Chapter 2243 - Night Raid on Dalang Market (I)
Sun Dabiao had "washed his hands of the trade" and lured Wang Chuyi to attend a ceremony—he hadn't hesitated to burn his own base, Dalang Market, to the ground. Though he won a victory and made a name for himself, Zhan Zhekun, Bi Xuansheng, and others—including his sworn brother Feng Haijiao—came to offer congratulations. Zhan Zhekun even brought official robes and a seal of office. He solemnly packed "Wang Chuyi's" head and the heads of several National Army soldiers—supposedly "baldy commanders"—in lime, sealed them in wooden boxes, and took them away to be presented to Xiong Wencan to "claim credit." Zhan Zhekun promised that once the deed was done, Sun Dabiao would be enfeoffed as a hereditary military officer—at least a Commander.
Yet the victory didn't cheer Sun Dabiao for long. Apart from the robes and wooden seal, Xiong Wencan sent him little real reinforcement. Though riding on his battlefield prestige, he drew many local "brothers" to join him and levied grain and silver across the county—his power swelling rapidly until he commanded the largest force in the county. Dalang Market almost became a second county yamen. Yet this expansion brought him no comfort.
Though he boasted of "strong troops and stout horses," he was still far from "commanding the whole county." Feng Haijiao had sent congratulations and even stationed a liaison at his camp, but Feng considered himself an equal—he didn't take Sun's orders at all. He clung to Qinglian Market and reached into surrounding areas, extorting grain and silver from wealthy households. At one point, Feng's collection parties nearly came to blows with Sun's. Though both sides, under pressure of "the common enemy," didn't actually fight, suspicion now festered between them.
Sun Dabiao grew uneasy. Zhan Zhekun had told them to "work together" and hold Yangshan as a springboard for a future official campaign into Guangdong. But talk of a counteroffensive had grown stale in his ears; he hadn't heard a shred of real news.
The Lianyang region lay on the route from Guangdong to Hunan. Sun Dabiao had sent many men to gather intelligence. Yet neither merchants traveling north and south nor refugees from Hunan had heard of any official army massing there for an assault on Guangdong. As for Guangxi—lots of hot air, but no one actually coming.
Feng Haijiao was scheming on one side; on another, a new force had quietly arrived from Guangning—supposedly Zhan Zhekun's core troops. Though their numbers were the smallest, they now occupied Xin Laonan's estate. They hadn't stirred—but they were a thorn in Sun Dabiao's side. What exactly is Zhan Zhekun planning?
As for the Australians, he had since learned that Wang Chuyi wasn't dead—only lost a leg. Australian ships still plied the river without pause. Most alarming: he had heard the Australians had brought in "Li barbarian" troops from Qiongzhou—men who could fly over grass, burrow through mountains, and cross ridges and gullies as if on level ground. Sun Dabiao quietly counted: after the Dalang Market battle, he had sent men to identify the baldy corpses left behind. About eighty-odd bodies—most of them local Yao. That meant the Australians in the county seat had fewer than two hundred men at most.
Fewer than two hundred defeated soldiers—and they weren't running! They kept sending parties out to collect "reasonable contributions." These baldies were tenacious.
His admiration mixed with dread. Dalang Market had been a glorious victory—but the price was steep. The market was ash; many of his men were dead—including key veterans. Now his numbers were high, but most were new recruits. Could they fight? Would they fight?
To bolster his own courage and his men's morale, he had grabbed a few local opera troupes and had them perform in Dalang Market every day. He abducted women and set up a makeshift brothel. Every night, there was gambling—dice and mah-jongg—letting the bandits whore and gamble to their hearts' content.
That evening, Sun Dabiao's mood was better than usual. Word had come that the baldies had sent a woman to be County Magistrate. When he first heard, he thought the scout was mocking him and had the man beaten with forty army cudgels.
But subsequent reports confirmed: they really had sent a woman to be County Magistrate. Sun Dabiao couldn't fathom how a woman could be a magistrate. Even his cleverest concubine showed no aptitude for governance.
What kind of move is this? Does this woman have some sorcery? Sun Dabiao grew nervous—especially when he heard the female magistrate was a "Li barbarian." His superstitious dread peaked. He promptly grabbed two Taoist priests, two Buddhist monks, and several local charlatans to "protect" him day and night.
Whether the "protection" worked or the Li barbarian woman had no real magic, after several days of eating and sleeping just fine, Sun Dabiao's nameless dread began to fade.
At this moment, he had just finished dinner and was playing cards with a few concubines in his compound. In the middle of the game, a curtain was pushed aside. A personal attendant stood at the doorway, peering inside.
Sun Dabiao glared. "What is it? Sneaking around! Get in here and speak!"
"Yes, sir." The attendant hurried in. "Master Mei has returned from outside the county seat. Says he has important news."
"Master Mei" was one of his top lieutenants, nicknamed "Brush Brow" for his thick, prominent eyebrows. He was ruthless—killed without blinking—but also shrewd and cautious. Sun Dabiao had posted him outside Yangshan City to watch the baldies' movements.
"Send him in!"
Sun Dabiao's women scattered. Moments later, Brush Brow strode in.
"Greetings, Boss Sun..."
"Skip the formalities." Sun Dabiao was eager for news—if Brush Brow came personally, it had to be important. "Quick—what's the baldies' new move?"
"Boss, this afternoon a baldy convoy arrived on the river and docked outside the county seat. Cargo was loaded from the city... Around dusk, the Li barbarian troops that had been garrisoned inside also boarded the boats."
"Is that true?!"
"Absolutely." Brush Brow nodded. "I counted—over a hundred men, plus baggage, all aboard. By the time I left, the convoy had already set off."
"So that means..."
"Right—the baldies are running!"
He had known for days that the Australians were packing up, shipping out wounded and dependents. Sun Dabiao and his lieutenants had suspected they were pulling out.
Now even the elite "Li barbarian" unit was leaving—they couldn't hold out much longer in Yangshan! Sun Dabiao's eyes darted. Still uneasy, he asked: "Did you send someone to follow?"
"Yes!"
"Good!" Half the weight lifted from his heart. He said approvingly: "You've earned your pay! Go to the paymaster—no, the quartermaster—tell him I said: ten taels of silver!"
"Thank you, Boss Sun!"
That night, Zhen Huan led the Mountain Company off the boats, silent as shadows, at a riverbank near the Yangshan county line—almost twenty kilometers from Dalang Market. In ancient times, this distance was nearly insurmountable at night—precisely the point, to throw off any pursuers.
"Comrades, next stop is Dalang Market—we're going to give Sun Dabiao a 'surprise'!" Zhen Huan's voice was a hoarse whisper. "Think we can make it on time?"
"Yes!"
"Good—move out!"
According to plan, Zhen Huan led the Mountain Company on one route while Luo Yiming led the County Squadron on another. They agreed to attack Dalang Market simultaneously at four in the morning.
That hour, just before dawn, was when the night was darkest and sleep deepest. Sentries, after a full night's watch, would be at their groggiest—slack and careless.
Bi Da was with Luo Yiming's County Squadron. Though every cadre in the county had objected, she insisted on going.
"I know archery and swordsmanship," Bi Da said. "I must take part in this battle. Once the local bandits learn Sun Dabiao was brought down by a woman—the blow to their morale won't be small."
Unable to dissuade her, they had You Ciren stay behind. Bi Da went out with the four Zhou family retainers that Zhou Liangchen had lent her.
The four retainers were eager to prove themselves before Bi Da—excited, fists clenched. Their leader was Zhou Da: not tall, but sturdier than most locals, carrying a broadsword. His brother, Zhou Er, was lean and tall, with a bow and quiver—supposedly a crack shot. Another, Zhou Fu, had two short knives at his waist; quick and nimble, he had entertained everyone with a dual-blade demonstration while waiting to depart. The last carried an iron-banded staff and a dagger at his belt.
"These Zhou retainers are fierce," Luo Yiming observed. "Pity they're household men, not our soldiers."
"Men like them excel at single combat and small-group melees. Put them in a battle line and they lose their edge," Bi Da said. "With them, you don't need to worry about my safety."
The two columns set off at staggered intervals. The city party didn't open the gates—they climbed down rope ladders from the wall. Every soldier wore a white armband for night recognition.
Zhang Tianbo sat at the gambling table, eyes bloodshot from sleeplessness, but he had no intention of leaving. It was nearly dawn; most of the gamblers had drifted off. Only a few diehards still played fan-tan and pai-gow.
His luck tonight was abysmal—so bad he doubted reality. From the moment the lamps were lit, whether he bet "big" or "small," he lost. He bet "small" over a dozen times; "big" came up. He switched to "big"; the dealer rolled "small." He was furious enough to flip the table—if the dealer hadn't already been replaced several times.
(End of Chapter)