216: At dawn, the army prepared for battle, awaiting reinforcements. The vanguard defeated the enemy, obtained secret maps, and swore an oath to depart for the final battle.

Just as dawn broke, the cooking smoke in the Zhuang Family Courtyard drifted into the air, carrying the scent of herbs. Shuanger squatted by the stove, ladling the last pot of heatstroke-prevention herbal soup into a wooden bucket. Next to her, a bamboo basket was filled with neatly stacked bandages and trauma medicine, with each bottle labeled in small characters as "External Use" or "Internal Use." "Brother Hui, the new recruits' protective gear has been resized. We used the Black Iron Thread scavenged from Prince Pingxis Mansion; it's light and resistant to blades and spears," she said, wiping her hands and handing over a ledger. "The eight hundred Imperial Guards sent by the Kangxi Emperor have just arrived, and the grain has been unloaded at the granary outside the manor. Lord Suo is currently counting it with Xu Tianchuan, but... he's calculating how many golden buddhas the granary could be exchanged for again."

Xie Hui had just taken the ledger when he heard Songgotu's loud voice from outside the courtyard gate, mixed with the crisp clicking of abacus beads: "Brother Xu, look at these hundred thousand catties of grain. If we exchanged them for silver and then bought gold, how many golden buddhas could we make? If that one at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is truly two meters tall, we would need at least..."

"Lord Suo! Count the grain first!" Xu Tianchuan's voice interrupted him. "Brother Hui said that if you miscalculate even a single coin, he'll throw that small scale of yours before Big Brother Mao's grave so you can admit your mistake!"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Xie Hui closed the ledger and walked out of the courtyard, where he saw Songgotu squatting by the granary, clutching his small scale. Spread out before him was a crooked sketch of a golden buddha. Seeing Xie Hui approach, he quickly crumpled the sketch into a ball and stuffed it into his sleeve. "Little Brother Xie! The grain has been counted, not a single grain is missing! It's just that the new sabers brought by these Imperial Guard brothers are of better quality than those in my mansion. If we melted them down to make a gold bracelet..."

"Mention melting the sabers again, and I'll have Long'er melt down that scale of yours!" Xie Hui laughed and gave him a playful kick. "Hurry up and count the firearms scavenged from the Russian remnants. Also, have the people from the Ministry of Works see if they can be dismantled and replicated. Stop always thinking about golden buddhas."

Songgotu quickly complied, running toward the pile of armaments with his small scale. After a few steps, he turned back: "Once we defeat Tsarist Russia, we really must go dig up that golden buddha! Otherwise, we'll be failing Brother Mao's spirit in heaven..." Before he could finish, his mouth was stuffed with a Sesame Cake handed over by Shuanger. "Lord Suo, eat a cake to fill your stomach first. We'll talk about digging up the golden buddha later; the Imperial Guard brothers are still waiting for their rations!"

The new recruits in the courtyard had long since lined up. Over three hundred men stood tall, wearing uniform protective gear and holding their newly issued sabers. Wei Xiaobao stood at the front of the formation, holding Mao the Eighteenth's dog-eared manual of blade techniques. His voice was much louder than usual: "Remember this well! Big Brother Mao said 'the strike must be fast, the recovery must be steady.' That brother just now, you held your saber too low. If you encounter Russian cavalry, their sabers will reach your neck in one swing!"

He used to be lazy when teaching, but now he watched every recruit's movements closely. Seeing a recruit whose strike lacked power, he walked over, grabbed the man's hand, and demonstrated: "Use force! Back then, Big Brother Mao could split two logs with one strike when fighting rebels! The more force we use now, the better our chances of winning when we fight the devils tomorrow!"

Mu Jianping led two medical workers toward the formation, pushing a medicine cart and carrying herbal soup. "Everyone, drink a bowl of soup first so you don't get heatstroke after training. I have Detoxification Pills here; everyone take two. Tsarist Russia's poison gas bombs are powerful; if you get hit, these can save your life." She walked to the end of the line, saw a recruit with an old wound on his arm, and quickly took out trauma medicine to bandage it. "The wound hasn't healed properly; don't use too much force during practice. Big Brother Mao wouldn't want us going into battle with injuries either."

Midway through the training, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly came from afar. Long'er returned on a fast horse, holding a black military flag—it was the Russian battle flag. "Brother Hui! Tsarist Russia has sent over two hundred cavalry to harass the outpost. They're only three li from the manor and are pushing two small cannons. It looks like they want to test our strength!"

Xie Hui immediately picked up his black iron sword. "Long'er, take two improved cannons to the earthen slope outside the manor. Fang Yi, take fifty new recruits to the forest on the left and lie in ambush using the 'Wedge Formation' we practiced. Wei Xiaobao, take a hundred men to guard the manor gate and use crossbow bolts to shoot the eyes of the cavalry's horses. Songgotu, you and Mu Jianping guard the grain; don't let the devils flank us!"

Everyone took their positions and was quickly in place. Just as Xie Hui set up the cannons, he saw dust rising in the distance as over two hundred Russian cavalry charged with their sabers raised. Two small cannons were positioned in the middle of their formation, preparing to fire. "Aim for the small cannons!" Long'er adjusted the cannon's muzzle and lit the fuse. With a loud boom, the improved cannon fired a fireball straight at the Russian cannon, instantly deforming its barrel.

The cavalry hadn't expected the cannons to be so powerful, and their formation broke for a moment. Fang Yi led the new recruits out of the forest, their sabers striking at the horses' legs. These recruits had practiced for half a month and were no longer the rookies they once were. Using Mao the Eighteenth's basic blade techniques, they brought down several horses with a single strike.

Wei Xiaobao stood atop the manor gate, firing crossbow bolts with speed and precision, specifically targeting the horses' eyes. "Watch me! This is the 'steady, accurate, and ruthless' style Big Brother Mao taught. Now you know how powerful it is!" A cavalryman tried to charge the gate but had his wrist pierced by an arrow, his saber falling to the ground with a clang.

Xie Hui charged down with his black iron sword, his Internal Energy from the Nine Yin Manual infused into the blade. As the blade swept through, he directly knocked the cavalry leader off his horse. "Surrender and you shall live!" He placed his sword against the leader's neck. The leader looked at his fallen brothers and then at the improved cannons in the distance, quickly nodding. "I surrender! I surrender!"

While clearing the battlefield, Songgotu ran over and crouched by the body of a Russian cavalryman to search it. He pulled a yellowed blueprint from an officer's coat, his eyes lighting up. "Little Brother Xie! Look at this! It seems to be a blueprint for Tsarist Russia's heavy cannons, and it even shows how to assemble them!"

Xie Hui took the blueprint and unfolded it. It detailed the parts and range of the Russian heavy cannons, with red dots marking the "Main Battery Positions at Black Water River." "Good stuff!" He handed the blueprint to Long'er. "Modify our cannons according to this. When we fight their main force tomorrow, we can specifically target and destroy their heavy cannons!"

Long'er took the blueprint, her fingers tracing the parts. "No problem! The brothers from the Ministry of Works are still in the manor. If we start modifying now, we can have two adapted Counter-cannons ready by tonight!"

At noon, General Li, the Commander of the Imperial Guards sent by the Kangxi Emperor, arrived with his men to see Xie Hui, holding an Imperial Decree. "Lord Xie, an oral message from the Emperor: If we win the decisive battle tomorrow, Mao the Eighteenth will be posthumously titled as the 'earl of loyalty and righteousness,' his memorial tablet will be placed in the Ancestral Shrine of Loyal Martyrs, and his family will be supported by the court. Additionally, the Emperor has ordered me to bring fifty warhorses for the brothers to use at Black Water River tomorrow."

Xie Hui took the decree, his heart warming. Big Brother Mao had spent his life protecting his brothers and opposing the Qing court; to receive such an honor now could be considered a consolation to his spirit in heaven. He handed the decree to Wei Xiaobao to read to the new recruits. Wei Xiaobao held the decree, his voice choked with emotion yet powerful: "Brothers! The Emperor has posthumously titled Big Brother Mao as the earl of loyalty and righteousness and placed him in the Ancestral Shrine of Loyal Martyrs! If we defeat Tsarist Russia tomorrow, it will be the best tribute we can give to Big Brother Mao!"

The new recruits shouted "Victory!" in unison, their voices shaking the recruitment flags on the courtyard walls. Mu Jianping wiped the corners of her eyes and took out some amulets wrapped in red cloth from the medicine cart. "Shuanger and I embroidered these overnight. They have 'Peace' embroidered on them. Everyone, take one so you'll be safe tomorrow and can return to bring the good news to Big Brother Mao."

Shuanger also distributed the prepared rations and water skins to everyone. "The steamed buns inside are made with freshly arrived flour and stuffed with dried meat. Eat them if you get hungry on the road. The water skins have heatstroke-prevention herbs added; it's hot over at Black Water River, so don't get heatstroke."

By evening, Long'er and the brothers from the Ministry of Works had finished the Counter-cannons. The two cannons were thicker than the previous improved cannons, and the words "Enemy-Breaker" were carved onto the barrels. "We've tested them; they can pierce the barrels of the Russian heavy cannons, and their range is five paces longer," Long'er said, patting the cannon. "Tomorrow, we'll set them up on the earthen slope at the Black Water River ferry. I guarantee we'll blow up their heavy cannons first!"

Everyone gathered around the Counter-cannons, their faces full of confidence. Songgotu squatted nearby, his small scale calculating again. "If we defeat Tsarist Russia, the Emperor will surely reward us with silver. When we dig up the golden buddha and add the reward money, how many troops can we recruit? At least five thousand more..."

"Lord Suo, let's calculate tomorrow's battle first!" Shuanger laughed as she handed him a bowl of chicken soup. "If we lose, no amount of silver will matter. By the way, you miscounted the firearms you cleared this afternoon by five. I've already added them back to the armament pile, so don't make a mistake when reporting to the Emperor."

Songgotu quickly put away his small scale and took the chicken soup. "Miss Shuanger is truly meticulous! this official was just thinking that after we win, I could donate some silver to Brother Mao's Ancestral Shrine of Loyal Martyrs! I promise not to hold anyone back tomorrow!"

After dinner, Xie Hui gathered everyone in the main hall and spread out a map of Black Water River. "Tomorrow, we'll move in three groups. General Li will take four hundred Imperial Guards along the mountain path on the left to flank the Russian main force and cut off their retreat. Long'er will take two hundred men with the Counter-cannons and improved cannons to hold the earthen slope at the ferry and take out their heavy cannons first. I will lead the new recruits and the brothers from the Heaven and Earth Society through the center to face the enemy head-on. Fang Yi, contact the brothers from Prince Mus Residence and Green Wood Hall to lie in ambush downstream of the ferry and intercept the Russians when they break. Mu Jianping and Shuanger will lead the medical workers to set up a medical station in the rear and be ready to receive the wounded at any time."

Everyone responded in unison. Wei Xiaobao gripped Mao the Eighteenth's great saber. "Brother Hui, I'm going with you through the center! I want to personally cut down a few devils to avenge Big Brother Mao!"

"Good!" Xie Hui patted his shoulder and then looked at Songgotu. "Lord Suo, you stay with Mu Jianping and the others at the medical station to help count the supplies. Don't wander off—if you encounter danger, hide in Shuanger's small universe."

Songgotu quickly nodded. "Don't worry! this official promises not to wander off! It's just... can the medical station be a bit closer to the ferry? I want to see how our cannons blow up the devils, so I can record more merits and have more confidence when I mention the golden buddha to the Emperor later."

Everyone was amused, and the tense atmosphere in the main hall dissipated significantly. Xie Hui looked at everyone before him—from the medicine box in Shuanger's hands to the cannons beside Long'er, from the great saber in Wei Xiaobao's hand to the small scale in Songgotu's arms—everyone was giving their all for tomorrow's battle. These were his brothers, his companions, people he could face life and death with.

Late at night, the lights in the courtyard were still on. New recruits were packing their bags, the Imperial Guard was checking their warhorses, and the brothers from the Ministry of Works were oiling the cannons. Xie Hui stood by Mao the Eighteenth's great saber, his fingertips tracing the calluses on the handle as if he could feel Mao the Eighteenth's warmth. "Big Brother Mao, tomorrow we go to Black Water River to avenge you and all the brothers bullied by Tsarist Russia," he said softly. "Once we win, we'll send your memorial tablet into the Ancestral Shrine of Loyal Martyrs so everyone remembers that a hero named Mao the Eighteenth risked his life for this world."

Wei Xiaobao also approached and touched the great saber. "Big Brother Mao, I definitely won't hold us back tomorrow. I'll use the blade techniques you taught to cut down the devils. Watch from heaven; I won't let you down."

The next morning, the troops were assembled. Fifty warhorses carried the cannons and supplies, three hundred new recruits wore Black Iron Thread gear, and eight hundred Imperial Guards wore long sabers at their waists. Brothers from Prince Mus Residence and Green Wood Hall also arrived from all directions, lining up outside the manor. Xie Hui sat on the lead horse, holding Mao the Eighteenth's great saber high. "Brothers! Set out! To Black Water River! Avenge Big Brother Mao! Drive the Russian Devils back to their homeland!"

"Avenge him! Drive out the devils!" everyone shouted in unison, their voices so loud that leaves fell from the roadside trees. Songgotu rode behind, clutching his small scale and golden buddha sketch, but he didn't mention silver again; instead, he gripped his whip tightly. Shuanger and Mu Jianping sat in a carriage, holding their medicine boxes, ready for any emergency. Long'er carried the fuse for the Counter-cannon, her eyes fixed firmly ahead. Fang Yi rode her horse, holding a communication flag and occasionally greeting allies along the road.

The massive procession moved toward Black Water River. Sunlight bathed everyone and glinted off the great saber in Xie Hui's hand. The light reflected from the blade seemed like Mao the Eighteenth in heaven, accompanying them toward this long-awaited decisive battle. Xie Hui knew that tomorrow at Black Water River, there would be blood and sacrifice, but as long as these people were by his side and Big Brother Mao's spirit remained, they would surely win—because they were fighting not just for themselves, but for the brothers who didn't live to see the New Dynasty, for Mao the Eighteenth, and for the people of the world.