The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 680: Night Exploration of the Enemy Camp
Jia Huan said calmly, "Duan Zhongshi is exaggerating. You are only fulfilling your duty as a servant of the emperor. The most important thing now is for you and me to work together to deal with the crisis ahead."

Duan Yong asked in astonishment, "What crisis?"

In Duan Yong's view, Amahei and Baiwa have been captured, their conspiracy has failed, and everything is under control, so what crisis is there?

Jia Huan reminded him, "Has Duan Zhongshi forgotten that Amahei's target is Jiayuguan? With just their small force, even if they tricked the gate open, they wouldn't be able to take Jiayuguan, let alone the entire Hexi Corridor."

Duan Yong suddenly realized, slapped his forehead and said, "That makes sense. I had forgotten about that. In other words, there must be more troops nearby to meet up with Amahei and Baiwa."

Jia Huan nodded and said, "That's right. If I'm not mistaken, the number of troops will not be small. In other words, we are still in danger."

Upon hearing this, Duan Yong was greatly alarmed and immediately ordered his men to bring Baiwa back for interrogation. This old fellow was clearly more afraid of death than Amahei, so naturally, he would pick on the weakest one.

"Baiwa, do you have any troops around here to help? Tell us the truth, or I'll let you taste the pain of being skinned alive and having your treasures boiled in hot water. Hehe, do you know what treasures are?" Duan Yong sneered sinisterly, staring intently at Baiwa's crotch, sending chills down one's spine.

Tsk tsk, eunuchs are indeed born with a perverted and ruthless nature. Baiwa shivered and quickly replied, "Your Excellency is right, there are indeed troops nearby to meet us."

Duan Yong hurriedly asked, "How many soldiers are there?"

A barely perceptible glint of cunning flashed in Baiwa's eyes as he replied, "Eight hundred light cavalry from the Turpan Khanate."

Duan Yong frowned and said, "Only eight hundred light cavalry? Didn't Amahei say that Turpan had ten thousand cavalry and one hundred thousand infantry?"

Baiwa shook his head and said, "It's just that kid bragging. If Turpan really had that many troops, it would have unified the Western Regions long ago. At most, it would only have two or three thousand cavalry and thirty or forty thousand infantry. Sending eight hundred light cavalry this time is already quite a lot."

Duan Yong's gaze involuntarily turned to Jia Huan, clearly unsure whether what Baiwa said was true or false.

Jia Huan frowned in thought. It was undoubtedly a pipe dream for eight hundred cavalry to take Jiayuguan head-on. However, considering that Amahei's original plan was to disguise himself as a marriage alliance and turn back to trick Jiayuguan into opening the gates, eight hundred light cavalry would indeed be enough. Moreover, the desert is different from the grassland, with a severe lack of water and pasture. Maintaining the logistics for eight hundred cavalry was already very difficult. Therefore, it was not the case that the more cavalry, the better.

"Turpan sent eight hundred light cavalry, so how many did Hami send? Don't you want a share?" Jia Huan scrutinized Baiwa with piercing eyes.

Under Jia Huan's gaze, Baiwa had the unsettling feeling that he was being seen through completely, and he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He forced himself to answer, "I never intended to betray the superior country, but Turpan is so close to Hami, and I was forced by their superior military strength to cooperate with Amahei's act. So I never even considered sending troops."

"I don't believe you for a second, you old scoundrel!" Jia Huan thought to himself, but said aloud, "I'll believe you for now, so where are these eight hundred Turpan light cavalry stationed?"

“Xiao Wang doesn’t know the exact location either,” Baiva said, shaking his head.

Jia Huan frowned and said, "That's a pity. Duan Zhongshi, you should handle this."

Duan Yong's expression turned sinister as he shouted, "Men, break his left foot first, then sprinkle salt on it."

A soldier immediately drew his sword and was about to cut off one of Baiwa's feet when the latter shouted, "Don't cut! I know that the eight hundred cavalry are stationed about fifty or sixty miles north of here, but that place is very well hidden. I can lead you there."

Duan Yong smiled sinisterly and said, "I'll spare your foot for now. If it turns out to be a lie, I'll chop off your head and report it to the Emperor as a reward, and send your head to the nine border regions as a warning to others."

Baiva grinned, revealing a missing front tooth, and repeatedly said he dared not, his obsequiousness and ugliness drawing disdain from all the soldiers present.

Next, Jia Huan ordered his men to take Baiwa away. Duan Yong pressed him, asking, "Jia Huan, do you think Baiwa's words are credible?"

Jia Huan said calmly, "It should be believable, but it can't be completely believed."

"So what should we do now?" Duan Yong asked, frowning.

Jia Huan said solemnly, "Eight hundred light cavalry is no small number and poses a serious threat to us. Fortunately, not a single one escaped today, otherwise we would be in danger. We must find a way to eliminate these eight hundred light cavalry."

Jia Huan was not exaggerating. Although the marriage alliance had 1,500 combat troops, only 200 were cavalry, less than 300. If they encountered the 800 light cavalry from Turpan in the desert, their chances of winning were really slim. Moreover, light cavalry were highly mobile, and even if the marriage alliance abandoned all its supplies, it would not be able to escape. In the end, if they were not killed by the enemy, they would starve and die of thirst in the desert.

When Duan Yong first heard Baiwa say there were only eight hundred cavalry, he was somewhat dismissive. But now, after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't help but gasp and hurriedly asked, "Then how do we eliminate these eight hundred Turpan light cavalry?"

Jia Huan frowned and said, “The art of war says: ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.’ To eliminate these eight hundred light cavalry, we must first find them and understand their situation before we can formulate a countermeasure. Fortunately, they are unaware that Amahei and Baiwa have been exposed and are probably still waiting for orders at their encampment. This undoubtedly gives us the opportunity to strike first. Here’s what we’ll do: I will personally escort Baiwa to find the enemy’s encampment. Eunuch Duan will stay here to protect Her Highness the Princess for now, and we will make a decision after I have ascertained the enemy’s situation.”

Duan Yong greatly admired Jia Huan's ability to lead troops into battle, so he readily agreed, "Alright, let's do it that way!"

"Furthermore, although Baiwa said that Hami did not send troops, this statement may not be credible. Therefore, Duan Zhongshi must be vigilant and not relax his defenses." Duan Yong said solemnly, "I understand!"

Next, Jia Huan, along with Man Gui, Lu Xiangjin, and eight Shaanxi militiamen, escorted Baiwa northward.

After Jia Huan left, Duan Yong was cautious. He found a high sand dune nearby and set up camp, using carts as a defensive line. He also sent out dozens of scouts to scout the area within a radius of thirty miles.

Meanwhile, Jia Huan and his men escorted Baiwa northward on horseback. After traveling about forty li, dusk was approaching. The setting sun in the west was blood-red, but the terrain suddenly changed. On the once flat horizon, numerous wind-eroded hills sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, large and small, strangely shaped, scattered like stars in the sky. Under the setting sun, they cast countless shadows, and the desert winds whistled through the pits and holes, producing strange noises, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves. Anyone with a weak heart would probably cry on the spot.

However, Jia Huan, Man Gui, and the others were seasoned veterans who had survived countless battles and bloodshed, so this was nothing to them. As for Lu Xiangjin and the eight Shaanxi militiamen, they were also hardened soldiers who had fought bandits and tasted blood, and their courage was as big as a water vat. So they walked into this gloomy and terrifying wind-eroded hill forest without hesitation.

The sun finally set completely, and darkness reigned over the earth. Jia Huan decisively ordered a halt to rest, waiting for the moon to rise before resuming operations.

"How far is it from here?" Jia Huan pulled the cloth strip out of Baiwa's mouth and asked coldly.

Baiva licked his dry lips and said in a hoarse voice, "...water, Xiao Wang wants to drink water."

To prevent Baiwa from playing any tricks, Jia Huan not only tied his hands along the way, but also gagged him with strips of cloth.

Jia Huan gestured for Mu Ye to give Bai Wa a sip of water, and the boy actually only gave him one sip before putting the water pouch away. Bai Wa stared longingly at the water pouch in Mu Ye's hand, looking unsatisfied.

Mu Ye wasn't going to tolerate it at all. He raised his hand and slapped Baiwa on the back of the head, shouting, "Old toad, what are you looking at? Third Master is asking you a question!"

A hint of humiliation and resentment flashed in Baiva's eyes, but he was also a little puzzled as to why this lackey would call him an old toad.

"About twenty li more," Baiwa said in a muffled voice.

Man Gui cursed, "This damned place is indeed a good place to hide troops. If no one leads the way, it will be really hard to find it."

After resting for half an hour and eating and drinking their fill, the moon rose in the sky. Although the moon was not very big, the road could still be vaguely discerned by the faint reflection of its light.

Since the distance of twenty li was not far, in order to avoid the sound of horses' hooves alerting the enemy, everyone led their horses on foot. After walking for about an hour, they finally emerged from the maze-like wind-eroded hills and forests, and the view suddenly opened up before them.

"Wow, there's an oasis here!" Lu Xiangjin exclaimed.

Indeed, what we saw was an oasis, covered with trees and grass, and its area was estimated to be several square miles in circumference. In the center of the oasis was a lake, its surface shimmering in the moonlight, and its area was much larger than the previous one.

Jia Huan quickly made a hand gesture, and everyone immediately retreated back into the wind-eroded hills and forests, hid the horses, and sent two militiamen to guard Baiwa. Only then did they quietly sneak into the oasis and hide in a bush to observe closely.

On the south side of the lake, a large number of tents were set up, with campfires flickering. On the north side, a large number of warhorses were penned up. Man Gui said in a low voice with a grim expression, "Third Master, there are more than eight hundred warhorses. At least twelve hundred, maybe even fifteen hundred."

Lu Xiangjin asked in surprise, "How can you tell it's just a dark mass?"

Man Gui proudly said, "This is my unique skill. Kneel down and kowtow three times to become my disciple, and I will teach it to you."

Lu Xiangjin pursed his lips and squeezed out the word "Get lost" through gritted teeth.

"Silence!" Jia Huan hissed.

Man Gui and Lu Xiangjin quickly shut up. Before long, a patrol team came over. Everyone held their breath in tension. Fortunately, the patrol team was probably just slacking off. They took a quick stroll and turned back when they were still twenty or thirty meters away from the bushes where Jia Huan and the others were.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and seized the opportunity to secretly retreat back into the wind-eroded hill forest. They quickly led their horses away and only emerged from the other side of the forest did Man Gui grab Baiwa from the horse's back, slam him to the ground, and curse: "There are clearly more than 1,200 riders, yet you say there are only 800, you bastard, what are you up to?"

(End of this chapter)