Volume 2 Chapter 27: Deception of the City

  Li Yan slumped listlessly on horseback, his heart filled with inexplicable sorrow.

  The big fire on the shore behind was burning fiercely, and the boiling in front of the water surface had not subsided yet. The sound that filled my ears was the mournful cry of the government soldiers like pigs being slaughtered. This battle was lost just like that! The cruel fact gave young Li Yan a blow to his head! Now, don't even mention saying anything about making contributions and having a smooth official career from now on, I'm afraid it's hard to keep one's head on one's shoulders.

  Looking back on the fifth watch of the night when I set out from Fuyang County, I was still full of ambition and vigor, never thinking that it would end like this.

  *sigh*

  Li Yan let out a long sigh, and in desperation, he drew his treasured sword, closed his eyes, and pressed it against his own neck.

  "Whoosh!"

  "Ding!"

  A sharp, piercing sound cut through the air, and Li Yan felt a numbness in his arm. The treasured sword had already flown out of his hand and plunged into the marsh with a soft "plop". The water's surface only rippled up with a tiny wave before it disappeared without a trace.

  On the marshy shore, Guan Hai shot a flying arrow at Li Yan's treasured sword, then swung out a rope lasso, entwining Li Yan's shoulders and dragging him to death like a pig, before grinning savagely and revealing his white steel-like teeth, saying: "Heh heh, caught an official."

  The leader was captured, and the last vestige of resistance will also disappeared, and they threw away their weapons and surrendered.

  A completely unexpected ambush finally settled in dust.

  The 800 bandits took advantage of the unpreparedness of the enemy, and the 300 government troops were annihilated in a state of complete unpreparedness. The two armies had not even engaged in formal combat, and Li Yan's 300 government troops were completely wiped out, with not one escaping. The 800 bandits could be said to have won a perfect victory, and Ma Yue perfectly achieved his strategic intention.

  When the sky was slightly dark, the battlefield had been cleaned up.

  Pei Yuanshao hastily ran to report to Ma Yue: "Bo Qi, in this battle, two of our brothers were smoked unconscious. One was rescued and the other died. The government army had 307 people, 21 were burned to death, 19 were scalded to death, and 2 fell into the mud and couldn't be found. The remaining 265 people were all captured by us."

  "Still holding onto an officer."

  "Bring that officer up here." Ma Yue's eyebrows furrowed, casting a shadow over his eyes, and he said in a low voice, "Strip the rest of them naked, confiscate their weapons, then tie them up and throw them into the snow to fend for themselves."

  Liu Xian frowned slightly and said, "They will freeze to death."

  Ma Yue said: "I am the leader of the 800 bandits, not the leader of the government army. Their life and death have nothing to do with me."

  "There's no need to strip off your clothes, just hand over your weapons."

  "I have my own reasons, no need for further discussion!"

  Liu Yan pursed her small mouth and let out a faint sigh.

  The sound of footsteps echoed, and Gan Hai had already brought Li Yan, who was disheveled, in front of Ma Yue. Ma Yue's gaze fell on Li Yan's face like a knife, and Li Yan met Ma Yue's fierce gaze with his own. His body stiffened for a moment, but soon a surge of arrogance welled up inside him, and he looked up at the sky, letting out a stifled hum from his nostrils.

  Ma Yue sneered in his heart, unexpectedly the scholars of this era were indeed of such character, without even a bit of awareness as prisoners. Can they cover up the fact of being defeated and captured just by putting on this expression? Can they show off their unyielding national style just by raising their heads? If you encounter someone who doesn't reason with you, one knife will cut off your head, where can you buy regret medicine then?

  How many people can really die in peace?

  Ma Yueh hated these poseurs most in his life.

  "Good grief!"

  Ma Yue let out a loud whoop.

  Guan Hai's eyes, like a wolf's, were fixed on Ma Yue, and he responded loudly: "Present."

  "Drag this defeated general out and behead him in public!"

  "Yes!"

  Guan Hai responded with a single word, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light, as he strode forward two steps and dragged Li Yan away like a dead dog. He walked swiftly towards the marshy edge, while the captured government soldiers watched from afar, their faces pale and filled with horror. Li Yan's face was also deathly pale, his body trembling slightly, but he gritted his teeth and refused to utter a single word of pleading.

  Guan Hai dragged Li Yan to the edge of the swamp, kicked him in the knee pit with one foot, and Li Yan knelt down with a muffled hum, Guan Hai's eyes were stern, and the steel knife in his hand was raised high, that sharp cold light, under the twilight, looked exceptionally icy, many government soldiers' teeth had already begun to chatter.

  Li Yan gritted his teeth tightly, his steel-like teeth biting through his lips and bleeding, yet he didn't make a single sound.

  Guan Hai hesitated for a moment, turned his head to look at Ma Yue, and saw a flash of coldness in Ma Yue's dark eyes. Although he still didn't know the name or age of this young military officer, he already believed that this was a man with an iron will, and it would be a pity if such a man were to die like this.

  Even if he becomes an enemy in the future, even if he poses a threat to himself in the future, Ma Yue still decides to let him go, not for anything else, but because he is a real man who can die with dignity, and such a man is worthy of respect no matter what.

  Seeing Ma Yue shake his head, Guan Hai let out a sigh of relief and pushed Li Yan back in front of Ma Yue.

  Li Yan's voice was stern as he asked, "Why haven't you made a move yet?"

  Ma Yuedao said: "You are a good man, I don't want to kill you. Are you willing to serve me?"

  Li Yan's eyes revealed a cold disdain, and he said in a low voice: "You might as well kill me."

  Ma leaped up and looked up at the sky, laughing loudly three times. In a clear voice, he said: "I knew you couldn't help me, a lone bandit, but I won't kill you. Are you willing to tell me your name?"

  Li Yan said proudly: "I am Li Yan of Nanyang."

  "Li Yan!?" Ma Yue's gaze condensed, and he felt relieved in his heart. He said loudly, "So you are Li Yan."

  Li Yan was taken aback: "Do you know me?"

  Ma Yue laughed and said: "I've long heard of your great reputation, but I've never met you before. Today, I see that your reputation is not exaggerated."

  Li Yan's expression was cold and indifferent, calmly saying: "You are a defeated general."

  Ma Yue smiled slightly and suddenly said inexplicably, "Thank you, Mr. Li Yan, for your help. Tomorrow when I enter Fuyang County, I will definitely thank you heavily."

  Li Yan's face changed color and he exclaimed: "Help you... Fuyang County... what do you mean?"

  Ma Jue ignored Li Yan and shouted loudly: "Where is Guan Hai?"

  Guan Hai took a step forward and responded loudly: "Yes!"

  Immediately rally 200 brothers, change into official military uniforms and weapons, and rush overnight to raid Fuyang County.

  "Uh......" Guan Hai almost choked on his own saliva, and asked in surprise, "Just...just 200 people? To...to retake Fuyang County?"

  Ma Yue's face turned cold as he asked, "What?"

  Gan Hai let out a cold breath, his eyes narrowed, and he turned around and left.

  "Come back!"

  Ma Yue let out a loud shout and Guan Hai quickly retreated.

  Ma Chao said: "After arriving at the city gate, you will lead 50 people as the vanguard, pretending to be Li Yan's official army, who have already defeated the bandits and are returning triumphantly. Tell them that Li Yan is following with the main force, but fearing that the county magistrate would worry, he ordered you to lead a small team back to the city in advance to report the victory."

  Li Yan's expression changed greatly upon hearing this, and he hastily said: "You... how dare you, you insolent child?"

  Ma Chao's face was expressionless, and he continued to instruct Zhang Hei: "When the city gate is opened, lead your troops in a swarm into the city. Just guard the east gate, do not get entangled with the enemy, nor can you enter the city deeply. Wait for me to bring the main force to reason."

  "Yes."

  Guan Hai let out a loud whoop and turned around to go take stock of his men.

  Bai Yuanshao.

  When called upon himself, Pei Yuanshao also stepped forward, looking up and listening for orders.

  "I order you to lead 200 men, following closely behind Gan Hui's troops as they depart, and lie in ambush outside the west gate of Yuyang County. I reckon that after the attack on Fuyang, the officials and wealthy families within the city will surely flee from the west gate. But when the west gate is opened and the drawbridge is lowered, before the crowd has exited the city, you will immediately light up the torches and launch a surprise attack with all your troops, ensuring that they are forced back into the city, not allowing a single one to escape."

  "Roger!"

  Pei Yuanshao let out a loud roar and turned around to take roll call.

  "The rest of the brothers hurry up and take a good rest, nourish your spirits and follow me to make a surprise attack on Yuyang County City. Once we've taken the city, everyone can drink big bowls of wine and eat large pieces of meat!"

  The bandits cheered and asked: "Great leader, what about our beautiful women?"

  Ma Yue said: "Wanting to find a woman is fine, but I'll say it again - anyone who dares to harm the common people will not be spared by me!"

  "What Big Brother means is that as long as we don't harm the common people after entering the city, everything else will be fine?"

  "That's what I mean!" Ma Yue shouted, "But let me tell you something ugly beforehand, if you really bring back ten or eight women, when we retreat and can't keep up with our footsteps, you'll have to carry them yourself!"

  The leader of the bandits was taken aback and stuck out his tongue in surprise, while the rest of the bandits burst into loud laughter.

  In the midst of the bandits' boisterous laughter, Li Yan's face turned pale and his expression was anxious. Only now did Li Yan truly realize that this defeat at the hands of this "unknown" bandit leader was not unjust at all! This man was not only quick-witted and decisive, with intelligence surpassing others, but also skilled in commanding, as could be seen from how these bandits revered him.

  According to the bandit's plan, Fuyang County was unprepared, and eight or nine out of ten chances would lose the city. Once the city is lost, those in power will investigate... Thinking of this, Li Yan shivered with a chill, and didn't dare think further. What made him even more frightened was that the current great general He Jin's parents were still in the city. If something unexpected happened, Li Yan wouldn't have enough heads to chop off even if he had ten.

  As the thick dusk approached, Li Yan let out a sigh in his heart. Now, he would rather have the bandit behead him with one slash of his knife. This cunning and treacherous bandit leader was not kind-hearted at all. He wanted to pin the crime of colluding with the bandits and assisting them on Li Yan, which was a hundred times more vicious than killing him.