Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 606 Bandits
On the official road leading west from Daming Prefecture, a caravan stopped by the roadside to rest.

The man, in his thirties, was dressed in a short brown outfit, his belt tightly cinched around his waist, highlighting his muscular build. Although his face was tanned dark by the sun, his eyes were sharper than when he left the capital.

Tang Xing unfolded the map in his hand, frowned as he looked at the road ahead. From Longde Prefecture to Zezhou, one had to pass through many dense forests and barren mountains. Although there were some small villages around, they were sparsely populated and often frequented by mountain bandits.

The day before yesterday, they had already dealt with a group of bandits.

Chen Rong stepped forward and handed Tang Xing a ceramic bottle: "The water drawn from the river has already been boiled."

These days they don't plan to ask farmers for water. Who knows if any of the villagers have gone up the mountain to become bandits? This place is too barren. Many people work in the fields during the day and go up the mountain at night with their faces covered. If they come looking for them, wouldn't they be walking into a trap?

So I'd rather go through the trouble of fetching water from the nearby river and, as the old lady said, boil it before drinking it.

"Once we get past this section of the road, we'll encounter Zhao Zhongliang's security team," Tang Xing said. "We need to be extra careful these next few days."

Chen Rong nodded.

They had actually tried this road before, and it wasn't difficult to get through, but they weren't carrying that many goods at the time.

It's noticeably different now than before.

Chen Rong said in a low voice, "We need to be careful tonight."

Tang Xing had already sensed it: "Our mule cart is carrying too much stuff, and the ruts are very deep. We're being watched."

Xie Yuyan would send Tang Xing and Chen Rong to lead the Yang family caravan, because one of them came from the military camp and the other had been a refugee in the mountains and had dealt with those mountain bandits, so he knew their habits very well.

These two did not disappoint Xie Yuyan. They recruited people in Daming Prefecture and quickly absorbed a small merchant caravan. They trained them using military methods, and although it didn't take long, they had already seen results.

Whether traveling or resting, the caravan was more orderly and disciplined than ordinary caravans. More than thirty mule carts formed a procession, with five or six veteran soldiers on horseback guarding each side, scanning the flanks every ten breaths, and strong young men bringing up the rear. When resting at night, they would try to choose a place with their backs to the mountain, collecting sharp stones from the surrounding area and piling them up for defensive purposes. Ordinary mountain bandits dared not approach easily upon seeing this formation.

Tang Xing reined in his horse and, together with Chen Rong, surveyed the surroundings. He then said, "As long as we keep an eye on our surroundings and continue forward according to our plan, we don't need to worry even if people come."

Chen Rong nodded.

If they don't cause chaos, those people can't take advantage of the situation.

Just as Tang Xing and Chen Rong had predicted, the caravan was safe and sound before nightfall, but things started to get turbulent at night.

The group set up camp as usual.

After they finished eating, just as they were about to take turns resting, Tang Xing saw a firelight in the distance.

It was fleeting, as fast as a firefly suddenly flying by, but Tang Xing knew it wasn't.

“There are torches,” Tang Xing said.

These words startled Chen Rong, who immediately got up from the ground and looked in the direction Tang Xing was looking.

The old soldier next to Chen Rong looked for a long time and said, "It's gone. Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

Another veteran saw smoke before nightfall and led a group to investigate: "There's a village not far away; the villagers are probably traveling at night."

“No,” Tang Xing said firmly, “There was a tremor on the ground just now, and horses passed by. Moreover, the group of people riding horses should have been concealed, otherwise they would have been able to see clearly.”

The location they chose for their encampment had no bushes to provide cover, precisely to prevent anyone from sneaking into the vicinity. Tang Xing stood on a slightly higher spot, offering a wider field of vision and allowing him to see far into the distance. Even so, he only caught a glimpse of the fire.

Who is riding here on horseback, and why are they trying to conceal their presence?
At that moment, a thought flashed through the minds of both Chen Rong and Tang Xing.

Mountain bandits.

"Don't rest yet," Tang Xing said immediately. "Ten men in a team, take signal arrows, and patrol the surrounding area." After Tang Xing gave the instructions, Chen Rong immediately went to arrange for people to guard the goods and mule carts.

They wouldn't choose to flee hastily until the very last moment, because it was difficult to move at night, and they were burdened by their goods. No matter what, they couldn't outrun the bandits with horses. But they had to be prepared so that if they needed to leave, they could immediately hitch up their carts and not waste any time.

“Try to hold the position,” Tang Xing said. “Distribute the stones and bring out spears and crossbows.”

Apart from a few veterans, the merchants were all young and strong men. They carried out Tang Xing and Chen Rong's orders efficiently and quickly got everything ready.

A few others went a little further, climbed trees, and kept an eye on the movements in the distance. If they noticed anything unusual, they would immediately send a message.

Just as everyone was on guard, shouts could be faintly heard from the darkness.

The old soldier next to Tang Xing frowned, because he was very familiar with the voice and it was probably just his imagination. He didn't say anything but continued to listen.

A gentle breeze carried the sounds from the darkness once more.

"There were shouts." This time, the veteran was certain.

He once served in the army and encountered a situation where a vassal state drove its people to attack a city, while the vassal state's real troops were hidden behind the people. Forced into a corner, they had no choice but to shoot arrows at the people. He still cannot forget the screams of the people, and every time he thinks of it, he feels tormented.

Tang Xing remained silent and listened for a while.

Amid the cries, someone was calling for help.

Chen Rong frowned and suddenly cursed, "Those bastards went to plunder the village."

Tang Xing continued to stare in the direction of the village, but the looting wouldn't be this severe. This shouldn't be the first time bandits have invaded the village, and the villagers should know how to deal with it.

The village headman would have each household contribute some grain and money to send the bandits away.

Such shouting indicates a conflict has broken out.

As Tang Xing was thinking, a cluster of light suddenly appeared in the darkness, and then the light grew bigger and bigger.

“Those bastards set fire to the village,” Chen Rong said through gritted teeth.

Upon hearing Chen Rong's voice, the young men all stood up and looked around.

The smell of burning wafted on the wind, and although they weren't there in person, they felt as if they had witnessed the murder and arson.

"Should we go over and take a look?" Chen Rong looked at Tang Xing. In this situation, would they just do nothing?

Tang Xing did not respond.

Tang Xing refused, so Chen Rong had to suppress his impulse.

“That village isn’t small; there should be quite a few women and children there,” an old soldier whispered.

If they had simply taken some money and left, things wouldn't have turned out this way. The only possibility is that bandits were kidnapping them. Men are difficult to control, but women and children can be sold for a considerable amount of money.

Chen Rong went to see Tang Xing again.

Tang Xing took a deep breath: "Which is more valuable, our goods or women and children? If they sneaked into the village, why did they light torches outside? And... there are fewer villages along the way, but there's more than one. Why did they choose the one closest to us?"

Chen Rong pondered for a moment and said, "You mean, those people were trying to lure us there?"

　One more chapter

　　(End of this chapter)