Chapter 399: Xing Honglang Returns to Yongji
The rebel army besieging the Gudu Ferry was none other than an old acquaintance of Gao Family Village: Bu Zhan Ni.
However, it wasn't Bu Zhan Ni himself, but rather Old Zhang Fei, captain of his fifth contingent. After Bu Zhan Ni led his followers into Shanxi with Wang Jiayin, his eight major contingents continued to operate independently, rarely converging.
This fifth contingent had traveled south along the Yellow River's eastern bank until they reached Puzhou. Seeing the city was quite large, with formidable walls, they dared not attack.
Instead, they skirted the prefecture city and soon spotted a ferry crossing that seemed like an easy target.
So, Old Zhang Fei gave the command, and they began their assault on the Yellow River's Gudu Ferry.
True to his name, Old Zhang Fei was indeed rather old, nearly fifty this year. His skin was dark, his face framed by a thick beard, giving him a rugged, untamed look. This was why he had named himself "Old Zhang Fei."
His rebel force was neither massive nor meager, numbering three thousand.
For a small ferry terminal, however, this number was truly overwhelming.
The merchants, craftsmen, fishermen, and farmers at the dock quickly grabbed their weapons, resisting with all their might.
Despite being vastly outnumbered, they astonishingly held Old Zhang Fei's forces at bay for a considerable time.
This infuriated Old Zhang Fei, driving him to a frantic rage. He ordered his subordinates to press the attack with greater urgency.
Inside the dock, a middle-aged man in merchant's attire stood, slightly corpulent, his face etched with worry. His name was Tie Niaofei, a moniker, not his given name.
He wasn't a legitimate merchant, but a salt smuggler.
Puzhou in Shanxi had always been a hotbed for salt smugglers, as it was a crucial inland salt-producing region. There was even an ancient text, "What the Master Would Not Discuss: The Salt Smugglers of Puzhou," specifically detailing their stories.
Of course, these ancient texts made no mention of the renowned Xing Honglang, for her legend was a more recent creation.
Tie Niaofei had twenty enforcers under his command; two were now dead, six wounded, leaving only twelve still fully capable. They were desperately firing arrows at the rebel army from behind the makeshift barricades.
But Tie Niaofei knew they couldn't hold on much longer.
There were simply too many rebels, a full three thousand. Even excluding the elderly, women, and children, over a thousand were battle-ready. Yet, the defenders numbered only a few hundred. Their defeat was merely a matter of time.
Behind them lay the surging Yellow River. There had been some fishing boats by the dock, but at the first sign of rebels, people had frantically seized them and sailed away, leaving those who remained with no means of escape.
With their backs to the river, all they could do was fight to the death.
Tie Niaofei roared at his subordinates, "Fight! Fight! Fight with your lives! Even in death, we'll take as many of them with us as possible!"
The twelve remaining men frantically loosed arrows at the rebels, but the attackers pressed closer and closer.
Just then, a wounded subordinate lying at Tie Niaofei's feet weakly gasped, "Boss... Boss... Look at the river..."
Tie Niaofei snapped, "The rebels are about to overrun the dock! I don't have time to look at the river!"
The subordinate bellowed with all his remaining strength, "Look... at the river!"
Only then did Tie Niaofei sense something amiss. He quickly turned his head and glanced towards the river.
Far to the north, a ship was approaching. It was still distant, but its silhouette was already clearly visible, indicating its immense size.
Squinting for a closer look, he saw the vessel boasted tall, towering decks, resembling the war galleons of the imperial navy.
"The imperial fleet?" Tie Niaofei was overjoyed. "The navy has come to suppress the bandits!"
As the words left his lips, he realized his mistake.
Even if the imperial navy were coming, they should arrive from the southeast, not from the north. But no, that wasn't the main point at all. He was a salt smuggler, a rogue the imperial court would also love to catch and behead. What good was celebrating?
Rebels from the front, imperial soldiers from the rear. He was doomed either way.
Meanwhile, on the bow of the approaching ship, Xing Honglang was also gazing at the Gudu Ferry. Unlike Tie Niaofei, she had more than just her eyes; she had a telescope.
She pulled a monocular telescope from her satchel, took a quick look at the Gudu Ferry, and her face darkened. "Damn it, the rebels are actually attacking the Gudu Ferry!"
Old Zhu, a subordinate standing nearby, leaned in and muttered, "Blast it! The rebels actually reached our home territory. That Gudu Ferry is where we made our first fortune."
Xing Honglang nodded. "Indeed! And I even spotted an old rival at the dock, someone who often tried to muscle in on our business."
Old Zhu's eyes lit up. "A rival? Oh! Tie Niaofei!"
Xing Honglang chuckled twice, a wry grin on her face. "That blockhead Tie Niaofei, precisely. He always tried to undercut my prices, costing this old lady a fortune."
Old Zhu burst into laughter. "So, what's the plan? Just watch him get slaughtered by the rebels?"
Xing Honglang smacked Old Zhu on the head. "Silence! Is that the kind of person Yongji's Xing Honglang is? Even if that fellow often tries to cheat us, he's still a colleague and a compatriot, someone who earns his bread the same way. When a fellow traveler in this life is in trouble, how can we stand by idly? Besides, there are many old friends of ours at the dock."
Old Zhu exclaimed, "Then it's time to fight!"
Xing Honglang turned to the sailors from Bai Family Fortress. "Brothers of Bai Family Fortress, prepare for battle! That Gudu Ferry must be saved!"
The crew erupted in cheers and laughter. "Aye!"
"Artillerymen, get moving!"
"I thought this test run wouldn't give us a chance to play with the cannons. Didn't expect the opportunity to come so soon."
"Practicing on targets is nowhere near as thrilling as firing at real people."
"Whoa, brother, that's a bit of a chilling thought, I must say."
The sailors from Bai Family Fortress bantered amongst themselves as they swiftly streamed into the ship's hold, readying the cannons.
These sailors had undergone extensive training and were already skilled in loading, aiming, and firing cannons. However, practice and real combat were two different things. As soon as they heard they were going to fight rebels, they became a chaotic mess, making mistake after mistake.
"Damn it all, don't just rush!" The captain, a trusted household guard of Bai Yuan and the most experienced in combat, roared, "Don't load both broadsides at once, are you idiots? Load one side first! Only the cannons on the eastern broadside can fire. Load the eastern side first!"
The artillerymen, enlightened, surged towards the eastern broadside. Their collective weight made the ship sway, frightening some of them into running to the other side to stabilize its balance.
Twenty "apprentice sailors" from Heyang County, who were formerly fishermen, were now trembling with fear, unsure where to hide.
The captain yelled at them again, "What are you shaking for? Where are your crossbows? Get them out, nock your arrows, and be ready to shoot!"
Meanwhile, Xing Honglang's forty-two private salt smugglers all had their hands on their waist-swords, their faces grim as they watched the shore, prepared to leap onto land and join the fray at any moment.
The artillerymen, enlightened, surged towards the eastern broadside. Their collective weight made the ship sway, frightening some of them into running to the other side to stabilize its balance.
Twenty "apprentice sailors" from Heyang County, who were formerly fishermen, were now trembling with fear, unsure where to hide.
The captain yelled at them again, "What are you shaking for? Where are your crossbows? Get them out, nock your arrows, and be ready to shoot!"
Meanwhile, Xing Honglang's forty-two private salt smugglers all had their hands on their waist-swords, their faces grim as they watched the shore, prepared to leap onto land and join the fray at any moment.
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