Chapter 72

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Inside Baosheng Fort, a group of local gentry were in heated debate, with many believing that Inspector Zhao was definitely beyond saving. Now, they needed to determine whether the attackers were just a small band of bandits or if the Left Five Camps were truly planning a large-scale invasion.

If it was just a small band of bandits, that would be manageable, but if the Left Five Camps were crossing over, the situation would be dire. Although the Left Five Camps had become less aggressive and somewhat weakened in recent years, they were still one of the most formidable groups of bandits, with a large number of soldiers. If they attacked, everyone would have to rely on themselves to protect their families and property.

"We should immediately send the Night Watch team into the mountains to gather accurate intelligence," Hu Gongguo suggested.

Mei Zhihuan, looking at the map of Qihuang, could clearly see the danger. If the tens of thousands of bandits from the Left Five Camps, who were entrenched in the Dabie Mountains, attacked, it would be a disaster. Mei Zhihuan's thoughts aligned with Hu Gongguo's; he believed that the old bandits like Lao Huirui were planning to cross west to Junzhou to join forces with the fierce bandits Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai.

"Immediately dispatch the Night Watch team to the mountains to gather specific information," Mei Zhihuan ordered. "Additionally, gather the local militia and contact the major families and merchants to mobilize their forces. This time, we may have to fight a tough battle. Moreover, the county must also take action, prepare funds and supplies, and mobilize some able-bodied men."

Lu Jinxi nodded repeatedly. "When will we send out the troops?"

Mei Zhihuan pondered, "The bandits are numerous, and we cannot rashly engage without clear information, or else Inspector Zhao's fate will be a warning. We'll wait until all the forces are assembled."

Just then, a servant reported, "Young Master Chunjiang is here to see you."

Mei Zhihuan was somewhat surprised; Li Chunjiang was supposed to be at home recovering from his injuries. Why had he come?

"Please, come in!"

Li Chunjiang's injuries were not severe, and after a few days of medication, he could already walk. He strode into the hall, his face filled with urgency, and said to Mei Zhihuan, "Master Mei, I just received news that Jiyeh, along with a dozen brothers from the Nine-Headed Bird and 120 newly recruited militiamen, has rushed to rescue Inspector Zhao. It's said that the bandits surrounding Inspector Zhao number three to four hundred. Master Mei, please send reinforcements to aid Jiyeh quickly."

"What?"

Mei Zhihuan was also taken aback. When County Magistrate Lu had told him that Inspector Zhao had sent someone to seek help from Liu Jun in Taiping Village, he had assumed that Liu Jun, who had no troops, would not risk going to the rescue. But Liu Jun had actually gone, taking only a dozen Nine-Headed Bird members and 120 newly recruited militiamen.

He wasn't sure whether to call Liu Jun brave or reckless.

But this was not the time to consider such things. Liu Jun was a young man he greatly admired, and if he were to fall, Mei Zhihuan would find it hard to accept.

"Immediately gather the cavalry and have them set out to reinforce Liu Jun," Mei Zhihuan ordered loudly.

"Master Mei, please be cautious," several gentry members advised. But Mei Zhihuan was no longer listening. Li Chunjiang said happily, "I will go with them."

It took time to gather a large force, but the 200-strong cavalry of Baosheng Fort was always on standby. Upon receiving Mei Zhihuan's order, the cavalry quickly assembled, and Li Chunjiang, with his dozen retainers, was already prepared with their horses.

"Set out, ride!"

The cavalry galloped out of the fort, heading north.

The people inside and outside the fort were surprised by the sight. "The cavalry is rushing out so urgently, what's happening?"

A well-informed merchant quickly informed everyone, "You don't know yet? The bandits from the east have attacked. Inspector Zhao of Hu Tou Pass and his archers are surrounded by the bandits. The Nine-Headed Bird Liu Jiyeh, who recently defeated a group of fierce bandits, only took a dozen militiamen and went to the rescue. It's said that the bandits number several hundred. Young Master Chunjiang came to ask Master Mei for the cavalry as reinforcements and is now heading to the rescue."

"Oh, this Liu Jiyeh is truly bold."

"That's called bravery, he's a true hero."

"Young Master Chunjiang is also great, very loyal."

"Indeed, I heard that Young Master Chunjiang and Liu Jiyeh have already sworn brotherhood with a blood oath."

Li Chunjiang spurred his horse, unaware of the people's comments. He was deeply worried about Liu Jun, fearing that this guy would be killed by the bandits. He had finally found a friend who shared his temperament and did not want to lose him.

"Faster."

"Even faster."

Li Chunjiang kept urging the cavalry to speed up.

They galloped all the way, and from Baosheng Fort to Hu Tou Pass, which was eighty miles away, Li Chunjiang urged the cavalry to reach their destination in just one hour.

At the Hu Tou Pass inspection office, Liu Jun was inspecting the official residence nestled in the mountains. The inspection office was not located in the county town or in a town but was set up at key passes, similar to a checkpoint. The Hu Tou Pass office had three official halls, side rooms, a gate, and two side gates, with a surrounding wall that was eighty zhang long, which was not small.

The wall was two zhang high and well-fortified.

The inspector usually worked and lived here, and the archers also lived here. There was even a prison in the courtyard where captured bandits, deserters, and smugglers were detained.

"Liu Captain, a large cavalry force is coming from the south, at least two hundred riders, and they will be here soon," Wang Qian, who was on guard outside, ran into the official hall to report to Liu Jun.

"A large cavalry force?" Liu Jun immediately became tense. Cavalry were always elite, whether in the official army or among bandits. A force of two hundred cavalry was a significant power, far stronger than the three hundred or so ragtag bandits they had previously repelled. But coming from the south, could it be from Macheng? But they had arrived too quickly.

"Go and check, have the men be on alert and ready for battle."

Fortunately, the inspection office was like a small fortress. With over a hundred men, it would not be easy for the enemy to breach it. However, Liu Jun hoped that the reinforcements were not bandits but their own people.

Liu Jun climbed the ladder to the top of the wall and used a telescope to observe the approaching cavalry. To his surprise, he recognized familiar faces.

"Ji!"

Liu Jun smiled, recognizing many familiar faces, including some he had shared drinks and conversations with during the previous bandit suppression. He recognized that the cavalry was from Baosheng Fort.

"Inspector Zhao, don't worry, they are our own people. Ji has brought the Baosheng Fort cavalry. The reinforcements have arrived, and we no longer need to worry about the bandits," Liu Jun said with relief to Zhao Dagu.

Zhao Dagu, upon hearing that they were their own people, also sighed with relief and laughed heartily. The other archers also cheered, as they had been worried about the bandits returning. Now, with so many elite reinforcements, they no longer had to fear the bandits.

"Open the gates!" Zhao Dagu shouted, and a group of archers ran over to open the gates.

Liu Jun led everyone out to welcome them.

"Ji!" Liu Jun called out with a smile. Li Chunjiang, covered in dust, was also surprised to see Liu Jun. He dismounted and ran over, "Jiyeh, are you alright?"

"Of course, I'm fine."

Li Chunjiang looked him up and down in surprise, "Didn't you go to rescue Inspector Zhao with a dozen old brothers and over a hundred new recruits?"

"Yes, but we've already rescued him. Let me introduce you to Inspector Zhao," Liu Jun introduced Zhao Dagu to Li Chunjiang.

The several team leaders behind Li Chunjiang looked at Liu Jun and Zhao Dagu in disbelief, "Didn't they say there were several hundred bandits?"

"There were indeed several hundred bandits," Zhao Dagu explained. "We were ambushed and surrounded while pursuing a few bandits. We were trapped on a small hill to the north, surrounded by hundreds of bandits. I thought I was going to die there, but Brother Liu brought over a hundred men to the rescue and fought the bandits, who outnumbered us several times over."

"That battle was unbelievable. Brother Liu is truly remarkable. With just over a hundred newly recruited militiamen, each armed with a long bamboo spear, and the support of the Nine-Headed Bird's muskets, they immediately routed the several hundred bandits, leaving behind fifty corpses, including seventeen mounted bandits."

The cavalry team leaders felt like they were listening to a fairy tale.

Li Chunjiang, however, believed it. Liu Jun had trained a group of new recruits to defeat over fifty fierce bandits in just a month. Now, he had led newly recruited militiamen to defeat several hundred bandits, which Li Chunjiang found not too surprising.

"The bandits were numerous, but only a dozen were skilled. The rest were just old and weak, a ragtag group. When we fired our muskets, the shock was so great that they were almost stunned. Then, with our archers and long spear formations, the bandits couldn't hold. Once their leaders were killed, they immediately scattered," Liu Jun said with a smile, confirming Zhao Dagu's account.

"Come, let's go inside for some water," Liu Jun led everyone into the office.

The cavalry team leaders followed into the office. Inside the courtyard, they saw a pile of items. A few young men were applying lime to the pile, and one of the team leaders went over to take a closer look. To his surprise, the pile was actually a stack of human heads, numbering several dozen. The young men were using lime to preserve the heads and prevent them from rotting.

Next to the pile, there were captured bandit flags, armor, and weapons. Several horses were tied to trees, and a row of meat, which turned out to be horse meat, was hanging on hooks.

This confirmed that Liu Jun had indeed rescued Zhao Dagu and defeated the bandits. The horses were captured, the horse meat was from injured or dead horses on the battlefield, and the weapons and armor, as well as the heads, were all evidence.

"How many did you kill?" he asked.

Zhao Dagu replied, "Brother Liu led the charge and defeated over three hundred bandits, killing fifty, including seventeen mounted bandits. Our inspection office killed and wounded dozens, and we took twenty-seven heads!"

Seventy-seven heads in total, a great victory.

"How many casualties did your men suffer?" Li Chunjiang asked, impressed by the number of bandits killed.

"Inspector Zhao lost five men, three were severely injured and disabled, and the rest were lightly wounded. Our Nine-Headed Bird members fared better, with only a few minor injuries and no fatalities."

Li Chunjiang then turned to look at the Nine-Headed Bird new recruits in the courtyard. They were all strong and tall, with a determined look in their eyes, clearly good soldiers. But it was still shocking that Liu Jun had led just a dozen brothers and over a hundred new recruits to fight several hundred bandits and emerged victorious with minimal casualties.

Heaven, this Liu Jun, Liu Jiyeh, was born to lead troops in battle.

"Ji, shouldn't you be at home recovering? How did you come so quickly?" Liu Jun asked.

"I heard you brought over a hundred new recruits to rescue Inspector Zhao, who was surrounded by several hundred bandits. How could I sit still? I went to Master Mei, and he sent the cavalry. We rushed all the way, but it turned out to be a wasted trip since you had already handled everything."

Liu Jun said, "I am very grateful to you and the cavalry for coming to our aid, really."

"Brothers don't need to be so formal. I'll send someone back to inform Master Mei, so he won't worry. But I'm curious, what will his reaction be when he hears that you defeated several hundred bandits with just over a hundred new recruits?" Li Chunjiang laughed.

...

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