Chapter Eight: Bandits Outside the Village

Zheng Family Manor is one of the few large estates within a dozen miles. The manor maintains its own guards, and inside resides a master known as Master Zheng.

His ancestors were once scholars, and over two generations of development, all the surrounding land has become the property of Master Zheng, while the farmers living in the manor have all become his tenant farmers.

Less than three miles west of the manor lies a long, narrow stretch of woods, adjacent to a large river. When the weather is hot, the woods offer a particularly cool, shaded retreat.

The archer battalion arrived at these woods first, driving away the tenant farmers who had come to gather firewood, and took possession of the area.

Not long after, Liu Heng led the hundreds of new recruits he had trained into the woods with a swaggering air. Shortly thereafter, he secretly led them back out, circled around from a distance, then marched boldly along the main road leading to the manor gate before re-entering the woods.

They repeated this maneuver several times until the setting sun turned the western sky into a blood-red expanse, at which point they finally halted.

With waves of roving bandits passing outside Zheng Family Manor, the people inside were already in a state of panic. Everyone knew that a large number of bandits had gathered in the woods to the west.

Xiao Hu, the head of the manor guards, arrived at Master Zheng’s study with an uneasy expression.

Compared to the sweltering outdoors, the study was cool and comfortable. Six or seven copper basins were placed around the room, filled with melting ice that continuously radiated a chill, lowering the temperature.

Seated at the head of the room was a man in his fifties, his robe open at the chest, a covered teacup in his hand. Two maids stood on either side, slowly waving fans, while the steward, She Fu, stood a little further away.

"Master," Xiao Hu bowed as soon as he entered.

"Xiao Hu!" Master Zheng set down his teacup and asked, "Are you here in such a rush for something? Steward, go close the door; it took a lot of effort to keep the cool air inside."

Steward She, who sported a thin mustache, walked to the door and shut it.

Xiao Hu said with a worried look, "Reporting to the Master, there are many people hiding in the woods to the west of our manor. According to the tenants who went there, a group of bandits has moved in, numbering over a thousand."

"Nonsense," Master Zheng replied dismissively. "My manor has over a hundred guards and is surrounded by high walls; it is easy to defend and hard to attack. If those thieves dare to come, they are just seeking their own deaths. It is likely just because the weather is too hot, and those low-born peasants who have turned to banditry want to hide in the woods to cool off. It is of no concern; pay them no mind."

Steward She, having closed the door and returned to his place, added, "Master, we should still be careful. A group of roving bandits has been lingering in our county recently; not long ago, they attacked Wang Family Manor, which is only thirty miles away from us."

"It does not matter," Master Zheng waved his hand. "They are merely a bunch of low-born peasants who turned to banditry. Wang Family Manor was not broken; in fact, the bandits suffered a loss there. By the same token, my Zheng Family Manor is not to be trifled with. Very well, Xiao Hu, you may go; go and patrol the manor. Do not let those tenants slack off."

Xiao Hu, feeling helpless, had no choice but to withdraw from the study.

...

In the woods, Liu Heng watched as the sky grew dark. He said, "The time is almost upon us. Brother Shuheng, I will lead the men out first. You wait in the woods for my signal and be ready to light the torches at any moment."

Li Shuheng promised with a smile, "Go with peace of mind. I guarantee that from one end of these woods to the other, our men will have their torches raised."

Liu Heng nodded and led his three hundred newly trained conscripts out of the woods.

The three hundred recruits stood in three rows, each holding a wooden spear by their side. The entire troop was deathly silent, as straight and tall as birch trees rooted in the earth, standing like boulders with a heavy, oppressive aura.

"Have the person in charge of this manor come out and speak!" Liu Heng shouted toward Zheng Family Manor.

Waiting long without a response, he had his three hundred men shout in unison.

"Have the person in charge of this manor come out and speak!"

The roar of three hundred men shook the earth and sky, seemingly tearing through the clouds above, allowing a final ray of sunset to fall upon them.

Inside the manor, every household kept their doors tightly shut, and the streets were empty. Xiao Hu had arranged the guards in the courtyards on the west side of the manor. Some guards armed with bows and arrows crouched behind the walls, staring outward, while others stood by with swords and spears. Many tenants held pitchforks and shoulder poles, standing guard in their own yards with expressions of desperate defiance, though their bodies trembled like chaff.

Master Zheng, upon learning that the bandits were truly attacking, fell into a state of total chaos. In the study, he no longer possessed his earlier composure; he slumped in his mahogany chair, his hand trembling so violently that tea spilled from his cup, soaking his sleeves.

"These... these rebellious bandits... how, how dare they..." Master Zheng stuttered, unable to finish his sentence.

Steward She advised from the side, "Master, perhaps you should distribute some silver to motivate the guards and tenants, so they will fight to the death to defend the manor."

"Nonsense!" Master Zheng shouted, his hands shaking. "I spend silver to keep over a hundred guards; now is exactly the time for them to give their lives. Go and tell them that if the bandits break into the manor, I will never give them another copper coin. And as for those tenants, they will have to pay an extra portion of rent!"

Steward She’s expression turned bitter. He did not continue to persuade him, knowing his master was a miser who would split a single copper coin in two.

"The bandits are attacking! The bandits are attacking!"

At that moment, cries of the bandits attacking the manor echoed through the grounds.

Master Zheng, who had just managed to sit steady, turned pale with fear and shrieked, "Quick, quick! Hide me!"

Steward She said speechlessly, "Master, once the manor is broken, you will be found no matter where you hide. It would be better to take advantage of the fact that the bandits have not yet surrounded the manor and have some guards escort you to the county seat. Once we reach the county, we will be safe."

"No!" Master Zheng shook his head violently. "If I leave, wouldn't all the things in this house fall into the hands of those bandits? I am not leaving; I will stay and guard my home."

Seeing that his master was determined to stay for the sake of his worldly possessions, Steward She could only say, "Master, I will go see Xiao Hu first. Whether we can hold off these bandits depends on the manor head."

"Right," Master Zheng said urgently. "Tell Xiao Hu, he must hold the manor for me."

Steward She nodded and left the study.

Just as he reached the gate of the courtyard, he bumped into Xiao Hu.

Upon meeting, Xiao Hu said urgently, "Steward She, I was just looking for you. The bandits outside are preparing to attack. From my observations, there are likely many more hiding in the woods. To hold off so many, we need all the tenants to stand on the walls. It would be best if Master Zheng could produce some silver to motivate everyone; that would give us a better chance of holding the manor. Can you speak to him?"

Steward She shook his head and said, "Don't even think about silver. I just brought it up, and the Master is unwilling to part with even a single copper, let alone a large sum."

"Sigh..." Xiao Hu sighed. "Then I will do my best to hold the gate. If it truly fails, tell the Master to flee. I have observed these bandits; they are not ordinary. Their ranks are orderly and they obey orders like imperial frontier troops. With just these people in the manor, it will be very difficult to hold."

"We must try our best to hold," Steward She said. "If it is truly impossible, you retreat early and take a few guards to escort the Master to the county seat."

"That is all we can do," Xiao Hu nodded.