Four Virtues for women.⁶ Shi Xiu, however, was a tomboy, and her mother had scolded her extensively over the past two years. If Lady Lu also lectured her like that, what could she do?

Lady Lu led her group of the family to salute to Lu Can. This finished, Lu Yun nervously walked forward and saluted his mother. When Lady Lu saw her eldest son, her vision grew blurry and she pulled her beloved son up. Examining him for a while, she determined her son was in perfect health and uninjured before feeling relieved. Now it was Shi Xiu’s turn to go up and salute. Shi Xiu sneaked a glance at Lu Yun, then prostrated.

Lady Lu had received her husband’s letter some time ago, so she knew about Shi Xiu and knew her husband intended to marry the two children. She also knew this young woman dressed in men’s clothing had a very martial bearing and had ridden with her son on the battlefield, killing the enemy. Lady Lu had had a good opinion of her for a long time. Helping the young woman up, she gently wrapped the girl into her arms and said, “So you’re Xiu’er. Good girl, many thanks to you. If you hadn’t risked your life, my Yun’er would have lost his.”

Shi Xiu flushed scarlet at the words. She knew Lady Lu was talking about the violent thrust she killed Dong Shan with on the battlefield after feigning her death. Although the result saved Lu Yun’s life, it was actually the actions of both people working as a team. She went to explain but Lu Yun gave her a furtive look, so she didn’t speak out.

Lady Lu realized this young woman was uncomfortable, which made her even happier. Taking her hand, Lady Lu said, “You don’t need to restrain yourself. Coming here is like coming home. I’ll treat you the same as Yun’er.” The moment she held the young woman’s hand, she felt the power and strength in the young woman’s delicate hands, and she could also feel calluses. These were clear indications of weapons practice throughout the years. Lady Lu took pity on her. She looked at Lu Yun’s nervous expression again and suddenly supposed that a daughter-in-law like this wasn’t bad. Her remaining doubts disappeared without a trace, and she grinned as she held Shi Xiu’s hand and walked inside.

Lu Yun relaxed. He gently patted his chest and no longer felt as nervous. Then he looked at his second brother, Lu Feng, and his little sister, Lu Mei, whose eyes were shining bright. The of them pulled at him from the left and the right. “Big brother, you tricked me into stealing travel expenses for you! That led to Mother punishing me with kneeling,” Lu Feng said spitefully.

Simultaneously, Lu Mei sobbed out, “Big brother, can you bring Mei’er the next time you run away, please?”

Lu Yun felt a warm feeling flow through his body to his heart. He stretched out both arms and embraced both siblings. The emotions that came with a reunion after a long separation made him unable to say much.

As the gates of the residence of the Duke Who Suppresses Distant Lands slowly shut, a young man on the upper floor of a restaurant across the street, in a private room overlooking the street, smiled and downed a cup of wine. A hint of a chilling light gleamed in his eyes as he gazed at the closed vermillion gates.

Footnotes:

This is a reference to a poem entitled “Dreaming of Li Bai: Second Composition” by Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu.火树银花, huoshu-yinhua – idiom, lit. fiery trees and silver flowers; fig. festivities (esp. on a festival night), display of fireworks and lanterns金科玉律, jinke-yulü – idiom, lit. golden rules and jade laws; fig. the golden rule, key principle, laws and regulations淑宁, shuning – virtuous peace走马观花, zouma-guanhua – idiom, lit. viewing flowers from on horseback; fig. gain superficial understanding from a cursory observation, take a brief lookThe four virtues are fidelity (德), charm (容), courtesy in speech (言), and proficiency in needlework (功).