A few days later, Qin Longyang and his entourage traveled through Jizhou and entered the Henan County of the Capital Province. One would expect that, being so close to the imperial court, the people in the Capital Province should live peacefully, free from banditry. However, the reality they encountered was quite different.
Qin Longyang and Liao Hua rode their horses along the official road. They hadn't traveled more than ten miles into Henan County when they saw four or five groups of refugees, all in ragged clothing.
Seeing riders among them, the refugees instinctively moved to the sides of the road. Hungry eyes locked onto Qin Longyang, making him feel as if countless ants were crawling in his heart.
"Yuanjian, distribute some of the army's provisions to these refugees," Qin Longyang, moved by compassion upon seeing children faint from hunger among the refugees, ordered Liao Hua to distribute food.
Liao Hua sighed and shook his head. "My lord, I know you are kind-hearted, but we really can't help them. Not only is our food supply limited, but if these refugees see us giving out provisions, they might soon overwhelm us."
Qin Longyang frowned, realizing the truth in Liao Hua's words. People on the brink of starvation could do anything.
"Sigh, issue the order to march at double speed. The sooner we reach Luoyang, the better," Qin Longyang decided, forcing himself to look away and ordered a quickened pace.
"Understood!" Liao Hua saluted and was about to turn back when he suddenly pointed ahead with wide eyes. "My lord, look over there!"
"Hmm?" Qin Longyang followed Liao Hua's gaze and saw thick black smoke rising from a hill not far away.
"My lord, such thick smoke must mean a village is being raided by bandits!" Liao Hua explained, familiar with the methods of bandits after spending time fighting the Yellow Turbans. They often looted villages and burned houses.
Qin Longyang's expression darkened. "How dare they cause chaos under the emperor's nose! Gather the men and follow me to kill those bandits!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
Not far from the hill, in a village, thick black smoke billowed as bandits looted the place. To make matters worse, these bandits wore yellow turbans, revealing them as remnants of the Yellow Turbans.
The attack was sudden, and the villagers couldn't escape in time. The scene resembled a massacre, with the young fleeing into the mountains, leaving the elderly and children to the mercy of these ruthless bandits.
"These bastards!" Qin Longyang trembled with anger at the sight of the many dead bodies, mostly old people and children. "Kill them all! No mercy for any of them! The one who kills the most will be heavily rewarded!" he shouted, drawing his sword.
"Kill!" Liao Hua shouted, charging into the village with Qin Longyang and their small force of about a hundred men. The bandits, busy looting, were caught off guard.
"The... the imperial army is here!" a small bandit screamed, but was quickly cut down by Liao Hua.
The village descended into chaos as the bandits were slaughtered or fled in panic. Qin Longyang and his men fought their way to the village's center.
"My lord! The bandits have disappeared!" they reported after chasing the fleeing bandits to an open area, only to find them gone.
A cold shiver ran down Qin Longyang's spine. "This isn't right! It's a trap! Scatter!"
No sooner had he spoken than hundreds of bandits appeared on the rooftops, raining arrows down on them. If not for Liao Hua quickly grabbing a table to shield Qin Longyang, he would have been killed on the spot.
The remaining soldiers weren't as lucky. After several volleys of arrows, fewer than ten men were left standing. Realizing the danger, Liao Hua quickly led Qin Longyang out of the village.
"It's a trap! There are bandits outside the village too!" Liao Hua exclaimed in horror, seeing hundreds of bandits outside. He now realized they were surrounded and outnumbered.
"My lord! Stay here and hide while I find a way to break through!" Liao Hua said, hiding Qin Longyang in a woodshed. Qin Longyang, already terrified, regretted bringing so few men. If he died here, he wouldn't understand why, even in front of King Yama.
"Damn it! These soldiers are dirt-poor, not a single coin on them!" the bandit leader cursed as they searched the bodies.
A bandit with buckteeth approached with a cunning smile. "Boss, these soldiers aren't from around here. I saw them on the official road earlier."
"Not from around here?" The leader stroked his beard. "Right, isn't the emperor rewarding officials these days? If these guys are from out of town, they must have brought money for bribes. Find them and catch the officials; we can't let such fat ducks slip away!"
"The men have surrounded the village; they won't get away!"
"Hahaha! Good! Search the place and catch those officials. There will be great rewards!"
The bandits didn't notice Liao Hua hiding nearby. As they said, the entire village was surrounded by nearly a thousand bandits. Qin Longyang had underestimated them.
Liao Hua found himself in a difficult position. Even if he had the strength to fight a hundred men alone, protecting Qin Longyang was a different matter. Was today their last day?
Just then, the sound of galloping horses came from outside the village, with what sounded like a force of several thousand men.
"General! There really are bandits ahead!"
"Hmph, how dare they! Charge with me!"
"Kill!"
To Liao Hua's surprise, two groups of soldiers charged from the east and west sides of the village, catching the bandits off guard. The leader was speared to death, and the rest either fled or surrendered.
Within half an hour, the village was cleared of bandits, and the two forces united.
"Hahaha, thank you for your assistance! I am Han Feng, the Governor of Henan. May I ask who you are?" One of the groups was led by Han Feng, who had rushed over upon hearing of bandit activity in his jurisdiction.
The other leader dismounted and saluted Han Feng. "I am Bao Xin, an officer under Governor Liu Dai of Yanzhou. We were escorting my lord to the capital when we saw the smoke and came to deal with the bandits."
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" The two exchanged pleasantries, but then noticed Liao Hua and Qin Longyang approaching, looking worse for wear.
"And this general is?" Han Feng looked at the weary Qin Longyang, noticing the seal on his waist and widening his eyes in disbelief.
"The Seal of the Governor?" Bao Xin was equally shocked, and both men quickly bowed.
"Thank you for saving my life," Qin Longyang sighed in relief, feeling like he'd narrowly escaped death.
After explaining the situation, Han Feng and Bao Xin were impressed by Qin Longyang's bravery. Facing bandits with only a hundred men, he truly embodied the spirit of a young hero!
"Shame on me for not controlling the situation better, allowing these bandits into Henan," Han Feng sighed, feeling guilty.
Qin Longyang smiled reassuringly. "If not for your timely rescue, I would have been killed by these bandits today."
"But now all the men I brought from Youzhou are dead. We still have two days' journey to Luoyang. What should we do?"
"That's easy!" Bao Xin patted his chest. "Our lord is also heading to Luoyang for an appointment. If you don't mind, you can join us for protection!"
"That would be great!" Qin Longyang was eager to seize the opportunity, knowing that Liu Dai was a member of the royal family. "Please lead the way."
"Good. Since the bandits have been dealt with, I shall return to the city. Farewell, generals!" After a courteous exchange, Han Feng's group and the others parted ways.
Under Bao Xin's guidance, Qin Longyang soon saw a formidable force of four to five thousand men, fully armed and organized, an impressive sight.
In the center, a slightly portly middle-aged man in official attire sat on horseback. Seeing Bao Xin return, Liu Dai smiled.
"Lord, there were indeed bandits in the village, but General Han Feng and I have dealt with them," Bao Xin reported and then introduced the two men behind him.
"And who are these gentlemen?" Liu Dai finally noticed Qin Longyang and Liao Hua.
Qin Longyang stepped forward, respectfully saluting Liu Dai. "Qin Longyang, Governor of Youzhou, greets Governor Liu."
"Youzhou Governor..." Liu Dai murmured, not recalling such a name. Noting the young man's age, he thought of his own experience, becoming the Governor of Yanzhou in his late twenties, leveraging his royal connection. This young man seemed bold in his claims.
Seeing the distrust, Qin Longyang showed his official seal and briefly explained the situation. Liu Dai relaxed.
"So that's it! I hadn't seen Brother Liu Yan since we parted in the capital years ago. To think it was our last meeting," Liu Dai sighed, saddened by Liu Yan's passing. "However, given that he entrusted Youzhou to you, you must be exceptional. We shall accompany each other to Luoyang and look out for one another."
"Thank you, Governor Liu. As I'm not well-versed in official matters, I still have much to learn from you," Qin Longyang quickly seized the opportunity to forge a closer bond.
"No need for formalities. As colleagues, we should naturally support each other. Please, come along!" Liu Dai nodded and smiled, feeling a sense of goodwill toward the young man before him.