Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 66 - Where you are weak, show force

Kozak was not listening. He was examining Wang Bang's crossbow. 'Fascinating,' he murmured as he caressed the ornate lacquered finish. 'Such meticulous workmanship. Ze trigger mechanism is exquisite.'

Kozak examined Wang Bang's weapons with the delighted curiosity of an antiquarian until we caught up with Cho Cho's exhausted rearguard. By this time most of the soldiers lacked armour, weapons and horses and many were wounded, including Cho Cho's younger brother. 

 We unloaded the rice bags to make room for the brother on the cart, and Cho Cho spoke to me while Kozak translated. 'My young advisor, you correctly predicted my defeat. Now we have reached a fork in the road to Jiangling.' He pointed into the hills. 'Do you advise we take the main road, where my scouts report no activity, or the more difficult trail through the hills? You can see smoke rising at several places along the trail.'

I had enough of rough tracks. The road sounded smoother. 'Take the road. We are all tired . . . your excellency.' 

 To my surprise Cho Cho ordered we go by way of the trail. One of his officers protested. 'The trail is difficult, and the smoke can only mean soldiers. Why go that way?'

Cho Cho smiled. 'Don't you know what the military texts say? A show of force is best where you are weak. Where you are strong, feign weakness. Kongming is a master of tricks. Obviously, he has sent a few men into the hills to set fires while placing an ambush on the main road. I won't fall into his trap this time!'

Difficult was an understatement. We waded through glutinous mud that seemed to go on forever. When it got too deep, Cho Cho ordered us to build a floating bridge with reeds and bamboos. Although the rain had stopped, most of the men were soaked and it was very cold. Some horses and men fell by the wayside from exhaustion. I felt numb with cold and lack of sleep but, despite the pain in my ankle, I had to help Kozak and Wang Bang manhandle the cart through mud and over rocks. Cho Cho assigned guards to make sure no one dropped out. Kozak cursed fluently and continuously in several languages, but it didn't help. At last, the bedraggled survivors of Cho Cho's once mighty army struggled up a rocky slope and the trail became easier. Chen Yu begged for a rest but Cho Cho ordered everyone to push on. 

 There were less than a hundred men left, most of them on foot. The only cart left was ours. The others had been abandoned in the swamp along with the wounded. 

 Cho Cho rode back to see his brother, but he spoke to me through Kozak. 'You see. I was right. As soon as we are through that narrow gorge ahead, we are safe.' He waved his whip triumphantly and laughed loudly.

I was so tired I wasn't thinking. 'Your Excellency, the last time you laughed, Zhang Fei arrived. May I ask, why is Your Excellency laughing now?'

As soon as Kozak translated this, Cho Cho replied, 'Everyone thinks Zhou Yu and Kongming are shrewd tacticians but, as I see it, neither is capable of advanced thought. The fools set an ambush on the main road. If they had set an ambush here on the trail, we could only have surrendered quietly.' 

 Cho Cho rode to the head of the column just as a bombard exploded ahead. The sound reverberated eerily off the rock faces, and we looked up to see several hundred horsemen at the end of the gorge. At their head was Lord Guan easily identified by his enormous halberd, his well-worn green surcoat and his great horse, Red Hare. 

 He called out, 'Lord Cho Cho. I am Guan Yunchang of Jieliang. I have orders from Director General Zhuge Kongming to meet you here. I did not think you would fall for Kongming's smoke trap.'

I was about to call out to Lord Guan but Wang Bang snarled something to Kozak as he grabbed me from behind and clamped a muddy hand across my mouth.

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