Chapter Six: The Council of War

At the break of dawn, Dou Xin returned to the camp, his face clouded with gloom. The scouts trickled in as well, reporting that the Wu army’s main camp along the Huai River remained tightly guarded. From afar, its tents stretched for miles, banners densely arrayed. The royal standard of King Helü of Wu flew high, as did the command banners of Sun Wu, Wu Zixu, Fugai, and other eminent generals.

Yet traces of a southward march were also evident—a party of scouts had already followed those tracks.

Mo Cheng’s group did not arrive until midday. As soon as they entered the camp, they were summoned into the main tent, which was packed with officers of all ranks, a war council underway.

This time, Chu had mobilized eight hundred war chariots and a division of the fleet—over a hundred thousand men in all—to attack Cai. The Lingyin, Zichang, personally took command, flanked by Left Sima Shen Yinxu, Grandee Shi Huang, Grandee Dou Xin, and other generals.

The state of Cai, once a vassal of Chu, had grown weary of Chu’s exploitation and turned to Jin and Wu, even sending troops to destroy Shen, a vassal of Chu. Outraged, Zichang marched on Cai, swiftly besieging its capital.

When King Helü of Wu heard this, he personally led thirty thousand elite troops south along the Huai River to strike. Fearing his lines of retreat might be cut, Zichang was forced to withdraw south of the river, and so the two sides came to a standstill.

Last night, Dou Xin had hurried to the commander’s camp, only to learn that Left Sima Shen Yinxu was absent, so he went straight to Lingyin Nang Wa.

Nang Wa was drinking in sullen silence. Years ago, he had tried and failed to extort jade ornaments and fur robes from the Marquis of Cai, then lured him into Chu and imprisoned him for three years. This scandal was known throughout the court and country; it was widely said he had driven Cai to revolt.

To stifle the rumors, Nang Wa resolved to wipe out Cai in one bold stroke. Yet he had not expected Wu to intervene so swiftly, and now he found himself riding a tiger he could not dismount.

Fight, and he risked a ruinous struggle with Wu’s formidable navy. Refuse, and Cai’s defection would be plain for all to see—a failure he could not explain to the young emperor in Yingdu.

As he wrestled with indecision, Dou Xin arrived with news that the Wu army might be secretly marching south to attack Yingdu. In a fury, Nang Wa hurled his wine cup and cursed, “You, too, are from a noble house—can you not see through such a feint? Yingdu lies hundreds of miles away. Would a mere handful of Wu troops dare such a deep incursion?”

Without waiting for Dou Xin to explain, he ordered his attendants to eject him.

Soured by this rebuff, Dou Xin returned to his own camp, composed himself, and convened his officers for council.

Though the scouts had reported in, the situation remained unclear.

As Mo Cheng entered the tent, all eyes turned to him.

“General Mo, you are wounded; there is no need for formalities. Tell us, has the Wu army indeed marched south?”

“Brother Meng saw with his own eyes that the main force of Wu set out south overnight.”

“Brother Meng?” A voice oozing with sarcasm rose from the crowd. “A commander of a hundred chariots, calling a mere foot soldier ‘brother’? What a disgrace for the officer corps!”

“You—” Mo Cheng’s face flushed with anger. “Meng is a master of archery and horsemanship, and he saved my life; why should I not call him brother?”

“Hah! And you’d know archery and horsemanship? Are you truly qualified to judge such things?”

“You—” Mo Cheng was left speechless. The two had always been at odds. Bai Bing, whose archery skills were inherited from the legendary Chu archer Yang Youji and who possessed remarkable talent and many battle honors, had always looked down on Mo Cheng, who owed his position to his father's legacy. He delighted in mocking him at every turn.

The officers were long accustomed to their bickering. Though Bai Bing was often insufferably arrogant, he had real skill and was valued by the commander.

Deputy General Zhu Qu stepped forward. “My lord, since General Mo did not witness it himself, we must consider carefully whether Wu has truly marched south.”

“That’s right. Even if this Meng Di speaks the truth, it could be a ruse by the Wu army,” another officer chimed in.

A buzz of debate filled the tent; most still doubted the Wu army had moved south.

Mo Cheng grew anxious and raised his voice. “But surely it’s no falsehood that General Wu Hei was destroyed by Wu troops? His unit included dozens of chariots. If they hadn’t encountered Wu’s main force, how could they be annihilated? The Wu camp by the Huai must now be empty. Dispatch scouts and the truth will be clear!”

Bai Bing replied coldly, “Mo Cheng, perhaps you were defeated and fled alone, and now fearing punishment, you’ve concocted this tale of the Wu army marching south?”

The tent fell silent. The officers’ gazes toward Mo Cheng were complex—some sympathetic, others gloating.

“My lord!” Mo Cheng pleaded. “Just send scouts and you’ll know!”

“No need,” Dou Xin replied slowly. “The scouts report that the Wu camp is unchanged. King Helü and all his generals’ banners are present as always.”

Without waiting for further protest from Mo Cheng, Dou Xin continued, “This matter cannot be decided now. We will wait for Sima Shen to return and then consult again. The scouts are to keep watch day and night—no relaxation!”

The officers voiced their assent in unison.

Dou Xin then said, “General Mo comes from a loyal family; he would never give false reports. All of you, be careful with your words. The foot soldier Meng Di and his companions have rendered great service. Meng Di shall command a chariot squad; the others will receive rewards in silver.”

“This is not permissible, my lord,” Bai Bing objected sharply. “Only armored soldiers may command chariots; this man is but a foot soldier—it is against military regulations. Furthermore, a chariot officer must have the skills of Five Drives and Five Shots. Even if he knows some archery, how could he ride a war chariot?”

The Five Drives and Five Shots were the standards for chariot officers. The Five Drives: to keep the bells ringing in time regardless of speed; to keep the chariot from slipping into the river on twisting paths; to salute with composure when passing sovereign banners; to make the four horses turn as one on winding roads; to drive game onto the chariot’s left for the archer.

The Five Shots: to draw the bow fully so only the arrowhead shows ahead of the forefinger; to hold arms parallel to the arrow, steady enough to balance a cup of water; to bend the bow so it curves like a well; to hold four arrows in the draw hand and shoot them in swift succession; to send arrows shooting straight from beneath the chin through an enemy’s throat, not in a high arc.

These requirements were exceedingly strict. Few armored soldiers reached the ideal; even with lower expectations, the vast realm of Chu could muster only about a thousand chariot squads as standing troops.

Only the sons of the nobility, rigorously trained from childhood, could hope to achieve this. Bai Bing’s invocation of the standard was clearly meant to embarrass Meng Di. Truth be told, even commanders like Mo Cheng were hard-pressed to meet these criteria.

Dou Xin understood Bai Bing’s motives, but the Five Drives and Five Shots were indeed the regulation, however loosely enforced in practice.

A shrewd officer, seeing Dou Xin’s predicament, suggested, “Why not have him compete in archery against General Bai Bing? If he wins, grant him the command as an exception.”

“Agreed!” Bai Bing accepted at once. His archery was unrivaled in camp; this foot soldier, wherever he’d learned his tricks, might impress only the likes of Mo Cheng—but he would soon learn what it meant to invite humiliation.

Dou Xin, too, was curious to see if Meng Di was as exceptional as Mo Cheng claimed. If he could bring Bai Bing down a peg, so much the better.