030 Bound by Life and Death

In a mountain gully over fifty li away from Huaining City, a group of refugees shuffled along. Some came from the city itself, others from further away; some had been plundered by the Shun army, others by the Ming forces. In the eyes of the common people, there was no difference—both were merely bandits.

The group was hollow-eyed, gaunt, and ragged. Nobody knew their destination; they simply kept walking, hoping that one day, when their strength finally failed, they would collapse like so many others and find release.

Amidst this crowd, one man was traveling in the opposite direction. While everyone else moved south, he led a horse toward the north, stopping people to ask, "Ma'am, have you seen a group of four fleeing Huaining City? Three women and one man. One of the women is in her twenties—her name is Yun Niang."

"I don't know."

The man with the horse was Li Dingguo. He had been sent by Wang Lanping to find the General’s elderly mother, who had fled the city earlier. But days had passed, and in the vast sea of refugees, there was no sign of the four of them. Having searched all the way to the riverbank, he was forced to turn back, making inquiries along the way. Only then did he learn that Huaining City had fallen and that the Fen Battalion and General Wang’s whereabouts were unknown.

Li Dingguo headed back toward Huaining alone. Perhaps they hadn't been able to cross the river and had returned to the city.

Passing through the stream of refugees, Li felt a sense of despair. How could he face General Wang if he failed to find his mother? The General had saved his life; he might never be able to repay that debt. He hated himself for failing such a simple task.

He stood by the roadside, watching the refugees drift away, feeling lost. If he couldn't find them, he might as well return to Huaining to fight to the death—killing a few Shun rebels would at least honor the life the General had saved. He drew a short sword from his saddle; the blade glinted, reflecting his resolute face. *Kill,* he thought. *What is there to fear in a lone rider?*

"Young man, don't do anything foolish," an old man leaning on a bamboo pole called out from behind him. He was a refugee himself and likely assumed the youth intended to take his own life—he had seen too much of that on the road.

Li Dingguo turned, sheathed his sword, and bowed. "Thank you, elder. I am fine. I am only looking for someone."

The old man stopped to catch his breath. "If you can't find them, don't take this path. Don't lose heart; keep searching, you'll find them eventually."

Li Dingguo smiled faintly. "May I ask, elder, have you seen a group of four—three women and one man? One is a young woman in her twenties named Yun Niang."

The old man thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I haven't paid attention, but you'll find them. Don't rush."

Li Dingguo nodded. "Thank you, elder."

The old man sighed and continued on his way, muttering to himself about how the world had gone to ruin, tearing families apart. After walking a distance, he suddenly turned back and waved. "Young man, wait! I remember now. A few days ago, outside Huaining City, I saw a group of four. I'm not sure if they are the ones you're looking for."

Overjoyed, Li Dingguo rushed over. "Where? Where?"

"I passed a grove of trees," the old man said. "I saw four people hiding inside. It's quite close to Huaining. You must be careful; I hear the Shun soldiers have occupied the area. It's right over there—you have a horse, you'll get there fast."

Li Dingguo didn't care about the Shun soldiers. This was the only lead he had after so many days. Before the old man could finish, he had vaulted onto his horse and galloped in the direction indicated.

The four people the old man mentioned were indeed Yun Niang and her companions. After fleeing the city, they had traveled until dawn, then joined a group of refugees heading for the river, thinking there was safety in numbers.

However, days later, they heard that Huaining had fallen. Old Mrs. Wang, desperate for news of her son, decided to turn back. If he were alive, they had to find him; if he were dead, someone had to bury him. Yun Niang followed, feeling that in Brother Lanping’s absence, the duty to care for his mother fell to her.

They returned to the gates of Huaining, but seeing the city walls manned by Shun soldiers, they dared not enter. They hid in a nearby grove, questioning refugees who managed to escape about the whereabouts of the Ming garrison.

They spent two days in that forest. The city was under strict lockdown; the newly empowered Du Ming had closed the gates to anyone trying to leave, using the pretext of "former Ming remnants" to purge those who displeased his family and to demonstrate his loyalty to the new regime.

For ten days, the wealthy merchants and those with ties to the former dynasty were systematically stripped of their assets. Du Ming and the local Shun commanders fabricated charges, sealed homes, and threw people into prison, demanding silver for their release—much like Li Zicheng had done in Beijing.

At the city gate, the Shun soldiers were lounging when they spotted the four travelers. Yun Niang had smeared dirt on her face to hide her beauty, as young women were as prized as silver in these chaotic times.

"Hey, what are you doing?" one guard yawned.

"Soldier," Mrs. Wang said, "we are from this city. We fled when the fighting started and are only now returning."

The guards, accustomed to returning refugees, barely paid attention. One guard leaned his spear against the wall and gestured. "The Magistrate’s orders: you may enter, but let's see if you have any contraband."

Mrs. Wang, a widow of twenty years, could not bear to be searched by young men. Knowing what they truly wanted, she handed over her remaining silver—money given to her by Kong Ru—and pressed it into the soldier's waist. "A small token for tea, soldier. Please, don't trouble us women."

The soldier grinned and waved them through. But as they entered, two yamen runners—local thugs recruited by Du Ming—spotted them. One of them squinted, then his eyes widened. "Wait! I recognize them! Catch them!"

The runners shouted that the woman was the mother of the "top scholar" Wang and that the young woman was his lover. A reward of one hundred taels of silver had been placed on their heads. The soldiers, greedy for the bounty, swarmed them.

The four fled toward the woods, but they were quickly intercepted. The soldiers toyed with them, mocking their plight and taunting them about the "great scholar" who couldn't save his own mother.

When they reached the grove, the soldiers decided to stop playing. Yun Niang’s father stepped in front of the women, only to be kicked to the ground. A soldier grabbed Yun Niang, but her father lunged at him, sparking a chaotic brawl.

Their screams drew Li Dingguo, who arrived just in time to see the soldiers beating the old man. With a cry of fury, Li charged on horseback, trampling two soldiers instantly. He leaped from his horse, his short sword flashing. "Anyone who insults Scholar Wang shall die!"

The remaining soldiers tried to seize the women as hostages. In the ensuing struggle, a spear pierced Yun Niang’s mother as she shielded her daughter. Yun Niang screamed and fainted into Mrs. Wang’s arms.

Li Dingguo moved with lethal speed, cutting down the remaining soldiers in a flurry of strikes. When the last one tried to flee, Li hurled a captured spear, pinning him to the ground.

The skirmish was over in moments. Li Dingguo turned to the weeping women. "Are you Yun Niang? Do you know Scholar Wang?"

"I am his mother," the old woman replied.

"Madam, come with me! I was sent by the General to find you!" Li hoisted the unconscious Yun Niang onto his back and led Mrs. Wang into the tall grass just as the main force of the Shun garrison began to swarm toward the sound of the fighting.

By the time the soldiers arrived, the rescuers were long gone. In their rage, they hacked the bodies of Yun Niang’s parents into pieces. Half an hour later, Du Ming ordered a city-wide search, but it was far too late.