"Oh, there are still those who aren't afraid of death? Has Young Master Zhao's throat healed?" Chong Guang placed He Nuan's bundle onto the carriage, smiling dangerously. He pressed his right hand against his left, the cracking sound of his knuckles making one's heart pound.
Zhan Feiyu narrowed her eyes, observing Zhao San and his group blocking the back entrance of the inn. If it were constables from the yamen, it would seem like they were looking for trouble. But with only five or six guards, a dozen servants, and Zhao San and his useless fops, this was rather interesting.
Seeing Chong Guang's ferocious demeanor, Zhao San's face paled, his legs weakening. Fortunately, he managed to stabilize himself. "You dare commit violence in broad daylight?"
"Uncle Chong Guang, there's no need to make a move," Zhan Feiyu said, walking forward with a smile. She looked at Zhao San, who was at the front. "May I ask why Young Master Zhao has come? If you are not here for us, please let us pass. We are in a hurry to be on our way."
Compared to the smiling but treacherous Chong Guang, Zhao San preferred facing the harmless Zhan Feiyu. He sneered haughtily, "Your guard injured me. Do you think compensating me with fifty taels of silver will settle it? You can leave, but leave him behind for me!"
Since the goal was to delay them, Zhao San put on his fop's airs. Of course, he didn't dare to go too far, fearing that he would anger Chong Guang again and get beaten.
The few fops also started shouting. So what if she was a young lady from the prefectural city? Huai County was Zhao San's territory. Even a powerful dragon couldn't suppress a local snake!
Of course, the main reason was that Chong Guang had been fined fifty taels of silver at the yamen earlier. Afterward, Constable Cao had used the excuse of catching thieves to swap their three fine horses. Despite these two incidents, Zhan Feiyu had made no fuss, accepting the loss silently.
These fops knew that Zhan Feiyu had no significant background, likely just a young lady from a merchant family in the prefectural city. She had money but dared not confront officials. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to follow Zhao San to the inn to block them, even if they had the courage of a leopard.
"That's right, leave the assailant behind!" Fop Jia shouted, tucking his hem into his belt and striking a fighting pose.
"How dare you hit our Third Young Master? Bah, don't you know that King Ma has three eyes?" Fop Yi stood beside Zhao San, clearly intending to stand with him.
"Little girl, this is a matter for adults. You shouldn't interfere. Otherwise, if you get hurt by a stray punch, tsk tsk, your pretty face would be ruined if it turned black and blue." Fop Bing chuckled sinisterly, his triangular eyes threateningly fixed on Zhan Feiyu. With his appearance, he could scare a child into crying.
Startled, Zhan Feiyu's eyes widened instantly, her childish voice trembling with a wavering tone, "I'll leave now. I'll leave him behind for you to deal with!"
Chong Guang, who was watching the spectacle, was dumbfounded. He glared at Zhan Feiyu with a look of utter despair. He had never seen such a black-hearted little girl!
He Sheng and He Nuan suppressed their laughter. With the Seventh Master present, Chong Guang wouldn't dare to cause trouble.
"You know what's good for you!" The fops, having successfully intimidated her, revealed triumphant expressions. Hitting a guard was one thing, but even if Zhan Feiyu came from a merchant family, she was from the prefectural city. No matter how unruly they were, they wouldn't dare to do anything to Zhan Feiyu.
Zhan Feiyu nodded gratefully. She turned to He Sheng and He Nuan and said, "Everything is packed. We'll leave now."
Alas... no... Zhao San was so angered by Zhan Feiyu's unpredictable behavior that he couldn't speak. He was here to delay them. He wanted that carriage full of luggage. What was the point of leaving the guard behind? At most, they would beat him a few times and then let him go. They couldn't possibly kill him to vent their anger.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu about to get into the carriage, Zhao San anxiously stepped forward and reached out to grab her arm. "You're not allowed to leave..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao San felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and he was kicked flying.
"What?" The fops blocking the entrance stared dumbfounded at Zhao San, who had been kicked outside the wall by Yin Wuyan. They instinctively rubbed their eyes, wondering if they had seen wrong.
The inn's wall was at least two people high. To kick a man weighing over a hundred pounds like Zhao San over the outer wall with one kick, how much strength would that take?
Before the group of fops could react, shouts of alarm came from outside the wall, "My dung cart..."
The fops, snapping back to reality, turned and ran out of the courtyard. Damn it, they were here to curry favor with Zhao San, but they wouldn't risk their lives to do so. With that kick, they'd be dead or at least half-dead!
The guards and servants in the courtyard naturally followed their masters and ran. With a monthly wage of two or three taels, being kicked once meant the money wasn't even enough for medical expenses.
Smelling the stench drifting in the wind, coupled with the retching sounds from outside, Zhan Feiyu looked at Yin Wuyan with immense admiration. "Big Brother, you're so amazing!"
"Seventh Master, you had this all arranged?" Chong Guang was also impressed to the point of prostration. Kicking someone over the wall was nothing; the key was that it coincidentally overturned the dung cart. That was true skill!
Yin Wuyan shot a cold glance at the noisy Chong Guang, but his icy gaze softened instantly when he looked at Zhan Feiyu. He pinched her chubby cheek. "Get in the carriage."
Watching Zhan Feiyu and Yin Wuyan get into the carriage, Chong Guang hooked He Sheng's shoulder and shook his head. "See? This is preferential treatment. I've known Seventh Master for over ten years."
He Sheng ignored Chong Guang and directly took the reins, pulling the carriage to walk out of the courtyard. Looking at the still-musing Chong Guang, he said in a muffled voice, "Zhao San might still try to block the carriage."
Zhao San and his gang of cronies coming to the inn to cause trouble was actually a tactic to delay them. Such a trick couldn't fool anyone.
The thought of Zhao San, covered in dung and blocking the carriage after overturning the dung cart, made Chong Guang leap onto the second carriage and drive off to catch up with He Sheng in front. He, Chong Guang, was actually afraid!
Yin Wuyan's kick was heavy. After overturning the dung cart, Zhao San fainted. Three dung buckets, each as tall as a person, fell directly onto him. This scene was enough to make dozens of households in the back street skip dinner that night. Just thinking about it made one want to vomit; no one could eat.
...
Although Zhao San had servants run back to the yamen to call for help, Constable Cao had taken most of the men with him. Therefore, Zhan Feiyu's carriage left Huai County unimpeded.
"Hey, little fellow, stop for a moment." At a tea stall by the official road, an old man selling tea called out from a distance. Seeing the carriage slow to a stop, he continued, "I don't know which wicked devil dug several large pits on the official road. Carriages can't pass. If you want to go, you'll have to take a detour."
"Thank you for informing me, old man," He Sheng, who was driving the carriage, said gratefully. He turned to ask, "Miss, shall we take a detour back to Shangsi County?"
"Alright, then we'll take a detour." Inside the carriage, Zhan Feiyu thought of Zhao San who had deliberately obstructed their departure earlier. "Big Brother, are they planning to rob us?"
"Human greed is insatiable," Yin Wuyan said, not surprised. How many corrupt officials started by accepting a few heavy gifts to help others, and then from taking bribes to favoritism and disregarding human life? Human nature was this dark and ugly, unable to resist the temptation of profit and beauty.
The people at the Huai County yamen, at first, used their official status to extort small favors worth a few dozen copper coins. But after a few years, their selfish desires and greed were infinitely magnified, leading them to disguise themselves as bandits to rob people.
Yin Wuyan was certain that if they managed to escape safely this time, then next time these people might truly disguise themselves as notorious bandits to rob carriages, steal from wealthy households in Huai County, and even commit murder and arson.
"Greed is insatiable, and resentment is endless," Zhan Feiyu said with disgust. Even though she knew they would eventually be brought to justice, encountering these corrupt officials and bureaucrats always made her hateful.
Yin Wuyan concealed the complexity in his eyes. The little girl's clean eyes were untainted by any impurity, but his own hands were already stained with blood.
Unaware of Yin Wuyan's emotional change, Zhan Feiyu lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside. Unlike the flat official road, the small path was built along the mountainside, barely wide enough for one carriage to pass. The road surface was also full of potholes, and with the bumps, Zhan Feiyu secretly rubbed her little backside.
"Big Brother, how about we get off and walk..." Before she could finish speaking, the carriage suddenly stopped. Zhan Feiyu, still rubbing her backside behind her back, stumbled forward unprepared.
"Be careful!" A long arm reached out and pulled her in. Yin Wuyan hugged her tightly and jumped off the carriage.
"Master," He Sheng also got off the carriage.
On the mountain path not far away, two trees as thick as bowls were abruptly lying across the road. If it were night, the coachman, by mistake, would likely have flipped the carriage and horses.
The two carriages behind also stopped. The three carriages were lined up one after another on the narrow mountain path. Suddenly, the sound of birds flapping their wings echoed in the quiet mountain forest. With a whoosh, dozens of people surged out from the front and back of the mountain path.
"This mountain is mine to open, and this tree is mine to plant. If you wish to pass, leave your toll!" The bandit, with a black cloth covering his face, stepped onto the tree trunk in the middle of the road, waving his large saber. The sharp blade reflected the sunlight, exuding a formidable presence.
Zhan Feiyu looked back. More than ten bandits, also with black cloths covering their faces, blocked the rear path. Combined with these ten or so people in front, their group was trapped from both sides. It was estimated that there were still dozens more hidden in the mountains.
"You dare to block the road and rob in broad daylight?" Zhan Feiyu stepped forward, her chin slightly raised, glaring at the bandit leader. "Under Magistrate Zhao's rule, there are still so many bandits. I think his position as magistrate is also coming to an end!"
Uh... the bandits on the mountain path were all stunned. They dared to rob precisely because Zhao San was involved, and they had to offer silver to Magistrate Zhao. But if the Magistrate Zhao, who was supposed to cover for them, was dismissed for poor governance, wouldn't that completely cut off their source of income?
"Alright, as long as you don't hurt anyone, you can take the carriage and luggage!" If Zhan Feiyu had said this before, these bandits would have been overjoyed.
But now they looked like they had eaten a fly! This carriage full of luggage was worth eight to nine hundred taels of silver, but when divided among the constables and yamen runners, each person would only get a few taels. However, losing Magistrate Zhao as their patron in exchange for this was not a worthwhile deal.
Zhan Feiyu raised her eyebrows, her clear, childish voice laced with anger. "What? Robbing the carriage and luggage isn't enough? You dare to kill people too? I'm telling you, I'm close friends with Prefect Zhang's daughter, Zhang Guantong. If you dare to commit murder and robbery, Prefect Zhang will surely have your heads rolling!"
Yin Wuyan looked at the fierce little girl. She was quite adept at bullying others with her connections! Well, this way, when they went to the capital, only the little girl would be bullying others.
Huai County was close to the prefectural city. The people at the county yamen knew Zhang Guantong's name because of the incident involving Old Madam Zhang two years ago when Prefect Zhang wanted to send Zhang Guantong to Qingya Academy for her education.
However, Old Madam Zhang, on the grounds that "talent in women is a virtue," refused to let Zhang Guantong study, crying, making a scene, and even threatening to hang herself. This matter caused a great stir.
Prefect Zhang couldn't force his old mother to death for his daughter's education. Moreover, Nanxuan Prefecture was still under the control of Tong Tongzhi at that time. Prefect Zhang could only compromise and find a female tutor for Zhang Guantong's early education.
The name of the prefect's daughter also spread. Therefore, when Zhan Feiyu mentioned it, the bandits' hearts trembled. Caught in a dilemma, all their eyes turned to Constable Wu, who was at the front.
If they robbed the carriage and let the people go, and this young lady returned to the prefectural city to complain to Prefect Zhang, a charge of poor governance would be levied, and Magistrate Zhao's position would be precarious.
But they didn't dare to kill anyone. After all, robbing was one thing, but if someone was actually killed, and there were six people in Zhan Feiyu's group, it was likely that Nanxuan Prefecture wouldn't investigate; it might even alarm the Ministry of Justice. They wouldn't be able to spend the money they robbed even if they survived.
"What are you dawdling about? If you want to rob, take all three carriages. If you want to kill, we're right here. Let's see if you have the guts!" Zhan Feiyu impatiently urged. Even though the mountain path was cool, the May sun shone down, and she would break out in a sweat in a moment.
Constable Wu, the leader, wished he could pry open Zhan Feiyu's head with his saber. This little girl looked so delicate, but why was her brain not working well? Did anyone else pressure bandits like this?
The others also had speechless expressions. Was this the so-called "newborn calf fears no tiger"? They were masked bandits with sharp sabers, yet she wasn't afraid at all?
Chong Guang suppressed his laughter, looking sympathetically at the group of helpless bandits. Serves them right!
They didn't dare to kill, but they couldn't let her go back to the prefectural city to complain. Constable Wu gritted his teeth. "Arrest them and take them to the mountain!"
As for how to deal with them, Constable Wu planned to let County Magistrate Wang and Commandant Hou decide and then follow their orders.
Following Constable Wu's order, more than thirty people from the front and back immediately charged forward with their sabers. Even if they injured someone, they had to capture them first.
Yin Wuyan and Zhan Feiyu, standing by the carriage, didn't move an inch. He Sheng and He Nuan directly stepped forward to engage. Chong Guang, with another fake groom who was a real guard, moved to the rear to fight.
The once quiet mountain path was suddenly filled with shouts of battle. The chosen location was indeed good. With them trapped from both sides, Zhan Feiyu's group became turtles in a jar, with nowhere to escape.
But in the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks were useless. Chong Guang and the other three held their ground like one man defending a pass, firmly guarding the front and rear. They watched as enemies charged forward one after another, only to be kicked away and fall to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
Cao Butou, who had been hiding in the mountains as a precaution, saw that the situation was unfavorable and immediately led the remaining men to charge again. Unfortunately, they still fell one after another, two at a time.
Half an hour later, the ground was covered with people lying in a heap, numbering sixty or seventy at first glance. Fortunately, there was no bloodshed, otherwise, it would have been truly terrifying.
"Fat girl, my hands are sore from hitting people for the first time." Chong Guang rubbed his wrist, kicked away a constable blocking his way, and said to Zhan Feiyu with a smile, "It's a shame we can't use knives. Otherwise, one knife per person would be faster and more convenient."
The more than ten people lying on the ground who could still move instantly became like corpses. Damn it, it was fortunate that they didn't dare to kill this little girl, otherwise, they would have lost their lives here.
Cao Butou's burly body was not conspicuous among the crowd. He knew that these guards were extraordinary, but Cao Butou didn't expect them to be masters who could fight a hundred people alone. Let alone the sixty or seventy men he brought, even if he brought everyone from the county yamen, it would be useless.
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves echoed from a distance. Five fine horses, kicking up dust, galloped towards them. The riders were wearing military uniforms and carrying large sabers at their waists. Seeing the scene, they suddenly reined in their horses and angrily shouted, "I am Tian Sheng, a squad leader from the Nanxuan Garrison. Who are you?"
Tian Sheng and his four men were scouts who had followed General Sui Baode's army. The official road had been maliciously damaged, so Sui Baode and his entourage had paused, ordering soldiers to repair the pitted official road.
Tian Sheng, with four others, had come to scout ahead but unexpectedly witnessed this bizarre scene. Dozens of people were lying on the ground, and more importantly, Zhan Feiyu and her group didn't look like notorious bandits at all.
A beautiful young girl, with a maid and guards by her side, and three carriages. Zhan Feiyu, with her innocent expression, looked more like the one being robbed.