My Chinese ancestors

Chapter 214 Undercurrent
rustling...

Thin lines of rain connected the sky and the earth. Countless people fleeing from the war were sitting under the eaves of the street, watching the rain fall with fearful expressions.

Rainwater and mud mixed in the potholes on the ground. Pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages passed by in a hurry. A burly man wearing a bamboo hat and coarse cloth walked into a nearby inn. There were not as many people as usual. There were only one or two tables of guests. The shopkeeper saw The man came in and quickly asked the waiter to come over to entertain him.

After ordering some food, the man sat down at a nearby empty table.

The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier. Amidst the patter of rain, several children ran past the inn door with wooden sticks as weapons, playing and shouting: "Beat the Yan army... Defeat the Yan army."

Then he was driven away by the waiter waving a rag.

In the inn, two tables of guests were talking indistinctly.

"9 people...beaten like this..."

"No...they are not fighting. They are clearly going to die."

"I can be a general, but who can't die?"

Luyang is the capital of the Central Plains, with a population of over one million. News of the defeat has spread, and such public comments can be heard everywhere. Most people feel uneasy, feeling that a huge crisis is approaching from the north, making it difficult for them to respite.

But some people don't quite believe that this is true news. After all, neither the government nor the court has issued any official statement.

Previously, the bachelors, gentry, and scholars who had gathered in restaurants and chatted with the waiters and talked nonsense, two days after the news came, it seemed as if someone had slapped them hard in the face, and their voices were silenced.

But as the news of the defeat became more detailed, another voice came out. Unlike before, they still remained optimistic.

"...Wang Long'en and his brothers had all their food and wine. They ran outside to form a formation at night and were charged to death by the cavalry. They deserved it."

"Both of them are veterans on the battlefield, how could they make such a mistake in their judgment? Fortunately, 31 soldiers and horses were defeated without any damage. There are still [-] soldiers and horses outside Luyang City!"

"The two kingdoms of Qi and Liang in the northwest are at war with the barbarians all the year round. The cavalry should be as good as the Yan State traitors!"

The government did not stop such remarks, and allowed them to ferment in the city, which did have some effect. It not only made the people more stable, but also made many people in the city share the same hatred with the imperial court.

At the same time, the government took the opportunity to publicize the brutality of the Yan people, tortured defeated prisoners and corpses, and publicized the massacre of Guangfu...

However, in this process, following the previous strategy of fortifying the wall and clearing the country, all the grain outside Luyang City was put into the official warehouse, and it had to supply the daily needs of the 31 troops. The official warehouse tightened the grain supply, and the prices of private grain and vegetables gradually increased. .

It seems to be relatively stable at the moment, but the superintendent in charge of the market in the government office has begun to worry that if the war drags on for two or three months, the people in the city may have no food to eat, and even if there is... they won't be able to afford it. .

At this time, in the inn, the man in the bamboo hat ate for a while, then asked the waiter to make another portion, and asked him to pack it up and take it away. After leaving the inn, he returned directly along the way he came from, passed through two streets and alleys, and came to a room. Outside the small courtyard, he jumped up, stepped off the wall, and reached the inner courtyard.

The small courtyard is not big. When I heard the noise, someone opened the door slightly to reveal a gap. He glanced outside and then opened the door completely to let the man in.

"Come over and eat."

"Commander Pei, what's going on outside?" Four masters from the Embroidery Department came over, all trained by Pei Min.There was another person lying on the bed, with injuries to his waist, ribs, and abdomen. Recently, the city's inspection of the Embroidery Department had become more and more strict. During the assassination a few days ago, he was injured by a master from the Qianlong Mansion who was ambushing him.

Pei Min took off his bamboo hat, took a piece of steamed bun, broke it in half, handed it to his subordinate lying on the bed, put the other half to his mouth, bit it, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"The news is confirmed. King Xia's cavalry indeed defeated [-] Wei soldiers and horses in the Linqiu area."

"Well done!" The four people eating couldn't help but cheer.Even the injured man lying on the bed grinned.

"A total of ten people from the Embroidery Department came here, and now there are only five of you left. Now that King Xia is fighting the Wei army outside the city, we don't need to assassinate anymore. We can lurk for the time being to save our lives."

Pei Min is not as simple as an ordinary Jianghu man. He has also been a general, and he will assess the situation. King Xia's troops are hundreds of miles away, and there are also embroidery departments and military scouts there. He is no longer needed, let alone Even if there is important news, it cannot be delivered, and the lives of his men will be in vain.

"Everyone will stay in the courtyard during this period. We will take turns to go out to buy food. Next time we go out, remember to buy more. I guess the price of food in the city will rise soon."

"Also pay attention to the people in Qianlong Mansion, they should still be watching secretly. Be especially careful about the master from the past few days."

Pei Min's words were indeed correct. At this time, in the streets and alleys of the city, more eyes were looking around, paying attention to the figures of pedestrians around them. Xiao Mo was sitting on the second floor of a teahouse, drinking tea slowly, looking a little lost in thought. Pedestrians passing by in the rain.

He originally thought that when he entered the Qianlong Mansion, he would rely on his own ability and learn from his master to step up to the court step by step. However, he did have this ability. During this period of time, he stood out among the masters of the Qianlong Mansion and was favored by the government. The Lord’s appreciation.

But before he could be happy for long, the news of the defeat of the 40-strong army outside the city came, washing away the joy in his heart. The [-]-strong army not only refused to retreat, but also fought without mercy. It was simply a hysterical beast.

Xiao Mochu felt a trace of fear in his heart.

'I hope this guy can be surrounded and killed by the Wei army in this battle... don't let him live anymore! '

He raised his eyes and looked at the majestic imperial city in the distance outside the building. There, the emperor, who seemed calm in the court, retreated left and right after retreating from the court, smashed the study room, and became furious.

"You don't know how to seize the opportunity...you made a mistake in judgment...why did I let you be the governor of two states and lead the army!"

"My 9 people... are not [-] beasts!"

"Two damn losers, it's a good thing that you died in the battle, otherwise I would have taken your heads to apologize to the three armies!"

After a long time, he came out of the room as if nothing happened, and went to Huaiguang Hall. Here he summoned the chief generals of Wu and Yue, as well as the generals of Sui and Qingzhou, and the emperor's uncle Zhao Guangshi to discuss all matters regarding sending troops.

In the main hall, there were also messengers from Qi and Liang. They arrived in Luyang yesterday.At present, everyone agreed on a time for the army to encircle, and the messenger returned to the northwest of Yangzhou.

……

The last day of June.

The cavalry formations were neatly arranged, and the queues were quiet and solemn. Surrounded by a group of Wei soldiers who had taken away their weapons and stripped off their armor, they followed the cavalry slowly with their heads lowered.

The direction they were going was Guangfu City where the Yan army was stationed.

Of the 8000 soldiers and horses, only more than [-] were accepted and became prisoners. The corpses of most of the Wei soldiers were scattered across the fields, and only a small number of them escaped into the nearby hills.

These more than 8000 prisoners did not dare to think about their future fate.

While the army was still on its way back, Su Chen, who came out of the county government, was dressed in military uniform and rode on horseback to greet the victorious generals outside the city.

On the long street passing by, a pair of eyes looked down from a certain building.

A long procession was passing by here, with many banners and flags standing there, and soldiers clearing the way. There was a ferocious smell of rust, and the people and pedestrians on the road retreated to the street in fear, lowering their heads.

In the afternoon sunshine, the streets and eaves were still covered with yesterday's rainwater. Above the long street, there was a sound of tiles rattling. Among the marching team, the tall man tilted his head slightly. In the peripheral vision, a figure rushed out. The roof jumped up, and a cold light traced a long path from the hand.

A spear was stabbed at the figure on the horse——

The next moment, the spear body was directly grabbed by someone.

Next to the black horse was Li Xuanba, who was fully armored. He held the spear with one hand and broke it lightly. The handle under the spearhead broke. Then he flicked his hand and threw the assassin to the ground and rolled out. A few laps.

Su Chen turned his head and glanced, his voice cold and indifferent: "Execution."

Upon hearing the order, the surrounding soldiers who were suppressing the opponent took action, piercing his chest and belly with several halberds.

This is already the seventh assassination.

"...I remember when I was stationed here, there were no spies from the Qianlong Mansion. How come they appear more and more frequently recently." Su Chen told Dian Wei on horseback about this matter, which made him a little annoyed.

"The city gates are strictly guarded. The people in the city are basically banned from entering the city. People from outside are also prohibited from entering the city. It is impossible to come in through the city gate!"

Dian Wei shook his head. As a member of the Central Guards, the frequent assassinations recently made him feel quite irritated. These people had some martial arts skills, but they were not much better. They pounced on them from time to time like caterpillars.

"typical!"

Looking at the figures with their heads hanging down on the streets around him, Su Chen narrowed his eyes and called Wu Zixun, "Take the soldiers to search door to door in the city. Start with all the buildings close to the city wall and find the entrance to a secret passage. Guard your mouth and come out to kill each one!"

"Yes!"

Wu Zixun took the order and turned around and ran away. The marching team gradually left the city gate. In the distance, in his field of vision, there were already cavalry returning first.

(End of this chapter)