Chapter 251.1: Hello Chang'an
Chapter 251.1: Deputy Commander Chang Has Returned
Winter days were short; on this day the sky hung heavy with clouds, and dusk fell even earlier than usual.
The fifty thousand infantry behind them, though marching day and night, had not yet caught up. Li Yi—who had hurriedly left Shouzhou earlier—had taken only ten thousand vanguard troops. He dared not risk a night march for fear of ambush, and so ordered his men to make camp and rest where they were.
Li Yi remained restless.
One adviser tried to soothe him: “Commander, do not be anxious — the main army will catch up by tomorrow.”
Another added, “If we march on for another four days, we’ll join the eighty thousand troops ahead. Once they combine, it won’t be long before we reach Yangzhou.”
Previously Chang Kuo had mustered one hundred thousand men intending to aid Hezhou; but aside from the twenty thousand vanguard Chang Kuo himself took, the remaining eighty thousand had been instructed by Li Yi to “take the opportunity to seize” Yangzhou.
Those eighty thousand had not truly come to blows with Xu’s unruly forces; they were currently encamped about two hundred li from Yangzhou, keeping watch.
The officer commanding those troops, Deputy General Yu Zai, was Li Yi’s trusted confidant — he knew Li Yi was on his way to Yangzhou and was only waiting to rendezvous.
The aide said, “When the forward and rear divisions meet, Commander will command one hundred and forty thousand troops; then you can properly negotiate terms of cooperation with Xu Zhengye.”
Such prospects for the near future were naturally alluring, yet Li Yi’s mind was full of one thought: Chang Kuo would come to kill him. He had no leisure to contemplate anything else.
So he issued an order. “…Send word to Yu Zai. Tell him not to merely wait in place — hasten with his troops to come and support me, just in case!”
Since it was only a four-day route, if he advanced and Yu Zai rode out to meet him, they could meet in two days — after all, both marching toward each other is the fastest way.
The aide considered this and thought the two-way march unnecessary, an expendable waste of men and resources. He advised, “If Deputy General Yu must break camp to come greet you, he’ll need considerable preparation, and sending messages takes time; it may not be much faster overall.”
“Then don’t let them break camp. Tell Yu Zai to lead light cavalry and come; let the rest hold the camp!” Li Yi insisted on Yu Zai’s coming. Yu Zai was his most trusted lieutenant, having followed him for years and wholly loyal.
Originally, to prevent those eighty thousand men out in the field from being beyond his command, he had reluctantly let Yu Zai march out with troops.
When a man is fearful and uneasy, he always wants someone he trusts nearby.
Wanting Yu Zai to come to his aid was an urgent instinct deep inside Li Yi — and before long he would discover that this instinct was right, only that it would be too late.
The aide could not argue and obeyed, sending a rider overnight to Yu Zai.
Li Yi paced his tent, asking in turns whether the rear army could catch up by tomorrow and where Yu Zai could most quickly meet him.
He counted and recounted, questioned and questioned, and his heart remained uneasy — until a secret dispatch was brought into his camp.
It was a letter from Chuzhou.
Upon opening it, Li Yi was suddenly overjoyed; the sharp sword that had always hung over his head seemed to vanish.
“...Chang Kuo is finally dead!” he cried in delight.
Dead in Chuzhou!
Xu Zhengye had promised to help him reach Yangzhou safely, arranging ambushes along the way to stop Chang Kuo. The Prefect of Chuzhou, Wei Jun, was one of Xu Zhengye’s men — Xu had made this clear in his letter.
Wei Jun had also sent him letters before; they had exchanged messages and thus corresponded.
The two advisors hurried to read the dispatch.
“Wonderful!” Li Yi felt happiness sweep over him, mingled with lingering fear. “He really meant to kill me — he even led his army to Chuzhou...”
Chuzhou was only two days’ march from his present position!
Fortunately, Wei Jun had acted reliably and allowed Chang Kuo to die in Chuzhou!
Thinking it over now, Chang Kuo had only a few wounded soldiers and remnants with him — what force could they be? It had been Li Yi’s own excessive dread that made him so uneasy, that led him to treat Chang Kuo as a mortal threat.
But in any case, a man dead meant all would be well!
“One advisor read aloud, “The Prefect Wei’s letter also says that, having learned the commander has only ten thousand vanguard for protection, he is willing to lead the Chuzhou troops to escort the commander to Yangzhou — he is already on his way...’” The aide looked at the letter and asked in puzzlement, “Is this also Xu Zhengye’s arrangement?”
“Not necessarily.” Li Yi laughed lightly. “Escort me? I think he plainly wants me to escort him to Yangzhou—”
“My one hundred and forty thousand troops will soon unite. Do I still need his paltry Chuzhou force to escort me?” Li Yi said. “By killing Chang Kuo, he has effectively torn his face from the court; if this matter becomes known he cannot cope alone.”
His analysis was neat and persuasive, matching the situation and human nature. “So he’s going to Yangzhou to claim credit from Xu Zhengye, and at the same time seek refuge!”
“Doesn’t the letter say it? He will bring Chang Kuo’s head with him!”
What else could that be but a plea for credit?
Out of caution, the two advisors retrieved Wei Jun’s previous letter and carefully compared the handwriting and seal — finding nothing amiss.
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