Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 27 - Mysterious and Intangible

Early the next morning, we were eating a breakfast of rice porridge with bits of chicken and chives in it, when two very large men dragged themselves painfully through the doorway. They were covered in soot and they limped toward Xuande with grim faces. Dr Zhang told us they were two of Xuande's tiger generals, Zhang Fei Yide and Lord Guan Yunchang.

The room suddenly seemed too small for everyone. Lord Guan had a sweeping black beard and moustache and long black hair pinned on top of his head.  Like Xuande, he wore a richly embroidered, green silk brocade gown but his was noticeably frayed and patched. They both wore soft leather boots with turned-up toes. Zhang Fei was shorter than Lord Guan but he looked much heavier. His head seemed abnormally large and his round eyes glared out of a mass of hair that bristled in all directions. He wore a food stained gown loosely belted over his large belly and he stank of beer. 

 Xuande looked worried as Zhang Fei groaned sadly and slumped dejectedly onto a bench but suddenly he roared with laughter.   

 Dr Zhang explained that they had just returned from the battle. 

While Cho Cho's vanguard cavalry had been caught in Kongming's ambush, Zhang Fei and Lord Guan had burned all the supplies at the vanguard's supply depot. Without food the survivors were forced to retreat back to the main army. 

 Dr Zhang translated as Lord Guan congratulated Kongming warmly on his tactics. 'I didn't think they would fall into your traps but they did. The few we captured were terrified. They had heard rumours about your reputation and were convinced you are some sort of supernatural spirit.'

 Xuande interrupted the jubilation to introduce Dr Zhang and everyone immediately started bowing. It was difficult to keep a straight face as they each tried to express their lack of worthiness to associate with each other. As soon as the formal etiquette allowed, Dr Zhang introduced us. 

 Zhang Fei dumped his battered helmet on the table. It had three bedraggled tufts of horse hair and two long, broken peacock feathers sticking out of it at odd angles. 

 He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and dug into the food which had suddenly arrived. 'I am famished.' Zhang Fei beamed as he grabbed a jug of rice beer and swilled it down thirstily. 

 'Yide, when are you going to get a new helmet?' Lord Guan laughed. 'That one is not very impressive.' 

 Zhang Fei looked at his friend with a twinkle in his eye. 'Yunchang, I'll get a new helmet when you buy a new surcoat to replace that ancient old green rag you insist on wearing. This is my lucky helmet. All my foes think it is so funny. They die laughing. Ha! Ha! Get it . . . they die . . . Ha, ha.' 

 I moved from the table to make room for Zhang Fei and I sat down on an ornately carved chair. I leaned back and almost fell over. The chair had no back rest. 

 Licia giggled unsympathetically as Dr Zhang translated Zhang Fei's remarks. 'He asked what sort of barbarian is the boy with the blue eyes and Lord Guan told him to be more polite.'

 Meanwhile Kongming was talking to Xuande and Dr Zhang switched to translating their conversation. 

 'Liu Biao begged you to take Jingzhou before he died,' Konming said.  'You must accept his last wish.' 

 'I will not be responsible for killing the people of Jingzhou,' Xuande said stubbornly.

Lord Guan snorted with disgusted. 'Sun Zi said that compassion was a defect in any general.' 

 Dr Zhang explained that Sun Zi was China's most famous military strategist. His book the Art of War, written about 500 BC, is still in print worldwide in many languages.

 'In that case,' Kongming said, 'we must evacuate Xinye. But first we must eat, carry away or destroy all reserves of food. We must leave nothing for Cho Cho's army. My magical reputation will not stop two hundred thousand men.'

'Sun Zi, wrote, "Be so subtle that you are invisible. Be so mysterious that you are intangible. Then you will control your rivals' fate."'

Zhang Fei heaved his bulk out of the chair. 'I was so looking forward to a nap, and a few more beers. But, if I must be mysterious . . . and intangible . . . I need to swallow a jug of beer and a basket of boiled wu jai (baby taro roots).'

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