knife

Chapter 413 Undercurrent
"Is it that amazing?" Li Dachui laughed.

"Don't forget, I'm a little princess of the Great Chu!" Jiang Ping laughed. "Didn't you also call me the Little Tyrant of Danyang? When the Little Tyrant gets angry, he's quite terrifying!"

Li Dachui burst into laughter.

"What's so funny!" Jiang Ping said with dissatisfaction, "Yongxing County also has Tianluo and garrison troops. And let me tell you, at least 60% of the garrison leaders all over the Great Chu have fought alongside my sister in Xiangcheng. They are the most loyal to my sister. So, I can command them too."

Jiang Ping pulled a sign out of her pocket and proudly waved it in front of Li Dachui.

"So it turns out you have to give face to Buddha even if you don't respect the monk!" Li Dachui nodded.

"How did you talk to these people outside?" Jiang Ping asked. "How did you, someone from outside the Great Wall, convince them?"

Li Dachui wiped his face, and a completely unfamiliar face appeared in front of Jiang Ping.

"Who is this?" Jiang Ping exclaimed softly.

"My surname is Lu, and my given name is Xiong!" Li Dachui's voice even changed, becoming rough and slightly hoarse. "I am currently the deputy flag master of the Sharp Gold Banner of the Divine Sect."

Jiang Ping clapped and cheered: "So you have this skill too!"

"I've seen this person in Huai'an. I know he's a banner leader of the Demonic Sect, so naturally I'll make use of him!" Li Dachui smiled and resumed his original appearance. "Their leader is called Su Qi, a hall master of the Hou Tu Banner. He told me that Lin Hong kidnapped their banner leader, Zhan Zhao. In order to get Zhan Zhao back, that guy, in his desperation, instigated this riot! He wants to arrest Lin Hong's clansmen in Yongxing and then exchange them with Lin Hong!"

“Zhan Zhao is the soul of the Hou Tu Banner, we all know him,” Jiang Ping said. “No wonder the Hou Tu Banner is going crazy.”

“Jiang Jiang, I promised Su Qi that I could help him bring Zhan Zhao back. You have to help me with this. If we can’t bring Zhan Zhao back, they’ll go crazy!” Li Dachui said.

"Why should he believe you can bring Zhan Zhao back?"

“I’m saying that our Ruijin Banner is currently cooperating with He Zudao, and He Zudao is someone that your Empress Dowager of Great Chu is eager to recruit. So this matter is neither too big nor too small. We can think of a way to resolve it!” Li Dachui said.

"You sure know how to use someone else's name to justify your actions!" Jiang Ping rolled her eyes.

“The young princess will surely come up with a solution, won’t she?” Li Dachui said, “Can the city provide grain tomorrow? Let’s set up a dozen or so relief tents outside the city so that people outside can have something to eat.”

"Isn't this absurd?" Jiang Ping exclaimed in surprise. "They came to attack the county town, but the county town is providing them with enough food to eat?"

“If they have no food, they will really fight!” Li Dachui said. “But if they have food, there is a high chance they will not fight. Then the people in the city will discuss and distribute money and food to those outside. Do you think those ordinary people will still have the will to fight? If these people don’t want to fight anymore, can Su Qi’s small force still fight?”

"Of course, a war can't break out, but there are tens of thousands of people outside. How much money and food would that cost?"

"Do you think those people in the city can't afford it?" Li Dachui laughed. "And the key point is, it doesn't matter how much is given to these people, whether it's one pound of rice or ten pounds, the important thing is that it's given, right?"

Jiang Ping pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "That makes a lot of sense. Moreover, it was paid in the name of the imperial court. It will be much more difficult for Hou Tu Qi to incite people to rebel in the future."

“Exactly!” Li Dachui said, “If you can go even further and bring the culprits who have harmed and poisoned the people all these years to justice and return the property they have seized from the people, then your reputation as a young princess will be greatly enhanced in Yongxing. I estimate that you will be able to command a thousand responses here without any problem.”

"This isn't something that can be done in a short time!" Jiang Ping said, blinking her eyes.

“Just start doing it, and then let the people know that it was your little princess who asked them to do it, right?” Li Dachui said with a smile.

“Then let’s do as you say. We’ll show those scoundrels in Danyang that I, Jiang Ping, am not someone to be trifled with, not some spoiled little princess. I’m the Great Overlord of Danyang!” Jiang Ping’s eyes flashed. “We can start with the money and grain distribution you mentioned. We can take our time with the rest. Someone, come here!”

A person entered from outside the door, bowed, and asked, "What are your orders, young princess?"

Zhang Yuan didn't have a moment's rest that night.

First, they arrested Lin Rong and his gang, then they took over all the private soldiers in the city, and finally they had to rearrange the city's defenses. After doing all this, they were just about to take a break when they received new orders.

Hearing that after dawn, people were to be organized to set up sheds outside the city to cook porridge and provide food for the mob outside who were preparing to attack the city, Zhang Yuan was stunned.

I really don't understand what kind of operation this is.

However, as a soldier, obeying orders was his habit. Since the higher-ups had said so, he would do it that way, and so he was busy for a while.

Now he is not only the garrison commander, but also the acting county magistrate, and he has to arrange all these things.

By the time these matters were somewhat arranged, it was already dawn.

Exhausted, he didn't plan to go home. He went straight up to the city gate tower, lay down fully clothed inside, and planned to take a nap there so that he could react quickly if anything happened after dawn.

If those people outside the city really wanted to attack, Zhang Yuan felt that things would actually be simpler.

It's nothing more than a battle. There are quite a few armored soldiers in the city now. In addition to his own 500 men, there are also the private armed forces that have just been reorganized, and their combat strength is not bad either.

Of course, what reassured Zhang Yuan the most was the person who came to see him last night.

That's a top-tier ninth-rank expert, a great figure who once led them through tens of thousands of Qin soldiers in a bloody path. With him around, what is there to fear?

Those people outside who launch an attack at this time are only courting death.

Just as he was dozing off, he suddenly felt someone patting his shoulder. He opened his eyes and was immediately startled.

The person sitting on his bed was dressed in armor, but his face was completely unfamiliar; he had never seen him before. When he tried to stand up, the person reached out and he was immediately unable to move.

Zhang Yuan stared wide-eyed at his opponent. An expert can tell a lot with a single move. In that instant, Zhang Yuan knew that his opponent wanted to kill him with ease. So shouting would be useless; the more he shouted, the faster he would die. It was better to calm down and see what his opponent was up to.

It's really unlucky to think about it.

I just got home yesterday, and a powerful martial arts master was sitting inside waiting for me.

I was still half asleep when a master pinned me down on the bed.

"Captain Zhang, I mean you no harm. I just want to ask you what happened. You've always been on good terms with the Lin family, so why did you turn against them without showing any regard for our past relationship? I just want an answer. Give me your answer, and I'll leave immediately!"

"who are you?"

"I was sent back by Prefect Lin, but I arrived too late. When I got to Yongxing City, I found that Lin Rong had already been arrested by you." The man was somewhat puzzled: "Who told you to do this?"

“Inner Guard, Heavenly Net Inner Guard!” Zhang Yuan said.

"How could the Imperial Guard be in Yongxing County?"

"The news I received, I don't know if it's true or not, says that the young princess has come to Yongxing. Anyway, I don't know what Magistrate Lin did to offend the young princess. In a fit of rage, the young princess mobilized the Tianluo Inner Guard."

"The young princess? Jiang Ping?" the visitor asked in astonishment. "How could he possibly have the authority to mobilize the Imperial Guard?"

“What’s there to say? It must be that the Empress Dowager sent the Imperial Guards to keep watch over the young princess!” Zhang Yuan said. “The Imperial Guards gave the order, how could I dare disobey? If I don’t do as they say, and they say a word to the Empress Dowager, I’m finished!”

"Alright, I'm going to the Lin family now. What do you think?"

"I advise you not to go!" Zhang Yuan thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "Chief Steward He is currently at the Lin family mansion!"

"Who?"

“Chief Steward He!” Zhang Yuan said.

"How could a mere county constable like you possibly know Chief Steward Jin?"

"Why do you look down on people like that?" Zhang Yuan said with dissatisfaction. "In Xiangcheng, we launched a desperate charge against the Qin army under the leadership of General He. Of course I know General He."

"The Empress Dowager actually allowed Chief Steward He to stay by the side of that troublemaker Jiang Ping?" The newcomer released his grip and frowned. "I'm afraid it's not just to protect the young princess, but for some other purpose, isn't it? This person wasn't by the princess's side in Luoyang or Huai'an! If this person had been by the young princess's side all along, how could Jiang Shiyuan have died?"

The newcomer suddenly stood up: "No, this must be a conspiracy. Someone in the court is targeting Prefect Lin, and even trying to implicate General Xiang!"

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Yuan, who was lying there, shivered again.

"Captain Zhang, go back to sleep. Don't make a sound. Don't let anyone know I was here. Consider it repayment for the Lin family's deep kindness to you over the years!" The man patted Zhang Yuan again, then vanished from the small house like a ghost.

Zhang Yuan lay there motionless, only sighing helplessly.

As dawn broke, Su Qi stepped out of his tent and saw Yongxing City across the way.

One by one, the baskets were lowered down from above.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, those people set up a large iron pot a short distance from the city wall, poured in white rice and water, lit a fire, and began to cook porridge.

"Go ask what's going on?" Su Qi said to one of the people beside him. "Wait a minute, no need to ask, we'll know the details soon enough."

On the city wall, another basket was placed down, this time with only one person inside.

Su Qi met Lu Xiong, the deputy banner chief of the Ruijin Banner, yesterday.

(End of this chapter)