Chapter 28: Falling out
Seeing the light in Yin Chuan's eyes, Lin Lang knew that he had seen through everything, so she smiled and said, "Why? Are you going back to your old ways?"
Yin Chuan grinned.
After nightfall, Situ Xin paced back and forth alone in his barracks, oblivious to the food on the table. After Shen Hui's murder, as the de facto leader of the Independent Regiment, he knew things were far from peaceful. Within, a faction of soldiers who had previously supported Shen Hui were watching closely, while outside, the Black Cloud Village bandits, who had planted a mole within the barracks, threatened to attack at any moment. Furthermore, the pressure mounted by the Wan Supervisor Army, dispatched by Shangfeng. He was now trapped from both inside and outside. Any unsettling move could lead to his imprisonment, and he might even become the next Shen Hui.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Perhaps his only hope of escaping this predicament was Yin Chuan, the canal spy. And he said that Du Yunzhang had already uncovered the truth. Was that true? But perhaps he was just saying that to buy time? Or... could he just release him and let him investigate freely? No! That was absolutely impossible! Not to mention that he was out of his control and couldn't handle any trouble he caused, even if he investigated honestly, who knew if those troublemakers (like Chen Xi) would get pissed off and shoot him dead, and then he would lose control of the situation. Therefore, he could only place all his bets on Yin Chuan or that unknown Du Yunzhang.
Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard several crisp gunshots outside the barracks. Startled, he opened the door and was about to ask what was going on outside and where the shots were coming from when he discovered that the two men who had been standing guard at his barracks had guns pointed at their heads. They were obediently holding their heads in their hands and were being held on either side.
"Commander Situ, I'm sorry, you're under arrest."
A man stood in front of Situ Xin, with his chest puffed out arrogantly and his hands behind his back. It was the commander of the second battalion, Shen Xi.
"Captain Shen, why are you losing your temper? How dare you mutiny in the barracks when General Wan is still here?" Situ Xin asked with forced calmness.
"There's nothing I can do. It's better to strike first. You heard the gunshots just now, right? If I hadn't taken action, I might have been the one to be imprisoned."
Situ Xin didn't understand what Shen Xi meant, "The gunshot just now? Wasn't that your signal to take action?"
"Stop playing dumb! You've always wanted to eliminate us Shen brothers. After my brother was killed, I was the only thorn in your side. Did you plan to attack my Second Battalion camp all along? Listen, the gunfire came from our Second Battalion. Luckily, I was prepared. I secretly gathered my men and found your camp and captured you personally. I'm going to capture the thief first."
Shen Xi's words left Situ Xin even more confused. But since the other party had already made a move, it was useless to defend himself.
"Then what are you going to do with me?" Situ Xin asked.
"Didn't you mention General Wan? I'll take you to him, show him what you've done, and then make him acknowledge me as the new leader of the Independent Regiment."
"Will he listen to you?"
Chen Xi smiled coldly and waved his pistol, "The military supervisor may not listen to me, but he will definitely listen to it!"
"Really? I'll listen to it?"
The sudden sound from behind him gave Shen Xi a start. He grabbed his gun and looked back. Behind him stood over thirty people, all armed with Russian-made repeating rifles, their muzzles pointed at Shen Xi and his dozen or so soldiers. Standing in the middle was a man dressed in a rich brocade robe, his triangular eyes narrowed, a short beard in his hand, and a delicate pocket pistol in his hand. It was none other than the military supervisor, Wan.
"You...how could you..." Shen Xi looked at General Wan and his men in disbelief.
"Why would I bring so many people with me?" Supervisor Wan said coldly, "Don't forget, I'm here on Marshal Zhang's orders. How could I not bring my personal guards? What's up, Captain Shen? Who gave you the authority to arrest the deputy commander? You even have the audacity to threaten me with force? You really don't take Marshal Zhang seriously!"
"Mr. Wan, it was your people who attacked the Second Battalion's camp just now, right?" Shen Xi roared.
"Oh, I really overestimated you, Captain Shen. Maybe you only became the captain by relying on Chen Hui's influence? How could those gunshots be caused by my people? You didn't even know that bandits attacked your Second Battalion barracks?"
As he spoke, a few more gunshots were heard, still from the direction of the Second Battalion's camp. Shen Xi was a little surprised when he heard that the bandits had attacked the camp for the second time.
"How is that possible? Bandits are still bandits after all. How could they repeatedly attack the regular army? How could they be so reckless as to overestimate their own capabilities?"
"You're the commander of a battalion, but listen carefully to the gunshots. They're all homemade weapons. How could your independent regiment have homemade firearms?"
Indeed, Shen Xi could tell the gunshots weren't coming from the Independent Regiment's standard-issue weapons, and he immediately planned to send someone to scout the situation. But before he could say anything, a scout came running over, "Report! Enemies in the woods to the northwest! Looks like bandit cavalry."
The faces of all the officers present suddenly changed, but Situ Xin remained calm and ordered the scouts, "Pass on my military orders. Sound the alarm and notify all barracks to prepare for battle. Order the Second Battalion to enter the trenches and set up a defensive line to hold off the bandits. The First Battalion must protect the logistics and supplies, while the Third Battalion will circle the woods and attack the bandits from both sides. The cavalry company must be on standby to attack at any time! The reconnaissance squad must keep an eye on enemy movements!"
After Situ Xin gave a detailed order, the scouts left as ordered, and all the officers and soldiers present were impressed.
"What do you think, Captain Shen?" Supervisor Wan asked. "Ask yourself, if you were faced with this situation, would you be able to make such a calm arrangement?"
Shen Xi was speechless, but still felt unwilling to give up. "If my brother hadn't been in trouble, why would Situ Xin be showing off here?"
"Hmph, a dead duck relying on its tough talk!" Situ Xin snorted coldly, "Your brother Chen Hui is indecisive and soft-hearted. Even at this critical moment, he still cares about the people's livelihood? If it were me, I would have entered Chenjia Village long ago. How could we be in such a passive situation now?"
"So he must die?"
These words suddenly came from a distance, attracting the attention of everyone present.
"You? How did you get out?" Situ Xin stared at the two people walking slowly from a distance with wide eyes. In front was Yin Chuan, the canal spy, followed by Ou Ye Linlang.
"Commander Situ, didn't you ask me to investigate the truth behind Chen Hui's death? Today is the last day of the agreed deadline, don't you want to hear the truth?"
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