Love Lock

Chapter 160 Let him go

"If we can steal that gun, even just one, we can escape."

As Cao Xiong spoke, he narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them.

"Brother Cao, but you said that gun is more powerful than a bow and arrow. How are we supposed to steal it? I don't know any martial arts!" Zhang Shiyang looked at Cao Xiong with a tearful expression.

Zhang Shiyang still feels incredibly cheated when he thinks about it now. He was a perfectly good Minister of Works, and he lived a very comfortable life in the capital.

But he insisted on showing off and volunteered to lead the Ministry of Works to Beiguan to assist in building defensive fortifications. Wasn't he just digging his own grave?

Hearing Zhang Shiyang's words, Cao Xiong rolled his eyes at him. "Hmph! You civil officials are all useless. You don't know martial arts, but do you think neither of us does?"

“Exactly,” Li Gang chimed in. “That kid Zhao Zun thinks he can make us back down by dumping us here? Hmph! Dream on. Once we grab a gun and escape, he’ll be in for a beating.”

“But… there are soldiers all around this mine, how are we going to escape?” Zhang Shiyang still didn’t think highly of their plan.

"What are you afraid of?" Cao Xiong sneered and lowered his voice. "The three of us are a marshal of Beiguan, a garrison commander, and the Minister of Works. Do you think we can't handle these soldiers? We'll make our move when it gets dark."

"Commander Cao is right." Li Gang nodded, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "We can't just accept our fate like this. Does that kid Zhao Zun think that giving us a meal will make us grateful? Humph, we have to let him know that traitors and rebels only have one way out: death."

"But... what about the others?"

Zhang Shiyang turned to look at the others who were working in another area, his brows furrowing tightly.

Those people included the Imperial Guards of the capital, Cao Xiong's personal guards, and officials from the Ministry of Works. Since he was going to escape, he wanted everyone to escape with him.

Cao Xiong glanced over there as well, sighed, and said fiercely, "We can't worry about that now. Only if we escape first can His Majesty send troops to rescue them."

"Shh, keep your voice down!" Li Gang suddenly looked up alertly, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers patrolling not far away, and whispered, "Don't let them hear us. We have to be careful and not alert them."

The three men lowered their heads in unison, and symbolically swung their shovels a few times, pretending to be working hard.

Once the soldiers were out of sight, Cao Xiong whispered, "When we finish work later, let's find a chance to hide the tools. We'll need them when we start tonight."

"it is good!"

Li Gang and Zhang Shiyang nodded, a hint of excitement flashing in their eyes.

However, they were unaware that while they were plotting in hushed tones, Zhao Zun and Ma Zi were quietly watching their every move from a nearby hilltop.

Zhao Zun's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Your Highness, those three bastards are indeed restless," Pockmarked Man said in a low voice, a hint of worry in his tone. "Should we send men to arrest them now?"

"No rush." ​​Zhao Zun waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on the three lazy figures. "Let them jump around a little longer. I want to see what tricks they can come up with."

“But…” Ma Zi frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Zhao Zun.

"They seem to have their eyes on Gousheng, but don't worry, they won't escape."

Zhao Zun said calmly, his tone exuding confidence.

“This Yinshan coal mine is not a place they can come and go as they please. Even if they escape the coal mine, they won’t be able to get close to the fortress of Yong’an City, unless they want to go to the Turkic steppe.”

Ma Zi smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.

Zhao Zun is right. One side of Yinshan is the Turkic steppe, and the other side is Yong'an City and Ling'an City. Even if Zhao Zun lets them run away, they can forget about returning to the capital of Dajing.

Throwing them into the coal mines was simply because they didn't like them; it was purely about exploiting their labor.

Zhao Zun's gaze remained fixed on the three figures, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

When Han Lei left Yong'an City, she left behind a large amount of materials that would be needed. Several corrugated steel sheds were also set up here for everyone to rest.

As night fell, the prisoners in the mine finished work one after another, dragging their tired bodies back to the makeshift shacks to eat and rest.

Time passed slowly, until the moon was high in the sky. Inside the makeshift shack, snores rose and fell, occasionally punctuated by a few low coughs. Only a few scattered solar-powered lights hanging in the four corners of the shack emitted a pale glow in the darkness.

At this moment, three dark figures quietly rose to their feet.

Cao Xiong, Zhang Shiyang, and Li Gang held their breath and tiptoed out of the shed.

The night breeze was cool, sending chills down their spines, but Cao Xiong's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Cao Xiong glanced around, chose a spot where no soldiers were patrolling, and crouched down as he walked over.

He gripped a hidden shovel tightly in his hand, his steps light and quick, as if he could already see the dawn of freedom.

"Quick, over here!"

Cao Xiong lowered his voice and waved to the two people behind him.

Zhang Shiyang and Li Gang followed closely behind, the three of them moving like ghosts, crept towards the edge of the mine under the cover of shadows.

"Commander Cao, can we really steal a gun?"

Zhang Shiyang's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes revealed a hint of unease. His fingers gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, as if to give himself some courage.

"nonsense!"

Cao Xiong sneered, his tone tinged with disdain, "Li Gang and I are the marshal and garrison commander of Beiguan. Do you think we can't handle this bunch of lowly soldiers?"

Cao Xiong's voice was low, yet it carried a mysterious confidence.

Zhang Shiyang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Li Gang grabbed him.

Li Gang's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and follow Commander Cao. This is a rare opportunity."

The three continued onward, bypassing several piles of abandoned ore, and finally approached the outer edge of the mine.

Several squads of soldiers on night duty patrolled the perimeter, carrying M16 automatic rifles.

Gou Sheng, who was on his day off, was lying on the ground behind a large rock, hugging his gun and snoring loudly, clearly fast asleep.

A hint of joy flashed in Cao Xiong's eyes. He whispered, "Zhang Shiyang, go keep watch. Li Gang, you come with me to make the move."

Zhang Shiyang nodded, quickly hid in the shadows, and cautiously observed his surroundings.

Li Gang followed behind Cao Xiong, and the two of them crept closer to Gou Sheng.

Cao Xiong squatted down, his fingers gently resting on the gun lanyard around Gou Sheng's neck, carefully untying it.

His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might jump out of his chest at any moment.

Li Gang stood beside Cao Xiong, watching Cao Xiong's actions with a complicated expression, his fingers unconsciously clenching into fists.

Just as the gun rope was about to leave Gousheng's neck, Gousheng seemed to sense something and suddenly opened his eyes.

In the dim light, the two looked into each other's eyes, and the air seemed to freeze at that moment.

A moment later, Gou Sheng raised his gun and pointed it at Cao Xiong, shouting, "What are you doing?"

As he spoke, two "click" sounds were heard, and the safety on the M16 was released.

Upon realizing he had been discovered, Li Gang was the first to react. He shoved Cao Xiong away, waving his hands frantically and saying in a trembling voice, "It wasn't me! It wasn't me! He was the one who tried to steal the gun!"

Cao Xiong was pushed so hard that he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

He turned around abruptly, glaring at Li Gang with eyes that seemed to spit fire.

"Damn it, have you forgotten who promoted you? How dare you frame me?"

Cao Xiong was filled with deep regret.

This Li Gang was someone he personally promoted! Now he's stabbed in the back to his face.

If he had known Li Gang was an ingrate, he would have promoted a dog instead of Li Gang.

Upon hearing Cao Xiong mention the promotion, Li Gang's face turned pale, his lips trembled, but he forced himself to speak:

“You promoted me, but I didn’t serve as a garrison commander for more than a few days. Now we’re in the same boat, and I’m willing to atone for my mistakes.”

Zhang Shiyang also ran out of the shadows and urgently urged, "Forget it, Commander Cao, don't run away, we can't escape!"

Upon hearing Zhang Shiyang say he was going to escape, Gou Sheng shouted, "Help! Someone's trying to escape!"

Cao Xiong trembled with rage, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He glared at the two men fiercely, gritting his teeth as he said, "Fine, very well! You two bastards!"

Just then, the sound of patrolling soldiers' hurried footsteps could be heard in the distance, as they were gathering in this direction.

Cao Xiong didn't have time to think about anything else. He kicked Gou Sheng in the chest, knocking him to the ground, and then ran away.

Gou Sheng groaned as he was kicked, but quickly got up and shouted, "Someone's running away! Someone's running away!" while raising his M16 and aiming at Cao Xiong's back.

"boom!"

A gunshot pierced the night sky.

Cao Xiong, who had already soared into the air, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower back. He screamed and crashed heavily to the ground.

He struggled to get up, only to find himself unable to move. Blood gushed from his wound, quickly staining his clothes red.

When Li Gang and Zhang Shiyang saw this, their legs went weak and they retreated repeatedly.

Li Gang shouted in a trembling voice, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! We surrender!"

He hadn't just witnessed the power of a gun today. He knew that even a martial arts master wouldn't have the strength to challenge that dark, menacing muzzle.

Therefore, he was smarter than Cao Xiong. He knew very well that there was no choice but to surrender.

But Gou Sheng was stubborn; the thought that these guys had almost turned him from a foreman into a laborer made him furious.

Ignoring their pleas, he raised his gun again and pointed it at Li Gang.

"boom!"

There was another gunshot.

Li Gang fell to the ground with a thud, a flower of blood blooming on his chest, but his eyes met Cao Xiong's.

His eyes were wide open, as if he wanted to tear Cao Xiong to pieces with his resentful gaze.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do it anymore; in an instant, he was lifeless. His head lolled to the side, and he lay still.

Gou Sheng immediately turned his gun on Zhang Shiyang.

Terrified, Zhang Shiyang collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and crying out, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I didn't do anything!"

At this critical moment, a deep and authoritative voice came from the darkness.

"Gousheng, stop!"

Zhao Zun, who had been keeping a close eye on Cao Xiong, flew out of the night like a ghost, his gaze as sharp as a knife, coldly sweeping over everyone present.

Gou Sheng's gun trembled slightly, then dropped.

"Zhao... Commander Zhao..."

Gou Sheng stammered, his anger gone, replaced by a hint of fear.

He was afraid that Zhao Zun would punish him with hard labor in a fit of anger.

Zhao Zun ignored him and walked to Cao Xiong's side. He glanced down at Cao Xiong's injuries and said indifferently, "Take him away! There's no need to trouble the doctor to treat his injuries. He won't live to see tomorrow."

"Yes!"

The patrolling soldiers who rushed over quickly stepped forward and dragged Cao Xiong up.

Cao Xiong's face was as pale as paper, but a cold smile lingered on his lips, and his voice was extremely weak.

"Zhao Zun, you...you think you've won? Even as a ghost...I won't let you go..."

Zhao Zun looked at him expressionlessly and waved his hand: "Take him away."

At the mine, everyone was awakened by the gunshots and peeked out from their shacks.

Seeing Li Gang lying on the ground and Cao Xiong being dragged away, their eyes were filled with fear and unease, and no one dared to easily entertain the thought of escaping.

Seeing one person arrested and another dead on the spot, Zhang Shiyang was so frightened that his legs trembled, his face turned pale, and the shovel in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but found that he couldn't utter a single word; he could only swallow hard.

After Cao Xiong's figure disappeared into the darkness, Zhao Zun turned around and walked up to Zhang Shiyang.

Seeing Zhao Zun standing in front of him, Zhang Shiyang felt that he was probably going to die today. He was so frightened that he scrambled to his feet and knelt down on the ground.

"Zhao, uh... Your Highness... please don't kill me, I... I didn't do anything."

Zhang Shiyang could barely speak, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Lord Zhang, why are you doing this?"

Zhao Zun, backlit and looking down at him, showed no pity in his eyes.

"You think I would give you a chance to escape? How naive."

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!"

Zhang Shiyang's face turned ashen, and he kowtowed repeatedly, his voice filled with fear and despair.

Zhao Zun smiled slightly, "However, Lord Zhang, I still have to thank you. Because of your escape tonight, I was able to make an example of you."

As he spoke, Zhao Zun pointed to the prisoners peeking around inside the shed, his tone unusually relaxed.

"Look, one dead and one injured in an instant. Those prisoners probably won't dare to act rashly again."

Zhang Shiyang didn't dare to reply, but just knelt on the ground and quickly glanced in the direction of the shed.

Sure enough, in the dim light, the prisoners were looking in this direction with fear on their faces, and they seemed to be whispering among themselves.

Zhang Shiyang could easily guess that they were discussing the power of the two shots they had just fired.

Zhang Shiyang glanced at Zhao Zun in alarm, then quickly lowered his head.

Now he understood that everything tonight was Zhao Zun's doing, his purpose being to use the three of them as prostitutes.

Cao Xiong and Li Gang were military officers, highly skilled in martial arts. Even those two fighting roosters fell to the muzzle of a gun in an instant, so what tricks could this scholar-turned-rooster possibly pull?
Thinking of this, he finally gave up hope, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Your Highness... I... no, I was wrong, I will never run away again."

"Hehe, that's more like it! Lord Zhang."

Zhao Zun curled his lips in a mocking smile: "If a craftsman with such exquisite skills as you were to be shot dead like those two, tsk tsk tsk... that would be such a pity."

Zhao Zun emphasized the words "one shot" and "killed" with particular force, making Zhang Shiyang's hair stand on end.

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare my life!"

He didn't know what to say, so he could only keep begging for mercy.

Zhao Zun's lips curled up even higher, and he sighed as if in helplessness.

"Alas! Lord Zhang has some skill to his name, unlike those two fools, they deserve to die. I also value talent, so how about... Lord Zhang, give up on your plan to escape back to the capital, and stay by my side with your men to serve me. What do you say, Lord Zhang?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shiyang dared not refuse and immediately began to kowtow repeatedly.

"I...I am terrified. I will obey Your Highness's orders."

Although he was a craftsman by trade, he had at least spent a few years in the imperial court. He could certainly understand Zhao Zun's implication: as long as he obeyed, Zhao Zun would let him off the hook.

Therefore, between running away and risking his life, he could only choose to risk his life.

"Very well! Please rise, Lord Zhang."

Zhao Zun's smile deepened. He stepped forward and helped Zhang Shiyang up, speaking in a very gentle tone.

"Cangzhou is in dire need of skilled craftsmen like Lord Zhang. Starting tomorrow, you will take all your artisans back to Yong'an City! I will send someone to inform you of any work that may be available."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Your Highness, for sparing my life."

Zhang Shiyang spoke with trepidation, his head bowed, not daring to look at Zhao Zun even once.