Chapter 3: Escape from the Border Town
The vast majority of people, after a brief assessment, quickly headed southwest, intending to circumvent the Guanzhong region by land before entering the Central Plains. Some indecisive individuals, upon witnessing this, similarly followed the crowd in a frantic escape.
The sound of crying suddenly arose, traveling from the other end of the long street
Ye Chen lay prone on the highest and thickest white poplar tree in the desolate village, took out a telescope from his backpack, and carefully surveyed the surroundings in a 360-degree view. His expression grew increasingly grim.
... ...
The desolate village where Ye Chen resides is situated too close to the vanguard troops of the Khitan stationed at the Yellow River dock, making it unsafe. Furthermore, he is aware that not far from here lies a highly concealed river bend, where he has hidden several docked boats.
However, this numbness does not signify their despair; rather, it reflects their strong adaptability and resilience in the face of the harsh realities.
The Yellow River dock, as well as all areas along the Yellow River nearby where ships can dock, have already been occupied by the vanguard troops of the Liao army. No one can leave via the waterways of the Yellow River
In the southeastern direction of Yongle Frontier City, near the Yellow River dock, there is a desolate village that has gathered nearly ten thousand refugees who have fled from Yongle Frontier City. A piece of news that has brought despair to everyone is circulating among the crowd
Everything, including the past, present, and future, has lost its inherent meaning due to the concerning situation at hand
Indeed! This solitary figure is Ye Chen's partner, Liu Nan, the head of the spies lurking in the border city of Yongle for the Song Dynasty. He had originally set out ten days ago with nine spies to investigate the military situation of the Khitan in the north, but when he reappeared, he was the only one left. Not only was he severely injured, but he was also relentlessly pursued by the Liao soldiers. It is unclear what significant military intelligence he uncovered that led to such a dire situation. Not only was he severely injured, but he was also relentlessly pursued by the Liao soldiers. It is unclear what significant military intelligence he uncovered that led to such a dire situation.
The first light of dawn appeared beyond the horizon at the eastern gate of Yongle Biancheng, where thick clouds loomed in the sky, seemingly brewing a storm, which weighed even heavier on the hearts of those fleeing for their lives
His most important task now is to survive amidst the chaos of war and to successfully reach the heartland of the Song Dynasty, in order to find a place to settle and make a living once again
The Khitan army has blocked the border town of Yongle to prevent refugees from heading south, which should serve two purposes. First, it is to prevent military intelligence regarding the movements of the Khitan army from being disseminated through the refugees, primarily aimed at stopping spies from the Song army, like Liu Nan, from returning south. Second, it is to capture all the refugees from Yongle to use them as laborers for the construction of camps and fortifications
A single sentence from the Han dynasty, like a thunderclap, caused the originally hurried crowd to erupt like a boiling pot, and amidst the cries of alarm, they began to run for their lives
The destruction suffered by the villages and towns along the way far exceeds that of Yongle Border Town. Most of the houses have been reduced to ashes, with only two or three rows of several hundred shops and residences remaining along the north-south main street, which are still largely intact, albeit in a desolate and tragic state with broken doors, collapsed windows, and rampant wild grass.
The speculation in his heart was mostly about the advance reconnaissance team of the Khitan nation's vanguard, whose purpose was to ascertain the obstacles along the way. Ye Chen surmised that such a team was likely not just a single unit, but rather divided into multiple routes, advancing towards the south. If he were still in the wilderness at this moment, he could easily encounter these reconnaissance teams from the Khitan, and the consequences of such an encounter would truly be unimaginable
Ye Chen disappeared into the crowd outside the South Gate. Before long, the entire South Gate Street became as silent as a ghost town, devoid of any signs of life
Ye Chen was hiding behind a large tree more than two hundred steps away from the river bend. As he hesitated whether to change to another hiding place, he suddenly heard faint hoofbeats behind him. A chill ran through his heart, and he no longer dared to hesitate. He nimbly climbed up the tree and concealed himself in the treetop, looking in the direction from which the hoofbeats were coming.
At this moment, the sun has set and the moon has risen, casting a dim light over the world.
"This is bad! The Khitan vanguard has arrived ahead of schedule and is now less than thirty miles from Yongle border city," shouted a skilled horseman as he rode through the city.
During the past six months, he has spent a considerable amount of money collecting contemporary maps, and in recent days, he has also planned the route. More than one hundred miles southeast of the Yongle border city lies a dock on the Yellow River, where the last batch of merchant ships preparing to head south is located. As long as he can produce enough silver, he can board a ship and head south, reaching Luoyang before the Khitan army seals the river.
Boom
Now, the "home" of Yongle Border City has once again been lost, and he cannot help but feel a sense of bewilderment in his heart
Ye Chen turned around for one last glance at Yongle Biancheng, where he had settled for half a year. He let out a long sigh, his expression momentarily filled with confusion and daze, but ultimately it transformed into a face full of determination and a yearning to continue living
In recent days, Ye Chen has sold all his stored salt at a low price. At this moment, he is carrying a tightly sealed long cloth bag and a multifunctional tactical backpack that is clearly out of sync with contemporary styles and is crafted far beyond the standards of the time, blending into the crowd as he walks along South Gate Street towards the outskirts of the city
Yongle Biancheng South Gate Street is crowded with men and women of various ethnicities who are about to leave, among which the Han people from the south are the most numerous
When Ye Chen arrived at this river bend, he felt an inexplicable unease in his heart for some reason. It seemed as though this secluded river bend had changed in some way compared to before, yet upon closer inspection, there was evidently no change or difference at all
He endured numerous hardships and dangers, set foot in the border city of Yongle, and then went through life-and-death struggles before finally establishing himself in the perilous land of Yongle, where everyone resorts to any means necessary and where swords clash and blood spills at all times
Ye Chen did not dare to linger on the tree for long and quickly jumped down. He discovered that nearly ten thousand refugees who had come with him had already fled completely.
Within the crumbling city walls, the warhorse lets out a mournful neigh and collapses to the ground. First, its front hooves kneel down, and then it drags itself along the ground with what little strength remains. The horse's body has been struck by at least seven or eight arrows, a sight that is truly heart-wrenching
In this season, the poplar trees have just sprouted their tender leaves, hardly able to conceal the shadows of the leaf dust
At this moment, he was the only one left in the entire desolate village, and the silence was terrifying
Since he arrived in this world, or more precisely, this era, half a year ago in a state of confusion, after a full two weeks of shock and bewilderment, he ultimately recognized the reality of the present world with the strength and resilience expected of a sniper company commander from a later generation, and began to contemplate the issue of survival
Concealed above the treetops, after weighing the pros and cons, Ye Chen decided to hide in this secret river bend for the time being, and would assess the situation after the Khitan reconnaissance teams had departed.
Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!
Ye Chen's expression tightened, and he had already rushed towards the southeast direction at the first moment
These nearly ten thousand refugees are different from the ordinary displaced persons who lose their homes due to natural disasters or wars; they are not typical common people themselves. Therefore, although everyone has a grim expression, not a single person is crying, and their demeanor reflects both determination and a numbness born from having witnessed similar scenes before
Ye Chen has arrived at the Hidden River Bay. This is not Ye Chen's first visit; in the past, he secretly purified, filtered, and refined coarse salt by a nearby saline lake, transforming it into refined salt free of toxic substances. The tools he used are hidden in the dock within this bay. Occasionally, he would also store the refined salt in the vicinity.
Ye Chen recognized the man, knowing that he was a minor leader of the Southern Gang, one of the three major gangs in Yongle Border City. The members of the Southern Gang were all Han people from the Song Dynasty. If the Khitan army were to arrive at Yongle Border City, the Southern Gang would surely be uprooted, and all its members would be slaughtered. This man was evidently sent by the Southern Gang to the north to gather intelligence.
Under the dim moonlight, more than a mile away, the startled birds took flight, dust swirling, and the torchlight flickered. Ye Chen was the most outstanding sniper, with eyesight far surpassing that of ordinary people. At a glance, he could tell that there were approximately over one hundred visitors approaching.
As the lone rider hastily approached the southern gate, arrows shot forth with great speed, seemingly about to turn him into a porcupine. At that moment, the knight shouted a command, and with agility akin to that of a monkey, he leaped off his horse, performed two somersaults in mid-air, and landed beside the dilapidated southern gate on the crumbling city wall. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he pushed off with his feet, jumped down from the low wall, and sprinted towards the desolate village to the south.
People continuously streamed in from the side roads, joining the crowd of exiles. In an instant, the sounds of shouting, neighing horses, braying donkeys, and the grinding of wheels against the ground filled the South Gate Street, which had been prosperous and thriving just yesterday
Ye Chen let out a quiet sigh, swiftly descended from the large tree, and ran quickly towards the small river bend, all the while observing the terrain around the river bend and committing it to memory, in case of any eventuality, he had already discreetly determined the routes for both advance and retreat
At this moment, all the shops were securely locked, and no one was willing to hand over their hard-earned possessions to the Khitan army, nor did they wish to become slaves of the Khitan forces. They could only gather their valuables in haste and leave quickly, embarking on an uncertain path of escape
Ye Chen entered the dock where he had hidden salt for the past few months, frowning in deep thought. Just as he was lost in contemplation, a faint, almost inaudible sound suddenly reached his ears from behind.
At present, regardless of which route one takes to escape south, it is evidently unsafe. The best option at this moment is to hide first and wait until the Liao army clears the blocked waterways and land routes before departing.
Thus, Ye Chen, while contemplating the current situation, made a decisive resolution. He hurriedly ran towards the concealed river bend located more than ten miles away.
It has been a full six months, and at times he still feels as though everything before his eyes is just a dream
Ye Chen was taken aback, suddenly turning around to look, and was instantly rendered speechless, wondering if he was seeing things. Even if he had unexpectedly encountered the Khitan army here, Ye Chen would not have reacted so strongly. However, if a charming young woman, a beauty who should not appear at this time and place, stood before him, it would be impossible for Ye Chen not to be dumbfounded.
Fortunately, in the area of several hundred miles around this Yongle border city, there are only desolate villages and towns. As long as one can find a hidden place to conceal oneself, it would be difficult for the Khitan army to discover it unless thousands of their troops were to search together.
A sudden clatter of hooves interrupted Ye Chen's fluctuating thoughts
As he expected, not only has the waterway of the Yellow River been blocked, but several crucial routes leading to the south have also been sealed off by the Liao army
... ...
A solitary rider was galloping towards the southern gate, pursued closely by more than ten Khitan warriors who were drawing their bows and nocking arrows.