Led by Hao Yaoqi, three thousand elite cavalrymen of the Shun Army galloped toward Qufu, Shandong.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Yellow River did not flow through this part of Shandong. At that time, the river passed Kaifeng, turned southwest, and wound through Shangqiu, Huaibei, and Suqian before turning northeast to flow into the sea near present-day Binhai County in Yancheng, Jiangsu. Because they did not need to cross the river, Hao Yaoqi’s cavalry moved with great speed. They rested by day and traveled by night, eating rations when hungry, drinking cool water when thirsty, and sleeping on the bare ground when tired. Although they encountered peasants along the way, they did not harass the local population. Furthermore, since they were not carrying any banners, the villagers mistook them for Ming Army troops passing through. After all, no one expected an enemy force to appear in the heartland of the Great Ming Dynasty.
After a five-day forced march, the group arrived at the banks of the Si River, ten miles north of Qufu. Hao Yaoqi ordered his troops to hide in a dense forest to rest while he and several commanders studied the intelligence they had gathered.
Chapter 322