Chapter 81 - 79: Siege
One day later.
In the prison, it was like the wailing of infernal ghosts, resounding continuously.
Even after enduring all forms of brutal torture, the survivors of the attackers still insisted that the current Crown Prince was the one backing them.
Hearing this, Xie Shihuan and others were somewhat skeptical.
"Still dare to argue, what kind of person is the Crown Prince, would he need to send you to assassinate that Lord!" Xie Shihuan said angrily, grabbing a spiked whip and mercilessly lashing at the survivors.
Their bodies were already a mess of flesh and blood, and their screams gradually weakened.
In this hell, after being tortured for a day, even a martial artist’s body could hardly endure.
Not far behind Xie Shihuan stood Lu Zheng and Song Changming, resembling two guardian deities.
Nowadays, Song Changming, through his continual impressive performances, had gradually earned the trust and attention of General Director Xie Shihuan.
Including his action of forcefully defeating a formidable foe yesterday, which earned him great praise from Xie Shihuan.
Additionally, now with the backing of the fourth young lady of the Xiao family, Song Changming was often in the company of Lu Zheng, climbing steadily in rank within the General Department.
"The Crown Prince has his own intentions. Even if you kill us, you won’t survive either. Blame your Governor for siding with the wrong team by harboring that Lord Li!" an attacker sneered, staring at Xie Shihuan with malice.
"You probably don’t know, do you? That so-called big figure in your eyes, named Li Zhe, was once a Second Grade official in the court. Unfortunately, he went against the Crown Prince, and you will all be implicated!
Because this is a party conflict..."
Xie Shihuan’s face was uncertain, then he said faintly: "You are smart, trying to cover the false words with a few truths, for what? Watching two tigers fight and benefiting from the struggle?"
"Hmph, believe it or not!" the attacker snorted coldly.
Xie Shihuan knew nothing further could be extracted; this group of people knew no fear, essentially tamed as death warriors. Compared to their own lives, they valued more whether the task given was completed.
Leaving the General Department’s prison, Xie Shihuan summarized the inquiry details and hurriedly went to the Governor’s Mansion to meet the Governor.
Before departing, he also instructed Song Changming and Lu Zheng not to spread the words said by these attackers, keeping them to themselves.
"That person was a Second Grade official at court, it’s likely true," Song Changming said while walking in the General Department.
Lu Zheng hesitated for a moment and also said, "Party conflict, I’m afraid it’s also true..."
As the matter was so confidential, the two of them could only discuss it with each other.
"..." Song Changming sighed silently.
He thought life couldn’t always be calm without major events, and now, he could sense that a huge storm was coming.
Fortunately, at this point, he had climbed to a certain height in his career and had a foreword glimpse of the coming storm, which prepared him mentally.
If it were two years ago, when he was still struggling in the City Patrol Defense Bureau, he would have truly been in the dark, passively going with the flow.
Standing high allows seeing far.
Originally, he wanted to gradually ascend by leveraging the influence of the fourth young lady of the Xiao family, perhaps becoming an aide under the Governor and exchanging interests, which would greatly benefit him.
But now, he had dismissed this notion.
In the impending great wave, even the ship of the Xiao family might not be sturdy.
He couldn’t tie himself entirely to the Xiao family; the current level of interaction with the fourth young lady was just right, neither too much nor too less.
As for the official position, staying in the Public Security Bureau was also good; he no longer yearned for the higher positions in the Governor’s Mansion.
When the situation is unclear, it’s wise to remain steady and low-key.
...
By the edge of a cliff on Tengya Mountain, a man clad in heavy armor and wearing a ceremonial headdress stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the vast stronghold below.
Beside him was a war saber filled with jagged teeth, buried halfway into the rocky ground. Near the hilt, an intricate ancient character was engraved.
Kan.
"I just knew big brother would be here again enjoying the mountain breeze."
Suddenly, a voice came from below the rock, and a man with an open chest, holding a wine pot, leisurely walked up.
"Didn’t I say, no matter when and where, wear armor and carry a sword." The elder brother frowned as he glanced at the newcomer and said.
"What’s there to worry about on our Tengya Mountain, big brother overthinks," said the newcomer indifferently, unconcerned.
Saying so, he lightly leapt, landing at the top of the towering rock, casually sitting on the ground.
The elder brother’s eyes showed a hint of helplessness.
"Big brother, want some wine?"
"I won’t drink."
At this moment, another person appeared at the cliff top, with his head wrapped in a black scarf and a short stick tied behind his waist.
Seeing the two, he hurriedly shouted.
"Big brother, second brother, we’ve finally received news from over there!"
"What is it?" The big brother’s face became stern and he immediately asked.
"They want us to attack the city! Attack Donglai County City!"
"Hahaha, great, great, it’s been years without any arrangements, and now it’s so exhilarating, finally we can start slaughtering again!" The man with wide-open lapels was gleefully slapping his thigh.
"I’ve really had enough of this life in the mountains. If it weren’t prohibited, I would have wanted to take a county city a long time ago and occupy it first."
The big brother ignored the shouting of the person beside him, just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said with furrowed brows, "Immediately assemble all the troops and prepare to attack the city!"
Half a day later, the captain hurriedly entered the Governor’s Mansion.
When he came out a moment later, all the troops in the County City began to regroup and assemble!
At the Governor’s Mansion, Xiao Jingchuan paced back and forth.
Below were the civil and military officials of Donglai Prefecture, who had rushed over, and his eldest son Xiao Hongyang was among them.
"Not earlier, not later, but only after Lord Li arrived, the Tengya mountain took action! Could it be that this bandit army is also a hidden piece buried by the upper echelons?!" County Governor Ji Xuechang said.
He couldn’t help but suspect the connection between the two.
After all, the bandit army had been dormant ever since they withdrew from the County City, having made no moves for years, always staying quietly at Tengya mountain.
"No matter what, if they dare to come out of Tengya mountain, we should dispatch troops to annihilate them in one fell swoop. In those mountain gullies, these rats can hide for a while, but once they lose this mountain barrier, they’re nothing more than a ragtag bunch!"
A military officer expressed his opinion, willing to lead a troop as the vanguard, showing disdain toward the bandit army of Tengya mountain.
He only thought that these mountain bandits and vagabonds couldn’t possibly stand against their regular army.
"Don’t underestimate them! If this bandit army is indeed a piece set by the upper echelons, they wouldn’t just be ordinary bandits. Their true origins are likely from Dongcang!" Eldest son Xiao Hongyang said.
He had served in the court and knew much about the world.
When he spoke, all the civil servants and military officers below shut their mouths and looked at him.
Xiao Hongyang slowly said, "Back then, there were Three Dragons in Dongcang Prefecture, well-known far and wide, later recruited into the army as generals.
Among them, Jiang Kan, the Over-River Dragon, is the most accomplished, the leader of the Three Dragons, with exceptional sword skills, a frequent figure on the Jianghu Saber List!
Blood Dragon Luo Haolin, this person is most fond of killing and drinking blood, it is said that those who died under his sword are as many as thousands!
And Evil Dragon Xu Dabao..."
"These three once made great achievements, but later committed serious crimes in Dongcang Prefecture and thus fled with their troops to disappear and hide."
"As for Jiang Kan, the Over-River Dragon, I have also heard a bit. Do you mean that the leader of the bandit army at Tengya mountain is these three from Dongcang?" County Governor Ji Xuechang said thoughtfully.
"Correct, there’s an eighty to ninety percent chance of that." Xiao Hongyang spoke with great confidence.
"Now it seems that the reason they haven’t been eradicated by the court and have come to our Donglai Prefecture is probably because they have been protected by higher-ups and dare to be so brazen!"
The military officer who had previously volunteered to be the vanguard, upon hearing about the origins of this bandit army, lost some of his previous momentum, opened his mouth but dared not say more.
This matter, Governor Xiao Jingchuan had already discussed with his son, so when Xiao Hongyang finished speaking, he immediately began deploying.
"Deploy more scouts to ascertain the bandit army’s real-time movements, not only must the County City be prepared for battle, but other counties should be as well, ready to provide aid from all directions at any time!
If war breaks out, maintaining the morale of the people within the city is also crucial, never giving the enemy an opportunity..."
One order after another was issued, and the administrative machine of the Governor’s Mansion, this local central authority, began to operate at an accelerated pace.
The combat power of the entire Donglai Prefecture was gradually activated in a short time.
The meeting concluded, and everyone dispersed, leaving only the father and son of the Xiao Family.
Xiao Hongyang immediately said, "Father, this matter is of great importance, we cannot give this bandit army any chance, and if we want to gain attention from that person, we must show the strength we’ve hidden over the years to prove that in critical times, we have the power to provide aid for him!"
"You mean to reveal our private forces openly?" Xiao Jingchuan was somewhat hesitant.
Although almost every governor hoarded private forces, no one has ever dared to reveal them so openly, which undoubtedly increases unnecessary risks.
"Exactly!" Xiao Hongyang nodded, then continued to persuade, "Father, this is an unprecedented upheaval in these hundreds of years. If our Xiao Family doesn’t seize this opportunity, it will be too difficult to rise with the wind!"
"You’re right, do as you say. However, in the subsequent missives, the identity of the private forces needs to be concealed further, I believe that person will also understand." Xiao Jingchuan nodded.
"Alright!"
The situation was in turmoil, all forces were making moves, some hidden in the shadows, others gradually surfacing.
The Da Han Dynasty, which was originally relatively stable, gradually began to feel the winds blowing, the great edifice shaking.