Chapter 99: The Most Important Thing in Life Is to Rely on Yourself

In the county office of Zhangyu, Du Hui sat kneeling on his mat, listening to his subordinate’s report.

"The supplies from the prefecture have arrived, but we must scrape together more here in the county. It’s better to be safe than sorry..." County Magistrate Xie Ru looked up at Du Hui.

Du Hui replied coldly, "While the weather is still fair, bring out the grain to be sun-dried. If any of it molds, whoever was in charge of overseeing it will be held accountable immediately."

"Understood!" Xie Ru scratched his graying hair, about to continue, when a sound came from outside.

"Magistrate!"

A soldier appeared outside the office, his expression anxious.

"Speak," Du Hui nodded.

The soldier caught his breath. "Just now, word arrived that a group of horse bandits led by Deng Hu has been spotted heading toward Taiping."

"Magistrate!" Xie Ru, holding a document, looked at Du Hui.

Du Hui paused, picked up his teacup, and sipped slowly.

"How many men?" He asked with the calm and composure of a seasoned veteran.

*The Magistrate is truly composed,* the soldier thought to himself, then said, "They say three or four hundred—a larger force than before."

Xie Ru tapped his document against the desk, a look of sudden realization dawning on him. "Deng Hu and his men failed in their last raid on Taiping; returning now must be an act of revenge. Magistrate..."

Both Xie Ru and the soldier looked at Du Hui.

Du Hui narrowed his eyes, staring ahead. Just as Xie Ru was about to speak, he said slowly, "Send scouts."

Xie Ru was taken aback. "Magistrate, I fear it will be too late!"

Du Hui looked at him, his voice cold. "If we rush to their aid now and Deng Hu circles back to attack the defenseless Zhangyu County, who will defend it? You, or I?"

"But..." Xie Ru shuddered. "Understood."

Du Hui’s expression softened slightly. "I am, first and foremost, the Magistrate of Zhangyu. My primary duty is to safeguard this county. With the enemy’s movements unclear, how can I commit my troops? Go, gather intelligence at once."

"By your command!" The soldier turned and ran.

Back in the office, Xie Ru lowered his head and continued his report. Du Hui sat upright, his expression cold. His index finger tapped rhythmically against the desk in time with Xie Ru's voice.

Silent and still.

***

At this moment, Deng Hu was stunned.

"Brother, the Tang army has sallied forth!"

"Kill!"

Rows of convicts shouted in unison, raising their spears to thrust. The horse bandits either scrambled to parry or hid behind their companions. A fierce bandit roared, charging forward with a blade broader than the rest.

"Kill!"

As the spears thrust, the bandit swung his blade, severing the shafts. He grinned savagely, preparing to strike.

"Kill!"

The second row of spears steadily pierced the bandit’s lower abdomen. They twisted the blades and withdrew.

The bandit slowly sank to his knees, looking up in despair at the convict who had withdrawn the spear. He was so calm!

"Kill!"

Lin Da moved forward with his comrades. He saw the horse bandits turning around—they were preparing to flee.

The opportunity had arrived!

"Charge!" someone shouted sharply.

"Push forward!"

"Keep the formation!"

The slightly chaotic line was reorganized, delaying their advance for a heartbeat. Taking advantage of this, most of the horse bandits turned and fled.

"Help me!" Someone left behind dragged a wounded leg, crying out.

As the formation jogged past, a spear pierced his lower back.

"The enemy is routed." Yang Xuan let out a sigh of relief, waved his hand, and said with disdain, "Pursue!"

"Pursue!"

The formation began to lose its order. Everyone was running; Lin Da was caught in the middle, occasionally stepping over bandits who were not yet dead.

"Retreat!"

Zhuang Sheng shouted to his trusted men to pull back, casting a spiteful look at Deng Hu. "You dog, it was your brilliant idea that sent our brothers to their deaths!"

Deng Hu drew his blade and charged forward.

*Is this fool going to die on his own?* Zhuang Sheng thought with a flicker of joy. He still hypocritically shouted, "Retreat!"

The two crossed paths.

A long blade swung. Zhuang Sheng’s head fell to the ground, his face still frozen in a look of disbelief.

Deng Hu shouted, "Zhuang Sheng was colluding with the Tang army; I have killed him. Retreat!"

The bandits fled in a panic. Deng Hu, guarded by his men, galloped away, glancing back as he rode. The bandits who failed to reach their horses were easily hunted down and killed by the convicts of the Death Battalion.

Some bandits knelt on the ground, weeping and begging for mercy.

"The Magistrate has ordered that these bandits are guilty of heinous crimes. Taiping has no grain to feed them. Kill them."

A flurry of spear thrusts cleared the kneeling bandits.

Deng Hu panted heavily, feeling his heart constrict. The pain was so intense he couldn't help but roar at the sky.

"Ah..."

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Someone on the city wall was striking a metal plate.

The convicts in pursuit turned back.

"Let's go, let's take a look."

Yang Xuan dismounted and slowly walked onto the battlefield, which was littered with corpses. The bodies were a gruesome sight; the pain and terror of their final moments had twisted their faces into grotesque masks. Wounded warhorses whinnied in agony nearby.

Zhao Youcai and Diao She trotted over and saluted.

"Well done!" Yang Xuan patted their shoulders earnestly.

Cao Ying noticed the frantic look of reverence in their eyes and thought that if their master ordered them to die at this moment, they would likely do so with joy.

As Yang Xuan walked past, the convicts of the Death Battalion stood by, saluting him one after another.

"You have all worked hard." Yang Xuan turned and ordered, "Tell the townspeople to come out and clear the battlefield. Everything seized belongs to the public; distribute rewards and bounties uniformly."

"Also, gather the captured horses. It is time we had our own cavalry and scouts."

Diao She was overjoyed, but then asked, puzzled, "Magistrate, the brothers can clear the corpses themselves; why summon the townspeople?"

"You wouldn't understand," Yang Xuan said, offering no further explanation.

The people in the city had been waiting for news.

***

Clothing, food, shelter, travel, birth, aging, illness, and death—these are the necessities of a man’s life.

Zhang Qifa, who was as thin as a bamboo pole and could be toppled by a gust of wind, ran a coffin shop. But as one of the three business magnates in the city, he also ran an inn.

The inn was in the front, and the coffins were in the back. Thus, Zhang Qifa occupied two of the great necessities of life.

From the moment the Death Battalion left the city, Zhang Qifa had been in a state of anxiety. He crouched inside his front gate, trembling, while his wife and children behind him seemed calmer.

When the sounds of battle reached them, Zhang Qifa turned back inside and cursed, "Why are you still crouching there? Hurry and pack the bundles. Have you sewn the silver chips into the hems of the two boys' clothes?"

His wife nodded. "I have."

Zhang Qifa hoisted the bundle, looked at his property, and couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow. "How can I abandon such a legacy!"

The shouting outside suddenly grew chaotic.

"Could the city have been breached?" Zhang Qifa trembled violently. "We ran fast five years ago; we must do the same this time. Get ready! I’ll carry the second son, you hold the first. If things fall apart, run!"

The family waited, shivering like chaff.

Then, the sound of hooves approached rapidly.

"They've entered the city!"

Zhang Qifa leaned over and picked up his second son. "Go!"

"By order of the Magistrate, the townspeople may leave the city to clear the corpses; everyone will be rewarded afterward!"

"What?" Zhang Qifa leaned out upon hearing this, only to see a rider charging past—it was Zhen Siwen.

"Did we win?" an old man shouted.

Zhen Siwen said triumphantly, "The Magistrate commanded with precision; our army has won a great victory!"

Zhang Qifa set his youngest son down and pressed his palms together in prayer. "Thank the gods and buddhas, thank Magistrate Yang."

His face flushed with excitement. "A great victory! Those horse bandits were nothing but a rabble. How could the Magistrate, with his brilliance, be anything but victorious? Hahaha!"

The family next door rushed out, and the last one shouted, "Master Zhang, go clear the corpses and earn some money!"

Zhang Qifa said with restraint, "Do I look like I need that money? Go yourself!"

Turning back, he said to his wife with dissatisfaction, "It’s over now. Quickly, bake some flatbreads and send them to the county office later; it’s the least we can do to show our hearts."

In the backyard of the county office, Yi Niang knelt on a mat, praying in a low voice.

"I beseech the Emperor to keep the young master safe..."

"Your Majesty, the young master is not yet twenty and is already toiling for the sake of the greater good. Toil is one thing, but he must go out and fight, he must... Your Majesty, you once said you hoped the young master could live the life of an ordinary man. If you are watching from above, please bless him and let him be an ordinary man..."

"Victory!"

Suddenly, cheers erupted from outside.

Yi Niang wanted to rise, but felt her prayer hadn't quite ended and it would be disrespectful to the Emperor.

"A great victory!" The cheering grew louder.

Yi Niang could no longer restrain herself and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have matters to attend to."

She made her way to the front of the county office and saw the townspeople running out in droves. She even saw two strong men carrying an old man as they ran, and she asked angrily, "Why are you troubling the elderly?"

The old man trembled, "The Magistrate said there’s a bounty per head for clearing the battlefield! First son, second son, hurry faster, don't let others get there first!"

Yi Niang stood there as people rushed past her toward the city gates.

She looked up.

*He is winning the hearts of the people? Of course. Even in the palace, consort-concubines who received rewards would always share them with those below, ensuring everyone was of one heart. To think the young master understands such methods...*

She turned back and pressed her palms together toward the interior. "Your Majesty, it is a great victory."

The wind whipped up fallen leaves, dancing in the air. Yi Niang seemed to see the late Emperor as he had been, smiling as he touched the infant in the swaddling clothes and said, "Let him live a life of peace."

"Ten thousand victories!"

The cheers echoed from outside the city walls.