Chapter 115: Hong Niangzi Robs the Escort at the Huai River
The sunset sank into the Huai River, the sunlight on the horizon quickly losing its color. The advancing infantry and cavalry, like overturned iron plows, completely surrounded the escort team from the Fu’an Escort Agency.
Beads of sweat had already formed on the faces of Huyan Lei and Wang Kui.
The escort team had over fifty escort carts, more than four hundred mules and horses, and nearly two hundred escorts and runners.
They had departed from Zhongdu and passed through Handan and Anyang without incident.
They were caught up by escorts dispatched by the Chief Escort when they reached Xinxiang.
Upon inquiry, it turned out that Brother Zhou could not cross the Yellow River in Jinan Prefecture and had subsequently traveled southwest, passing through Kaifeng Prefecture to Xinye and Nanyang, and then along the Yangtze River to Taihu Lake. In Xinye, they encountered remnants of the Great Qi robbing the Zhenwei Escort Agency’s goods. The escorts also mentioned that bandits were rampant in the Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain areas, and Jiangxi bandits were active in Jingxiang.
Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and Yang Tiexin were all seasoned and prudent individuals. After a brief discussion, the three decided to cross the river at Fengqiu, travel directly south to the Huai River, and then proceed from the Huai River to Luzhou, traveling upstream along the river to Jingzhou.
Changing the route would add about ten days of travel, but it would allow them to avoid the bandits in Xinye and Xiangyang.
The journey had been smooth until they reached the Huai River, where they suddenly encountered this group of bandits.
The escorts and runners, well-trained, drove the mules and horses to form a defensive circle around the escort carts. They drew their swords and nocked their arrows. Some runners held fireworks for signaling, intended to counter cavalry charges. However, as the sky had not yet completely darkened, they were unsure if the fireworks would be effective.
Mu Nianci, clad in red and riding a Qingcong horse with an iron spear in hand, was also extremely nervous. It was her first escort mission, and they had encountered over a thousand bandits. She estimated that even a desperate fight might not be enough to protect the escort.
If Head Escort Zhou were here, how would he handle this? Mu Nianci suddenly had this thought.
The bandits surrounding them did not charge forward with shouts to attack, but instead, uncharacteristically, they surrounded the escort team without engaging.
Yang Tiexin nervously asked Huyan Lei, “What should we do?”
“The bandits are waiting for their leader. Let’s observe for now,” Huyan Lei replied.
Yang Tiexin nodded.
In just a few dozen breaths, a passage suddenly opened in the densely packed bandit formation. In the dim sky, a chestnut horse trotted forward.
A woman in red rode the horse, her eyes full of heroic spirit. She held a long spear, and the evening breeze rustled, making her red cloak flutter.
“A female bandit?” Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and Yang Tiexin were all taken aback.
The woman seemed surprised to see a female escort in the escort team, also clad in red, riding a Qingcong horse and holding an iron spear. Her gaze lingered on Mu Nianci for a moment before turning to Huyan Lei and the others.
“Who is in charge here?”
Huyan Lei said, “I am the Head Escort of the Fu’an Escort Agency in Zhongdu. We apologize for disturbing your territory, esteemed lady.”
The woman said, “No need for pleasantries. I only want the mules, horses, and escort goods. I will not harm any of you. Leave quickly.”
Huyan Lei replied, “Losing the escort goods is equivalent to endangering hundreds of our lives.”
“Simple!” the woman suddenly laughed. “If you join us, there will be no problem.”
Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and Yang Tiexin were all caught off guard by her words and were momentarily speechless.
Huyan Lei regained his composure and said, “Esteemed lady, you jest. We hope you will grant us passage. After this escort mission, we will bring generous gifts to your stronghold to express our gratitude.”
“If that were the case, why would I go to such lengths to rob you? Enough said. Your life or your goods, you have about ten breaths to decide.”
Although the woman told Huyan Lei to consider, as soon as she finished speaking, fifty to sixty archers suddenly emerged from behind her, drawing their bows and aiming at the escorts and runners.
“Hmph!” Huyan Lei exhaled heavily.
“What is the Head Escort’s decision?” the woman asked.
“Protect the people.”
“A wise person knows when to yield!”
The woman’s words struck Huyan Lei’s heart like a knife.
“Guards, push the escort carts and drive the mules and horses.”
At the woman’s command, over a hundred soldiers rushed forward, pushing carts and driving mules and horses. In a flash, everything was gone.
The woman, who had been holding her spear, then laughed and said, “Forgive us!”
With that, she turned her horse and galloped away. The archers then slowly retreated into the night.
“Head Escort, what do we do now?” Yang Tiexin asked.
Mu Nianci dismounted and approached Huyan Lei, saying, “I will go and track the bandits.”
Huyan Lei, who was adept at assessing situations and adapting to them, said, “Elder Yang, arrange for someone to ride swiftly to the escort agency and report this matter to the Chief Escort. Brother Wang and Miss Mu, take capable escorts and follow these people. These bandits do not seem like ordinary, bloodthirsty thugs who attack and flee; they must have a fixed base. I will go to the Zhenwei Escort Agency in Kaifeng Prefecture to investigate and see if I can gather any information about these people. The remaining escorts and runners will be under Elder Yang’s care, waiting here.”
Huyan Lei’s emergency arrangements were thorough and impeccable.
Time was of the essence. Wang Kui and Mu Nianci immediately led several skilled escorts and, under the cover of night, pursued the bandits.
The woman had not taken Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, or their horses. Yang Tiexin wrote a letter and arranged for an escort to lead two horses day and night towards Zhongdu, while Huyan Lei headed directly for Kaifeng Prefecture.
…
Fine wines of Xinfeng are worth ten thousand a dou; we meet and drink for you with high spirits.
On the octagonal pavilion, blue tiles were neatly arranged, and the dry air was filled with the aroma of wine.
Inside the pavilion, two young men sat facing each other, engaged in lively conversation.
Lu Beihe was already slightly tipsy. He said, “Regarding Du Kang wine, there’s also a story called ‘Du Kang Brews Wine to Get Liu Ling Drunk.’ Have you heard it, Head Escort?”
“I am eager to hear it.”
Zhou Yan had traveled from Taihu Lake into the Yangtze River without incident. He ate and slept on a large boat. In addition to his own cultivation, he also instructed Liang Xiaowu and a few other runners in martial arts. The group’s essence, qi, and spirit visibly improved.
In late March, the large boat arrived at Xiangyang.
Concerned about whether the escort agency had any Jingzhou escorts, he did not go to Snake Valley and headed directly north. Along the way, he arrived at Kaifeng Prefecture and visited the Young Head Escort of the Zhenwei Escort Agency.
They had a gentleman’s agreement, so Lu Beihe specially prepared Du Kang wine from Luoyang and hospitably entertained him.
The escort who delivered the letter from the Zhenwei Escort Agency to Fu’an had already returned. Zhou Yan learned from him that Merchant Lu had indeed arrived in Fu’an, and Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and Yang Tiexin were escorting the goods. The Chief Escort had also arranged for an escort to rush ahead with the news.
Lu Beihe also mentioned that he had paid attention to the Yellow River wharves around Kaifeng Prefecture and had not seen any Fu’an escort teams crossing the river.
Upon receiving this information, Zhou Yan felt much relieved and stayed at the Zhenwei Escort Agency for two more days, drinking and discussing martial arts with Lu Beihe.
The two men hit it off, appreciating each other’s talents. Naturally, they sparred. Zhou Yan admired the other’s superb dual-spear skills. During their conversation, he inadvertently learned that Lu Beihe was a descendant of Yue Family Army’s Lu Wenlong.
He couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. If Head Escort Zhang Wangyue knew this, he would surely be delighted.
The Fu’an Escort Agency and the Zhenwei Escort Agency would support each other in the future; this was a given.
While drinking, he even let his imagination wander, thinking of Head Escort Zhang Wangyue and the Young Master of Zhenwei, Lu Beihe.
The mountains and rivers seemed to echo the meaning of the poem “Man Jiang Hong” (Full River Red): “From the beginning, let us rebuild our old mountains and rivers, and face the heavens.” He wondered if it was a coincidence.
When Lu Beihe mentioned Du Kang wine, Zhou Yan listened attentively. The other spoke eloquently: “It is said that Du Kang opened a tavern at the foot of Jiugao Mountain in Longmen, Luoyang. On the tavern door was a couplet: ‘A fierce tiger drinks a cup and is drunk in the mountains; a mighty dragon drinks two cups and is subdued in the sea.’ The horizontal inscription read: ‘If you don’t get drunk in three years, it’s free.’ The famous scholar Liu Ling passed by and, upon seeing the couplet, couldn’t help but laugh heartily.”
Lu Beihe chuckled heartily at this point as well.
Suddenly, the Young Master of Zhenwei Escort Agency’s words were interrupted by a rolling thunderous sound.
“Brother Zhou…”
Lu Beihe and Zhou Yan were both startled. They looked towards the sound and saw Huyan Lei striding towards them, followed by an escort from the Zhenwei Escort Agency.
“Elder Brother Huyan?”
Zhou Yan blinked, feeling as if the scene before him was an illusion.
…
Huyan Lei rode his swift Wuzhui horse at full speed from the Huai River. He reached Kaifeng Prefecture in two days and went directly to the Zhenwei Escort Agency. He presented his calling card to the guards at the agency. An escort received him and informed him that Zhou Yan was also at the agency and was drinking with the Young Head Escort.
Huyan Lei was overjoyed and immediately asked the escort to lead the way, heading straight for them.
Zhou Yan hurriedly stood up, “Brother, why are you here?”
Huyan Lei grabbed a wine bowl from the table and drank it down in one gulp, the wine suppressing the anger in his heart. The Head Escort said, “The escort was robbed at the Huai River.”
Zhou Yan was greatly shocked. “Brother, please tell me slowly.”
Huyan Lei sat down and concisely recounted the incident of the red-clad woman robbing the escort, his arrangements at the time, and his reason for coming.
Zhou Yan looked at Lu Beihe, “The leader of the bandits was a woman in red wielding a spear. Does the Young Master know her origin?”
Lu Beihe said, “In Jingdong Road and Hebei Road, there are about seven or eight influential forces. These include remnants of the Great Qi, bandits gathering in the mountains, and righteous armies formed by people pushed to rebellion by officials. They form alliances and split amongst themselves, cooperating to resist the Jin soldiers and the court in Lin’an Prefecture, but also fighting each other for profit. However, I have never heard of a woman in red wielding a spear.”
After Lu Beihe finished speaking, he said heartily, “I am currently free, so I will accompany Head Escort Zhou to investigate the origin of these bandits.”
Huyan Lei said, “How can this be?”
“Head Escort, there’s no need to be polite. If it weren’t for Head Escort Zhou, Zhenwei would have already fallen into the hands of the Great Qi remnants. How can I rest easy without repaying this kindness? Besides, I haven’t finished telling the story of ‘Du Kang Brews Wine to Get Liu Ling Drunk,’ and I must tell it.”
“Good, I will listen to the Young Master tell the story of Du Kang wine along the way. Also, Fu’an looks north, and Zhenwei is entrenched in the Central Plains. I believe the two escort agencies can support each other from now on.”
“Well said.”
Lu Beihe said to Zhou Yan and Huyan Lei, “There is no time to delay. After I inform my adoptive father, we will depart immediately.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
The Young Master of Zhenwei departed. Huyan Lei exhaled heavily, thinking that with Brother Zhou here, there might still be hope of recovering the escort goods by the time the Chief Escort arrived.
