THE GENERAL'S SILENCE
999 Words
The bamboo forest fell into an eerie silence.
The flames consuming Han Shou's cottage crackled in the background as everyone turned toward the newly arrived cavalry. More than a hundred mounted soldiers poured into the clearing, their armor reflecting the firelight. Golden dragon banners fluttered proudly above them, making them appear every bit like the Emperor's elite forces.
The stern general at their head slowly lowered his black jade command token.
His sharp eyes settled on Prince Zhao Yun.
"Fourth Prince," he called. "By order of His Imperial Majesty, I have come to escort you safely back to the capital."
Several imperial guards sighed with relief.
Captain Lu Feng, however, did not lower his sword.
Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the command token.
The token was black.
The Emperor's command tokens had always been carved from pure white jade.
Something was terribly wrong.
---
The silver-masked assassin stepped back into the shadows.
Instead of attacking the cavalry, he simply watched.
A faint smile appeared beneath his mask.
Zhao Yun noticed.
If these truly were imperial reinforcements, why wasn't the assassin afraid?
The answer came almost immediately.
The general looked toward the assassins.
"You may leave."
Captain Lu Feng's heart skipped a beat.
"What did you say?"
The general repeated calmly,
"I said... they may leave."
Not a single cavalry soldier moved to stop the assassins.
The clearing became deathly still.
Then the silver-masked leader gave a respectful nod to the general before retreating into the forest with the surviving members of the Black Wolf Society.
None of the cavalry pursued them.
---
Captain Lu Feng stepped forward, fury burning in his eyes.
"You let them escape!"
The general's expression remained cold.
"My mission is to escort the prince, not chase criminals."
"Criminals?" Lu Feng shouted.
"They just tried to murder the Fourth Prince!"
Several cavalrymen instinctively gripped their swords.
The atmosphere grew tense.
One wrong move could spark a battle between soldiers of the same empire.
---
Zhao Yun calmly walked toward the general.
"What is your name?"
"I am General Wei Kang."
"Which division do you command?"
"The Eastern Imperial Cavalry."
Zhao Yun nodded thoughtfully.
"I served in the palace for many years."
"I know every commander of the Imperial Army."
A brief silence followed.
"I have never heard of General Wei Kang."
For the first time, the general's confident expression faltered.
Only for a heartbeat.
Then he smiled.
"I was recently promoted."
"By whom?"
"The Ministry of War."
"Who signed your appointment?"
The general did not answer immediately.
Captain Lu Feng slowly raised his sword.
"He doesn't know."
---
Without warning, one of the cavalrymen fired a hidden crossbow.
The bolt shot toward Zhao Yun.
"Your Highness!"
Lu Feng shoved the prince aside.
The bolt struck Lu Feng's shoulder instead.
Blood stained his armor.
At that instant, the general abandoned all pretense.
"Kill them all!"
The cavalry charged.
The forest erupted into chaos once again.
---
Although wounded, Captain Lu Feng fought fiercely beside Zhao Yun.
The prince's sword flashed through the night, knocking riders from their horses one after another.
The mysterious green-robed archer reappeared on the cliff.
Arrow after arrow rained down with deadly precision.
Several enemy riders fell before reaching the clearing.
Mei Lian dragged the wounded behind a fallen tree.
She quickly tore a strip of cloth and wrapped Lu Feng's bleeding shoulder.
"This will hurt."
"I've had worse," Lu Feng replied through gritted teeth.
She snapped the broken end of the crossbow bolt and carefully pulled it free.
Lu Feng nearly lost consciousness but refused to let go of his sword.
---
Meanwhile, Han Shou protected the chest of evidence with his own body.
Three enemy soldiers rushed toward him.
The elderly magistrate managed to strike one down with his spear before another slashed his side.
He staggered but remained standing.
"You will not..."
He gasped for breath.
"...erase the truth."
---
Zhao Yun saw the danger.
He fought desperately toward Han Shou, but General Wei Kang intercepted him.
Their swords collided with tremendous force.
Unlike the silver-masked assassin, Wei Kang relied on brute strength.
Each blow shook Zhao Yun's arms.
"You are talented," the fake general sneered.
"But you are still too young."
"I've heard those words before."
Zhao Yun suddenly changed his footing, allowing Wei Kang's powerful strike to pass.
Using the general's own momentum, Zhao Yun spun and struck the back of his armor with the hilt of his sword.
The impact knocked Wei Kang from his horse.
The fake general crashed heavily onto the ground.
Before Zhao Yun could capture him, a smoke bomb exploded between them.
Thick gray smoke swallowed the clearing.
When it finally drifted away, Wei Kang had vanished.
---
The remaining enemy soldiers retreated into the forest.
For the second time that night, silence returned.
Only the crackling fire and the groans of the wounded could be heard.
Zhao Yun hurried to Han Shou.
The old magistrate was leaning against the charred remains of his cottage, his robes soaked with blood.
Yet he still held the wooden chest tightly in his arms.
With trembling hands, he pushed it toward Zhao Yun.
"Protect this..."
"It contains more than tax records."
"There is... another scroll."
Zhao Yun opened the chest slightly.
Hidden beneath the official documents was a small jade tube sealed with the Imperial Dragon.
Han Shou smiled weakly.
"I kept it safe..."
"...because I knew..."
"...one day..."
"...the rightful prince would come."
Before Zhao Yun could ask another question, Han Shou's eyes slowly closed.
His hand slipped from the chest.
The old magistrate had given his life protecting the truth.
As dawn's first light broke through the bamboo forest, Zhao Yun looked at the sealed jade tube.
He had come to Qinghe searching for corruption.
Instead, he had uncovered a secret important enough for powerful men to kill, betray, and die for.
And he had a feeling the contents of that jade tube would change the fate of the Great Tian Empire forever.
- Writer
