Chapter 453: Are We Really Afraid of the Authorities?
The moment Li Zicheng spoke, Bu Zhan Ni wasn't pleased. "What's stopping us? Tell me."
Li Zicheng said, "Xing Honglang's strength is quite peculiar. She's merely a salt smuggler, yet for some unknown reason, she possesses ships, cannons, and firearms. Don't you find her power baffling? There's a mysterious force backing that woman. I suspect she isn't a salt smuggler at all; she might be a government agent disguised as one, setting a trap for us."
Bu Zhan Ni scoffed, "And if she is an agent of the authorities? Are we really afraid of them?"
Li Zicheng clarified, "I didn't say she was the government; I said she was a government *soldier*. We aren't afraid of the government, but we should be wary of their soldiers."
Bu Zhan Ni dismissed him with a sneer. "What's there to fear about government soldiers? Hmph, a motley crew! Since we entered Shanxi from Shaanxi, we've run rampant without consequence. We haven't seen any government soldiers truly capable of stopping us. That Shanxi Regional Commander Wang Guoliang is utterly useless; now he just runs at the sight of us."
Just as they were speaking, a scout rushed in. "Report, great chief! Regional Commander Wang Cheng'en's forces from Shaanxi have crossed the Dragon Gate Ferry and are heading this way."
Bu Zhan Ni let out a cold laugh. "Our old friend, Wang Cheng'en, is it? We received no small amount of 'attention' from him in Shaanxi. I never thought this fellow just wouldn't quit and would follow us all the way to Shanxi."
Li Zicheng's brows furrowed deeply.
Bu Zhan Ni burst into laughter. "I used to fear Wang Cheng'en, but I don't anymore. He went to the capital, made a round trip, and achieved no merit. The imperial court isn't issuing him rations or pay, so his soldiers are likely starving. Hahahaha, I have fifty thousand men here, and he has a few thousand hungry soldiers. The advantage is clearly mine."
*No, this fellow isn't worth following either. I need to find a new leader with a sound mind to follow.*
Li Zicheng cupped his fists, then retreated.
His nephew, Li Guo, was waiting outside. Li Zicheng grabbed Li Guo's arm. "We need to part ways with Bu Zhan Ni."
Li Guo was surprised. "Huh? Why?"
Li Zicheng explained, "This fellow is going to die soon. Shaanxi Regional Commander Wang Cheng'en has crossed the Yellow River and entered Shanxi. We must leave quickly, or we won't be able to escape."
Li Guo was utterly bewildered. "Is Wang Cheng'en really that formidable? Why are you so afraid of him?"
Li Zicheng replied, "I don't know if he's formidable, but I do know that him crossing the Yellow River means things are far from simple."
Li Guo looked confused. "Uncle, why exactly? Please teach me."
Li Zicheng said, "An imperial military official cannot leave their jurisdiction without authorization. As the Shaanxi Regional Commander, if Wang Cheng'en were to lead his troops even a step into Shanxi, it would be a capital crime of rebellion. But he's here now, which can only mean one thing... the Ministry of War ordered him here."
"Why would the Ministry of War order him here? Isn't the reason obvious?" Li Zicheng sneered. "Wang Jiayin declared himself king, and he's poked the imperial court's sore spot. The court is determined to eliminate him, so they've dispatched every available soldier to Shanxi to form a massive encirclement and make an example of Wang Jiayin."
It was only then that Li Guo understood. "So, if we don't run fast enough, we'll go down with Wang Jiayin."
Li Zicheng nodded. "Come on, let's go, quickly."
The two hurried away. Before long, the Old Eighth Squad, who had followed him all the way from Mizhi, had assembled. The group quietly left Bu Zhan Ni's encampment and headed north.
When Li Daoxuan "co-sensed" into the Puppet Heavenly Lord again, several hours had passed. Wang Cheng'en's forces had finished building their pontoon bridge and crossed the Yellow River, finally entering Shanxi.
Perched on Shi Jian's shoulder, he looked back at the Dragon Gate Ferry and couldn't help but inwardly grumble: *I'm never falling for a tourist trap again.*
Just then, a scout on horseback galloped up to Wang Cheng'en, reporting loudly, "Report! We've found the main force of the bandit Bu Zhan Ni! They number over forty thousand and are currently entrenched in Hejin County!"
A cold glint flashed in Wang Cheng'en's eyes. "Hejin County... has it been ravaged by them?"
"Yes, Hejin County has been breached. The county magistrate is dead, countless soldiers and civilians within the city have been killed, blood flows like a river, and they've torn down the city walls."
At these words, everyone grew furious.
Li Daoxuan, sitting on Shi Jian's shoulder armor, couldn't help but clench his fists in anger. Ah, no, the Puppet Heavenly Lord had no fists; he could only squeeze his round, Doraemon-like hands.
Wang Cheng'en declared, "If they had city walls to defend themselves, it might be troublesome, but since they tore down the walls themselves, there's nothing to worry about. Issue the order: the entire army will immediately advance to Hejin County!"
The army mobilized, accelerating their march. The three thousand five hundred garrison soldiers, somehow gathered from who-knew-where, were utterly useless. The moment they heard they were going into battle, they started to panic, and their formation became chaotic. However, Wang Cheng'en's core force of fifteen hundred elite soldiers were spirited and marched like the wind. In no time, Hejin County appeared in the distance.
Without its city walls, the county town was like a peeled orange, defenseless against the buzzing flies. The large hordes of bandits were those flies, swarming chaotically around the county.
Wang Cheng'en brandished his riding crop forward. "Rout them!"
The imperial soldiers charged without a single wasted word.
Bu Zhan Ni didn't flinch. With fifty thousand bandits, recently fed in the county, fighting five thousand hungry imperial soldiers, the advantage was clearly his. He couldn't fathom how he could lose, so he ordered a full-on, headlong charge against Wang Cheng'en's forces.
Shi Jian and Bai Mao both grabbed their weapons, eager to join the imperial soldiers.
But Wang Cheng'en said sternly, "The main formation, hold your ground."
At his words, Shi Jian and Bai Mao froze. *Right*, they realized. Although nominally centurions, their actual position was with Wang Cheng'en's personal guard, staying at the rear with the main formation. They could only observe the battle alongside Wang Cheng'en; they couldn't just charge forward.
So, Li Daoxuan, as the Puppet Heavenly Lord, could only remain in the rear and observe the battle as well.
This was, in fact, his first time witnessing a proper imperial army engagement, so it was also an opportunity to learn.
The imperial army's sword-and-shield infantry slowly advanced, pressing forward. Numerous long spears protruded from the gaps in their shield wall, while archers behind them nocked arrows and unleashed a chaotic volley at the bandits.
Both sides exchanged arrow fire, but the imperial soldiers were protected by their sword-and-shield formation in front, rendering the bandits' arrows largely ineffective. The imperial arrows, however, threw the bandit formation into utter chaos. As the two sides drew closer, reaching a distance of seven or eight *zhang*, dozens of Three-Eyed Arquebuses suddenly extended from the center of the imperial lines, firing a volley of bangs and haphazard blasts that further disorganized the bandits.
Then, from both flanks, two cavalry detachments suddenly burst forth. Though not numerous, with only about a hundred riders on each side, these two cavalry units charged simultaneously from both flanks, instantly throwing the bandits into confusion. Just as they devolved into disarray, the imperial infantry phalanx arrived, and a flurry of spear thrusts instantly inflicted countless casualties among the bandits.
Wang Cheng'en grasped his warhorse's reins with his left hand, picked up a long spear with his right, and roared, "Main formation, charge now!"
With that, he led the charge, rushing towards the bandit army.
Shi Jian and Bai Mao exchanged a glance, nodded, and charged out with him.
The Puppet Heavenly Lord on Shi Jian's shoulder armor struck a pose, waving a hand forward. "Charge!"
He lost his footing and nearly tumbled off.
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