Volume One Southern Rivers Governorship Chapter 24 The Ambitious Hero

Kill! The Tiger Guards swept their blades with fury, blood spraying in all directions, leaving the East Chuan army with heavy casualties.

Enraged, the East Chuan troops, outnumbering their opponents by several times, pressed forward in waves of armored soldiers. The Tiger Guards’ sharp offensive faltered and began to reverse; many among them suddenly turned and retreated. Thus, what had begun as a fiercely aggressive surprise attack quickly collapsed into chaos and rout.

Pang Yu watched, stunned, when one of his subordinates pointed and exclaimed, “My lord, the enemy’s command flag is wavering and slanted—could there be infighting in their ranks?”

“Hm?” Pang Yu squinted into the distance and saw the enemy’s command flag being raised, but the soldiers surrounding it were hastily withdrawing.

Soon, all the attacking enemy forces turned to flee, leaving behind only a few hundred dead or wounded.

“My lord, the attacking force was at most five thousand strong, not ten thousand,” a nearby officer reminded Pang Yu.

Pang Yu watched the retreating enemy, his expression uncertain. His own men had already begun a pursuit, and he hesitated whether to call them back and rejoin the main force.

“My lord! The main army is in trouble—our militia has panicked, and the commander orders you to return and reinforce us!” A breathless messenger rushed up.

Pang Yu’s face changed abruptly. After a moment’s calculation, he barked decisively, “The enemy is defeated—pursue them!”

“My lord! The commander orders you to return!” the messenger protested in alarm.

Pang Yu waved him off, ordering others to relay his command, then explained to the messenger, “There’s no time. Since the militia has broken, the Luzhou army’s morale must be soaring. If I turn back, I’ll be swallowed up before I arrive, and if I do, the enemy raiders here will counterattack. We can only take advantage of the momentum to pursue. If we’re lucky, we may reverse our fortunes and secure a path of retreat. Go tell the commander to withdraw to Hezhou—I will pursue the southern military governor.”

The messenger, speechless, could only salute and depart to deliver the message. Pang Yu led his troops in pursuit of Wei Fufeng’s forces.

...

Wei Fufeng rode hard, trailed by fifty Tiger Guards, with the rest of his troops following further behind. Thanks to his pre-battle address, nearly all the retreating soldiers fled in his direction. Thousands fled in chaos, with several thousand East Chuan troops in hot pursuit. After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, they entered a shallow valley.

Wei Fufeng was the first to charge into the valley. A stream ran through it, the ground was thick with wild grass but relatively free of rocks. Surveying from horseback, he knew he had entered the ambush site—now it depended on whether the enemy would follow.

Yet he worried: if Lu Qing had betrayed him, a single order could turn the tables and he’d be done for. Anxiously, he pressed on for three miles until the thunder of war drums erupted. He reined in his horse and looked back to see troops atop the hills flanking the valley, raining down projectiles.

A dozen Tiger Guards caught up, panting heavily. Wei Fufeng felt a twinge of embarrassment—his own anxiety had made him unconsciously spur his horse ahead, leaving his guards trailing by hundreds of yards.

“Pass the word—prepare to counterattack!” Wei Fufeng ordered, masking his embarrassment. The Tiger Guards responded, some running off to relay the command.

...

Because Pang Yu set off late, he fell behind and could not abandon his guards to pursue alone. He could only watch as the vanguard pressed on. He hoped to capture the Southern Governor—if not, even a deputy commander might offset disaster.

When he rode into the rolling hills, Pang Yu’s face suddenly changed. He spurred his horse forward, shouting, “Retreat! Cease the pursuit!”

The East Chuan troops who heard him, mainly militia, stopped and looked back, but most had already chased into the valley.

Shallow valleys were common in the hills; it was normal for a fleeing enemy to escape into one. But Pang Yu sensed something was wrong. The enemy’s retreat seemed too organized—though it looked chaotic, they all followed their commander.

A truly routed army would scatter in all directions, caring only to escape.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

War drums echoed through the hills, then came shouts and screams. Countless East Chuan militia fled from the valley, some with arrows stuck in them.

Pang Yu’s face was ashen as he sat on horseback, staring at the enemy troops now appearing atop the valley hills.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed, “The one on horseback must be an officer—excellent.”

Pang Yu turned in alarm to see over a thousand enemy soldiers encircling from the valley’s outer edge. Among the nearest, a burly man clad in gleaming armor—like a temple guardian—stood wielding a massive iron staff.

“I am Wang Dahu, Commander of the Troops. Those who surrender will live; those who refuse, speak now!” Wang Dahu slammed his iron staff into the ground with a booming clang.

Of the several hundred surrounded, most were militia and immediately threw down their arms. Only a few dozen elite guards, Pang Yu at their head, surrendered to save their lives.

Battle still raged in the valley. Though ambushed, the East Chuan soldiers within quickly mounted desperate attacks up the valley sides. Meanwhile, Wei Fufeng’s men, having doubled back, charged into the fray.

The capture of Pang Yu, the central army’s Deputy Commander, brought the fighting to a halt. A messenger entered the valley to announce the order to surrender.

Such was the nature of war between regional lords—defeat and surrender were common. The Great Tang Empire still stood; the relationship between a military governor and his subordinates was that of superior and inferior. Only bonds of deep gratitude or loyalty would prevent betrayal.

Thus, military governors were always eager to adopt sworn sons, yet such ties were often utilitarian and rarely bred true loyalty. Wang Jian, for instance, was the adopted son of Grand Eunuch Tian Lingzi; now they were bitter foes, with Wang Jian attacking Tian’s forces in Chengdu.

...

With the valley pacified, the prisoners were disarmed and stripped of their armor. In this pursuit, eight thousand East Chuan troops lost over two thousand men, mostly killed in the valley—truly a bloodbath.

Over five thousand East Chuan prisoners were divided into ten groups and guarded separately. All were told that if they refused to join the Southern Governor, they would be released.

Wei Fufeng had not participated in the counterattack; he stood on a hillside beyond the battlefield, watching as the prisoners were sorted. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief—now all that remained was the news from Dazhu County.

If victory came from Dazhu, all would be well; should defeat occur, he could only flee with Xiaoxue. Still, with eight thousand East Chuan soldiers captured, he judged victory likely—seven chances out of ten.

While he waited, a Tiger Guard came to report that Commander Zhou He had arrived.

Wei Fufeng turned left and saw several dozen officers approaching along the slope. Zhou He led the way, followed by soldiers carrying a litter, in which sat Xiaoxue.

Zhou He halted at the perimeter of the Tiger Guards and ordered the litter put down. Xiaoxue stepped out and thanked Zhou He, then walked alone to join the Tiger Guards and approached Wei Fufeng.

Wei Fufeng smiled gently at her, and Xiaoxue’s delicate eyes softened as she whispered, “My lord.”

Wei Fufeng nodded kindly. “The battlefield is cruel—were you frightened?”

“I was, my lord. But so long as you are safe, that is enough,” she whispered, lowering her eyes.

Wei Fufeng murmured assent. Xiaoxue glanced up again, whispering, “My lord, Master Zhou has a secret military report for you.”

Wei Fufeng paused, then looked to Zhou He, who stood on the slope, hand resting on his sword, his expression stern as if burdened with grave matters.

“Xiaoxue, go rest over there—do not watch,” Wei Fufeng said softly after a moment, motioning to a Tiger Guard, who respectfully escorted Xiaoxue away.

“You four, listen—when Zhou He comes in, kill him,” Wei Fufeng quietly instructed the four nearby Tiger Guards.

The Tiger Guards started, then silently nodded. Wei Fufeng signaled, and one guard summoned Zhou He.

Zhou He strode into the Tiger Guard’s perimeter, ascending uneven ground, step by step, toward Wei Fufeng. When only three paces separated them, Wei Fufeng abruptly turned and walked away.

Zhou He froze in confusion. Suddenly, four Tiger Guards drew their swords and pounced. Startled, Zhou He drew his own to defend himself.

Clang! The clash of steel rang out, then came a muffled grunt—three long blades had pierced Zhou He’s vitals.

Zhou He’s eyes bulged with anger, fixing on Wei Fufeng’s back. At that moment, Wei Fufeng turned, his face cold as frost.

A cry of alarm erupted among the Tiger Guards, who drew their swords, peering inward in shock.

The officers who came with Zhou He were thrown into chaos. Seven soldiers turned and fled, while the remaining thirty stood helpless.

“Southern Guard—pursue the deserters!” Wei Fufeng’s sharp voice rang out. More than ten Tiger Guards instantly set off after the seven fleeing soldiers.

Wei Fufeng turned to face Zhou He, now five paces away, and said coldly, “You die with no injustice. I know your elder brother sent you a letter ordering you to assassinate me.”

“You—” Zhou He managed one word before dying.

“I acknowledge your service; your family will not be punished,” Wei Fufeng said icily.

Then he raised his voice, “At Dazhu County, the East Chuan army has suffered a great defeat. The Southern Governor’s army is victorious! All, follow me to Changzhou for the celebration!”

“Hah! Hah! Hah!” the Tiger Guards raised their fists and cheered.

Wei Fufeng signaled for silence. “Let the fire-officers outside come in.”

Three fire-officers entered and saluted respectfully. Wei Fufeng said calmly, “Zhou He’s matter does not concern you.”

“Thank you, my lord,” the three replied in unison.

Turning, Wei Fufeng called, “Zhao Yidou, your ambush plan succeeded—you are promoted to Commander of Troops. Take over Zhou He’s duties.”

“Yes, my lord!” Zhao Yidou saluted and strode off, the three fire-officers following.

At this moment, the Tiger Guards returned—seven deserters had been slain.

Wei Fufeng ordered the march to Dazhu County. As he walked the battlefield, Lu Qing and the other officers greeted him. In their midst, a messenger bearing victory news from Dazhu County arrived.

In that battle, six thousand East Chuan soldiers were taken prisoner; the remnants fled to Hezhou. The Luzhou army suffered four thousand casualties. Wei Fufeng ordered the prisoners to be escorted to Dazhu County.

On the return journey, Xiaoxue sat in her litter, her pretty face pale with anxiety.

Wei Fufeng rode beside her, speaking gently, “Xiaoxue, don’t trouble yourself—Zhou He deserved his fate.”

Xiaoxue hesitated. “Did he really intend to kill you?”

“He did. Have you heard the story of Jing Ke and the King of Qin? Zhou He was extremely nervous—he gripped his sword tightly and stared into the distance,” Wei Fufeng replied softly.

“He said he had a secret military report for you,” Xiaoxue murmured.

“A secret? The battle was already over—what secret could be worth reporting? He only wanted to lure me away from my guards for a private word,” Wei Fufeng explained.

Xiaoxue fell silent. Wei Fufeng continued, “Actually, he made another mistake—he shouldn’t have brought you along. If he’d come alone, I might have let him approach. But unwilling to risk it, he brought you, thinking I’d go out to meet you.”

Xiaoxue nodded quietly. Wei Fufeng went on, “Do you know why he tried to kill me?”