In the Jia Yin year, the Three Feudatories rebelled. The imperial army marched south to quell the unrest and paused in Yanzhou to rest and recover. These soldiers, corrupted by their temporary authority, committed every atrocity imaginable; fowl, dogs, and thatched huts were utterly plundered. A great rain fell, turning the fields into lakes, leaving the women with nowhere to hide but to climb walls and seek refuge in the dense sorghum fields. The soldiers learned of this, rode their horses bareback into the water, seized the women, and indulged in unrestrained torment; none could escape.

In the village lived a woman surnamed Zhang. She was brave and sharp-witted. Seeing the danger posed by the soldiers, she did not flee but remained openly in her home. To guard against the soldiers, she and her husband dug a pit in their sleeping chamber, the bottom lined with sharp bamboo stakes, covered above with mats and a quilt, appearing, at a glance, to be nothing more than a bed.

One day, while Zhang was cooking in the kitchen, two Mongol soldiers burst in, intending assault. Zhang did not panic, saying calmly, "Such matters should not be conducted in the presence of others. I can only serve one officer at a time. Which of you will go first?" One soldier grinned and stepped forward, while the other cursed softly and went out to stand guard.

Zhang led the soldier into the room and pointed to the bed, ordering him up. The soldier suspected nothing and climbed onto the surface as instructed, immediately falling into the trap and plunging into the pit. Pierced by the sharp bamboo, he was severely wounded and groaned incessantly. Zhang remained outwardly composed, retrieved the quilt, and covered the opening of the pit. Afterward, she went to the doorway and smiled, beckoning the other soldier.

The second soldier followed her into the room. A muffled cry occasionally rose from the pit, causing the soldier to frown. He asked, "Who is crying out?" Zhang pointed to the bed and laughed, "You must have misheard; who is crying? We should focus on the important business at hand. Look, I’ve even smoothed out the bedding." The soldier laughed heartily and quickly climbed onto the bed, only to feel the ground give way beneath his feet and drop into the hole. Zhang had prepared firewood and instantly tossed it all into the pit, igniting a blaze. Soon, the flames spread, engulfing the entire house in fire, sending towering columns of flame skyward. Zhang calmly walked outside and began to feign distress, crying for help. Villagers rushed over to fight the blaze. When the fire was finally suppressed, the stench of burnt flesh hung heavy in the air. When questioned about the cause, Zhang replied, "I was raising two pigs, and out of fear they would be looted by the soldiers, I hid them in a pit. Unfortunately, they burned to death. Everyone need not panic."

Several li from the village ran a main road, wide and open, with constant traffic passing by. To protect herself, Zhang often carried needle and thread and embroidered there. The sun beat down fiercely, meaning even if the soldiers desired mischief, they dared not act wantonly in broad daylight. Moreover, pursuing acts of intimacy under the scorching sun was simply too hot and left them unmotivated.

Every day, soldiers passed along the road. Upon seeing Zhang, they would think, "She’s mad, embroidering under this sun. But her appearance is indeed quite fine." They would exchange lewd jokes and move on; for several days, peace was maintained. One day, another soldier approached. This man was utterly shameless; ignoring the open-air heat, he grabbed Zhang and immediately sought to violate her.

Zhang feigned compliance, subtly pricking the horse with a silver needle. The horse cried out in pain and bucked wildly. The soldier, consumed by lust, worried the horse might bolt. He intended to tie it to a tree, but finding none nearby, he paused briefly, tied the reins to his own thigh, grasped Zhang with both hands, and began to grope and pull at her garments.

Zhang shoved him away forcefully, produced a thick needle, and drove it deep into the horse's neck. The animal bolted in panic. The soldier was caught completely off guard, dragged and yanked along until his head was torn from his body; he died instantly. After his death, only his thigh remained, still tethered to the bridle; the rest of his corpse vanished without a trace.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.