Chapter 31: Taking the Bait

A thousand cavalrymen thundered forward, kicking up clouds of dust and sand, snaking across the landscape like a massive dragon. At the head of the column rode a middle-aged general on a white horse. He was in his early thirties, with a refined and elegant appearance that made him look more like a scholar than a warrior. This was the renowned Li Yan.

It had been two days since they left the capital in pursuit, yet the scene of the bloody battle at the city gate kept flashing through Li Yan’s mind. Although the scale of the engagement was minor, it was the most harrowing battle the Great Shun army had faced since the clash at Ningwu Pass, and the disparity in casualties was staggering.

Gu Zhenhua’s men had suffered fewer than a hundred casualties, while the Great Shun army had seen three of its high-ranking generals wounded and over three hundred soldiers killed. This small force had left a deep impression on Li Yan. With advanced tactics, loyal and brave soldiers, and a vast haul of weapons, gold, and silver, their circumstances were far superior to those of Li Zicheng when he first began with only eighteen horsemen.

Li Yan had a premonition: these people were like a plump, fertile seed. Given a patch of rich soil, they would soon grow into a formidable force capable of threatening the Great Shun regime. "This threat must be nipped in the bud!" Li Yan warned himself silently.

As they rode, a scout galloped up, bowed to Li Yan, and reported, "General Quan, we have found tracks of the carriages. We also questioned the local villagers, and they confirmed that a large convoy passed through on the morning of the nineteenth."

"Did you clarify their direction?"

"It should be toward Shunyi."

"What do you mean by 'should be'? Get me an accurate answer! If you dare to be vague again, I will have your head!"

"Yes, sir! I will go at once!" The scout replied in a panic, hurriedly wheeling his horse around and riding off.

Li Yan’s mind raced. He had originally estimated they would head for Tongzhou or directly to Tianjin, as those were the shortest routes to the south. However, after reaching Tongzhou, he had indeed found many fleeing nobles, but not his target. Sensing something was wrong, Li Yan had quickly changed direction and widened the search area, which finally led him to Gu Zhenhua’s group.

Li Yan signaled for the column to halt. He dismounted and spread a map beneath a large tree, studying it carefully.

"Clever, truly cunning!" Li Yan glanced at the location of Shunyi, then toward Shanhai Pass, and his eyes lit up. He muttered to himself, "So, they aren't trying to reach the south; they intend to defect to Wu Sangui at Shanhai Pass!"

Li Yan stood up abruptly and shouted to his soldiers, "Pick up the pace! Follow me! We cannot let these people escape!"

Disregarding their fatigue, the Great Shun soldiers spurred their horses and continued their wild chase. After covering another ten miles or so, the wagon tracks became increasingly distinct. Gu Zhenhua’s carriages were heavily laden with firearms, gold, and silver, leaving deep, unmistakable ruts that remained visible even after a day.

Following these tracks for half a day, Li Yan and his men finally arrived at Xiaowang Village. Seeing black smoke from a distance, Li Yan pulled on his reins.

"What is happening up ahead?"

"Reporting to the General, someone has set fire to the village."

Li Yan frowned, and accompanied by his subordinates, he approached the village entrance. Flames were leaping high and thick black smoke rolled into the sky; it was clear the fire had been set recently.

"Quick, find a survivor and question them."

The soldiers moved quickly. Two of them reached a dilapidated house near the village entrance.

"Brother, look at that!"

A tall soldier followed the pointing finger and saw a massive water vat. There was nothing unusual about it, but the lid was trembling, making a rhythmic thumping sound.

The two soldiers exchanged a grin, drew their swords, and approached the vat. One of them suddenly reached out and ripped the lid off.

"Who’s there? Get out here!"

With a sharp shout, two heads poked out from the vat, trembling with fear—one old, one young, both in rags. Seeing the gleaming steel blades, they burst into tears.

"Kind soldiers, please don't kill us! I beg you!"

The soldiers chuckled. "No use telling us. Come and see our General."

When Li Yan saw the two being dragged over, he looked displeased. "Our Great Shun army kills corrupt officials and evil tyrants; when have we ever bullied the common folk? Let them go!"

He then turned to them with a smile. "Old man, how did such a fine village come to be burned? Can you tell me?"

"Yes, sir! They were fierce—hundreds of them, riding horses and carriages. They occupied our village yesterday and set the fire themselves."

Li Yan nodded slightly, looked at the young boy, and asked with a smile, "Little brother, is your grandfather right? Did you see those people?"

"They stole our family’s hen and our grain. They even beat Shunzi. Grandpa hid me in the vat, and I don't know anything else."

Li Yan asked a few more questions, and seeing that their stories held up, he smiled and took a ten-tael silver ingot from his robe. "Old man, we are going to deal with those bandits now and get justice for you!"

The old man’s eyes glowed at the sight of the silver. He took it with trembling hands, rubbed it against his clothes, and was about to bite it to test its authenticity, but seeing Li Yan’s piercing gaze, he let out a dry laugh and tucked the silver into his robe.

Li Yan saw no flaws in their act and immediately set off to the east, following the tracks. Once they were out of sight, the old man and the boy looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Grandpa Six, that rebel leader is truly a fool. Can a mere ten taels of silver buy us off?"

"He’s no fool. Giving us silver was his way of testing us!" He Zhonghou laughed.

"Oh! No wonder you acted like you’d never seen money before, Grandpa Six. You’re truly old and cunning!"

"You little rascal! Is that how you talk to your grandfather?"

...

"Hurry, place the explosives."

"Be careful, everyone! If you set it off prematurely, we’re all finished!"

"I'm talking to you! Use rocks to cover it well—don't let them see any flaws!"

Gao Hongtu was in the valley, directing his soldiers to plant the explosives. To defeat a superior cavalry force with infantry, gunpowder was their greatest asset. For this battle, Gu Zhenhua had brought all the gunpowder he had scavenged from the capital—three thousand pounds of it. This was a desperate gamble; if he couldn't eliminate Li Yan, Gu Zhenhua himself would be in grave danger.

As the explosives were being buried, Tang Zhanxiong returned, gasping for breath. He grinned at Gu Zhenhua and said, "My Lord, I’ve scattered plenty of items along the road—increasingly valuable ones—and I even left a few broken carriages and two dead horses to make it look like a panicked flight. I guarantee Li Yan will take the bait!"

Gu Zhenhua clenched his fists. "Have the scouts keep a close eye on Li Yan and his men. Report back the moment there is any news!"

...

Giddyap! Giddyap!

After leaving Xiaowang Village, Li Yan and his cavalry raced along the main road like a whirlwind.

"General Quan, look! There’s silk!"

Li Yan looked closely and saw several wooden crates scattered by the roadside, spilling out the finest Suzhou silk brocade, the likes of which commoners could never afford.

There was no doubt they had been discarded in a panicked rush. Li Yan was overjoyed and urged his men to continue the pursuit. The Great Shun soldiers were also whipped into a frenzy; if the enemy was throwing silk onto the road, it meant the convoy must contain even better treasures. At the prospect of a massive windfall, every man fought to be at the front, racing ahead with reckless abandon.

Not long after, more crates appeared on the road, this time filled with calligraphy and antiques. A soldier picked up a scroll and handed it to Li Yan. It was "Plum Blossom and Bird" by Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji. While Huizong was a poor emperor, his calligraphy and paintings were peerless, and his bird paintings were worth a fortune.

Li Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud. "These fellows are terrified of us! They’re even tossing away treasures like this. Pursue them with all speed—they cannot escape!"

The further they chased, the richer the spoils. Less than ten miles later, they found a broken carriage and a dead horse with a snapped leg by the roadside.

"General, here is a crate of silver!" a cavalryman shouted in surprise.

"Hahaha! They’ve even abandoned their silver! They are at their wits' end. After them!"

The eyes of the Great Shun soldiers turned bloodshot. They pushed their mounts to the limit, chasing wildly.

Meanwhile, in a forest over a hundred meters away, two men were watching them. Seeing the cavalry charge forward without regard for anything, the two men exchanged triumphant smiles.

"Quick, go report to the Lord."

These were elite scouts. They dashed through the brush, their clothes torn by thorns and their faces scratched, but they ignored the pain, mounted their horses, and raced toward the ambush position.

Giddyap! Giddyap!

The horses, spurred on by pain, flew as if they had wings. They finally reached the valley entrance, where Gu Zhenhua was waiting anxiously.

"My Lord, the Great Shun army will be here in at most a quarter of an hour."

Gu Zhenhua’s blood began to boil. He waved his hand and shouted, "All troops, listen! Prepare for battle!"