Chapter 3

On the morning of February 8th, Wei Ze led his team through the vast and uninhabited Daoyao Mountain, finally reaching a high peak beside the official road. Standing on the moss-covered mountain rocks, with the cold mountain wind blowing around him, he looked down to see a winding road stretching far into the distance. Straining his eyes, the road, hidden by the trees and mountains, could still be clearly discerned.

Zhang Yingchen, who had a natural talent for direction, was selected by Wei Ze to determine the direction of the team. As a local, Zhang Yingchen took a long time to convince himself that the road ahead was not a small path but the familiar official road he knew. However, Zhang Yingchen had never stood at such a high place so close to the official road, giving him a strange mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity.

Wei Ze, an outsider, could lead everyone through an unfamiliar path to reach the official road. More importantly, Wei Ze had said they would reach the official road in at most one day. Zhang Yingchen, who had been disoriented in the mountains, naturally did not believe it. When they finally arrived near the official road, Zhang Yingchen was both delighted and surprised.

With his arms crossed, Wei Bo quietly watched the official road ahead. Wei Changrong, Zhang Yingchen, and other squad leaders stood on either side of Wei Ze, while the warriors who had endured great hardships to reach their destination were further back. The mountain wind was fierce, blowing the long ends of the warriors' headbands into the air.

Wei Changrong stuck his long spear into the mountain rock, took a step forward, and leaned out to look down the cliff. Wei Ze quickly pulled him back, "Be careful. We've come this far, don't do anything rash."

Hearing this, Wei Changrong immediately stepped back and nodded, "Fourth Uncle is right, I was indeed not careful enough."

Zhang Yingchen knew that Wei Changrong had an impulsive nature and liked to take risks, but he was surprisingly serious at this moment.

Wei Ze ordered, "Everyone, find a way down the mountain. Yingchen, stay here." Then, Wei Ze took out his map and asked Zhang Yingchen to help determine the direction.

Watching Wei Ze skillfully use the charcoal to draw the mountain paths and the terrain around the official road, Zhang Yingchen was speechless, not knowing what to say. Of course, the map had Zhang Yingchen's contribution; the cross symbol in the upper right corner, which determined the final direction, was set by Zhang Yingchen. However, determining direction was Zhang Yingchen's natural talent; he could accurately determine direction by looking at the sky, the mountains, and the trees.

This ability had been praised by many around Zhang Yingchen, but no one had ever given him such high praise as Wei Ze. More importantly, no one had ever been able to do so much based on Zhang Yingchen's direction.

When Wei Ze was halfway through drawing, Zhang Yingchen could not resist his strong envy and asked tentatively, "Wei Sima, could you teach me how to draw maps?"

"Really want to learn?" Wei Ze replied without turning his head.

"Yes!" Zhang Yingchen was determined and answered firmly.

Hearing such a firm tone, Wei Ze turned to look at Zhang Yingchen, his sharp eyes fixed on him. Zhang Yingchen did not know what Wei Ze meant but also looked back with a determined gaze. Wei Ze was very satisfied with Zhang Yingchen's attitude and said, "Yingchen, if you want to learn, learn well. Learn to be better than me, I believe in you!"

This greatly exceeded Zhang Yingchen's expectations. Learning someone's skills was a big deal, and the learner had to show the utmost sincerity, while the teacher would often be reluctant. But Wei Ze seemed very happy that Zhang Yingchen wanted to learn. This was almost the opposite of what Zhang Yingchen expected. Zhang Yingchen was 23 years old, 4 years older than Wei Ze. Because he was from the Heaven and Earth Society, Zhang Yingchen had dealt with many people from the martial world and suspected that Wei Ze was just being casual. But Wei Ze's attitude made Zhang Yingchen think otherwise. For the rest of the time, Zhang Yingchen was completely focused on this matter, and neither of them spoke until Wei Ze finished the map.

Wei Changrong and the others had already found a way down the mountain. The team set up camp in a mountain hollow about half a mile from the official road. The area was dense with trees and grass, providing good cover. However, Wei Ze was still not satisfied and sent his men to several places on the official road to ensure that the camp could not be seen. Only then did they start setting up camp.

The camp was simple. Two long spears were fixed to the ground at the base, and their heads were tied together. Two such supports were used to hold up another long spear, which was tied with grass rope and covered with cloth, creating a tent that could accommodate six people. It was cold, and huddling together provided warmth, so the men had no complaints.

As a local, Zhang Yingchen and a few other men loosened their hair, wrapped their heads tightly, and went out to scout.

In those days, there were no modern communication devices, so scouting relied on walking. Zhang Yingchen and Wei Changrong were gone for a whole day without any news. Wei Ze did not idle; he led the team in preparing the ambush site and the retreat route. On the morning of February 9th, Zhang Yingchen hurriedly returned.

"I saw the Qing army's supply convoy! They will be here by noon at the latest," Zhang Yingchen reported, somewhat nervously.

"Really? What are they transporting? Wei Changrong, impatient, asked first. If not for the fact that the ambush site was over a mile from the official road, and Wei Ze's order to keep quiet, Wei Changrong would have shouted.

"What do they transport? Once we kill the Qing soldiers, everything they carry is ours!" Wei Ze laughed.

The other men also nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

The Qing army's supply convoy was moving confidently and was quickly discovered by Zhang Yingchen. Seeing Wei Ze's confident demeanor and the joy of the men at the prospect of ambushing the Qing army, Zhang Yingchen quickly added, "There are over 200 Qing soldiers!"

This attempt to dampen their spirits was ineffective. Wei Changrong replied boldly, "So what if there are over 200? My fourth uncle and seven other brothers once captured eight artillery positions. Following him to ambush the Qing army, we will surely rout them."

Zhang Yingchen had heard of Wei Ze's feat but only as a story. He could not help but add, "We only have 26 men."

Even this did not shake Wei Changrong's confidence. He patted Zhang Yingchen's shoulder, "Just follow my fourth uncle, you won't go wrong!"

The other warriors began to ask Wei Ze, "Wei Sima, how are we going to fight?"

Zhang Yingchen felt a bit hopeless; this was a battle of one against ten. Wei Ze might be able to handle it, but Zhang Yingchen did not believe he could. Since the old Taiping army veterans were still so confident after he emphasized the number of Qing soldiers, Zhang Yingchen could not help but think that perhaps Wei Ze and Wei Changrong were really good at fighting. After all, Zhang Yingchen did not want to have gone through so much effort to cross the mountains and achieve nothing.

Even in an ambush, and after Zhang Yingchen and the others observed the Qing army, which did not seem very alert, Wei Ze did not become complacent. He immediately worked with his men to formulate several plans for different scenarios.

Once the plans were set, the team immediately took action. This action involved moving all unnecessary items to a hidden location. Wei Ze explained that they would loot and leave, and during the retreat, they would travel light. Any items they could not take immediately would be hidden and retrieved later.

After the initial preparations were completed, the team set up their ambush. The ambush site was on the side of the official road with a slope. After a thorough search, the ground was about 20 meters from the official road and was mostly flat. The team wore grass hats and grass clothing and lay in the grass. Zhang Yingchen, following Wei Ze's orders, personally checked the ambush site from the official road. He saw only a large patch of dense grass, with no one visible. This reassured Zhang Yingchen.

The ambush site was well-prepared, but the men quickly realized something was wrong. The official road, even during wartime, was not completely deserted. To avoid exposing the ambush site, the men could not move once they were in position. Despite the grass clothing and the cotton jackets they had taken from the Qing army, and the grass they had laid under them, the cold was still hard to bear.

Moreover, according to Zhang Yingchen, the Qing army would arrive by noon, but the supply convoy was moving slowly and had not appeared by midday. Wei Changrong could not help but ask Zhang Yingchen in a questioning tone, "Did you give away any clues that the Qing army noticed?"

Before Zhang Yingchen could respond, Wei Ze interrupted, "Yingchen is used to our marching speed. By our standards, they should have arrived long ago."

Wei Changrong fell silent, and Zhang Yingchen glared at him angrily but did not argue. After all, Zhang Yingchen's prediction was wrong, and even though Wei Ze had explained it, the mistake was real. Fortunately, to prevent any changes, Wei Ze had everyone carry a bamboo tube of military rations. When things went wrong, he ordered everyone to eat another meal, which prevented any major issues. However, eating cold rice mixed with yellow beans, Zhang Yingchen did not feel comfortable looking around. He believed that the men on either side would look at him with disapproving eyes.

About half an hour later, the men on high ground finally came down to report that a Qing army convoy had appeared on the official road.

As Zhang Yingchen had reported, this Qing army had hired a mule team. The team consisted of about 50 to 60 Yunnan mules, and including the mule drivers and the Qing soldiers responsible for escorting, there were over 200 people. Wei Ze's team had only 26 men, 21 with spears, and 5 with matchlock guns.

The Qing army did not notice the Taiping army hidden in the grass. They did not even check any potential ambush sites. Zhang Yingchen, hidden in the ambush site, watched the Qing army's supply convoy closely. He noticed that the Qing army's escort was very lax. The mule team, to avoid overworking the mules, moved very slowly, and the Qing soldiers maintained the same pace, walking lazily. The Qing army's main force was led by an officer of unknown rank, surrounded by many guards, but it was unclear who they were protecting. Almost every Qing soldier had a matchlock gun, indicating that they were a Green Standard Army unit.

The Taiping army was not unfamiliar with Qing matchlock guns. Wei Ze's team had five matchlock guns taken from the Qing army. These guns were heavy and had a complex operation process. A single shot required over a dozen steps, and a skilled Qing soldier could fire only about two shots per minute. The gun barrels also heated up quickly, and after five or six shots, they needed to cool down before they could be used again. The best way to deal with these guns was to suddenly get close to the Qing soldiers, leaving them no time to use their guns. This was the core of Wei Ze's battle plan.

Just as the Qing army's main force passed, Zhang Yingchen's eyes lit up. The mules in the rear were carrying cured meat. Zhang Yingchen's attention was almost entirely on the cured meat, and he could hear the sound of several men swallowing their saliva. Thinking about the possibility of eating meat if they won, Zhang Yingchen suddenly felt the courage to fight.

Just as he was thinking this, Zhang Yingchen felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Wei Ze turn and whisper, "Pass the order, prepare to charge!"

Zhang Yingchen's heart began to race at the thought of a real battle. Just as he was getting excited, Wei Ze glared at him, "Pass the order, prepare to charge!"

Zhang Yingchen realized that Wei Ze was not just talking to him but wanted him to pass the order to the men around him. He quickly turned and whispered to the men nearby, "Pass the order, prepare to charge!"

The order was passed from one man to another. As the whispers grew fainter and the order spread throughout the team, the grass rustled, and Wei Ze suddenly stood up from the ambush site. He removed his grass hat and grass clothing, raised his long spear high, and shouted, "Brothers, follow me, charge!"

Without looking back, Wei Ze charged towards the Qing army. Seeing Wei Ze take the lead, Zhang Yingchen gathered his thoughts and stood up to follow. Zhang Yingchen, about 165 cm tall, was not considered short in Qing-era Guangxi, while Wei Ze, about 170 cm tall, was tall and long-legged. Zhang Yingchen found that despite his best efforts, he was falling behind Wei Ze. A man soon overtook Zhang Yingchen and ran ahead. This man was Wei Changrong, who was about the same height as Zhang Yingchen.

The ambush site was only about 20 meters from the official road. From the moment they stood up, it took less than half a minute for Wei Ze to charge into the Qing army, which was completely taken aback by the sudden attack.

Zhang Yingchen had heard Wei Changrong boast many times about Wei Ze's bravery. In the previous battle, the Qing army had been defeated while fleeing, which was not particularly impressive. Seeing Wei Ze lead the charge, Zhang Yingchen acknowledged that Wei Ze was indeed "brave." Now, Zhang Yingchen could personally verify whether Wei Ze was as skilled as rumored.

Running behind Wei Ze, Zhang Yingchen watched as Wei Ze quickly reached the Qing army, his long spear darting out like a venomous snake, piercing the throat of a Qing soldier in front of him. Wei Ze then lightly twisted the spear and pulled it back, and blood gushed from the wound in the Qing soldier's neck.

Without a second glance at the dying enemy, Wei Ze turned and roared, "Kill!" His spear pierced the throat of another Qing soldier.

Just a moment behind Wei Ze, Wei Changrong also reached the Qing army. He shouted, "Kill!" and thrust his spear into the abdomen of a nearby Qing soldier. Another Taiping soldier, running slightly ahead of Wei Changrong, kicked the Qing soldier in the chest, causing him to release the spear and fall back with a scream.

More Taiping soldiers joined the fight on the official road, working together seamlessly. Those as agile as Wei Ze could take down an enemy alone, while the more aggressive but less skilled soldiers worked in groups of two or three to take down a Qing soldier. In a matter of moments, five or six Qing soldiers were dead.

Before joining Wei Ze's team, Zhang Yingchen had been part of the city defense forces and had no experience in field battles. Despite some combat training under Wei Ze, Zhang Yingchen was still shocked by the strong fighting ability of his comrades.

In the brief moment Zhang Yingchen spent watching his comrades fight, Wei Ze had already killed four enemies. The Qing soldiers, unprepared for such a fierce attack, were terrified, their faces pale and their bodies trembling. They dropped their matchlock guns without even realizing it. Wei Ze did not hesitate or show any mercy; he aimed for the throat of each Qing soldier, advancing a few steps and killing two more.

"Zhang Yingchen, have you had enough of watching? If you've had enough, start killing the Qing soldiers!" Wei Changrong, who had just killed another Qing soldier, turned and shouted at Zhang Yingchen.

Zhang Ying