Inside the carriage, after discovering that the lanterns and bonfires ahead had been extinguished, He Nuan immediately alighted and formed a protective circle with his Jinlongwei companions, shielding the carriage tightly in the center.
As for the soldiers from the Commander's Office guarding the carriage nearby, He Nuan glanced at them once before looking away. If the Old Master's men took this opportunity to launch a surprise attack, Lord Qiu would surely provide support. The real danger had likely not yet appeared.
The elites from various factions had broken through the encirclement of the Qianzhong Garrison and escaped. Commander She, upon hearing of the battle ahead, slammed the table in a rage, "All of them are useless good-for-nothings!"
"Commander She, please calm your anger. Your subordinate will immediately lead men to apprehend the escapees." The sound of a sword being drawn echoed, and Commander Yin smiled sinisterly, his narrow phoenix eyes scanning the surroundings. "My lads, attack!"
"Yes!" a resounding reply filled the air. Following Commander Yin's order, over twenty figures immediately darted off in the four cardinal directions.
These individuals had escaped the Qianzhong Garrison's encirclement, but it wouldn't be so easy to leave this street with their loot. The outside was no less than a net of heaven and earth.
Watching indifferently as Yin Ling led his confidantes in pursuit, Commander She's gaze deepened. "My Lord, I will go ahead and take a look."
"Commander She, please do as you wish." Lord Qiu nodded. Although he was one rank higher, Commander She held actual military power. Lord Qiu could only command the garrison troops from various prefectures within the Qianzhong Circuit, as well as constables and yamen runners.
It was also because the Qiu family had been rooted in the Qianzhong Circuit since their ancestors, and most of the prominent families followed the Qiu family's lead. Otherwise, with Commander She's forceful and ruthless methods, Lord Qiu would have long been stripped of his real authority.
Commander She rose, leading his personal guards and subordinates, and strode towards the Heshengxuan. After a while, he glanced sideways at the carriage not far away. Zhan Feiyu was actually obediently staying in the carriage?
"Chen Wu." Commander She signaled with his eyes. The personal guard behind him immediately understood, cupped his fist in salute to Commander She, and then vanished swiftly into the night. He was likely going to monitor Zhan Feiyu's movements.
The street was only separated by one road, so the sounds of killing and shouting from ahead were clearly audible. Lord Qiu picked up his teacup and took a sip of hot tea to refresh himself, then spoke to Lord Ge beside him, "Brother Songping, do you think the stolen items can be recovered?"
Lord Ge looked at the vast night and chuckled, maintaining his usual diplomatic demeanor. "Commander She has laid a net of heaven and earth, and the Jinlongwei have also been deployed. These people will likely return empty-handed."
The most crucial point was that no one knew what the token in Qiu Wenlan's hand was. Even if they guessed that the token was among Dou Shi's dowry, with hundreds of items in total, who could guarantee that the one or two items they snatched were the token?
"But I fear that the Qianzhong Circuit will be in turmoil." Lord Qiu narrowed his eyes, his gaze deep and obscure. Judging by tonight's battle, it was clear that the Commander's Office and the Qianzhong Garrison had deployed a large number of troops, and even the Jinlongwei were lurking in the shadows.
Yet, even so, these families had dispatched elite death warriors. If they said they had no backing, even a three-year-old child wouldn't believe it. To dare to act against the prevailing wind, it could only be for the merit of following the dragon. This was also why Lord Qiu was worried. The years of peace in the Qianzhong Circuit were ultimately going to be broken.
Although Lord Ge was considered a good-natured person, he presided over the Provincial Surveillance Department and could not be incompetent. As soon as Lord Qiu spoke, Lord Ge understood his intentions.
Accompanied by the sounds of killing and shouting from not far away, Lord Ge remained silent. He knew that Lord Qiu was asking him to make a choice. In the past, when the Qianzhong Circuit was peaceful, he had remained neutral and unwilling to get involved in the struggles between Commander She and Lord Qiu, which was acceptable. But now, the situation no longer allowed him to stand aside.
After a moment, Lord Ge stood up and cupped his hands respectfully towards the direction of the capital. "My Lord, please rest assured. As an official appointed by the court and receiving the court's salary, even if I cannot bring blessings to the people of this region, I will certainly not become a greedy rat that harms them."
The merit of following the dragon was not so easily earned. Moreover, Lord Ge was well aware that the princes in the palace were restless, even privately supporting these forces in the Qianzhong Circuit to snatch the token. Their aim was to gain control of the former dynasty and barbarian forces, to use them to eliminate their rivals and seize power!
For a ruler to be so unscrupulous, even if the other party actively extended an olive branch, Lord Ge dared not pledge his loyalty. Whether it was the crown prince or the future emperor, benevolent governance for the people was the principle and the bottom line.
...
As time passed, those who had escaped the Qianzhong Garrison's encirclement were either captured alive or killed. The items were all recovered, but the problem of where to place them arose.
"Place them here?" Zhan Feiyu, who had just alighted from the carriage, widened her round eyes. She glared at Lord Qiu, daring to be angry but not to speak. This was too much!
Lord Qiu merely smiled without speaking. It was Lord Ge who replied, "This place is quite suitable. With only one side entrance, as long as it is guarded, there's no fear of the items being lost."
The place Lord Qiu chose to store the items was a room less than twenty feet ahead of the carriage on the left side. It was also a building belonging to Heshengxuan, but judging by its structure, it was built later, incorporating the towering surrounding wall to construct a side room, ten feet long and wide, with no windows left.
Heshengxuan was a pawnshop, and its thrice-yearly charity distributions were inconvenient. Therefore, Shopkeeper Jia built a room here. Whenever it was time to distribute clothes and porridge, he would have the shop assistants stationed here, while the commoners who came to collect items would queue along the wall, which did not affect Heshengxuan's business.
Commander She nodded in rare agreement. He was not at ease with the items being placed with Lord Qiu.
However, placing them under the guard of the Commander's Office would not be agreed upon by Lord Qiu and Lord Ge. If the three departments jointly sent people to guard them, accidents were still unavoidable, as many people within the three departments were from the prominent families of the Qianzhong Circuit.
This place was indeed the most suitable. Zhan Feiyu's carriage was parked not far away, and with the Jinlongwei present, it prevented others from openly or covertly stealing. Furthermore, to guard Zhan Feiyu, the Commander's Office had also sent people to keep an eye on her. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the items would be safe once placed inside the room.
The three lords of the Qianzhong Circuit had all agreed, so there was no room for her to disagree. Zhan Feiyu responded with a forced smile, but then changed the subject, "A Nuan, it's almost Hai Shi, I want to sleep. Turn the carriage around."
Lord Qiu and Lord Ge looked helplessly at the childish Zhan Feiyu. The carriage was turned around, with the door facing the wall. He Nuan and the others also shifted their positions to guard the carriage.
As for the side room with its wide-open door, anyone could guard it. Zhan Feiyu was absolutely unwilling to do this thankless task.
"You few, watch this place with unblinking eyes. If a single item is lost, I will hold you accountable!" Commander She coldly issued his orders.
While these words seemed to be instructing the Commander's Office personnel to guard the side room, considering Cai Zhiyuan, who was still imprisoned in the jail, these words were more like an order for his subordinates to keep a close eye on Zhan Feiyu.
As time passed, the recovered items were placed in the side room for temporary storage. To prevent those placing the items from playing tricks, they were all searched by personnel from the three departments after coming out. Only after confirming they had not concealed anything were they allowed to leave.
By midnight, the sounds of killing and shouting could no longer be heard. However, the remaining fugitives were the true experts. Commander Yin and his subordinates from the Commander's Office found the pursuit even more difficult, and many of them sustained injuries.
Fortunately, they had made prior arrangements. As long as they prevented the opponents from escaping, they could wear down these elite death warriors until they were exhausted and finally captured.
Several carriages were already lined up here. The closest to Zhan Feiyu's carriage was Qiu Huaixin's carriage. Everyone who emerged from Heshengxuan was currently being temporarily guarded here. They could bring guards, but not far away were the sternly waiting soldiers of the Commander's Office, and no one dared to act rashly.
"Can Zhan Feiyu sleep at this hour?" Qiu Huaixin lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the quiet carriage not far away. He Nuan and the others were still lined up guarding the carriage in front of them.
Perhaps not wanting to disturb Zhan Feiyu's sleep, He Nuan and the others stood slightly farther away. However, the bonfire here was bright, and there were archers from the Qianzhong Garrison stationed on the wall, so there was no need to worry about Zhan Feiyu's safety inside the carriage.