Volume 1, Chapter 6: Turning Danger into Safety

Seeing this, Li Tan and Li Fuguo each led two guards in a series of swift, aggressive maneuvers, quickly flanking the retainers and unleashing a volley of arrows with lethal precision. As over a dozen of the retainers were struck and fell from their horses, their formation shattered, finally breaking the encirclement they had just established.

From his vantage point on the high ground, Li Heng signaled the nearby guards to launch a counter-charge. Li Tan and his men joined the fray, surrounding the retainers near the hillside. Relying on their heavy armor, they charged forward, firing arrows as they closed the distance. Although some were struck, the retainers’ bows were not of the heavy, high-tension variety; in their panic, they struggled to pierce the sturdy Mingguang armor. Even when an arrow occasionally found a gap, it caused only superficial wounds, failing to strike any vital points.

Faced with the onslaught, the retainers began to falter and scatter. Seeing this, Li Tan led two guards to the edge of the woods, cutting off the path of a group of retreating retainers. Raising his hengdao high, Li Tan charged toward them, his two guards following close behind in a tight triangular formation.

The retainers were momentarily stunned, not expecting their targets to turn the tables so aggressively. However, relying on their superior numbers, they soon brandished their weapons and surged forward to meet them. Li Tan let out a fierce roar and brought his blade down heavily upon the leading retainer. The man desperately raised his long saber to block, but the sheer force of Li Tan’s strike left his arm numb, nearly disarming him. Taking advantage of the opening, Li Tan sidestepped, pivoted his blade, and slashed across the man’s throat. A spray of blood erupted, and the retainer fell from his horse with a thud.

The two guards fought with equal intensity, moving in perfect coordination—one covering the left, the other the right—quickly throwing the remaining retainers into disarray. Amidst cries of agony, those without the protection of armor were picked off one by one. Seeing Li Tan’s prowess, a dozen more retainers swarmed him. Undaunted, Li Tan whirled his blade into a impenetrable blur, parrying every incoming strike.

Seeing Li Tan surrounded, Li Fuguo and two other guards galloped in, creating a pincer movement with Li Tan’s group. Within two exchanges, the six men had neutralized the dozen retainers. By now, more than half of the hundred-plus retainers were dead or wounded.

The leader of the retainers, realizing he could not capture Li Heng, led thirty or forty men toward the main road, intending to seize Li Heng’s family as hostages. Seeing this, Li Heng roared, charged down from the hillside, and joined forces with the guards at the base, attacking the retainers from the rear.

Li Tan, having already anticipated this, led the charge. He slung his sword onto his saddle, drew his heavy bow with his left hand, and snatched an arrow with his right. Nocking and drawing in one fluid motion, he aimed at the rearmost retainer and let the arrow fly. It pierced the man through, and he tumbled from his horse, dead before he hit the ground. Li Fuguo followed suit, trading his sword for a bow; every time the bowstring hummed, another retainer fell. The rest of the group joined in, and soon, another twenty retainers were sent to their graves.

The retainers of Yang Guozhong turned to fire back, but Li Tan and his men, fearless in their heavy armor, pressed forward through the hail of arrows.

The leading retainers were now dangerously close to the carriages. Seeing this, Lady Zhang and the other women and children inside trembled with terror. Just as one retainer swung his blade toward Lady Zhang, Li Tan fired with all his might. The arrow entered the back of the retainer’s skull and burst through his left eye, spraying blood and gore across the ground. At this gruesome sight, Lady Zhang, Li Shi, and the others screamed, some shutting their eyes in horror.

Li Fuguo and the guards rushed up, each firing a shot to eliminate the most immediate threats. When Li Heng saw the leader of the retainers still clinging to life, he swung his blade and sent him to his final rest. Seeing that the situation was lost, the remaining retainers fled in all directions.

"Warriors, kill them all!" Li Tan shouted, digging his spurs into his horse and charging forward. Hearing his call, Li Fuguo and the guards surged ahead like tigers, hunting down the scattered remnants.

Within less than half an hour, excluding the twenty or so who had fled, the 150 retainers sent by Yang Guozhong were almost entirely wiped out. Li Tan reined in his horse, his blade still dripping with blood. His chest heaved slightly, his eyes bright with the lingering adrenaline of battle.

"Father, I shall go and capture that dog Yang Guozhong myself!" Li Tan declared.

"No need!" Li Heng waved his hand, signaling his son to return. He was certain that Yang Guozhong would not survive the night.

Looking at the bodies of the retainers strewn across the ground, blood still pooling beneath them, Li Heng let out a long breath. Meanwhile, Lady Zhang, Li Shi, and the others, who had been deathly pale, finally broke into smiles of relief.

"Your Highness, we... we won!" Lady Zhang exclaimed, her voice trembling as the small dagger she had been clutching clattered to the ground. She was overwhelmed, both by the victory and the lingering fear. She had believed they were doomed; she had already prepared to take her own life with that very dagger rather than fall into the hands of Yang Guozhong.

Li Heng looked back at Lady Zhang and the others, offering a faint smile. Under his steady gaze, a warmth she had never felt before stirred in Lady Zhang’s heart.

Li Heng urged his horse forward a few paces. Now that the danger was cleared, it was time to act. There was no time to lose; he had to be quick. If he did not act now, he would be forced to follow the old Emperor to Sichuan. Once in Sichuan, relegated to a remote corner of the empire, it would be nearly impossible to fight his way back. Historically, only Liu Bang had succeeded in launching a campaign from Sichuan to unify the country. Furthermore, this body he now inhabited was already forty-five years old—hardly young. To go to Sichuan would be to waste away the best years of his life. Even with Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong dead, there was no guarantee another powerful chancellor wouldn't arise to keep him under their thumb. After all, the only reason those two had been able to suppress him was the backing of the old Emperor.

"Fuguo, come here."

Li Fuguo tossed his sword and bow to a guard and rode up to Li Heng. "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

"Have the guards wipe the blood from their armor, then sneak into the Left Longwu Guard and find those soldiers who were reassigned."

"And then?"

"The Imperial Guard will mutiny shortly. Act according to the situation when the time comes."

Li Fuguo’s eyes widened in disbelief. Li Heng nodded firmly.

"As you command, Your Highness. I go at once."

Watching Li Fuguo depart, Li Heng felt a surge of exhilaration. Li Tan, who had watched his father and Li Fuguo whispering, was filled with confusion. Seeing Li Fuguo lead the guards away in such a hurry, his face was etched with astonishment.

"Sanlang, come here for a moment."

"Father, what are your orders?" Li Tan rode over.

"Send men to Xingping County immediately. Tell Dalang that a rebel force is lacking in the vicinity; he will know what to do." Li Heng continued, "And tell Dalang that the Longwu Guard will stage a mutiny at Mawei Post."

"Father, will... will that really work?" Li Tan asked, utterly bewildered. How could his father know the Imperial Guard would mutiny at Mawei Post?

"You must trust my judgment," Li Heng said with absolute certainty.

Seeing his father’s conviction, Li Tan nodded. Though he didn't know what his father was planning, the stakes were life and death, and he had no choice but to follow orders.

"Go, then," Li Heng patted his son’s shoulder, his expression profound. "Everything now rests on you and your brother."

"I obey." Li Tan turned his horse and rode away.

After Li Tan left, Li Heng continuously ran through all possible scenarios in his mind. He knew that in this moment of life and death, one wrong step would mean being wiped out entirely. He had already calculated his moves; today, he would play a grand game—a move so earth-shattering it would rewrite history itself.

"Yang Guozhong, oh Yang Guozhong. For over a decade, I have been suppressed by you and that old thief Li Linfu. Today, I shall finally have my revenge!"

"And you, Father. You think everything is within your control, but this time, I will show you my true strength!"

Li Heng clenched his fists. He was no longer the spineless Crown Prince who could be pushed around at will!