In the afternoon of the ninth day of the fifth month in the fourteenth year of Jinghan's reign, around midnight, on the road south of Zhuxian Town, a carriage and a crowd were heading north.
The one running in front was a stocky warrior named Tian Donghan. Behind him were people of all ages. The criminal official named Qin Siyuan, his wife, and his concubine had already boarded the carriage. Ji Kun was waving his whip in front of the carriage, pulling a thirteen-year-old Qin family disciple onto the carriage. The rest were six or seven young disciples of the Qin family, as well as Takeshi warriors and Qin family guards.
The two bailiffs who had escorted Qin Siyuan to the south were almost dragged behind.
Along the road, there were no other pedestrians except for a few sporadic travelers. The sun shone down from the sky. The surrounding fields were empty, and it seemed a little strange.
In the second half of last year, the Lady Zhenren attacked and besieged Bianliang. Almost all the residents from the north of Bianliang to the Yellow River Basin were evacuated. Those who refused to evacuate were also killed. Although the area south of Bianliang was slightly better, the area that extended for dozens of miles was still affected. In the process of strengthening the walls and clearing the fields, people migrated, and villages were burned. Later on, the Lady Zhenren's cavalry also came here, and the riverbed of the road was destroyed.
After the Lady Zhenren passed, there were many things to be done. A large number of merchants came south, but not all the roads had been repaired. There were a few roads to the south of Zhuxian Town. They were separated by a river, and the road to the west had not been cleared. When going south, according to the route set by the Ministry of Justice, the criminal official tried to take the road with fewer people, so as to avoid friction with pedestrians and accidents. At this time, everyone was taking the road to the west. However, in the afternoon, Takeshi's information came in a hurry. The heroes of the pugilistic world who wanted to intercept and kill Elder Qin had already gathered and were heading here. The leader was most likely Lin Zongwu, the leader of the Great Radiant Sect.
On the way south, Qin Siyuan was followed by Elder Qin's wife, his concubine Yunniang, Ji Kun, a few young disciples of the Qin family, and seven Takeshi guards led by Tian Donghan. Of course, there were also carriages following them. However, before they left the boundary of the capital, two bailiffs were very strict. They only removed the shackles for the old man. If they really wanted everyone to live a better life, they would have to leave the capital. Perhaps because he was reluctant to leave the capital, the old man did not mind walking slowly. He was already at this age. If he left the circle of power and went to Lingnan, there would be nothing else for him to do.
When the news came, everyone realized the awkwardness of the place. Tian Donghan and the others immediately pressed the two bailiffs to the ground and asked them if they were accomplices. The two only said that this was the rule of the Ministry of Justice. Tian of course. Tian, Tian, Tian Donghan, Tian, and Tian Donghan, Tian, Tian, and Tian, of the Tian, of the two of the Tian of the road of. Under the sunlight, everyone unsheathed their sabers and strung their bows. They were wary of everyone who appeared in their field of vision.
Not long after, a small and shabby relay station appeared in front of them. When they passed by earlier, they remembered that there were two soldiers stationed inside.
Tian Donghan looked at the entrance. The smell of blood came from inside and the light of swords shone out from the darkness. Tian Donghan slanted his saber and a shout could be heard in the air, "Get rid of the treacherous dogs!" Figures pounced out from above and below. However, behind Tian Donghan, a fishing net flew out towards the swordsman, followed by a spear, a sickle, and a crossbow. The swordsman was highly skilled in martial arts. He rushed into the crowd and circled around. The tip of his sword fought with a few Takeshi guards. Then, his left leg was hooked and his body tilted. His head was split open by a saber and blood splattered everywhere.
In front of him, a warrior was hit in the head by a crossbow arrow. Another one fought with Tian Donghan and was hit in the chest by a saber. Then, he was kicked and hit the mud wall behind him. He staggered a few times and fell down softly.
The rest of the assassins were scared and hid behind the walls and houses. They shouted, "You can't escape!" "Dog officials, die!" They didn't dare to come out again.
Tian Donghan stood with his saber and stared at them for a moment. He said, "Go!" He began to step back and the others also began to retreat. Behind the mud wall, someone suddenly made a move, throwing out a few concealed weapons, flying locusts, and two crossbow bolts. The person who threw the concealed weapons hurriedly retreated. One of the people's arm was grazed by one of the bolts. He quickly said, "This is a prickly spot, everyone be careful! It's hard to handle … "
The scorching sun was scorching the earth. In the capital, the incident had begun to spread and ferment.
As the people from the Ning Manor's main residence dashed out, the emergency teams in various parts of the capital were also alerted. A few chief constables led their teams out, afraid that the incident would be blown out of proportion. Then, as Ning Yi and the others left the city … Takeshi's other residences inside and outside the capital had also started to show signs of abnormalities. The guards headed south.
At the same time, the well-informed people from the Underground Forest had already understood the situation and started to head south, either to participate in the grand event or to join in on the fun. At the same time, many people from the Underground Forest had gathered around Zhuxian Town. Some of them belonged to the Great Radiant Sect, and some even belonged to some of the great clans in the capital. They had all started to move. Among them, there were even a few groups of teams that no one had ever expected to appear …
In the northwest of the capital, the unexpected situation had finally begun to unfold.
Wu Rui's camp was temporarily set up at the side of a large village. As the crowd moved in and out, the surroundings became lively. A few simple restaurants and teahouses were also opened in the surroundings. This camp was now the most eye-catching military camp near the capital. After the rewards were given based on merit, not to mention the official rank, just the gold and silver given out was enough for the officers and soldiers to squander for several years. The merchants lived in pursuit of profit, and even the brothels were secretly opened. It was just that the conditions were simple, and the women in them were not ugly.
In the afternoon, on the second floor of the teahouse, which was not luxurious but was cool and ventilated, Li Bingwen occupied the best seat and sat opposite his guest, sipping tea and occasionally chatting. His current guest was called Han Jing. Recently, the two of them had been in contact a lot.
After the departure of the Female Zhenren, the Wu Rui Camp now included two forces. One was the original Wu dynasty soldiers of more than 10,000 people, and the other was the Lu Liangshan Volunteer Army of nearly 1,800 people. Nominally — and of course, "in reality" — General Li Bingwen was in control, but in reality, it was quite troublesome.
First of all, the majority of more than 10,000 people were a bit rebellious. Before Li Bingwen took over, Luo Shengzhou, the top scholar of martial arts, wanted to take advantage of his power. He won with fists and feet, but when it came to sabers, both of them were injured and had to leave dejectedly. Li Bingwen had more means than Luo Shengzhou, and he also had dozens of powerful bodyguards. But in a month, he didn't have a deep understanding of the army.
Of course, this also had something to do with Zhou Zhe and Tong Guan's strategy. Zhou Zhe wanted the morale of the army, so he praised the middle-level generals in the army during the inspection and wanted to make them work for him. Tong Guan had led the army for many years and was more experienced than anyone else. This Prince of Guangyang knew the drawbacks of the army, so he was very concerned about the main reason why the Wu Rui Camp could maintain its fighting capacity. This indirectly caused Li Bingwen to be unable to change this army. For the time being, he could only watch and control it. But this was already Prince Tong's private army, and other things could be done slowly.
The Lu Liangshan Volunteer Army was more troublesome.
On the surface, these more than 1,800 people were under Li Bingwen's control, but in fact, the ones in control were Han Jing and the woman named Lu Hongti. Because this army was made up of cavalry, and there were more than a hundred heavily armored black cavalry, they had been praised by word of mouth in the capital, and were even called "Iron Buddhas". Li Bingwen couldn't get in touch with that woman, so he could only get in touch with Han Jing. But when Zhou Zhe inspected the Wu Rui Camp, he gave him all kinds of titles and titles. Now, in theory, Han Jing already had the military title of commander-in-chief, which was basically the same level as Li Bingwen.
Fortunately, Han Jing wasn't difficult to talk to. Li Bingwen had been building a relationship with him for a long time, and it was enough for him to confide in him and call him brother. Although Han Jing was a general and a leader from Luliang Mountain, he had a bit of a bandit's temperament. But when he came to the capital, he became more and more mature. He didn't like to drink, but only liked to drink tea. Li Bingwen invited him out from time to time and prepared some good tea for him.
After noon, the two of them drank tea and chatted for a long time about the military system of the Wu dynasty, military morale, and other matters. From Li Bingwen's point of view, Han Jing was a mountain bandit. Every time he said something deviant, it was different from the reality of the Wu dynasty. Some of his ideas were ultimately superficial, but it didn't matter. He just listened and occasionally made a few comments. Han Jing also nodded his head in agreement. At some point, a soldier came galloping downstairs on horseback. He dismounted at the door and galloped up. It was a Luliang Mountain cavalry.
The soldier looked anxious and angry. He rushed over and handed Han Jing a note. Then he stood to the side and said nothing.
Han Jing read through the note and frowned. Then he raised his head slightly, anger gathering on his face. Li Bingwen said, "Brother Han, what's the matter?"
"Gather all the brothers!" Han Jing said to the soldier beside him. The soldier replied, "Yes." He had already galloped down the stairs. Li Bingwen was frightened. He stood up. "Brother Han, is there a military matter?!" Across from him, Han Jing had already stood up. He slammed his palm on the table. After a moment, he probably felt that this wasn't good. He cupped his hands and said gruffly, "General, I, Luliang, have a private matter!"
"No." Li Bingwen hurriedly stopped him. "You're already a soldier. How can you have a private …"
"There are fights and gunfights in the army. We came here as a volunteer army. Why can't we have a private matter?!"
"No, no. Brother Han, if you have a private matter in the capital, you might as well say it. I naturally have a way to handle it for you. But who did you have a conflict with? If you don't say it, won't you treat me as one of your own? Do you think I'll help an outsider … "
Han Jing's gaze softened a little. He cupped his hands again. "I understand General's kind intentions. However, this matter doesn't require the entire Wu Rui Battalion to mobilize." He then lowered his voice slightly, a trace of viciousness flashing through his eyes. "Humph. A private grudge from back then hasn't been resolved. Now that person dares to come to the capital, does he think we'll let him go?!"
"Brother Han, the enemy you speak of is …"
"There's a Great Light Sect around you. Have you heard of it, General?"
"Great Light Sect …" Li Bingwen was still recalling.
"Humph. The sect leader's name is Lin Zongwu. He used to be friends with our Great Leader. At Mount Luliang, he used despicable methods to injure our Great Leader. Later on, he escaped with injuries. General Li, I don't want to make things difficult for you. However, our Great Leader can tolerate this matter, but I can't. None of the brothers below can! If he dares to appear, we'll kill him! I'm sorry for making things difficult for you. I'll come and ask for forgiveness another day! "
"Brother Han, why do you say that … Wait, wait, wait. Brother Han, what I mean is, it's just revenge. There's no need for all of us to mobilize. Brother Han …"
As he spoke, his tone became anxious, and his expression became stern. However, it was useless even if he spoke sternly. When Han Jing and he ran back to the military camp not far away, 1,800 cavalrymen had already gathered on the drill ground. These men who came down from Mount Luliang had ferocious looks on their faces. They waved their sabers and slapped their saddles. Han Jing mounted his horse. "All Light Cavalry …"
Around them, the generals and soldiers of the Wu Rui Camp had also gathered and asked what was going on. Some of them raised their weapons and charged forward. When those who were familiar with them simply stated the purpose of seeking revenge, they all shouted, "Kill him!" "Let's go together!" "Let's go together!"
Li Bingwen roared, "All of you, go back!" No one paid attention to him.
Han Jing only comforted the generals of the Wu Rui Camp. Then, the camp gate was pushed open, and the warhorses rushed out like a long dragon. They galloped faster and faster, and the ground began to shake and roar. The iron hooves of these nearly 2,000 cavalrymen rose and fell, circling around Bianliang City and sweeping toward the south. Li Bingwen was dumbfounded and speechless. He originally wanted to call for fast horses to inform the other military camps to stop this team, but it was impossible. After the Female Zhenren left, this cavalry's charge outside Bianliang City was temporarily invincible.
Then, he could only try his best to suppress the others in the Wu Rui Camp who were ready to make a move. He quickly ordered someone to transmit the situation into the city and report it to Tong Guan …
In the south of Bianliang City, Ning Yi and the others were galloping. Nearby, there were also groups of Takeshi's guards galloping. They received the message and took the initiative to go in different directions. The people of the Lulin Forest were also galloping on their fine horses, their cheeks flushed with excitement. Sometimes, they met their companions and were still discussing whether they should join forces to eliminate the traitors.
A few chief constables of the Ministry of Justice led their subordinates out of the city from different directions. These constables were not as fast as the constables, but most of them were highly skilled in martial arts. They were used to participating in cases related to the Lulin Forest and involving life and death, so they could not be mentioned in the same breath as the ordinary constables. The few constables were still giving orders as they galloped on their horses.
"If you encounter this group of people, first of all, dissuade them from fighting. If they really dare to fight, then arrest them. The capital region is an important place, and such lawlessness cannot happen. All of you, especially keep a close eye on Takeshi. Let them know who has the final say in the capital city! "
Half past five in the afternoon, the battle had already begun.
Screams could be heard occasionally on the road and plains southwest of Zhuxian Town. That was the reaction of passersby who found corpses. Spots of blood occasionally appeared and spread in the fields. At the edge of a field, a group of people were galloping. The person in the lead was a tall monk. He stopped and looked at the footprints and weeds around him. There were bloodstains in the weeds.
A martial artist behind him caught up and said, "Boss Swallow Cloud, there seems to be a mark on both sides. Which side should we go?"
The monk called Swallow Cloud's lips curled into a smile. "Hmph, if you want to be famous, follow me —" After saying that, he dashed to one side like the wind, and the others hurriedly followed.
On a hill more than two miles away from the courier road, the smell of blood spread. The carriage had already stopped in front of a dangerous cliff on the top of the hill. Tian Donghan and the others were guarding the rear, using the terrain to defend against several waves of assassins who were chasing after them. More people from the Greenwood Tribe had gathered below, but after charging a few times, they had become more cautious. They were waiting for more people to arrive.
"Hold the fort!" Hiding behind a large rock, Tian Donghan coughed up a mouthful of blood, but his gaze was determined. "When the boss arrives, they'll all die!"
The people nearby only nodded slightly. Having been on the battlefield, they all had the same gaze!
However, as the sun was setting in the west, and the first hint of sunset appeared on the horizon, Ning Yi and the others were galloping down the courier road, approaching the small courier station where they had first clashed.
At the bottom of the hill, a figure wearing a yellow monk's robe appeared in Tian Donghan's field of vision. The figure was tall, fat, but strong. Every part of his body seemed to be accumulating power, like the manifestation of Maitreya.
"Amitabha."
Under the sunlight, the name of Buddha rang out like a tidal wave.
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