The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 4: No more banditry in Yingtian Prefecture

Although the bandits resisted, they had lost the advantage of terrain. The government troops had the advantage in numbers and bows and crossbows to support them, so it was basically a one-sided crushing defeat.

Within an hour, the battle was over. Except for a dozen survivors, all the other bandits were killed.

Shen Yuan alone beheaded more than a hundred bandits, he was simply a barber demon.

He put away his knife and stood up, his blue shirt dyed red with blood, his whole body exuded a terrifying aura that made people shudder.

When Guo Tai and others looked at the young man again, there was more awe in their eyes.

"Brother Shen's bravery in this battle makes Guo admire him!"

Guo Tai was quite frank. As a warrior, he did not hide his admiration and respect for the strong.

"Mr. Guo, you are too kind." Shen Yuan glanced at him and said calmly, "You and I don't have to be enemies."

Shen Yuan knew that Jia Yucun was the key here, and Guo Tai was just following orders. He didn't want to make enemies everywhere unless it was necessary.

Guo Tai was stunned when he heard this, but then he was relieved and said with a frank smile: "I am not a pedantic person. If it weren't for the prefect, I would be willing to make friends like Brother Shen."

Shen Yuan nodded and said no more. Now that things had come out, the key was whether he had the means to check and balance Jia Yucun.

After the incident at the mountain stronghold was resolved, Guo Tai left some people behind to clean up the mess, then returned to the Yingtian government office to report, taking Shen Yuan with him.

The time has come to Hai hour.

Jia Yucun paced back and forth in the back hall of the government office, waiting anxiously. If the bandits were suppressed successfully this time, he would be able to make further progress.

"Master, Lord Guo is back." The doorman came in to report.

Upon hearing this, Jia Yucun's face was filled with joy.

"come on in!"

After a while, Guo Tai entered the back hall, with Shen Yuan following behind him.

When Jia Yucun saw Shen Yuan in a blood-stained robe, the smile on his face froze and he was surprised, thinking that Guo Tai did not understand what he meant.

But soon, he collected his thoughts and said with a smile: "Did you two return successfully?"

Guo Tai clasped his fists and said, "My Lord, Aomen Village has been razed to the ground in one fell swoop."

"Good! Good! From now on, there will be no more bandit troubles in Yingtian Prefecture." Jia Yucun said two good words in a row and was in a very happy mood.

Although Shen Yuan had not been dealt with yet, in his opinion, the boy was nothing more than a piece of fish on the chopping board.

But then Shen Yuan said, "Sir, I have something to report to you."

Jia Yucun was stunned and asked curiously, "Oh? What's the matter?"

Shen Yuan looked around and pretended to remain silent.

Seeing this, Jia Yucun stroked his beard and smiled, "There are no outsiders here, you can speak freely."

Guo Tai and the doorman in the house were both Jia Yucun's confidants, and Shen Yuan was regarded as half a dead person by him, so he felt there was nothing to be shy about.

Shen Yuan no longer hesitated and put forward the excuse he had prepared before.

"I met an old friend today, and he told me a strange thing."

Shen Yuan paused and slowly uttered four words, "Xue Pan is not dead."

Jia Yucun and the other two were all shocked. They were all participants in Xue Pan's fake death and escape, but very few people knew about it. It was surprising to hear this suddenly from the mouth of a young man.

"Which Xue Pan?" Jia Yucun suppressed his emotions and pretended to be confused.

Shen Yuan said word by word in a deep voice:
"The one with the heavy snow in the good year, Xue Pan, the eldest son of the Xue family.

Xue Pan, who beat Feng Yuan to death over a dispute over buying a maid.

The rumor is that Xue Pan was killed by Feng Yuan and died suddenly. "

Upon hearing this, Jia Yucun was horrified and could no longer remain calm.

The young man in front of him actually knew all the details of Xue Pan's case. Although he didn't know how he knew it, he could sense that there was a strong threat in his words. He stared at Shen Yuan with cold eyes, weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

At this point, both sides had made their cards clear. Shen Yuan no longer had any concerns and said thoughtfully, "I only ask for the status of a martial arts scholar. This is just a piece of cake for you, sir."

"But if something happens to me, someone will definitely report the truth of Xue Pan's case to the capital. I'm sure the prefect doesn't want to cause trouble because of such a small matter, right?"

Shen Yuan knew that besides being selfish and untrustworthy, Jia Yucun also had another characteristic, which was suspicion. Shen Yuan would definitely be wary of what he said.

Of course, if Jia Yucun thought that his words were false and was determined to kill him, he was also confident that he could take Jia Yucun hostage and escape from the government office.

But if this happens, the path to the martial arts examination will inevitably be blocked.

Jia Yucun thought for a long time and felt that there was no need to take the risk, so he finally compromised.

You have already achieved great success and will surely make further progress soon. Why bother to fight to the death with a scholar? It's not worth it.

He put away his thoughts, put on a smile, and said in a gentle voice: "Little brother, you worry too much. You have helped me with such a great achievement, and I am naturally grateful. Besides, I always keep my word. Wu Xiucai's matter will only take three days, and I will definitely get it done for you."

Shen Yuan's tone calmed down after hearing this. "In that case, thank you very much, sir."

Guo Tai was relieved to see that the relationship between the two had eased. To be honest, he did not want to be an enemy of Shen Yuan.

But he didn't know that Shen Yuan and Jia Yucun both felt threatened by each other and were brewing a new round of plans in their hearts.

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now."

"Okay, I still have some official business to attend to, so I won't send you off."

Shen Yuan left the government office. Before leaving, he gave Guo Tai and that guy a meaningful look.

After leaving the government office, Shen Yuan found an inn to stay in.

He had previously taken away the thief's belongings from the secret box in Ao Debiao's bedroom, which amounted to tens of thousands of taels of silver. In order to avoid suspicion from the government, he kept some of it.

At this time, Shen Yuan was also considered a wealthy man with considerable wealth.

The government's notice to eliminate bandits was posted all over the streets and alleys of Yingtian City overnight.

Early the next morning, the news had spread throughout the city. People were all delighted. The banditry that had lasted for several years had finally come to an end.

At Xue's residence, Baochai sat at a stone table in the pavilion in the courtyard, her chin resting on one hand, a dazed expression on her face.

The gloomy sky outside the pavilion was just like her bleak future, without any color.

At this time, the maid Ying'er came running over, and her voice sounded like a melodious song.

"Girl, people outside are saying that the government sent troops to wipe out all the bandits outside the city last night! There will be no more bandits causing trouble around Yingtian Prefecture from now on."

When Baochai heard this, her originally silent heart began to waver, and the figure of the young man appeared in her mind again.

After a night's rest, the girl's mood gradually stabilized.

Looking back now, if it weren’t for that young man, her fate might have been even more tragic, but at least he saved her.

Even though she understood the reason, she still felt unhappy. Why did that man save her and then tarnish her innocence?
"girl."

Ying'er saw Baochai in a daze and called her softly.

For some reason, her daughter has been in a bad mood and has been eating less since she returned home yesterday.

Baochai came back to her senses and said softly, "I see. You go down first. I'll stay alone for a while."

Ying'er didn't understand and left the pavilion without saying anything more.

Not long after, he turned back.

"Girl, I don't know who sent a child to deliver a letter, saying it's for you."

Ying'er said this, raised the envelope in her hand, and then handed it over.

Baochai took it, looked at it, and saw that it was written "From Miss Xue herself".

(End of this chapter)