The Thief Prince

Meanwhile, Li Zheng led his troops on a swift march, and by the afternoon of the next day, they had set up camp twenty miles outside the city of Danzhou.

Black flags were planted on all four sides of the camp, and two large banners, "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" and "Awe-inspiring in Shandong," were erected in the center of the camp, with scouts patrolling in all directions.

Inside the central command tent, the leaders sat down in two rows. Li Zheng was discussing military affairs with them when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the tent.

But Ma San, looking travel-worn, lifted the curtain and entered: "Brother!"

Li Zheng beckoned him to sit down first, and then had his attendant hand him a bowl of water.

Once he had caught his breath, he asked, "What's the situation in the city?"

Ma San put down his bowl, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Brother, I personally sneaked into the city and questioned a few lone prisoners, and found out a lot of information."

"The newly appointed prefect of Shanzhou is named Han Tingzuo, and the military commander who came with him is called He Zhihan. He is the one who ambushed and killed the Wang Yuan brothers last time."

Before Li Zheng could speak, Cao Su's expression changed slightly, and he repeated in a low voice, "He Zhihan? Is it He Zhihan from the Northwest?"

Ma San said, "I only know his name, but I don't know where he comes from."

Li Zheng turned to Cao Su: "Brother, do you recognize this person?"

Cao Su stood up and stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "If it is He Zhihan from the Northwest Border Army, I do know him. He has quite a reputation in the border army."

Upon hearing this, Li Zheng also became interested: "As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.' Brother Cao Su, you might as well say more and let us know what He Zhihan is capable of."

Cao Su then recounted everything he knew:

It turns out that He Zhihan was from Shanzhou, and his ancestors for three generations had served as military officers in the border army.

This man followed his father into the army at the age of twelve, and by fifteen he could immediately draw a strong bow.

At the age of seventeen, he accompanied the army on a patrol of the border. In the wilderness, he encountered a group of Western Xia cavalry. He rode alone to meet them, shot down one with an arrow, and cut down two more with his sword. The remaining few were so frightened that they scattered and fled.

Upon returning to camp, his father slapped him in public and scolded him for launching an attack without authorization.

Later, his father died in battle in Shizhou, and He Zhihan took over his father's position, starting as a captain. He would personally charge into battle every time he went out to fight, always leading from the front.

During his eight years in the border army, he fought in more than thirty battles, large and small, and won countless victories, but he could never be promoted.

Cao Su shook his head at this point: "This man is not brave but reckless, he just likes to use risky schemes and doesn't know when to advance or retreat."

He was skilled with a large iron broadsword, and carried two sharp swords at his waist. He was also adept at archery and horsemanship, and the soldiers called him "General Swift Sword."

"I haven't heard from him since I was transferred from the border army. I never thought he would be sent to a prefecture in the interior."

Li Zheng pondered for a moment before speaking, "He's quite a tough guy. Do Brother Cao Su know him?"

Cao Su said, "We've met a few times, but we can't be considered close friends."

Li Zheng said, "This man is brave and skilled; could we try to persuade him to surrender?"

Cao Su shook his head: "This man is unruly and a troublemaker in the army. He may not be easy to subdue."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhengting smiled and glanced at the generals in the tent.

Which of the leaders on Liangshan Mountain wasn't a fierce and ruthless warrior? Which of them wasn't unruly and undisciplined before joining the mountain?

A general who can become a general is not weak-willed; even a wild horse wouldn't want to ride it.

However, the court cannot control such a capable general, so it would be better to recruit him ourselves.

He then said, "That's true. We need to defeat such a fierce general a few times first to dampen his arrogance before we can talk to him."

After saying that, he turned to look at Ma San: "Brother, you've worked hard. We have to make another trip."

"Go back to the city and continue to gather intelligence on what's happening there. Keep an eye on the captured brothers."

Ma San cupped his hands and said, "Brother, don't worry. I've already placed people near the prison, but the defenses there are very tight, and we can't get close."

"I'll go back now. I should still be able to sneak into the city. I'll just wait for my brother's signal."

Li Zheng nodded: "Okay."

. . . . . .

Meanwhile, news of the Liangshan forces' movements in Danzhou also arrived late at night.

Prefect Han Tingzuo was awakened from his dream by the noise and heard that the bandit army was coming, less than twenty miles away from Shanzhou City.

Terrified, he kicked away his concubine and immediately ordered the city gates to be closed. He also summoned He Zhihan that very night to deal with the situation.

Before taking office, Han Tingzuo knew that the previous prefect had been killed by the Black Wind Bandits and his fate was still unknown.

Now that the Black Wind Thieves have returned with a vengeance, how could he not be terrified?

Upon seeing He Zhihan, he immediately said urgently, "Commander He, the Black Wind Bandits, with over a thousand men, are heading towards Danzhou. What should we do?"

"Didn't the imperial court say that the Black Wind Bandits were just a bunch of roving brigands and had been almost completely wiped out? How come a thousand troops have arrived?!"

He Zhihan looked at him with contempt, seeing his cowardice.

But after being bullied by civil officials for so many years, the border soldiers had come to know the rules.

He cupped his hands and said, "Prefect, rest assured. Danzhou City is garrisoned by a commander of the Imperial Guards, and is supported by over a thousand local militia and archers. Our forces are strong and well-equipped. What is there to fear from a mere thousand bandits?"

Han Tingzuo's eyes lit up: "Can the Commander help me repel the enemy?"

He Zhihan stroked his beard: "Even if the Black Wind Bandits number over a thousand, they are nothing more than bandits selling their heads at will. What do I have to fear?"

"When they arrive, just order your men to go out of the city to meet them in battle, cut off the head of the bandit leader Li Zheng, and send it to the prefect's command."

Han Tingzuo was somewhat dissatisfied: "The bandits are vicious; the commander must not underestimate them."

Seeing his terrified appearance, He Zhihan felt even more contempt for him.

However, he patiently said, "If the prefect feels this is not right, he can write two letters and send people to Chengwu and Yutai for help. These two places are not far from here, and they will surely raise troops to come and support us overnight."

Upon hearing this, Han Tingzuo beamed with joy: "This arrangement is very appropriate. I'll go and write it down right away."

He immediately wrote a letter and sent two officers to command his troops, opening the north gate and heading northeast and northwest to request reinforcements.

Little did they know that Li Zheng had made preparations in advance, ordering two teams of crossbowmen to ambush the scouts in the city.

The two commanders had barely gone two or three miles out of the city when they were shot off their horses by a hail of arrows.

Within half an hour, the letter requesting help was placed on Li Zheng's desk.

Li Zheng glanced at it and said with a smile to the leaders, "Han Tingzuo is terrified. Before the battle has even started, he has already sent people to Chengwu and Yutai for help."

Wu Anqing thought for a moment and said, "The name Han Tingzuo sounds familiar. I just remembered that he is the cousin of Han Wenzhe, the Vice Chancellor."

Li Zheng laughed and said, "Could it be that he's just a pretty face with connections?"

Wu Anqing nodded and said, "That's right. This man was an incompetent and dissolute fellow in the capital, yet somehow he managed to obtain the position of prefect."

Li Zheng sneered inwardly. Given the current state of decadence in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it wouldn't be surprising if any sordid things happened.

So he said, "The enemy commander has lost his courage. Let the brothers rest well tonight, and tomorrow we will be at the city gates and take over Danzhou!"

All the leaders stood up and echoed, "Yes, sir!"