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There was indeed no one outside the side door. After all, this was the road that the薑衣杠 had just passed through, and any enemies would have been cleared out in advance. However, this was far from enough, because they were not going through an alley or secret passage, but a main road that ran across the city from east to west and led directly to Xinglong Street!
After only ten steps, Yan Yuan ran out of the alley and turned into the main road.
At this moment, the shouts of killing had already been heard in the parade ground, and the sound of rapid gongs could be heard in the yamen, obviously indicating that a fire had been discovered.
Alarmed by the noise, several nearby households turned on their lights, and the barking of dogs was incessant.
Further away, there were chaotic shouts, and it was obvious that reinforcements were coming this way.
He had just broken into a prison and was carrying a death row inmate. Only a madman would choose such a retreat.
However, Yan Yuan did not hesitate at all and ran forward steadily.
It's only one mile long. After crossing the main road, you can change to a smaller road...
"Who's in front?" "Stop!"
A few loud shouts came towards him. In front of him was a group of about fifty soldiers. Yan Yuan's breathing changed for a moment, but he did not stop. Instead, he ran while shouting loudly: "Captain, someone is breaking into the prison!"
The shout was so quick but loud that it stopped the officers in command. Then they saw several people jogging towards them.
"There are too many people. We brothers can't hold on any longer. The government office is on fire..." The big man running in the front looked panicked and spoke incoherently. Even the wounded man on his back was staggering, but he still didn't wake up.
The captain's heart tightened: "How many people are here?"
"I don't know! Quite a few rushed out of the training grounds, and a few even fled through the east gate. I'm afraid there must be thirty or forty of them!" The big man swallowed hard. "Our team was dispersed, and two of our brothers were seriously injured..."
It was unknown how badly the person on his back was injured, but the other two people he was supporting were definitely seriously injured, with their heads drooping. I didn't know if they could be saved.
Looking at his black and gray face and blood on his body, I'm afraid he must have fought a fierce battle.
Of course, he might also be afraid and use the excuse of sending someone to get treatment to avoid the fight, which would be a waste of such a strong body!
However, although he thought so in his heart, he couldn't say it out loud. These soldiers looked like they were from the garrison. It would be a miracle if they could be trusted. It would be better to let them go and pass on the message and call more people.
The ones who could have broken out of the prison at this time must be from the Straw Clothes Gang! If the imperial criminals escaped, he would be held responsible. There was no time for delay!
Without a word, the captain shouted, "Go and call for help immediately. Reinforce the troops at all the city gates. Men, follow me and catch the thieves!"
As he said that, he led his men and rushed towards the yamen.
They didn't stop anyone! Yan Yuan's heart suddenly relaxed. The next moment, a hand on his shoulder patted him gently, and he came back to his senses. He whispered to the two people following behind him: "Hurry up!"
The few of them did not stop and continued to run towards the street intersection.
Lying on Yan Yuan's shoulder, Cheng Xi narrowed her eyes slightly, but did not relax her hand holding the knife.
Choosing this escape method takes advantage of blind spots in thinking, but the risks are still considerable.
Fortunately, although Yan Yuan’s acting skills are not good, she plays the role of a soldier in her true colors. The two boys from the Lin family were also taught by her. Their behavior is like that of officers and soldiers. Who can tell them apart in such chaos?
The most critical factor in nighttime operations is reaction speed. The internal strife within the Lu family attracted attention first, which would inevitably lead a large number of people to move there. By the time the government office became chaotic, only the nearest patrol officers would be able to arrive.
This was designed in advance by the Suoyi Gang. Wouldn't it be a shame if it wasn't used?
As Cheng Xi expected, they did not meet anyone else on the rest of the road. After turning at a street corner, they quickly arrived at Xinglong Street along the small path.
Although a few wealthy families noticed the commotion outside, most of the people living nearby were wealthy businessmen. They would close their doors tightly in the middle of the night and didn't dare to come out to check. Without the worry of being discovered, the few people quietly returned to their residences.
As soon as he entered the room, Cheng Xi jumped off Yan Yuan's back and whispered, "Change your clothes and throw them into the stove."
Yan Yuan felt a sudden sense of relief on his shoulder, and he began to feel uncomfortable. The next moment, he suddenly came to his senses.
The person was saved! They really did it!
Cheng Xi did not stop: "Go and see if there are any footprints outside the door. Wash off the blood on everyone. Prepare the mule cart and set off at dawn..."
The series of instructions were quick and light, but not hurried. The task had been arranged long ago, and now it was just a matter of following the plan.
Yan Yuan had completely calmed down by now. He immediately stepped forward to help Tian Yu up and whispered, "I'll take him to wash up."
"Remember to shut your mouth." Cheng Xi also whispered.
Yan Yuan understood, carried the man and retreated. Cheng Xi returned to the house, took off his bloodstained coat and changed into clean clothes.
He went out and handed the bloody shirt to the guard. The owner of the house, who had been waiting for a moment, quickly came over and whispered, "Master Cheng, what's going on outside?"
The owner of this house is a member of the Qingfeng Gang and has been trying to gather information quite a bit these past few days.
Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "It's not a big deal. The Suoyi Gang broke into the prison and one of our brothers was injured."
The man was so frightened that he almost bit his tongue.
It turns out that the Red Flag Gang has been planning a prison break these days, and they are teaming up with the Suoyi Gang. When did they collude with the Suoyi Gang?
Wait, if the prison is really robbed, the officers and soldiers will probably search the entire city and dig deep into the ground! Wouldn't those who harbored the criminals be in trouble?
His face turned pale, and he stammered, "Should I inform the shopkeeper..."
Didn't we say we were just staying for a few days? How did we cause such a big trouble without saying anything? Does Shopkeeper Yang know about this?!
Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Don't panic, I will take the injured out of the city at dawn. But too many people might cause trouble, so I'll have to trouble Manager Yang to help take care of the others."
The man's legs went weak when he heard that and he almost fell to his knees.
If you're leaving, why don't you all leave? Wouldn't it be troublesome if you stayed here?
Oh, Shopkeeper Yang is so foolish that he lent the yard to this group of desperate criminals without even asking for details... He cursed them in his heart so hard that he forgot that he was also a desperate criminal of the Qingfeng Gang.
Cheng Xi didn't bother with this guy. When he saw the person who had gone out to investigate coming back with a lantern, he immediately asked, "Are there any traces?"
In order to pretend that she did it herself, she would naturally pay attention to the amount of blood she applied and the distribution location, so that it would basically not wet the soles of her shoes or spill all over the floor.
But to be on the safe side, it’s best to take a look with a lantern.
"No, we walked to the side of the street and didn't see any traces." The gang member replied quickly.
Seeing that things were getting chaotic, it wouldn't be surprising to send someone to investigate the situation.
Of course, people can't go too far, let alone move forward, just make sure no traces are left.
"Clean the yard, burn all the clothes, and bring a basin of water..." Cheng Xi finished giving the instructions, then turned and smiled at the people from the Qingfeng Gang, "I'm sorry, I have to go wash up first. I'll be leaving the city soon, so you don't have to see me off."
Now that they've said that, what else can they say? At least the planning was quite thorough, and they didn't deliberately lead anyone into trouble. I just hope these unlucky people can leave quickly!
At the same time, there was a fierce fight inside and outside the Lu Mansion.
After the fire broke out, someone came to report the news immediately. The Lu Mansion opened its doors wide and sent many people to the disaster area to provide relief.
Seeing this, the assassins who were lying in ambush rushed in. Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered the door, there were loud gong sounds, sounding the alarm repeatedly.
The sound was obviously premeditated. Seeing that things were not going well, the attackers wanted to retreat, but the group of firefighters came back and blocked them in the yard.
As a result, a fierce fight attracted the attention of government soldiers, and hundreds of people surrounded Lu's mansion.
At this time, assassination was no longer possible, so the assassins decided to commit suicide immediately.
Unfortunately, there were too many opponents and they were well prepared, so several of them failed to die.
When the captain leading the team walked in with a gloomy face, he was met with a grim face.
Lu Jian got straight to the point and said, "It just so happens that the captain is here. Would you please come with me to meet the prefect?"
Stunned by these words, the captain asked, "Do you know what's going on? You're causing trouble in the middle of the night, and you still dare to see the prefect!"
"The thieves burned my grain store and broke into my house to assassinate me. Who else can I turn to if not the prefect?" Lu Jian said angrily. "I want to ask, what kind of person could cause such a big commotion? Is there no one in this world who can do anything about it?"
The tone of the voice made General Qian feel a little unsure. What was the identity of this person? Could he be from a prominent family?
Moreover, when he came to quell the rebellion, he heard that there was a riot in the government office. Could it be that this man had no idea about it at all?
Slowing down his tone, the captain said, "This matter is not urgent. There is chaos in the city tonight. Please ask your men to lay down their weapons."
"Put down your weapons and wait for others to kill you? I value my life and cannot obey your order." Lu Jian refused without mercy.
"You..." The captain was about to get angry.
Lu Jian sneered, "The gate is open. Just search. When I can see the prefect, I will take the assassins to find him!"
After saying that, he left without even turning back.
Faced with Lu Jian's attitude, General Qian was really helpless. After all, this family was obviously the victim, so he couldn't just kidnap them for no reason, right?
Besides, he has a wealthy family, private soldiers, and connections. Who knows his identity and background?
Anyway, we just need to stabilize the situation first and then look for our superiors when daybreak comes.
He was determined to refuse, but the Shangguan was now extremely anxious and at a loss.
"How did we get robbed? How did they get in? Are you guys being kept here for free?!" Prefect Lin was furious, cursing non-stop. "Where's the fireman? Someone come and put out the fire! It's about to burn down the warehouse! Where are all the people?"
However, despite their fury, the number of firefighters remained low, as a fire had broken out in another part of the city, on a street where merchants gathered and opened shops. Countless wealthy merchants were frantically searching for help to put out the fire, so who would have cared more about a minor fire at the government office?
After a lot of trouble, the fire in the government office was not completely put out until dawn.
When he heard the report from the yamen runners below, Magistrate Lin's eyes went dark and he almost fainted on the ground.
Did the two leaders of the Suoyi Gang escape? Did Qiu Ni's followers escape? Did the dozen or so death row prisoners escape?
"What are you still standing there for? Go and catch him!" Magistrate Lin shouted loudly with his beard shaking.
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