C43. Suppressing Bandits (Part 1).
The tiger and two wolves, no onet knew how Chu Hechao dealt with them, and they were never seen in the estate again after that.
It's a bit regrettable to think about it - Yuan Li really liked such wild and untamed fierce beasts. He admired their vibrant life force, especially tigers, with their striking and alluring tiger pattern.
Who could resist such a big cat?
He originally wanted to ask Chu Hechao about the whereabouts of the tiger and two wolves, but strangely, Chu Hechao seemed to be busy with something.
Yuan Li didn't see him for days. Not only was he not seen during usual times, but even during meal times, Chu Hechao was nowhere to be found.
Yuan Li was puzzled for days, but eventually gave up trying to find Chu Hechao.
A few days later, the cavalry who were fighting bandits brought back important intelligence.
While Wu Kai and Wang Er were wiping out bandits around Jixian County, they obtained information from a bandit's mouth. There was a major bandit nest in Youzhou that was as evil as the Yishan Army in Yanzhou.
These bandits stayed in a deep mountain called Jiuding Mountain in Yuyang Commandery all year round, and they would raid the surrounding villages and counties every late autumn, causing great harm to the people.
Furthermore, they dug out another piece of information from the bandit - all these bandit nests, big or small, were connected. Bandits from different states and counties were also in contact, occasionally sharing information about the situation in different states.
If a governor of a state was too lenient and didn't dare to manage bandits, they would gather in that state and bully the people there.
The bandits on Jiuding Mountain were in contact with bandit nests in Yizhou, Qingzhou, and Yanzhou.
Because Youzhou had been unmanaged for many years, county officials in various places were only concerned with lining their own pockets. Therefore, the bandits in Youzhou were extremely rampant, treating Youzhou as their fertile ground for burning, killing, and looting, making themselves the emperors of Youzhou.
When Yuan Li and Chu Hechao returned, these bandits around Jixian County passed the message to the bandits on Jiuding Mountain.
The bandits on Jiuding Mountain were initially frightened, thinking that Chu Hechao would bring troops to permanently station in Youzhou. However, upon learning that Chu Hechao was only temporarily staying and that only a young man who hadn't even been crowned yet would be stationed in Youzhou, they relaxed and laughed heartily, completely disregarding the situation.
The bandits had no regard for Yuan Li at all. They didn't believe that a young man could pose a threat to them.
The bandits around Jixian County thought the same way, but their disdain only brought the destruction of their bandit nest by the iron cavalry.
They finally began to fear.
Yuan Li finished reading all this, then put down the paper expressionlessly.
In the study, Wu Kai and Wang Er, who had recently achieved consecutive victories in fighting bandits, appeared more dignified and self-assured, exuding the aura befitting of generals. At this moment, they were holding back their anger, waiting for Yuan Li's command.
After Yuanli finished speaking, Wang Er immediately clasped his fists and said, "My lord, I would like to go to Yuyang County to wipe out the bandits in Jiuding Mountain!"
Wu Kai followed with a deep voice, "I am willing to go with you, Brother Wang!"
They were all holding back a ball of anger in their hearts. This anger was not only for the people, but also because of the contemptuous and arrogant attitude of these bandits towards Yuan Li.
Yuan Li had taught them to read and write, and they had the opportunity to make achievements. They were loyal to Yuan Li and could not tolerate the contempt and insults of Yuan Li by these bandits.
Zhong Ji was also in the study. After listening to the whole process, he also hated what these bandits did. He gritted his teeth and stood up, saying, "Master Yuan, please let me go with you. I want to see these bandits being wiped out with my own eyes, otherwise I will feel uneasy!"
Yuan Li did not let them down and gave a positive answer, "We must wipe them out! We must wipe out the bandits in Jiuding Mountain before winter comes!"
Since the beginning of the bandit suppression, we must wipe them all out in one go.
Otherwise, they will have to endure a whole winter of suffering, and who knows how many people will be affected.
Wu Kai and Wang Er let out a sigh of relief, eagerly awaiting Yuan Li's command. Yuan Li groaned and addressed the two of them, "You have been training the cavalry rigorously every day, and their abilities have improved significantly. I have witnessed this progress. The bandits in your vicinity are no match for you, but the group in Jiuding Mountain is the leader of the Youzhou bandits. Do you have the confidence to defeat them in one decisive strike?"
Wu Kai and Wang Er expressed their full confidence, saying in unison, "We will not disappoint our lord."
"Very well," Yuan Li promptly issued the order, "You two will lead a thousand cavalrymen and bring ample provisions to Jiuding Mountain to launch a swift raid on the bandits with light cavalry. Go swiftly and return swiftly!"
Wu Kai and Wang Er accepted the order.
Yuan Li turned to Liu Jixin, "Wu Kai and Wang Er going alone to Yuyang Commandery makes me somewhat worried. Mr. Liu, would you mind joining them as a military advisor to provide them with strategies?"
Liu Jixin had longed to prove himself to Yuan Li. He stood up calmly and bowed to Yuanli, "I am willing to go, please rest assured, my Lord."
Yuan Li smiled and then turned to the anxious Zhong Ji, "Since you wish to go, then come along. But remember, it will be a tough journey, and speed is of the essence if we want to strike effectively en route."
Without hesitation, Zhong Ji bowed deeply, "I will not be a burden, my Lord."
With the decision made, Yuan Li wasted no time and spent a day preparing for the journey. The next day, Wu Kai and the others set off with a thousand cavalry towards Yuyang Commandery.
*
In Bayian Village, Yuyang Commandery.
The village had just been plundered by bandits, with black smoke billowing everywhere, houses collapsed, and pots and pans scattered all over the ground.
A few grains of corn mixed with the yellow soil and splattered with blood stains.
The villagers who had hidden in cellars or mountains helped each other out and emerged to witness the dire situation in the village, shedding tears uncontrollably.
But they had become numb to this, silently wiping away tears and starting to look for their loved ones while tidying up the dilapidated houses.
The elderly village chief, supported by several villagers, counted the remaining villagers.
"Forty, forty-one, forty-two..."
They were raided by bandits every year around these days, and the villagers had become accustomed to it.
Every household had a place to hide people - whether it was a cellar or a haystack. They had learned many lessons, such as not letting the bandits take all the food, as leaving some behind would satisfy the bandits and make them leave.
But no matter how many lessons they learned, they still faced death when the bandits visited the village, as some people didn't have time to hide. Some bandits would steal food and leave, but others were more brutal, searching for villagers relentlessly until they found someone to kill.
Many elderly people who couldn't hide in time chose to face the bandits, allowing them to satisfy their bloodlust. This was better than letting the bandits kill their grandchildren.
After counting, the village chief, fearing he made a mistake, started counting again from the beginning. The count remained the same after two attempts, and he sighed, his cloudy eyes staring blankly as he murmured to himself, "Please don't come again, please... if you do, there will be no one left in our village."
The people around him remained silent, knowing that the bandits would return.
After paying taxes during the autumn harvest, most of their remaining food was taken by bandits, leaving the villagers hungry for a good part of the year. They had reported to the officials, but no one responded, and year after year, the bandits became more audacious, with the villagers growing thinner each year.
If the day doesn't come, it will come the day after. Even if it doesn't come this year, the year will still arrive.
Da Zhuang, holding onto the village chief, was about to say a few words when suddenly the shaking of the stones on the ground caught his attention, his heart trembled, and he quickly shouted, "Not good, those bandits are back!"
Upon hearing this, the villagers immediately panicked, "What? They're back again?!"
The ground shaking became more intense, and others also realized that something was amiss, "Quick quick, Bao'er, Juan'er, hurry and hide in the underground cellar!"
"Run up the mountain, quickly!"
"Don't just stand there, hurry up!"
The shouts of the adults and the cries of the children mixed together, the adults quickly covered the mouths of the children, picked them up and ran towards the mountain.
Those who couldn't make it to the mountain quickly searched for a place to hide. The village chief was walking too slowly, making Da Zhuang anxious.
He quickly lifted the village chief and tried to run towards the mountain, but before they could take a few steps, the rumbling sound of approaching horses grew louder, shaking his entire body. Da Zhuang's heart sank, realizing that there was no time to get to the mountain.
What made him even more fearful was that the bandits who had come to plunder before had never made such a loud commotion.
How many people were in this group of bandits this time?
The village chief had been on his shoulder all this time, saying, "Da Zhuang, put me down and run, don't worry about this old bone of mine, just go!"
But Da Zhuang didn't listen, he gritted his teeth and went into the nearest house. He knew it was Uncle Li's house, and he knew where the underground cellar was.
Da Zhuang opened the cellar, stuffed the village chief inside, but once the village chief was inside, there was no more room to hide. The village chief was getting anxious, trembling all over, cursing, "Da Zhuang, you foolish child, get me out of here, and you get in!"
Da Zhuang was sweating profusely, "Village chief, please don't make a sound."
With that said, he closed the cellar door. He looked around the house, hiding a stone knife in the straw, and stared at the door outside.
Da Zhuang didn't close the door, he had his own plan. The village had just been plundered, and if the door was closed, it would signal that there was no one inside, which would surely attract attention.
Da Zhuang wanted to take a chance, leaving the door open to see if anyone would come.
If the bandits really discovered him, he was prepared to accept his fate, even if it meant killing one of them!
*
Outside the Eight Immortals Village.
Wu Kai and his men stopped, exhausted from their journey.
Despite the spirits of the one thousand cavalry being high, Liu Jixin and Zhongji appeared weary. Liu Jixin was okay, just a bit pale, with his lips cracking from dryness, dark circles under his eyes, but still had the strength to speak.
On the other hand, Zhong Ji was pale, his lips turning blue, he suddenly fell off his horse and bent down to vomit.
Wu Kai and Wang Er looked towards the direction of Eight Immortals Village, where black smoke drifted in the air, creating a heavy atmosphere. Wang Er sighed, "Brother Zou, we arrived too late."
Liu Jixin walked over to them, also sighing, "We rushed here as quickly as we could."
Even though Zhong Ji was feeling extremely unwell, he didn't delay the journey, pushing through to reach this point.
At that moment, a scout returned and reported, "Report! Fang Village has been looted by bandits, who have left the village, and no signs of the villagers have been found."
Zhong Ji cleared his throat, weakly walking over after hearing the report, he was puzzled, "Have all the people in the village been killed by bandits?"
Wang Er shook his head, "Let's not jump to conclusions; we need to investigate before making any judgments."
Wu Kai nodded and said, "Let's go."
A few scouts ran off in different directions to prevent another bandit attack.
The one thousand cavalry slowed down, gradually entering Eight Immortals Village.
The scene in Eight Immortals Village was one of misery, with the bodies of some elderly people scattered among the smoke and flames. Apart from the crackling of burning wood, there was no sound coming from the village.
Not even the chirping of birds could be heard.
Were they really all gone?
Wait, why were there only the bodies of the elderly, and no sign of the young or children?
Wang Er, who had experienced hardships, understood the fears of the villagers. He said, "They must be hiding."
He pointed towards the houses and the mountains, "They are either hiding in the houses or in the mountains. They had just been looted by the bandits and upon hearing our horses, they mistook us for the bandits, so they hid and didn't come out."
Zhong Ji sighed, "The villagers have been scared like mice..."
Liu Jixin also agreed with Wang Er's assessment, rubbing his beard in thought, "If the people are so scared, we shouldn't search for them, in case we startle them. Let the soldiers shout our identity on the road, so they know we are the ones sent to fight bandits by Yu Prefectural Governor Yuan Li."
Wu Kai and Wang Er nodded, ready to instruct the soldiers according to this plan.
Zhong Ji hesitated and said to Liu Jixin, "The son of Duke Yuan is not yet officially the Yuzhou Prefectural Governor. Would saying this leave room for others to attack him?"
Liu Jixin shook his head, "The Duke has already done what the Yuzhou Prefectural Governor should do, and the position of the Yuzhou Prefectural Governor will eventually be his. In times of crisis, extraordinary measures must be taken. If we don't speak like this, how can the people feel at ease? Can they believe in us? They are just ordinary people, who don't understand the complexities of politics, so speaking directly and plainly is the most effective way."
Zhong Ji nodded, "Liu Xiong's words are wise."
But he also understood that Liu Jixin's actions were also about building prestige for Yuan Li.
If the people of Youzhou Province considered Yuan Li to be the Yuzhou Prefectural Governor, once Yuan Li gained the support of the people of Yuzhou Province, even if the Prince Chu regretted and didn't want Yuan Li to be the Yuzhou Prefectural Governor, he would have no choice.
The soldiers listened to the order, standing on the village road, shouting towards the houses on both sides, "We are soldiers of the Yuzhou Prefectural Governor Yuan Li, sent to fight bandits. Are there any villagers here?"
"We are cavalry from the Governor's residence, here to fight bandits!"
"Where are the villagers? We are not bandits!"
Da Zhuang, hidden in the straw, heard their shouts, feeling intense anger, gritting his teeth, how could the bandits be so shameless?!
Only knowing how to loot villages and kill villagers was not enough?
Now resorting to such tactics, pretending to be officials to lure them out for mass slaughter?!
They were worse than animals; how could they be so ruthless?
Da Zhuang completely refused to believe their words.
When the bandits first arrived at the village, they claimed to be officials. However, the authorities seemed oblivious, completely neglecting the villagers.
Reports to the authorities resulted in no response, so how could the authorities suddenly send people to combat the bandits this time?
Da Zhuang remained hidden, hoping the other villagers wouldn't believe the bandits' lies. If they were lured out, it would be a trap, and there would be no burial ground for them.
However, reality didn't align with Big Strong's hopes. He saw a six or seven year old child walk out of a house. The child held a wooden stick, looking bewildered, cautiously walking out of the house.
Don't go out! Don't go out!
Da Zhuang roared in his heart, watching the child pass by his door and head towards the people shouting.
Da Zhuang also recognized this child, the son of Widow Sun in the village. Widow Sun was kind and had taken care of Da Zhuang many times; he couldn't watch the child go to his death.
Da Zhuang's eyes filled with anger; a sudden surge of power from within compelled him forward. He charged out of the hay, brandishing his stone knife and shouting, "I'll kill you bandits!"
But as soon as he stepped out, before he could strike, Da Zhuang saw a group of strong soldiers in armor standing in the middle of the road.
A line of horses behind them, with the soldiers wielding large knives, each emanating a sense of military authority.
The child of Widow Sun stood among them, unharmed.
The stone knife in Da Zhuang's hand fell to the ground with a thud.
Soldiers...they were actual soldiers...
Soldiers sent by the Yuzhou Prefectural Governor to combat bandits...
Da Zhuang suddenly came to his senses, scrambled back into the house, opened the cellar door, and cried out with tears of joy, "Village chief, the officials have sent people to combat the bandits!"
After all the villagers came out from the mountain and the houses, Liu Jixin and the others finally understood the name of the village and the number of people there.
The village was called Eight Immortals Village, with a population of seven to eight hundred people, making it a relatively large village, but now only three hundred people remained.
Upon hearing this tale, Liu Jixin's body shook slightly. "Forgive us," the village chief pleaded, his voice trembling. "Just before your arrival, our village suffered a terrible raid by bandits. We mistook you, esteemed guest, for one of them. We deeply regret this error and I sincerely apologize on behalf of the entire village."
"Old man, no need to apologize," Liu Jixin sighed, "It's not your fault. Blame those despicable bandits. You have suffered, but rest assured, the recently appointed Yuzhou Prefectural Governor Yuan Li has sent us to combat the bandits. We will surely eliminate the bandits and ensure you are safe from harm!"
The village chief wiped away his tears and thanked them profusely, "Thank you, esteemed officials, thank you."
Liu Jixin inquired, "Do you happen to know where the bandits fled to? Which village are they likely to attack next?"
The village chief pondered for a while before uncertainly saying, "They might have gone to An Ding Village, or Linxi Village, or perhaps they went to Xiaohe Village first."
After asking about the directions of these three villages, Qu Kai prepared to send scouts to gather information.
Liu Jixin frowned, "It would be helpful to know which village they plan to attack next."
Da Zhuang cautiously said, "I think I heard them mention the village they plan to target next..."
The others turned to him immediately.
Da Zhuang swallowed hard and said with a mix of nervousness and excitement, "While hiding, I overheard two bandits talking. They mentioned wanting to find some women in the next village, as the girls in that village were very pretty. They also mentioned planning to capture a few women to serve them, bathe by the river, since the water was clean, and they were starting to feel itchy...I believe they are headed for Xiaohe Village."