Chapter 140: Xu Yu
The older woman's face lit up with hope upon hearing this, "Yes, it would be great to see General Huo."
Then, as if remembering something, his expression darkened.
"I wonder how my sister and nephews are doing. She's been pampered since she was little and has never walked before. This escape must have been tough on her."
The eldest son of the older woman was almost of age. Seeing his mother saddened, he quickly comforted her, "Mother, don't worry. My cousin and uncle have learned martial arts. They will definitely be able to protect Aunt."
The older woman nodded, but ultimately did not speak further, lest she intensify the somber atmosphere.
"Tap tap tap—"
The sound of horses kicking up dust grew louder as they approached, and the five men's expressions changed simultaneously.
Oh no, the rebels are catching up!
"Run!" the older woman shouted, urging everyone to flee for their lives.
However, how can two legs outrun four? In no time, the five were surrounded by soldiers.
The five people stood close together, drawing strength from each other.
"We are just refugees fleeing from disaster. We beg you, sirs, to show mercy and spare our lives." The older woman was both humble and resilient.
The leader of the troops waved his hand and ordered his men to tie up the five men.
The older woman finally realized something was wrong; these soldiers were marching in perfect unison, unlike the rebel army formed by rioters.
“Are you a member of the imperial court? We are relatives of General Hu Buwei. Even if the person behind you has rebellious intentions, Huzhou cannot do without my father-in-law’s protection.” The older woman explained the situation to the other party, trying to make them hesitate to act.
The capital was besieged by rebels, but many people were preparing to take advantage of the chaos, with the most prominent being the scoundrel Song Anbang.
However, these treacherous officials still need to be wary of the generals guarding the border, otherwise they will face internal and external troubles and die before they can even seize the throne.
Unexpectedly, the leader laughed loudly, "The women of the Hu family are indeed perceptive. It's just a pity that your father-in-law, Hu Buwei, passed away peacefully a month ago. His generals are dividing up the soldiers he brought with him, so I'm afraid no one cares about you stray dogs."
The older woman's expression changed several times, but she did not doubt the other party's words.
The father-in-law was getting old, and the generals under his command were all harboring their own ambitions, which was why they went to the border region to seek General Huo's protection.
"Xu Guanshan, the commander of the Imperial Infantry, is my sister's husband. Are you sure you want to make things difficult for us?" The older woman tried to play her last card.
The leader, too lazy to waste any more words, simply ordered his men to tie them up.
Dragged all the way to a camp, the older woman finally understood why these soldiers had acted without any restraint.
The general in charge of the central army was Xu Guanshan, the son-in-law of the Hu family and the commander of the Jiang Dynasty's infantry.
"Brother-in-law, what are you doing here?" the young woman asked hopefully. "Have you dealt with the pursuers?"
At this point, her own younger siblings still hadn't grasped the situation. The older woman closed her eyes weakly, and when she opened them again, they were filled with tears.
"Wrong! We've all been fooled! He made it sound nice that we'd all be too conspicuous by running away together, but he deliberately separated us to leave us behind to hold off the rebels, pretending it was to give us a way out. In reality, it was to defeat us one by one!"
Xu Guanshan sat in his tent, a slight smile appearing on his resolute face.
"Sister-in-law, you even know military strategy and know how to defeat them one by one. It's just a pity that your two sons are neither good at literature nor martial arts, otherwise they wouldn't have been so easily kidnapped by my men."
The elderly woman was bound and unable to move, her eyes blazing with fury. If looks could kill, she would have wanted to tear that hypocritical man to pieces.
"Xu Guanshan, what are you trying to do? You are the commander of the Jiang Dynasty's infantry, and His Majesty trusts you. It was you who suggested escorting the young prince to seek refuge with General Huo. But I never expected that you would actually use this opportunity to scheme!"
The older woman's two sons also spoke up.
"Yes, Uncle, His Majesty is close to the Xu and Hu families. How can we do something so disheartening at a time of life and death?"
“Uncle, stop now. Although Grandfather is gone, General Huo is still in Bianzhou. He would be very angry if he knew you were doing this.”
Xu Guanshan said expressionlessly, "General Huo has already died in battle."
What? The five people were all shocked, their first reaction was disbelief.
"Impossible! General Huo is invincible, how could he possibly die in battle?"
“The border regions are short of food, and the Jiang Dynasty is plagued by natural disasters, with starving people everywhere. How can we win a battle on an empty stomach?” Xu Guanshan’s voice was cold. “I heard that General Huo was besieged by barbarians for three days without food or water, and died from exhaustion. His body was stabbed to death by the barbarians.”
Xu Guanshan suddenly stood up and walked quickly to the older woman. “Sister-in-law, it’s not that I want to rebel, but the situation is forcing me. If I obediently remain a loyal subject, I will starve to death or die in battle. I just want to protect my family. If I have extra strength, I will protect others.”
"What are you going to do?" the older woman asked in a hoarse voice.
Xu Guanshan was quite frank and said it openly, "Go to the south, gather the people in the name of the young prince, and make them my weapons to fight against the aristocratic families."
The older woman gave a mocking smile. "I'm afraid it's more than that. If you had the guts to go against the powerful families, why would you let them withhold General Huo's military rations? You clearly want to be supported by the people of the South and intend to establish yourself as king. The little prince is just a puppet pushed in front of others!"
Xu Guanshan remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
As the two sides remained deadlocked, a light clatter of hooves suddenly rang out, and a young general rode up on horseback.
The boy's face was covered in blood, and the weapons in his hands were dulled.
"Whoa—"
He dismounted near the crowd and strode forward excitedly.
"Father, I knew it was you!"
Turning his head, he saw the five members of the Hu family. "Father, you rescued my aunt's two families from the rebels! Why don't you untie them?"
As he spoke, the boy untied the nearest older woman.
The older woman pursed her lips and said nothing.
The young woman's youngest son suddenly cried out in terror, "Cousin, watch out!"
The boy sensed the killing intent coming from behind him and dodged immediately. When he turned around, he found that it was his father wielding a knife. His blood-stained face showed his shock.
"Father, have you gone mad?"
Xu Guanshan said nothing and swung his knife again.
The boy only dodged and did not fight back, and soon he was at a disadvantage.
The older woman was extremely anxious and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Yu'er, fight back! Your father has already decided to rebel; he's afraid of you!"
Xu Yu was groomed to be Xu Guanshan's successor and had already received a seventh-rank military officer position, accumulating considerable prestige within the infantry.
Xu Guanshan doesn't have many people with him now, which shows that these people are completely loyal to him.
Although Xu Yu surpassed his master, Xu Guanshan was cunning and ruthless.
After several dozen rounds, Xu Guanshan held his broadsword to Xu Yu's neck.
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