75 Death of Deng Ying
◎A bunch of good-for-nothings! They can't even keep an eye on a prisoner!◎
Deep in the mountains at night, the full moon hangs alone in the sky. The winter night wind is bitingly cold. The bare tree trunks mixed with the still green bushes are like ghostly shadows, swaying in the wind in the night, appearing and disappearing.
Deng Ying stood on a high platform, gazing at the mountain village in the distance. The twinkling candlelight was very conspicuous in the night. From time to time, wild foxes and raccoons ran through the woods near the village. Even ordinary people would feel creepy if they heard it.
Someone climbed up the wooden steps to the platform and stood behind Deng Ying. "Boss, you've been busy for a few days and now you're back. Come down and have a meal. Don't stand here in the wind."
Deng Ying tilted his head and asked in a deep voice, "She hasn't come out yet?"
The visitor sighed softly. The head of the household's eyes were filled with worry and love. He truly couldn't understand why the second in command was so drawn to that frail scholar! The eldest in command was a strong and capable man, a perfect match!
He said, "Second Master...is not in a good mood...and now he's locked himself in his room, not eating or feeling hungry all day..."
Deng Ying looked up at the full moon. The moon was bright and clear tonight, and it seemed to be within reach. However, he could not help but raise his hand to touch it, only to realize that the moon was far away in the sky.
"I'll go see her."
The two of them immediately got down from the platform, and Deng Ying carried the wooden tray filled with porridge and walked to the outside of Fei Jiu's room.
Deng Ying didn't have much money, and the village was not only small but also a bit shabby. But Fei Jiu's house was the only one that was as clean as new, with wild flowers on the windowsill that was usually open. Now the door was closed.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door: "Ajiu, it's me, open the door."
There was no sound inside, even the candle was out.
"Ajiu?"
Deng Ying sensed something strange, raised his foot, and kicked the wooden door open. He staggered into the house, his eyes full of worry.
The clear and bright moonlight shone into the room, and he saw Fei Jiu kneeling in front of the bed, with his head tilted and lying on the man's hand.
Lying on the bed was Feijiu's beloved Honglang, but his face was pale and he was no longer breathing.
Taking advantage of the night, a hint of joy slipped across Deng Ying's lips, but it quickly disappeared.
He placed the wooden tray on the table, lit the candle in the dark, and slowly walked to Feijiu's side. He said in a hoarse voice, "Ajiu... I'm sorry, I didn't bring the medicine back in time, so I'm late..."
Fei Jiu remained motionless in the same position, without saying a word.
"Hit me, Jiu! It's all my fault! If it weren't for me, how could Honglang have passed away so early..." Deng Ying grabbed her hand and pounded it on his chest, "You have to take care of yourself, don't feel too uncomfortable, Jiu... You still have me, and the brothers in the village."
Fei Jiu still stared at the person on the bed in a daze, muttering: "You're talking nonsense, Hong Lang is not dead, Hong Lang is just... just asleep..."
Deng Ying grabbed her shoulders tightly and forced her to look at him: "Ajiu! Honglang is dead, don't deceive yourself. I know you are sad, it's okay, just cry if you are sad, you will feel better tomorrow."
Fei Jiu raised her eyes to look at him, her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head hard: "Hong Lang is not dead! Hong Lang is not dead!"
"He's dead! You're looking at me! He's dead!"
Her voice became lower and lower, and she drooped her head and fell into Deng Ying's arms: "Honglang... is gone..."
Before she could finish her words, she spat out a mouthful of blood with a "puff" sound, fainted, and leaned weakly on his chest.
Deng Ying was startled by the scene before her. Looking at the red spots on her moonlit clothes, she shouted in disbelief, "Ajiu! Ajiu, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"
He suddenly stood up, bent down, and walked out the door with Fei Jiu in his arms. However, before he walked out of the room, he was frightened by a bright red in the village and took two steps back.
The yamen runners had sneaked in quietly at some point, and more than forty bandits had already been killed by them silently.
The new prefect shook his sleeves in disgust and angrily said to Tian Tongpan, "How can you be so reckless? I repeatedly warned you to stay away from me when killing people! Stay away! Look, blood still splattered on my sleeves!"
Tian Tongpan bowed slightly apologetically: "Sir, I..."
"Alright, alright." The new prefect covered his nose to block out the strong smell of blood. "Go and look for anyone left out. Don't let anyone go..."
He suddenly stopped talking. Tian Tongpan looked at him curiously. Seeing that the prefect was staring at one place, he followed his gaze.
A man holding a woman was standing at the door.
Tian Tongpan, who had just put away his knife, suddenly drew the sword from his waist and looked at the prefect with a questioning look.
The new prefect waved his hand nonchalantly and then turned to walk out of the stronghold.
A group of yamen runners were about to go forward, but Tian Tongpan waved his hand and sent them behind him. He stepped forward alone with a knife in hand, suddenly lunged forward and stabbed straight ahead with the knife.
When the tip of the knife was about to pierce his chest, Deng Ying turned around and put Fei Jiu in his arms facing Tian Tongpan. He had no time to put away the knife and stabbed the unconscious woman through.
A soldier who deserts the battlefield may seem loyal and righteous, but he can actually push people away at any time and place. He always maintains a deeply affectionate appearance, but in fact he is just a heartless person.
Even a ruthless person like Tian Tongpan was shocked by this scene and shouted, "You evil man!"
Deng Ying took the opportunity to draw his sword and fight back. Amidst the flashes of swords and sabers, Tian Tongpan was shocked to find that the sword in his hand was actually the official sword of the Northern Expedition Army, whose entire army had been killed in the battle.
Officials with a bit of ambition always looked down on deserters. Tian Tongpan glared at Deng Ying and stabbed him in the abdomen with his knife, shouting, "You are a traitor to the Northern Expedition Army!"
Deng Ying had been hiding in the mountains all day, so he didn't have the skills of a soldier. He was subdued by him in just two moves. Blood was flowing from the wound of his knife, and he collapsed to the ground powerlessly.
With a "whoosh", Tian Tongpan swung his knife and cut the leather rope on the scabbard. After bending down to pick up the knife, he snorted coldly and turned to look for the prefect.
Upon hearing this, the new prefect clapped his hands in delight, "God is helping me! Quick—quickly, tie this man up and take him to the government office. Not only will we solve the prefect's tragic death, but we'll also eliminate the bandits and capture deserters from the Northern Expedition Army! It's truly killing three birds with one stone! Hahahaha!"
Tian Tongpan was also overjoyed. If the prefect was promoted to a Beijing official, he could naturally follow him to the capital. Officials always have the greatest power under the emperor.
So he quickly said to the bailiff, "Go and tie him up!"
The two stood there, overjoyed, but after a while, only the yamen runner came back.
Tian Tongpan asked hurriedly: "Why didn't you tie him up?"
The bailiff stammered, "Sir, when we entered the room just now, that man..."
"How's that guy? Is he dead?"
"That person has already escaped through the window..."
"What?!" The new magistrate kicked the yamen runner, "What a bunch of good-for-nothings! They can't even keep an eye on a prisoner!"
Tian Tongpan said calmly, "Don't worry, sir. This man carries an important mission and will not be able to run far. He will definitely leave a trail of blood. Send someone to follow the trail and we will definitely catch him."
The new prefect's anger subsided a little: "Go quickly! Even if you have to dig three feet underground, you must find this person!"
*
Ever since Deng Ying left Lingnan County, County Magistrate Han's right eyelid has been twitching wildly every day. He was so worried about the twitching that he sneaked out of the county government office under the cover of night and headed towards the mountain stronghold.
The stronghold was located at the junction of two mountains. Fortunately, he set out at 2:15 pm and walked for a full hour before he could vaguely see the entire stronghold.
County Magistrate Han climbed up breathlessly until one o'clock in the morning when he finally reached the vicinity of the mountain stronghold.
But before he went in, he saw the new prefect leading nearly two hundred yamen runners sneaking into the village. A moment later, the village was ablaze with flames. He was shocked. How could they have killed so silently?
County Magistrate Han did not dare to move forward, but if Deng Ying was dead, he would feel a lot more relieved. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel uncontrollable joy.
He lay down beside the thick tree trunk, concentrating on peeking, and was completely unaware of the movement behind him.
A large, sticky hand suddenly covered his mouth and nose. County Magistrate Han struggled violently, letting out a faint whimper.
The person behind him moved closer, and he realized that it was someone he knew, so he let go.
Han County Magistrate gasped for breath, looking at the bloody man in front of him, suddenly covered his mouth and whispered: "Deng Ying? How could you..."
Deng Ying said weakly: "It's you..."
Then he looked up at the brightly lit mountain stronghold and said through gritted teeth, "So... it was... you who lured them... here..."
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Han waved his hands repeatedly: "It's not me, it's not me! I don't..."
Before he could finish, Deng Ying spoke word by word, "If it weren't for you...how could you be here? Fine...you led the yamen runners up the mountain to suppress the bandits...aren't you afraid that I...will tell everyone about your affairs...If we have to die, we'll die together..."
He said this with such finality that even the last bit of conscience in County Magistrate Han's heart vanished with the night wind.
He looked down at the wound that Deng Ying was holding tightly with his left hand, and a thought suddenly came to his mind: Kill him now.
He had a strange expression on his face. He pushed Deng Ying to the ground, picked up the broken branches beside him, and a strange smile appeared on his face.
Deng Ying looked at the man who used to be as soft as a bun, now with a fierce look on his face, and couldn't help but struggle: "No... No... Are you crazy..."
There was a bright fire flickering in the distance, and the yamen runners who came to look for people were getting closer and closer. Deng Ying tried to struggle, but his cry for help was covered up by County Magistrate Han.
He covered Deng Ying's mouth with one hand, picked up a branch with the other hand, and inserted it into his wound.
The blood that gushed out was warm, and it even felt a little hot to his hands on the cold winter night, but he did not stop.
One, two, three times...
It was not until Deng Ying under him stopped struggling and fell to the ground like a fallen leaf, and the noise around him became louder, that County Magistrate Han suddenly came to his senses. He suddenly threw the branch in his hand aside, staggered to his feet, and quickly disappeared into the night.
Not long after, the search yamen runners found Deng Ying's body. Tian Tongpan quickly stepped forward and confirmed that there was no breath. He waved his hand in disgust and instructed several people to carry the body back to the government office. He then reported the matter to the prefect in the distance:
"Sir, this man must have been seriously injured and accidentally fell onto a broken branch. He is now... dead."
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