Taiheiki

Chapter 258 Wrangling
"Future troubles?" Zhang Huan sneered. "What future troubles? In my opinion, there might not be any. Right now, there's a whole host of problems. I ask you, now that Wei Cong is dead, what will happen to his men? Will they join forces with the remnants of the Moth Bandits and seize control of Jiaozhou?"

"As long as Wei Cong is killed, his remaining followers are nothing to fear!" Ying Feng said, "A single brigade can wipe them all out!"

"You make it sound so easy!" Zhang Huan sneered. "Let's not even talk about whether Wei Cong was really killed or not. The rest of his followers aren't as easy to deal with as you say. They're already on high alert, wary of you. How are you going to kill him? What good is holding their adopted son hostage?"

"General Zhang, you may not know this, but Wei Cong, this adopted son, is his right-hand man. He was the one who swept away the bandits in Lujiang earlier. Wei Cong has already submitted a memorial to the court to appoint him as the Prefect of Lujiang!"

“Just a brave man!” Zhang Huan sneered. “Wei Cong was able to pacify Jiaozhou and wipe out the Moth Rebels. Does he lack a few brave warriors to fight on the battlefield? If he were willing to adopt a son, he could spread the word that he has as many brave warriors as he wants in the world! What use is it for you to capture one? You dare not kill him, and you can’t release him either. Keeping him in your hands is just a hot potato!”

Zhang Huan's words left Ying Feng speechless. Just as Zhang Huan said, he was in a very awkward position, unable to kill Nie Sheng or release him. Wei Cong didn't even bother to send someone to demand his release; instead, he was mobilizing troops as if preparing for war, leaving Ying Feng at a loss.

“Lord Feng, you and Wei Cong are both officials appointed by the court, and your troops are also part of the royal army. In my opinion, you two should sit down and talk! Fortunately, an imperial envoy has arrived, who is also the emperor’s own mother’s nephew. He is someone who can reach the ears of the emperor. Why not ask him to act as a judge and settle this matter?” Zhang Huan said.

Upon hearing this, Ying Feng became anxious: "General Zhang, you are mistaken. General Feng is the General of Chariots and Cavalry, while Wei Cong is merely the Left General of the Household, ranking below General Feng. According to the law, Wei Cong is subject to General Feng's command. Disobeying military orders is tantamount to disobeying orders. A general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders, so how can it be reasonable for an imperial envoy to judge matters within the army?"

Zhang Huan was displeased upon hearing Ying Feng's words: "The court appointed General Feng as General of Chariots and Cavalry to quell the E'er rebels. Now that the E'er rebels have been quelled, according to the old precedent, all of us should be relieved of our general positions. So what is there to talk about in terms of rank? Besides, even if Wei Cong really disobeyed orders, are you sure you can defeat him? Don't forget, the E'er rebels once drove you back in defeat after defeat, while Wei Cong was able to win battle after battle and wipe out the E'er rebels in one fell swoop."

Faced with Zhang Huan's questioning, Feng Kun could no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb: "Since General Zhang thinks that the court envoy should be the judge, what do you think should be done?"

“It’s simple. First, release Wei Cong’s adopted son and have him take a message back. Say that an imperial envoy has arrived, and we should all choose a place to meet and clear up the misunderstanding!” Zhang Huan said, “Let’s talk about right and wrong, and reason with each other. We’re all soldiers of the imperial court; we can’t just fight each other!”

Feng Kun reached out to stop Ying Feng from arguing: "What if I release the man, but Wei Cong still refuses to accept the court envoy's mediation?"

“That’s a traitor to the imperial court! Let’s join forces and fight him together!” Zhang Huan said.

"Very well!" Feng Kun said in a deep voice, "Someone, bring Young Master Nie here!"

"Here!"

A moment later, Nie Sheng was brought in. He was broad-shouldered and thick-backed, with arms like an ape. Even when facing high-ranking officials like Feng Kun and Zhang Huan, he remained calm and composed, standing there like a pine tree. Zhang Huan observed this and couldn't help but nod inwardly: "Wei Cong's adopted son is indeed extraordinary. He has been imprisoned for so long without cause, yet he shows neither resentment nor fear. Such composure at such a young age—I wonder how he cultivated it!"

"This is Zhang Huan, the Grand Minister of Agriculture!" Feng Kun introduced.

"This humble servant greets the Grand Minister of Agriculture!" Nie Sheng bowed and said.

"Fine!" Zhang Huan was too lazy to waste any more words. "I'll let you go back to Xiakou. You must deliver a message to Marquis Wei for me. Tell him that an envoy from the court has arrived. It is Dong Zhong, a court advisor and the emperor's mother's nephew, who is deeply trusted by the emperor. His conflict with General Feng will be settled in person on a chosen day, and the matter will be mediated by the imperial envoy. Right and wrong will be decided in one word. If he comes, he is a subject of the Han Dynasty; if he does not come, he is a traitor! Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Nie Sheng replied, "Grand Minister of Agriculture, I can deliver a message, but whether my godfather will listen is another matter!"

"It's alright, you just need to deliver the message! The rest is none of your business!" Zhang Huan said coldly.

"Then this humble general will take his leave!" Nie Sheng bowed and said.

"Well, let's go!"

As soon as Nie Sheng stepped out of the tent, Ying Feng said urgently, "Grand Minister of Agriculture, it's easy to capture a tiger, but difficult to release it!"

Zhang Huan glanced coldly at Ying Feng: "You're so weak you can't even kill a chicken, yet you insist on provoking a tiger. Who can you blame for that?"

——————————————————————————————

Xiakou, the Wei army camp.

"Young Master is back!" Huang Ping rushed into the tent. "He's just outside!"

"Oh? So fast!" Wei Cong put down his quill pen. "I thought Feng Kun could hold on for a while longer!"

"No, it was Zhang Huan who ordered their release!" Huang Ping whispered. "He said he wanted the young master to deliver a message!"

"A message?" Wei Cong laughed. "Good, good, no matter what, it's good that he's back. Let him in quickly!"

"Yes!" Huang Ping responded, and a moment later he brought in a burly young man, who was none other than Nie Sheng.

"Your son greets Godfather!" Nie Sheng knelt down. "Get up, get up!" Wei Cong stood up and helped Nie Sheng up, looking him over from head to toe: "You're alright, it seems that old bastard Feng Kun didn't mistreat you too much!"

"It's all thanks to your reputation, Godfather!" Nie Sheng said. "Actually, it was all the work of Ying Feng, the strategist by Feng Kun's side. This man is treacherous and vicious. Godfather, please don't let him get away with this!"

"Uncle Ying, is it? If it's him, then it's not surprising!" Wei Cong sneered, "This man caused me a lot of trouble when I was an official in Jiangling. I didn't expect to run into him again here. Don't worry, Asheng, I will deal with him when the opportunity arises!"

"Thank you, Godfather!" Nie Sheng repeated Zhang Huan's words, saying, "Zhang Huan doesn't seem to be on the same side as Feng Kun, but it's also possible that the two of them are deliberately putting on an act for me, trying to use me to deceive you!"

“Hmm!” Wei Cong nodded. “They want a meeting, or they’ll join forces to attack me. Fine, a meeting is fine, but I must choose the location—on the sandbar in the lake. Also, Feng Kun detained my men without cause. He’s a General of Chariots and Cavalry and can get away with it, but Ying Feng was the one who offered the advice and strategy, and he has to pay the price! Here’s the deal: hand over Ying Feng’s head, and I’ll go to the meeting!”

“I’m afraid Feng Kun won’t agree!” Nie Sheng said.

“I know, but this will create a rift between Zhang Huan and Feng Kun, so it can be considered a test! Men, record my words: Peace talks are possible, but Feng Kun framed me. Therefore, the meeting must take place on the sandbar in the lake, and each person can bring a maximum of one hundred men. Also, my adopted son Nie Sheng has been detained without cause, and this is a necessary measure. I will not rest until this man is dead; his head must be handed over!”

Wei Cong's reply was like a spark thrown into a powder keg, instantly igniting the already fragile relationship between Zhang Huan and Feng Kun. Feng Kun rejected Wei Cong's conditions without hesitation. In his view, Wei Cong's reply lacked sincerity; rather than accepting a request for mediation, it was more like a bloodless attempt to kill his friend and strategist, Ying Feng.

"No way! Don't even think about it!" Feng Kun roared. "Go back and tell Wei Cong that we should fight each other with weapons. Don't even think about using someone else to do your dirty work!"

"Wait!" Zhang Huan shouted, "Are you sure Wei Cong said he would accept mediation as long as Ying Feng is killed?"

"That's right!" the messenger said. "That's exactly what Marquis Wei said. He learned that this was the person who advocated detaining Young Master Nie, and he had a grudge against this person back in Jiangling, which made him very angry. He wanted to settle old scores and new grievances, and he was also afraid that this was another trap set by this person, so he wanted to kill him!"

“I understand!” Zhang Huan turned his gaze to Feng Kun: “In my opinion, what Wei Cong said makes some sense. Feng Cheqi, why would you ruin the overall situation for the sake of Ying Feng?”

"I'm ruining the overall situation?" Feng Kun was furious upon hearing this: "Grand Minister of Agriculture Zhang, I only detained Nie Sheng, without harming a single hair on his head, yet he wants Ying Feng's life. Do you think that's fair?"

“That’s true!” Zhang Huan nodded upon hearing this and said to the messenger, “Then how about this, you go back and report to Marquis Wei that although Cavalry Feng detained his men earlier, he did not harm anyone. It’s going too far for him to kill Ying Feng now! How about this, we hand Ying Feng over to him, and after the meeting, he will release him, just like Young Master Nie did, what do you think?”

After several rounds of bargaining, the three parties finally reached an agreement. Before the talks, Wei Cong and Feng Kun each handed over a hostage (Nie Sheng and Ying Feng) to be held in the custody of the other party, to be returned after the meeting. The meeting place was chosen to be a sandbar in a lake not far from Xiakou. In fact, it was obvious to everyone that this meeting was more advantageous for Wei Cong. After all, among Zhang Huan, Wei Cong, and Feng Kun, Wei Cong's naval forces were the strongest, making a meeting on the sandbar the safest option for him.

————————————————————

Sandbars on the Han River.

In Zhang Huan's eyes, Wei Cong was like the rising sun, his youthful radiance blinding him. He had initially assumed Wei Cong was at least thirty-seven or thirty-eight when he heard Wei Cong was Nie Sheng's adoptive father, but now, seeing him standing eight feet tall, with a handsome face, sharp eyebrows, and jet-black hair, he clearly wasn't even thirty. The natural fear an elderly man feels towards a young man surged within him. He finally understood why Feng Kun and Ying Feng were so eager to kill each other—at his age, with such achievements and prestige, even if Wei Cong did nothing for the rest of his life, simply living off his past glory, he would still be enough to crush his peers.

"The younger generation is truly formidable!" Zhang Huan exclaimed, just as someone beside him laughed and said, "Brother Mengde, it's been years! Do you still recognize your foolish elder brother?"

“If it weren’t for your generosity back then, I wouldn’t be where I am today!” Wei Cong stepped forward and bowed to a man standing behind Zhang Huan. Zhang Huan turned around in surprise and saw Deng Zhong, who was always by Dong Zhong’s side. A thought flashed through Zhang Huan’s mind: “These two are actually old acquaintances?”

Wei Cong bowed to Deng Zhong before greeting Zhang Huan and Feng Kun. His face was full of smiles, showing no trace of their previous grudge. Zhang Huan was alarmed, knowing that although this man had already rendered great service, he was not one to act impulsively. His current smile didn't mean he had forgotten their past grievances; it simply meant he hadn't yet retaliated. Even a vicious dog doesn't bark.

“Lord Wei, although you and General Feng had a conflict before, now that an imperial envoy is here, he can make a judgment!” Zhang Huan said.

"That's perfect!" Wei Cong laughed. "People have eyes. When I led the army to defeat the Moth Bandits, it was on the right bank. Many places were still cleaned up. You can all go and see for yourselves and get a sense of the situation. My adopted son, Nie Sheng, personally led several hundred men across the swamp overnight and set fire to the Moth Bandits' camp, making a great contribution. However, he was detained by General Feng. Right and wrong will be judged."

Everyone initially thought Wei Cong chose this location for its proximity to their camp and greater safety, but they were surprised by his unexpected move and quickly looked towards the shore. The sandbar was only about a hundred meters from the bank, offering a clear view of the camp ruins stretching for miles. Scattered everywhere were uncollected corpses, wrecked vehicles, and weapons. Further out lay vast stretches of mudflats, interspersed with reeds. Clearly, this was the area Wei Cong had mentioned crossing at night. Someone had thrown a stone into the mudflat and was instantly submerged; it wasn't hard to imagine the perilous journey. It was truly baffling how they had managed to cross this place at night. Seeing Feng Kun's blatant mistreatment of a meritorious official, the others' gazes towards him darkened.

"This—, this—"

Of course, the one with the worst expression was Feng Kun himself. He had been a high-ranking official with a salary of two thousand shi more than ten years ago, and had long forgotten how to conduct such a debate. Unfortunately, Ying Feng was not by his side, and he wished that the ground would immediately crack open so that he could hide.

"Oh, I think you'd sink right into this mud if you stepped on it. How did that young master Nie manage to cross it at night?" Dong Zhong asked, looking at the mud in the distance with great interest.

Everyone knew that although Dong Zhong was merely a lowly advisor with a salary of six hundred bushels of grain, his relationship with the Emperor was extraordinary, and no one dared to be negligent. Wei Cong coughed and said, "Please wait a moment, young master, I'll have someone demonstrate for you!" With that, he beckoned a guard and whispered a few words. A moment later, the guard returned, carrying a pair of round plaques made of reeds.

“Young master, please look!” Wei Cong pointed to the guard and explained, “He tied this reed shield to his feet and then stepped into the mud. Although he would still sink a little, his legs and body wouldn’t get stuck and he wouldn’t be able to move. That night, my son and the soldiers wore these to cross the mud and launch a surprise attack on the Moth Bandits!”

(End of this chapter)