Lu Yinghuai knew Yunling was going to Bianjing before anyone else.
After that fashion show, he knew that this person would soon be setting off for Bianjing. Given her personality, even if she knew that he had ships doing business with Bianjing, she would not ask him for help, but would instead go to the next two towns to find a merchant caravan to go with him.
So he went ahead to the two towns to find out which merchant ships would depart for Bianjing the fastest. He also caught up with Uncle Feng and asked him about the most reliable and recommended merchant ships. He learned that it was the ship owned by Uncle Cheng and asked when it docked. He deduced that it would depart in two days.
He didn't know if he had expressed his love too obviously and scared the man away. The man was afraid whenever he saw him, so as soon as he returned to the city, he postponed the departure of the merchant ship that was originally going with Chengbo for two days.
Given Zhang's personality, she would definitely not feel comfortable letting Yunling go alone. Chen Jie had accompanied her on her previous trip to Qingcheng, and she would probably have someone from the escort agency accompany her this time as well. Therefore, she told Chen Jie in advance that he should escort the fruit caravan that was going to depart in a few days, and she did not tell him that she would also be going, in order to reduce Yunling's vigilance.
He overheard Chen Jie and Gangzi's conversation and desperately wanted to rush out to the dock to find her, but he was afraid of scaring her away and making her stay far away in Bianjing.
So he had no choice but to desperately suppress the surging excitement in his heart, pressing it down to the thinnest sheet of paper, so that he wouldn't miss her so much.
"Chief Escort Chen, tell them to be quick and efficient. We'll set off tomorrow, so we'll be only one day apart from them at our next stop. If we're quick and efficient then, we can meet up in Bianjing."
"good!"
Chen Jie's desire to meet Yun Ling was so strong that the word "good" should be uttered with great intensity.
**
"good!"
Yun Ruochun wanted to set off with everyone so much that she should shout "Okay!" with all her might.
The saying goes, "Harvest in autumn, store in winter." This means that people harvest grain in autumn and store fruits and grains in winter to prepare for the year's needs. This is how ordinary people think, and so do the bandits in the mountains.
The county government received news that bandits had been harassing the local people in the Tiger Mountain area, plundering grain, pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks. If the people did not comply, they would wantonly trample on farmland and rob homes.
Those people were already obligated to pay land taxes, but most of their food was gone before it even reached their mouths. Now, they had been robbed, and they had nowhere to survive. So they cried out to heaven and earth and, in one fell swoop, reported this illegal act to the county government.
However, the bandits were fierce, so they could not act rashly. After some planning, Huang, the head constable, led some experienced constables to probe the vicinity of the bandits' den first, while Zhang, the head constable, led the remaining constables to provide backup nearby, so as to arrest any who escaped.
Yun Ruochun was naturally assigned to Zhang Butou's team. Qin Yu was reluctant for her to come and risk her life, but he couldn't resist her righteous spirit and inexhaustible energy, so he had no choice but to come with her, hoping that he could protect her if a fight broke out.
The group waited outside for a while, and then they heard a fight breaking out inside. Anxious, they all stared intently at the cave entrance, hoping to catch any fish that had escaped so they could return and report back.
Yun Ruochun tightened her grip on the hilt of her knife. This was her first time on a mission, and naturally she wanted to do it perfectly. She planned to quickly fly over and capture anyone who ran out. However, as she concentrated on her thoughts...
Suddenly, she felt a warmth on her forehead, followed by a warm current flowing down her forehead. She touched it with her hand, and the bird droppings on her fingertips made her speechless. She looked up at the sky, trying to find out which bird had done such a despicable thing, when she suddenly saw rows and rows of people's heads not far behind her.
She immediately turned her head back. Those rows of people crouching and walking forward, wearing headscarves, were none other than the mountain bandits. And those fighting among them... could it be a diversionary tactic?
Yun Ruochun was quite far from Constable Zhang. Even if she relayed the message, the bandits' knives would be at her throat by then. She couldn't shout or make a fuss, lest she lose her composure and allow the bandits to take advantage of her vulnerability.
Yun Ruochun picked up a small stone from the ground, turned around, aimed, and threw the stone. Her series of movements were as smooth as flowing water. She picked up a large knife, swung it, and charged forward, slashing one person with each strike. Before the leaves shaken off the trees could even fall to the ground, the three people had already fallen to the ground.
Officer Zhang and the others reacted quickly, brandishing their knives and charging forward, tearing into the bandits. In the chaos, Qin Yu managed to reach Yun Ruochun's side, wanting to shield her from the wind and rain, but little did he know that swords have no eyes. He was struck by a knife, but fortunately Yun Ruochun saved him, otherwise his life would have been in danger.
Yun Ruochun stomped on the man's chest and asked sharply:
"Who is your bandit leader?"
The man was already dissatisfied, and seeing that he had been captured by this young lady Yun Ruochun, he was even more displeased. He spat at Yun Ruochun and said angrily:
"I'm really out of luck today, getting caught by you, you stinking woman. You're not at home cooking and washing dishes, but running around on our turf like a tigress. Let me tell you, you better not fall into my hands, or else..."
Yun Ruochun didn't want to listen anymore, so she grabbed a handful of sand and stuffed it into his mouth. Then she grabbed his collar and tossed him around like a dead pig in an open space. She then pulled out a rope from her waist and tied his hands and feet together.
As she tied the knot, the battle outside ended, but the sounds of fighting inside continued. Zhang, the head constable, was worried that something might happen to Huang, so he asked Yun Ruochun and Qin Yu to stay and take care of the injured constables while he led his men in to rescue him.
Yun Ruochun sensed something was amiss and called out to Constable Zhang.
"Officer Zhang, wait a minute. Do you really think there are that many bandits? We've finished fighting them all here, but it's not over yet inside."
"You mean you suspect there's a trap inside? But if there were a trap, Officer Huang and the others would have at least come out, and they would have at least shouted."
"What if they can't shout or leave? Mountain bandits live in the mountains and make a living by hunting, so they are often used to catch prey. Perhaps Officer Huang and his men will fall into a trap."
Officer Zhang thought Yun Ruochun's words made sense, but he was still somewhat hesitant, after all, this was Yun Ruochun's first time venturing out and she had no combat experience...
Yun Ruochun glanced at the bandits on the ground, then looked back at the cave, sensing that something was amiss.
"Old Yu taught me that to catch thieves, you must first catch the king. If you catch the king, the rest of the thieves will naturally be routed. The bandits were very brave in the battle just now, so perhaps the bandit leader is not among them."
"Inside a cave?"
After thinking about it, Zhang, the head constable, also felt it made sense. For example, their Master Qin, wasn't he just comfortably guarding the county government office while sending them out to bravely catch thieves?
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