Chapter 1428: Jianzhou Is the Mantis Stalking the Cicada

On one hand, everyone was instinctively unwilling to believe it; on the other, a vague fear lurked in their hearts. Amid such suspicion and dread, they naturally wanted to band together and press forward — the more people gathered, the greater their sense of security.

When rewards and benefits were dangled right before their eyes, everyone naturally scrambled to be first. When those prizes seemed out of reach, of course they prioritized saving their own skins.

They advanced in this oppressive silence, every man squinting, even their mounts moving at no great speed. The sunlight glaring off the snowfield was truly blinding; riding too fast made it easy to miss things. Before long, the cavalryman at the very front suddenly shouted, "Ahead... there are horses..."

Everyone looked forward. The man who had first spotted them shouted again: "There are men on the horses! They're our own!"

The entire scout and patrol force stirred with agitation. At a time like this, the only ones who could be returning were Hurih and that squad. And to see the horses first, then the men on them — something had definitely gone wrong.

Only a single rider had returned, and he was slumped over his horse. Only when he drew near did everyone see clearly: his body was spattered with blood, several arrows still embedded in his back, the seeping blood already frozen solid.

Everyone who saw this felt a chill in their hearts. The company officers and squad leaders stepped forward while the other cavalrymen spread out — some rode back to signal the approaching comrades to halt, others moved ahead to stand guard.

The returned rider looked gravely wounded, but he was still breathing. Everyone knew how to handle this. Some lit a fire; others carried metal flasks, heating them directly in boiling snowmelt, then pried open the badly wounded man's jaws and poured several gulps down his throat.

The scalding liquor went down, and a trace of color immediately returned to the cavalryman's face. He awoke from his stupor. Hurigen, along with the other headmen, crowded around. Seeing the man regain consciousness, they pressed closer. Some were already questioning him in Jurchen and Mongolian, demanding to know what had happened.

"... walked into an ambush... the enemy had over a hundred riders..."

Haltingly, he spoke the outcome everyone had already guessed, adding that because he had been at the rear of the column, he had managed to flee first.

Already gravely wounded, the gulp of scalding liquor jolted him to brief clarity, but he quickly faded. After only a few words, the man was gone. The gist was clear: they had seen a few enemy riders ambling slowly ahead; Hurih, thinking he had an easy prize, gave chase — only to be ambushed himself, with no time even to flee.

Some of this was spoken aloud, some was pieced together, but the general meaning was the same. The man lay dead, yet those gathered around felt no shock or fury. They exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes they saw excitement and eagerness.

Yesterday, roughly a thousand riders had fanned out, with over two hundred pushing ahead to chase four or five enemies. Now there were still roughly a thousand riders, but the enemy numbered over a hundred. This was a fat prize, and there were rich pickings to be had.

A thousand-odd riders against a hundred-odd — they could not fail to take them. The spoils from over a hundred riders would be shared among all. With the doubled bounty and prospects for promotion, not only would everyone get a share, but the rewards would be genuinely lavish.

And at this stage, there was no need to worry about ambushes. From the freeze until now, scouting patrols had never ceased. Zhao's Army's main cavalry force operated only within a thirty-li radius. If they had pushed out this far, Gaeju Guard City would have gotten word long ago. These hundred-odd riders were very likely the entirety of Zhao's Army's scouts.

They could even deduce more. For instance, the Jianzhou Jurchen army's scouts moved with such overwhelming force that they could hardly avoid detection. Zhao's Army, being fewer in number, found it easier to stay hidden. It was very likely that Zhao's Army's forward scouts had spotted them first, then pulled back — and Hurih, courting death, had chased after them.

As for why Zhao's Army's scouts had not dispersed but instead clustered into over a hundred riders, the reason was simple: on this valley road through hilly terrain, there was no way to spread out. They could only advance in a massed group like this.

Swallow them whole, win a grand opening stroke before the battle — every man thought this with eager relish. Even if Zhao's Army's main cavalry force appeared, they were not afraid. At this distance and in this terrain, a thousand riders against a thousand riders — whom did the Jurchen and Mongol iron cavalry have to fear? It would just be a straight-up hard fight. And in the end, Gaeju Guard's main camp was far closer to here than Fuzhou's encampment. They had several thousand more riders there ready to sortie in support at any moment. Their confidence was rock-solid.

"After them! Avenge our brothers!"

"Slaughter these Han dogs! Vent this foul rage!"

Everyone roared, everyone bellowed in fury, every heart burning with fervor. At worst, they would each get a share of the spoils. With a bit of luck, it meant promotion and riches — wealth enough for generations.

Pursue, pursue. Their efficiency now was far higher than the day before, and each unit was far more united. They swiftly formed up their ranks, abandoned any pretense of dispersal or concealment, and simply advanced in march formation, chasing southward.

They had ridden less than five li when they spotted another lone rider coming back — also one of Hurih's men. This one had fared far better than the first; only his mount had been struck by an arrow, and he had ridden out in the chaos, himself completely unharmed. The information he brought was more detailed than his dying comrade's.

The enemy cavalry was not as weak as they had imagined. Their skill at shooting from horseback was not poor at all. The ambush site was a fork in the road ringed by hills. The moment they had chased them there, enemies emerged from the other roads and boxed them in. A rain of arrows had fallen, and in an instant, more than half their force was lost.

"Seems it's true that Zhao's Army's horse troops include riders from our own grasslands!" someone muttered grimly. Word had long since spread through the Gaeju Guard camp that Zhao's Army was also recruiting cavalry from the steppes. This in itself was nothing strange, since the Ming army's most effective cavalry had always come from the various Mongol tribes.

This news only further inflamed the pursuers, because the second man had brought back confirmed intelligence: the enemy indeed numbered over a hundred riders, and their approximate position relative to here could be fixed. The cavalry now gathered together numbered at least eight hundred. With that numerical advantage, no matter how you looked at it, they would win. It was only a question of how many heads they would take.

Some riders who had traveled this region before roughly calculated: the distance between the two sides was at most five li. There were still twenty li before they exited this hilly area. They could certainly catch them before reaching open ground. Once on the flatlands, Zhao's Army might still have some tricks, but here in these mountains, all they had right now were these hundred-odd riders.

The main force set out. Though they were scouts and patrols, they now moved in battle formation: the main strength in the center, with elite light cavalry probing ahead. The moment they located Zhao's Army's cavalry, they were to report back, and the main force would then accelerate in pursuit.

Before long, they indeed sighted Zhao's Army's cavalry. They met face to face, separated by a few hundred paces. Though the light cavalry used for probing was few in number, Zhao's Army's light cavalry showed not the slightest intention of charging forward. Instead, they immediately turned and fled, as if thoroughly terrified.

To be so timid without even seeing the main cavalry force — the Jianzhou Jurchen forward light cavalry could not help but sneer. They laughed at how Zhao's Army's scouts were pulling the same old trick, probably hoping to lure them into another ambush. But last time, they had lured a lone wolf into the trap. This time, it was a whole pack of wolves — no, a whole pack of tigers.

The forward light cavalry did not give chase immediately. They split into two groups: one shadowed from a distance, the other rode back to report to the main force. When the several hundred riders there heard the news, every man was fired up. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind — these Han dogs thought themselves clever, setting an ambush, never imagining that their grandfathers would turn their own trick against them.

Even better, with snow covering the ground, even a large cavalry force moving at speed would raise no dust, and the ground tremors would be greatly muffled. Many Jurchen and Mongol riders were already picturing the moment they caught up — how those ambushing Han dogs' laughter would turn to tears, and then they would not even be able to cry.

As they accelerated, the vanguard soon caught sight of Zhao's Army's cavalry ahead. They too were fleeing for their lives, but once marked, shaking off pursuit was no easy matter — especially since most Jurchen and Mongol riders had two horses per man, possessed superb riding skills, and could switch mounts at full gallop. With their horses fresh, their confidence in catching them grew by the moment.

The road through the hilly valley was straight and level. The gap of a few hundred paces was steadily closing. The Jianzhou Jurchen forward riders did not pursue too urgently, careful not to startle the "ambushers" ahead into scattering.

"Hurih was greedy for glory — he had it coming. The Han dogs made it so obvious, and he still couldn't see it," the foremost pursuer said with contempt.

Zhao's Army's cavalry "bait" was simply too blatant. Though they put on a show of fleeing for their lives, they seemed terrified the men behind might lose them. Whenever the Jianzhou Jurchen elite forward riders slowed, they would slow as well.

So it went, chasing and fleeing. The Jurchen and Mongol riders shadowing them from behind all wore cold sneers. Go on, play your clever games — we will settle this for real soon enough. After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, they saw the "bait" cavalry ahead suddenly surge in speed, round the bend ahead, and vanish from sight.

The pursuers behind reacted at once. If they were shaking them off now and not before, the ambush had to be just ahead. It was time to call the main force up to spring the trap. Some of the pursuers immediately wheeled their horses and galloped back at full speed, while the rest advanced slowly. At this stage, haste was exactly the wrong move.

Besides those riding back to report, others turned their horses toward the sides of the road. They needed to watch the high ground among the hills. The enemy, setting an ambush, would certainly have posted lookouts. If they could spot these men, they would clear them out. No one wanted any mishap to spoil this golden chance for merit and riches.

The thunder of hooves roared as the main cavalry force came charging up. The men at their head were likewise grinning. Who did not relish toying with prey like this? Watching those Zhao's Army riders think themselves so clever, trying to play these tricks against old hunters of the White Mountains and Black Waters and the steppes — their brains must be broken.

"It's all oak woods. No one on the hilltops. Can't see clearly inside the oak forests."

"You can't hide cavalry in the woods anyway. If there's no one on the hilltops, then there's no one. Everyone get ready — the Han dogs will most likely run the moment they see our numbers. We'll have to chase them a while!" the lead man shouted. The others acknowledged.

Men ahead had already rounded the bend. The turn in the road blocked the line of sight; as long as they kept their distance, they could set up a concealed position. By the Jianzhou Jurchen cavalry's estimate, the ambush could not be far — the only question was exactly how far beyond this bend it lay.