Aoyama

Chapter 448 Capturing the Living

Chen Ji sat cross-legged on the ground, weaving straw sandals.

By the second time, I was much more skilled and no longer made the mistake of showing half of my foot.

The evening drum sounded at Chongli Pass, accompanied by the sound of gongs.

On the towering gate tower, foot soldiers struck a long, narrow gong, its clear yet chilling hum carrying for miles.

To the north of the gate tower is a semi-circular barbican. The north gate of the barbican, along with the Ping'an Gate, is closed. Hong Ye, who went out to look for Zhang Baishi, has not returned, but Chongli Pass will not wait.

At this point, Zhang Tonggou stopped joking and his expression grew increasingly somber.

Chen Ji looked around, and so did everyone else.

He asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Tonggou explained in a deep voice: "The captain and his men were sent out to repair the section of the outer wall between Haishui Pass and Xuwei Pass before dawn. They should have been back before Shenshi (3-5 PM).

Chongli Pass is not an isolated pass.

Along the mountain range of Malaysia, there are twelve small towns connected by sections of the Great Wall, forming a huge barrier that helps each other.

This is the Twelve Linked Cities of Chongli Pass.

Chen Ji guessed, "Could it be that the city wall isn't finished yet?"

Zhang Tonggou shook his head: "Impossible. If the city wall isn't finished, we'll go out to work on it again tomorrow. If we don't return on time, we'll be punished by military law."

problem occurs.

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment: "On my way here, I saw Master Hong and Ah Sheng return to Chongli Pass. Master Hong said they encountered the 'Life-Capturing General' in the mountains..."

Zhang Tonggou and the others were startled: "What else did he say?"

Chen Ji recalled: "Later, he asked if Bai Zi and Xing Xing had returned. Someone replied that when the Wan Sui Army returned from the plateau, they had seen them in Liu Tiao Gou. So Hong Ye changed horses and went to look for them again."

Zhang Tonggou whispered, "This is bad. The Capture Generals don't usually go into the Da Ma Mountains. Not only are there night scouts from our Chongli Pass, but also from the three Imperial Guards. There are at least a hundred men lying in ambush there. How many men did they bring before they dared to venture into the mountains? Could it be that another war is about to break out?"

Li Ahu pondered: "Didn't I hear recently that Wang Daosheng, the General of Pingdong, captured Yuan Cheng, the Privy Councilor of Jingchao? Could these captured generals be here to retaliate against us?"

Zhang Tonggou cursed, "That makes sense. These mad dogs never allow us to gain the slightest advantage. Now that we've captured the Privy Councilor, they're going to come in like madmen and kill people to vent their anger."

He got up and walked outside: "I'm going to find out what happened."

Li Ahu grabbed him and hissed, "Are you crazy too? Curfew is about to start!"

Zhang Tonggou hesitated for a moment, then slumped back down, saying dejectedly, "I'm afraid he really did perish outside."

The evening drumbeats have ceased.

Those who went out did not return, leaving the barracks empty and silent for a long time.

In the silence, Chen Ji spoke up: "Before I came from the capital, I heard rumors that Jingchao wanted to negotiate peace and exchange Yuancheng for it."

Zhang Tonggou flew into a rage: "Change him, my ass! We finally caught him, why should we let him go? Anyone who wants to release Yuancheng is a spy for the Jing Dynasty, arrest them all and behead them!"

Chen Ji remained calm: "What if it would be more beneficial for our Ning Dynasty to switch him back?"

Zhang Tonggou sneered: "Releasing a tiger back to the mountain would be more beneficial to our Ning Dynasty? What kind of bullshit logic is that! Six years ago, it was Yuan Cheng who led three armies south. In that battle alone, the three Imperial Guards suffered 30% casualties, and more than half of my Chongli Pass infantry died. You arrived too late, otherwise you might have died in that battle too."

Chen Ji explained, "I'm just talking about what I heard."

Zhang Tonggou softened his tone: "Anyway, we are going to fight Jingchao to the death. No one can talk to us. Anyone who talks to us is a traitor. Besides, where will we get our money if we don't fight? If there's no war, we won't even pay our soldiers' salaries. I owe Old Li from the military market three taels of silver, and I still haven't paid it back. It's almost reached five taels."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "On credit at the military market?"

Li Ahu explained, "There are loan sharks in the military market who lend us money at exorbitant interest rates. Ordinary infantrymen can get three taels, junior officers ten taels, and company commanders twenty taels."

Chen Ji asked in confusion, "What about the hundred-household and thousand-household units?"

Zhang Tonggou sneered: "Why would a hundred-household commander or a thousand-household commander need us to lend money at exorbitant interest rates? They can live off our grain and salary."

Chen Ji pondered, "Aren't they afraid that if people die in the war, they won't be able to get their money back?"

Zhang Tonggou shook his head: "Do you think they would do a losing business? If you die, the imperial court will provide compensation. Before the compensation money even reaches your wife and mother, they will intercept it. They have connections everywhere."

Chen Ji steered the conversation back on track, continuing to inquire, "Even if the court advocates peace and wants to exchange Yuancheng for something, I doubt the three Imperial Guards would agree, would they?"

Li Ahu thought for a moment: "The Longevity Army and the Divine Machine Battalion will definitely not agree, but it's hard to say about the Five Armies Battalion. It is said that the commander of the Five Armies Battalion is a scholar-general who does not like fighting."

Zhang Tonggou sneered, "What a load of rubbish, a scholar-general! He's utterly spineless!"

Chen Ji probed again, "How many night scouts are there in the Long Live Army and the Divine Machine Battalion outside Chongli Pass?"

Zhang Tonggou thought for a moment: "A hundred or so, I guess."

Chen Ji pondered to himself that the Jing Dynasty envoy would likely face numerous difficulties passing through Chongli Pass.

The soldiers on the front lines and Jingchao have a deep-seated hatred built up over many years, and Yuan Cheng carries an even deeper blood feud on his shoulders. The soldiers on the front lines will not allow him to return to Jingchao alive no matter what.

If those night watchmen were determined to assassinate the envoy, he alone could not stop them.

If Emperor Ning were to grant him the position of Imperial Guard Commander of the Capital Garrison and successfully escort the Jing Dynasty envoy, it would likely anger many people.

Chen Ji finally understood why Emperor Ning had given him this task; it was to force him to become a loyal but isolated official.

No, it's not just the Ning Dynasty people who want to kill Yuan Cheng; his uncle probably wants to kill him too.

Jing Chao's sudden entry into the mountains of Da Ma and his provocation at Chong Li Pass were not simply a matter of "venting his anger."

Chen Ji frowned; accomplishing this task seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven. At this time, the captain and his forty colleagues still hadn't returned.

"Go to sleep," Zhang Tonggou patted his butt and walked into the house.

Li Ahu asked, "Aren't we going to wait a little longer?"

"Wait my ass, how can we wait any longer? Everyone go to sleep early, we'll collect their corpses when we leave the pass tomorrow," Zhang Tonggou muttered under his breath. "That kid Li Guanggu still owes me seventy coins, I'm definitely not going to get them back."

……

……

Chen Ji lay on the communal bed.

There was no snoring that Ah Sheng had mentioned, only the sounds of his colleagues tossing and turning.

At dawn, the bell tolled from the gate tower of Chongli Pass, its sound echoing far and wide.

Outside the barracks, someone shouted, "All twenty-one banners of the Xuanqian Prefecture's Thousand-Household Office, get out here!"

Zhang Tonggou jumped up, put on his shoes, and ran outside: "Lord Centurion, is there any news about Li Guanggu and the others?"

A middle-aged man stood at the door: "No, where is your banner officer?"

Chen Ji stepped out: "Here."

The middle-aged centurion glanced at him, but instructed Zhang Tonggou, "Take them out to collect the bodies. Remember, don't go through Dajiagou, go around Huangtuzui instead."

"Alright," Zhang Tonggou asked, "Shall we take the weapons?"

The centurion cursed, "What's the use of you having weapons while we're out capturing live generals? Aren't you just waiting to die?"

Zhang Tonggou shrank his neck: "That's true."

The centurion waved his hand: "Go early and come back early. If you are late and the retreat is called, no one will be waiting for you."

Zhang Tonggou gave a shout of "Hey!", waved to his brothers, and pulled two carts toward the north of the city.

Upon arriving at the city gate, it was found that the gate was not open, and many foot soldiers were waiting inside.

While waiting for the city gate to open, Zhang Tonggou explained to Chen Ji, "This gate is called the Peace Gate, for good luck in coming and going safely. Beyond this gate is the barbican. Six years ago, the imperial army stormed into the barbican, and I killed several of them with rolling logs. I should have raised a small flag, but those damned recorders insisted that I couldn't prove that I killed those people."

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from behind them.

Chen Ji stood among the infantry and looked back. He was surprised to see Ah Sheng riding a warhorse, carrying a hard bow on her back and a short sword at her waist.

The boy's sleeves were tightly bound, his trousers were tied with leggings, and he had a heroic air about him.

Someone greeted Ah Sheng: "Ah Sheng, you just got back yesterday, why are you going out again today?"

Ah Sheng replied in a deep voice, "I don't know if Master Hong has found Uncle Baizi yet. I'll go to Liutiaogou to meet him."

The safety gate opened with a loud bang, and Ah Sheng rushed out first.

Outside Ping'an Gate lies the barbican, and walking inside feels like being in an abyss, surrounded by towering gray city walls. Chen Ji turned and looked up, only to see a man in golden armor standing behind the battlements on the gate tower, gazing into the distance.

Zhang Tonggou reminded him, "That's General Zhang Lanjin."

Beyond the north gate of Chongli Pass, towering mountains stretched out before them, with a rammed earth road worn smooth by countless footsteps leading into the valley. Ten men took turns pulling two carts, each carrying a few straw mats.

The mountain road was difficult to travel, and each time Chen Ji hadn't been able to stay for long, Zhang Tonggou would take his place, cursing under his breath: "You sons of officials from the capital can't stand this kind of hardship. Now your brothers are helping you, but when you get promoted to a hundred or a thousand households, don't forget your brothers."

Chen Ji didn't mince words and simply hummed in agreement: "Yes."

However, they had only gone five miles when they heard the sound of horses' hooves ahead.

Zhang Tonggou and the others were on high alert: "Run!"

The ten men abandoned the cart and ran back, but how could men outrun horses? They hadn't gone far when the sound of horses' hooves was already close at hand.

Chen Ji turned around and saw that it was Ah Sheng riding back, with Hong Zu Er covered in blood on his back. Hong Zu Er's hair was disheveled and an arrow was stuck in his thigh.

Behind Ah Sheng, the sound of horses' hooves seemed to come.

Ah Sheng shouted anxiously, "Run! The hunters are coming!"

Zhang Tonggou was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin: "My God!"

Several foot soldiers lost their straw sandals and ran barefoot towards Chongli Pass without a care in the world.

Ah Sheng caught up and, seeing that they weren't running fast, panicked: "Run!"

Hong Zu'er said weakly on horseback, "Stop the general who is capturing people, lest others be killed."

Ah Sheng gritted his teeth, immediately tightened the reins, and turned the horse around.

But just then, Chen Ji grabbed the reins and stopped A Sheng: "How many people are chasing us?"

Ah Sheng was taken aback: "One."

Chen Ji then asked, "What realm?"

Ah Sheng replied, "At the Innate Realm, I am skilled with a bow and arrow, and can pierce a leaf from a hundred paces away."

Chen Ji slapped the horse's rump, startling A Sheng so much that her horse galloped away. A Sheng turned around and asked, "What are you doing?"

Chen Ji disappeared into the mountains and forests: "You guys go first, I'll stop him."

(End of this chapter)