Chapter 837

In the sixteenth year of Emperor Jia Zhao, the first day of the New Year, Donggang Town.

Large convoys of carts and horses, loaded with piled military grain, departed from the military grain depot and headed northward.

Along the northern road, hundreds of Mongol cavalry units kept arriving continuously, converging toward Donggang Town.

Within two li of the northern road, numerous cavalry scouts had been deployed, monitoring all movement around to respond at a moment's notice.

This area lay within the Nine Borders, and for a large Mongol cavalry force to move undetected by Zhou Army eyes should have been nearly impossible.

But it coincided with New Year's Eve, when the Zhou border troops' patrols were lax; Donggang Town had been lured into a trap, and the military grain depot was struck by a cunning surprise attack.

Turning the impossible into a golden opportunity…

Sun Sun Dali stood before the ruins of Fuyun Tavern, watching the gathering Mongol elite cavalry, his arrogant smile deepening.

He asked: "Since Chen Chen Ruichang didn't show up for the banquet, have you searched every corner of the town? Did you find any trace of him?"

The caravan leader said: "We searched everywhere in town, but found no sign of him.

However, when the fire broke out at Fuyun Tavern, one of our men reported that someone had fled west on horseback amid the chaos.

Our men fired arrows in haste and wounded him.

But it was too dark, the scene too chaotic, and we never managed to encircle the town—he escaped. Now I suspect it was Chen Chen Ruichang."

…

Sun Sun Dali's expression grew grave. "Our covert agent in Love Shenjing learned the secret of the Zhou grain route by befriending this man.

Though he himself was unaware, if you want to keep something secret, don't do it in the first place.

I happened to spot Chen Chen Ruichang in town and felt immense luck—I wanted to capture him then, but the operation hadn't begun, so I didn't want to stir up trouble.

I never expected he'd slip away at the last moment; his luck is astonishing.

Donggang Town lies on a branch road, never a bustling place, and now during the New Year festival, outsiders entering the town are even scarcer.

We launched our scheme with surprise and sealed off Donggang Town promptly; we estimated we could suppress the news until the fifth or sixth day.

Even if word leaked, nearby government posts and military stations would need days to relay it by fast horse—Love Shenjing wouldn't hear until the tenth day.

In warfare, seizing the initiative is key; having eight or nine days of leeway is more than enough to sway the outcome.

But if Chen Chen Ruichang escapes unharmed, though Donggang Town is far from Love Shenjing, if he's determined to flee, he'll reach it in five or six days.

Love Shenjing will learn of this by the fifth or sixth day, and all our family's planning will be severely undermined.

Moreover, once news reaches Love Shenjing, the Zhou will launch a thorough investigation into the grain route leak; the Bureau of Inquiry, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Dalisi all have capable officers.

If someone unravels the threads, follows the vines, and traces it back to Chen Chen Ruichang, it's not impossible.

He's a grain escort officer under the Commandant's Office, familiar with the Zhou grain routes; if the government investigates, he won't easily escape suspicion.

Even if he falls and dies, it wouldn't matter much.

But if he confesses everything, exposing our covert agents in Love Shenjing and our years of connections, that would bring great trouble.

Take a detachment, disguise yourselves, leave town immediately, and search along the southern road—kill him!"

Sun Sun Dali suddenly remembered something else. "Also, Yu Xiu and his men intercepted the Liaodong grain convoy and haven't returned all night.

Though it takes time to return after seizing the carts, something feels off.

Before you depart, gather another force and scout along the road—find out what happened…"

…

After Sun Sun Dali had assigned his men, hoofbeats suddenly rang from the southern edge of town—loud, unmistakable, as if a large cavalry force was approaching.

Sun Sun Dali knew the entire town was sealed; anyone approaching this closely must be a diplomatic envoy returning north from Love Shenjing, and the timing matched perfectly.

He hurried onto his horse to meet them, but halfway there, he saw a hundred-strong escort cavalry approaching, flanking two men ahead.

Sun Sun Dali had met all three leaders of the Mongol delegation beyond the border.

The two arriving were Alitang, leader of the Tumeng tribe, and Gai ErTai, leader of the Yongxie Lun tribe—but the Ordos tribe's Noyan Noyan Taiji was absent.

Alitang spotted Sun Sun Dali approaching and laughed: "You've done excellently with Donggang Town. The Sun family deserves great credit—I'll personally recommend you to the Khan for rewards!"

Sun Sun Dali's heart surged with excitement. The entire Sun family had crossed the border to serve Khan Khan Anda, and only one path led to securing their foothold beyond:

If Khan Khan Anda could conquer the interior, the Sun family would rise with him; if great success came, receiving a fief from Khan Khan Anda was not impossible…

His uncle Sun Sun Zhanying had spent years plotting, dispatching Sun family members, mobilizing Sun family outposts—all for this very purpose.

Then Sun Sun Dali would no longer need to hide his name; he could live a life of power and dignity.

His heart burned with these thoughts; he would never mention Chen Chen Ruichang's threat to Alitang.

…

He led Alitang and the others to inspect the military grain depot. Seeing the mountains of grain and the endless supply wagons, Alitang laughed in admiration.

He lavished praise on Sun Sun Dali; both men were elated, and they carefully discussed the next steps for grain transport.

Alitang dispatched several messengers to rush news beyond the border, accelerating troop movements to breach the pass, and ordered Sun Sun Dali to coordinate his family's forces to guide and assist along the way.

Both men were busy with their own plans when the hour neared noon.

Suddenly, a fast horse galloped toward the depot. A young man leapt off before even tying his horse, his face pale with terror as he rushed to Sun Sun Dali.

He was a branch-line member of the Sun family; seeing his expression, Sun Sun Dali felt a dread rise within him.

The man gasped: "Da Li, Yu Xiu's in disaster—he led two hundred cavalry to intercept the Liaodong grain convoy.

All two hundred are dead in a mountain pass five li away—not a single survivor. Yu Xiu's head was cut off and hung on a tree at the valley entrance…"

Sun Sun Dali turned deathly pale, disbelief and fury twisting his face as he seized the man's collar.

He shouted: "Those grain escorts were nothing but scattered troops—how could they wipe out two hundred elite cavalry and kill Yu Xiu? What happened? Speak!"

The man trembled: "I can't explain it clearly. Only a few died from blades and arrows.

Most were unrecognizable—wounds were strange, many bled out, others froze to death.

We found shattered porcelain shards in the pass—I've never seen such deaths. The Liaodong troops are terrifying…

I led men along the road to Liaodong for miles, but found no trace of the grain wagons.

Each wagon carried over a thousand dan of grain; they'd leave deep ruts in the snow, even visible beneath fresh snowfall.

Yet we found not a single mark—as if they vanished into thin air, never returning to Liaodong. It's too strange…"

…

Sun Sun Dali saw his cousin's ashen face, clearly terrified—he guessed the scene in the pass must have been horrifying.

Sun Yu Xiu was an outstanding Sun family youth: literate, sharp-witted, quick-thinking, and efficient.

Sun Sun Dali's success in Donggang Town owed much to his aid; he never imagined he'd die so gruesomely.

He roared: "How could such a large convoy vanish? They must have changed route.

Mobilize troops immediately—find them! I won't let Yu Xiu die in vain!"

Alitang heard the commotion and came over to ask. Sun Sun Dali recounted the events.

Alitang's expression turned grim. "Chasing that convoy now is useless.

Sun Yu Xiu led two hundred elite Mongol cavalry last night—skilled riders, fierce fighters—and they were all annihilated.

The Liaodong grain convoy's strength is extraordinary; their commander is no ordinary officer.

An entire night has passed—they're long gone. How can you possibly catch them?

If this convoy can wipe out an entire escort, they must also know the grain depot has fallen. Our secret won't stay hidden.

Liang Liang Chengzong, the Liaodong Regional Commander, is a formidable man; once he hears, he'll rush word to Love Shenjing. In five or six days, the Zhou Emperor will know.

This Liaodong convoy is no longer important; our time is cut short. We must act swiftly.

Fortunately, operations beyond the border have already begun—we must accelerate the interior moves…"

Alitang immediately wrote an urgent letter, sending it by fast horse beyond the border: due to the unexpected turn, troop movements must be launched ahead of schedule.

…

At that moment, hoofbeats rang again from the southern edge of town. A group of riders passed through the outer defenses and entered the town—leading them was Noyan Noyan Taiji.

He had parted from Jia Cong outside the city gates, delayed considerably, and followed Alitang's confirmed route northward.

Along the way, plagued by doubts and unease, he pressed day and night without pause, arriving at Donggang Town only slightly late.

As he neared the town, he saw numerous Mongol cavalry patrols, the defenses tightly sealed—and sensed something was wrong.

Once inside, his eyes met chaos: ruins everywhere, corpses littering the ground, bloodstains everywhere—the scene was horrific. His face paled.

He quickly ordered his escort leader, Hu Er Gan, to inquire about the situation. Soon after, Hu Er Gan returned with a heavy face and reported everything about Donggang Town.

Noyan Noyan Taiji turned deathly white, trembling slightly, his face filled with fury. "Where is Alitang? I must speak with him!"

Hu Er Gan replied: "He's at the military grain depot, toward the northern valley."