Chapter 96 Chapter 96 is the only genuine version...
The hexagram is auspicious!
When it was dark, Gu Zhizhuo led five hundred men and horses, plus Qi Fu, and quietly left the camp in several groups. After meeting up, they walked through the thorns and paths and came to the cave that Gu Zhizhuo and Gu Yican had been to before.
This was Qi Fu's first time walking this road. They had been in Jingji for so long and had been ordered to survey every corner of Jingji several times, but they had never found this trail.
Gu Zhizhuo looked towards the direction of Daliang Mountain in Yizhou and sent out scouts. The next step was to ambush and wait.
On the way here, Gu Zhizhuo had already stated the purpose of this trip one by one.
Ten million arrows, just hearing about it was enough to make Qi Fu's heart burn, his saliva salivate, and he wished he could roll around in the pile of arrows.
This is really a big ticket!
If it worked, he couldn't imagine how happy he would be.
No, it will definitely work!
The soldiers dispersed as ordered. Gu Zhizhuo, Qi Fu and nearly a hundred people stood on the high ground. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. From this high vantage point, they could see everything that was happening in the mountains and forests.
Qi Fu used flags to indicate the direction of the ambush.
Everything is going on quietly.
By the time the ambush was complete, the first wave of scouts had returned and reported, "Miss, the enemy is ten miles away. At their current pace, it will take them about half an hour to pass the official road ahead."
"Go explore again."
"yes!"
Qi Fu stared at Guandao with golden eyes, hehehe, his little arrows!
Gu Zhizhuo:?
"You're drooling."
Qi Fu raised his sleeve to wipe his mouth nonchalantly, hehehe.
Gu Zhizhuo: “…” It’s the middle of the night, it’s a bit scary, what should I do.
The scouts kept reporting back.
From a distance of ten miles to three miles, not long after, the sound of horse hooves and wheels rolling could be heard in the distance. A team of about two to three thousand people were slowly approaching, escorting a baggage cart.
There were more than a hundred baggage carts, each loaded with heavy loads. The wheels left two deep marks on the ground as they rolled, and the shafts were slightly bent by the pressure.
Soldiers in imperial uniforms escorted them on both sides, slowly marching along the official road.
The night is getting deeper.
Not far ahead is Gyeonggi Province.
The person who escorted this batch of arrows was a middle-aged man in his thirties, Pang Yi, the captain of the Fifth Army Camp.
It wasn't an easy job. From Fengyang to here, they'd encountered at least two waves of bandits. Later, their baggage cart broke down, delaying them for several days, forcing them to travel day and night. Now they were finally almost there, and after completing their mission, he'd go to the brothel to relax and unwind.
"Hurry up, boys."
"Captain, are you really not going to distribute this batch of arrows to the Thousand Machine Battalion?"
"That's what Admiral Gong said," Pang Yi said nonchalantly, his beard growing thick. "It's also the Gu family who don't know their limits. They knew their achievements were too great to be tolerated by ordinary people, so they should have handed over the tiger talisman long ago."
"The Gu family refuses to relinquish control of the northern border, yet they insist on keeping troops stationed in the capital. How can they allow others to sleep beside their own bed? If Gu Yican is smart, he should understand what his superiors are saying. The right thing to do is to retreat when faced with difficulty. Either disband the camp, or proactively merge the Thousand Machine Battalion into the Imperial Guards. Otherwise, let's see how long he can hold out. An army without even arrows is no better than a bandit."
Pang Yi looked back at the baggage cart. The scout had just returned to report that everything was fine ahead. This mission finally ended without any danger.
Pang Yi snorted coldly, "Gu Yican relies on his noble birth and is ignorant of the current situation. If he wasn't the prince of Zhenguo, he would have been beaten to death long ago." The hatred in his tone was almost overflowing.
The captain didn't respond. Previously, when Gu Yican was assigned to suppress the bandits, Pang Yi was ordered to disguise himself as a bandit and launch a surprise attack. At the time, Gu Yican was surrounded by people from the Fifth Army Battalion, and the surprise attack was a sure thing. Pang Yi even signed a military order, but not only did he fail, but he was also shot in the chest by Gu Yican with an arrow, nearly killing him.
This mission of escorting the baggage was a way for him to atone for his sins.
"Yes." The captain responded, following his words, "Without the support of the Zhenguogong Mansion, Prince Gu, with his arrogance, would never have made it. How could he compare to you, who came from a military examination and relied on military merit to succeed."
Of course!
"A mere brat..."
Before he finished speaking, his pupils suddenly reflected a hint of orange, shining brightly in the dim forest.
Wait. This is...
Fire!
"There's an ambush!"
Pang Yi screamed in shock, his sharp voice breaking the silence around him.
Why was there an ambush even after arriving in Gyeonggi? Were they bandits? Did they chase us all the way from Yizhou?
All kinds of thoughts flashed through Pang Yi's mind, and the flames suddenly grew larger. With a sharp sound of breaking through the air, a black feather arrow streaked through the darkness and hit the baggage cart behind him. The arrow head was tied with cotton cloth soaked in kerosene, and it caught fire at once. In an instant, the baggage cart burst into flames, and the thick flames instantly engulfed the entire cart.
"wrong!"
“This arrow…”
Pang Yi stared at the arrow without blinking, and an emotion called fear ignited in his eyes.
"This is Gu Yican's arrow!"
The captain blurted out subconsciously: "What?"
"It's Gu Yican's arrow!"
At that time, it was these three black arrows that broke through the darkness and numerous ambushes and hit his chest.
If his heart had not been tilted slightly to the left compared to normal people, he would have died long ago. When he saw the black arrow, Pang Yi's chest began to ache again.
"Captain, be careful!"
The captain used his horse's head to knock him away. Then he fired the second arrow, the third arrow... More and more arrows tied with kerosene rags were shot from all directions. These rockets hit the baggage carts one after another, and the horses pulling the baggage carts were frightened and neighed.
We can't let them run amok pulling the burning baggage wagons!
"Quick, cut the harness."
The soldiers frantically cut the harnesses, the scorching heat scorched the surroundings, and the soldiers and their horses kept retreating, people and horses bumping into each other, screams, curses, horses' cries, and other chaotic sounds mixed together.
Pang Yi looked at the surrounding mountains and forests, and the shadows seemed to be full of people.
Thick smoke rose into the air and rushed straight into the nose.
Cough cough! The coughing sounds came one after another in a chaotic manner.
whoosh!
Another round of sharp arrows came, a black arrow flew out from the string in the dense rain of arrows and hit him directly on the head.
"ah!"
Pang Yi screamed loudly and leaned forward. The arrow pierced his helmet and the remaining force knocked his head to the ground.
Pang Yi felt pain and covered his aching forehead. A drop of blood appeared on his fingertips.
It’s Gu Yican!
It must be Gu Yican.
No, if they didn't run, they would all die. The fear of near death kept coming back to him. The dark forest was like a monster with a bloody mouth, ready to leap out and tear him apart at any moment.
The tip of my nose was filled with thick smoke, making me dizzy.
“Retreat… retreat.”
"Captain," the captain said, coughing and disagreeing, "there are more than 10 million arrows here, and we can't lose any of them."
Pang Yi hesitated for a moment, however, the third wave of rockets rushed into the sky with rolling heat waves, burning away the last line of defense in Pang Yi's heart.
"withdraw!"
"The baggage wagons are on fire. No one can take anything away until the fire is out. The enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light. We are most likely to be ambushed. We must retreat first, then turn the defense into the offense, and only then will we be invincible."
I don't know if this is to convince the other person or to convince myself.
Pang Yi made a decision: "Retreat quickly."
Military orders were as heavy as a mountain, so the captain had no choice but to wave the flag to signal the enemy.
The soldiers had wanted to run away for a long time. When they saw the retreat, they immediately abandoned the burning baggage carts and ran after Pang Yi.
They fled in such a hurry that no one noticed the chirping of birds in the mountains. The chirping sound was accompanied by a special rhythm and continued.
The captain glanced back at the fire behind him and said worriedly, "Captain, if these arrows are lost..."
"I know, I know!"
Pang Yi knew that this mission must not fail, otherwise he would be finished. Not only would he have no further advancement in his career, he would not even know if he could save his life.
"The arrows are all wrapped in fireproof cloth so they won't get burned."
"Let's go ask Kaminaoe for help."
Yes. They weren't fleeing, they were just seeking help. Without their baggage carts and with the fire burning, even if Gu Yican were to move all ten million arrows, it would still take quite some time. There was still time!
"Once we enter the capital, there are patrolling imperial guards. We won't get lost..."
“There’s someone ahead!”
A group of people rushed here from the direction of Gyeonggi Province.
Pang Yi was already a frightened bird, and without thinking, he picked up the bow and arrow. Just as he was about to draw the string, he heard the person who came ahead shout, "Captain Pang! The commander has an order."
Huh?
Soon, the enemy was right in front of him. Seeing that there were only a hundred people, Pang Yi relaxed his vigilance slightly.
Immediately afterwards, a pitch-black token was thrown over.
Pang Yiyang caught it with his hand. The moment he saw that it was the token of the Five Military Commandery, he relaxed completely, as if he had let out his last breath, and collapsed on the horse's back. His back was covered in cold sweat and he almost couldn't breathe.
The young general rode over and clasped his fists towards Pang Yi, saying, "Captain Pang, were you really ambushed? Where are the baggage carts?!"
Don't show your weakness! Pang Yi said in a deep voice: "The baggage cart was burned."
The young general's face changed, and he quickly asked, "Is the arrow okay?"
"The arrows are fine." Seeing that he asked about the arrows, Pang Yi believed it a little more and said, "They are wrapped in oilcloth. But the fire is too big, it is impossible to put it out, and there is no way to push the baggage cart out."
They were all covered in burnt ash, their hair and clothes scorched. Pang Yi's face and hands were covered in red burn scars and blisters of varying sizes. When they fled, they not only left behind no baggage carts, but also weapons, crossbows, and much food, leaving behind them like lost dogs.
The young general pretended not to notice and said, "Admiral Gong ordered us to come to support."
"How did Admiral Gong know we would be ambushed?"
"It's the Qianji Battalion," the young general gritted his teeth. "Gu Yican heard that a batch of arrows would be shipped to the capital, and when he went to ask Admiral Gong for them but failed, he came to seize them. Admiral Gong learned the news and ordered us to come and meet them."
He said with a hint of relief: "Fortunately, Captain Pang took timely action and the arrow was not harmful."
It was indeed Gu Yican! He was not mistaken, it was really Gu Yican. Pang Yi's hands, which were gripping the reins, trembled slightly, and this trembling, as if seeing a natural enemy, made him tremble all over.
"Commander Gong said that these arrows were hard-earned and must not be lost. Iron ore production has decreased significantly recently. If we lose this batch of arrows, the next batch will probably be six months away. The Imperial Guard cannot be without arrows."
yes.
A soldier without a bow and arrow is like a beast without claws.
Pang Yi turned back to look in the direction of the fire. He couldn't escape. He couldn't afford to lose all these arrows. But... could he save them?
"Let's go back first." The young general said preemptively, "Otherwise, if Gu Yican really snatches it away, neither you nor I will be able to explain it."
"I brought three thousand men with me. I went ahead as soon as I saw the fire. They're coming at full speed. You and I only need to hold out for a stick of incense at most."
Pang Yi believed it completely.
"As long as we hide in the dark and wait for Gu Yican to put out the fire, reinforcements will arrive. If we can capture Gu Yican in one fell swoop, it will be a great achievement."
During this short period of time, Pang Yi was shocked, frightened, and happy. All kinds of complicated emotions mixed together and merged into one sentence: "Okay. Let's go back!"
The group returned the same way. The direction of the baggage cart was completely shrouded in thick smoke, and the surrounding area was filled with gray-white smoke. They continued to move forward into the smoke. The further they went, the thicker the smoke became, choking their throats and itching. Pang Yi coughed until he felt dizzy.
"In front." Pang Yi pointed ahead, "Hey, Gu Yican hasn't appeared yet. Is the fire really too big?"
"Shall we ambush here?" He turned and asked the young general, "By the way, which battalion are you from? What's your name?"
There seemed to be several double images in front of his eyes, and his body sitting on the horse couldn't help but sway from side to side.
I feel a little dizzy...what's going on?
Boom!
A soldier fell from his horse.
Knock knock!
People kept falling to the ground, and others were staggering around like drunks.
"Captain, that's not right."
The general fell down before he could finish his sentence.
"You are not..."
Pang Yi's head was getting heavier and heavier, and he suddenly realized that he had not seen the young general's appearance clearly at all. He tried hard to open his eyes, but more and more overlapping images appeared in front of him, layer upon layer.
He fell headfirst from his horse.
Everyone fainted, and the only ones left standing were the young general and the hundred or so men he led.
"I am Qi Fu from the Thousand Machines Camp."
"Remember that, coward."
"But you're dizzy, so you definitely can't remember. What a shame."
Qi Fu kicked Pang Yi who was lying on the ground, muttered a few words, and then ordered: "The flag signal is complete."
A soldier following behind him took out a red flag, raised it high, and waved it rhythmically.
"Put out the fire, it's almost dawn."
The soldiers took the fireproof cloth from the horses' backs, and several people worked in groups to neatly spread out the huge fireproof cloth and cover the burning baggage cart.
Their noses were stuffed with yellow paper and two pills were placed in their nostrils, so they were not affected by the smoke.
The arrows they had just shot had cotton cloth tied to the arrowheads that was soaked in not only kerosene but also a kind of sleeping drug.
The drug was made by the young lady herself. When it was lit, the smoke would contain a scent of aphrodisiac.
However, the effect of the incense takes a little long. I originally thought that Pang Yi would have to guard the baggage cart and hold off one or two attackers. It would only take one stick of incense for the incense to take effect.
Who would have thought that Pang Yi was such a coward that he was so scared as if he had seen a ghost before even one round, and he fled in panic, even leaving his supply cart behind.
Fortunately, the girl was well prepared.
"Big girl!"
Gu Zhizhuo rode up on horseback, a longbow resting across his back. She looked around, her posture calm and composed.
Good luck.
She calculated it really accurately~
"Miss." Qi Fu stepped forward and said, "Everything went well!"
The soldiers worked together in perfect harmony, and soon all the fires on the baggage carts were extinguished, with only a few sparks still flickering.
Most of the baggage wagons were severely burned, with only their broken frames remaining.
He wrapped his hands with fireproof cloth and opened the charred box. Sure enough, it was covered with thick fireproof paper and fireproof cloth, wrapped layer upon layer. The arrow was not damaged at all, and the tip of the arrow was so bright that it blinded people.
Qi Fu's eyes suddenly lit up.
This is a new arrow!
It's brand new, never used, not picked up.
arrow!
"New arrows!"
Qi Fu completely ignored the residual warmth on the arrow and put his face close to it.
Hehehehe.
It was an arrow. He rolled his cheek over it.
Finally, I can get rid of all the junk in the camp!
Gu Zhizhuo: "Don't let your saliva flow up there."
It was not just Qi Fu. After opening the boxes of burnt boxes, all the soldiers cried with joy.
Some people squatted on the spot, covering their faces and crying.
Some people also picked up a handful of arrows and kissed them.
There were also people shouting, "We have arrows!"
Gu Zhizhuo couldn't help but laugh, and an indescribable satisfaction filled his chest.
"Hurry up, it's almost dawn!"
"When we get back to camp, there will be plenty of time for you to drool over it. It doesn't matter if you eat it raw."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry."
Qi Fu raised his head, wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, and said resentfully: "Miss Gu, what you said..."
A soldier opened the rearmost baggage wagon and shouted in surprise, "Young lady! Come and see!"
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