The moon cleared over the Long region, its dim, melancholy light illuminating the mountain passes, ravines, and undulating peaks. Among the white stalks of tall grass came sounds of panting breaths, low whinnies of horses, the steamy scent of sweat, and an old woman’s soft sobbing.
Li Yuangui sat on a rock at the valley entrance, seething with frustration.
Despite his empty title as Imperial Envoy and Royal Prince, it seemed no one in the entire Qin Prefecture took him seriously. Every arrangement and plan encountered stumbling blocks, arriving one step too late wherever he went. The consequence—over twenty riders galloping desperately under the moonlight, hoping to salvage the situation by securing the final pass and striving to avert this great disaster.
Zhang Shigui, whom everyone in the capital praised for his steady character and careful adherence to duty, turned out to have a laughably narrow mind. After their meeting at the ancient city of Chengji that day, they both returned to Qin Prefecture, but thereafter the Deputy Commander used busyness as an excuse to avoid meeting with Prince Wu. Even when Li Yuangui sent people messages or letters, there was no response. Was he afraid Li Yuangui would pester him about personnel…
Kong Sumi was also busy with his business day and night. When Li Yuangui told him about seeing Sangsai in the ancient city of Chengji, he seemed completely unconcerned. When Li Yuangui requested to “deploy strong men from the merchant caravan to help me intercept the prisoners,” he initially flatly refused, saying he had other matters and couldn’t spare the men. Then, just as Li Yuangui was about to depart with his guards and servants, Kong Sumi suddenly said he wanted to join them to earn merit… Could you be any more inconsistent?
Just for the addition of seven or eight merchant Hu men, Li Yuangui’s departure time was delayed by a full hour. Then there was Yang Xinzhi, whose dawdling and dithering forced their group of twenty-some people to wait outside Qin Prefecture for over another hour.
All he had to do was lead men to find a local guide from a village outside the city—did it need to take so long? Li Yuangui had waited until his patience was completely worn away and was ready to gallop off, inwardly cursing and swearing to give Yang Routa a severe whipping upon return, when the tall, strong guard finally emerged from the village. The guide he found turned out to be a withered old woman, who said that when the military appeared, all the men in the village families had fled…
With delay after delay, by the time Li Yuangui led his small troop in a desperate gallop to the ancient walls of Chengji, it was too late.
After crossing the final ridge, they witnessed a scene of chaos before them: in the ink-black night, five or so scattered, swaying torches illuminated crying crowds and rolling dust clouds, while sounds of clashing weapons and galloping horses came from all around the ruined walls. From the situation, it appeared the hundred-some prisoners confined within had broken out of the ruins and were moving toward the horse herds grazing by the river bend outside the city, while the guard force of only a few dozen men was powerless to stop them.
Li Yuangui had anticipated this move. When he learned that Zhang Shigui planned to escort the prisoners and tribute horses to Chang’an together, unease rose in his heart. The Tuyuhun people had lived as nomads following water and grass for generations—even their royal women, children, and infirm were all skilled horsemen. Bringing them this large herd of fine horses from their homeland, while severely lacking in guards, wasn’t this encouraging them to “steal horses and flee quickly”?
If these prisoners had truly been beaten dispirited and hopeless by the Tang army, with no will to escape, that was one thing. But with that monkey Sangsai sneaking in from outside to incite his father and aunt, and arranging support and plans, how could it not succeed?
Two days ago, Zhang Shigui had ordered the herd of fine horses driven to the river bend at Xianqin Plain outside Chengji city, choosing the spot for its rich grass and water and proximity to the prisoner camp. They would fatten up for a few days before departing together tomorrow. When Li Yuangui learned this news, he guessed the prisoners would riot and steal horses to escape tonight.
He had planned to lead his fresh force of twenty-some men to arrive outside Chengji before sunset to help the guards maintain strict surveillance and control, but starting two hours late, they only arrived in time to witness the great chaos between prisoners and guards—a night battle at that.
“Fourteenth Lord, what should we do?” Yang Xinzhi anxiously wrung his hands on horseback. “Let’s quickly charge down to help!”
If only you’d been this anxious to hurry when catching the guide in the village… Li Yuangui had no time to scold him, only raising his whip to stop him: “Don’t rush! Don’t charge blindly! Can you even tell friend from foe?”
The prisoner camp guards were all young and strong men wearing black military uniforms—easy to distinguish from the Tuyuhun prisoners in daylight, but on this pitch-black night, how could anyone tell who was who in the instant of a high-speed cavalry charge? Moreover, among those prisoners were several important enemy figures, meant to be displayed at the prisoner presentation ceremony in Chang’an—best not to kill them unless necessary. If their twenty-some riders charged in, the resulting chaos and trampling would amount to random slaughter with eyes closed.
Kong Sumi beside him on horseback had no good ideas either, just muttering curses about “bastards” while lamenting the fine horses now caught in the chaos, saying “The An family of Wuwei is finished, robbing merchants brings karmic retribution.” Li Yuangui had no time for him either. After brief contemplation, he decisively turned his horse around and ordered the old woman guide Yang Xinzhi had found to “lead the way.”
When passing the village outside the prefecture city, he had thought to find a guide precisely in case of this situation. On the way, he had asked the old woman only one question:
“The nearest nomadic tribe is the Bailan Qiang, right? How do you get from Chengji to their pastures?”
The Long region’s elite cavalry was world-famous, with locals viewing horse riding as a daily routine. Li Yuangui’s group all had spare horses, lending one to the old woman. Following her along mountain paths at full gallop, their twenty-some riders quickly moved from outside Chengji to this valley mouth. According to the old woman, when the Bailan Qiang came to raid each autumn, they used this route eight or nine times out of ten.
The terrain here was perfect for hiding in an ambush and cutting off the escape route for the Tuyuhun prisoners. Li Yuangui looked around, gesturing for his men to dismount and find cover to rest, preparing bows, arrows, stones, and torches. Kong Sumi didn’t contest his battlefield command—the old merchant just cradled his large belly and followed behind him with a smile, his intentions unclear.
After everything was settled, the guide sitting close to Li Yuangui began sobbing again. Yang Xinzhi tried consoling her in a low voice, saying “You can go home early tomorrow morning, we’ll give you the promised string of cash, enough to buy plenty of food and clothes, your little grandson won’t go hungry,” and “The Western Sea Campaign is already over, your two sons will return soon, won’t it be wonderful when the family reunites, what are you crying for?” and “Tuyuhun has been subdued, there won’t be bandits coming to burn and kill for decades, just live peacefully from now on.” The old woman just nodded without speaking, but couldn’t stop her quiet weeping.
Li Yuangui listened until he couldn’t stand it anymore, finally snapping with furrowed brows: “Shut up! Make another sound and I’ll whip you!”
All human sounds ceased immediately. The old woman and Yang Xinzhi fell silent, leaving only the howling night wind and insects chirping in the tall grass.
Li Yuangui felt slightly guilty and glanced sideways toward the two, only to see Yang Xinzhi grinning silently in the moonlight, even giving Li Yuangui a thumbs up in admiration.
Such a powerfully built man, yet handling affairs and speaking as fussily as an old woman, and not even be ashamed of it… Just as Li Yuangui was cursing endlessly in his heart, he suddenly felt the ground trembling beneath his feet. After a moment, the trembling grew stronger.
That herd of fine horses originally meant as a tribute for the capital was galloping rapidly in their direction.