knife

Chapter 393 Helping Hand
Xiao Le looked at the person following behind Li Dachui and felt that he looked somewhat familiar.

But he couldn't recall ever seeing this person before, which puzzled him greatly.

As a seasoned spy, Xiao Le was always very confident in his memory. Walking down the street, if he saw someone at a glance, he could recall details of everyone he met for a considerable period of time. Only as time passed would he forget those people and things he deemed insignificant.

This is an essential skill they need to learn as spies.

"Don't be surprised, this is He Yiming!" Li Dachui said to Xiao Le with a smile.

"Chief He?" Xiao Le was truly stunned.

The Protector-General went out for a trip and when he returned, he actually brought back the leader of the Canal Gang. This is simply too amazing.

"Manager Xiao, I knew you came from an extraordinary background, but I always thought you were just a businessman sent here by some family from beyond the Great Wall. I never imagined you were one of Protector Li's men!" He Yiming cupped his hands and said, "My apologies, my apologies!"

"There's no need for all this formality. Old Xiao has been with me for decades. He took care of me when I was young, and later when I was short of money, he volunteered to come alone to create a source of income for me. He hasn't been back to the border for over ten years!" Li Dachui patted Xiao Le on the shoulder and said, "This is my true confidant and trusted subordinate, and he is also the person in charge of our Beiting Protectorate's secret forces in Luoyang!"

"Isn't it said that Zhang Ruo's young lady is the representative of Beiting in the pass?" He Yiming asked in confusion.

Xiao Le laughed loudly: "I just followed you for a long time and worked my way up to this position. Zhang Bing, on the other hand, was promoted based on his solid achievements. You're right, Miss Qingyun really is my superior!"

"Alright, alright!" Li Dachui waved his hand. "You're all acquaintances, so there's no need for all this formality. Old Xiao, He Yiming has run into a hurdle he can't overcome, and now only we can help him. So, Chief He can now be considered one of our people."

Xiao Le laughed and said, "Have Chief He's family members been imprisoned with the help of Zhang Quanyi?"

"How did you know? I didn't even know where they were being held!" He Yiming exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. "You...you know where they are?"

"Of course!" Xiao Le laughed. "I've been in Luoyang for over ten years, while Zhang Quanyi has only been in control of Luoyang for a few days. What he considers a secret place is, in the eyes of people like us, not much different from brothels and theaters. Of course, he knows about it!"

"Protector?" Xiao Le turned his head, looking at Li Dachui with eager eyes.

"Can we obtain the defense deployment and detailed terrain map of this place within a day, and then figure out how to go in to rescue people, how to retreat safely, and how to get people out of Luoyang and sent to Shu County as quickly as possible?" Li Dachui asked.

He Yiming blinked repeatedly as he listened. Completing so many tasks in one day was almost impossible.

“If you had assigned me a task like this a few days ago, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to complete it, but today is different!” Xiao Le laughed, “Now I have an expert in this field, and I guarantee I can complete the task!”

Li Dachui narrowed his eyes and said, "Cao Hui and the others have arrived?"

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from you, young master!" Xiao Le laughed. "Cao Hui, along with the brothers Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong, arrived in Luoyang a couple of days ago. I've arranged for them to stay, and I'll inform them to come and pay their respects to you immediately!"

"Are they the Yuan Rong brothers from the original Chang'an Qian Yuan Gang?" He Yiming asked.

“That’s right. Back then, these two brothers escorted Scholar Zhang out of the pass and then stayed there ever since. Now they are important generals in our Beiting Protectorate!” Xiao Le said. “As for General Cao Hui?”

Xiao Le glanced at Li Dachui, and seeing Li Dachui nod, he continued, "He is the director of the Action Division of the Zhi Qiu Academy under our Beiting Protectorate. His position is only below the four directors, A, B, C, and D, but in terms of seniority, he can be ranked third!"

"They're here. Does that mean Yongfeng Warehouse can't be defended anymore?"

Xiao Le nodded: "We've reached the final stage. As for the specifics, let Cao Hui and the others come and tell you. I'll arrange for people to gather the information you need right away. Everything you need will be in place before dark."

Before Li Dachui and He Yiming had even finished their cup of tea, Cao Hui arrived with the Yuan brothers, Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong.

Li Dachui remained seated, while He Yiming stood up.

He naturally didn't recognize Cao Hui, but seeing Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong following behind this man so calmly, he could tell Cao Hui's abilities.

When they emerged from seclusion, Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong were only at the seventh rank of the Profound Origin Realm. However, as twin brothers, one wielded a sword in his left hand and the other in his right. When they joined forces to form a sword formation, they could hold their own against even eighth or ninth-rank opponents. Judging from their current aura, they have long since advanced to the eighth rank. It must have only been three or four years since then.

The area outside the Great Wall is truly a magical place, always able to transform ordinary people into individuals capable of creating miracles.

"Greetings, Protector-General!" The three men clasped their hands and bowed in unison. "Tell me about the situation at Yongfeng Warehouse!" Li Dachui pointed to the chairs on either side and began directly.

The three of them did not refuse. Having been in the border region for a long time, they had long been used to Li Dachui's style. Li Dachui hated all the red tape and formalities. Even when writing memorials, the people in the border region would get straight to the point. Zhang Ruo was not used to it before, but after being pulled in the ear and told countless times by Li Dachui, Mao Daxian and others, Zhang Ruo's writing style has now become extremely simple. But even so, Li Dachui still thought it was not straightforward enough.

Li Dachui's requirement was that whether it was an article or a notice, it should be so clear that even someone who had just learned to read could understand its meaning.

"Linghu Shili led his army to confront Luo Liangzhi in the small town of Chadian. The two sides fought back and forth, with neither gaining any advantage. Later, as our reinforcements from Niukou and Cangping began to support Chadian under Ye Tao's unified command, we gained some advantage. However, Chang Lei came later."

"Ye Tao and Luo Liang are indeed much worse than Chang Lei; they're not even in the same league!" Li Dachui nodded.

"So we began to retreat in stages according to the earlier plan. As for the grain in Yongfeng Granary, we took as much as we could, and distributed the rest to the surrounding people. We couldn't let Linghu's army get it so easily!"

“General Cao, even if we distribute them to the people, the army will just take them all back!” He Yiming couldn’t help but say. “It would be better to burn them all.”

The group of people outside the pass looked at each other and smiled.

Seeing He Yiming's somewhat bewildered expression, Li Dachui laughed and said, "Sow a seed in spring, reap ten thousand in autumn. There is no idle land under heaven, yet farmers still starve. Grain is hard-earned, and it would be a pity to burn it. It would be better to give it to the surrounding people. How much they can hide is up to them. Anyway, we have done our best."

Seeing Li Dachui's expression, He Yiming finally understood: "You send it, Linghu snatches it. This back and forth is a matter of public sentiment and support!"

"That's exactly right!" Li Dachui said, "Cao Hui, what were our losses?"

"Actually, our people started with 5,000, but expanded to 10,000 along the way. I estimate that at most 3,000 will be able to retreat to Chang'an in an organized manner! However, these 3,000 people are stronger than the 10,000 in terms of combat power!" Cao Hui said, "The situation over there is settled. Dean Zhang was worried that you, Protector-General, would be alone and isolated in the south, with no one to command. So he ordered me to bring the Yuan brothers over to receive orders. The Yuan brothers are locals, so with them around, Protector-General will have a much easier time."

At this point, Cao Hui looked at He Yiming and smiled, "But it seems that Dean Zhang is overthinking it. With a local bigwig like Chief He, why would you lack manpower?"

"I'm ashamed!" He Yiming cupped his hands and said embarrassedly, "I'm almost a homeless dog now."

Li Dachui briefly introduced He Yiming's situation and said with a smile, "From now on, we're family. Cao Hui, you'll formulate the rescue plan. I'm now one of your soldiers."

Cao Hui chuckled: "Protector, please rest assured, this is my specialty."

“Cao Hui is from the North, and it’s difficult for her to completely conceal her Northern habits in her speech and actions. She can hide it for a while, but in the long run, she will inevitably be seen through by those with ulterior motives. So, Cao Hui, you will directly escort Chief He’s family to Shu County and take up your post there! The Yuan brothers are from the South, so they will follow Chief He to do his work. Unlike Shu County, it will be much more difficult for us in the Northern Court to gain a foothold here,” Li Dachui instructed.

"Understood!" the three replied in unison.

"Whether it's He Zudao, Zhang Quanyi, or Han Tan from Ruyin County, they can all be considered dragons among men!" Li Dachui said. "Furthermore, there's the mysterious Empress Dowager Jiang. Hehe, this small place is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. They're all more cunning than foxes. If you're not careful, you'll be in for a rude awakening!"

He Yiming listened from the side, and the more he heard, the more alarmed he became.

The garrison at Yongfeng Warehouse was actually all from the Beiting Protectorate.

In addition to what Li Dachui said, someone from He Zudao's side would also contact him next.

Just how many territory has the Beiting Protectorate established in this land?
If one day the Northern Protectorate enters the pass, and all these previously placed pieces exert their power together, the whole world will probably tremble.

Suddenly, he felt that his future seemed much brighter.

Xiao Le returned before nightfall.

He pulled a stack of paper rolls from his pocket and placed them on the table, laughing, "I have fulfilled my mission. The map, troop deployment, sentry posts, and the location of expert garrisons are all on it."

"And we also need our manpower in Luoyang, the darkroom, emergency evacuation routes, and backup after we leave the city!" Cao Hui said without hesitation, "I need all of these!"

"I've got all of this in mind!" Xiao Le laughed. "Young Master, why don't you and Chief He go have a drink, and Cao Hui and I will work on this plan together?"

(End of this chapter)