Chapter Sixty-Three: The Commander of the Campaign

Ten Kings’ Stronghold had once merely been an obstacle to Li Yun’s ambitions, but now, it had become a matter of personal vengeance.

As the setting sun cast its oblique rays, Li Yun turned to glance at Liu Bo behind him. Even if not for Heizi’s sake, then for the swelling and redness on Old Ninth’s face, one day, the great chieftain Li would raze the entire Ten Kings’ Stronghold to the ground!

The three brothers had just finished burying Heizi when, not far off, a tall, upright middle-aged man approached with long strides. He first looked at the mound beside Li Yun, then at Li Yun himself, before bowing deeply with clasped fists and saying, “Chieftain, about Heizi…”

“Third Uncle,” Li Yun lowered his voice, but his tone was resolute. “I will handle this matter.”

The newcomer was none other than Zhou Liang, the third-in-command. He looked up at Li Yun and spoke in a grave voice, “Chieftain, we old fellows have already discussed this. If there is anything you need from us, just say the word.”

“Heizi…” His gaze once again fell upon the small earthen mound, his voice tinged with sorrow. “We watched him grow up.”

Li Yun said nothing more, but quietly departed and returned to his own courtyard.

Li Zheng looked up at Zhou Liang, wanting to say something, but only sighed and followed after Li Yun. Liu Bo, too, did not look at Zhou Liang, but left in silence.

Zhou Liang half-knelt, adding another handful of earth to Heizi’s grave, then turned to watch Li Yun’s departing figure, deep in thought.

If it had been the old Erzi, he would have long since led men to storm Linyang Mountain.

Yet for some reason, Zhou Liang found this present Erzi, calm as still water, as if nothing had happened, all the more unnerving.

…

At the county office of Qingyang, Li Yun, just returned from Cangshan, stood silently before Magistrate Xue. The elder lifted his head and asked, “Where have you been these past days?”

“I was tending to some personal matters.” Li Yun smiled, then continued, “And I also went to gather some intelligence on the Ten Kings’ Stronghold at Linyang Mountain.”

He looked at Magistrate Xue and went on, “Sir, the Ten Kings’ Stronghold is sizable. Just the bandits alone number over a hundred, and counting their families, the whole settlement is several hundred strong. They’ve entrenched themselves at Linyang Mountain, wreaking havoc everywhere.”

“As long as they remain, they are the greatest scourge of Qingyang.”

Magistrate Xue looked up at Li Yun and shook his head slightly. “As you’ve said, just the bandits alone are over a hundred, and they hold the high ground at Linyang Mountain. To take the Ten Kings’ Stronghold would require four or five hundred men at least, perhaps even more.”

“This matter must be planned carefully.”

“By the way,” Magistrate Xue looked up at Li Yun and said, “These past days, I made a trip to the prefecture. Inspector Tian mentioned that the Court is paying close attention to the bandit problem. His Highness the Crown Prince has already petitioned for the Court to send a batch of Imperial Commissioners to serve as Pacification Envoys in various regions.”

At the mention of that title, Li Yun’s eyelid twitched.

Pacification Envoy—simple enough: to pacify and to suppress. In short, they were to deal with the rampant banditry plaguing the countryside.

If such envoys were indeed dispatched to Xuanzhou, stockades like Cangshan would certainly be suppressed, but for a place as large as the Ten Kings’ Stronghold, there was a real chance they would be offered amnesty instead…

In that event, those at Ten Kings’ Stronghold might even end up with official posts, which would truly make Chief Li sick with disgust!

He looked up at Magistrate Xue and asked, “Sir, when will these Pacification Envoys arrive?”

“I do not know,” the old man shook his head. “Even if His Majesty approves, the selection of envoys must be discussed, and with the current chaos at court and the distance from the capital, my guess is…”

“It will be next spring or even summer before the envoys take up their posts.”

At this, he looked at Li Yun and spoke, “The Court has no troops to dispatch. When the envoys arrive, they can only use local manpower. In all of Xuanzhou, when it comes to suppressing bandits, your reputation stands above all. When the envoys arrive, they will almost certainly summon you to serve under their command.”

Li Yun narrowed his eyes but said nothing. What nonsense was this about Pacification Envoys? He could not care less. All he wanted now was to storm the Ten Kings’ Stronghold and vent the stifling anger in his chest!

Fortunately, he still had ample time. It was still summer now, and there were many months left before year’s end—he had nearly a year to wipe out the Ten Kings’ Stronghold!

With that, he bowed slightly and said, “Sir, I may not necessarily serve under these envoys.”

He lowered his head, “I must attend to forming the Anti-Bandit Squad. I’ll take my leave.”

Magistrate Xue seemed to notice the change in Li Yun’s mood and did not detain him, merely nodding and saying, “Go ahead.”

“As for the Anti-Bandit Squad, handle it as you see fit.”

…

In a blink, two months passed.

It was now late autumn of the third year of Xiande, edging into early winter.

In Li Yun’s small courtyard, Mr. Zheng, beaming with delight, set down several chests of copper coins and said cheerfully, “Chief Constable Li, this is the anti-bandit fund our families have contributed this month.”

Li Yun frowned slightly, “Mr. Zheng, this money should be sent to the county office for proper accounting. Why bring it to my home?”

“It’s all the same, all the same,” Mr. Zheng replied, smiling broadly. “In just half a year, the bandits of Qingyang have all but vanished. Chief Constable Li, your merit is second to none. Whether the money goes to the county office or to you, it makes no difference.”

Li Yun glanced at the chests and said, “Very well, I’ll deliver them to the county office later. On behalf of the people of Qingyang, I thank you, Mr. Zheng.”

“No need, no need,” Mr. Zheng bowed politely, still smiling. “Chief Constable Li is the savior of Qingyang. Many people are moving here now because of the peace you’ve brought.”

After a few more polite exchanges, Mr. Zheng took his leave.

Li Yun did not even look at the chests, but turned to Li Zheng, who had just returned from Cangshan, and asked, “How are the preparations?”

Li Zheng, still seeing Mr. Zheng off, replied, “We’ve recruited about a hundred men from the manor, each promised a string of cash per month.”

He lowered his voice, “It’s just… we haven’t told them what exactly we intend to do. All they know is that they’re being hired to guard the fields.”

“And the manor itself isn’t built yet. The masons say it won’t be finished until spring at the earliest.”

Li Zheng was clearly worried. “Second Brother, relying on these tenants to attack the Ten Kings’ Stronghold doesn’t seem wise. Most have never seen blood…”

“We’ll go at night,” Li Yun said slowly. “I and the Anti-Bandit Squad will lead at the front, the men from the manor will follow, and those tenants will bring up the rear. We’ll tell them in advance that they’re assisting the authorities in suppressing bandits.”

“They won’t need to fight the bandits directly—just ensure we’re not surrounded by the Ten Kings’ men.”

His voice grew low. “The most pressing issue now is how to get past the dense defenses of the Ten Kings’ Stronghold and break inside.”

“As long as we can fight our way in, face to face…”

Li Yun continued, “We hold official status, and at least a dozen of us can wear armor. I am confident we can defeat them.”

Li Zheng was about to speak when the courtyard gate was knocked upon once more.

Li Yun strode to the door, and upon seeing the visitor, broke into a broad smile. “Seventh Master, you’re here.”

It was none other than Chen Qi, who had taught him the art of the spear.

Master Chen carried a spear nearly ten feet long. With both hands he offered it to Li Yun, smiling, “I know you’re strong-handed. I spent over two months looking for just the right length of seasoned bull sinew wood and fitted it with a heavy spearhead.”

“It weighs seven or eight catties—try it out.”

Li Yun took it, feeling the heft and the resilience of the shaft, and the thickness and sharpness of the head.

Master Chen was clearly proud. “With your strength, this spear can not only pierce men, but also smash through armor.”

“Only here in Xuanzhou can you find bull sinew wood of this length.”

Li Yun offered his thanks, gripping the spear with both hands and giving it a mighty shake. The shaft’s tenacity made the weapon buck like a dragon straining to break free.

He held his breath, steadied his grip, and thrust the spear forward—it nearly whistled as it sliced the air.

“Excellent!” cried the chieftain, his spirits soaring.

“Seventh Master, you have done me a great service.”

He retracted the spear and bowed in gratitude, excitement in his voice.

“I was in dire need of a weapon that suited me!”