Translator: Ink Hub
Editor: Yoog

“Come, come, come!”

“Drink!”

“To General Jun’s newborn son!”

At the banquet, cups and sticks crossed in toasts as laughter filled the air. Jun Yi drank cup after cup, with Kong Xian and Li Chengxiao accompanying him at his side, occasionally exchanging casual, off-color jokes.

Luo Yu slipped back into the hall unnoticed at some point. Xiao Shaoyou glanced at him.

“Is it done?”

“Don’t worry.” Luo Yu’s lips curled into a cold smirk. “There will be a good show to watch in a moment.”

After three rounds of wine, Jun Yi suddenly stood up boisterously as if he had something to say. The hall immediately fell silent.

“Fellow comrades, you all know that the Western Qiang have massed heavy troops outside Yunyang Pass. As commanding generals, we shouldn’t be so extravagant or host such a large event. However, I have waited over ten years for this son, and I am truly overjoyed. That is why, after obtaining the consent of General Kong and General Li, I invited you all to Zuixian Restaurant to drink together.

“For this occasion, I specifically prepared a fine wine brought from my home, a five-year-old brew. The taste is exceptionally sweet. Today, I invite everyone to taste it together!”

“Good!”

“Let us also taste General Jun’s fine wine!”

“Hahaha!”

“Bring out the wine!”

With a broad wave of Jun Yi’s hand, the maidservants who had been waiting outside the hall entered slowly. Each carried a jar of wine and filled the cups of everyone present. The aroma of the wine filled the room.

These were all old soldier-ruffians who had drunk plenty of spirits. One sniff told them this wine was top-tier, far better than the wine served at Zuixian Restaurant. Their eyes lit up one after another.

“I also have a few words to say.”

Kong Xian, the nominal commander of Yunyang Pass, rose with his cup.

“First, let us congratulate General Jun on his newborn son. I heard General Jun has several concubines in his manor. Next, he should father a few more sons. Perhaps in the future, our border pass will have a few more young generals.

“However, that depends on whether General Jun has the ability.”

A burst of laughter erupted in the hall, and Jun Yi himself was so happy his mouth wouldn’t close.

“One more thing. As General Jun just said, the enemy is at our gates. Once we finish this wine, all the soldiers in the city must unite with one heart, fight the enemy with all our might, and together resist the Qiang bandits to ensure Great Qian’s border remains safe!”

“Understood!”

“Let us drink this cup together!”

“Cheers!”

The crowd was extremely boisterous as they drained their cups in one go. Everyone praised the quality of the Jun family wine, and the sounds of flattery and admiration were constant. Jun Yi smiled even more happily. This was wine he had spent a fortune to bring from his clan estate; it was no ordinary vintage.

In the crowd, only Han Shuo shook his head and turned to look at Luo Yu.

“Sigh, ever since I drank your wine, I can’t stomach any other. This wine is far inferior to the one brewed with your ancestral method.”

“Thank you for the praise, Commandant!”

“I’m not praising you.” Han Shuo glared at him. “I’m reminding you. When can you give me the twenty jars of wine you owe me? The two jars you gave me before are almost gone.”

“Aiya, Lord Commandant, brewing this wine is extremely time-consuming. Just wait a bit longer. Would I actually dare to play tricks on you?”

Luo Yu brushed him off with casual talk. His distillation pot could only produce a little over one jar of wine after brewing for a day and a night. Twenty jars wouldn’t be finished so quickly.

“Fine, don’t you dare play any games with me, or I’ll flay your skin off!”

Despite Han Shuo’s fierce and menacing appearance, Luo Yu didn’t mind at all. His attention shifted because Li Chengxiao, who sat at the head of the table, had also stood up and was preparing to speak.

“Fellow comrades,” Li Chengxiao said loudly. “Four thousand Qiang soldiers are at our gates. Their combat power is formidable, and the garrison in the city is insufficient. If a real fight breaks out, I’m afraid Yunyang Pass won’t hold for more than a few days. Today, taking this opportunity, I want to ask General Kong what clever strategy he has to repel the enemy.”

Kong Xian’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly displeased.

“Today is General Jun’s joyous day. Is it appropriate for you to suddenly say such things? Furthermore, Yunyang Pass has high walls and strong defenses. Holding out for several months won’t be an issue. Why inflate the enemy’s morale while diminishing our own prestige? The situation isn’t as dire as you say.”

“Is that so? The Qiang haven’t even attacked yet, and the people’s hearts are already filled with panic. I see them constantly building siege engines. If we wait until they actually attack to think of a strategy, will it be in time? Once the war begins, I’m afraid everyone here will die on the battlefield.”

The hall, which had been filled with laughter just moments ago, quickly went silent. They felt the atmosphere starting to turn wrong.

Li Chengxiao smiled faintly. “If General Kong has no strategy to repel the enemy, I have an idea.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Why don’t we open the gates and surrender? We can join the Qiang. This way, first, we can avoid dying under the Qiang horses’ hooves, and second, we can exchange our loyalty for a lifetime of wealth and glory for our brothers.”

As soon as these words were spoken, there was dead silence. Many officers and commanders widened their eyes, almost unable to believe their ears.

Xiao Shaoyou’s gaze instantly turned ice-cold. It really is this guy! Damned traitor!

“Li Chengxiao, what exactly do you mean!” Kong Xian shouted harshly. “Are you going to be a rebel who betrays his country and colludes with the enemy?! You are a man of the Longxi border. Do you not know that once the Qiang enter the pass, the three provinces of Longxi will be plunged into misery? I think you are tired of living!”

“Kong Xian!” Li Chengxiao shouted back with a cold face. “Stop trying to lecture me with your lofty principles. It is precisely because I am from the border that I know the terror of the Qiang. With our meager troops, we are no match for them! In recent years, Yunyang Pass has been breached twice by the Qiang, and the garrison was slaughtered to the last man. Do you not want to live!”

“Presumptuous!” Kong Xian slammed the table and stood up, shouting, “Men, seize him!”

Shring! Shring! Shring!

None of the guards Kong Xian brought appeared. Instead, seven or eight of Li Chengxiao’s trusted aides drew their blades simultaneously and stood menacingly at the four corners of the hall. Anyone who dared to move would be cut down on the spot.

Everyone had surrendered their weapons before entering the hall, so why did the Li family’s men have blades? It seemed Li Chengxiao had premeditated this for a long time!

The scene instantly became a standoff with swords drawn.

“Stop struggling, General Kong, and the rest of you as well.” Li Chengxiao took a nonchalant sip of wine. “Your men were drugged the moment they entered Zuixian Restaurant. Right now, no one can save you.”

“Li Chengxiao, you’ve truly gone mad!” Jun Yi roared. “Do you actually dare to bind so many of us? Don’t forget, General Kong and I still have thousands of soldiers under our command. Do you think the troops under your Li family can stop them?”

“Hehe, if I were afraid, I wouldn’t have acted.” Li Chengxiao was full of smiles. “I have already made an agreement with the Qiang to open the gates and surrender. Once four thousand Qiang cavalry enter the city, do I still need to worry about the soldiers under you two? Besides, the wine you just drank was laced with a sleeping draft. You will all be unconscious shortly. How will you fight me then?”

“Li Chengxiao, you treasonous dog! Bastard!” Kong Xian cursed loudly, while others looked on in despair.

They never imagined Li Chengxiao would be so sinister. It was one thing to defect to the enemy, but he intended to kill them all.

“Li Chengxiao, you are far too vicious!” Luo Yu shouted coldly. “As a traitor, aren’t you afraid of being pointed at and cursed by the common people?”

“You bastard, what right do you have to speak here! In a moment, I will tear you into eight pieces to vent the anger in my heart!” Li Chengxiao’s smile became increasingly arrogant. “Now, there is only one way for you to live, and that is to submissively serve me. If I am happy, I might even spare your lives. Otherwise, I will count to three, and you will all collapse unconscious.”

Everyone’s expressions changed drastically. To live, would they really have to collude with this traitor?

“One.

“Two.

“Three!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

As the three counts fell, several sturdy men truly toppled to the ground.

But the ones who fell were not Kong Xian or Jun Yi. They were Li Chengxiao’s trusted aides.

“This… What is going on?” Li Chengxiao was instantly dumbfounded. This shouldn’t be happening.

“General Li’s sleeping draft is quite good. They really did fall after three counts.”

Luo Yu slowly stood up and smiled faintly. “Now, do you still think you can kill us?”

NOTES
Three rounds of wine (酒过三巡): A traditional Chinese banquet etiquette marking the point where the formal toasts end and the real conversation or events begin.