Chapter 140
That night, Tao Da was troubled. Madam Yueming asked him or Feng Er to accompany the old lady to Mian Ning to serve. Deep down, he wanted to go; leaving now would be a life-saving opportunity! But he felt that with all three of the Feng family's sons accompanying their master to fight the Japanese, he couldn't compete with Feng Er for this life-saving job.
It wasn't that he was really afraid of death, but he only had one son left working in the mansion. If he died again, what was the point of him living?
Just as he was sighing, Feng Er came in. Seeing his bewildered and embarrassment, he said angrily, "Madam Yueming said we must set out at 3:00 AM. The masters are busy as hell, but you're just staring blankly with your hands and teeth clenched. Why don't you go home and pack up quickly? Do you expect the master to wait for you?"
Tao Da was stunned and stammered, "I...I will go?"
Feng Er rolled his eyes at him and said, "If it's not you who's going, then who am I? I might actually have to leave my hometown this time, and I won't do it!"
Tao Da opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
Feng Er couldn't help but say, "Alright, alright, stop giving me goosebumps. I'm smart! All three of my sons are following the master to build their careers, and I'm staying here to take care of Madam Yueming. How could I be willing to give you such a great achievement?"
Tao Da fell to his knees with a thud, covering his face with his sleeves and sobbing, "Feng Er... I don't know how to thank you!"
Feng Er quickly helped him up: "I'm just thinking about myself, I don't deserve your thanks. Take care of yourself, and treat me to a drink when you come back."
Tao Da was about to say something to express his gratitude, but Feng Er frowned impatiently and said, "Alright, stop dawdling. Do you really think the master will wait for you?"
Tao Da bowed deeply to him, then turned and walked out. Feng Er hissed in pain at his hurried back, muttering to himself, "If my three sons weren't here, I'd run away too! Damn it, I'm so selfless, I'm like a Buddha possessed."
As dawn approached, thick fog silently lingered in the streets and alleys of Yunxiang City. Several carriages emerged from the Tusi Mansion and shouted to open the city gates.
Several Langye and Yueming stood on the top of the city wall, watching the carriage go farther and farther away until it disappeared in the thick fog.
The damp white mist chilled the sleepless crowd to a state of utter clarity. They all waited for Yueming to tell them to leave so they could pack up their valuables and escape with their families.
Before Yueming could call them to retreat, he heard a few softly sung lyrics: "...First drum, battle meal prepared. Second drum, tie up your battle robes. Third drum, draw your swords. Fourth drum, surrender your troops. Everyone who advances will be rewarded, but those who retreat will inevitably be killed."
The gentlemen looked at each other in bewilderment. Why was Madam Yueming singing opera out of the blue? Moreover, it sounded like she was threatening them.
It's already this late, isn't it unnecessary?
The wind was so strong on the tower that Yueming was stiff all over. She waved her hand and let the man, whose brain was numb from the wind, go.
Back at the mansion, Ai Ye quickly ordered the servants to prepare hot water for Yueming to take a bath. While she was wiping Yueming's hair, she looked at the dark circles under her eyes and said with concern, "I've already told the kitchen to prepare dinner. Eat and then go to sleep. How can your body bear this?"
Yueming closed his eyes and rubbed his swollen temples with his fingers: "I don't have much of an appetite right now. Let's talk about it after I wake up!"
I thought I'd be so tired I could just lie down and sleep like a log. But my body was so exhausted, my mind was still racing. I worried about the old lady and her group's safety. Then I wondered how long the city's defenses would hold out.
And Yunkai. When he left, he told her to be like Nan Mu Nona. Everyone thought Yunkai wanted her to always think of him. Only she knew that he wanted her to return to her father like Nan Mu Nona when disaster struck, and he would find her.
He must be very angry if he knew that she was disobedient!
Sleepiness came over her and Yueming slowly fell into a deep dream.
Everyone in the mansion knew the master had fled, leaving only Madam Yueming to guard the house. They were all anxious and restless. Even the old lady had to flee. This disaster was monstrous! What could a woman like Madam Yueming do?
Some people really couldn't stand this torment, so they secretly gave money to Feng Er and asked for leave hesitantly, making the excuse that they had something to do at home.
Of all the servants in the mansion who had been working there for years, Feng Er was the best. He could tell what these servants were thinking just by looking at them.
He gathered his sleeves and sneered, "If I stop you from returning home to fulfill your filial duties, I'd look like a nobody. But let me be frank: it's easy for you to leave the Tusi Mansion, but it won't be so easy to come back. Madam Yueming is easygoing, but the master is not so easy to talk to."
A servant dropped to his knees before Feng Er and begged, "Second Steward, please be kind! My parents are old, and I'm still single. Everything at home depends on me. If anything happens to me, my parents won't have to live any longer."
Feng Er sneered, "So what? You want to rush back and hug your father, mother, and their entire family to die in peace? I'm wondering, the iron walls of the Tusi Mansion are not as strong as your broken bamboo house with leaks on all sides? If those thieves really come and the Tusi Mansion's main gate can't stop them, then your broken wooden door can keep them out? Did the Buddha bless your broken door?"
The servant was embarrassed by Feng Er's ridicule and was about to open his mouth to defend himself when he was interrupted by Feng Er.
"Don't dream of running away from Yunxiang with your family. There's chaos and war going on outside. If you run into those thieves out, you won't have to bother the Buddhist monk in the monk's room to recite the sutra for you. Madam Yueming has sent soldiers to guard Yunxiang City like an iron barrel, but you don't stay and go out to die. If you want to leave, go ahead. Don't expect to get your salary this month. The accountant is very busy and has no time to calculate your meager wages..." He was interrupted by a burst of gunfire in the distance.
Feng Er's face changed and he said quickly, "Close the door quickly. No one is allowed to enter or leave without Madam's permission."
Awakened by the sound of gunfire, Yueming immediately went to the city gate. The streets were deserted, save for a few soldiers holding torches, carrying several bodies. Pools of blood lay on the stone slabs in the middle of the road.
Du Song rode up and reported to her mother, "Pu Jiang led several hundred men who came out of nowhere and rushed into the city gate. I fired a burst of machine gun fire and drove them out. They're now yelling and yelling at the gate!"
Yueming secretly felt lucky that he had sent the old lady away so early. The roads to Mianning and Shan State were far apart, so they should not have met each other.
She said with a serious expression, "How did they get here so quickly? And they even reached my doorstep without making any noise."
Du Song shook his head and said, "Those who went to gather information haven't come back yet. I'm afraid they're in danger."
Yueming gritted his teeth and said, "Come if you want! It saves me the trouble of worrying about him."
Outside the city, Pujiang was terrified by Dusong's machine gun fire. He hadn't expected Han Yunkai to take away most of Yunxiang's troops, while Yunxiang City still deployed such a powerful firepower. But the arrow was already drawn. He had negotiated terms with several Shan chieftains; if he retreated now, they would skin him alive.
Seeing Yueming's figure appear on the city wall, his timidity was suppressed by excitement. He would not let go of either Han Yunkai's city or Han Yunkai's woman.
He shouted towards the tower: "Lan Yueming, if you know what's good for you, surrender quickly. I will spare your life because of your good looks."
Yueming sneered disdainfully, "I was wondering who was so audacious as to come and cause trouble with Prime Minister Yun, but it turns out it's you, you scabby dog. How did the bullet taste just now? It was genuine French."
Pu Jiang sneered, "You think I'm afraid just because you have that broken machine gun? Open your eyes and look carefully. I've surrounded Yun Xiang like an iron barrel. Not even a bird can escape. While I still have the patience to talk to you, open the door and surrender quickly."
"I don't negotiate with dogs. I'd think it's a waste to give you a bullet. Get as far away from me as possible." As soon as Yueming said this, several Shan chieftains laughed at Pujiang.
"Pujiang, this Han Laoer's woman is really hot. I'm afraid you can't subdue her. After we conquer the city, let your brother train you first before you go."
When Lao Ben heard such dirty words, he was even angrier than Yueming. He raised his gun to shoot but was held down by Yueming.
"Don't waste your bullets at such a distance," she said loudly. "To all the chieftains below, I don't know if that bastard Pujiang promised you any favors, but please listen to my advice. This bastard slaughtered his entire clan and his own people. Such a heartless, worse than pigs and dogs, what credibility can you have? Don't believe what he says. Be careful, he might just turn against you."
Pu Jiang snorted coldly upon hearing this, "Lan Yueming, forget about the discord you're trying to sow. You only have two choices today: surrender, or I'll go in and kill you."
"Hahaha." Yueming laughed so hard that he fell forward and backward. "You guys from Mengding Prefecture love to brag, don't you? You even want to kill me?! Why? Because you're a dog to the Japanese? You must have forgotten my last name and who my father is. To tell you the truth, I already knew what you were up to. I sent someone to Tengchong to deliver a message long ago, and the Tengchong garrison has already arrived. Do you think that without my master here, I will be left alone and helpless for you to control? You are blind."
Pu Jiang was so angry at Yue Ming's constant scolding that he gritted his teeth and said, "If you don't accept my toast, you'll have to drink the penalty. Just wait and see how you die."
Yueming looked at him arrogantly and said disdainfully, "How I die is none of your business. I've already arranged your death. The best butcher in Yunxiang City is waiting to chop you into pieces as a sacrifice to my father-in-law and uncle."
After Yueming finished scolding him, she softened her voice and said, "I know that the chieftains only believed his sweet words and have no intention of opposing Prime Minister Yun. Otherwise, I will pretend that what happened today never happened. You can go home first. When my master returns, he will definitely come to thank you with a generous gift."
Pu Jiang heard this and said proudly: "Are you scared? Don't scare me with those nationalist troops. If they really were useful, would you Han people have lost so many places?"
You're trying to poke my heart in the stomach, aren't you? Yueming was furious and scolded, "You can't read the newspaper, right? The 200,000 Yunnan Army won a great victory in Taierzhuang. The 184th Division trampled underfoot your master's banner of long-lasting military fortune at Yushan. The Expeditionary Force defended the Nujiang River and brought down every Japanese. They are all the iron-willed men of China. Only you are willing to be a dog and lead the Japanese to kill your entire family."
"You..." Pu Jiang raised his gun in frustration and fired several shots at Yueming, but the distance was too far and the shots didn't even hit the wall.
Yueming laughed arrogantly: "Come closer, come closer and I can hit him. This is a good opportunity for me to try out the sniper rifle my father bought for me."
Pu Jiang took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and sneered, "Do you think I can't do anything to you if you're just hiding in there like a turtle? If I can't deal with you, can I still deal with the rest of the Nine Meng Eighteen Circles?"
Yueming yawned boredly and said to the chieftains who were watching her and Pujiang bickering, "Have you thought it over? Are you going to follow this bastard and end his troubles, or are you going to make a good relationship with him?"
The chieftains exchanged silent glances, each calculating their own plans. While the young woman's weapons and equipment were impressive, they outnumbered them, and a head-on confrontation offered a chance of victory. However, who would lead the charge to block the loopholes was a major issue. If the stalemate continued, if the Tengchong garrison arrived to reinforce them, they would be surrounded.
The long silence allowed Yueming to see their hesitation. She smiled and said, "I also know that the emperor will not suffer from hungry soldiers. Don't worry, this trip will not be in vain." She asked Ai Ye to lead people to the car under the city wall and carry up a box of silver dollars.
He opened the box and grabbed a packet of silver dollars wrapped in red paper. He tore the red paper and threw the silver dollars out. The white silver dollars fell into the red soil under the city wall.
"This box of silver dollars is your travel expenses. It's a small token of my appreciation, just like inviting you to tea." After saying that, he pushed the box down from the city wall with a palm.
The eyes of several Shan chieftains widened as they saw the dust flying everywhere and the ground filled with silver dollars.
Seeing the chieftains' bloodshot eyes fixed on the silver coins, Pu Jiang chuckled inwardly. What a brash woman! They were here to rob, so who would back down now that they saw real money? This woman had a beautiful face, flaunting her wealth only to provoke these hungry wolves.
The chieftain of Langbang leaned close to Pujiang's ear and said, "I'll pretend to agree first and bring a few people to carry the box of money over to divide it up. With money to embolden them, who cares if these people won't fight for their lives?"
Pu Jiang glanced at him and nodded in agreement.
The chieftain of Langbang held his waist and shouted towards the city wall: "Madam Yueming, since this is a personal feud between your Yunxiang Mansion and Pujiang, I will not get involved. I will take some money for the journey and return to Langbang. When you have time in the future, you and the chieftain Han will come to Langbang for a visit."
Yueming smiled and nodded: "Of course, of course, I just like dealing with people who know how to deal with current affairs."
The remaining few knew exactly what Langbang Tusi was planning. Two of them were afraid that Langbang Tusi would take all the spoils and find an excuse to give them less, so they all said they would not care about the matter anymore and went home.
Yueming looked coldly at the groups of people approaching. When they got closer, he raised his hand and said, "Open fire."
The rain of bullets rained down on the greedy bandits underground. Before they could even touch a single yolk, they were pierced through with bullets. The chieftain of Langbang was not spared and died on the spot.
The remaining few who had escaped to safety angrily demanded, "What do you mean? Why are you going back on your word?"
Yueming raised her finger to her lips and blew on it, laughing, "You Burmese, you were afraid of Wu Sangui, so you handed over the Yongli Emperor. To drive out the British, you sided with the Japanese and pointed your guns at the Chinese. How can I believe anything you say?" She put away her smile and said sternly, "Or have you forgotten how Miss Semanli and her family died in our mansion? You took advantage of the situation and took the lives of my uncle's family, and you still want to take money from me... If you are not afraid of death, just come and take it!"
Pujiang hadn't expected Yueming to be so resolute. He had assumed that with Han Yunkai gone, the remaining men would be the old, weak, and sick, and that defeating Yunxiang was a sure thing, but he had already lost dozens of men in the first battle.
Looking at the corpse at the city gate and the two chieftains who were still in shock, he wished he could fly so that he could fly to the city wall and tear that sharp-tongued girl into pieces.
He stared at Yue Ming on the city wall with a gloomy look for a long time, and finally had to withdraw his troops with hatred.
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