Chapter 27: Shi Yunhu Trapped

"We have been within the borders of Datong for several days now. Master Zhao, shouldn't you tell us where exactly we are heading?" Liu Heng asked Zhao Yutu, who was sitting on a cart.

Li Shuheng, standing nearby, added, "Master Zhao, Datong is a frontier garrison. If you intend to cross the border and defect to the Northern Barbarians, don't blame us for taking our men and leaving right now. I, Li Shuheng, am a Han man; I will not abandon my dignity to become a slave to the Northern Barbarians."

Master Zhao, sitting on the grain cart, hesitated for a moment before saying, "Since we have reached Datong, I will hide nothing from you. The Chief is leading everyone to the Daliang Mountains. The terrain there is rugged and densely forested, situated right next to the vital transportation routes of the Datong Eastern Circuit. As long as we hold our ground there, we might have a chance to be granted amnesty. By then, the Chief will likely secure a position as a Regional Military Commissioner or a Colonel, and the rest of you will at least be made Captains. In the future, I will even have to address you as 'My Lord'."

"Heh, I never thought I’d have the fate of becoming an official," Chen Xunping said, scratching his head.

Li Shuheng looked at Liu Heng, his eyes full of inquiry. It was clear that he had been moved by Zhao Yutu’s words.

Only Liu Heng remained unmoved. Having foreseen the decades of decline and the chaos and natural disasters that would soon plague the Ming Dynasty, he knew that regardless of whether Zhao Yutu’s words were true or false, remaining at the frontier as a minor military officer was a poor choice.

"Deep forests and high mountains are always breeding grounds for bandits, Master Zhao. Surely you know this?" Liu Heng looked at him.

"Of course I do," Master Zhao laughed. "Our main camp has nearly two thousand men; the refugees are only a few hundred, and the rest are seasoned outlaws. With so many of us, why fear a few mountain thugs? Rest assured, Chief Liu, all of this is within the Chief’s calculations."

Liu Heng chuckled lightly. "I think you mean it is within *your* calculations, Master Zhao."

He knew exactly what Shi Yunhu was made of. They were both from the same rural background, and having never left Liaodong, the Chief could not possibly understand the situation in Datong. Someone around him must have been providing the intelligence, and the only person in the entire camp qualified to offer such advice and knowledgeable about Datong was Master Zhao, the scholar.

Zhao Yutu wore a look of pride. "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. I have simply walked a few more paths than the average person."

After passing the imperial examinations, scholars would often travel to build connections with fellow students and famous local literati, spreading their reputations in preparation for the higher-level exams. Though as a mere *tongsheng* Zhao Yutu did not need to cultivate such fame, he had been fortunate enough to travel with several peers who had passed the *xiucai* exam, and Datong Prefecture was one of the places he had visited.

Liu Heng couldn't be bothered with Zhao Yutu’s vanity. Ever since the Tumu Crisis, the Ming Dynasty’s policy of using civil officials to govern military affairs had become increasingly severe, and the sense of superiority among scholars had grown proportionally. They constantly spoke of the Emperor and the scholar-officials ruling the world together. Despite being in a bandit camp, Zhao Yutu never lost that scholarly air of superiority.

"At our current pace, we should reach Tiancheng Defense Command in another day or so, right?" Liu Heng almost let slip the modern name of the place.

Zhao Yutu replied, "Once we pass Tiancheng and bypass Yanghe, we will reach the Datong Eastern Circuit, and then we will head straight into the Daliang Mountains."

Liu Heng frowned upon hearing this route. Tiancheng and Zhenlu Defense Commands were only a few dozen miles ahead. Yanghe was the seat of the Datong Military Defense Circuit, and the Datong Eastern Circuit was positioned along the border walls, guarded by Vice Regional Commanders or Assistant Regional Commanders. This path was terrifyingly dangerous.

"We cannot go any further. Turn back along the path we came," Liu Heng commanded. "Tell the men in front to become the rearguard, and the rearguard to lead the way."

"Liu Heng!" Zhao Yutu glared at him. "Heading to the Daliang Mountains is the Chief’s order. Do you intend to defy it? Don't forget, even if you turn back now, you are carrying so much cargo that the Chief’s men will catch up to you in no time. You should know the consequences of that."

Chen Xunping looked confused. "That's right, things are going well, why turn back?"

Li Shuheng also asked, "Have you sensed something?"

"Yang Yuan, go tell the front line to halt," Liu Heng ordered, then turned to Zhao Yutu. "Master Zhao, you have been to Datong. You should know that the Tiancheng and Zhenlu Defense Commands were merged, making them much stronger than typical garrisons."

Liu Heng knew this only because his first girlfriend in college was from Tianzhen County, and she had told him that the name "Tianzhen" was formed by taking one character from each of the two defense commands.

Zhao Yutu nodded. "That is correct."

Liu Heng continued, "Tiancheng had over ten thousand men, and Zhenlu had the same. Even after merging, even if we account for the phantom soldiers on the payroll, there must be at least five or six thousand active troops left, right?"

The others nodded in agreement. It was standard practice for Ming officers to pocket the pay of non-existent soldiers, but in such critical frontier zones, they would always keep at least half the force on active duty.

"Setting aside the disparity in equipment, just look at the numbers. Our combined camps total only two thousand men. Do you think we can defeat five or six thousand government troops?"

Zhao Yutu’s face turned pale, but he persisted, "Most of the garrison troops are just old farmers holding hoes; they might not even fight us. Besides, we haven't had any trouble on our journey so far."

"Fine, let's ignore Tiancheng. Let’s talk about Yanghe," Liu Heng countered. "The Datong Military Defense Circuit is based there. Do you think the officials will just watch a group of refugees and bandits parade through their territory? Even if Yanghe doesn't send troops, what about the Assistant Regional Commander of the Datong Eastern Circuit? With a few hundred personal guards and their main battalions, we would be wiped out before we even had a chance to flee into the Daliang Mountains."

Zhao Yutu’s face grew paler, and Li Shuheng’s expression turned grim.

"Report..."

Just then, a rider galloped toward them from the front. Zhao Yutu jumped down from the cart and hurriedly asked, "What happened up ahead?"

The rider reined in his horse, panting. "The Chief! The Chief’s main battalion and the vanguard have fallen into an ambush set by the government troops from Tiancheng! They are currently surrounded fifteen miles away. The Chief has ordered me to command Liu Heng and Li Shuheng to take their trained refugees and archers to break the siege."

"What? They really set an ambush?" Panic washed over Zhao Yutu’s face as he turned to look at Liu Heng.

Li Shuheng and Chen Xunping also turned to Liu Heng, waiting for his decision.

"Don't look at me. I am not taking my men to save them; we aren't even enough to serve as a snack for the government troops," Liu Heng said. "Rearrange the formation. We are heading south to Guangling."

Chen Xunping asked, confused, "Why not return the way we came? Wouldn't that be safer?"