Chapter 103: Falling into the Villain's Trap

Li Dong thought to himself that his sworn brothers had all departed for Liaodong, where the front lines were fraught with peril. How could he stand idly by and ignore their fate? He had to join them; only then could he ensure that Dou Jiande, Zhang Jincheng, and the others would not revolt midway, allowing his grand plan to be realized. With two million troops amassed at the Liaodong front, casualties were inevitable—every life saved was a victory. After all, he was essentially a peacekeeping force.

However, he had already rebuffed General Lai Hu'er’s gracious invitation. It would be awkward to disguise himself and infiltrate the garrison troops now; if recognized, would he not be slapping his own face? To say one thing and do another behind the scenes was not his style.

Qin Qiong, Liu Heita, and Zhang Jincheng were escorted out of the command tent by the garrison guards under Lai Hu'er’s orders to be assigned temporary military posts. Dou Jiande and Yan Ruyu also departed; he intended to escort her back to her hometown for safety before returning to the main camp.

After leaving the tent with Luo Shixin, Li Dong headed toward the Qin family’s smithy. Along the way, Luo Shixin remained disgruntled, grumbling incessantly that Li Dong had failed to secure him a position among the garrison. Li Dong pacified him, offering guidance and promising that he would soon recommend him to Zhang Xutuo. With Qin Qiong having already left Qi Prefecture, if Luo Shixin followed, who would be left at the smithy? After some coaxing, Luo Shixin brightened up, eagerly awaiting the military career Li Dong had promised.

Only after everyone had left did Lai Hu'er summon Fei Qingnu into the tent.

General Lai Hu'er stepped away from his desk and approached Fei Qingnu. Touching the fresh, crimson welts left by the beating, he spoke with a mix of lament and warning: "Do not confront Li Dong directly again. In fact, you should treat him with the utmost respect even behind his back. Do not give him any excuse to hold a grudge against you."

"Are we to simply swallow this insult? Must I stand by and be bullied without retaliating?" Fei Qingnu asked, his voice low with simmering resentment.

"That is an improper way to speak!" Lai Hu'er frowned slightly. "It was I who ordered the guards to cane you. Are you planning to seek vengeance against me as well?"

"This subordinate would not dare!" Fei Qingnu replied in a state of terror.

Lai Hu'er nodded with satisfaction. "Li Dong is a man of rare talent, a dragon among men. He is far from an ordinary person and is not easily dealt with. Given your current martial prowess and intellect, you are no match for him. Even I must weigh my options carefully; I would never move against him without a foolproof plan."

"Is he truly so miraculous? I do not believe it!" As a renowned warrior, Fei Qingnu was obsessed with victory and could not bear to be bested.

"Go to the prefecture office," Lai Hu'er instructed. "Report the events at the Yan Chun Pavilion to Ye Jishan. And... tell him that the trouble involving Yan Ruyu was stirred up by Li Dong and his associates. Request that he keep a close eye on them to prevent further complications."

Fei Qingnu observed the General’s expression; it was calm, showing no signs of dissatisfaction. Yet, the implication was crystal clear: Lai Hu'er intended to use Ye Jishan’s hand to strike at Li Dong. This way, Li Dong would suffer a setback without ever knowing it came from the General. *Brilliant,* Fei Qingnu thought, admiring the move. *Truly, the General’s methods are extraordinary.*

Accepting the mission with glee, Fei Qingnu donned new robes and, ignoring his pain, leapt onto his horse and galloped out of the camp toward the prefecture office.

Upon returning to the smithy and reporting to Qin Qiong’s father that his son had been settled into the garrison, a large group of men arrived in a flurry. The leader dismounted upon seeing Li Dong and bowed politely, saying, "Prefect Ye and Assistant Prefect Zhang invite you to the prefecture office for a brief visit; there is an important matter to discuss."

"Oh?" Li Dong was surprised. He had not yet settled his score with Ye Jishan regarding the trouble caused by Liu Heita, and yet another invitation had arrived. Although Liu Heita had not specified his employer at the time, and Dou Jiande had been unable to clarify, Li Dong knew the truth. Who else possessed his portrait?

The Cui family had close ties to Ye Jishan and could have provided the image. But for someone to be dispatched to capture him the moment he arrived in Qi Prefecture—the timing was too precise, and the location too accurate. Only someone within the local government could wield such influence. Zhangqiu was a tiny town; even if the Cui family had traveled from there, they were outsiders with few connections. It was impossible for them to be so well-informed.

*Good lad!* Li Dong thought. *I haven't even settled our account, and you have the audacity to invite me?* However, hearing that Zhang Xutuo was also present, there might be a legitimate matter at hand. *Do not alert the enemy yet,* he decided. *Stay steady and see what tricks he has up his sleeve.*

Informing the elder Qin, Li Dong followed the guards. Upon reaching the office, he found both Zhang Xutuo and Ye Jishan present. They ushered him into a side chamber, and after the servants poured wine and withdrew, Zhang Xutuo looked at Li Dong with the affection of a father watching a promising son. "Prefect Ye and I have discussed this," he said with a chuckle. "We would like you to document the details of how you won the battle at Zhangqiu, so that we may present it to the Emperor. We hope you will not decline."

Li Dong wondered, *How strange. I have considered writing a treatise on military strategy, but I have never mentioned it to anyone. How could they have guessed? Why did Ye Jishan not ask me directly, instead using Zhang Xutuo as an intermediary? Ah, this is his cunning! He knows I might have refused him.*

This was becoming a nuisance—between the portraits and this writing assignment, he was constantly being harassed. He decided to agree just to be left alone. "Very well, I agree. But where shall I write it? Surely not here in the office?"

"Do not worry about that," Ye Jishan said, his face wreathed in smiles, though his eyes remained inscrutable. "We have arranged a quiet courtyard for you, complete with servants. If you need anything, you may relay your requests through the guards or the maids."

"Let this be the end of it. Do not mention Zhangqiu again!" Li Dong sighed. "I wish to focus my energy elsewhere, not be entangled in your official squabbles."

"The last time, the very last time, I promise!" Ye Jishan replied with a hollow smile.

Thus, Li Dong settled into the courtyard provided by Ye Jishan and began to write his account of the Zhangqiu campaign, secretly synthesizing his combat experiences as well. When he reached the part about Du Yu rescuing Du Fuwei, he hesitated. Given Du Yu’s current status, this could not be explicitly stated. Yet, without it, he could not explain how Du Fuwei and his men opened the gates of Zhangqiu to let the "Sage of Knowledge" into the city.

Setting down his brush, Li Dong wandered out of the study. Lost in thought, he walked toward the main gate, only to find several guards barring his path. "Halt!" one shouted. "The Prefect has ordered that you are not to step outside this gate without his permission!"

"Ah!" Li Dong gasped, a sudden realization dawning on him: *Blast it, I have fallen into Ye Jishan’s trap!*