MFMH C94

Chapter 94 — The Night Raid

The main army had marched out to meet the enemy, but the soldiers who remained were far from idle. To be prepared for any contingency, Tai Qigang immediately ordered the setting of traps outside Gu Yang Pass: digging trenches, planting chevaux-de-frise, scattering iron caltrops, and more. Shen Yanbei was busy as well. Though he knew nothing of formal warfare, he could still devise little tricks to give the barbarian cavalry trouble.

Gunpowder had not yet been invented in this era, but firecrackers certainly existed. The other day, when he accompanied the quartermaster to Suixiang City to procure supplies, he toured the streets and discovered many workshops making firecrackers. The nearby mines of saltpeter and sulfur provided the materials; craftsmen gathered the minerals, processed them, and fashioned firecrackers. Much of the realm’s firecrackers were produced here, bought in bulk by merchants and transported to other prefectures for profit. Thus firecrackers were expensive elsewhere, out of reach of common households.

But at the source, they cost little. Shen Yanbei did not buy ready-made firecrackers, but instead hired craftsmen to make them to his specifications.

He had never made gunpowder; he only knew it required mixing potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal in precise ratios. He lacked the time to study this, and besides, it was too dangerous — a single mistake and it would explode. For safety, he simply asked the craftsmen to enlarge the most powerful firecrackers and add a few extra ingredients of his choosing.

With the border aflame, merchants would not come north this year to purchase firecrackers. The craftsmen had feared a poor season, unable to earn money for the New Year, but Shen Yanbei’s arrival brought them relief.

Knowing battle was imminent, Shen Yanbei generously hired every craftsman he could, setting them to work making firecrackers. In just a few days, a great stockpile of oversized, enhanced firecrackers had been produced.

Looking upon the modified firecrackers, Shen Yanbei’s lips curved faintly. If the barbarian cavalry truly dared to come, he would make them taste something unlike anything they had ever known.

That night, as usual, soldiers patrolled outside the camp. The steppe beyond lay silent, save for the wailing of the cold wind.

Inside the command tent, the remaining generals were gathered. The strategist waved his feather fan slowly. “The army has been gone only a day; they cannot be far. If the enemy were to strike tonight, reinforcements could still return in time. Thus, the barbarians will not attack tonight.”

One general frowned. “Where would the barbarians find so many troops?”

“Today’s Ulat king, Uso, is a man of immense ambition and utter madness. It is possible they have gambled everything, mobilizing their entire strength. Or perhaps what our scouts saw was a ruse,” the strategist said solemnly. “Whatever the case, we must not take them lightly. If it is a feint, then let us counter with a trap of our own — we shall see the barbarians never return!”

Some generals scoffed. Their scouts were seasoned men, not likely to be fooled. But military orders were absolute. They obeyed Tai Qigang’s commands, continuing to dispatch men to dig trenches and set traps through the night.

The night passed quietly. By morning, Shen Yanbei discovered the snow had ceased, but the temperature had plummeted, the wind cutting like blades, making him shrink his neck into his collar.

The remaining soldiers assembled in the drill yard. The recruits practiced with crossbows, while the veterans of the Left Army trained in long-spear formations. These spears, longer than usual by Shen Yanbei’s suggestion, were to be wielded in tight ranks. Each soldier braced the shaft low, its sharp tip angled upward, its butt grounded, ready to blunt the charge of cavalry. Advancing thus, they looked like a hedgehog bristling with spikes — any rider who dared charge would be skewered through.

Picturing the scene, Shen Yanbei felt almost sorry for the enemy. Spears could check cavalry, but his husband commanded green recruits. Their coordination fell short of veterans, and in group formations they lacked the same force.

Thinking this, Shen Yanbei glanced up at the gloomy sky, worry tugging at his heart.

How was his husband faring? Was everything going smoothly?

A hand clapped lightly on his shoulder. Shen Yanbei turned and smiled. “General.”

Tai Qigang, armored and prepared as though to march at once, stood beside him. His voice was grave. “Thanks to your strategies, Shen, if we prevail in this battle, I shall report your merits to His Majesty and ensure you are rewarded.”

Shen Yanbei waved his hands quickly. “General overpraises me. I have done nothing of consequence — mere trifles, unworthy of mention.”

“You spurn fame and gain; you are truly a gentleman. But your contributions will echo for generations, and must be set forth as a model to the world. His Majesty will reward you richly.” Tai Qigang’s tone shifted. “If you care little for empty titles, why not exchange them for a marriage edict?”

Shen Yanbei froze. Tai Qigang’s weathered face was grave, his eyes fixed directly on him.

So this was a test. Shen knew Tai Qigang had been his husband’s father’s trusted general, but he had not expected him to concern himself so closely with Gu Changfeng’s personal affairs.

Yet… it was an excellent suggestion! Now the whole camp knew he was in love with Gu Changfeng, had abandoned Yongjing’s comforts for this bitter frontier for his sake. When the war ended, if he returned to the capital to report, it would be perfectly natural to ask Zhao Yu for a marriage decree.

“Thank you for the advice, General!” Shen Yanbei beamed.

Seeing his joy, without a trace of reluctance, Tai Qigang’s long-held worry eased. He pressed on. “The heir will one day inherit the title of Duke of Zhenguo. What are your plans?”

This was a serious elder; Shen dared not joke. He answered gravely: “If he wishes to remain in the Zhenguo estate, then we stay. If not, we leave. Wherever he lives, I live. I have thick skin — I care not if others call me a kept man.”

Tai Qigang nodded with approval, then asked, “The heir bears a darkened birthmark at his brow, a sign of difficulty in begetting heirs…”

Shen replied without hesitation. “If we can have children, we will. If not, then it depends. If he likes, we adopt. If not, then his disciples can tend us in our old age. Before I came here, as a man who loved men, I never even dared hope to find someone who truly suited me, much less to think of children. Now I have him — as for children, that is Heaven’s will. I do not force it. To me, he is a man.”

Tai Qigang was satisfied, his face relaxing. “It takes two days to reach Pingcheng. By dusk today, the heir will be there. If he senses anything amiss, he will return at once. If we cannot hold against the barbarians’ assault, so long as we last two days, all will be well.”

“So Shen, you need not worry.”

“…Of course,” Shen Yanbei said with a polite smile, rubbing his nose, though he did not explain further.

After Tai Qigang departed, Shen went to fetch the small arrowheads he had ordered from the smith. He had built an upgraded miniature crossbow — half the size of the standard, easily carried, better suited to one of his modest strength.

He tested it at the range. The effect was satisfactory. Shen tucked it into his robes, eager to try it, but as dusk fell no unusual signs appeared.

No one dared relax. All soldiers lay down armored.

At midnight, a bitter wind screamed across the steppe. On the horizon, black dots quietly appeared, swelling with each passing moment, surging like a tide, closing like a giant net upon Gu Yang Pass…

“Report! Enemy cavalry sighted fifty li east of Gu Yang Pass, numbering about ten thousand!” The scout’s voice quavered with fear. Such a massive force charged, yet the sound they made was faint. Only constant vigilance had caught them!

Who would imagine the barbarians had grown cunning enough to wrap their horses’ hooves in cloth?

The generals who had scoffed at the idea of a night raid now gaped, while Tai Qigang and the strategist exchanged looks that said: as expected.

The barbarians had always preferred to harass at night — and so again they had come. Luckily, by night their traps held full power; had it been by day, much of their effort would have gone to waste.

“Report! Enemy cavalry sighted fifty li north of Gu Yang Pass, numbering about twenty thousand!”

“Report! Enemy cavalry sighted sixty li south of Gu Yang Pass, numbering about twenty thousand!”

One after another, scouts galloped back with alarming tidings: fifty thousand barbarian horsemen bore down!

Drums thundered. The prepared soldiers assembled swiftly in the yard.

“Hear my command!” Tai Qigang stood upon the platform, his scarred brow twitching, voice like iron. “Follow me to meet the foe! Slay the barbarians, leave none alive!”

“Slay the barbarians, leave none alive!”

“Slay the barbarians, leave none alive!!”

The mountain-shaking roar rose. Men moved as one. Tai Qigang spurred his horse and led the charge.

“Ahhh—” A scream split the night. A barbarian horseman, charging fiercely, suddenly toppled with his steed. More fell the same way, one after another, tumbling headlong into the earth. Those behind, unable to halt, crashed down as well.

Before them gaped a deep trench, its bottom filled with sharpened stakes. The fallen horsemen were impaled like skewered meat.

The sudden disaster broke their momentum. One trench alone swallowed many lives. But there was not only one — the fields before Gu Yang Pass were latticed with trenches. In the night’s haste, unwary riders blundered in, losing thousands.

When Sangbu Ganda heard, his face turned ashen. He reported at once to Uso.

The man’s gaze grew darker than ever. How had traps been laid? Was it merely preparation — or had the Qi seen through his plan?

No, impossible. The Qi had truly dispatched the bulk of their forces; fewer than thirty thousand remained!

The chance could not be lost. Uso cracked his whip and roared: “Continue the attack!”

“Yes!” Sangbu Ganda obeyed.

But the deeper they pressed, the more traps they struck. Reports of mounting casualties left Sangbu Ganda in a cold sweat.

“Great Khan, the Qi must have seen our stratagem! They have filled the ground with snares! I urge we cease the attack at once!”

Uso lashed his whip, striking the dissenting general and making him jump.

“You doubt my command?” His face was iron, gray eyes glacial.

“I dare not — only—” The general faltered under that killing stare, swallowing his words.

“The iron horse blessed by Usang the Sky God is invincible! And you quake at mere trenches?” Uso sneered, twining the whip in his hand. “Be men — ride with me and trample the feeble Qi beneath our hooves!”

“Great Khan, you must not!” Sangbu Ganda leapt to block him. Only with great effort had the tribes united; if the man fell, the alliance would collapse.

“Out of my way!” Uso kicked him aside and strode from the king’s tent.

The wind howled, banners snapped, war drums pounded until ears rang. Horses milled and snorted, their mass surging like a tide, as though the night itself might be overturned.

Encircled by his guards, Uso rode into battle. He had believed his plan flawless, but the constant screams of the wounded made his eyes blaze red.

What was happening?

“Report! The Qi used some poison — our men and horses have gone mad!”

Just now, unseen things had burst in the dark. Explosions thundered; fire flared again and again. Suddenly the cavalry nearby coughed in agony, their mounts shrieking, rearing, and throwing them. Fallen riders were crushed beneath hooves; panicked horses rampaged, scattering chaos. Before the Qi struck, the barbarians were already slaughtering one another.

By daylight the truth would have been clear: each blast had flung red powder into the air, mingling with dust, a choking fog enveloping the cavalry.

“Great Khan! The Qi must have set a sea of fire and blades for us! This is too perilous — please return to camp!” Sangbu Ganda pleaded desperately.

Uso gnashed his teeth, fury and frustration spilling from his eyes.

“Ahhh—” A guard screamed suddenly. In the dim dawn light a short arrow, featherless, jutted from his chest.

Sangbu Ganda blanched. “This is the Qi’s new weapon — deadly beyond compare!” Even as he spoke, another guard was struck and fell lifeless from his horse.

“Kill!!!”

The battle cry surged skyward like a crashing wave. With wet cloths tied over their mouths, the Qi soldiers, led by Tai Qigang and the generals, pierced into the barbarian cavalry like an arrow into the heart.

Spearmen drove forward, crossbowmen loosed bolts, while others flanked with blades. Once, the Qi had quailed at the barbarians’ cavalry. Now their hearts had turned, and they fought with fearless ferocity, cutting the riders down amidst the chaos.

More and more barbarian horsemen fell. Sangbu Ganda trembled with dread. “Great Khan!”

“Ahhh—” Uso’s eyes burned scarlet, his roar riven with rage as he watched Qi spearmen pitch his warriors from their saddles. With bitter unwillingness he bellowed, “Retreat!”