“In the fifth year of Yuantai, Fu Gong passed away, coinciding with unrest in the southwest. Before his death, he recommended me as the general of the Western Expedition Army to pacify the southwest,” Duan Guihong sighed. “Entrusted with his final wish, I did not dare to fail. Since then, I have remained in the southwest, not moving an inch. Until last summer, when the Emperor intended to send imperial commissioners to border troops, and you were ambushed at Qingsha Pass, I realized that the current imperial court was no longer the court of those days.”
“My lord,” Fu Shen interrupted, “Du and Leng joined the Northern Yan Army two years ago.
Moreover, I suspect you have more than one spy in the Northern Yan Army. Saying you only started thinking about this last summer seems a bit late, doesn’t it?”
Duan Guihong had limited interactions with Fu Shen, having only met him once or twice. His understanding mostly came from rumors and hearsay. Being older, he always felt the younger generation had not yet matured, harboring a slight sense of contempt.
But he forgot that Fu Shen had led troops into battle at eighteen. If he were not intelligent or capable, how could he have suppressed those old generals who prided themselves on their seniority? Forget about dealing with external enemies; his ability to establish himself among his own people was questionable.
Fu Shen repeatedly exposed the flaws in Duan Guihong’s words, giving the “uncle” no face. Cornered by his piercing questions, Duan Guihong finally set aside his underestimation and began to view him as a worthy opponent: “You already knew Du and Leng were my people?”
Fu Shen smiled modestly, “Not for too long. He doesn’t pose much threat, just occasionally passing messages. His medical skills are decent, so I kept him around.”
Placing an insider near another military commander would typically be seen as suspicious. However, Fu Shen understood Duan Guihong’s character – the old man was stubborn. Du Leng had primarily come to help him, so Fu Shen turned a blind eye and kept him until now.
