Patrol Officer Chen had not yet heard of the murders back in town, but he recognized Hong Chenglüe and gave him a surprised look. "Hong Chenglüe, what are you doing out here?"
Hong Chenglüe smiled. "Someone asked me to find you."
"Oh? Who?"
"Liu Yalin."
The youth who had just been the first to be beheaded was named Liu Yalin. Patrol Officer Chen was taken aback, then snarled in fury, "What nonsense are you spewing!"
"He told me to tell you to walk a little slower. He's waiting for you, so the two of you can hit the road together."
One of Chen's subordinates barked, "Watch your mouth!" He raised his scabbard, aiming a slap across the tall man's face.
Then he went flying backward.
More than a zhang away, a tree trunk as thick as a rice bowl snapped clean through from the impact.
The bailiff vomited a torrent of blood while still midair. By the time he hit the ground, all breath had left him. A gaping crater was caved into his chest, precisely large enough to hold a fist.
Chen's other subordinate was hardly a man of staunch loyalty. At the sight, he scrambled back two steps before shouting, "Boss, watch out—"
He had barely opened his mouth when an object hurtled through the air, swelling rapidly in his vision before slamming squarely into his face.
The man crashed flat on his back.
What knocked him down was the first victim's saber, scabbard and all.
Only then did terror seize Patrol Officer Chen. Drawing his waist saber, he yelled, "What are you doing! I was acting according to the law! Those three—by the law, they deserved to be beheaded!"
Hong Chenglüe said coldly, "During the bandit suppression this past June, you achieved nothing, yet in the end, you rounded up law-abiding commoners from Jiuling Gully to pad your head count and claim merit. Was that according to the law as well?"
"No such thing ever happened! Don't you dare sland—"
A soft shink cut Chen off mid-sentence. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open as he stared dumbly at Hong Chenglüe. Hong paid him no further mind, turning on his heel and walking toward the carriage.
Three paces after Hong walked away, Chen's upper body slid off.
From his left chest down through his right ribs, he had been cleanly severed, the cut edge smooth and even.
Seeing his own two legs still standing upright upon the dirt, Chen shrieked in bone-chilling agony. Blood erupted in a crimson torrent, soaking the sand beneath him.
Being cut in two at the waist did not always bring immediate death. Those with more breath left in them might linger in agonizing torment for the time it took to drink a cup of tea before finally breathing their last.
Hong Chenglüe climbed into the carriage and glanced out the window. "Let's go."
Killing someone offhandedly to blood his blade served as a clean break with this chapter of his past.
Wu Qing clapped his hands in admiration. "General Hong's blade is as sharp as ever." Even with unblinking eyes, he had failed to see how Hong Chenglüe drew his weapon.
Hong Chenglüe smiled faintly. "Am I that old?"
Free from the shackles of his oath, he felt unburdened throughout his entire body.
This was what it meant to truly live.
The past few years had been nothing more than existing as a walking corpse.
Two hours later, the carriage arrived at Wujia Manor.
Tucked away near a logging camp and far from the official post roads, almost no stranger ever wandered near unless they had lost their way.
Though called a "manor," it was in truth a fortified stockade, surrounded entirely by a ring of outward-facing chevaux-de-frise intended to keep out bandits and highwaymen.
Wu Qing showed his face and called out. Men came out from the stockade to clear the wooden barricades, allowing the carriage inside.
Hong Chenglüe stepped down and, guided by Wu Qing, first settled his wife in a small wooden cabin nearby.
Though small, the cabin had everything they needed—far better than his ramshackle hovel in Bailu Town. Even the charcoal brazier burning brightly at the foot of the bed was set into a sunken hearth, bordered by a ring of stone guardrails.
Even though the dozen-odd wooden cabins of varying sizes were quiet, Hong Chenglüe could sense that people were inside every one of them.
Once he had settled his wife, Wu Qing led him to the central cabin.
The moment the door opened, more than a dozen men stood up in unison.
Wu Qing made the introductions. "Everyone, this is General Hong, whom our master has long kept in his thoughts." Turning to Hong Chenglüe, he added, "These are the commanders of the units we slipped into Xiazhou."
Both sides exchanged greetings.
Hong Chenglüe also noticed a blue-robed scholar sitting in the corner, wearing a mask. He neither spoke nor rose to exchange courtesies, and beside his knee crouched a brown-furred monkey.
Whatever breed it was, it was noticeably larger and stockier than ordinary monkeys. As it rubbed its hands before the fire, it nudged a few chestnuts toward the embers, displaying remarkable cleverness.
Wu Qing gestured for everyone to sit, then began, "Three of our units were intercepted by the Xiazhou army. They magnified their battle achievements tenfold and have been boasting far and wide. The people of Xiazhou have been thoroughly duped into believing the new Governor-General has ushered in a fresh era. Moreover, Xiazhou's new provincial official has already assumed his post—a man named He Chunhua, with whom Marshal Nian shares a blood feud over the death of his son. Word of this has already reached Marshal Nian, and he has ordered us to find a way to sever their supply lines.
"Spring is almost here. If Zhao Pan's army holds out through the spring and reaps the summer harvest, pushing the front south will be even harder."
Even without Wu Qing spelling it out, everyone present knew that the campaign's results in northern Yuan had fallen far short of expectations. Wu Qing turned his gaze to Hong Chenglüe. "General Hong, my master recommended you to Marshal Nian. Marshal Nian hopes you will lead the upcoming operation."
Hopes? Nian Zanli merely wanted to test his mettle. Hong Chenglüe nodded. "Fine. Do you have a sand table?"
Immediately, someone produced a square box and spread it open across the table.
It was clearly a magic artifact. Folded shut, it resembled a tea tray, but unfolded, it covered the entire tabletop. The sand within swiftly shifted into shape, forming the complete terrain of Xiazhou.
"Where did the three recent defeats take place?"
Wu Qing snapped a twig and tapped three spots on the map. "Our three mounted scouting columns were ambushed at these locations. Xiazhou Prefecture posted official notices claiming the two commanders leading their forces were both subordinates of He Chunhua, named Zhao Qinghe and Wu Shaoyi. From what I know, Wu Shaoyi was originally a subordinate under Hong Xiangqian before accepting amnesty from He Chunhua. As for that Zhao Qinghe, we have no detailed intelligence."
"The combat readiness of Xiazhou's official troops is pathetic. To be beaten by them is truly inexcusable." Having lived in Xiazhou for years, Hong Chenglüe knew the exact caliber of the local soldiers. Forging severed heads, collecting phantom salaries, slacking off, and skimming off the top—they excelled at all of it, but collapsed the moment they stepped onto a battlefield.
At these words, the commanders' faces darkened with embarrassment.
"The primary reason for the recent defeat was simply being caught off guard." Hong Chenglüe had already thought it through. "Since we deployed mounted scouts, three hundred men per column was far too large. We need to slim down, or every coming and going will be spotted and reported to local authorities." Xiazhou was not the open steppes. Three hundred men eating, drinking, sleeping, and relieving themselves left far too obvious a trail.
"How would you organize it?"
"This isn't our only stronghold in Xiazhou, is it?" Hong Chenglüe said. "Break the whole into parts. No more than ten men per squad, disguised as merchants moving in and out of towns and cities to gather intel. Everyone else stays put in the strongholds. No wandering about without orders."
One of the men chimed in, "I hear the new provincial official has real ability. He rounded up a substantial amount of military supplies and keeps sending them up to the front." Otherwise, why would Marshal Nian be so vexed?
"A shipment went through ten days ago. When it passed Bailu Town, a few villagers even managed to steal two cartloads of grain, which shows how lax their escort was." Hong Chenglüe tapped several points on the sand table. "When moving grain from south to north, no matter what initial route they take, they cannot bypass three major thoroughfares: Bailu Town, Xinhuang, and Jiazi Pass."
Wu Qing nodded. "Indeed. It was at Xinhuang that He Chunhua's forces ambushed our men and secured victory, protecting that shipment of grain."
The commanders exchanged glances. "Are we going to wait by the stump for the rabbit at those three places?" Even picking one out of three carried a considerable chance of betting wrong.
"Precisely," Hong Chenglüe replied. "When intelligence is lacking, the clumsy method is the best method. How many men do we have left?"
Wu Qing cited a number.
"Good. We will split our forces to guard Bailu Town and Xinhuang, and abandon Jiazi Pass entirely. Send scouts disguised as merchants to enter the area. This time, it will be our turn to ambush their grain shipment."
One commander asked doubtfully, "Abandon Jiazi Pass?"
"I have been to Jiazi Pass. The official road there has fallen into disrepair for years and is wretched to travel, with thin garrisons and rampant banditry. If I were the transport officer, I wouldn't pick that route either. By contrast, the official roads at Bailu Town and Xinhuang are straight and even, and the distance between them is barely forty li, making it easy to call for reinforcements in an emergency." Hong Chenglüe laid out his reasoning. "Besides, our manpower is limited. To concentrate our advantage, we will cover the routes through Bailu Town and Xinhuang."
The commanders answered in unison, "Understood!"
Hong Chenglüe had spent years on battlefields and knew that as an outsider dropped in to call the shots, they might not be entirely convinced. Besides, when had war ever been a certainty?
As long as you won, everything you said was right.
The men continued their deliberations, working through the finer details.
Two days later, Wu Qing hurried out and returned just as swiftly, reporting to Hong Chenglüe, "Our eyes in Dunyu sent word—over nine hundred grain transport carts coming from the south have already reached Qingping Township!"
This military council would not conclude until nightfall.
Wu Qing was a merchant, responsible solely for intelligence and logistics, taking no direct part in combat.
Just as he was about to inspect the horses and medicine, a soldier ran up to him. "Lord Wu, General Hong's lady requests your presence."
Wu Qing blinked in surprise, pointing at his own nose. "She's looking for me?"
"Yes, yes."
"Was something improperly arranged for her?"
"This humble one does not know."
At the moment, Hong Chenglüe was presiding over the council. Wu Qing pondered for a moment, then made his way to Hong Chenglüe's quarters.
The door was slightly ajar. He knocked gently. "Madam?"
A-Jin's voice drifted out from inside. "Please come in."
Wu Qing stepped inside. A-Jin was leaning against the headboard, covered with a cotton quilt, pillows propped behind her waist. The charcoal brazier at the foot of the bed burned vigorously, filling the room with spring-like warmth. With food and heat, her complexion had regained far more color than during their flight, and a spark of vitality had returned to her eyes.
"Madam, has something been lacking in our hospitality?"
"No, everything is fine," A-Jin said softly. "I heard that Mister Wu oversees the supplies for the entire force?"
"Indeed. I have to look after the food, drink, and necessities for several hundred men." Otherwise, meat pies wouldn't fall from the sky on their own.
"I would like to ask Mister Wu to find something for me," A-Jin said. "I heard from my husband that scouts and undercover operatives from the Beijia Kingdom always carry this on their person. You have it as well, don't you, Mister Wu?"
She then named what she wanted. Hearing it, Wu Qing's face drained of color, and he waved his hands frantically. "Out of the question, absolutely out of the question! If I dared give you that, General Hong would hack me to pieces!"
"It is only for a rainy day," A-Jin sighed softly. "If there is a good life to live and hope of recovery, why would I seek my own end?"
No matter what she said, Wu Qing refused to budge.
A-Jin glanced at the fading light outside, terrified that Hong Chenglüe might walk back in at any moment. Her expression hardened. "If you refuse, I will tell my husband that you slighted me, insulted me behind his back, and threatened to throw me into a ravine."
Chapter 254