Chapter 50: Ambush
The cold wind blew into the west wing room, and snowflakes tapped against the window lattice with a rustling sound.
Xiao Yi stood by the window, gazing at the official road and the distant mountains, constantly watching the sky. One by one, the “offenders” were brought in separately, as if undergoing interrogation.
“You don’t need to get your hands dirty; just take care of the women and children inside when the time comes.”
“Okay.” Hua Nong thought for a moment and then asked, “Are they all to be killed? Should I try to persuade them to surrender…”
Xiao Yi shook his head and said, “I can’t manage any more people. These four are specially selected and obedient. This is a limitation of my ability, but I promise you, I will not kill indiscriminately.”
Hua Nong was not pedantic and replied, “I can see that you, young master, have a kind heart and will be able to manage more people in the future.”
“Go, protect them well.”
Hua Nong was led away.
Soon, Guo Xin was brought in.
She clasped her hands behind her back and stood there looking at Xiao Yi, tilting her head slightly. “Quite impressive, you’ve become a military general.”
“Did you not tell Zhan Zhao about your family being captured?”
“No, I was afraid he would act impulsively.”
Those bright eyes dimmed.
Xiao Yi asked, “How is your swordsmanship?”
“Not bad.”
“What about crossbows? Do you know how to use them?”
“Of course.”
“Here, take this too.”
Xiao Yi handed over the hand crossbow and quiver. Guo Xin took them and went to the window to examine them.
“At that time, you will guard the stairs on the second floor. No matter what happens, do not come down. If anyone rushes up, do not hesitate, shoot them. Can you do that?”
“Don’t worry, I come from a military family.”
“Go, have them bring Zhan Zhao here.”
“Oh.”
Guo Xin turned to leave, then looked back at him and asked in a low voice, “How is the injury on your leg?”
“Just a minor superficial wound, it’s fine now.”
“Then, be careful later.”
“Alright.”
When Guo Xin, bound tightly, was pushed in, Xiao Yi first reminded him, “Speak softly.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Guo Xin quickly nodded.
Xiao Yi took the rag out of his mouth.
“Do you know what happened to my mother and the others?”
“I don’t know, perhaps Mu Gong was tracking them.”
“No wonder,” Guo Xin said, “Tell me, how do we kill them?”
“Don’t rush.”
Xiao Yi took a knife and handed it to him, then called in the four people from outside the door.
“Wait until it’s completely dark and there are no pedestrians on the official road to act. By then, they should be seven or eight parts drunk. Fan Si, you will be on the second floor with the bow and arrow, pretending to guard the prisoners. Afterwards, shoot arrows from the railing to provide support; Zhan Zhao, come down after the action begins.”
“Alright.”
“Tie Ya, Lu You, Wei Liang, you will go down with them to drink and chat. Lock the doors first, bolt the courtyard gate, the main hall door, and the back door. If even one escapes, it could endanger your families in Kaifeng. Thus, if the fight goes badly, we will retreat upstairs. I will kill Mu Gong first. Once he is dead, you will act immediately. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Don’t be nervous, just follow the plan. We are few in number, but we have the advantage of surprise. They will be drunk and slow to react. Let’s try to avoid any casualties.”
“Yes.”
“It’s still early, rest for now.”
Saying this, Xiao Yi sat on the couch and closed his eyes to rest.
Zhang Mantun could be heard calling to others, “If anyone needs to relieve themselves, do it quickly, don’t cause trouble later…”
When Xiao Yi opened his eyes again, it was already dark. The noisy sounds and the sounds of finger-guessing games downstairs were getting louder.
“Prepare your weapons.”
“Ready, Captain.”
Xiao Yi stood up, sheathed his saber, hid the dagger in his left arm guard, and walked out.
Zhang Mantun’s eyes flashed with ferocity, Lu You and Wei Liang licked their lips, and they followed suit.
The four descended the stairs.
In the main hall, the Dragon Leap Guards were drinking and eating meat. Most of them had removed their armor, and their weapons were either placed on benches or propped against the walls.
Two posthouse attendants came and went, serving dishes, while the fat postmaster poured wine enthusiastically, though he looked somewhat crestfallen.
However, at the front and back doors, one person each, clad in armor and holding a saber, stood guard, having not touched a drop of alcohol.
Xiao Yi frowned inwardly, then gave Lu You a look and motioned for him to get the person guarding the back door drunk. After that, he glanced up at Fan Si, signaling him to shoot the guard at the front door.
The Dragon Leap Guards sat at two tables. One table had four people, including Mu Gong, and the other was surrounded by seven people, most of whom were already quite drunk.
Close the doors.
Xiao Yi exchanged glances with Zhang Mantun and Wei Liang. He went to Mu Gong’s table, while the other two went to the other table.
“Deputy Commander Xiao is here.”
Mu Gong, his face flushed from drinking, raised a cup of wine and said, “Brother, I… must thank you for your hospitality, hahaha.”
“It’s nothing, I’m not paying out of my own pocket.”
“Hahaha, your Control Crane Guard has so much oil and water.”
Xiao Yi smiled, lowered his voice, and reached into his robes. “Brother Mu, you wanted to see the secret edict, didn’t you?”
“Oh?”
Mu Gong shook his head in surprise, leaned forward, and chuckled, “Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t leak it…”
It was at this moment.
The cold glint of the dagger flashed in the firelight.
“Sss—”
Blood splattered.
Mu Gong, covering his half-severed neck with disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.
“Attack!”
Xiao Yi roared.
Simultaneously, the dagger in his hand had already stabbed out repeatedly.
“Thwack.”
One of the men drinking with Mu Gong was stabbed in the neck and fell to the ground.
The other two, seeing the blood, sobered up in shock and turned to flee. One tripped over a bench and fell to the ground. Xiao Yi sheathed his dagger, drew his saber, caught up, and stabbed him to death.
The other man had just picked up his saber when Guo Xin leaped down from the second floor, knocking him over, and split him with a single blow.
“Damn it, leaving the fancy-looking ones for me.”
“Whoosh.”
Fan Si shot an arrow from the second floor, hitting the soldier guarding the front door in the throat.
At the same time, Lu You was holding the soldier guarding the back door, who was wearing full armor, and drinking with him. As the chaos erupted, he began to struggle with the other man.
“Don’t let him escape!”
Zhang Mantun strode over, grabbed the soldier’s head with both hands, and twisted, snapping his neck with a “crack.”
The hall erupted in screams, curses, the clash of weapons, and the overturning of tables and chairs.
The battle broke out suddenly and ended quickly. In just a moment, the hall was strewn with bodies.
Blood stained the floor and flowed into the corners of the walls.
A sweet, fetid smell quickly spread.
But someone pushed over a candle stand, plunging the hall into darkness.
“Light it up, count the bodies.”
“Nine, ten, eleven, twelve… Damn! One is missing!”
“Fuck!”
“Search.”
Xiao Yi turned his head and saw a nimble figure crash through the window. Instantly, the sound of a horse whinnying came from outside.
“Pursue!”
Without hesitation, he kicked open the hall door and saw a man leading a horse and opening the courtyard gate, rushing out.
He mounted the horse and pursued in the direction of the hooves.
Behind him, Wei Liang shouted, “Fan Xiao Si, throw down the bow!”
“Wei Liang, come with me. The rest stay here!”
The moonlight was hazy.
On the official road, the fleeing Dragon Leap Guard rode at extreme speed.
Xiao Yi could hear the sound of hooves behind him and the sound of Wei Liang drawing a bowstring.
After rounding a bend on the official road, the figure ahead became clearer, as further in the distance, firelight shone.
“Whoosh.”
A whistling sound. Wei Liang shot an arrow.
“Hiss—”
The soldier’s war horse cried out in pain and threw him violently off its back.
Xiao Yi looked and could clearly see a figure struggling to his feet from beside the injured horse and running forward.
“The person isn’t dead!”
He continued to drive his horse in pursuit.
Casually lifting his gaze, he looked further into the distance and saw a line of torches like a dragon on the official road a hundred paces away, rapidly approaching.
“Captain.” Wei Liang shouted, “Look…”
“Shoot again!”
The fleeing soldier also saw it and, as if seeing a savior, ran forward desperately, shouting hoarsely.
“Help! Someone’s killing people, a rebel…”
“Whoosh.”
Another arrow cut through the air.
Xiao Yi galloped his horse, seeing clearly that Wei Liang’s second arrow hit the fleeing soldier in the thigh, bringing him down.
“Giddy up!”
The fine horse darted forward like an arrow.
As he reached the fleeing soldier, Xiao Yi sharply pulled the reins, and the horse reared up on its hind legs.
“Hiss—”
“There’s a rebel…”
The fleeing soldier was still struggling to get up on the ground, shouting incessantly.
The horse’s hooves came down.
The horseshoe completely crushed the shouts and struggles.
Xiao Yi stopped the startled horse, looked back, and saw that the firelight ahead illuminated a large banner with the words “Commander of the Fengguo Left Wing” inscribed on it.
“Go!”
Xiao Yi dared not delay, turned his horse around, and with Wei Liang, galloped back to the posthouse at full speed.
Inside the posthouse, everyone was cleaning up.
Hua Nong and others came out to help, while Jiang Er Niang and the two children cried in fear.
“More soldiers are coming.”
“What should we do?”
“Don’t rush, I can handle it. Close the doors first.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Yi looked around and saw the old postmaster and two posthouse attendants trembling on the ground. He asked, “Where is a safe place to hide?”
“There is… a cellar in the back courtyard… used for storing winter vegetables…”
“Take off your clothes.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Hua Nong, tie them up and take the women and children to the cellar to hide.”
“Okay.”
“Qing Wen, are the clothes and official robes still in the luggage?”
“Yes.”
“Very good, give them to me. You go to the cellar too.”
Wei Liang said, “Captain, why not kill the posthouse attendants outright?”
“Shut up, follow my orders. Guo Xin, take off your clothes and put on the military robe and armor.”
“Okay.”
“Select six corpses, strip them of their clothes and armor. Disguise three as ‘enemies’ in posthouse attendant clothes, and three in the clothes from the luggage.”
“Yes.”
“Leave the rest of the bodies, they are our fallen comrades.”
Outside the door, the sound of horses’ hooves grew louder.
Everyone had just finished changing the clothes on the corpses when the knocking on the door became urgent.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
“Open the door! A general is passing by, open quickly!”
The rough shouts were like a death knell, and the light from the torches shone through the cracks in the door.
Inside the hall, the smell of blood was thick, with twelve corpses lying scattered. Dark red blood snaked and congealed in the floorboards.
Xiao Yi took a deep breath, glanced around the hall, and without rushing to speak, added a few more cuts to each of the six corpses whose clothes had just been changed.
“Everyone drink, drink a lot.”
He himself picked up a pot of wine, took a big gulp, and let out a burp before stepping forward to open the door.
The door bolt was drawn back, and the cold wind, mixed with snow, surged in, causing the flames in the brazier to flicker erratically.
Over a dozen cavalrymen stood outside the door on horseback, holding torches that illuminated their stern and indifferent faces.
A killing aura swept over them.
“What happened? Why are you taking so long to open the door?!”
The sharp gaze of the officer in charge swept over them instantly. Upon seeing the scene in the hall, his brow furrowed sharply, and he demanded in a stern voice.
Xiao Yi had completely calmed down. He cupped his fist, presented his talisman, and said, “I am Xiao Yi, Deputy Commander of the Left Wing of the Control Crane Guard. I was on official business here and unexpectedly encountered remnants of the Shi gang. Three of them resisted head-on, and the other three feigned to be posthouse attendants and launched a surprise attack. We lost six men, but we managed to kill them.”
His voice was heavy with sorrow, mixed with exhaustion and relief.
The officer examined the talisman, his expression softened, and he asked, “There is a corpse on the official road, what is that about?”
“What?! That was the messenger I sent back, he was killed? Did the general see…”
“Enough, why bother with small fry? We are escorting General Cao north on an urgent mission and must stop here tonight. Quickly clear the bodies, wash away the blood, and prepare rooms!”
Upon hearing “General Cao” and recalling the “Commander of the Fengguo Left Wing” banner seen earlier, Xiao Yi’s mind raced. He recalled the intelligence scrolls he had seen in the Shi residence study and thought of someone.
“Cao Wei, a native of Changshan, followed his father to serve Gaozu in his youth. He was brave and strategic, leading archers. In the late Jin dynasty, he defeated the Khitan at Luzhou. In the first year of Qianyou, he followed Guo Wei to suppress the three garrisons, fighting at the forefront, breaking through Hexi, and being the first to ascend the city. For his merits, he was appointed as Inspector of the Palace Grand Tutor, Commander of the Fengguo Army, and concurrently Military Governor of Zhongzheng.”
Such a great general leaving the capital could not be for the search of fugitives, but he wondered what urgent matter it could be.
