025 The Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate

Outside Huaining City, there are numerous valleys and hills. The path ahead winds along the mountains and cuts through gorges, making it all too easy to find an ambush point.

Wang Lanping had all his men lie in ambush within a small, inverted-V-shaped valley. This was the only way for anyone pursuing the commoners to pass. The mountain road was blocked with felled trees and stones gathered on the spot. On the hillsides on both sides, the horses were muzzled, the men held their breath, and the only sound was the faint chirping of insects. Everything was arranged, waiting only for the Shun army to give chase.

In truth, Wang Lanping was not certain the Shun army would pursue, but caution is the parent of safety.

In the ambush site, tree shadows flickered and human silhouettes were indistinct. Wang Lanping, hiding behind a pile of jagged rocks, kept his eyes fixed on the pitch-black darkness beyond the valley mouth.

Zheng Sen whispered, "General, do you think the Shun army will truly follow us?"

Wang Lanping shifted his body, leaning back, and said, "War is a matter of deception. It is better to prepare for what might not happen than to be caught off guard by what does."

Zheng Sen had grown up in Japan and, after returning to the Ming Dynasty, had studied Confucian classics; he had little depth in military strategy. He asked in confusion, "But we have already left. Huaining City belongs to Li Laiheng now. Is there any need for him to chase us so relentlessly?"

Wang Lanping smiled. "He wanted Huaining City, but what truly humiliates him is me. If I am not dead, he will never be able to swallow this bitterness."

Zheng Sen nodded, seemingly understanding, but then added, "But General, didn't you have an agreement with him to hand over Huaining peacefully? How did you know he would launch a sneak attack before we left?"

Wang Lanping rested his hands behind his head and glanced at Zheng Sen. Despite being a future national hero, this young master still did not understand the duplicity of the battlefield. In war, there are no rules—only life and death.

"You are thinking too simply," Wang Lanping laughed. "A commander is only responsible for the outcome of a war; no one cares about the process. Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion—the goal is victory. An agreement is worth nothing. Throughout history, every great commander has achieved glory through schemes and tricks. Only bookworms are restricted by rules and regulations."

Zheng Sen frowned. "Shouldn't a gentleman's words match his deeds? Such base behavior is not what an honorable man would do. Oh, General, I have spoken out of turn."

Wang Lanping sighed. It seemed great generals were not born; the only true teacher of war is the battlefield itself. No mentor could produce a great general. He patted Zheng Sen on the back and said softly, "The victor is the king, and the loser is the bandit. The winner is not subject to the criticisms of others. You may not understand this now, but as time goes on, you will slowly come to grasp this 'perverted' logic."

***

At the end of the Zi hour (around 1:00 AM), the lights were still burning in the commander's tent of the Shun army camp.

An orderly lifted the flap and entered. Li Laiheng was hunched over his desk, his expression indicating he was deep in thought. He wrote and paused, lost in meditation, before his pen moved with divine inspiration.

The orderly stood at the entrance, wondering whether to interrupt.

"What is it?" Li Laiheng asked, his focus seemingly on his writing, yet he was well aware of the visitor.

The orderly hurried forward and bowed. "General, it is nearly the end of the Zi hour. The troops have been gathered outside for an hour."

Li Laiheng looked up. "Oh! Understood. Go, call the flag officer."

It seemed Li Laiheng had finished. He set down his pen, gently blew on the ink of the paper he had just written, picked up a small bamboo tube prepared on the desk, rolled the letter, and tucked it inside.

The flag officer entered.

"Here. Have this delivered to Xi'an overnight. Hand it personally to my godfather, General Li Guo. Be careful on the road."

The flag bearer took the order and exited.

This was a proposal Li Laiheng had written for Li Zicheng regarding post-war civil taxation. As a frontline commander, it was inappropriate to petition the Emperor directly, so he sent it to Xi'an to be presented to his godfather, Li Guo, for forwarding to Li Zicheng.

Although Li Laiheng outwardly disagreed with Wang Lanping's criticism that the Great Shun had a nation without taxes and a court without a system, he knew these internal improprieties needed to be changed. The promise of "welcoming the Chuang King means no taxes" was only suitable for wartime. In governing the world, it was like lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet.

***

Within the Shun army, a sentiment was spreading: the Ming had fallen, the fighting was over, and it was time to return home to buy land, take a wife, and live a good life. This mood was hurting morale, as seen in the battle at Huaining; the Shun army of the past had been much more ferocious.

In his letter, Li Laiheng suggested that the Great Shun should first focus on the people's livelihood. Due to the death or flight of wealthy landowners, vast tracts of land lay fallow. The Shun should distribute this land to the landless. Within a year or two, once the people were prosperous, it would be easy to implement land taxes without causing resentment.

He also advised against looting wealthy merchants. If they were all scared away, commerce would wither, and the supply of daily necessities would cease. The method of killing the wealthy to feed the army was like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. One should distinguish between the truly wicked and the benevolent; the former should be punished, but the latter should be protected. Only then would the markets be stable and the people's hearts settled.

Li Laiheng was surprised by how accurately Wang Lanping had hit upon the internal ailments of the Great Shun. He admired the man's extraordinary command ability and his keen eye for politics. The more he thought about it, the more he hated him. If such a talent could not be recruited, he must be eliminated.

Li Laiheng donned his armor, took his sword, and stepped out of the tent. A soldier ran over and whispered, "Report, General! Everything in Huaining City is quiet as usual."

Li Laiheng smiled. It seemed the six hundred horses were not wasted; they had bought a moment of laxity from the enemy. Now was the time to take the city.

He mounted his horse and rode to the three thousand soldiers already assembled.

The subordinate officers bowed. "General, give the order. If we do not take Huaining this time, we will offer our heads."

Li Laiheng waved his hand. "Good! We will hold the victory banquet inside the city. Move out!"

With the order given, the three thousand soldiers moved silently, creeping out of the camp.

The ramparts of Huaining City were still brightly lit with torches, and rows of straw men stood neatly, seemingly unaware of what was happening outside. The approaching Shun army was overjoyed.

When they were about a hundred paces from the city, the three thousand soldiers fanned out, using the terrain and darkness to surround the city on three sides.

They reached the foot of the walls, and the city remained deathly silent. Indeed, Wang Lanping had already withdrawn. There was not a single defender left in Huaining. The Shun army found the city gates wide open; they didn't even need to force their way in.

Grappling hooks were thrown onto the walls, and within moments, hundreds of men had climbed up. Just as they wondered why there was no defense, someone shouted, "Look, everyone! The walls are full of straw men!"

The news quickly reached Li Laiheng. He was furious. *Straw men? How could they be straw men? Where were the Ming troops? Where was Wang Lanping? Where were my six hundred horses?*

Li Laiheng finally entered Huaining. But entering in such a grand manner brought him no joy; instead, he felt the humiliation of being played for a fool.

He climbed the watchtower, his body trembling as he looked at the rows of "Ming guards." His scar tightened. His subordinates wisely retreated a few steps.

"Ah!" Li Laiheng drew his sword and hacked frantically at the straw men. Straw flew everywhere, and the torches fell, igniting the dry grass. The ramparts erupted in flames, bright as day.

An officer, fearing the fire would harm him, pulled him back. "General, be careful!"

Li Laiheng shoved him away. "Search! Search the entire city!"

The Shun army flooded the city. The silence of Huaining was broken by the barking of dogs as teams of soldiers combed the streets.

Li Laiheng headed straight for the county government office. It was a tall-walled compound that could serve as a small fortress in urban combat.

The office was pitch black, its main gate bolted shut. Several Shun soldiers were using a heavy wooden beam to batter the door. Li Laiheng sat on his horse, shouting, "Harder! Break it down!"

With a loud crack, the gate collapsed.

Inside, a dozen yamen runners stood in a semi-circle with swords, their legs trembling. Li Laiheng strode in. "Stop! Those who surrender shall live. Huaining belongs to the Great Shun. Drop your weapons!"

The runners looked at each other and dropped their blades, kneeling down.

"Who is in charge?" Li Laiheng asked.

The magistrate's assistant scrambled up, trembling. "Reporting to the General, I am the assistant."

Li Laiheng grabbed his collar. "Tell me, where is Wang Lanping? Where is your 'Scholar Wang'? Where did the Ming troops go?"

"They... they have left."

"Where did they go?"

"They left through the East Gate. As for where... I do not know."

"Then why didn't you flee? Do you want to die as a martyr for the Ming?" Li Laiheng wanted to kill him, but he had just petitioned Li Zicheng to reduce the slaughter.

"Our magistrate is already dead. I am just the assistant. If I lose the city and abandon my post, the imperial court will execute me anyway."

Li Laiheng knew the man dared not lie. He turned around. "Light Cavalry, follow me in pursuit!"

If he took the city but lost Wang Lanping, the battle was in vain. If Wang Lanping survived, every subsequent city would be a brutal struggle. What surprised him most was how the man had calculated his sneak attack.

As Li Laiheng mounted his horse to chase, the assistant called out, "General! General! Scholar Wang said he left something for you in the main hall!"

Li Laiheng returned to the hall, where an envelope lay pressed beneath the gavel. He opened it and burst into laughter. The letter read:

*General, do you wish to emulate Zhang He at Mumen? It is best to stop while you are ahead, lest you tarnish your reputation. Thank you for the horses; they will help me travel eight hundred li a day. I shall await you in Jinling. I hope you come soon, so we may settle the score once and for all.*

Li Laiheng grew solemn. Zhang He was a famous general of the Wei Dynasty who was killed in an ambush at Mumen after trying to pursue Zhuge Liang.

Wang Lanping was telling him: *Do not follow me; if you do, your fate will be that of Zhang He.*

Li Laiheng was not afraid, but he realized the enemy had anticipated his pursuit, and the terrain and darkness were against him. Falling into an ambush would be a meaningless waste of his men.

He burned the letter and watched the flickering flames. *Jinling,* he thought. *I will go there. Wang Lanping, just you wait. You won't be so lucky next time.*