Cai Dongcheng slightly narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and said: "For that assassin, we have not been able to find any clues so far. Perhaps this traitor is the key to catching him. What we need to do now is to plan and dig out this traitor first! I intend to … "
Cai Dongcheng lowered his voice and whispered to Yang Mingsheng. Yang Mingsheng nodded and said, "Alright! I also want to see who in my mansion has eaten the heart of a bear and the heart of a leopard, to dare to do such a thing! "
He raised his head. Although his whole face was covered with layers of white cloth and nothing could be seen, he still habitually raised his head and "looked" at Cai Dongcheng and said, "About the Peach Blossom Village case, should we tell him about it?"
Cai Dongcheng sneered and said, "What we did back then was so unclean, yet we actually left a fish that escaped the net. Once he finds out about this, who knows if he won't blame us? Now that we've been messed up by this fish that escaped the net, it's not like you don't know that master's temper. So what if he finds out?
How could someone as high and mighty as him care about this person and this matter? He … dared to kill them all! In the end, this matter still has to be settled by the two of us. We don't have to suffer his scolding for nothing. "
Cai Dongcheng heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at Yang Mingsheng's appearance that was neither human nor ghost, he mocked, "I've always been curious. You've become like this, neither human nor ghost, so what are you still alive for? If you die earlier, it will be a good thing for your enemies and friends! "
Cai Dongcheng flicked his sleeve and left. When he reached the side of the screen, he suddenly stopped, turned his head around, and said maliciously, "Even to your family, it is a good thing. Doctor Yang, you can be considered the first person in the entire world to be able to live up to your standards! How admirable! "
Hearing his footsteps getting further and further away, Yang Mingsheng suddenly clenched his fists. After clenching them for a long time, he slowly loosened them and muttered to himself, "Why … do I start to hope that the assassin will succeed?"
…
That day, Cai Dongcheng made a trip back to Fengchen Guard and continued to ask for leave from his superior.
When he returned, he brought back 30 soldiers, each with a bow and arrow.
Mobilizing an army, even if it was just a few people, was no small matter. It was impossible to mobilize troops without a military order. It was even more taboo for an officer to do a patrol officer's job. Normally, the army would not agree to it. If such an exception was made, would the army still be an army?
The Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Luoyang Prefecture were also unwilling. If they had to mobilize their troops just because of a case, wouldn't they become decorations? Wouldn't that mean that they were incompetent officials?
However, this case in Yang Langzhong's residence was really too big of a commotion. First, a dignified Disciplinary Officer of the Ministry of Justice was crippled, and then two Thousand Oxen were beheaded in the Yang family. It was said that even the high and mighty Empress knew about this case.
It was the Empress who personally asked about this matter, and only then did Fengchen Guard allow Cai Dongcheng to borrow 30 soldiers. They were also given bows and arrows from the armory that could not be used unless it was for battle or training.
It was said that because of this matter, the Luoyang Prefecture was also under a lot of pressure. However, with such a large city like Luoyang, they really could not spare any more officials. Therefore, Luoyang Commandant Tang Zong personally came with 30 people. They were all smart and capable Marquis Wu and workshop attendants who were selected from the various workshops.
Tang Zong paired the people he brought with the Yang family's servants and guards, as well as Marquis Wu's workshop attendants. The old led the new, and they patrolled together to strengthen the Yang family's security.
When these "workshop attendants and Marquis Wu's" were brought to the Yang family, Yang Fan saw that although they deliberately staggered their formation, their backs were still straight and their expressions were still stern. Yang Fan couldn't help but reveal a thoughtful expression. They did not whisper to each other, nor did they make faces or giggle. As expected, they were "smart and capable Marquis Wu and workshop attendants"!
At this moment, Maqiao walked over to him with three trembling steps, and said excitedly, "With so many people all of a sudden, we're much safer."
Yang Fan looked at Ma Fan's legs that were trembling like springs, then looked at the new workshop attendants and Marquis Wu's, who all had steady and powerful legs. He smiled lightly, "Yes, this time … it's really much safer."
At night, Yang Mingsheng's mansion was guarded every three steps, and there was a sentry every five. Marquis Wu's workshop attendants came and went without rest. Although there were many people, they maintained absolute silence. Other than the rustling of footsteps, nothing else could be heard. This strict atmosphere was like a military fortress.
In a pentagonal pavilion, Huang Qilin, who was well prepared, sat on a stone table. On the stone table in front of him was a pot of wine and a fat chicken. He had already eaten more than half of the fat chicken that weighed at least five catties. In front of him was a pile of chicken bones, which had all been eaten cleanly.
Huang Qilin had a round body. Although his body was rather fat, he did not give off the feeling of being bloated or slow. Among the four 'Iron Wall' brothers, he was the youngest and ranked last. But because of his fat body, he seemed to be slightly older than the other brothers.
On his left sat the Minister of Justice, Wang Lue, who had single-handedly knocked Yang Fan into the pond. On his right sat the Yang residence's Protector, Hua Xiaoqian. Yang Fan and a new workshop attendant stood leaning against the pillar of the pavilion. Huang Qilin spat out a piece of chicken bone, wiped his greasy mouth, and sneered, "This time, we've mobilized the army. I want to see if that assassin can outrun the bow and arrow!"
Ever since Hua Xiaoqian escaped death that night, he has been in a state of panic. Hearing this, he could not help but ask worriedly, "Huang Beishen, that assassin comes and goes without a trace. Can the bow and arrow deal with him?"
Huang Qilin grunted, "You don't have to make him sound so godly. I, Huang Beishen, have seen experts before. But no matter how powerful they are, their speed cannot outrun the bow and arrow. Have you ever heard of a so-called expert who is invincible on the battlefield and can fight a hundred enemies alone?"
Wang Lue, the Minister of Justice, could not help but ask, "Huang Beishen, since the Commander of the Palace Guards has requested for the army to be mobilized, and the bow and arrow are specially approved, why not transfer some crossbows over? Aren't crossbows more powerful than bows?"
Huang Qilin gave him a look that was not a smile and said, "You have never been in the army before, so naturally you do not understand the logic."
Wang Lue's face reddened, and he cupped his hands, saying, "I was just about to ask Huang Beishen for advice."
Huang Qilin threw down a chicken bone, wiped his mouth, and said, "It is true that the crossbow has a longer range than the bow, and that the shot is more accurate and lethal. But the crossbow also has areas where it is inferior to the bow. As the saying goes, five arrows for one crossbow. This means that for a skilled archer, it takes the effort of shooting five arrows before the crossbow can fire one arrow. We cannot transfer more soldiers here, and this manor is full of flowers and pavilions. If one arrow misses, the assassin will disappear without a trace. How can we use the crossbow to capture his figure? Besides, this is not like the front of two armies. The crossbow is heavier than the bow and is much larger. It is not convenient for a single soldier to carry it around! "
Huang Qilin picked up another piece of chicken and said, "Besides, for a first-rate archer, the lethality of the bow is not necessarily inferior to the crossbow. When our Tang dynasty's famous general Xue Rengui was the Chief Commander of the Tiele Road Army, he was going to lead the army to the west. Before he left, Emperor Gaozong gave him a banquet to bid him farewell. "
During the banquet, Emperor Gaozong said to General Xue, "I have long heard that General is good at archery. The ancients who were good at archery could pierce through seven layers of armor with one arrow. Today, why don't you try shooting an arrow through five layers of armor for me to see?"
"At the time, I was on the military field and was standing closest to the General Selection Stage, so I heard everything clearly. When General Xue heard the imperial edict, he ordered someone to bring his precious bow. With one arrow, he pierced through five layers of leather armor. Emperor Gaozong turned pale with fright when he saw this and immediately ordered someone to bring his own Radiant Iron Armour for General Xue to put on, afraid that General Xue would be hit by an arrow on the battlefield. Hey! Normal armor can't even block a sharp arrow, much less a flying bandit who relies on lightness kungfu to fly high and low. This military bow is enough to deal with him. As long as he is hit by an arrow, he can forget about escaping. "
When Hua Xiaoqian and the Ministry of Justice heard Huang Qilin's words, they couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
In the military system of the early Tang dynasty, armored soldiers made up sixty percent of the total army. However, due to the limitations of steel production and different battlefield environments, coupled with the restraint of powerful bows and crossbows, and the vast battlefield, there were many ways to avoid direct confrontation with the heavy cavalry. The heavy cavalry, which was costly and ineffective in actual combat, had basically retired from the stage of history. Therefore, at that time, the main types of armor were leather, wooden, cloth, and silk armors. There were not many who wore iron armor.
That flexible and thick leather armor may not be able to be pierced through with a single stab, and when they are stacked together, they will have a cushioning effect. However, the Tang bow was able to pierce through five layers of leather armor with one arrow. One can imagine its power on the battlefield.
As Yang Fan listened to their conversation, he couldn't help but laugh coldly to himself.
He now completely understood the other party's intentions.
Transferring the archers here was indeed to strengthen the defense of the Yang residence. They hoped to use the bows and arrows to kill the assassins, but those thirty so-called workers and Marquis Wu …
Yang Fan looked at the worker opposite him who was said to be from Chongzheng Workshop. This brother was called Duan Wei Feng. Old Duan stood as straight as a javelin with his eyes looking straight ahead. Even when he glanced left and right, his attitude was very alert and his posture was also very serious.
Yang Fan couldn't help but sigh secretly. Cai Dongcheng should have found some ruffians instead of so many elite soldiers. A well-trained elite soldier's every move had long become a habit. How could it be so easy for them to pretend to be Marquis Wu's workers?
Obviously, the inexplicable deaths of Liu Kui and Shen Jiahui had already made them suspicious. They suspected that there were assassins or accomplices of assassins in the Yang residence, so they used two methods, one in the open and one in the dark. In the open, they transferred thirty archers in charge of dealing with the assassins to strengthen the deterrent effect.
And in the dark, they were the soldiers pretending to be Marquis Wu's workers. If the assassins were in the residence, or if the assassins had accomplices in the residence, then the other thirty soldiers pretending to be Marquis Wu's workers would be responsible for dragging them out.
Yang Fan secretly raised his vigilance. He couldn't do it step by step, he had to end the battle quickly.
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