MLMD -Chapter 55 Conflict

When Yue Yang stepped out of the tent, he heard faint commotion not far to the east, interspersed with the occasional whinny of warhorses. Upon hearing this, his expression immediately changed. He turned to Shunbao and said, “Gather the men and come over immediately! If they won’t negotiate, then damn it, fight!”

“Yes!”

Shunbao replied, but hesitated slightly before asking, “Young master, are we really going to fight the Jurchens? This is Mongol territory!”

“Territory my ass!” Yue Yang snapped. “They’ve already shat on our heads, and you want to be a coward?”

Truth be told, after yesterday’s commotion with Aobai and Daishan, Yue Yang had felt some unease. After all, the Kerqin Grasslands were just a stone’s throw from Later Jin territory. If he really clashed with Daishan, the outcome was obvious without even thinking. Yue Yang had even reflected on whether he had been too impulsive. This was not modern times where you could call 911 and summon the police. In this era of survival of the fittest, human life was worth next to nothing.

But people are fickle. Last night he might have reflected, but today, upon hearing Shunbao mention that the Later Jin were causing trouble, Yue Yang’s temper flared again.

Fuming, Yue Yang mounted his already-prepared horse and charged toward the direction of the commotion…

When Yue Yang arrived at the scene, he saw dozens of soldiers clad in Gothic-style armor facing off against over a hundred Later Jin cavalry. Hu Laosan was trying to restrain his men, while a number of Mongol riders stood aside watching, some even cheering on both sides. The scene was chaotic. Yue Yang also noticed a tall man in yellow-studded armor standing with his arms crossed, smiling as he watched the fray—this was Aobai.

“Stop!” Yue Yang’s angry shout rang out.

“Stop! What do you think you’re doing?!” Riding in hastily, Yue Yang glared at the opposing soldiers.

“The young master is here!” Seeing Yue Yang, Hu Laosan, whose face had been flushed with anxiety, ran over like a man seeing a savior. He shouted, “Young master, you’ve finally come! If you hadn’t arrived, we wouldn’t have known what to do!”

Yue Yang, frowning, asked sharply, “Hu Laosan, tell me—what exactly is going on here?”

At the mention of this, Hu Laosan’s expression soured. He huffed, “Young master, these Later Jin men are way too much! Over a hundred of them came and insisted we had contraband and demanded to inspect our goods. I refused, but they wanted to force it. I wouldn’t yield, and that’s how the fight started!”

“Oh… so that’s how it is?” Yue Yang’s expression darkened. There was no need to think hard—this was clearly Aobai’s deliberate provocation.

Yue Yang ignored Hu Laosan and turned his gaze toward Aobai, who wore a teasing, mocking expression.

Riding forward, Yue Yang approached Aobai and said slowly, “Aobai, you come to my camp first thing in the morning to provoke me? You’ve got quite the nerve.”

“Provoke? Hahaha!” Aobai threw his head back and laughed, looking disdainfully at the slightly lean young man before him. “You Ming dogs think far too highly of yourselves! You’re nothing but ants. Do you think you’re worthy of provoking us Jurchen warriors? A waste like you I could crush with a single finger. Don’t believe me? Come on, try it and see if I can’t kill you with one punch!”

“You bastard!” Yue Yang hadn’t even spoken, but Hu Laosan behind him couldn’t contain his anger any longer. There’s an old saying in the Central Plains: If the lord is in distress, the minister is humiliated; if the lord is humiliated, the minister must die. As Yue Yang’s subordinate, Hu Laosan naturally felt he had to defend his master’s honor.

“You insolent Jurchen! You dare insult my young master? Want a fight? Then let me, Hu Laosan, teach you a lesson!” Without waiting for Yue Yang, Hu Laosan stepped forward, glaring defiantly at Aobai.

“Oh? You want to fight me too?” Aobai, mounted on a tall red steed, glanced disdainfully at Hu Laosan. “You lowly Ming dog, think you can fight me? You have no such right. Better let my men teach you a lesson.”

With that, Aobai waved his hand, and two Later Jin cavalrymen spurred their horses toward Hu Laosan. The thunderous pounding of hooves shook the ground—they were coming to kill.

Seeing the charging cavalry, Yue Yang’s face darkened. The two cavalrymen wore thick red armor studded with large brass nails, their crude faces twisted into menacing smiles. Yue Yang knew for certain—they intended to trample Hu Laosan and him to death.

Without a second thought, Yue Yang shouted, “Form up! Prepare for battle! Target: the two cavalrymen ahead!”

At his command, the thirty-plus soldiers under Hu Laosan, who had been restrained until now, quickly fell into formation. Though only numbering around thirty, with fifteen or sixteen spearmen and a dozen or so sword-and-shield men, they showed no fear.

The spearmen crouched and planted their three-meter-long spears in the ground, the glinting spearheads aimed at the approaching cavalry. Meanwhile, the sword-and-shield men swiftly loaded crossbow bolts. In less than five seconds, they could fire all ten bolts from each crossbow at the two horses charging straight toward them.

The approaching Later Jin cavalrymen’s expressions flickered, then twisted into mockery. At the time, the Later Jin had a saying: “Jurchens under ten thousand are weak; above ten thousand, they are invincible.” It was meant to boast of their soldiers’ courage. These riders, accustomed to the Ming’s defensive tactics, believed even the Ming’s elite frontier troops were no match, let alone a merchant escort with slightly better-looking armor. Confident, they accelerated instead of slowing down. In their eyes, killing two minor Ming men was no big deal.

Aobai’s face reflected a hint of malice, but even he realized the situation had slipped out of his control. Daishan had only intended for him to test Yue Yang with a mock skirmish to check the quality of his men’s armor and weapons. But Aobai, harboring deep hatred after Yue Yang insulted the Jianzhou Jurchens yesterday, had one purpose now: to take the life of this audacious young man.

Meanwhile, Yue Yang raised his right hand high. There was no time for thought—he only knew that if the two cavalrymen reached them, neither he nor Hu Laosan would survive. His gaze even fell on Aobai, barely two hundred meters ahead, whose face was twisted with murderous intent.

The cavalry drew closer. Less than thirty meters separated them from Hu Laosan and Yue Yang. In five or six seconds, they would be upon them.

Yue Yang’s hand dropped, and he shouted, “Release the bolts!”

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

A volley of crossbow bolts shot forward at lightning speed. From less than thirty meters away, the sword-and-shield men needed barely any aim; most bolts struck the approaching cavalry.

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!

The arrogant Later Jin riders paid the price for their hubris. Over a hundred bolts pierced their bodies in seconds, tearing through armor and flesh. Blood gushed along the grooves of the bolts.

Their mounts received the same treatment, letting out mournful cries before collapsing, throwing their riders to the ground. In an instant, the battlefield fell into silence…