Chapter 86 Robbing Grain
Outside Boyang County—
As dusk fell, a team had already laid in ambush on the steep slope outside Boyang County. The dark green and withered yellow forests in front of them exuded an indescribable oppressive atmosphere. Leading the team were Qi Rong and Lin Changning.
The forest floor was covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves and yellowed pine needles, and the rustling sound of footsteps could be heard from within.
Lin Changning glanced at the flames outside Boyang County and the troops stationed in the distance. Bored, he turned over the ground. He figured the Chongshan Guards wouldn't arrive until dawn. With that thought, Lin Changning listlessly dug at the tree roots. Just then, he seemed to have dug up something. Curious, he dug deeper and suddenly his eyes widened.
This thing is ginseng, right?
Feeling like he had struck gold, Lin Changning carefully used the handle of his knife to dig away the surrounding soil. The deeper he dug, the more it looked like a treasure. So Lin Changning put in more effort and dug away with a heavy sigh.
Suddenly feeling Wan Jin tugging at her, she glared at him with a sharp look in her eyes. Wan Jin then pointed at Lin Changning's profile.
Lin Changning turned her head as if sensing something, and was met with the commander, whose head was covered in dirt, staring at her with a helpless and speechless look. Facing the incredulous gazes of the surrounding soldiers, Lin Changning reached out and patted the clod of dirt off the commander's forehead, mouthing, "Sorry, sorry, Commander, there's ginseng, and it's quite big!"
After saying that, he bent over and started digging again. The group of men looked at the commander's helpless eyes, and then at Lin Qianhu who was digging so hard. They looked at each other and couldn't help but give Lin Changning a thumbs up in their hearts.
Commander Lin was a formidable man.
Wan Jin couldn't bear to look. His own commander was usually quite clever, but today he seemed to have lost his mind.
Just then, Lin Changning suddenly pulled a plump, round ginseng from the ground. He patted the dirt off the ginseng and happily handed it to Qi Rong, whispering, "Commander, this is really a ginseng, and it's quite big. When we get back, we'll find a merchant to exchange it for silver and some grain."
Qi Rong reluctantly pushed the ginseng Lin Changning handed over back and lowered his voice: "Many of the ginseng roots are broken, so it won't fetch a good price and won't be worth much grain. You can keep it for yourself."
Upon hearing this, Lin Changning put the ginseng into his pocket with a hint of regret. In this day and age, ginseng can really keep you alive. If he doesn't want to sell it, he doesn't have to. You never know when you might need it.
Lin Changning, having carefully tucked the ginseng into his pocket, held his breath and waved to the back. The rustling sounds in the woods instantly ceased, and seeing the firelight suddenly flicker and slowly move towards him, Lin Changning knew that this team was heading back that very night.
Damn Prince Sheng, if you want to rebel, then rebel! Why did you have to steal their grain? Your Chongshanwei is short of food, and so is Daxing. Taking away people's food is taking away their lifeline. So they found out the route a few days ago, dressed up as bandits, and waited here with the weapons they had captured from the Tartars. It's like they're stealing from each other. Anyone can do that.
As the grain transport team drew ever closer, Lin Changning silently covered his face, patted his chest, gripped his knife tightly, and waited for the order to lead his men down.
As the firelight drew closer, Lin Changning held his breath. This was the first time he had ever disguised himself as a bandit to double-cross someone, even though he was used to fighting. And he was stealing their own grain. Qi Rong watched quietly as the two hundred men got closer to their planned ambush. He slowly stretched out his hands, and the five hundred men lying in ambush in the woods drew their swords and gripped them tightly, waiting for the commander's order to rush down and take back the grain.
A gentle breeze carried the unique scent of the mountains and forests. The vast forest was so quiet that only faint breathing could be heard. The people below the mountain did not notice anything amiss. However, a cool breeze sent a chill down the spine of the officer in charge.
"Commander, why do I feel a little uneasy?"
Sitting on the grain cart, Xiao Qi rubbed the goosebumps on his body.
The centurion leading the group sneered, "Look at you, so cowardly. This time, if you transport the grain back to the deceased prince, we'll certainly reward you handsomely."
Xiao Qi still felt something was wrong: "Baihu, this terrain is very suitable for an ambush, and Lin Zijing is acting strangely."
The centurion looked at the dark forest, then at the path leading out of the valley, and laughed: "What's there to be afraid of! We'll be out soon. Besides, the court is currently overwhelmed with trouble because of our rebellion. Who would come to ambush us? It can't be those people from Daxing Guard, can it? Daxing is so far away from here, it would take five or six days to ride over. The nearest guard, Jingning Guard, isn't one to meddle in other people's business. It's unlikely that a bunch of bandits would suddenly appear and ambush us, hahaha."
It has to be said that the centurion's words came true; the Daxing Guards, disguised as bandits, were ambushing them as they rode over.
At Qi Rong's command, a firework shell commonly used by the Tartars exploded outside the valley, and more than two hundred soldiers outside the valley, their faces covered and dressed in bandit clothes, rushed towards the grain transport team.
The soldiers guarding the grain almost panicked for a moment. The centurion, hearing the shouts of battle, instantly realized he was in an ambush and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Ambush! Grab your weapons! Follow me and fight your way out!!"
It must be said that this centurion's military skills were quite good. A sharp whistle rang out from the forest, and a hail of arrows and rocks thundered down from the other side of the mountain.
In less than three minutes, the grain transport team had suffered more than half casualties. The centurion was quite capable; he picked up his long sword and cut down several men from Daxing. Lin Changning couldn't help but get a little anxious. Qi Rong waved his hand and ordered, "Charge!!"
As soon as the order was given, Lin Changning shot down the mountain like an arrow, leading his men. They were met by dozens of Chongshan soldiers who were trying to escape. Lin Changning wielded his swift blade with unparalleled skill, and Wan Jin followed closely behind, cutting down the dozens of men. Lin Changning then led his men out of the forest, and the well-trained and coordinated group quickly surrounded the grain transport team.
Amidst the close combat, shouts of battle echoed through the valley. The leader, a centurion, possessed extraordinary martial arts skills, and many of his brothers fell to him. Lin Changning charged forward with his sword, snatching a man from the centurion's grasp. The two engaged in combat, with Lin Changning's strikes aimed at the centurion with deadly force. The centurion's hand skills were decent, but no match for Lin Changning's immense strength. After only a brief exchange, he was struck so hard that his arms and hands went numb.
Seeing that he was no match for him, the centurion immediately had the idea of recruiting him: "Brave warrior, I am a centurion of Chongshan Guard, currently serving under Prince Sheng. Why don't you join Prince Sheng's ranks with me, so that we can earn the honor of following the emperor?"
Lin Changning sneered: "Who wants to be your leader of thieves and rebels? You're more like a worm than a dragon! I'll send you to your death!"
After saying that, he picked up his sword again and followed. Lin Changning kicked the man over and before he could get up, he put his sword to the man's neck. The centurion saw that the soldiers around him were either dead or had fled, and knew that his days were numbered. So he simply lay on the ground, closed his eyes, and let others do as they pleased.
After dealing with the remaining soldiers, Qi Rong slowly approached, wiping the blood from his hands with his tattered hemp clothing. He walked to Lin Changning's side and looked down at the centurion: "I ask, you answer."
The centurion opened his eyes and looked at Qi Rong, who was dressed in commoner's clothes, with a puzzled expression. Qi Rong, however, continued to speak to himself: "Chongshan Guard belongs to the Crown Prince of Sheng. Why are you robbing my Daxing grain? Aren't you afraid of the King of Chu's wrath?"
Baihu pondered for a moment and said, "Would it save his life if he spoke up?"
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