"That wasn't the case." Nangong Shi shook his head. "Not only has the Shang Army on the Western Expedition failed to march at speed, but King Zhou, who went to see the soldiers off, has been enjoying music and dancing in the main tent day and night. He has also been quarreling endlessly with the officers, and there are even rumors that he has been harsh and ungenerous toward the troops. Lu Xiong, the commander leading the army, seems eager to win merit as well. Not only has he failed to remonstrate with the king, he has challenged his superior by rejecting King Zhou's marching route, and he is at odds with several other officers."
"What?" Ji Shuqian said. "How could that be? Such arrogance and indulgence-do they really think the Western Expedition is theirs for the taking? Do they think our soldiers are all made of clay?"
"Exactly," Nangong Shi said. "That is precisely what worries me. Lu Xiong is a veteran with quite a reputation. However incompetent he might be, he could hardly sink to this. It is most likely a false front. Moreover, King Zhou has ordered the generals to discuss military affairs in front of the dancers, without the slightest concern about secrets leaking. All of this is far too strange."
Ji Shuqian said, "You mean this is all a stratagem, General?"
"I wouldn't go so far as to call it a stratagem. I simply feel uneasy." Nangong Shi looked up at the sky and sighed. "The late king spent decades planning to overthrow Shang, and planted countless Infiltrators and spies throughout Great Shang long ago. With King Zhou promoting officials in great numbers and gathering slaves into armies in recent years, we have even been able to learn something of affairs within their military. That