Chapter 112: The Rout of Dou Jiande

"Kill them all!"

"Kill!"

Amidst the thunderous battle cries, the surging Sui soldiers, brandishing long spears and sharp blades, steadily cut down the rebels. As more and more rebel soldiers fell in agony, panic spread, causing the remaining insurgents to flee in terror. This only served to further ignite the morale of the Sui forces.

"Lord Dou, flee! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"

Cao Zhan and Ying Kai stood firmly by Dou Jiande’s side, guarding him. Seeing the chaos of the battlefield, they urgently urged him to mount his horse and escape.

"Let's go!"

Knowing that the situation was beyond salvation, Dou Jiande swung onto his horse. Accompanied by over two hundred loyal subordinates, he fought desperately to carve a path out of the Sui encirclement.

"Kill!"

Seeing Dou Jiande attempting to escape, the Sui soldiers swarmed toward him, weapons raised.

In the midst of the bloody, chaotic struggle, Ying Kai, intent on shielding Dou Jiande, wielded his heavy horse lance to strike down several Sui soldiers. Ultimately overwhelmed by numbers, he was run through by multiple long spears, lifted clean off his horse, and hoisted into the air.

"Ying Kai!"

Seeing the death of his loyal retainer, who had followed him even during their time in the Sui ranks, Dou Jiande’s eyes turned bloodshot. He was filled with raw, uncontrollable fury.

"Lord Dou! Go!"

Seeing that Ying Kai had fallen, Cao Zhan’s expression shifted. He swung his sword, leading the remaining soldiers to cover Dou Jiande’s retreat as the circle of Sui troops tightened.

Back at Gaojibo, Dou Jiande had always shared meals and quarters with his men, distributing his wealth among his inner circle. Because of this, many were willing to die for him. Even within the suffocating grip of the Sui army, his loyalists managed to carve a bloody path to freedom for their master.

"Go!"

With a heavy heart, Dou Jiande broke through the encirclement, leading over a hundred men as he spurred his horse toward the north.

The veteran Sui general Yang Yichen and the Qinghe Commandery Assistant Yang Shanhui watched the escape from within their own ranks.

"That Dou Jiande is no ordinary man," Yang Shanhui remarked. "He managed to absorb the remnants of Zhang Jincheng’s bandit forces, and the Zhuozhou Governor Guo Xuan died at his hands."

For a long time, Yang Shanhui had focused his efforts on Zhang Jincheng, whose brutality toward innocent civilians posed a far greater threat than the likes of Gao Shida or Dou Jiande. He had never imagined that after Zhang Jincheng’s death, Gao Shida and Dou Jiande would not only remain undeterred but actually recruit the remnants of Zhang’s forces.

"They are fleeing north. With Wei Dao’er’s army currently marching on Taiyuan Commandery, Dou Jiande will find little harbor there. I shall march north in a few days," Yang Yichen replied, glancing at Yang Shanhui.

Both shared the surname of the Emperor, yet they were different. Yang Shanhui hailed from the prominent Hongnong Yang clan, whereas Yang Yichen had been born with the surname Yuchi, only receiving the imperial surname from the late Emperor. His loyalty to the Sui Dynasty was absolute.

With the bandit Wei Dao’er having gained power in the north, Yang Yichen had been forced to station his army there to contain him. Now that Wei Dao’er had suddenly shifted his focus to Taiyuan, Yang Yichen finally had the freedom to sweep through the various bandit factions of Hebei.

Wei Dao’er’s army, over a hundred thousand strong and well-equipped, was a formidable force, but Yang Yichen had never viewed the other local bandits—Gao Shida, Dou Jiande, or the next in line, Ge Qian—as a true challenge.

Before proceeding, however, Yang Yichen intended to visit the local gentry and question the officials and garrison commanders along the way. He demanded to know how a mere subordinate of a bandit could pursue a Sui general all the way to Pingyuan County and then return to Gaojibo without consequence.

"I hear the Li family estate in Tiao County is hosting a banquet today," Yang Shanhui noted. Remembering the fate of Guo Xuan, he felt a flicker of indignation, though without concrete evidence, he could not move against the powerful landed clans. He was, however, quite pleased to see Yang Yichen prepare to intimidate them.

"The young man who saved Qinghe County has his family living in Tiao County as well," Yang Shanhui added, thinking of Fu Zihou, who was currently besieged by Wei Dao’er’s army in the eastern city of Jinyang. He felt a complex mix of emotions regarding the boy, whom he had never met. He had not anticipated that shortly after Fu Zihou was appointed as a Captain of Martial Valor and transferred to Jinyang, Wei Dao’er would send his general, Zhen Jie’er, with an army of over a hundred thousand to attack Taiyuan.

"I suppose I can pay them a visit," Yang Yichen agreed, understanding Yang Shanhui’s intent. Had it not been for Yang Shanhui’s suggestion, he would never have bothered; given his status, a mere captain—or even a general—would rarely warrant his attention. The boy’s victory over Zhang Jincheng was commendable, but not enough to truly impress him. He viewed this visit more as a gesture of consolation, knowing the boy might soon fall in the siege of Jinyang.

"Report!"

Suddenly, several Sui scouts arrived, breathless, and handed a letter to Yang Yichen. As they stood over the corpse of Gao Shida, watching the Sui soldiers round up thousands of captives, Yang Yichen was surprised. Intelligence regarding Wei Dao’er had been cut off, and he had only realized the magnitude of the threat when the enemy moved toward Taiyuan. He had sent men to investigate, not expecting them to return so quickly.

He opened the letter. As he read the contents, his face changed instantly, his expression one of utter disbelief.

Yang Shanhui, who had known Yang Yichen for years, had rarely seen him look so shaken. He grew curious. Given the news of Zhen Jie’er’s massive army attacking Taiyuan, he wondered if the western city of Jinyang had fallen.

"Hahahahaha!"

Suddenly, Yang Yichen began to laugh—not in despair, but in a sudden, excited outburst.

"Look at this! I am even more eager to visit Tiao County now," Yang Yichen said, a rare smile gracing his aged face as he handed the letter to Yang Shanhui.

Yang Shanhui took the letter, read it, and after a few moments, his face was filled with utter astonishment.

***

Inside the Li estate in Tiao County, Lady Zhou was conversing with the wives of other noble clans. Occasionally, her eyes would drift toward the grieving Li Cha, and a flicker of guilt would cross her face.

Even the young men outside were whispering about Li Cha behind her back; Lady Zhou had heard the gossip among the noblewomen. She couldn't help but think that if she hadn't insisted on breaking the betrothal with the Fu family and replacing her own daughter with Li Cha, perhaps Fu Zihou wouldn't have met such an untimely end.

For days, both she and her husband had been plagued by guilt. They had only wanted to dissolve the marriage; they had never intended for Fu Zihou to die. They never imagined that the "cursed" Li Cha would bring such misfortune upon him.

"Mother! Father says the tea in the main hall has run out. He wants you to find more, and see if there is any high-quality stock left. A soldier came to inform us that General Yang Yichen and Assistant Yang Shanhui are coming..."

Li Qiong walked up to her mother.

"Oh, very well!" Lady Zhou withdrew her gaze from the other guests and instructed her sister-in-law to attend to the noblewomen before taking Li Qiong with her.

With many prominent young men and gentry present today, Lady Zhou hoped to show off her daughter. She had already noticed several young men unable to take their eyes off Li Qiong. She hoped that if these influential figures saw her, it might lead to a favorable marriage alliance.