Chapter 195: Death by His Own Hand

Upon receiving word that the roving bandits were driving civilians ahead of them to break out of the siege, Lu Xiangsheng immediately realized his deployment had been flawed.

He had underestimated Zhang Xianzhong's cruelty and shamelessness.

At a critical moment when his own life hung in the balance, Zhang Xianzhong would do absolutely anything—he would not even spare the adopted sons he ordinarily treated as his own flesh and blood, let alone common folk he regarded as no better than pigs and dogs.

He immediately ordered that, apart from the troops entering the city, the Firearms Battalion and the Five Camps at the South Gate should pursue toward Mount Luo Ying, while he himself led several thousand soldiers from outside the North Gate rushing to Fangcheng Mountain.

Mount Luo Ying and the Fangcheng Mountain range were not towering, perilous peaks of vast wilderness. Though they stretched for dozens of li, most of the slopes were covered in scrub and wild grass, and the terrain was not complicated.

Zhang Xianzhong had not expected the government forces to react so swiftly. The several thousand roving bandits who had broken out through the East Gate—himself included—had already been surrounded by tens of thousands of government troops within the two mountains, and they had no idea of it.

Zhang Xianzhong sat leaning against the cave wall, while his trusted men, including Chitian Hu, sat scattered around him.

"Great King, we can't stay long in this cave. We need to figure out a way to leave quickly, or the government troops will soon search us out!" said Chitian Hu, whose fierce appearance was belied by his anxious expression.

Another trusted man, Shanjian Hu, added: "Old Li is right! Eight Great King, as soon as the scouts we sent out return, we must leave at once—cross over the mountain and head west, find a village and get some food first!"

Zhang Xianzhong nodded: "We moved fast this time, so this back mountain is still fairly safe. Once the scouts return, we'll head out after dark!"

Just as they were speaking, a rustling sound came from outside, and several personal guards who had been sent to scout emerged from the undergrowth.

Ai Nengqi, who was guarding the cave mouth, quickly leaned out and waved for them to come in.

Zhang Xianzhong and the others rose swiftly and gathered around the men. Chitian Hu spoke first, asking: "Old Fourth, what's the situation out there? Did you run into any government troops?"

The guard called Old Fourth replied with a tense expression: "Great King, things look bad! We split up to scout, and the brothers on the front slope are being chased by government troops heading this way toward the back slope! I took a look at the back slope and saw government cavalry on the road below the mountain!"

Everyone in the cave turned pale. With government troops on both the front and back slopes, could they be surrounded?

The trusted man Yitiao Lang said urgently: "Chief, what do we do now? The government troops have us trapped! I say we need to move now! We can't wait until dark!"

Chitian Hu added: "Old Wolf is right! Great King, we need to leave at once!"

At that moment, faint shouts and screams drifted over from the distance. No one needed to guess—those were the death cries of their men being hunted down by government troops.

The plan to wait until dark before leaving was no longer viable. Judging by the sounds just now, the government troops were drawing closer and closer.

Zhang Xianzhong waved his hand broadly: "Go! Split up! Every man for himself!"

Ai Nengqi, silent as ever, led the way with an iron staff in hand, followed by several personal guards. Zhang Xianzhong, wearing a short robe over cotton armor, walked in the middle, with Chitian Hu and the others bringing up the rear.

No sooner had the group emerged from the cave than a squad of government troops in the distance spotted them. Shouting loudly, the troops rushed toward them, and their cries quickly drew several other squads searching the mountain in the vicinity.

Without a word, Zhang Xianzhong turned and sprinted down the western slope, his trusted men close behind. Ai Nengqi and several guards lagged in the rear to provide cover.

When it came to skill in crossing mountains and ridges, Zhang Xianzhong's band of roving bandits was capable enough, but they were still slightly inferior to the Sichuan troops who had lived among the great mountains for generations. Both sides were equally equipped—all wearing cotton armor and wielding weapons—but after running for a time, the distance between them had gradually narrowed.

Because the mountain terrain was uneven and changeable, thick with trees and weeds, and runners had to avoid the densest patches of scrub, no real speed could be built up.

The small squad of Sichuan troops running in front quickly closed to within about thirty paces of Zhang Xianzhong's group. Two Sichuan archers planted their feet, drew arrows and nocked them, took several deep breaths to steady themselves, then drew their bows and loosed the long arrows.

Several screams rang out as a few bandits in front took arrows and collapsed. Shanjian Hu, who had followed Zhang Xianzhong since he first raised the rebellion, had his thigh pierced clean through by a three-edged arrow and pitched forward to the ground with a stumble. A dozen or so Sichuan troops swiftly closed in on the bandits. Ai Nengqi let out a low growl and, together with several guards, stopped and turned to fight the government troops.

Dragging his wounded leg, Shanjian Hu crawled forward with difficulty across the ground. The terror of approaching death drove him to howl repeatedly: "Eight Great King, save me! Save me!"

The Sichuan Squad Leader leading the troops heard this and was overjoyed. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Quick, quick! The Xi'an bandit is here! It's Zhang Xianzhong!"

Several squads of government troops behind heard the cry and came leaping over in delight, their shouts rising one after another.

"The Xi'an bandit is here!"

"Zhang Xianzhong is here!"

"Capture the Xi'an bandit—a great merit!"

"Don't let him get away!"

"Take the Xi'an bandit alive!"

Zhang Xianzhong knew things were dire and sprinted forward with all his might, but the Sichuan troops behind him, knowing the great bandit chief was here, all gave chase with desperate effort.

Though Ai Nengqi and several guards had already engaged the pursuing government troops in combat, the troops arriving behind paid them no mind—they simply went around and continued the chase.

The road at the foot of the mountain was now clearly visible in the distance, but it was crowded with squad after squad of government cavalry galloping back and forth. Despair flooded Zhang Xianzhong's heart: Could this truly be the place where I, Zhang Xianzhong, am to be buried?

Ai Nengqi swung the iron staff in his hand and brought it down with savage force. A Sichuan shield-bearer was struck shield and all, spitting blood as he crumpled to the ground. Ai Nengqi stepped forward to finish him off, but the spears of several government spearmen were already thrusting at him. He grunted and swept his staff in a parry, knocking aside two spearheads—but one spear still pierced his lower abdomen, the head sinking deep into his belly.

Seizing the spear shaft with one hand, Ai Nengqi hurled his iron staff away. The spearman could not dodge in time and was struck in the head by the flying staff; with a scream, he toppled backward to the ground.

The Sichuan squad was made up entirely of men who knew each other from their home villages. Seeing their comrade covered in blood, his life unknown, one Sichuan soldier let out a great roar, lunged forward several paces to Ai Nengqi's side, and smashed his heavy club down at him.

Ai Nengqi stepped back a pace and barely managed to twist aside, but the club still caught his shoulder. A sound of shattering bone rang out—his left shoulder was crushed to pieces, and his left arm went limp at his side.

A three-edged long arrow came whistling from a dozen paces away and pierced clean through Ai Nengqi's neck. He did not even let out a grunt—the arrow's tremendous force carried him several steps before he toppled to the ground, dead.

Zhang Xianzhong, fleeing ahead, had by now been caught by the government troops. With no other choice, he turned and raised his blade to fight. After hacking off one Sichuan soldier's arm, Zhang Xianzhong was stabbed in the thigh and ribs by successive spear thrusts. He let out a wild roar, desperately chopped through several spear shafts, then swept his blade in a wide arc to drive back the government troops who were closing in to take him alive. Reversing the blade, he slashed it across his own neck, severing the main artery. Blood gushed forth. Zhang Xianzhong released his grip, let the blade fall, and slowly collapsed to the ground, his breath gone. Thus did a great bandit chief of the age utterly perish.

The few remaining trusted men, seeing Zhang Xianzhong die by his own hand, threw down their weapons one by one and knelt weeping, begging to surrender. Chitian Hu wailed aloud.

Lu Xiangsheng stood at the foot of Fangcheng Mountain with a grave expression, watching the government troops conducting their large-scale search of the mountain in silence. Fang Kongzhao, the Huguang Governor who had just arrived with his forces from Xiangyang Prefecture, and Song Zushun, the Yunyang Governor, were conversing in low voices behind him.

Generals Zu Kuan, Yang Maogong, Qin Yiming, Lu Xiangtong, and others were gathered not far away discussing something, with Zu Kuan's hearty laughter occasionally breaking out from the group.

This time, no matter what, the Xi'an bandit must not be allowed to slip away—otherwise he would flee elsewhere and continue to wreak havoc upon the Great Ming, and the court would again have to expend vast sums of money, grain, and supplies to hunt him down.

Though he had been somewhat careless this time, apart from the bandits who had broken out from the East Wall, most of the remaining roving bandits were either dead or had surrendered.

The Xi'an bandit was indeed cunning and ruthless. Fortunately, Zu Kuan had reacted swiftly and cut a bloody path straight through, allowing Qin Yiming's Sichuan troops to catch up to the bandits in time. Had they waited until the panicked civilians were gathered and settled, the bandits would likely have been beyond pursuit, and the Xi'an bandit might well have slipped away.

Lu Xiangsheng withdrew from his thoughts and turned to the two men conversing behind him: "Did Governor Song bring any grain and fodder on the way here? This time, the principal and deputy magistrates of both Zhushan and Zhuxi counties gave their lives for the state, and the grain within the cities was plundered clean by the roving bandits. The people of both places urgently need grain for relief. I will of course submit a memorial to the court explaining this matter. Your Excellency the Governor must handle the post-war affairs promptly and properly, and must on no account allow the people to suffer hunger and cold after the scourge of war and become refugees. This is of the utmost importance—Governor Song must not take it lightly, or you will bear the consequences yourself!"

Hearing this, Song Zushun's expression turned somewhat awkward. He clasped his hands and replied: "This subordinate will send men to Yunyang Prefecture to transfer grain shortly. Please rest assured, Grand Secretary Lu. Both counties fall under this subordinate's jurisdiction, and I will handle the aftermath properly!"

Lu Xiangsheng had already been granted the title of Grand Secretary—this was no mere temporary appointment like that of a Commander-General. A Grand Secretary already possessed the qualifications to enter the Grand Secretariat. Given the military merits Lu Xiangsheng had established as a civil official, his eventual entry into the Grand Secretariat would be a natural progression. Though Song Zushun burned with jealousy inwardly, he dared not behave with the same rudeness as last time.

Lu Xiangsheng nodded and said with a smile to Fang Kongzhao: "Senior Fang has rendered extraordinary service this time—inducing Liu Guoneng to surrender and capturing in one stroke the great bandit Luo Rucai and his ilk who had long plagued Henan and Huguang. Such merit leaves even this Lu in the dust, hehe!"

Fang Kongzhao was secretly pleased with himself, but outwardly he maintained an air of casual indifference. He clasped his hands slightly and said: "A trifling merit is hardly worth mentioning. Compared to the achievements Grand Secretary Lu has built over years of campaigning, it is nothing at all. This time, if the Xi'an bandit has been killed, there will be no more great bandits causing chaos within our Great Ming. No one will be able to match Grand Secretary Lu's accomplishments, and when you enter the Grand Secretariat on the strength of your military merits, I doubt anyone will dare question it, hehe!"

Lu Xiangsheng said dismissively: "This Lu has been deeply favored by the imperial grace. Since the second year of Chongzhen, when I gathered troops to fight the bandits, I have long placed life and death beyond consideration. I wish only to serve my country with my body and restore to the people of the Great Ming a place of peace and stability as soon as possible. As for how high an office I might hold, I have never given it a thought—that was never my original intention!"

His frank and open-hearted words did not move Fang Kongzhao or Song Zushun in the least. Both secretly sneered: If you didn't want high office, why would you fight so desperately? The Great Ming has countless civil and military officials—do you think that without you, Lu Xiangsheng, no one else could suppress the roving bandits? It's just that you're desperate to climb to a high position, which is why you lead troops to fight bandits and win merit.

The two clasped their hands to Lu Xiangsheng simultaneously and said: "Grand Secretary's great righteousness—this subordinate admires it!"

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose from the south, and several horsemen came galloping from the distance. Still dozens of paces from Lu Xiangsheng and the others, the lead rider shouted at the top of his voice: "Commander! Great news! The Xi'an bandit has been killed on Mount Luo Ying!"