Chapter 6, Escape
He saw very clearly that not far from the roadside was a sizable pine forest. If he could break into the woods, perhaps there would be a chance to escape. Trying to run away in front of thousands of cavalry was no small feat, but even if the odds of success were low, it was still worth a try. In this world, many things offer a glimmer of hope as long as one dares to attempt them. If one does not even dare to try, what difference is there between living and being a zombie?
Moreover, one is already doomed to die without a doubt; is there still hope that Shi Le or An Liang will have a change of heart and voluntarily release oneself? It seems this matter has nothing to do with conscience. At worst, if captured again, one would just have to endure a few punches or be dragged a few miles. If they, in a fit of anger, were to directly execute oneself, that would be even more convenient
An An hurried over upon hearing the news, and Shi Le shot him a glance: "I ordered you to watch over Pei Lang, why did you almost let him escape?" An An, both ashamed and angry, grabbed the riding whip and struck it across Pei Gai's face.
Not long after setting out on the third day, a scout suddenly reported: "We have discovered Jin troops to the south of Weicang." Shi Le was slightly taken aback and quickly asked: "How many are there?" The scout replied: "There are approximately two to three thousand soldiers, but among them are quite a few luxurious carriages, which must belong to nobles fleeing from Luoyang to the east." Shi Le smiled and commanded: "Let General Liao eliminate them."
The command was sent to the Yubu, and Hu An immediately dispatched troops to attack the enemy at Weicang. The Hu cavalry was in disarray, reorganizing their ranks and forming groups, seemingly ignoring Pei Gai. Over the past two days, Pei Gai had put in considerable effort and finally became self-taught, roughly grasping the skills of riding. He thought to himself that it was truly a blessing from heaven, and thus pretended to evade the Hu cavalry, using his legs to firmly squeeze the horse's belly and gently kicking with his heels, gradually veering to the right side of the road.
The key adversaries are all Hu people. If they were warlords of the Jin Dynasty, or even refugees and bandits, they might surrender first to avoid endless suffering. However, when facing the Hu people, even if they were to integrate into the Chinese nation hundreds of years later, it is possible that one of them could be a distant ancestor of one's own two thousand years hence. Yet, today they are all executioners who slaughter Han people, and this psychological barrier is one that cannot be crossed no matter what.
Pei struggled to rise, glaring fiercely at him without uttering a word. He now felt utterly exhausted, wanting desperately to escape, yet bound by ropes—surrounded by Hu cavalry, even if he were to free himself, where could he run? All he could do was glare in silent protest. He thought to himself that this damned heaven did not want him to die peacefully; he did not know how long he would have to endure such suffering. But he was still resolutely unwilling to surrender.
Indeed, it feels as if a caged bird has been released or a thirsty fish has entered the water, desperately hoping to escape to freedom. The distance is merely a few hundred meters, and it is estimated that the warhorse, at full gallop, could penetrate the forest in less than half a minute
... ...
On this expedition of over one hundred miles, he brought back only cavalry, and suffered minimal losses. Instead, he seized a large quantity of supplies and provisions from the Jin army, as well as countless personal belongings of the Jin dynasty's nobles and officials, truly indulging in abundance. However, no matter how much wealth there is, it still requires manpower and animal power for transportation. In his excitement, Shi Le did not promptly restrain his subordinates, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Jin soldiers—there may have been a small number who escaped, but almost none were captured alive—so who would be responsible for transporting the goods? Would he turn all the cavalry into a merchant convoy? However, no matter how much wealth there is, it still requires manpower and animal power for transportation. In his excitement, Shi Le did not promptly restrain his subordinates, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Jin soldiers—there may have been a small number who escaped, but almost none were captured alive—so who would be responsible for transporting the goods? Would he turn all the cavalry into a merchant convoy?
Kuan An and Pei Gai stared at each other for a long time, both refusing to back down. In the end, it was Kuan An who failed first, as he shifted his gaze away, smiling awkwardly, and instructed those around him: "Select a nag for Lord Pei to ride." After all, he could not truly harm Pei Gai, let alone cripple him, as he would have no way to explain himself to Shi Le.
He cautiously surveyed the nearby Hu cavalry, waiting for an opportunity. Lowering his head, he pressed his entire body against the horse's back, straining to tighten his legs around the horse's belly. Then, with a sudden forceful kick of his heels, the steed, in pain, let out a neigh. Indeed, it sprang to life, accelerating towards the direction of the pine forest.
Shi Le feared that Pei Gai and Liu An would develop a deep enmity, which could lead to discord among the officials when they served together in the future, potentially resulting in mutual accusations and jeopardizing significant matters. Currently, Pei Gai is still unwilling to surrender; if you slightly mistreat him, allowing him to eat coarse grains, drink cold water, wear tattered clothes, and run a few steps behind a horse, those are trivial matters. However, if he were to get a scar on his face, given that these Chinese scholars value their appearance greatly, he would undoubtedly hold a grudge against you for a lifetime. What purpose would that serve?
In fact, Pei was merely pretending to present the fortunes and misfortunes to Shi Le, analyzing the situation, and what he said cannot be considered falsehoods. Firstly, the loss of one hundred thousand Jin troops in a single day meant that the forces in Luoyang could no longer dispatch mobile troops, and there was even a shortage of personnel for city defense. The Hu and Han armies were perfectly positioned to divide and conquer, leading to the fall of the city and the destruction of Jin. Secondly, Liu Yao, Wang Mi, and others would inevitably become envious of Shi Le's achievements, leading to conflicts among colleagues—essentially among warlords. Of course, this does not indicate that Pei possessed any grand vision or foresight, as history was destined to unfold in this manner. Although he was not overly familiar with the history of the Two Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, he still had a general understanding of the trajectory of developments.
Thousands of cavalry, most of whom ride two horses each, possess great mobility. However, there is one individual among them who rides no horse and can only walk—this, of course, is the unfortunate Pei Gai. Yan An used a thick rope, tying one end to Pei Gai's wrist and the other to his own saddle, dragging him along in this manner—his intention was clear: you see, I am not whipping Pei Lang; I am merely asking him to exercise a bit and take a run.
An An approached closely and said in a lowered voice: "If the lord cares for Pei Lang so much, if he still refuses to yield, he truly is a person without a heart."
However, as the pine forest in front gradually enlarged, it was just a step away from the success of this escape plan—at least the first step had succeeded—suddenly, a whistle was heard from behind. Pei Gai's mount tilted its head and abruptly "braked." Caught off guard, Pei Gai slipped down the horse's neck and fell face-first to the ground, landing in a disoriented heap, struggling for a long time without being able to get up
Pei Gai naturally had no idea about the discussions that took place in the tent between Shi Le, Kong Chang, and Yu An after he was thrown out, nor was he clear about the direction his future would take. He roughly estimated that Shi Le's main camp was in Xuchang, and that the renowned Mr. Zhang Bin, also known as Zhang Mengsun, should be in Xuchang as well. It was likely that they intended to invite Zhang Bin to persuade him to surrender. Speaking of which, Zhang Bin was indeed a rare figure of wisdom and strategy during the period of the Two Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms—of course, he was also a notorious traitor. What kind of arguments would he use in an attempt to sway his resolve? With Pei Gai's eloquence in this life, would he be able to argue against him?
During the evening camp, Zhu An directly arranged for Pei Gai to be placed in the stable, still tightly bound to a wooden stake with ropes. Pei Gai noticed that the nearby Hu people and their herdsmen were not paying much attention to him, so he secretly struggled, trying to wear through the ropes on his hands. Unfortunately, he could not find any sharp tools nearby; using a rope to wear down wood might result in the wood breaking first—"a rope saws through wood, and water drips through stone"—though it is hard to say how long that would take.
The journey from Ningping City to Xuchang can essentially be described as a smooth path, with no hills or mountains. However, even so, the road is winding and spans nearly 300 li. The Hu-Han army marches at a rapid pace; even at a leisurely trot, they covered 100 li on the first day and another 100 li on the second day. It is estimated that they will reach their destination in less than three days and nights.
Pei instinctively closed his eyes, but after waiting for a while, he did not feel any pain. It turned out that Shi Le had intervened with his whip, stopping the punishment of Ling An. "I have stated beforehand that you must not whip Pei Lang at will. I wish to win his heart; how could I harm his appearance?" Look, there is already a wound on his face. If you were to strike him again, it would leave a scar in the future, which would be quite unsightly.
At present, order someone to take Pei Gaijia down and keep a close watch on him
Forget it, why think so much? If one cannot argue, then do not argue. Debating may be difficult, but isn't it still possible to hurl insults? In any case, I am resolutely unwilling to concede. If Zhang Bin also returns defeated, perhaps Shi Le will have no choice but to make a decisive move and give himself a swift resolution.
With a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth, Shi Le said, "Those who are met with authority and virtue, and yet still refuse to submit, Mr. Zhang once mentioned to me, have existed throughout history—such individuals can truly be called 'heroes'"
Pei raised his neck and glared fiercely at Shi Le, saying, "If one wishes to die but cannot, then one can only go. " Shi Le replied with a smile, "It is difficult to wish for death, and it is not easy to escape either.
The return journey of Hu Qi was significantly slower than the outbound trip, yet he essentially maintained a steady jog. The warhorse trotted along, but when it fell upon Pei Gai, it was forced to gallop. After just over two li, he was already exhausted, breathless, and in a moment of carelessness, his left foot tripped over his right, causing him to tumble to the ground. Su An did not stop to assist him, continuing at the same speed and dragging Pei Gai several hundred meters away. Pei Gai's face, elbows, and knees were all scraped and bloodied from the rough treatment. Only then did Su An feign concern and look back, saying, "Oh dear, is Pei Lang alright?" He then slowly reined in his mount.
Moreover, during the day he was dragged for several miles, and then tied to the back of a horse, following the Hu-Han troops on their march. In those days, there were no stirrups, and the saddle was hardly comfortable. He had not ridden much in his previous life, and this body also lacked experience in horse riding. Being able to stubbornly grip the horse's belly with his legs and remain seated on the saddle without falling off was already a blessing. The jolting ride left him in pain all over, and the depletion of his energy and stamina was several times greater than before. Therefore, by the time night fell, after only a short while of trying to grind the rope, Pei Gai could no longer endure it and, with his head tilting, fell into a deep sleep once again.
As for Shi Le, it is not yet possible to consider matters so far ahead. However, after defeating Wang Yan, he will certainly send troops northward, entering Luozhong from Chenggao Pass to join forces with Liu Yao and Wang Mi to attack Luoyang. This has always been the established policy. Thus, after only staying outside Ningping City for two days, shortly after Pei Gai's assassination attempt failed, Shi Le ordered the army to break camp and set out, first returning to his temporary base in Xuchang, and then advancing north to attack Luoyang.
Therefore, it was necessary to temporarily leave Kong Chang and 1,000 Hu cavalry, ordering them to plunder the residents in the surrounding towns to serve as a transport team, and to quickly transport the supplies back to Xuchang. Shi Le and other generals such as Liu An would lead the main force to return first.
The chaotic sound of hooves echoed nearby, and Pei Gai Xin thought to himself that it was over, he had ultimately failed... He stood with his hands behind his back, still struggling on the ground. Two Hu soldiers had already approached, one on the left and one on the right, gripping his neck and pulling at his shoulders, lifting him up. Then, a gentle voice inquired, "Where does Pei Lang wish to go?" It was none other than the voice of Shi Le.