Book 22 Chapter 7 – Ambushing Troops’ Secret Crossing
Bai Wenyuan took a map, drawn on silk cloth, and spread it out on a makeshift crude wooden table setup by the command tent. As if by prior agreement, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling and Xuan Yong immediately stooped down to examine it carefully.
Pointing to a big mountain range spanning diagonally across the map, Xuan Yong said, “This must be Dahong Mountain. Even the mountain roads are listed clearly. This is the first time that I see such a meticulous map.”
Kou Zhong’s sharp eyes caught a line of small characters on the corner of the map; he read, “Respectfully made by Bai Wenyuan. Ha! Turns out Bai Xiong is an expert in drawing map. Apologies for failing to venerate.”
Bai Wenyuan modestly declined, “It’s just a minor art handed down in my family, it can’t be considered anything.”
Sighing with admiration, Xu Ziling said, “The writing brush Bai Xiong used must be stiffer than ordinary writing brush tip, otherwise, how could you draw such fine lines? Plus there are many kinds of color, it is nice-looking and pleasing to the eye.”
Slapping the table in praise, Kou Zhong said, “The most awesome thing is that it won’t discolor; the ink must be very special.”
Seeing that his hand-painted map received so much appreciation, Bai Wenyuan’s mood was somewhat better; he cheerfully said, “All Zaixia’s ancestors were geography masters; we studied Fengshui and Five-Element meticulously, therefore, since childhood I followed my humble father going everywhere to survey mountain and river terrain, and drew it for the record. Only I’ve never thought that in the future it would find itself for military use.”
Xuan Yong said, “From here to Flying Horse Ranch, there are at least a hundred different routes, plus we have Bai Xiong, who is familiar with the mountain and river terrain, leading the way. What are we afraid of?”
Smiling ruefully, Bai Wenyuan said, “Because of the Dahong Mountain and several big rivers separating east and west, in reality there are only five routes in the interior of the mountain, plus two routes north and south of Dahong Mountain. The worst part is that the setup of the sentry locations was all designed by Zaixia, no matter how we try to conceal our track, it will be difficult to escape the opponent’s eyes and ears. Ay! It’s all my fault!”
Proud of himself, Kou Zhong said, “If we do not go to the Flying Horse Ranch, but go straight to Yiling instead, what do you think?”
Bai Wenyuan dejectedly said, “That is worse. Xiao Xian already ordered Dong Jingzhen, he knew from the war two gentlemen waged against Li Mi that gentlemen can effectively use ambushing troops, therefore, there is a great possibility that you might launch surprise attack to Yiling, hence they are already prepared to guard against this. Furthermore, the only route to Yiling from here is by way of Chang Jiang [Yangzte River]; it will be more easily exposed.”
Xu Ziling asked, “Does Bai Xiong know the route An Long and Zhu Mei took to return to Han’s interior?”
Bai Wenyuan’s pair of eyes flashed coldly, he also replied coldly, “Naturally via Chang Jiang; this way they won’t have to be afraid that Fu Gongyou might overtake them.”
Kou Zhong’s spirit greatly aroused, he asked, “How many ships do they have?”
Bai Wenyuan replied, “Their fleet consists of ten wine-transporting ships; we came here disguised as cargo ships transporting wine. The fleet should still remain on the crossing dock west side of Tong’an, pretending to wait for the shipment of the raw material to make wine, while actually we are waiting for An Long.”
Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, “This is called the Heaven is helping me. Now we must immediately hasten to hit the road; before An Long and that poisonous woman’s arrival, we’ll take possession on those ten wine-transporting ships, and then we’ll execute the ‘secretly crossing the Wei Riber at Chencang’ stratagem [idiom: refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang against Xiang Yu], using them to advance to our destination.”
Xuan Yong accepted the order and hurried out to notify the other generals.
Emotionally moved, Bai Wenyuan said, “Shao Shuai, please uphold justice for Wenyuan.”
Wrapping his arm around Bai Wenyuan’s shoulder, Kou Zhong said, “Bai Xiong, don’t worry. What I am afraid of is that at that time, you will still find it difficult to abandon old feeling.”
‘Pei!’ Bai Wenyuan spat, and spoke with a cold snort, “Even if that poisonous woman cut me up into ten thousand pieces, I will not knit half my brow.”
Xu Ziling said, “Killing Zhu Mei is easy, but An Long’s martial art skill is no small matter; if he slips out of our net, he might spoil our plan big time.”
Kou Zhong nodded and said, “Hence we must really plan it well before making any move; we will setup a large and tight net so that An Long will not have any door from which he could escape.”
Bai Wenyuan was silent for half a day; finally he shook his head and said, “My bad; there is no reason for you to risk your lives for me, it is also not worth it for me to take this risk for the sake of this cheap s1ut. As soon as we get the ships, we will head west immediately. A gentleman wants to take revenge, ten years is not too late. Let An Long and that cheap s1ut fall into emptiness, with Fu Gongyou’s pursuing troops behind them. That can already make me extremely happy.”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, “Very well! In short, I, Kou Zhong, guarantee that I will wipe Bai Xiong’s deep enmity clean. How’s Bai Xiong’s spirit? We are still relying on you to lead the way!”
This moment their men arrived leading their horses. Bai Wenyuan flew up the horseback and said with a laugh, “As soon as I remember that cheap s1ut, my vitality rose up a hundredfold; two gentlemen please be at ease.”
Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Xuan Yong and Bai Wenyuan jumped down their horses, and flew up to the top of a hill. Under the moon and the starlight, about half a li down below they saw the rippling waves of the Yangtze River. Moored on the crossing-dock were seven medium-sized sailing boats, with no light at all.
“Thank Heaven and thank the Earth,” Kou Zhong said, “Bai Xiong is indeed a geographical expert, so we can catch up ahead of that pair of dog man and woman. But why seven ships instead of ten?”
Bai Wenyuan shook his head and said, “I am not sure. Perhaps the other three are on another mission!”
“Who’s guarding the boats?” Xu Ziling asked.
“All of them are An Long’s men,” Bai Wenyuan replied, “We must kill them all, lest they leak the news.”
Noticing Xu Ziling’s eyebrows were immediately furrowed, Kou Zhong hastily said, “That is too cruel and heartless; as long as we can capture them all alive, we can set them free in some deserted riverbank. Even if they wanted to, it would be difficult for them to transmit the news, only homing pigeons will be faster than we are.”
Stunned, Bai Wenyuan said, “Shao Shuai’s style of work is certainly entirely different from Zhu Can, father and daughter. Ay!”
Trying to console him, Xuan Yong said, “Our people are ready, the most urgent thing is to survey what’s ahead of us.”
Turning to Kou Zhong, he said, “At the Yellow River, several times has subordinate led my men to attack enemy ships moored on the riverbank. Shao Shuai only need to set the time of the attack, I guarantee that everything will be executed properly.”
“This matter should not be delayed,” Kou Zhong said, “We seize the ships and capture the men immediately, using fast to defeat slow, using well-prepared to beat ill-prepared. Pure and simple: it will be a delight!”
Like a ghost or a demon Xu Ziling floated back; he gave report to Kou Zhong and his men, who had been hiding behind a pile of rocks by the shore, “The ship’s defense is sloppy and ordinary; each ship has about a dozen sailors. If we move fast enough, I guarantee that we will be able to capture everybody in one net.”
Kou Zhong signaled Xuan Yong, who had been waiting by his side, to move. The latter immediately let out an owl cry, the seven groups consisted of seven hundred men in total, who had been crouching low on the ground, responded by going into the water, and then without making any noise they swam toward the seven ships.
Xuan Yong sent out another signal, Bai Wenyuan, leading more than four hundred men cavalry, responded. From the mountain road, with battle formation at its peak, they galloped down toward the crossing dock.
The dense sound of hoof beat broke the serenity of the late-night riverbank, completely drowning the rustling sound of the flowing water.
Lights immediately appeared on the moored ships. Shadows flickered and flashed, all attention was at Bai Wenyuan and the men who dressed as his subordinates.
Bai Wenyuan galloped out of the formation and shouted, “Summon everybody immediately, prepare to set sail!”
Someone on the ship responded, “Everybody is already waiting onboard! What about Da Laoban [big boss]?”
Bai Wenyuan cried out, “Da Laoban is here, but Jiang Huai Army’s pursuing troops are behind him. Quickly let us aboard!”
Hearing the ‘pursuing troops’, the men on board immediately panicked. They set down the plank, raised the sail, and set sail in confusion.
Kou Zhong whispered in Xu Ziling’s ear, “Success! It’s our turn now.”
‘Creak! Creak!’
Kou Zhong pushed the door and entered; he said to Xu Ziling, who was sitting up from the bed, “Wake up!”
“Did you have to make so much noise to wake me up?” Xu Ziling said in displeasure.
Kou Zhong sat on the edge of the bed, stretching out in exaggerated movement, and said, “I also fell asleep and was out cold. Look! The sun is at least four-pole high!”
Xu Ziling deeply felt the same way, “Now I understand what is called toiling the army in military expedition is not what a wise man would do. The two of us already made our names, but last night when I went to bed, I still feel like all the bones in my body were falling apart.”
Kou Zhong looked out the window at the mother earth bathed in bright and beautiful sunshine. He said, “This time we can be considered a bit lucky, running into Bai Wenyuan. If not, it would not be different than walking right into the trap. Now we are disguising ourselves as An Long’s fleet transporting raw material to make wine, plus we have Bai Wenyuan, this genuine-goods-at-fair-prices Garuda Army general stepping in to direct the operation. Do you think there is still any flaw?”
Muttering to himself irresolutely, Xu Ziling said, “When An Long and Zhu Mei arrived at the crossing dock and found out that the seven ships have gone missing, what would they think?”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, “Naturally they would indulge in flights of fancy; but they would never find half a hoof print on the ground, because we swept it away. Therefore, they would never think to associate Bai Wenyuan with us; they might think that Jianghuai Navy arrived and captured their men and ships, or perhaps they had scared his men off that his wine boat slipped away.”
“Where did the other three ships go?” Xu Ziling wondered.
“It’s nothing,” Kou Zhong replied, “They just received An Long’s order to sail to Jiangdu to do business. Turns out An Long’s wine-transporting ships have always been doing business with those ‘Snake and Dog, Two Fools’, Pei Yue and Pei Yan.”
The ‘Dragon and Tiger, Two Lords’ became ‘Snake and Dog, Two Fools’ in Kou Zhong mouth.
Xu Ziling left the bed and walked over to the window. He stretched his limbs, while looking at the fascinating forest and open country beyond the bank of the river, resplendent in the bright sunlight. “Where is our next stop?” he asked.
Kou Zhong said, “We are going to reach Xiao Xian’s Jiujiang [lit. nine rivers] county tonight. If we can pass this place, our ambushing troops will penetrate deep into the enemy’s territory. Currently I change my mind; I want to deal a crushing blow to the coalition army under Dong Jingzhen leadership in one go. Ling Shao, do you have any thought?”
Xu Ziling agreed, “It ought to be so,” he said, “Shall we notify Beautiful Changzhu [Ranch Master] to coordinate with her?”
Kou Zhong shook his head and said, “According to Bai Wenyuan, although they failed to take Changyang and Yuan’an, but they put these two cities under siege that not one drop can trickle through. Flying Horse Ranch is also under close surveillance, so we must not beat the grass to scare the snake at all.”
And then, rising up to his full height, he came over behind Xu Ziling and said, “Do you think Shi Feixuan came to Hefei has something to do with Wan yaonu?”
“Of course,” Xu Ziling replied, “Their struggle has turned from a battle of force and blade into a competition of control over the world. Shi Feixuan is fighting for the happiness of the people, while Yin Gui Pai wants to expand its influence. If the future emperor is under Yin Gui Pai’s control, Ci Hang Jingzhai will not have any place to set their feet. That will be more beneficial than defeating Shi Feixuan.”
Emotionally moved, Kou Zhong said, “Your conjecture is very rational. In that case, among the warlords vying for supremacy, there must be one Yin Gui Pai’s man. Could that person be Ol’ Die?”
Xu Ziling pondered, “Ol’ Die does not look like Yin Gui Pai’s man at all, Xiao Xian is more like it. But if Xiao Xian is indeed a Yin Gui Pai demon, he would have not helped us assassinating Ren Shaoming. And thus, Lin Shihong is the biggest suspect.”
Kou Zhong sat comfortably in the chair by the cabin window; he said cheerfully, “If it is really Lin Shihong, then it’s the same as if Yin Gui Pai is eating a damaged walking stick. Currently, no matter how you think about it, you won’t remember Lin Shihong. Unless in a short period of time he can acquire Xiao Xian and the Song Family’s support; if not, he can only wait to be destroyed by the other faction.”
“Do not underestimate anybody,” Xu Ziling said, “Although, contrary to expectation, Lin Shihong stays in the south, but he occupies Poyang Lake, which give him distinct advantage. Presently, the Song Family and Xiao Xian are helpless to do anything to him, hence the reason Yin Gui Pai is keeping the hostility under control, conniving at our high wind and high rain, the more we make chaos the better. When Xiao Xian is crossing to the north, Lin Shihong can expand in a big way. This aspect must not be lightly ignored.”
Slapping the table in praise, Kou Zhong exclaimed, “Makes sense! Or perhaps Lin Shihong has nothing to do with Yin Gui Pai at all; the real demon can be Liu Wuzhou, Liang Shidu, Dou Jiande, even Li Zitong, Zhu Can, or Cao Yinglong. Ha! This guessing game is really interesting.”
Xu Ziling sat down in the other chair; smiling, he said, “As long as we are successful in one thing, it doesn’t matter which one is the Yin Gui Pai demon, we will deal a heavy blow on Yin Gui Pai’s grand scheme of world domination.”
Kou Zhong’s spirit was shaken, “What one thing?” he asked.
Xu Ziling replied indifferently, “Taking over Xiangyang, driving out Qian Duguan and Bai Qing’er.”
Kou Zhong’s pair of tiger-eyes lit up; nodding, he said, “Well said! That is Yin Gui Pai’s heaviest ‘x木莸悖’ [I have no idea what it is, the first character seems to be missing, I checked all my three sources] in the Central Plains. The day I conquer Jingling will be the harbinger of Qian Duguan’s downfall; the King of Heaven or Lao-tze won’t be able to stop me, Kou Zhong.”
In the dark of the night, the seven ships were sailing slowly into the waters of Jiujiang.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling put on their mask, and stood behind Bai Wenyuan, ready to deal with any sudden change.
In their hearts, the two boys had some kind of peculiar feeling.
It was in this big city on the southern bank of Yangtze River that they went through the nine-deaths-and-were-still-alive realms, succeeded in killing Ren Shaoming, destroyed the conspiracy between the Tiele people and Yin Gui Pai, reversed the situation in the south, which also made their names shook the heavens.
Jiujiang has changed hands several times, before finally fell into Xiao Xian’s hands, forcing Lin Shihong to stay in Poyang.
A small boat of Baling Army sailed speedily toward them.
Bai Wenyuan talked with the captain, who had climbed aboard to their ship, naturally there was no problem. But when they started to relax, a warship left the dock and head straight toward them.
Astounded, Bai Wenyuan asked, “What is it?”
The captain returned a blank, “It’s General Chen Wu’s ship,” he replied, “I don’t know what it is either; perhaps he just wanted to speak with General Bai!”
Everybody cried, ‘Bad!’ inwardly, but they had no choice but to wait with blank expression on their faces. If they were discovered, their previous achievement would all go to waste, killing a few people would not help.
While their scalp went numb, the enemy ship slowly approached. A general, leading four or five attendants, leaped over to their ship, laughed aloud, and said, “Bai Jiangjun, how are you? How come I did not see Mei Gongzhu [princess]?”
Everybody, without exception, breathed a sigh of relief.
Bai Wenyuan stepped forward and raised his cupped fist in salute, “Chen Jiangjun, please do not blame Xiao Jiang [lowly general] for passing through the door but not entering; it is because we have an urgent matter, and must return immediately. Mei Gongzhu has something to attend to and has to stay in Hefei; she will be two days late.”
Chen Wu nodded and said, “That is as it should be. This time I came aboard to pay a visit, there is actually a favor I’d like to ask.”
Bai Wenyuan laughed aloud and said, “Chen Jiangjun need not stand on ceremony; as long as it is within Xiao Jiang’s power to do so, it will definitely be done properly.”
Chen Wu said, “To Bai Jiangjun, this is merely the exertion of lifting one's hand. Three days ago, we intercepted Flying Horse Ranch’s ship on the River, killed more than a dozen people on the spot, but one kid managed to escape, only this evening we were able to catch him back. We were just about to torture him for questioning when we heard Jiangjun is here. I was wondering if you could do us a favor by taking this man to Dong Shuai [Commander]? This man’s martial art skill is quite good, he must have a bit of position in the Flying Horse Ranch, plus he had been seen with Kou and Xu, those two thieves, he might be of a great use to Dong Shuai.”
Hearing that, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were both sad and happy at the same time. Sad naturally because Flying Horse Ranch brothers were killed. Happy because with no blood on the men's swords [idiom: effortless victory], they could rescue back this kid, who, very likely, was Luo Fang.
Naturally Bai Wenyuan did not stop agreeing.
“Bring him here!” Chen Wu shouted.
The ship left Jiujiang.
His spirit took a beating, Luo Fang, with bare upper body, while letting someone clean and replace the bandage of his many wounds, drank a cup of hot tea, and spoke in disbelief, “I thought everything was over, who would have thought that unexpectedly I came across you guys; it’s just like in a dream.”
Kou Zhong hatefully said, “It was practically a trap. They intentionally let you go to us for help, but on the way back they made their move against you. Fortunately Laotianye has eyes, we ran into you.”
Xuan Yong said, “Now victory and defeat will be decided by who can move a bit faster. We have no other choice, we can only go ashore at the most advantageous location, and then go full speed to attack Dong Jingzhen so that he will be caught unprepared, and then rendezvous with the Ranch’s main forces, while the enemy is flustered, we launch a large-scale counterattack, resolving it in the shortest time possible.”
Everybody’s eyes turned toward Bai Wenyuan.
Full of confidence, Bai Wenyuan said, “In three days, we will turn into River Ju, and disembark at Chunfeng Du [lit. spring breeze crossing], about ten li south of Dangyang. I am confident that we will be able to keep all gateways in the dark, and hide from Dong Jingzhen’s hidden army at the Chunfeng Hill. I will then make a map, and have everybody study it, to determine how we are going to make Dong Jingzhen suffer a big defeat.”
Delighted, Kou Zhong said, “We will to use these three days’ time to preserve and nurture our spirit, so that when the time comes, we are not a weary force, but a lively-dragon, animated-tiger-in-military-expedition ambushing force!”
The crowd responded with thunderous roar. Their morale was elevated to its highest point.