The sun rose in the east, and the darkness entrenched in the sky slowly dispersed. At the break of dawn, the side door of the commandery governor's manor opened, and a cart meant for purchasing groceries drove out.
Few people noticed that, compared to usual, there was an extra person on today's cart. The donkey cart headed toward the vegetable market, but halfway there, a person jumped off and hurriedly slipped into a certain courtyard.
Clatter, clatter. Horse hooves pounded against the official road. After traveling day and night, this cavalry troop from Sizhou bypassed Jiulu County and finally arrived at the western outskirts of Xiagu Commandery.
Someone was already waiting to receive them in the western suburbs of the city. The contact was named Li Huairen, one of Xie Yuanxiu's trusted aides.
The cavalry leader was named Ni Chiwen. This man had taken the name of an ancient fierce beast, and his appearance was equally ferocious. With a square jaw, a wide mouth, a dark complexion, and yellowish hair, the muscles on his neck and shoulders bulged like old tree vines. One look was enough to tell he was a man of immense strength.
Commander Ni, I've finally waited for you... Li Huairen quickly stepped forward. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Ni Chiwen, he openly swept his gaze toward the rear.
Li Huairen asked in surprise, Commander Ni, how many soldiers are accompanying you this time? Why does it look a bit scarce?
Ni Chiwen snorted heavily through his nose and said indignantly, When the Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master heard about the troop deployment, they were very unwilling. They united with some of Inspector Xie's former subordinates to exert pressure and withheld a portion of the troops. The cavalry accompanying me this time only numbers a thousand. Oh, right, there are also three thousand foot soldiers led by Vice General Lin trailing behind.
Horses travel fast. The Third Young Master had issued an urgent order, so he didn't dare to delay and led the cavalry to go on ahead.
Li Huairen counted on his fingers. When the Third Young Master originally came to Xiagu, he brought four hundred cavalrymen. Now that Ni Chiwen had arrived, they had a total of one thousand four hundred cavalrymen on their side.
There was just one problem. The Marquis of Wu'an had already entered the city. With many obstacles in the city, there was no difference between cavalry and infantry, unless the opponent was beaten to a pulp and eventually forced to flee out of the city.
Ni Chiwen asked, How many troops does the Marquis of Wu'an have with him?
Li Huairen replied, Around two hundred.
Ni Chiwen immediately burst into loud laughter, his entire demeanor visibly relaxing. I thought he had thousands of troops and tens of thousands of horses this time. It turns out to be only two hundred. Tell the Third Young Master there's no need to be nervous. Even if the foot soldiers behind don't arrive, we have more than enough to handle them.
We thought of deploying troops, and the Marquis of Wu'an naturally thought of it too. It's just a matter of who arrives first. Without further delay, Commander Ni, quickly follow me into the city. We will take the head of the Marquis of Wu'an directly! Li Huairen said.
Inside the city, at a teahouse.
The teahouse had been entirely booked out, completely becoming the stronghold for the northern generals. Both the front and back doors were guarded by soldiers.
A white figure avoided the eyes and ears of the crowd and quietly appeared at the back door of the teahouse.
The guarding soldier was originally a patrol guard of the Qin Manor. Seeing the newcomer, he was immediately startled. Young Master?!
Qin Yanzhou was brief and to the point: I need to see the Marquis of Wu'an.
The attendant dared not turn away the son of Madam Dai, but considering that a while ago the Young Master was raising hell every day and almost tore the mansion apart, he didn't dare to let him in directly either.
The guard simply said, Please come with me.
Entering from the back door, they went upstairs via the back staircase. There were also soldiers guarding the upper floor. Seeing Qin Yanzhou, everyone showed a look of surprise.
Young Master? Bai Jianping came out of a room and saw Qin Yanzhou coming toward him. Why are you here?
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt it was inappropriate.
Pah, look at what he was saying. Given the Marquis's attitude of treating Madam Dai like the apple of his eye, they would be family sooner or later.
A hand pushed aside Bai Jianping, who was blocking the way. Qin Shaozong emerged from behind him, his calm gaze falling on Qin Yanzhou.
He didn't ask how the boy knew Dai Li's movements back then, nor did he ask why Dai Li had been hiding and not coming out to find them, nor did he demand an explanation of how he followed him to Xiagu. Qin Shaozong got straight to the point: What kind of trouble have you run into, kid?
Qin Yanzhou was just as straightforward with him. My mother was just taken away by Third Young Master Xie's men.
Bai Jianping was greatly shocked. Feng Feng and several others in the room quickly came out upon hearing this, all crowding at the door.
Qin Shaozong's pupils constricted slightly. Where is Third Young Master Xie now?
Qin Yanzhou provided an address on West Street.
Mo Yanyun was outspoken, The previous curved-shaft plow was Madam Dai's masterpiece, right? Your Green Lotus Sect got such a great thing, so why didn't you treat her as an honored guest, instead of letting that Third Young Master Xie run amok?
The other party has troops in his hands, Qin Yanzhou said.
Qin Shaozong didn't speak, but hurried downstairs.
As soon as he left, the surrounding generals immediately followed closely behind, leaving the second floor like a receding tide. The originally crowded doorway instantly became empty.
Qin Yanzhou followed them for a few steps, stopped at the second-floor staircase, and looked down. He saw Qin Shaozong go downstairs and order someone to bring his horse, obviously intending to head to the west side of the city immediately.
A glimmer of light flashed in the young man's eyes. He returned the way he came, heading straight for the back door of the teahouse.
Calculating the time, Sizhou's reinforcements were almost here. He couldn't let the North be caught off guard. Sizhou winning an overwhelming victory would be of no benefit to him or his mother, which was why he had made this trip.
It would be best if they were evenly matched and fought inextricably, so that neither side could spare the energy to attend to other matters.
...
Downstairs.
Qin Shaozong suddenly stopped in his tracks: Mo Yanyun, take Bai Ye with you and secretly follow that kid to see where he goes. It's chaotic right now; he will most likely take the opportunity to leave the city with Madam. Don't make a sound, just follow him secretly. If they discover you, no matter what, you must keep following them.
Suddenly called out, Mo Yanyun accepted the order, turned around, and left.
My Lord, do you suspect the Young Master is lying to us? Feng Feng asked in a low voice.
The guard brought the horse, and Qin Shaozong mounted it. It's not impossible. She is very sharp, and the son she gave birth to is at least half like her. But whether it's true or false, it really is time to settle scores with Third Young Master Xie.
They had arrived in Xiagu later than Xie Yuanxiu. It could be said that they were completely in the dark when they first arrived, not knowing how many troops Third Young Master Xie had hidden in this small commandery.
The previous confrontation was more of a probe to test the opponent's true strength rather than an act of suppression.
It didn't take long, just a day, and they found out.
The opponent did indeed have more men than they did, but not to the extent of overwhelming them, and the combat power of Sizhou's soldiers was far inferior to theirs.
Even if Qin Yanzhou hadn't come looking for him, Qin Shaozong planned to make a move today anyway. Xiagu Commandery was closer to Sizhou. If they dragged this on any longer and waited for the opponent's reinforcements to arrive, it would be very disadvantageous for them.
The riding crop was raised and fell, and the fine horse neighed.
Their group rode in a large formation, causing the surrounding commoners to quickly give way.
And on the way to West Street, Qin Shaozong encountered two guards riding their horses in a hurry.
The two groups of people ran into each other head-on. The guard was pleasantly surprised that he didn't have to run any further. "My Lord, the reinforcements from Sizhou have arrived outside the city! Garrison Commander Qiao saw them approaching from afar and immediately closed the city gates according to your orders. Just as you predicted, the city gate guards have all rebelled, dead set on letting the Sizhou people in. Fortunately, we kept our wits about us, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Right now, Garrison Commander Qiao is leading his men in a fight against them."
Qin Shaozong asked, "How many reinforcements from Sizhou?"
"They are all cavalry, looks to be about a thousand men," the guard replied.
Feng Feng said furiously, "That bastard Gao You spoke so nicely before, saying he would serve you like a dog or horse, My Lord. Now he turns around and defects to the enemy camp just like that. He really is greedy. Good thing you weren't fooled by his sweet talk, My Lord."
When they were staying at the Gao Manor, Prefect Gao treated them as honored guests. Every detail of their food, clothing, shelter, and transportation was exquisite, and he took every opportunity to flatter the Lord. The Lord had even promised that if he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't be treated poorly in the future.
Even a rat has skin, yet that man has no sense of honor. The scoundrel doesn't know what's good for him!
Feng Feng volunteered himself, "My Lord, Qiao Wangfei only has about seventy men over there. Please grant me a troop of soldiers, and I will go support Qiao Wangfei."
"The city gates are not the main point. To catch the bandits, first catch the ringleader. Right now, our top priority is to capture Third Young Master Xie." Qin Shaozong's gaze swept over their surroundings, keenly noticing that there was already some unusual movement nearby.
At first glance, the pedestrians were still pedestrians, wearing headscarves and coarse linen clothes, carrying long, strip-shaped luggage in their hands or on their shoulders. The peddlers on both sides were mostly squatting or sitting behind their stalls. Even if there were pedestrians doing business with them, their eyes were all restlessly darting in this direction.
Riding on his horse, Qin Shaozong's field of vision was higher than that of ordinary people, and he could faintly see some curved, long pieces of wood hidden behind the stalls.
"There are archers on both sides!" Qin Shaozong suddenly raised his voice.
Whether it was the "pedestrians," the "peddlers," or Qin Shaozong's cavalrymen, everyone was startled.
Seeing that the opportunity to shoot from the shadows was gone, the "peddlers" on both sides simultaneously grabbed their longbows and sprang up. Meanwhile, the "pedestrians" on the street suddenly drew out flashes of white steel from their luggage.
After Qin Shaozong's warning, the cavalrymen closest to the edges quickly dismounted, closed the distance in a single bound, and used their long sabers to suppress the enemy's bows and arrows.
The "pedestrians" had no horses and were a level lower than the cavalry; the disadvantage brought by the height difference immediately became apparent.
Drawing his ring-pommel saber from its sheath, Qin Shaozong bent his elbow to raise the blade, then fiercely slashed forward.
The sharp edge of the blade whipped up a fierce gust of wind, carving a clean arc from top to bottom, bringing with it splattering blood and a rolling head.
"Bang, bang, bang—"
The windows of the shops on both sides up ahead were forcefully pushed open, and longbows were thrust out from within, aiming at the people below.
At the same time, soldiers poured out from the ground floors. Those on the first floor wielded sabers, while those on the second floor held bows and arrows.
His falcon-like brown eyes took on a cold, metallic hue in the sunlight. The man quickly locked onto a target, tightly squeezing the horse's belly with his legs. The fine steed neighed and, without needing to be whipped, broke into a gallop, charging straight toward the entrance of a fabric shop.
A tall flag stood in front of this fabric shop. The flagpole was about ten feet long, and the flag bore only a single word, "Fabric," its jagged edges fluttering in the wind.
Qin Shaozong grabbed the flagpole with his left hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. In an instant, he yanked the flagpole out of the stone base it was embedded in.
Several whistling sounds of wind being pierced came from his side. Qin Shaozong's gaze turned chilling. His left hand, holding the flag, forcefully swung from back to front.
The fluttering flag whipped up a gust of wind, seemingly transforming into an iron eagle spreading its wings in an instant. The extended wings propped up an invisible domain of protection, keeping the outside storm of attacks at bay.
"Split into small squads and head upstairs to clear out the enemy soldiers!" Qin Shaozong ordered sternly.
The soldiers who had previously dismounted to deal with the archers moved along the edges, advancing while blocking, hurrying all the way until they reached the enemy positions.
Qin Shaozong glanced back. The street was in complete chaos. The goods the "peddlers" had used for their act were scattered all over the ground. The fallen corpses had been trampled to a pulp by horse hooves, and blood seeped into the bluestone bricks, forming a shocking, deep crimson.
"My Lord, they've stationed troops here. Third Young Master Xie might not be over at the West Street anymore." Kuang Ye blocked a flying arrow; it would be a lie to say he wasn't anxious.
For the Lord's westbound journey this time, only three hundred men had traveled with him on the tower ships. And not all of these three hundred men were in Xiagu; three tower ships, which meant ninety men, had gone to Jiulu County with Wei Qing.
They had two hundred and ten men left.
Now that the city's patrol guards had defected, if Third Young Master Xie took advantage of the chaos to hide, they would not only have to deal with the patrol guards but also search for him, which would absolutely overwhelm them.
Qin Shaozong said, "Whether Third Young Master Xie is there or not, we'll know once we go take a look."
He was very interested to see if the address that kid provided was true or false.
A small courtyard in the eastern part of the city.
Dai Li still kept her doors closed and didn't go out. The courtyard was cramped, and her only form of entertainment was eavesdropping by the wall.
And admittedly, she managed to gather quite a lot of information.
Someone said that the higher-ups seemed to have stopped checking the inns and had switched to going door-to-door to inspect household registers. The large-scale sweep was originally meant to find a female thief, but unexpectedly, they dug out some fugitives, which could be considered a lucky stroke.
Someone else said that yesterday they saw quite a few patrol guards patrolling with weapons, but after making a round and coming back, the people were the same, but the weapons in their hands were gone, as if they had been hidden away.
Still others said:
"Recently, both leaving and entering the city have become much more difficult. My distant cousin who sells sauces transported goods back into the city yesterday, and even the empty boxes had to be inspected. He said he saw many merchants having to undergo a round of interrogation to leave the city. All cargo boxes had to be opened, without a single one left out."
"Sigh, it's not peaceful lately. Best not to go out easily."
Hurried footsteps approached, followed by someone shouting, "Brother, this is bad! A fight has broken out over at the West Street! Word is spreading outside right now telling people not to go out these next few days, lest they get their heads chopped off!"
"Another fight? Is it a clash between the two patrol squads? Speaking of which, there was a fight yesterday too, and I heard quite a few heads rolled at the time. But afterwards, those who should withdraw withdrew, and those who should go home went home. I'm guessing the chaos won't last long this time either."
"No! They're really fighting! There are archers inside the shops, shooting arrows left and right. There are also tons of soldiers on the streets. Anyway, it's an all-out war, and blood is flowing like a river."
Dai Li pursed her lips.
A fight broke out?
Between Qin Shaozong and that person from Sizhou?
Before Dai Li could listen any further, a white figure flipped over the wall from outside, landing like a cat without making a single sound.
Dai Li: "!"
Seeing Dai Li in the courtyard, Qin Yanzhou hurried forward and said in a low voice, "Mother, the Northern Region and Sizhou have started fighting. I'll go back to the room with you to apply our disguises, then we'll leave through the east city gate and change our route to head south."
Dai Li's spirits jolted. Knowing that time was of the essence, she couldn't care about anything else and hurriedly turned around to return to the room with Qin Yanzhou.
About a quarter of an hour later, the mother and son walked out of the house.
Dai Li was wearing ordinary coarse linen clothes. Her complexion was concealed with a specially mixed dark ointment, making it several shades darker than before. A small scar had been added to her face, the curve at the corners of her eyes was pressed down slightly, and a few dark moles were also added to her face.
Qin Yanzhou had also disguised himself. The mother and son looked almost like completely different people.
They did not have much luggage, just one pack each.
Disguised like this, Dai Li did not need to wear a veiled hat and could walk outside openly.
After leaving the small courtyard, the two navigated a series of turns and headed east.
They already lived in the eastern part of the city, not far from the city gates. Perhaps because their path was so unobstructed, Qin Yanzhou brought up what had just happened: "Mother, on my way back, I ran into Commandant Mo. He followed me, but I managed to shake him off."
Dai Li, whose thoughts had been occupied with the Green Lotus Sect, had her train of thought broken. "He followed you? Did you run into him by accident?"
"No, I went to look for the Marquis of Wu'an just now."
Dai Li was severely shaken by the bombshell her son had just dropped. "Why would you go looking for him? Qin Shaozong is an incredibly sharp and deeply calculating man. There is no telling if he..."
She did not finish her sentence. Suddenly, both mother and son stopped dead in their tracks.
Staring at Mo Yanyun, who was crouching near the city gates just a short distance away, Dai Li instantly felt a sinking sense of foreboding.