Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Chapter 598 Siege of Bacunyuan

Besides Ji Manchuan, several other able-bodied men in the village also decided to go to the county government office to help suppress the bandits.

Not long after the group left, someone came to ask if they could go back to the village, saying that they were really worried about their families staying in the gully.

But Niu Lizheng scolded him irritably: "What doors and gates do you have in your house? Besides a few rotten kilns and a straw mat on the kang, there's only a rotten fence door left. What are you worried about?"

The man chuckled awkwardly, "Even a broken house is worth a fortune. Oh, even tattered mats and broken bowls cost money to replace!"

"Is a human life more valuable than possessions? You have a fortune of worthless junk in your house, while other people's houses only have four walls?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just went back to take a look!"

"You'll have to wait until noon (evening) to go back! I reckon the county officials will have arrived at Bacunyuan by then. Once they've surrounded the bandits in Lijiabao, they won't be able to get out. Then you can go back without any fear!"

Niu Lizheng's words calmed everyone's restless mood, and they eagerly awaited Huang Wu's arrival. However, Ji Yongling was still somewhat worried, fearing that some bandits who had not returned to Lijiabao might take advantage of the night to commit evil deeds.

At this moment, Huo Zhenglian in the county government office was also having a headache. He knew that Ma Chenfang, the King of the Northwest, was notoriously ruthless, and now that he had come to Ningping County, he would surely harm the people under his rule.

Sure enough, these beasts not only slaughtered Zhao the rich man's estate, but today they have also taken the lives of people from other villages.

Early this morning, villagers came running to report that bandits attacked their village last night, killing and capturing many people, leaving almost no survivors.

Upon hearing this, Huo Zhenglian's blood boiled, and he wanted to draw his sword and fight Ma Chenfang to the death. However, he also knew that the bandits were lurking in the shadows, experienced in mounted combat, and often came and went in a hurry. Now, their whereabouts were unknown, making it extremely difficult to eliminate this group of bandits!

Fortunately, the man said he personally witnessed the bandits heading towards Bacunyuan. With the location of the bandits' hiding place, Huo Zhenglian felt a little more at ease.

The men he sent to Qingzhou Prefecture have not yet returned, and the county government is short-handed. Now, he can only rely on himself to find solutions to everything.

He knew Bacunyuan well. It was on slightly higher ground, and the place where it connected to the main plateau was narrow like a ridge, somewhat like Liangshan Marsh, which was not easy to break through. As long as there was water and food in the fortress, the bandits could set up camp here for a long time.

Given Ningping County's resources, eradicating this band of bandits is practically impossible. For now, all he can do is take some men to guard the area, cut off the road connecting Bacunyuan to the outside world, and trap Ma Chenfang's bandits in the fortress to prevent them from easily venturing out and causing further trouble in the village.

Although this is not a long-term solution, it's the only way we can proceed step by step.

When Huo Zhenglian arrived at Bacunyuan with a group of able-bodied men from the village, along with some soldiers and local militia from the county government, the bandits on the walls of Lijiabaozi immediately spotted them.

They were clearly prepared. They fired several arrows in quick succession, forcing Huo Zhenglian and his men to stop immediately. Then they shouted, "You lackeys of the imperial court, get out of here! Otherwise, you'll end up like the skulls hanging on the gate tower!"

Huo Zhenglian stood at the front of the group, squinting at the walls of Lijiabaozi, and shouted loudly: "You traitors, you disregard the imperial authority, harm the people, and commit countless evils! I advise you to surrender as soon as possible, otherwise don't blame the imperial court for sending troops to suppress you and making your blood flow like rivers!"

Before Huo Zhenglian could finish speaking, arrows rained down from the wall, forcing everyone to retreat a few steps and seek cover.

Then, the bandits on the wall sneered, "You corrupt official, I also advise you to get lost! Our General Ma is not a coward who is easily frightened. Go ask us who we have ever been afraid of in Ganzhou and Suzhou! If you dare to come any closer to our fortress, we will make sure you never leave alive!"

"Sir, we can't just charge in!" A local militia leader said to Huo Zhenglian. "These bandits have the high ground, and the wall is so high and thick, no matter how many of us there are, we can't get over it!"

Huo Zhenglian nodded. He naturally understood the current situation. The bandits held the advantage of terrain, and a direct attack would only increase casualties. He hadn't come here to launch a full-scale assault; he simply wanted to contain the bandits and prevent them from committing further atrocities. Shouting and approaching were merely routine procedures.

"Pass down the order: everyone step back one mile and lay out the prickly ash and jujube tree branches along the road," Huo Zhenglian ordered in a low voice. "Then rest on the spot!"

Because of the high terrain of Bacunyuan, it was difficult to place the logs, so Huo Zhenglian could only use these thorny trees as a temporary substitute, and would try to get some boulders tomorrow.

To Ma Chenfang, Huo Zhenglian's actions were utterly futile, like a child trying to wield an axe in front of Lu Ban (a legendary master carpenter). He didn't take them seriously at all. The eight-inch plateau had ample grain and arable land, making self-sufficiency a given. To besiege him? The government troops would likely be the first to give up! It was fine in the heat of summer, but in autumn and winter, no matter how many came, many would freeze to death.

Moreover, these high walls and thick earth make it difficult to get in, but getting out? He has plenty of ways!

He had scouted the terrain beforehand and had started digging a tunnel near one side of the cliff in the past two days. The tunnel would take him directly to a small flat area protruding from the mountainside on one side of the cliff. From there, he could slowly slide down the slope and follow the contours of the mountain to descend into the ravine.

That night, the bandits of Li Family Fort ate, drank, and slept well, but Huo Zhenglian and his group outside suffered greatly. Although it was a summer night, the high terrain and lack of shelter made it impossible to sleep due to the chilly wind. Of course, no one dared to sleep, as they didn't know if the bandits inside the fort might suddenly attack.