Chapter 65: Can the Army Pierce the Heart?
Initially, Da Lan wanted to establish three ministries in order to disperse the power of its officials. Now Cheng Xianzhi holds the six fortresses and almost holds the lifeblood of Da Lan in his hands. Others may not have noticed the key point yet, but Queen Mother Jiang is vaguely uneasy.
"Cheng Xianzhi actually dared to do this. I think the emperor had it on purpose," said Empress Dowager Jiang. "He suppressed the memorial from the localities and then had the Ministry of Revenue submit another one during the spring plowing season. This clearly shows his intention to send troops to the two provinces."
"It's just a bandit suppression operation. If it's done, will Your Majesty confer a higher title on him? Isn't the Queen Mother being too cautious?" Jiang Haiyi said.
At this time, Queen Mother Jiang felt that her brother's mind was becoming simpler and simpler. On the battlefield, there were real swords and guns, but after leaving the battlefield and returning to the court, he no longer had the previous cautiousness and carefulness.
Or perhaps, after winning the battle, they no longer regard others as opponents, and underestimating the enemy leads to defeat.
Queen Mother Jiang sighed and turned to Lu Mingqian, "Is there still no news about Lu Tingwan?"
Lu Mingqian nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager. The people we sent out in secret have not been able to find any trace."
"So, the person disappeared out of thin air at the Cheng family, but Minister Cheng seemed to be calm and composed."
They didn't know that Cheng Xianzhi had secretly sent out countless scouts to search for him for several months, but there was still no trace of him.
"The Lu family lost a daughter for no apparent reason, and the Cheng family must finally give an explanation. After Cheng Xianzhi returned to the capital under the emperor's orders to eliminate the banditry, his prestige within the court and the local areas grew. However, I wonder if the reputation of the Grand Madam and the Minister of the mansion being intolerant of the daughter of a political enemy will have an impact on the Minister's position."
Ever since Lu Tingwan left Kyoto and disappeared without a trace, Empress Dowager Jiang hadn't inquired about her whereabouts. It seemed she was intentionally leaving her alone. If Cheng Xianzhi could be found, she would have other uses for him. If not, it would be a pretext for her to cause trouble.
"This..." Lu Mingqian mentioned his daughter without any pity. "The Queen Mother is very thoughtful. Cheng Xianzhi wants to gain fame through this expedition. I, this old minister, will not let him get his wish."
"This camellia, you mustn't be too dazzling. While it's certainly pleasing to watch and admire a unique flower, it can also bring about fatal disaster." Queen Mother Jiang seemed to have a deeper meaning. "If you don't have the ability to withstand this fatal disaster, I advise you not to do anything out of line."
"I don't like people who are too eager for the limelight and who think they are smart." The man walked towards the main hall, and the camellia he had picked was crushed by his shoe sole, turning it into a pool of withered flowers.
"Protector of the State, Lu Pushe, I am tired, please go back."
After the two left Jinhua Palace, Lu Mingqian exchanged a few words with Jiang Haiyi.
Baita Village also welcomed the spring plowing season. The newly planted herbs and crops sprouted in just a few days. Lu Tingwan held the mountain soil and saw small lives emerging from the barren forest, breaking out of the soil in this season of revival, seeking new vitality.
It's time for her to go down the mountain.
The cleansing cream also brought in enough revenue to sustain Baita Village. Yet Xie Zhao continued to descend the mountain every few days, returning to the village with a bang in the middle of the night. Lu Tingwan, busy with spring plowing, fell asleep at night, unable to be awakened by the noise outside.
But the next day, the village returned to peace, as if nothing had happened.
It was not until one night when Xie Zhao was helped back to the main hall by Bai Tu and others that Lu Tingwan got up in the middle of the night and heard the noise and saw what was happening.
He was shot in the abdomen. After the doctor treated the wound and applied medicine, Xie Zhao wrapped a thick layer of gauze around his waist and abdomen, but it could not hide the clear lines under his abdomen.
The blood in the wooden basin dyed the handkerchief red. The first thing Lu Tingwan saw was the outline in the blood basin, and his facial features were twisted in pain.
Xie Zhao didn't want Lu Tingwan to know that he had gone down the mountain to rob the house, but he didn't intend to keep it a secret forever.
Facing Lu Tingwan's questioning, he could only force a smile, like a puppy waiting for her to lecture him, his hands, which had nowhere to put, touched the back of his head, showing his naivety.
"Xie Zhao," As expected, she was still angry, "What have you been doing these days?"
"Didn't we agree not to go down the mountain to rob people? Now you've gotten yourself into this state, what are we going to do with our brothers and the villagers? What are you thinking?"
The brothers in the main hall couldn't bear to see this and wanted to step forward to dissuade them, but Lu Tingwan didn't listen at all and scolded him harshly. Even the people who stepped forward to dissuade him were not spared. If a bird flew over the main hall at this time, it would have to be scolded by Lu Tingwan before it could leave.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly reached its lowest point. Bai Tu couldn't help but say, "Miss Jiang, are you relieved? The boss is easy to talk to. He won't get angry with you and is willing to let you point at his nose and scold him. Don't give him face..."
"Bai Tu!" Xie Zhao interrupted the silent one with a voice that left no room for doubt. "All of you get out."
Bai Tu had to swallow his words, and his brothers retreated one after another when they saw this.
Bai Tu was still standing there. A hint of warning flashed across Xie Zhao's brows, and Bai Tu reluctantly lifted the curtain.
There are only two people left at this moment.
Xie Zhao, who had been fierce just now, softened a little, and his voice was a little tender: "Sit down."
His upper body was exposed, but he was injured and had difficulty moving. He was alone in the room with a man and a woman, so he didn't wear a shirt. Lu Tingwan didn't notice this, but Xie Zhao's cheeks became hot and he tried to get up to get the coat hanging on the wall.
He had just taken a step when he felt a tearing sensation in his abdomen, forcing him to stop.
Lu Tingwan followed his movements, not knowing his intentions. When she looked up and saw the clothes hanging on the wall, she suddenly realized that Xie Zhao was shirtless at the moment.
"You deserve it." Lu Tingwan glanced at the ferocious Xie Zhao, took off his coat and stood in front of him again.
"Thank you." Xie Zhao's eyes and cheeks were filled with a visible smile.
She didn't help, and Xie Zhao took a lot of effort to put on his clothes, but they didn't look very neat.
"I was wrong to scold you?" Lu Tingwan folded his arms and looked down at him. "If you had still taken the brothers down the mountain like before, why would I have worked day and night to develop the cleansing cream and lead the villagers up the mountain to reclaim the wasteland?"
Xie Zhao lowered his head and let her scold him, a smile still on his lips. Lu Tingwan didn't get a response, and his anger grew, as if he was trying to hit a ball of cotton and couldn't get it out.
Thinking of this, she found it increasingly difficult to suppress her anger. She searched around for something to throw at him, but nothing was suitable.
Xie Zhao turned around and unfolded a blueprint from under the topographic map on the table. He said to himself, "This is the crossbow I designed recently. I always feel like it's missing something. Could you come and help me take a look?"
Lu Tingwan cast a glance at him: "Stop changing the subject."
"This crossbow is modeled after the sunset bow recorded in ancient books. I want to forge a bow that has a longer range and greater power than ordinary bows."
"In this way, you can rob more property and even sweep the county government office?" Lu Tingwan supported his arms and scanned the drawing.
The momentum and dominance of the Sunset Bow are vividly displayed on the paper, as if you were seeing a real forged bow.
"You used all the money you robbed from the mountain to forge weapons," Lu Tingwan sensed an uneasy atmosphere, "Are you crazy, Xie Zhao?"
When Xie Zhao raised his eyes, the tea splashed towards him directly, and the tea leaves stuck to his brow bone, then flowed down his temples drop by drop, and finally soaked into the gauze.
Xie Zhao's temper is usually not that good, but when facing Lu Tingwan, he always has endless patience.
"Are you relieved?" The low voice was filled with helplessness.
Xie Zhao knew she was still angry: "If you are still angry, here is more."
"Is it time for us to go to war?" Lu Ting grabbed him by the collar. "You've been remaking old tools, exchanging looted property for silver to forge weapons. Don't you know that even if a man is innocent, he's guilty unless he possesses a treasure?"
"Even if I didn't have these weapons, I'd already committed countless crimes. I was simply doing my best to leave a way out for my brothers."
"It's not time yet, Xie Zhao, it's not time yet." Lu Tingwan's voice was filled with helplessness.
She didn't know that the imperial court had already sent troops to Binzhou for encirclement and suppression. The news spread widely down the mountain, but Lu Tingwan had not come down the mountain for a long time and could not hear the news.
She just thought that as long as Bai Ta Zhai retired from banditry and became self-sufficient, over time, the crimes of banditry and looting would be erased.
Xie Zhao was also unwilling to live in hiding in Baita Village. After five years of sharing life and death with these people, he could not ignore the life and death of these people.
He could just leave and find another place to stay, anywhere.
But what about them?
Xie Zhao took out the arm crossbow he had prepared in advance and handed it to Lu Tingwan.
This arm crossbow was forged for her. Lu Tingwan's archery skills were not very good, but she dared to draw the bow and was not afraid of shooting a false arrow. As long as she practiced diligently over time, it could be used as a self-defense tool. At least if she fell into other bandit camps again, she could use it to escape.
"What are you doing?" Lu Tingwan stared at the arm crossbow and didn't take it.
Xie Zhao pulled her wrist over and tied it quickly with skillful technique.
"This is different from your crossbow."
"Did you figure it out?" Xie Zhao suppressed a smile.
"This is a lightweight crossbow, suitable for someone like you who isn't good at martial arts. It has a short range and doesn't require charging the string. It's best to fire from a distance of ten feet. If a villain approaches with ill intentions, just aim at his heart and pull the trigger. He'll be killed with one strike."
"Can it penetrate the heart?" Lu Tingwan's mind was drawn away.
"able."
"Is there an arrow inside?" Lu Tingwan tried to ask.
"have."
Lu Tingwan looked at him several times, and Xie Zhao just stared at him.
Suddenly, she stretched out her hand and pointed directly at Xie Zhao's left heart: "Is that so?"
"Um."
"If I pull the trigger on the crossbow at this moment, the sharp arrow will pierce through my chest." Lu Tingwan slid her throat. If Bai Tu had abducted her to Bai Ta Village at the beginning, and she had such a crossbow in her hand, she would shoot without hesitation.
"Do you want to try it?" Xie Zhaowei raised his chin.
Lu Tingwan stopped messing with him and took back his hand: "Thank you for your arm."
Xie Zhaozheng turned around and stroked the blueprint of the Sunset Bow. He didn't know if he would have the chance to forge this bow again.
"Go down the mountain."
Go down the mountain!
Lu Tingwan's attention was completely drawn back. He said in disbelief, "Are you really willing to let me go down the mountain?"
She no longer dared to believe in other people's promises, even though Xie Zhao promised her that night that he would let her go.
Just as Cheng Xianzhi had promised her that he would divorce her after he became the Minister of State, she never got the divorce papers in the end.
"I, Xie Zhao, never make promises easily. I will send you down the mountain in three days." Those expectant eyes warned him that he had kept her for a long time. Perhaps Bai Tu should not have brought her up the mountain in the first place.
Lu Tingwan returned to the thatched cottage at midnight. When she came out of the main hall, she felt light and airy, as if she was floating in the clouds. When the morning light rose the next day, she would be able to get away from Qingyao Mountain.
The lights in the main hall remained on all night.
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