The two men struggled and cried out that they were innocent.
Yun Qi emerged from behind the tree and circled the two of them. "Tell me, which village are you from?"
One of them said, "From Dapo Village."
Yun Qi nodded. There was indeed a village nearby called Dapo Village, with about two or three hundred people living there.
He glanced at their clothes; they were wearing coarse linen short jackets that were common among ordinary people at the time, revealing two thick, tanned arms. Their facial features were not particularly striking; they were the kind of ordinary people who would be easily lost in a crowd.
Yun Qi snorted coldly, "He is indeed a good prospect for a spy, what a pity."
"Sir, please let us go! We are truly the people of Dapo Village!" the scout continued his performance with great enthusiasm.
Yun Si: "Stop spouting nonsense. You're not from Dapo Village at all. Do you know why? Because the villagers of Dapo Village would never take such a long detour to come to this back mountain to gather firewood."
The two tried to argue, but Yun Qi, standing behind them, kicked them both to the ground.
"Look at the calluses on your hands. Calluses on the palms and joints of people who work hard all year round are mainly caused by years of practicing with weapons such as knives and swords, due to the position and force of the hand holding the weapon."
Guards stepped forward and searched their belts and legs, finding daggers, tinderboxes, listening jars, and Kongming lanterns among the bundles of firewood.
"What, still trying to argue?" Yun Qi stomped hard on one of their cheeks.
The two immediately deflated and remained silent.
Yun Er's cool voice came from the tree, "Now that their identities have been confirmed, let's kill them."
Spies are highly skilled and valuable in war; the intelligence they gather often determines the outcome of battles. Therefore, when a spy is captured, no mercy is shown.
Upon hearing this, the guards immediately took the two away. Not long after, two muffled thuds of heavy objects falling to the ground came from the distant woods.
At the same time, the work of the Hu people in collecting grain from various cities and villages was also obstructed.
Yun San led a group of men to ambush on the only road connecting several villages.
"Third Brother, the Hu people are coming with grain, and behind them is a string of young men forcibly conscripted to repair the city walls," the soldier who went out to scout hurriedly returned to report.
Yun San gritted his teeth and said, "Tell the brothers to get ready. Fire the arrows when the Hu soldiers are within range, but be careful to avoid the civilians behind them."
Upon learning that Hu soldiers were robbing the people's food everywhere, Lin Yinan realized it was the best time to defeat them one by one. He decisively divided the archers into several small teams and inserted them into the teams led by Yun Yi and Yun San to kill the Hu soldiers who were robbing food.
The convoy gradually drew closer.
The Hu people led a dozen or so horse-drawn carriages, which were loaded with grain and supplies looted from the homes of the people.
At Yun San's command, a rain of arrows fell from the sky, shooting towards the leading Hu man.
Seeing the Hu people falling one after another in front of them, the villagers who were tied up in a string behind them quickly squatted down.
After the killing was complete, the soldiers emerged from the woods where they had been hiding, quickly cleaned up the battlefield, and dragged away and buried the corpses of the Hu people who had died.
Yun San stepped forward and untied the ropes binding the villagers' hands. "Are you all from the same village?"
The scene just now terrified the villagers. They didn't recognize them, and for a moment, no one spoke.
"Don't be afraid, we are soldiers of Longtan, here specifically to deal with the Hu people," Yun San said, raising his flag and explaining to them with a smile.
"So it really is Lord Lin of Longtan!"
A young man stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, we are from Dapo Village and Huanggang Village respectively."
Yun San pointed to the grain on the cart, "Take this grain back and return it to its rightful owner, but you have to leave the horses with us."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they all rushed forward to help drive the carriage.
In Dapo Village, a gloomy atmosphere prevailed. The Hu people had taken away all the grain stored in each household, leaving not a single grain. The crops had just been planted when all the young men in the families were kidnapped, supposedly to repair the city walls in Nanzhou Prefecture. No one knew how they would survive the rest of their lives.
The sound of crying could be heard from every household.
The village chief, sitting at the village entrance smoking a leaf tobacco pipe, had his head drooping, his face filled with deep sorrow.
Suddenly, he heard the thunderous sound of horses' hooves coming from outside the village. He panicked, thinking that the Hu people had come again.
Just as he was about to call for help, he looked closely and realized that the young men who had been kidnapped earlier had returned, all with smiling faces.
The village chief rubbed his eyes hard. Was he seeing things?
Then a boy of about thirteen or fourteen ran towards him, shouting, "Village chief, we're back!"
Why did you turn back? Did the Hu people not want you to go?
The boy danced with joy, saying, "It was the soldiers of Longtan who killed the barbarians and let us come back, along with all the grain that was stolen from us. Village chief, hurry up and beat the gong to call everyone to come and collect their grain!"
Carrying heavy loads of grain, the villagers of Dapo Village realized it wasn't a dream.
The village chief shook his head helplessly and banged the gong loudly.
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and pack your things, go up the mountain to hide. If those barbarians come again, they won't let us go!"
The villagers then scattered like birds and beasts.
In a refined villa in Nanzhou Prefecture.
After finishing all the tasks at hand, the soldiers returned home every day with plenty of grain, meat and vegetables, making He Xiong extremely happy.
In an effort to please him, Yu Shida specially offered up a beautiful villa that the Yu family head had previously given him.
The unhappiness that had been weighing on his heart for so long finally dissipated, and He Xiong specifically asked Yu Shida to bring Yu Qiutao over. Although the young lady had been unwilling last time, she had served him extremely well, making him unable to forget her.
Therefore, among all the beauties gathered in the villa, she was his favorite.
In the dim candlelight, on the bed, the two figures were intertwined like vines, the curtains moving without wind, like undulating waves.
Afterwards, Yu Qiutao lay limply on He Xiong's strong chest, her brows damp with fine sweat that soaked the stray hairs on her forehead. Now that she had recovered her composure, her eyes were filled with boundless hatred.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you dissatisfied with me, General?"
He Xiong gently stroked her back with his large palm, his face displaying a lewd smile.
Knowing full well that her fate was in this man's hands, Yu Qiutao suppressed the hatred in her eyes and flattered him, saying, "General, you are so mighty and extraordinary. It is my good fortune that makes me so lucky."
What do you mean?
Yu Qiutao raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and softly recounted her unfortunate experiences over the years.
"You said you went south with that group from Longtan?" He Xiong looked at her suspiciously.
"Yes, my original surname was Lin. After that woman gained power, she colluded with the elders to remove me from the Lin family and take my surname. That's why I took my mother's surname and lived a life of hunger and thirst with my mother in Nanzhou Prefecture. In the end, I was forced to become a concubine in the Yu family."
"The Yu family is surprisingly benevolent," He Xiong sneered.
Under the soft light, Yu Qiutao's eyes gently darted around.
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