Chapter 26 Trap
Qing Song rushed in from outside and handed the box in her hand to Yu Wanyin, "Madam, the beads have been brought."
Yu Wanyin opened the box, inside was a whole box of rare, round, purple pearls.
One of these seeds is equivalent to a year's harvest for an ordinary family. "Take this with you as well. It would be best if we could negotiate, so as to avoid any loss of troops."
Yu Wanyin paused for a moment, "If not, then handle it cleanly to avoid harming the people if the capital is moved later."
Wu Zhou suddenly understood. "Thank you for your guidance, Madam."
Yu Wanyin stayed by Chu Yu's sickbed for a while.
Besides the servants in the mansion busy in the study attending to the ailing emperor, official documents from the court were also frequently delivered, awaiting the emperor's reply.
The Imperial Guard Commander, having not received a reply, rushed to the Prime Minister's residence to inquire.
"The military equipment is ready, and we will prepare to march forward and scout ahead tomorrow. Does Your Excellency have time to inspect it?"
Chao Yue stood guard at the door, explaining the current situation to the Imperial Guard Commander: "The Prime Minister is ill and cannot come down right now."
"Sick?" The Imperial Guard Commander was somewhat surprised. "Then we..."
Yu Wanyin got up and walked out, "The Imperial Guard can check it."
"I suppose the Prime Minister entrusted this matter to the Commandant of the Guards because he was confident that the Commandant could handle it properly."
The Imperial Guard Commander gave Yu Wanyin a simple salute, saying, "I've just heard that things are unstable in the suburbs, and the matter can't be delayed any longer."
Yu Wanyin was silent for a moment, then said, "Things will be stable today."
After seeing off the Commandant of the Guards, Yu Wanyin looked at Chao Yue and asked, "Prime Minister, would it be convenient for me to see your plans for relocating the capital?"
Chao Yue was taken aback for a moment, "Of course, Madam can see it if she wants to."
It's just that ordinary ladies wouldn't want to see these things.
Chao Yue presented the arrangements that Chu Yu had previously made to Yu Wanyin.
The new capital was set in Yunjing.
Yunjing is considered a relatively prosperous area in Yingzhou, and has a certain foundation.
The relocation of the capital was carried out in three batches. On the very day the relocation was decided, a group of soldiers and people went to Yunjing to prepare for the establishment of Jianye.
The second batch consisted of members of the royal family and important court officials, while the third batch consisted of rear guard troops.
Each batch is further divided into three routes.
Today, what was sent to Chu Yu was mostly the preparations for the departure of the second batch of royal officials.
It's not a big deal, really.
Yu Wanyin quickly glanced through a few and roughly understood that all Chu Yu needed to do was simply list the priorities and clarify who should come first and who should go later.
The rest can be handled and coordinated by them.
Yu Wanyin briefly listed a few key points and their order of importance, and handed them to Chao Yue. "I don't know much about court affairs. If the Prime Minister hasn't woken up yet tonight, adjust the report accordingly and send it down."
Chao Yue hesitated, "Is this okay?"
“These people are just raised to be left with troublesome tasks and kept to themselves. They always ask questions as soon as they open their mouths, but you can’t just pile everything up at the Prime Minister’s residence.”
Yu Wanyin stood up. "It concerns their own life and death. Even if they didn't understand before, they should understand now."
"If the relocation of the capital is not handled properly, it will jeopardize their own livelihood."
Chao Yue agreed and accepted the order to handle the matter.
Yu Wanyin walked to the eaves and looked at the fine rain hanging down from the eaves like a beaded curtain of rain.
Wu Zhou went to the military camp to find reserve troops.
Upon arriving at the military camp, the commander on guard duty immediately brightened up when he saw Wu Zhou, wiped the dust off his hands, and stepped forward to greet him, "What brings Lord Wu here?"
Wu Zhou ignored his flattery, saying, "The Prime Minister should have informed you of his plans to clear the road today."
"Yes, everything has been handed over." The commander turned to look at his subordinates who were selecting weapons. "We can leave once the Prime Minister gives the order."
"There may still be a group of bandits stationed in the suburbs, so you should patrol more closely today."
Wu Zhou relayed the instructions Yu Wanyin had given him.
Before setting off, Wu Zhou understood the principle of preserving military strength as much as possible and avoiding excessive involvement in conflicts.
Therefore, this time we cannot use the Prime Minister's own dead soldiers.
He also informed the reserve forces, "We clashed with them a few days ago, and it was difficult to resolve, so we should prioritize peace talks."
"So that at this critical moment, those bandits will cling to us like a leech and ruin the important matter of moving the capital."
Wu Zhou handed over the box that Yu Wanyin had given him, saying, "This is the bargaining chip that the noble person gave to those bandits for peace talks."
"If they're smart enough to take the chips and leave, we'll let it go for now and settle things later."
The soldier took the box and was dazzled by the shimmering pearls inside. "You think too highly of them, sir. How could thieves be so sensible?"
"If it's troublesome, what Your Excellency means is that you should impersonate the Prime Minister to lure him into a trap, then catch the turtle in the jar, and handle the situation cleanly."
"Understood." The commander accepted the mission and turned to call his brothers to prepare to set off.
After Wu Zhou left, the leader couldn't help but open the box again and take a closer look.
A colleague nearby, noticing something amiss, peered over and saw the dazzling pile of pearls. "Well, you've got a reward, and you're trying to pocket it all."
The commander waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"This is a bargaining chip for negotiating peace with the bandits outside the city."
"Sending such good stuff to thieves?" His colleague was very envious. "We're already in dire straits, and we're still giving away government property to others? Isn't that stupid?"
"Who knows?" The commander sighed. "They said that at this critical moment, the priority is to preserve our military strength and stabilize the internal situation."
"What you mean is that it would be best if those people could resolve the issue through negotiation, thus avoiding troop losses. If not, we should deal with them thoroughly before setting off."
His colleague glanced around and whispered, "Why don't we just tell them they're unwilling to negotiate? That should solve the problem."
"Those people are probably greedy. What if they turn their backs on us after we give them the goods? We'll have wasted all these good things."
"It would be better to just distribute it to the brothers and then we can go and take care of those thieves together."
After thinking it over, the commander realized, "That makes sense."
He stood up, picked out a weapon that suited him, and said, "They're just a bunch of idle bandits anyway, I can just fight them off casually."
"Go, tell the brothers to get to work."
His colleague pulled him back, saying, "It's been agreed beforehand that everyone who sees this gets a share, so we'll split it 50/50."
Although the commander was not very willing, since the man had seen it, he couldn't keep it for himself. "Fine."
The two agreed to go and select soldiers.
The soldiers below stood at attention as their leader approached.
The two men looked around and picked out a recruit whose build and appearance most closely resembled Chu Yu's. "Are you the best in this batch?"
The boy lowered his head, "I dare not."
The commander laughed and said, "What's there to be afraid of? Come with me."
The boy stepped forward.
The soldier casually pulled him close, saying, "There's a good job for you. If you do it well, you'll be incredibly meritorious in the future."
The boy felt uneasy. "What is it?"
"Impersonating the Prime Minister to suppress bandits."
The boy was taken aback and immediately declined, saying, "That won't do."
"Alright," the soldier handed over the box of pearls, knowing that the child had joined the army because his family was poor. "If you succeed, all of these are yours."
“In the future, your family will also have a place in Yunjing.”
The boy stopped his evasive attempts, "Really?"
"When have I ever lied?" The commander didn't say much to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Go pack your things, we'll set off in half an hour."
The boy agreed and went down.
The soldier and his colleague exchanged a glance, looking at the boy's retreating figure with ill intent.
Rain continued to fall in the mountains and forests, pattering against the tents.
Rong Si sat inside the tent, whittling bamboo arrows. Zong Cheng came in from outside the tent, hastily brushing the rain off his clothes. "Why does this rain seem to never stop?"
Zong Cheng plopped down next to Rong Si and started chattering incessantly, “I found out that the capital will be moved in five days.”
"The messenger we saw that day really was from the border."
On the day they fought against Chu Yu, the battle wouldn't have ended so quickly if they hadn't seen the border battle report coming from afar.
Zong Cheng sighed, "That kid Chu Yu is ruthless; he shot arrows at his own people."
Rong Si spoke in a hoarse voice, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."
Zong Cheng asked, "I heard that several more groups of Hu people have arrived in Jiangling. Should we go back and take a look?"
Timing is everything.
The time for them to stay in Shang'an to fight against Chu Yu has passed, so there is little point in them staying here.
Moreover, the intentions of the Hu people in visiting Jiangling time and again are quite clear.
Either we make them work for us, or we want to eliminate them.
Rong Si tossed the sharpened bamboo arrows into the arrow basket. "We'll set off tomorrow."
"Okay," Zong Cheng replied, got up, and went outside to tell someone to pack his things.
Before he could even leave the tent, someone ran in from outside, "My lord, Shang'an has sent out a group of troops, and they're heading this way."
Rong Si's thick eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing now?"
"have no idea."
After much deliberation, Zong Cheng thought, "I reckon that before moving the capital, we'll need to clear the roads."
Rong Si was too lazy to bother with them. "Let's avoid this if we can and prepare for our own affairs."
Zong Cheng agreed with his subordinates and walked out.
From a high vantage point, one can see the layers of soldiers spiraling upwards.
But the direction the troops were heading didn't seem like a simple clearing of the road.
It looked like they were looking for something.
Zong Cheng placed one foot on the stone in front of him, lowered his body, and looked at it for a while.
Soon, they heard the leader shouting from below, "Catch the bandits!"
Zong Cheng's eyelids twitched. "Hey, has your Prime Minister's injury healed yet? Still fighting? Let's talk."
Zong Cheng's voice was deep and powerful, echoing clearly through the valley.
He was certain that the people below could hear him.
The leader of the group of soldiers also looked up in the direction of the sound.
The moment they were seen, silence fell all around.
The commander smiled slightly and simply raised his hand.
Suddenly, a long arrow flew in from outside, slicing straight through the treetops of the mountain forest, heading straight for Zong Cheng!
Zong Cheng quickly dodged, and the arrow embedded itself in the tree trunk behind him.
Zong Cheng cursed, "Damn it, you're really asking for it."
He kicked the boulder in front of him down.
The boulder rolled down towards the soldiers and horses, along with surrounding rocks that crashed down upon them.
The soldiers scattered in all directions, and those who couldn't dodge in time were thrown about.
Without a moment's rest, the troops received orders and lined up on the side.
The arrows, as fine as rain, wove together an impenetrable net, raining down on Zong Cheng!
Zong Cheng drew his long sword and took a few steps back. "Let's go and inform the lord that they're coming for us."
The men behind him retreated first, while Zong Cheng covered the rear.
This troop attack was fierce and its target was quite clear.
And there is no room for negotiation.
The commander, seated on horseback, watched Zong Cheng and his men flee from afar, assuming they were afraid. He gave the order, "Pursue!"
The soldiers then took orders and went forward to search and capture the entire hilltop.
The soldiers' long swords cut through the crooked branches and leaves of the forest, leaving behind broken branches, leaves, and the sharp, piercing sounds of swords and blades.
The clatter of horses' hooves echoed across the mountaintop.
It wouldn't be difficult for such a search force to find their camp and hideout.
Soon the rain of arrows reached the tents, piercing a corner of the cloth and overturning the candles inside.
The tent quickly caught fire.
Several soldiers dismounted, still arrogantly shouting, "Mere bandits, I thought they were something else..."
He used his spear to pry open the tent flap, and when the cloth was lifted, he was shocked to see burning gunpowder wrapped inside!
The soldiers stared wide-eyed.
The soldier standing nearby was so shocked that he retreated repeatedly, but it was too late.
A stray rocket plume pierced the gunpowder box without warning.
In an instant, towering flames erupted!
A deafening explosion resounded through the sky!
The soldiers searching the surrounding area were affected by the force of the explosion, and screams of agony filled the air.
The commander, who was nearly caught in the blast, quickly hid behind his armor. The shattered stones hitting his armor caused a sharp, dull pain.
A buzzing sound came from my ears.
It's unbelievable that he led the troops.
It's raining, so how can gunpowder still be used?
He looked up abruptly and saw directly the person holding a longbow high above.
Rong Si caught sight of him, raised his eyebrows with a cold and provocative expression, and nocked another bamboo arrow in his hand.
The bamboo arrow contained gunpowder, which burned slowly.
The soldier, seeing the look in his eyes, felt a sense of unease. Turning his head, he was shocked to find an oil-paper box hidden among the bushes beside him.
It is covered with bamboo strips on the outside.
If he's not mistaken, it contains gunpowder!
The moment the commander realized this, Rong Si suddenly let go.
The rocket's fletching pierced the oiled paper faster than the rainwater and embedded itself in the bamboo strips.
The dry gunpowder inside was instantly ignited.
The surging heat was confined by the bamboo strips, causing it to heat up and expand wildly until it exploded at the highest point!
The bamboo strips shattered, split into sharp weapons by the powerful destructive force, and flew in all directions!
The true power of gunpowder lies not in the fire, but in this.
The soldier immediately pulled his attendant aside and stood in front of him.
The attendant was caught off guard as bamboo slivers pierced his chest and abdomen, the intense pain forcing him to widen his eyes.
The commander was so shocked that he grabbed him and fell to the ground, putting his men at the greatest risk.
Looking up again, all around was a scene of utter desolation.
The commander abandoned his entourage, struggled to his feet, and mounted his horse.
The remaining soldiers nearby scrambled to their feet, calling out, "Boss!"
The commander gave the order, "Take a detour and continue the pursuit!"
However, the troops were ambushed along the entire route by military forces that had been prepared in advance.
The losses along the way were severe.
The commander finally understood why the nobleman had said that peace talks should be the priority.
But what's done is done, and there's no going back.
If you can't kill these bandits, go back and report that they are stubborn and incorrigible.
They not only stole the pearls but also lost their troops.
In short, it's not his fault.
He was still able to embezzle that sum of money.
Thinking this way, leading troops became much easier.
Zong Cheng stepped forward to fight, hurling insults as he went.
He led his men to eliminate a group of soldiers, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a gray-white figure not far away, who had been watching the battle unfold for a long time from the shadows.
Zong Cheng subconsciously turned his head to look over.
The figure immediately left.
Rong Si narrowed his eyes and spurred his horse to catch up.
To him, Chu Yu was like a cat smelling a mouse covered in blood.
The deep-seated hatred made it impossible for him to ignore Chu Yu's existence.
Whenever I see Chu Yu, I want him dead.
Zong Cheng was about to follow when Rong Si stopped him, saying, "I'll go by myself."
A large army was blocking his path, heading straight towards him.
Unfortunately, these people are all too fragile to withstand a single blow.
Rong Si raised his long sword, and blood splattered through the rain.
As evening approached, the rain intensified, and Zong Cheng felt increasingly uneasy.
The soldiers who fought against him were exhausted and retreated.
But Zong Cheng recalled that the number of soldiers he had just seen was several hundred... far more than anything he had seen now!
These troops are dealing with them, so where are the rest?!
Zong Cheng paused for a moment, a terrifying thought emerging in his mind.
"Oh no!"
It was only a moment of distraction that gave the other person an opportunity to slash at Zong Cheng's arm.
Zong Cheng was unable to dodge in time and his sleeve was torn in an instant.
Meanwhile, Rong Si caught up with them and reached the mountain stream and canyon.
He swung his long sword, stabbing straight at the horse beneath the man!
The horse was suddenly stabbed and let out a sharp neigh.
The horse's hooves flew high, and the rider was thrown off its back.
Rong Si's horse didn't stop moving; it was incredibly fast. He overtook the man's mount and snatched the long sword that had just been thrown out, his movements as fluid as flowing water.
The blood-stained blade was pointed directly at the person on the ground!
The boy on the ground turned around, and Rong Si's brows furrowed instantly upon seeing that unfamiliar face!
Immediately afterwards, a sharp arrow pierced the air behind them!
Rong Si turned around and blocked it.
The arrow fletching struck the tip of the blade with a sharp metallic hum.
But there were too many of them, and one pierced straight through the treetop and struck the man's left shoulder!
The powerful impact caused Rong Si to lose his balance and kneel on one knee.
Blood stained the arrow fletching red, dripping into the mud and splashing out a blood flower.
After a brief period of numbness, the pain surged and spread!
Rong Si was momentarily lost in thought.
A wild laugh echoed from the steep cliffs of the canyon, several dozen feet high. "As expected, the nobleman's method is effective in capturing thieves."
Upon hearing the words "noble person," Rong Si raised his eyelids and glanced at them coldly.
Countless soldiers appeared above the canyon, all drawing their bows and aiming their arrows at them.
The soldier who had spoken also took the longbow.
The boy on the ground immediately blocked Rong Si's long sword, rolled to the side, and was about to make way for the leader and his companions.
Suddenly, an arrow shot from the bow pierced his body from behind!
The boy stared wide-eyed in disbelief as he heard a distant compliment: "Well done."
"It's a pity we only caught one, but to catch the thief, we must first catch the king," the commander said leisurely. "You have helped the court eliminate bandits, and we will remember your merit in the future. Your family will also receive a generous reward."
After speaking, the commander raised his hand in a gesture.
The surrounding soldiers, poised to attack, released their grip.
The mountain stream and canyon were like a perfect prison, confining them here and killing them with a hail of arrows!
Countless sharp arrows pierced the wind, each one piercingly loud.
A strong smell of blood filled the air.
The rain of arrows blurred the view of the canyon, making it impossible to see what was inside.
But that's precisely why they were so confident that the people inside wouldn't have any chance of escaping.
Even birds flying in the mountain stream had their wings pierced by sharp arrows and fell to the bottom of the valley.
There is absolutely no chance of anyone getting out of the canyon alive.
The commander was in high spirits and deliberately waited a little longer before urging his colleague, "Shall we go down and take a look?"
His colleague tightened the reins and turned the car around. "Go."
"It's good that we only caught the bandit king. Without a leader, they're just a disorganized bunch."
The leader of the troops sat on horseback and slowly made his way to the mountain valley.
The canyon was filled with branches and leaves damaged by arrows, and some tall trees even had branches broken off by layers of arrows and crashed into the canyon.
Even if they weren't shot, it looks like they could be crushed to death.
Besides, the bandit was already injured.
The canyon was in complete disarray, with nowhere to even step for a moment.
But these were not difficult tasks for them. Leading their troops, swords drawn, they dismounted and were in high spirits. "I thought I was going to lose everything today."
His colleagues laughed and said, "Luckily, that kid is clever. He's the best one in this batch. He managed to fool that bandit king."
A colleague walked beside him and asked in a low voice, "Are you going to give that kid's family some reward money?"
"Give him what?" the soldier scoffed. "You actually believe he's just trying to fool you?"
"We've already suffered so many losses, it's hard enough to explain. If we give him benefits, are you stupid or am I stupid?"
The commander was furious as he spoke, "These mere bandits have caused us so much damage."
"Even if capturing the thief is a merit, it shouldn't be attributed to that new recruit; it's thanks to your brilliant strategy. We can't win by brute force; we need a plan."
“If it weren’t for her advice, we would have had an even harder time explaining ourselves,” he said, walking along the stone path strewn with branches, searching for Rong Si’s location based on his memory of it. “I’ll take his head and hang it on the city gate.”
The soldier twirled his long sword, parted a branch, and suddenly caught a glimpse of the man's clothes.
The commander narrowed his eyes, his whole body becoming excited.
His colleagues noticed his sudden silence and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing much." The soldier's voice was muffled, clearly afraid that his colleague would steal his credit. "I'll go check over here, you go over there."
His colleagues looked at him suspiciously for a while before walking away.
The leader gripped his long sword and strode forward.
It was as if the person was being pressed under a huge rock, which was pressing down on the bandit king's clothes.
The soldier bent down slightly to check on the condition of the people inside.
In the instant he bent down to peer over, a short knife pierced the man's chest without warning from a gap in the rocks!
The dripping blood from the knife tip pierced the commander's chest and clothes; the excruciating pain of impending death forced the man to widen his eyes.
He met the sharp, eagle-like eyes beneath the rocks through the cracks in the boulders.
Rong Si raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes filled with the provocative look of a jungle king, arrogant and fierce.
The colleague, who hadn't gone far, noticed the unusual noise and immediately turned around.
He gripped the scabbard, about to draw his sword and step forward, when a swift shadow leaped out from behind him and pinned him down!
The dagger slit his throat in an instant!
This sudden turn of events caught the surrounding troops off guard.
Almost simultaneously, Zong Cheng led his men in and rushed in.
Rong Si pushed aside the boulder used to block the arrows, directly pinning the leader of the troops under the rock.
The long arrow piercing his left shoulder had been broken off long ago, leaving only half of it inside, so it didn't affect his movement. He acted swiftly and decisively, showing extreme ruthlessness towards himself, let alone towards his enemies.
"Who was the influential person who gave you this idea?"
The intense pain caused the commander's lips to tremble, but he showed no intention of answering.
Rong Si said little, but with absolute force, he spun the dagger embedded in the commander's chest. "Chu Yu?"
The commander's pupils swayed violently, and he opened his mouth as if to call for help, but no sound came out.
Seeing that he couldn't say anything useful, Rong Si drew his dagger and stood up.
The boy beside him had blood on his cheeks, pale lips, and eyes filled with overwhelming resentment at being used to silence him.
He gripped his fellow officer tightly, the blade digging into the man's neck, nearly severing it.
Seeing the boy's expression, Rong Si said, "Let go."
The boy's trembling eyes looked at him.
Rong Si raised his hand and grabbed his dagger. "If you hate him so much, then hang his head on the Shang'an city wall too."
Rong Si pried open his fingers and pulled the dagger and the man over, then cleanly and decisively took the man's head.
The soldiers in the canyon were horrified, for when they looked up they saw countless bandits standing above the canyon, just as they had just been, with arrows aimed at them.
After seizing the initiative, Zong Cheng felt much more relaxed. "It's not too late to surrender now."
Several soldiers tentatively took two steps forward, but were forced to retreat by the almost overwhelming offensive.
It's unclear who threw down the knife first.
More and more people are giving up resistance.
Zong Cheng gestured to the bandits behind him to come forward and confiscate their weapons.
Someone received instructions from the military commander to go and take the head of the soldier.
Zong Cheng hurriedly stepped forward and asked Rong Si, "You scared me to death! How could anyone think of such a cunning method as impersonating Chu Yu to lure us into a trap!"
Rong Si raised his eyes and said, "Go and find out who this important person they're talking about is."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the soldier leading the group was dragged out, his pouch falling from his waist.
The purple pearls inside were instantly scattered all over the ground!
Pearls collided with the rocks in the mountain stream, mingling with the water.
Its vibrant purple color resembled the shimmering bubbles of a flowing stream.
Rong Si narrowed his eyes, looking dangerously at the specks of purple light.
In an instant, the pearls and jade in front of her completely overlapped with the string of purple pearls that Yu Wanyin had given to Azheng earlier!
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