Chapter 004: Escaping by Jumping into the River

Zhao Qiang knew that this scarred man was Wu Si's sworn elder brother. The seven brothers all took Wu as their surname, with the eldest named Wu Da, the second Wu Er, and so on, with the youngest being Wu Qi. All seven of them were once junior officers in the Wu Army's Loyal and Brave Battalion. Another elderly man who was close to Wu Da and the others was named Pan Changqing. He had previously served as an aide under General Ma Guobao, so outsiders referred to him as Master Pan. Currently, Wu Da, Wu San, and Wu Si were all assigned to Zhao Qiang's team, while the other four were assigned to different teams. Another elderly man who was close to Wu Da and the others was named Pan Changqing. He had previously served as an aide under General Ma Guobao, so outsiders referred to him as Master Pan. Currently, Wu Da, Wu San, and Wu Si were all assigned to Zhao Qiang's team, while the other four were assigned to different teams

More than one hundred Qing soldiers have already been dispatched to the riverside to capture the four fugitives. The remaining Qing troops, under the leadership of several sub-commanders, have scattered to block the small paths in the woods used for transporting carts, loudly shouting for the young men of the Wu army, who are gazing towards the river, to gather together and squat down. Although some were stirred into restlessness by this sudden escape, under the threat of the Qing soldiers' swords, they could only helplessly choose to comply, squatting there unwillingly while staring intently at the riverside. Zhao Qiang and his group were also herded together, squatting obediently under the watch of Eha and twenty or so Qing soldiers, not daring to move. Although some were stirred into restlessness by this sudden escape, under the threat of the Qing soldiers' swords, they could only helplessly choose to comply, squatting there unwillingly while staring intently at the riverside. Zhao Qiang and his group were also herded together, squatting obediently under the watch of Eha and twenty or so Qing soldiers, not daring to move.

Wu Si, who usually felt uneasy about being a slave, became excited upon hearing the shouts and seeing the four individuals running towards the river. He casually tossed the rope in his hand onto the cart, pushed aside two companions beside him, and leaned forward to look towards the riverbank. Noticing that the Qing soldiers were already chasing after them, he anxiously whispered to Zhao Qiang, as if he were among those fleeing. Zhao Qiang glanced at him and gently nudged him, signaling him to stop calling out, as Chen Zhao and E Ha were not far away. If they heard him, Wu Si would surely face another round of hardship.

Master Pan, elder brother, which unit do those four brothers belong to? They certainly have some courage

I do not recognize him; he looks unfamiliar. He should not be one of the brothers from the old camp. Perhaps he is a member of the Green Camp affiliated with the Two Lakes.

At this moment, Pan Changqing was tying ropes with Wu San and others beside another cart. Upon hearing Chen Zhao's shout to set off, he joined everyone in pushing the cart from behind. Unexpectedly, as the wheel rolled forward for just one turn, a voice from the eastern woods shouted, "Someone is escaping! Someone is escaping!"

After silently tying the wood with ropes along with Wu Si and the others, Zhao Qiang saw Chen Zhao bowing and following Eha as they approached. Before they got close, Chen Zhao shouted, "What are you all standing here for? Hurry up and get the horse cart ready. Let me tell you, be quick and nimble, or Eha won't feed you tonight!"

Do not run from the Rakshasa people; they can run to https://mhetushucom.com, back to the mainland? To North Korea?

The large logs that had been felled were loaded onto the cart by noon. In their haste to transport the timber back to Yongling, which was several miles away, the Qing army did not allow the young men of the Wu army to rest or eat, ordering them to hurry back with the cart. Zhao Qiang found this command unremarkable; after all, the Kangxi Emperor was scheduled to arrive in Yongling the day after tomorrow. If they did not seize the time now, the last few palaces in Yongling would not be completed in time for the Emperor's visit, which could lead to serious problems. It was likely that a large number of officials in Yongling would lose their positions, so they had to be anxious. As for whether the former subordinates of Wu, in their eyes, needed to rest or eat, it was simply not a matter worth considering.

The river is two to three hundred meters wide, and the current is swift. If one is not a good swimmer, it is impossible to cross. I believe these four individuals are from the Green Battalion of Huguang; otherwise, how could they possess such excellent swimming skills to dare to jump into the river and escape

Although it is already the end of March, the water of the Songhua River remains chillingly cold, and the current is quite swift. It is nearly impossible for anyone who is not an expert swimmer to reach the opposite bank. Therefore, Zhao Qiang finds the actions of these four fugitives somewhat unbelievable; after all, if it were feasible, he would have jumped into the river to escape long ago. Nevertheless, he sincerely hopes that these four men will have good fortune, and upon seeing the Qing soldiers closing in on them, his heart tightened with concern.

Zhao Qiang was not familiar with Wu Si. In his memory, after arriving in Yongling, Zhao Qiang had a good relationship only with a man named Qi Zhuang, and he hardly spoke to anyone else. Therefore, he could not resonate with Wu Si's words and found it difficult to echo him, so he went to the front of the cart to prepare to pull the horse. However, the man with a scar on his forehead slapped Wu Si on the back of the head and whispered, "Shut up, hurry up and push!"

The other side of the river is also under the control of the Qing army. Even if they swim across, they cannot escape the pursuit of the Qing forces. Moreover, the area beyond the pass is vast, and there are not many places with human habitation. Once they escape, how will they survive? They cannot live as wild men in the mountains for the rest of their lives

Run quickly, run!

I have heard that if one travels north for about a hundred miles across this river, one will reach the land of the Russians. They have occupied several fortresses of the Tartars and have engaged in a few skirmishes with them. Perhaps these brothers are thinking of fleeing to the Russians.

The Loyal and Brave Battalion was meticulously established by Wu Sangui, comprising selected elite soldiers from his army. The training and equipment were the strongest among Wu's forces, making it a true elite within the elite. Its leaders, Ma Guobao and Gao Qilong, were trusted generals of Wu Sangui, who later held high positions in Wu's army. It is noteworthy that Zhao Qiang had once expressed his desire to join the Loyal and Brave Battalion to Wang Pingfan, but this matter was shelved due to Wu Sangui's northern campaign. This indicates the influence of the Loyal and Brave Battalion within Wu's army. Although the remaining members of the Loyal and Brave Battalion now number only a few hundred, they still hold a certain degree of influence among the former members of Wu's army outside the pass. Therefore, Zhao Qiang has been speculating about the close relationship between Pan Changqing and Wu Da, believing there must be some hidden reason behind it, rather than just the "brotherhood" that Pan Changqing often mentions. However, these are merely his speculations, as he has consistently observed Pan Changqing suppressing several of the Wu brothers, particularly frequently scolding the most anxious one, Wu Si, who seems to have completely resigned himself to being a slave outside the pass. This has left Zhao Qiang somewhat perplexed. Sometimes he thinks that perhaps because he has crossed over from a time when human relationships were more superficial, his views on interpersonal relationships are not as candid as those of ancient people. Yet, his intuition tells him that the situation cannot be so simple, which is why he has been secretly observing Pan Changqing and the Wu brothers, hoping to find something of interest.

How?

Wu Si was momentarily stunned when Zhao Qiang stabbed him. Upon seeing Zhao Qiang point at E Ha and Chen Zhao, he finally understood, nodded, and ceased to call out, instead gazing anxiously at the riverbank.

I find it impossible; the Rakshasas look different from us, and their language is also different. What could we possibly do by going there? Moreover, I have heard that the Rakshasas are quite fierce towards us Han people as well as the Tujue people. If these four brothers really went there, they would certainly not have a good outcome.

Is someone escaping? This shout startled everyone in the woods, and they all turned to look east. They saw four men desperately running toward the riverbank, shedding their tattered cotton jackets as they ran. It seemed they intended to jump into the river and swim to the other side.

We do not know where to run, and saying this is of no use. For now, we can only hope that they can swim across smoothly; otherwise, it would be pointless to run anywhere.

Wu Si casually tightened the rope while glancing sideways at Chen Zhao, then muttered under his breath, "Damn it, what is this? A dog relying on its master!"

Shh, do not speak, the Qing soldiers are coming

Eha was very pleased with Chen Zhao's words, and upon hearing this, he smiled and glanced over his hundred young subordinates, gesturing for them to move faster

The one who shouted was a Han deputy warden. With his cry, the surrounding Qing soldiers quickly spotted the four fugitives. A lieutenant led dozens of Qing soldiers in swift pursuit. The trees in the forest had long been cleared, and with the reeds by the river not yet grown tall, the four escapees were clearly visible to everyone.

Indeed, as long as one can escape, there is no fear of not having a place to go. What is truly worrisome is not being able to get away and being caught by the Qing soldiers; that would be the real misfortune