The Commander

The day after the dinner with Bai Ping, I call my officers and sub-officers to a meeting and tell them what the new orders are.  Shao Ru, Liang Zhou and the Prince are already in the know, but the other young men look at one another in shock.

I’ve spent most of the previous day reading the information I received from Ren Baiyi and collating it with what I learned from Lady Ma.  I give a detailed briefing and outline the plan I’ve been forming in my mind.

“This is the theory.  We’ll attack simultaneously from the front and the rear.  We’ll get men up on the plateau, ready to go in through the back door, which is less heavily guarded.  There’s a person already inside the Palace who I’m hoping will open the door for us.  I want to get another person inside the Palace to isolate the King and hold him hostage.  We’ll fake the arrival of an Imperial courier with an urgent message from the capital.  He’ll get through the city gates and then enter the Palace.  We’ll already have men inside the city - we’ll infiltrate them on market day.  We’ll have to think of a way to get weapons in, since everyone’s searched on entry.  Some of our men will follow the fake courier in and hold the Palace gate while another detachment opens the City gates and lets in our main force.  Then the main force will enter the Palace.  If the King’s in our control, they’ll have to surrender.  We outnumber them nearly four to one, but we shouldn’t underestimate them.  Any suggestions?”

“How do we get men up on the plateau?” asks Shao Ru.

“I’ll ask our contact in Border Town to provide guides.”

“Won’t the people in Qiu notice us climbing up?”

“It’s apparently a roundabout way up, but we may have to proceed at night.  That’s one of the things we need to find out.  But it seems they feel secure from attack from behind the city.  Patrols are minimal.”

Mo Jiang lifts his hand diffidently.  “To get weapons in – we could hide them in the wagons when we deliver the tribute.  They won’t search those.”

“Good idea.  We’ll need a place in the city where we can store both the wagons and the weapons.  Our contact will help there.”

“I’ll be the Imperial courier,” says Shao Ru, grinning.  “We’ll need to get hold of the insignia and banners.”

“Easy enough,” I say, “The command post will provide those.”

“It sounds like it might fly,” Shao Ru says, “Timing will be crucial.  Who’s going to infiltrate?”

“That’s the difficult question.  I’m still thinking about it.”

“It’s not difficult at all,” a voice says.  “There’s an obvious candidate.  Someone who’ll be able to get into the Palace with no problem at all and who won’t be suspected.  Me.”

It’s the Prince.  He goes on, “They're expecting you to deliver me.  Why disappoint them?”

Before anyone can say anything, I hear myself snapping, “Out of the question!”

There’s a short silence.  Then Shao Ru says cautiously, “It’s not a bad idea.”

“Absolutely not.  It needs to be somebody who’s highly-trained in covert operations.”

“But it won’t be a covert operation,” the Prince says.  “I’d be out in the open.  The King won’t suspect a thing.  I can do it.”

“I won’t hear of it.  It’s far too dangerous.”  Every bone in my body’s rebelling against this.  He could be raped, tortured, killed, anything could happen.

“Well,” says Liang Zhou diplomatically, “Perhaps we should think this over and reconvene later.”

I realize he’s saving my face.  At a sign from Shao Ru, the sub-officers file out, but the Prince stands his ground.  He’s looking at me with an expression I’ve never seen before, a mixture of accusation and steady determination.  He looks at Shao Ru and Liang Zhou and for just a moment, a hint of steel shows.  They follow the others out, leaving us alone.

“You don’t think I can do it,’ he says softly.  “You don't think I’m capable.”

“This isn’t a game.  You could be killed.”

“Any one of us could be killed.  I’m the best-placed person to help you pull this off.  You must know it.  Why are you objecting?”

“If anything happens to you……”  I suddenly realize what I’m about to say, and stop.

“If anything happens to me, you’ll get the blame, is that it?”

“Dear Gods, no,” I burst out, “If anything happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Something changes in his expression.  His face softens into a smile.  “We’ll just have to make sure nothing does happen to me.  You said that it needs to be a highly-trained person.  So train me.”

We stare at each other across the tent. He's got me cornered again.  He is without a doubt the best-placed person for this job.  He’s the best chance for the success of this crazy plan and we both know it.  But before I can say anything, Shao Ru comes sauntering back in.

“All sorted?” he says breezily, “Good.  We can work out a training schedule – it shouldn’t take long to transform you into the perfect little undercover agent.”

He’s been eavesdropping.  They’ve probably all got their ears glued to the tent-flap right now.  I groan inwardly.  I know I haven’t got a choice.  The Prince has got his way and all I’ve managed to do is lose face in front of my own officers.  Nice one, Liao Shan.