Chapter 197: Block and Intercept

Wu Dacai strode along the official road, his legs no longer aching, his whole body brimming with strength. Yao Dongshan was rallying the troops; the First Company had fallen far behind, and beside him were only the five men from the First Squad still able to move.

He turned his head for a look — Wai Lian was still limping along beside him.

"Wai Lian, does a squad leader get an extra five mace or an extra tael?"

Wai Lian had swapped to a short spear, just right for use as a crutch, with that bloodstained axe still stuck in his waistband. He heard but said nothing in reply.

From behind, the slow-witted man's voice said, "Should be an extra tael."

At that, Wai Lian turned his head and cursed, "You think a squad leader's silver is so easy to take? The squad leader had half his head hacked off — bought with his life. You think it falls from the sky, something you just pick up off the ground?"

None of them made a sound. It had been chaos when they fought their way out; no one had seen how the squad leader died. But now that Wu Dacai had been promoted to acting squad leader, the old squad leader was surely dead.

They had all spent several months together in the military camp — not too short a time, not too long. Among them, Wai Lian had been closest to the squad leader, and he had been right with the squad leader when they charged out. He must have watched the squad leader die; now he had a sour face for everyone.

Wu Dacai had been sent to the Central Army midway and hadn't had much time to build any bond with that squad leader; in fact, the man had always singled Wu Dacai out. So after a few tries, when he couldn't squeeze out any tears, he simply gave up on the attempt. Inwardly he was calculating how much silver he could collect in a year now that he'd been promoted to squad leader.

Just as they rounded a bend, Wu Dacai was still lost in thought. There were some gleaming white things on the road, but he didn't take notice.

"Silver! On the ground — quick, grab it!"

The slow-witted man let out a startled shout. Several of his underlings dashed past Wu Dacai, throwing themselves toward the road ahead. Only then did Wu Dacai snap back to his senses. He saw silver ingots of all sizes scattered across the ground, along with the occasional piece of jewelry or ornament, stretching all the way up the road ahead.

The men had even thrown aside their weapons, too busy stuffing silver ingots into their clothes. But the hems of their white tunics weren't tied. The slow-witted man swiftly snatched off his sash and used it to bind his tunic tight into his trousers.

Before Wu Dacai could call his men to order, a burst of panicked screams came from the official road ahead. He lifted his gaze a little. Both sides of the road were packed with makeshift shacks. Thousands upon thousands of figures were fleeing in chaos. A dozen paces away, a woman supporting an old man had just stepped onto the official road, two children trailing behind her. The moment they saw Wu Dacai and his men, they collapsed to the ground in terror.

Others nearby had also spotted Wu Dacai and his few men. Though they weren't wearing government soldier uniforms, their clothes were still mostly local militia garb. In their panic, people scrambled over one another to flee onto the official road.

Wu Dacai stood frozen in place, at a complete loss. Just a few months ago he had been a farmer — he had never seen so many people in his life. For a moment he had no idea what to do.

Without a word, Wai Lian drew the axe from his waist and caught up to the family that had collapsed. Ignoring the woman's wails, he began hacking at them. Blood splattered everywhere again. The two children shrieked and wailed.

Wu Dacai shuddered. Military law expressly forbade the indiscriminate killing of commoners, but the people before him — he couldn't tell whether they were commoners or enemies. He didn't dare interfere with Wai Lian. Striding over, he used the shaft of his long spear to lash the men on the ground, cursing as he did, "Military law is strict! Whoever dares pocket silver for himself, I'll kill you first!"

The slow-witted man kept scooping up silver as he shouted back, "Even if it's for Lord Pang, someone's still got to pick it up."

Wu Dacai blinked. He hadn't expected the slow-witted man to say something so reasonable. The silver couldn't just be left lying on the ground — if those Guest Army men got hold of it, that would be trouble.

"You, go back and report to Lord Yao. Tell him we've found the camp — silver everywhere — and ask him to send men at once."

The slow-witted man stayed put, clutching over a dozen pieces of silver. Wu Dacai swung the shaft in a full arc and lashed him across the back, jolting him like a lightning strike. The man immediately dropped the silver and ran back the way they had come.

"The rest of you, follow me! Damn you, picking up silver already — didn't you hear what Lord Jiang said? The Roving Bandits throw silver to trick people. When they turn around and strike back, you won't even have a blade. Pick up your long spears!" Wu Dacai kicked and beat his way along. His men couldn't take it; one after another, they dropped the silver and picked up their weapons again.

"Drive these people off the official road. Get ahead and block the path."

Ignoring Wai Lian, Wu Dacai led his three men forward. The road was littered with all manner of household goods. The people left behind were of every sort — mostly the old, the weak, women, and children, though there were quite a few men as well. But none carried any weapon, and no one dared engage them in battle.

The official road was filled with shrieks. Wu Dacai and his four men were like a prow cleaving through water; wherever they went, the human current parted from the road. The entire river-valley road was in utter chaos.

The four ran fast. The fleeing old and weak could not compare with them; most were left behind. They reached a narrow stretch of the river valley where the road ran right beside the river channel. Quite a few silver ingots lay discarded here too, but farther up the road there were fewer. Panting, Wu Dacai came to a stop.

Four Garrison Battalion soldiers blocked the head of the road. Three or four thousand coerced followers filled the river valley, their wails shaking the heavens, yet no one dared charge this four-man defense line.

"Old Wu… no, Squad Leader Wu, we can't hold them."

A long spearman beside him had a trembling voice, and his long spear would not stop shaking. Wu Dacai felt his mouth go dry and his tongue parched. On the northern stretch of the official road, people were still fleeing, but he had no attention to spare for them. Figures were everywhere. If these several thousand old and weak before him fought with everything they had, he and his four men would be torn to shreds.

Wu Dacai worked up a mouthful of saliva and swallowed. "No retreat. They don't dare come at us."

The river valley was a scene of chaos. Many people fled toward the mountain slopes on either side, but the dense woods made every step a struggle. And indeed, no one came to charge this flimsy defense line.

Still, the few men remained extremely tense. Wu Dacai shouted a rallying cry, then turned his head and saw that his men were all watching the south side. With a flick of his foot, he kicked several large silver ingots off the official road and into the river channel.

…

As dusk neared, Pang Yu stood on the official road five li north of Xiaoguanpu. Makeshift shacks crowded the river valley on both sides. Everywhere lay discarded household goods and clothing. Several thousand ragged, beggar-like coerced followers were fleeing across the hills and fields. Over three hundred Garrison Battalion soldiers were chasing and capturing them everywhere, herding those they caught toward the official road.

Because he feared Pan Keda and Xu Strengthening would snatch away the heads and horses, Pang Yu had delayed a long time at Xiaoguanpu. Many Roving Bandits who had fled across the river had escaped pursuit — all for the sake of gathering up the spoils of war in the Beixia Pass basin.

After Shi Kefa arrived at Xiaoguanpu, the chaos only grew worse. With Shi Kefa present, Pang Yu dared not block the main road. Xu Strengthening's troops entered the basin via the official road. They were numerous and seized heads and weapons everywhere. Later, Pan Keda's men joined in as well.

Pang Yu did not have many men. He had to pursue the enemy while also guarding against a Bandit counterattack at Xiaoguanpu — he simply could not compete with Xu Strengthening. Dozens of horses on the riverbank were also snatched away. The heads and captives taken were beyond counting.

He made a few oblique inquiries of Shi Kefa, but Shi Kefa seemed unwilling to rein in these Guest Armies. Now, having received Yao Dongshan's report from up ahead, Pang Yu assessed the situation, decisively abandoned the contest for Beixia Pass, hastily assembled four Hundred-Company Commander Companies, and rushed to the Bandit Camp.

He turned his head for a look. Wang Zenglu and Yao Dongshan were standing beside him. Wang Zenglu's face was grim. Yao Dongshan still had traces of blood on his face, and a bloodstained white cloth was wrapped around his arm, yet his expression was quite smug. In today's battle, Wang Zenglu had led the frontal assault; the Second Company had suffered the heaviest losses, already over half its men killed or wounded, and it had produced the most deserters. Yet in the end, it was Yao Dongshan's First Company that had routed the Roving Bandits.

Still, Yao Dongshan's First Company had taken no small losses either. The chaos after their sudden charge had been so great, and the First Company had then been ordered to attack the Bandit Camp. Even now, no tally of the exact casualties had been made; what was known was that at least two squad leaders had been killed in action. But at least they had routed the Roving Bandits, so Yao Dongshan was rather pleased with himself.

"Zenglu, how do you think this battle went?"

Wang Zenglu coughed once. "This subordinate feels it was fought in a fog. Several thousand Roving Bandit troops were already within five li, and our several thousand Government Troops knew absolutely nothing of it."

"Well said." Pang Yu nodded. "Neither we nor the Roving Bandits acted like an army — more like common folk in a village brawl. If not for a lucky fluke, our Garrison Battalion likely would have been no match for Scorpion Block. Without terrain like Beixia Pass, Scorpion Block could at the very least have withdrawn intact."

Wang Zenglu added, "After routing the Roving Bandits, we should have pursued them at once. Far fewer would have escaped."

Pang Yu grunted in acknowledgment. Everything Wang Zenglu said was correct, but this was not the time to explain. Wang Zenglu had been at the front the whole time and did not know about the entanglements with Xu Strengthening and Pan Keda in the rear. Had they chased the Roving Bandits then, every horse would likely have been snatched away. The Garrison Battalion had to deal not only with the Roving Bandits, but with two friendly armies as well.

Judging by the silver scattered along the road, he had very likely lost the chance to seize the silver because he had been seizing horses. Most of the silver had probably been carried off by the Roving Bandits. If not for that Wu Dacai blocking the road, these coerced followers would all have escaped too.

"After we return to Tongcheng, we will conduct an after-action review of this battle and summarize the gains and losses. Each Company will review first, then the Central Army Department will review."

Wang Zenglu asked hesitantly, "What does 'after-action review' mean?"

"You will know when the time comes." Pang Yu glanced at the chaotic river channel. "It will be dark soon. Each Company is to set up defensive positions. First, deal with these people before us."

Yao Dongshan said sullenly, "They're all Roving Bandits anyway. Might as well kill them all in one go."

Pang Yu shook his head. Though there were men among these captives, the majority were women, children, and the elderly. They did not look like Roving Bandits at all. He had interrogated a few of the men; they all had Nanzhili and Shucheng accents. Most had been abducted recently. That was why the Old Bandits had abandoned them without a shred of mercy.

Pang Ding had remained silent the whole time. Now he could not help but speak. "Should we wait until Circuit Intendant Shi arrives before deciding?"

"Circuit Intendant Shi already said he would not cross the Tongcheng border. He will not come here."

"Then… my lord, we cannot afford to feed so many people. Better to just let them leave on their own."

"If they leave on their own, a good fraction will die on the road home. Back in their villages with no food or clothing, in the end they will either starve or join the bandits." Pang Yu rubbed his forehead and smiled. "So many people with hands and feet — some of them must be useful. Take men and interrogate them through the night. If they have a Nanzhili or southern Henan accent, and have worked as a blacksmith, bamboo craftsman, carpenter, groom, or at a money house… anyone with a trade, or who can read, write, or do sums — keep them all."