Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 127 Entering the camp
In the west of Guangzhou, there is Xichan Temple. Not far from Xichan Temple is Ludi Lane.

Ludi Lane is called a lane, but in fact it is a market town formed by the spontaneous gathering of people.
Guangzhou City was a prosperous city with a large number of people gathering there to provide services to the passing merchants and the sea merchants in the city.

The area of ​​Guangzhou is limited, so it is naturally unable to accommodate so many people. Outside the city, there are many towns built spontaneously by the people, similar to Ludi Alley.

Late at night, the entire Ludi Alley was dead silent, surrounded by darkness, without a single light.

Ma Bao and Deng Shitong lay down behind a courtyard wall, looking at the gate of Xichan Temple in the distance.
The temple gate was closed. Two bonfires were lit at the street corner in front of the temple. However, no one was around the bonfires. Only the yellow flames were burning quietly in the dark.

“Are you sure it’s here?”

Ma Bao looked at Deng Shitong beside him. The six of them left the city, but Deng Shitong was the only one left beside Ma Bao.

"Military intelligence shows that scouts from West City frequently come and go here. This should be a contact point for the Tartars."

Deng Shitong replied in a deep voice. At this time, Deng Shitong's head was completely bald, with only a small tuft of hair tied into a thin braid at the back of his head.

As Deng Shitong spoke, he pushed the braid that hung down to the side of his face to the back of his head. After a while, the tip of the braid seemed to sweep to his neck again. He couldn't help but fiddle with the thin braid behind his head again, and the whole person looked extremely unnatural.
Ma Bao glanced at Deng Shitong beside him, then turned his head to look at the yards on both sides of the fire at the street corner, and suddenly spoke softly

"Give me the whistle."

"what are you up to"

Deng Shitong came back to his senses at once, and stared at Ma Bao in front of him with a vigilant look. At this time, Ma Bao was empty-handed, and all his swords, bows and arrows were on Deng Shitong.

"If you want to delay any longer, we can enter the camp tomorrow morning."

Ma Bao looked at Deng Shitong in the dark with a calm expression on his face.
Deng Shitong hesitated for a moment, and finally handed the bow and arrows on his back to Ma Bao.
"Remember this, from now on you are my personal soldier Deng Shitong. The raid at noon today failed and I was wounded by an arrow. You protected me and helped me escape from the chaotic army and hid in a civilian house to heal my wounds."

"I discovered scouts coming in and out of here in the evening, so I came here to return to the camp. When you get to the camp, don't talk to anyone. I will arrange everything."

"Also, stop messing with your braids."

Ma Bao glanced at Deng Shitong and gave him instructions in a cold voice. He didn't care whether Deng Shitong remembered it or not. He turned around and pulled the bow halfway. A whistling arrow flew out, making a sharp whistle in the dark.
The sharp sound of arrows pierced the silence of the street. Suddenly, a noise came from two houses not far from the fire.

Ma Bao looked at the two houses that had made unusual movements, his eyes slightly narrowed. At this time, the arrows had been fired, but apart from the initial noise, there was no further sound from the two roofs.

In the darkness, only the fire at the street corner was still burning, emitting yellow flames, as if there was no one around.

Deng Shitong looked ahead nervously, but Ma Bao remained calm. He hid behind the wall and shouted loudly at the house at the street corner.
"Hello, brothers in front. I am Ma Bao, a lieutenant general under General Li. I was injured and separated during the raid today. I saw cavalry scouts coming in and out of this place tonight, so I came back to the camp."

There was silence in the house across the street for a moment, and then suddenly a voice was heard.

"So it's General Ma. I wonder how many people are with you? It's hard to tell in the dark. Please show yourself and come to the fire so I can identify you."

As soon as the voice on the roof of the street corner fell, there was a slight sound of footsteps.

Apparently the speaker changed his position immediately after finishing his words.

After the shouting, Ma Bao hid behind the wall, with no intention of moving at all, and started to curse

"Show your mother's body, if I come out now, you wolf cubs will definitely shoot a few holes in my body"

"Don't talk nonsense. There is only me and one of my personal soldiers here. Which unit are you from? I don't have anyone with an accent like yours."

"General Li, Du Yonghe or Yan Keyi, let the person in charge come out and speak."

In the house at the corner of the street, the people inside heard the names of the generals in the army being announced, and they obviously hesitated for a moment.

In the darkness, there was only the sound of someone landing on the ground, and then a pair of footsteps walked backwards, and there was another sound at the street corner.

"We have sent someone to report back. Please wait for a moment, General Ma."

After the person who was shouting finished speaking, there was another noise in the house opposite. It was obvious that someone had changed his position.

And no matter what Ma Bao said afterwards, the other party would not respond.

There was darkness on both sides of the street, with only the fire in the middle emitting a yellow glow.

Fortunately, Ma Bao and the others didn't have to wait long. Soon, footsteps were heard from the other side of the street.
The footsteps stopped for a moment at the courtyard at the street corner, and then moved towards this place again.
A voice soon came from the opposite courtyard.

"Brother Ma, I'm Du Yonghe, you can come out now"

Deng Shitong pricked up his ears, listening to the sounds coming from both sides. His face was tense, and he subconsciously held the knife in his hand and stared at Ma Bao in front of him.

Ma Bao felt Deng Shitong's gaze, but his expression remained unchanged. He glanced at the figure beside him and said coldly, "Put away your expression. You are now a soldier of the Qing court's Green Camp, not the imperial guards of the Ming Dynasty. Who would return to the camp looking like you?"

"Remember, don't talk after you enter the camp. I will arrange everything. If everything goes well, you can leave the camp tonight."

Ma Bao gave a warning, then turned his head and shouted loudly into the darkness ahead:

"Du your mother, Yan Keyi, I'm coming out now, keep an eye on your men, I'm injured now, I don't have time to play with you"

Ma Bao made a gesture behind him and then walked out from behind the wall.
Seeing this, Deng Shitong took a deep breath, let go of the hand holding the hilt, swung his braid behind his head, and walked out behind Ma Bao, also looking like a personal soldier.
Ma Bao walked to the fire, and the firelight illuminated his face. After a while, the gate in front suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man in armor walked out with a young man.

"It's really Brother Ma. I didn't see Brother Ma when I returned to the camp today. I thought..."

"Fortunately, Brother Ma is alright."

Yan Keyi took off the helmet from his head and looked at the blood-red bandage faintly exposed on Ma Bao's chest, with a look of emotion.
"At noon, I rushed too far forward, my horse was shot dead by the Ming court, and I was also wounded by an arrow."

"The cavalry from the front of the Ming court was coming in a hurry, so I had to take advantage of the chaos to escape. This evening, I saw brothers from the cavalry coming in and out, so I took the risk to come and join forces with them," Ma Bao also cupped his hands and said softly.

"Brother Ma is blessed with a long life. How can a small battle hurt you? You are back just in time. The general is gathering us for a military meeting in the temple. Brother Ma has returned to the camp, so come with me."

"The general learned this afternoon that Brother Ma was missing, and he was furious with us."

Ma Bao was about to respond, but Ma Ziyuan, who was behind Yan Keyi, looked around and couldn't help asking.

"Father, where is my eldest brother?"

Ma Bao's expression suddenly changed when he heard this, and he said

"What did you say? Isn't your elder brother in the army?"

"No, I heard that father had returned, and I thought my elder brother was with him," Ma Ziyuan said with a panicked look on his face.

Li Chengdong is still waiting for news in the temple. Yan Keyi originally wanted to take Ma Bao back to continue the military discussion, but when he heard what Ma Bao and the other two said, he was also paused.

On the battlefield, no matter if you are a general or a lieutenant general, even the emperor is no different from an ordinary soldier.

It was a stroke of luck that Ma Bao could come back, and Ma Bao's eldest son was neither in the army nor fled the battlefield with Ma Bao. He was probably killed in the raid at noon.
"Brother Yan, please forgive me"

Ma Bao looked anxious and bowed to Yan Keyi.

After Ma Bao finished speaking, he waved to Deng Shitong, who had been standing by the fire and had not said a word since then, and then took the two of them to the side.

Seeing this, Yan Keyi also stepped back a few steps, leaving space for Ma Bao and his son.

"Father, hasn't my elder brother been following you all the time? Haven't you seen any trace of him?"

"The battlefield is in chaos. Who cares about the rush? I thought your elder brother had already retreated with you guys."

"No, I searched the entire army this afternoon, but I didn't see Big Brother..."

Ma Ziyuan looked anxious, but Ma Bao didn't look at him.
Ma Bao glanced to the side and saw that the soldiers who had just surrounded and investigated them from both sides had returned. At this time, Yan Keyi was listening to the reports of several soldiers.

He interrupted Ma Ziyuan and said in a low voice:
"I was able to escape this time thanks to your Uncle Deng's desperate protection. Your Uncle Deng was also injured. Take him down and let him recover. Don't let others disturb him."

"This is……"

Ma Ziyuan looked at Deng Shitong who was standing silently on the side, with a puzzled look on his face. They knew all the soldiers around their father.

Even their martial arts were mostly taught by these uncles, but the man in front of him was a complete stranger, and he had no impression of him at all.
Ma Ziyuan was about to ask, but Ma Bao suddenly stared at Ma Ziyuan, secretly squeezed Ma Ziyuan's hand, and then shook his head slightly.
Ma Ziyuan saw Ma Bao's serious expression in the dark, and his expression changed slightly. He also realized that there might be something wrong with Deng Shitong's identity.
His expression changed, and he returned to normal, and said softly:
"Son, I understand. I'll take Uncle Deng down to treat his injuries."

Ma Bao saw Yan Keyi coming over again after listening to the report, so he gestured to Ma Ziyuan and said loudly:
"Since he is not in the army, then send someone to look for him again."

"Your elder brother must be hiding somewhere to recuperate. No matter what, we must find his trace. Do you understand?"

Ma Bao yelled at Ma Ziyuan with red eyes. Yan Keyi's expression froze when he heard it, and he stopped again. Ma Ziyuan took advantage of this opportunity to retreat with Deng Shitong.

Ma Bao stood there in silence for a while, and when he saw Ma Ziyuan leading Deng Shitong away, he walked towards Yan Keyi who was waiting on the side.

"Brother Yan, let's go and see the general first," Ma Bao said in a low voice.

Yan Keyi saw the pale look on Ma Bao's face and didn't know what to say.

Ma Bao obviously still refused to accept the news that his eldest son was missing or even possibly killed in battle. No matter what he said, it would be wrong.
Yan Keyi simply patted Ma Bao on the shoulder, and then led Ma Bao into the temple.
The Imperial Army Messenger Deng Shitong is a character I played in the movie Hengdao Xiangtianxiao
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(End of this chapter)