Chapter 43 Xiao Xie opens the screen "Waaaaah, the new skin is so cool it's on another level..."
The three armies assembled the following morning.
The spring sunlight shone brightly on the white robes and silver armor of the Longwu Army. The ranks stretched out in a vast and imposing manner, filled with the dazzling light reflected from the armor plates.
Since the emperor claimed illness and did not come to see him off, Yu Jing, the Grand Steward of Weiyang Palace, was dispatched to convey the imperial edict. The chief and deputy envoys received the edict, and the delegation to offer amnesty immediately set off.
The winding procession kicked up a cloud of dust on the road.
The deputy envoy rode a horse, while the chief envoy rode in a carriage.
There was a distance, neither too close nor too far, between the warhorses and the carriage.
But that distance was deliberately adjusted; if the Longwu Army marched at its usual speed, the carriage would definitely not be able to keep up.
Lian Qing hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
“We are merely displaying the majesty of the imperial court; there is no need for us to act hastily,” Xie Qianli said.
“No, no, General…” Lian Qing’s pupils reflected the bright light, and what left everyone speechless was the Duke of England’s armor.
Emperor Yuantai had prepared armor for Xie Qianli beyond his actual age, making it for him to wear as an adult.
That silver armor, with its lifelike and vivid depiction of beasts, and its bas-relief-like patterns, was exquisitely polished. Its material and practical value represented the pinnacle of the Qin Dynasty. However, due to its high cost, it could not even be promoted among the high-ranking officers of the army.
Lian Qing vaguely felt that something was wrong, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
When he saw the snow-white warhorse with a brand-new, gleaming saddle, a strange feeling almost made his head spin.
Grandpa Falcon was giving Lian Qing a stern look.
Lian Qing said in a slightly trembling voice, "Yesterday, the general asked me to prepare carriage cushions."
"Yes, not for now," Xie Qianli replied.
“Your Majesty,” Lian Qing hurriedly lowered his voice, “that person who rode with Mr. Zhu and acted as Mr. Zhu’s attendant is eating and lodging the same as the Imperial Tutor, so there is no need for the General to take special care of him.”
Xie Qianli pursed his lips.
Lian Qing: "It's much better for teachers and students to be able to talk in the carriage than to get covered in dust or have to listen to our vulgar language after getting off the train."
Xie Qianli lifted the reins, the silver helmet pressing down on his momentarily furrowed brows, the cold, bright silver light piercing into Lian Qing's head, and Lian Qing fell silent.
The strong wind made the willows along the official road rustle, and the wheat seedlings grew to knee height.
Xie Qianli rode his horse to the carriage window and looked through the window:
"People suffer from hardship, and in order to make a living, all kinds of trades have emerged."
“When there are bandits in the mountains, people hire security escort agencies to deal with them, some to protect goods and some to protect people. The forms of escort also vary.”
"For example, the escorts would shout the name of the escort agency, and the escorts would be powerful figures. The bandits in the martial arts world would be intimidated and let them pass."
"There are also righteous escorts who lower their flags by half, hoping that the bandit strongholds they pass through will give them face. There are also secret escorts who neither display their flags nor shout their orders, and pass through quickly and hurriedly."
"Sir, please have some tea."
Thank you.
The melodious voices inside the car ceased, and the teachers and students got along harmoniously.
Mr. Zhu was erudite and refined, and Yingxi was diligent and eager to learn. Compared to the dusty and weary outside the carriage, the interior was a cool and refreshing place.
Xie Qianli's gaze was fixed on the silhouette of the person in the car window.
The window suddenly opened.
He was momentarily flustered, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed on horseback, saying, "Sir." He needed to conceal Ying Xi's identity from the outside world and could not address her casually.
Raising my eyes, I saw a table for two people in the car, with simple tea, fruit, and vegetables—plain and unpretentious.
Xie Qianli reported, "We have already left the territory of Chang'an City. Scouts have discovered that a bandit camp has appeared nearby, and the bandit camp is located in the mountains."
The armor plates shone with a snow-white light into the carriage.
Ying Xi lifted the carriage curtain, dazzled by the streak of light. Her gaze swept over Xie Qianli, lingering for a moment on his handsome, aloof face.
"Wow, this new skin is so cool, it's like a giant wolfhound!"
"Looking at him more often is good for my eyes!!!"
Ying Xi gently rubbed her temples and looked at Zhu Zhao: "Imperial Tutor, what do you suggest we call this escort mission?"
As he drank his tea in contemplation, the crane-patterned court robes gleamed with a lustrous sheen. He put down his teacup and said, “The troops are well-organized, the flags are bright, and with the Duke of England leading the army, it is naturally a formidable force.”
Ying Xi smiled: "Those mountain bandits will surely be intimidated, how could they possibly find any trace of human presence?"
Emperors are adept at applying knowledge flexibly.
The details were terrifying, and Zhu Zhao felt both relieved and apprehensive.
Zhu Zhao then arranged, "The troops shall halt their advance. I will personally lead a contingent disguised as merchants to lure the bandits out."
Xie Qianli: "Yes."
“I will go with you, sir,” Yingxi said.
The emperor's orders were beyond question, and no one dared to obstruct them.
Moreover, from the beginning of this trip, Ying Xi never treated himself as a special person; only four people knew of his existence.
If the Imperial Tutor were to lure the enemy with his own body while his entourage sat comfortably in the carriage, that would be truly strange and would attract attention.
The troops stopped.
The entrapment wagons arrived, carrying Zhuzhao and Yingxi. The Longwu Army selected two slightly thinner soldiers to drive the wagons, without any cargo.
This carriage was the one Lian Qing had prepared yesterday. It had soft seats, books, and cooling balm to prevent motion sickness.
But Yingxi was unaware of these thoughts.
Everyone's attention was focused on the sides of the mountain road, and the carriage moved at a moderate pace.
Ying Xi closed his eyes, his fingers interlaced on his lap. In his previous life, he had seen Xiongnu cavalry before his death, but he had never seen bandits robbing travelers.
Those people might...
"This mountain is mine, this tree is mine."
"If you want to pass, leave some money to pay the toll!"
Just like in those folk tales?
The emperor's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a cold smile appeared on his face.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped. The horse let out a long neigh, and Ying Xi opened her eyes.
Outside the vehicle stood three burly men dressed in coarse cotton robes, their appearance unkempt. The man in the middle had dark red skin and held a large, rusty, ring-bladed knife with dried, dark red bloodstains on the tip. His muscular face gave him a menacing look. The other two men carried hoes.
If I'm not mistaken, the one with the knife is the leader.
Two soldiers were ready to go.
Zhu Zhao coughed lightly to stop them, indicating that this trip was not just about fighting.
Zhu Zhao calmly stood up and stepped outside the carriage, completely unfazed by the scene.
The dark-faced man vaguely sensed that the other party was not an ordinary person, and said in a gruff voice: "Brothers, we live off the land. These days are tough, and we're not well-off. We're borrowing some money from friends to spend. We'll repay you when the time is right."
Zhu Zhao smiled and said, "No problem."
Today, Zhu Zhao dressed as a merchant, and after speaking, he took out silver from his sleeve and threw it out.
The silver was handed to the bandits of Liuguang Mountain. The eyes of the two bandits gleamed. The dark-faced man in the middle, who was the leader, was obviously greedy. He shook the back of his large ring-bladed knife, making a clattering sound: "Is there any more silver! Get out of the cart and hand over everything of value!"
Two henchmen approached the carriage, ready to search it. Inside was the emperor.
The soldier disguised as a coachman was displeased and immediately threw the henchman several feet away. A pained cry came from the bushes: "Brother Zhu Wu!!!"
The dark-faced man jumped up at the sound and raised his knife to strike: "Are you fucking courting death?"
Fortunately, Zhuzhao remained calm and immediately had the driver apologize.
Ying Xi opened the carriage door, and together with another driver, wrapped the valuables in a blanket and threw them in front of the bandits. Only then did the bandits stop what they were doing.
Zhu Zhao smiled gently, his expression amicable: "I've come from Luoyang to Chang'an to buy goods for a large-scale business. I've already prepaid for the money, so I don't have much money left. I hope you can do me a favor; I would be extremely grateful."
The silver ingots thrown out, plus the valuables in the carriage, amounted to about ten taels. They had encountered a fat sheep on this trip.
The dark-faced man raised his large ring-handled sword, his face stern, and brandished it fiercely in front of Zhuzhao. Seeing that Zhuzhao remained unmoved, he finally took a few steps back. His two henchmen picked up the valuables and then cleared the way for him.
"Get out of here!"
In that instant, Zhuzhao and Yingxi exchanged a glance and assessed the bandits before them: using both knives and farm tools, they were likely a combination of rebels and refugees. They sought money but did not kill, nor did they take hostages for ransom; although their actions were heinous, they did not belong to the most vicious group of mountain bandits.
Ying Xi nodded slightly.
Zhu Zhao then said, "Wait a moment."
The bandits were astonished; they had never seen a passerby hesitate to release someone before.
The burly man with a dark red face brandished his sword: "Enough with the nonsense!"
Zhu Zhao said, “My shipment of stones will depart from the capital the day after tomorrow. It will inevitably pass through the territory of the heroes. Rather than having my men live in fear or offending you brothers and damaging our relationship, it would be better to make arrangements in advance so that they can make some concessions and you can spare my caravan.”
What ordinary merchant could inform the bandits of their whereabouts in advance?
The people with dark and red faces could not hide their surprise.
But when they heard that the caravan was transporting stones, and that the goods were heavy and difficult to change course, they could understand and even thought the merchant was sensible.
Zhu Wu, with his dark red face, said in a rough voice, "I am Zhu Wu, the second leader of Fufeng Village, who never changes my name or surname. I am Zhu Wu, the big-ringed swordsman."
Sweet Tong chuckled: "The second-in-command is personally handling business; it seems the scale of operations isn't very large."
Ying Xi observed quietly and listened attentively, not missing any opportunity to experience the lives of ordinary people. The emperor's appearance and figure were carefully altered to avoid arousing any ill intentions from the bandits, and Ying Xi put her hands behind her back.
The Imperial Tutor, personally instructing the students, continued to wear a broad smile.
Zhu Zhao couldn't fake a mercenary air, but he appeared wealthy and cultured, praising Zhu Wu to the skies: "So you are the Fifth Master of Fufeng Village, I've heard so much about you. Today, I've become acquainted with you through a fight. Fifth Master Zhu, you have an extraordinary appearance and imposing presence. I sincerely wish to make friends with you."
Zhu Wu had served as a squad leader in the rebel army, a low-ranking position. Later, he became an outlaw and a complete bandit, and no one ever respected him anymore.
Zhu Wu's dark red face shone brightly.
Zhu Zhao, seemingly eager to confess, actually fabricated the scale of the shipment, the physical characteristics of the lead worker, and the types of stones being delivered: hard bluish-white stone, delicate white marble, easy-to-carve tea garden stone, colorful Shoushan stone, and various shapes of Taihu stone...
Based solely on Zhuzhao's earnest descriptions of various stones, anyone who listened would believe that he was indeed an expert in the field.
But in fact, Zhuzhao is truly learned.
The Imperial Tutor was erudite and had a remarkable memory, especially in natural history, making him a perfect fit for the role of a great merchant.
Ying Xi listened with great interest and couldn't help but feel once again that she had made the right choice in appointing people.
Zhu Wu now completely believed in Boss Zhu's identity.
Zhu Zhao then offered his terms: "If we can cooperate with the brothers of Fufeng Village in the future and help each other along this newly opened trade route, it would be a rare opportunity to have such a connection with the Second Dragon Head."
Zhu Wu thought he could close a long-term deal, but the merchant's intention was to pay protection money, with Fufeng Village providing escorts along the way.
Zhu Wu's face lit up even brighter as he suppressed his great joy. He tucked his large ringed sword into his belt and said in a loud voice, "There are sixteen villages of varying sizes along this southern route of Xiaoshan. Our Fufeng Village values righteousness above all else, and we can speak with everyone in the village. If you're willing to make friends with us today, consider yourself lucky."
Two henchmen behind him nodded in agreement.
Zhu Zhao extracted crucial information and pressed on while the iron was hot. As expected, Zhu Wu was not shrewd and inquired about all the bandit strongholds in the southern part of Xiaoshan: Black Cloud Stronghold was remote, White Dragon Stronghold was powerful, Green Ox Stronghold was the most ferocious and barbaric, and Peach Blossom Stronghold was full of female bandits...
Having asked enough questions, Ying Xi grew tired of them and shook her head slightly with her hands behind her back.
At his prompting glance, Zhuzhao naturally changed the subject, a glint of smug control flashing in his amber eyes.
Zhu Zhao took out an item from his sleeve to prove his identity: "In that case, I will have to trouble the Second Dragon Head to accept my name card and inform the leader of Fufeng Village that I wish to pay a visit and communicate with the village chief to discuss cooperation."
Zhu Zhao's expression grew colder, and Zhu Wu vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
Two soldiers stood guard on either side of the monarch and his disciples. Although they were dressed as coachmen, their faces were sharp and their muscles were taut beneath their clothes.
Zhu Wu's Adam's apple bobbed, and a layer of panic surfaced on his dark red face, making him even more aware of the danger.
He looked down at the business card; it was a small silver plaque with engraved characters and thick tassels.
Zhu Wu, who was illiterate, looked confused: "This—"
Fortunately, one of the henchmen could read. He leaned over and read the front of the silver plaque, stammering, "The Great Qin... by... imperial decree, appoints an envoy to offer amnesty. First rank, Zhu, Zhu, Zhao. To pacify the people and bring peace to the country, to quell the chaos and establish order."
First-class official!
An envoy to offer amnesty?
His official rank and duties alone were enough to intimidate bandits half to death. Zhu Zhao hadn't even revealed his other identity yet: the Imperial Tutor of the Qin Emperor.
The three bandits quickly turned and ran away.
Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed overhead, an eagle cried out in the sky, and a falcon spread its wings and circled, confining the bandits within its gliding range. The birds of prey had sharp beaks and hook-like talons.
The eagle's cry was reflected off the mountain wall, its echo reverberating endlessly.
The bandits were so frightened their legs went weak. They slumped down and looked back as the light infantry gradually approached, setting up crossbows everywhere!
It turned out that the entire mountain road had been surrounded by the Longwu Army. There were no workers transporting stones, only banners covering the sky and soldiers in gleaming silver armor.
The Duke of England approached, the sound of his horse's hooves striking like a blow to the soul. The bandits, trembling, looked up at the cold, hard outline of his jaw.
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