The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 727 One Strike Repels the Enemy

Two flowers bloom, each telling its own story. Meanwhile, Tiehu and Xingwei escorted Mandarin on her journey, passing through Xuanfu, Datong, and then Taiyuan, before heading south along the Fen River Valley.

The Shanxi region suffered from drought, locust plagues, and war. The area was sparsely populated, most of the fields were abandoned, ten houses were empty, and corpses were everywhere. The scene was truly shocking. Even seasoned warriors like Tie Hu and Xing Wei, who had fought on the battlefield for many years, could not help but feel heavy-hearted upon seeing such a scene.

At this time, the Great Jin Dynasty was engulfed in flames of war, with ubiquitous rebel armies, but those that could truly be called "righteous armies" were few and far between. Limited by their class-based perspectives, the vast majority of these so-called rebel armies were simply peasants seeking a meal, lacking any guiding ideology, goals, organizational discipline, or even moral bottom line. They merely swarmed together like locusts, devouring one place before moving on to the next. They did not engage in production, knowing only destruction and plunder. They not only killed officials and ate the wealthy, but also robbed ordinary people without hesitation, burning, killing, raping, and unleashing the evil within human nature without restraint.

Therefore, in the places the "righteous army" passed through, most of them were barren and social order was broken. Local people with no way to survive had no choice but to join them and wreak havoc on other prefectures and counties. As a result, the number of the righteous army grew rapidly like a snowball.

This is one of the reasons why ancient peasant uprisings could develop so rapidly, often involving tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people. It was simply impossible to survive if you didn't follow the trend.

Mandarin and her group encountered several groups of "rebels" along the way. Fortunately, they were few in number and were all driven away by Tiehu and Xingwei. At the end of June, the group entered Yan'an Prefecture in Shaanxi Province without any major incidents.

Yan'an Prefecture was Lu Xiang-sheng's jurisdiction. He was a formidable man, and any rebel army that entered his territory would not have a good ending. Even Li Zicheng, who had just "debuted," had suffered at his hands. Therefore, he was nicknamed "King Yama Lu," and his fearsome reputation was well-known.

Because of Lu Xiangshan's presence, Yan'an Prefecture was undoubtedly the safest prefecture in Shaanxi Province. When Mandarin and her group entered Yan'an Prefecture, they were amazed to find that the place was orderly and the people were working in the fields as usual. Upon inquiring, they learned that this was Lu Xiangshan's territory, so they decided to pay him a visit.

Lu Xiang-sheng was a close friend of Jia Huan. He had fought alongside Tie Hu, Xing Wei, and even Mandarin when they were besieging the pirate Kang Dayong in Yangzhou. Therefore, everyone was very happy to see each other.

The details of the gathering will not be elaborated upon. After bidding farewell to Lu Xiang-sheng, Mandarin and the others continued south, traveling west along the Wei River to Xianyang and Baoji, entering the territory of Tianshui County, and were not far from Lintao Prefecture.

On the sixth day of the seventh month of the twelfth year of Qiansheng, the sun finally came out after days of heavy rain. The sun was blazing in the sky, and the ground was muddy and hot. Tiehu and his companions, who had been traveling for half a day, were sweating profusely, and even their mounts were restless.

At this moment, the group came to a three-way intersection and saw a teahouse under the shade of a tree. They stopped to rest and buy a bowl of tea to quench their thirst and cool off in the summer heat.

Tiehu and Xingwei each brought five personal guards. Although they were dressed in civilian clothes and their weapons were wrapped in cloth, their fierce aura was still undeniable. As soon as they sat down, some of the timid travelers quickly paid their bills and left, fearing that they would get into trouble. In this world, there are many strongmen, and everyone lacks a sense of security.

Of course, not everyone was timid and fearful. A considerable number of people stayed to drink tea and rest, some even giving Mandarin strange looks. No wonder, this "orchid" with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and hot figure was simply too eye-catching.

The tea stall was run by an elderly couple. Seeing that Tie Hu and his men had an unusual air about them, they naturally dared not be negligent. They quickly brought over two pots of tea and said with a smile, "Please enjoy your tea, esteemed guests."

Mandarin was Third Master's concubine, so it was inappropriate for Tiehu and the others to sit at the same table. Therefore, the former sat alone at a table, while Tiehu and the other men were not so particular and sat directly on the floor.

Inside the teahouse, there was a young man dressed as a scholar, with a refined and scholarly appearance. He had a sword beside him and was leisurely drinking tea. Behind him stood an old servant, and at the servant's feet was a bulging sack, the contents of which were unknown.

Tie Hu was a man with a rough exterior but a meticulous mind, and he acted cautiously. Although the teahouse in front of him looked normal, he was still quite careful and did not drink the tea immediately. Instead, he had one of his personal guards taste it first. After half an incense stick had burned and there was nothing unusual, he then invited everyone to drink.

However, just as everyone was enjoying their tea, a group of people came swiftly from the south. These people were dressed in various ways, including men, women, and children. They hurriedly ran past the teahouse and fled in the northwest direction.

The people in the teahouse looked at each other in bewilderment. Not long after, another group of people came running from the south, tumbling and crawling. One of them shouted to the others in the teahouse, "Cao Cao is attacking! Run for your lives, or it will be too late!"

Tiehu and Xingwei exchanged a glance. Who the hell is Cao Cao?

The elderly couple selling tea changed their expressions drastically. They grabbed the iron pot for boiling water and a bag of inferior tea leaves and ran away, abandoning their tea stall altogether. Other customers who were resting there also scattered in droves.

The scholar and his old servant also wanted to retreat, but it was too late. The rapid sound of hooves grew louder as a large group of bandits galloped towards them. Leading the way was a horse, and the bandit on horseback held a gleaming blade, threatening in a stern voice: "Halt! No one is allowed to run! Anyone who dares to run will be killed!"

Those who couldn't escape retreated back into the teahouse in fear. Soon, the teahouse was surrounded by a group of bandits, probably about a hundred people. However, only twenty or thirty of them were armed; the rest were carrying wooden sticks and pitchforks, and some were even holding half a brick. They were dressed in tattered clothes, barefoot, and looked extremely poor.

However, the leader of the bandits was quite imposing. He not only rode a tall horse but also wore a leather armor and carried a standard Jin army saber, which he probably stole by killing government soldiers.

The bandit leader jumped off his horse, brandished his knife, and strode into the teahouse. Just as he was about to show off his power, his eyes widened as soon as he saw Mandarin. He swallowed greedily, looking like a lecherous man.

Mandarin frowned in disgust.

The bandit leader cleared his throat, puffed out his chest, and shouted, "I am the vanguard officer under the command of the Great General Who Pacifies the People and Deserves Benevolence, nicknamed the Tiger of the Eastern Mountain. I have been ordered to take Tianshui County and rescue the people from their suffering. From now on, you are subjects of the Great General Who Pacifies the People and Deserves Benevolence. Why don't you kneel down and kowtow?"

"Kneel down and kowtow, and we'll be safe!" The bandits outside the teahouse shouted threats in a chaotic manner.

The tea drinkers in the teahouse were terrified, their faces turning ashen. They all knelt down and kowtowed, but Tie Hu and his companions, as well as the scholar and his servant, remained unmoved.

Dongshan Hu's eyes flashed with malice as he shouted, "Are you all deaf, or do you have a death wish?"

Xing Wei smiled and beckoned with his finger, saying, "Dongshan Tiger, right? Who is this General Weide you just mentioned? I'm ignorant and have never heard of such a person before."

Dongshanhu glanced at Xingwei and his men, and his heart skipped a beat. The group of men in front of him were burly and had fierce eyes. They seemed to be no ordinary people, so he became wary. However, considering that the other side only had this many people, while he had hundreds of brothers to help him, he sneered and said, "You don't even recognize our General? You must be from out of town."

"We have indeed come from afar. If we had known there was such a person here, we should have taken the initiative to pay him a visit," Xing Wei said earnestly.

Dongshan Tiger seemed oblivious to the mockery in Xing Wei's tone, and said arrogantly, "My general, Luo Rucai, commands 50,000 troops, invincible throughout Longnan, known as Cao Cao. You brothers must also be heroes. If you are willing to serve our general, I guarantee you will live a life of luxury and endless riches." Xing Wei laughed loudly, "Cao Cao? I thought he was some great figure. More like Liu Shan, a hopeless case!"

The guards burst into laughter.

Enraged, Dongshan Hu swung his knife at Xing Wei, shouting, "You're asking for death!"

Tiehu raised the iron rod wrapped in cloth and gently parried. With a loud clang, Dongshanhu's waist knife was knocked away, and his fingers were torn open, bleeding profusely.

Dongshan Hu was greatly shocked and hurriedly left the teahouse. The young scholar was also shocked. "Tsk tsk, that strength is terrifying!"
"You dare call yourself the Tiger of Dongshan? You're more like a sickly three-legged cat!" Tiehu said disdainfully.

Dongshan Tiger was both shocked and furious. He roared, "This guy's tough! Everyone, charge at him and kill this bastard!"

The bandits, all armed, were key members of the gang. Upon hearing this, they immediately rushed forward, attempting to hack Tie Hu and his men to death. Tie Hu shook his hand, revealing the cloth covering the iron rod. He stood up and let out a long roar, unleashing a powerful sweeping blow with the iron rod. A series of clanging sounds rang out, and most of the bandits' weapons were swept away. Those of poor quality were twisted like noodles or snapped in two on the spot.

"My dear mother!"

The bandits had never seen such divine power before, and they were all terrified, their faces turning pale. They scattered in a panic.

Iron Tiger disdained to kill this rabble, slammed his eighty-pound iron rod into the ground, and shouted, "Get lost!"

Dongshan Tiger clutched his bleeding right hand, his expression shifting constantly. Seeing that the other party still refused to leave, Tiehu's eyes blazed with murderous intent. He took a step forward, raised his staff, and smashed Dongshan Tiger's mount in half. The scene of flying flesh and blood, with blood mist filling the air, almost scared the bandits to death.

"Where did this killing god come from? A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Stop it!" Dongshan Hu turned and ran away in a panic.

These bandits were a motley crew. When they saw their leader run away, they scattered in all directions. They were just trying to make a living; it wasn't worth it!
In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred bandits vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a mangled, dead horse. Tsk tsk, that animal really had a terrible time!

Tiehu picked up the strip of cloth from the ground and wiped away the blood and flesh from the iron rod. The tea drinkers in the teahouse were still dumbfounded, clearly not yet recovered from the violent force of that blow.

At this moment, the young scholar looked thoughtful, then suddenly stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Is this brave man named Tie Hu?"

Tie Hu glanced at the scholar with surprise and asked, "You know me?"

The young scholar said with delight, "So it really is Lord Tiger! My name is Zhang Huangyan, and my father's name is Guizhang. I have long admired Lord Tiger's reputation!"

Tie Hu looked the scholar up and down and nodded, saying, "So you're a descendant of an old friend. No wonder you look somewhat familiar."

Zhang Guizhang was once a naval adjutant in Nanjing. He served under Jia Huan and together they suppressed the pirate Kang Dayong. Later, when Jia Huan became the governor of Liaodong, he transferred Zhang Guizhang to Juehua Island to serve as a naval adjutant, where he is still serving today.

This Zhang Huangyan is Zhang Guizhang's son, who has already appeared in the previous text. He joined Diecui Academy, passed the imperial examination, and served in the Ministry of Revenue. He was known as one of the "Four Outstanding Scholars of Diecui" along with Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Yiqing, and Zhang Yixia. He was Jia Huan's junior fellow student.

Zhang Huangyan is only nineteen years old this year, just two years older than Jia Huan. However, he is steady, low-key and reserved. Most importantly, he has real talent and learning. Therefore, when they first met, Jia Huan was very impressed with this fellow disciple.

Last month, when Jia Huan applied to the court to transfer Tie Hu and Xing Wei, he also took the opportunity to request that Zhang Huangyan be transferred from the Ministry of Revenue to his command.

Emperor Qiansheng had already given two million taels of military pay, so he naturally wouldn't care about giving an extra scholar to observe the government. Therefore, he approved it with a stroke of his pen. Zhang Huangyan himself had always regarded his senior brother Jia Huan as an idol. Now that he could follow his senior brother, he was naturally eager to do so. Therefore, after receiving the transfer order, he immediately took an old servant and went to take up his post with joy.

Zhang Huangyan set off a few days earlier than Tiehu and the others, but encountered some trouble on the way and was delayed. However, he happened to run into Tiehu and the others here.

Now, Tiehu and Xingwei learned that Zhang Huangyan was also going to serve under the Third Master, so they traveled together and headed straight for Lintao Prefecture.

……

Meanwhile, Dongshan Tiger was so frightened by Tiehu that he led over a hundred bandits in a hasty retreat. On the way, they encountered the main force of the bandit army, and only then did they dare to stop.

The commander of this bandit army was named Luo Rucai. Because he was cunning and untrustworthy, his fellow bandits nicknamed him "Cao Cao". However, he was not ashamed of this and was instead complacent. Although Cao Cao had a bad reputation, he was still a hero in the Three Kingdoms. I am going to be the hero who dominates a region!

However, Cao Cao was just a nickname given to him by others, not an official title. So Luo Rucai called himself "General of Imperial Authority and Virtue to Pacify the People." Fortunately, he didn't call himself a duke or a king, which shows he had some self-awareness.

In fact, Luo Rucai was not weak. He had 40,000 to 50,000 troops and was rampaging in the Longnan and Hanzhong areas. Chen Qiyu ranked Luo Rucai twelfth in his list of bandits.

Now, Luo Rucai was doing very well in Longnan, and his audacity grew. Not satisfied with his current territory, he planned to take Tianshui County. He sent his capable subordinate Dongshanhu as the vanguard, but the latter unexpectedly returned defeated.

To cover up his incompetence, Dongshan Tiger embellished the story, saying that he had been ambushed and fought desperately to break through the encirclement. He claimed that even his mount had died from exhaustion due to being outnumbered.

Luo Rucai was cunning and suspicious. Although he did not completely believe Dongshanhu's lies, he heard that Tianshui County had made preparations in advance and that he was afraid that he would not gain any advantage on this trip. So he decisively ordered a retreat to Longnan.

(End of this chapter)