That sword pierced through the curtains, the force of the sword was vicious and full of determination. Wu Hanchao could not help but be enraged and immediately leapt out of the sedan chair with his sword in hand. He saw four imperial bodyguards drawing their swords towards the assassin. The sedan chair bearers were so frightened that they fled to one side. He immediately drew his sword and leapt forward, fighting with the petite figure dressed in black with a black veil over her face.
He had already determined that this was the thief Cui Ying 'er, who had not escaped in time. It was rumored that Lady Cui was as beautiful as a flower, but she was skilled in archery and horsemanship. Her skills were above her husband's, and the people of the underworld had given her the nickname Yang Qianhu. Wu Hanchao had seen Yang Hu's martial arts, and although it was far from his, he did not dare to be careless in the face of this masked woman.
After a few rounds, Wu Hanchao was relieved. Yang Qianhu did not live up to his reputation. His real martial arts skills seemed to be on par with Yang Hu's. After fighting for a while, the woman also realized that she was no match for him. She suddenly shouted and threw a flying knife, taking the opportunity to escape into the crowd.
Wu Hanchao had just become Yang Ling's disciple. If he could capture this thief, it would be a great achievement and would be extremely proud. How could he let her go? He immediately flew after her. In his opinion, since Yang Qianhu was afraid, it would not be difficult for him to capture her alive with his martial arts skills.
But the masked woman was very crafty. Relying on her small body, she turned left and right in the crowd. Using the crowd as a cover, Wu Hanchao was unable to catch her. After chasing her for two streets, Wu Hanchao's heart stirred. He suddenly felt that something was wrong.
He had originally thought that this woman with superb martial arts skills was Hong Niang. It seemed that the leader of the thieves had come alone to assassinate him, and there was no one else he could use. That was why he had chased after her with ease. But if she had other people, could Yang Ling's guards, who were used to fighting on the battlefield and not good at small martial arts, protect him?
Thinking to this point, Wu Hanchao did not dare to be greedy anymore, he immediately turned around and ran back to his original position. Returning to his original position, he saw a group of soldiers surrounding the place, a corpse was lying on the ground, the four foreigners were all wounded. Wu Hanchao's heart was in his throat, he anxiously rushed forward and saw an Imperial Bodyguard was clutching his shoulder, blood was gushing out. Wu Hanchao did not care, he only roared toward the patrolling Saber Guards, "Why are you still standing here? Yang Du has been kidnapped. Quickly inform the QING: Five Cities Warlords to search the entire city. Tell the Jing Camp to lock all nine gates. Go! "
Yesterday, the Yang House had been attacked. Although the invading bandits were almost completely wiped out, and the bandit leader had also escaped, even the most ferocious of bandits would immediately flee, not daring to stay at the scene of the attack. But the patrolling Imperial Guard did not dare to be careless. Under his strict orders, teams of ten Saber Guards patrolled the entire city, no matter how small the wind blew or the grass was not hidden from them.
They had rushed here when they heard the news that a fight had just broken out. Of the five bandits who were responsible for bringing up the rear, one had already been stabbed to death. Seeing that the situation was not good, the rest scattered like birds and beasts, mixed into the crowd and disappeared without a trace. The four Imperial Bodyguards were anxious and angry, and could not help but fly into a rage at these idiots.
When the QING: Five Cities Warlords heard the news that the Governor of the Internal Works had been kidnapped in the capital, they complained incessantly and immediately turned out in full force. Armed with sabers and spears, the bailiffs aggressively blocked all the intersections. There was a sentry every five steps, and there was a sentry every ten steps. The entire city was under curfew.
The Ministry of Punishments took advantage of the fact that the palace gates had not been locked and hurriedly sent the news to the palace. Zhengde was furious when he heard the news, and immediately ordered the nine gates to be locked down, and the entire city was searched. He urgently summoned Liu Daxia and ordered him to clean up the bandits who had gathered in Bazhou. The Ministry of Punishments, the Jing Camp, Dongchang, the West Factory, and the Imperial Bodyguard received the imperial edict, and also sent people everywhere, causing chaos in the entire capital.
These bailiffs from the various departments and yamen took this opportunity to pick on the rich families and make things difficult for them. They used the excuse that someone had reported them and came to investigate thoroughly, and while they were at it, they were able to get some valuable money. How could the rich and powerful merchants allow these bailiffs to search inside and outside? For the sake of safety, they could only spend money and coax these people away.
Unfortunately, one batch of bailiffs left, and another batch came. Not even a shadow of Yang Ling could be seen, but these people actually made a fortune. When the news reached the mountain, Wu Jie was shocked. If something happened to Yang Ling, then the sky of the Internal Works would collapse. Even though he had always been alert and calm, he was so shocked by this news that his mind was in a whirl, and for a moment, he did not know what to do.
On the other hand, Huang Qiyin was very calm. He asked for the details from the foreign official who had hurried over to report the news, and told him to return immediately. He strictly ordered Wu Hanchao and the others to wait at the Ministry of Punishments, and not to return to the Yang House. With a worried expression, he said to Wu Jie, "Sir Wu, do not panic. That bandit captured him and did not kill him, so he must have some other request. Sir Huang's life will not be in danger for the time being."
Wu Jie composed himself and said, "Yes, I was anxious when I heard the news, so I did not know what to do. They must have some ulterior motive for kidnapping Sir. The houses in the capital are as numerous as the scale, and there are millions of people. If they hide, it will be impossible to find them. Old Huang, what brilliant plan do you have?"
Huang Qiyin said, "Madam is pregnant. If she hears that Sir is in danger, she will be frightened and worried, and there is no guarantee that nothing will happen to her. Sir, you must immediately send people to seal off the Weiwu House, and do not let the news of the Factory Supervisor leak out."
Wu Jie was stunned. It was unknown whether Yang Ling was alive or dead, and for the time being, there was no way to find him. He only had one son, and this was indeed an important matter that could not be delayed. He said to Liu Biao, who had rushed over after hearing the news, "Liu Qianhu, I leave this matter to you. You must protect the house, and nothing can go wrong!"
Liu Biao's expression was solemn. Without saying a word, he hurriedly cupped his hands and left. Wu Jie thought for a moment and said, "That female thief kidnapped Sir, so she may not dare to stay in the capital. But since she didn't kill her, she must have some ulterior motive, so she can't go far.
Dang Peng, Dang Lian, Dang Feng, Yang Qianhu, you all lead an army and immediately rush to the four gates of the capital. Check if there are any suspicious carriages and search for them. Remember to be careful, and do not force the bandits to do something desperate. "
The four of them responded loudly and hurriedly left. Wu Jie and Huang Qiyin looked at each other, and sighed, "Now you and I can only sit here and wait for news. I hope that Sir … is blessed by Heaven!"
* * *
Yang Ling's throat was pressed against by Feng Han's sharp blade. He thought quickly, "Red Lady took such a big risk to kidnap me, and it seems that she doesn't know that Yang Hu has escaped.
If she knew the exact news of Yang Hu earlier, she would have tried her best to escape the capital. How would she dare to take such a risk to kidnap me? But it is also because she doesn't know whether her husband is dead or alive, so she doesn't dare to kill me. Because of this, I caused trouble, and because of this, I can protect myself. It seems that my life will not be in danger for a while. "
The carriage was moving fast and bumpy. Thinking of this, Yang Ling secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at Cui Ying 'er's beautiful snow-white face, he sighed softly and said, "The day before yesterday, you were my guest, but today I am your prisoner. Madame Yang, I have been very respectful to you and your wife, and I have never had a trace of malice. Why did you gather hundreds of ambitious and ruthless people to destroy my family? "
Cui Ying 'er thought of her husband's purpose, and a trace of shame flashed in her heart. But then she said with an evil face, "You are an official, and I am a thief. Officials and thieves are irreconcilable. Officers and soldiers catch bandits, and bandits kill officers and soldiers. What reason do we need? "
She thought of her husband's unknown fate, and the two hundred capable subordinates he brought with him were almost all killed by this scholar in front of her. She couldn't help clenching her teeth in hatred and fiercely asked, "Quickly tell me, how is my husband now?"
Seeing that she really didn't know anything about Yang Hu, Yang Ling felt even more assured. He calmly said, "Those bandits broke into Gao Lao Zhuang in the middle of the night and were completely annihilated by more than a thousand officers and soldiers. As for Yang Hu …"
Hearing this, Red Madame's expression tightened, and she anxiously asked, "How is he?"
Yang Ling braced himself and said, "He was shot in the leg by an arrow and has been captured by me. He is now being held in prison."
Yang Hu was shot and injured, and then captured? This sounded somewhat believable. Otherwise, with Yang Hu's temperament, there was no reason for him to escape unscathed. If he wasn't injured, there weren't many officers and soldiers who could capture him.
Red Lady cast a skeptical glance at Yang Ling, then let out a cold laugh and said, "Alright, I'll believe you for now. Whether you live or die depends on whether Yang Hu is dead or alive. If I find out that he is no longer in this world, I'll use your head as a sacrifice to my deceased husband!"
Cui Ying 'er suddenly withdrew her sword and used the hilt of her sword to lift the curtain of the sedan chair. She took a look outside, then undressed in front of Yang Ling and changed into a set of ordinary clothes. She was so natural that she treated Yang Ling as a dead man.
Although she wasn't wearing underwear, her slender waist, high chest, long legs, and perky buttocks made her figure extremely enchanting. The inside of the carriage was narrow, so when they occasionally touched each other, he felt a touch of fullness, causing Yang Ling to turn his head away in discomfort.
Red Madame hastily put on her clothes and shouted, "Stop the carriage!"
As soon as the carriage stopped, Red Madame stretched out her hand and grabbed Yang Ling's arm. Like an iron hoop, Yang Ling couldn't struggle. Red Madame coldly rebuked, "Get out of the carriage!"
She pulled Yang Ling out of the carriage. On the carriage sat a big man in coarse robe with a face full of curly beard. Red Madame said, "Hu Laosi, go straight north after leaving the city. After tonight, we will find our own way. When the situation has calmed down, we will return to the mountain gate."
That Hu Laosi was originally a lone bandit. Later, he was subdued by Yang Hu and became sworn brothers. He had experienced this kind of trick of dealing with the encirclement of the officers and soldiers alone, so he didn't care much about the danger of the future. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I will go now. Take care of yourself." After saying that, he looked at Yang Ling with a grim smile, waved his whip and galloped away.
Yang Ling was a bit surprised: Red Madame was just a bandit, how could she have a secret residence in the capital? If she stayed in an inn or an ordinary person's house and he was caught, the whole city would be searched. How could she guarantee that she wouldn't be found?
This alley was a bit remote. In the distance, there were occasionally a few figures slowly flashing by. Red Madame put the hilt of her sword on Yang Ling's back and said in a low voice, "Don't make a sound, follow me. If you dare to play tricks, I will make your head fall to the ground." After saying that, she pushed Yang Ling and forced him to flash into the night.
The capital was divided into four layers: the palace city, the imperial city, the inner city, and the outer city. This was the outer city, so there were no city walls, but it still belonged to the capital. The number of residents here was relatively small. After walking out of the alley, there was a wasteland. In front of them was an unfinished Taoist temple.
Inside the Taoist temple, Old Taoist Liu and Cui 'er were whispering. Old Taoist Liu glanced at the several bandits in the temple who were walking back and forth with weapons in their arms. He leaned against the incense table and said softly, "What a miscalculation. I planned to let you make the first move because I wanted you to kill that surnamed Yang with one strike. Who would have thought that he was too cunning? He actually played a double act inside the palanquin. Now I don't know if Red Madame has succeeded."
Cui 'er whispered, "Yang Hu has great prestige in the Northern Green Forest. He has a lot of followers. He is very helpful to Hierarch's great plan. If Red Madame can really use him to exchange for Yang Hu, it will be even more beneficial to us. What use is killing a head of the inner faction to the great plan of the world?"
Old Taoist Liu snorted and said, "We still don't know if Yang Hu is dead or alive. If he is alive, we also don't know if he has really fallen into the hands of the authorities. We also don't know if the authorities are willing to put down their dignity and exchange hostages with the bandits. We followed her and risked being beheaded. We also gave up our unfinished secret incense altar. If we don't get anything, how can we explain to Hierarch?"
He whispered, "I have arranged for people to go to the palace and the yamen to find out accurate information. If Yang Hu is not in the hands of the authorities, kill Yang Ling and hide in the underground palace for a few days. When the news has died down, you can leave."
Cui 'er sneered and said, "You don't have to worry about this. If Red Madame lets Yang Ling go, how can she explain to her husband's brothers? Besides, the people next to him are the diehard followers of the two hundred bandits. They hate Yang Ling to the bone. Whether Yang Hu is dead or alive, Yang Ling can forget about leaving here alive. "
While the two were talking, a few old vultures cried out at the door. Several people in the hall hurriedly picked up their weapons and quietly hid on both sides of the door. In the distance, a soft voice said, "Don't worry. Sister-in-law has returned."
Everyone in the hall was overjoyed and hurriedly went out to greet her. Old Taoist Liu and Cui 'er looked at each other and quickly followed.
Red Madame and Yang Ling returned to the hall under the escort of several men holding swords and sabers. There were no lamps in the hall. Because of the cold weather, the construction of the hall was temporarily stopped. Half of the beams were exposed to the starlight and moonlight.
Red Madame asked in a low voice, "Have the brothers returned safely?"
One of the bandits said, "Ba Liuzi was thrown over there. The other brothers are all fine." While saying that, he ruthlessly kicked Yang Ling and cursed, "Dog official, you must pay with your life for our brothers' deaths!"
Red Madame coldly scolded, "Stop! Your Brother Hu is still in the hands of the government. This person is very useful."
Old Taoist Liu looked outside and then withdrew his head and said, "Well, the people have been caught. Everyone has returned safely. Quickly hide in the secret room. Be careful not to expose your whereabouts."
He tiptoed to the side of the incense burner table, fiddled with the ground for a while, and then pushed aside a stone slab, revealing a pitch-black hole. Someone lit a match, leading everybody to hide in the secret underground chamber.
The construction on the ground had not been completed yet, so the underground room was very simple and crude. There were three empty stone rooms with desolate walls. However, these people were determined to hide in this place. They had prepared water, food and torches. This time the torches were lit, brightly illuminating the cave.
Red Madame watched Yang Ling being escorted by two bandits into a stone room. She turned toward Old Taoist Liu and said with a smile, "Mister's plan is divine, no wonder Cui 'er had to make the first move. It turned out Yang Ling had set up an ambush inside the palanquin. If not for Mister's plan, we would have exposed our whereabouts and it would have been difficult to catch him."
Old Taoist Liu was startled. He let out a hollow laugh and said, "This … (cough, cough), is there any news from Zongbiaobazi?"
Hearing that her husband was safe and sound, Cui Ying 'er happily said, "Just now he confessed that he had captured Brother Hu. Brother Hu is only injured, but his life is not in danger. Today the sky is already dark, it is difficult to move even an inch in the city. Mister has a spy document from the south, so it will not arouse suspicion. Tomorrow I will have to trouble Mister to send a secret letter to the government, using this dog official to exchange for Brother Hu's return. "
By this time several loud shouts were heard from the other side of the empty room. Cui Ying 'er suddenly rushed over. Seeing the two bandits were about to lynch Yang Ling, she immediately shouted, "What are you doing?"
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