Chapter 76: The Marquis Wei’s Commendation

“You mean the Fifth himself also set foot on the battlefield?” On the southern bank of the Ling River, within the central command tent of the Wei army, the Marquis of Wei set aside the bamboo slip in his hand and questioned a man in black standing beside him.

“Your Excellency, Young Master Wujin did indeed lead from the front, engaging the Qin forces in person,” the man in black replied, bowing low.

The murderous aura that normally hung about him was now completely restrained, and even his icy, forbidding face managed to force out a rare smile.

“The Qin are as fierce as tigers and wolves; they dared to covet and plunder our provisions. Truly, they deserve death!” the Marquis of Wei declared with righteous fury.

When the battle report from Tielin City had first reached him, he had broken out in a cold sweat. Had the Qin succeeded, this campaign against Chen would have ended in total defeat, and Wei would have suffered devastating losses.

“How did the Fifth discover their scheme?” the Marquis pressed on. Though the dispatch had already been delivered, he still felt that direct inquiry was more revealing.

The man in black immediately bowed and answered, “After Young Master entered Tielin City, he took up residence in the home of a wealthy local merchant.”

“But the merchant’s daughter, careless as she was, let something slip before the Young Master and was promptly apprehended by him.”

This account was fair enough; indeed, it was by a twist of fate that Wei Wujin had encountered Gu Yuyan.

The man in black continued, “After a thorough interrogation, it became clear that the whole family was implicated, and thus we uncovered the Qin’s grand conspiracy.”

The Marquis of Wei, however, was displeased, his face clouding with annoyance. “Why wasn’t he in the barracks? Why did he go to someone else’s residence instead?”

Wei Wujin’s disregard for regulations vexed the Marquis greatly. The debacle at the military supply office had also been this son’s doing; if not for the sake of Wujin’s mother, the Marquis would never have let him off so lightly.

Wei Wujin could fight, that much at least the Marquis had to admit—though his battles were always hard-fought, it was usually because his enemies outmatched him. But as for causing trouble, the Marquis had suffered enough at his hands.

Hearing the Marquis’ reproach, the man in black replied, “Upon his arrival, the Young Master was welcomed by the merchants of the city, and unable to refuse their hospitality, he most likely accepted the invitation to the Gu residence.”

His speculation, too, struck close to the truth of Wei Wujin’s thinking.

“Unable to refuse?” The Marquis snorted. “In my view, I suspect he was simply seeking comfort.”

He had guessed his son’s mind precisely. It was hardly difficult, given that Wei Wujin had once resorted to violence for the sake of military supplies; he was a man who hungered for enjoyment.

The man in black dared not say more. As the Marquis’s shadowy agent, all he could do was follow orders, right or wrong.

“Send word: have every living soul from the Gu residence brought to the central camp at once,” the Marquis commanded sternly.

This was troublesome. The man in black, his face darkening, replied, “Your Excellency, everyone from the Gu household—several dozen in all—were executed by the Young Master.”

“What?” The Marquis turned sharply.

“Does Your Excellency know how the Young Master forced the Gu clan chief to reveal the entire Qin plan?” the man in black asked slowly.

“If you’ve gone out of your way to mention it, I suppose his method was rather unusual,” the Marquis replied with a faint smile.

The man explained, “That Gu clan chief was originally a secret agent of the Black Ice Platform, fiercely loyal, and his daughter was equally unyielding.”

“How then did the Fifth pry open their lips?” The Marquis was intrigued. Could this son of his also possess a talent for extracting confessions?

The man in black could not hide his admiration. “The Young Master is no ordinary man: he neither beat nor cursed them, but instead gathered the entire Gu family together and declared he would execute one every quarter of an hour until the chief, Gu Mu, relented.”

“Hmm...” The Marquis mused, revising his impression of his son yet again.

“So Gu Mu confessed after that?” the Marquis inquired.

“No, because some family members remained at large, and he hoped to sacrifice everyone to preserve a sliver of hope for the Gu line,” the man explained.

“So in the end, the Fifth managed to round up most of the fugitives as well,” the Marquis said.

“That’s right, but even then Gu Mu did not break,” the man continued.

The Marquis immediately interjected, “Because he knew that even if he talked, he wouldn’t survive, and his entire family would perish regardless.”

“Sharp insight, Your Excellency!” the man in black flattered at the perfect moment.

Seeing the Marquis’s gaze fixed on him, he hurried to clarify, “So the Young Master promised Gu Mu that a few infant children in the household would be spared, to allow the family line to continue.”

“And did he keep his word?” the Marquis pressed.

“Yes, he did,” the man replied.

Not ruthless enough, the Marquis thought to himself. Just now he had thought Wei Wujin cold-blooded and heartless, but it seemed he still harbored a streak of mercy.

Setting aside these musings, the Marquis found himself troubled by another matter—how to deal with Wei Wujin’s merits this time. Wei Wujin had certainly earned merit, but his faults were many, most notably his abandonment of the barracks to reside in a local’s home—what was he thinking?

But on further reflection, perhaps these faults were not so serious after all, and seemed more like excuses the Marquis had conjured up to avoid rewarding his son.

Even Iron Mountain at his side could sense it. Compared to his great service, Wei Wujin’s misdeeds were trivial.

As the chief of the Marquis’s secret agents, the man in black understood the Marquis’s hesitation. But internal affairs of the ruling house were not his place to question.

After some thought, the Marquis spoke: “Iron Mountain, send your men to deliver my orders.”

The man addressed as Iron Mountain immediately fell to his knees, bowing deeply. “Your Excellency, please instruct me!”

“In the Battle of Tielin City, every soldier fought bravely and unyieldingly, resisting the Qin to the last. For their service to Wei, let each receive a thousand coins and ten acres of land,” the Marquis commanded.

Such rewards were not paltry; for a family of six, annual expenses rarely exceeded two or three thousand coins.

He continued, “For all soldiers fallen in battle, their parents and wives shall be generously compensated.”

“As you command,” the man replied.

After a moment’s silence, the Marquis announced his decision: “Young Master Wujin, wild in conduct and prone to reckless deeds, has rendered meritorious service, but his transgressions are not few. For this, his merits and faults cancel each other—no reward, no punishment.”

Thus the Marquis settled the matter of his son.

I do this for his... and her sake, he thought silently. I hope they will understand.

“Your servant obeys!” Iron Mountain bowed again.

This outcome was no surprise to him, but such compromises would only make things harder in the future.

He would say nothing, though—the Marquis had his own reasoning. Even the most rational man could be ensnared by sentiment.

“One more thing: place the two battalions that reinforced Tielin City temporarily under the Fifth’s command. Let him spare no effort in hunting down every last remnant of the Qin forces.”

“Your Excellency, I understand. I will see to it at once.” Iron Mountain bowed.

“Go, then,” said the Marquis, picking up the bamboo slip from the table and reading by lamplight.

“Your servant... takes his leave,” Iron Mountain said, slowly rising and making his way out of the tent.

As he was about to exit, the Marquis’s voice sounded behind him.

“Those few children of the Gu family—in these turbulent times, I fear they may not survive.”

That chilling tone sent a shudder through Iron Mountain. A thought flashed through his mind: this father and son truly are two of a kind.

“Your servant... understands.”