Chapter 32 Fenglin Village (Part 3) The morning sun weeps blood, dyeing the sky red, there is...
The morning sun wept blood, dyeing the sky red, and a few bird shadows circled and flew into the distance.
Hundreds of soldiers stood below in a mighty force, the momentum was overwhelming, dust was everywhere, and the nose was filled with the smell of smoke and blood.
All I heard was a strange horn sound that was as heavy and muffled as a maggot in the tarsal bone, which made my teeth chatter. It was long and piercing, and slowly opened the curtain of the war.
Tao Hean, standing on a high platform in the village, held a broadsword in his hand, his eyes sharp as he shouted at the middle-aged man in armor riding a reddish-brown warhorse in the middle of the soldiers:
"Wang Shouyi, if you are a hero, then dismount and fight me!"
"Hahaha, what a joke!"
Wang Shouyi, wearing dark rattan armor, had a face full of sarcasm, his eyes full of mockery and cruelty, and his voice was loud and powerful.
"You won't even get off your horse, I'll make a fool of you!"
After hearing Wang Shouyi's reply, Tao Hean did not get angry but mocked him again.
"Oh, Tao He'an, you have become bandits and are disturbing the peace of our counties. I have come here to suppress these bandits as a matter of course to rid the people of this evil! You must surrender immediately and ask County Magistrate Xiao to leave. Do not resist stubbornly! If you continue to be stubborn..."
He raised his hand slightly, and the crossbowmen behind him raised their bows and arrows in unison, aiming the arrowheads with cold light at the men on the wall. Fear appeared in the eyes of these men, but none of them retreated. Instead, they gripped their weapons tightly with red eyes, with a crazy spirit that didn't care about their lives.
"Leave no one alive!"
The two sides were only a hundred meters apart, and Wang Huaiyi could see clearly. He just felt that these people were overestimating their own abilities, and his last words were full of condescending contempt and disdain.
Besides, Tao Hean on the high platform was obviously very angry. The veins on his hand that was tightly holding the big knife were bulging, and his face was flushed red. He was about to curse back, but he heard a clear but penetrating voice.
"General Wang, you're so arrogant. You're suppressing bandits. I wonder whose orders you're following, and what kind of bandits are you suppressing?"
I saw that the people on the high platform on the right side of Fenglin Village had changed at some point. It was Xiao Wangshu and An who was always by his side.
"Xiao Wangshu! Are you planning to collude with this thief?"
Wang Shouyi on his warhorse turned his eyes and accused.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Wangshu and An on the high platform suddenly looked at each other and laughed.
Feeling that he had lost face, Wang Shouyi pointed his whip in Xiao Wangshu's direction and scolded him.
"Sir Xiao, I respect you as the county magistrate, so I'm giving you some respect. But now you're openly mocking me! You're so ungrateful!"
"Hahaha, I laughed all I wanted to laugh. General Wang said he wanted to save you, and then he claimed that you and I had tipped off the bandits together, but he couldn't even recognize who you were. Isn't that funny?"
This place is some distance away from the warhorse center, so Xiao Wangshu changed his clothes before coming here.
"I have never met Sir Xiao before, so it's understandable that I made a mistake. Sir, please don't make fun of me. If you don't want to lose your life, leave the village quickly."
Wang Shouyi was extremely angry after being humiliated, but he managed to hold it in. He forced a smile and quickly changed his tone.
This time, it wasn't just Xiao Wangshu and the other two who were laughing.
Wang Shouyi was naturally puzzled, but Xiao Wangshu ignored him and instead bowed to Tao Hean, who was also standing on the platform.
"Brother Tao, it's clear that this person has evil intentions and wants to harm me. I feel really wronged."
It turned out that it was Xiao Wangshu who spoke from beginning to end.
"You dare to play tricks on me, kid? Let me go...!"
At this point, Wang Shouyi finally came to his senses. He cursed fiercely and was about to start a fight, but Xiao Wangshu was quicker than him.
"So what if I'm playing tricks on you!"
He interrupted Wang Shouyi directly,
"All soldiers below the city, listen to my orders!"
Xiao Wangshu said this with all his might, his voice clear and deafening, drowning out all the noise. Everyone subconsciously looked in Xiao Wangshu's direction, and saw him take out an ebony token from his arms. The token was engraved with golden dragon patterns, which sparkled brightly in the sunlight, making the token's origin even more extraordinary.
"The guilty minister Wang Shouyi secretly colluded with Southern Shu, selling out his country for personal gain! He deserves death! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has issued an order: anyone who abandons evil and joins the good will be forgiven! Anyone who captures Wang Shouyi's head will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold!"
A hundred taels of gold! As soon as these words were spoken, they exploded among Wang Shouyi's army like sparks dropped into a frying pan.
For ordinary soldiers, the fact that the general was a traitor was not as shocking as the one hundred taels of gold. Moreover, due to the layers of exploitation in the remote counties, these soldiers sometimes could not even get a few stone of grain and half a string of copper coins as monthly salary. One hundred taels of gold was a huge fortune that they could not earn in several lifetimes.
As early as when Xiao Wangshu called him a traitor, Wang Shouyi was so frightened that he almost fell off his horse. When the words of a hundred taels of gold came out, Wang Shouyi felt that his head was about to fall to the ground. He subconsciously wanted to run, but he reacted the next second. He was surrounded by his confidants who usually took advantage of him.
Xiao Wangshu's words were not proof, but a token that could not prove his identity at all and a promise that he was not sure whether it could be fulfilled. How could he easily convince his men? Moreover, Wang Shouyi thought again, he had never let anyone else know about his transaction with the people of Southern Shu, so Xiao Wangshu might be deceiving him.
Feeling confident, Wang Shouyi angrily cursed:
"Bullshit! Where's the evidence? You framed an official of the imperial court, falsely conveyed the Crown Prince's orders, and even colluded with these villains. Your intentions are truly sinister! Wait until I, the Licheng prefect, punish you!"
"Oh, if you touch me, not only the Licheng governor, but even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will never let you off easily. The token in my hand cannot be fake! As for you constantly saying that I framed you..."
Suddenly, Xiao Wangshu sneered and said:
"What you're wearing is the 'Green Scale Vine Armor' specially crafted by Southern Shu! This armor is unique in appearance, and because it was soaked in Southern Shu secret medicine for three days and three nights during its crafting, it has a medicinal fragrance. The inside of the armor, near the armpits, is engraved with the Southern Shu army's mark - Lycoris radiata.
What's more, you even changed the military laws of Zhongshan to those of Nanshu. Are you afraid that when the two armies fight, Nanshu will not understand the attack horn of Zhongshan? "
Half an hour ago, he suddenly heard the sound of a horn and felt strangely familiar. It was not until he saw the armor on Wang Shouyi's body that Xiao Wangshu understood where this sense of familiarity came from.
Three years after the previous life, the Southern Shu Kingdom suddenly launched an attack, and the Zhongshan Kingdom sent an old general to fight back. However, they didn't know how the Southern Shu Kingdom had figured out the military rules of Zhongshan, and they suffered a lot. It was also in this battle that General Tao emerged. Now, the truth is revealed. It turned out that there was a traitor in his Zhongshan Kingdom a long time ago.
It was like several thunderclaps exploding in Wang Shouyi's ears. The whispers of the soldiers in the camp made him even more terrified, but he was still trying to make excuses.
"Bullshit! Come on! Shoot them! Shoot them to death!"
He pointed his whip at the archer beside him and cursed him. The horse he was riding seemed to feel his panic and its hooves clattered around non-stop.
But no matter how anxious he was, the men under him wouldn't move, which made him even more panicked and he kept talking.
"Are you all stupid? Hurry up and move!" He whipped the soldiers, and the emotions in the soldiers' eyes scared him. He gripped the whip tightly, sweat oozing from his forehead, but he suddenly calmed down at this moment. What was there to be afraid of? More than half of the people here were his confidants. As long as he killed these people, he would have already found a way out in Southern Shu.
"What are you afraid of? I'll take the brunt of any trouble. It's a foregone conclusion that Xiao Wangshu is colluding with the bandits. You're just believing his dying words. Think about your family. If you dare to disobey my orders, you'll be in big trouble!"
Those soldiers loyal to Wang Shouyi seemed to have taken a reassurance pill, and the few who knew the inside story were even more complacent. Lord Wang had the support of Southern Shu, so they could still live a comfortable life in Southern Shu. As for these people, they either surrendered to Lord Wang or died.
Then a sky full of arrows, mixed with several flaming arrows, came towards us with a shrill whistling sound.
Sighing in his heart, Xiao Wangshu drew out his long sword and swung his sword together with An to knock away several flying arrows. However, many arrows still flew into the village and landed on the thatched roofs, setting it on fire like a prairie fire. Flames shot up into the sky and black smoke filled the air.
Of course, his words were not completely ineffective. The soldiers' struggle and confusion bought the people in the village a lot of time.
Thick smoke obscured the scorching sun, and the bitter and dry smell was mixed with a pungent and fishy sweetness. Their throats were tight and their eyes were dry and red. They waved their weapons numbly, not knowing how long they had persisted.
Sweat mixed with blood stained Xiao Wangshu's clothes. He no longer had the image of a scholar. Those who had been hiding in the cave ran out at some point. They were carrying corpses and bandaging the wounds of the wounded. Even the children were holding weapons, but it shouldn't have been like this. They were all Zhongshan's people, whether they were soldiers or civilians in the village.
Xiao Wangshu gritted his teeth and refused to make a sound. Tao Meixiu bandaged his shoulder. Her face looked strange and awkward, as if she wanted to say something to him, but in the end she just left in silence and ran to the next injured person.
He supported himself and stood up. An was not by his side. This often silent and unkind secret guard seemed to have developed his own blood because of this war. He was still fighting hard on the front line. Without hesitation, he walked towards the village gate again.
Tao Meixiu was directing the villagers to carry the wounded. Her martial arts and strategy were not as good as her brother's, but she understood the villagers' strengths better than these villagers, could properly arrange the most suitable things for the villagers, and could calm the villagers' emotions, which Tao Hean could not do, so it was she who was in the rear. Perhaps in other words, when her brother died in battle, she would be the next general.
"He, Mr. Xiao, your injury."
"No problem."
There was no way. He didn't want the villagers to die, but General Wang would not let them go. The only consolation was that those who killed them were not worthy of his mercy.
But how could this group of civilians who had never killed anyone be a match for those well-trained soldiers? They were gradually losing the upper hand and the village gate was about to be breached.
They were struggling to hold on at the gate of the village, but soldiers kept coming forward to fill the gap, and Xiao Wangshu's heart became heavier.
"Traitor, stop resisting! If you beg me kindly, I might spare you."
Riding on a tall horse and looking down at Xiao Wangshu and others, Wang Shouyi was full of sarcasm. Of course, this was a lie. He would not keep any of the people here.
"Stop talking nonsense, Mr. Wang. If you have the guts, dismount and fight!"
Tao Hean swung his sword to chop the soldiers who rushed towards him and cursed fiercely.
Sitting high on his warhorse, Wang Shouyi looked at the people in the village who were exhausted from dealing with the situation, and just laughed disdainfully towards the sky.
But at this moment, a hoarse cry came from the front of the valley.
"The Licheng garrison obeys the Crown Prince's orders! Exterminate the traitor Wang Shouyi! Those who surrender, lay down their weapons, and kneel will be spared! Those who stubbornly resist—behead them immediately!"
A huge black flag appeared from the cover of the grass and trees at the foot of the mountain. The flag was embroidered with the golden word "Li". Behind it followed a mighty army, like a surging force. At that moment, the world seemed to stand still.
Until the shaking of the earth reaches people's hearts.
Clang! Clang! The sound of the weapon falling to the ground was so clear.
Panic and fear spread in his heart. Wang Shouyi didn't even care about anything else. He knew he was finished.
"withdraw,"
The sound was almost inaudible.
"withdraw!"
He suddenly raised his voice, lifted the reins, squeezed his legs together, and led the small group of soldiers to run towards the fork in the road at the foot of the mountain.
"Chase him quickly, don't let Wang Shouyi escape!" Someone in the crowd shouted the first sentence, and those who reacted quickly rode their horses to catch up.
Aside from the fork in the road halfway up the mountain, the only path on the mountain was the narrow, muddy trail that Xiao Wangshu and his companions had taken. Wang Shouyi was no fool. Seeing the army approaching, he dismounted and plunged into the dense forest. However, he disappeared in an instant, and some unwilling followers followed him.
As for Xiao Wangshu and others, they naturally breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the reinforcements.
When the reinforcements arrived, Xiao Wangshu discovered that the team leaders were Nian Yue and Mr. Chi Hua.
"Sir, Nian Yue is late."
Nian Yue, who dismounted and came with a horsewhip in hand, had grown taller. Her originally round and tender oval face had become a melon seed. She was dressed in a red tight-fitting outfit and had an extraordinary demeanor in every move. Her eyebrows and eyes bore some resemblance to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the teardrop mole under her eye made her even more charming. Her temperament was steady, and she was completely different from the cheerful and lively little girl a few months ago.
When people get closer, this difference becomes more obvious.
"You, what happened?"
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