Sweep Yuan

Chapter 80 A Good Ambush When the Wind Rises at Midnight

In Wudu Village, thick dark clouds obscured the moonlight, making the village paths even darker. A figure swiftly traversed the darkness, arriving at a house with a faint light shining through, and pushed open the half-closed gate.

"Big brother?"

The voice came from Hu Deyuan, the second younger brother, who was hiding in the jujube tree on lookout duty. Hu Deji responded softly:

"It's me. Are all my uncles still around?"

"Everyone's here, just waiting for you."

"Okay, be careful, don't doze off and fall."

Only a dim oil lamp was lit in the main hall. The flickering light cast an increasingly indistinct glow on the faces of the Hu clan members. Upon seeing Hu Deji enter, his uncle, Hu Dayuan, eagerly asked:
"Deji, have the government troops all quieted down?"

"It's quiet now. The campfire has mostly died down, and there's no one to be seen. It's so late. My brothers and I can keep watch, but you uncles and elders have been busy all day, so you should get some rest."

"The soldiers are right outside the village, how can we sleep? Deji, you're too carefree."

Hu Dayuan shook his head with a wry smile and looked at his second brother, Hu Dahai.

"Tongfu, how much did the government troops rob us of today?"

"Eighty shi of grain, six hundred qian of cash, six fine horses, four fat pigs, ten large sheep, six dan of fresh vegetables, four jars of sauce, ten jars of wine, ten dan of firewood, and the timber and ropes used for setting up camp, etc., should be recovered afterward, but I don't remember the details."

The Hu family chose their second son as the head of the family not because Hu Dahai was strong and powerful, but because he was quick-witted and decisive, and didn't need to look at the accounts for such a small matter.

Hu Dayuan's face showed even more worry, and he sighed:
"Sigh! The army is like a comb! If a mere thousand or so vanguard can have such a huge appetite, what will happen when the main force arrives?"

Hu Dahai was also worried, but as the clan leader, he could not lose heart in front of his brothers and nephews.

“If we don’t spend money, our clansmen will be forced to transport grain and fill the moats; someone will always lose.”

"I have something to say, but please don't be offended!"

The third brother, Hu Quan, was the most educated, and his brothers were quite willing to listen to his opinions.

"Shunfu, tell me."

"Our ancestor sold fried dough sticks all by himself, going from street to street. After many years, he saved up a little money and exchanged it for a few acres of poor land before he was able to settle down here. It is truly not easy for the Hu family to grow to where it is today."

The world is in chaos again. Who knows when the mutinous soldiers will go berserk? We can't just stand by and watch them wreak havoc, can we?

Hu Dahai had discussed this matter with his third brother beforehand. Seeing that everyone looked solemn but no one objected, he nodded and said:

"Okay, continue."

Hu Quan looked at his elder brother and said:

"Brother, Xuan'er has been married and living far away in Chuzhou for several years now. Don't you and your sister-in-law want to go and visit her?"

"this?"

Hu Dayuan did not vie for the position of family head back then because he knew he was not capable enough, but it was not because he was unwilling to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the family. Now that war has broken out, how is it any different for him to abandon his brothers and seek refuge with his in-laws than to betray the family?
"Big brother!"

Hu Dahai knew his elder brother's character well and didn't give him a chance to hesitate.

“Shunfu is right, brother, don’t hesitate. My son Dehuai has just turned three. Leaving him here will only tie my hands and feet. It’s perfect to entrust him to your care!”

"Yes! Hesitation only leads to trouble. Please take care of my fourth son, elder brother."

"And my Sanlang—"

All five younger brothers wanted to entrust their children to him, and Hu Dayuan knew he couldn't refuse, so he sighed again. "Alas! Tongfu, I know you have great ambitions, and I won't be a burden to you. My eldest and second sons aren't the type to settle down and farm, but they can do some things, so they'll stay by your side and serve you."

The division of clans involved property division, transfer of clan tokens, and so on, which could not be explained in a few words. Hu Deji was sent away and his second brother, Hu Deyuan, went back to his room to sleep. The uncles and elders in the room discussed it for a while before dispersing.

Hu Dahai was preoccupied with something and couldn't sleep, so he climbed up the jujube tree next to his eldest son and gazed at the flickering campfires outside the village. He then silently calculated the location and size of the government army's camp by referring to a few vague landmarks in the surrounding area.

"Brother, the government troops have set up camp on the south side of the slope?"

"Yes. I think the government troops are probably afraid of the wind picking up at night."

The hillside is called a hillside because its terrain is relatively gentle and slightly higher than the surrounding area. It doesn't actually block strong winds, but it can effectively obstruct the view of people and horses.

Hu Dahai cursed the commander in his heart for being stupid. If it were him who rebelled, he could have led a hundred or so men to sneak into the camp from the north of the slope tonight, and that would have been enough to give this brainless government army a hard time.

Unfortunately, it's just a thought. Bearing the honor, disgrace, rise and fall of the entire clan, how can one do such pleasure-seeking things casually?
“I’ve discussed it with your uncles and aunts. Starting tomorrow, we’ll slaughter pigs and sheep to train the clansmen. Anyway, it’s too cold to farm now, and the pigs and sheep will be ruined by the rebel soldiers sooner or later. It’s better to eat them ourselves.”

Hu Deji was just seventeen years old, a competitive age. He ignored the question of how to celebrate the New Year after the pigs and sheep were eaten, and his mind was full of how to train his clansmen.

"Then, may I teach my uncles and brothers martial arts?"

"What's the point of teaching me martial arts!"

Hu Dahai shook his head inwardly, thinking to himself, "Young people really don't know the meaning of sorrow."

"With a major battle imminent, what's the point of practicing martial arts in just a few days? The main focus should be on formations. If there's time, practice with the spear. Don't worry about killing the enemy; just know to obey my orders and not run away."

Hu Deji knew that his father had kept the killing of the fleeing soldiers a few days ago, clearly because he did not want to get involved in the war. But now he seemed to have changed his mind, which made Hu Deji feel excited and incredulous.

"Father, are we about to go into battle? Against the government troops or the rebel army?"

Hu Dahai patted his eldest son on the shoulder and sighed.

"I don't want to fight anyone, I just want to raise you all in peace. But this world, how can I have my way! Your uncle is going to Chuzhou tomorrow. If he can survive this calamity, we'll move there."

"Father! Your son—"

Hu Deji seemed to have suddenly grown up and wanted to share the heavy burden on his father's shoulders, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know how to express them.

"Silly child, your father isn't old yet."

Father and son are of one heart. Hu Dahai put his arm around Hu Deji's shoulder and let him lean against his broad chest, just like when his eldest son was a child, enjoying this rare peace.

After an unknown amount of time, a corner of the clouds quietly peeked out, casting a cool moonlight, but after only a few breaths, the moon disappeared into the deeper darkness again.

"Father, the wind is picking up!"

About four miles north of the vanguard camp of the Sizhou government army, on the riverbank of the Bian River, when the moonlight shines down, one can vaguely see a dark mass of men and horses hidden among the reeds.

Fu Youde and Li Wu's allied forces sneaked to this place to rest in the first half of the night. The two units, consisting of about five hundred infantry and cavalry, made no unusual noises except for faint snoring and the occasional snorting of the horses.

As the moonlight shone down, Fu Youde suddenly opened his eyes and raised his hand to feel the wind direction and force.

As darkness returned to the surroundings, the sentry not far away saw a slight smile appear on Commander Fu's calm face.

The specific tactics were already clear beforehand, so there was no need to arrange them further. The team had been lying in wait for so long, just waiting for the right moment. Now that the wind had blown, all that was left was time.

"What time is it now?"

(End of this chapter)