Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 60 You are the Way of Peace?!

"Kill! Save the patriarch, kill these Duan clan thieves!"

"prick!!"

"Whoosh whoosh!"

"Ah! My eyes, my eyes!!..."

"Help! Help...me...uh!"

As spring's warmth began to spread, the Si River flowed red with blood. On the mudflats of the north bank, cavalry galloped across the corpses and blood of Li's archers. On the grassy slopes of the south bank, the two sides fought desperately, and more corpses fell, intertwined and scattered.

"Whoosh!"

Zhang Chengfu raised his hand and fired an arrow, striking a man squarely in the head and face from twenty paces away! The Li clan soldier screamed, his ring-pommel sword fell to the ground, and he collapsed, clutching his eyes, rolling dead down the grassy slope. Below the slope, the corpses of more than a dozen Li clan soldiers stretched forward, leaving a bloody path of carnage.

At the end of this road lay Li Qian, the head of the Li family, lying on the grass! Surrounding this seriously injured patriarch, the shield and spear formation of the Taishan army was fiercely fighting against an equal number of Li family soldiers!
"Kill them!"

"Roar! Thief!"

Yu Jin stood in the midst of the army formation, with the Taishan sword and shield soldiers in the front row blocking with their shields, and the Taishan spearmen holding their spears high in the back row. His face was as hard as stone, ignoring the roaring, frenzied faces, he simply raised his spears with both hands and thrust them downwards!

"prick!!"

The spear thrust out with tremendous force, striking a Li clan soldier who was fighting with bloodshot eyes and hacking at his shield. The spear pierced through his leather armor and embedded itself in his chest! Then, like a nimble snake's tongue, the spear twisted and pulled back with effortless ease, and a large gushing of blood spurted from his chest!
"puff!"

The red-eyed Li clan soldiers suddenly lost their strength and died limply in the midst of battle. Almost simultaneously, a fierce volley of spears thrust towards the front lines! Only half were able to raise their shields in time to barely block the attack. Seven or eight Li clan soldiers were instantly pierced by the spears, either severely wounded or killed!

"Ah! The thief's spear is ferocious!..."

"Break the shield formation! Quickly!"

"Wow!"

Yu Jinju drew his spear, splattering blood all over the shield bearers in the front ranks. He took a deep breath, the strong smell of blood filling his nostrils, but it only made him more clear-headed and calm. His face was expressionless; after just a few breaths, he adjusted his stance and let out another loud shout!
"prick!!"

"Well!!"

"what!!"

Painful screams echoed across the battlefield as seven or eight more Li clan soldiers were struck by spears, some dead, some wounded! These clan soldiers charging into battle only carried swords and shields; none carried the long spears used in formation combat. If they couldn't break through this shield formation, they would be repeatedly stabbed to the ground like a gourd!

After several volleys of spear thrusts, fifteen or sixteen Li clan soldiers were killed or wounded! Coupled with repeated archer attacks, nearly half of the sixty clan soldiers had been killed or wounded! And this brief battle, lasting less than a quarter of an hour, had entered its final stage!

"Break their formation! Break their formation! Break their shield!"

Seeing the dire situation, a burly man among the Li clan soldiers finally lost his temper. He had no intention of fleeing; instead, he roared, raised his shield, and charged forward like an enraged bull!
This was none other than Li Qian's brother, Li Jin! After Li Qian was seriously injured, he naturally became the leader of this Li clan army. This was the characteristic of a family's private army; as long as the main branch of the family wasn't wiped out, they wouldn't easily disintegrate, but would fight to the death!
"boom!"

"die!"

Li Jin slammed into a swordsman and shield bearer, the iron-clad wooden shield creaking under the impact. Then, with a sudden flick of his right hand hidden beneath the shield, a vicious ring-pommel sword slashed across the swordsman's neck!
"Bah!"

"die!"

Blood splattered all over Li Jin's face, he lunged forward again, roared, and charged at the spearmen behind him. The spearmen didn't even have time to drop their spears and were immediately slashed in the palm. Then, Li Jin struck again, plunging his blade into the man's chest!

"Die! Follow me and charge into... uh! You sneaky rats!"

Li Jin had just fought his way out when a vicious spear, like a venomous snake, lunged at him from the side! He barely managed to turn and block the first blow with his shield. But the spear bounced back, and like a nimble snake's bite, it thrust forward even faster and more fiercely, lightly poking at his chest!
"puff!"

"!!"

A bright red hole appeared in his right lung! Li Jin instantly lost all strength, unable to speak, yet unable to die quickly. His eyes widened abruptly as he stared intently at the spearman who had killed him. The man's face was cold and stern, as still as a mountain, as he glanced at him, then sheathed his spear and swiftly thrust it at the next enemy!
"prick!!"

"I...will die...here..."

Li Jin fell beneath the battlefield, trampled by both sides. He couldn't see the clear sky, only the blinding red. He heard the screams of his people, the whooshing of arrows, and the stabs of spears. The sounds grew increasingly urgent, then suddenly a familiar yet desperate cry rang out. Then, the blood-red sky seemed to lighten considerably, and those figures obstructing his view either fell or began to retreat!

"He died in battle! My second uncle died in battle!"

"My third uncle also died in battle!"

"Go! Go quickly!"

"Mother! Mother!"

After suffering over forty casualties and with their direct leaders falling one after another, the Li clan soldiers finally collapsed. They let out a desperate cry, like the deafening roar of a landslide at the last moment when the wind filled the valley!
"Defeated! Defeated!"

At this point, the outcome was completely decided, and the Li clan's army collapsed! They dropped their heavy swords and shields, and, empty-handed, turned and fled towards the great river behind them! But before fleeing, two trusted confidants remembered to take Li Qian with them.

"Bring the clan leader with you! The clan leader is not dead yet!"

“My brothers! Li Jin, Li Kan… My nephews! Li Ying, Li Hu…”

Li Qian, his eyes bloodshot, was carried by two clansmen as he desperately fled towards the river. He looked towards the grassy slope where the battle had taken place; the corpses of the Li clansmen littered the path, eventually piling up in layers before the battle formation of swords and spears. The "government soldiers" who had formed ranks only paused briefly before quickly dispersing and shouting as they gave chase. However, their accents didn't sound like those of Jiyin County; rather, they had a flavor of Mount Tai in the east.

"Let's chase them! Let's catch up with them!"

"Chief Yu ordered that no one be left alive! One last stab! A stab to the neck!"

"!!"

With a swift, clean slice, Li Jin, amidst the pile of corpses, shuddered, his pupils dilating. He was finally free, able to journey to the Yellow Springs with so many of his clansmen, no longer alone on the road. In his final moments before death, many faces flashed through his mind, finally settling on a three- or four-year-old child.

"Dian'er..."

"Whoosh!"

A sharp arrow shot out rapidly, flying past Li Jin's corpse and striking the man who was leading Li Qian in their escape! That man fell to the ground, and the remaining man's grip tightened, his steps faltering, and he too stumbled and fell with Li Qian. Then, as he struggled to his feet, another arrow arrived like lightning, striking him squarely in the back!
"Uh!"

He turned with difficulty and saw a boy on the grassy slope slowly putting away his bow. The boy nodded and smiled at him, then, carrying his bow and sword, walked out from the corpses and blood-stained ground. The Taiping Dao archers and Taishan infantrymen around him passed him, excitedly chasing after the remaining enemies. The Ono Sawa troops on the riverbank also shouted and yelled as they disembarked from their boats, seizing carriages from the shore, their faces beaming with smiles!
"Haha! We won! We won!!" "Young Master Zhang, you've got some real skills! What a resounding victory!"

"Not bad! We managed to take down the tough nut of the Li family with almost no damage!"

"Yes! Thanks to your cavalry, my lord! Those troublesome archers didn't even have time to shoot before they were all killed one by one, without even a chance to escape!"

"Exactly! The enemies on the north bank have all been wiped out! Their Taiping Dao cavalry are all expert fighters!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean 'their Way of Peace'? It's clearly 'our Way of Peace'!"

The men of Ōnozawa were overjoyed, crowding around the heavily laden horse-drawn carriages. Corpses floated on the Sishui River, some belonging to the Ōnozawa people, but many more to the Li clan. Several fishing boats were retrieval, carefully pulling up their own bodies, while the enemy's corpses were stripped of their armor and piled together.

Further away, the Taiping Road cavalry, while plundering the northern battlefield, split off a group that, aided by small boats, swiftly crossed the river. Then, Gao Daonu glanced at the eight heavy carriages, clicked his tongue, and then looked at Zhang Chengfu before leading his men to pursue the seven or eight fleeing Li clan soldiers. These men were exhausted, without horses or boats, and had no chance of escape!

"Ah! There are so many boxes of valuables!"

"Hiss! It's all money! All the copper coins that the Li family has plundered!"

"Boss Peng said! Keep rowing and chasing! We can't leave any survivors today!"

"Ah! So much money? We should get a share too! We lost seven or eight brothers, and we need to send money back to their families in Taishan!"

"Let your Boss Yu come here! He needs to discuss this with our Boss Peng... and the young master has to agree!"

"Yes! The young master's word is law, and the young master must make the final decision!"

Cheers erupted on both banks of the Si River, the air thick with the smells of blood, earth, and, more importantly, the exhilarating stench of money. The Taishan group arrived at the carriage, and together with the Onozawa group, they stared intently at the wooden chests filled with copper coins, unable to look away.

Fortunately, Peng Kui and Yu Jin held immense prestige among their troops, and their word was law. They quickly restrained their men and shouted orders.

"What are you looking at! You bunch of shallow-minded fools! Cover it up, close the wooden box! Pile up the leather armor you've stripped off and the weapons you've found!"

"Brothers of Taishan! Come here, dig some deep pits and bury all these corpses! And the corpses of our brothers too..."

Zhang Chengfu surveyed the battlefield littered with corpses, paused for a moment on the carriage by the river, and then looked at the lone prison cart. Next, he gazed towards the end of the riverbank, where seven or eight fleeing Li clan soldiers were being caught one by one by cavalry, stabbed in the back, and then carried back with their bodies.

Although the ambush took an unexpected turn, the final result was exactly as planned! Li's hundred-strong tribal army and chariot, weakened and exhausted by repeated attacks, were ultimately divided at both ends and ambushed halfway across the river, resulting in their complete annihilation! And now, only the last patriarch of the Li clan remains…

"Li Qian!"

Zhang Cheng, carrying a heavy bow and sword, descended the grassy slope where an ambush had been set up, slowly approaching Li Qian lying between two corpses. This tall and valiant head of the Li family was still alive. Hearing the shouts, he struggled to lift his head and stared intently at them.

"Who are you?"

"."

Zhang Cheng remained silent, simply meeting Li Qian's gaze calmly. Li Qian looked around at the "thieves," listening to the local dialect of Dayeze and the accent of Taishan, his expression shifting repeatedly. After a few breaths, he gritted his teeth and asked again.

"Did the Duan family bribe you to eliminate my Li family?"

Zhang Chengfu shook his head and remained silent, while Li Qian, panting, spoke urgently.

"I, the Li family, am willing to offer up all my family's wealth! I, the Li family, am willing to serve the Duan family!"

"The Li family is willing to relinquish their family property in Chengshi County!"

"Young master! Please spare my Li clan! Let my clan members flee! ...I am willing to offer all of my Li clan's lands to Lord Duan! I also have generous gifts to give you!"

"."

Hearing the increasingly desperate voice, Zhang Chengfu remained silent. After a long while, he looked at Li Qian and asked.

"How much grain does the Li clan still have? Is it all piled up in the granary in the manor?"

"Store grain? Cough cough!"

Li Qian paused, then coughed again, wincing in pain. The Duan family wasn't short of food; although their stored grain was hard to buy, it wouldn't fetch a high price. Why was this person asking about grain?… He glanced at the young man suspiciously, hesitated for a moment, then answered sadly.

"My Li clan comprises thirteen estates, two to three thousand clansmen, farmhands, and tenants, and sixteen to seventeen thousand mu of land, half of which is private land. Currently, the clan has about two hundred thousand bushels of grain stored. If we eat sparingly, it's enough to feed forty thousand people for a year. As for the location of the grain storage, there are three main estates and three hidden smaller estates in the private fields south of Daye Marsh, just in case of unforeseen circumstances... I am willing to offer it all to Lord Duan! I only ask that the bloodline of my Li clan be spared!"

"Very good! The Li family has actually stockpiled so much grain? Hmm, these past two years have seen widespread disasters and epidemics, with refugees everywhere, yet the Li family, despite having so much grain, has never provided any relief."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu's expression shifted. He first nodded in satisfaction, then gently shook his head. He listened patiently as the heavily injured man recounted the locations where the Li family stored their grain, both overt and covert. Then, with a smile, he asked...

"How many weapons, armor, bows, and crossbows does the Li family have hidden away, and where are they stored?"

"?!"

Li Qian's expression changed instantly. Looking at the gentle-looking young man, he gritted his teeth and remained silent. Zhang Chengfu smiled and calmly gave his promise.

"Since things have come to this, hand them all over! I promise you, I'll spare the underage male members of your Li family, giving them a way to escape to Shanyang County! Otherwise..."

"You! You cough cough!"

A struggle was evident on Li Qian's face; given the circumstances, he had no choice. After a long while, he finally caught his breath, opened his eyes wide, and said sharply.

"Swear! Swear to spare my Li family bloodline! Otherwise, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

"Very well! Heaven bears witness! I, Zhang Chengfu of the Way of Peace, swear to Heaven that I will spare the bloodline of the Li family!"

Zhang Chengfu nodded and sincerely swore an oath. Upon hearing the words "Taiping Dao" (Way of Great Peace), Li Qian's eyes widened. He stared intently at the boy's face, his voice trembling.

"You're from the Taiping Dao?!"

"Excellent! The Way of Peace!"

(End of this chapter)