C88: Send for a Physician. Don’t Let Him Die
“…Steward He is interrogating him. Steward Li is also there. The two stewards sent me here to report this to Young Master and request his instructions. Will Young Master go there himself or…”
Outside the courtyard of Ling Zhang’s dwelling, Xiafeng was standing at the gateway. After hearing the servants’ words, he replied with a cold look on his face, “I’m informed about this matter. Young Master is too busy to be distracted by this. Go back and tell the two stewards to keep the man alive for the moment. Young Master might want to go there and interrogate him himself when he finds the time.”
“Yes.”
“Did you inform Second Master and Second Mistress of this?” Xiafeng recalled something and asked.
“Not yet. I came here to report to Young Master first,” responded the servant.
Xiafeng cast a meaningful glance at him and told him, “That’s very thoughtful of you, but the next time this kind of occurrence arises, inform Young Master and Second Master at the same time. Do not report to any of them sooner than the other. Understand?”
“Yes.” Uncertain about whether this was a compliment or a criticism, the man was somewhat alarmed and didn’t dare raise his head to look at Xiafeng.
“Now go and tell Second Master and Second Mistress,” ordered Xiafeng.
“Yes,” the man responded and hurriedly left.
Xiafeng returned to the courtyard and entered Ling Zhang’s room. He looked around, unsure as to whether he should go inside and report this to Ling Zhang right away.
At this point, Ling Zhang was taking a medicated bath with Yuwen Tong behind him trying to unblock his meridians with his internal energy. Compared with the previous two baths which had been agonizing and torturous, the third bath was much more bearable. Though he still felt miserable, the pains were much less intolerable and he could also spare part of his concentration for something else.
After unblocking his meridians twice, he found that his hearing had become much more acute than before. At night when all was still, he could even hear sounds from the gateway of the courtyard. This time, though he hadn’t distinguished the contents of the conversation between Xiafeng and that servant, he was well aware that someone had come to talk with Xiafeng, that Xiafeng was now pacing the floor outside the bathroom.
“Xiafeng, what’s going on?”
Ling Zhang abruptly called Xiafeng’s name, which took Xiafeng aback. Then he realized that his pacing up and down outside had come to the knowledge of the man inside, so he stopped dithering and replied immediately, “Young Master, Steward He just caught a greedy servant who intended to provide an outsider with inside information about Ling family in exchange for money. The name of the servant is Wu Er’niu. He’s an odd-job man in the kitchen. It is said that someone delivered a note to him via a firewood seller offering to buy intelligence about the identity of the kung fu expert hiding in Ling family.”
The kung fu expert hiding in Ling family? Ling Zhang’s heart lurched.
“It seems that someone has noticed something,” said Yuwen Tong. Then he raised his voice and asked Xiafeng, “What else did he say?”
Xiafeng was not surprised to hear Yuwen Tong’s voice. Having heard no further questions from Ling Zhang, he realized that this was also what his young master wanted to know, so he answered, “The one who made an offer to buy intelligence also intended to find out how many kung fu experts there are in Ling family as well as whether it was the day Young Master went to the herb farm that they entered Ling family.”
“Who was the one that offered to buy intelligence?”
“Well… Even Wu Er’niu himself didn’t know the identity of the buyer. He said that he ignored the note at first, that it was after he saw the offer of a hundred taels of silver that he was swayed. Tonight he made contact with a person outside the wall to confirm the time and place for their meeting. Wu Er’niu has a one-day leave after two days, and he planned to meet the buyer on that day. Just now, it was a man sent here by Steward He that I was talking to. He asked whether Young Master wanted to go there and interrogate Wu Er’niu. I made an excuse and told him that Young Master was busy. I also bade him to tell Steward He to keep Wu Er’niu alive and wait for Young Master’s further instructions.”
“Well, you did a good job. What about Uncle? Did you send someone to inform him of this?”
“That servant is on it. I think Second Master probably has already been informed by now.”
“I see. You may take your leave.”
“Yes.”
After Xiafeng left, Ling Zhang said, “Your existence has already attracted the attention of either Jia family or Zhang Chong or somebody else.”
“The buyer specially asked about the day when my people entered the city. It seems that some opponent of ours noticed.”
“If the buyer works for Zhang Chong, will he have misgivings because of this? If by any chance our plan is compromised…”
“I don’t think Zhang Chong is the one behind this, but if the buyer is from the Jia family, Zhang Chong will be informed very soon. However, it doesn’t matter whether Zhang Chong knows about it or not. They have no clue whatsoever who that kung fu expert is. Zhang Chong is now a local despot nobody dares to defy in Tanyang. He’s not necessarily going to be alarmed by this matter.” Yuwen Tong appeared totally unworried.
“Anyway, it will never occur to him that it was me who had been crossing him in Tanyang. As regards to other people, whom do you think he possibly fears?”
Ling Zhang didn’t know how to respond.
He had to admit that Yuwen Tong’s words made sense.
A man like Zhang Chong who had always been acting domineeringly like a tyrant in Tanyang would never be worried by an issue of this kind.
“If it bothers you, I’ll have Yao Yi go and do some interrogating. That Wu Er’niu will take a day off in two days. We can just send someone disguised as him to meet the buyer.”
“I’ll handle it. Currently, this matter is the focus of all people’s attention in Ling family. I must do something to send them a message, to remind them that there are some things they should do but there are also some they must not do, that no matter how much money they are promised, they need to consider whether they would be able to live long enough to spend it before saying yes.”
Yuwen Tong gave a smile. “All right.”
The medicated bath was over and Ling Zhang didn’t pass out this time. He still felt exhausted, but after moments’ rest, he regained enough strength to get dressed by himself.
Yuwen Tong appeared faintly regretful. Beneath Ling Zhang’s gaze, he left the bathroom, face full of regret.
Of course Ling saw this distinctly, the color of his face alternating between red and normal. As he recalled that it was Yuwen Tong who had helped him change on the previous two occasions when he fell unconscious after the bath, his cheeks burned with embarrassment. Then the regretful look Yuwen Tong had on his face a moment ago re-appeared in his mind, and he couldn’t help clenching his teeth. Asshole, he thought.
“Marshal, why did you come back so soon today?” Yao Yi couldn’t help but ask when seeing that Yuwen Tong returned sooner than he did the previous two times.
Clothes in hands, upper body naked, Yuwen Tong walked straight into his room. “This time he didn’t faint.”
Yao Yi uttered an “Oh” and understood. This time the marshal failed to take advantage of Young Master Ling.
“How’s it going in Zhang Chong’s encampment? Any unusual movements of his troops?”
“Yesterday Zhang Chong received a letter from the capital city and was informed that his memorial to the throne had been intercepted. He got furious, but after reading another letter, the writer of which stays unknown, his fury dissolved considerably. The last batch of ore he purchased from the mine of Jia family is about to be used up, which means that he’s probably going to set about hiding this batch of armament in a couple of days. I’ve already bidden our men to keep their eyes peeled for all their activities.”
After getting changed, Yuwen Tong walked outside and said, “The writer of that letter is probably Zhou Mingshen. It was merely an attempt to appease Zhang Chong. We must find out where Zhang Chong has been hiding those armaments in the next few days, because it won’t be long before word about me being in Tangyang spreads here from the capital city.”
“Yes!”
“How’s Little Liu doing in the brothel?”
“Lady Jingwu really knows her stuff. That mine director of Jia family decided to spend the night in the Pear Blossom Garden again. Little Liu has already set about forging the account book.”
Yuwen Tong nodded before saying, “Go and check whether there are any rumors about our entering the city on that day. If there are, find out the contents.”
“Yes, Marshal.”
…
The next morning, Ling Zhang summoned Steward He.
“How’s Wu Er’niu?”
“He received ten staff blows yesterday and is now lying in bed. He’s okay for the moment,” answered Steward He respectfully.
“Are you sure he doesn’t know who the buyer is?”
“Wu Er’niu indeed has no idea who that person is, but they have already agreed on the date and place for their meeting. As long as we follow up this lead, we will find out the identity of the buyer,” replied Steward He. “Wu Er’niu and the buyer agreed to meet in a noddle stand in the eastern part of the city at early Chen hour (07h00 - 08h59).”
“Send for a physician to treat Wu Er’niu. Make sure that he gains his mobility in two days.”
On hearing this, Steward He had a general idea what Ling Zhang intended to do. He hurriedly responded, “Yes. I’ll send for a physician the moment I return.”
“On top of that, tell all servants who know about this matter not to disclose anything about it to anybody. Otherwise they’ll be convicted of the same crime as that of Wu Er’niu.”
“Yes.”
“Did Uncle give any instructions?”
“Second Master bade me to ask you for your opinion first, Young Master. He said that if you don’t have the time to deal with the matter of Wu Er’niu, you could inform him.”
Touched by his uncle’s thoughtfulness, Ling Zhang said, “I see. I’ll talk with Uncle. Now go and send for a physician.”
“Yes.”
While Ling Zhaowen was still at home, Ling Zhang hurried to his dwelling and told him his plans.
“All right. Do it your way. If you need any help, let me know.”
“I will. For the moment, everything’s within my grasp.”
Ling Zhaowen nodded. He was more and more impressed with Ling Zhang’s competence.
“By the way, I heard that you’ve officially started to teach those guards how to perform the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve. How’s it going?”
“They are still familiarizing themselves with the first array. I’m going to ask Yuwen Tong to do me a favor and have someone enter the formation to test it out.”
Ling Zhaowen let out a laugh. “You’re trying to deal a blow to the confidence of our guards by asking the Marshal’s men to test the formation.”
“I prefer to think it’ll be a motivation for them.”
“Fine. Just be moderate and don’t go too hard on them. You don’t want them to think that they’re hopeless, do you?”
“I understand.”
“But, just now you mentioned the first array, so there’s a second one? Is this Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve really so complicated?”
“This formation consists of twelve arrays. I plan to have our guards learn three of them first.”
Ling Zhaowen was startled. He had never expected that this formation consisted of as many as twelve arrays. Since it was so complex, he was very worried that those guards might not be able to live up to Ling Zhang’s expectations.
“Maybe you should go and watch them training a couple of days later, Uncle. You’ll find out about their exact proficiency in the formation.”
Ling Zhaowen smiled gently and began to discuss the effects of the guards’ training with his nephew in high spirit.
After Ling Zhang left, a thought struck Ling Zhaowen. He abruptly looked in the direction of Ling Zhang’s receding figure.
Deducing from what Zhang’er just said, Marshal Yuwen has already known that our guards have been practicing the formation? thought Ling Zhaowen. After thinking for a while, Ling Zhaowen felt that he should have realized this earlier. All subordinates of Yuwen Tong were masters of kung fu. He probably knew almost everything happening in Ling family.
Never mind. If Zhang’er and Yuwen Tong actually get married, Yuwen Tong will know about these things sooner or later anyway. But… exactly what is Zhang’er thinking about? Is he willing to marry Yuwen Tong or not? Ling Zhaowen wondered.
C89: Zhang Chong’s Pressurizing His Opponents and the Agitation of Bandits
“The physician said that he prescribed Wu Er’niu some potent medicine, that Wu Er’niu would be able to walk the day after tomorrow.”
In the morning, when Ling Zhang was still in the guards’ yard, Xiafeng went to the yard and told him that a physician had treated the wounds of Wu Er’niu.
“I see. Bid the physician not to disclose the injury of Wu Er’niu to anybody.”
“Rest assured, Young Master. I’ve already told him this. Physician Lin has always been on good terms with us. On top of that, he is a man of discretion.”
Knowing that the physician who had treated Wu Er’niu was Physician Lin, Ling Zhang said no more, since Physician Lin had always been in cooperation with Ling family and Ling Zhang trusted him.
It was the third day after the guards of Ling family started training the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve. They were getting more and more proficient in it. Back on the first day of the training, the guards’ yard was designated a restricted zone that nobody was allowed to enter without permission. At this time, guards formed up into the first array of the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve. The atmosphere in the drill field instantly became tense. Even a leaf carried by a wind, once it entered this array, wouldn’t be able to get out of it.
Xiafeng standing beside Ling Zhang felt exceptionally nervous after merely watching the array for a few moments. These guards had really changed drastically and were not who they used to be. Though he was merely standing in front of the formation, he still felt great pressure. He believed that if he was trapped in the formation, there was a very high chance that he wouldn’t be able to get out of it.
“Train for another day. Tomorrow I’ll find someone to test out your formation. I hope you won’t let me down.”
“We won’t!”
They had practiced for quite some time. The teamwork among them had reached such a whole new level that they actually made their responses in unison.
After all these days’ training, every one of them noticed the changes that had been brought to them. Apart from better teamwork, everybody discovered that their bodily movement techniques had improved significantly. Sometimes, when they were sparring in pairs, they would, in an almost subconscious manner, perform the footwork that they had memorized to sidestep the blow of the opponent. Among the twelve guards, Wang Dashan and Liu Yi had the best kung fu skills. In order to confirm their discovery, the other ten guards took turns to spar with Wang Dashan and Liu Yi at dusk every day during the past few days, and never once had they been disappointed.
This kind of discovery was a pleasant surprise for them who were kung fu practitioners.
As a result, when Ling Zhang said that he would find them a training partner, the enthusiasm of all guards ran high.
“Young Master, is it the bodyguard of our distinguished guest?” Wang Dashan asked in haste.
“Yes.” Ling Zhang was not surprised that Wang Dashan guessed right.
Wang Dashan and other guards were overjoyed at this answer. They exchanged glances and said, “Rest assured, Young Master. We won’t fail you!”
Ling Zhang made no response. It’s a good thing that they have confidence in themselves, but… I hope they’ll be able to recover from the setback that they’re going to suffer tomorrow.
At the time when Ling Zhang was training his guards, a large-scale murder hunt had just come to an end outside Tanyang. Soldiers of the Prefecture Guard were the main force, but they still failed to find any clues to the criminal who had murdered Lu Kui. As if the murderer had vanished into thin air, they didn’t find a single trace of him or her whatsoever.
“Commander, we’ve been searching for three full days. Today is the fourth day already, but there’s no trace of the guy who killed Lu Kui. Some citizens are complaining about our repeated large-scale search.”
Zhang Chong darkened his face. “What did those bastards say?”
“They said that the murderer was not one of them, that they didn’t send anyone to kill Lu Kui.”
“Humph! As far as I can tell, they just don’t have the balls to admit what they’ve done!” Zhang Chong thundered. “Surely they won’t tell me the murderer is an outside burglar!”
“Please calm your anger, Commander. I’ve sent some men to conduct a covert investigation into this. If it was really some local gang that was behind the murder, there are definitely traces to be found.”
“Yet how long do you think it’ll take you to find the truth? That old bastard Tao Feng still refuses to let go of the position of the Right Tongzhi no matter how hard I try to make him to. If it weren’t for that his mentor is one of the most influential figures in the imperial court, I would have cut off his head long ago!”
His subordinate lapsed into a frightened silence before Zhang Chong’s fury.
“Send word to those bastards. None of them is to leave their mountain strongholds for the duration of the murder hunt. Anyone who dares to go downhill shall be killed on sight! In addition to this, since those cowards refuse to admit and are covering for each other, each gang is to make a compensatory payment of 10,000 taels of silver to the Prefecture Guard to cover the expense of this murder hunt! If they refuse to pay compensation, I’ll flatten their strongholds in five days!”
“Uh… Commander, are you not worried that this might arouse their grudges?”
“Grudges? As far as I can tell, they just have been slacking for too long, and they could use a reminder of who’s the boss. If any of them should hold grudges against me because of this, tell them to come and talk to me. Those who still resist shall be put to my saber! The Emperor has just turned me down. Another opportunity to make a request is the very thing I’m seeking.” Zhang Chong’s voice was cold and harsh like the sound of a saber scratching someone’s bones, which scared his subordinates to such an extent that none of them dared to dissuade him again.
Soon, Zhang Chong’s order spread through all mountain strongholds of bandits near Tanyang.
“Chief, why is Zhang Chong doing this? We’ve already told him we’re not the ones responsible for the murder. Why is he being so pushy?”
“Tell me about it! Forbidding us from leaving the mountain is synonymous with forbidding us from robbing people. And he also wants us to pay 10,000 taels of silver in compensation. Isn’t he trying to starve us to death? Zhang Chong is even greedier than we are!”
“Screw it! Zhang Chong scares many, but not me. I’ll grab my saber and go down there to fight him right now!”
“Quiet! Don’t be so impulsive!” the gang-leader thundered, a sullen look on his face.
“Zhang Chong is doing this to send a message to the one who’s responsible for the murder of Lu Kui. He wants to force the murder to stand into the light,” explained the gang-leader.
“But we have nothing to do with this whatsoever. Why do we have to pay him 10,000 taels?”
“That’s true!”
The gang-leader was also full of righteous indignation, but he was manifestly more rational than his subordinates. “I’ll go and consult with other gangs tonight. We’ll figure this out after I come back. Don’t take any rash action for the duration. Otherwise there will be consequences.”
“Well, then. Don’t keep us waiting for too long, Chief.”
This kind of agitation arose in every bandit gang. Zhang Chong’s order was undoubtedly as unacceptable as asking them to cut meat from their own bodies, and none of them was willing to obey. Violent and fierce by nature, all bandits were indignant and on the verge of staging an uprising.
“Tsk. Surprisingly, it really doesn’t concern Zhang Chong that those bandits might riot,” said a man who was staking out the Prefecture Guard.
“He’s a wildly arrogant man,” another man said.
Soon, news spread to Tanyang.
“Zhang Chong got anxious,” Ling Zhang concluded after hearing the report.
Yuwen Tong’s reaction to this message was bland. “He’s always been holding those bandits in contempt, but now some of them dared to inflict humiliation on him. How could he not be anxious?”
“Then what’s your opinion? Will these bandits really stay on the mountains as they’re ordered to and pay Zhang Chong 10,000 taels of silver?”
“10,000 is no small number. Relatively bigger gangs might afford it, but for those smaller ones, a compensatory payment of 10,000 taels will bankrupt them. They might have to choose otherwise.”
“Are you saying that they’ll… they’ll riot?”
“If we fuel their anger.”
Fuel their anger? Is Yuwen Tong saying that he wants those bandits to riot? Ling Zhang wondered.
“For one thing, there will be less robberies around Tanyang. For another, it’ll make it more convenient for us to look for the place where their armaments are stored.”
Ling Zhang understood. Yuwen Tong intended to distract Zhang Chong by forcing him to deal with those bandits.
In the Prefecture Encampment.
“Commander, except for the Red Maple Fastness and a couple of gangs near it, no gangs agreed.”
Zhang Chong’s face went dark with rage, which made the scar on it seem frighteningly hideous. “It seems that I’ve been too nice to them, which is why they forgot who’s the one they owe their allegiance to in Tanyang.”
“Then what do we do, Commander?”
“Go and give the order to fall in. Make it loud so that those bandits can hear. For those who still refuse to obey, I’ll lead the army myself and stamp their strongholds into oblivion tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Bandit gangs nearby, naturally, had been paying close attention to the movement of troops in Prefecture Encampment, and the news of Zhang Chong mustering an army soon came to their knowledge.
“Son of a bitch! Zhang Chong is really going to launch an attack on us!”
“He doesn’t scare me. Let him try. I’ll fight to the last breath. Under no circumstances will I let him get a single coin!”
“Chief, something is not right. Didn’t you say that Zhang Chong merely wanted to force the one who killed Lu Kui into showing himself? Why is he mustering his troops to attack us?” Someone with a sharp mind sensed that something was wrong.
“He’s seeking to make an example of us. The hunt for the one responsible for Lu Kui’s death is taking too long, so he begins to question our loyalty to him.”
“Then what should we do? Surely, we won’t just stand by and let Zhang Chong kill our brothers just to send a message to others, will we?”
Though the leader of a bandit gang, he was still a bandit whose wits were merely average. Eventually, he decided to compromise. “We pay the 10,000 taels of silver. Take all our silver ingots out of the cellar.”
“Chief, we’ve been working hard for years to save that money. You’re going to give it to Zhang Chong just like this?!”
“I can’t watch my brothers die. We can always make more money, but we only live once.”
“Chief, I do not agree. I’d rather die fighting Zhang Chong!”
“He’s right, Chief. I’d rather die fighting Zhang Chong as well!”
“What about other people? Have you asked our brothers if they share your opinion? Some of their wives and children are here. You’d watch them be slaughtered as well?”
Instantly, the whole gang fell silent.
“The deadline for response is tomorrow morning, Chief. There’s still some time for us to think. Maybe there’s another way.”
“Shit! This is fucking unbelievable! I’ve been a robber in my whole life, but now I’m the one who’s going to be robbed!”
“Tell me about it. How am I supposed to swallow this?”
…
On that night, a lot of leaders of bandit gangs secretly gathered together to consult with each other on how to deal with Zhang Chong’s demand.
“If I give him 10,000 taels of silver, my brothers won’t even have enough money for food. Who will follow my orders if I can’t even fill their bellies?”
“Exactly who’s so fucking brainless as to kill that Lu Kui guy? He’s got us into such deep trouble!”
“We either find the murderer or pay the money. I don’t see that there’s another choice!”
“Actually, there is.”
“What do you mean?”
“We kill Zhang Chong. And then nobody will ask us for money ever again.”
“I agree. We chose to cooperate with Zhang Chong to make money. Now Zhang Chong seeks to starve us. He’s the one who failed to keep his end of the bargain. Why are we still following his orders? We’re bandits, not the Prefecture Guard!”
“But how can we kill him? The Prefecture Encampment is heavily guarded.”
“Wait. You’re really thinking of killing him? Zhang Chong is the commander of the Prefecture Guard. If he dies, the imperial court definitely won’t let us get away with it.”
“Then we flee. We kill Zhang Chong, take his money and flee.”
“Sounds like a plan. Zhang Chong has us cornered leaving us no choice anyway. We might as well go for broke!”
C90: Heavily Armored Infantry
“Chief, are we really going to stage an uprising?”
In a den of bandits sat a circle of people. Some were repulsively ugly and sly-looking. Some were fat and flabby. Some had lascivious eyes. Anybody could see it a mile off that all of them were evil-doers.
“There’s no hurry. Let them go first. After those fatheads take action, we wait to see how things go and then decide whether we should fight or pay the money,” answered the gang-leader.
“Ha ha… You’re such a wise leader, Chief.”
However, there was a theft in the vault of the stronghold. All silver ingots in it were stolen.
“What happened?!”
“Who stole our money?”
…
“Humph. Now you have no choice. I’d like to see whether you’ll fight or not,” Yao Yi mumbled. “Retreat.”
“Yes.”
At midnight, Yao Yi and his men returned. “Marshal, the operation is a big success.”
On hearing this, Yuwen Tong who was reading a letter raised his head and looked at Yao Yi. “Did you hide it?”
“I did.”
“Remember to inform them to transport it back to the north-west.”
“Yes, Marshal.”
After this, Yuwen Tong resumed reading the letter.
Whose letter is that? Yao Yi wondered.
“It’s from Yue Qi,” someone standing beside him told Yao Yi in a muted voice.
I see. After dithering for a while, Yao Yi walked over and asked, “Marshal, is the letter from Yue Qi? Did he confirm that Li Chong has been in contact with the Sixth Prince?”
“I haven’t read that part yet,” answered Yuwen Tong in a bland voice.
Haven’t read that part? A thought suddenly occurred to Yao Yi and with that he realized what Yuwen Tong was reading. Marshal must be trying to find out whether anyone from Yuwen family has ever bullied Ling family.
After a while, Yuwen Tong put the letter down, softly tapped his fingers on the table and said, “Yue Qi said in the letter that nobody from Yuwen family had ever come to Tanyang before, that my family had been actively doing matchmaking for me over the past year and nearly got me betrothed. They had long ago forgotten my engagement to Ling family.”
“I think it’s probably not forgotten yet. Second Master is… Well, though he is unreliable, he always holds Ling family in contempt, so it’s very unlikely that he has ever specially sent someone here to make life difficult for Ling family.”
But given Ling Zhang’s previous attitude, Yuwen Tong was indeed skeptical. Ling Zhang wouldn’t have held that weird attitude towards him if nothing had happened.
“Since the truth about it is beyond investigation, leave it aside for the moment. This matter will be made clear sooner or later. In regards to Li Chong, Yue Qi confirmed that he had indeed been in covert contact with the Sixth Prince’s men all along. Yue Qi has already found a witness and is keeping him under control. It won’t be long before he gets physical evidence like correspondence, paperwork, etc. We have to do our job faster in Tanyang in case the situation in the capital city changes.”
“Yes.”
The next morning, Zhang Chong got up early waiting for those bandits, whom, he believed, must have been scared shitless, to flock to his encampment and hand the money to him on a silver platter. He waited the whole morning but only three gangs delivered the money to him on time. People of all other gangs were nowhere to be seen.
The expression on Zhang Chong’s face went colder and colder. Added to this, with the scar, he appeared as terrifying as a ferocious ghost. All his subordinates were so nervous that they were involuntarily trying to make their breathing shallow.
“How dare they! They’re nothing but a bunch of bandits who stupidly think that they’re powerful enough now and no longer need me. I’ll teach them a lesson and show them who’s the boss. Give the order to fall in! Today we’ll stamp those bastards’ dens into oblivion!”
“Yes, Commander!”
Zhang Chong mustered a 5,000-strong army and left the Prefecture Encampment, heading straight for the nearest stronghold of bandits.
“They ca–came to blows!” A lot of residents flooded into Tanyang through the city gate like refugees, panic on their faces.
“Who came to blows?” asked a soldier of the garrison.
“The Prefecture Guard and those bandits are fighting. There are so many of them!”
“What? Where are they fighting?”
“Near the Lee Mountain. Several bandit gangs living near that mountain went there and are having a fierce fight with the Prefecture Guard. Some people said that soldiers of the Prefecture Guard were lured onto the Xiaojing Mountain at first where there were a lot of traps, that they suffered heavy casualties. Afterwards, we saw a large number of soldiers charge out of the Prefecture Encampment!”
“And then? What happened next?”
“We have no clue. All those who lived near the battlefield failed to flee in time and got killed. We didn’t dare to stay nearby and fled here.”
“How come such a major battle broke out so abruptly? Hurry! Report this to Lord Tao!”
A soldier immediately rushed to the Prefecture Yamen and informed Tao Feng. Ling Zhaowen happened to be present as well. He was taken aback on hearing this news.
“All bandit gangs on nearby mountains joined the fight? The Prefecture Guard suffered heavy casualties?” Ling Zhaowen was manifestly amazed. He exchanged glances with Tao Feng, both of them feeling that this had happened in suspicious circumstances. They both knew very well about the relationship between those bandits and the Prefecture Guard. All previous bandit-suppressing efforts of the Prefecture Guard were mere formalities, but this time they not only fought the bandits in public but also suffered heavy casualties?
This was so strange and went far beyond expectation of Ling Zhaowen and Tao Feng.
“Lord Tao, what do you think we should do? Do we go there to take a look or–”
Tao Feng raised his hand and softly gestured Ling Zhaowen to calm down. “The real situation is still unclear, so there is no need for us to get involved in this, but we can’t just stand by and watch either. I’ll send a couple of men there to check. Let’s wait for further information.”
As regards to whether the Prefecture Guard would be wiped out by those bandits, it had never crossed the mind of Ling Zhaowen or Tao Feng. In their opinion, the Prefecture Guard had been building up strength and storing up energy for so many years. Their soldiers were well-trained and their horses were strong. Those bandits would, without doubt, suffer a heavy defeat.
“Your Lordship, should we also send some men to find out which gangs participated in this armed rebellion and which ones didn’t?”
“You’re right. This is yet another issue to be figured out.”
Tao Feng immediately sent some men to investigate into it.
“Let’s go through the motions and make ourselves seen on the Southern Gate Tower.”
“After you, Lord Tao.”
When news of the battle reached the Prefecture Yamen, Ling Zhang had known about it for some time. Since Yuwen Tong’s bodyguards sent back intelligence reports at regular intervals, he was among the first few persons to be informed of the battle in Tanyang.
“How did you manage to do this?” asked Ling Zhang as he couldn’t wait to know exactly how Yuwen Tong managed to do it. Remarkably, he had half a dozen bandit gangs stage an armed rebellion against Zhang Chong, and one of them was pretty large—with at least one thousand gang members. Bandits who joined this battle numbered two even three thousand. They were definitely a force to be reckoned with.
They hid themselves on the mountain, and they were also far more familiar with the terrain than the Prefecture Guard. More importantly, they were capable of laying all kinds of traps for their enemies, which were very hard to guard against.
“They lost their money, so they naturally staged an uprising.”
They lost their money? Ling Zhang did a double take. “You stole all money of those bandit gangs?”
Yuwen Tong said with a smile, “More or less. All their money was filthy lucre. Since the money was snatched from civilians, naturally it should be used on civilians.” The money would be used to purchase provisions for the north-west army, the duty of which was to protect the territory and people of the Great Yue.
As for the Prefecture Guard, since they had been building up strength and storing up energy for such a long time, it was high time that they showed their strength and made themselves worthy of the money that had been spent on them, given that they had been serving some treacherous official as his tool all along.
On hearing Yuwen Tong’s confirmation, Ling Zhang felt that what he had done was incredible. Yuwen Tong’s subordinates are so versatile. They actually managed to steal all the money in those bandits’ dens?! If only I also had a group of all-round subordinates like his. It’s a pity that these skills cannot be mastered in a short time. I should have them learn the formation first, thought Ling Zhang.
“If these bandits are eliminated, the total number of bandits near Tanyang will be reduced by forty percent. The gang in the Grand Mang Mountain and a couple of other gangs on separate mountains will be the only ones left.”
Yuwen Tong nodded. “That’s right. We’ll have to get rid of these bandits sooner or later. Using Zhang Chong to eliminate some of them will save us a lot of trouble.”
Instead of fighting the Prefecture Guard head-on, those several thousand bandits in the Lee Mountain chose to hide themselves in the mountain taking advantage of various kinds of traps to fight the enemies. Though Zhang Chong was an experienced commander, he had no effective tactics to finish the battle quickly. His army suffered heavy casualties shortly after the fight began and he had to dispatch reinforcements from the Prefecture Encampment.
“Commander, these goddamn bandits on the mountain are as cunning as monkeys. Our men are very prone to be caught in their traps!”
Face dark with rage, Zhang Chong clenched his teeth and ordered, “Dispatch the Third Team here!”
“Commander, they are kept in reserve for-”
“If we don’t finish this battle quickly, we’ll lose control of all other bandit gangs. Understand? Now cut the shit and dispatch them here!”
“Yes, Commander!”
The Third Team that Zhang Chong mentioned was a team of soldiers armed to the teeth. Their eyes behind their helmets were cold and the air about them was entirely different from that about other soldiers. When they stamped forward step by step, people nearby could even feel the ground quake. Though slow, they were totally unafraid of the traps laid by bandits and walked straight into them.
“Impossible. Who are those people?”
“Why can’t we pierce their armor?”
“Shit! Our traps are useless now!”
Bandits on the mountain panicked and began to retreat uphill.
Finally, with these heavily armored soldiers as the vanguard, Zhang Chong’s men no longer had to worry about miscellaneous weird traps. Slowly, they began to advance higher onto the mountain.
“Those are… Go and inform the Marshal of the weird armor that those soldiers are wearing!”
“Yes!”
Distantly, someone saw those heavily armored soldiers and immediately sent a message back to Tanyang.
On receiving the message, Yuwen Tong briefly knitted his eyebrows. “I never expected that Zhang Chong had a team of this kind.”
“What kind?” Ling Zhang was confused.
“An infantry unit wearing armor made of special material, armed to the teeth, proof against spear thrusts and saber cuts. They move slowly but are perfect human shields. Traps laid by those bandits could barely cause them any harm. With this team at Zhang Chong’s command, those bandits wouldn’t be able to last long in this battle.”
Ling Zhang slightly frowned. “Is it very difficult to train a team like this?”
“Certainly. The expense of keeping such a team is equivalent to that of supporting the whole Prefecture Encampment. No matter how much money the imperial court allocated to Zhang Chong, by no means could Zhang Chong have built a team like this with that allocation. Someone must have been covertly funding him, and that person’s purpose is not to eliminate bandits,” Yuwen Tong explained to Ling Zhang, seeming to be in a pretty good mood.
“You’re not angry?” Ling Zhang asked him.
“Why should I? With the involvement of this team, those bandits will soon be eradicated, which will lower the casualties of the Prefecture Guard. In terms of the interests of our country, given that I’m the Grand Marshal of the North West Army of the Great Yue, I naturally hope there will be as less casualties as possible. In terms of my personal interests, since Zhang Chong has dispatched heavily armored soldiers, once someone reports this to the Emperor, he will be convicted of yet another felony.”
Ling Zhang understood. This was favorable for them in terms of interests of both the country and themselves.