Aoyama

Chapter 331 Rebellion
Queen Wang Huancang retreated.

"Hurry! They are already at the end of their strength and don't have much energy left!" He waved his hands to let the stickmen rush forward, while he retreated to Hanjiatan Hutong: "We still have hundreds of people, we can pile them up to death!"

However, the Yulin Army's spear and shield formation pushed forward step by step, forcing the stickmen to retreat step by step.

In the dark alley, Zhou Chong and Zhou Li raised their long shields to their noses, staring at everyone with cold eyes. When their eyes swept over a certain stick, the stick being stared at felt a chill in his heart.

The next moment, the Yulin Army suddenly charged.

Zhou Chong and Zhou Li had already raised their long shields and rammed the sticks hard, pushing them back like waves. The Yulin soldiers stepped on the sticks' bodies and stepped over them mercilessly.

Wang Huan was terrified and shouted, "Retreat to Baishun Hutong. They dare not act recklessly there. If we provoke the Five Cities Army, no one will be in trouble!"

Seeing that the stickmen could not stop the group, Wang Huan turned around and ran towards Baishun Hutong without caring about his face. As he ran, he pulled the arm of the stickman next to him back, hoping to use the stick to delay Chen Ji and others for a while.

But without Master Qian's restraint, how could these people take the hands-off shopkeeper seriously? They ran faster than Wang Huan.

Seeing that the stickmen were about to retreat to Baishun Hutong, Chen Ji whispered behind Duobao and Li Cen: "Send me over, and capture the fat man alive before they retreat into Baishun Hutong."

Duo Bao and Li Cen crossed their weapons, and the moment Chen Ji stepped on them, the two of them suddenly exerted their strength, sent Chen Ji into the air, and pounced towards Wang Huan.

One of the men threw the axe in his hand, and the axe spun straight towards Chen Ji's face. Chen Ji blocked it with his spear in the air, and then threw the axe back with a flick of his hand.

Wang Huan was horrified: "Stop him! Stop him!"

As he stepped back, he tripped over a raised brick gap and sat down on the ground with a thud.

With a clang, the axe hit the crack between his legs. If it had been a little further, he would have been exterminated from all his descendants. Wang Huan was so frightened that his face turned pale and he could not speak for a long time.

Before he could come to his senses, a foot was already on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

Chen Ji stepped on Wang Huan while looking around cautiously. The Heji soldiers surrounded him with sticks, but they did not dare to get closer than two steps, until Li Xuan led the Yulin Army to arrive, dispersed the sticks, and protected Chen Ji in the middle.

On both sides of the alley were spectators who quietly opened their windows, and in the alley were crowds of people holding sticks.

The Yulin soldiers covered their faces with gray cloth and gradually stood up. As they stood up, the light in the distance gradually lengthened their shadows until they covered all the sticks in front of them.

Wang Huan was trampled on the ground and shouted: "You are lawless! Do you know who is my boss? The capital city won't tolerate a bunch of soldiers like you acting so recklessly! The business under the imperial city is not something that anyone can seize. It depends on whether you have a powerful background!"

Chen Ji stepped on him and said calmly: "Then tell us who your boss is. Maybe we will let you go if we get scared."

Wang Huan hesitated to speak. He didn't dare to say anything.

If you don’t say it, you may not die, but if you say it, you will definitely die.

The next moment, Chen Ji raised his head and looked around, saying loudly: "Today we are standing here, heroes from all corners of the world, is there anyone who would like to challenge us?"

There was silence.

The stickmen dared not speak.

Then, Chen Ji lowered his head and asked in a low voice: "Then what should I say?"

The Yulin soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. None of them had any experience in martial arts. Chen Ji didn't know what to say, and they didn't know either.

Duobao hesitated and asked, "Should I say something harsh?"

Li Cen corrected him: "How is that possible? You are already fighting and still making such harsh remarks. It's so cheap."

Zhou Chong wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "How about thanking everyone for coming?"

Qi Chenzhuo sneered, "You're not setting up a stall to perform, what are you thanking me for?"

Li Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Should we set up a few dozen banquets somewhere to celebrate this event so that everyone in the martial arts world will know about it? And collect some gifts at the same time?"

Qi Chenzhuo laughed: "Brother-in-law, do you think you are getting married?"

The Yulin soldiers looked at each other for a long time. No one had expected that after fighting vigorously for several days, they ended up defeating everyone and didn't know what to do.

Duobao was trying to hold back his laughter, but slowly he couldn't hold it back anymore and burst into laughter. When he laughed, everyone finally couldn't hold it back anymore, and a group of people stood in the alley, laughing with their arms around each other.

The laughter drifted far away along with the night wind.

As he was laughing, Qi Chenzhuo suddenly wiped his eyes and said, "I'm sorry, everyone. I was a burden to everyone because of my incompetence in the past."

Duobao cursed, "I was so happy, why the hell did you do this? Haven't you grown up yet?"

Qi Chenzhuo wiped more tears and said, "If we had this formation in Guyuan, or if we had the ability we have today, would we not have to die so many brothers?"

Everyone slowly stopped smiling.

……

……

At this moment, while the Yulin Army was distracted, two windows on the second floor next to the alley opened a crack at the same time, and two crossbow arrows were shot in, one from the front and one from the back, heading straight for Wang Huan under Chen Ji's feet.

Without waiting for others to react, Chen Ji subconsciously gripped the spear tightly to block Wang Huan. With a clang, the arrow was nailed to the spear shaft.

When the second arrow flew, Zhou Chong was the first to react, raising his rattan shield to block Chen Ji and Wang Huan. With a click, the crossbow arrow nailed the rattan shield, and the tail feathers made a trembling buzzing sound.

The Yulin Army's expression changed. Use crossbows?

Qi Chenzhuo and Li Xuan looked at each other and felt serious at the same time.

It doesn’t matter whether Wang Huan is alive or dead. Once the crossbow is fired, it is no longer a street fight.

The young man in Li Shamao Hutong also sobered up instantly.

He casually threw the wine jar on the ground, turned around and walked out: "Zhou Kuang, pack up your things and leave quickly. Clean up all traces of our presence, and don't let anyone know that I'm here tonight."

In the capital, hiding heavy armor and using bows and crossbows is a serious crime of treason!

Where did the crossbow come from? Who made it, who hid it, who used it? Anyone who has anything to do with it will suffer.

Zhou Kuang whispered, "Could it be that someone is taking this opportunity to frame the second branch of the Chen family? Chen Lizhi is not such a stupid person. He has sent Chen Wenren to live in the Yulin Army for these years and has not given Chen Wenren any power. He has handed it all over to his eldest son Chen Wende. Even if Chen Wenren got carried away, he couldn't mobilize a bow and crossbow. Chen Wende is calm and experienced, and he has served as the Minister of Rites. He will not follow Chen Wenren in making trouble."

Zhou Kuang continued, "It's just Wang Huan. Even if he was caught by the group of people downstairs, so what? He was not caught by the court, so why would they kill him to silence him? But once the crossbow arrows are fired, the outer city will really be turned upside down. No cover can cover it up. How can this be covered up? It's clearly overturning the table."

The young man suddenly stopped, stood in the corridor and looked back at Zhou Kuang: "Zhou Kuang, these two crossbow arrows are not aimed at the Chen family, but at me. If my guess is correct, the crossbowman should have committed suicide by taking poison after shooting the crossbow."

Zhou Kuang was startled: "Is it coming for you?"

The young man sneered, "If these two crossbow arrows are shot out, Chen Wenren will be protected by the Chen family, and at best he will be exiled to Lingnan; Hutchison will suffer, but the Chen family will not be seriously injured... Only I will lose a lot of things."

Zhou Kuang was stunned: "What did you lose?"

The young man laughed at himself: "Holy favor."

……

……

In the alley, Li Xuan stepped on Duobao's shoulders and lightly jumped up to the second floor. He opened the window and glanced inside, then turned back and said to Chen Ji downstairs: "The crossbowman has committed suicide by taking poison. He is a dead soldier."

Chen Ji remained silent. Li Xuanyue returned to the alley and whispered to him, "We have to leave quickly. I saw many people leaving in a hurry. If crossbows are used here, the Five Cities Military Department will probably come to suppress it soon. By then, everyone present will be implicated and may have to go to the Imperial Prison again."

Chen Ji closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then when he opened them again he said firmly: "It's too late. Our identities have been exposed, and even if we run away we will be found one by one... We can't just leave like this."

Li Xuan wanted to persuade him again, but Chen Ji said firmly: "Listen to me."

Li Xuan sighed: "What should I do now?"

Chen Ji whispered, "Go find Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia now, and be quick!"

Li Xuan asked, "What message do you have for them?"

Chen Ji replied: "Tell Zhang Xia what happened here, and she will naturally know what to do."

Li Xuan turned and left.

Chen Ji lowered his head and looked at Wang Huan: "Someone wants to kill you. Do you want to live or die?"

Wang Huan closed his eyes and trembled all over.

Chen Ji pressed the cold tip of the spear against Wang Huan's neck, scaring him so much that he trembled all over.

He said calmly, "I know that the Wang family is behind you, and I also know that the Wang family is the maiden family of Wang, the second branch of the Chen family, so there is no need to scare me with your family background. Now someone is using a bow and crossbow, and no one can escape. I only ask one question, do you want to live or die?"

Wang Huan hesitated.

Chen Ji used the tip of the spear to cut a hole in his carotid artery. Wang Huan immediately shouted, "You want to live?"

Chen Ji whispered, "Give me the account books of Hutchison Whampoa over the years, and I will let you live."

Wang Huan's face changed: "What's the difference between this and letting me die? If I hand these over to you, not only me, but even my whole family will not survive!"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "I don't need the account book, but are you willing to use Hutchison's entire fortune to save your life?"

Wang Huan gritted his teeth and said, "I can give you the silver, but not the account book!"

Chen Ji grabbed the man's collar with one hand and lifted him up: "Tell Hutchison's sticks to disperse, or I'll make you bleed again."

Wang Huan hurriedly shouted loudly: "All dispersed, all dispersed!"

Upon hearing this, the Hutchison bosses turned around and ran away as if they had been pardoned.

Wang Huan cursed, "You ungrateful people! I told you to disperse, but you really did! You ran away faster than rabbits!"

Chen Ji carried him and walked out of the Eight Great Hutongs with his head down: "Where is the silver hidden?"

Wang Huan gritted his teeth and said, "Wei Ran Hutong next to Zhangjia Bridge!"

Chen Ji looked at Qi Chenzhuo and said, "You stay here to pick up your brother-in-law and take your brother-in-law and Zhang Xia to Wei Ran Hutong."

Qi Zhuozhuo asked anxiously, "Master, where are you going?"

Chen Ji pulled Wang Huan in another direction: "Everyone else, follow me."

In full view of everyone, they walked through the alleys and headed towards Zhengyangmen Street. Chen Ji said nothing and the others didn't ask any questions either.

In the night, they didn't know how long they had walked until they saw a wonton stand. Chen Ji turned around and asked his colleagues behind him: "Are you hungry?"

Duo Bao and the others looked at each other and said, "I am indeed a little hungry."

Chen Ji pulled Wang Huan to sit at the small wooden table of the wonton stall: "Shopkeeper, cook some wontons."

The shopkeeper looked at the thirty-odd people and the weapons in their hands, and said tremblingly: "We are going to close the shop."

Duobao took out a silver ingot from his bosom and slapped it on the table: "Stop talking nonsense and cook the wontons quickly."

The shopkeeper quickly put the silver into his pocket and asked, "How many bowls would you like to eat, sir?"

Chen Ji smiled and rubbed his chopsticks while saying, "Cook all the wontons in your stall. We will have enough to eat."

Wang Huan had come to his senses by now. He sat next to Chen Ji and did not dare to run away. He just urged him in a low voice: "I have already told you where the silver is hidden. Why don't you let me go? Please, let me go quickly."

Chen Ji calmly pulled off the gray cloth on his face and asked, "How did you escape from the capital in the middle of the night?"

Wang Huan said anxiously, "The Cao Gang still has ships parked in Chongnanfang. It's still not too late to leave now. If we leave later, I'm afraid it will be too late."

"Can the Cao Gang send people out of the city?" Chen Ji asked curiously, "You don't really think you can get away, do you? I advise you that it is better to fall into the hands of the court than to be drowned in the river for no apparent reason. Eat a bowl of wontons peacefully and stay in prison with us. It may be safer inside than outside."

Wang Huan angrily said, "What are you eating? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Chen Ji asked back, "Eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, what's wrong with that?"

Wang Huan panted, "In Weiran Hutong is the silver of the second branch of the Chen family, a total of more than 60,000 taels. Do you really think you can take this silver alive? Don't be alive to take it and not live to spend it."

The shopkeeper brought the freshly cooked wontons. Chen Ji lowered his head and drank a mouthful of hot soup. Then he looked up and smiled, "Is the Chen family so stingy? Can't you even take some of their money to spend?"

Wang Huan said angrily: "Do you think that raising the stick is the end? Raising the stick is just the beginning. From this moment on, it is not the stick that is being fought, but the court's skills. The ministers' killing methods are bloodless!"

Chen Ji hummed, ignored Wang Huan, and lowered his head to eat wontons with the Yulin Army. Everyone ate bowl after bowl, and the ceramic bowls on the table were piled up as high as their heads. Only when all the wontons wrapped by the store were finished and cooked did everyone wipe their mouths with satisfaction.

At this moment, the sound of dense horse hooves came from afar.

The only people who dared to ride so many horses at night in the capital were the Five Cities Army... and Jie Fanwei.

Chen Ji squinted his eyes and saw dozens of people riding horses towards him at the end of Zhengyangmen Street. They were wearing python robes and had long swords hanging from their waists.

The one who came was not the Five Cities Army.

It can relieve troubles and relieve the symptoms.

Wang Huan showed despair: "It's over, it's Jie Fanwei!"

The first person pulled the reins and came to the wonton stand. He lowered his head and looked at Chen Ji who had just put down the bowl: "Why are you here again?"

Chen Ji smiled and stood up: "Why is it Lord Lin again?"

The person who came was the commander of the Jiefan Guard, Lin Chaoqing.

Lin Chaoqing's eyes swept over Chen Ji and the others. "I received a tip-off that someone was using a bow and crossbow in the outer city with the intention of rebellion. Some people also said that this matter is related to you. Is this true?"

Chen Ji pointed at Wang Huan and said seriously, "The rebel who used the crossbow is right here. As members of the Yulin Army, we have the responsibility to guard the capital, and we have already arrested him."

Wang Huan's expression changed: "You're talking nonsense!"

Lin Chaoqing looked at Wang Huan, then at Chen Ji: "Take them all back to the Imperial Prison!"

Duo Bao looked at Chen Ji worriedly, while Chen Ji was looking into the distance.

At this time, on Zhengyangmen Street, a horse-drawn carriage of the Zhang family drove slowly past and headed towards Wei Ran Hutong.

Chen Ji turned around and comforted the Yulin Army, saying, "Don't be afraid. The innocent will be innocent. I think Lord Lin will clear our name."

(End of this chapter)