Chapter 24: Ambush and Slaughter

  In the twenty-fourth year of Wu Wei, on May 12, Wang Fei's younger brother and Minister of Revenue Cui Yang was killed in He Ping Fang, and the case was exposed.

  Yong Shi - Ji Wang Lie Zhuan

  Before I even entered the hall, I heard a booming voice like thunder, excitedly saying: "Sima, you don't know, this time I've really hit the jackpot. That jar of Shaoxing wine is sixty years old! You wouldn't think that such good wine would be found in a small village shop. I was so reluctant to drink it that I specially brought it back. How about this: if you treat me to a good meal, I'll invite you to have some."

  Then a calm voice came: 'Old Jing, don't shout so loudly, the master will be here soon and will probably scold you for not following the rules again.'

  That thunder-like voice said impatiently: 'I know, Your Highness won't blame me, this time I brought good stuff.'

  Then I heard Sima Xiong laughing and asking: 'What good things can you have, isn't it just that jar of good wine?'

  That voice said with a pleased tone: 'You little brat will absolutely never guess, I've brought something that His Highness will definitely like.'

  Li Zai smiled slightly, coughed softly, and stepped into the hall. I followed him in. As soon as we entered the hall, I saw two men in military attire standing at attention on one side. Li Zai took his seat, and these two men came forward to pay their respects. Just by looking at the respect and reverence emanating from them, it was clear that they were Li Zai's trusted generals.

  I carefully sized up the two men, one of whom had a pair of beautiful eyebrows and eyes, with a pale face and no mustache, handsome yet elegant in appearance, nearly eight feet tall, but with arms like an ape's and a slender waist, not showing any signs of being gigantic. The other was also about eight feet tall, with a leopard-like head and piercing eyes, rough and majestic in appearance, like a small mountain. After they bowed and greeted each other respectfully, Li Zuo pointed at me and said: "This is Jiang Sima, the king's right-hand man. You should treat him with respect, just as you would the king himself, don't be rude to him."

  The two of them turned around and walked over to me, bowing. I bowed back and smiled: "Your Highness is too kind, Zhe and the two generals are all Your Highness's subjects, they don't dare receive such grand courtesy."

  After bowing, I walked to the seat below the King of Yong and sat down. The two of us stood with our hands clasped together, waiting for the King of Yong to speak.

  Li Zai smiled and said: "Everyone sit down, this is not a military camp, no need to be so polite. Chang Sun, was your journey smooth?"

  The general with the long eyebrows stood up and said: "Reporting to Your Highness, everything has been smooth on the way, but there are too many carriages and horses, so we can't help but move a bit slower. This is the list of gifts sent by the envoy of Southern Chu." He handed over a folded paper. Li Zuo glanced at it briefly and handed it to me, saying: "These books and paintings, I don't have any expertise in them, take a look."

  I flipped through it casually and said faintly, "The real treasures are not many, but they're still pretty good. These books aren't what I'm concerned about, it's those books that although Nan Chu will inevitably leave some important classics behind, I think there shouldn't be too many missing ones, at least seven or eight out of ten should be there. Please ask the palace to send the catalog to my humble abode tomorrow, and I'll carefully check if any precious books are missing."

  Li Zuo nodded and said, "I have already petitioned the Emperor to organize these books. The Emperor has issued a decree to the Hanlin Academy to handle this matter. Chancellor Chu Ping is in charge of it. Chancellor Chu is a meticulous and learned man, he will certainly do a good job with these books. This is a great thing that will benefit future generations, he won't be negligent."

  I smiled and said: "I also believe in the words of Taifu Zhu, but some books I only glanced at that day. Please allow me to borrow a few volumes."

  Li Zai smiled slightly and said, "You decide for yourself on these matters. But, Jing Chi, I heard you shouting loudly outside just now. What did you bring me?"

  Jing Chi hastily stood up and said: "Your Highness, I have brought something that you will definitely like." After speaking, he took out a picture album from his bosom and handed it over.

  Li Zai opened it and suddenly changed color, turning page after page until he finished reading, then exclaimed: "What a complete map of mountains and rivers! Jing Chi, where did you get this from? Who painted it?"

  I felt curious, reached out my hand, and Li Zai handed the booklet to me. I opened it and found that it was a meticulously drawn map, depicting various strategic passes, mountains, rivers, and water flows, all rendered in great detail. I had seen military maps of South Chu before, but rarely had I come across one as detailed as this.

  At this time, Jing said with a smile: "The end will be ordered to defend the Chu army in Jingzhou, and all the passes must be inspected. A few days ago, a young scholar was caught, and these maps were searched from his body. Originally wanted to kill him as a spy, but Xuan Canjun asked him and said that he was not a spy, but Xu Jun, a descendant of Xu Heng, and still a rare talent, so he was forced to stay in the army. This man is really bold, and it's hard to find a way to survive. He doesn't want to be an official, insists on leaving, and later Laozi got angry and said that if he makes trouble again, I will kill him as a spy. He only became honest then. This time, I wanted to bring him, but Xuan Canjun said to ask the lord first, this is Xuan Canjun's letter."

  Li Zai unfolded the letter and read it, then looked at me and said: 'What does Ruiyun think?'

  I smiled and said, "This man is indeed a talent. However, with the current chaos of war, if he stays among the people, he will inevitably suffer. Your Highness might as well send him to Mr. Ziyou's place. Anyway, I don't see any maps of Youzhou here, so let him focus on drawing one, it wouldn't be bad."

  Li Zai smiled and said, "Alright, I'll write a letter to Chang Qing later. The name of the commander is Xuan Song. Although he's taciturn, he's well-versed in military affairs and values loyalty over wealth. Do you remember Yang Can, that eccentric from Former Shu?"

  I thought for a moment and said: 'Your Majesty, I know this man. He once came to the great camp as an envoy of Shu.'

  Li Zai didn't ask me how I knew, he just said: "This man is indeed a hard bone. After the fall of Shu, he actually jumped into the water and died, leaving behind a will that said Tian Heng had 800 brave men die with him. How could the great state of Shu not have someone who would die for their lord? His wife and children almost starved to death after his death, but later they followed his last words and wrote a letter to Xuan Song. Xuan Song had once spoken with Yang Can and said he was willing to do his best for him. In the end, Chang Qing actually sent someone to deliver all of his savings to the Yang family. I also respected him very much when I heard about it. At that time, he had just defected to me not long ago. I saw that he was a man of his word and appointed him as a Can Jun (a military officer). Jing Chi is a rough person, so I sent Xuan Song to be his Can Jun. It seems that this Xuan Song is indeed worthy of being trusted. Unfortunately, now we have to rely on him to manage the military affairs, and we can't summon him to come to Chang'an.

  I smiled and said, "Military affairs are crucial, and General Jing has now arrived in Chang'an to guard the palace. If there is no trustworthy person to entrust with military affairs, Your Highness will not be able to rest assured either. As for Xu Jun, since he is the son of Xu Heng, he should be well-versed in geography. Your Highness should make good use of him."

  At this time, Jing Chi asked hesitantly: 'That, who is this Xuheng? Why does it seem like General Mo should know him when he mentions his name?'

  I smiled slightly, knowing that this general was a rough man, and said calmly: 'This person is a famous geographer of the previous dynasty, who likes to travel extensively throughout his life, has written many travel notes, which are liked by scholars. By reading his travel notes, one can know the customs and conditions of the world without leaving home. Even generals should take a look, knowing more will also be beneficial for military campaigns.'

  Jing Chi immediately looked embarrassed and said, "Although I can recognize a few characters, those literary books are really hard to understand. Besides, there are so many things to do, who has the time to read books?"

  Li Zai suddenly said solemnly: 'Jing Chi, you are not making progress like this. Although you are brave in battle, that can only make you a general. If you want to be a leader in the future, you must read more books. Now that you have come to Chang'an, I will not use you for anything for the time being. You should quietly read some books, this is a military order.'

  Jing Chi, who wanted to complain, immediately shut his mouth, with a face full of regret. I couldn't help but smile and said: "Your Highness, for the next few days, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble both generals to do things. Why not just hand this matter over to me? I guarantee that Your Highness will be satisfied."

  Li Zai said: 'This is a good thing, Jing Chi, why don't you hurry up and pay your respects to your master.'

  Looking at King Yong's majestic appearance, Jing Chi couldn't help but come forward to pay his respects, only to see a look of distress on his face. I exchanged a smile with King Yong, this Jing Chi is a stubborn and unruly child, not easy to control, if I were to give him orders, he would certainly not listen obediently, now I use this method to make him obey me, if he doesn't listen, I just need to punish him by making him copy a few more pages of books, and he will submit to my authority.

  He glanced at Zhang Sunji, his expression was calm and composed, but there was a hint of understanding in his eyes. It seemed that he was very astute and would definitely be a good helper. My plan should be able to proceed smoothly now. I couldn't help but reveal a hint of joy.

  On May 12th, outside the Mingde Gate of Chang'an, as the sky was about to darken and the city gate was about to close, a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant walked in. Although it was early summer, this man wore a bamboo hat, and his face was obscured by the shadow of the hat, making it impossible to see clearly. The guarding soldier looked at him suspiciously, but did not stop him, and it was not an important time, so there was no need for strict inspection.

  This man seemed very familiar with the streets of Chang'an, turning east and west, and after about half a time, he arrived at the Hepingfang in the southwest corner of Chang'an. This place was inhabited by the lowest class of poor people, different from other poor residential areas, here, as soon as night fell, except for idle vagrants, almost no one could be seen. The alleys on both sides were the residences of the poor, and laughter and quarrels could be heard from some door cracks, which were underground small gambling dens and brothels. Here, under the cover of darkness, there was also a kind of abnormal prosperity.

  The man walked through the dark alley, the dim lights on both sides stretching his shadow very long. The abandoned courtyard in front was his destination. He gently pushed open the gate and walked in. The main house was brightly lit. As soon as he stepped onto the steps, two people flashed out from the dark corner beside the house. One of them took a look at the man's face after he removed his hat under the light of the lantern in front, then quietly retreated.

  As he walked into the room, the man caught sight of Cui Yang sitting under the dim light and stepped forward to pay his respects: "Lord Cui, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

  Chui Yanghao said: 'It is still called peaceful and safe, Huo Meng's current reputation shakes the world, it is truly a joy to be congratulated.'

  The man smiled proudly and said faintly, "This is the last transaction between us, I hope we can end it well. This is the pickup location." He took out a wax ball and Cui Yang smiled slightly, handing over a box, saying, "Inside is your final payment. After today, you and I will have nothing to do with each other. However, His Highness said that if the leader of the Huo Alliance is willing, we can maintain contact."

  Huojicheng opened the wooden box, saw the golden beads inside, and smiled: "It's still the prince who understands reason. These golden beads are safer. Otherwise, if your side only paid silver tickets, wouldn't I have worked hard for nothing? Lord Cui, every half month I will send someone to see you. If there is anything, please tell the messenger." After speaking, Huojicheng turned and left. Cuiyang smiled coldly in his heart: "The prince has already started to eliminate the Jinxiu Alliance. I hope you can survive tonight."

  Before long, a man in black came in and reported: 'Sir, we were just about to make our move when we discovered that someone was responding to Huo Jicheng, so we had to temporarily hold back.'

  Cui's eyebrows furrowed and he said: "What kind of person is it? Did you see clearly?"

  The man in black said: 'I don't know what kind of people they are, but they're all dressed as poor civilians. However, before Ho Ji City even came out, they've already occupied some important strategic locations. You see, we have to wait until Ho Ji City arrives before we can set up our formation. I didn't expect him to bring his men with him, when clearly he was supposed to enter the city alone.'

  Chui Yang sighed and said, "Alright, let's go back first and report to the Crown Prince. We'll come up with another plan later. Since we didn't make a move this time, there's still a chance to lure him into our trap."

  At this moment, a short and mournful cry suddenly came from outside. The black-clad man's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice: "Someone is launching a sneak attack, be careful." After speaking, he was about to go out, when the door opened silently, and a black-clad masked man walked in. He was not tall, with a pair of eyes as cold as ice and snow.

  The man in black blocked Choi's way and said coldly: "Who are you to dare attack us? Do you know our identities?"

  That person glanced at him, and his figure flashed. The black-clad man immediately counterattacked, and the two of them fought several moves in this narrow space. The black-clad man felt restricted, while that person was swinging freely. After a few moves, that person slapped the black-clad man's chest with one palm, and the black-clad man let out a miserable cry: "Great Soul-Searching Hand!" Before his voice had even faded away, his body had already fallen to the ground. In fact, the black-clad man's martial arts were not particularly bad; it was just that this narrow room made him unable to fully utilize them. And as for the person he faced, if they were to make a move in such a narrow space, even one of the three great masters might not be able to surpass them.

  That person walked quietly up to the black-clad man and gently tore off his black mask, revealing his features clearly. Then, he glanced at Cui Yang. Cui Yang let out a miserable cry and shrank into the corner of the wall, trembling as he said: "Brave warrior, spare my life, and I will definitely reward you heavily. I am the younger brother of the crown prince; if you have any needs..."

  Before he had even finished speaking, that person had already turned to leave. Cui Yang was still rejoicing at his narrow escape when he suddenly felt a severe pain in his chest. Darkness enveloped him, and he vaguely wondered what was happening.

  The man walked out the door, several dozen shabbily dressed men stood silently, on the ground lay twenty or thirty black-clad masked men, he didn't make a sound, just waved his hand and his figure disappeared into the night.

  Huo Jicheng walked down the street with a joyful heart, thinking about whether to spend a night at the famous Flower Tower in Chang'an. As he walked, he suddenly stopped and saw a gray-clothed, masked man standing in front of him, his tall and slender body exuding a strong killing aura. The dark alleys on either side also seemed to be hiding a murderous atmosphere. Hua Jicheng didn't turn around, but he could sense that someone was standing behind him. Without thinking, Hua Jicheng's body had already leaped into the air, pouncing towards a nearby civilian house. Just as he took off, a bowstring sounded lightly, and an arrow flew past his head, grazing his hair. Hua Jicheng landed on the roof of a house and rolled to the side, escaping. The sound of wind rushed past his ears, and several black-clad men had already surrounded him. Hua Jicheng felt a strong gust of palm wind hitting his back, and he turned around to strike out with his hand. The man seemed to let out a muffled groan, but Hua Jicheng also slowed down slightly. The swords and knives of the other black-clad men were already closing in on his body. Both sides engaged in a fierce battle without making a sound in the darkness. Hua Jicheng felt that these people all had good martial arts skills, especially the one who had exchanged palms with him - his skills were exceptional. With his peripheral vision, he saw a man standing on the street wearing a green robe, but his face was not visible. He held a hard bow in his hand, and his body was tall and slender, with an extraordinary air about him. Hua Jicheng knew that this person must be the leader, and probably didn't deign to attack, which was why he hadn't made a move. Hua Jicheng secretly rejoiced in his heart and looked around for any possible way to break through the encirclement. However, these few men had blocked off all avenues of escape, and Hua Jicheng fought bitterly while thinking of a plan.

  Just as the city of Huo was in a precarious situation, a short figure suddenly emerged from the darkness and threw out two scarlet bullets. Instantly, there were two loud thunderous sounds, followed by rolling red smoke. Seeing an opportunity, the people of Huo City immediately rushed towards the direction they had been watching, while the surrounding area was already filled with voices. The masked men, seeing that things were not going well, also retreated quietly under the cover of the red smoke.

  Huo Jicheng fled in a panic, running for half a day. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him, waving his hand to signal. Huo Jicheng recognized the person's appearance and was overjoyed, quickly following after them. The person had exceptional lightness skills, leading Huo Jicheng on a winding path, and soon they arrived at the back door of a mansion. The person pushed open the back door, turned around to signal, and Huo Jicheng hastily followed inside. It was a secret residence, and upon entering the inner chamber, Huo Jicheng sat down in a chair, exhausted, and said gratefully: "Brother Han, if you hadn't rescued me, I'm afraid I would have lost my life long ago."

  That person sighed and said, "Huo Mengzhu, you are too careless. The crown prince wants to kill you to silence you, didn't you think of that? If I wasn't waiting outside to intercept, I'm afraid you would have been killed by now. Fortunately, I had my subordinates prepare smoke bombs, otherwise I wouldn't have a way to save you."

  Huo Jicheng's expression turned gloomy as he said, "I didn't expect them to cross the river and destroy the bridge so quickly. I thought at least I could escape, and the prince wouldn't dare to openly surround and kill me. I didn't think his men had such high martial arts skills. The imperial family indeed has many skilled experts."

  He sighed and said, "Rest well for a while, I'll take you out of the city. There are several places in Chang'an City where the guards are not strict, your lightness skills are exceptional, you can get out, but I'm afraid by dawn tomorrow, someone will be searching everywhere, if you don't leave tonight, it might be too late."

  Huo Jicheng's face revealed a ferocious expression, and he said coldly: "Thank you, Brother Han. I won't let the Crown Prince have an easy time. I'm not someone who can be easily bullied."

  At the third watch, Huo Jicheng left Chang'an through a poorly guarded old city wall with flying claws. At the same time, in the Han Garden of Yong Wang Fu, Xiao Shunzi, who had changed back into his servant attire, respectfully said to me: "Young Master, the hunting operation has been successful."

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