Chapter 75: Waltzing in Under the Enemies’ Noses
When people of the w.a.n.g house made their appearance in the city, n.o.bles would, from time to time, come to see them off. They watched the burly servants while they pointed and murmured. Young ladies hung their heads in tears as they silently followed the carriages and sent them all the way to the city gate.
Luckily, Chen Rong was sitting inside a w.a.n.g carriage and no one knew a girl had joined the team.
By the time they arrived at the gate, when fewer ladies and n.o.bles remained, Chen Rong peeked through the curtain slit and saw Old Shang’s carriage parked in the distance away from others’ attention. She quietly heaved.
When they were two hundred meters out of the city, the crowd stopped following to only watch them leave, with the girls still sobbing by the time scattered dust had disappeared from view.
Old Shang quickly drove over when he saw the troop approaching. “Miss?”
Chen Rong gave a reply and got off.
“Miss,” Old Shang whispered. “I’ve told them to say, if anyone were to ask, that Nurse Ping wants to look for her relatives in Ximing. You’ve gone to send her off because you are concerned for her and you won’t be back for several months. I’ve also told the nurse to lock her door and not see anyone during this time.”
Chen Rong knew he was thinking of her reputation. Even now, Old Shang was still holding onto a ray of hope, however slight it was, so shouldn’t she, too? She momentarily lowered her head and answered, “I know.”
At this time, a large man shouted: “Let’s go. Let’s not waste any more time.” Whips cracked as soon as he finished his words.
With his departure, the crowd also gave repeated shouts. They feared that Mo’yang would be completely surrounded, and even their aid would arrive too late.
Old Shang quickly drove along to keep up with them.
They went on without any breaks.
To everyone’s surprise, Chen Rong was actually very fit. When she was tired from sitting, she would ride; when she was tired of riding, she would sit. She didn’t have one word of complaint or did she give them any extra trouble. This alone made her far better than the vast majority of the n.o.ble children. The servants were secretly appreciative of it.
After having gone all day and through most of the night, the scholar looked at the moon in the sky and shouted: “Let’s take a break.”
“Aye.”
The cavalcade stopped, and the servants rounded the carriages up with the riders on horseback and Chen Rong’s carriage encircled inside. To save time, everyone either slept in the vehicles or sat leaning against their horses to get some rest. They did not set camp.
After the scholar took care of things, he turned around to look at Chen Rong’s carriage. Seeing the fluttering curtain and an extremely quiet Chen Rong, he clasped his hands and politely informed her: “Miss, we’ll arrive in Mo’yang by noon tomorrow.”
Chen Rong nodded. “May I ask which gate you’re planning to enter from?” she asked.
“From the south, of course.”
Nan’yang was located to the southeast of Mo’yang. It was a matter of course to enter from the south gate.
“We can’t!” Chen Rong’s crisp and decisive voice sounded. “The tribesmen are well-versed in warfare strategies. They’ll certainly position their men at the south gate to discourage reinforcements from Nan’yang. Even the north gate is no good. I think we should go in from the west gate.”
The scholar paused. He exchanged glances with the others and then asked her, “You think we can enter from the west entrance?”
“Aye,” Chen Rong was convinced.
The scholar frowned. “Let us have a discussion,” he said and then retreated.
Moments later, he came back and said to Chen Rong, “You may be right, miss. We’ll enter through the west gate tomorrow.”
Chen Rong hummed an answer, seemingly indifferent to their acceptance of her opinion.
The scholar stared at the fluttering curtain and quietly thought to himself: She’s very courageous and intelligent for a girl so young. She’s also maintaining her calm very well. The master is indeed perceptive!
They started out again early next morning.
After deciding they would be going in from the west gate, they began to circle to the other side.
As noon neared, the travel became increasingly difficult for the Hu would appear from time to time. Everyone would hold his breath whenever this happened. They wrapped cloth over the wheels to hide their tracks and quietly went forward.
By noon, the tall fortress and its rugged walls appeared ahead. Even from afar, they could see shadows atop the walls.
The scholar gazed that way for a while from horseback, and then frowned and said to Chen Rong: “There are Hu soldiers at the west gate.”
Chen Rong’s voice was as tranquil as before, without joy or sorrow: “It’s all right. The notorious Murong Ke of the Xianbei tribe is the one laying siege to the city. He’s using the tactic of trapping three while letting one go, which means he intends to force the people of Mo’yang to escape from the west gate. The soldiers he placed here is only for show. They won’t stop us if we go in.”
People looked at one another once Chen Rong had voiced her opinion. Her simple articulation had contained a wealth of military knowledge, but she had explained these strategies as if they were as obvious as the weather.
“How do you know, miss?”
“Why don’t you send someone knowledgeable about military tactics to take a look at the west gate’s setup?”
The scholar nodded to a lanky man, who bent over and disappeared into the bushes in a whirl.
He again turned to Chen Rong and asked, “We haven’t been met by their ambush along the way. If they really wanted to force the civilians to escape from the west gate, why don’t they employ better arrangements?”
After a long beat of silence, Chen Rong replied, “If Murong Ke’s schemes can be seen through by people like us, then he wouldn’t be a famous general.” Her tone was unexpectedly certain and aloof, giving him an answer that wasn’t really one.
Taken by surprise, he gave it some thought and in the end decided to wait for the lanky man to come back.
That man returned less than half an hour later. He clasped his hands and reported to the scholar: “Not a wisp of smoke outside of the west gate. There are few thousand of them lying around and looking relaxed. I think we can give it a go!”
The scholar nodded, gritted and said, “Excellent! Let’s head to the west gate, then!”
They began packing up and taking out their weapons.
While glancing at Chen Rong, the scholar pointed out several strapping men so that they would protect her carriage.
Outside the west gate was a wide open field. When their hundred-person team surged forth, the clopping hooves made the Hu turn around in alarm.
“Sir,” Chen Rong suddenly called.
At this time, the scholar could not see Chen Rong. He rode over and raised his voice to say: “What is it, miss?”
“We only have a hundred people. We’d be beating our heads against the wall if we were to go up against them. If we can’t best them in any case, why must we be so anxious? I’d rather act normal. We’ll get through more easily that way!”
Her words had the semblance of sageness! “Very true, very true!” the scholar cried. He waved his right hand and told the crowd at large: “Put away your weapons and stop yelling. Go at leisure as though we are on an excursion.”
Perplexed at first, they then snapped awake to stow their weapons away and slow the horses down.
As they reached the west gate, their conversations grew more and more lively. The Hu who had jumped onto their horses in haste had calmed down by now. They slowly turned around to look unto the distance. Similarly, the people on the fortress walls had also quieted down and were now looking below in bewilderment.
In the distance and outside the tall city gate, more than a hundred strong men were riding or driving carriages at a leisure pace. They all seemed to be so relaxed that even the unhurriedly turning wheels did not cause dust to fly. It was as if they hadn’t come to break headlong into the city, but to walk into an empty yard instead.
While the Hu were in bafflement, the Hans had begun to crowd the fortress walls.
The middle-aged scholar rode to Chen Rong’s carriage. Without diverting his eyes from the Hu, he wiped the sweat on his forehead and said, “Miss, they don’t have any weapons.”
Another burly man kept close to her carriage; he scanned the area and asked, “Miss Chen, these barbarians are not riding horses or wielding any weapons. Will they really not attack us?”
Chen Rong’s noncommittal voice sounded to them from inside.
The men only wanted to talk to her because they felt restless, however. It mattered little whether she answered them or not.
Closer and closer they went, until both sides could gradually see the others’ faces. The w.a.n.g servants finally started to breathe again. They simply withdrew their gazes and went on with their easy conversations, idly going forward.
They were now only two hundred paces apart. Typically at this distance, both sides would have had to prepare themselves for a surprise attack. And yet neither the Hu nor the people of the w.a.n.g house did anything. The Hu innocently watched the w.a.n.gs converse, while the w.a.n.gs didn’t even bat an eye at the Hu.
One hundred more steps! By this time, the Hu were still haphazardly standing there, never once getting on their horses or taking out their spears.
Eighty more steps! The Hu were still staring at them in a daze.
Fifty more steps!
Thirty more steps! They could now see the expressions on the others’ faces at this distance. The tribesmen had seemed curious and surprised, but not murderous. They didn’t take their weapons out either. The people of the w.a.n.g house all heaved in relief.
Twenty more steps! Both sides’ conversations were now audible.
Ten more steps. Those leading in the front were facing the enemies.
At this moment, a man stepped forth from the Hu troop. He was donning a long robe and a tree-strand beard. Be it his attire or appearance, he looked very much like the Han scholars.
He bowed deeply to the people of the w.a.n.g house before asking in curiosity: “May I ask which clan you belong to?”
The elderly scholar returned his bow. “The w.a.n.g house of Lang’ya.”
“The w.a.n.g house of Lang’ya? You are indeed worthy of your reputation.” He raised his clasped hands and receded.
At this point, they had narrowly gone past the Hu, and they all knew that, just as Miss Chen had said, the nomadic tribesmen would not be stopping them.
By the time they were about one hundred paces away from the city entrance, the gates slowly opened to the creaking of heavy iron.
A group of Jin citizens appeared behind the gates. When they saw the w.a.n.g entourage, they simultaneously broke out in appreciative smiles.
Not waiting for them to speak, a roar of laughter sounded to the appearance of a middle-aged scholar. He was walking as he was laughing to the person beside him. “My admiration is yours today, w.a.n.g Qi!”
Who could the handsome and ethereal youth standing beside him be, if not w.a.n.g Hong?
At this time, w.a.n.g Hong slightly curved his mouth in a seeming smile, but there was a trace of uncommon brightness in those clear and lofty eyes. He strode out.
Seeing him walking to them, everyone from the w.a.n.g house quickly dismounted their horses or carriage and at once bowed to him, crying: “My lord.”
w.a.n.g Hong nodded before turning to look at Old Shang and Chen Rong’s carriage.
For the sake of her reputation, Chen Rong did not step down or lift her curtain in an effort to prevent others from seeing she was a young lady.
w.a.n.g Hong intently watched Chen Rong’s carriage for some time before nodding to his attendants, saying: “Come in.”
“Aye.”
Surrounded by several hundred n.o.bles, the attendants played to the crowd and went inside.
At the gates’ closing creak, the w.a.n.g entourage sighed in relief with some even beginning to buckle.
w.a.n.g Hong gave them a glance, then gave Chen Rong’s carriage a glance before withdrawing his gaze.
Excitement soon took over. They, as humble servants, were presently surrounded by a few hundred n.o.bles and respectfully welcomed into the city! It was unprecedented! They tried their best to suppress their joy and excitement, kept their heads high, and slowly entered the mayor’s estate amid the cheers of Mo’yang residents who lined the street.
When they arrived at the west wing where w.a.n.g Hong resided, the older scholar stopped to give everyone, including w.a.n.g Hong, a deep bow as he laughed out loud. “Qilang, death may be frightening, but I won’t be afraid with you and these martyrs as my companions.”
He straightened up and gave the surrounding attendants a bow, sighing: “Gentlemen, if death evades you this time, the world will certainly know of your honor.”
“w.a.n.g Hong, w.a.n.g Hong, if such is your retainers’ dignity, then what of their master, I wonder!”
He waved his long sleeves, said goodbye to everyone and then took his leave.
As soon as they left, w.a.n.g Hong turned around and glanced at his attendants. After taking note of their expressions, he turned and looked toward Chen Rong who was sitting inside her carriage.