Volume II: The Battle of Hulao Pass Chapter Fifty-Eight: Dou Jiande! Misfortune Awaits You!

Li Mingyu’s so-called “plucking peaches” meant leading several dozen Tang soldiers to ambush the Xia army along a road they had to take to return to their camp at Banzhu. Once he selected the ambush site, he washed his hands of the matter and left all arrangements to Li Junxian.

Li Mingyu climbed a shady tree, found a sturdy branch, lay back with his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes to rest. He had been busy since morning and was feeling quite weary.

Beneath the tree, Li Junxian could not contain himself at the sight of Li Mingyu’s leisurely posture and asked, “Young Master, didn’t you say we’d go pluck peaches ourselves? Why have we ended up here? If we wait too long, and Prince Qin routs the Xia army completely, our men won’t get any credit at all.”

Without even lifting his eyelids, Li Mingyu replied, “What’s the rush? Our successful ruse is already a great merit! The brothers ahead have fought hard; now that victory is within reach, let’s not scramble for glory. I’ve brought you here to lie in wait on the Xia army’s route back to camp. Out of their hundreds of thousands, it’s impossible to kill or capture them all—surely some will slip through. Those are the fish we’ll share credit for.”

“Well… all right…” Li Junxian relented, knowing Prince Qin had ordered him to obey Li Mingyu in all things.

As they spoke, someone below called out in a low voice, “Young Master, look—there’s a cloud of dust over there, someone’s coming!”

“Let me see,” Li Mingyu said, flipping upright onto the branch for a better view.

He saw two columns of dust, one trailing the other, racing from west to east. The front group, about a hundred riders, looked battered and panicked, casting frightened glances behind as they galloped. The pursuers, a few dozen in all, wore black armor; their leader, a formidable general in shimmering black scale mail adorned with silver beast motifs, rode a white steed and pressed the chase relentlessly.

Li Mingyu’s eyes brightened at the sight of the pursuers’ gear. Wasn’t that the Black Armored Army? And that unique armor on their leader—it could only be his master, Li Xuanba!

Li Mingyu wondered: Why was his master here? Wasn’t he supposed to be accepting enemy surrenders? What kind of fleeing foe was worth such effort? Could it be…?

The thought sent a thrill through him. They’d netted a true prize—no, a whale!

“Li Junxian!” Li Mingyu’s voice cracked with excitement. “Quick, look again: is there one in gold armor among the front riders?”

By now, the hundred-odd riders were within fifty yards. Li Junxian squinted and replied, “There is… surrounded by others, looks like a general.”

Li Mingyu was overjoyed. He leapt three feet in the air on the branch. “We’ve struck it rich! This is a whale! A whale!”

“What’s a whale?” Li Junxian asked, baffled.

“Quick! Give the order—everyone attack! Don’t let a single one escape, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your lives!” Li Mingyu urged.

That leading group was none other than Dou Jiande’s party.

After the Xia army collapsed, Dou Jiande was left with only a handful of personal guards and, seeing the situation beyond hope, abandoned his troops and fled for the Banzhu camp. He tried to rally stragglers along the way, but the Xia soldiers’ morale was shattered; his calls went unheeded and instead drew Li Xuanba, who was scouring the battlefield for him.

Li Xuanba, fruitlessly searching the chaos, suddenly heard a loud voice berating soldiers ahead and spotted Dou Jiande at once. Overjoyed, he led his men straight at him.

Dou Jiande, failing to halt his fleeing troops and now facing enemy pursuit, panicked. But seeing “Li Shimin” chasing with only a few dozen riders, while he still had over a hundred guards, he was emboldened. Desperate, he resolved to risk everything—if he could seize “Li Shimin,” the battle might yet turn.

He drew his sword and shouted, “Capture Li Shimin alive and you’ll be made a king! Attack!” His guards roared as they charged at Li Xuanba.

Li Xuanba, the boldest of warriors, spurred his horse and leveled his lance. Like a ravenous tiger, his spear shot forward, cutting down several Xia soldiers in an instant. Then, with a flourish, he swept the spear in a wide arc, opening a path and pressing toward Dou Jiande.

Dou Jiande had been a fierce fighter in his youth, but years of kingship had softened him. He now carried only his ceremonial sword, having fled in haste. Seeing Xuanba’s prowess, he was already terrified, but with king facing king, he had no choice but to fight.

He raised his sword with a shout and slashed sideways.

Li Xuanba called, “Well struck!” and parried with his lance. With a twist, the spearhead darted out and struck Dou Jiande’s shoulder.

Dou Jiande cried out, dropping his sword as blood flowed freely. Pressing his wound, he called for his guards and fled.

Li Xuanba, unwilling to let him escape, gave chase.

The two groups, one fleeing, one pursuing, sped east toward Li Mingyu’s ambush.

Li Junxian, hearing Mingyu’s orders, quickly rallied the Tang soldiers, who sprang from cover with weapons at the ready.

Dou Jiande, seeing Tang troops ahead, grew desperate. “Ambush! We’re doomed—enemies before and behind! Is this truly Heaven’s will?”

His guard captain, loyal to the last, said, “Don’t panic, my king! It’s only six or seven miles to camp. Press on for another mile or two and our men will surely come to meet us. You go ahead—leave these Tang to us!”

With a whistle, the guards split: one group turned to hold off Li Xuanba, while the rest escorted Dou Jiande straight at Li Junxian’s line.

Li Junxian, seeing the Xia soldiers’ resolve, shouted, “Meet them! Don’t let a single one escape!” The two sides clashed.

Numbers were close, and the fighting was fierce. The Xia guards, determined to win Dou Jiande’s escape, fought to the death, trading their lives. The Tang, knowing victory was at hand and rewards awaited, were unwilling to die recklessly, but still battled fiercely.

The guard captain, a skilled warrior, held off Li Junxian and two others single-handedly. “Go, my king! Don’t worry about us!” he shouted.

Dou Jiande hesitated, but the guards pleaded with him to go, promising vengeance would come. In the chaos, the captain was wounded by Li Junxian’s spear, but managed to kill another Tang soldier and nearly struck Li Junxian as well. Li Junxian, unwilling to die together, pulled back.

The captain seized the moment to urge, “Go, my king! Don’t let us die in vain! Just light incense at our graves on festival days and we’ll rest easy!”

Dou Jiande needed no further prompting. “Very well! I’ll live to fight Li Shimin another day! I’ll care for your families as my own!” He seized the chance, lashed his horse, and broke through the Tang line.

With his guards buying time, Dou Jiande escaped, but his hatred for the Tang and Li Shimin only deepened, vowing revenge.

He had barely gone ten yards when a child appeared ahead, blocking the road. The boy, just eight or nine, handsome and resolute, stood with hands behind his back.

Who else could it be but Li Mingyu? While Li Junxian and the others fought, Mingyu had dropped from the tree. In that brief moment, Dou Jiande had abandoned his last guards to flee alone.

Li Mingyu would not let him escape—should Dou Jiande survive, who knew what trouble he might stir up in future?

Standing in the middle of the road, Li Mingyu called out, “So you’re Dou Jiande? I advise you to surrender now and spare me the trouble!”

Dou Jiande, enraged by such arrogance from a child, felt his humiliation and fury boil over. Was he, the mighty King of Xia, to be mocked by a mere boy?

In a rage, he shouted, “You brat! Out of my way or I’ll trample you to death!” and spurred his horse straight at Li Mingyu.

Li Mingyu, knowing Dou Jiande’s end was near, had no desire to argue with a dead man. He sneered, “Dou Jiande, your doom is at hand!”