Having gained experience from the previous two skirmishes, I made special preparations this time. I gave orders for all the hoes to be gathered and taken along. We set out at four o’clock, just as before, heading east. Even though the enemy’s troop distribution across the four gates was equal—I had about 9,000 men, and each gate was guarded by over 10,000—they simply could not hold us off. After a brief engagement, I lost a few hundred men and then feigned a panicked retreat.
The enemy pursued us relentlessly. I had no choice but to keep pushing east; I refused to believe this bunch would keep sending elite soldiers to chase me forever. After running for half a day, I ordered my men to start digging pits. With the experience from the day before, the men were even faster at digging. The veterans taught the recruits, and since many of them were farmers, digging was child’s play. Because I had plundered enough hoes, I had them dig a very wide area. Once covered, we moved on. Every hour, I would stop to have them dig another stretch. This successfully delayed our pursuers, though it slowed our own march considerably. Fortunately, we arrived at another city; although they had some defenses, they were ineffective, and I forced my way in.
Once inside, the routine was the same: seize supplies, release prisoners, and burn anything surplus. After a good rest, we continued east. For three straight days, it was the same story—looting, burning, and killing along the way. I burned the gr…
Chapter 26