The Child Emperor

The tunnel inside the city was not long but extremely narrow, forcing them to crawl through it. When they emerged, all seven people were covered in dirt and grime. Looking back, Jincheng City towered in the distance, shrouded in night and partially hidden by a small earthen mound, making it difficult for either side to see the other clearly.

The group reburied the exit and hurried forward through concealed areas. Gui Yuehua led the way at the front, stumbling over uneven ground. Each person was lost in their own thoughts, and no one spoke.

They had left the city rather late, and after walking three miles, dawn had already broken. Gui Yuehua stood beneath a withered tree and whistled through pursed lips. Soon an answering call came from the forest, and seven or eight people emerged. From their appearance and clothing, they were clearly Chu people. Their leader obviously recognized Gui Yuehua and asked with puzzlement, “How are there only these few people? Was the task accomplished?”

Gui Yuehua sighed. “Alas, it’s a long story. We’ve brought out the Handsome Marquis first, but the others are still in the city. The matter will have to be postponed.”

The man came before Hua Bin, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, “The Handsome Marquis is safe and sound – at least we’ve accomplished one great thing.”

“What virtue or ability do I possess to merit Stockade Chief Dong coming personally to rescue me?”

The two were old acquaintances. After exchanging pleasantries, Stockade Chief Dong returned to the matter at hand, his brow slightly furrowed. “We made an agreement with the Xiongnu king. Without obtaining the item, we’ll have trouble facing them.”

Gui Yuehua, being more familiar with him, said impatiently, “That’s precisely why the Handsome Marquis didn’t even bring out his son. Everyone else remains in the city. When we meet the Xiongnu, we’ll have our explanation.”

Stockade Chief Dong chuckled twice and glanced at the other five people without saying anything. He led the way into the forest, where dozens of men and horses were hidden. Everyone mounted up and no longer concealed their tracks. After leaving the forest, they headed straight for the Xiongnu camp more than six miles away.

The Xiongnu, confident in their superior numbers, had withdrawn to make camp while still maintaining a watertight siege around Jincheng City. This also made it convenient for grazing their cattle and horses. Halfway there, Xiongnu riders came to meet them. Discovering that few people had left the city and that they carried no heads or similar trophies, they immediately expressed dissatisfaction. One of Stockade Chief Dong’s subordinates spent a long time explaining in the Xiongnu language. Stockade Chief Dong whispered to Gui Yuehua, “You’d better truly have an explanation. This Xiongnu king is not easy to deal with.”

“Don’t worry.” Gui Yuehua pointed to the other five men. “They are all trusted guards from the Emperor’s personal retinue. The Handsome Marquis persuaded them to voluntarily defect to the Xiongnu. That should count as a small achievement, shouldn’t it?”

Only then did Stockade Chief Dong show a smile.

The Xiongnu tents were arranged haphazardly, though one could judge the status of their owners by their size and magnificence.

Stockade Chief Dong politely asked Hua Bin and the others to remain in an ordinary tent while he and Gui Yuehua went to meet the Xiongnu king. The Xiongnu had many royal titles, but everyone called this one “Great King,” suggesting his status was quite high.

Hua Bin stood at the entrance, watching Gui Yuehua and the others depart, then turned and said, “You must be General of Chariots and Cavalry Deng Cui, correct?”

The four attendants were startled, and Deng Cui nodded in acknowledgment. “I am.”

“I knew His Majesty wouldn’t casually send just anyone out of the city. Let me speak plainly – if someone recognizes you, I’ll have no choice but to go with the flow and claim I persuaded you to surrender. Whether the Xiongnu believe it or not will depend on what you says.”

Deng Cui smiled. “Don’t worry. The Xiongnu are easy to deceive.”

Hua Bin chuckled coldly, not entirely confident in this young general.

Before long, Stockade Chief Dong returned alone. “Come with me, all of you. The Great King wishes to see you.”

Hua Bin asked, “How should we address this noble person? Just ‘Great King’?”

“‘Great King’ is what we call him, and he likes it very much. That’s the right way to address him.”

The group walked toward the largest tent in the camp. Along the way, they encountered only mounted Xiongnu riders moving in groups of three to five, galloping back and forth with apparent lack of discipline. Yet they never collided or came into conflict – no matter how many horses were on the path, they always managed to pass each other smoothly.

The tent was as large as two or three ordinary houses, with a wooden floor beneath and three steps leading to the entrance. Inside, thick felt carpets covered the ground. Upon entering, a mixture of warmth, wine fumes, and fragrant scents hit them in the face.

The tent held quite a few people. In the center sat a robust Xiongnu man in his forties, with six or seven concubines on either side who made no effort to avoid the guests and curiously observed the newly arrived Chu people.

As soon as Deng Cui looked up, he saw Prince Donghai.

Prince Donghai wore the ordinary uniform of the Ceremonial Guard Battalion soldiers and sat in a side seat. When he also spotted Deng Cui, his expression changed slightly.

The two men looked at each other for a moment.

Hua Bin noticed this scene and thought to himself that there really wasn’t even a hint of a miracle—they just had to meet someone who would recognize Deng Cui, as expected. He stepped forward a few paces, about to kneel and bow to the Xiongnu king to introduce the surrender of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, hoping to muddle through, but Deng Cui spoke first. He cupped his hands toward the side seat and smiled, saying, “General Chai! I never expected to meet you here.”

Prince Donghai’s expression returned to composure. “Chai Ping” was indeed his false identity. Seeing that Deng Cui wore the uniform of the Ceremonial Guard Battalion, he understood that the other man was also using a false identity. So he cupped his hands in return and said with confusion, “Forgive my poor eyesight. You look familiar, as if you’re also someone from the Emperor’s side, but I don’t know how to address you.”

“General Chai, noble people forget minor things. I’m from the Ceremonial Guard Battalion…”