Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 241 Attacking the Camp
After Zhao Huai'an finished listening to Liu Xin's story, he called over the bandit leader.

The leader of the small settlement entered, bowing low, and then knelt down.

Zhao Huai'an looked him over and, seeing that the calluses on his hands were indeed concentrated on his palms, said:

"Your willingness to abandon darkness and embrace the light shows that you still have the law in your hearts and yearn for stability. You are different from those bandits who revel in chaos and misfortune. I heard you want to farm properly, but I estimate that you won't be able to farm here in Yanzhou."

Upon hearing this, the leader of the small settlement panicked and was about to speak when Zhao Huai'an interrupted him.

Zhao Huai'an said:
"Okay, I'll ask you a few questions. If you answer them well, I can send the people of your settlement to the Jianghuai region. The land there is fertile, and most importantly, I can protect your safety there, so you can farm in peace."

Upon hearing this, the junior leader was so happy he almost cried, and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

Seeing that the man was cooperating, Zhao Huai'an asked:
Where are the army's supplies stored?

But this was something the junior leader had no idea about. After a moment of stunned silence, he honestly replied:

"I don't know."

Zhao Huai'an then asked another question:
"Has the grass army captured Xiaqiu City yet?"

The junior leader over there still said something:

"I don't know."

Zhao Huai'an was a little unhappy and asked again:

"How many people are in your army? And who are the leaders of each branch?"

The junior leader claimed he didn't know, which annoyed Zhao Huai'an, who asked:
"You don't even know who the leader is? Then who are you on?"

Seeing that the Tang army officer was angry, the leader was so frightened that he buried his head in the ground and said tremblingly:
"I really don't know. All I know is that our little commander is called 'Deathbringer.' He made us stay here and then sent people to check in every day."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an's eyes narrowed, and he asked:

"Oh? Did you send someone to check in today?"

The leader shook his head, explaining that he usually sent people in the afternoon so as not to interfere with farm work, but today he was blocked by the Baoyi Army, so he couldn't send anyone.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an asked:
"How far is that handsome young man you call 'Deathbringer' from here? How many people are in the camp?"

The foreman could indeed answer these two questions, and then he spoke rapidly:

"About seven or eight miles away, our camp has two horses. We take turns riding them to roll call every day, and we usually arrive around night."

"Their camp was by a small lake, with about two or three hundred tents. I don't know the exact number of people, but Xiao Shuai had a riding team of about a hundred people. These were his core old brothers, who were fed and cared for well on a daily basis. They were very loyal."

Zhao Huai'an pondered for a moment. If he directly ordered the cavalry to attack the camp, they would definitely achieve some success, but this would also directly expose their own presence and location.

Exposing ourselves isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if we expose ourselves just because of one of Xiaoshuai's camps, wouldn't that be too much of a loss?

Just then, Zhang Guinian whispered something to the side:
"It's getting dark now. If we attack now, we can strike quickly and disrupt the enemy's formation. Once the enemy is in disarray, we can continue to attack other camps, making it difficult for the enemy to distinguish our numbers and locations. Then we can observe the enemy's reaction."

Zhao Huai'an nodded, thinking this was a good idea, so he told Zhao Hu to lead the villagers down to rest, and then loudly gave the order:
Where is Liu Xin?

Liu Xin stepped forward, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"The general is here!"

Zhao Huai'an took a command flag from a disciple beside him and then gave the order:

"You are to lead your two hundred Flying Tiger Cavalry as the vanguard to attack the 'Deathbringer's' camp and bring him to me alive."

Liu Xin loudly proclaimed "Yes, sir!" and, after receiving the command flag, rushed to the place where the Flying Tiger Cavalry dismounted to rest.

Then, amidst a commotion and howling, Liu Xin, leading the Flying Tiger Cavalry and guided by the leader of that small settlement, launched another attack, heading straight for the camp of the bandit leader, which was about ten miles away.

As Liu Xin set off, Zhao Huai'an once again took down a command flag and shouted loudly:

Where is Geng Xiaojie?

This cavalry general, who came from the Silver Knife Army of Xuzhou, strode forward and clasped his hands in greeting to Zhao Huai'an:
"The general is here!"

Zhao Huai'an said earnestly:
"I hereby appoint three hundred Flying Leopard cavalry from your unit as a reserve force for the advance, in case of unforeseen circumstances. Furthermore, after attacking the enemy's Deathbringer unit, immediately seize the other commanders' camps and wreak havoc on this meadow, the more chaotic the better!"

Geng Xiaojie understood the magistrate's meaning and sang loudly:

"The general will get the order!"

After saying that, Geng Xiaojie rushed to a camp area and ordered the three hundred Flying Leopard Cavalry resting there to prepare and set off immediately.

The Flying Leopard Cavalry, who had long yearned for military merit, cheered and roared. They set off eastward with their equipment and supplies at top speed, a moment later.

It was just getting dark.

Zhao Huai'an stood with his hands in his pockets, watching his cavalry charge forward, and laughed heartily.

Fire! If there are no fighter jets, then fire them!
……

Taking advantage of the last rays of daylight, Liu Xin led two hundred Flying Tiger Cavalry straight into the Grass Army camp.

As he ran, Liu Xin called out to the village chief beside him:

"How far is it from that handsome young man's camp?"

Before the minor leader could even answer, a rider galloped up and shouted from his horse:
“Deputy Commander, we see a lake ahead, and there’s a bandit camp on the side.”

Liu Xin didn't care whether this camp was that "death trap" or not; what difference did it make who he attacked?
Therefore, the order was immediately given:
"Sound the bugle! All troops, attack!"

As the heavy, muffled horn sounded across the plains, the entire lakeside campsite instantly erupted in excitement.

At the brief sound of the bronze whistle, the lead Flying Tiger cavalry began to accelerate at full speed, charging straight towards the middle of the Grass Army camp.

Hooves flew as the Flying Tiger Cavalry charged faster and faster, and before the Grass Army's camp could even react, a squad of cavalry charged in.

People were banging gongs everywhere in the camp, but the Flying Tiger riders ignored them and headed straight for the stables.

According to intelligence provided by the leader of the small settlement, there was a cavalry force of about a hundred men in their camp, which posed a significant threat and had to be eliminated first.

That handsome young man nicknamed "Deathbringer" must be someone who loves order, as he divided the camp into neat sections, with each area clearly defined.

But this harbinger of doom clearly didn't know that such encampment was a major taboo for the army, because it made it too easy for the enemy to find the camp's high-value target area. Just like now, the Flying Tiger cavalry, rushing into the camp, only glanced around before spotting the stables, then turned their horses and charged straight at them.

They stabbed anyone who dared to block their way, leaving a trail of blood and corpses. When they reached the stables, the area was in chaos, and the grooms who were preparing to rest there screamed in terror.

The mules and horses in the stable were also frightened by the noise outside, and they all bit their ropes, ready to rush out of the stable.

Indeed, several warhorses suddenly leaped out of the stables and ran wildly through the stable camp, frightening the already chaotic grooms into hiding. As a result, no one was left to manage and calm the remaining mules and horses.

Upon seeing the scene before them, the Flying Tiger Army that had stormed in first attacked those who were about to lead out their horses, whether they were grooms or the core members of the Grass Army who came to collect their horses. They all stepped forward and swung their spears.

The bodies of those killed by spears lay sprawled on the horse pens, some even collapsed in the mangers. Some warhorses, smelling the blood and flesh, began to devour the corpses right there in the mangers.

Some Flying Tigers knights felt a chill run down their spines. Upon closer reflection, they realized that these men had done the same thing before, which fueled their growing disgust.

Suddenly, a group of armored soldiers escorted more than a dozen people toward the stables, including many women.

When they saw that there were Tang soldiers at the stables, they were startled and immediately escorted the dozen or so men away.

But the Flying Tiger Knights here had no idea that they had caught a big fish, so they chased after them without hesitation.

Because the enemy was all armored and the terrain was narrow, the Flying Tiger Knights were trapped inside for a time. It wasn't until everyone jumped off their horses, took out heavy weapons such as maces and long-handled short axes, and charged in formation that they finally defeated the grass army outside the stables.

After torturing the captured soldiers, the Flying Tiger Knights realized that the dozen or so men who had just appeared were "Deathbringer" and his family.

The Flying Tiger riders cursed loudly, then remounted and prepared to capture the man.

……

Chaos reigned in the camp. Some of the bandit archers, at the shouts of their leaders, rallied and began firing at the Tang knights who had stormed into the camp.

However, most of the archers' arrows were light arrows, which had no effect on the armored Tiger Knights. They were easily bounced off the armored soldiers.

This, however, attracted the attention of some Flying Tiger Knights. One group of Flying Tiger Knights, led by a burly knight, rushed straight here. Without even swinging their lances, their warhorses alone routed the archers.

The fighting strength of the bandit army was far inferior to that of the militia.

At this moment, Liu Xin led fifty cavalrymen in and saw countless bandits rushing out of the tent area in the distance. Without hesitation, he gave the order:
"Set fire arrows and burn the camp!"

Upon hearing this order, some Flying Tiger riders, under the cover of their comrades, dismounted and picked up torches from the camp to light the tents one by one.

The other Flying Tiger riders simply started swinging torches in their left and right hands, throwing them towards the camp ahead.

Fireworks soared into the sky in the camp, thick black smoke filled the camp, and there were cries of agony and running everywhere. Some soldiers were pushed to the ground and then trampled into mincemeat by their own people.

More and more of the rebel army ran towards the other exit, only to be intercepted by the Flying Leopard Cavalry who had circled around to the other side in the darkness.

At this moment, Liu Xin disregarded the arrows flying wildly throughout the camp, spurred his horse forward, and roared in his native accent:

"I, Liu Xin of Zhongdu, will spare the lives of my fellow villagers who have laid down their arms and surrendered!"

The familiar local accents made some of the local militia members suspicious and uncertain. Some chose to lay down their weapons, while many more continued to flee.

They don't trust the Tang army!
Liu Xin looked at the crowd running around in all directions and cursed loudly;
"Damn it, forget about it, keep killing! Anyone who dares to pick up a knife, kill them!"

The knights roared, then threw their lances to the ground and drew their swords instead. In this chaotic situation, swords were faster at killing than lances.

Squads of swift cavalry from Suizhou charged into the crowd, leaving behind a trail of severed limbs. They hacked and slashed at the enemy soldiers from their elevated positions, showing no mercy.

At this moment, these peasant soldiers remembered to abandon their weapons, threw down their arms, and knelt on the ground wailing.

Only when the Tang army knights, who were no different from demons and monsters, let them go and rushed to the rear, did these people finally burst into tears.

By this time, the camp was ablaze with flames. Tents were lined up one after another, and some soldiers, in their panic, knocked over several campfires, setting nearby tents ablaze as well.

The fire was getting bigger and bigger, and the camp was no longer safe for anyone to stay in.

A group of Flying Tiger riders rushed over, their faces covered in soot and smoke, and shouted at Liu Xin;

"Deputy Capital, let's retreat. The fire is too intense here; we can't stay any longer."

Liu Xin glanced at the bandits rushing out of the camp, cursed loudly, and decisively gave the order;

"Send a team to drive the prisoners out of the camp, and take the hundred warhorses of the bandits with you. The rest of you, follow me!"

After saying that, Liu Xin turned his horse around and retreated in the direction he had come from.

In less than two quarters of an hour, the large camp by the lake was engulfed by fire, turning into a giant torch that illuminated the desolate landscape in the thick of night.

After Liu Xin's side withdrew, about ten riders came galloping towards them, carrying the banners of the Flying Leopard Capital. Their leading rider shouted:
"Commander Liu, we've captured that 'deadly ghost,' and we have important intelligence to discuss with you."

Liu Xin's face immediately darkened. How could he have a good expression after someone had taken the credit? However, there were many people around, and Liu Xin was a man who cared about his reputation, so he couldn't curse.

He could only vent his anger on the guards beside him, cursing:
"I told you all to stay right next to me. If you all went after him, do you think that harbinger of death would have gotten away? Now look what's happened, we're farming while others are harvesting wheat, you're so wronged!"

These words made the Flying Leopard Cavalry general standing nearby look embarrassed, and he quickly said:

"Commander Liu, our commander wanted to talk to you about this. Go quickly, it's good news!"

Liu Xin was taken aback and asked suspiciously:
"Great news? Great! Let's go now!"

After saying this, Liu Xin ordered some men to stay and watch over the prisoners and warhorses, and then led about ten riders straight to the Flying Leopard Army on the opposite side.

From afar, Liu Xin saw a disheveled man bound and kneeling on the ground under the torchlight.

He rushed over, drew his knife, and was about to snatch the head when he heard Geng Xiaojie laugh:
"Old Liu, these are all your prisoners, why kill them?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Xin's knife veered half an inch off course, slicing open the throat of the vengeful ghost. Then, the man jumped off his warhorse, embraced Geng Xiaojie warmly, and laughed heartily.

"Old Geng, you're truly my brother. Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who doesn't value things. This time it's on me, and next time I'll definitely repay you handsomely."

To everyone's surprise, Geng Xiaojie laughed heartily, then grabbed Liu Xin's hand and said:
"Why wait until next time? You can help me this time."

After saying this, Geng Xiaojie told Liu Xin the important information he had just extracted from the Deathbringer, and concluded by saying:
"I'll lead the attack this time, you'll cover for me! Haha!"

Upon hearing this information, Liu Xin felt genuine regret. He glanced at the vengeful ghost, unwilling to break his promise, and reluctantly nodded.

This time we suffered a huge loss.

(End of this chapter)