Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

On the 29th day of the twelfth month of the fifteenth year of the Jiazhao reign, which was New Year

In Xuanfu Town, southeast of Donggang Town, the sun sets behind the western mountains, its rays turning blood-red.

The sunset painted the earth, illuminating the dense forest to the north of the town and the snow-covered rooftops, reflecting an eerie, fiery red hue and creating an unusually beautiful glow.

As the sunset faded, the lights on the main street of the town became sparse, and the street was dim because many shops had closed early.

Only the Fuyun Restaurant in the middle of the street was brightly lit, illuminating a small part of the dim street.

This restaurant is a long-established business in Donggang Town, having been in operation for decades. It is usually very popular, but even so, it closes on New Year's Eve.

Yesterday, a military academy booked a banquet for New Year's Eve, and the attendees were all military officers from the Zhen Dong Army's granary.

Although the restaurant owner was unwilling, he dared not offend any soldiers in this remote town where he could make a living.

Moreover, the military officers in charge of military supplies are local strongmen who have troops and provisions at their disposal, so they cannot be easily offended.

Fortunately, these military leaders in charge of grain supplies were all quite wealthy, and as long as you kept them happy, you wouldn't be short of money for food and drinks.

Donggang Town is a small town in the north. During the Spring Festival, when merchants return to their hometowns, the town's population decreases by more than half, as the locals all go home for the New Year.

Apart from a few inns and some out-of-town merchant caravans, there were almost no other outsiders in the town.

The once bustling Fuyun Restaurant was now deserted except for this single banquet for military supplies, which was quite refreshing.

The shopkeeper and four or five waiters were busy running around. More than ten seats had been set up in the shop, with cold dishes and drinks readily available. The kitchen was filled with the sizzling sounds of frying and stir-frying, and a rich aroma wafted through the air.

……

At this moment, two people walked in from outside the shop. One of them was wearing a worn-out cotton-padded jacket, a camel-hair hat, and a fur scarf around his neck, covering himself up completely.

Although his face showed signs of hardship, he had a dignified appearance and seemed like someone easy to get along with.

The other person was dressed in a border army uniform, with a standard-issue goose-feather military saber at his waist, exuding a strong military aura, and looked like a military officer.

The innkeeper glanced at the second man, making some assumptions, and said with a smile, "You two are military officers attending the banquet tonight. The feast has been prepared, please take your seats."

Just as Guo Zhigui was about to explain, Jia Lian interjected, "Although we are not attending the banquet, we are still military officers from the military garrison."

Because I have military duties to attend to, I need to travel at night. I'm just buying some food and drinks to take away. Your shop is the only one open on this street, so please do me a favor.

The shopkeeper, hearing that they were not there for a banquet but were military officers from the military garrison, did not dare to be negligent.

They sold Jia Lian five or six catties of beef, miscellaneous fish, sheep liver, pickled vegetables and other food, as well as several jugs of aged liquor.

When the two walked out of the restaurant, it was still early, but the sky was already completely dark.

The two hesitated as they walked, braving the swirling snow. After walking a few dozen steps from the restaurant, the road was completely dark, and they could only see the way by the light of the snow on the ground.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Brother Zhigui, we've been here twice. I've been paying close attention to these local bullies in the military camps. They're very influential in town."

Today, these military officers are having a New Year's feast at a restaurant. There are at least several dozen of them. The soldiers are all big-bellied men, and the food and drinks in the restaurant are mostly plentiful.

"If we hadn't said we were military officers stationed at the military depot, the shopkeeper might have hesitated and wouldn't have sold us so much food and wine."

Guo Zhigui laughed and said, "Second Master is indeed shrewd. If I had told the truth just now, we would most likely have gone home empty-handed."

……

The two were heading towards the military camp when they saw lights flashing ahead. Several soldiers carrying lanterns led the way, followed by dozens of military officers at the back gate.

These people laughed and talked wildly, behaved rudely, and acted arrogantly, as if no one else was around.

Guo Zhigui had visited the military depot twice and had interacted with many officers in the camp, recognizing them as military officers from the depot.

The entire military garrison had only a thousand soldiers, but dozens of military officers attended the banquet, making up the majority of the garrison's military officers. It was truly a case of the emperor being far away and the military discipline being extremely lax.

He didn't want to cause trouble; he just wanted to transport the military supplies away as soon as possible and return safely to Liaodong Town, then everything would be fine.

Pulling Jia Lian aside to avoid clashing with the military officers at the military camp, the two quickly returned to the camp after the officers had passed.

Among the group of military officers, Chen Ruichang, by the light of the lanterns, could see Jia Lian standing by the roadside, but he pretended not to see him.

Seeing the two of them continue on their way, he snorted contemptuously and continued his long conversation with the military officer beside him.

……

Jia Lian and Guo Zhigui rushed back to the military depot, where dozens of large carts were parked at the camp gate, already loaded with a thousand shi of military rations, and two hundred cavalrymen guarding the rations were all ready to set off.

The two mounted their horses, and Guo Zhigui waved to signal them. The sound of hooves and the rumble of vehicles marked the slow departure of the grain transport convoy from the military depot.

The convoy traveled through the deserted streets. When it passed Sun's charcoal shop in the north of the town, light could still be faintly seen through the cracks in the closed shop door.

Under the lamplight, Manager Sun was polishing a gleaming steel knife. The blade was as smooth as autumn water, exuding a cold and murderous aura.

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves outside the door, he peeked through the crack and saw a grain convoy passing by. A cold smile appeared on his lips: "They've come at just the right time."

He said to the young man beside him, "Tonight, the military officers will have a banquet. Tell them to be quick and efficient. You go and deliver the message right away."

Then go to the north entrance of the town to wait for the rendezvous and keep an eye on the movements of this grain convoy; see if there are over a thousand shi of grain on the carts.

The young man had a refined appearance, a sharp blade tucked into his waistband, and moved nimbly. He smiled and said, "Don't worry."

With that, he left through the back door of the shop and disappeared into the snowstorm...

Shopkeeper Sun sheathed his steel knife, picked up a prepared torch, and went up to the top of the shop.

Braving the wind and snow, they lit torches and waved them continuously towards the boundless night sky. The flames stood out conspicuously and eerily in the darkness...

……

Fuyun Restaurant on the main street of the town.

The restaurant had more than ten tables filled with food and drink, but the soldiers, adhering strictly to military regulations, dared not drink alcohol in the military.

But once they leave the military camp, most of them don't have much self-control when it comes to drinking, and with the New Year's Eve celebrations, they are even less restrained.

Not long after everyone took their seats, they were already quite drunk, their spirits lifted, toasting and drinking heartily with each other. Many of the military officers were already staggering.

The innkeeper, along with several waiters, was working up a sweat, constantly serving hot dishes to each table and refilling their drinks...

……

Not far from Fuyun Restaurant, in an inn, a faint light was lit in the hall, and a waiter was dozing off at the counter.

The inn was still open because it housed two caravans, totaling more than forty people, who were staying in town for the Lunar New Year before heading north to continue their business afterward.

This situation is not surprising; every year there are merchants stranded in the town, but this year there are more of them.

The innkeeper went home early for the Chinese New Year, leaving only three employees to look after the inn and take care of the guests' daily meals and hot water.

Fortunately, the customers were relatively easy to please, so the two leaders of the caravan would frequently come and go to buy daily necessities.

Everyone else stayed indoors during the winter, at most going out to tend to the vehicles, water the horses and feed them grass, never causing trouble, and rarely even speaking.

The few staff members who stayed at the inn were all veterans of the inn, and they rarely encountered such easy-going merchants.

By this time, the night was deep, and the guests had all eaten dinner and returned to their rooms to rest. The two waiters had also returned to their rooms to rest, leaving only one person to watch over the counter.

The shop was dimly lit by candlelight, and the clerk behind the counter was drowsy and somewhat confused when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

This situation was not unusual; it was common for guests to get up at night, and the waiter didn't think much of it.

At first he didn’t pay attention, but the noise on the stairs was too loud, with hurried and chaotic footsteps, as if it wasn’t just one person walking.

He opened his sleepy eyes by the light of the counter lamp. Because the shop was dimly lit, it took him a while to see the situation clearly, and he was startled.

The doors to the guest rooms on the second floor were all open, and guests filed out one after another, descending the stairs quietly without making much noise.

In the blink of an eye, shadowy figures appeared in the dimly lit shop. The waiter hurriedly came out from behind the counter and asked in surprise, "Gentlemen, what is the meaning of getting up at this time?"

Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, all the restaurants and eateries outside are closed, there's nowhere to go right now..."

The man had only spoken half a sentence when he felt someone approaching from behind. Suddenly, someone grabbed his neck and he was like a fish out of water, struggling in despair and suffocation.

He tried desperately to break free of his restraints and cry for help, but it was all in vain.

The man behind him was like a man-eating beast, so strong as to be terrifying, and there was no way he could resist him.

He instantly plunged into an abyss of despair. A chilling coldness seeped into the depths of his soul, sending shivers down his spine, and in a swift, vicious motion, slashed open his neck.

Excruciating pain spread rapidly throughout his body, instantly draining all his strength. Hot blood gushed out, and he collapsed to the ground.

He tried to scream to relieve the excruciating pain, but he couldn't utter a sound. Before he completely lost consciousness, he heard someone speaking harshly.

"Kill them all, leave no survivors, and don't make a sound!"

He vaguely recognized the voice; it belonged to the caravan leader, who frequently visited the shop to buy supplies and food, and was a friendly-speaking guest.

Then I heard a commotion coming from the backyard, followed by faint, suppressed screams that abruptly stopped, as if they had been cut off out of thin air.

The backyard was where his other two companions lived; this was his last thought before his consciousness sank into endless darkness…

……

Fuyun Restaurant on the main street of the town.

Inside the shop, the atmosphere was lively with wine and laughter, and the military officers urged each other to drink, indulging in hearty drinking.

Some people collapsed to the ground with a thud, others staggered, and the scene was somewhat chaotic. Chen Ruichang, mingling among the officers, was also half-drunk, his body burning hot and his head spinning, but he was still conscious.

He was a grain transport officer in the Five Military Commands, not a military officer in the military barracks. He was somewhat reserved in his conversations at the banquet, so he didn't get completely drunk.

He accepted the invitation to the banquet not because of a deep friendship, but because he was escorting grain supplies, and the two chief officers of the military granary would write a letter of thanks.

They would add a few flattering words to their official documents, which would greatly benefit them in building a reputation for merit and goodwill. Therefore, such favors and networking were unavoidable.

In fact, as the son of a noble family and a descendant of a high-ranking official, he always considered himself superior and looked down on these low-ranking soldiers. He was just going through the motions in officialdom.

Seeing that the two military commanders were both drunk and staggering, mostly unconscious, he didn't bother to stay and fool around anymore.

He had visited Donggang Town many times and had become entangled with a prostitute in the town. The woman was pretty and had a plump and soft body, which fascinated him.

Since arriving in Donggang Town, he has stayed overnight at women's homes every day, indulging in debauchery every night, and never tiring of it.

Having drunk more than half of the wine, his desires were aroused. Thinking of the beauty of his beloved, he was eager to go back early so that he could enjoy some intimate moments with her.

……

He swayed slightly as he walked to the kitchen, leaning on the table. When he entered the shop, he saw a water vat by the side door of the kitchen.

He also saw the waiter taking water from the vat to wash vegetables. He wanted to wash his face with cold water to wake himself up and get rid of the smell of alcohol, otherwise the beauty would dislike him.

After he staggered out of the kitchen side door, he used the water from the water tank to wipe his cheeks.

The icy water on that winter night was refreshingly cold and clear, which helped to sober him up considerably. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong.

They discovered many figures on the road, sneaking towards the store. Many of them were carrying sharp knives, and some were drawing their bows and arrows.

Chen Ruichang's heart trembled instantly, and he instinctively hid behind the water tank.

Fortunately, the side door of the kitchen leads to a narrow alley, dark and unlit.

Across the alley was a stable with two horses tethered inside, slowly chewing their fodder.

The shadowy figures gathering towards the shop entrance on the street were unaware of Chen Ruichang's presence, but the unusual situation on the street had already alerted him.

He soon discovered that there were many dark figures gathering at the back of the shop, and then he smelled a strong kerosene odor.

Before he could even regain his senses, flames erupted in front of and behind the shop, and the fire quickly spread, causing panic among the military officers who were attending the banquet inside.

In desperation, the officers rushed out of the shop to escape, but as soon as they reached the door, they were blocked by the flames ignited by kerosene.

Before they could react, many figures on the street drew their bows and shot arrows, instantly killing them with a hail of arrows.

……

Dozens of military officers attended the banquet, many of whom were already drunk. Even those who were still conscious were unsteady on their feet.

These military officers were all skilled warriors who had risen through the ranks in the border towns and were once among the best in the army. Unfortunately, due to their drunkenness, they had lost seven-tenths of their abilities.

Moreover, the people who were besieging them had planned it all along, and their methods were even more vicious. They not only sprayed oil and burned the structures, but also arranged for archers to fire in volleys.

Even if these military officers hadn't been drinking, let alone been drunk, they would have had a hard time escaping in such a hurry.

Arrows continued to fly into the shops on the street, and in the blink of an eye, seven or eight more people were shot dead. Some people thought of escaping through the back door, but soon encountered the same massacre.

Chen Ruichang was terrified when he heard the chaos in the shop, the raging fire, and the screams that filled the air, which resembled the depths of hell.

As the fire spread towards the kitchen, Chen Ruichang dared not flee to the street and, in desperation, hid in the stable across the alley.

The stable was dark, filthy, and reeked of horse manure, but he hid inside, not daring to make the slightest move.

Through the gaps in the stables, Chen Ruichang saw the fire spread from the main hall to the second floor, and the entire Fuyun Restaurant was reduced to ashes.

Many military officers attempted to escape from the second floor, but without exception, they were all shot to death by a hail of arrows. The entire restaurant shone like a giant torch.

Through the light, he saw many dark figures moving quickly on the snow at the other end of the street.

At the edge of the snowfield, in that dense forest, a large number of cavalrymen suddenly swarmed out, densely packed and countless, as if they had descended from the sky.

……

At this moment, the Fuyun Restaurant was engulfed in flames, and the scorching heat spread out, making Chen Ruichang feel unbearably hot even across the alley.

The horses in the stable were restless and neighing in fear. If the reins hadn't been securely fastened, they would have long since broken free and run away.

Two men carrying sharp blades entered the alley. They seemed to have heard some noise and came over to investigate.

Finding the horses restless in the stable, he paid little attention and left the alley again.

Chen Ruichang tried his best to control his trembling, hiding in the shadows of the stable, racking his brains for a way to escape.

He saw the troops rushing out of the dense forest, but instead of venturing into the town, they charged northwards, where the military granary was located.

At this moment, the restaurant was engulfed in flames and there was no sound at all. The dozens of military officers who had attended the banquet had all died in the hail of arrows and the flames.

……

Chen Ruichang quickly realized that the whole thing was a trap. It was easy for someone to find out that the military officer had booked a banquet at a restaurant.

Someone had arranged for men in the town in advance to trap the military officers at their New Year's Eve banquet, then annihilate them in an instant, wiping them out in one fell swoop.

The dense forest to the east of the town connects to towering mountains, with rugged roads and few people ever setting foot there; it has never been accessible by carriage or horse since ancient times.

Apart from the occasional villagers who go into the forest to cut firewood, ordinary people would not venture there.

But unbeknownst to them, an army had been ambushed in the forest...

He recalled the rumors circulating these past few days that villagers had gone into the forest to cut firewood, but none of them had returned, their bodies never found, all said to have been dragged away by wild animals.

Looking back now, it must have been that the villagers of Kanchai Village encountered an ambush and were killed to silence them and prevent the news from leaking out.

Chen Ruichang hid in the stable, trembling with fear. In this life-or-death situation, his mind was unusually sharp, and he instantly understood the cause and effect of everything.

He felt a chill run down his spine; the whole thing, from beginning to end, was a meticulously planned scheme.

The enemy's ultimate goal was the Zhenbei Army's grain depot, which stored hundreds of thousands of dan of military rations...

All the military officers in the military camp were killed, leaving the camp leaderless. If it were attacked by the enemy, it would surely collapse at the first touch!
Once the Donggang Town military granary falls, the supply of food to the nine northern garrisons will immediately be in trouble.

Along the Xuanda line, in the land beyond the Great Wall, Anda Khan's hundreds of thousands of elite troops are watching with predatory eyes, ready to pounce.

Once the terrible news spreads, the border will be in grave danger, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be in grave danger, a catastrophe will befall us all...

……

While Chen Ruichang was still in shock, he heard a commotion on the street. He knew that the fire at Fuyun Restaurant had alerted the town's residents, who all came out to check what was happening.

He felt a chill run down his spine, sensing that something terrible was about to happen. He heard many people walking quickly around the restaurant, and there was a lot of noise in front of Fuyun Restaurant, as if a large crowd had gathered.

Through the gap in the stable, he saw dozens of people gather instantly in front of the restaurant, their faces illuminated by the flickering firelight.

Although these people were dressed as merchants, they all carried swords and bows, moved swiftly, and exuded a fierce and imposing aura.

A man of medium build and ordinary appearance stood in front of these people. He was wearing a worn-out cotton-padded jacket with a few specks of charcoal ash on his clothes.

This man looked like a shopkeeper or shop assistant, but he held a gleaming steel knife in his hand, and his face revealed a fierce killing intent.

He said in a deep voice, "Go and block the nearby intersections. Don't let a single person escape. Go to the north of the town and bring in a hundred men to seal off the entire town to prevent the news from leaking out!"

No sooner had the man finished speaking than the men dressed as merchants drew their steel knives and pounced on the terrified townspeople.

The chilling sounds of hacking and slashing, the screams of the townspeople, spread rapidly like a plague, ruthless and merciless, like an unyielding tide...

……

Chen Ruichang was a son of the Duke's family. Although he was not the eldest son, he was still a legitimate legitimate son.

Spoiled since childhood, supported by his family, and praised by everyone, he had every one of the typical spoiled brat traits.

Although he was born into a military family, he had never experienced battle or been tempered by swords and spears; he was nothing more than a useless descendant of a noble family.

The massacre of dozens of military officers in front of him had terrified him beyond belief.

Witnessing the unarmed townspeople being slaughtered and tortured like pigs and dogs pushed the limits of his imagination.

He had originally hidden in the stables to avoid danger. Although he wanted to find a way to escape, he was worried that if he made any rash moves, his whereabouts would be discovered by those people, and he would be killed.

But under the immense pressure of fear, those hesitations were crushed, and a crazy impulse arose in their hearts, wanting only to escape and survive at all costs.

Moreover, that person had just said that he would summon troops to seal off the town, and if he had been any slower, he would have no chance of escaping.

He had no time to think further. He was glad that there was a stable next to the restaurant, and that he had chosen to hide there.

Although this was not a proper warhorse, but rather a common horse used by merchants for transportation, it was still enough for a quick escape.

He untied one of the stronger horses, quickly led it out of the stable, and discerned that the sounds of fighting were sparse on the west side of the town, along the alleyway.

Trembling, he climbed onto the saddle, pulled on the reins, and galloped down the alley.

He had only run a few dozen steps when he heard someone shout behind him, followed by the sound of arrows piercing the air. He was so frightened that he quickly ducked down.

Several arrows flew past him and overhead, one of them tearing through his right arm and cotton-padded coat, causing a burning pain.

He felt a sudden weakness in his limbs, but dared not relax for a moment. He frantically spurred his horse forward, and it galloped out of the alley like lightning… (End of Chapter)