Chapter Fifty-Seven: Defeated Soldiers Rise in Rebellion

Changzhou was already in utter disorder. Defeated soldiers were roaming everywhere outside the city, and some of them, venting their rage, had even gone so far as to burn, kill, and plunder in the vicinity, leaving the people with no means of survival. Fortunately, the prefect of Changzhou, Sui Kuangfu, had sealed the city gates in advance, sparing the citizens within from disaster. But now several thousand routed troops were gathered before the gates, clearly intending to storm the city, and this filled Sui Kuangfu with grave concern.

Sui Kuangfu, a man from Gaoyi in Zhao Prefecture, had gone south to Southern Tang during the turmoil that shattered the realm. In the first year of the Shengyuan era, he had passed the imperial examinations and was appointed prefect of Changzhou the following year, a post he had now held for several years. Bold and far-sighted, lenient and restrained in governance, he had earned outstanding achievements. The Son of Heaven had once intended to promote him, but considering the importance of Changzhou, had still kept him on as prefect.

Watching the restless defeated soldiers outside the city, Sui Kuangfu felt a deep unease rising in his heart. If there were routed troops here, then it meant that Li Zhengu had already suffered defeat. Would the people of Wuyue seize the chance to press their attack? Changzhou had not seen war for many years, and Sui Kuangfu did not wish to see the common people suffer.

"Open the gates at once, or we'll fight our way in and kill every one of you!" a broad-bearded man shouted, lifting a chipped, rolled-edged saber in his hand.

Stirred up by him, many other soldiers also shouted at the top of their lungs, demanding that Sui Kuangfu open the gates, threatening to put Changzhou to the sword if he did not. Sui Kuangfu frowned. The gates could absolutely not be opened. But if these thousands of men truly went mad and tried to assault the city, he had no confidence that he could hold them back. Although Changzhou did have a garrison, the outcome remained uncertain if it had to face such frenzied routed troops.

Seeing that Sui Kuangfu remained silent, the defeated soldiers outside the walls grew even more clamorous. Some waved their weapons and hurled them toward the gate.

With a clang, a blade struck the iron gate and rang out sharply. Sui Kuangfu knew that these men were on the verge of losing control; once they truly went mad, they would begin the assault. He hurriedly ordered, "Send word at once to the commanders within the city. Hold the walls at all costs. We must not allow any routed troops to enter."

The officials at his side understood the importance of the matter and quickly nodded. "Rest assured, Prefect Sui. Even if we must die in battle, we will not let them into the city."

Sui Kuangfu silently nodded, then looked again at the defeated soldiers outside, his heart heavy with worry.

"Another thirty li or so, and we should reach Changzhou," Yang Lian said, glancing at the surrounding terrain as he spoke to Gao Shensi.

Although Gao Shensi's wound had been bandaged, it was only a makeshift dressing. If he could not receive timely treatment from a physician, his arm might become infected and his life be endangered. Thirty-odd li was not a great distance, but even on horseback it would still take more than half an hour.

Gao Shensi nodded. "I can still hold on."

Though he claimed he could endure it, his face had already gone pale. Yang Lian saw this and urged his horse onward more quickly.

After traveling another ten-odd li, with Changzhou drawing ever nearer, Lin Renzhao suddenly pointed ahead and said, "Look."

Yang Lian raised his head and looked. In the distance lay a village, now billowing with thick smoke, clearly in the midst of calamity.

Li Zhengu's expression changed slightly. "Could it be the people of Wuyue?"

Gao Shensi shook his head. "It should not be." This place was already close to Changzhou, and Changzhou still had more than three thousand troops. No matter how bold the people of Wuyue might be, they would not lightly intrude upon Changzhou. Unless Qian Wenfeng had already resolved to take Changzhou, he would certainly not act so recklessly.

Yang Lian thought for a moment and said, "Vice Commissioner Li, Commander Gao, I shall go take a look." With that, he spurred his horse forward.

Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie followed. Chen Keyan ordered fifty soldiers to accompany them, while he himself continued escorting Li Zhengu, Gao Shensi, and the others toward Changzhou.

Yang Lian rode swiftly and, in the time it took to burn a stick of incense, had reached the edge of the village. At a glance he saw several houses already ablaze. He went a few dozen steps farther, and as he drew near, fury instantly rose in him. Behind him, Lin Renzhao, Chen Tie, and the others were equally consumed by rage when they saw the scene.

Before them, groups of soldiers in Southern Tang armor were looting the village. Elderly people and children who tried to flee were cut down with a single stroke and left lying in pools of blood. The women, especially the young and beautiful ones, along with some of the other females, were being molested by the routed troops. The men had not failed to think of resisting, but as mere farmers, they were no match for these soldiers. One after another, they were soon lying dead in the blood-soaked ground.

"Kill them!" Yang Lian roared in fury. He drew his chipped long saber and charged first.

"Ha ha, don't run, little miss. Come keep me company for a bit!" a soldier of about twenty-five or twenty-six leered as he pursued a young woman. Terrified, she staggered a few steps and fell to the ground. Laughing wildly, the soldier stopped before her, staring at her with a fixed, hungry gaze. He stripped off his clothes and was about to commit his bestial act.

Then came the rapid beat of hoofbeats. The man looked up in astonishment, only to see a warhorse thundering toward him, its rider swinging a long saber down at him.

"Ah!" Before the young soldier could even cry out, Yang Lian's blade had already taken off his head. Blood sprayed across Yang Lian's body. The young woman had just lifted her head when this sight terrified her so badly that she screamed once and fainted.

Yang Lian glanced at her, then raised his saber and continued killing.

One soldier dismounted, helped the young woman up, and let her lean against a tree to rest.

There were not many routed troops in the village, only a little more than twenty, and since they were busy committing their atrocities, they had no guard against Yang Lian and the others. By the time they realized what was happening, seven or eight of them had already been slain by Yang Lian and Lin Renzhao. The rest, upon receiving the news, fled in panic. Yang Lian killed two more, while the others all dropped to their knees and begged for mercy, utterly stripped of their earlier arrogance.

"Bind them!" Yang Lian ordered.

Chen Tie pulled a long rope from behind his horse and bound all their hands, then strung them together like candied hawthorns and drove them toward Changzhou. Along the way, Yang Lian learned that these soldiers were routed troops from the Heavenly Might Army. After fleeing here, and lacking food, they had begun begging for provisions as others did, still maintaining some measure of discipline. But routed troops were already in disorder, and there were so many of them that no one knew who had started it; before long, they had begun robbing villages and even raping women. Like falling dominoes, once one man led the way, the others followed suit, and the entire region around Changzhou was plunged into chaos.

After hearing this, Yang Lian could not help frowning. When he returned to Li Zhengu and reported what had happened, he said worriedly, "If that is the case, then the area around Changzhou is likely already in great turmoil. I do not know what has become of the prefect."

Chen Keyan said from the side, "The prefect of Changzhou is diligent in public duty and cares for the people. He is truly a good official. I think he must already have sealed the city gates."

Yang Lian bowed to Li Zhengu and Gao Shensi. "No matter what the prefect of Changzhou may do, I suspect there must be routed troops swarming outside the city. If they cannot find food, they may well harm the people. I take the liberty of requesting two hundred men to go and restrain them."

Gao Shensi knew the matter was urgent. If there really were routed troops there, they would not be able to enter the city. Morale was already unstable, and even Li Zhengu might well become the target of resentment. At once he said, "That is the proper course. Yang Lian, you must combine firmness with mercy and bring this group of routed troops under control. Otherwise, if something happens in Changzhou, the only people who benefit will be the men of Wuyue."

"I understand," Yang Lian replied.

He swept his gaze over Lin Renzhao, Chen Tie, and Chen Keyan, then said, "Chen Keyan, you have long lived in Changzhou and know the area better than the rest. Come with me. Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie, you two stay behind to protect Vice Commissioner Li, Commander Gao, and Commander Zhu."

Chen Keyan cupped his hands. "I will obey."

Lin Renzhao nodded as well. "In that case, I shall remain here. Brother Yang, be careful."

Chen Tie exclaimed, "I'm just a rough fellow. I'd rather go fight on the battlefield."

Yang Lian waved him off. "Chen Tie, you are under my command. Do you dare disobey?"

Chen Tie pressed his lips together, helpless. Since he was Yang Lian's subordinate, what else could he do? He could only cup his hands gloomily and say, "As ordered."

Gao Shensi narrowed his eyes. This Yang Lian acted with remarkable decisiveness, and among these men, he seemed to command sufficient authority. No wonder the Prince of Qi valued him.

Thus Yang Lian parted from the others. Chen Keyan led more than a hundred cavalrymen, and they raced northwest all the way. The nearer they drew to Changzhou, the more routed soldiers they encountered, and along the road they killed many more who were burning, killing, and plundering. Some villages, however, had already become nothing but ruins, and not a single surviving villager could be found. The ground was strewn with corpses, among them many naked women who had been humiliated before death.

The villagers who survived by luck were filled not only with gratitude toward Yang Lian and the others, but also with overwhelming sorrow. Their relatives were dead; what meaning was there in living alone? Yang Lian had no answer. He was almost a solitary man himself, yet he had never given up. All he could do was tell them to go first to Runzhou in the north, and to return to their homeland once the chaos and the bandits had been suppressed.

Continuing toward Changzhou, after half an hour Yang Lian halted and signaled for everyone to stop. They were less than three li from Changzhou now, and no one knew how many routed troops there were. It would be necessary to inquire first before making any decision. He immediately ordered Chen Keyan to let the men rest, while he and several clever soldiers disguised themselves as fugitives to investigate.

Yang Lian loosened his hair, making himself look like a beggar who had not bathed in years. Blood still stained his clothes, now dried to a dark red. After a quick disguise, he mounted his horse and secretly made his way toward Changzhou. The other soldiers also dispersed and slipped in from different directions.

After traveling less than two li, Yang Lian could already see beneath Changzhou's walls a black mass of routed troops, like a bank of dark clouds, blocking the city. "At least five thousand men," he estimated inwardly. By rights, both the Divine Might Army and the Heavenly Might Army were imperial guards and elite troops. Even if their combat strength was a little inferior to that of the frontier armies, their discipline should not have been this bad. Besides, they were all men of Southern Tang, and among them there were even some soldiers from Changzhou itself. Did they not fear killing their own countrymen?

With this question in mind, Yang Lian slowly drew closer. The routed soldiers beneath the walls were still clamoring. If Changzhou had not been a major frontier stronghold, with stout walls and a moat surrounding it, this group of men would likely have already attacked. On the battlements, the defenders stood ready in full force, each man holding a bow or crossbow. Should the routed troops dare attack, they would release their arrows without the slightest hesitation.

Yang Lian looked around and saw that, more than five hundred paces away, a temporary command platform had been erected. Several people were seated there together, gathered in discussion. It seemed they were the leaders of this crowd, though whether they were commanders or captains, he could not tell. Without giving any sign, Yang Lian slowly moved closer.