It's a rare good day today. Although the sunlight is not as strong as in summer, it feels warm when it shines on my body.
Xiao Minghuan was wearing armor and a sable fur cloak embroidered with a silver four-clawed dragon pattern. Everything he saw was pale yellow. He had not been happy since entering Liangzhou.
Who can be cheerful when seeing such a barren landscape and suffering from the cold every day?
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. In the middle of winter, Xiao Minghuan also wore a fur hat on his head.
At this time, his face was red from the cold, and his fingers holding the reins were stiff.
Although the sunlight falling on his body was warm, Xiao Minghuan still felt the cold wind blowing on his face. The faster the horse went, the colder he felt, and his face became stiff.
He slowed his horse down and rode leisurely in front, and the infantry and cavalry behind him naturally had no objections. They were all from Kyoto, but they had never experienced the hardship of marching in the middle of winter. The winter wind in Liangzhou was really cold and bone-chilling.
Wan Jinlan was wrapped in a khaki robe, with his head and face covered extremely tightly, lying on the hillside looking at the "ant army" in the distance.
Xiao Feng originally didn't want her to come today, but he couldn't persuade her.
Wan Jinlan just wanted to see how unlucky Xiao Minghuan would be today.
After they parted outside Kyoto, the look in his and Wan Qiuyu's eyes remained unforgettable to her. Since she had the chance to watch the fun, why didn't she rush over to see it with her own eyes?
The group was traveling so slowly that she doubted her eyes. Seeing the convoy stopped at Feiyingkou for repairs, Wan Jinlan was speechless.
After two incense sticks, we set off again.
Only when the convoy passed by her could she see clearly that there were about three hundred imperial guards leading the way, with less than a hundred cavalrymen, and more than two hundred carts of food and fodder in the middle, including more than ten carts pulling boxes. Behind them were about a hundred cavalrymen and several hundred infantrymen, all wearing armor and carrying long spears with red tassels.
The situation of the convoy had been reported back long ago. Wan Jinlan even drew a blueprint and asked someone to give it to Li Mazi. Peng Lin should be well aware of the situation of the convoy.
Peng Lin was after money, so even if food and fodder came, it would be useless. The best way was to cut off the convoy from the food and fodder and the carriages carrying military pay.
Peng Lin was full of confidence this time because he had thoroughly surveyed the Feiyingkou section and someone had given him advice.
Seeing the carriage loaded with food and fodder approaching, Peng Lin waved his hand, and the bandits above threw stones down frantically, accurately separating the carriage loaded with silver and wages in the middle.
The rolling yellow earth blinded Xiao Minghuan and the imperial guards, and the horses were kicked and rushed around recklessly.
Wan Jinlan stretched his head and saw that the convoy had been successfully intercepted. Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, the convoy in front had been frightened and scattered. The cavalry were busy controlling their horses, and many infantrymen had their heads smashed and bleeding. The team was instantly frightened and scattered.
Xiao Minghuan was unable to take care of himself and was terrified that he would be thrown off the horse.
He really didn't expect that someone would be so bold as to attack the convoy sent by the court to deliver military supplies.
Along the way, wherever he and his men went, they were treated as guests of honor and received flattery from local officials.
The convoy behind also became chaotic. The soldiers who turned around to flee were dizzy due to the frightened horses. Screams and the neighing of horses were heard in the billowing smoke and dust.
Xiao Feng surveyed Feiyingkou several times and formulated a perfect plan which he passed on to Peng Lin.
There was a passage on the right side of the mountain wall in the middle of the convoy that could accommodate the carriage's escape, which was covered by Peng Lin with straw and rubble.
Except for those who are very familiar with this road, it is impossible to find the exit in the situation of being as anxious as a headless fly and surrounded by smoke and dust.
Seeing that the imperial guards below were no match for them, Peng Lin shouted and more than 30 horse bandits quickly came down the mountain. They picked up all the straw and stone piles and cleared a passage. Amidst the yellow earth, all they could see were the neighing horses.
After all the carriages carrying military pay were moved away, the bandits blocked the passage with stones in an attempt to delay time.
Wan Jinlan looked at the chaos below and the miserable state of the imperial guards and said, "We are no different from these bandits now. Will we be punished by heaven in the future?"
These imperial guards have families and children, but some of them may never be able to return.
Xiao Feng held her hand and said, "If there is a punishment from heaven, it will be me first."
Wan Jinlan felt that her heart was extremely cold and hard, and maybe she was not a good person at heart.
The imperial guards who were still able to move worked together to break through the huge pile of rocks in front of them, making a passage for people to pass through, clearing the escape route for Peng Lin and his group, and chasing Peng Lin and his group of horse bandits with their legs, holding long spears.
Peng Lin left behind a dozen people to block the road. Halfway through, he unloaded six or seven out of ten boxes filled with military pay to a spare location. After erasing all traces, he drove the carriage back to Mangshan.
When they arrived at Mangshan, Peng Lin and the others threw all the boxes into the gate of the village.
"Peng Lin, what good stuff did you bring back?" The horse bandit guarding the gate looked at his brother who had just returned from outside, covered in dust and dirt, carrying boxes into the stronghold with a look of surprise.
Peng Lin, who was throwing the box, had a sinister smile in his eyes, "I listened to my brother-in-law and robbed the military pay sent by the court."
"Why don't you come and help us get the carriage in quickly? We still have some work to do to clean up the mess."
Peng Lin and a group of horse bandits who participated in the operation simply went to the stable to untie the horse reins, and rode away on horseback under the suspicious and confused gazes of the horse bandits in the mountain stronghold.
When Wu Dangjia heard the report from his subordinates and came out in shock, his face turned extremely ugly when he saw the boxes of opened silver ingots shining with silver light being carried in front of him.
The confused bandits' eyes lit up, "Boss, is it really okay to rob the imperial court's military pay?"
Wu Dangjia slapped him and said, "Idiot, of course there is a problem!"
Wu Dangjia was extremely angry. If the imperial court found Mangshan, the iron mines in Mangshan would be lost.
"Hurry and send a message to the eldest son. Tell him that I have been framed by my men. A traitor has appeared in the camp and has robbed the military pay sent by the court. Ask him what to do."
"Ride as fast as you can to the government office to find the county magistrate and ask him to mobilize the county soldiers and find a way to stop the imperial troops."
As they were both eldest sons, there was no reason for the county magistrate not to respond.
Xiao Minghuan sat on the loess slope, covered in dust and dirt, bandaging the wound on his head. A group of imperial guards came back on horseback from a distance.
Xiao Minghuan stood up immediately, "How is it? Have you found the whereabouts of the stolen military pay?"
"Your Highness, we tracked him all the way, and the chariot seal disappeared outside a mountain stronghold. The county soldiers said that the mountain is called Mangshan, and there is a group of horse bandits in it. They have been entrenched there for many years and are extremely brave."
Xiao Minghuan said angrily, "This is outrageous! A group of horse bandits dared to rob the imperial court's money, and this is the seat of Liangzhou, and they act like an uncivilized place."
"Go to Qingyuan County and find the county magistrate. I have ordered you to mobilize the county soldiers to cooperate with the imperial army to suppress the bandits in the mountains and recover the military pay. Tell the county magistrate that if the military pay is not recovered, his life will be in jeopardy."
The Imperial Guards rode their horses towards the county. Commander Wang said, "Your Highness, the most urgent task is to recover the military pay. We don't know how many more setbacks we'll encounter while waiting for the county troops to arrive. Why don't we go to Mangshan first?"
Xiao Minghuan's face was as dark as paper. "Commander Wang, if the salary cannot be recovered, I will at most be scolded by my father when I return to Kyoto. As for you, whether you can keep your head is a question."
Commander Wang clasped his fists solemnly and said, "I will do my best."
Seeing the imperial guards below regrouping and clearing the road after counting the number of people, Wan Jinlan breathed a sigh of relief.
There was no direct confrontation between the horse bandits and the imperial guards. Peng Lin only wanted to rob the military pay. The convoy was divided into three sections, and the front and back sections were where the bulk of the imperial guards were. Some of the imperial guards were unable to dodge and were caught off guard and seriously injured, but no one died.
The fewer people who died, the less guilt she would feel.
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