Chapter 47: Zhang Xianzhong, the Eighth Great King
Hong Chengchou lifted his teacup, his tone relaxed as he asked, “So, have you found any leads?”
“It was just a simple inquiry, but there have been some results.”
Shi Kefa paused briefly, then recounted what Li Yi had done in Lijiazhuang.
“All of Li Yi’s actions required a significant amount of money, yet he’s just a rural youth without land or businesses. Where did he get so much money? It’s rather suspicious.”
After speaking, Shi Kefa hesitated, as if wanting to say more.
Hong Chengchou glanced up at him. “Xianzhi, speak your mind.”
Shi Kefa sighed. “I still can’t determine if this matter is related to Li Yi. However, I can confirm that he’s benevolent and loves the people, always considerate of his neighbors.”
“It seems you’re quite fond of this young man,” Hong Chengchou said, setting down his teacup, his tone deepening. “This time, I am acting under His Majesty’s orders, overseeing the transportation of military provisions. But the state treasury is empty, and I must raise the needed funds and grain myself. The Ai family has agreed that if the stolen silver is recovered, half will be given to supply the army.”
He finished speaking, his face growing grave, his voice resolute. “So, no matter what, you must solve this case quickly and recover the silver.”
Shi Kefa knew how crucial this matter was and could only nod in agreement.
Meanwhile, after seeing Shi Kefa off, Li Yi set up hidden sentries around Lijiazhuang.
Though Shi Kefa had claimed he was just investigating public sentiment, Li Yi dared not trust him so easily.
He resolved that if the authorities truly moved against him, he would immediately lead any able-bodied villagers willing to follow him and flee.
Where there’s life, there’s hope; Li Yi had no intention of throwing himself against the authorities in a futile struggle at Lijiazhuang.
Yet for two days, the authorities made no move.
Moreover, with the bitter cold, and the sentries enduring the elements in three daily shifts, complaints began to arise among the young men.
Gao Jie suggested withdrawing the sentries, but after some thought, Li Yi decided to hold on for three more days.
He purchased several thick fur coats for the purpose and relocated the sentries to abandoned kilns on high ground, offering some protection against the winter cold.
He hadn’t expected that on the second night, while relieving himself, one of the sentries would spot a distant glow.
Before they could investigate further, the neighing of horses rang out as a dozen fast riders, torches aloft, galloped around Lijiazhuang.
Controlling their mounts, they hurled their torches as they rode.
Some makeshift shelters at the village entrance, built from straw and wood, quickly caught fire, the flames fanned by the wintry wind into a raging blaze.
Seeing their ragged furs and weapons hanging from their waists, it was clear these were seasoned bandits.
The sentry was shocked.
Fortunately, they remained hidden in the abandoned kiln, cloaked in thick furs, unnoticed by the raiders.
One quickly slipped out of the horsemen’s sight and dashed into Li Yi’s courtyard.
Hearing the commotion, Li Yi sprang from bed, grabbed his tiger-fanged spear, and rushed outside.
Panting heavily, the man reported, “Squad leader, a band of bandits is coming straight at us—over a dozen riders in the lead, with who knows how many more behind them.”
Li Yi’s face changed. He immediately ordered the sentries to gather the able-bodied men and distribute weapons.
He himself, spear in hand, strode out of the courtyard.
Looking down the slope, he saw a multitude of torches forming a long, winding line in the night.
“Brother Yi, what’s happening?” Anniang, her clothes hastily thrown on, ran out.
Li Yi turned and said, “There are bandits attacking by night. Go stay with Wang Sanniang. I’ll take the men to stop them.”
With that, he walked down the slope.
He arrived at the kilns where the militia resided. Lacking enough weapons, many could only brandish farm tools, fear etched on their faces as they ran about.
“All squad leaders, gather your men and report to your section leaders. Anyone still running about aimlessly after half a quarter hour will receive twenty strokes,” Li Yi shouted.
At his command, the squad leaders found their backbone and loudly called their men together.
Gao Jie and the others quickly arrived.
Li Yi entrusted them with assembling the able-bodied men and moved toward the village entrance himself.
By now, flames surrounded the village, and the villagers ran in terror, shouting.
Yet whenever the bandit horsemen swept past, anyone trying to flee the village quickly scrambled back in panic.
Li Yi helped several villagers to their feet and looked out from the village entrance.
By now, the torch-bearing bandits on foot had also drawn near. Li Yi estimated there were about four hundred—no easy foe.
Li Zicheng came over, hand resting on his saber, eyes fixed on the distant torches, his expression grim.
“Brother Yi, there are too many bandits. This won’t be easy. If there’s room to talk, perhaps we should try negotiation first.”
Bandits weren’t always bloodthirsty killers; mostly, they wanted money and provisions, and if their demands were met, many preferred not to kill or pillage.
Li Yi nodded and turned to Li Zicheng. “I’ll leave it to you, Second Brother.”
Li Zicheng smiled, led his horse forward, and said, “I’ll give it a try. If I know anyone among them, it’ll be easier to talk.”
Mounting up, he rode out of the village.
A band of mounted raiders rushed past, trying to intercept Li Zicheng.
But his riding skills were superb; with a few deft maneuvers, he shook them off and made straight for the opposing leader.
Gao Jie and Li Zijin arrived with the able-bodied men.
Li Yi ordered, “Each of you take your men and block the two entrances to the village with whatever you can find, then pull some of your best men together at the main entrance.”
They hurried to carry out his orders.
In the vast snowy plain, a group of bandits in tattered cotton jackets, armed with mismatched weapons, advanced slowly.
Due to the icy ground, their progress was slow.
A burly man with a thick beard rode a warhorse at the front, gazing at the fire-lit Lijiazhuang, a cruel smile flickering on his face.
“Wang Tong, are you certain the gang that stole the Ai family’s silver is hiding here in Lijiazhuang?”
Wang Tong replied loudly, “Rest assured, Eighth Prince. I brought my men here to investigate. The militia in Lijiazhuang trains in those unusual formations.”
The man addressed as Eighth Prince sneered, “With that silver, we can recruit as many soldiers as we wish, and our uprising can begin even sooner.”
“You’re right, Eighth Prince.”
Just then, hoofbeats sounded nearby.
The bearded man drew his saber, only to see the newcomer rein in his horse and call out from afar, “I’m Li Zicheng from Yinchuan Post. May I ask which hero stands before me?”
The bearded man sheathed his saber with a smile. “Brother Li, I’m Zhang Xianzhong.”
Recognizing an old acquaintance, Li Zicheng brightened.
He spurred his horse closer and, by the firelight, confirmed it was indeed Zhang Xianzhong.
“Eighth Prince, what’s with this grand display in the dead of night?” Li Zicheng asked.
Zhang Xianzhong hesitated. He didn’t want to mention the Ai family’s silver. Pointing at Wang Tong, he said, “It’s not that I lack respect for you, brother. My comrade here was wronged and asked me to help him get revenge.”
“What’s the grudge about?”
Wang Tong shouted, “I was the chief escort for Zhenyuan Escort Agency. Someone from Lijiazhuang robbed the goods I was escorting, leaving me with nowhere to turn.”
Li Zicheng, hearing that it wasn’t a blood feud, breathed a sigh of relief.
“If we’re all brothers, why not sit down and talk this through?”
Zhang Xianzhong and Wang Tong exchanged a silent glance.
Seeing their hesitation, Li Zicheng scolded angrily, “Zhang Xianzhong, I’m from Lijiazhuang. Are you really going to ignore our past friendship and draw blood here?”
“I’d like to do you that favor, brother,” Zhang Xianzhong said, a bit sheepishly. “But this isn’t a simple grudge. I guarantee that if we find the culprit and settle the score, we won’t harm the villagers of Lijiazhuang.”
Li Zicheng cursed, “To hell with your revenge! If you dare draw weapons today, I’ll fight you to the death.”
At these words, Zhang Xianzhong’s face hardened. “Li Zicheng, damn you! I’ll attack Lijiazhuang tonight even if it kills me.”
With a wave of his hand, several archers drew their bows and loosed arrows.
Li Zicheng had been wary and quickly retreated on horseback.
Seeing the arrows on the ground, he knew words were useless tonight and galloped back toward the village.
Zhang Xianzhong turned to his men, raised his saber, and roared, “Charge the village! Take everything!”
The bandits had been waiting for this moment. With wild shouts, they rushed Lijiazhuang.
Li Yi stood guard at the entrance. Several mounted bandits tried to break through but were beaten back by the young men.
Soon, Li Zicheng returned, shaking his head at Li Yi.
Li Yi understood the negotiations had failed. He put all doubts aside; if a battle was inevitable, at least the young men would have a taste of real bloodshed.
“Squad leader, they’re coming!” Gao Jie pointed to the approaching torches.
The young men nearby looked terrified.
Li Yi, spear in hand, said to the men behind him, “Just like we practiced—form up and face the enemy!”
A squad of horsemen charged toward the entrance. Li Yi hurled a javelin, and the lead rider screamed and tumbled from his horse.
The rest surged in, scattering the leading section. The charging horses exuded unstoppable force, and the young men fell back in fear.
Li Yi spun and ran to intercept, knocking another rider from his horse with his spear.
Gao Laoshi led his men quickly to raise their spears and block the remaining two horsemen, surrounding them.
The bandits tried to spear their way through, but the shield bearers held firm. The wolf-brush wielders hooked the riders and dragged them down, and several long spears finished them off.
The remaining riders, seeing the unfavorable situation, quickly turned and fled.
Li Yi recognized the bandits’ strategy. Clearly, they intended to send the horsemen in to sow chaos, then have the foot soldiers follow up.
To stop them, they had to halt the mounted charge.
But lightly armed villagers could not withstand a cavalry charge. Suddenly, Li Yi had an idea: horse traps.
The method was simple but effective.
“Gao Laoshi, have your men dig holes in the ground—just fist-sized, but make them dense,” Li Yi ordered.
With many farm tools available, it didn’t take long for the men to dig hundreds of pits at the entrance.
“Squad leader, what are these holes for?” Gao Jie asked.
Li Yi glanced at the bandit horsemen, eyes narrowed. “You’ll see soon enough.”
The reorganized bandit cavalry charged again.
The thunderous hoofbeats paled the faces of the young men. Each held formation, eyes fixed on the onrushing riders.
This time, twenty horsemen came, an intimidating force. Their hooves thundered like rolling thunder as they stormed the entrance.
Just as they were about to crush the defenders, the three lead horses suddenly stumbled and fell, riders and mounts tumbling together. The horsemen behind, unable to evade in time, saw another five or six go down.
The rest reined in their horses, reluctant to advance.
At this moment, Li Yi raised his spear and shouted, “Kill!”
The young men surged forward.
Horses with broken legs screamed in agony, and the dismounted bandits, still dazed, were cut down by the charging villagers.
Watching his defeated men, Zhang Xianzhong felt as if his heart were being cut with a knife. This cavalry had taken much effort to assemble—each one a top fighter—and now seven or eight were lost in an instant.
“Fall back, get the cavalry back!” Zhang Xianzhong bellowed furiously.
The remaining dozen or so riders slunk away dejectedly.
Unwilling to see them die, Zhang Xianzhong ordered the foot soldiers forward.
If over three hundred hardened bandits couldn’t take a tiny Lijiazhuang, they might as well slit their own throats.
The fifty leading bandits drew nearer to the entrance, waving rusty weapons and shouting as if nothing could stop them.
But at their first encounter, seven or eight arrows flew out.
The wounded bandits fell, screaming, trampled by those behind, who pressed forward—only to meet the tall shields.
The bandits slashed with broadswords, but the shields held. Before they could break through, wolf-brushes scraped their faces raw.
Afraid to advance, the rear bandits tried to retreat, but the front was hooked and couldn’t pull back. As they raised their swords to hack at the wolf-brushes, several spears thrust out, and they fell, wide-eyed.
“These guys are tough!”
“What the hell is this? I can’t break through!”
Fearful, the bandits turned and fled.
“Kill them with me!” Li Yi roared, leading the shield and sword bearers in a flanking attack.
Several fierce bandits charged with spears, but Li Yi swept his spear in a blur, warping their weapons.
Startled, they tried to retreat, but with a sweeping blow, Li Yi sent one spitting blood, and another, scrambling to escape, was skewered through the chest.
In moments, seven or eight of the attacking fifty lay dead, while not a single militiaman was hurt.
The young men cheered, their spirits soaring.
The bandits, utterly terrified, fled in panic.
Zhang Xianzhong, observing from the rear, watched his men retreat and, in a fury, hacked down two of them himself to halt the rout.
His face was grim, his eyes filled with astonishment as he looked at the young men at the entrance.
He had seen it clearly: his men tried to close in for melee, but the defenders used shields and round bucklers like turtle shells to block.
While the two sides were deadlocked, spears and javelins thrust out, and his men, gripped by fear, retreated in disarray.
Were these really just country lads? They were more disciplined than government troops.
At that moment, he finally understood why Wang Tong had lost the escort. Against such a well-trained force, how could his rabble hope to win?