Chapter 87: Revisiting The Imperial Guard Headquarters
At the first quarter of the Shen hour, the setting sun cast long shadows from the city tower, dividing the snow-covered long street into two parts.
“Who goes there?!”
As Xiao Yi stepped into the shadow, a shout suddenly came from the distant arrow tower. He lowered his paper umbrella, looked up, and let the snowflakes fall on his face.
“Haha, so the commander deliberately brought an umbrella. He must be testing if I’ve slacked off. Don’t worry, I’m watching.”
Back on the city tower, Li Chongjin turned to look, his dark face full of surprise.
“Brother Xiao, why are you carrying such a sissy umbrella? A man of integrity should not fear wind and frost, don’t be like a pale-faced scholar.”
“Heh, what does Blackie know?” Wang Chengxun said, “Young Master Xiao is as handsome as a jade tree, he must have received it from some young lady who admires him.”
“Heh heh, so you went to see your sweetheart.”
Xiao Yi ignored them and asked, “How is it?”
Hua Nong said, “Under the flag in the southeast ward, two men are watching, and there are also sentry posts to the west. As the commander ordered, I arranged for two soldiers I know to monitor the Imperial Guard Headquarters for any movements. They haven’t reported back yet.”
“No rush, stay calm and wait.”
“I’ve prepared the water clock and the clappers. Commander, please rest for a while, I’ll wake you up when it’s time.”
“Alright.”
Xiao Yi then closed his eyes to rest.
Guo Xin had been very quiet these past two days, but he still sat next to him, repeatedly rubbing his saber, making a faint sound.
He accidentally fell asleep again and was only woken by Hua Nong nudging him.
“What time is it?”
“It’s past the third quarter of the Shen hour, and Li Hongjian still hasn’t arrived.”
“What’s going on?”
Liu Tingrang hurried into the city tower and said, “The man hasn’t come. Could it be that he sensed the ambush?”
“No,” Wang Chengxun said. “If he had sensed it, he would have sent troops to seize the South Gate long ago.”
Tang Jin pointed at Sun Zhong and grinned, “Perhaps this donkey ball didn’t tell the truth. Let me interrogate him, and I’ll make him spill his guts.”
Sun Zhong was terrified when he saw Tang Jin’s expression and cried out, “Subordinate, I’ve told you everything truthfully! Perhaps he was delayed by something. This matter… How about we send someone to report to his Flying Dragon Envoy, Hou Kuangzan, that he’s trying to escape?”
Wang Chengxun paced and pondered, “Since Li Hongjian isn’t coming, instead of ambushing him, why not ambush Liu Zhu?”
Li Chongjin said, “Indeed, that’s what I was about to say, but you beat me to it.”
“Don’t worry,” Xiao Yi said. “Hua Nong, send someone to scout again.”
From a distance, a soldier came running.
Hua Nong had just turned around when he quickly said, “It’s Shou Tao, the one I sent to the Imperial Guard Headquarters, returning.”
Xiao Yi looked over. The soldier was not wearing armor, but a common short jacket. He had a pointed head, a large face, and looked like a peach, but he moved very quickly.
“You idiot, I’ve found out.”
Shou Tao first mumbled something, then knelt on one knee before Xiao Yi and clasped his fists. “Report, I saw more than thirty carriages being loaded with grain and supplies inside the headquarters. Li Hongjian’s large banner is still there. It seems he doesn’t plan to patrol the city.”
“That’s not right!”
Hou Kuangzan suddenly shouted, his voice beautiful, like a oriole emerging from a valley.
“Since the Southern Army has been defeated and Yan Kunlunnu is dead, there’s no time for incompetent generals to surrender. Why would they need grain and fodder? He must be planning to escape with Li Ye. Those carriages are definitely a cover for the Imperial Treasury Gold!”
Xiao Yi pondered, “Hua Nong, send someone trustworthy to trick him. Tell him that the Flying Dragon Envoy is involved in a secret of the Imperial Palace and requests his presence at the South Gate.”
“Understood.”
The waiting time was long. Xiao Yi ordered his subordinates to eat in shifts. Dinner consisted of provisions, soup noodles, and cured meat.
After eating, Lu You, Fan Si, and Wei Liang returned together with more than ten Imperial Guards.
“Commander, these are a group of brothers we trust the most in the army. They are reliable in character and all wish to surrender to Marshal Guo.”
“We are willing to abandon darkness for light and surrender to Duke Guo. We beg the commander to take us under his wing and give us a chance to serve!”
“Good! All good men.”
Xiao Yi helped them up one by one and asked for their names.
Finally, he turned to Lu You and asked, “Where is Ah Chou?”
Lu You said worriedly, “Commander, Ah Chou went out of the city with Nie Wenjin. I’m truly afraid he’s too stubborn. If he surrenders too slowly…”
“It’s fine. Even if they all surrender, they have to queue up. There’s still time.”
Xiao Yi then asked, “Are your families all arranged?”
“Yes, we have no more worries.” Fan Si grinned and said, “My father praised me highly for my foresight. Lu You’s wife is also hidden away, and she’s not as pretty as he described.”
“That’s because you’re blind…”
Soon, Zhang Mantun also returned.
Tang Jin saw him and couldn’t help but mock, “Silly donkey, look at them. Why did you only bring a single person? I told you you have no friends.”
“You dog barbarian, you only know how to talk nonsense! The one person I brought back is worth a hundred of theirs!”
That was too arrogant, and everyone looked at the person behind Zhang Mantun.
That person was dressed as an Imperial Guard captain, in his twenties, tall and strong, with a square face, a flat nose, and small eyes, but his gaze was pure and exuded an aura of loyalty and straightforwardness.
He stepped forward, performed a neat and standard hand clasp salute, his expression solemn and meticulous, and his words were resonant.
“Li Chongju, Captain of the First Division of the First Command of the Right Wing of the Saint’s Army, greets Commander Xiao!”
“Are you willing to surrender to the Marshal?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“It’s righteous and proper!”
“Explain in detail, what does righteous and proper mean?”
“I received great kindness from the Grand Tutor, and I should have repaid him with utmost loyalty. But the Grand Tutor suddenly died, and the Imperial Court pressured me with an imperial decree. I did not wish to fail the Grand Tutor, nor did I wish to betray the Imperial Court, which put me in a difficult position. Tie Ya said that Duke Guo’s plan to ‘remove corrupt officials’ is to kill the treacherous officials around the Emperor. This is righteousness, and it also avenges the Grand Tutor. This is proper. I didn’t need to think twice to know I had to do this!”
“Well done.”
Xiao Yi nodded repeatedly, knowing that Li Chongju was the kind of soldier generals liked best: capable of fighting, honest, and single-minded. He followed orders without overthinking. He spoke little, only elaborating when asked, and his words revealed a difficult background. Occasionally, he would use an idiom, showing his eagerness to learn.
“If I want to control the Imperial Guards in the city, what are your thoughts?”
“This subordinate is willing to capture Li Hongjian and call on the Imperial Guards to surrender!”
“Good, good!”
Zhang Mantun saw Xiao Yi nod and couldn’t help but feel proud. He glanced at Tang Jin and haughtily raised his head.
Not long after, the soldier sent to deliver the message returned with Li Hongjian’s reply.
“He said, ‘Let Sun Zhong handle it himself.'”
“Anything else?”
“Just that sentence.”
“What is the situation at the Imperial Guard Headquarters? Which city gate does he plan to use?”
“He sent people to Liangmen in the West City. The carriages are almost loaded.”
“Damn it! Forget about Li Hongjian.” Li Chongjin suddenly stood up. “We’ve wasted the whole afternoon dealing with this old geezer. Since he’s not coming, why not kill Liu Zhu first and take the North Gate? Then the matter will be settled.”
Guo Xin, speaking for the first time in a while, said in a hoarse voice, “Exactly!”
Xiao Yi saw Guo Xin looking at him with anticipation and, after a moment’s thought, shook his head.
“Even if Liu Zhu resists, it will be easy to kill him once the army arrives. Even if we worry about him escaping, we can just send people to keep an eye on him. However, the Marshal will need a large amount of money for the upcoming rewards for the soldiers. Intercepting the Imperial Treasury Gold is like sending charcoal in the snow.”
The goal of entering the city was to maintain stability and prevent plunder. He had to remain steadfast in this point, with avenging the Guo family being secondary.
Wang Chengxun had clearly anticipated this and pondered, “But if Li Hongjian doesn’t come, what should we do?”
Xiao Yi said, “If he doesn’t come, then we will go.”
“Good!” Liu Tingrang said excitedly. “Let’s storm the Imperial Guard Headquarters. Ambushing is too boring, I’m already sleepy.”
“Haha,” Li Chongjin said. “Alright, if we’re going, let’s go quickly. Let’s capture Li Hongjian, that old man, as soon as possible, and then kill Liu Zhu. Shouwen, are you scared?”
“Scared of what? Let’s go to the Imperial Guard Headquarters!”
Not a single person was afraid.
However, Xiao Yi did not intend to bring everyone. He had initially wanted Guo Xin and Guo Xin to stay, but they insisted on going. In the end, Guo Shouwen was left to guard the South Gate, while Liu Tingrang, Cui Yanjin, and Hai Jin led troops to assist, with Hua Nong also assigned to support.
Before they left, Hai Jin touched Hou Kuangzan’s face and said, “As expected of someone the Emperor plays with. Damn, she’s prettier than all the women I’ve slept with!”
Hou Kuangzan’s eyes rolled back in fright, and he fainted.
Xiao Yi had no choice but to instruct, “Do not touch him.”
“Understood.”
Xiao Yi then selected over fifty men, brought drums, horns, and flags, and headed to the Imperial Guard Headquarters.
On the way, Wang Chengxun volunteered, “I’ll persuade Li Hongjian to surrender later, to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary casualties.”
“Look at you. Just kill anyone who surrenders slowly!”
“…”
As night fell, the Imperial Guard Headquarters was brightly lit both inside and out.
Xiao Yi and the others hid in the street corner, observing.
Compared to last time, there was two parts less killing intent and three parts more busyness. As Shou Tao had said, carriages were being loaded inside the main gate, and they were almost finished.
Armored soldiers stood guard with halberds, their defenses tight; teams of soldiers led horses, preparing to depart.
Xiao Yi called everyone over and said, “Chengxun and I will go in to persuade them to surrender. If it fails, I will blow my whistle as a signal.”
“Just the two of you going? That’s too dangerous…”
“Shh. San Lang, Brother Chongjin, you take thirty men and guard here. If I blow the whistle, charge in immediately and capture or kill Li Hongjian. Remember, make a lot of noise, spread rumors that the Marshal has entered the city, and that only the main culprits will be punished. Those who surrender late will die.”
“Understood.”
“Tang Jin, you protect them, don’t get carried away by the killing.”
“Understood.”
“Zhang Mantun, Lu You, Fan Si, Li Chongju, you take your men and go around to the rear, contact more generals willing to surrender, and as soon as you hear the commotion, immediately incite the Imperial Guards to revolt.”
“Understood!”
“Anyone who resists will be shot immediately, but do not set fires, and do not kill indiscriminately, to avoid scaring them into running. This is to awe them and make them surrender in an orderly fashion. Do you all understand?”
“Understood!”
After the assignments were made, Xiao Yi thought of something else and said, “If there are any accidents, blow the whistle to warn us.”
“Alright.”
“Let’s go.”
Wang Chengxun tidied his robes slightly and calmly stood up, stepping forward with Xiao Yi.
“Who is it?!”
“Go and tell the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, Li Gong, that an old acquaintance requests an audience. My surname is Wang, and I come from Chan Prefecture.”
After waiting for a while.
The shadow of the headquarters seemed to swallow Wang Chengxun and Xiao Yi.
Finally, a few guards came out and said, “Young Master Wang, please come in! However… please leave your weapons behind.”
Wang Chengxun sneered, as if mocking Li Hongjian for not being heroic enough, and casually threw his saber away.
Xiao Yi also handed over his sabre, and the dagger hidden in his boot was also found.
They entered the hall, which was five zhang high, with armored soldiers guarding outside and guards with swords drawn standing respectfully inside.
Besides that, there was only a nine-section whip placed on the commander’s desk, and no other weapons.
Wang Chengxun showed no fear, and Xiao Yi was even more composed.
Returning to this place, he was no longer the same person as before.
