Xin Fengxian hangs his head and allows the bamboo scroll to roll free from his fingers to clatter onto the table. After reviewing countless reports he is confident his brain is at the end of its rope. He blindly reaches for a glass of wine only to find it empty. Like so many other details over the last week, the empty glass causes him to release a heavy, defeated sigh.
“Zhouting!” he calls.
His manservant appears at his side as if manifesting from the thin air. “Yes, my lord?”
Fengxian wearily gestures to the empty glass. “More wine.”
“We have none left.”
“None?”
“Governor Chen has been personally allocating all of our supplies since his return and… well, he’s being a bit of a b—”
Fengxian pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s fine. I can get by.”
“I can go demand some more if you’d like.”
It is not a question. Fengxian shakes his head. “No, the governor is doing his best to create problems between us and I am struggling to figure out why.”
“Maybe he is just that type of man.”
“I assume there is more to it than that. I believe he threatened me during our first meeting, or was trying to, but why he would do such a thing eludes me.”
“You’re thinking too much, I suspect.”
Fengxian rolls his eyes. “Thinking is what I do.”
Zhouting graces his master with his signature dorky grin. As his manservant, he is privy to more than most, and possesses a unique immunity from punishment for whatever he might say regarding personal matters. He has served the prince for many years, and in that time, has grown to be a cherished friend of sorts, a confidant, and pillar of rationality. Zhao Zhouting is not the brightest man; he is shameless, lacks impulse control of any kind, and freely speaks his mind, even if it would get other men killed. A servant like him is as invaluable as he is difficult to replace.
“If you continue to do what you do, then you will overwork yourself and regret it — like you do.”
“I don’t have time to worry about that.”
“Time doesn’t care about your worries.”
Fengxian stares at the scruffy man for a moment and heaves another sigh. “How about some tea?”
“I can do tea,” Zhouting answers and shuffles aside to find supplies. “Going to find the most calming brew I can.”
“Anything will suffice.”
“Very calming,” he mutters under his breath.
A knock at the door draws his attention. “My lord, General Dong has returned.”
Fengxian looks up from the reports and pauses for a moment. “So soon? Is he ready to report?”
“He has a report,” Bai Chuanyu answers. “And a prisoner.”
“A prisoner? Inform him that I am on my way.”
“General Dong brought the prisoner here. He says you should hear his report before turning him over.”
Fengxian gestures at his manservant who scrambles to open the door. Chuanyu and his brother step inside followed by Dong Peishao and a middle-aged man who has seen better days. He’s been roughed up, but it doesn’t appear to be from torture.
“My lord!” Peishao salutes. “The brigands have been dealt with, and I have a number of prisoners. This one was their leader. I’m sure you’ll want to hear what he has to say.”
Fengxian slowly rises to his feet and locks eyes with the trembling prisoner.
“What is your name?”
“I am called Liang Chao… your highness.”
“You were the leader of the brigands?”
He tenses up and chuckles dourly. “If that is what you want to call us.”
“What would you call yourself?”
“Concerned citizens.”
“And what concerned you, citizen?”
Liang Chao slowly, but purposefully, looks around the august chambers. “What we saw around us, and still see.”
“You were discontent.”
Liang Chao nods.
“With what? Anything in particular?”
“Why would you care?” he sneers.
“That is why I have traveled here. I want to solve these issues before they spiral out of control.”
“It is too late for that.”
“I have to believe it isn’t.”
Liang Chao remains silent.
“Why did your people destroy Gaoluo?”
“They weren’t my people.”
“So, you mean to tell me that general Dong was incorrect to apprehend you?”
“No,” he snorts. “But it doesn’t mean they were my people.”
“Care to explain yourself?”
Liang Chao glances at general Dong. “Why not? I suspect it’ll be my last chance to tell the truth. Liang Chao may be called many things, but a liar is not one of them!”
Fengxian nods to Zhuoting. “Get him a chair. We can be civil.”
Liang Chao looks up as three men burst into his makeshift office. “What is the meaning of this?”
“We have a problem.”
“A huge problem!”
Liang Chao sets down his pen, rises, and leans all of his weight on the table. “What sort of problem?”
“Gao Ban’s gang, you know the ones. They raided Gaoluo!”
“Burned it all to the ground.”
Liang Chao blinks. “They burned their own town?”
“Not until after they looted it clean of anything they could sell.”
“I told you it was a terrible idea to associate with them.”
Liang Chao falls back into his chair. “Do we know why?”
“Too many people. Too many mouths. Anger doesn’t fill bellies as well as it fills hearts.”
“Right, but why their own town?” Liang Chao asks and looks between the three men for answers. None are forthcoming. “This is a problem.”
“The problem is worse than that. Word reached Anyi already. They’re going to send investigators. They’ll find us.”
“Worse! They’ll kill us!”
“What if they are already onto us? The whole operation could be in danger because of them!”
Liang Chao shakes his head. “Anyi’s forces are stretched too thin. They can’t threaten us here. It may have been a mistake to work with Gao Ban, but we can’t take back what has happened.”
A fourth man enters and draws the eyes of all assembled. The burly man pauses. “Good, you’re all here. We have a problem.”
“Another problem, or the same one?” Liang Chao asks sarcastically.
“I don’t know what they told you, but we have some people poking around the perimeter. My boys on watch mentioned seeing them last night and throughout the day.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“A new problem,” Liang Chao throws his hands up. “Fantastic. Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
The big man shifts nervously. “You put me in charge of security. I thought I’d handle it until I couldn’t.”
“I suppose I did, didn’t I? Thank you for… taking it seriously or whatever. So, do you know who it is?”
“I uhm. I asked around a bit for some information, and the best I have is from some of the guys that just got back from Anyi. It turns out a prince came to town a month back and has been hanging around trying to make a name for himself. We suspect they are his men.”
Liang Chao looks between the four men. All are nervous. “Do we know how many?”
“Not sure, but they said the prince showed up with a force of maybe three or four thousand.”
“We’re dead!”
“Four thousand? How can we hope to survive!?”
Liang Chao slams his fist against the table. “Stop panicking! We do not know if it is them, or if they sent everyone, or even anyone at all. It might be a coincidence.”
As if on queue, a fifth man enters the ramshackle office. “We have a problem!”
Liang Chao groans. “Now what?”
“There’s someone outside.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“I think he is a soldier. Well, he most likely is, because there’s a lot of them and they all look the same — or close enough.”
Liang Chao closes his eyes and takes a deep breath while his subordinates lose their composure and begin lamenting their situation, falling to their knees, and acting as if the entire world is about to end. Their dramatic display is more than Liang Chao cares for, but it is out of his control now.
He rubs the red cloth wrapped around his arm between his thumb and forefinger. “We knew this day would come.”
No one pays him any heed.
“That is why we chose this place. These caves, this…” He stumbles over his words, unsure how to refer to the landscape. “This place. They have one way in, and the palisade will keep them out.”
If anyone noticed him stumbling over his own thoughts, they did not acknowledge it. Liang Chao is confident they are all dimwits compared to him, which isn’t saying much, nor is it a comfort. It is why he is in charge and not one of them. They may believe in the cause, but they certainly can’t be trusted with its well-being.
“Get everyone armed and ready,” Liang Chao orders as a drum begins beating in the distance. “I will go and say hello to our guests. Maybe I can find out what we’re up against.”
“Thank you, sir!”
“You’re so brave!”
“I will get everyone ready. We should have enough weapons.”
Liang Chao brushes their comments off and walks outside as quickly as he dares. He pushes past the red flag hanging over his makeshift doorway and looks up. Dawn has come.
“The Red Dawn rises…” He whispers in an attempt to galvanize himself.
It doesn’t work.
Liang Chao makes his way to the wooden wall strung between the cliff faces that surround the bulk of the encampment. A number of his men have gathered as curious onlookers and climbed atop the battlements to get a better view. Most are still scrambling around trying to find weapons to defend themselves with, which does not inspire confidence.
He climbs up onto the rickety fortification and peers over the wall.
Some fifty or so soldiers are arrayed along the edge of the forest where they are safe from archers and seem content to wait. Liang Chao’s level of concern is about as high as it can get at this point, and seeing the professional army in white and blue silks with dark gray armor at his gates doesn’t set his mind at ease.
An officer stands about half way between the army and the encampment where he is fervently banging a small drum. He pauses after a few moments.
“I am General Dong Peishao, commander of the White River Cavalry! I have come to deliver justice for the people of Gaoluo. Will any dare face me and prove their innocence beneath the eyes of heavens?”
Between the man’s impressive stature, unparalleled confidence, and the worrisome yanyuedao leaning against his shoulder, Liang Chao doesn’t blame anyone for not immediately rising to the challenge.
“None of you?” the challenger bangs his drum for emphasis. “Are helpless villagers the only foe you cowards dare face?”
A handful of braver, or more foolish, individuals shout back claims of him being an imperial lapdog, a traitor to the people, and whatever colorful derogatives they can muster on the spot. Liang Chao adjusts the Du clan’s saber at his belt and gets comfortable with its weight. He hasn’t fought in a battle before and his training is a bit rusty. Unfortunately, he’s still the best fighter in the camp, or near enough.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, General, but none here will accept your challenge!” Liang Chao shouts back.
The general raises his free arm. “Ah! You must be the man in charge. Why not step outside and we can discuss the terms of your surrender?”
Liang Chao looks back and forth along the wall. Well over a hundred men have climbed up to watch the spectacle beyond and another hundred or more were milling about just behind them waiting for a chance to see for themselves. Some look to him for a response, but most don’t care what he has to say.
“I’m comfortable right here. I think the rest of my men will agree.”
“Are you the one who ordered the raid on Gaoluo?”
“Why don’t you come inside and we can have a chat. I’ll tell you all about it!”
The general pauses and drops the drum to the ground so he can heft the massive weapon. “I think I shall take you up on that!”
‘Huh?’
The general strides forward and his soldiers begin rushing the wall, but they are not the biggest concern. A curious whistle catches Liang Chao’s attention — and then another. Dozens of whistles fill the air and suddenly fall silent, only to be replaced by screams of pain and panic.
He whirls around. “Archers! Take cover!”
Liang Chao drops from the wall as a rain of arrows descends from the cliffs behind the camp. The enemy’s archers circled around and claimed the high ground while no one was watching. To make matters worse, that general, Dong Peishao, has clearly tricked them into gathering at the wall rather than hiding in the caves where they’d be safe from such an attack.
‘I’ve been tricked!’
He draws the saber and prepares to deflect any arrows falling upon him, but they all land short of his position. Liang Chao’s eyes narrow. “Oh no…”
He whirls around again. The arrows aren’t falling short because they don’t want to hit him, nor because the rest of his people are taking cover in the camp, but because they don’t want to hit their own people!
Under threat of death by the archers behind them, most of his men have vacated the walls like he did. There is no one to stop the enemy from scaling their defenses! Liang Chao watches in horror as a dozen or so crude, makeshift ramps are leaned against the wall and secured by hooks made of burnt, yet sturdy wood. With the ramps in place, the enemy has no issue rushing over the wall and dropping into the camp.
A massacre unfolds around Liang Chao.
Each enemy is armed with a short spear wielded with exemplary skills that none in his camp can hope to match. They move through the panicked rabble like scythes through grass. There is no chance of resisting them. The only thing to do is run, or surrender and hope they show mercy.
An enemy lands in front of Liang Chao and they lock eyes. His saber flashes and bats the soldier’s spear aside as he rushes forward to meet him in battle. He swings again and his saber rings off the soldier’s lamellar breastplate. The blade is badly chipped.
“Steel!?”
He kicks the spearman’s chest and pushes the stunned man away. Liang Chao looks around, aghast. These soldiers aren’t just trained experts, but equipped with the best gear money can buy. The crude saber never stood a chance, and the others around him fare no better.
Liang Chao steps back as the spearman recovers and prepares to resume their duel, only to bump into something very sturdy. He cranes his head back.
The general’s fist slams into his face a moment later.
“We were just a bunch of peasants. People pushed from our homes, angry, spiteful, looking for a way to survive. So much has been taken from us by greedy officials who’ve never set foot in our towns and villages. They just… just plundered them of all they are worth from the comfort of their palaces”
Fengxian lowers his gaze. “I regret being unable to stop this before it began.”
Liang Chao spits. “You will regret much more than that soon enough.”
“Explain.”
He grins. “The Red Dawn rises, and when the sun obscures the heavens, the empire will fall.”
His words send a chill up Fengxian’s spine. “Take him away.”
The Bai twins drag Liang Chao from the room and hand him over to the prison officials for detention. They then slip back into the room and close the door behind them.
“Was he telling the truth?”
Peishao crosses his arms. “He exaggerates a lot, and most of his retelling was embellished substantially, but I believe the core of it is true. It matches my recollection.”
“So, they were just a bunch of peasants turned bandit?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“How many casualties did we suffer?”
“Twenty were wounded, but most are recovering just fine. Two are in questionable condition, but with proper medical care they should pull through.”
“And the bandits?”
“Sixty or so captured, some three hundred dead. Our best guess is that less than a dozen escaped.”
Fengxian lets out a relieved sigh. “You did well, general. Taking a fortified position like that with so few casualties is remarkable.”
“We’ve not fought a war in centuries. People just don’t know how to fight anymore, much less how to plan ahead and strategize. They’re almost guaranteed to fall prey to tricks.”
“It’s a bitter victory either way.”
Peishao nods solemnly. “We did find some things of interest. We can review them later, but Lady Song will want to know that the bandits were in possession of weapons crafted by the Du clan — the one she is investigating.”
“So, the Du clan is providing weapons to bandits?”
“Or they stole them.”
“Maybe,” Fengxian mulls over his thoughts for a moment. “Or maybe they aren’t arming bandits at all.”
“What do you mean?”
Fengxian thinks back to what the governor was telling him. The veiled threats and suggestions. If he had an army at his back that Fengxian didn’t know about then that could have complicated matters and emboldened him.
“What if the Du clan is arming rebels, instead?”
The dark is not so comforting.
Liang Chao stares into the back of the prison transport wagon and laments his predicament. Bouncing and bobbing along the shoddy city roads is uncomfortable to say the least, but likely substantially better than what his stay in prison will entail. He’s heard rumors. None of them are comforting.
‘Gao Ban, that cursed man! Why did I bother associating with him?’
Liang Chao slams his fist against the sturdy wooden wall and clenches his teeth until his jaw hurts. The Red Dawn is desperate at times, but to take on actual criminals is a risk that they can’t afford, and now it has cost the movement dearly. His encampment is but one of many, but now suspicions have been roused. The Third Prince knows of their existence, and he’s out to fix problems — problems like the Red Dawn.
He slams his fist again.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The wagon suddenly lurches to a halt and the guards begin shouting furiously, though their words are too muffled to understand. Liang Chao laughs. The beatings will begin, no doubt.
The rattling of metal precedes the return of light to Liang Chao’s life. However, it is not the guards that open the back of the wagon, but mysterious men hiding their identity with masks. Liang Chao recognizes them right away by the red arm bands they wear.
The Red Dawn!
“Liang Chao?”
He nods.
“Get out! We don’t have much time.”
He ducks his head and scrambles out the back, ready to flee the scene. The two men stop him and produce the key so that his shackles can be removed. It’ll be easier to run without them.
“Who sent you?”
“Don’t ask questions, just get ready to run,” one man growls while dropping to a knee so he can reach the shackles around Liang Chao’s ankles.
Liang Chao glances around while rubbing his chafed wrists. He’s curious about who sent them, but if they won’t tell him, then so be it. However, he spots a pretty young woman leaning against a nearby building watching far too intently. She’s not just watching the break-out, but him in particular. They lock eyes and she nods her head.
‘Is she the one who orchestrated this?’
The shackles pop open and the woman disappears into an alley.
“Let’s go! This way!”
He does not question them further. There’d be time for that later.
As they make their retreat, he spots the guards lying on the ground nearby. Liang Chao is pleased to see that none of them were killed, only subdued. Breaking him out is certainly a crime, but adding the murder of city officials to it would have drawn far more attention. His escape might go overlooked for a time. Long enough to get to safety beyond the city walls.
He whispers to himself: “Glory to the Red Dawn!”
