Chapter 31
Book 3 Chap 8 – Defending against the enemy with fire
The snow this year came especially late, the gra.s.s is still green on the plains and the lakes still sparkling.
This place lies between the main Yellow River and it’s tributaries and the 2 main river splits into hundreds of smaller rivers. The rivers weaved across each other like silver threads, the gra.s.s was lush, thick and fragrant and it was a meeting place between the forest gra.s.s and dried gra.s.s of the plains.
The entourage traveled slowly through this large piece of flat carpet-like gra.s.sland.
This is still a place which has not been developed, and only a handful of nomads stayed there. They each have their own lifestyle, like the pretty Baiyi tribe in Zhao, and goes about their own business, not accepting the control of the government.
This place has lots of cows, horses and deer. Traveling past this area, they will see them galloping in the distance or lazily grazing.
But this prehistoric place is also a place where fierce beasts roam.
The more frightening are the wild wolves pack, who kept following in front of behind the troops, not afraid of humans at all.
Xiang Shaolong sent out 10 teams comprising of 5 men each to scout around the area to avoid being ambushed by enemies who might be hiding in the tall gra.s.s or the woods.
3 days later, the terrain started to change, with rising and falling hills and wild gra.s.s everywhere, greatly slowing their progress.
Xiang Shaolong felt extremely uneasy.
With Xiao Weimou’s evil reputation, if his men are all really good as rumored, he will certainly know that they have battled Hui Hu. At the very least he would have captured some ‘escaped thieves’ and grilled them to find out their whereabouts.
If his deduction is correct, then Xiao Weimou must be following them and waiting for the best time to strike.
But where will they strike?
By noon, the answer appeared finally. It’s a huge mountain diagonally in front of them, and the only way past it is a narrow pa.s.sage about 3li long.
Xiang Shaolong furrowed his brows deeply on seeing it and was silent for a moment before summoning Cheng Xu, Wu Zhuo and Zha Yuanyu over and said, "If my guess is correct, Xiao Weimou and his men must be waiting for us at that narrow valley."
Cheng Xu nodded his head, "According to our scout’s report, if there are people lying in ambush on the top of both side of the cliffs, just throwing rocks at us will be enough for all of us to perish."
Zha Yuanyu said with a miserable look, "This place is dense with gra.s.s and trees, if the enemy were to set up a fire upwind, the thick smoke will be enough to suffocate us to death."
Xiang Shaolong laughed, "Thick smoke can only be used to deal with those who are unprepared. Yuanyu, you will immediately organize all the men to remove all the gra.s.s and trees on this side of the mountain and slopes and dig a deep ditch at the bottom of the valley to lure the nearby streams into the ditch to surround the camp. We will join the carriages to face the mountain to protect the camp. At the same time prepare a large amount of clear water in the camp, each camp is to have at least 2 barrels and everyone is to carry with them cloths or handkerchiefs. When there’s thick smoke, soak it in the water and cover the face with it, then they need not fear the choking smoke."
Zha Yuanyu was about to get to work when Xiang Shaolong called him back again and said, "Tell everyone to remove their armors or it might affect the tasks!"
Zhao Yuanyu left with that order.
After Xiang Shaolong discussed a little further with Cheng Xu and Wu Zhuo, he was about to look for Zhao Ya and Zhao Qian when Prince Shaoyuan appeared hurriedly towards him with a few family warriors and demanded, "Xiang Shaolong! Why are we stopping at such a dangerous place? How are we going to fend against the enemy if they use fire to attack us?"
Xiang Shaolong replied coldly, "You can cross the narrow valley alone if you like! But I won’t be accompanying."
Prince Shaoyuan’s eyes were burning and after staying silent for a moment, naturally he dared not take the risk so he changed his tune, "Since we can’t enter, then we should retreat to a safer place."
Wu Zhuo can’t help but interrupt, "The sun will set in 6 hours, and the mountain terrain is difficult to maneuver, if we retreat to a place where we get stuck, we might as well…"
Prince Shaoyuan shouted angrily, "Shut up! A servant like you has no right to interrupt."
Wu Zhuo’s expression changed and his hand moved to his sword.
Xiang Shaolong put his hand around Wu Zhuo’s shoulder and said with a smile, "Young Master is mistaken, Wu Zhuo is my battle mate, his words are my words."
Cheng Xu said with a cold smile, "Whoever sounds more reasonable, we will obey that person."
Prince Shaoyuan was so furious that the color on his face alternated between pale and red, and he left in a huff.
Wu Zhuo said gratefully, "To be able to fight side by side with Young Grand Master-in-law, is the happiest thing in my life."
Xiang Shaolong patted him warmly before letting go of his hold on his shoulder and looking at the narrow valley, said, "If we can survive tonight, I’m confident that I can deal with Xiao Weimou’s soldiers hiding in ambush above the narrow valley."
Chang Xu replied, "According to my calculation, Xiao Weimou’s men are certainly not as many as ours, or else they would have attacked us head on long ago when we were traveling."
They talked a little further before Xiang Shaolong went to see Lady Ya.
Xiao Zhao and the rest had just set up camp and on seeing his arrival, hurriedly paid their respects.
Looking at these pretty young girls, Xiang Shaolong’s spirits lifted and after flirting with them for a moment, he went in to see Lady Ya.
Lady Ya received him warmly and after letting him have his way with her for a while, they sat on the rug and she said, "Shaolong! There are some words that Ya’er must say, please don’t be offended!"
Xiang Shaolong laughed, "You must be wanting to ask me about my relations.h.i.+p with Zhao Qian. Don’t worry! She’s still a virgin."
Lady Ya replied, "But you have aroused her desires, how can she be willing to marry to Wei, and if so why do we still need to go to Daliang?"
Xiang Shaolong replied nonchalantly, "Naturally it’s to steal ‘Lu Gong’s Secret Manual’!"
Lady Ya exclaimed seriously, "Shaolong!"
Xiang Shaolong stopped smiling and said, "I know you want to say, ‘if Prince Xinling knows that we are going there to steal the manual, he definitely won’t allow us to succeed’, right?"
Lady Ya bit his shoulder in anger, so upset that she could not say a word.
Xiang Shaolong caressed her shoulder and consoled her, "Trust your husband! In this era where everyone is trying to trick everyone else, we can only act according to circ.u.mstances. For all you know we can have our cake and eat it too. Hei! It seems like a long time since I was intimate (xin fang = doing intimate things in a room) with you."
Lady Ya replied coquettishly, "It’s ‘not been intimate in camp’, we don’t have a ‘room’ here."
Before Xiang Shaolong has a chance to reply, Xiaozi’s voice was heard calling from the