Thousands of Miles to Escort Mother

The crescent moon hung high in the sky, casting its silver radiance upon the rippling expanse of the river. A chilly night breeze swept across, biting into their flesh. Yunniang pulled her filthy garments tighter around herself and pulled Mother Wang into her arms. Staring into the impenetrable pitch-black darkness surrounding them, she dared not move a muscle. The mighty Yangtze River resembled a boundless, gigantic black beast with its maw agape, ready to devour this tiny wooden raft at any second.

The newly constructed raft drifted smoothly toward the southern bank of the river. Li Dingguo navigated with extremely clumsy strokes, barely managing to keep the raft on course. He was drenched in sweat, exhausted far more than he had been carrying timber all through the previous night. It seemed that making a living on the Yangtze River required more than just raw physical strength; skill was equally essential.

Practice makes perfect. An hour had passed, and although the raft had drifted merely half a mile from the northern shore, Li Dingguo had gradually grasped some of the techniques, at least managing to stop the raft from spinning in circles.

The moon climbed higher and higher, and by his estimation, it must have been midnight. The campfires on the opposite bank were gradually thinning out. The three of them were now approaching the middle of the river. Navigating in such pitch-black darkness across this vast river meant a total loss of any sense of direction. Fortunately, the distant fires on the far shore served as a guide, ensuring they did not stray too far off course. Li Dingguo had not swallowed a single grain of rice for two days, having chewed only a few blades of fresh, tender grass in the bushes on the northern shore. By now, he was utterly exhausted, yet he kept gritting his teeth, rowing frantically and trying to steer the raft toward an area with fewer fires.

The opposite bank grew closer and closer. He could faintly hear human voices drifting over with the river breeze. Li Dingguo quickened his pace, turning his head to glance at the two women sitting in the raft. Their clothes were soaked entirely through by the splashing river water, and as the cold night wind swept past, both of them shivered uncontrollably.

Li Dingguo tried his best not to make too much noise. He would pull the oar and then immediately pause to observe his surroundings. Having served as a garrison soldier, he possessed some understanding of the Ming military's defense lines along the riverbanks. Let alone taking a direct hit from a cannon, even the waves kicked up by artillery fire could easily capsize this flimsy little raft. Drifting alone and helpless upon this river made them sitting ducks. If mistaken for spies crossing under the cover of night, their chances of survival would be virtually zero.

By the hazy moonlight, Li Dingguo could faintly make out the terrain of the opposite bank. Several large ships seemed to be moored there, and rows of wooden barricades stood before the bonfires on the shore. His heart tightened. Why on earth had he drifted right into a Ming naval camp? This was disastrous! In a panic, he began paddling backward with all his might. But at that very moment, his oar struck some hard object beneath the surface of the water. The oar slipped, and Li Dingguo stumbled, instantly realizing with a sinking heart that he had hit a submerged broken ship-spike.

Typically, the waters just outside a naval camp were embedded with sharp wooden stakes or long iron spikes, designed to puncture the hulls of attacking enemy vessels. He had never expected his oar to strike one of these hazards.

As Li Dingguo abruptly shifted his weight to the other side, the raft tilted violently. Terrified, Yunniang turned as pale as a sheet and let out an involuntary scream.

"Someone on the river! There's someone on the river!" The sentries in the naval camp possessed sharp ears; they heard the cry clearly from over a hundred yards away.

Prompted by the sentry's shout, the naval camp instantly erupted into activity. Torches flared up across the large vessels moored near the shore, and several soldiers hurled burning brands toward the source of the sound.

"Archers! Archers!" A chaotic flurry of footsteps resounded from the Ming vessels. Their reaction time was astonishingly swift, taking mere fractions of a second.

It was no longer possible for Li Dingguo to paddle the raft away. He discarded the oar, pulled Yunniang and Mother Wang behind him, and dropped to his knees on the raft, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Brothers of the Ming army! Do not loose your arrows! Do not loose your arrows! We are on the same side! We are not spies!"

The men on the ships paid no heed to his explanations. Through the darkness, a volley of whistling arrows tore through the air, hissing as they plunged into the water or embedded themselves in the timber of the raft. Li Dingguo muttered a curse beneath his breath. No sooner had he finished speaking than an arrow hissed sharply, piercing deep into his arm. Blood splattered across Yunniang's face, driving her into a shrieking frenzy. It reminded her once more of the gouts of blood spurting from her mother's chest outside the walls of Huaining City. Hysterically, she clawed and rubbed at her face, screaming without pause.

At that moment, a voice rang out from the Ming vessel, "Hold your fire! I d-damn well heard a woman's voice! Someone go over and take a look!"

Gritting his teeth, Li Dingguo grabbed Yunniang's arm and shook her gently. "Miss Yunniang, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. We are about to see General Wang."

Elderly Mother Wang also struggled to her feet on the raft, taking Yunniang's hand and weeping as she said, "Child, it is alright now. It is alright. Come, come to Auntie."

Several small boats swiftly rowed toward them. Seeing the familiar military uniforms, Li Dingguo felt a mixture of dread and relief. Enduring the pain, he stood up, sliding his right hand behind his back where his short sword rested within easy reach. In these turbulent times, soldiers and bandits were cut from the same cloth.

The small boats of the Ming forces quickly surrounded them, with musket barrels pointed squarely at them. After a few of the boats inspected the surrounding waters and confirmed it was a false alarm, the three of them were taken aboard the large vessel.

Li Dingguo was hoisted up by two soldiers, dragged onto the main deck, and dumped heavily onto the planks. When he raised his head, he found himself surrounded by a forest of torches, with over a dozen soldiers staring down at him.

Struggling to sit up, Li Dingguo forced a grimace through the pain and squeezed out a smile. "Brothers, there has been a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding. I am—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a heavy kick struck the back of his neck. The blow sent him rolling across the deck several times, snapping the arrow embedded in his arm during the tumble and sending a wave of agonizing, heart-rending pain shooting through his entire body.

"Who the f-k is your brother? Did I ask you to speak? Tell me, who are you? What are you doing crossing the river in the middle of the night? Are you spies sent by the bandit rebels?" A man wearing the plaque of a squad leader stepped forward, planted his boot firmly on Li Dingguo's chest as the latter tried to climb up, and spoke with malicious cruelty.

Li Dingguo coughed repeatedly. Having spent many years in military camps, he knew deep down that acting cowardly in the army only invited contempt, even from the brothers by your side. The reason was simple: on the battlefield, divine help was unreliable; the only person who could save your life was the comrade beside you. If the person next to you was a coward terrified of death, could you expect him to save you in a critical moment?

Struggling in vain to stand, Li Dingguo panted, "Sir Squad Leader, I am not a spy. I belong to the Feng Character Battalion of the Huaining garrison north of the river. After Huaining fell, I was separated from General Wang, and circumstances forced me to wander here."

Upon hearing this, the squad leader let out a mocking bark of laughter. "Well, I'll be. The Feng Character Battalion, and General Wang to boot? Are you f-king trying to scare ghosts?"

Seeing that the man did not believe him, Li Dingguo hurriedly added, "It's true! It's truly the Feng Character Battalion! Our general is Wang Lanping, the Top Scholar Wang, the Vice Regional Commander of Anqing Prefecture. Have you heard of him, Sir?"

As soon as these words left his mouth, all the surrounding Ming soldiers, including the squad leader, burst into loud laughter.

"Oh, I've heard of him. Of course I've heard of him! To tell you the truth, that trick doesn't work anymore. No less than twenty people have passed through my hands pretending to be bodyguards of the Marquis of Southern Pacification. And one damn fool even cheated me out of twenty taels of silver! I still haven't found a place to vent my anger over that." Over the past month, a steady stream of deserters had fled from the north of the river. Many of them sought traveling expenses to return home, and hearing of the Feng Character Battalion's rising fame, several individuals claiming membership would show up every few days. At first, the ruse worked because the Feng Character Battalion was known as the personal guard of the Marquis of Southern Pacification and the emperor's imperial guards; even a lowly private walked about like a lord. But as more and more impostors crossed over, the trick was exposed. From then on, anyone claiming to be from the Feng Character Battalion was simply thrown into the river to feed the fish.

Li Dingguo was completely bewildered. "Marquis of Southern Pacification? Who is the Marquis of Southern Pacification? No, no, I mean Wang Lanping, the Top Scholar Wang. I don't know any Marquis of Southern Pacification."

The squad leader delivered another vicious stomp. "Hah! You can't even lie straight, yet you dare pretend to be the Marquis's personal guard! Speak, who on earth are you?"

Li Dingguo had no inkling that Wang Lanping had been created the Marquis of Southern Pacification a month prior. Aside from Ma Shiying and Shi Kefa, Wang's reputation was unmatched across the court. Every minor officer and soldier throughout the southern provinces of Jiangnan revered him like a god. To be ennobled as a marquis in one's twenties was something beyond anyone's wildest imagination.

Li Dingguo insisted, "I really am a soldier under Top Scholar Wang. Sir Squad Leader, do you know where Top Scholar Wang is? If you send me to him, I guarantee he will reward you handsomely. Really, truly!"

At that moment, Yunniang and elderly Mother Wang were shoved roughly onto the deck. Catching sight of Yunniang's face, now scrubbed clean by the river water, several soldiers drooled with unmasked greed, their eyes locked onto her with predatory expressions.

The squad leader pointed at Yunniang and asked Li Dingguo, "Don't tell me one of them is the Top Scholar's beloved paramour and the other is his birth mother!"

A glimmer of hope crossed Li Dingguo's face. They had finally hit the mark. "Yes, yes! Exactly that! You have a sharp eye, Sir."

The squad leader stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly lashed out with another kick. "Hah! Looks like I've netted a whole nest of swindlers! You rascal, go wash your face in urine and see if the Marquis even knows you! Come on, tie him up tight and throw him in the river to feed the fish! Throw that old hag in too—why didn't she pretend to be the empress dowager? Bring that young girl to my cabin; I need to interrogate her further."

Li Dingguo was utterly dumbfounded. What kind of madness was this? Where on earth had a Marquis of Southern Pacification come from? Could Top Scholar Wang really have been elevated to a marquis? Was it true? But right now, it was impossible to reason with this bunch of soldiers. What should he do? What could he do? Looking at the way the squad leader was eyeing Miss Yunniang, he certainly harbored malicious intentions. There was no other choice; he had to fight for it.

Taking advantage of the moment when several soldiers hoisted him up, Li Dingguo let out a sudden roar and lunged at the back of the retreating squad leader. His hand had already slipped the short sword free, and he pressed the blade hard against the man's throat.

"Make one move and I'll slit your throat! Tell your men to back off! Now!" Li Dingguo pressed the edge of the short blade tightly against the squad leader's windpipe, piercing the skin and drawing a bead of blood. Just a fraction more pressure, and the man would drop dead on the spot.

The squad leader had been completely caught off guard. Having seen bloodshed before, he knew life and death hung in the balance. Paralyzed with terror, he did not dare move a muscle, waving his hands placatingly and stammering in panic, "Brothers, fall back! All of you, back off! T-this brother, be careful, please be careful! Let's talk this over. If you want to leave, you can go whenever you please!"

Li Dingguo did not believe a single word of it. "Tell your men to let them go."

Trembling with fright, Yunniang and the old matriarch retreated behind Li Dingguo.

Li Dingguo cast a glance around. There were at least twenty or thirty men present; fighting them head-on was definitely not an option.

"Tell me," Li Dingguo pressed the blade slightly tighter, "where has the Feng Character Battalion gone? Where is Top Scholar Wang? Who is this Marquis of Southern Pacification you mentioned?"

Understanding dawned on the squad leader. It seemed this group nine times out of ten really did have ties to the Marquis. He cursed himself for being blind as a bat. Squeezing out a ingratiating smile, he said, "Brother, I was blind and failed to recognize a person of importance. It's all a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding! Top Scholar Wang has already been elevated to the Marquis of Southern Pacification, commanding the fifteen garrison camps of the temporary capital. The Feng Character Battalion has also entered the palace as imperial guards. Brother, please release me, and I will immediately order my men to prepare a grand banquet to welcome the esteemed Matriarch and... and this young lady. Oh, right, and you as well, Brother! What are you all standing around for? Why aren't you kneeling to kowtow to the Matriarch? A bunch of good-for-nothings!" The squad leader barked curses at his surrounding subordinates.

Li Dingguo refused to trust him an inch. Who knew if they were merely plotting another scheme to deal with him? He barked out a command, "Nobody move! None of you move! Get me a fast boat and provision it with rations, now!"

Li Dingguo pressed the blade a fraction deeper, and blood trickled down the cold, gleaming steel to stain the squad leader's armor.

"Alright, alright! It will be done immediately! Right away! Brother, watch that hand of yours!" The squad leader's face turned ashen.

Before long, everything was prepared. Guarding the squad leader, Li Dingguo walked down the gangway from the large vessel and boarded the fast boat, closely followed by Yunniang and the old matriarch. Li Dingguo also ordered a smaller boat to be tied to the stern of the fast boat.

"Row! Do us the favor of escorting us a ways," Li Dingguo said, pressing his short blade against the squad leader's Adam's apple to signal him to take up the oars.

To his surprise, the squad leader suddenly dropped to his knees with a miserable, tearful expression. "Brother, Matriarch, you can't leave! If the Marquis asks about this in the future, this lowly one won't be able to bear the responsibility. Matriarch, please say something!"

Mother Wang had no idea what to do. Lacking any sense of the potential dangers involved and possessing a kind heart, she saw the grown man weeping so pitifully and chimed in, "Ah-Guo, perhaps..."

Li Dingguo interrupted, "Matriarch, we cannot blindly trust others. What if this scoundrel is lying to us? Out here on the Yangtze River, we would die without a burial place. You—get up and row! Once we are safe, we will naturally release you. Tell your men not to follow us. Row, quickly!"

The squad leader could see that this fellow named Li Dingguo was completely unyielding. *Sigh, curse my rotten luck for stumbling upon a piece of gold only to let it slip through my fingers.*

Under the cover of night, the squad leader rowed the fast boat several miles in the direction of Nanjing. Li Dingguo glanced back at their route; it was pitch black, and no one appeared to be in pursuit. Only then did he allow the squad leader to sample a few bites of the rations to ensure the food was not poisoned. Once certain of its safety, he forced the man onto the towed small boat and tossed the oars into the water. That way, if the man wanted to chase after them, he would have to wait to drift back with the current.

Li Dingguo rapidly worked the oars. Mother Wang asked him if Ping'er had truly become the Marquis of Southern Pacification. Li Dingguo dared not be entirely certain; who knew if that fellow had fabricated the title merely to save his own skin? Once dawn broke and they went ashore, they could simply visit a yamen and inquire—wouldn't that reveal the truth?

Soaked through by the river water and terrified by the Ming soldiers, Mother Wang had already fallen unconscious after swallowing a few bites of dry rations.

To prevent the squad leader from coming after them, Li Dingguo brought the boat ashore shortly after. This side of the river was safe; they needed to find a medical clinic to treat the Matriarch's illness before moving on.

By daybreak, the men at the Ming naval camp finally managed to locate the squad leader, who was currently wishing he could swallow his own intestines out of regret on the small boat.

"Quick! Start the boats and pursue them!" The squad leader clambered back aboard the large vessel, boiling with frantic rage.

"Under-stood! Start the boats, slaughter them! How dare they bind our squad leader!"

"Shut your damn mouth! I'll slaughter you! Go bring the Matriarch back! How could I be such a fool, letting fortune slip right through my hands like that? What are you all standing around gawking for? Start the ships!"

"Should we report this to the thousand-man commander?"

"Report your mother's head! Can this matter be let known to others? Let me tell you, once we retrieve the Matriarch, you are all going to treat her like your own ancestors. I am going to personally escort the Matriarch to Nanjing. Transporting a mother a thousand miles—the Marquis is bound to grant me a promotion!"