Night Ambush

"Huh?" Wang Yu glanced between Sun Lian and Sun Xiang, feeling as though the roles between speaker and listener had somehow been reversed. Sun Lian continued, "It's Steward Li Xiu. I saw outsiders coming to see him with my own eyes. A couple of days later, he would secretly take men out to deliver several dozen horses to them. Once, I pretended to be playing around and slipped into his room. I saw him writing in an account book, which he hid beneath his bedboards. I suspect it's the ledger for his illicit horse trade. Oh, and Steward Zhao only just collected the money from those outsiders yesterday. Going by their usual routine, they're set to deliver the horses to them tomorrow night, right outside the horse ranch's eastern gate." Standing not far off, Sun Xiang heard every word clearly and exclaimed in disbelief, "Why didn't you tell me?" Sun Lian huffed. "You were sent here to the ranch by His Highness himself. All those men clink cups and call you brother, and you've never been able to keep a secret. If I told you and you gave it away, what then?" Sun Xiang's face stiffened. Losing face after being scolded by his own daughter stung, but he had to admit she was right. Several months ago, Sun Xiang and Sun Lian had been sent to the Zhenxi Horse Ranch. Everyone knew the father and daughter had been saved by Wang Yu, who had personally ordered them placed at the ranch. Since no one could predict when Wang Yu might take an interest in them again, they treated the pair exceptionally well. Later, Sun Xiang demonstrated his extraordinary talent for appraising, rearing, and even treating horses, winning the respect of everyone at the ranch, who frequently invited him out for drinks. After Sun Lian tidied herself up, many even assumed she was the prince's personal favorite, making them treat the pair with even greater cordiality. Whenever Sun Lian occasionally stepped out of line, no one reproached her in the slightest. Sun Xiang was simple and honest, and since the others deliberately kept things from him, he had never noticed the ranch stewards' embezzlement. What those men never expected was that Sun Lian, despite being barely ten years old, was precocious and sharp-witted. She had observed everything and even uncovered where the ledger was hidden. Listening to Sun Lian's explanation, Wang Yu asked with a surprised smile, "You're quite something. How did you figure all that out?" Sun Lian blinked. "What's so hard about that?" Sun Xiang hurriedly bowed. "Reporting to Your Highness, this lowly one is a rough fellow who knows nothing of the ways of the world. It is my daughter who has always been sensible beyond her years." Wang Yu recalled the day he first met the two. Back then, Sun Xiang had endured his flogging without a word, while Sun Lian had stepped forward and explained the entire situation in just a few sentences. Not only was she mature for her age, but she was also exceptionally clever. Wang Yu asked, "Have you ever studied? Do you know how to read?" Sun Lian shook her head. "I don't know how to read." Wang Yu asked again, "Do you want to learn?" Sun Lian's eyes lit up. "Yes!" "As long as you want to, that's fine." Wang Yu nodded. "I'm aware of the matter now. Just act as though you know nothing and carry on as usual." After dismissing Sun Xiang and Sun Lian, Wang Yu summoned Zhao Yingjie inside and relayed what he had just learned. "That bastard Li! How dare he embezzle what he was entrusted to guard!" Zhao Yingjie fumed with rage. "Last year, I heard Commandant Zhao mention that the remounts supplied to the Iron Eagle Cavalry over the past two years weren't as good as before. Turns out that bastard Li was selling off all the fine steeds! "I'll go search his room for that ledger right now! If it's true, I'll hack him down with one strike!" Zhao Yingjie was genuinely furious. He had spent so much effort just to sell twenty horses to raise revenue, yet a mere ranch steward had been secretly selling horses to line his own pockets! Moreover, with cavalry serving as the realm's premier strategic force, warhorses were the absolute foundation. If the mounts were poor, how could cavalry fight? Illegally selling off prime steeds was nothing short of stabbing their own army in the back! From Zhao Yingjie, Wang Yu learned that the grooms were well compensated, and selling sick or elderly horses already earned them kickbacks. In truth, their income was higher than that of elite soldiers. "According to Sun Lian, Li Xiu and his accomplices are selling prime warhorses, and those outsiders carry weapons. They're definitely not ordinary merchants—they look more like Jianghu martial artists." Wang Yu said to Zhao Yingjie, "Their transaction is set for tomorrow night. Take my warrant and have Zhao Shan bring a squad of cavalry from Lingwu Pass to lie in ambush outside the ranch's eastern gate tomorrow night." Ordinarily, against martial artists, the prince's guards would be better suited than elite cavalry. Cavalry excelled at battlefield charges, whereas every member of the prince's guard possessed formidable martial arts skills. Yet the situation here was different. The Zhenxi Horse Ranch was situated on the northern grasslands of Qing'an Prefecture, surrounded only by rolling hillocks and sparse trees. Unlike the cramped alleys of a town or dense mountain forests, this open terrain favored soldiers forming up in battle array. "Understood!" Taking Wang Yu's warrant, Zhao Yingjie set off to find Zhao Shan. *** Early the next morning, Li Xiu, the ranch steward, led Wang Yu and the others to the stables to select horses. Li Xiu sported a full beard and carried himself like a hearty, straightforward fellow. He held a riding whip in one hand and had a leather wineskin slung at his waist, which gave off a faint scent of alcohol. "This row of stalls holds four- to five-year-old colts. They're spirited, but they're fast and possess tremendous stamina—the finest mounts available!" Li Xiu introduced. Inside the stalls, some horses stood quietly, while others paced restlessly. A few gazed curiously at the group before them, seemingly puzzled as to why so many two-legged creatures had suddenly arrived. Li Xiu pointed across the aisle. "The stables opposite house the gentler young fillies." Wang Yu nodded. He told Zhao Yingjie to assist Gongsun Yi and the others with viewing the horses, while beckoning Sun Xiang over to his side. Pointing to the mount he had ridden in on, he asked, "What do you think of my horse?" Sun Xiang took only a single glance before answering honestly with a shake of his head. "Though it is a fine steed, it is already past fifteen years old. From here on, its strength will decline with each passing year. It certainly cannot compare to these prime mounts." Li Xiu hurriedly bustled over and said, "In recent years, the ranch's best horses were sent to the Iron Eagle Cavalry and the various armies. It has indeed been a long time since the prince's manor selected new mounts from the ranch. In a few days, I will personally select twenty fine steeds to send to the manor." Wang Yu waved a dismissive hand and said lazily, "I appreciate the thought, but have Sun Xiang pick twenty for me instead. I'll take them back with me today." Li Xiu shot a furtive glance at Sun Xiang, his eyes tinged with jealousy and an almost imperceptible disgust. Then he laughed heartily. "Old Sun's horse-rearing skills are superb indeed. Your Highness has an excellent eye!" Seeing Wang Yu's trust in him, Sun Xiang perked up and set to work choosing horses for him. "This one, a Snow-Treading Ouzhui, has four white hooves and a coat as dark as ink. It can gallop a hundred li without breathing hard—its endurance is unmatched. "This one, an Azure Cloud Roan, looks unassuming and rarely exerts itself during daily work, but when it sprints at full gallop, its speed is astonishing. "This one, a Wind-Chasing Blaze, has immense strength and a fierce temperament. "This one, a Golden Bay, has a gentle disposition, but its short-distance burst of speed is peerless." Wang Yu was nearly dazzled by the choices. It wasn't as though he had never seen horses in his past life, but as an ordinary person, all he had ever seen were sluggish hacks carrying tourists around scenic parks. How could he have witnessed such sleek, glossy, high-spirited thoroughbreds? Wang Yu gave a sweeping wave of his hand. "I'll take them all!" Li Xiu's eyelid twitched. He quickly directed the ranch hands to lead those horses out and form them into a string, preparing to escort them back to the prince's manor alongside Wang Yu's party. Sun Xiang soon selected twenty horses. On the other side, Gongsun Yi had also picked out twenty. However, he did not plan to take them immediately; instead, he boarded them at the Zhenxi Horse Ranch for the time being, intending to collect them on his way back from the Western Regions. *Rumble—* The party rode away from the ranch. Li Xiu's expression darkened, and an assistant steward leaned close. "The Snow-Treading Ouzhui and Golden Bay that Fort Lord Yang had his eye on were both taken. What do we do?" "His Highness came in person and took them—what else can we do?" Li Xiu gave him a sidelong glare and snorted. "Substitute them with the Dark Cloud Steed and the Whirling Sand." "And the payment...?" "I'll speak to him myself!" *** A moonlit night, the wind howling. A string of riders approached the ranch's eastern gate under cover of darkness. In the gloom, a few faint eagle cries drifted across the night air. *Creak—* The eastern gate swung open, and a group of men emerged leading fifty horses. The two parties halted several paces apart. One man held up a lantern, illuminating the features of the leader—none other than Li Xiu, the ranch steward. The mounted party on the other side lit several torches, and two men dismounted, advancing with torches in hand to inspect the goods. The two walked through the herd before returning to whisper into their leader's ear. The leader of the riders then demanded, "Why aren't the Snow-Treading Ouzhui and Golden Bay I chose the other day among them?" Li Xiu stepped forward and hurriedly explained, "Last night, my lord brought his frie—" Before he could finish, dozens of torches flared to life all around them. A clear voice asked with a chuckle, "Are the Snow-Treading Ouzhui and Golden Bay you're referring to these two right here?" *Clang—clang—clang—* A chorus of blades being drawn rang out. The leader of the riders shouted, "Who's there?" Upon hearing that voice, Li Xiu's mind went completely blank. All the strength drained from his body, and he staggered before barely managing to stay upright. "Y-Your Highness?" he stammered. Torches fully illuminated the grounds outside the eastern gate, exposing the mounted party that had arrived in secret. There were twelve men in total, most armed with sabres. Two carried different weapons: a burly brute held a spiked club gripped upside down, while the leader bared a tiger-head hook sword. The riders also saw who held the torches—cavalrymen clad in helmets and armor, bows drawn, with lances slung from their saddles! Over a hundred feathered arrows were already nocked on bowstrings. The riders' faces drained of color. The leader shouted hastily, "Wait! I have something to say!" Wang Yu waved his hand, his tone calm. "Loose." *Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—* "Break through!" the leader roared. He yanked the reins and spurred his horse forward as if to charge, but suddenly dipped his body, slipping under the horse's belly. Dropping to the ground, he darted low across the dirt straight toward the ranch men. The burly brute covered the leader's rear, whirling his spiked club so tightly that not a drop of water could pierce his defense, swatting away every incoming arrow. "Aaargh!" After a single volley of arrows, half of the other ten riders were dead, and the survivors were all wounded. By then, the leader had already reached Li Xiu's back. Grabbing the nearly limp steward, he spun around to position Li Xiu as a human shield, pressing a tiger-head hook sword against the man's throat. "May I ask if the Prince of Zhenxi has graced us in person? I am Yang Chengwu of Feima Fortress, and I have intelligence from beyond the frontier to present to the Prince of Zhenxi!"