Chapter 86 Peace
Zhao Mingyue's heart sank suddenly. If something really happened to Mei Junrong and the others, she would never forgive herself for making the decision.
At this moment, the fear that had always lingered in my heart surged into my mind again.
The heavy, almost suffocating sense of responsibility frightened her.
The life she carried on her shoulders was no longer her own.
For her, it may be just a simple decision, but for them, it is a matter of life and death.
They really can't afford to lose.
Zhao Mingyue gritted her teeth and said, "I want to go to Laoya Mountain!"
Xue Qi objected, "No! Zhao Zhuo is suspicious by nature. If he knew you went to Laoya Mountain at this time, he would definitely be suspicious!"
Moreover, it was late at night and the gates of Yuzhou City were locked. No one could go out unless they had a pass issued by the governor.
Even if Zhao Mingyue wanted to go to Laoya to save people, she couldn't.
However, as soon as the sun rose, Zhao Mingyue couldn't wait to change into casual clothes and leave the city to go to Laoya Mountain. Xue Qi still advised her not to go.
Zhao Mingyue said, "I'm a princess. Even if I'm captured by soldiers, I'll be fine. I can't always let them take risks for me!"
"If you go and are discovered, our plan will be ruined."
"But what if I don't go and they die? What if Mei Junrong dies?"
Xue Qi was stunned. She saw tears welling up in Zhao Mingyue's eyes and drops of tears sliding down her cheeks.
Only then did she remember that Mei Junrong was personally recruited into the Golden Crow Guard by Zhao Mingyue, and she had also personally trained her. Their relationship wasn't just one of princess and subordinate, but also of comrades who had fought side by side.
At this time, Zhao Yuzhang put his arm around Zhao Mingyue's shoulders and said, "I'll go with her. Don't worry, Xue Qi, I will protect her."
Xue Qi looked at his aunt and niece, who had the same temperament, and turned away angrily, saying with his back to them, "You're so insistent, what else can I say? Go now!"
Zhao Mingyue and Zhao Yuzhang looked at each other, then turned around and left hand in hand, without taking any guards with them, and left the city lightly.
At this time, at the foot of Laoya Mountain, the guards responsible for picking up Mei Junrong were waiting anxiously.
All the roads leading up Laoya Mountain were blocked by the government, and every intersection was heavily guarded. If they just looked at it from a distance, they would be driven away.
Therefore, they could only go around to the cliff on the west side of Laoya Mountain and sneak into Laoya Mountain by climbing the cliff.
This cliff is extremely steep, with jagged rocks and a surface covered with wild weeds and thorns. An ordinary person would definitely not be able to climb over it.
But the Jinwu Guards were not ordinary people. They were very skilled in climbing and climbed up the mountain quickly.
But what they didn't expect was that after Mei Junrong led his men into Laoya Mountain, there was no news of him at all. The people who stayed behind didn't dare to act on their own, and after waiting for a day and a night, when no one returned, they immediately sent someone to report the situation to their superiors.
"We can't wait any longer. The princess can't leave Yuzhou City at all. We have to go into the mountains and rescue her now!"
The guards were extremely anxious, imagining the miserable conditions that their companions would suffer after being captured, and they wanted to climb up the mountain immediately.
At this moment, they heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance, galloping towards them. Everyone was startled at first, and picked up their weapons vigilantly. When they looked up, they found that it was Zhao Mingyue and Zhao Yuzhang, and then they happily went to greet them.
"General, Princess!"
When Zhao Yuzhang and Zhao Mingyue got closer, they slowed down, reined in their horses, and glanced around. They found many houses in the distance, which seemed to be a village.
"Is there anyone living in that village?"
The guard shook his head. "No one. We checked when we got here, and all the houses near Old Crow Mountain are empty. It's likely that the government relocated all the villagers after closing the mountain."
Zhao Mingyue frowned, "Aunt, it seems that Laoya Mountain has more secrets than we thought. What on earth is Zhao Zhuo doing in the mountain?"
Zhao Yuzhang snorted coldly, "Whatever he does, it must be to cover up his rebellion."
The guard said worriedly, "Princess, Lord Baizong has been in the mountains for almost two days. I'm afraid he has been captured by the officers and soldiers on the mountain."
"I know, we're going into the mountains now—"
Before he could finish his words, there was a sudden noise from above the cliff. Zhao Mingyue looked up and saw several ropes hanging down the cliff. Then, dozens of men in black grabbed the ropes and climbed down quickly.
Zhao Mingyue immediately dismounted and quickly walked over to meet him, smiling, "Jun Rong, that's great, you're okay! Are all the sisters who went out back?"
Mei Junrong used her fingers to pull down the mask on her face, a look of surprise on her face. "Princess, why did you come here in person?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "I saw you guys haven't come out for so long, I thought you were captured. I'm glad everyone's okay. How's the exploration going on the mountain? Are there any Xiqi soldiers?"
Mei Junrong was deeply moved by her concern for them, but then he thought of everything he had seen on the mountain and became furious. He cursed, "Zhao Zhuo is a beast! He deserves to be killed!"
"What's wrong?" Zhao Mingyue saw that she looked so angry and guessed that they must have seen something very serious.
At this time, Zhao Yuzhang came over and said to them, "It's not safe here. Let's talk somewhere else."
Zhao Mingyue nodded, and everyone moved to the deserted village in the distance.
When she arrived at the village, Zhao Mingyue found that the doors of every household were open. She walked into the house and saw that it was full of dust. It was obvious that no one had lived there for a long time.
Zhao Mingyue was puzzled. "Where did Zhao Zhuo move all the people in this village to?"
There are so many villages near Laoya Mountain. It will definitely take a large area to relocate the people there, right?
Mei Junrong said bitterly, "Zhao Zhuo didn't relocate the people at all. Instead, he took them all away to the mountains to do hard labor."
Zhao Mingyue's eyes widened. "What?"
Mei Junrong took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself. After a moment's pause, he spoke in a deep voice, "After we entered the mountain, we saw two men carrying a cart of corpses and dumping them in a mass grave. I saw right away that there was a child among the bodies, with half of his head smashed off!"
"Later, we followed the two men to a mine. It turned out that the disappeared villagers were imprisoned in this mine, helping Zhao Zhuo smelt iron ore and forge weapons! Even children were exploited by them. They were simply a bunch of beasts!"
Mei Junrong cursed him as a beast again, his chest heaving, looking very indignant.
Zhao Mingyue frowned, her eyes darkening. "In order to rebel, Zhao Zhuo is really capable of doing anything evil."
Mei Junrong continued, "After that, we discovered the army stationed on the mountain. It was a private army of nearly 10,000 people. I also found their warehouse, which contained a large amount of gunpowder, clothing, and food. It was because we were trying to sneak into the warehouse that we lost time and returned late. Fortunately, we were not discovered by them."
After hearing this, Zhao Yuzhang's expression was solemn. "Even if Zhao Zhuo really rebelled, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. After all, who in the world doesn't want to be emperor? But not only did he have an affair with Xiqi, he also persecuted innocent women. That's simply unforgivable!"
Zhao Mingyue's face instantly lost all color.
She and Xue Qi once guessed that Zhao Zhuo might have stored troops on the mountain, but they did not expect that there would be so many troops, and Zhao Zhuo even prepared gunpowder!
She wanted to occupy Yuzhou with the small number of people in the Jinwu Guard, which was simply like hitting a rock with an egg and overestimating her own capabilities.
But if I give up now and want to avoid the marriage, then the only way out is to join forces with Xie Qinjian.
Zhao Mingyue knew very well that Xie Qinjian was coveting her, and as long as she was willing to rely on him, he would help her solve everything.
But what’s the difference between this and marrying to Xiqi?
By then, not only will Master Xue despise her, she will also despise herself.
She was unwilling to give up, she would never give up like this!
There may be ways in this world to defeat the majority with the minority and the strong with the weak. She can definitely think of it.
Zhao Mingyue was just pondering when Mei Junrong suddenly said, "There's one more thing I forgot to mention. When we were coming back, we passed by a valley and saw soldiers building a platform. I wonder what they were going to do."
Zhao Mingyue's eyes lit up. Zhao Zhuo must be holding a swearing-in ceremony here!
She immediately asked, "What's the terrain like around the valley?"
Mei Junrong said: "The valley is very wide and narrow, sandwiched between two peaks, with only two exits, east and west."
Zhao Yuzhang touched his chin and thought, "This place is very suitable for an ambush."
————
"Your Highness, are you sure you want to hold the oath-taking ceremony in Swallow Valley? The terrain here is difficult and seems a bit dangerous!"
A huge map was spread out on the desk in Zhao Zhuo's study, with rivers, mountains and the borders of each state clearly marked on it.
Li Zhi, who was in charge of training private soldiers, came to report to Zhao Zhuo. Seeing the map on the table, he couldn't help but express his concerns.
"Dangerous? You mean this place is prone to ambushes?" Zhao Zhuo sneered. "No one can enter Laoya Mountain, so how can there be an ambush? You're just worrying about nothing!"
"Yes, yes, I worried too much!" Li Zhi quickly bowed his head and admitted his mistake.
Zhao Zhuo raised his chin and said arrogantly, "Li Zhi, remember this, I am the grandson of Rong Gaozu. I have royal blood flowing in my veins. I am the only one in this world who is destined by heaven! As long as I raise an army to attack Queen Mother Chi, all the righteous men in the world will come to my side!"
He patted Li Zhi's shoulder and spoke in a condescending and arrogant tone, "So, there's nothing to worry about. Lead your soldiers and fight well. I won't treat you unfairly. Just wait for your official title and honor, and your name will be recorded in history!"
Li Zhi didn't realize how hypocritical his words were. Instead, he immediately thought of the scene when he was a high-ranking official. He was so excited that his whole body was shaking. He shouted loudly: "Yes, I am willing to swear to be loyal to you until my death!"
————
On the other hand, the men in Liujia Village were still worried about the ransom.
"Brother, look at my family. We have nothing left. We sold all our land long ago. To redeem them, mother and daughter, would cost forty taels of silver. I simply can't come up with that. Don't try to persuade me. I won't redeem them!"
Liu Dali's cousin Liu Linzi was lying on the bed in broad daylight, with a sad face.
Liu Dali was worried when he saw him, but he was still a relative, so he had to take care of him. "If you hadn't been gambling away all your money, how could you be like this now? Forget it, I'm not here to persuade you, I'm just giving you some advice."
"What's the idea?"
"Landlord Xu in the county has a wife who can't bear a son, so he wants to pawn her for a son. He's offering 100 taels of silver. Go borrow some money, redeem your sister-in-law, and then let her earn the money. Isn't that better than doing nothing?"
Liu Linzi jumped up from the bed. "That would earn me another sixty taels. I think this is a good idea! But, my wife's first child was also a broken tile. What can Mr. Xu do?"
Liu Dali poked him on the forehead. "Why are you so honest? No wonder you always lose at gambling. Can't you give the trafficker some money and ask him to say your sister-in-law gave birth to a boy? If you don't tell me and I don't tell anyone, how can Landlord Xu know?"
"Okay, okay, I got it. I'll go borrow the money right away." Liu Linzi put on his straw sandals and ran out of the house.
Liu Dali looked at his back with disdain, "Idiot! If you weren't my seventh uncle's son, I wouldn't care whether you lived or died."
————
The men in the village were busy raising money, while the women in the mountains were busy training.
The fifty men Mei Junrong had left behind were all experts in the art of leading troops. Among them, Liu Xiangyi had been a cook for a full year and a half, his once fair face now blackened by the smoke and fire, but fortunately, his cooking skills were improving rapidly.
However, in addition to cooking every day, she also practiced martial arts hard. At the beginning of the year, she finally got rid of the bottom position in the monthly assessment and became a glorious swordsman!
Of course, this was also due to Mei Junrong's perseverance in teaching her swordsmanship.
And now, she wants to use the same method to torture, no, to train the newcomers of Zhu Fengzhai.
The newcomers had never received such high-intensity training before, and they were exhausted after a whole morning of training.
Some people even began to back out and wanted to go home, but when they saw the woman locked in the house, they immediately gave up the idea.
"At least here, we can eat our fill, burp!" They ate their food and drank their soup in big gulps, then burped contentedly.
After dinner, the newcomers stopped training and instead reclaimed land, planted crops and cleaned the house.
Liu Linzi's wife, Song Xiaoqing, took her daughter's hand and went to deliver food to the woman imprisoned in the house.
Seeing her, Hu Xinghua said sarcastically, "Sister-in-law, is this bandit food so delicious that it makes you determined to stay in the bandit's lair?"
As soon as these words came out, Song Xiaoqing felt that everyone in the room was looking at her. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head and whispered, "Sister Xinghua, you know what kind of person Brother Linzi is. I, I won't go back."
Hu Xinghua sneered, "It's all because you're such a useless wife. If you had taken good care of him, would he have gone out to gamble?"
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