Chapter 1174: Going Hunting

The government troops heading from Fengyang Prefecture toward Qingjiangpu had their every movement completely under the control of Zhao's Camp. In fact, the moment the Fengyang troops began to move, word was already being urgently reported to Zhao's Camp. The government troops' plan was thoroughly conventional — they never expected their infantry to achieve a surprise attack, merely sending the cavalry ahead to harass. Who could have imagined it would end like this? By now, news of the government cavalry's defeat and destruction probably still hasn't gotten out.

"... The Fengyang government troops camped at Linhuai for two days, and only broke camp and marched after Fengyang sent someone to urge them..." This intelligence left Zhao Jin and his subordinates not knowing whether to laugh or cry. The Central Capital Fengyang is where the imperial tombs are located, and because of feng shui regulations it has no city walls. Linhuai County is the closest to the Central Capital and serves as the local administrative seat — yet Linhuai County is less than ten li from the Central Capital Fengyang, the same relationship as Qingjiangpu and Shanyang, the seat of Huai'an Prefecture. These troops might as well not have moved at all.

The reason for their hesitation and dawdling was easy to understand. Every military force in the Jiangbei region of the Southern Metropolitan Area had suffered losses at the hands of Zhao's Camp — and suffered badly. The government cavalry, at least, were the elite of each unit, with courage and confidence, and they were fast and mobile; if they couldn't win, they could flee. But the infantry normally lacked both rations and pay, and most of them spent their time farming and laboring for the powerful families of the Central Capital Fengyang. What morale could troops like that possibly have? How could they dare advance boldly?

Yet the pressure from the Central Capital Fengyang was intense. No matter how unwilling they were, they had to trudge forward step by step. Zhao Jin could figure out the reason: the Grand Supervisor of Grain Transport and Fengyang Defense Eunuch Cui Wensheng was a trusted confidant of Wei Zhongxian. He was surely deeply involved in this matter, very likely one of the masterminds, so of course he would keep a tight watch.

The mounted contingent led by Zhao Jin set out from Wujiadun west of Qingjiangpu, traveling westward along the southern shore of Hongze Lake, passing Gaoliangjian and then Zhoujiaqiao, before entering the territory of Fengyang Prefecture. This area was actually where the borders of three prefectures — Fengyang, Huai'an, and Yangzhou — met, and it was also the only route from the south of Huai'an Prefecture into Fengyang Prefecture. Where there were waterways there were riverbank roads; if you didn't follow the shore of Hongze Lake and the Huai River, mountains blocked the way both north and south.

A mounted contingent of this scale truly didn't need to worry about much. When light cavalry went back and forth delivering messages, Xuyi County had wanted to see what was going on. But by the time Zhao's Camp's large force of mounted retainers appeared, Xuyi County's gates were tightly shut. The runners and able-bodied men inside the city were all mobilized onto the walls, trembling as they prepared to defend the city, just watching as Zhao's Camp's mounted contingent passed by the city. Only when they realized the other side wasn't attacking did they breathe a sigh of relief.

The magistrate of Xuyi County did have some backbone. Seeing Zhao's Camp's large force of cavalry pass by, he opened the city gates and intended to dispatch capable men from the county to ride out and deliver the news. They were sent out in the daytime; the next day, the horses were found carrying corpses back to the city gate. The entire city was chilled to the bone with terror and dared make no further moves.

"Master Jin, the Fengyang government troops are still twenty li from Fushan. They'll likely camp there tonight."

"After the sun sets, march another half a shichen, then rest and prepare. We'll set out early tomorrow — we should be able to charge straight into their camp!" Zhao Jin gave the order.

Within the overall young brigades of Zhao's Camp, the mounted retainers were older on average, and their origins were more varied than those of the brigades. Though not as motley a mix as the Internal Guard, compared to the pike and firearm retainers, the mounted retainers were very steady and had greater tenacity. Moreover, Zhao's Camp's training and discipline had worn away their laxness and underworld air, leaving only fighting spirit and killing intent.

"No chatting — we have to rise early tomorrow!" Xu Yong said in a muffled voice. The hushed whispers inside the tent stopped at once. Xu Yong cleared his throat dryly and glanced back at Zhao Jin. The few of them, the grand company commanders, were accompanying Zhao Jin on a night patrol of the camp. They had thought everyone would be able to sleep early, but never expected that all that steadiness was nowhere to be seen — plenty of people couldn't sleep and were talking.

Over there, Bayin quickened his pace a few steps, lifted a tent flap, and cursed viciously. It was much the same up ahead. Although the grand company commanders were very tense, Zhao Jin didn't seem bothered, a relaxed smile on his face. He shook his head and said, "I thought you'd all be able to sleep. Didn't expect you're just like the lads in the brigades."

Seeing his attitude, everyone laughed awkwardly along. After walking a bit further, Bayin finally said in a muffled voice, "Master, we've all been pent up too long. Now that we're about to strike and fight, every one of us is overjoyed."

Bayin was of Mongol origin from the grasslands, straightforward by nature. Tao Gui and Xu Yong coughed and hurriedly shot him looks, but in the dark of night, the lantern light wasn't enough to make their glances clear. Zhao Jin didn't seem to notice this; he simply gazed at the night sky and said, "A blade unused will rust, a man unused will grow slack. It is time to move about."

Zhao Jin's stance immediately stirred excitement in everyone. But after a moment of silence, Zhao Jin sighed and said, "I didn't want to move this fast, but they couldn't hold back. It's truly laughable — did they think they could come and go as they pleased?"

These words were hard to grasp, but no one pursued them further.

"Is today New Year's?" A voice came from a nearby tent, and was immediately silenced by a vicious bark from Tao Gui. But afterward, everyone seemed a bit lost in thought. Zhao Jin laughed and said, "Is it the first day of the new year right now? I'd forgotten all about it!"

"This fight is far more interesting than New Year's!" Bayin couldn't help saying. A moment of silence, then everyone burst into raucous laughter.

Early the next morning, before the sky was even light, the retainers on duty began cooking. They drew water from the Huai River and boiled it, then added the fodder and provisions they carried to cook into a thick gruel. After that, the retainers of each company rose to feed the horses and bustle about. The mounted retainers' pay and rations were double those of ordinary retainers, and the toil was about the same. They had to tend to their mounts, feeding and caring for them — one more chore on top of their drills.

"Bayin, take three hundred riders and go ahead. Use the methods you used on the grasslands. I'm not asking you to kill the enemy, just to tie down that unit of government troops until we arrive to annihilate them. Remember — not a single one is to escape!" Zhao Jin instructed.

Bayin acknowledged loudly. The several hundred riders he led were mostly of Mongol tribal origin, all grassland horse-bandits and captives sent over by Wang Ziyang. Frontal assault and slaughter were not their strength, but harassing and entangling — that they had a natural gift for. Even the veteran mounted brigands recruited by Zhao's Camp were no match for them.

Once the acknowledgment was given, several hundred riders mounted up, broke away from the main force, and galloped toward Fushan. They had been gone for about half a shichen when Zhao Jin's side finished their own preparations. The retainers helped each other don their armor, then swapped the loads on the horses and gave their mounts extra feed. Today's battle would require a charge at full gallop — the horses' strength would certainly be heavily taxed.

With all preparations complete, the main force struck camp and mounted up. Tao Gui and Xu Yong came over to Zhao Jin's side, awaiting his orders. Zhao Jin laughed and said, "We mustn't underestimate the enemy, but this time I'll say something flippant — we're going hunting!"

Hearing this, Tao Gui and Xu Yong were stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. They clasped their fists in salute, turned, and returned to their own units.

The mounted retainers remaining in the camp had all finished their preparations. Zhao Jin mounted up first, and the company commanders and squad commanders all issued their orders. Voices shouted, horses neighed, armor clanged. Zhao Jin surveyed the force with satisfaction, nodded to Sun Dalin beside him, and Sun Dalin waved the banner in his hand. The main force began to advance.

It was deep winter, the roads frozen hard, and it was also the first month of the new year, during the Spring Festival. Everyone was at home celebrating the new year, and there were hardly any traveling merchants or wayfarers on the roads. Besides, Fengyang Prefecture had always been a poor, desolate backwater with a sparse population. On the official road, only Zhao's Camp's mounted contingent raced along, vast and mighty like a long dragon on the march.

After riding for one shichen, everyone dismounted. Equipment and supplies had all been packed and sorted; they could switch between the two horses at any time. Just then, a light cavalryman arrived with an urgent report, saying that up ahead, the three hundred light cavalry led by Bayin had already routed the thousand-odd government troops and were now gathering the prisoners, waiting for Zhao Jin to come and make arrangements.

When the news from the front came back, Tao Gui and Xu Yong were both at Zhao Jin's side listening. Upon hearing this, even the personal guards busy around them showed no relaxed expressions; instead, looks of regret and unwillingness appeared on their faces. Zhao Jin smiled and shook his head. When it was time to mount up, he said to Niu Jinbao, "Always sharpening the blades, but these blades are frantic for lack of blood. I saw it today."

Niu Jinbao laughed and said, "Master speaks true. Though I don't understand much, our three hundred elite cavalry dealing with a thousand-odd government infantry is already using a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken!"

The main force thus arrived at the foot of Fushan. The place where the fighting had occurred was a village beside the official road near the mountain. Bayin had long since arranged for his men to meet them outside. When they were led in, the faces of the captured government soldiers and the villagers were utterly drained of color. Many were trembling uncontrollably. Who could have imagined such a display of force, so many armored warriors arriving? Among the government troops in their tattered uniforms, some actually burst into tears — not from fear, but from relief.

"Thank heaven we surrendered, otherwise we wouldn't even have had whole corpses left. Thank heaven we surrendered!" The words came out through sobs, filling the men around Zhao Jin with disgust. Even Bayin, who had come to greet them, showed little joy in victory.

This bunch of government troops that had set out from Fengyang had not only marched slowly, but had no discipline whatsoever. When they halted for the night, they didn't even have the sense to set up a camp; they just wanted to barge into the village to rest. The village, of course, was on strict defense, with village braves and able-bodied men all up on the walls holding weapons. Seeing they couldn't crack this nut, the government troops camped against the village walls — and still demanded the village provide wine and meat as tribute.

No defensive fieldworks were prepared. The few officers in charge had drunk themselves into a stupor. Everyone warmed themselves by the fires and slept — but no sentries were posted in the distance. When those three hundred light cavalry came charging in, chaos erupted instantly. The battalion commander leading the unit tried to mount up and flee under his personal guards' protection, but two were shot down in pursuit. He immediately dismounted, knelt, and surrendered. The rest were rounded up by the mounted retainers — not a single one escaped.

By this point, the villagers inside the stockade had grown afraid instead. They could clearly see the disparity between a thousand-odd government infantry and three hundred elite cavalry. And seeing that the newcomers had no intention of breaching the stockade to plunder, they quickly sent some people out to parley, prepared to offer silver, wine, and meat in exchange for safety. If nothing else, these three hundred newly arrived light cavalry had plenty of bows — this stockade would be hard-pressed to hold them off.

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