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For some reason, Yang Feng felt his head growing heavy, as if a thick, sodden log had been stuffed inside his skull—causing a dull, throbbing ache. He hadn't slept well these past few days, so it was natural to feel mentally drained. He didn't pay it much mind.
Hearing Wei Ji finally agree to let him head south, Yang Feng nodded slightly in response.
These years as one of the great canal commanders in the White Wave Army—even when Guo Da was alive and dominant—people often sought Yang Feng's opinion. Old habits died hard, and with his mind in turmoil, he didn't even notice anything improper in his attitude.
In his heart, Yang Feng calculated: with the Wei clan's grain support and protection, at least travel through Hedong would be safe. A slight sense of relief washed over him. He raised his tea bowl, toasted Wei Ji, and drained it in one gulp.
Wei Ji asked, "Where are Commander Yang's men now, and how much grain will you need? I'll have it prepared."
Yang Feng's gaze flickered. "Prepare ten carts of grain and send them ten li east of the city—someone will collect them."
"Excellent." Wei Ji lowered his eyelids, as if pondering something—or waiting for something. After a long pause, he said, "Commander Yang has endured much hardship on the road. Why not rest well here tonight and let me play the gracious host? Departing tomorrow would not be too late."
Leave tomorrow?
Pingyang had already collapsed; cleaning up the remnants wouldn't take long. Fei Qian and the others would surely head south soon. As a White Wave Army canal commander, with that identity unwashed, staying in Linfen was courting death, wasn't it?
Yang Feng had already lost all leverage, so he no longer expected Wei Ji to honor their prior agreement and clear his name. Getting grain supplies under the Yang clan's name—for his remaining men's journey—was already quite good. He didn't dare hope for more. Thus, he shook his head, about to refuse…
It felt as if the sodden log in his head suddenly shifted with the shake, crashing side to side inside his skull. Yang Feng abruptly felt dizzy; the world darkened and began spinning before his eyes…
Alarmed, he tried to stand, only to find his body limp, his abdomen twisting in agony, his strength failing. He braced against the table—but couldn't hold. With a crash, he toppled sideways, knocking the table over. The vase with the peach branch shattered into four or five pieces…
"Commander Yang? Commander Yang?!" Yang Feng's consciousness grew hazy; the world reduced to gray shadows. He vaguely heard Wei Ji call twice. He was aware, yet couldn't open his mouth or speak. His body was soft, powerless.
Yang Feng desperately wanted to roar, to struggle up—but he was helpless, like a fish long out of water, lacking even the strength to flop.
Wei Ji rose slowly, picked up the round-headed long-handled shears, and said leisurely: "The peach… the Prince of Huainan wrote that Hou Yi died by a peach staff; in the Changes, 'lose shells, pursue to the east.' Commander Yang comes from learned stock—did you truly not know? Or… pretend not to?"
Wei Ji, robes white and flowing, stepped to Yang Feng's side and smiled: "The world is a furnace—can one come and go at will? If unwilling to churn within, then become firewood, adding a little flame to heaven and earth's blaze!"
He had given so many hints, yet Yang Feng played dumb?
Peach branch…
Flee from it.
Flee only.
Pretend to know.
Fine—even if he understood none, he could have asked. A mere defeated cur, posturing here—seeking death. Who to blame?
He had thought this Yang Feng, with some Yang blood, might have a bit of Yang cleverness. Yet at the critical moment, so utterly useless!
Utterly ruined!
Did he really think returning to Hongnong would let the Yang clan wipe everything clean, end it all?
Naive!
He hadn't grasped the first thing about politics before rashly joining the game. This chessboard of the realm—was it so easy to enter? Now the game collapsed, and he thought he could just quit, retire, live out his days in peace?
What a pity.
Like a peach branch—grown crooked, grown ugly—what to do?
Wei Ji stood beside Yang Feng, used the long-handled round-headed shears to snip open a patch of skin on his neck. Blood gushed forth like a spring…
The round head made small wounds. Wei Ji snipped once, smiled, and admired it—as if examining the peach branch in the vase earlier.
Snip.
Admire.
Shift angle, snip again.
Admire…
Blood flowed with Yang Feng's ragged breaths, soon flooding the pavilion.
Specks stained Wei Ji's white robes—like a string of plum blossoms proudly blooming in snow, strikingly vivid.
"You resent, so you speak wildly?"
"You wish to retire, enjoy peace?"
"Heh heh…"
Wei Ji smiled, spoke, snipped.
If he had been smarter, cooperated a bit, they could have continued working together. But stupid and lacking even a pawn's awareness—nothing more to say.
Think one mention of Hongnong Yang made him truly a Hongnong Yang son?
Laughable.
Hmph, fool!
Fit only for firewood!
Hongnong Yang—hmph, even Hongnong Yang could barely protect itself now. Besides, Yang Feng's identity hadn't come from Hongnong Yang. Killing him? Perfectly justified—slaying a White Wave Army bandit. What wrong in that?
Blood drained; the man died. Yang Feng lay like withered wood in the pool of blood.
Wei Ji tossed aside the shears, strolled out of the pavilion, leaving bloody footprints.
Servants waiting outside immediately filed in—wrapping the corpse, clearing the table, cleaning the floor—orderly, methodical—as if what had died in the pavilion wasn't a man, but merely the shattered vase and peach branch.
Wei Ji said calmly: "Sever his head and box it. Order the county lieutenant to take troops east of the city, lure the bandits with grain, and kill them all."
Watching the servants depart on their tasks, Wei Ji finally let out a long sigh; the gloom in his chest eased slightly.
The only issue now was his uncle fallen into Xiongnu hands—but not a big problem. Recruiting Hu "victorious soldiers" was established practice. As long as uncle held firm and said nothing foolish…
Though he knew Fei Qian and Wang Yi could guess his handiwork, without clear evidence—and with uncle not slipping—Wang and Fei couldn't easily touch the Wei clan.
Only… success had turned to failure.
The original plan was flawless, but it began deviating when Lu Chang was killed on the Fen River bank yet the county seal wasn't found.
Without the seal, Wei Ji couldn't smoothly mobilize Wang Yi's faction troops in Xiangling, couldn't set the trap there to kill Wang Yi quickly—only let the White Wave Army attack head-on…
The Xiongnu side was strange too—unexpectedly letting Fei Qian establish himself in Beiqu!
And those inexplicable extra bed crossbows—paired with Beiqu's terrain—made it impossible to attack, forcing abandonment of Beiqu and inability to stretch Fei Qian thin…
Then the Xiongnu's betrayal, siding with Fei Qian, leading to total collapse at Pingyang—most White Wave Army captured or killed.
Heaven's timing was there, but not on the Hedong Wei side!
What a fine game—now reduced to this!
And the troops from Shangdang and Taiyuan that should have arrived…
Thinking of this originally brilliant move, Wei Ji felt a pang.
That damned Yuan Benchu—stationing troops at Mengjin at this exact time!
If he had defeated Dong Zhuo's Western Liang forces, fine—but not only did he fail, he fell for a feint. Believing Dong Zhuo's main army crossed at Yinjin, Wang Kuang advanced west to meet them—only for Dong Zhuo to cross at Xiaopingjin, catching them in a pincer and routing them. Wang Kuang barely escaped alone.
The Shangdang force unluckily encountered Lü Bu and was defeated; hearing this, the planned Taiyuan troops feared alerting nearby Dong Zhuo and dared not send men!
Thus, all external reinforcements in Wei Ji's perfect plan vanished!
Heaven did not favor—nothing to be done!
Originally, in Wei Ji's plan: three to four thousand Xiongnu cavalry, four to five thousand White Wave Army fighters, control of three Hedong counties yielding over three thousand regulars and four thousand auxiliaries, plus two thousand Shangdang regulars and three thousand auxiliaries, one thousand Taiyuan regulars and two thousand auxiliaries—nearly twenty thousand troops in Hedong. Then use White Wave Army and Xiongnu to eliminate Wang Yi and Fei Qian…
With Wang and Fei dead, two administrators' posts vacant, the north leaderless—Wei clan could step forward openly. With Shangdang, Taiyuan, and controlled county troops, incorporate White Wave Army, woo Xiongnu, backed by years of accumulated wealth, men, prestige…
Thus Hedong Wei could rise, truly become a decisive regional force. While Dong Zhuo was busy moving the capital and distracted north, seize all Hedong, perhaps western Shangjun, northwest Yunzhong and Wuyuan—hold the river against Dong Zhuo, watch Yuan and Dong fight, await opportunity…
But now—fate played tricks. He had meant to build a tall tower, yet now watched another's rise.
Wei Ji sighed long, his expression somber…
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A/N: Historically, Hedong was much like this…
Wang Yi eventually compromised with the Wei clan and did well, deeply rooted—even resentful when Cao Cao later transferred him from Hedong…
White Wave Army eventually submitted; Yang Feng and others became court officials, protecting the Emperor for a stretch on his eastward return—though their fighting strength was pitiful…
Xiongnu lingered half-dead, wandering Bingzhou, Jizhou, Yuzhou—serving Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, etc.—never recovering the southern royal court…
Wei Ji only formally joined Cao Cao on the eve of Guandu, after Cao held the Emperor and became Minister of Works. Less famous than Xun Yu, but held great power, eventually enfeoffed as Marquis of Kanxiang…
Hedong, due to its secure position, became a vital grain base in Cao Cao's struggle with Yuan Shao, providing crucial support…