Gu Feng says, “Not a bad plan if the insurgents can be trusted.”

Wei Bo says, “In any case, Emperor Taizong’s men learned of the plot and set an ambush outside the city. Now, there is a saying about the barbarian military of Xiazhou: when you estimate the size of their armies, you must triple the number.”

“Triple?”

Wei Bo says, “Firstly, Xiazhou horses are so fierce it is said they double the army’s effective troop number. Secondly, their Lightning Cavalry will split your forces, confound your generals, and sever your supply lines such that the front line Xiazhou army will pose the threat of much larger force. Therefore, in total, you triple the number of their troops when making your preparations.”

Gu Feng says, “This Lightning Cavalry is powerful stuff then.”

“It is. And your Jiang Shan was its commander. But its strength lies in striking suddenly, sowing chaos, and retreating to do it again. It is not a force equipped to engage in protracted battles against entrenched resistance.”

Gu Feng says, “But that is what Jiang Shan and his men found at the gates of Kaifeng.”

“Precisely. Jiang Shan was presented with a battle he could not win. He gave the order to retreat.”

Gu Feng says, “It’s a long way from Kaifeng back to the borders of Xiazhou.”

“It is. Longer still when you’ve just run your horses all night to get to Kaifeng in the first place. Jin forces pursued with fresh horses. Jiang Shan knew retreat would only delay the slaughter of his men.”

Gu Feng says, “Then how did he escape?”

“He didn’t. Jiang Shan’s retreat brought him to a much larger Xiazhou army well inside the Jin border.”

Gu Feng says, “How fortuitous!”

“Yes, only not at all. The commander of this second Xiazhou army told Jiang Shan he had been branded a traitor for attacking Kaifeng. The second army was sent to imprison Jiang Shan’s entire battalion for the crime. The Jin had caught up by this time and their commander heard these words.”

Gu Feng says, “What could Jiang Shan do?”

“It is said he offered his head in exchange for the freedom of his troops. He argued they could not be held accountable for obeying his orders. The Jin commander conceded that justice would be done if Jiang Shan was killed before his eyes.”

Gu Feng is speechless.

Wei Bo says, “And so the ragged troops of the Lightning Cavalry were admitted back into Xiazhou ranks. The Jin commander then demanded Jiang Shan’s head.”

Gu Feng says, “Yes? And then?”

“Jiang Shan’s response was thus: ‘I surrendered my head, but you must first kill my horse, and shatter my spear, and break my body to claim it!’ Jiang Shan escaped to the south.”

Gu Feng says, “But how can one man escape two armies?”

“An army can only travel as fast as the slowest man can follow his orders.”

Gu Feng nods his head and says, “And Jiang Shan alone carried no such burden.”

Wei Bo says, “Correct. Jiang Shan engineered an assassination plot, fled when it failed, and broke his word to escape justice.”

Gu Feng says, “That is why they call him Treacherous Jiang.”

“It should be, but it’s not. There is a bounty for Treacherous Jiang and the story of his treachery accompanies it wherever it goes. But it is a Jin bounty and it is a Jin story. In it, Jiang Shan sacrifices the lives of his men to the pursuing Jin forces until he alone is able to escape.”

Gu Feng says, “Hm. That’s much more treacherous! But your story doesn’t tell me why the Brotherhood of Crows has taken an interest in him.”

Wei Bo is silent for a moment. He collects his thoughts. At last he says, “I think there may yet be a third reason to call him treacherous.”

Gu Feng says, “My word. Triple their troops, triple their treachery. You wouldn’t think barbarians could be so clever!”

Wei Bo says, “Don’t you think it strange there was already another Xiazhou army inside the lands of Jin?”