Chapter 38: A Narrow Escape from Death

With the return of the Shun army, the entire Anqing Prefecture was once again brought under the sphere of influence of the Great Shun Dynasty. Du Ming, the Magistrate of Huaining, was also promoted from acting magistrate to an officially appointed official of the Great Shun court. This greatly delighted him, and he exerted all his abilities to gather provisions for Li Laixiang’s approaching large army.

Seeing that the general trend was lost, Zhou Shining, the former Ming Prefect of Anqing, had no choice but to take a few attendants and the official seal. Before the Shun soldiers entered the city, he crossed the Yangtze River and fled to save his life. Li Laixiang entered Anqing City without bloodshed. He originally intended to open the prefectural granaries to replenish military supplies, but he never expected that this was not like fighting a war at all—it was clearly stepping into a famine. When Liu Zeqing left, not only did he empty the prefectural granaries, but he also looted and ransacked the grain merchants among the common people. This caused grain prices inside the city to skyrocket. The citizens had money but nowhere to buy grain, and for a time, the city was filled with starving refugees and rampant bandits.

Li Laixiang was dumbfounded. This was no way for the Ming army to wage a scorched-earth campaign, treating the lives of three hundred thousand citizens as worthless. Such a court truly deserved to be overthrown. With no other options, and given that the army had arrived in a hurry with meager rations, he knew that within ten days, a mutiny would surely break out due to a shortage of grain. By then, the entire city would be thoroughly plundered by the army.

For this reason, he had no choice but to send an urgent memorial to Xi'an, asking Li Zicheng to step up the dispatch of grain. On the other hand, he scattered scouts in all directions to probe the movements of the Ming army. However, the military intelligence he received caused him deep distress. Huang Degong, who was stationed in Hezhou for the Ming army, had actually divided his forces into two routes, stationed respectively in Hezhou City and Luzhou City. The two cities were less than a hundred li apart. Which city should be attacked first? Attacking either one first would be useless. Judging by the enemy's posture, they clearly wanted to force him to take the initiative; attack one, and the other would arrive; attack the other, and the first would arrive. If he divided his forces to attack both, military treatises stated that the attacking force must outnumber the defending side by at least three to one. Without such an overwhelming advantage, it would be very difficult to capture a city in a short time. If the siege dragged on and the main army became bogged down beneath the city walls, provisions would become a massive problem.

Yet this was not even the primary concern. Scouts from the Shun army reported that Wang Lanping, the former garrison commander of Huaining, had led fifteen battalions of troops out of Nanjing City. He was stepping up military drills, and his martial momentum shook the heavens. In addition, the Ming navy had assembled on the river, remaining stationary with unknown intentions.

This left Li Laixiang somewhat puzzled. If the Ming army wanted to reinforce its troops, it could only do so from nearby garrisons according to the overall situation. The Fengyang garrison was closest to Hezhou. To draw reinforcements all the way from Nanjing—a distance of over eight hundred li—was the Ming court out of its mind, or did it have another purpose? What on earth was this Wang Lanping trying to do? Li Laixiang, who had always prided himself on swift military movements, hesitated this time. He stayed in Anqing City for a full five days without taking any action. This delay unexpectedly gave Huang Degong, the Ming regional commander of Hezhou, ample time to make preparations: reinforcing the city walls and gathering all kinds of defensive weaponry. On the walls of Hezhou City alone, there were thirty cannons.

Li Laixiang truly could not make sense of it, nor could he ever have imagined that Wang Lanping was capable of taking control of the fifteen Ming battalions in such a short span of time. If Wang came downstream, it would be extremely unfavorable for him. However, Li Laixiang had guessed wrong. Wang Lanping was still the same Wang Lanping; trying to transfer the sixty thousand capital garrison troops from Nanjing to the front lines of Anqing was pure wishful thinking.

In a dense forest along the bank of the Yangtze River, Li Dingguo was sweating profusely, laboriously carrying Old Madam Wang on his back as they trudged forward. Yunniang followed behind, holding a stick, wandering in a daze, step by step. Her face was as pale as paper, her hair unkempt and dusty, and she let tears stream down her cheeks, carving two shallow tracks through the grime.

Ever since Li Dingguo rescued the two of them from the hands of the Shun soldiers outside Huaining City, they had been hiding and fleeing eastward all the way. Several times, they had almost been captured by searching Shun soldiers. Li Dingguo protected them with his life, escaping death on multiple occasions, until they finally reached the banks of the Yangtze River.

Passing through the forest, an expansive, lush green meadow lay ahead, rustling as the river wind swept past.

Li Dingguo strained to gently lower Old Madam Wang, leaning her against a tree at the edge of the forest.

"Come, Madam, let's rest for a while. Once we cross the river, we'll be safe." Li Dingguo had carried her through five or six li of mountain trails in one breath, and his physical strength was gradually failing. If they didn't rest for a bit, either of them might collapse at any moment.

"Ah-Guo, you're tired too. This old woman has been a burden to you both." Old Madam Wang wore a sickly expression, her gaze hazy, though her mind remained somewhat clear.

Having fled all the way from Huaining, exposed to the wind and camping in the open, the elderly lady could hardly endure such torment at her age. She had fallen ill, caught a cold, and lacked all strength. Trying to find a household to rest in was exceedingly difficult. The Great Ming Dynasty had strict regulations: ordinary people traveling without a travel pass could not move an inch. If commoners harbored outsiders and the authorities found out, the punishment ranged from fines to imprisonment and flogging. Although the dynasty had changed hands, this mindset had long been deeply ingrained in people's hearts. Moreover, with the country torn apart by war and bandits lurking everywhere, villages had organized their own local militias for self-defense. No village dared to take in outsiders; in case the person sheltered turned out to be a spy for mountain bandits, the entire village would suffer catastrophe.

Along the way, there was neither medicine nor money. Fortunately, they occasionally encountered other refugees. Bound by the same misfortune, kind-hearted strangers had given them a little food, which managed to preserve their three lives.

Li Dingguo helped the old lady sit properly and felt her forehead; it did not seem as feverish as it had in the morning, which brought him a measure of relief. He then took out his water skin and gave the old lady a few sips of water.

By then, Yunniang had slowly caught up. Li Dingguo hurriedly put down the water skin and ran over, saying with concern, "Miss Yunniang, come, you should rest for a while too and drink some water. Shortly, I'll go find a boat, and once we cross the river, we'll be safe."

Li Dingguo did not dare to touch Yunniang's body, only gesturing with his hands from a side. After all, Yunniang was an unmarried maiden, and judging by the concerned attitude Scholar Wang held toward her, she might well become the scholar's wife in the future.

Yunniang's eyes were hollow. She glanced at Li Dingguo and walked over to the old lady without uttering a word.

Seeing Yunniang approach, Old Madam Wang hurriedly and laboriously straightened her posture, patting the ground beside her. "Child, come, sit down." She then gasped for a few quick breaths; her body was far too weak.

Yunniang put down her wooden stick, crouched beside her without a sound, and gently massaged the old lady's chest before softly patting her shoulders. The tears on her face fell drop by drop onto the old lady's graying hair.

Old Madam Wang saw everything, feeling a piercing ache in her heart. To witness her parents die such tragic deaths while being utterly powerless as a daughter—that agony was entirely repressed within Yunniang's heart. Throughout the entire journey, Yunniang had not spoken a single word, nor had she revealed a trace of a smile.

The old lady took Yunniang's hand and patted it. "Child, stop crying; it harms your health. The dead cannot be brought back to life. You are still young, and you must live well. Once we cross the river and find your Brother Lanping, everything will be fine."

With a sudden cry, as if finally unleashing all the grief pent up inside her, Yunniang wept aloud. She buried her face in the old lady's shoulder, her body trembling and convulsing continuously. Her sorrowful weeping was enough to move anyone who heard it to tears and deep melancholy.

Li Dingguo hurriedly looked around, fearing that the sound might travel for miles on the wind in the open wilderness and alert Du Ming's men, which would spell disaster.

"Miss Yunniang, it's not safe here. Please don't..." Li Dingguo walked over, interrupting with a hint of reluctance.

Sensibly, Yunniang raised her head and checked her sobs. Her tears and dust had blended together, obscuring her originally pretty and lively features.

"Auntie, I miss my parents," Yunniang said softly, her body still convulsing.

The old lady nodded, gently brushing the messy strands of hair from Yunniang's forehead. "Auntie knows, child. Think of it this way: better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos. Surviving in this world is not easy; death brings release from everything. As for an old woman like me, aside from being a burden to you both, I am of no use. Child, later when we cross the river, wash your face so your Brother Lanping can have a good look at you. As long as this old woman doesn't die, you shall be the daughter-in-law of the Wang family..."

Sobbing, Yunniang hastily interrupted, "Auntie, don't speak such unlucky words. Yunniang only has you as a family now; you cannot leave Yunniang."

Old Madam Wang smiled kindly. "Alright, alright. Auntie still wants to watch you and Ping'er get married and give the Wang family many grandchildren."

"Auntie!" Yunniang laughed through her tears, her shyness brimming with longing for Brother Lanping.

Sighing with a sense of lingering melancholy, Old Madam Wang muttered to herself, "I wonder how Ping'er is doing now. Alas, I used to think that becoming an official would bring a few days of peaceful life. Oh!"

Not wishing to intrude upon their family-like conversation, Li Dingguo checked the surroundings thoroughly to ensure there was no danger, and then announced that he was going to search the riverside for boats.

Where could boats be found on the northern bank? Even if there were any, no one dared to cross. The Ming army from Chizhou Prefecture on the opposite bank patrolled the river daily. Whenever they spotted a boat crossing—whether civilians or Shun soldiers—they would unleash a barrage of cannon fire simply to prevent spies from sneaking across.

The number of corpses floating on the river increased day by day. On the sparkling water, bloated bodies whitened by the river water drifted slowly toward the northern bank with the southeast wind. Standing by the river, Li Dingguo looked at a few corpses in the water reeds nearby that had been half-devoured by fish and shrimp, and could not help letting out a sigh.

Several crows circled in the air before landing on a corpse, greedily pecking at it. Li Dingguo picked up a stone and hurled it hard. Splashes erupted, the crows startled into flight, and a large swarm of flies rose along with them. Shaking his head, Li Dingguo muttered wryly, "I'll never eat fish from this river again for the rest of my life."

Along the northern bank, makeshift thatched sheds could be seen everywhere. When Li Dingguo stepped forward to inquire, he learned they were all displaced refugees who dared not cross the river yet were unwilling to return. They had simply built huts by the river, waiting for the war to end or for boats to become available before moving on.

Tracing the riverbank, Li Dingguo walked back and forth for five or six li without finding a single boat. Fearing for Old Madam Wang's safety, he had no choice but to turn back and think of another plan.

Returning to the edge of the forest, Yunniang was curled up and sleeping in Old Madam Wang's arms. In her dreams, Yunniang uttered intermittent, murmuring words: *Father, Mother, where are you? Brother Lanping, wait for me...*

A sour ache gripped Li Dingguo's heart, and he swore to himself that no matter what, he would deliver them safely to General Wang.

With his stomach rumbling with hunger, Li Dingguo thought of searching the woods for wild fruits to fill it, but it was May, and no such things were to be found. He had no choice but to return empty-handed. Upon his return, Li Dingguo suddenly discovered a dozen Shun soldiers lingering near the edge of the forest, led by none other than the newly appointed Magistrate of Huaining, Du Ming.

Li Dingguo cursed inwardly: *You bastards, you're truly relentless. You've been hunting us for half a month and still won't give up. Sooner or later, I'll butcher you with my own hands.*

Before the enemy noticed him, Li Dingguo ran back swiftly, gathered Yunniang and the old lady, and hid them deep within the undulating, overgrown meadows.

They had to cross the river soon. After nightfall, Li Dingguo ran alone to a nearby village. It was dead silent. After wandering around for a while, he realized it was an abandoned village; the inhabitants must have fled, leaving behind broken walls and crumbling ruins everywhere. Regrettably, there was nothing edible to be found.

Fortunately, collapsed houses were everywhere, and door panels and thick roof beams were within arm's reach. This excited Li Dingguo, as he could tie together a raft to cross the river.

Throughout the entire night, Li Dingguo ran back and forth continuously until both his shoulders were rubbed raw and bleeding. Finally, he hauled more than a dozen roof beams and abandoned door panels to the riverbank meadow. Returning to the forest, he gathered some vines to twist into ropes. By dawn, everything was ready; all they needed was for night to fall so they could enter the water, lash the raft together, and cross the river.

Night fell once more, and the river wind was much calmer than during the day. Li Dingguo carried Old Madam Wang and Yunniang one by one onto the newly tied raft, gazing at the faint specks of fire on the opposite bank. He knew those were the Ming soldiers guarding the river.

Li Dingguo prayed silently, hoping they wouldn't mistake them for spies and blast them to pieces with cannons.

In the gathering darkness, a single wooden raft slowly made its way toward the opposite shore.