Xu Yi said, "Of course, it's to feign magnanimity and show how broad-minded you are. It's only human nature. Brother Zhong, what makes you say that?"
Zhong Wu stamped his foot and sighed. "Commander, oh, Commander. Human hearts are hard to fathom; you must never let your guard down. Today, Commander Kong died, and you seized the position of Regimental Commander against all odds. When you head into battle tomorrow, how can you know you'll make it back in one piece? At a time like this, you needn't fear the enemy's sword so much as the knife coming at you from behind."
Xu Yi gaped. "You mean they'll... No, they wouldn't! They may resent me, but surely they know military law is merciless. Besides, there are so many eyes watching in the chaos of battle."
By taking the position of Regimental Commander from the man, Xu Yi had made it plain that he had offended Li Tang and Huang Wei. How could he not have considered the possibility of their retaliation?
But the two men had yet to make a move, so for now, he could only defend himself. His only trouble was that he had no idea where the danger would come from.
Now Zhong Wu had walked right into his hands. The old campaigner had little else going for him, but he was well-traveled and knew all the dirty tricks used in the military.
Xu Yi's feigned surprise greatly pleased Zhong Wu. He hurriedly said, "There's no need for them to get their own hands dirty to deal with you, Commander. As far as I know..."
Zhong Wu then launched into a long-winded account of dozens of filthy schemes used to wrest power in military formations. With Xu Yi gently coaxing him along, he brought them all to