Chapter 30

At the entrance of the mule and horse inn, a crowd had gathered, numbering about twenty to thirty people. They were all armed with guns, sticks, and even a fodder cutter and kitchen knives, likely belonging to the inn's staff and cooks. These people stood in front of the inn, cursing loudly and using very offensive language.

Du Shenming smiled and said, "At this distance, it’s probably a branch of some footman guild from the fort, ready to set up an ambush for the young master."

Zhang Han looked around and suddenly said, "You damn bastards are still standing here listening. Do you think those are just firewood sticks in your hands? Why don’t you hurry up and attack!"

After his time-travel, Zhang Han had been acting like a well-behaved baby in front of the Chang family, maintaining a serious demeanor in the store, kneeling at the ancestral hall hundreds of miles away, and bowing to officials whenever he met them. He had been suppressing his anger, and now, as he cursed, he felt a surge of relief.

If it weren’t for his concern about his image, Zhang Han would have liked to grab a knife and charge in to slash away.

Du Shenming laughed, realizing that Zhang Han was a normal young man, not the overly mature person he had seemed before.

With Zhang Han’s order, Liang Xing and Yang Qiu didn’t hesitate. They had formed this group and association precisely for such tasks. They had been practicing daily at the mule and horse inn, and everyone was feeling restless. They all dismounted and charged forward with various weapons.

The footmen on the other side were also well-prepared. There were about thirty of them, including inn staff and porters, forming a numerical advantage over the Lahu group. Porters were similar to gangsters; even a simple farmer would become a seasoned hand after a few months of work. They could easily turn into bandits by pulling out a knife halfway down the road. Since they were not in the military fort, they weren’t afraid of the Lahu group seeking revenge. They shouted and charged forward, waving their various weapons.

Both sides were making a great commotion. Du Shenming was somewhat surprised and worried about his goods. If the He Yusheng side lost, these porters might take the opportunity to rob his goods.

The value of his goods was one thing, but more importantly, they were New Year’s gifts for nobles, which would be used for rewards or gifts. If there were any delays, even Du Shenming’s status wouldn’t be enough to bear the consequences.

However, Du Shenming knew that this fight was inevitable. The footmen and mule and horse inns were not easy to deal with. If they backed down this time, they wouldn’t be able to do business with He Yusheng in the future, and the idea of opening a branch would be out of the question. His plan to use He Yusheng for deliveries would also fall through. No matter which side they were on, they had to fight.

The two sides soon engaged in battle. The Lahu group was experienced, but the mule and horse inn had more people. They fought fiercely, swinging their weapons at each other. Long spears, long knives, waist knives, poles, fodder cutters, and kitchen knives were all mixed together. Several people were cut, but the injuries were mostly superficial, though they bled profusely. The fight quickly became a chaotic melee, with people mixed together. Occasionally, someone would scream and retreat. At first, the porters were more numerous and fierce, but they lacked the Lahu group’s experience in brawls. As the fight continued, the Lahu group’s bravery couldn’t match the numerical advantage of the porters. Some Lahu members were cut and forced to retreat, and the remaining few were gradually surrounded and overwhelmed.

"Master Zhang, your men aren’t very capable," Du Shenming said, growing anxious. The Lahu group looked fierce, but in the fight, they were just that.

The Lahu group had about a dozen men, all armed with proper weapons, including waist knives, long spears, and long knives. The long knives were standard military-issue, improved by Qi Jiguang, with blades over five feet long, sharp and narrow, and handles and guards over two meters long. The long spears were also standard military-issue, with sharp spearheads and iron-reinforced handles and shafts made of high-quality mulberry wood, which was flexible and sturdy. These weapons were not something that could be easily compared to wooden poles. The waist knives were made from high-quality Min iron. These weapons were all secretly bought from the military arsenal, a convenience not available elsewhere. The garrison in Xinping Fort had over 1,600 people, but the actual number was probably less than half, and there were plenty of weapons, though no muskets, just some small cannons and tiger-squat cannons. Zhang Han didn’t dare buy these, nor did he dare buy armor or bows, which no one could use. Despite having such sharp weapons, the Lahu group was being beaten by a group of porters, and it looked like they were about to lose.

Zhang Han was also cursing these damn Lahu members in his heart. During training, they were all lazy and unwilling to move. He had recruited them for their boldness, not to train them into warriors, but just to be willing to fight. Who would have thought they couldn’t even handle a group fight?

Zhang Han understood that these porters were not ordinary people. If it were a group of commoners, the Lahu group would have scared them off with their weapons, let alone fight them. Seeing blood and not running away was truly bizarre.

Zhang Han’s face showed determination. This trip was not just about the mule and horse inn business but also the footman business and the account bureau business. If they lost this first battle, everything else would be in jeopardy. The Ming Dynasty had weak control over the grassroots, and most of the benefits were divided among the imperial relatives, nobles, and gentry. Zhang Han could only think of ways to make money in businesses that these people looked down upon. If he lost this fight today, all his plans would be in vain.

At this moment, the Lahu group was collapsing. Yang Qiu’s face and body were covered in blood, his beard stained red. He was the first to run back to Zhang Han, shouting, "Young Master, we can’t handle it. These porters are too fierce. Let’s go, I’ll protect you."

Liang Hong, who hadn’t joined the fight, saw his nephew Liang Xing still fighting at the front with a long knife. He was angry and said, "Why do you need to protect the Young Master on horseback? Go back, I’ll go."

"We can’t handle them..."

"Are you taking your monthly pay for nothing?"

The argument grew louder, and Du Shenming’s face turned grim. If the Lahu group and the mule drivers were beaten and ran away, he would have to pay a large sum of silver to hire these porters, and the journey might not be safe. They might even kill and rob them in the wilderness.

At this moment, Zhang Han spurred his horse forward.

"Young Master?" Liang Hong was surprised, and Du Shenming was also taken aback.

Zhang Han’s face was calm, but his heart was boiling. He wasn’t afraid of a group fight, and even if he were killed, it wouldn’t matter. If he couldn’t achieve his goals, he would rather die immediately.

Zhang Han had always been this stubborn. Otherwise, a child from a poor background would never have been able to start a listed company.

Everyone was stunned, watching Zhang Han charge forward alone.

"Young Master, I’m coming too!" Liang Hong’s eyes were red. He had once plotted against the Young Master with Li Yuchun, but the Young Master had not held it against him, and Li Yuchun had also been spared. Where could he find such a magnanimous master? Later, Liang Hong had seen Zhang Han’s resolve and abilities. If anything happened to Zhang Han now, all his grand plans would be in vain.

Zhang Han looked back and saw that Liang Hong had indeed drawn his waist knife and followed, with a strong presence.

Yang Qiu and the other injured Lahu members who had run back were stunned. They hadn’t expected the Young Master and the third clerk to charge back. They didn’t know what to do and stood there in a daze.

A burly porter swung a long knife and struck Liang Xing’s shoulder, causing a spray of blood. Liang Xing, who was already struggling, was forced to retreat, leaving a gap in front of him. The burly porter, seeing this, swung his knife horizontally at Liang Xing’s abdomen. If this strike landed, Liang Xing would surely die.

"Bang!"

At the most critical moment, a loud sound echoed.

The burly porter suddenly felt a wet, warm sensation on his face, and a strong, pungent smell of blood enveloped him. His face was covered in blood, and he instinctively took a step back.

Zhang Han held a musket, the barrel still smoking. About twenty steps away, a small porter had been hit in the arm. The soft lead bullet had stopped below his left shoulder, creating a small hole, and blood spurted out.

This shot stunned everyone.

Whether it was the Lahu group or the porters, fights were common, and using knives or spears was also common, but using a musket was a first.

The hit porter was initially stunned, then felt intense pain and started rolling on the ground, clutching his arm.

"Master Zhang’s shot was very accurate. That was a good shot."

Hearing Liang Hong’s praise, Zhang Han felt a bit embarrassed.

He had used this weapon frequently in group fights and to hunt rabbits in the countryside. At that time, he was about fifteen or sixteen, the same age as now. The state’s gun control was lax, and even private citizens owned rifles, let alone homemade muskets.

Liang Hong was knowledgeable and knew that firing a musket was easy, but aiming accurately was difficult. Many places in the Nine Borders had musket units, but the most musketeers were in the Jizhou area, while Xuan and Da had very few. Muskets were hard to aim accurately and were not as effective as bows at long distances. Commanders and their guards preferred not to use them, and civilians used them less in the north than in the south. This weapon was unstable and would only be widely used in the north for hunting large game much later. The Qing Dynasty’s control over muskets was much stricter than the Ming Dynasty’s.

Zhang Han’s shot, in Liang Hong’s view, was fast, steady, and accurate, and it had stabilized the situation.

Indeed, seeing the smoking barrel, the porters were stunned and slowly retreated. The Lahu group’s morale was boosted, and they cursed and herded the porters together, raising their long spears and long knives. They ordered the porters to squat down, and they all complied, except for the one hit by Zhang Han, who was still rolling and screaming in pain.