You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 22 Big Tiger's First Kill
It's noon.

Inside Fanlou, a famous restaurant in Bianliang, the place was bustling with noise.

In the spacious hall on the first floor, all the tables were full of guests, and the sounds of drinking games and shouts filled the air as people came and went in an endless stream.

In contrast, the private rooms on the second floor are much quieter.

The victorious army held a banquet at Fanlou to celebrate Chen Shao's promotion.

Chen Shao didn't actually let them spend any money; he paid the bill himself early on.

These are Tong Guan's personal guards, just like myself. Although their ranks may not be high, they are people close to Tong Guan.

Even before Tong Guan summoned them, they knew they were about to be promoted, which was their significance.

Chen Shao pushed Yang Keshi to the head of the table, kept toasting him, and said flattering things.

However, Chen Shao's flattery was not the blatant kind; rather, it was subtle and revealed a hint of admiration. He specifically praised him for his unparalleled bravery and called him the number one general by Commander Xuan's side.

"If our Commander Xuan is Zhuge Liang, then you, brother, are Zhang Fei!"

"From now on, I will obey Commander En's orders. Brother, you came earlier than me, so please take good care of your younger brother."

After Chen Shao finished speaking, he looked up and said, "I'll drink it, brother, you can do as you please."

The drinking session made Yang Keshi very happy. He was a straightforward person and rarely received such treatment. He patted Chen Shao on the shoulder and said, "Brother, don't worry!"

"So what if you offended Cai Jing? Don't be afraid!"

Chen Shao glanced around, his eyes lightly sweeping across his face.

Unaware of the situation, Yang Keshi drunkenly remarked, "Heh heh, in a few days, he'll have to relinquish his position as prime minister!"

"Brother, be careful, the walls may be listening."

A well-meaning reminder came from the bodyguards of the victorious army.

Yang Keshi nodded and continued with a simple smile, "At that time, we brothers will surely receive further rewards!"

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Chen Shao took out some money and said to one of the Shengjie Army guards who was not drunk, "Hu Lin, take the brothers out for some fun."

After saying that, she gave him a knowing look.

Hu Lin immediately understood, took the money with a lewd grin, and then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Then on behalf of the brothers, I thank Commander Chen for his hospitality!"

They left, shouting and laughing, arm in arm.

As Chen Shao saw them off, a gust of cold wind instantly lifted his spirits.

He returned to Fanlou, asked the waiter to pack some more wine and food, and then led his horse back to Duting Post Station.

Dong Dahu and his men were eating white rice from Dutingyi in the courtyard.

Upon seeing Chen Shao, they all stood up.

"There's wine and meat on horseback. After we finish eating, we'll move."

The four cheered and quickly stepped forward to take the riding whip.

Chen Shao sat in the courtyard of Duting Post Station, watching his personal guards drink wine. His eyes gradually became unfocused, and he was clearly distracted.

Is Cai Jing about to fall?
This is impossible.

At most, he will be dismissed from his post as prime minister, and there is a very high probability that he will return to power.

However, this campaign against Liao was agreed upon by Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), but Cai Jing was unwilling, so he might really be temporarily suppressed.

After all, Cai Jing himself wrote: "Five times I have been appointed to a high position in the Jade Palace, and several times I have been summoned to the Imperial Court."

He was dismissed from his post as prime minister several times.

Chen Shao was a little excited. Whether it was temporary or not, as long as Cai Jing was dismissed from his post, his group would definitely get a lot of opportunities.

Dong Dahu ate until his mouth was covered in oil, then tilted his head back and gulped down a bellyful of wine before letting out a satisfied burp.

He glanced at Chen Shao and couldn't help but laugh.

Chen Shao's thoughts were interrupted by his laughter, and he asked in surprise, "Big Tiger, what are you laughing at?"

"Boss, it turns out you really weren't lying. Coming out here to change your way of life, you really do have plenty of food and drink to eat!"

Chen Shao chuckled and said, "Eat, eat."

Leaving Duting Post Station, I walked along the bustling streets of Bianliang.

The two brothers, Zhao Shan and Zhao He, lowered their heads and looked somewhat timid. These young farmhands from the Northwest countryside had never seen such a wealthy and luxurious place before.

On the contrary, Dong Dahu was happily leading his horse with his head held high, still savoring the aroma of the meat from earlier.

Of the four guards, the oldest, Cui Lin, was relatively silent. He was one of the few who could read and write, because his father had been a village scholar.

He just died young.

Chen Shao inquired along the way and arrived at Xing'er Lane. The house that Tong Guan gave him wasn't large, but it was in an excellent location, right next to the imperial city.

He happened to be there to check in with the Japanese troops, making it convenient for him to come and go.

The alley was very quiet, with only a few houses, all of which had their doors tightly shut, and it didn't look like anyone lived there.

"Boss, where is everyone?"

Chen Shao laughed and said, "I heard from the people at the Xuan Shuai Mansion that this place is inhabited by the Japanese army and the military households of the Three Departments. They are still on duty at this hour, so there is definitely no one here."

The alleyway wasn't very well lit, and the gate was somewhat dilapidated. A millstone and some bamboo baskets were piled up at the entrance. Chen Shao said, "Let's move them all into the yard. Put them at our gate, and they'll be ours."

Just as Zhao He was about to grab the bamboo basket, he suddenly heard a soft exclamation, and a little girl emerged from the basket.

The girl was only fourteen or fifteen years old, with her hair in two buns, dressed as a maid, and her face was full of fear.

Chen Shao was startled. "Who are you? What are you doing hiding here?"

"I...I..." The little girl seemed to have been frightened and couldn't speak.

Seeing her cowardly appearance, Chen Shao felt relieved and sneered, "I know, you little maid, you stole things from the master, didn't you?"

The little girl was pale and just kept shaking her head.

"Where is it? Where is it?"

A loud, low shout rang out at the entrance of the quiet alley.

"Don't even mention seeing me." Perhaps the great shock made the little girl speak fluently.

The little girl quickly lifted a bamboo basket and covered her thin body with it, then squatted down, hiding herself quite well.

Two men dressed as servants in black robes rushed into the alley.

"Have any of you seen a teenage girl pass by here?" asked the leading servant.

Chen Shao was somewhat surprised to find that such burly men were servants. The two men were indeed strong and looked very energetic, with a strong sense of martial spirit.

"No." Chen Shao blurted out, because he thought that if this little girl was a runaway slave and had stolen something, it wouldn't be bad for him to intercept it.

The head servant glanced around; the alley was straight and narrow, and no matter how fast the little girl ran, she couldn't possibly fly across it.

How could those scoundrels not have been seen?

He chuckled coldly and said, "It's best if you really didn't see it."

Before Chen Shao could speak, Dong Dahu interrupted, "Our boss said he didn't see her, why are you still making such a racket!"

Just as the head servant was about to speak, he suddenly noticed a sliver of coarse cloth skirt peeking out from under the basket on the ground.

"You little wench, hiding here! Seize her!" the leader shouted, kicking aside the basket. The two servants rushed forward to take her away.

Chen Shao sighed inwardly, realizing that since these were runaway slaves from someone else's household, there was nothing he could do to help.

I wonder what she stole, and whether it was valuable.

The head servant, who was used to being arrogant, glanced at Chen Shao, whose clothes did not look like those of a nobleman, and said coldly, "Take these few runaway slaves back to their master to beg for forgiveness."

He swung his hand at Chen Shao, who was also skilled in martial arts. He tried to dodge by dodging and threw a punch, but suddenly felt a pain in his wrist.

The servant grabbed his wrist and sneered, "He's got some skills, but unfortunately, his technique isn't up to par!"

Before he could finish speaking, there was a sudden thud, and the servant's body fell straight down.

Chen Shao looked at the servant on the ground. The burly man's chest twitched, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood. His eyes rolled back, and it seemed he was going to die.

Another person who saw this was terrified. This fat boy had killed Master Gao with a single punch. If word got out, wouldn't it be terrifying?

He turned and ran.

In a flash, Chen Shao realized that if he let him escape, there would be endless trouble.

This servant is so skilled; I wonder whose he works for.

He hissed, "Big Tiger, we can't let him get away!"

Dong Dahu grabbed a millstone from beside him and threw it violently, knocking him to the ground.

Seeing the corpses on the ground, the guards were not too panicked. After all, they were from the Northwest and had followed Chen Shao on a grain transport route before, so they were used to seeing dead people.

Dong Dahu felt somewhat guilty. Standing behind Chen Shao, he pouted and said, "Boss, I couldn't help but punch him when I saw him hurt you."

Chen Shao waved his hand to signal him to be quiet, glanced at the alley from beginning to end, and then opened the door. His wrist was still aching; these two were definitely not ordinary servants—they were ruthless and their martial arts skills were considerable.

"Zhao He, Zhao Shan, carry the person inside, wash the ground with water, and then set up a frame. Cui Lin, take Da Hu to buy a live pig, slaughter it at the door, and hang it up to bleed it."

The little girl was terrified and was dragged into the courtyard by Chen Shao by the wrist.

(End of this chapter)