Chapter 85: Interrogation
“Spare my life!”
Hou Kuangzan hurriedly shouted, fearing that if he was even a moment slower, his head would be separated from his body.
Xiao Yi slowly lowered his saber, resting it on his trembling neck, the blade like a mirror, reflecting goosebumps.
“I surrender, I surrender! Don’t kill me. I’m just a useless performer. My attitude just now was a bit rude because I was afraid of not being able to control the soldiers in the army. When I saw Murong Yanchao’s head, I knew you were a general of the Northern Army, and I am willing to surrender!”
Hou Kuangzan’s plea for mercy was pathetic, completely unlike his previous arrogance. His ability to change his tune was masterful.
“Hurry and sheathe your swords! How dare you draw your swords at General Xiao?”
At this moment, the guards who were just about to draw their swords immediately retracted them.
“Disarm.”
“Yes, yes.”
Soon, the swords were placed on the ground. Hua Nong kicked them all aside, picked one up, and stood guard by Xiao Yi’s side.
Xiao Yi glanced at Sun Zhong and was about to speak.
“I surrendered first… I surrendered first…”
Sun Zhong eagerly knelt on the ground, his fierce face full of a fawning smile.
“Brother Xiao, no, General, please give me a chance to pledge allegiance to Duke Guo. You festering lump… no, Brother Hua, I treated you well in the past. Over the years, I remembered the friendship of the old commander and protected you when you were bullied…”
Xiao Yi raised his hand to stop Sun Zhong’s nonsense and said, “I know where your family lives. If you dare to make any moves, I will kill your entire family.”
“I wouldn’t dare, I absolutely wouldn’t dare.”
“Hua Nong, you take Sun Zhong and control the city gate guards first.”
“Understood!”
Seeing that Sun Zhong was not held at sword-point, Hou Kuangzan quickly said, “General, I surrendered first, and I am more loyal to you.”
“Nonsense! You are a lackey of a corrupt ruler. We are removing corrupt officials and killing traitors like you,” Sun Zhong cursed. “How can my loyalty to the General be compared to that of a glib and flattering prostitute like you?”
“Wuwu, I am willing to persuade the troops brought by the General to surrender.”
Xiao Yi asked, “Why did you ask me if I was going to Shaan Prefecture to see Li Hongxin?”
Hou Kuangzan did not answer immediately, lowering his head, his eyes darting around.
Xiao Yi felt that such a close attendant to the Emperor must be very cunning. He swiftly brought down his saber, severing one of his fingers.
“Ah! Ah!”
“No howling! Speak!”
“Yes, yes… Wuwu… I was just guessing. I heard that Murong Yanchao had been defeated and was preparing to flee, but I discovered… I discovered that the gold and silver in the inner treasury were gone!”
“What do you mean?”
“The Emperor is not in the city, so it must have been Li Ye who took it. I just heard that Li Ye had sent you and Cao Wei out of the city on business, and I suspect he had you send the gold and silver to Shaan Prefecture.”
“Anything else?”
“No, that’s all. I’ve only been to the inner treasury twice, once today and once in early October. There were still many piles of gold inside. I really don’t know anything else.”
“Get up.”
Xiao Yi put away his saber, and he and Hua Nong, each with Hou Kuangzan and Sun Zhong, went to pacify the troops.
Hou Kuangzan’s subordinates were already planning to escape, and Sun Zhong’s troops were dispirited. They all chose to surrender without resistance.
Hua Nong selected the disobedient among Sun Zhong’s subordinates, disarmed them, and bound them together with Hou Kuangzan’s men, locking them in the armory cave.
Thus, the nearly forty people Xiao Yi brought into the city changed into the guards’ armor, expanding their force to over one hundred and fifty men. They occupied the South City, patrolled, and kept watch. They also exchanged signals with Hu Deng, ready to welcome the main army into the city at any time.
After finishing all this, Li Chongjin could not help but be overjoyed and said, “Haha, Kaifeng City is ours!”
“Indeed,” Liu Tingrang said. “The royal army can now enter the city smoothly.”
However, Xiao Yi wanted more than just helping the army enter the city; he wanted to take Kaifeng without shedding blood.
He brought Sun Zhong and Hou Kuangzan to the city tower again to interrogate them thoroughly.
“Describe the current situation in Kaifeng. I need to see whose intelligence is useful.”
“Your subordinate first…”
“I’ll go first! Li Ye is in overall command of Kaifeng’s defenses, claiming to ‘not spare the treasury to support the army of the king,’ but in reality, he must be planning to flee. Below Li Ye, Liu Zhu is responsible for public order, and Li Hongjian is temporarily in command of the Imperial Guard.”
“Li Hongjian?”
“This man is Li Ye’s elder brother and holds the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard’s infantry and cavalry. Nie Wenjin is accompanying the Emperor after Chigang. He is the commander of the Imperial Guard in the city.”
“Where is he?”
“He has been stationed at the Imperial Guard Headquarters recently.”
“General,” Sun Zhong quickly answered, “I also have important intelligence. Li Hongjian patrols the South City every day at the third watch of the afternoon!”
Liu Tingrang suddenly stood up, glanced at the sky, and said, “Less than two hours left.”
“It’s fine,” Wang Chengxun said with a faint smile. “I know Li Hongjian.”
A confident expression of strategic planning appeared on his face. He stood up and paced in front of Guo Xin, speaking eloquently.
“Previously, I sent someone with a letter from Li Hongwei to Li Hongjian, explaining the situation and persuading him to protect the families of the Wang family and Cao Wei in the Capital City. He knew that the traitors’ power would not last long, so he did not harm the families and even provided them with food.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yi subconsciously looked at Guo Xin. As expected, her eyes dimmed when she touched upon a sad memory. Immediately after, she happened to look up.
Their eyes met, and Xiao Yi turned his head away.
Over there, Li Chongjin snorted at Wang Chengxun, displeased. “Why are you acting like Zhuge Liang? Isn’t it because the Marshal’s army is advancing, and the jumping clowns are afraid and dare not touch your family?”
“You black beast…”
“Enough.”
Xiao Yi stopped them and said, “Sun Zhong, tell me about the situation when Li Hongjian comes, how many troops he brings, from which direction, and what is your relationship with him? Tell me everything, without holding anything back.”
“Yes, he leads a battalion of guards every day and patrols along the city wall. He comes from the west on odd days and from the east on even days. He is amiable and easy to talk to…”
“Nonsense, you don’t know him,” Hou Kuangzan said. “Li Hongjian is very hypocritical. He didn’t kill Cao Wei and Wang Yin’s families not because he understood the situation, as this young man said, but as a protective measure for himself!”
The two of them, one after the other, described the situation in increasing detail.
Xiao Yi listened patiently.
Li Chongjin interjected, “What about Liu Zhu? I must kill that scoundrel!”
“Liu Zhu also has many troops under his command, stationed at the North Gate.”
Wang Chengxun glanced at Guo Xin, pondered for a moment, and asked, “Can you lure him to the South Gate?”
Hou Kuangzan immediately looked troubled.
“I have a way,” Sun Zhong said. “We can send someone to report to him, saying that Flying Dragon Envoy Hou Kuangzan wants to escape from Kaifeng and has been intercepted by me, and ask him to bring troops to support.”
“Good idea!” Li Chongjin’s eyes lit up. “Let’s do that. Chop off that scoundrel.”
Wang Chengxun said, “After I set up an ambush, we will capture that scoundrel alive.”
“Now…”
“Don’t rush.”
Xiao Yi had to raise his hand again to stop them and said, “Since we have taken the South Gate, the North Gate is no longer critical. Li Hongjian will arrive at the afternoon watch. We must capture him first, and then immediately deal with Li Ye and control the Imperial Guard Headquarters.”
Li Chongjin said, “But Wu Niang came precisely for…”
“We are here first to take Kaifeng, and second to kill Liu Zhu.”
Wang Chengxun smiled and said, “Xiao Lang, I think it’s better to kill Liu Zhu first. The city won’t run away. It would be a pity if Liu Zhu escaped.”
“We cannot invert the priorities,” Xiao Yi insisted, looking at Guo Xin and saying, “I said you could come, but you cannot interfere with matters.”
Li Chongjin quickly comforted her, “Wu Niang, don’t be angry…”
“Shut up, all of you, and listen to him.”
“Oh.”
“Now, set up an ambush for Li Hongjian. The key to this matter is not only to capture him but also to ensure that none of his accompanying soldiers escape to report. Cui Yanjin, Hai Jin, you will each take men to familiarize yourselves with the arrow towers. If anyone tries to escape, shoot them immediately.”
“Understood!”
“…”
After the arrangements were made, everyone finally rested and ate.
Xiao Yi ate three large bowls of soup noodles with lamb. He got up.
Hua Nong said, “Commander, you can go to the second floor of the city tower to sleep for a while.”
“No,” Xiao Yi said, looking at the sky. It was still early. “I’m going into the city to deliver the Marshal’s reply to Duke Xin Chen and ask them to persuade the officials to surrender the city.”
Wang Chengxun couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head. “The attitude of the civil officials is not important at all.”
“The pale-faced fop is not wrong about this,” Li Chongjin said. “Once the army enters the city, they will have to surrender whether they want to or not.”
Xiao Yi actually knew that the civil officials of the current court had no power whatsoever.
“Taking the city, civil officials really can’t help, but they can quickly stabilize order and quell unrest. When the Marshal arrives, seeing a surrendered and orderly Capital City, he naturally won’t order a plundering.”
Li Chongjin said, “I see. Understood.”
Liu Tingrang and Guo Shouwen also nodded.
“Commander Xiao’s righteousness.”
After preparations were complete, Xiao Yi called Zhang Mantun, Lu You, Fan Si, and Wei Liang over and gave them private instructions.
“Your families are all in the city, and you must be worried. So, go separately to contact your former comrades and friends who are absolutely trustworthy. The Northern Army is now in a dominant position. As long as they are not foolishly loyal to the Emperor, it won’t be difficult to persuade them to surrender.”
“Look at what the Commander said. The Han Dynasty has only been established for three years. How many can be foolishly loyal?”
Wei Liang said, “It should be said that except for the ringleaders who must be executed, everyone else wants to surrender.”
Fan Si said, “They also need to know the situation. The dog court is withholding information.”
“I’m worried about Ah Chou,” Lu You said. “The Commander is thinking of us, and I will remember this kindness. From now on, our lives belong to the Commander!”
“After I hide my parents, I’ll recruit some comrades to fight for the Commander!”
“Me too!”
Seeing this, Zhang Mantun said, “Alright. My family is still in the hands of the Imperial Guard. I’ll go rescue my family first, and then we’ll live and die together.”
“Don’t rush. You go contact the former subordinates of the Grand Tutor first and find someone trustworthy,” Xiao Yi said. “Come back to see me at the beginning of the evening. We will take the Imperial Guard Headquarters.”
“Understood!”
“Understood. If Ah Chou is at the Imperial Guard Headquarters, let him assist from the inside.”
“Go, be careful.”
Xiao Yi was also preparing to leave when he saw Guo Xin standing not far away, watching them, still holding the sword he had given her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Are you going alone?”
“Yes,” Xiao Yi said. “I’ll be quick.”
“I’ll bring people to protect you.”
“No need, I won’t be in danger.”
“It’s bothersome to stay here,” Guo Xin frowned. “I want to find something to do.”
“You are hunting. Hunting requires waiting and resting.”
“Oh… Also, I didn’t want to hinder you. What they said is not what I meant. I don’t need comfort, and I don’t need the plan to be disrupted just to accommodate me, which would make me seem…”
“I know.”
“Mm,” Guo Xin turned her head away with a bit of pride, muttering, “That’s good.”
“I’m leaving.”
Xiao Yi hurried his steps, swept past her, and headed towards the Li Residence.
After descending from the city tower, he vaguely felt a gaze from behind him. He glanced back and saw Guo Xin still standing there looking at him, he didn’t know why.
