The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 718 Unidentified Enemy
Winters in Hami are cold and long, often lasting for nearly half a year. So, although the eve of the eleventh year of the Qiansheng reign had passed, spring was still a long way off. It wasn't until the end of the third lunar month, when the spring flowers in Jiangnan had all fallen, that the first batch of tender yellow pasture grass sprouted at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. However, this pasture grass grew extremely fast, turning the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains green within just a few days. Then, all sorts of unknown wildflowers also emerged, blooming in competition, vying for beauty and creating a breathtaking scene.

As Jia Huan urged his horse forward, he admired the unique early spring scenery at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. He felt inexplicably happy and thought that he would take Daiyu and the others out of the city to enjoy the spring after a few more days when it gets warmer. They had been cooped up in the city all winter, and it was time for them to get away and not waste this beautiful spring weather.

"Third Master, look! So many cattle and sheep!" the servant Jinbao suddenly exclaimed, pointing ahead.

Looking up, everyone saw a vast pasture below the hillside, with lush green grass and countless cattle and sheep grazing leisurely. Shepherds rode their horses back and forth, herding the snow-white flocks like flowing clouds. Groups of children played and frolicked by the stream, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.

Dong Dao had sharp eyesight and pointed to the children playing by the stream, saying, "Isn't that Princess Ayina?"

Upon closer inspection, everyone saw a slender young woman among the children, with long, flowing black hair and a crown of wildflowers adorning her head. Surrounded by the children, she danced gracefully, her movements light and beautiful yet imbued with the boldness unique to women of the grasslands. Crucially, she was also very beautiful, making her dance particularly captivating.

Seeing Jia Huan's admiring expression, Fan Jian had an idea and instructed one of his men, "Go down and give them a heads-up. Tell them that the governor is coming to inspect the ranch, and tell them to prepare to welcome him."

Jia Huan frowned and said, "No need, let's go, we have important business to attend to!" With that, he spurred his horse and continued on his way.

The guards spurred their horses to follow, and as Dong Dao passed by Fan Jian, he sneered in a low voice, "You sycophant, you're such a busybody."

Fan Jian scratched his head in frustration. He had originally wanted to curry favor with his superior, but his attempt to flatter had backfired.

Meanwhile, Jia Huan and his companions bypassed the pasture and continued heading north. It's worth mentioning that the pasture they had just passed was the territory bestowed upon Ayina, the Lady of Yiwu County, by the imperial court. Located on the eastern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, it was abundant in water and lush with grass, making it one of the finest pastures in the Hami region.

By the way, Jia Huan has already divided Hami into three administrative regions: Yizhou, Yiwu County, and Bakun County. Ayina's title is Yiwu County Lord, so her fiefdom is also under the jurisdiction of Yiwu County, which is about two hundred miles away from Hami City.

Since the territory was demarcated, Ayina has led her people to move here to graze and farm. However, she would return to Hami City twice a month to visit the women, including Chai Dai. After spending more than half a year together, they had clearly formed a deep friendship.

Getting back to the main point, Jia Huan and his companions continued north for several dozen miles until they finally arrived near the foot of a mountain. This mountain was part of the Tian Shan range and was called the Balsikuo Mountain. It consisted of dozens of peaks and was not particularly high. The area around the foot of the mountain was hilly with sparse vegetation, but there were quite a few wild animals.

Of course, Jia Huan didn't come all this way to hunt, but to find coal mines. In his previous life, Jia Huan was an archaeologist, so he naturally had a good understanding of geology. Moreover, he remembered that the Hami region was rich in coal and iron resources. If he could find coal and iron mines, it would not only boost the economy of the Hami region, but also make the iron ingots for making weapons self-sufficient, so that they would no longer have to go through the trouble of transporting them from the interior.

Jia Huan was lucky; last month, he discovered an iron mine on the northern mountain near Hami City. However, to mine and smelt iron, he needed enough fuel, which was coal.

Recently, Jia Huan happened to learn that there might be coal in the Balsikuo Mountains of Bakhun County, so he personally led a group of people to investigate.

The reason Jia Huan went to such great lengths to develop the Hami region was naturally because he regarded it as his base of operations. At present, the Great Jin Dynasty was becoming increasingly chaotic, with bandits rising up everywhere. One problem was solved only to be solved by another, and the court was stretched thin in every way. It was already showing signs of the end of the dynasty. At this time, it was only natural to plan ahead and consolidate his own territory.

In fact, since the beginning of the year, the soldiers of Hami Guard have not received their salaries from the imperial court for several months. If it weren't for the two million taels of silver that Jia Huan and Duan Yong obtained from the Hami treasury, they would have had trouble even maintaining the army's expenses, let alone carrying out construction.

It is clear that the finances of the Great Jin Dynasty are already stretched thin. Peasant uprisings are ongoing, and the army is exhausted. If the soldiers do not receive their pay, the situation will only get worse.

Enough of the digressions, let's talk about how Jia Huan and his companions arrived at the foot of a mountain led by their guide. This guide was a herdsman from a nearby tribe who had once discovered coal in the mountains. Some time ago, he heard that the governor was offering a large reward for finding coal, so he went to the governor's office to volunteer himself.

"Old He, is there really coal in this mountain?" Dong Dao asked with some doubt, looking at the barren rocky mountain in front of him.

He Laowu was the guide's name. He was originally from Suzhou, but his ancestors fled famine and settled in Hami. He married a local Hui woman and became a native of Hami. He spoke fluent Mandarin.

Old He patted his chest and guaranteed, "If you don't find it, Master Dong, you can cut down my livelihood. But if you do find it later, I only ask that the Governor give me a few taels of silver to get married, hehe!"

Dong Dao laughed and scolded, "Enough nonsense, lead the way. If we really find it, let alone a few taels of silver, I might even find you a wife."

"Alright, it's what you said, Master Dong!" Old He's eyes lit up, and he spurred his horse up the mountain.

However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred. A cold arrow shot out and struck He Laowu in the back. He screamed and fell off his horse, dying instantly.

Everyone was shocked, but the guards were well-trained and immediately raised their shields to surround Jia Huan.

dong dong dong...

Several arrows came in quick succession, but were blocked by the shield formation. Then, the sound of hooves suddenly rose, and dozens of riders charged out from the nearby valley, yelling and brandishing their swords as they charged toward them. Although their numbers were small, their momentum was quite terrifying.

Jia Huan's heart skipped a beat. He had only brought twenty personal guards with him on this trip. Seeing that the enemy had a large number of men and the situation was unclear, he did not know if the enemy had other ambushes. Therefore, he decisively ordered a retreat to the mountainside to take advantage of the terrain before making a decision.

Jia Huan, needless to say, was a veteran of countless battles, and his personal guards were also experienced and fierce soldiers. They protected Jia Huan and retreated calmly to the mountainside, while retaliating with bows and arrows and muskets, killing several of the enemy on the spot.

At this point, the other side clearly realized that Jia Huan and his group were not to be trifled with, and for a moment they did not dare to attack the mountain. Instead, they roamed around at the foot of the mountain, making strange noises and intimidating people on the mountain, and occasionally shooting a few arrows as a threat.

"Wolf Fang Arrow? What the hell? What kind of beggar is this!" Fan Jian cursed under his breath.

The group of people below the mountain were dressed in tattered clothes and used wolf-tooth arrows, some even with arrowheads polished from stones; they could easily be mistaken for beggars. Jia Huan remained silent, calmly observing them. This group was clearly not a local tribe of Hami. Judging from their clothing and accents, they seemed to be the Oirat people from the north. Moreover, Hami borders the Oirat to the north, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Oirat people here.

At this moment, Dong Dao said contemptuously, "The enemy only has thirty-five riders, their combat strength is average, and their equipment is trash. We can take them down in one move. Third Master, please wait here for a moment. I will take fifteen brothers and charge down to finish them off."

Jia Huan calmly replied, "No rush, let's observe further!"

Although he had kept a low profile during his trip and few people knew about it, the sudden appearance of these people to attack him was suspicious. As the saying goes, "better safe than sorry," it was best to be cautious. If there were any ambushes nearby, rushing down rashly would be falling into their trap.

At this moment, the enemy below the mountain began to probe upwards again. Just as the guards were about to fire arrows to intercept them, Jia Huan stopped them, saying, "Don't rush, we don't have many arrows and ammunition. Let them get closer before you shoot!"

The enemy below charged up the mountain with screams and shouts for about ten meters, then suddenly turned back and retreated, repeating this several times. At this point, Dong Dao, Fan Jian, and the others realized that these guys were quite cunning; this was clearly a feint attack, an attempt to deplete their own arrows and ammunition. Luckily, Third Master was brilliant!
The enemy below the mountain launched several feint attacks, but seeing that Jia Huan and his men weren't falling for them, they became increasingly anxious and finally charged up the mountain in a swarm. Jia Huan coldly uttered a single word: "Release!"

The guards immediately opened fire with their guns and arrows, which sent the enemy fleeing in panic, leaving behind several corpses as they retreated in disarray.

The leader of the bandits was both shocked and furious. He pointed at the mountainside and started cursing, but Jia Huan and the others couldn't understand what he was saying.

The leader of the thieves cursed for a while, then his eyes darted around. He beckoned one of the thieves to his side and whispered a few words to him. The latter then quickly rode away.

Fan Jian spat and said, "That scoundrel must have gone to call for reinforcements. Third Master, time is of the essence. Let's break through now, or things might change."

Jia Huan was a decisive man, and just as he was about to order a charge, the sound of hooves suddenly came from afar, and three riders were galloping toward them.

Jia Huan hurriedly took out his monocular telescope and looked. He was immediately surprised. He saw a young girl riding alone, with bright eyes and white teeth, beautiful appearance, and heroic spirit. It was Ayina, with two female guards following behind her.

Jia Huan frowned slightly: "Why is this little brat here!"

It happened so fast!
In the blink of an eye, Ayina and two female guards had rushed to the vicinity. She drew her bow and nocked an arrow, her phoenix eyes flashing like lightning, and fired an arrow!
It must be said that Ayina's archery skills were truly remarkable. Even while riding at high speed, her hand remained steady and her accuracy was astonishing. She hit a bandit in the throat with a single arrow.

At this moment, the two female guards also charged into the enemy ranks with their left and right bows, showing great bravery. The soldiers couldn't help but cheer loudly when they saw this.

Ayina clearly heard the cheers. She tilted her chin slightly and glanced at Jia Huan on the mountainside, her proud little expression evident. Unfortunately, her smugness lasted only three seconds before she was surrounded by the bandits and caught in a fierce battle, facing great danger.

Jia Huan immediately ordered his men to rush down and provide support. Dong Dao and Fan Jian spurred their horses forward like arrows released from a bow. The guards, who had been holding back for a long time, charged down like tigers, instantly scattering the enemy.

The leader of the bandits was terrified and turned his horse to flee, but there was no way to escape. Dong Dao swung his sword from above, and it was as fast as lightning. Blood spurted out and the bandit leader's head flew into the air. His mount carried the headless corpse, which was spitting blood, for more than ten meters before crashing down.

The remaining bandits were quickly slaughtered by the guards, with only a few riders escaping with their lives. Ayina wiped the blood off her scimitar, spurred her horse to Jia Huan, and asked with concern, "Lord Jia, are you alright?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "It's nothing. Why would Your Highness, the County Princess, come here?"

“I…I just happened to be hunting nearby!” Ayina replied, her pretty face slightly flushed. She wasn’t actually hunting; she had come on purpose to “bump into” the place.

Ever since she risked her life to save Jia Huan in the ice cave, getting covered in his blood, the young girl developed a secret affection for him. Adding to this, Jia Huan's looks, talent, and status were all top-notch. Spending so much time together, how could a young girl experiencing her first stirrings of love not be moved? As the saying goes, "Meeting Xiao Lang once can ruin a lifetime," and now, none of the young men in her clan could catch her eye. Compared to Jia Huan, everyone else was far inferior.

Of course, the young girl was shy and dared not reveal her feelings even though she secretly liked him. Today, Jia Huan passed by her ranch. In fact, she had seen him long ago and thought that he would come to her ranch for "inspection". However, he did not enter the ranch and went straight north.

Ayina was very disappointed. After hesitating for a long time, she took two maids and pretended to go hunting, hoping to have a chance encounter. As a result, she happened to find Jia Huan being attacked and rushed to his rescue in a moment of panic.

Jia Huan vaguely sensed the girl's thoughts, but he didn't expose her. He simply expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your help, Your Highness!"

"You're too kind, Governor!" Ayina said a little embarrassedly. In fact, she could tell that these bandits were no match for Jia Huan's personal guards. On the contrary, it was Jia Huan's personal guards who saved her and her servant.

Just then, the ground suddenly began to shake. Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then their expressions changed drastically. The sound of hooves was like thunder, shaking the earth. Hundreds of horses were seen pressing in like a dark cloud, as if they were about to destroy the world.

Jia Huan was greatly alarmed and shouted, "Quickly, retreat to the mountain!"

The group immediately spurred their horses and retreated halfway up the mountain. However, there were simply too many enemies, numbering in the hundreds, who quickly surrounded the foot of the mountain. Ayina was terrified and her face turned pale.

Even the usually composed Jia Huan couldn't help but look grave at this moment. The disparity in numbers between the enemy and themselves was simply too great, making it impossible to resist. Therefore, he decisively ordered his men to abandon their horses and continue retreating towards the mountaintop.

The slope from the foot of the mountain to the halfway point is relatively gentle and has sparse vegetation, making it barely possible to ride a horse. However, the area above the halfway point is all bare rock and the slope is very steep, making it impossible to ride a horse. The only option is to abandon the horse and walk. However, the enemy has a large and powerful force, so abandoning the horse and holding the mountain is the only way.

(End of this chapter)