Chapter 039: Even the Wisest May Err

Li Dong hastily led his troops in pursuit out the north gate of Zhangqiu, following closely behind Zhang Xuduo's main force.

Zhang Xuduo commanded a detachment of cavalry that moved with the swiftness of the wind, relentlessly nipping at Zhishi Lang's heels. Li Dong was left far behind, trailing doggedly in their wake.

Anxiety gnawed at Li Dong's heart. Lu Rou and Lu Li'er were still inside the city. When Zhishi Lang fled with some of the townsfolk as hostages, had they been swept up among them? There was nothing for it but to press the attack—defeat Zhishi Lang, rescue the townspeople, and see if the two were unharmed.

As they accelerated their advance, chaos suddenly erupted ahead. Du Fuwei, Zhang Junke, Fu Gongtuo, and others reined in their horses and turned to Li Dong for guidance.

Up ahead, Zhang Xuduo’s main force had become entangled within a vast throng of ordinary civilians—everywhere one looked, the hills teemed with common folk in simple garb. Zhishi Lang’s conscripted soldiers mingled among them, occasionally loosing arrows or firing shots from the crowd; Zhang Xuduo’s elite troops were suffering grievous losses.

If Li Dong simply ordered his troops to charge, countless innocents would be harmed. But to stand by while Zhang Xuduo was mired in this predicament was no solution either.

This was precisely why Zhishi Lang had seized hostages before his escape—a testament to his base character. He dared not risk his main force in open battle against Zhang Xuduo, so he used the people as shields—utterly shameless, depraved beyond measure.

The situation was fraught, yet Zhang Xuduo and the townsfolk could not be abandoned. Li Dong ordered his men to move with the utmost care, plunging into the crowd to rescue as many as possible. Each person saved was sent running back toward the city.

By separating the civilians from the conscripts as quickly as possible, only Zhishi Lang’s soldiers would remain—ripe for slaughter. If only he had a loudspeaker, Li Dong mused, he could shout for the townsfolk to drop to the ground, making it easy to distinguish friend from foe. But now, all was confusion and chaos.

Li Dong, Du Fuwei, Fu Gongtuo, Zhang Junke, and others each led a portion of their forces into the crowd. Soon, those rescued surged to either side, fleeing back along the road to Zhangqiu like a tide.

Seeing the way, other civilians quickly caught on and bolted after the first group. With the hostages separated, the conscripts were left isolated and caught between Zhang Xuduo and Li Dong’s forces—most met their end, dispatched to the next world.

A handful of conscripts, realizing the tide had turned, broke from the crowd, mounted swift horses, and sped ahead, desperate to shake off the government soldiers still fighting furiously behind.

Never before had Zhang Xuduo faced such peril; if not for Li Dong’s timely arrival, the outcome would have been uncertain indeed.

“Young man, you are truly remarkable! When this is over, I will ensure you are commended and rewarded,” Zhang Xuduo said, his appreciation for Li Dong’s command growing with each encounter. He considered taking Li Dong under his wing, grooming him to serve the court—a future of limitless promise. Even he, Zhang Xuduo, might one day owe his own fortunes to this young man.

Li Dong replied with calm humility, “You flatter me, Prefect. This was but a small matter, unworthy of mention. But are you, sir, planning to withdraw your troops to the city? Will you not pursue Zhishi Lang’s shattered remnants?”

Zhang Xuduo was in the midst of ordering his vanguard to withdraw, escorting the myriad rescued back to Zhangqiu. Li Dong, seeing this, voiced his question.

Zhang Xuduo sighed, “Best to leave well enough alone. The timing isn’t right. Desperate men will fight with unmatched ferocity. Zhishi Lang has already stooped to using civilians as hostages in his flight; were we to pursue him now, his men would fight to the death, and we’d gain little.”

Li Dong considered this reasoning—it made sense, but only up to a point. Zhishi Lang, having used civilians to hinder pursuit, clearly feared being overtaken. His ruse to sap their morale would never have prepared him for a second, unexpected pursuit. Such a move would catch him off guard—a true surprise attack.

“May I request, Prefect, that you lead a cavalry force in swift pursuit? This time, victory is within our grasp.” Li Dong, still mounted, bowed deeply, his sincerity unmistakable.

Zhang Xuduo frowned, “Earlier, when I ordered pursuit, you held me back. As you predicted, Zhishi Lang had laid a careful ambush as he retreated. We were caught, unable to fight or withdraw. Only just now have we recovered, yet now you urge pursuit?”

Li Dong recounted his reasoning. “If you doubt me, Prefect, I am willing to lead the attack myself. Should I fail, I will answer with my life.”

Zhang Xuduo threw back his head in laughter, his expression like that of a father gladdened by his son’s words. “After these two battles, I see you are no ordinary youth. Since you insist, I grant you leave to pursue. But don’t get entangled—there is much yet to do in Zhangqiu.”

Li Dong answered joyfully, “I thank you for your guidance, Prefect, and will act with prudence.” He had not seen Lu Li’er or Lu Rou among the rescued, and worry for their safety compelled him onward.

Though there were far too many hostages for Li Dong to account for each one, had Lu Li’er and Lu Rou been among them, surely, being at the very front of the column, mounted and visible, they would have spotted him and broken away. Their absence meant only one thing—they remained captives.

With Du Fuwei and others in tow, Li Dong pressed the pursuit. After half a meal’s time, they glimpsed the remnants of Zhishi Lang’s army stretching across the plain. The cavalry struck with whirlwind speed, catching the enemy off guard—Zhishi Lang had never imagined the government troops would pursue so soon after defeat. Chaos erupted.

Supplies and baggage, usually brought up in the rear, were abandoned as the conscripts fled for their lives. Li Dong and Du Fuwei’s forces reaped a rich haul—an overwhelming victory.

But among the fleeing enemy, there were no longer any captives from Zhangqiu. Lu Rou and her daughter were nowhere to be seen.

Zhang Junke wanted to press on, but Li Dong stopped him.

“After this battle, Zhishi Lang has only two paths left. One is to cross the Yellow River and seek fortune in the north. The other is utter defeat. Whichever he chooses, the result is the same,” Li Dong said.

Du Fuwei pondered this. “General, do you mean that most of Zhishi Lang’s conscripts are common folk? If they cross the river and are cut off from home, they’ll lose the will to fight, their strength greatly diminished?”

Li Dong replied with satisfaction, “You’re learning to analyze the situation. In time, you’ll become an outstanding leader. Remember, never let what I’ve told you about the ‘Two Lis’ distract you from your destiny.”

Du Fuwei was delighted. “I will never forget your counsel, and will not dare to neglect it.”

As they spoke, sudden screams of agony echoed from the nearby woods. Du Fuwei’s face changed. “Are there enemy forces lying in ambush? Could we be walking into a trap?”

Li Dong, too, turned pale. This was no longer a rapid cavalry pursuit—they were now burdened with prisoners and supplies, moving slowly. An ambush here would be disastrous. Yet to abandon the supplies was unthinkable—they were enough to feed and clothe the troops for half a year.

Listening carefully, Li Dong relaxed. “The screams suggest a massacre—either a battle, or slaughter by one side against the other. In any case, it’s not an ambush for us. But since we’re here, we must investigate.”

He and Du Fuwei dismounted, cautiously making their way through the woods with their troops at the ready, bows strung and prepared for battle.

Li Dong’s greatest fear was that the screams came from Lu Li’er and Lu Rou, who had gone ahead in the flight.

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[Author’s note: Sincere thanks to ‘Yishi Wuliang 53’ and ‘Guan Sheng’ for your generous support! Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Also, this novel has reached 100,000 words and is entered in the Dream Cup contest—please vote for it daily if you can. Thank you!]