Qiguan Rang held the reins with both hands, still holding the feather fan that never left his side. "Xiaoyu, you're very smart. Guess?"
Even he didn't expect to see his old friend under such circumstances.
Guess?
Guess my ass!
Xu Ke pursed his lips and glanced at the young man holding the torch. "Troops?"
"Yes," Qiguan Rang answered with a smile.
If he wasn't riding a big horse, Xu Ke really wanted to pull Qiguan Rang off the horse and beat him up.
"Why are Langjun's troops here?"
Troops were private troops. They were armed forces. Why did Qiguan Rang bring so many troops from Chongzhou to here?
Qiguan Rang didn't speak, but Meng Hun cupped his hands and said, "Master Qiguan knows Langjun is in trouble, that's why he came."
Xu Ke said, "Why didn't I know Wenzheng has the ability to predict the future?"
Qiguan Rang smiled but didn't say anything. He glanced at the cart that was being pushed out, then at Xu Ke and his men. He had an idea.
"This isn't a good time to bicker. If Xiaoyu suspects Rang, it won't be too late to question him later. Lives are at stake. Xiaoyu, lead the way so we can meet Langjun as soon as possible. "Qiguan Rang gave him a look." We shouldn't stay here for long. "
Xu Ke understood this, but he didn't understand why Qiguan Rang would appear outside of Shangjing City.
"If that's the case, I'll explain when we get back." Xu Ke's face darkened. It was indeed not the right time to talk about this.
The troops' training methods were still set by Jiang Pengji, but the amount of training was much heavier than before.
After three to four years of training, even a pig could walk on two legs, let alone these carefully selected young men. Most of them were bandits. They used to be fierce, but after a few years, they became elite troops that obeyed orders.
Meng Hun waved his hand. Someone immediately led a horse forward. He said, "Master Xu, get on the horse."
"How many troops did you bring?"
Xu Ke saw Meng Hun and his mind became clear. He knew that Qiguan Rang brought people out through proper channels.
When Jiang Pengji left, she handed over the running of the troops to Meng Hun. Qiguan Rang would occasionally come over to help.
Without the two of them, Jiang Pengji would not be comfortable being a hands-off shopkeeper.
"He brought a total of three thousand people," Qiguan Rang said. He then added, "But there are only about a thousand people here."
Meng Hun was a martial artist, but he was very sensitive. He could smell the subtle atmosphere between the two, so he could not help but take over the conversation and separate the two.
"The other two thousand have been sent out to rescue the people of Fengyi County." Meng Hun thought about it and said, "Don't worry, Mister Xu. These 3,000 troops were brought out from Chongzhou. Most of the time, they are scattered. They definitely won't cause you any trouble …"
Almost every landowning household had a troop, and they varied in size. During times of peace, they had to be kept in check and not allowed to wander around.
If they were discovered to be gathering on a large scale, they might suspect that they were trying to stir up trouble. By then, the leader of the troop would be in trouble.
Xu Ke listened and agreed. His expression softened a little, but his furrowed brows still showed no signs of relaxing.
He knew that Qiguan Rang was cautious by nature and would not hand over such a big weakness to the enemy. That was indeed the case. After the troops left Chongzhou, they were scattered and arranged to meet at the border of Shangyang County and Fengyi County. They did not arouse any suspicions along the way.
But he still minded that Qiguan Rang had mobilized the three thousand troops without Jiang Pengji's permission.
Qiguan Rang ordered the three thousand troops to hide in a hidden valley and set up camp there. They had been hiding for a few days.
After the earthquake, none of the troops died. But a few unlucky ones were smashed by the fallen tents and suffered minor injuries.
Qiguan Rang had never been to Shangjing. Looking at the towering city gate, he could imagine the luxurious buildings behind it.
However, after passing through the broken city gate, the scene behind the gate struck his heart, causing his pupils to shrink.
It was a scene of desolation and ruins. Where was the luxurious scene he had imagined?
They entered the city from the north gate. The nearby areas had not been searched. When a few lucky survivors heard the footsteps, they immediately thought of ways to make noise to attract the attention of the living. The scene was a little horrifying, but the troops' expressions did not change. They were not affected by the outside world.
"Why … didn't the court send anyone over? Or … haven't they found this place? "
Qiguan Rang had been living in the small valley for a while and was not well-informed about the outside world.
If the earthquake had not happened, he would have continued squatting there and waited for Jiang Pengji to come over.
Xu Ke's face was cold. He sneered and said, "How can the Son of Heaven, who sits in the Nine Heavens Imperial Court, hear the cries of human suffering?"
Qiguan Rang's heart sank. The earthquake had happened for a day and a night, but the court had not taken any action. Why?
Even if he did not know about the golden rescue time, he knew that the longer it dragged on, the more people would die.
Dozens of troops were left behind to rescue the few people who had asked for help from the ruins.
Jiang Pengji accepted the imperial edict. Huang Tan left 1,000 imperial guards and 500 dans of rations and could not wait to leave.
The smell of this place was too strong!
Looking at Huang Tan being escorted away by hundreds of people, Jiang Pengji clenched the imperial edict in her hand and remained expressionless.
She glanced at the imperial guards. "Who is in charge here?"
Because the space was limited and there were too many people, only three people followed Huang Tan to stand in front of her. The rest were waiting outside.
After she finished speaking, someone came forward and cupped his hands. He said in a low, muffled voice, "It's me."
Jiang Pengji looked at the man carefully. He was about eight feet tall and had a stocky back and a bear's waist. He was burly and strong. One step forward was equivalent to two steps for a normal person. He wore the armor of the imperial guards and a thin shirt underneath. The thin shirt could not hide his muscles at all.
Jiang Pengji was not short among men her age, but she had to raise her head in front of this man.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Luo Yue."
"The Emperor has bestowed you all to me. During this period of time, your lives will be decided by me. You only need to follow my orders." Jiang Pengji said calmly, "If anyone disobeys, kill them on the spot. There's no need to bury them."
Hearing this, Luo Yue frowned. He was slightly unhappy.
The imperial guards protected the safety of Shangjing. In their hearts, they were different from ordinary people. Even if the person in front of them had an extraordinary background, he was still a commoner. If not for the Emperor's orders, he had no right to order them around. But Jiang Pengji said such words …
Jiang Pengji saw the flash of unhappiness in his eyes. She snorted coldly in her heart. If she did not need manpower, she would not be bothered to deal with such a person … But pride was pride. This Luo Yue in front of her had some ability. It would be perfect if he could kidnap the 1,000 imperial guards after the earthquake. Jiang Pengji looked down. The evil water in her heart started to boil again.
At that moment, her ears twitched. She heard the footsteps of 1,000 people.
She raised her eyebrows and asked Luo Yue, "The Emperor sent more imperial guards?"
Two thousand?
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