Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 832 The Cold Snow Is Hard to Bear

Five miles north of Donggang Town, in the darkness of night, a group of over a hundred people were hesitantly making their way through the wind and snow.

More than two hundred cavalrymen escorted dozens of large carts, and each grain cart had a bright tile lantern hanging on its shaft.

The warm yellow lights shone brightly in the snowy night, reflecting off the snow on both sides of the road and making the night road exceptionally clear.

Because the grain carts were fully loaded and heavy, and the night was filled with wind and snow, the convoy moved steadily but not very fast. It took nearly an hour after leaving Donggang Town for the convoy to travel only five or six miles.

Jia Lian, crouching on his horse, took out his wine pouch and took a swig. A warm sensation rose in his stomach, and his spirits lifted slightly.

Back then, as the heir of the Rongguo Mansion, he drank in a refined manner, sipping wine and reciting poetry, and only drank the finest and most delicate wines. Therefore, his alcohol tolerance was only average.

Since being exiled to Liaodong, he often drank alcohol to keep warm because he could not withstand the harsh cold of the north.

He had developed a considerable capacity for alcohol, and drinking strong liquor was now a regular occurrence for him. The once refined and noble young master had become more rugged.

He handed the wine bag to Guo Zhigui and said, "Zhigui, there is an old temple about ten miles away. Although it is abandoned, the place is quite large."

That's a good place to shelter from the wind; let's rest there tonight.

The two brothers had a good drink, then slept soundly, and would set off at dawn the next day, without delaying their journey.

Guo Zhigui took the wine flask, took a swig, and laughed, "I'll listen to you, Second Master. We'll cover more than ten miles tonight and continue our journey early tomorrow morning."

After walking twenty or thirty li, the rest of the journey will be much easier. I estimate we can return to Liaoyang City a day earlier than planned.

……

The two were chatting casually when Guo Zhigui's horse suddenly snorted, seemingly agitated.

Guo Zhigui's heart skipped a beat. He gently stroked the horse's neck, listened intently, and seemed to detect a faint, unusual sound amidst the wind and snow...

The horse he rode was not a fine steed, but it was a superior warhorse, a gift from Liu Yong, the former military commander of Yafu Pass.

This horse has a large mouth, but it is quite intelligent. It not only knows the way, but also has very keen senses.

Guo Zhigui raised his hand and shouted, "The convoy must stop and rest!"

Amidst the howling wind and snow, Guo Zhigui's military order was swiftly relayed to the rear of the column, and dozens of grain carts obeyed the order and stopped in turn.

Without the sounds of wheels and hooves of the procession, the world grew even quieter, with only the faint howling of the wind and snow.

Guo Zhigui gently stroked the horse's neck, listened intently to the sound of the wind, and his expression became increasingly serious.

He dismounted and took a few steps forward, brushed away the snow on the road, lay down and listened intently, his heart pounding like a drum.

……

Jia Lian looked worried and asked, "Brother Zhigui, is something wrong?"

Guo Zhigui said in a deep voice, "I heard the sound of horses' hooves, and it was quite loud. There must be troops being mobilized within ten miles."

Jia Lian said, "Today is New Year's Eve, and all the border towns are holding their posts for the New Year. Who would mobilize troops at this time?"

Guo Zhigui said, "I am riding an old military horse that has been through many battles and is quite intelligent. I listened to the sound while lying on the ground just now, and I am absolutely certain that I was right."

Second Master is right. There is no war outside the pass now, and the border towns will definitely not mobilize troops on New Year's Eve.

If it weren't for the troop movements in the border towns, then things would be rather unpredictable. Within a ten-mile radius, the most crucial supply depot is the Donggang Town military granary!

Guo Zhigui's expression changed, and he shouted, "Except for the lead cart, all grain carts, turn off your lights!"

He then called over two squad leaders and said, “There is a mountain pass about a mile from here. It has a narrow entrance and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. We passed through it on our way here.”

Add horses to the grain carts and quickly lead the convoy into the mountain valley, where they will stop and wait. Set up sentry posts along the way and respond promptly to any unusual activity.

I will lead my men back to check the situation. They will be back within 45 minutes. If I do not return, you will take the grain convoy and leave immediately!

The two captains received the order, and some cavalrymen dismounted to add warhorses to each cart, thus increasing the speed of the carts.

In just a few moments, the entire grain transport team was operating efficiently and well-trained, and the convoy started up again with a rumble.

……

Jia Lian and Guo Zhigui were transporting grain together. Along the way, the young man spoke amiably and appeared relaxed.

I've never seen him so serious, so sharp-witted, so poised to unleash his power, making one's heart tighten at the sight of him.

He asked worriedly, "Shigui, will something have happened?"

Guo Zhigui said, "I hope I'm just overthinking it. Second Master, go to the mountain valley with them first. I'll take care of everything, so don't worry."

With that, he took two musketeers, turned his horse around, and galloped back the way he came.

Because they had to travel slowly alongside the grain carts on the way here, the horses' speed was kept to a minimum. Now, riding alone at high speed, the horses' speed has increased to its maximum.

With the roads clear at night and the snow already flattened by the convoy, it was even easier for horses to travel.

In no time, the three men and three horses had covered more than two miles, and the thunderous sound of their hooves, which was carried on the wind and snow, became increasingly clear.

Guo Zhigui's expression was solemn. He did not proceed any further, but instead took two subordinates and walked along the mountain path beside the road.

The three men rode their horses straight uphill. When they reached a place where they could no longer ride, they tied their horses to the trees and then climbed a mountain on foot.

Although this mountain is not very high, it offers a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

Guo Zhigui looked west and saw a troop of cavalry marching along a secluded road close to the mountainside, about two miles away.

The cavalry stretched for miles, displaying a magnificent and imposing presence, numbering at least several thousand riders.

A cavalry unit of this size, marching at night, should have used open flames throughout, but they only lit a few scattered torches for illumination, which from a distance looked like flickering will-o'-the-wisps.

Guo Zhigui had been trained in the army for several years and knew that the other side's cautious use of fire was definitely to avoid being noticed and reduce the possibility of their whereabouts being revealed.

If it were the army of the Great Zhou, why would they need to act so furtively? Guo Zhigui's mood grew increasingly heavy.

When the cavalry rounded a crossroads and came closer, he could see them through the scattered torchlight.

Upon closer inspection, the cavalrymen were dressed in leather armor and helmets, with many wrapped in furs, appearing exceptionally rugged compared to the Zhou army, who wore standard uniforms.

Guo Zhigui felt a chill run down his spine and almost blurted out, "These are Mongol Tartars! How did they manage to break through the pass and appear here!"

……

A soldier next to him pointed south and exclaimed, "Commander Guo, that's Donggang Town over there. It looks like something's happened!"

Guo Zhigui turned his head and looked around. He saw figures moving in the distance in Donggang Town, and the main street of the town was brightly lit with fire. A building was burning.

Although it was several miles away, the burned building was too conspicuous, and Guo Zhigui quickly recognized it as the Fuyun Restaurant in the town.

Before Jia Lian and I set off, we bought food and wine at that restaurant. Tonight, the military officers from the military garrison will be having a banquet there...

Various reasons flashed through his mind, and he had roughly guessed the cause of the matter, although it was somewhat unbelievable.

He eagerly looked towards the location of the military granary and found that there was no one moving around in the watchtowers on both sides of the camp gate, meaning that no one was on duty.

Many people lay on the ground at the camp gate, and inside the camp, men and horses crisscrossed, seemingly engaged in a fierce battle.

Behind the barracks, many cavalrymen poured into the granary, carrying torches that illuminated the densely packed grain stores within.

……

Guo Zhigui had visited the military granary several times, so he was naturally very familiar with its management. The military granary was closed at night, and open flames, including torches, were strictly prohibited.

He was now certain that the military granary had been captured in a night raid, and the Mongol cavalry on the mountain road two miles away were most likely there to provide support.

Although he did not know how the Mongols sneaked into the pass, the military granary of Donggang Town was very important, serving as a transit point for grain supplies for the nine border towns.

The granary stores hundreds of thousands of dan of grain and is the central hub for the supply of provisions to various border towns. If it falls into enemy hands, the consequences will be unimaginable!

Guo Zhigui said in a deep voice, "Return to the grain team immediately. Something big has happened in Donggang Town, and we have urgent matters to attend to!"

A gunman pointed into the distance and said, "Commander Guo, a detachment from the granary is leaving the town and looks like they're heading this way."

Guo Zhigui looked in the direction of the sound and sure enough, a troop of cavalry rushed out of the granary. There were about two or three hundred of them, and they moved very quickly.

There must have been a problem in Donggang Town long ago. These people probably know the details of our grain convoy, and they're here to steal our grain.

It's only five li away. Even if they need to scout along the way, they'll definitely encounter them within half an hour. Return to the supply depot immediately to make arrangements!

……

On the road north of Donggang Town, more than two hundred cavalrymen galloped at full speed, their hooves pounding the snow along the road like flying flowers and jade, exuding a fierce and valiant air.

The leader was a twenty-year-old young man, tall and with a refined appearance. His name was Sun Yuxiu, a member of the Sun family of Datong, and Sun Dali's cousin.

The Sun family of Datong held hereditary military command positions, and most of the family members were skilled in martial arts. However, Sun Yuxiu was an exception, as he loved reading from a young age.

He was not only literate and knowledgeable, but also shrewd and calculating, which earned him the high regard of his uncle, Sun Zhanying.

Years ago, when Sun Zhanying secretly crossed the border, he didn't forget to take Sun Yuxiu with him. This time, he sent him to accompany his cousin Sun Dali to handle this crucial matter. Sun Yuxiu was quick-witted and helped Sun Dali pass on messages and set up secret networks throughout the Sun family along the way, making a significant contribution to the eventual success.

Just now, they set a trap at Fuyun Restaurant, annihilating all the military officers who came to the banquet in the military granary. Taking advantage of the fact that the military granary was leaderless, they launched an ambush and quickly seized the military granary.

My cousin Sun Dali was thinking about the grain convoy that was being sent to the town. Several thousand shi of grain was no small amount, but the convoy only had two hundred soldiers transporting the grain.

Both he and his cousin had military experience. Whenever grain was transported within the pass, since there were no dangers along the way, the soldiers delivering the grain were mostly old, weak, or scattered, and their combat strength was very weak.

He brought two hundred elite Mongol cavalry, which was more than enough to deal with two hundred supply soldiers.

Sun Yuxiu seemed determined to reclaim the grain supplies, believing it would be a piece of cake.

……

The horse caravan galloped for less than half an hour before arriving at a mountain hollow. Sun Yu, a man of letters and cautious by nature, immediately raised his hand to stop the caravan.

He carefully examined the cart tracks and hoofprints on the ground, which clearly extended into the mountain valley. He took out his personal map, lit a tinderbox, and examined it closely.

After a moment, he said, "This is the only road to Liaodong Town. The ruts on the road are still fresh, so they can't go far. The whole team should catch up quickly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the horse team rushed into the ravine. Sun Yuxiu saw that the team had entered the ravine without any abnormalities, so he spurred his horse to follow.

When the two hundred cavalrymen rushed into the mountain pass, after galloping for no more than a hundred paces, they saw a cart parked near the exit ahead, with a bonfire burning in front of the grain cart.

A boy of seventeen or eighteen, with a steel-plated goose-feather saber at his waist, was leisurely roasting dry rations over a fire with several soldiers.

They were all quite surprised to see the large cavalry force enter the valley, and immediately stood up and hid behind the wagons, except for the boy who remained standing in front of the fire.

Sun Yuxiu smiled and pointed at the boy, saying, "I've seen you in town. You were carrying an officer's sword. You were the leader of the grain convoy. You're unlucky to have run into me!"

…………

He was about to order his cavalry to charge and kill all the grain soldiers, and reclaim the thousands of bushels of grain.

Before he could even speak, the young captain, his expression grim, roared, "Attack!"

Sun Yuxiu shuddered, sensing something was wrong, when she suddenly heard a loud rumbling sound behind her.

Looking back, they saw a grain cart loaded with grain speeding down the slope at the other end of the ravine and crashing into the mouth of the ravine with a loud bang.

Sun Yuxiu felt a chill run down her spine and shouted, "There's an ambush! The whole team, turn around and charge out of the ravine!"

Before he could finish speaking, he saw several bright lanterns thrown down from the mountain walls on both sides, crashing into the grain carts and shattering into pieces, their pale yellow oil spilling all over the carts.

Two rockets suddenly appeared, instantly igniting the lamp oil. The entire grain cart burst into flames, forming a wall of fire at the mouth of the mountain pass, completely blocking any escape route.

Sun Yuxiu was terrified and panicked. He turned his horse around again and tried to rush towards the young captain, thinking that he could only escape if he could control the man.

But when he turned around, he saw Guo Zhigui swinging his knife at the campfire, sparks flying everywhere, instantly setting the grain cart next to the campfire ablaze. He himself leaped and hid behind the cart.

The flames on the cart spread rapidly, and the grain cart had already been doused with lamp oil, forming a second wall of fire that blocked the entrance to the mountain pass.

Just as Sun Yuxiu was terrified and at a loss, she suddenly noticed a dozen or so whitish objects being thrown down from the mountain walls on both sides.

Before those things could even land, they exploded in mid-air. The sound of the explosion wasn't even very loud; it was like a dozen bottles shattering.

The mountain pass was narrow, and Sun Yuxiu's two hundred cavalrymen were trapped by the fire walls at the front and back, almost filling the entire pass.

The explosion sent flying iron filings and broken porcelain, unleashing terrifying and astonishing destructive power. In just a moment, the valley was filled with screams of agony, a truly horrific sight.

Many Mongol cavalrymen were killed on the spot by the explosions, and many more were injured by the porcelain mines, their legs damaged, their heads bleeding, and they fell off their horses.

Even more horrifyingly, many military horses were blinded and injured by the explosions. The wounded horses thrashed wildly, unable to break through the walls of fire on both sides.

Many wounded Mongol cavalrymen who fell from their horses were instantly trampled to death by the frenzied herd of horses.

In this specific environment, a dozen ceramic mines exploded simultaneously, causing terrifying destructive power.

Of the two hundred Mongol cavalrymen, only a few dozen remained, still able to stand and move normally, but almost all of them were wounded.

Sun Yuxiu was also blinded in her right eye by the explosion. Her delicate and refined face was also cut by shards of porcelain grenades, and she lay on the ground howling in pain.

Behind the burning grain carts, two hundred musketeers carrying grain rushed out from the mountain walls on both sides, surrounding the surviving Mongol troops and gaining an absolute numerical advantage.

Guo Zhigui’s voice was cold and stern: “These Mongols attacked the military granary in Donggang Town. Countless comrades died at their hands. They all deserve to die.”

"Don't use firearms, it'll make too much noise. Use swords and spears to take them out. Don't let any of them escape. If we attract pursuers, we'll be in big trouble. Let's do it!"

At Guo Zhigui's command, the surrounding musketeers swarmed forward, several men surrounding and fighting one man.

These musketeers were mostly veterans of the Jurchen wars and were already elite soldiers in battle. Now they had an overwhelming numerical advantage, and the surviving Mongol soldiers were all wounded.

Such a battle was without suspense, like a one-sided massacre.

Before long, there were no more Mongol soldiers standing in the ravine, and only a few of the grain transport musketeers were slightly injured.

……

Guo Zhigui walked over to Sun Yuxiu and saw that he was covered in blood and seriously injured. He had someone bandage him up and then gave him a few sips of strong liquor.

He didn't want this man to die simply; he needed to extract information from him.

Sun Yuxiu's wounds were treated, the bleeding was stopped slightly, and the strong liquor temporarily relieved the severe pain.

His remaining left eye surveyed the mountain valley, only to find it in complete disarray, a truly horrific sight. The two hundred elite cavalry he had brought had been wiped out in an instant, filling him with utter terror.

Who exactly are these ordinary grain transport cavalrymen? Their combat strength is terrifyingly powerful. My cousin and I actually thought they were all no match for us...

The weapons they used were unlike anything they had ever seen before, mysterious and unpredictable, like divine punishment; the valiant Mongol cavalry crumbled at the mere sight of them.

Guo Zhigui asked, "Who exactly orchestrated the military granary incident...?"

Sun Yuxiu was terrified when she saw Guo Zhigui holding a steel knife, his expression cold and fierce, his face filled with murderous intent.

He was severely injured, had lost one eye, and was mentally broken. He only wanted to survive and dared not hide anything.

He said, "We were ordered by the Anda Khan of the grasslands to set up an ambush in the town beforehand."

Guo Zhigui asked, "The location of the military depot is a state secret. Anda Khan is far away outside the Great Wall. How did he know about it?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Yuxiu paused slightly, her expression becoming somewhat hesitant.

Guo Zhigui noticed something amiss, held the steel knife to his neck with a cold gaze, and with a little force, cut through the skin, drawing blood.

Sun Yuxiu was terrified and hurriedly said, "Don't kill me, I'll talk, I'll talk! It was Anda Khan who sent spies into the capital to find out the location of the military grain depots."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zhigui felt a chill run down his spine. Shenjing was the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, yet there were still remnant Mongol spies lurking there.

He demanded sharply, "Who is the spy from Shenjing? What is his name? How did he obtain this information?"

Sun Yuxiu's defenses had been broken, and she hurriedly replied, "I really don't know. I only heard my cousin mention it by chance, and he didn't say anything else."

Guo Zhigui asked, "Who is your cousin? What is his background?"

Sun Yuxiu said, "My cousin's name is Sun Dali. He was originally a colonel in the Datong Army."

Guo Zhigui, his face contorted with rage, roared, “You are all Han Chinese, and even soldiers from the Great Northern Frontier Army. Why have you betrayed your country and surrendered to the enemy? You deserve to die!”

Sun Yuxiu looked terrified: "These were not my intentions. I was forced into it. My uncle was the hereditary commander of Datong. He was persecuted by the court and had to leave the pass to escape for his life."

Staying inside the pass is tantamount to waiting to die, which is not my wish. I beg you, sir, to spare my life. I promise to repent and mend my ways.

Guo Zhigui looked astonished: "Your uncle is the hereditary commander of Datong. Could he be Sun Zhanying?"

……

When Sun Zhanying defected to the enemy, the Datong border army was purged as a result. General Qian Shaoyang was implicated, confessed his crimes, and was executed.

Such a momentous event shook the entire border region. Guo Zhigui, having served in the border army for several years, was naturally very familiar with it.

He asked Sun Yuxiu several more questions until he could get no further answers, and then he gave up.

He then said to the squad leader beside him, "Let's set off immediately to leave here, lest we cause any further trouble. Take this person with us as well."

The squad leader said, "Sir, this man is too badly injured. Without a doctor, he won't survive until tomorrow. He's a traitor in the army; he deserves to die."

Guo Zhigui's expression was cold and stern as he said, "He has already confessed. Giving him a quick death will be the least we can do for him!"

As he spoke, he turned around and heard the whistling sound of blades behind him. Sun Yuxiu let out a scream, and then all was silent.

Guo Zhigui suddenly said, "Search him and see if he has anything else."

The team searched Sun Yuxiu's body and found a money bag and a booklet.

Guo Zhigui ignored the money bag and picked up the booklet to look through it...

(End of this chapter)