MLMD -Chapter 33 Thirty Years West of the River, Thirty Years East of the River

Just as Li Dingguo was leading Zhang Xianzhong’s last few thousand men forward for one final push, Ai Nengqi also brought a thousand men, shattered and retreating, back to Zhang Xianzhong.

Seeing Ai Nengqi almost rolling off his horse, his helmet askew and armor in tatters, Zhang Xianzhong was furious. Without a word, he stepped forward and gave him a whip, shouting: “You useless fool! Over three thousand men and you couldn’t even defeat a few hundred of them—how dare you show your face here!”

“Eighth Prince, you can’t blame me! That Ming army… they’re just too damn tough. It’s not that we didn’t try, but we simply couldn’t break through their armor. None of my men wanted to die for nothing, so we had no choice but to retreat.” Ai Nengqi had taken several lashes, and he felt bitterly wronged. That Ming army was impossibly hard to fight, their iron armor was too strong, and though half of his men were dead or wounded, they hadn’t even scratched a single piece of the enemy’s armor.

In fact, Zhang Xianzhong had seen the battle clearly and knew this wasn’t entirely Ai Nengqi’s fault. Facing such an “invulnerable” army, anyone would have fared no better. So after striking Ai Nengqi twice, Zhang Xianzhong stopped and, still fuming, said: “Enough. Immediately reorganize your troops. Once Sun Lao’er arrives, we retreat at once!”

“What? Retreat? We’re not attacking Yingzhou anymore?” Ai Nengqi was shocked. “Eighth Prince, if we retreat just like that, how do we report back to Lord Chuang?”

“Report what?” Zhang Xianzhong roared. “Haven’t you realized the situation? Failing to take Yingzhou at worst gets us a scolding from Lord Chuang. But if we lose all our forces here, then we truly have nothing left. Do you understand?”

Ai Nengqi hadn’t realized it at first, but Zhang Xianzhong’s words immediately made him see the urgency. Losing Yingzhou was only a temporary setback; sacrificing all their troops out of pride would have been sheer stupidity. Once he grasped this, Ai Nengqi immediately began reorganizing the fleeing army, preparing to retreat.

“Wuuu…”

A mournful trumpet sounded across the battlefield. The raiders attacking Yingzhou Castle furiously began to scatter in disorder. This allowed the defenders atop the city walls to finally breathe a long sigh of relief. Many collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, while others wept tears of joy.

“We’re saved! We don’t have to die!”

“Thank goodness! The bandits were beaten back! Reinforcements have finally arrived!”

More soldiers pressed against the battlements, cheering wildly as they watched the fleeing raiders retreat, looking utterly defeated.

Zhang Zizhong, being a standard bandit, naturally had his own sense of the battlefield and escape. When he saw Ai Nengqi’s men routed by a Ming force in strange armor in less than two watches of the sun, he realized that this Ming army was far beyond what his largely untrained, hoe- and club-wielding band could handle.

It was only natural that he considered retreat. For a bandit, taking advantage when possible and running when outmatched was normal; face or pride mattered less than one’s hide.

Zhang Xianzhong’s shameless flight was well-known to Li Dingguo. But this loyal follower did not despair at his leader’s escape. Instead, he redoubled his efforts, commanding his men to launch a fierce assault against the Yue Yang forces. Unfortunately, Li Dingguo forgot one thing—not everyone had his level of resolve. Many of the bandits, already terrified of the fully armored Ming soldiers, saw their rear beginning to retreat. Without orders, they turned and fled immediately.

Seeing the bandits retreat, Yue Yang did not order a pursuit. Instead, he commanded his troops to halt and reorganize, checking the wounded.

“Master, we should chase after them! Kill every last one of those bandits!” Suddenly, Shunbao appeared, eager to lead a pursuit.

“Chase what?” Yue Yang said irritably, glancing at Laifu. Although the fully armored soldiers had the advantage earlier, the weight of forty jin prevented them from running as fast as the bandits. Victory always had its costs.

Looking at the still-smoking walls of Yingzhou, Yue Yang’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. He turned to his men and shouted: “Everyone, form a marching formation! Follow me into the city!”

“Yes!”

As Yue Yang’s unit arrived outside Yingzhou Castle, the previously closed gates swung open. Zheng Fakui, along with Wang Shoucheng, Li Yuan, Lin Yuanteng, and other officials, came out to meet them. Removing his helmet and mask, Yue Yang walked at the front and soon encountered Zheng Fakui.

Upon meeting, Zheng Fakui lowered his stance and clasped his hands: “Young Master Yue, on behalf of Yingzhou Prefecture’s gentry, I thank you for your rescue. Please, accept our bow!”

Although victorious, Yue Yang kept a clear mind and did not let triumph cloud his judgment. He hurried forward and helped Zheng Fakui steady himself. “Ah, Zheng Sir, you flatter me too much. As the prefect of this region, how could I possibly accept such praise? Besides, I was merely following orders. I dare not accept such honors!”

“No, it is right. Young Master Yue saved tens of thousands of people in Yingzhou today. No thanks I give could ever be enough. Now that the bandits have fled, please, Young Master Yue, enter the city.”

“Of course, Sir,” Yue Yang gestured, allowing Zheng Fakui to lead the way.

Although polite, Zheng Fakui observed Yue Yang carefully. Seeing that he remained humble despite his achievements, he secretly nodded to himself. It seemed he had underestimated this scholar from Wulizhai.

As Yue Yang led his troops into the city, the citizens, having learned that the bandits had been driven off, took to the streets to cheer this army that had saved the lives of all the city’s residents. When they saw the soldiers entirely encased in gleaming armor, with only slits for their eyes, the crowd was full of astonishment.

“My heavens! Is this the Wulizhai militia? What is their armor made of? How does it shine so brightly?”

“Fool! That’s high-quality steel! I’ve worked with iron all my life; I know steel when I see it!” said a blacksmith nearby.

“No way—all of it steel? So much armor… that must have required a fortune in steel!” The crowd was stunned. Steel was rare and precious; forging a weapon from steel was considered a masterpiece. Using high-quality steel for full armor was extravagance beyond belief.

“Extravagant! Truly extravagant! The Yue family village must be incredibly wealthy!” That was their first impression of Yue Yang’s troops.

This was Yue Yang’s second visit to Yingzhou, but the reception was completely different from months ago. The first time, he had come with Shunbao, Hu Laosan, and a dozen retainers, freezing outside the prefecture office and scorned by the gatekeeper, Luban Tou. Inside, he had even been threatened.

Today, however, he arrived with five hundred soldiers, hailed as a savior, and received the city’s warmest welcome. Indeed, the old saying rang true: Thirty years west of the river, thirty years east of the river.