After breaking out of the ring, Xin Yan followed the

route Chen had indicated, galloped to the Muslim camp

and presented the letter to Muzhuolun. The old man had

been frantic with worry, and jumped up joyfully as he

read his daughter's note.

"Call the troops together!" he ordered.

"How many Manchu troops were there surrounding you?"

Huo Qingtong asked Xin Yan.

"Four or five thousand altogether."

Huo Qingtong bit her lip and paced from one side of

the tent to the other, deep in thought. Horns sounded

outside as the soldiers began to gather, and Muzhuolun

was just about to go out to join them when Huo

Qingtong suddenly turned to him.

"Father, we can't go," she said.

Muzhuolun looked at her in astonishment, uncertain if

he had heard correctly. "What....what did you say?"

"I said we can't go."

He was about to fly into a rage, but then remembered

how clear-thinking and intelligent his daughter

usually was. "Why?" he asked.

"Zhao Wei is a very capable general. He would not

dispatch four or five thousand troops just to capture

our two envoys. It must be a trap."

"Even if it is a trap, how can we stand by and let the

Manchus kill your sister and our Red Flower Society

friends?"

Huo Qingtong hung her head and said nothing. "I am

afraid that if we go, we will not only fail to rescue

them, but will sacrifice several thousand more lives

as well." she said finally.

Muzhuolun slapped his thigh in exasperation. "But she

is your own flesh and blood!" he cried. "And we owe

Master Chen and the others a great debt. Even if we

died trying to save them, what would it matter?

You....you...." He was both angry and hurt by his

daughter's ungratefulness.

"Father, listen to me. It may be possible to save them

and win a great victory as well."

Muzhuolun's expression changed immediately. "Well, why

didn't you say so earlier, child?" he said. "How can

we do it? I will do whatever you say."

"Father, are you truly willing to do whatever I say?"

"I was talking nonsense a moment ago. Don't pay any

attention. How should we proceed? Tell me quickly!"

"Well, give me the Command Arrow. I will command this

battle." Muzhuolun hesitated for a second then handed

it to her. Huo Qingtong knelt to receive it, then

prostrated herself on the ground, praying to Allah.

"Father," she said when she stood up. "You and Brother

must follow my orders."

"If you can save them and beat the Manchus, I will do

anything," he replied.

"All right, then it is settled." She walked out of the

tent with her father and over to the troops, already

waiting in ranks with their commanders.

"Brothers!" Muzhuolun called out to them. "Today, we

will fight the Manchus to the death. The battle will

be commanded by Mistress Huo Qingtong."

The soldiers raised their sabres and roared: "May the

True God protect her and lead us to victory!"

"Right," said Huo Qingtong flourishing her Command

Arrow. "Everyone return to their tents to rest." The

commanders led their troops away. Muzhuolun was too

stunned to speak.

They went back inside the tent and Xin Yan prostrated

himself before Huo Qingtong and kowtowed frantically.

"Mistress, if you don't send troops to save them, my

master will surely die," he pleaded.

"Get up. I didn't say I wouldn't save them."

"There are only nine of them, of whom your sister does

not know kung fu," he cried. "But the enemy is

numbered in thousands. If we delay even for a moment,

they will be, they will be..."

"Have the Manchu armoured troops charged them yet?"

Huo Qingtong interrupted him.

"Not when I had left, but I'm afraid they will have

done so by now." Huo Qingtong frowned silently. Xin

Yan cried even more mournfully and Muzhuolun paced

about the tent, uncertain of what to do.

"Father, have you ever seen a wolf trap? A piece of

mutton is fastened to a metal hook, the wolf bites on

it and pulls and the trap snaps shut. Zhao Wei sees us

as the wolf and my sister as the mutton. No matter how

brave the Red Flower Society fighters are, they could

not stop four or five thousand determined soldiers.

That means that Zhao Wei has purposely decided not to

order an attack." Muzhuolun nodded. "The Manchus let

this young man out on purpose to get us to send a

rescue force. Otherwise how could he have made it

alone through so many troops?"

"Well, let us attack Zhao Wei's forces from the side

and catch them unawares," he replied.

"They have more than forty thousand troops while we

only have fifteen thousand," she pointed out. "In a

pitched battle we would certainly lose."

"So from what you say, your sister and the others are

bound to die," Muzhuolun exclaimed. "I cannot bear to

lose your sister, and I refuse to leave our friends in

danger. I will take five hundred men with me. If we

can rescue them, it will be because of Allah's help.

If we cannot, then we will die with them."

Huo Qingtong said nothing.

Xin Yan began frantically kowtowing before her once

more, his forehead striking the ground heavily. "If

our master has done anything to offend you mistress,

please forgive him," he cried.

Huo Qingtong realised he suspected her motives. "Don't

talk such nonsense," she said angrily.

Xin Yan looked startled for a second, then jumped up.

"If you are determined to be so cruel, I will go and

die with my master," he said. He ran out of the tent,

leapt on the white horse and galloped away.

"We must go and help them!" Muzhuolun pleaded.

"Father, the Chinese have a saying that it is better

to rely on a good plan than on bravery. We are

out-numbered, so we must make use of surprise if we

are to gain victory. We must beat Zhao Wei's trap with

a trap of our own."

"Really?" said Muzhuolun, only half believing her.

"Father!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking. "Don't say

that you suspect me too?"

Muzhuolun saw the tears brimming in her eyes and his

heart softened. "All right," he said. "We will do as

you say. Now send out the troops immediately."

Huo Qingtong thought for a moment, then said to an

attendant: "Strike up the drums." The drums rolled and

the commanders of each of the military units entered

the tent. By now, the snow was falling thickly outside

the tent and was already several inches thick on the

ground.

Huo Qingtong flourished the Command Arrow and

announced: "The first unit of the Green Flag Brigade

will go to the western side of the Great Gobi

Quagmire, and the second, third, fourth, fifth and

sixth units of the Green Flag will gather together the

local herdsmen and farmers around the other sides."

She gave the commanders their orders and the units

departed one by one. Muzhuolun was unhappy that some

of their best troops had been sent off to do

construction work rather than being sent to the

rescue.

"The first, second and third units of the White Flag

Brigade will go to Yarkand City and to the Black

River, and will make various preparations as I will

indicate," Huo Qingtong continued. "The first unit of

the Black Flag and the Kazakh unit will go up into the

hills along the Black River. The Mongol unit will

station itself on Yingqipan Mountain." She gave each

commander his individual orders, after which they

bowed and left.

"Father, you will command the forces to the east.

Brother, you will command the forces to the west, I

myself will command the second unit of the Black Flag

Brigade and coordinate things from the centre. The

general campaign plan is like this..." She was just

about to explain in detail when Muzhuolun stopped her.

"Who is going to rescue your sister and the others?"

he demanded.

"The third unit of the Black Flag will ride in from

the east to save them. The fourth unit of the Black

Flag will do the same from the west. When you meet

Manchu troops you must do as I indicate in these

orders." She quickly wrote out two notes and handed

them to the commanders. "Your units must have the best

mounts available," she added. The two Black Flag unit

commanders bowed and retired.

"You have sent thirteen thousand of our best soldiers

off to do unimportant work and two thousand young boys

and old men to effect a rescue. What is the meaning of

this?" Muzhuolun demanded.

"My plan is to...." Huo Qingtong began, but Muzhuolun

angrily cut her off.

"I don't believe you any more! You love Master Chen,

but he loves your sister, so you intend to let both of

them die. You.... you're heartless!"

Huo Qingtong almost fainted from shock. Muzhuolun

stared at her for a second, then stormed out of the

tent shouting: "I will go and die with your sister!"

He leapt onto his horse and galloped away into the

desert, brandishing his sabre.

Her brother saw how distressed she was and tried to

comfort her. "Father is very confused," he said. "He

didn't know what he was saying. Don't worry."

Xin Yan rode back to where Chen and the others were

waiting, crying all the way. The beseiging Manchu

forces did little to stop him as he passed, loosing

off a dozen or so arrows as a matter of form only. He

jumped off the white horse, led it onto the pit then

sat down and began sobbing loudly.

"Don't cry, what's the matter?" Zhou Qi asked.

Xu sighed. "Is there any need to ask? Huo Qingtong

refuses to send troops to rescue us."

"I kowtowed before her...I pleaded..." Xin Yan sobbed.

The others were silent.

Princess Fragrance asked Chen why he was crying. Not

wishing to hurt her, he said: "He couldn't break

through to get help." The Princess took out her

handkerchief and gave it to him.

The morning of the third day dawned with the snow

still falling heavily and the Manchu forces showing no

signs of attacking. Xu was greatly puzzled. He turned

to Xin Yan and said: "What questions did Mistress Huo

Qingtong ask you?"

"She asked how may Manchu troops were surrounding us

and whether the armoured units had attacked yet."

Xu was excited. "We're saved! We're saved!" he

exclaimed happily. The others stared at him

uncomprehendingly.

"I was stupid to have doubted Mistress Huo Qingtong,"

he said. "Truly small-minded. She is much, much wiser

than I."

"What?" asked Zhou Qi.

"If the Manchu armoured cavalry attacked us, would we

stand a chance?"

"Hmm," Zhou Qi replied. "Yes, it's strange."

"And even if they didn't have armoured cavalry, if so

many thousands of soldiers charged at once, could the

eight of us hold them off? We would be trampled to

mincemeat." The others agreed the Manchus had been

remarkably restrained.

Chen suddenly understood. "Yes, that's it!" he cried.

"They have held back on purpose in the hope of luring

the Muslim forces in to try and rescue us. But

Mistress Huo Qingtong has guessed it and refused to be

tricked."

"Whether she's tricked or not, we're still finished,"

commented Zhang Jin.

"No, we're not," Chen replied. "She is certain to

think of a way out."

Their spirits were suddenly revived, and leaving two

of the heroes to keep guard, the others settled down

to rest at the bottom of the pit.
关键字:书剑恩仇录
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