Chapter 31: You were originally a good person, why did you become a thief (Part 1)
It's mid-August, the moon is exceptionally round, casting down its silvery light inch by inch. The evening in the commercial city is especially beautiful, with the sky so low that it makes the moon appear so big and round. The entire city has turned into a silver world.
Xiao Shouren slowly walked from Yuwen Shu's military camp to the inner city, along the way were war horses neighing, armor clanking, and soldiers coming and going searching the city. It seems that they really want to turn Chang'an upside down! When an emperor gets angry, heaven and earth are turned upside down!
In a short while, Xiao Shouren had already walked to the city gate that led from the outer city to the inner city. It was very late by now, although it hadn't reached midnight yet. At this time, there were originally no people on the main streets, and the city had a curfew.
But at this moment, the streets were filled with people. Soldiers wearing armor and carrying weapons were searching the city. The residents on both sides of the street had been dragged out to facilitate the search of their homes. Some ordinary people were even pulled out wearing only their underwear, it was clear that they had been dragged out by soldiers who had burst in while they were sleeping.
The barking of dogs in the city blended with the curses of the common people filled his ears, Xiao Shouren was questioned at the city gate, Xiao Shouren honestly accepted the questioning and body search by the city guard soldiers, this way of searching the city and guarding the city probably couldn't even let a mosquito escape from Shang City.
The inspection was very tedious, and the soldiers next to him intentionally or unintentionally revealed that they wanted to charge a toll for passing through the city gate. This was also understandable, as who would be willing to come and guard the city in the middle of the night? So they all wanted to make some extra money, and if they could get two jars of wine out of it, that would be good too. Xiao Shouren heard this and didn't bother to argue with them, directly stating his identity as the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple, and saying he had just come from attending a banquet hosted by General Yuwen Shu. Of course, these old soldiers didn't believe him - a lone person, young in age, without any attendants, didn't look like a fourth-rank official at all. However, there was no lack of clever soldiers among them, and one clever soldier quietly went to find the leader of this group.
Can't help but admit that the military is still very efficient, in a short while the captain of this squad came over, and with him was someone familiar to Xiao Shouren, it turned out to be Yun Lai Xing, who had just met not long ago. It happened that when the little soldier reported to the squad leader, Yun Lai Xing was standing next to him, listening carefully and thinking about it, he felt that this person was likely to be Xiao Shouren, so he followed over to take a look, didn't expect to have guessed correctly, and it really was Xiao Shouren.
Xiao Shouren happened to take out his own identity document from his bosom when the Yunlai Xing came over, preparing to hand it over to these bailiffs so that he could enter the city and rest early.
"Xiao Lao Di, it's really you! I was in such a hurry just now that I forgot to bid you farewell. I didn't expect to run into you again so soon!" Yunlai Xing came over with a big laugh.
As soon as Yunlai Xing said this, the soldiers guarding the city all understood that they had really kicked an iron plate this time. This man was probably indeed the fourth-grade Honglu Temple Shaoqing, and earlier he had indeed gone to Yuwen Shu's general account to drink wine. It seems that this group of people won't have a good outcome.
"Haha, Brother Yun is busy with military affairs, and I know the way, so it doesn't matter whether we say goodbye or not. Look, aren't we meeting again now? I'm drunk from drinking too much, so I'll just head back to the city to sleep. Oh right, when searching the city, shouldn't it be that only entry is allowed but not exit? Those who enter the city shouldn't be checked, right?" Xiao Shouren rubbed his temples with a drunken expression.
"Haha, you see my brain, right? Only allow entry, not exit, this is a good idea. Did you hear that? Listen to Master Xiao's words, only allow entry, not exit." Yunlai Xing immediately understood the key point, anyone who enters the city, regardless of whether they are good citizens or not, even if there are accomplices among them, it doesn't matter, catch one and grab one, come one pair and grab a pair, the more the better, the more you catch, the greater the merit. So he smiled and ordered the soldiers guarding the city to follow Xiao Shouren's words.
Just as Xiao Shouren and Yun Lai Xing were chatting and about to return to the city to sleep, a black figure suddenly darted out of a small house near the inner city gate. This black shadow was like an arrow shot from the darkness, swift, urgent, and sharp!
In the blink of an eye, he darted to the side of Xiao Shouren and Yun Laixing. Yun Laixing was facing away from the shadowy figure, but as soon as he heard the sudden and swift movement behind him, he knew someone had passed by his back, definitely holding a sharp object in hand, which explained why the wind sound was so urgent. So, instinctively, he dodged to the side, and while doing so, didn't forget to remind Xiao Shouren to get out of the way.
"Xiao Lao Di, be careful! Get out of the way!"
But it was too late, Xiao Shouren's eyesight could have easily seen the black shadow that suddenly appeared, but because he was chatting with Yun Laixing, Yun Laixing blocked his line of sight, and the search party's noise in the city was too loud and chaotic, so even when someone had already rushed to his side, he didn't notice. When Yun Laixing reminded him, it was already too late, because Xiao Shouren discovered that he was now being held hostage.
This scene was exactly the same as when I held Wen De hostage that day, and now I was also being held at knifepoint by someone, with a curved blade pressed against my neck, very sharp and shining brightly in the moonlight, really frightening.
"Don't move, none of you move, or I'll kill him!" the man in black shouted.
"Don't move, nobody move, listen to my command." Yun Lai Xing shouted loudly.
"Miss, we have no grudges or grievances between us, why are you holding me hostage?" Xiao Shouren asked calmly.
"Shut up, or this girl will take your life." The female assassin didn't hesitate to use her knife with force, and immediately a thread of blood appeared on Xiao Shouren's neck, with blood seeping out from inside. This female assassin was the real deal.
"Miss, you're going a bit too far, aren't you? What's the point of holding me, a ordinary citizen, hostage? Do they care about the life of an ordinary person like me?" Xiang Shouren had always believed that his fate was in his own hands, but now he found himself at the mercy of this ruthless woman. If he really didn't speak up, he would probably die even sooner.
"Oh? You do have some guts, unlike those officials from the Sui dynasty who would pee their pants at the slightest scare. Do you think I'm a vegetarian? I heard everything you said to General Shao earlier. As a fourth-rank official of the Honglu Temple, shouldn't you be able to ensure my safe departure?" The female assassin had surprisingly good hearing, having overheard the conversation between Xiao Shouren and the others earlier. It seemed she had been hiding in that small hut all along, waiting for an opportunity to escape.
Yunlai Xing was stunned at this moment, everything that had happened was too fast, between the lightning and thunder, Xiao Shouren had already been caught by the assassin. Yunlai Xing was both angry and furious, daring to do something under his own nose, catching Xiao Shouren under his own nose, it was clear that he didn't put himself in his eyes. After this, his prestige in the army would definitely decline. The key is that he had just dodged earlier, so he caught Xiao Shouren. If it weren't for his subordinates wanting to bribe him, Xiao Shouren would have gone back to sleep by now. So, Xiao Shouren's capture and himself were inseparable, he couldn't escape the connection.
"You scoundrel, quickly release Xiao Lao Di, otherwise this general will definitely make you die without a place to bury your body." Yunlai Xing shouted loudly.
"Big Beard, stop mumbling, do you think I'm an idiot? Let go of this official and I might still have a chance to live?" The female assassin sneered, looking at Yunlai Xing with a gaze that seemed to regard him as a fool.
"Do you think that holding me, Xiao Lao Di, will allow you to leave this city? You have committed a crime punishable by the extinction of nine clans. I advise you to release me, Xiao Lao Di, and surrender." Yunlai Xing said in a low voice, suppressing his anger.
"Hmph! I'm a lone orphan, and you want to exterminate my entire clan? You go ahead and try, haha! Get out of my way and let me leave. Otherwise, I don't mind taking this newly-promoted Temple Commander with me to the afterlife!" The female assassin shouted as she backed away. It was clear that this woman had a very efficient information network - in just a short while, she already knew Shao Shouren's identity, and even what he had done. She had accurately sensed that Yunlai Xing didn't dare act rashly.
It's true that Yunlai Xing didn't dare to come recklessly, now who doesn't know that Yang Guang intends to cultivate Xiao Shouren as his own confidant? At this time, if Xiao Shouren has a three-inch-long and two-inch-short (i.e., a small mistake), it will really stir up a storm.
Although Yunlai Xing looks silly and foolish, he is still very clear about some things in his heart. If someone dares to move Xiao Shouren at this time, that would be equivalent to moving Yang Guang. Xiao Shouren's rise is Yang Guang's will. If you move Xiao Shouren, whether directly or indirectly, you are challenging Yang Guang's will, and you are challenging the authority of an emperor. The majesty of an emperor is granted by heaven and cannot be challenged. Therefore, whoever moves Xiao Shouren will die.
Yunlai Xing is now the top two, how come he just encountered this unlucky thing? He had to catch the female assassin and ensure Xiao Shouren's safety.
Just as Yunlai Xing was thinking, the female assassin had already led Xiao Shouren out of the inner city, took over a horse in front of the city gate, jumped onto the horseback, and rode with Xiao Shouren on one horse towards the outer city gate.
The skill of a cup of tea had arrived at the outer city gate, and once out of the outer city gate, it was truly "the sky is high and the birds fly, the sea is wide and the fish jump". The news that Xiao Shouren was being held hostage had already been spread by Yun Lai Xing, and all eyes were suddenly focused on the east gate of the outer city. The moat outside this east gate connects to the Songhua River, which is connected to the Yalu River.
Everyone was too afraid to move, the female assassin used the same language and threats, and they passed through the outer city gate very smoothly. However, just as they were crossing the drawbridge, something unexpected happened. Xiao Shouren heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled behind him, and then he was pushed into the moat below by the female assassin. The water was icy cold, and Xiao Shouren tried to surface, but as soon as he poked his head out, he saw arrows flying towards him like rain, so he quickly dove back down and floated away with the current, still able to hear a loud commotion above his head.
There's an activity in class today, so I have to go hiking and the round-trip bus ride takes six hours. So, Chapter 2 will probably be out tonight at the earliest. Don't worry, Chapter 2 is definitely coming. By the way, please collect, click, vote, and leave a comment!
