Royal Road Chapter 53

Published at 1st of August 2022 06:30:51 AM

A grain-transport convoy slowly trod down the official road; twenty large carts, lined up single file, sprawled out like a snake. The carts were stacked with sacks of grain; each one had to be carrying at least ten stones. One could almost drool just looking at it. Ever since the drought, more and more bandits had been popping out of the woodworks. Caravans like these were already a rare sight on the official roads.

And yet a caravan like this only had around ten guards. It wasn't nearly enough to deter the wild mountain bandits; on the contrary, they were just ripe for the picking. North of Tongdi County, the bandits had to avoid the towns along the road. Past that though, the dozens of kilometers of winding mountainous roads became their hunting ground. 

After scanning the distant forests, the leader of the convoy abruptly raised his hand and ordered, “Halt! We'll take a short rest!”

The caravan quickly rumbled to a stop. The guards propped up canopies on the carts, took out their waterskins and dry rations, and began eating. Two days after departing from Jinyang, they had already passed Tongdi, traveling night and day. Consequently, every time they took a break, they had to race against the clock to recover their stamina and prepare for the next leg of the journey.

This time, their break lasted unusually long. It was a full hour before the leader stood up again and shouted, “Double check the animals and the bridles and the carts. Buck up everyone, we're heading into the mountains!”

The guards immediately leaped to their feet to examine the harnesses on the beasts of burden and the tie-downs on the massive carts. After confirming that everything was in order, the caravan set off. The remoteness of this location and the narrowness of the roads made it a perfect place to set up an ambush. A single band of bandits at their flank could easily hit their weak spot. All the same, the leader strode on as if he was completely unaware. 

At that moment, dozens of murderous bandits, armed with sabers and clubs, emerged from the thick forests up ahead. Perhaps antsy from lying in wait for so long, they hadn't even waited for the caravan to near before tearing out from the underbrush. Bolstered by the fact that they outnumbered the guards several times over, the bandits hurtled forth recklessly, a savage frenzy on their faces. Twenty carts of grain! All they had to do was barrel them over and the cash cow would be theirs!

Any other convoy would surely panic and flee upon being attacked, but this one was utterly unruffled. The leader shouted, “Block off both ends! Circular formation!”

At his order, the soldiers rotated the carts at the very front and the very end of the caravan, such that they formed a wall between them and the bandits. The carts, piled high with grain, were taller than a full-grown man. To attack the guards, the bandits would have to clamber over the barrier.

Their quick reaction caught the bandit boss by surprise, but he quickly got his wits about him and yelled, “These sheep can't get away anymore! Attack! Break through their defenses!”

Their formation had both advantages and disadvantages. It was hard to breach, but it cut off their retreat. He had far more men than they did. They could just run them over, and not a single one of them could get away!

As the bandit boss hollered and lead the assault, an arrow suddenly came flying towards his face.

Archers! The arrow grazed his ear as he reflexively moved his head out of the way. He faltered and broke out into a cold sweat. The caravan had archers?! A surge of rage flash boiled his blood. He bellowed, “Charge, charge! They barely got any people, they can't hold out against us!”

Sun Jiao tisked at his missed shot and nocked another arrow, “Aim for the one in front, kill 'em one by one!” 

Behind him, three archers drew their longbows simultaneously and loosed arrows at the bandit at the front of the pack. Having trained for months, they were all decent bowmen. Their strings twanged as the bandits fell one after another. But there were too many bandits for just a handful of archers to handle. It wasn't long before they were too close, past the longbows' effective range. They hurled themselves at the grain carts.

The bandits had reached their target, but not one had surmounted the carts. Wretched screams pierced the air as bodies dropped to the ground, revealing a row of blood-stained spearheads peeking out from behind the carts.

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“Kill!” The soldiers roared. Their spears pointed mercilessly towards the incoming bandits!

The bandit boss's eyes bulged in fury. They had so few people, how were they so hard to deal with?! This was already two stronghold's worth of people! If they lost too many men, they'd be swallowed by some other bandit gang! But it was too late to stop. They had to take this convoy, his men couldn't die in vain!

“Surround 'em! Attack together!” He ordered, as he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled.

The forest around them rustled. These were the men he'd sent to pincer them from behind. But now, there was no choice but to have them surround the caravan. 

Despite the increase in enemy forces, and being pressured from the rear, the guards didn't give an inch.

“What the hell? Why're they so difficult!” The bandit boss cursed. Throwing caution to the wind, he threw himself at the caravan again. He just didn't believe that his army of fierce mountain bandits could be beaten by a mere grain escort!

But right then, he heard the crisp clopping of hooves coming from behind him.

The bandit boss turned around and saw five horses dashing towards them. The barbarian riding at the head drew his bow, a gleaming arrow aimed towards him. A chill ran up the bandit boss's spine. He tried to duck, but the arrow, already soaring towards him, thudded into his eye. He let out a gut-wrenching shriek and collapsed. 

Their leader gone, the bandits began to waver. The cowardly wanted to flee, the greedy wanted to press on. They descended into a roiling mass of chaos; the mounted soldiers didn't give them time to sort themselves out. The five horses penetrated their ranks like fired arrows.

White blades flitted, trailing crimson in their wake. The cavalrymen were practically invincible; they felled the bandits in short order. Driven half-mad with fear, the bandits who turned to flee found another troop at their backs.

On the narrow path, soldiers standing five to a row, longspears in hand, had already sealed off their escape, all glimmering speartips and blood-red tassels. The men behind them carried long sabers and wooden shields that half hid their faces, save for their eyes, which blazed with killing intent. At the signal of the horn, they marched forth in uncanny unison, their steps rumbling like that of a giant's.

Being trapped in the middle roused the bandits' ferocity. Many of them raised their weapons and rushed the soldiers. If they could get past them, they'd be free! 

The soldiers remained orderly in the face of their desperate last-ditch death throes. A loud bellow rang out.

“Kill!”

Longspears stabbed out; the three rows of spearmen crushed the enemy like a rolling tide. The men behind them hefted their sabers, a life extinguished in the rise and fall of each blade. The moment they entered the battle, they scythed the bandits down like grass. The overwhelming difference in combat strength finally broke the bandits' morale. Their pained wailing, terrified crying, and pitiful begging sounded for only a few minutes before silence blanketed the narrow mountain path.

Blood dripping from his saber, Yiyan tugged his horse's reins and said, “Move the corpses aside and keep moving.” 

It was an entirely expected battle, as this was one of the best ambush spots along their course. They used the caravan to lure out the bandits; the bandits charged, they encircled. Exterminating them was all too easy.

“Captain, there's reinforcements from the militia about seven kilometers up ahead,” a corporal reported.

“Very good,” Yiyan's gray-blue eyes narrowed as he looked into the distance. From then on, a detachment of troops from the estate would join up with them after every stretch of road. Not only could they take turns resting, but they could also catch their enemy unawares. As long as the Bravesage Battalion was there, no one could steal this grain! Once it was shipped back to the estate, it was time for all these bandits to die!

The road was quickly cleared. A group of soldiers, smelling of iron, continued walking forth. 

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“Zixi, it's been over a week already, how come your militia hasn't returned yet?” Wang Wen asked worriedly, “With how lawless things have become, it wouldn't been best to send more people.”

Previously, Liang Feng had politely turned down Wang Wen's offer of sending some of his own men to help escort the grain back to the Liang Estate. He'd let his lightly equipped militia go off on their own. Now, after a dozen days had passed, of course Wang Wen was concerned.

“Rest assured, controller. Fortune, good or bad, will be decided by heaven. If Buddha is merciful, the grain will be delivered without issue,” Liang Feng said detachedly. 

Wang Wen smiled wryly, “The more scriptures you read, Zixi, the more transcendent you become. No matter; if they really have been robbed, I'll send a shipment for you myself.”

That bit of grain was nothing to the Wang family, but of course, the same could be said of human lives. Liang Feng smiled but didn't reply. These days, he'd whiled away his days at the Wang Residence playing the zither, transcribing scriptures, and socializing with highborn nobles at the occasional banquet.

It had to be said, those sutras that the old monk had given him were indeed somewhat useful, as Buddhist texts tended to be perplexing and debatable. The scriptures complemented the Diamond Sutra very well, as they seemed to be of the same school of thought, and helped him refine his own interpretations. The foundations he'd laid at the ceremony were being strengthened, increasing his renown and bettering his reputation.

“If only you would become an official, Zixi, you would surely awe all of Jinyang,” Wang Wen sighed as he gazed upon the impeccable posture with which Liang Feng held his brush. “Just a few days ago, Pei Zhongpu lamented at what a tragedy it was that the court had lost a talent like you.” 

In the last several days, Liang Feng had learned much about the court's state of affairs through idle chatter. The Wang family was among the wealthiest and most powerful. Even the Sima family married a princess to Wang Wen's older brother; even the Duke of Dongying, Sima Teng, had to maintain good relations with the Wang family in order to get anything done. The Wang family was practically the uncrowned ruler of Bing Province. The Pei family, on the other hand, had close ties to the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue. A daughter of the Pei family had married the Prince of Donghai as his concubine. Currying favor with the Wang and Pei families was akin to gaining connections to the two princes. It would be a small matter, then, to become an advisor or official.

But Liang Feng didn't want to go to Luoyang. The political atmosphere was too unstable. The was no victor yet, to the prince's power struggle. Going to Luoyang meant giving up on the Liang Estate and getting tangled up in the court's webs. That was even more dangerous than being on the front lines. Liang Feng would never allow himself to be caught in a situation where he was so helpless.

Liang Feng chuckled soundlessly and shook his head, “My condition is still too poor. I nearly fell ill traveling to Jinyang, how could I possibly make it to Luoyang?”

“That's true,” Wang Wen replied. “We'll see after your health has recovered, Zixi. Come, look at my calligraphy; has it gotten any better?” 

A servant girl interrupted their casual conversation, reporting softly, “Master, the Liang Estate's militia has returned. They're waiting in the Muyu Pavilion.”

“Oh? They have returned safely? Zixi, you really live up to your name as a bodhisattva,” Wang Wen laughed.

Liang Feng unconsciously relaxed as well. After taking his leave with Wang Wen, he returned to his side courtyard. The courtyard was still elegant as ever, but even the swaying green bamboo was overshadowed by the murderous aura of the people standing in it. Upon Liang Feng's arrival, Yiyan took a step forward and kneeled on one knee, “My lord, I am late.”

“No matter.” Liang Feng reached out and helped him up, “Did you encounter any outlaws on the way?” 

“Three bandit gangs in all. They've all been eradicated by the Bravesage Battalion. We have also destroyed a total of four strongholds and cleared out all the bandits along the road!” Yiyan replied resolutely, his voice full of killing intent.

That was beyond Liang Feng's expectations. He quickly asked, “Were there any casualties?”

“Only five, the rest have only minor injuries.”

“How extraordinary!” Liang Feng was truly shocked. Even he hadn't expected such accomplishments from Yiyan! If the Bravesage Battalion enlisted more soldiers, could they stand against the Xiongnu? He couldn't help but grin. He forcefully patted Yiyan's arm, “You really are worthy of being my 'Marquess of Guanjun!'” 

Yiyan's ears flushed red. The story he loved most was that of Huo Qubing. Even in his dreams, he wanted to become an undefeatable general. His praise was worth more than any material reward!

Surprised by how moved Yiyan was, Liang Feng took a deep breath, “Excellent. There's no need to stay in Jinyang any longer. We'll return to the estate at once!”

As long as he had grain, he would have soldiers. As long as he had soldiers, he could find a way to survive the coming storm. Zu Ti, having only a few thousand rolls of cloth, had the courage to campaign north and restore his country. He had grain, soldiers, and reputation, what did he have to fear!

Looking at his lord's sprightly vigor, Yiyan's eyes brightened as well. He nodded. 

The next day, that simple carriage left the Wang Residence once more, accompanied by only half the number of guards that had it escorted it to Jinyang, as well as two carts packed with gifts from Wang Wen, and went back the way it came.

Chapter end