Chapter 600: Blood Battle in Xiangzhou (IV)

Ajiégǔ had always looked down on the Han people, especially their civil officials. Without even dismounting, he said coldly, “We are them!”
Zhang Xun quickly smiled and said, “General and all my brothers have come from afar. Entrusted by the elders of Qiuxian County, I’ve brought sheep and wine to reward you. There are many bandits in this area—please continue to protect the locals in the future.”
With that, Zhang Xun took out a box and handed it to Ajiégǔ with both hands, saying in a low voice, “This is a gift from the thirty wealthiest families in Qiuxian County for you. Please accept it.”
Ajiégǔ took the box but suddenly felt it grow heavy, almost causing it to fall. It was incredibly heavy. When he opened the wooden box, he saw it filled with golden bars. He weighed them in his hand—there were at least 200 taels.
Ajiégǔ’s eyes curved into smiles. Due to the war, the price of gold and silver in Hebei Province had soared. On the black market, one tael of gold was worth 40 guan. This box of gold bars was worth 8,000 guan! All the loot they had acquired along the way was only 500 or 600 guan—this gift was truly substantial!
“Governor Zhang is being too kind. Since I’ve been appointed as the military commander of Yizhou, I will naturally protect the people and crack down on bandits. Please rest assured, elders and villagers of Qiuxian County.”
Ajiégǔ understood that Zhang Xun had stopped him along the way under the pretense of rewarding the troops, but actually to let him know which families had given generous gifts so he wouldn’t cause trouble. But given the value of this box of gold, he could at least listen.
Ajiégǔ put the wooden box in his saddle bag, then waved and said, “Everyone, dismount and rest. Let’s prepare for lunch!”
Actually, when they set out, Li Huaixian had warned him that since the Prince of Yan had just risen in rebellion, the situation in Hebei was unstable. He shouldn’t act recklessly, must maintain military discipline, and not be careless.
Ajiégǔ, of course, agreed wholeheartedly. But what was the point of his being there? To enforce discipline? That was absurd! Shi Siming and Cai Xide could unleash their troops to massacre cities. He had seen carts full of wealth and women being taken to Khitan—none of that went to him. Why should he have to enforce discipline while others could plunder and rape?

As soon as he left Youzhou City, he threw Li Huaixian’s warnings aside. Once outside Youzhou’s territory, he began to send his troops on plundering raids. He didn’t even know how many women he had slept with. Gradually, the Han people, who were like sheep to him, made him completely unguarded. More importantly, he despised the Han people at heart, considering them mere sheep. Even if they resisted, it would be like sheep butting against each other. The so-called Anxiang Teams organized by Zhang Xun were nothing but a ragtag bunch. He only needed to send fifty men to slaughter them until the ground was bloodied. He held them in utter contempt—this was the mindset of all the steppe barbarians. They served under the Tang Dynasty, appearing obedient on the surface, but harboring deep hatred for them. They viewed the Han people as sheep, believing they would eventually become their prey, especially since this was right at their doorstep. Who could resist such temptation?

There was another important reason, one even An Lushan was unaware of: a scouting squad from the Anxi Army was active in their hinterland. They all thought the destruction of Li Qinxu’s 20,000 vanguard troops was the work of Guo Ziyi’s army.

Zhang Xun and Ji Sheng took advantage of the enemy’s complacency, thinking they were safe at home, and set a trap.

Six hundred cavalrymen dismounted, and over twenty more went to the carriages, wanting to pick some beautiful women to satisfy their desires. But in front of Zhang Xun, Ajiégǔ didn’t dare go too far, so he stepped forward and shouted, “The most important thing for cavalrymen is their warhorses. Go get water to feed them instead of chatting here!”

The cavalrymen, frightened, went to fetch water. Zhang Xun smiled inwardly. In truth, he didn’t have that much gold—just two hundred copper bars coated with gold.

Zhang Xun gave an order, and a dozen strong men immediately carried sheep wine down from the carriages. They found a flat, dry spot, chopped wood to start a fire, and worked with remarkable speed, soon lighting a blazing bonfire. They slaughtered sheep, skinned them, washed the meat in a nearby river, and roasted it over the fire.

The soldiers, already smelling the wine, rushed forward to get it. The strong aroma made their mouths water. Many took out their bowls and started drinking. But Ajiégǔ roared, “Stop right now!”

Everyone froze. Ajiégǔ took out a pair of silver chopsticks from his saddle bag, walked over slowly, and carefully inspected the wine jars. He then selected a few jars, broke the seals, lifted the lids, and used the silver chopsticks to probe inside. After pulling out the chopsticks and holding them up to the sunlight, he saw no change in color. He checked the other jars as well—nothing amiss.

But Ajiégǔ was extremely suspicious. Still unconvinced, he ordered, “Open all the wine jars and test them one by one.”

Ji Sheng, who was roasting the lamb, sneered secretly. Could they possibly detect his poisoning method? All the wine jars had been tested and found to be free of poison. Finally, A Jiegu nodded, and the soldiers eagerly poured out the wine to drink. The strong aroma of the wine drew out their cheers. A Jiegu stepped forward and said to Zhang Xun with a smile, “These are the military rules. Please forgive me, Governor Zhang!” “Oh, no! It’s a blessing for our county that the general leads his troops so carefully. Please, come and sit!” “Won’t Governor Zhang have a drink?” Zhang Xun waved his hand and said apologetically, “I suffer from an illness and cannot drink alcohol. I’ll just accompany the general and eat some lamb.” The bonfire burned brightly, with flames rising as high as six feet. Dozens of attendants were busy slaughtering and preparing the lamb. Seven or eight lambs were already roasting over the fire, emitting a rich aroma with crackling sounds. A young man with a childlike face was in charge of seasoning them—naturally, it was Ji Sheng. Ji Sheng was a Han from Suiye and had once been a member of the Han-Tang Association. He was also a descendant of the eighteen military generals who had escorted the crown princess to Suiye back then. His grandfather, Ji Longfei, was also a member of the Hidden Dragon Association. Ji Quan, who was now in charge of communicating with the Arabs within the Hidden Dragon Association, was his cousin. Although Ji Sheng had not joined the Hidden Dragon Association, he was selected for Anxi’s top scout camp. Gradually, he stood out and became one of the best scouts in the camp, eventually being promoted to its leader. Since childhood, Ji Sheng had received special training in the Han-Tang Association, including poisoning, disguise, language skills, cooking, and more. This gave him not only excellent martial skills but also special talents that ordinary scouts lacked. Almost everyone could roast lamb, but Ji Sheng knew how to prepare a special sauce. He used a brush to apply the sauce repeatedly to each lamb, giving it a unique aroma that spread with the smoke, extremely tempting. Most of the six hundred Yan troops were barbarian soldiers, and eating lamb was a common thing for them. Yet they had never smelled such delicious roasted lamb before. They gathered around, drinking wine while watching Ji Sheng brush the lamb. Soon, one lamb was seven or eight tenths cooked. Ji Sheng handed the roasted lamb to the soldiers and said with a smile, “It’s ready for you to enjoy!” The soldiers were overjoyed and quickly pulled out their knives to cut the meat and share it. “Wait!” A Jiegu pushed his way into the crowd. He picked up the sauce bucket, sniffed it, and demanded sharply of Ji Sheng, “What is this?” Ji Sheng was terrified and dared not speak. Zhang Xun stepped forward and said with a smile, “General, this boy is very honest. He’s from our county. A few years ago, he went to Taiyuan to work as a cook and learned excellent lamb-roasting skills. He’s back now to visit his parents.”

Zhang Xun gently said to Ji Sheng, “Don’t be afraid. Just tell the general honestly.” Ji Sheng took out a bag from beside him, opened it, and stammered, “This is… what I brought from a tavern in Taiyuan… soy sauce. Just grind it into powder… mix it with water, and it’s ready.” A Jiegu saw that it contained bark, grass seeds, and tsaoko, things he had never seen before. He grabbed a handful, sniffed it—it smelled like soy sauce—but he wasn’t convinced. Pointing at the sauce, he said, “Take a sip.” Ji Sheng scooped up a spoonful and ate it in one gulp. A Jiegu stared at him for a long time before finally nodding. He cut off a piece of mutton and handed it to him, smiling slyly, “This is a reward for you. Eat it!” Ji Sheng took the mutton and began eating it in small bites. Only then was A Jiegu completely satisfied. Waving his hand, he said, “That’s enough!” The soldiers, who had been waiting impatiently, rushed forward as soon as he gave his approval, scrambling to grab the mutton. In no time, the entire roasted sheep was gone… As the sheep were gradually roasted, the 600 soldiers were divided into over sixty groups, gathering together to drink and eat, making loud noises. Many, after drinking, began to stare lustfully at the carriages. Some brought meat to the women and drivers. Zhang Xun also cut a plate of meat and sat next to A Jiegu, eating slowly while discussing matters related to integrating the Anxiang troops. “General A Jiegu, what really concerns me is the treatment of the soldiers after they’re integrated. Will they really be treated the same as the Yan army?” A Jiegu grinned and pointed to the dozens of carriage roads behind them. “The governor needn’t worry. See those carriages? They’re full of weapons and armor—regular Yan army troops, just infantry. I, A Jiegu, never fail to treat my men well. If I eat meat and drink, my brothers all get their share.” “Heh! It’s clear that General A Jiegu has the demeanor of a great general.” … The lunch lasted over an hour. Nearly a hundred jars of wine and over sixty roasted sheep were devoured by the soldiers in no time. It was then that something strange happened. The soldiers were heavily drunk; many lay on the ground fast asleep. Even those who weren’t asleep spoke incoherently due to drunkenness, finding it hard to walk. In short, almost everyone who ate and drank was so drunk they collapsed. Even A Jiegu lay asleep on a large rock.

Zhang Xun had already left under pretense. Ji Sheng and his men, though eating meat and drinking wine and pretending to be drunk, were actually fully sober. The problem lay in the sauce for the grilled meat—it was indeed non-toxic, but it contained a highly potent sedative. A small amount wouldn’t cause intoxication, but when combined with alcohol, it amplified the effects of drunkenness. Moreover, the alcohol content in the wine was very high. The Anxi army had learned a distillation method from the West to produce high-concentration alcohol for disinfecting wounded soldiers, but the alcohol content in the wines from the Central Plains was much lower. These soldiers, suddenly exposed to such high-concentration alcohol, coupled with the effect of the sauce, couldn’t withstand its impact—even those with strong drinking tolerance ended up drunk and collapsed.

Ji Sheng and the others had taken antidotes in advance and drank very little; many even just drank water, so they remained unharmed.

At that moment, a petite figure rushed out quickly from the woods—it was female soldier Xiao Xie. Seeing soldiers lying drunk everywhere, she frowned and kicked one of them hard before stepping forward to report to Ji Sheng, “Captain Ji, we’ve taken out all five of their spies.”

Ji Sheng nodded. He scanned the area again—almost everyone was down, including dozens of cart drivers. Even the carriages carrying the captured women went unattended, indicating that all were defeated. With a cold laugh, he turned around and ordered, “It’s time to act!”

His dozen or so subordinates leaped up, drawing their razor-sharp knives used for slaughtering sheep. They approached each soldier one by one, cutting their throats with swift, brutal strokes, killing them instantly. In less than fifteen minutes, 625 Yan army soldiers were killed like chickens, including their leader, A Jiegu, whose head was severed by Xiao Xie.

Blood covered the ground, and the smell of alcohol and blood filled the air. Dozens of women trapped in the carriages witnessed this bloody scene, with many screaming in terror. Suddenly, an arrow was shot into the air and exploded with a crisp sound.

A moment later, a large group of Anxi regiment soldiers, numbering over a thousand, rushed out of the woods. Leading them was County Captain Cui Anshi, who charged at the front with his sword. After searching around, he saw only corpses—no living person left for him to deal with. With a bitter smile, he bowed to Ji Sheng and said, “General Ji, did you send us here to act as porters?”

Ji Sheng laughed heartily and replied, “I originally wanted to let you build courage, but since your men were too eager, I did it for you. Next time, I’ll definitely leave it to you.”

Cui Anshi had no choice but to shout at his soldiers, “Take everything that can be taken and bury the corpses.” The soldiers immediately got to work, stripping off the dead soldiers’ armor, gathering their weapons, and assembling the horses. A few soldiers released the captured women, who cried bitterly. Some of them rushed forward, kicking and beating the dead soldiers. Most of them had lost their families and had to go to Qiu County first to find shelter. Dozens of cart drivers were awakened by cold water; terrified, they kowtowed repeatedly, pleading that they too had been forced to come and had done nothing wrong. Ji Sheng ordered them to drive the carts toward the county town.

……

At the entrance of the county town, Zhang Xun had been waiting for a long time. This great victory filled him with confidence in Ji Sheng and his men. Seeing the warriors return in triumph, Zhang Xun stepped forward to congratulate them, saying, “General Ji truly deserves to be called the best scout general—your actions were outstanding. Congratulations on your victorious return!”

Ji Sheng also smiled and said, “Didn’t County Magistrate Zhang also participate? If it weren’t for your personal intervention, how would those Hu generals have agreed to drink our wine and eat our meat?”

The two laughed together. At that moment, the people of the city came out to welcome them. Groups of children jumped around, creating a grand and lively scene.

Zhang Xun and Ji Sheng stepped aside to discuss their next steps. Sitting on a large rock, Zhang Xun looked at the jubilant crowd and sighed, “Six hundred Yan soldiers were killed. How could Li Huaixian just give up? An army will arrive soon. We might be able to retreat, but these innocent people will surely die. I’m worried!”

Ji Sheng also knew that Qiu County’s fortifications were weak and unable to withstand the Yan army’s attack. He had thought deeply about this on the way and already had an idea. He took out a map and laid it on the rock, saying with a smile, “County Magistrate Zhang, why not hear my idea?”

Zhang Xun was overjoyed that Ji Sheng already had a plan. He quickly stepped forward.

Ji Sheng pointed to a place not far to the south on the map and said, “This is Tangxing County. Next to it is a marshland spanning hundreds of miles. I’ve sent people to investigate—it’s full of reeds, making it easy to hide. Why don’t we relocate everyone to Tangxing County? If the Yan army attacks, we can hide in the marshland. What do you think, County Magistrate Zhang?”

Zhang Xun pondered for a moment and said, “I’m worried about An Lushan’s army attacking. It’s winter now, and the water is frozen. If tens of thousands of people attack, we still won’t be able to escape.”

“Don’t worry, County Magistrate Zhang. Tangxing County is in Mozhou. Li Huaixian wouldn’t dare send a large army away from Youzhou—he can’t afford the consequences. At most, he’ll send five or six thousand men to attack us. I think as long as we make full use of the terrain, we should be able to handle them.”

Zhang Xun firmly made up his mind. “Alright! Let’s prepare to evacuate now.” At that moment, Ji Sheng suddenly remembered something and said, “It won’t take a month for Li Huaixian’s army to track us down. I still have a task to complete in these few days. County Magistrate Zhang, you may lead the people to evacuate first. I’ll arrive at Tangxing County and join you within ten days at the latest.” Zhang Xun nodded. “Do you need me to send someone to assist you?” Ji Sheng smiled slightly and said, “It’s not about the number of soldiers, but their quality. Twenty-one of my men are enough!” An hour later, over ten thousand people from Qiu County began to evacuate southward, while Ji Sheng led his twenty-one men northward to carry out another, even more important task. …
(Note: The water-rich region beside Tangxing County is today’s Baiyangdian. During the Tang Dynasty, it was much larger than it is now!)