172. Guard
Jin Zhu had said that when he left Wu Nian Mountain, he hadn't even glanced back, and he never trusted anyone again. This enormous Si Li Jian was like a poisonous cage, breeding only the most venomous insects.
Chen Ji never expected that such a smart person like Jin Zhu would be pushed into an abyss of no return by his colleagues just because of carelessness once.
At this moment, the Tiger Armored Cavalry locked the unconscious Golden Pig's ankles with iron chains and dragged him behind the horse.
Chen Ji's expression was hidden behind his visor. "Mr. Feng, it's more than ten miles from here to the Liu family mansion. If we kill him like this, I'm afraid we'll miss the drum beating and flag-raising ceremony tomorrow."
Mr. Feng smiled. "How could a master of the Xiantian realm be dragged to death so easily? Don't be soft-hearted. If I show even the slightest bit of pity for the golden pig, it will not escape Elder Liu's scrutiny. The rest of the Liu family's troops are stationed north of the city, waiting to march after tomorrow's flag-raising ceremony. Only these Tiger Armored Cavalry remain close to Elder Liu. Their military power is crucial and cannot be lost."
Chen Ji silently watched as the golden pig was dragged out of the city and to the gate of the Liu family mansion, a distance of more than ten miles. On the way, he gripped the hilt of the knife tightly and gently pushed the blade jaw out of the scabbard with his thumb.
Mr. Feng glanced at him sideways and said nonchalantly, "Don't do anything impulsive. It's good for a young man to have some passion. Many things in this world are accomplished with this passion. But if you mess with my plan, I will kill you first."
Chen Ji took a deep breath and silently put away his knife.
When they arrived at the Liu family mansion, the clothes on the golden pig's back had been worn off, leaving a long bloodstain on the official road.
The high gray walls of the Liu family mansion were like a city. After the soldiers on the watchtower confirmed everyone's identities, they waved the red flag and ordered people to open the gate.
The red-lacquered door creaked open, and a thin, middle-aged man came out. He squatted beside the golden pig, examining its face and injuries. Then, smiling, he bowed to Mr. Feng and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Feng, for another great achievement. Tomorrow, having the heads of the twelve zodiac animals offered as sacrifices is a very auspicious sign."
Mr. Feng casually responded, "Master Liu, this was a great achievement made by General Qian and I together. General Qian was also injured because of this, so it cannot be attributed to me alone."
"Oh?" Master Liu was startled. "General Qian is injured?"
"Yes, it's in the carriage at the back."
Master Liu walked to the carriage, holding his clothes in one hand and a lantern in the other, and lifted the curtain.
He got into the car, first touched the wound under General Qian's ribs, then rubbed his fingers and put them under his nose to smell it, then got out of the car and ordered the soldiers: "Hurry up and carry General Qian in to treat his wounds!"
After saying this, Master Liu turned to Mr. Feng and said, "Mr. Feng, please come with me to the ancestral hall to see the master. He is still waiting for you. Oh, and bring the golden pig in so he can see it."
Mr. Feng smiled and replied, "I'll follow Mr. Liu's arrangements."
The Liu family mansion was pitch black, with no lanterns hanging from the eaves.
Chen Ji and four other soldiers carried the golden pig on a stretcher and followed Mr. Feng through the long alley. They saw white mourning banners hanging under the eaves of the houses on both sides of the road. The long mourning banners stretched like curtains into the depths of the mansion.
Liu Mingxian has not been buried yet, and his coffin is placed in this mansion.
Most families will only keep the coffin for three days, some wealthy families will keep it for seven days, and some families will wait for officials from other places to return home to attend the funeral, so the coffin may be kept for more than ten days or even several months.
But what the Liu family was waiting for was not the return of the people, but the heads and blood of the enemies.
When passing by Liu Mingxian's funeral hall, Chen Ji turned around and saw Liu Mingxian's coffin placed alone in the hall.
Next to the coffin, women in white mourning clothes were hanged on the beams of the mourning hall with white silk.
As the wind blew outside, the female corpses swayed left and right like a string of silent wind chimes. Chen Ji's pupils constricted, and his hair stood on end. Even the battle-hardened soldier beside him gasped in shock.
Master Liu, who was leading the way, said slowly without turning his head, "These women are all the concubines of my Second Master. They can't cry in front of the mourning hall, so I have no choice but to send them to accompany Second Master on his way to the underworld. I guess some of you
This is your first time entering this house, so don't be too startled."
The soldier just now turned his head quickly and said hurriedly: "I will go and get the twenty military sticks later."
Master Liu smiled and said, "General Qian's subordinates are indeed sensible."
Gradually, a warm light began to filter through the bluestone alleyway ahead. Inside the ancestral hall, eight vermilion doors stood open. Above the main niches, tablets of the Liu family's ancestors stood tall like a forest. The highest of the three was that of Liu Xuning, the family's ancestor, once one of the Three Dukes, a position held for generations.
On the rosewood table under the main niche were plates of offerings, more than twenty incense sticks and hundreds of eternal lamps, illuminating the ancestral hall as bright as day.
Elder Liu knelt on the cushion in front of the table, bowed his head and prayed for something, just like a believer in front of the green lamp and ancient Buddha, extremely pious.
When they were three feet outside the door, Master Liu turned to Mr. Feng and said, "Mr. Feng, please wait here. I will report to the master."
After saying that, he stepped into the ancestral hall with small steps, leaned down and whispered in Liu Gelao's ear, "Master, Mr. Feng has returned, bringing with him the half-dead Golden Pig and the severely injured General Qian."
Without raising his eyelids, Liu Ge Lao asked, "Is it really the Golden Pig himself?"
Master Liu whispered, "It's confirmed. He wasn't wearing a human skin mask. Mr. Feng chained him and dragged him back from the city. His ribs on the left side of his body were all broken. He must have been kicked."
Elder Liu slowly opened his eyes: "Finally, we brought him back. My son can be buried in peace tomorrow."
Master Liu sighed, "Don't worry, Master. It's just that General Qian's injury came at an inopportune time. Tomorrow we will hold a ceremony to pay our respects to the Liu family, and we'll need someone to lead the Tiger Armored Cavalry to provide adequate protection."
After a moment of contemplation, Lord Liu suddenly asked, "Can Mr. Feng treat General Qian's injuries?"
Master Liu replied, "It's cured."
Elder Liu asked again, "Is there any problem with the medicine you are using?"
Master Liu smiled flatteringly and said, "I smelled it, and Mr. Feng used the medicine from the Taoist temple on Laojun Mountain. There's nothing wrong with it. Don't worry, Master. If there was any tampering, I could smell it. How many people have tried to poison you over the years, and none of them could escape my nose."
Elder Liu slowly closed his eyes, lost in thought. After a long moment, he let out a long sigh, "Call Mr. Feng in."
Master Liu went out and led Mr. Feng in, then he walked out the door.
Mr. Feng stood behind Elder Liu, bowed and said, "Master, I have brought you the golden pig."
Elder Liu slowly stood up, propping himself up on his knees. He looked up at the tablet in the ancestral hall, but did not continue Mr. Feng's topic. "Mr. Feng, our ancestors handed the Liu family over to me, but they never imagined that the Liu family might decline in my hands."
Mr. Feng smiled and said, "How could that be? The Jing Dynasty's Shenwu Army has already taken advantage of the frozen ground and crossed the Spring Thunder River. Four of the five major camps in the capital have set out for Chongli Pass. We will march straight in, and the person in Renshou Palace will be completely unprepared. We are going to the capital to purge the emperor's side. If we win, Prince Jing's throne is illegitimate and his foundation is unstable. He will have to rely on you and Elder Qi."
Elder Liu sighed, "Aristocratic families become aristocratic families not because they seek victory, but because they seek invincibility. Yet, the Liu family has made one mistake after another, necessitating a rebellion. Looking back over the past decade or so, I'm at a loss as to who to blame... Is it my foolish and ignorant sister? Or my reckless son?"
"I've been thinking about this tonight," said Elder Liu, looking at the ancestral tablet on the main shrine, his eyes slightly bewildered. "Prince Jing showed signs of rebellion in his early years, but now he pretends to care about the people. Is it because of his age that he has gradually become indecisive? Or perhaps this is all a carefully prepared scheme for the Liu family."
The wrinkles around Liu Ge's eyes tightened. "If this is really a huge mystery, the Liu family is in danger."
Mr. Feng thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps he was worried about being criticized by historians, so he wanted to pin the entire charge of treason on the Liu family. Then, historians would record that it was the Liu family who supported him, not his original intention."
Liu Ge Lao sighed again
"This is all I can guess," he said. "Mr. Feng, you and I have been master and servant for many years. The Liu family has treated you well, and you have served us diligently and made great contributions. Now that General Qian is seriously injured and the other generals have taken command of their own troops, I am handing these 6,000 Tiger Armored Cavalry to you. Please do not let them down."
Outside the ancestral hall, Chen Ji watched as Mr. Feng lifted his coat with both hands and knelt down to kowtow sincerely. "I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me by the head of the family. Please grant me the surname Liu. From now on, I, Feng Wenzheng, and all the descendants of the Feng family will take the surname Liu. Generation after generation, we will risk everything for the Liu family."
When he looked up again, Mr. Feng was already in tears.
Elder Liu immediately helped Mr. Feng up and sighed, "Mr. Feng is so talented, how can he be a slave of our Liu family? In the future, when we conquer the country, Mr. Feng's talents can make him a general or a prime minister."
After saying this, he pulled out a tiger talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Mr. Feng. "Go to the Tiger Armor Camp to take charge. Lead the Tiger Armor Cavalry to deploy the defense. It's already Yin hour. In another hour, the drums will be beaten to call the troops. Don't delay."
Mr. Feng held the tiger talisman tightly in his hand and kowtowed again: "Thank you for your trust, Patriarch."
…
…
Mr. Feng got what he wanted and left in a hurry.
Chen Ji stood outside the ancestral hall, carrying the golden pig, watching his back, but he still didn't know what the Imperial Household Department would do next. And the golden pig had become a true abandoned pawn.
I don’t know when this long night will end.
Elder Liu came to the stretcher and looked at the golden pig quietly: "Wake him up."
Master Liu took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and shook it under the Golden Pig's nose.
The Golden Pig suddenly opened his eyes and tried to struggle to get up and fight. However, Master Liu only tapped his forehead lightly, and he was immediately unable to move.
Chen Ji was shocked. This unprepossessing Master Liu turned out to be a high-ranking official who kept a low profile. No wonder Lord Liu kept only him by his side and there wasn't even a single guard around the ancestral hall.
Elder Liu looked at the golden pig with pity. "In this turbulent time, you and I are both helpless. Don't blame me. If you have to blame someone, blame the Imperial Household Department for never considering leaving my Liu family a chance to survive. Master Liu, bring this pig to my son. Slice the golden pig to pieces before its coffin and then chop off its head. My son will feel at ease after seeing this."
As he spoke, it seemed as if it was not him who decided to kill Liu Mingxian, and it was only the eunuch party who was wrong.
Master Liu hesitated and said, "Master, why don't you wait until the flag-raising ceremony to behead him?"
Liu Ge Lao waved his hand wearily and said, "Go ahead. My son has waited too long. You can just place your head on the table tomorrow."
Master Liu waved to Chen Ji and the others and said, "Carry him, follow me."
Several people carried the golden pig to Liu Mingxian's mourning hall. All the soldiers lowered their heads and refused to look at the female corpses above their heads. They held their breath to avoid smelling the stench in the mourning hall.
Master Liu, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He pulled out a silver dagger from his sleeve and, while humming a little tune, cut the tendons of the golden pig's hands and feet, and then cut off the flesh and blood of the golden pig with the blade.
Chen Ji watched the golden pig struggle with bloodshot eyes, but ultimately said nothing and did nothing. He could only stare at Master Liu silently from behind his visor, gripping the hilt of his knife tightly, and memorizing his voice and appearance.
After an unknown amount of time, Master Liu suddenly asked, "How many cuts did you make during the Lingchi process?"
The soldiers looked at each other, and no one could answer.
Master Liu smiled and said, "That's fine, three hundred and sixty dollars should be enough."
The next moment, he drew the sword from Chen Ji's waist and slashed at the golden pig's neck.
However, just as the knife was about to strike the golden pig, Chen Ji saw a strange smile on the golden pig's face. With the knife, no blood splattered, and no head fell to the ground.
Suddenly, the golden pig's entire body turned into countless copper coins and silver ingots, which scattered all over the ground.
It was as if what was lying in the clothes was not a golden pig, but a puppet filled with money!
Master Liu was stunned at first, then he cursed angrily, "They're actually using the same tactics as the officials! Hurry, hurry, go after that Feng guy!"
(End of this chapter)
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