Chapter 283: The Red-Earth Ridge

Before dawn, Zhang Xian's unit of the Imperial Forward Army under Yue Fei's command entered Yijin Township north of Xingguo County in Qianzhou. The entire force then dismounted and, taking advantage of the night, seized an unnamed red-earth ridge adjacent to the Pingjiang River between Yijin Township and Xingguo County town, and set up defensive positions on the spot.

As it happened, Yue Fei's force had crossed Mount Fusi from Jizhou (later Ji'an) in the northwest, then followed the Pingjiang River southward.

Given this posture, and considering the official case from a few months earlier when Yue Fei had set up his headquarters in Jizhou and then demanded grain from Fuzhou, some might still think Yue Fei had been sitting idle in Jizhou for the past two or three months.

But in reality, over those two-plus months, the Imperial Forward Army under Yue Fei had, in sequence, left Qianzhou, crossed the Five Ridges, entered Guangnan East Circuit, then turned into Guangnan West Circuit, entered Guizhou, joined forces with Wu Min to go from south to north and cross the Five Ridges again, then arrived at Yongzhou in Jinghu South Circuit. From Yongzhou they passed through Guiyang Supervisory Office and returned to Jizhou.

In other words, Yue Fei had not waited idle in Jizhou for over two months. Instead, he had made a wide circuit around the entire Five Ridges region, punched through the southern mountain range twice, and fought across four circuits—Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi—through more than a dozen prefectures, departments, armies, and supervisory offices, only to "coincidentally" end up back in Jizhou.

And doing this naturally had its effects.

You must understand that the bandits occupying various points in the Five Ridges mostly relied on geographical advantages and the so-called miasma of the southern mountains. Yet these things, under the strict discipline, imposing and meticulous tactical deployments, and calm and proper logistical control of Yue Fei's force, proved utterly fragile.

Thus, after this circuit, not only the notorious Qianzhou bandits but also various other Miao stockades and bandits were driven out of the southern mountains by Yue Fei like ducks being herded... By now, over four hundred groups of bandits, rebel stockades, and army brigands who had lost their bases, cornered by Yue Fei's force, gathered at Xingguo under the call of some major chieftains, combining over a hundred thousand men, forced into a decisive battle against the Imperial Forward Army.

Yet these four hundred-plus bands of heroes, over a hundred thousand men, having finally assembled, were busy cutting chicken heads and swearing brotherhood, forming factions and electing an alliance leader, fighting over control of villages and water sources, and clashing to grab loot, completely unaware that Yue Fei had already led his main force back around and had already crossed Mount Fusi.

At daybreak, the four hundred-plus bands of heroes were even more shocked to discover that the high ground north of the plain had already been seized by the government army. The banners of the Great Song government army, including the Zhang banner they had become all too familiar with over the past two months, were already fluttering on that red-earth ridge.

Faced with sudden military pressure, panic began to spread. Some tried to flee, but with over four hundred rebel bands gathered, how could there be a proper retreat route? Some attempted a surprise attack, but again, with over four hundred rebel bands clustered together, how could troops be deployed and commanded?

You must understand that among these four hundred-plus rebel bands, there were indeed prestigious major chieftains—for example, Li Dunren from Qianzhou itself, Li Dongtian who had been driven from Jizhou by Yue Fei, and Peng Tieda, who had once claimed kingship in Jinghu South Circuit and was chased all the way from Hunan by Yue Fei... Each of these commanded over ten thousand men. Below them, figures like Chen Yong, Zhong Chao, Lü Tian, Zhong Daya, Liu Dabawu, Xie Bao, Xie Da, and others were also well-known bandits of the Five Ridges, each with over a thousand men.

But no matter how famous or strong, how could they act under these circumstances? Remember, after all the days of squabbling, they hadn't even managed to elect an alliance leader.

Amid the chaos, Li Dongtian and Peng Tieda, two major chieftains stationed north of the town, were forcibly dragged by the heroes to the foot of the ridge. They set up banners, erected thatched shelters, arranged tables, killed a cat, stewed a snake, and brought out wine. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of troops gathered under the heroes' leadership, yet still nothing could be done... When they tried to deploy their own units, they didn't know where to start. When they tried to order the other heroes stationed north of the town to join forces and advance, they only heard endless complaints—everyone said Zhang Xian was formidable and held the high ground, and that their small stockade outfits lacked full armor and weapons, so going up would only mean death, uselessly damaging morale.

In the end, the two kings, Li and Peng, stomped their feet in frustration, holding cups of realgar wine and shouting that there wasn't a single true hero present.

But you had to admit, among the four hundred-plus heroes, there were all sorts, and certainly some who weren't afraid to die. Since Li and Peng had cursed like that, someone was bound to take the bait. Around mid-morning, a band of heroes from the mountain region of Yongzhou in Jinghu South Circuit—only three or four hundred men—without any support, led by their own chieftain, launched a surprise attack on the unnamed red-earth ridge.

Three or four hundred men, half Miao and half Han. The Miao could speak Chinese, and the Han were just as rough; you couldn't tell who was Han and who was Miao.

It was the height of summer. The toughest among them wore leather armor and carried swords and spears in front. Those without armor in the rear were bare-chested, carrying bows behind. There were even Miao girls wearing silver headdresses and holding curved knives at the very back, shouting commands and dancing prayers... This was a typical southern mountain stockade formation, nothing unusual.

The only exception was the leader, who stood over eight feet tall. He wore an ill-fitting, loose suit of iron armor, a helmet scavenged from somewhere, and carried a large iron spear. He personally crouched at the front, which drew murmurs of amazement.

As this man climbed up, King Li Dongtian immediately slapped his knee with his wine cup and told the surrounding chieftains that this man had the ferocity of Zhao Zilong and was sure to succeed... This prompted the other heroes to flatter him while also mimicking King Peng's lip-curling disdain.

As for the unit of Zhang Xian that was being attacked head-on by this small armed group, they were positioned high above and had spotted this band of "heroes" early on. They paid them no mind, instead watching from the ridge and laughing... This wasn't carelessness on their part. After fighting these southern mountain "heroes" many times, they knew their traits well—they weren't afraid to die and could be called fierce, but they were poorly equipped and utterly lacked organization and discipline.

Based on their experience, a few volleys at close range would break this attack.

And this was correct. In a short while, as the feigning force below approached, Zhang Xian's officer Han Shunfu immediately commanded a counterattack. In an instant, crossbows and bows fired together, arrows falling like rain. This reckless band of "heroes" collapsed on the spot and retreated in defeat. The iron-armored leader, with several arrows stuck in the back plates of his armor, also fell with his group into the bushes, unable to rise, apparently shot dead on the spot. As for the Miao girl commanding and urging from the rear, she was so furious she threw down her knife, stopped shouting and dancing, and just crouched there wiping her tears.

Having won easily, the government army did not go down to clear the battlefield, clearly aware of the numerical disparity and wanting only to hold this unnamed red-earth ridge.

"What a waste of a hero—we didn't even get his name." Under the shelter at the foot of the ridge, this time it was King Peng Tieda who kept slapping his own knee.

"With such recklessness, he's hardly a true hero." King Li Dongtian had a different view, as if he hadn't just compared the man to Zhao Zilong.

Hearing this, Peng Tieda felt contempt but simply turned and called for a trusted subordinate: "Take twenty bolts of cloth and a hundred strings of cash, and send them to that hero's Miao girl at home, so she can find another sturdy son-in-law for the stockade."

King Peng's generosity immediately drew enthusiastic praise from the surrounding small-stockade chieftains, suppressing King Li's momentum for a time, as if King Li, who also contributed twenty bolts of cloth afterward, seemed stingy by comparison.

But just then, something like a miracle happened.

The Song army, having won easily and seeing the rebel leaders below making a racket with no further probing moves, let down their guard. The officer Han Shunfu even ordered his men to set up camp and cook, preparing for the coming battle. But at that moment, a few sharp-eyed heroes at the foot of the ridge spotted something: the chieftain, whether Miao or Han, had only been feigning death. He was already crawling back up the ridge, and not only him—a dozen or so "heroes" resembling his personal guards followed suit, taking advantage of the Song army's lapse in vigilance to suddenly rise again.

Moments later, as thunderous cheers erupted from the foot of the ridge, the iron-helmeted man, holding his large iron spear, leaped up and charged directly into the Song army's position. Like a fierce tiger, he killed several men in quick succession.

Even Han Shunfu, who had experienced major battles like the one at Yaoshan, could not withstand the word "unprepared." He drew his blade to meet the attack, but the big man charged straight at him, parried his spear, and easily snatched the blade away—as easily as taking a bamboo pole from a child's hand. With the blade in hand, he struck once more, cutting off one of Han Shunfu's arms.

Fortunately, the surrounding soldiers were disciplined. Seeing this, they did not flee but swarmed forward, managing to rescue Han Shunfu. They dragged their officer away, carrying the severed arm with them.

But the Song army's forward position was seized by the man on the spot.

Having taken the position, the man quickly used his iron spear to raise the Song army's banner, waving it in the distance to signal the "heroes" below to come up and support him.

However, although the heroes below had shouted loudly in encouragement earlier, they now hesitated. Only two or three, apparently stirred to bloodlust by the man above, led their own men to climb. The rest just looked to the two kings, Li and Peng.

Li Dongtian was clearly tempted and wanted to order everyone forward.

But unexpectedly, King Peng Tieda shook his head solemnly: "We can't take it. Who knows Zhang Xian's skill better than us? This hero is brave, but he only succeeded by surprise. He'll likely lose his life in vain soon... This battle will ultimately require a full army."

Li Dongtian, along with many surrounding heroes, hesitated upon hearing this.

But they didn't have to hesitate for long, because the situation on the ridge reversed just as King Peng had predicted... Zhang Xian's unit was clearly provoked by the surprise attack. The entire red-earth ridge came alive instantly. Countless banners waved, and the clatter of wooden clappers rang out sharp and loud, clearly audible both on and off the ridge.

In plain sight, Zhang Xian's banner appeared directly at the front line where the position had been lost. Neat battle cries rose from that area, instantly drowning out the noise below. The few stockades that had been feigning an attack also suffered direct and fierce blows from the Song army, retreating in defeat on the spot.

This time, the Song army sent men down to finish off the wounded with blades, just in case.

As for the big man who had just won a miraculous victory, he didn't die outright. Moments later, he practically jumped down from the ridge alone, having clearly discarded his large spear. He carried a rattan shield he had somehow grabbed, rolling and tumbling through the terrain to dodge arrows while desperately fleeing downhill.

Afterward, just as the big man miraculously rolled down alive from the ridge, Han Shunfu—who had lost his position and an arm and was clearly not long for this world—was summarily executed by Zhang Xian under military law. His head was cut off and hung on the position along with the severed arm. Han Shunfu's deputy received orders to take command of the position.

At the same time, Zhang Xian's unit received orders that this battle must capture the enemy officer who had launched the sneak attack.

Overall, the surprise attack was indeed brilliant, but it did not affect the larger situation.

The several hundred bands of heroes spent a long time at the foot of the ridge arguing around the two kings, yet still could not organize an effective attack. Even when the escaped big man came to make a scene, he was driven away by Li Dongtian before he could get close, which sparked more discontent.

And so, in chaos, half the morning passed. The heroes still couldn't organize another attack. But just then, a third king—Li Dunren, a native of Qianzhou—suddenly arrived from the south with several dozen other bands of heroes, bringing a huge piece of bad news to the heroes gathered there.

"Government troops are coming from both the southwest and the southeast!" Li Dunren, who had studied, described the situation clearly. "The banner in the southwest says Wang—that should be Wang Gui. The one in the southeast says Fu—that should be Fu Xuan. Both are advancing along the Pingjiang River, one on the left and one on the right, already blocking both banks of the lower Pingjiang, sealing off the southern route. With Zhang Xian on this red-earth ridge, they've locked our four hundred-plus bands of heroes into this valley in Xingguo County. Who knows when Military Governor Yue will deliver the final blow?!"

"If that's the case, we have no choice but to take this ridge before Military Governor Yue arrives, then turn back and break through the river?" Peng Tieda immediately understood.

"That should be the only way." Li Dunren replied earnestly.

The surrounding men were panicked but dared not speak up near the shelter. Under the thatched roof, a dozen or so major chieftains looked at each other, eventually fixing their gazes on the three greatest kings—Peng Tieda, Li Dunren, and Li Dongtian.

The three also exchanged glances but remained silent for a time... Of course, everyone understood that it all came down to who would be the commander.

Among the four hundred-plus bands of heroes, no fewer than ten major chieftains had declared themselves kings. The strongest of these ten were these three. The reason they had failed to elect an alliance leader after all this time was precisely because these three each had their own ambitions.

Of course, this wasn't unreasonable. To defeat the government army, all four hundred bands had to pull in the same direction.

"The western mouth of the valley is the most dangerous." After a pause, Peng Tieda suddenly stood up, gulped down some realgar wine, and bared his chest, showing his half-covered black chest hair to the other two kings. "I'll take my own men to the west..."

The other two were momentarily stunned.

But soon, Li Dunren nodded without hesitation: "King Peng is a true hero... If that's the case, I'll give up Xingguo town and cross the river to the east side of the Pingjiang, to guard against Fu Xuan attacking from across the river."

Li Dongtian was stunned, then couldn't hide his excitement: "Both kings are true heroes!"

At these words, the heroes who could speak up all raised their thumbs and joined in praising the two as true heroes.

Of course he was a true hero.

Now, on this occasion, two of the three men had shown sincerity. Peng Tieda volunteered for the most dangerous western front, while Li Dunren took the initiative to cross the river to the eastern bank. Though it smacked of preserving his own strength, as a native of Qianzhou who had previously occupied Xingguo County town, his voluntary abandonment of that town now spoke volumes.

Two of the three great chieftains had demonstrated their sincerity; naturally, the last one had to show his as well.

And so, after a moment's hesitation, Li Dongtian put forward the title he had already settled on—he would bestow upon Peng Tieda and Li Dunren each the title of Deputy Heavenly King!

The two Deputy Heavenly Kings, overwhelmed by such great favor, could not contain themselves. On the spot, they publicly acclaimed Li Dongtian as the Pingjiang Great Heavenly King, charging him to command over a dozen great heroes—including Chen Yong, Zhong Chao, Lü Tian, Zhong Daya, Liu Badawu, Xie Bao, Xie Da, and others—along with four hundred bands of good men. They ordered him to concentrate his main force here at Red Earth Ridge, first take the ridge, and then plan for what came next.

Returning kindness for kindness, Li Dongtian, having become the Great Heavenly King, still felt uneasy. He then insisted that Peng Tieda and Li Dunren join him in drinking blood wine, swearing brotherhood with the two men to establish another layer of formal bond, before allowing them to depart in haste.

After the two had left, it was a summer afternoon, the heat unbearable. Having just become the Great Heavenly King, Li Dongtian ignored the sweltering heat and personally began issuing orders. Setting aside past grudges, he appointed Zhong Daya, with whom he had old enmity, as Vanguard Commander, ordering him to attack Red Earth Ridge first and achieve unparalleled merit.

Who would have thought that this wretch Zhong Daya, knowing neither gratitude nor the peril of the battle, would merely go through the motions for a while before being easily driven back by Zhang Xian? But Li the Great Heavenly King saw through him on the spot, seized him right there under the thatched awning, and had him beheaded as a warning.

However, because of this scoundrel Zhong Daya's shamelessness, the battle was delayed. By the time the Heavenly King had regrouped his forces from all sides, called up his core troops, selected Lü Tian and Xie Bao as left and right wing commanders, and prepared to urge all the good men forward together, the sun had already sunk in the west, and the heat had abated somewhat.

At most, there was only time for one or two large-scale assaults.

But that wasn't the end. For the Heavenly King suddenly remembered a strange occurrence at his rear camp—a banner for a Great Heavenly King had inexplicably appeared there. Only today did he realize it held a heavenly omen. So he had that Great Heavenly King banner brought forth and reverently erected before the thatched awning.

He also made sure to have the various heroes gather a dozen or so Miao girls, who brought bronze drums and performed a famous Lingnan drum dance before the banner. After this, it was said, the banner would be impervious to both fire and water.

However, just as this intangible cultural heritage performance—one that would surely make someone in Tokyo green with envy—came to an end, and Li Dongtian, puffed up with pride, stood beneath the Great Heavenly King banner, arrayed his forces, and prepared to command a hundred thousand heroes to take the earthen ridge in one fell swoop, a sound like mountains crumbling and the earth splitting suddenly erupted from the direction of the valley mouth west of Yijin Village.

Then, countless troops surged in from the west—clear banners, dazzling armor, orderly formations—truly like a towering tidal wave crashing down toward the foot of the ridge.

Li Dongtian stood dumbfounded. At that moment, Zhang Xian did not hesitate, counterattacking down from the ridge. The hundreds of band leaders leading a hundred thousand men scattered with a roar.

"Run fast, Heavenly King Li!"

Someone coming from the west, passing by, shouted with all his might at the still-stunned Li Dongtian. "Peng Tieda was Yue the Military Governor's spy all along! He went west to rendezvous with the government army! Now he's turned his rear into his vanguard and let Yue the Military Governor's hundred-thousand-strong army in!"

Li Dongtian recalled that this whole alliance had been Peng Tieda's idea. His eyes blazing with fury, he did not hesitate a moment but fled east toward Pingjiang.

Yet when he arrived in panic at Pingjiang, seven or eight li away, he found himself in the same boat as the many good men who had fled there—staring speechless at the empty eastern bank, the ferry boats that Li Dunren's men had already conveniently scuttled at the opposite shore's landing, and the iron-chain suspension bridge that had been unhooked.

At this moment, those who fancied themselves strong swimmers jumped straight into the river to flee for their lives, while several dozen band leaders, their ferocity aroused, simply turned back west to make a last stand with the river at their backs.

But most people instinctively looked toward the newly appointed Heavenly King Li.

After all, wasn't this the Heavenly King who had received a Heaven-sent Great Heavenly King banner even before becoming one?

Yet, only moments later, to the astonishment of many good men, Li Dongtian personally set fire to his own Heavenly King banner—the one said to be impervious to fire and water—and wrapped the unburned remnants around stones before casting them into the Pingjiang River. Then, on one hand, he sent his own trusted troops to join Zhang Xian in attacking those fools preparing to fight with the river at their backs; on the other, he laid down his arms, lowered his banners, sent envoys, and surrendered humbly to the west.

In the midsummer heat of the fifth month, a great wave came from the mountains in the west, pouring into the Xingguo basin. The hundred thousand Qianzhou bandits and four hundred bands of good men, who had caused chaos for eight years, vanished completely from the western bank of the Pingjiang River in a single day.

The speed at which the battle ended was almost inconceivable.

In fact, after Yue Fei had effortlessly subdued over a hundred thousand men in a virtually bloodless manner, the sun had still not set—perhaps because summer days were long. So the Commander-in-Chief of the Forward Camp Imperial Army simply set up a seat right there under the thatched awning at the foot of Red Earth Ridge and hosted these newly surrendered Heavenly Kings, Deputy Heavenly Kings, great chieftains, and minor chieftains, intending to deal with them all that very day.

The several hundred good men had just handed over their weapons in batches and had not yet all taken their seats when Yue Fei suddenly saw Guo Jin, a famous warrior in the army and Zhang Xian's personal guard captain—nicknamed Big Ladle—personally leading seven or eight armored soldiers, dragging a burly man bound tightly and with a bruised and swollen face. They walked around the seats to find Zhang Xian, reporting something about having accomplished their mission.

Among the old Xiangzhou brothers who formed the core, Tang Huai was steady and always accompanied Yue Fei as commander of the central army; Wang Gui was recognized as the army's second-in-command; and Zhang Xian now held an independent command, ranking just below Wang Gui and Tang Huai, on par with Fu Xuan. He certainly had the authority to issue orders and rewards, so Yue Fei paid it no mind.

But that man, dragged by Guo Jin like a beast to the thatched awning, looked around, could not help letting out a roar to the sky, and then shouted two words at Yue Fei: "Not convinced! Not convinced!"

Yue Fei was baffled but replied seriously: "You're a defeated man. What do you have to be unconvinced about?"

"I have two things to be unconvinced about!" the man answered at cross-purposes, straining against his bonds. "If I hadn't rolled down the mountain earlier and gotten hurt, and if my wife and the brothers in my stockade hadn't been surrounded, how could this Big Ladle have captured me so easily?!"

Guo Jin's nickname, Big Ladle, came from his enormous appetite—he usually carried a large copper horse-feed ladle at his waist and used it as a bowl at mealtimes. As the personal guard captain, he could even wield that ladle to enforce military discipline... Now, by sheer coincidence, the prisoner had called out his nickname. But among comrades in arms, using a nickname was a sign of intimacy—what did it mean coming from a prisoner?

So Guo Jin, upon hearing this, glared angrily. With one hand still holding the rope, he raised the ladle in the other and smashed it full in the man's face, bloodying his nose.

But the man was fierce-tempered too, struggling even as he was beaten. Once Guo Jin was called off by Zhang Xian, he grew even more reckless: "That's one thing! Anyway, you, Yue the Military Governor, are truly skilled in war! But here—all these seated men are false heroes! I am a true hero, so why don't I have a seat and instead have to be bound when brought before you? Is it only because I killed one of your officers in battle? That officer of yours was incompetent to begin with! I'm not convinced!"

Yue Fei found this amusing, knowing the man was a ruffian. He also roughly guessed that this fellow had killed one of his own officers, drawing Zhang Xian's attention. Not wanting to make a fuss, he was about to order him taken away and beheaded.

But then he glanced at the several hundred good men sitting before him, all staring at him, and at the countless surrendered bandits densely packed not far away. Remembering how long this southern and northern campaign had taken, his heart stirred slightly. Instead, he smiled wryly at the man and said:

"Then let me ask you, what is the name of this true hero?"

"My name is Yang Zaixing. I was driven here from Hunan by you people." Blood dripped steadily from Yang Zaixing's nose, covering his mouth and chin, but he held his head high. "Yue the Military Governor, I am truly a good man. Give me a chance today, and one day I'll show you what I'm made of!"

Yue Fei said nothing, merely looking at Zhang Xian.

Zhang Xian thought for a moment, then slowly nodded: "If we're only talking about ability, this man can indeed be considered a good man, worthy of a regular general! Not like the rest of them, who wouldn't even dare to fart—truly a pack of cowards!"

Ignoring the drastically changed expressions of the chieftains around him, Yue Fei threw back his head and laughed. He then rose and personally untied the man's ropes, preparing to lead him to a seat.

Who would have thought that this Yang Zaixing was truly a reckless fellow? When Yue Fei came to pull him along, he deliberately tested him by refusing to budge. But he had forgotten that he had rolled down the ridge that morning and been beaten by Big Ladle, and that Yue Fei himself was no false hero. So when the Military Governor pulled him, he lost his balance and was dragged forward.

Yue Fei led him to his own seat. A personal guard had already set a camp stool before the seat, but Yang Zaixing, having failed his test, refused to sit: "The Military Governor is a true hero with skill—both in war and in strength. I'll stand."

Yue Fei nodded slightly, said nothing more, and sat down himself. But after sitting, he remained silent.

In the setting sun, Peng Tieda and Li Dongtian exchanged a glance, then quickly rose from their seats. The several hundred good men also startled to their feet, drawing cold stares from the surrounding Forward Camp Imperial Army soldiers.

"I have made my decision." After the several hundred chieftains had all stood up, Yue Fei finally spoke slowly from his seat. "Among you four hundred, one hundred who were forced into this will be pardoned to show the court's grace; one hundred who have repeatedly refused to reform will be exiled to uphold the court's law; and one hundred who have committed heinous crimes will be executed as a warning to others... The remaining hundred will be assigned according to their abilities—either to the Jingxiang military colonies or incorporated into the Imperial Army... I have finished speaking. Among you good men, who agrees and who opposes? Speak up."

Sure enough, there were true heroes after all. Immediately, over forty men stepped forward to oppose. So only a little over fifty were needed for the exemplary executions.

Truly a win-win for all.

PS: Thanks to classmate Liu Liqin for the third patron!