"Yes, that's exactly it!" Admiral Zuo Qianyu pointed his finger. "That place is rife with traps. On the surface, it appears to be a small bamboo garden, but in reality, there's an empty house behind it. Inside that empty house, you'll find the bank owner's underground kingdom, the black market."

"Deputy General Xiao!" said Jiu Ye.

"I will be here."

"Bring me the imperial seal. Tonight, prostitution is banned in the entire city!"

"Yes! Master Jiu!"

"Commander Du! Military Advisor Xu!"

"I will be here!"

"I will be here!"

"Military Advisor Xu, please stay here. Commander Du, please select two thousand elite soldiers and follow me to rescue them."

"Yes! Master Jiu!"

Lu Zhenzhi rode on Xiao Ting, followed by Deputy General Xiao, Lieutenant General Du, and General Zuo Qianyu, the commander-in-chief of Shangyang County. Next to Zuo Qianyu was the third daughter of Dingnan Marquis Mu, Princess Tingyang.

Behind them were two thousand imperial cavalrymen, galloping towards the suburbs. When crossing a river at the western mouth of the Wei River, mournful suona music could be heard from the front, coming from a makeshift stone bridge over the river towards the shore.

It was clearly a funeral, but the long wooden board carrying the coffin was wrapped with red wedding cloth.

In front of us was a singing and dancing funeral woman with exaggerated makeup. She applied rouge on her face with raw materials, put a red dot on her lips, and danced the local funeral dance.

Each coffin was carried by four strong men.

Zuo Qianyu explained that this was a local custom called "happy burial." He also said that there used to be a village called "Pawn Wife Village." It was rumored that a prince fell in love with a wife bought by a wealthy family. The family found out, and the prince couldn't touch her, so the family killed her. When the prince came back, he set fire to everyone in the Pawn Wife Village and wiped out the wealthy family. And the happy funeral was exactly what the prince had requested. Later, the villagers here accepted "happy funerals."

Celebrate funerals as happy events to prevent the living from being too sad.

Lu Zhenzhi nodded slightly. Fu Tong'er had asked about the matter of pawning his wife. He wanted to hug her at night and tell her slowly about it after rescuing her, as if to coax his little girl to sleep.

The sound of funeral suona is getting closer and closer.

White round paper money was scattered in the sky, floating down the river and landing on the shore.

There was also a matchmaker singing and dancing along the way, but I didn't know what she was singing.

The imperial guards blocked Lu Zhenzhi and others.

Lieutenant General Xiao watched these people getting closer and closer. On the white banner they were holding was written the name of the eldest son of the Xu family, Xu Bu, whose courtesy name was Nianjia.

Seeing that the Ninth Master had reined in his horse and was not moving after a long while, Deputy General Xiao reminded him softly, "Master, Master, Master, why aren't you moving?"

As the sound of the suona came towards me, it was so enchanting that it could calm the heavens.

Lu Zhenzhi raised his hand and said, "Lieutenant General Xiao, obey your orders!"

"I will be here!"

"Surround them! Open the coffin!"

"Ah...? Commander, this isn't good, is it?"

Lu Zhenzhi glared at him and said that anyone who disobeyed military orders should be executed.

Deputy General Xiao immediately clasped his fists and said, "Yes! Master Jiu!" Then, he stood up and said loudly, "Stop bragging, stop bragging! Those behind, surround the people! Master Jiu wants to open the coffin!"

As he spoke, a hundred or so imperial guards came up from behind, riding their horses and surrounding the funeral procession of dozens of people in front of them in a circle.

Everyone drew the sword at their waist and pointed it at the funeral procession.

Deputy General Xiao rode over and drew his sword.

The eight strong men carrying the coffins put down the two coffins and drew their machetes. One of them ran over and shouted, "What are you doing? Who are you? Why are you trying to open our young master's coffin?"

Why?

Deputy General Xiao held the sword and pulled the reins to slowly circle the strong man.

Because their master's woman was abducted! If that woman couldn't be found, Lieutenant General Xiao would be scolded by Qiao'er when he returned.

Thinking of this, Xiaopu took away the strong man's machete with one sword.

"you!"

Xiao Pu said, "The authorities suspect you of trafficking women, and you're hiding in these coffins." He raised his head and shouted, "Anyone who dares to stop us will be killed!" He pointed at four soldiers and said, "You, you, and you, go pry open those two coffins!"

Four soldiers clasped their fists and walked over, drew their knives, and began to pry open the first coffin.