Chapter 940
: Zhou Xiu's Feint
Chapter 940 Zhou Xiu's Feint
Beijing,
At dawn, a mist-like veil spread over Lake An.
The villages on the south bank of Anhu Lake were peaceful. Many people had just finished their meals at home. The smoke from the kitchen added a bit of liveliness to the place. Some of the hardworking ones had already started working in the fields. The rest of the farmers, after eating, took a short rest, packed up and went out.
However, Anhu is a precious land with abundant water resources, fertile land and flat terrain. It is all top-quality farmland. Who among the nobles in the capital does not want to come here to occupy a piece of land? It is a family heirloom. Unfortunately, it was marked out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in advance. Four or five farms were put together to form a large farm. The land was divided according to the roads in the farm. It was neat and prosperous, and it was easy for servants to manage it.
However, the land was eventually divided up during the reign of the Emperor, and the remaining small farms in the corners were put on the market for sale. As soon as they appeared, they were swept away by the wealthy and powerful.
Southeast of Anhu, most of the estates are imperial estates granted to nobles, most of which are like Ningguo Mansion. Each mansion has its own large estate. Located in the capital, the annual harvest fluctuates around 50,000 taels of silver. The rest include Jinxiang Marquis Mansion and Chuanning Marquis Mansion. Their estates are in the south end. The others are mostly small estates of wealthy merchants, also on the periphery.
now,
The Taiping Sect members had already taken advantage of the morning mist to sneak into the edge of the field. In the mist, they could vaguely see a smaller farm. In the fields, some diligent farmers were already busy working. Seeing this,
Zhou Xiu raised his eyebrows evilly and ordered;
"The time has come. Once we enter the manor, we will not leave anyone alive. After we finish our work, we will let the brothers have a hot meal, and then we will go to the next manor. Today, we will kill three people first, and then go around the north. We will not hold back anyone we meet. Before we leave, we will burn the manor to attract those people from the Imperial City Division, and give Lao Liang and the others a chance to survive."
Almost a day had passed, and there was still no news of Liang Xiangzhu. It seemed that he was in danger. How could the more than 2,000 guards of the Imperial City Division escape? They could only follow the Anyang Mountains, hiding during the day and moving at night, and only dared to show their heads here.
Further forward,
The various villages in Anhu have already reached the heart of the capital. In order to avoid being exposed, they can only kill them.
"Yes, Master, the brothers are very skillful."
The other incense master clasped his fists.
I looked around and it was quiet. Only the farmers were still shouting from time to time. They were unaware of the ambush. It would only take an incense stick of time to get in.
"Master, are we going to charge in now?"
After waiting for a long time, the hall master did not give any order. Cheng Xiangzhu could not help but ask one more question, impatiently.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Wait a minute. First lead your men to the edge of the land and deal with the people. Then charge in. Be careful around you."
Zhou Xiu's eyes flashed with vigilance. As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of ropes for ten years. The battle under Tongzhou City also knocked down his arrogance.
"Yes, Master, I will be careful. Come on, go in."
Master Chengxiang nodded heavily, knowing the hall master's worries, he simply led his men and rushed over through the field path.
There were not many people in the fields, and there was a thin mist, so people's figures could not be seen clearly. The dewdrops in the fields were faintly cold and wet the lapels of people's clothes.
"Hey, Old Li, why did you get up so early today? Normally, you are the last one to get up in the fields. Could it be that your wife didn't let you get into bed last night?"
Another man came to another field, carrying a hoe and speaking without restraint. As soon as he said this, loud laughter could be heard from the nearby fields.
"Ahahaha, more than that, maybe the wife of Old Li's family has found a man outside, and when Old Li comes to the field, she will have sex with him at home."
Once the dirty talk in the field started, it couldn't be stopped. Old Li was over fifty years old, but who would have thought that at this age, he could still marry a village widow. Not only was she still charming, but there were also many jealous people. You said something, and I said something, which made the old man of the Li family angry and his face turned red. He thought worriedly that his wife had indeed been a little abnormal these days. Could it be that she really had an affair with a man?
He put the hoe in his hand away and carried it on his shoulder.
"Don't talk, you guys."
He turned around and left. As he left, the laughter of the people in the field stopped. Old Liu, who had just laughed the loudest, asked suspiciously;
"No way, it was just a joke, but Lao Li took it seriously."
"You too, you dare to say anything. Is it easy for Lao Li to find a wife?"
Several people stood there in a daze, saying that there were always many gossips about widows, and that some things should not be said to each other in person. After seeing Lao Li leave, they began to blame each other again. While they were arguing, Lao Liu saw a figure swaying in the fields and shouted at him,
"Hey, what do you do?"
As soon as the voice was over, there was a sound of breaking through the air, and a faint "whoosh" sound came, and several people fell to the ground in response. Old Liu, who had a little vision, fell to the ground, spitting blood, and muttered;
"Military crossbow."
"Hurry up and kill them all, leaving no one alive."
"Yes, Master Xiang."
The Taiping Sect members' eyes flashed with fierceness and bloodthirsty madness. They rushed into the village with knives in hand. When they saw people in the village, they swung their knives and killed everyone. Suddenly, screams and cries filled the air. This scene was seen by Old Li, who was so frightened that his legs and feet became weak and he collapsed in the depression on the ridge of the field. He did not have the courage to confront his wife at the village entrance, so he returned to the other side of the field and sat there to rest for a while, then he encountered these things. He wanted to rush in and tell his wife to break up, but unfortunately, his legs became weak and he could not move at all.
Subsequently,
Seeing his men succeed, Zhou Xiu no longer hid and rushed in with his army.
Before long, the chaotic and silent village fell into calm. Looking at the bloody corpses on the ground, Zhou Xiu frowned. He didn't expect such a big noise. Although it was a small village, it was not quick when it took action.
"Master, everything has been resolved,"
"Well, in that case, let's not hesitate, grab some dry rice and go inside. While the fog is still there, kill some big people. This will alert the capital."
Zhou Xiu thought about it and realized that these small manors were only owned by wealthy merchants. Even if they were all killed, it would not matter. It would be better to go inside and kill some noble families, preferably those of dukes and princes. This way, the capital would surely be in a state of panic.
"Yes, Hall Master, we have caught a few tongues here. To the north are the manors of Marquis Jinxiang and Marquis Chuanning. Close to the lake, there are also the manors of Ningguo Mansion and Liguo Mansion. They are all large manors and it is difficult to deal with them in a short time."
Although these people killed people without hesitation, it was not easy to eliminate all the people in a manor in a short period of time, not to mention the manors of the powerful in the capital, where there were many farm guards. If they stayed too long and lost their tracks, and were spotted by the court soldiers or the hawks of the Imperial City Administration, they would be in trouble.
Zhou Xiu stroked his chin and looked at the mist in the north. If he didn't take action now, it would be too late. He calmed down and gave the order;
"Brothers, since we are here, let's do something big. It's unfortunate that Marquis Jinxiang fell into our hands. Kill him, then go north and kill everyone in the fields. Then turn back immediately and burn all the farms before leaving. Then we will retreat."
He gave a sinister laugh and decided to burn the farm when he returned. Once the fire started, the whole capital city would be able to see it, so he didn't have to worry about those people from the Imperial City Bureau not coming.
"The hall master is indeed wise and has a good plan. Let's go, brothers."
Without further delay, everyone discussed and decided to march north.
After only a few miles, they saw another large village. Taiping used the same trick again and attacked the people inside the village. They didn't stop until half an hour later. As the sky got brighter and the mist was about to dissipate, they immediately turned north and returned.
When he met people working in the fields, he would kill them, turn around and go back, light fires in various places in the village, and then retreat calmly.
As we walked for several miles, thick smoke billowed into the sky behind us, and even the thin mist could not stop it.
Anhu Camp in the capital,
General Han Zhiwei of Changning had already assembled 20,000 soldiers and horses, ready to go to Tongzhou City to transport grain. As soon as he left the camp gate, he saw black smoke rising to the sky from the south. He was startled. Where was the beacon fire? The direction was wrong.
Not only did he see it, but several generals in the army also looked sideways.
Xie Cheng, grandson of Marquis Dingcheng and guerrilla general of the Beijing camp, rode back from the front to report.
"General Han, the thick smoke is coming from the southeast. It doesn't look like a signal fire, but rather like a fire somewhere."
The signal smoke in the army is lit by beacon towers. The black smoke is straight and can be seen from far away, while the smoke from ordinary fires is scattered. The smoke in the south is erratic and obviously not a signal smoke.
"Well, you are still the one who observes more clearly. However, even if it is not a signal, I feel something is wrong these days. Xie Cheng, all your troops should be deployed to be on alert. Be careful." Xie Cheng's face tightened and he quickly responded.
"Yes, General, I will personally lead the troops to guard the place, but will you still go to the place where there is a fire?"
Xie Cheng pointed to the south, something was fishy, so he had to ask. Han Zhiwei rode on his horse, his eyes flickering. The Marquis' order was to escort the food and supplies to the camp safely, but it was unknown whether these people in front of him were sent by the Taiping Sect.
"No, we are here to escort the food and supplies. If we delay the Marquis's important business, he will chop off several of our heads. Besides, there are the Five Cities Military Department and the Pacification Department in the capital. We have to leave some food for them. We can't do anything too extreme."
The credit should be shared among all, how can one eat alone? Xie Cheng quickly lowered his head and forgot about these things.
"General, you are righteous, and I am short-sighted,"
"Alas, we are all brothers, why are you saying that? Speed up the march."
"Yes, General, go ahead."
Subsequently,
The 20,000 soldiers continued their march, heading straight for Tongzhou City.
In the camp,
He Yonghua, the commander of the Lu'an Imperial Army, stood on the command platform, staring at the black smoke in the south, frowning. It had only been a few days, but the area around the capital was already unstable. Looking to the east, General Han had taken away 20,000 troops. In the entire Anhu camp, there were only 30,000 infantrymen left, and 10,000 guards were needed for the camp, but there were only 20,000 soldiers available.
He also had to guard the empty camp, but he was powerless. He thought that the people from the Five Cities Military Department and the Imperial City Department should be able to deal with it. He just ordered the camp to be guarded strictly, then stepped down from the reviewing platform, returned to the tent to rest, and made sure he had a clear look.
However, this commotion frightened the people from the Southern Pacification Office who were still tracking down the Taiping Cult.
Deputy Captain Ma Deqiu was horrified when he saw the black smoke in the sky. Although they had killed many Taiping Sect thieves in the past few days, they were all solitary and had not found the main force. They were always led by the enemy army. Now the fire behind them was obviously a distraction.
"Sir, sir, we should go back to help immediately. The bandit army ahead is just trying to lure us away. After all, we have limited troops and horses. I think most of the bandits have left the mountains after hiding for a day."
now,
The two thousand guards of the Southern Pacification Division all stopped at the edge of a dense forest. Ma Mengquan's face was cold, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. He really met an opponent. If so, it must be the remnants of Taiping Cape, still hiding in the Anyang Mountains, or near the palace of King Zhongshun. After going around in such a big circle, he returned to the starting point.
It must be said that the leader of the Taiping Cult is a difficult character.
"Ma Deqiu, leave one of the hundred guards behind to continue the pursuit, and the rest of you can turn back. This time, we will definitely catch them. I don't believe they can get away."
"Yes, sir, but how do we explain this to the second young master of the palace?"
A day passed, not only did they fail to catch the Taiping Cult members, but they also let them play tricks on them. The palace was still watching.
"Why should I report to others when I do something? Just send someone to tell them that I am keeping an eye on them."
"Yes, sir, I will definitely send someone to explain."
Ma Deqiu flashed a bitter smile on his face. He didn't know if his uncle had a conflict with the Southern Pacification Office. Since he came to the Southern Pacification Office, nothing went smoothly. Although the office's affairs were sorted out, most of the cases he took over were unsolved cases.
This time, it involves the Zhongshun Palace. Prince Zhou is so overbearing that it's hard to deal with it.
He turned around and looked at his trusted centurion Cai Changyue and instructed;
"Changyue, I'll leave you 200 cavalrymen. Just follow the enemy troops nearby. Don't act rashly or you'll fail. Understand."
"Yes, sir, I understand. I will fight if I can."
Cai Changyue nodded in agreement. Since they were trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain, there were not many people in front of them. To be safe, they had to act cautiously. Ma Deqiu patted Captain Cai on the arm, then pulled the reins, turned around the dock, and led his troops to chase after them.
"Hurry, hurry up, follow me."
There was a sound of horse hooves,
As the army marched away, Captain Cai Changyue gathered his troops and shouted;
"Brothers, since the enemy army is taking a detour with us, let's do the opposite and wait for them to tire themselves out. We will form groups of three and send out ten groups to conduct reconnaissance separately. The rest of you will rest in the nearest village."
"Yes, my lord."
The cavalry were a little tired, but after hearing their superior's instructions, they looked happy. After all, it was time to rest.
In Anhu Village, Ningguo Prefecture,
Suddenly there was a sound of gongs, and someone at the entrance of Zhuangzi shouted loudly;
"Quick, quick, close the doors and windows of every household. There are bandits coming. All farmhands, gather at the entrance of the village."
There was a commotion.
Many young and strong farmers were already pale with fear. Just as someone went to work in the fields, he saw a lot of corpses lying on the other side of the river, covered in blood. Some were so scared that they hurried back.
He told Yu Lu, the head of Ningguo Mansion, that this was the only land of the clan in Ningguo Mansion, and it was still on the public account of Ningguo Mansion. Therefore, Lai Sheng thought about it and reported to Madam You, and then sent Yu Lu, the old steward of the mansion, to manage the manor.
When they first arrived, some people wanted to make some noise, but Yu Lu summoned a lot of farmhands and guards and gave them family rules. This place is not like the mansion. There are not so many human relationships. If you don't listen to the order, you will be beaten to death. This is how the servants of the mansion were subdued. It didn't take long for the peaceful days to go by, but trouble happened again. Yu Lu's heart was pounding.
"Damn it, hurry up and bring those rakes and hoes. All those farmhands who don't come to the farm will be kicked out after tomorrow. Don't blame me for being ruthless."
Yu Lu's face turned pale, but he still had to say something harsh. A few strong leaders among the farmhands quickly surrounded him.
"Manager Yu, everyone is here, how dare you not come? But I looked at the bodies across the river and saw that the knife was cut with great skill and the edges were smooth. It's obvious that he was an expert in knife skills. He's probably not an ordinary thief."
"Yes, Manager Yu, let's carry a few millstones to the entrance of the village to block the road and guard this place. Don't go out. The farm in the south is almost burned to the ground. It seems to be the manor of Jinxiang Marquis."
The other man was also hurrying forward. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he was not seeking revenge, but rather like a bandit army coming down the mountain to rob.
Yu Lu had a cold face. How could there be thieves under the feet of the emperor in the capital? However, it was obvious that no one was left alive in the southern manor. Even if they were not bandits, they must have been done by martial arts masters. He nodded in agreement.
"First, block the road to the village entrance. You all stand guard at the entrance and gather the hunters. Once they come, just shoot them to death. By the way, Liuzi, you go from the north now and hurry to the city to report to the master."
"Uh, yes, sir, I'll go right away."
The servant responded, quickly packed up, and prepared to run out when the opportunity arose. He turned around and asked again;
"Manager Yu, should we report to Ningguo Mansion or Rongguo Mansion?"
"You greenhorn, don't you have a brain? Go to Rongguo Mansion to find the eldest grandmother. No, go directly to the second grandmother to report. If the old lady asks, tell the truth."
Yu Lu had already led his men to the village entrance. Seeing the originally clever servant now acting foolishly, he could not help but scold him. How could he ask such questions? The eldest mistress is in charge of Ningguo Mansion now, and the one in charge of the entire Jia family is the second mistress of Rongguo Mansion. Is there any need to ask such questions?
"Yes, I will go now."
The servant shrank his head and did not leave the village. He climbed up the wall behind the housekeeper Yu, ran to a few houses, and then came down from the roof, followed a small path, and ran straight to the capital. As soon as the man in front of him left,
The footprints left on the roof, maybe the house is a little short? Yu Lu murmured in his heart and called two farmhands to watch in the yard. The entrance to the village had already been blocked tightly!
(End of this chapter)