Chapter 48 The Old Man's Intentions: Palace Secrets, General Xie and His Majesty in Their Youth...

Dong Gu pulled Zhu Zhao close. The dagger that had just pierced the county magistrate was still dripping blood. Before Ying Xi activated the system, Zhu Zhao remained unmoved.

The Imperial Tutor stood like a statue, completely blocking his students.

A dull pain came from my lower right abdomen! Zhu Zhao frowned slightly!

But no blood mixed with rainwater flowed down.

The hilt of the knife was struck by the candlelight.

The short knife was twirled in Dong Gu's hands. The bandit leader tucked the knife back into his belt and scoffed, "A first-rank official like you, dying isn't so easy. For civil officials like you, dying only enhances your reputation—take him back! The brothers' future feasts and drinks depend on him!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Dong Gu laughed arrogantly, whipped his horse, and rode away.

The thieves tied up the man and also stole the car.

Two bandits jumped onto the cart, drove it, and followed Dong Gu.

Dong Gu galloped ahead on his horse, while the carriage behind him was driven like a giant wok for frying beans. The people inside could not sit still at all and were so shaken that they felt nauseous and dizzy.

Ying Xi's head slammed against the solid car wall!

The emperor's mouth was stuffed with a rag, which was moldy and smelly, and had been used to wipe something before.

He squinted through the car door. If the bandits outside could see it, the murderous intent in his eyes would be enough to kill them hundreds of times over.

Sweet Commander asked with concern, "Your Majesty, shall we return to the stronghold?"

Ying Xi could return at any time, and upon returning, he could issue an edict to summon tens of thousands of troops and slaughter Luoshan without leaving a single survivor.

But he had made a promise to the villagers: to reunite their families.

Because Ying Xi had personally witnessed living people pleading and crying, waiting for someone to come to their rescue and fight against the brutal bandits.

Although he is not a saint, he is willing to try if he can do it.

Ying Xi said to Tian Tong, "Wait a little longer."

Sweet Tong stopped talking.

Through the rain, the carriage sped towards Luoshan Village!

***

Luoxian County Government Office.

After marching continuously for a month, the Longwu Army finally got a much-needed rest.

The soldiers laid out their beds properly in the corridor of the county government office.

The ground was neatly covered, and loud noises were not allowed. Soldiers must maintain discipline when conversing; they must not discuss politics or talk about their comrades...

Most topics are restricted, but there is a gray area that is not explicitly prohibited and can be discussed in hushed tones.

That is—the girl.

In the Longwu Army, there are many bachelors who have never held a girl's hand. Which is softer, a young girl's hand or a steamed bun? How fragrant is the scent of rouge?

If someone is willing to share their experience, they will gain a high status and become an object of admiration.

But if this experience was gained through prostitution—the Dragon Martial Army forbids prostitution.

If it's stolen—it'll be even more despised!

Since Xie Ji, the selection criteria for this team have been based on character, martial arts skills, and least of all background.

Lian Qing stood with his arms crossed under the corridor for a long time, listening to the newlywed fire captain talk about his wedding night.

Lian Qing listened with a sense of reverie, and on this cold, rainy spring day, he felt restless all over.

He hummed a little tune to calm himself, but suddenly became solemn, trying to banish the frivolousness from his face.

"Thank you, General!"

Xie Qianli strode over and nodded: "Are the brothers alright?"

“They’re all doing very well. I just overheard some people discussing how to suppress the bandits in the corridor…” Lian Qing said.

Xie Qianli was skeptical. He couldn't stay idle and had just returned from inspecting the city with several soldiers.

Lian Qing countered, "How is things on the general's side?"

The one who answered was an accomplice, who said, "We just plugged up the collapsed section of the wall in the county town, cleared the culvert, and repaired the leaky houses for the people."

Lian Qing looked at the group in surprise. They weren't dirty because of the rain, but they had been out for several hours and had done a lot of work.

"The general..." Needless to say, Lian Qing silently put away his doubts and assumed that he had also plastered the walls and climbed onto the roof.

The general has recently stopped considering himself a nobleman and has become much more down-to-earth.

Even if someone's rank and title are several levels lower than his, they can still cause a huge upheaval in the small county of Luo.

He, a duke, was building thatched huts for people!

He didn't feel ashamed at all; what was the big deal?

Lian Qing had always admired Xie Qianli's sentiments; the general truly treated the country as his own home...

Lian Qing occasionally harbored dangerous suspicions, believing that Xie Qianli harbored an unspeakable desire for power.

But such speculation is always quickly shattered—

Because the general always mentioned the emperor after only a few sentences.

He dismissed everyone: "His Majesty hasn't returned?"

“No,” Lian Qing replied, “The nearest village is four or five miles from the city, and the road is difficult to travel. It will take until dark to return.”

"We should secretly accompany them."

"His Majesty forbids it."

"Send someone to meet us immediately."

"Yes, yes, I will go myself." After saying that, Lian Qing turned around to ask for manpower.

Amidst the rumble of spring thunder and the sound and curtain of rain, Xie Qianli protested, "I'm going too."

Lian Qing was surprised: "Didn't you just..."

After finishing wallpapering the walls—no, after patrolling the city—are you coming back?

The man seemed to have inexhaustible strength, and Xie Qianli mounted his warhorse. Grandpa Falcon was eager to receive him, immediately gliding down from the eaves and landing on Xie Qianli's shoulder.

"Walk."

The young soldiers, who were not seen under the eaves, were still blushing as they recounted their wedding day.

The voice drifted over intermittently:

"I was so nervous going to pick up the bride..."

"I was so excited that I spurred my horse to go, but my wife wouldn't let me, saying that I couldn't act like a bandit king who would kidnap a bride."

Lian Qing rode his horse after Xie Qianli, galloping out of the county government office and through the city gate, his heart pounding wildly!

I can't help but recall the look in His Majesty's eyes last night.

When he stares, it's like having a kite string attached to someone; as his expression changes, he pulls it in and lets it out again...

It is said that, according to palace secrets, General Xie and His Majesty knew each other since they were young.

Lian Qing took a deep breath: Stop!!!

"Whoa—"

After galloping for a while outside the city, the warhorse suddenly stopped. On the official road outside the city, they saw dense mud puddles, which were the tracks left by the horses' hooves.

Mountain bandits...

Lian Qing tried to convince herself that it was impossible for her to be so lucky!

Xie Qianli reined in his horse and followed the tracks. Because of the rain, the hoofprints were sometimes clear and sometimes blurry.

The white warhorse was swift and fierce; the black falcon could no longer remain still. It landed and took flight, circling and surveying the open field, searching from its high perch: "Screech—"

The eagle's cry was sharp and piercing.

Longwu Army chased them from the official road into the village road, and first saw two civilians being killed in hiding by someone.

Those two men both had whistles around their necks; they were the village's lookouts!

Xie Qianli glanced at his wound from horseback, surveyed the sentry's hiding place, and said coldly, "There's an inside man in the village; they've been betrayed. The delegation was too."

Lian Qing fell silent.

They continued their search along the way, first finding diluted blood flowing in a winding stream, and then the body of Kochi Prefecture.

Magistrate Gao died a gruesome death!

Lian Qing was almost in despair: "There's no 'sir,' no 'that person,' we can't find anyone, what are we going to do!"

Xie Qianli's heart burned with rage. His warhorse paced around the corpse of Magistrate Gao, his profile cold and stern, his brows furrowed.

He had been stabbed before and knew that kind of excruciating pain. In a moment of contemplation, he shifted his focus and wondered if His Majesty might be stabbed.

Ying Xi was sickly from a young age and had a frail physique.

Back when he was still "Little Xi," the two of them went out on horseback. When the horse jolted, Little Xi coughed. Xie Qianli couldn't bear it, so he dismounted and led the horse along the way.

Now, perhaps someone has already stabbed Ying Xi in the back...

Pressing on the churning pain in his internal organs, Xie Qianli had no time to investigate what kind of relationship between ruler and subject this was.

He analyzed in a deep voice and arranged, "The bandits dared to kill the county magistrate, and their cruelty surpasses that of Qingniu Village. Because they have abducted many people, the families of innocent people may betray information in order to protect their loved ones. It is fortunate that we have not seen them; they should be in the village."

Lian Qing was completely bewildered and nodded.

"But if the Dragon Martial Army continues its intensive operations, with spies everywhere, it will surely alert the enemy. If these desperate criminals discover His Majesty's identity, harm His Majesty's health, and shake the foundation of the nation, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Lian Qing: "Then what do we do!?"

Xie Qianli said, "Disperse into teams, each of you lie in wait until you reach Luoshan to regroup and prepare for the rescue."

He wanted to send a message by eagle, but the magistrate was already dead.

He then acted expediently in his capacity as the deputy envoy for pacification, concealing the news of Magistrate Gao's death and only saying that Gao Mingyang had been temporarily summoned by Zhuzhao to perform his duties, and that he had sent his trusted confidants to take over the county government.

With a dozen or so men available, they were immediately dispersed into small teams and went up the mountain, while the main force secretly entered the mountain to await orders.

The black falcon flapped its wings and flew into the rain!

"drive!"

***

Luoshan Mountain Village.

The carriage stopped, and the henchmen opened the doors. Then, pushing and shoving, they locked all the hostages they had robbed into the seedling house.

The hostages pulled out the rags that had been gagging them, and there was wailing and lamentation everywhere.

The seedling house was a large cave, damp and cold inside, and the environment was very unclean. The hostages were all tied to the pillars: some were emaciated, and some had completely lost consciousness, their heads tilted to one side.

It's hard to imagine how swollen your feet would be if you kept standing upright all the time!

Ying Xi passed by one of the villagers. The man's lips were dry and chapped, and he was in a daze, still muttering, "Go down the mountain... go home." Then he fell silent, and it was unclear whether he was alive or dead.

Ying Xi lowered her eyes and looked away.

They thought they were going to be tied up in the seedbed. The two henchmen looked around and decided it wasn't a good idea.

One of the henchmen said, "The boss said this is a high-ranking official, and he wants to exchange him for wine and meat." The henchman pointed to Zhuzhao.

Another henchman added, "A high-ranking official cannot die. He must be imprisoned in solitary confinement."

So the two henchmen reached a consensus. As for Ying Xi... the henchmen leaned closer to take a closer look and vaguely felt that this person's face was oppressive, making their hair stand on end.

The henchman inexplicably took a half step back and pressed Zhuzhao for answers, "This kid, so young and already an official! What rank is he?!"

Exposing the emperor's identity would do nothing but harm.

Zhu Zhao said, "He is not an official; he is my attendant."

The henchmen were about to act: "Lock them in the seedling shed!!!"

Zhu Zhao's brow furrowed.

It was common for hostages to be tortured to death in the Yangzifang (a government office), how could the emperor endure such suffering?

Ying Xi looked up and sneered, arrogantly saying, "Don't you all know the principle that a prime minister's protégé is only a seventh-rank official? If I were of ordinary origin, would I be able to travel with the envoy in charge of amnesty?"

The waters of Chang'an are deep, sparking much speculation.

Ying Xi's answer was subtle. The henchmen, intrigued, assumed he must be some kind of royalty. Master and disciple were locked in the same bungalow.

The bungalow was guarded by two young men. After the bandit henchmen gave instructions to keep a close watch on the hostages, the two men nodded obsequiously. Only then did the bandit henchmen leave, relieved.

Once the bandits were gone, the two guards began to whisper outside the door, their voices carried into the room by the sound of the rain:

"They just said they kidnapped a high-ranking official? They want to exchange him for ransom to drink and eat meat."

"Who will you trade with? Their families?"

"Who knows? Maybe we could trade with the emperor."

They kidnapped court officials and extorted money from the national treasury.

This Dong Gu is utterly reckless and audacious.

Ying Xi grew angrier the more she listened. Before the anger in her heart could subside, the bandit had once again shattered the emperor's perception of the danger.

"Based on the boss's usual methods, the hostages will inevitably bleed, otherwise the families won't get the ransom they want and won't get much money."

Sure enough, a bandit came to deliver the order: "The scribe has drafted the ransom letter! The fast horse is about to set off for Chang'an to demand money from the young emperor and force the Longwu Army to withdraw! The chief also needs to send a gift to the young emperor. You all go and chop off that official's right hand!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the door slowly opened, and the sound of rain became clearer.

Two young figures were reflected in the doorway.

The kitchen knife was gleaming.