Bloody Battle at Gang Source, Golden Scale Stealth
In the spring of the third year of Xuanhe, the war was in full swing and swept across the south of the Yangtze River.
Overseen by Tong Guan, the Liangshan army engaged Fang La's forces in a brutal, stalemate. Hangzhou, Muzhou, Shezhou...cities changed hands several times, leaving corpses strewn and rivers of blood flowing. Though valiant and fervent in their faith, Fang La's forces, overwhelmed by the imperial court's overwhelming superiority in manpower and resources, and plagued by internal divisions, saw their front lines shrink, ultimately forcing them to retreat to their last stronghold: Bangyuan Cave.
Bangyuan Cave is located in the mountainous area of Shezhou. It has a steep terrain and is densely covered with caves and holes, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. Fang La has been operating here for many years, stockpiling a large amount of food, fodder and weapons, preparing for a desperate struggle.
Tong Guan was determined to win, so he mobilized a large number of troops and surrounded Bangyuan Cave, ordering them to capture it at all costs and within a specified time. The Liangshan army was once again pushed to the forefront.
Inside the central military tent, the atmosphere was oppressive. Days of assault had left the Liangshan army with heavy casualties, leaving the soldiers exhausted and resentful. Even Wu Yong, who had always supported Song Jiang, had a frown on his face.
"Brother, Bangyuan Cave is dangerous and the bandits are holding on tightly. If we continue to attack like this, I'm afraid all of us brothers will die here!" Li Kui, covered in blood, couldn't help but shout.
Song Jiang looked gaunt, silent as he stared at the mountainous area on the sand table, representing the vortex of death. He was heartbroken at the loss of his brothers, but Tong Guan's orders were as firm as a mountain, and he was powerless to disobey.
Zhang Qing exchanged glances with Lu Junyi, then stood up and clasped his fists, saying, "Brother Gongming, a strong attack is not a good strategy. I'm willing to lead a group of elite soldiers and find a small path to sneak behind the enemy lines. Perhaps we can cooperate with them from inside and outside to open a gap."
This proposal was exactly what Song Jiang wanted. It could not only try to defeat the enemy, but also temporarily relieve the pressure on the front. He immediately agreed.
Zhang Qing was naturally selecting trusted comrades like Hu Sanniang and Wang Ying, as well as their most elite veterans, who had long been forged in the "suppression and support" campaigns in Jinghu. Ostensibly a dangerous and death-defying mission, it was actually a crucial step in their "fishing in troubled waters" plan—according to the last, unconfirmed intelligence transmitted by Yan Qing, Fang La's most important treasure was most likely hidden somewhere in a secret cave deep within Bangyuan Cave!
It was a dark, windy night. Zhang Qing led five hundred carefully selected warriors, led by a local guide familiar with the terrain (actually an insider Yan Qing had arranged). They avoided the front lines and quietly made their way along a nearly abandoned herb-collecting trail toward the cliffs behind Bangyuan Cave.
The mountain path was rugged and covered with thorns. Everyone hurried, mouths clenched, afraid to make a sound. The cliffs were steep, requiring ropes to climb. A single mistake could mean death. Zhang Qing led the way, using his exceptional martial arts skills and extraordinary courage to reach the top, secure the ropes, and meet the remaining personnel.
After nearly two hours of arduous trekking, they finally reached the rear of Bangyuan Cave's main defensive position, hidden behind a thicket. From here, they could overlook the cave entrance and part of the camp area, where lights flickered and people swarmed.
According to the plan, they needed to wait for a feint attack on the front battlefield to attract the defenders' attention, then suddenly charge out and create chaos. However, while waiting, Zhang Qing's scouts brought back an unexpected discovery: at the entrance of a small cave not far from their hiding place, hidden by vines, they discovered a more elite guard than the usual patrols. Furthermore, the ground at the entrance bore traces of frequent heavy transport.
"That's it!" Zhang Qing's eyes flashed. Intuition and experience told him that this was most likely the target they were looking for!
He immediately adjusted his plan, assigning two hundred men, led by Hu Sanniang and Wang Ying, to attack the main cave entrance and create chaos at the beginning of the feint attack. He himself would lead another three hundred of his most elite warriors and charge directly into the secret cave!
"action!"
Following Zhang Qing's low shout, three hundred assassins suddenly rushed out from their hiding places like cheetahs pouncing on their prey in the dark night, and pounced on the guards of the small cave at lightning speed.
The battle erupted instantly! The guards were indeed Fang La's trusted guards, exceptionally brave. But Zhang Qing's men were all chosen from among the best, and their deliberate tactics, combined with Zhang Qing's unique skill of throwing rocks, targeted the wrists and face of the opposing leader, instantly overpowering the guards.
"Charge in!" Zhang Qing took the lead, slashed the last stubborn guard with his sword, and rushed into the cave first.
The cave was narrow at first, only wide enough for a few people to walk side by side, but it became wider as one went in. Sparse torches were stuck on the cave walls, the light was dim, and the air was filled with a damp, dull smell, faintly tinged with metal and dust.
After walking a few dozen feet, the view suddenly opened up! A huge, naturally formed cave appeared before everyone. Inside the cave, the scene took everyone's breath away!
In the light of the torches, one can see piles of rusty copper coins like small mountains; boxes of open silver, reflecting an alluring light in the firelight; there are also bundles of silk, brocade, and mountains of food and military equipment... and in the deepest part of the cave, several extremely heavy iron-clad wooden boxes are quietly placed, with the lids slightly open, revealing the golden and dazzling gold ingots inside!
Most of the huge wealth that Fang La accumulated after sweeping across several states in the southeast was hidden here!
Even Zhang Qing, who had been mentally prepared, couldn't help but hold his breath. The soldiers behind him couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.
"Quick! Take as much as you can! Prioritize gold ingots and lightweight jewelry!" Zhang Qing quickly recovered and gave a stern order. He knew he couldn't stay here for long; the fighting outside could attract a large number of enemy troops at any time.
The soldiers sprang into action. Throwing out the specially made thick cloth bags they carried, they pounced on the treasure. No one touched the heavy copper coins or grain; all their targets were focused on the gold and silver ingots, as well as the jade and jewelry items that were clearly of considerable value. Their movements were swift and orderly, clearly well-rehearsed.
Zhang Qing personally led his men to pry open the boxes of gold ingots. The golden light nearly illuminated the entire cave. He grabbed a handful of ingots, the heavy feel of which made his heart race. These would be the foundation of their future overseas business!
Just as they were frantically reloading, more intense shouts and screams were heard outside the cave. It was obvious that the chaos created by Hu Sanniang and others at the main cave entrance had worked, but it also meant that more enemy troops were being attracted in.
"General! It's almost over! The brothers outside can't hold on any longer!" A scout covered in blood rushed in and shouted.
Zhang Qing took a look at the nearly empty gold and silver boxes and decisively ordered, "Retreat!"
The three hundred warriors, each carrying a heavy load of treasure, quickly retreated along the same path they had come. Before leaving, Zhang Qing also ordered the silk and grain left in the cave to be set on fire, both to create greater chaos and to conceal the fact that they had mainly looted gold and silver.
By the time they broke out of the cave and joined Hu Sanniang's retreating troops, the entire Bangyuan Cave was in chaos. The Liangshan army, attacking head-on, also took advantage of the situation and intensified their offensive.
Zhang Qing and his companions had no intention of continuing the fight. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain and a pre-planned retreat route, they fought their way out of the chaos and quickly disappeared into the vast mountains and forests.
In this battle, the main force of the Liangshan army finally captured Bangyuan Cave after paying a huge price. Fang La was defeated and killed (some say he was captured). Jiangnan was shocked and the court commended him.
However, no one knew that behind this tragic victory, a huge fortune, enough to shake the foundation of the country, had quietly changed hands. Like a golden carp, it dived into the deep water and swam quietly towards the unknown ocean.
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