It was daytime, the city gates were wide open, and there were a few passersby.
Yang Hu and his men rode directly into the city.
They were a small group, only about three hundred riders, with half of them left outside the city to provide support.
When the city gates suddenly closed, Yang Hu sensed something was wrong.
He looked around at the shops along the street, only to find that all the shops that had been hawking their wares just moments before had their doors tightly shut.
Yang Hu immediately realized he had fallen into a trap. He shouted, "Retreat!"
However.
The archers and musketeers who were lying in ambush on the city gate and in the buildings on both sides made their move.
The roar of the muskets shook the bricks and stones of the city wall, causing them to crumble and turn to dust.
The neighing of warhorses and the incessant screams of agony filled the air.
Half of the bandits perished in this intense attack.
The heavy gate at the city gate has been lowered more than halfway, and returning the way we came at this point would basically be a dead end.
Yang Hu made a decision immediately and spurred his horse toward the west gate!
Blood suddenly bloomed on Yang Hu's left shoulder, but he endured the pain and headed straight for the hidden troop cave at the west gate, disappearing into the depths of the secret passage along with his horse.
Zhang Yong, in charge of the encirclement, slammed his sword into the iron gate, shouting, "This bastard actually knows Ximen's secrets!"
"Chase!"
Yang Hu thought he had escaped and was spurring his horse to gallop at full speed.
The people waiting outside the west gate have already figured out how to lower the drawbridge, and they can leave once they've crossed it.
A stray arrow suddenly struck the horse in the belly!
The horse galloped for a distance before collapsing with a thud.
Yang Hu tried to stand up, but a volley of arrows rained down on him, turning him into a pincushion.
Yang Hu's men retrieved Yang Hu's body and fled.
Yang Hu was their leader, a ruthless killer who also understood the intricacies of the county government.
Under no circumstances can the news of Yang Hu's death be leaked!
...
Inside the teahouse, Liu Qi heard the gunshot, and instantly lunged forward, grabbing Su Wanwan's shoulder.
Just as He Ying was about to call for help, Liu Qi had already pulled Su Wanwan through the window and jumped out!
"Release the arrows!"
"No!"
Two completely different commands were issued simultaneously.
Only a few arrows were fired, and one arrow struck Su Wanwan's hair bun! Upon landing, Liu Qi rolled with Su Wanwan behind a carriage.
Crane Shadow cried out, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"The Empress has been kidnapped!"
The general who gave the order to fire the arrows broke out in a cold sweat.
If I had hit Her Majesty just now, wouldn't I have been condemned to death?!
Liu Qi let out a long howl.
A fine horse galloped by, and Liu Qi pulled Su Wanwan onto the horse, turning into a small alley.
Instead of heading towards the west or south gate, Liu Qi ran towards the farthest east gate.
A group of soldiers stood at the east gate, which was closed.
Liu Qi rode forward, holding his sword to Su Wanwan's neck: "Open the door, make way!"
Su Wanwan's body stiffened, but the gold hairpin in her hand pierced the horse's body.
The horse, in pain, reared up its front legs, about to go berserk.
Liu Qi's knife had to leave Su Wanwan's neck. In the blink of an eye, an arrow shot out and hit Liu Qi's shoulder!
Liu Qi pulled Su Wanwan off her horse and leaped away, as a group of soldiers approached.
Liu Qi didn't linger in the fight, disappearing between the houses with a few leaps.
Su Wanwan had multiple abrasions on her body and pursed her lips as she looked at the spot where Liu Qi had disappeared.
By daybreak the next day, government troops reported that they had not found Liu Qi's whereabouts.
Su Wanwan had to admire Liu Qi's skill.
...
Zhang Yong pursued Yang Hu and his men but failed to catch them. He then turned back to escort Su Wanwan back to the capital.
"The bandit army is pressing in; Your Majesty, please take care of your health and return to the capital as soon as possible!"
It takes half a day to travel from Tongzhou to the capital on horseback.
Taking a horse-drawn carriage is much slower, taking at least a day.
The army escorting Su Wanwan numbered nearly a thousand, making her relatively safe.
The carriage had been traveling for half a day and was considering resting on the spot.
"Your Majesty, once we cross the Bali Bridge, we will reach the Shenji Camp's defense zone," Zhang Yong reported.
However, the ground suddenly trembled, and the soldiers who were eating rations and drinking water immediately went on alert.
"Protect the Emperor!"
From the rising dust in the distance, a dark, dense caravan of horses emerged.
A deafening battle cry erupted!
"Brother, we've come to rescue you!" The leader was none other than Liu Liu.
They arrived late yesterday, and Yang Hu and the others had already fled towards Bazhou.
Liu Liu, having no idea where Liu Qi was, assumed he had been captured by the government troops and cursed angrily.
That's why they set up an ambush on the road, preparing to rescue Liu Qi.
The place where they rested was surrounded by open fields, with nowhere to hide.
The enemy attacked from the middle of the column, causing chaos in the scene.
Su Wanwan sat in the carriage and gently patted He Ying's hand, "Don't be afraid."
Actually, I was quite nervous myself.
The sounds of fighting hadn't stopped when the carriage started moving again, heading straight for the Tonghui River.
The official roads surrounding the capital were wide and straight.
But the carriage was going too fast, and the jolting made everyone dizzy.
The government troops following behind the carriage were intercepted by bandits, and their numbers dwindled.
Suddenly the carriage stopped, the curtain was lifted, revealing Liu Qi's unruly face.
He was dressed in the uniform of a member of the Imperial Guard and pointed to the dock not far away: "Your Majesty, please."
Su Wanwan's pupils contracted.
What are you going to do?
Liu Qi didn't wait for her and pulled her out directly.
"Did you think I would go to the meeting alone without making any preparations?"
He Ying shielded Su Wanwan behind her: "How dare you be so rude!"
"Hurry up!" Liu Qi showed no mercy, pulling He Ying off the carriage with one hand and dragging Su Wanwan down with the other.
The sound of horses' hooves grew closer in the distance; they were the uniforms of government troops.
Su Wanwan ran towards the government troops, but Liu Qi simply hoisted her onto his shoulder and strode onto the boat.
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