Old Master Tai smiled bitterly. "The old general said I was the only one left in the Seventh Battalion, and told me to go home and take care of my wife and children, to live a peaceful life for my fallen brothers, and to enjoy the peace they sacrificed their lives for. But I didn't dare sleep a single night because of this secret. Our family has suffered so much for years because of this secret..."
The general quickly stood up and personally helped the old man sit next to him. He wanted to ask something but didn't know where to start.
Fortunately, the old man had been holding it in for half his life, and he could finally speak out. He didn't need to be asked, and he just spilled the beans.
"When the old general entrusted the treasure to me, he thought it was safe. But there is no such thing as a wall that is impenetrable, and I'm afraid someone must have seen through some clues. Ever since I retired and returned to Tai'an, our family has been secretly targeted.
"The people in the dark haven't tried to kill us, they've just been testing us. For example, if we're doing business, our stalls will be destroyed, if we're harvesting crops, they'll set fire to them, and if we're hunting in the mountains, we'll be seriously injured. In short, they're using every possible means to keep our family from starving or in dire need of money, forcing me to use my treasure to solve our family's problems.
"I was a little wary, but no matter how hard it was, I didn't reveal a single flaw. After so many years, the person behind the scenes may have lost their patience. Since last year, they've been making frequent moves. I caught them and uncovered a traitor who had been hiding in the village for many years.
"After that, they sent more people, soaked rabbits with drugs to lure wolves into the village, and bribed gangsters to kidnap my kid, all to force me to hand over the treasure map.
"Just a few days ago, the Rakshasa devils suddenly appeared in Tai'an. When they were burning, killing and looting, I led people to resist and rescue them, and had no time to worry about my family hiding in the mountains.
"At this time, another dozen men in black sneaked into the mountains and demanded that I hand over the treasure map. When they heard I was not there, they wanted to kidnap Zhuzhu and threaten me. If we hadn't been discovered early by chance, and the villagers in several villages had not tried their best to protect their families, I'm afraid there would have been heavy casualties by now!"
Everyone gasped when they heard this. Even though they slept on the same kang last night, the old man didn't tell Chen Zhao and the Sixth Prince.
Remarkably, the general didn't ask for his pipe at this moment. Instead, he asked, "Uncle Tai, are you saying that the men in black who are trying to create chaos at the border and kidnap people in the valley are the same group? Have you ever guessed who's behind them?"
Old Master Tai hesitated for a moment before responding, "General, to be honest, I don't need to guess who it was. When the Emperor visited the palace a while ago, someone came to our house and demanded that I, a 'house slave,' hand over something, accusing me of stealing it from my master. I scared him off!"
House slave?
The general frowned tightly. Old man Tai had served in the border defense army for many years. If he must be given the title of a family slave, then only the deceased old general's father would be qualified.
Who else dares to speak so brazenly...
wrong!
A light bulb went off in his head and he suddenly thought of someone.
"You mean...Second Uncle, the Second Uncle in Kyoto!"
Old Master Tai nodded and sighed, "It was the Second Master. He was in charge of the logistics camp back then. Even if he didn't know the whole story, he must have noticed something when the old general wanted to move military supplies!"
The general's face turned pale and he slammed the table, causing the tea bowls to rattle.
"I've never sought revenge on him out of consideration for our family's affection, but he's so ungrateful! If it weren't for him, my father..."
Halfway through his speech, he swallowed the second half.
Don’t air your dirty laundry in public!
He Xiong quickly changed the subject and asked Mr. Tai, "Uncle, from what I hear you say, these people didn't take any action before, but have become more and more anxious in the past six months, forcing you to take out the treasure map, right?
"Yes, that's one of the reasons why I suspect the Second Master is behind this. Ever since the Emperor fell ill, the competition for the throne among the princes has intensified, and the Second Master has become increasingly unscrupulous. I guess... he wants to get the treasure and side with one of the princes as a token of his loyalty!"
Old Master Tai glanced at the Sixth Prince and continued, "The reputations of those princes in Kyoto are extremely bad, especially the Third Prince, who previously sent people here to try to seize our business. If they became the emperor of Wei, I'm afraid the people would have no peace at all!"
"Now that I've sent you the treasure map, I hope that the General and His Highness the Sixth Prince will obtain the treasure, repel the Rakshasa, seize the throne, ensure the safety of the border, and allow the people of Great Wei to live and work in peace!"
The general and the sixth prince looked at each other, then stood up and saluted the old man.
"Don't worry, Grandpa Tai (Uncle Tai), I will!"
Old Master Tai quickly returned the gift and sat down again. He wiped his hands on his cotton jacket before carefully unscrewing the brass pipe.
The pipe is actually a double-layer copper tube with only a small hole in the middle.
The old man twisted it again and finally poured out a folded piece of oil paper that was stuffed in the middle of the double-layer copper tube.
The oil-paper was unwrapped, revealing a map punctured with needles. The markings were clear: starting from Tai'an County, passing through several mountains, and how to break into the cave mechanism where the treasure was hidden...
After reading this, the general was silent for a long time and sighed softly.
"Father must have put a lot of effort into this!"
The Sixth Prince nodded, his tone filled with admiration, and replied, "It is precisely because of the old general's foresight that he has provided us with such great assistance at such a critical moment."
Old Man Tai reassembled his pipe, took out the tobacco from his pouch with trembling hands, carefully put it in, then lit it and took a long puff.
Ever since he got the treasure map and promised to protect it, he has been holding his pipe day and night without taking a single puff, fearing that it would damage the map hidden in the copper tube. Now, he can finally smoke without worry.
Perhaps he smoked too quickly, for after just two puffs he started choking and coughing.
Zhuzhu quickly threw away the snacks and patted Grandpa's back with her chubby hands, "Grandpa, Grandpa, go slower! Mom said that we can't eat hot dumplings in a hurry, Grandpa, you have to listen!"
"Okay, okay! Grandpa, listen!" The old man laughed heartily. He looked up and saw everyone looking at him, and quickly added, "I've secretly found the location indicated on this map. Standing on the top of the mountain behind my house, you can see the valley. Zhuzhu's grandmother passed away, and I buried her on the top of the mountain. Every month when I visit the grave, I carefully check it out, and there's nothing there. General, please find someone reliable, and I'm willing to take them to retrieve the thing."
The general immediately responded, "Okay, thank you for your help, Uncle Tai."
After saying this, he looked at the Sixth Prince. From the perspective of the border guards, the sooner they got the treasure, the better. However, for the Sixth Prince to seize the throne, the time was not yet ripe. Unless the Emperor died of illness or the princes started a rebellion, the Sixth Prince could legitimately raise an army...
Chen Zhao was a smart man, and he immediately said to the old man, "Uncle, my supplies are ready and I'm sending them to the valley where the Prairie Wolf Riders are staying. Yong'an, Yonglu and the others are all there. Do you want to go for a stroll with me?"
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