Chapter Fifty-Three: Flight

Yang Lian was furious. They had been attacked without warning, the army had already collapsed, and no one knew where the surviving soldiers had gone. The troops of the Kingdom of Wu and Yue could appear at any moment. At a time like this, everyone needed to pull together and get through the crisis as one.

If this commander had real ability, Yang Lian would not have minded letting him take command. But the moment he arrived, he tried to bully people with the authority of his rank, and then claimed to belong to the Heavenly Valor Army, separate from the Divine Might Army and outside Yang Lian’s control. Yang Lian had no choice but to teach him a hard lesson.

The man covered his mouth and stared at Yang Lian in disbelief. Was this fellow a savage? Why strike without warning? The teeth scattered on the ground only deepened his rage.

Lin Renzhao stepped forward and said, “What Deputy Commander Yang says is right. At a time like this, we must stand together and must not turn on one another.”

Chen Tie also came up, staring coldly at the commander of the Heavenly Valor Army, lightly flexing his wrist. His meaning was obvious enough.

The commander could not help but back away two steps, afraid Yang Lian would strike him again.

Yang Lian clapped his hands and said, “Brothers, though we are resting here now and it seems safe, in truth we are not. Look at the scouts of the Wu and Yue army scattered outside. They may discover us at any time. Once they seal off the exit, they need not even attack us. They only have to trap us for a day or two, and when our food is gone and our water is gone, we will be waiting to die.”

A man with an injured leg, moving with difficulty, slowly got to his feet. He was also a commander under the Heavenly Valor Army. He glanced at Yang Lian and said, “What this Brother Yang says is true. Right now, this is exactly the time for us to support one another. I am willing to let Yang Lian lead us, to break through the encirclement and return to Changzhou.”

With one commander taking a stand, the situation improved greatly. Though the man remained unwilling, he could only agree.

Yang Lian immediately told everyone to stay alert and count the things they had on them, mainly food and drink. The army had been on the move for a long time and had fought hard for quite a while; their strength was nearly exhausted and they needed to recover before taking the next step.

Most of the soldiers, however, had lost much of their food and water in the struggle. Yang Lian himself had only a few cold flatbreads left, and Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie were in much the same state. Yang Lian gathered all the food together and distributed it evenly.

He brought out quite a bit: besides the flatbreads, there were also some salted fish and the like. Seeing that he produced so much but gave out so little, no one questioned him. Divided evenly, each man got one flatbread, while the salted fish and similar items amounted to just a single bite each.

One flatbread was clearly not enough to fill everyone’s stomach, which meant they could not remain here long. There was not much water either. Yang Lian took only a sip before passing it to someone else. The Suzhou region had few mountains and few hills, and was mostly threaded with rivers. The place where they had temporarily camped had no water source at all, so they had to conserve.

The sun gradually rose, stretching Yang Lian’s shadow long behind him. Judging by the time, it should be around midmorning. He wondered what had become of Li Zhengu and General Gao, and whether the pursuing Wu and Yue troops had withdrawn. And where exactly were they now? Everything was still unknown.

Yang Lian climbed a tall tree and looked out from above. Across the vast plain, countless rivers crisscrossed the land. Many Wu and Yue soldiers were riding back and forth; in some places, fierce fighting was still underway. From that distance, Yang Lian could not tell who held the advantage, though on reflection it was surely the Wu and Yue side.

The endless plain filled Yang Lian with a sense of despair. Retreating in a place like this made them easiest to spot. Yet there were too few horses among them. Of more than fifty men, only a dozen or so had mounts, and the situation was grim.

What Yang Lian most hoped for was that the Wu and Yue forces would withdraw. But to his regret, he found more and more of them gathering, surging toward the northeast. It seemed that ahead of them they had perhaps found Li Zhengu or General Gao.

This might be an opportunity. After watching for a long time, Yang Lian finally made up his mind. He climbed down from the tree and ordered the soldiers to seize the chance to rest, since the fighting to the northeast might end at any moment. Half an hour later, Yang Lian climbed the tree again and looked far into the distance. The Wu and Yue troops around them were all heading northeast, and the local enemy forces nearby had grown sparse.

“Move!” Yang Lian gave the order at once.

The soldiers stood up one after another. Yang Lian had Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie take the lead, with the rest following behind as they advanced toward the northwest. No matter how far they were from Changzhou, heading northwest was the right choice.

The Tang soldiers supported one another and said nothing. The commander who had been struck also kept silent. Yang Lian gave him a flatbread, which left the man with mixed feelings.

After leaving the low hills, Lin Renzhao moved along the edge of a dense forest. On the one hand, the woods provided cover and made them less likely to be discovered; on the other, if they were found, they could retreat in time and maneuver against the Wu and Yue troops from within the forest. But with more than fifty men, their target was still too large, and they were soon spotted. Fighting was inevitable.

Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie charged at the front, and the enemy’s scattered bands simply could not stop them. Wave after wave of Wu and Yue soldiers was cut down and thrown into disorder.

“Move faster!” Yang Lian shouted.

The soldiers quickened their pace. After traveling about two miles, they heard the pounding of hooves from behind them, followed by a young voice shouting, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“You all go on!” Yang Lian said, tightening his grip on his long blade. Looking back, he saw a young officer in white armor and silver robes, apparently not yet twenty, charging toward him with a spear in hand.

Yang Lian narrowed his eyes. This fellow seemed to have a rather high status. To be so young and still wear armor like that, he must be the son of some distinguished family. As he was thinking, the young officer had already rushed in. Yang Lian raised his blade and charged. The two horses crossed paths, their weapons clashing with a sharp ring.

A slight numbness ran through Yang Lian’s arm. This young officer had considerable strength.

“Again!” the young man said, excited.

Yang Lian rolled his eyes inwardly. Was this boy lacking a few screws? Even though the Tang troops had lost, there were still more than fifty of them here. Yet this young officer had brought only two or three men and charged in recklessly. What was he thinking? Then he saw the guards beside the young man hurrying up, and Yang Lian sneered.

The commander whose teeth had been knocked out said nothing more. He stepped forward and blocked the two guards, while Yang Lian tightened his grip on his blade and hacked fiercely at the young officer. Eager to escape, Yang Lian put all his strength into every strike. After blocking a few blows, the young man was soon sweating from the forehead.

The young officer was named Hu Xuan, the grandson of the great general Hu Jinsi of the Kingdom of Wu and Yue, and greatly favored by him. During this campaign in Fuzhou, Hu Jinsi had taken troops there to reinforce the front. But unexpectedly, Hu Xuan had reported to his father Hu Jing and gone under the command of Qian Wenfeng in Suzhou, asking to serve as an ordinary soldier.

The Hu family held an extraordinary position in Wu and Yue, with both military and civil officials among them. Hu Jing also hoped his son would become a great general, famous in battle like his father. After thinking it over, he agreed. Qian Wenfeng, too, knew perfectly well that this boy had come merely for the thrill of it, so he did not keep him at the front line.

Who could have imagined that Hu Xuan would discover more than fifty Tang deserters here? In the heat of the moment, he charged out at once. The two guards were caught off guard, and by the time they realized what had happened, it was already too late.

Yang Lian’s strikes came faster and faster, and Hu Xuan could not withstand them. After seven or eight exchanges, the spear in his hands was already in disarray. Yang Lian gave a cold shout and swung again. Hu Xuan was startled; his spear was knocked flying by a single blow. Before he could react, Yang Lian raised his blade once more and severed his head in one stroke.

Blood gushed out. Yang Lian reached out and caught Hu Xuan’s head, then turned and fastened it behind his horse’s tail. Seeing the body topple sideways, with a token hanging at his waist, Yang Lian could not help laughing and seized the token as well. Looking at it closely, he smiled and said, “So he was one of the Wu and Yue Hu family after all.”

The two guards were alarmed beyond measure. The second young master had been killed; this was no small matter. One tried to rush forward and fight to the death, but was firmly held back. The other circled around the commander and charged at Yang Lian, only to be cut down from his horse by Lin Renzhao, who arrived just in time.

Seeing the situation turn hopeless, the remaining man fled in panic.

“Go. Do not linger in battle,” Yang Lian shouted.

In the chaos, several of the fifty-plus men were cut down. The others could only abandon their bodies with tears in their eyes and press onward. After that, the way became smooth. After traveling more than ten miles, Yang Lian saw a stone marker by the roadside, engraved with the words: Henglin Town.

They had reached the territory of Henglin Town. By that reckoning, they were much safer now. Yang Lian loudly encouraged their morale. The others also knew that Henglin was an important town in Changzhou, garrisoned by several hundred troops, and their spirits rose at once. They gathered their strength and hurried forward with all they had. Those who had difficulty walking were supported by their comrades and struggled onward.

Yang Lian let out a faint breath. Their luck had been good this time. Fortunately, someone had drawn the attention of the Wu and Yue forces, allowing them to escape. Looking at the head tied behind the horse’s tail, Yang Lian sneered. The token at the man’s waist had proved his identity. Hu Xuan had died in battle, and even if Qian Wenfeng shared the royal surname, could Hu Jinsi really be easy to deal with? Once he returned from Fuzhou, there would likely be another clash of dragons and tigers. But for Yang Lian, internal strife within Wu and Yue was exactly what he wanted to see.

“Move. We are almost at Henglin Town. Everyone, give it all you’ve got. Once we arrive, I’ll treat you to a meal!” Yang Lian said. Since they were nearly out of danger, his mood had lightened considerably.

Though they had lost this battle, at least they had escaped with their lives. That alone was already excellent.

“Many thanks, Deputy Commander!” Yang Lian had judged the situation correctly during this desperate retreat, fought at the front with all his might, and even been wounded. Though some still harbored dissatisfaction, at this point no one could say anything. After all, the fact that they could get out alive this time was already a stroke of great fortune.

Henglin Town seemed not far ahead. Following the Grand Canal northwestward, they traveled more than ten miles and could faintly see boats moving back and forth upon the water.

Since the Tang and Wu and Yue states had amassed troops along the border, war was on the verge of breaking out, and commerce along the canal had been suspended for the time being. The timid had long since slipped away; the bold still lingered in border trading towns such as Henglin. These boats must have belonged to merchants.

Seeing the boats was a good sign. It meant greater safety. The soldiers all smiled and quickened their pace.

Yang Lian gently patted the head of his warhorse. At last, they were back. Henglin Town, it had been a long time.

As they drew closer, there were more and more boats. Many boatmen were startled to see this suddenly emerging band of soldiers, and unease spread through them. Those with smaller hearts immediately hoisted sail and fled north as far as they could. The bolder ones stood at the prow and watched, after all, these were only infantry, and aboard their boats they were safe enough.