Aoyama

Chapter 453 Attacking Baidadan City

The lonely tolling of the bell from Chongli Pass only amplified the desolation of the world.

Zhang Baishi slowly stood up and walked south: "Let's go, we'll have to go back to Chongli Pass eventually. I'll go first, so you can all feel more at ease."

Looking at Zhang Baishi's retreating figure, Chen Ji felt that the man had aged several years since he was captured alive.

Xingxing stepped forward to help him up, and he didn't refuse again.

Ah Sheng couldn't help but shout from behind, "Uncle Bai Zi, you know Chongli Pass can't tolerate a night scout who's been captured alive. Even if Master Hong and I believe in you, what about the others?"

Zhang Bai chuckled: "Of course I know. Night scouts who have been captured are no longer human, they are ghosts."

Without turning his head, he said, "Ah Sheng, has Master Hong ever told you why the Night Scouts must come out in two people?"

Ah Sheng replied, "Master Hong said that the outside world is too big, and one will go crazy if one stays alone for too long. If there are two people, even if one dies, there will be someone to help collect the body."

Zhang Baishi asked slowly, "Anything else?"

Ah Sheng continued, "Everyone needs to sleep sometimes, and you need someone to guard you to feel at ease, lest the enemy sneak up on you and cut off your head."

Zhang Bai chuckled: "At first, I traveled with him for over ten years. Later, you took his place, and Xingxing took my place. In the future, when Hongye and I get too old to walk, you and Xingxing will come out of seclusion together... You're more clever than him, so remember to look after him."

Ah Sheng stood there, stunned.

He turned to Chen Ji and said, "Please don't tell anyone about what happened today, young master. Master Hong has his own plans. Don't worry about the military merits of those two capture officers; I will help you get them back."

Chen Ji nodded: "Okay."

When the group arrived at the pass, the Peace Gate had just opened a crack. The towering gate, several meters high, slowly swung open with a deafening roar.

Ah Sheng saw Hong Zu Er standing haggardly through the crack in the door, his face full of anxiety, holding a warhorse by the hand.

But when the safety gate opened, he saw Zhang Baishi at the front, looked him up and down for a moment, and his eyes gradually darkened.

Someone shouted from inside the door, "Uncle Baizi is back, and Asheng is back too!"

Everyone squeezed out from the crack in the door and crowded around Zhang Baishi: "Uncle Baizi, did you encounter Jingchao capturing the live general? Why did it take you so long to come back?"

Before Zhang Baishi could answer, Hong Zuer had already led his horse and limped back: "Everyone, disperse. Baishi doesn't have time to chat with you. Go home, this isn't the place to talk."

Halfway there, Hong Zu'er remembered something and whispered to Ah Sheng, "Can that unfamiliar face be trusted? When you find him, where will the capture officer be?"

Ah Sheng hesitated for a moment: "When I found him, he had already killed the two animals that had been captured."

Hong Zu'er paused, leading the horse: "Two?"

The Night Scouts are both innate officials, as are the Life-Catching Generals. Having dealt with the Life-Catching Generals for so many years, they naturally know how ruthless and vicious the Life-Catching Generals are.

Hong Zuer thought for a moment, then turned to Chen Ji and said, "Young brother, please come here too."

Chen Ji replied, "Okay."

……

……

Hong Zu'er and Asheng's home were not far apart, right next to the blacksmith shop in the north of the city.

Hong Zuer tied the reins to the hitching post in front of the gate, pushed open the gate, and walked into the courtyard.

The group filed in, but just as Ah Sheng closed the courtyard gate, Hong Zu Er drew his sword and slashed at Zhang Bai Shi.

Zhang Baishi seemed to have expected this, and closed his eyes.

Hong Zu'er's knife suddenly stopped at his neck; one more step forward and it would have killed him.

Xingxing said urgently, "Master Hong!"

Master Hong glanced at him and said, "Shut up, it's not the juniors' place to speak here."

Zhang Baishi opened his eyes: "If you don't intend to kill me now, you might as well listen to what I have to say."

Master Hong sneered, "What are you talking about? I can tell at a glance that you've been interrogated by the bandit chief. If I'm wrong, I'm not worthy to refuse to take you in that night! Your brother was captured by the bandit chief back then and surrounded the city to attack reinforcements. The bandit chief cut him seventy-two times, but he didn't utter a sound. Your brother is tougher than your brother!"

Zhang Baishi sighed: "I was indeed captured alive, but I did not say anything about Chongli Pass."

Master Hong said in a deep voice, "They didn't say anything, do you think they'll let you come back?"

Zhang Baishi did not answer.

The courtyard quieted down, with only the clanging of blacksmithing coming from next door.

Just as Xingxing was about to speak, Master Hong raised his hand to stop him and looked at Chen Ji: "Young brother, I don't trust them anymore, you speak."

Chen Ji leaned against the wall, keeping his distance from everyone: "It's none of my business."

Zhang Baishi sighed, "Don't make things difficult for them, let me explain."

He pushed the blade away from his neck: "Xingxing and I went to check on the Jingchao's grain mobilization. On the way back, our horses couldn't run anymore, so we stayed overnight in Liutiaogou. Unexpectedly, we were ambushed by more than twenty hunters. They captured Xingxing and me alive and interrogated me all night, but I really didn't say anything. They didn't kill me because they had a bigger plan."

Hong Ye remained calm: "What scheme?"

Zhang Bai said calmly, "Although the Jing Dynasty's noble families are the three major clans, in recent years the Jiang and Lu clans have been weak, and the Yuan clan has been divided into two factions fighting each other. One faction is the Privy Council, headed by Yuan Cheng, which controls the military, and the other faction is led by Yuan Xiang, the Grand Councilor, who commands all the officials."

Hong Ye remained expressionless: "Tell me something I don't know." Zhang Baishi said seriously: "Yuan Xiang, as the Grand Councilor, is second only to the emperor. Yuan Cheng was originally used by the old emperor of the Jing Dynasty to check Yuan Xiang, but now he has been captured by Mr. Wang. Lu Jin, the Deputy Privy Councilor, is currently at the height of his power in the Jing Dynasty army, with all the younger generation serving him. After Yuan Cheng was captured alive by Mr. Wang, Lu Jin became the only candidate for Privy Councilor... but he is also Yuan Xiang's man."

Master Hong's expression shifted: "Dog Emperor Jing Dynasty doesn't want Lu Jin to become Privy Councilor, so that Yuan Xiang's family can become too powerful?"

Zhang Baishi nodded: "Not only is that dog emperor unwilling, but the Jiang family is also unwilling. However, no one in the Yuan family behind Yuancheng can compete with Lu Jin. Others are not as prestigious or capable as him, so some people want to exchange Yuancheng for Jingchao."

He continued, "The Jing Dynasty intends to use the old emperor's youngest daughter to make peace with Your Majesty, promising not to provoke any border conflicts for a hundred years. They will also send Baidadan City in exchange for Yuan City to return to the capital. The envoy has already departed and will pass through Baidadan City next month, crossing my Chongli Pass on his way to the capital."

Hong Ye frowned, his face, weathered by wind and sun, was full of wrinkles. He subconsciously said, "No, Baidadan City is an isolated city outside the pass. If our Ning Dynasty garrisoned troops here, when the Jing Dynasty turns against us, as many people as there are inside will die. This is a trap."

Zhang Baishi chimed in, "That's right, but I'm worried that the officials in the court won't think that way. There are plenty of people willing to maintain peace with the Jing Dynasty, and that would open up trade routes!"

Master Hong speculated, "The reason the captured general released you is that he hopes we will find a way to kill the envoy when he arrives at Chongli Pass?"

Zhang Baishi said confidently, "That's right."

After a moment of silence, Master Hong said, "It's too late."

Zhang Bai was taken aback: "What do you mean, late?"

With a clang, Master Hong swiftly sheathed his sword: "Yesterday evening, the Imperial Guards arrived at Chongli Pass and settled in the barracks of the Xuanzuo Prefecture's Thousand-Household Office in the north of the city. I was wondering why they suddenly came to Chongli Pass. I asked the military advisor, but he wouldn't say, only that it was a secret. It seems they came to welcome the Jing Dynasty's envoys."

Chen Ji's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.

The Imperial Guards have finally arrived.

The reason he lingered so long on his way to Chongli Pass was because he knew that the Imperial Guards needed time to set off, so he deliberately slowed down and waited.

With two hundred Imperial Guards around, he had the confidence to do things.

At this moment, Ah Sheng said from the side, "According to the rules for welcoming envoys, the Jing Dynasty's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry will escort the envoy's procession 120 li outside Baidadan City, and then our Ning Dynasty's ceremonial guard will meet them 120 li outside Chongli Pass... There will be no opportunity along the way."

Master Hong sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard and looked up at Zhang Baishi: "With the Imperial Guards protecting you, if you dare to kill him, it will be considered treason. Not only will you be executed by slow slicing, but Xingxing, Asheng, and all the night guards of Chongli Pass will also be in trouble. General Zhang will also have to immediately disarm and be held accountable."

But Zhang Bai said in a daze, "What should we do? We can't let Yuan Cheng go back alive... Hong Er, have you forgotten the blood feud?"

Master Hong sneered, "Look at you, so spineless."

Zhang Baishi's eyes lit up: "What do you mean?"

Master Hong sat on the stone bench, placed his waist knife across his knees, and slowly rubbed the handle.

The next moment, he drew his sword two inches from his waist and stared into his own eyes through the gleaming blade: "Since we can't kill them on the road, we'll kill them in Baidadan City. The Imperial Guards are too far away at Chongli Pass; they can't possibly go to Jing Dynasty's territory to protect the envoy. If we go to Baidadan City, we can capture a live general as an inside agent; there's no reason why we can't succeed."

Chen Ji felt a chill run down his spine.

Master Hong sighed deeply: "I've dealt with the hunters my whole life, but I never thought that in the end I would have to join forces with them. How shameful."

Chen Ji leaned against the wall and suddenly said, "If you kill someone in Baidadan City, you will surely die the day the deed is done. If you live, people will know that this was a conspiracy between Zhuosheng Jiang and Yebushou; if you die, their secret will not only be preserved, but it will also be a great achievement... In any case, Zhuosheng Jiang will not let you leave."

Master Hong sneered: "I'm not afraid of death, I'm only afraid that no one will pay the blood debt at Chongli Pass."

Chen Ji sighed again.

He had intended to persuade Yuancheng that returning might actually benefit the Ning Dynasty, since Lu Jin was the person that Emperor Ning and Zhang Zhuo were most wary of, and also the most ambitious.

But then he thought again, the scouts at Chongli Pass already hated Yuancheng to the core, so there was no reasoning with them.

Were the night scouts wrong? No, they weren't.

Zhang Bai hesitated and said, "But your leg injury hasn't healed yet."

Master Hong shook his head: "The envoy will arrive in Baidadan City at the earliest, by which time there should be no problem."

Zhang Baishi then said, "How many people should we take? Wang Biao and the others left the pass five days ago and haven't returned yet. I'm afraid they won't make it in time."

After thinking for a moment, Master Hong said, "Just a few of us will go. Too many people will be too conspicuous in Baidadan City. Ah Sheng, go to the military market later and see if the caravan from Changping has arrived yet. We need to sneak in with the caravan."

Zhang Baishi asked, "What about me?"

Master Hong said solemnly, "You will stay by my side. You are not allowed to leave until the envoy is killed. Even if you go to the outhouse, I must accompany you. Otherwise, why do you think I didn't bring others? I'm afraid you will betray me and use the other night scouts as a pledge of loyalty to the captured envoy!"

Zhang Bai's expression darkened.

Master Hong sneered: "You don't need to put on an act here. Tell me yourself, is it right or wrong for me to be wary of you?"

Zhang Baishi sighed and slumped against the wall: "I guess so."

Master Hong looked up at Chen Ji and said sincerely, "Young brother, you are capable of killing two capture generals, which shows your extraordinary strength. We must rely on you on this trip, and we hope you can come with us to Baidadan City."

Chen Ji said with a smile, "When Master Hong was talking about the plan, he didn't hide it from me. I guess he didn't intend for me to leave."

Hong Ye wasn't embarrassed at all that his thoughts had been exposed: "That's right, please make the trip."

Chen Ji quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind: for him, stopping the Night Scouts at Chongli Pass was the most important thing to do right now, but how to stop them? How could he possibly stop them?
If Ye Bu Shou hadn't made a move, would Zhuo Sheng have taken the risk for Lu Jin's sake?
It seemed he was determined to make a trip to Baidadan City no matter what.

Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Master Hong softened his tone: "Young brother, after this is done, we will definitely ensure that you, Ah Sheng, and Xingxing can leave Baidadan City unharmed... I have some military merits accumulated here. Two capture generals may not be enough to be promoted to commanders, but eight will definitely be enough. I will leave them all to you."

Chen Ji remained silent for a long time before replying, "Okay."

(End of this chapter)