In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 923 There will always be people who will stop at nothing.

A thousand soldiers followed closely behind.
They drove into Phoenix City in a grand procession.

Pedestrians on the street quickly moved aside, unaware of what had happened.

Inside the inn, Shi Baifeng sat in the room, his heart filled with anxiety.

He guessed correctly; Wen Xuesong's "three days" was just a pretext.
Three days later, and then another three days.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the courtyard.

There were also shouts and reprimands from the yamen runners.

This was followed by the crisp sound of weapons clashing.

"what happened?"

Shi Baifeng stood up and walked to the door.

The yamen runners at the gate were being held down by soldiers.

Xu Cheng, wearing a black cloak, strode in, followed by Li Da and a group of soldiers.

The wind and snow tousled his hair, but could not obscure the sharpness in his eyes.

"Manager Shi, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Xu Cheng spoke, his tone tinged with apology.

Shi Baifeng was stunned for a moment, a flash of wild joy appearing in his eyes, then he breathed a sigh of relief:

"Lord Xu, you've finally arrived!"

Just then, Wen Xuesong also rushed over, followed by more than a dozen yamen runners.

Upon seeing Xu Cheng's soldiers, his face turned deathly pale, but he still forced himself to remain calm and shouted:

"Lord Xu! What are you doing?"
"By arbitrarily leading troops into the post station, are you planning a rebellion?"

Xu Cheng turned to look at him, his eyes full of mockery:
"Rebellion? Wen Xuesong, how dare you! You dare to block the caravan of the Commandery, and you dare to block the supplies from Goryeo!"

Are you tired of living, or do you think someone can protect you?

Wen Xuesong was startled and took a step back:
"Lord Xu,"
That caravan was clearly smuggling!

"smuggling?"

Xu Cheng stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and lifted him up:

"By placing the caravan under house arrest, are you trying to bring this to the authorities, or are you trying to use Zhou E as a pawn?"

Wen Xuesong was so frightened that he trembled all over and couldn't utter a complete sentence:
"I was detained by my family."

"Who? Wen Mingyuan?"

"Yes, yes."

Xu Cheng sneered, released his grip, and threw him to the ground:

"Wen Mingyuan is senile, and you're senile too?"

Do you think you can leave the goods here with your bunch of yamen runners?
I'm telling you, I must take both the money and the people with me today!
If you dare to stop me, I'll take you back to Liaoyang right now.

Forget it, too much trouble!

I'll kill you right now!

Wen Xuesong lay prostrate on the ground, looking at the ruthlessness in Xu Cheng's eyes, knowing he couldn't afford to offend him, and could only tremble as he said:
"Lord Xu is too kind. How could I, your humble servant, dare to stop you!"

Xu Cheng ignored him and instructed Li Da:

"Detain Wen Xuesong and have him guarded. After we leave, hand him over to Zhao Chengye for disposal."

"Yes!"

The soldiers stepped forward, pinned Wen Xuesong to the ground, and tied him up.

Xu Cheng turned to Shi Baifeng and said:
"Manager Shi, pack up and let's leave now, lest something unexpected happens."

"it is good!"

Shi Baifeng nodded and immediately ordered the guards to prepare.

Half an hour later, the caravan set off again.

Xu Cheng personally led the team, with a thousand soldiers protecting both sides of the caravan. Their horses' hooves pounded on the snow as they galloped toward the Beiping Commandery.

Despite the continued wind and snow, the caravan's journey could not be stopped.

Xu Cheng approached Shi Baifeng and asked:

"Are the other two caravans alright?"

"They're fine; it's just that the Taxue Trading Company is too prominent and attracts attention."

Xu Cheng nodded:

"Someone in Zhenjiang Fort was secretly communicating with foreign enemies and leaking information. I have already dealt with them. Afterwards, I will send you to the border of the Beiping Regional Military Command."

Once we get there, things should go smoothly.

Shi Baifeng breathed a long sigh of relief, glanced at the soldiers beside him, and felt very reassured to have them protecting him.

"Thank you very much, Lord Xu!"

Xu Cheng gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes resolute:

"Speed ​​up! Reach Beiping Commandery within ten days!"

"Yes!"

The caravan left Phoenix City and headed north.

It was nearly mid-March, and although the remaining snow in Liaodong had not completely melted, it no longer felt as bitingly cold as before.
The north wind still blows, and it still feels quite biting when it hits people's faces.

The wheels rolled over the remaining snow on the official road, making a soft sound as the accumulated snow could no longer bear its weight. Snowflakes clung to the withered trees by the roadside, falling down in a rustling sound when the wind blew.

It fell onto the caravan wagons, accumulating into a thin layer.

Shi Baifeng sat on the shaft of the lead carriage, wrapped his dark blue cotton robe tightly around himself, and glanced at the soldiers on both sides out of the corner of his eye. He finally felt more at ease.

The journey has been smooth these past few days, although we did encounter a few checkpoints along the way.

Xu Chengyi then revealed his token as the Vice Commander of the Capital Garrison.

The guards respectfully let them pass without asking any further questions.

"Lord Xu, at this speed, we will reach Jinzhouwei in three more days. After Jinzhou, we will be in the territory of Beiping Commandery."

Shi Baifeng turned to Xu Cheng, who was riding a horse beside him, and said in a relaxed tone.

The anxiety I've been feeling these past few days has finally eased a bit.

Xu Cheng tightened the reins, his gaze sweeping across the official road ahead. Seeing that the road surface was smooth and the forests on both sides, though dense, were quiet, he nodded slightly.
"Yes, brothers, you've worked hard these past few days. After we pass Jinzhou, we'll find a post station to rest for a day before continuing our journey."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Da, who was standing next to him, suddenly raised his hand to signal:
"Sir, there's movement in the woods on the left!"

Xu Cheng immediately tensed up and looked in the direction Li Da pointed.

In the shadows of the distant mountains and forests, a dark shadow could be vaguely seen moving about.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp whistle pierced the sky, and the sound of horses' hooves suddenly thundered as hundreds of masked riders rushed out of the woods!
They were all dressed in black cotton robes, holding gleaming long knives in their hands, and with bows and arrows hanging at their waists. They rushed straight towards the flanks of the caravan, clearly aiming for the carriages.

"They're bandits!"

Shi Baifeng's expression changed, and he quickly shouted:

"Hold the carriage!"

Xu Cheng remained calm. His eyes sharpened, and he drew his long sword from his waist, issuing a loud order:
"Form ranks! Three hundred men on the left flank to protect the caravan, the rest of you follow me to meet the enemy!"

Li Da, you take a team to flank them from behind and cut off their retreat!

"Yes!"

Li Da responded loudly and immediately selected fifty soldiers, who then rode their horses to the other side of the mountain forest.

The other soldiers did not hesitate either, raising their spears and forming a spear formation to block the caravan.

The masked men arrived very quickly, and were right in front of them in the blink of an eye.

The leader swung his sword and slashed at the soldiers in the front row.

The blade whistled through the air, its sharpness extraordinary.

"clang!"

The soldiers blocked the attack with their spears in time, and sparks flew up instantly.

But the masked man was incredibly strong, so much so that the soldier's arm trembled slightly as he pressed down on him.

Seeing this, Xu Cheng spurred his horse forward, raised his long sword, and slashed straight at the masked man's nape:
"court death!"

The masked man sensed the gust of wind behind him and quickly dodged to the side, but he was still a step too slow. A cut appeared on his shoulder, and blood immediately seeped out.

He grunted and turned to look at Xu Cheng, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

But he dared not linger in the battle and spurred his horse to retreat to the side.

Xu Cheng was unwilling to let him go, so he spurred his horse and chased after him, slashing out with his long sword once again.

This time, the masked man couldn't dodge and was slashed in the shoulder by the knife, falling off the horse.

Xu Cheng reined in his horse, looked down at the masked man on the ground, his expression extremely grave.

There's also A?
He looked around and saw that the soldiers were already engaged in a fierce battle with the bandits, with sounds of hacking and slashing everywhere.

He keenly sensed that something was wrong.

What kind of bandits would dare to rob an army?
Xu Cheng swung his sword.

They ripped off the masked man's mask, revealing a dark face.

He looked at the man's hands again. There were thick calluses on his knuckles from years of holding a gun, and he was wearing half a military-issue wrist guard, but the origin of the guard was scratched off!

But that's enough.

Xu Cheng let out a loud shout:
"Everyone be careful! The bandits are soldiers in disguise. Protect the convoy!"

These words startled the soldiers.
Even Shi Baifeng's expression changed.

He had previously thought that the bandits of Liaodong were truly fierce, coming out to work in the freezing cold.
Now, after being awakened by a single point, I suddenly realized it!

Soldiers disguised as bandits robbed travelers.

That's incredibly audacious!
Just then, hundreds more masked men rushed over.

Their swordsmanship was more ruthless than the previous group, and their teamwork was excellent.

Caught off guard, a soldier was slashed in the arm by a long sword, and fell to the ground with a scream.

Seeing this scene, Xu Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted, and an old wound deep in his heart was suddenly reopened. Back in the Three Thousand Guards, he had experienced the same thing, watching his brothers fall one by one, powerless to reverse the tide, ultimately suffering defeat, being captured, and sent to the Jurchens as prisoners!

Even after so long, this humiliation still feels like a needle pricking my heart.

"I suffered a defeat once in the Battle of Sanwanwei, and I absolutely cannot let my brothers follow me to become a defeated general again today!"

Xu Cheng gripped the spear tightly, making the shaft creak.

He took a deep breath, a fierce urge surging in his chest, mounted his horse, and shouted:
"Li Da! Block their retreat!"
Anyone who dares to retreat will be court-martialed!

Li Da had already circled around to the other side of the forest. Upon hearing Xu Cheng's shout, he immediately gave the order:

"Fire! Don't let them escape!"

Arrows rained down on the masked men, and several of them were unable to dodge in time and fell from their horses after being hit by arrows.

But the remaining masked men were still fierce.

Seeing that their retreat was cut off, they became enraged and charged towards the caravan like madmen.

Xu Cheng spurred his horse and charged ahead.

The spear was pointed directly at the heart of a masked man.

The masked man raised his knife to block, but Xu Cheng's spear knocked the weapon away, and then the spear tip pierced his chest.

Xu Cheng twisted his wrist, throwing the man off the horse, and shouted sternly:

"When did people from Liaodong start stabbing each other in the back?"

A masked man attacked from the side, slashing Xu Cheng in the back with a long sword.

Xu Cheng heard the strong wind behind him and dodged to the side.

At the same time, he fired a shot from behind, piercing the man's abdomen.

He withdrew his spear, and blood splattered on his black cloak like dark red flowers.

Li Da also rushed over, slashing down a masked man with his knife, and shouted to Xu Cheng:

"Sir, these people seem to be from the Guangning Guard!"

"Guangning Guard?"

Xu Cheng's eyes grew even colder, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"Now that you're here, you're not leaving! Take them all down, but leave a few alive. I need to get some answers from them!"

Inspired by Xu Cheng's momentum, the soldiers' eyes also turned red, and they all charged forward bravely.

Shi Baifeng directed the guards to form a circle around the silver carriage, holding a short knife in his hand and watching the battlefield intently.

Although he didn't understand martial arts, he still knew about it.

If the caravan is scattered, he won't be able to save his life either.

A masked man broke through the soldiers' defenses, rushed to the carriage, and swung his knife to strike the coachman.

Shi Baifeng was quick-witted and agile.
He raised his dagger to block it.

With a clang, the short knife was jolted out of Shi Baifeng's hand, and his tiger's mouth instantly split open, bleeding profusely.

Just as the masked man was about to strike again.

A soldier rushed over just in time, his spear piercing the masked man's back.

"Manager Shi, please step back!"

The soldiers shouted.

Shi Baifeng quickly retreated to the back of the carriage.
Watching the figures fighting on the battlefield, I felt extremely tense!

If it weren't for the soldiers personally escorting them...
This time, he's afraid he's really done for.

The fighting on the battlefield continued, and the masked men gradually lost ground.

They saw that casualties were increasing and their retreat was blocked.

Several men tried to flee into the mountains on horseback, but Li Da and his men blocked their way and cut them down one by one.

Finally, only three masked men remained, surrounded by soldiers, their hands barely able to grip their knives.

To lower or not to lower?

Xu Cheng rode up to them, his spear pointing at the chest of the leader.

"If you surrender, I might spare your lives."

If you resist again, don't blame me for being ruthless!

The masked leader glanced at his companions, then at the menacing soldiers around him, and finally threw down his knife and knelt on the ground.
"We surrender! We surrender!"

Seeing that their leader had surrendered, the other two also threw down their knives and knelt down.

Xu Cheng gestured to the soldiers to tie them up, then walked up to the masked leader, squatted down, and coldly asked:
"Speak! Who sent you? Which garrison do you belong to?"

The masked man's face was deathly pale, his lips trembling, but he dared not remain silent:

"It was Lord Liu of Guangning Guard who ordered us to impersonate bandits and rob this merchant caravan. He said that if we succeeded, each of us would be rewarded with fifty taels of silver."

"Lord Liu?"

Xu Cheng sneered:
"You've got some nerve, daring to charge at my troops with just a few hundred men?"

The man wanted to cry but had no tears:

"Sir, we didn't know the caravan had your troops protecting it! Please spare us!"

Xu Cheng shook his head, stood up, and said to Li Da:
"Keep a close eye on these three people, and interrogate them properly after we've finished our business!"

Take stock of the casualties, provide emergency medical treatment to the wounded, and record the names of the fallen.

Upon returning, I personally applied to the commander for a pension.

"Yes!"

Li Da bowed in response.

The soldiers began clearing the battlefield; some carried their wounded brothers to the wagons, while others collected the corpses.

Shi Baifeng walked over, looked at Xu Cheng, and his face was full of gratitude:

"Lord Xu, thank you so much this time. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have lost both the silver and my life."

Rest assured, the Snowwalking Merchant Guild will never forget your kindness.
Thus, each wounded brother received fifty taels of silver, and each dead brother received one hundred taels.

This is a small token of appreciation from Taxue Trading Company!

Xu Cheng waved his hand, his gaze falling on the distant mountains and forests, his eyes filled with determination:

"If we want to get the silver, we have to survive first. There are people involved in Guangningwei, so we can't go to Jinzhou."

"Let's take a detour, skipping the post stations, and get to the Beiping Regional Military Command first."

"Yes, we'll do as you say, sir!"

Xu Cheng turned around and said to everyone:
"Rest for half an hour, then continue on your way! Mission accomplished, a generous reward awaits!"

The soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing across the empty road, carrying a sense of determination.

At the northernmost point of Liaozhong, at Zhenbeiguan, ten miles to the left, in the mountains and forests, figures silently rushed across the border between Liaodong and the Jurchens!

After rushing through the mountains and forests and leaving the detection range of Zhenbeiguan, the dark figures suddenly sped up, and the dull thud of hooves sounded.

It got faster and faster, and the sound got louder and louder!

Two days later, 30,000 guards!
Because it is further north,

The snow here is even more frigid than that in Korea.

Lu Yunyi reined in his horse, his black armor still covered with unmelted snowflakes, the frost gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Behind him, more than a thousand soldiers of the Doyan Guard stood in neat rows, their horses' hooves leaving deep tracks in the snow.

A long trail stretched out outside the camp gate.

Despite having traveled for many days, they still exuded an unstoppable spirit.

The commander of the 30,000 guards had already received the news and was waiting at the door. When he saw them arrive, he hurriedly came to greet them.

"This humble general, Shi Jianu, respectfully welcomes Lord Lu!"

Lu Yunyi dismounted, the clinking of his armor making a crisp sound.

He stepped forward and patted Shi Jianu on the shoulder:

"Lord Shi, there's no need for such formalities. I apologize for disturbing you with your return."

"What are you saying, sir!"

Shi Jianu bowed immediately, his tone full of respect:
"Quickly, hot tea has been prepared in the main hall. Please come inside and warm yourself up."

As he spoke, Shi Jianu led Lu Yunyi toward the main hall of the command headquarters in the center of the camp.

Soldiers along the way stopped to salute, their eyes filled with enthusiasm.

Inside the main hall, the firewood in the charcoal brazier was burning brightly, with sparks occasionally crackling and popping, making the room warm and cozy.

Wine and dishes were laid out on the table.

These are rare foods found in border garrisons.

"My lord, please don't mind the simple food and wine."

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, sat down at the head of the table, and asked in a deep voice:

"Is everything arranged?"

"Reporting to my lord, everything has been arranged. I have also arranged for some people at the Yingchengzi Iron Mine to act as imposters."

"Um"

Lu Yunyi nodded:
"No one doubts it, right?"

"Rest assured, sir, the group keeps a low profile and rarely shows themselves, so no one will suspect anything."
The commander, however, has sent three documents, all inquiring about your whereabouts.

Lu Yunyi looked up at Shi Jianu, his eyes showing little surprise, and simply said:

"Oh? How did you answer?"

"To answer truthfully, you took your brothers to inspect the refined iron in the iron mine and even gave some suggestions for improvement."

As he spoke, Shi Jianu took out a document from his pocket and handed it over:

"My lord, the suggestions are all written here. They are the tips that the blacksmiths of the garrison have figured out over a long period of time."

Lu Yunyi took the document, nodded slightly, and smiled.
"Well done, thank you for your hard work."

(End of this chapter)