Ten li farther lay the river crossing.
In rain like mist and haze, the woods shuddered and rustled beneath the patter. South of the muddy official road, the great river flowed past East Stone Town. Despite the rain, several plumes of thick smoke still rose there, accompanied now and then by screams of agony and the weeping pleas of women.
Everyone cautiously looked ahead, only to see corpses strewn across the town's open ground. They could even make out several naked female bodies lying in the mud.
"Thousand-Household Commander?"
At the sight before them, the Zheng Army soldiers were furious. One Hundred-Household Officer was trembling all over as he asked in a low voice.
The Thousand-Household Commander glanced at him and said quietly, "The rebel army has grown crafty. Last time, Thousand-Household Commander Huang attacked rashly and fell into an ambush, dying on the spot. We must investigate clearly before we act."
"Hold your nerve!"
A moment later, hoofbeats sounded. Then young and middle-aged men were driven out, pushing wheelbarrows and donkey carts piled high with grain as they struggled through the rain.
Cavalrymen came whistling out, accompanied by several scouts. As they drew nearer, they could be seen clearly: every one of them was broad and sturdy, clad in leather armor, and there were quite a few of them.
"Three hundred cavalry!"
The Thousand-Household Commander made a rough estimate, and his expression changed slightly. His heart thudded fiercely several times as he cursed under his breath, "Damn it. So the Wei Army really has started sending cavalry to requisition grain."
The Thousand-Household Commander looked around. They had more than seven hundred men, but only a little over fifty cavalrymen. Though they held the numerical advantage, facing three hundred elite riders, victory was far from certain. Many men unconsciously tensed,