Tiger Guards

Chapter 174 Hard to Choose
As the sky gradually darkened, Zhao Gongshi led a hundred cavalrymen to Beixiang.

One person and three horses, when feeding the horses and resting, they start eating compressed dry food.

When he saw Zhao Fan, Zhao Fan had just treated the arrow wound on his leg. He was lying weakly on the door panel, looking at Zhao Ji with lifeless eyes.

Zhao Ji could sense Zhao Fan's despair and frowned: "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

"Han Gao, the general of the imperial palace guards, rebelled and colluded with the bandits of Jishan to block the imperial road."

Zhao Fan, holding on, recounted, "First, more than a dozen Jishan bandits approached from behind. I tried to hold my ground and wait for help from Beixiang. Fude panicked, and many of the guards abandoned their weapons and fled. The remaining guards were mostly Han Gao's followers."

"Han Gao again persuaded Fu De to break out to the north. A dozen more riders appeared from the north. Fu De's orders were lax. I repeatedly requested a defensive formation, but Han Gao's followers stabbed me in the right arm from behind. The incident was sudden, and Fu De had no time to react, so he was abducted by Han Gao. The rest of the troops fled, and the imperial carriage was seized by the bandits. It's said they headed west, intending to escape to Jishan."

Zhao Ji then examined the arrow wounds on Zhao Fan's right arm and left leg and said, "I will immediately arrange for an oxcart to take you to Beijiang. We will see what Lord Fu has to say about this."

Hearing this, Zhao Fan's face changed drastically: "Minister, save me!"

Not to mention Fu Wan and the emperor, even Zhao Rui wanted to kill him.

No matter how well he performs, if the mission fails, or it is a big failure and a big scandal, he should commit suicide!

After suffering so much, Zhao Fan really doesn't want to die.

Zhao Ji just shook his head and said, "Let's talk about it when I come back. Maybe there will be a turning point."

Transfer?

After the palace servants accompanying the emperor panicked and scattered, there was no turning back.

The confession of the captured thief... Does this thing have any meaning?
Zhao Ji signaled the guards to take the door away, then went to the stable area and asked Han Dong, the commander of Beixiang: "Adong, what exactly happened?"

Han Dong was feeding his horse when he turned around and leaned his elbow against the wooden fence. He thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in confusion. "It's hard to say. When the county messenger passed through Beixiang, I wasn't there. When I found out, I led my men south to meet him. When we passed the date orchard, we saw a pheasant fly into it. When we caught it and came out, we saw the guards mutiny."

Han Dong raised his hand and scratched his cheek, forcing a smile. "I didn't know what happened at first, and only recognized Han Gao when I got closer. Minister Zhao was already shot by an arrow and was lying nearby, so I couldn't ask Han Gao. But Han Gao isn't that kind of person. I think he didn't like Fu De and took this opportunity to get revenge."

Seeing Zhao Ji's gloomy expression, Han Dong stood up straight. "Han Gao only has a dozen people on his side, and five of them are on horseback. I asked a few deserters, and they all said they were dissatisfied with Fude. Aji, you know that so many people wanted to be palace guards at that time just to take shortcuts, and some of them had their eyes on the Wei family's treasury. Fude didn't make any money, and his subordinates didn't get any money either, so they must be dissatisfied."

"This is all your guess."

Zhao Ji raised his hand and stroked the leather armor on Han Dong's chest, then punched him. Han Dong fell backward and crashed into the wooden railing, falling to the ground. He gritted his teeth and managed to hold on without crying out.

Zhao Ji looked down at Han Dong from above and said, "Get up."

"Here."

Han Dong supported himself with his hands before standing up, not daring to look up: "Aji, things have come to this, how about I lead my men to chase them and kill them all?"

"Immediately take these people today to Brother Seventh and keep them quiet. Explain to Brother Seventh that he will arrange for you to work with Wei Xing. Don't come out for the next few months."

Zhao Ji put his left hand on Han Dong's shoulder, and Han Dong trembled: "Yes."

"I'll go after him. If it weren't for Hu Bingcao's career, I wouldn't be here!"

Zhao Ji said, "I will assign you ten Xiongnu cavalrymen. If anyone else dares to escape, you will kill them immediately. If this matter gets out, you will die."

"Here!"

Han Dong responded again, gritting his teeth in anger. Judging from the information he personally obtained, it was most likely that the palace guards were taking revenge on Fude.

It was even most likely a coincidence, otherwise they would not have mistaken him for a companion.

Zhao Ji immediately arranged for a volunteer squad leader to follow Han Dong, and then left the stable in the township and walked quickly out of Beixiang.

The Hu Ben and Yi Cong who were resting in various places outside the town gate had finished feeding the horses and were sorting out torches and other items.

As the sky darkened and became cooler, these people put on half-body armor over their leather armor to enhance the protection of their torsos.

Zhao Ji said nothing, but jumped onto the horse nimbly and grabbed Yuelihei angrily. The horse was sensible and did not dare to cry out even though it was in pain.

Seeing people around him getting on their horses one after another, Zhao Ji lightly kicked the horse's belly, and the rest of the people followed silently, each riding three horses.

Walk south for twelve or thirteen miles and turn onto the dirt road heading west.

Zhao Ji could walk this road with his eyes closed, but more than thirty cavalrymen still led the way with torches in hand to prevent an ambush by the enemy soldiers.

After walking another twenty miles, they changed horses at the ruins of a village by the river.

After drinking water, the horses walked for several miles and arrived at Xixiang.

The volunteers in the village climbed up the wall with torches, watched Zhao Ji's knights coming at night, and then watched them pass by the outside of the village and head towards Jishan.

As we went deeper into the mountains, we came across an abandoned vehicle parked on the side of the road.

When Zhao Ji arrived, five knights stood beside the chariot. The sergeant, Yi Cong, held up a torch and said to him, "Mingsong, the chariot is destroyed. There are no bloodstains. The utensils on the chariot are gone, and the door curtain has been cut away."

"Got it. You guys stay here."

"Yes!"

The sergeant responded loudly, then stepped back a few steps, watching dozens of knights and even more horses pass by. Soon, Zhao Ji arrived at the Zhao family's old residence.

This place was also empty, and I saw the knights in the front team were resting on the roadside.

The leader of the group, the Tiger Guard, raised a torch and announced, "Minister, the emperor's carriage is in the inner community, and there are no more people."

"Okay, I'll go check it out. Send twenty or thirty people to search the surrounding area. Don't go too deep."

"Here."

Zhao Ji dismounted, took a torch and held it diagonally in front of him, then led his close guards inside on foot.

There was another carriage parked at the entrance of the community. The carriage was parked at the entrance, but the two horses pulling the carriage were missing, and the door curtain of the carriage was cut off by a sharp weapon and taken away.

Zhao Ji entered and came to the front of his own courtyard. The door was blocked from the inside and he could vaguely see fire in the courtyard.

Zhao Ji raised his hand and knocked on the door, saying loudly: "I am Zhao Ji, open the door."

Hearing footsteps, Zhao Ji took two steps back, and two Tiger Guards held shields in front of him.

Soon the door was opened, and Concubine Zhao's face was covered in black ash. When she saw Zhao Ji, she burst into tears of joy: "It is indeed Aji!"

Then she covered her face with her hands and squatted on the ground crying. Zhao Ji took off his cloak and covered her with it. He supported her and asked, "Sister, how is the queen?"

"Inside the house, the thieves were worried that Aji would hunt them down, so they left us here and went deeper into Jishan."

Zhao Ji observed the courtyard. The Huben soldiers came in with torches, checked several small courtyards and corners, and retreated only after eliminating the danger, forming a circle in the courtyard.

Zhao Ji then helped Concubine Zhao walk towards the main house of the courtyard. Two of his fellow soldiers were holding torches at the door, and they saw a naked body hanging from an apricot tree in the vegetable garden in front of the door.

With just a casual glance, Zhao Ji determined that it was Fu De.

Fu De was hanging there, blood still dripping slowly from his feet. The wind blew through the apricot tree, and Fu De swayed gently.

"Take it off."

After giving some instructions, Zhao Ji helped Concubine Zhao into Old Zhao's main house. It might be that the Zhao family had abandoned this place, and the good neighbors around had already looted it.

I guess in a few months all the wooden rafters on the roof will be borrowed.

There was a fire burning in the middle of the room. When Zhao Ji entered, he saw the queen sitting on the edge of the kang, and Concubine Dong and Concubine Song were squatting on the ground.

Her clothes were intact, but her jewelry and other belongings were looted, and her hair looked messy.

Fu Shou raised her eyebrows and looked at Zhao Ji, asking, "Is it Minister Zhao?"

"It's a minister."

Zhao Ji observed and said, "This is my old residence. I wonder why the thieves placed the queen here?"

Fu Shou said calmly, "The bandits disagreed, and only after Han Gao's strong defense did the remaining bandits agree to let us go. However, Han Gao had a grudge against my brother, and after seeking revenge, he led his men to flee."

Zhao Ji held up a fire and approached, only to find that Concubine Dong had been covering her face, as if she had been slapped.

Lady Song lowered her head and didn't dare to look at him.

Zhao Ji set the torch aside and helped the weeping Concubine Zhao sit on the edge of the kang. He then asked, "I heard that the Queen didn't want to leave Anyi. Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

Fu Shou lowered her head, her face also smeared with black soot from the stove. She didn't answer, but asked, "Does the Minister have any good advice for today's matter?"

"Many of the palace guards were disbanded, and it was difficult to conceal the truth."

Zhao Ji took a few steps back to the door. "Your Highness and I are like siblings. I will not bear to see you suffer. The court's eastward migration was fraught with difficulties, and the Empress has endured countless hardships. We shouldn't give up just like that."

Fu Shou was silent. She was on the verge of suicide, thinking and weighing the pros and cons over and over again.

At this time, Concubine Dong stood up and said, "I implore the Minister to send troops to capture the rebels. Once they are captured, the truth will be revealed."

Fu Shou and Concubine Zhao both turned their heads and looked at her as if she were a fool. Does the truth matter at this time?

Zhao Ji shook his head. "Impossible! I must return to the Beijiang camp immediately. If I'm not here tomorrow morning and something happens in the army, do you know how many people will die?"

Only when the military power is stable can Hedong be stable.

Even if the emperor was captured by the rebellious clan thieves, Zhao Ji would not take the risk.

After saying this, he walked over to support Concubine Zhao and said, "Sister, let's go. I have the final say in Hedong. If the emperor is not happy, he can return to Luoyang, and you can stay in Hedong and keep my sister company."

Concubine Zhao pushed Zhao Ji's hand away and said, "I heard from Sister Shu that there are secret passages and cellars in the house. Why don't you set fire to this place and hide in the cellar? If you burn to death, it will save the reputation of the court and the clan. If you survive by chance, you can also..."

Lady Song, who was related to her, also came over. She looked even more miserable, as if she had almost met the end of contracting an illness and dying suddenly.

Concubine Dong trembled and squatted dejectedly on the cold ground.

Zhao Ji went to see the Queen. Fu Shou's dark face had a resolute expression on her brows and she spoke in a clear, sharp voice, "I want to see Your Majesty and see what my father means."

(End of this chapter)