Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 495 Conflict
Xia Ziqiao had never seen such a scene before. For a moment, he forgot to run away and just stood there stunned. It was Ge Ying who ran into the cabin, grabbed Xia Ziqiao, and dragged him out.

"Come on!"

Amidst the smoke, Ge Ying coughed while covering his mouth. Xia Ziqiao, whom he was holding, seemed lifeless, and he couldn't lift her up no matter how hard he tried.

Ge Ying gritted his teeth. If he didn't think Xia Ziqiao was still useful and that he would have to rely on the Xia family to establish himself at sea in the future, he would have kicked this idiot into the fire. Thinking this, he raised his hand and slapped Xia Ziqiao hard.

The burning pain on his cheek brought Xia Ziqiao back to his senses, and he finally realized what had happened.

Arrows with gunpowder attached were shot into the cabin one after another, almost setting the entire cabin ablaze. The fire was about to engulf him, but the will to survive made Xia Ziqiao struggle to get up and escape from the cabin with Ge Ying in a sorry state.

Standing on the deck, Xia Ziqiao was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard shouts and fighting coming from all around. In addition to their ship, the four ships in front of them had also been set on fire by rockets.

The blazing fire illuminated the water, and he could clearly see the government ships blocking the way on the other side.

"Have we been discovered by the authorities?" Xia Ziqiao stammered as he asked Ge Ying, trembling from the fright and the gust of wind.

"Where are the third manager? Why aren't they coming to rescue us?"

Ge Ying said confidently, "The ships behind will definitely come to help, but..." He turned to look at the burning cabin.

They also have to wait.

“Young men,” the guard said, “follow the small boat behind us and leave.”

"Where to?" Xia Ziqiao asked.

The guard said, "Let's retreat first. We'll break through and leave with the two young men. Once we get to Laizhou and board our family's big ship, the yamen won't be able to catch us."

Xia Ziqiao nodded hurriedly.

When the small boat approached, Ge Ying and Xia Ziqiao were escorted away by the guards, while the remaining people on the boat boarded the boat behind and headed straight for the government office's large ship to join the battle.

Looking at the increasingly chaotic water, Ge Ying couldn't help but look into the river.

"Can you swim?" Ge Ying asked Xia Ziqiao.

Xia Ziqiao shook his head: "No..."

Ge Ying frowned slightly.

Xia Ziqiao asked, "Are we going into the water again later? You...you won't..."

Ge Ying sighed and said, "I don't know how either. Besides, if it weren't for the exceptionally good water quality, going down there would be more danger than good. So... we can only rely on this boat."

"Rest assured, gentlemen," said Liu Yigui, who had personally arranged the guard, who carried a sharp blade at his waist and followed them closely. "The manager, entrusted by Minister Xia, will surely lead you out of Bianjing."

Xia Ziqiao said dejectedly, "How can you possibly be a match for the government?"

The guard did not directly respond to Xia Ziqiao: "The government has divided its forces to search for the young masters, so there must not be many soldiers at this checkpoint. As long as we suppress them in a short time, we can get away smoothly."

Xia Ziqiao continued, "Did you ever expect things to turn out this way?"

The guard nodded: "Of course, we made preparations in advance."

Xia Ziqiao could no longer contain his worry and pressed, "Didn't you bribe the people at the checkpoint? Why weren't you informed beforehand?"

Ge Ying grabbed Xia Ziqiao. Xia Ziqiao's words were already accusatory and resentful. The two of them had fallen on hard times, and if they offended these people again, they would have no one to rely on.

Ge Ying said in a low voice, "Once the patrol officers arrive, they will naturally take over the defense of the checkpoint. Even if they discover something amiss, the news will not get out."

The guard said no more: "Gentlemen, please rest for a moment. I need to go to the bow of the ship to check the situation."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he heard someone shout from the water: "Quick, get closer, we must drive back the government troops!"

Xia Ziqiao was delighted and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see two boats speeding towards him on the water.

The helper has finally arrived.

Ge Ying stared at the two boats: "This is..."

The guard said, "It's Zhao Chuan's militia. These men are more capable than us. They'll fight with all their might and definitely be able to suppress the government troops." The guard had seen how the militia fought against the bandits. Zhao Zhongliang's men never backed down in the face of trouble. Even the ruthless bandits would avoid them.

Ge Ying had heard Liu Yigui mention the Baoding Team before, and he understood the general idea.

If that's the case... while the militia are locked in combat with the government troops, they might have a chance to escape.

Ge Ying looked at Xia Ziqiao: "Get ready, we might have to rush to the card later."

Xia Ziqiao was already pale with fright.

“If you want to live, this is how you have to do it,” Ge Ying handed Xia Ziqiao a steel knife. “If any soldiers come near, kill them immediately.”

Xia Ziqiao had never personally killed any government soldiers, and upon hearing this, he felt weak in the knees.

Ge Ying's face darkened: "If they don't die, then you will."

Xia Ziqiao gripped the knife handle tremblingly.

……

On the two large ships that were gradually approaching the checkpoint, Sun Changchun carefully observed the surrounding situation.

His men were all waiting for his orders.

This is all the personnel Zhao Zhongliang brought to Bianjing.

As long as Zhao Zhongliang and Sun Changchun give the order, no matter who they are dealing with, these brothers will rush forward to fight for their lives.

Just like now, even though the people in front of them are government officials, they haven't backed down at all.

They had to meet the soldiers in order for Zhao Zhongliang to gain Liu Yigui's trust and get closer to the Third Manager.

Sun Changchun knew that this journey was fraught with danger, but he didn't care, as long as Zhao Zhongliang could get revenge.

One of them will eventually get what they want.

This was something Sun Changchun and the others had planned long ago. However, unlike before, Zhao Zhongliang had just brought back news that someone would be secretly meeting them.

Sun Changchun didn't have high hopes. He had seen too many corrupt officials, bandits, and thieves. These people were all driven by self-interest and self-preservation. Could a woman really have such courage?
However, since Zhao Zhongliang trusted her, he was willing to give it a try.

Sun Changchun thought of picking up the prayer flags in the corner and unfolding them in front of everyone.

Colorful prayer flags fluttered in the wind, their Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures and auspicious patterns appearing especially solemn and sacred at this moment. Even those with blood on their hands, who had never believed in Buddhism, couldn't help but be slightly moved.

The next moment, Sun Changchun reached out and tore open the prayer flag. The sound of tearing cloth reached everyone's ears, and everyone couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

Sun Changchun tied the torn prayer flag to his right arm and smiled at his brothers: "This was brought by Zhongliang. Maybe it can keep everyone safe. Whether you believe it or not, tie it tightly for me."

The brothers all started asking questions.

When have we ever believed in these things?

"Yes!"

“Who would believe those clay figures?” Sun Changchun laughed, but after a moment his expression became serious. “Perhaps someone will secretly meet us. The prayer flags were given to us by them, and we wear them to help them identify us.”

The brothers' eyes lit up when they heard this.

Sun Changchun said, "However... the situation is chaotic, and we don't know if those people can get here, or when they will arrive."

But his brothers didn't care.

"This is a good thing. Whether it works or not, tie it up first."

As he spoke, he took the prayer flag from Sun Changchun and began to tear it. The crisp sound of the cloth tearing was particularly pleasant in the darkness, as if it were a farewell song for them.

There is another chapter tonight