The New Destiny of the Ming Dynasty

Just as the two were quietly discussing how to use the rope ladder to attack and retreat, Zhang Chen, who had been gone for a while, suddenly reappeared beside them. His voice suddenly rang out, startling the two of them.

Zhang Chen, seemingly equally excited, whispered, "My lord! I see it! In the Tartar camp, there aren't many tents! But there are huge stacks of hay and huge granaries!"

"In the northwest corner, there are rows and rows of stables! But it's not clear whether there are horses inside! There are six watchtowers in the camp, one at each of the four corners, and the other two are concentrated on both sides of the main gate of the Tartar camp!"

"Although there are many sentries in the camp, there are braziers everywhere, making it easy to hide! And although there are indeed patrols, each patrol team seems to be responsible for a specific area, with each having a fixed zone and not interfering with the others!"

"Zhang Chen, are you looking clearly?!"

Upon hearing Zhang Chen's words, Yang Zhen became even more convinced of his previous judgment. However, amidst his excitement, he still found it somewhat hard to believe, so he asked eagerly.

"My lord! I see it clearly! I know exactly what a Tartar's tent is, what a Tartar's haystack or granary is, and what a Tartar's stable is. In my twenty years of military service, I have never been wrong about this!"

Zhang Chen's firm answer immediately put Yang Zhen at ease.

At this point, the on-site investigation had achieved its purpose.

However, in order to find out whether the Tartars' patrols outside the camp were indeed once in the first half of the night and once in the second half, the group endured their hunger and cold and persevered for another hour in that dark pine forest.

This hour of perseverance was certainly useful. Although he did not encounter any more Tartar patrols outside the camp, Zhang Chen used this time to observe the entire Tartar camp once again.

Moreover, it wasn't until Zhang Chen had memorized the entire distribution map of the Tartar camp and climbed down from that tall pine tree again to return to Yang Zhen and Yan San's side that Yang Zhen decided to evacuate.

The way back will be much easier.

Although the way back was the same—first, silently passing through the woods, feeling my way down the slope, then crouching and hunching over, carefully crossing the wasteland, finally reaching the edge of the reeds—my mood was different. Walking on the same road, the speed and feeling were completely different.

On the way to scout the edge of the Tartar camp, they suffered both mental and physical torment and it took more than an hour. But on the way back, the same journey was much faster. In just a quarter of an hour, they quickly passed through the mudflats that were overgrown with weeds and full of puddles.

Having learned the truth about this Tartar camp, the group was extremely excited, forgetting all about hunger, cold, exhaustion, and the pain from the various minor cuts they had sustained while crawling across the mudflats.

At this moment, Yang Zhan'ao and his two men were already waiting anxiously in the same spot.

Two or three hours had passed since Yang Zhen left, and the eastern sky was beginning to lighten, the darkness before dawn was about to pass. Yang Zhen, Zhang Chen, and Yan San had not returned and were nowhere to be seen, so they couldn't help but have all sorts of wild thoughts.

They considered all sorts of possibilities, such as being silently killed by the Tartars' spies, falling into a trap set outside the Tartar camp and not being able to get out, or being trapped inside the Tartar camp...

However, Yang Zhanao knew Yang Zhen quite well—of course, he knew the old Yang Zhen quite well. Before Yang Zhen left, he stared at him and said something to him, and he dared not forget it for a moment, nor dared not do it outright.

Based on past experience, Yang Zhen would not hesitate to put righteousness before family if he messed things up, and even the captain of the personal guards would be of no use.

Merit must be rewarded, and the reward must be substantial; wrongdoing must be punished, and the punishment must also be severe. This was the rule that Yang Zhen had established in the army.

Fortunately, Yang Zhan'ao's fear of military law overcame his inner turmoil. Although he had several thoughts of rushing across the barren grassland to find out what was going on, and even of retreating to ask for reinforcements, he ultimately stayed put and did not move. They finally waited for Yang Zhen, Zhang Chen and Yan San to return.

Yang Zhen took the lead, crouching low as he ran back to the reeds. Seeing Yang Zhan'ao and the others excitedly approaching, he didn't bother with anything else, immediately whispering, "Go! Quick! Back to the boat!"

Apart from Yang Zhen's simple command, the group remained silent, just as they had done on their way there. Using the dim moonlight, they hunched over and quickly made their way through the reeds.

Zhang Chen, who was walking at the very back, was a little slower.

Because of his rugged appearance but delicate heart, he was also responsible for helping to straighten up the reeds that people had accidentally knocked over after passing through.

As the group quickly arrived at the reeds where the centipede boat had been stored, the six oarsmen from Yuan Jin's naval camp immediately let out a low cheer.

Yan San stepped forward to stop them from making any more noise, then gestured to the others to come forward and help the oarsmen drag the centipede boat out of the reeds.

"Sir! The tide is going out! We must hurry!"

Upon hearing Yan San's words, Yang Zhencai suddenly realized that the reed marshes where they had come from were full of water, but now, apart from silt, there was no water left.

The others understood what Yan San meant, and as soon as they entered the river, they all jumped onto the centipede boat.

Zhang Chen, who was the last to jump onto the boat, counted the number of people. Including the rowers, there were still twelve people as before, not one missing.

After everyone boarded the boat, Yan San took the helm, and the others rowed together with the oarsmen. Amidst the soft sound of oars, the centipede boat entered the main channel and, riding the receding tide, sped towards the mouth of the Xiaoling River in the darkness before dawn.

Once they reached the river mouth, their view suddenly opened up.

Looking at the numerous sandbars of varying sizes scattered outside the river mouth, and the maze-like waterways formed by them, Yang Zhen's tense mood immediately relaxed. Exhausted, he still held the oar in his hand, but he had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Yang Zhan'ao, who was paddling hard right next to Yang Zhen, turned around and saw Yang Zhen like this. He felt both moved and heartbroken.

Zhang Chen and Yan San, who also witnessed this scene, nodded repeatedly, secretly admiring Yang Zhen—Yang Zhen's willingness to lead from the front and share weal and woe was not just talk, but a practice he absolutely put into action.

While Yang Zhen was fast asleep, Yan San's centipede ship skillfully navigated around sandbars and waterways, finally arriving at the huge sandbar where the advance camp was stationed.

Zhang Degui, Li Lu, and others, who had been waiting anxiously on the "island" for a long time, along with Yuan Jin, Zu Keyong, Xu Changyong, and others who had received the message from the fleet's "lookout," all rushed to the beach where the centipede ship docked to welcome their return.

Ever since Yang Zhen left with Zhang Chen and the others, Zhang Degui has never felt at ease. Without Yang Zhen, the Guangning Houtun Guard has completely fallen apart.

Although Yang Zhen has a younger brother named Yang Jie, Yang Jie has been adopted by Yang Zhen's uncle, Yang Guozhu.

Yang Guozhu, as the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Town, resolutely refused to take a concubine. After the two sons born to his first wife died, she did not give him any more sons.

As a general, Yang Zhen's great prestige and family business could not be left without an heir. Therefore, before Yang Zhen's father passed away, his younger brother was adopted by Yang Guozhu.

In the Ming Dynasty, titles and ranks were of utmost importance. Since he had already been adopted out, he naturally could not return to inherit Yang Zhen's hereditary title. Now, without Yang Zhen, the Guangning Houtun Guard would truly be finished.

Of course, Zhang Degui wasn't thinking about all of that. Having followed Yang Zhen's father and Yang Zhen himself for many years, their relationship was still the most important thing. As for the issue of Guangning Houtunwei, it was just a passing thought.

However, Yang Zhenyi's departure and subsequent absence for several hours caused Zhang Degui great anxiety.

Just as nervous as him was Li Lu, the commander of the vanguard battalion, who was deeply trusted and valued by Yang Zhen and had always regarded Yang Zhen as his elder brother.

The few hours that followed felt incredibly long and unbearable to those who were extremely anxious.

Many of the musketeers, artillerymen, and grenadiers in the advance battalion were like Zhang Degui and Li Lu.

With Yang Zhen around, at least they had the temporary Ningyuan Vanguard Battalion to stay in; without Yang Zhen, they would immediately become like lost souls.