The plan was disrupted.
Suppressing bandits is not something that can be accomplished with just a few words; it requires a detailed battle plan and reconnaissance of the location.
Although Li Wenkang only borrowed five hundred elite soldiers, he couldn't ignore their food and drink, which is why he needed to raise money from merchants.
The elite cavalry selected 500 strong soldiers to wait at the post station, while the remaining several thousand troops were stationed in an open area a few miles outside the city. Since the city could not accommodate so many people, their rice and flour were all sent from the city.
After settling all the soldiers in, Li Wenkang invited the officers with official positions to his residence and treated them to a feast.
Whether or not we can achieve our political success in suppressing bandits depends entirely on these people.
An army entered the city. Such a large-scale operation could not be concealed. The people of the city were very happy to learn that the government had invited General Luo to suppress the bandits, and they discussed the matter over tea and after meals.
"It's been so long, the government has finally done something."
"With General Luo leading the charge, we're sure to wipe out the bandits without leaving a single one alive."
"This is great! Let's restore peace to Qingzhou City!"
“That’s right, let those heartless bandits see the might of the cavalry.”
The news of the bandit suppression was deliberately released by Li Wenkang. The public opinion in the past few days had severely criticized the government, and now that there was a ready-made opportunity to clear his name, he naturally wouldn't let it go.
Xie Zhuo entered the Xiaoji Army by concealing his identity as the heir apparent. Only a few generals, including Luo Zhenhai, knew his true identity. Therefore, the focus of the reception was not on him. After dealing with the officials in the government office, he changed into casual clothes and went to Taibai Wine Shop to find Fu Zhiqiao.
Defu, who had been with Fu Zhiqiao, had met Xie Zhuo twice before and now recognized him. He asked, "Young Master Xie, are you here to buy wine?"
Xie Zhuo shook his head.
Defu understood that either the girl had come to buy wine or to see a young lady. He was very understanding and said, "The young lady will come to the shop later. Please wait a moment, sir."
Xie Zhuo's arrival was quite timely; today was the day Taibai Wine Shop would be checking its accounts, and Fu Zhiqiao usually came to the shop to check the ledgers at this time.
Defu led Xie Zhuo to the VIP room to rest. Not long after, a waiter knocked on the door and said that the boss wanted to invite him.
Fu Zhiqiao sat in the study on the second floor. Xie Zhuo straightened the wrinkles in his clothes and pushed open the door to enter.
Unexpectedly, the first thing Fu Zhi Qiao said to him was, "You've gotten darker."
Xie Zhuo was taken aback: "Really?"
"A blemish doesn't matter, Brother Xie is still handsome and dashing."
Fu Zhi Qiao joked with him in a familiar tone. Although they hadn't seen each other for three or four months, they didn't feel awkward at all when they were together.
Having led troops to suppress bandits for three or four months, it's no wonder he got tanned from the wind and sun. Xie Zhuo didn't reveal his true identity, only saying that he served in the military and had been suppressing bandits for a long time. He explained the reason for his tanning in just a few words.
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't ask any further questions, only inquiring, "Are you injured?"
"It's nothing."
With each person chiming in, the conversation flowed freely. Fu Zhiqiao had been in Qingzhou for so long, focusing all her attention on the wine shops and wineries. Xie Zhuo could be considered one of the few people she could call a friend.
The two chatted about their recent situations, and Fu Zhiqiao even let him try the new plum wine from the wine shop. Fu Zhiqiao perked up when he heard that his family was under General Luo Zhenhai's command.
Just when you're about to fall asleep, someone offers you a pillow. The elite cavalry was the main force in this bandit suppression campaign. Fu Zhiqiao subtly tricked him into revealing that the government would be attacking Black Tiger Stronghold in two days.
Will you participate in this bandit suppression operation?
Xie Zhuo shook his head. He hadn't taken any precautions against Fu Zhiqiao. The bandit suppression was a done deal and had already caused quite a stir in the city. Besides, General Luo was personally leading the team, so it didn't matter whether he was there or not. He didn't need to rely on these military achievements to advance his own position.
Fu Zhiqiao breathed a sigh of relief when he said he wouldn't participate. If he had been there, her plans would have been very difficult to carry out.
After seeing Xie Zhuo off, Fu Zhi Qiao locked herself in her study. She held a calligraphy brush, dipped it lightly in ink, and made some adjustments to the plan she had already written.
As dawn broke, a secret letter was delivered to Black Tiger Stronghold. Fu Zhiqiao conveyed the news that the government would attack Black Tiger Stronghold in two days and requested to meet with the stronghold leader, Cheng Yexuan.
Wen Jiang personally went to deliver the message to Black Tiger Stronghold; Fu Zhi Qiao didn't trust anyone else with this task.
I sent the message in the morning and received a reply in the afternoon.
The news that the government was going to suppress the bandits was not a secret in the city, but the bandits in Black Tiger Village outside the city were not so well informed. After receiving the secret letter, Cheng Yexuan immediately agreed to meet her and arranged to meet at Black Tiger Village.
Fu Zhiqiao held the letter and pondered for a moment. Did Cheng Yexuan want to test her courage by inviting her to meet at his own hideout?
"No pain, no gain," she thought, and once she made up her mind, she wouldn't give up easily.
Once some things are started, there's no going back.
The next day, Fu Zhi Qiao brought Wen Jiang and Wen Shan to the appointment. They were the two most skilled fighters in the guard team, so if anything went wrong, protecting her and ensuring her safe retreat would not be difficult. However, in case of any unexpected events, she also arranged for someone to meet her at the foot of the mountain.
All three disguised themselves to varying degrees. Wenjiang disguised himself as the manager of the wine shop, she disguised herself as the accountant, and Wenshan accompanied them as a bodyguard.
Everything went smoothly; they left the city without incident and avoided the crowds until they reached the foot of Yanshan Mountain, when trouble struck.
What's Xie Zhuo doing here?
Xie Zhuo rode his horse to guard the entrance to the woods, accompanied by two archers. He was surveying the terrain and formulating a battle plan for tomorrow's bandit suppression operation.
"stop!"
Xie Zhuo didn't expect to run into Fu Zhiqiao while he was out scouting. Originally, he wasn't supposed to be involved in the bandit suppression, and staying in Qingzhou was already unplanned. However, he didn't want to stay in the city with the officials. Since he was just idling around anyway, he took this opportunity to get some fresh air.
He never expected to see Fu Zhi Qiao here. She was wearing a dark men's suit, and there was something painted on her face that made her look sleazy.
This wasn't the first time Xie Zhuo had seen Fu Zhi Qiao dressed as a man. She had also worn men's clothing when she was selling wine at the market, back when she looked like a handsome young man.
What situation would necessitate her dressing so shabbily?
Fu Zhi Qiao was also dumbfounded. She was wearing loose men's clothing, a crown on her head, and a mustache around her mouth. How did Xie Zhuo recognize her?
There was no way they could stay put. Knowing that Xie Zhuo held a position in the military, Fu Zhi Qiao didn't want him involved, so she whispered to the two of them, "Hurry up! He wasn't calling us!"
The three quickened their pace.
Seeing that she wouldn't listen, Xie Zhuo took the bow and arrow off the horse, wedged the arrow's fletching onto the bowstring, aimed at the target, and released it in one smooth motion. With a "whoosh," a sharp arrow pierced the tree trunk in front of them, blocking their path.
The arrow was clearly aimed at them. Wen Jiang and Wen Shan turned around and shielded Fu Zhi Qiao behind them. The two had never seen Xie Zhuo in the manor and assumed that Xie Zhuo had come with ill intentions. They stepped forward and faced him in a defensive posture.
Seeing that the two were tense and ready to fight, Fu Zhi Qiao quickly reassured them, "It's okay, they're just people we know."
Xie Zhuo rode up quickly on horseback and looked down at him, asking, "What are you doing here?"
Fu Zhiqiao was still laughing it off. She shook her head and looked around, asking, "Is the official talking to me?"
Xie Zhuo was speechless. He dismounted and walked up to her, quickly pinching off the mustache she had stuck on: "Stop pretending!"
Fu Zhiqiao: ...
Their eyes met, and a rare hint of embarrassment appeared on her face as she muttered, "How did you recognize me even in this state?"
"I have my own way." Xie Zhuo's mood suddenly improved: "What brings you here? There are bandits around here, you'd better leave as soon as possible."
I know there are bandits here, and the place I'm going to is a bandit's den!
Fu Zhi Qiao was inwardly cursing, but meeting Xie Zhuo here was completely unexpected. She was momentarily stunned and asked blankly, "Didn't you say yesterday that you wouldn't participate in the bandit suppression?"
When Xie Zhuo heard her say that, his gaze immediately darkened: "Knowing that we were supposed to be suppressing bandits, why did you come here?"
Fu Zhiqiao sighed heavily in her heart. After several encounters, she knew that Xie Zhuo was an extremely perceptive person. Now she had been caught red-handed by him again. It was truly an inauspicious start!
Seeing her stammering, Xie Zhuo's eyes sharpened. "What are you three up to, sneaking around here like this? Confess now!"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
It seemed she couldn't fool them anymore. Fu Zhiqiao organized her thoughts and told them, half-truthfully, that the bandits had stolen the grain she used to brew wine, and also explained that she was going to negotiate with the bandits.
When Xie Zhuo heard that her grain had been stolen, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Just because a little grain was stolen, you're willing to risk your life?"
"A little grain? How about two thousand catties of grain?"
Is it about the amount of grain? It's that you actually wanted to negotiate with the bandits, putting yourself in danger!
The atmosphere around Xie Zhuo suddenly cooled down, and he pulled her aside. "General Luo is personally leading the troops to suppress the bandits this time. Have you heard of General Luo Zhenhai? Don't worry, from today onwards, no more bandits will come to steal your food."
How do I respond to that...?
Fu Zhiqiao was speechless again.
After a long while, she finally heard her own voice: "Even if the government troops go to suppress the bandits, they have to hand over all the property they collect. My two thousand catties of grain were still lost..."
After saying this, Fu Zhi Qiao blushed a little. The Taibai Wine Shop was very profitable, and two thousand catties of grain were not that important, but she didn't have a better excuse at the moment.
Fu Zhi Qiao's unyielding attitude left Xie Zhuo speechless with anger.
His chest heaved, unable to understand why Fu Zhi Qiao was so stubborn. Xie Zhuo's tone became more forceful: "What can you negotiate with them? They are bandits. Do you think they will reason with you? Or will they return the grain to you?"
His gaze was full of scrutiny and pressure. The aura of a superior pressed down on her, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down Fu Zhi Qiao's forehead. She couldn't possibly tell him her true purpose!
"I..." She wanted to retort a couple more times.
"You know you can't fool me!" Xie Zhuo didn't argue with her. He had already witnessed her sharp tongue back in the Qingfeng Teahouse in Qingzhou.
Fu Zhiqiao remained silent.
Xie Zhuo grabbed her wrist, "Don't even think about going up the mountain until you explain yourself."
Wen Jiang and Wen Shan, who were not far away, saw their daughter's hand being grabbed and immediately ran over. However, they were stopped by two archers beside Xie Zhuo after only taking two steps.
Seeing that they seemed to be at odds, Fu Zhiqiao quickly raised her hand to indicate that she was alright.
Then she looked up at the sky. The time she had agreed upon with Black Tiger Stronghold was approaching, and she couldn't delay any longer.
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