Chapter 24: The Four Great Commanders

Central Command Tent.

"My younger brother is still alive... Sigh, what a fool's errand."

Commander Li Tongyan waved his hand to dismiss the messenger. Inside the tent remained only two clerks and two spearmen. As time dragged on, the tens of thousands of troops grew increasingly restless. More and more men were being sent out to maintain order. While the Qing soldiers feasted and indulged within the walls of Yangzhou, these men were left to wait bitterly outside. Rumors of mutiny had already begun to surface among the ranks of the other commanders.

Before long, a general personally led someone into the main tent. Commander Li Tongyan merely glanced at the person, as if he had lost all interest.

"Drag him out and execute him."

"Yes, sir!" The general saluted and accepted the order.

Jiang He pulled the tent curtain shut, then summoned his Long-Hatred Spear. With a single strike aimed at the general's back, a ton and a half of weight was unleashed. In an instant, the general's skull shattered, his brains splattered, and his head vanished entirely.

"Come—"

Before the cry could escape, Jiang He whipped his arm, driving the spear through the air with a crisp crack like a lash. The weight of the Long-Hatred Spear combined with his internal force created a violent gust inside the tent, overturning the desk and nearly slapping it against the commander’s face.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang He thrust the spear forward, impaling the two spearmen guarding the entrance. With a tiger-like leap, he lunged at the clerks. By the time the table settled, all five men in the tent were dead.

Commander Li Tongyan did not panic. He wiped the lamp oil that had splashed onto his face and asked, "Warrior, what is it you want?"

Jiang He replied calmly, "Claim you are deathly ill and invite the other three commanders to a banquet."

A long silence followed.

Li Tongyan looked up with an expression as if he had swallowed filth. Having been a commander for years, he knew exactly what the man intended. The various military camps had been holding back for days, like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. Once they were leaderless, no one would be able to contain the chaos.

"That is truly impossible."

Li Tongyan refused flatly. He regretted not having arranged more guards around him. Unfortunately, with the Qing forces sweeping the northern banks and the four garrisons north of the Yangtze recalled due to internal strife, there were no other battles for a thousand miles. He had viewed the resistance in Yangzhou as a joke; he never believed a cavalry force could charge straight into the main camp and threaten his tent.

If he agreed to this, allowing the other three commanders to be killed, he would have no choice but to fight the Qing soldiers to the death. Tiedo would never let him go.

Jiang He gripped the shaft of the spear and extended his arm. As he released his hold, the Long-Hatred Spear dropped, crushing the heavy desk without the slightest resistance.

"Given the fact that your brother died inside the city, I wager you value your life. From now on, I will be within three meters of you. You are welcome to try this spear."

Li Tongyan stood up and reached out to lift the weapon, but it did not budge. He put all his strength into gripping it with both hands, but the result was the same. The weight of the spear was beyond imagination, and this seemed to represent the disparity in their martial prowess.

Li Tongyan’s brow furrowed into a deep frown. What kind of monster could wield this thing?

"In ancient times, assassins hid swords in fish bellies; today, a warrior feigns his brother to present a spear. I concede. But you must know, fifty thousand leaderless, chaotic soldiers cannot withstand even a few charges from the White Flag cavalry."

Jiang He nodded. "I will assassinate Tiedo, and you will become the hero who endured humiliation to reclaim Yangzhou."

Li Tongyan only smiled. Both knew that the atmosphere was merely a facade. The moment the man left the tent, he would run and summon his elite troops to surround and kill him.

***

The next morning.

Soldiers from the personal guard battalion entered the tent and discovered the corpses, turning pale with fright, assuming a mutiny had occurred. But seeing the commander still sitting in his seat, they calmed down and began to clean the scene methodically.

Several cavalry squads left the camp to deliver invitations to the other three commanders. With the fall of the city imminent, they had intended to gather anyway to divide the spoils of Yangzhou. Li Tongyan’s sudden claim of illness disrupted the previous understanding.

In the main tent, cooks served mutton soup. Li Tongyan ate heartily, finishing every drop, showing no sign of the distress of having his fate in another's hands.

Three paces away, Jiang He cradled his spear, eyes closed in meditation.

"Warrior, where is your home? Perhaps we are from the same province."

"You went to such lengths to deceive me, even disfiguring your face—it was truly not worth it. Even if you had walked in here alone without the ruse, your courage alone would have been enough for me to welcome you with open arms."

"I won't lie to you, I have several beauties in my camp, all gifts from former Yangzhou merchants. Each one is a peerless gem. Why don't you and I, brothers, enjoy them together?"

Li Tongyan chattered on, constantly searching for a flaw. He did not want to die, nor did he want to turn against Tiedo. Once night fell, there would be no turning back.

Jiang He suddenly opened his eyes and said, "I only want Tiedo's life. All other gold, treasures, and beauties must make way for that. Your chatter is meaningless."

Li Tongyan gave a forced smile. "The soup is poisoned. If you get restless and take a sip, I will have succeeded."

Jiang He nodded. "You know that until a certain point, I will not kill you and ruin the plan, so I understand your attempts. Of course, if you tamper with the invitations, then there is nothing left to discuss between us. As far as I am concerned, if those three do not die, you must. A man who considers the 'bigger picture' should exist, but it should not be a turncoat like you."

Li Tongyan angrily threw the soup bowl. He had no way to deal with this stubborn, unyielding stone of a man. Even when his traps were exposed, the man never showed a hint of rage.

After a while, Li Tongyan asked, "Can I really become the hero who reclaims Yangzhou?"

Jiang He remained silent; he could not guarantee victory.

"You won't even humor me?" Li Tongyan asked in shock.

Jiang He gave a perfunctory reply: "The odds are fifty-fifty."

Li Tongyan rubbed his chin, weighing the situation. Given the man's vastly superior strength, he could not survive this ordeal while keeping his life. Since that was the case, he might as well go all in, lest he fail at the final hurdle.

***

The sixth night after the fall of Yangzhou.

The three commanders arrived as invited. The leader, Gao Jie, was a former subordinate of the late Ming rebel leader Li Zicheng, known as the "Mountain-Vaulting Kite." He had later defected to the old dynasty and was titled Earl of Xingping after supporting the new emperor in the south. With twenty thousand troops under his command, he was the head of the four major defector commanders.

Gao Jie entered the tent first, laughing heartily: "How have you been, brother? It has been many days; I have missed you dearly!"

The other two commanders followed, their personal guards settling in the central camp, where a banquet was laid out.

Li Tongyan rose with difficulty, coughing violently. His face deathly pale, he greeted them: "Brother Gao, please forgive me. I have caught a cold that has aggravated an old ailment. Regarding our entry into the city, I may need to renegotiate with you three. The west side of the city is prosperous, but I fear I lack the virtue to occupy it."

The three looked at each other. Before arriving, they had all assumed Li Tongyan’s illness was a pretense, but now it seemed genuine.

Gao Jie waved his hand as if not caring. "A trivial matter, don't let it hurt our brotherhood. Let me taste the wine and meat in your camp."

The banquet commenced. Yangzhou’s cooks were famous throughout the land. After three rounds of drinks, twelve Huai River beauties entered the tent, graceful and charming.

Li Tongyan sat at the head, with several veteran generals at the bottom of the table. After a few dances, the beauties moved softly to pour wine for the commanders.

Li Tongyan spoke: "Three brothers, I will speak plainly. There is a granary in the western district sufficient to feed eighty thousand troops for three months. It was burned a few days ago, but underneath the He family cemetery, there is another granary that is no less significant. It was one of Minister Shi’s defenses for the city. Where there is grain, there are soldiers. I am willing to exchange this granary for three hundred warhorses."

Commander Liu, sitting at the feast, had eyes that flickered. His uncle, Liu Taibao, had previously come out of the city and asked him to inquire about the location of the grain and ordnance, but he had never heard of an underground granary.

Gao Jie narrowed his eyes. "Brother Li, is this granary not in the hands of Lord Tiedo? Do not try to deceive us."

For a moment, each of them had their own agenda.

Li Tongyan replied unhurriedly, "Someone, bring the map of the granary location for the three lords to see."

An armored soldier approached respectfully, carrying a wooden tray.

Li Tongyan watched the soldier step away from his side, his expression shifting several times before he let out a long sigh and sat firmly in his seat. The tent was only a few dozen paces wide, but the three men did not realize they were in the den of a tiger.

Within three paces, the armored soldier suddenly looked up.

Gao Jie’s heart skipped a beat; he had seen that look of intent to kill too many times.

Jiang He whipped his arm, a crisp explosion sounding as he summoned the Long-Hatred Spear and thrust it forward with all his might.

Close-quarters Spear: Dragon Emerging from the Sea.

Internal force exploded, and the tip of the spear pierced Gao Jie’s chest.

"You thief, how dare you revolt!"

The burly leader of the personal guards roared, not stopping to think where the man had pulled the spear from, and swung his iron mace down.

Jiang He swept his spear, shattering the mace and then crushing the guard leader's skull.

The chaos erupted instantly.

Commander Liu turned and ran, his personal attendants acting as rearguards.

As he bolted from the tent, he found his own guards foaming at the mouth, collapsed on the banquet tables outside. The scene was in total disarray.

A spear flew through the air with a deafening whistle, blasting through Commander Liu's heart.

Inside the tent, the veteran generals were terrified. Gao Jie and Commander Liu were dead, and the only remaining Commander Yan had both legs shattered.

Li Tongyan stood up, dragging the wailing Commander Yan before the veteran generals.

"One blade each. No one is allowed to leave."