Chapter 245: Surrounding the Camp

Zhao Jin strode over. Reaching them, he said in a deep voice, "From now until dawn, there will likely be large bands of horse bandits and monk soldiers coming — over two hundred riders, nearly a thousand men in total. Their equipment probably won't be much worse than ours."

"How could it not be worse? Even the court's own troops can't outfit that many suits of armor these days."

"Do you want us old fellows to lend a hand? We've still got some use left in us!"

Several old cavalrymen spoke up all at once. Zhao Jin stepped closer but lowered his voice and said, "Uncles, keep this quiet. In a moment, for every man shot dead, I'll pay five taels of silver."

The old cavalrymen were just about to crack a joke when they suddenly froze, each drawing a sharp breath. One stared at Zhao Jin and asked, "Five taels per man?"

"Five taels, in cash!" Zhao Jin answered with absolute certainty. Fighting strength like theirs naturally had to be used — what did silver matter? If he could shoot every enemy dead with arrows alone, he'd gladly pay ten taels a head.

"Has your Zhao family dug up a gold mountain?" one man muttered. But the others had excitement surging even through their wrinkles and shouted, "Today we'll show you what us old hands can do! No, we need to throw up a few platforms first..."

Zhao Jin told them to find Liu Yong to arrange it, then walked over to the Direct Command Squad. The dozen or so men there who could shoot arrows were all waiting. Zhao Jin said bluntly, "Shoot one man dead, one tael of silver as reward."

The dozen-odd archers all paused, then their faces showed they were itching for a fight. They immediately ran off toward the various watchtowers — archers had the easiest time shooting down from height up there. Zhao Jin turned around, about to boost morale, when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head and saw that Zhuang Liu had followed him over.

Because Dong Bingfeng had made a point of introducing him back then, Zhao Jin had a strong impression of this Zhuang Liu. He noticed that Zhuang Liu wasn't using one of the new bows from stores; the bow in his hand was already very old, the bow stave slightly thick, with cloth strips wrapped around the grip. It was decently maintained, though. Zhuang Liu's face showed some unease. He hesitated, then bowed and asked, "Master... Camp Commander... Master, if I should meet with misfortune, will my family still get the death gratuity silver?"

Those words were terribly ill-omened. Zhao Jin immediately frowned, but then he noticed that Zhuang Liu's eyes were very calm. This Zhuang Liu wasn't afraid of death — he was worried about the silver. That was rather interesting.

"All the family elders are inside the city, and there's such a large distillery business. Our Zhao family also comes from a guard post background — you don't need to worry." Zhao Jin answered a few lines, then felt the bad omen was unlucky. He spat on the ground and said with a smile, "Don't fret over useless things. Put your strength into earning more reward silver..."

Before he could finish, he heard someone on one of the side watchtowers shout at the top of his lungs, heart-wrenching: "They're here! They're here!"

Even as he shouted, the man grabbed the brass gong beside him and struck it fiercely. Zhao Jin hurried a few steps, scrambling up the watchtower using both hands and feet. In the northeast direction, a vast cloud of dust had already risen, and the vague shapes of galloping cavalry could be seen.

There had been no snow or rain in Xuzhou since the new year, and the ground was very dry. A large force of cavalry charging would certainly kick up sky-filling dust. Zhao Jin frowned and watched for a while, then signaled the man beside him to stop beating the gong. Zhao Jin did not descend from the watchtower but instead shouted down from his high vantage point: "The enemy is about to arrive. I know you're afraid. I only want to tell you this: win, and you live; lose, and you die!"

Silence fell over the field, so quiet that one could hear the cries of children coming from inside the He residence, and the increasingly close thunder of hoofbeats in the distance.

Everyone had expected Zhao Jin to deliver a rousing, impassioned speech. They never imagined he would speak so bluntly. A slight stir rippled through the ranks below, but it quickly subsided. Flustered as they were, afraid as they were, they had not yet broken. Everyone understood clearly — their Camp Commander master was speaking the plain truth. Defeat meant death; victory meant life. Then they could only fight with everything they had.

Inside and outside the city of Xuzhou were two different worlds. Within the prefectural seat and the four county towns, the king's law held sway. No matter how wildly or arrogantly one acted, one always needed a reason, always needed a cover. Otherwise, the officials and constables would arrest and prosecute you — even if you got free, you'd shed a layer of skin. But outside the city, it was a world of blades and spears. If the common folk didn't report it, the officials didn't pursue it. As long as no one filed a case and made a fuss, you could stir up trouble as big as the sky and no one would care. And making sure no one reported it was the simplest thing — just kill them all. How many people had their entire families silently wiped out outside the city just like that?

"Everyone, in wartime, military law takes precedence! Each squad obeys only its squad leader's orders! Those who move without orders — executed without mercy! Those who spout nonsense to incite panic — executed without mercy! Those who flee the line of battle — executed without mercy!" Zhao Jin roared.

The Zhao Character Camp were originally household retainers. Zhao Jin had always avoided mentioning anything related to "military" or "soldiers" because it was taboo. But having come outside the city, and at a moment of crisis, he could no longer worry about such details.

The reason for emphasizing military law was not out of concern for breaches of military discipline, but to grant each squad leader the authority to kill on the spot if necessary. Because it was very likely that spies sent by others were hidden within the squads. If trouble broke out at the critical moment, it had to be suppressed immediately.

"Each man hold his assigned position!" Zhao Jin bellowed.

Those carrying bows climbed up the watchtowers. The several old cavalrymen also took their bows and mounted the makeshift platforms. Below, the veteran squads and recruit squads each took responsibility for a section of wall. Quite a few men withdrew back into the barracks buildings, because the courtyard space was limited and enough room to maneuver had to be kept clear — they just needed to be ready to move at any time.

Zhao Jin stood on the watchtower without coming down. The sun had already shifted west. Fortunately, the large cavalry force was charging from the northeast, so the sunlight would not affect their line of sight.

The charge of the large cavalry force halted when they reached a position about one li from He Village. At that moment, from within He Village, which had long been under curfew, several dozen people actually ran out from various places and went before that cavalry force. From a distance, one could see these several dozen people pointing and gesturing in the direction of the He family compound.

Zhao Jin spat, then crouched down from the watchtower. An archer immediately took his place. After coming down, Zhao Jin climbed onto a temporarily built wooden platform. That platform was fairly large and sturdily constructed. Chen Sheng and Dong Bingfeng were both on it, observing.

"There really are quite a few of those bastard spies in the village," Chen Sheng said sullenly.

"I actually think our luck's not bad. They wanted to catch us off guard, so the mounted men charged over first. The main force of Cloud Mountain Monastery's monk soldiers should still be behind. If they'd come together, we'd be in much bigger trouble right now." Zhao Jin actually had a hint of a smile on his face. Dong Bingfeng silently nocked an arrow onto his bowstring.

"Everyone duck back down! Only stand and shoot after the gong sounds! Duck back down at the second gong strike! Anyone who's slow to duck down will be dealt with by family law!" Zhao Jin recalled the experiences his second uncle had recounted, along with insights from his own reflections, and roared at the men throughout the compound.

"Men on the watchtowers, keep a sharp eye! No striking the gong until they're close enough to shoot dead!" Zhao Jin walked and shouted as he descended. Those experiences and theories, along with his own insights, could not be applied wholesale. Zhao Jin had to adapt on the fly and tailor his approach to the circumstances.

The houses and buildings outside the He family compound all had their gates tightly shut. The streets were empty of people. Wooden barricades were set up at the intersections, and trenches had been dug — effectively adding another layer of obstacles outside the compound walls. But with only a single day's labor, the results could not be too impressive. The trenches were somewhat troublesome for a man to cross, but a horse could leap over them with ease. Moreover, the trenches were not deep; falling in would at most cause some pain.

What would truly cause trouble were the inverted-triangle wooden chevaux-de-frise. These wooden frames were easy to build, so they had made a great many in one go. Now they were placed everywhere outside the compound walls. Never mind a cavalry charge — even walking on foot was not very convenient.

Zhao Jin glanced a few times, felt reassured, and came down, thinking these things would at least hinder the enemy somewhat. But after a couple of steps, he suddenly cursed. Liu Yong, following beside him, was startled, but Zhao Jin did not explain. He had just suddenly realized that those unmanned chevaux-de-frise outside not only blocked the cavalry but also created trouble for his own side.

But there was no time to go out and rearrange them now. Suddenly, a great roar of shouts rose from outside, hoofbeats thundered — the enemy had already begun their charge.

"The horse bandits are charging toward the north gate! They're not riding fast — looks like they're forming ranks!" someone on one of the side watchtowers shouted loudly.

"The men in front — some are taking out bows, some are taking out ropes. Looks like a detachment split off and went into the village..." The man on the watchtower spoke quickly and his voice was not low. What was rare was that his enunciation and description were both very clear.

Zhao Jin, who was tense, couldn't help but laugh. He said, "Who is that? He sees so clearly and speaks so fluently — it's a real shame he's not doing storytelling performances."

"Yan Qianli. He was also the one who spotted the campfire going out last night," Liu Yong beside him said, his memory for names and faces sharp.

The cavalry outside was not moving fast. The rumbling noise could not drown out the shouting inside. Zhao Jin strained his throat and yelled upward, "Don't rush to strike the gong! Wait until the enemy surrounds the compound, then strike it! Do you hear me? Wave your hand if you hear me!"

The man above, Yan Qianli, was stunned at first, then reacted. Zhao Jin then gave orders to the squads standing by in the courtyard: "Take cover behind the barricades! No exposing your heads without orders!"

Simple barricades made from door planks and bed frames draped with cotton quilts stood in the middle of the courtyard. Hearing this, the soldiers all hid behind them. Only Zhao Jin and his companions, wearing their iron armor, fastened their face guards and continued to move about, urging and supervising.

"Little thief Zhao Jin! Hand over all your money and goods! Leave behind all your men and equipment, and we'll let you go home to suck on candy!" someone outside yelled in a bizarre, mocking tone. Immediately, a burst of jeering laughter erupted.

The men on the watchtowers all crouched low. The outward-facing sides of the watchtowers had planks nailed onto them, making them perfect for taking cover.

"Probably scared pissless by now!" Hearing the silence inside, someone outside shouted again, followed by another wave of unbridled laughter.

The thundering hoofbeats, the unbridled taunts, the reckless laughter — they made the household troops in the courtyard begin to stir restlessly. But Zhao Jin and his companions, no matter where they were — standing in the courtyard or on the walls and watchtowers — all stood quietly. Seeing their leaders so composed, the men felt much more at ease.

"They're about to shoot arrows!" Yan Qianli on the watchtower shouted.

The words had barely left his mouth when sharp whistling sounds rang out. A dozen or so arrows arced over the wall and scattered down into the courtyard. Because the high wall blocked the view, those outside could not see the situation within, so it was just blind volley fire. Since there were spies inside the village, they surely knew the situation in the compound — several hundred men inside preparing to fight, surely in dense formation. A shower of arrows falling down was bound to cause some casualties.

No one could have imagined that Zhao Jin had made sufficiently thorough preparations. Of the dozen-odd arrows fired in the volley, half landed on open ground. Only three struck the barricades, and some landed on the rooftops. Only one was a fluke — it actually headed straight for Chen Sheng. The arrow was fast, and Chen Sheng had no time to dodge. He simply crossed his arms to protect his face. "Clang!" The arrowhead struck Chen Sheng's chest, but only left a shallow dent on his breastplate before falling directly to the ground.

Armor as all-encompassing as an iron barrel — its protection was truly astonishing. Seeing their leader like this, the household troops' morale soared. Unexpectedly, at that very moment, a scream of agony rang out within the courtyard.

The household troops in the courtyard were already extremely tense. The recruit squads had all withdrawn into the barracks. Those standing outside were all men from the veteran squads. But even these well-trained veteran household troops — few had ever truly witnessed a scene of slaughter. As the arrows whistled in, many men's bodies went rigid. This was the same reaction Zhao Jin and the others had when ambushed on the official road. Had the barricades not been set up in advance, there truly would have been many casualties.

Seeing that everyone was unharmed, their tension and rigid bodies had just barely begun to relax. Who could have expected to hear this scream of agony? Many men could not keep hold of their weapons, which dropped straight to the ground.

What everyone expected even less was that the scream actually came from Zhao Jin! Some of the household troops began to tremble uncontrollably. The companions scattered in various places were even more violently shaken and hurriedly turned their heads.

Immediately, everyone was even more dumbfounded. Hearing Zhao Jin's scream, they all rushed to look. As they looked, many suddenly realized — Master Zhao had not been hit by any arrow at all. What was that scream about?

Zhao Jin lifted his face guard. Waving his hand, his face completely expressionless, he continued to cry out in pain. As he cried out, he walked among the crowd, letting everyone see that he was perfectly unharmed.

His companions and the household troops were all utterly stupefied. Watching Zhao Jin's movements, which showed no sign of injury, his face betraying no pain — what was he shouting for here? Wasn't this just sowing panic?

Zhao Jin had already walked up to one of the barricades. He stretched out a hand and pointed at a household trooper, saying in a low voice, "Shout in pain with me. While shouting, say you've been hit by an arrow!"

That household trooper paused, then immediately began shouting at the top of his lungs. Since Zhao Jin had singled him out by name, this man was a quick-witted one and understood right away. Zhao Jin walked and pointed as he moved through the field, selecting eight men in total. For a moment, behind the barricades in the courtyard, cries of agony rose one after another, chilling to the heart.

With the earlier tension causing weapons to drop, plus the current chorus of screams, anyone who could not see the situation inside the courtyard would certainly think the casualties within were devastatingly heavy.

From beyond the high wall, arrogant laughter already rang out. Someone even strained his voice to shout: "Little brats who don't know shit! Think hiding in a courtyard means Grandpa can't do anything to you? Be good and open the gates to come out — Grandpa will give you a way to live!"

What they didn't see were the expressions on the faces of everyone inside Zhao Character Camp behind those high walls — every single one of them looked bizarre. If Zhao Jin's face hadn't been so deathly stern, plenty of them would have burst out laughing. The ones hiding in the barracks, the new recruits, kept poking their heads out to steal glances, and their faces looked terrible, because they had no idea what was happening outside.

"Ignore the ones who got hit — everyone else, stay hidden!" Zhao Jin stood at the base of the wall, shouting hoarsely, then stamped his foot hard. At his signal, the men around him stamped their feet too. To anyone outside, it sounded exactly like panicked footsteps scrambling in confusion, desperate to take cover.

Before his words had even faded, the air-tearing whistle came again. Another dozen-plus arrows shot in. By now everyone was far less tense, dodging even more promptly, and no one was hit. But this time the angle of the incoming arrows had shifted, clearly aimed more toward the center of the courtyard. Thud after muffled thud rang out — many arrows embedded themselves in the barricades, but sinking into soaked cotton quilts, the sound was very much like arrows striking human flesh.

Watching Zhao Jin's hand signals, many didn't even need to be told. All kinds of agonized screams erupted, the inside turning raucously lively. A few with especially quick wits let their screams trail from loud to faint, mimicking the sound of life ebbing away.

"That first volley was to test our strength. Now they'll be looking down on us. You keep an eye on things below — I'm going up for a look." Zhao Jin said this to Chen Sheng, then pulled a four-foot short spear from the weapon rack leaning against the wall and made his way along the base of the wall to the watchtower.

The wooden platform of the watchtower rose just above the top of the wall. The outward-facing side was fully shielded with thick planks, and climbing up from inside couldn't be seen from outside. Zhao Jin, short spear in hand, climbed up with stiff, clumsy movements. Wearing a full suit of iron armor, he was certainly not as agile as usual.

Two men stood on this side's watchtower. One was Yan Qianli, who had been ceaselessly "live-broadcasting" the situation outside the wall. The other was Zhuang Liu. All the archers had been posted on the makeshift wooden platforms — those allowed one to stay fully concealed behind the wall. But the watchtower's platform was exposed above the wall, making it feel unsafe. Only two archers had gone up onto the watchtower: one was Zhuang Liu, and the other was Dong Bingfeng.

When Zhao Jin climbed up from behind, both men on the wooden platform jumped in fright. Fortunately, they hadn't skimped on materials when building the platform — it was sturdy enough.

Both men on the platform were huddled behind the shield boards. Yan Qianli had already stopped talking, peering out through a crack, trembling with fear. Zhao Jin pushed him aside without ceremony, squeezed in to look for himself, and said, "Get ready to strike the gong."

From the watchtower, the outside was clearly visible. To the east of the He family compound lay a large stretch of open ground, though a trench had already been dug between that open ground and the compound wall. The horse troop that had come from afar was on this open ground, their formation very spread out. West of the Yan family compound was the distillery, north of it were the storehouses, and to the south was a very broad street — the main gate also faced that direction.

When a horse troop encircles a camp, they always start by riding in circles and shooting arrows in, aiming to unsettle the camp's morale until it collapses on its own, or waiting until the moment chaos and collapse set in before launching a direct assault.

Expecting these men to dismount and attack head-on from the start was impossible. A small force storming a well-manned camp on foot — that was sheer madness, even though the horse troop before them looked outrageously arrogant.

The feigned screams in the courtyard had gradually died down, but outside, no more arrows came flying in. A dozen or so riders merely spread out, bows drawn and arrows nocked. Instead, a few cavalrymen were swinging rope-and-claw grapples in their hands. After spinning them a few more turns, they let out a shout and hurled them forward.

Wooden barricades and chevaux-de-frise lay scattered haphazardly across the intersection. The flying claws, once thrown, couldn't miss — they latched on firmly. After securing them, those cavalrymen hitched the ropes to their saddle horns, wheeled their horses around one after another, and the wooden barricades blocking the intersection were simply dragged aside. The road was clear in an instant.