The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 120 Split-Petal Plum Blossom
When Wu Chengyu left Suzhou, the situation in the city was changing rapidly.

A large number of unidentified people rushed to Tiger Hill, all thinking they were hunters, but the real prey always appears in the guise of the hunter.

At the foot of Tiger Hill, in front of the Sword Pool, at the same time that the fighting began on the arena in front of Deyue Tower.

More than twenty tall horses escorted several luxurious carriages as they slowly drove to this location.

The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the riders dismounted one after another. One of them walked straight to the middle carriage, knelt down on both knees, and put his palms forward. A foot wearing an official boot stepped on his back, and a richly dressed man with an air of nobility stepped down from him.

Wearing a tall crown adorned with feathers and pearls, and a crimson silk robe covered in gold thread patterns, the designs of which differed greatly from those of the Han people in the south.

Opposite the convoy, a group of fifty or sixty people had been waiting. Except for the leader, who was dressed as a nobleman, the others were all dressed in tight-fitting clothes, carrying weapons, and with cold expressions.

Upon seeing the newcomer alight from his carriage, the nobleman's son quickly stepped forward, beaming, and bowed, saying, "Shi Shun of the Shi family greets Lord Wanyan of the Great Jin Kingdom. I have long admired your name, and to meet you today is a great honor."

The newcomer was extremely arrogant, only glancing at Shi Shun briefly before focusing his attention on the scenery of Tiger Hill Sword Pool.

"You Song people are so hypocritical. I only have a bad reputation in the Great Jin. What reputation do I have in your Song country? Even in this mission, I am just a deputy envoy."

You were forced to come here as bait. My Fourth Prince should have already arrived in Hangzhou and met your Shi Miyuan by now.

Suzhou is indeed a beautiful place in Jiangnan. Your choice of Tiger Hill as the meeting place this time suits me very well. I, Wanyan Shang, love beautiful scenery, beautiful women, and today is finally getting interesting. How about I have the Fourth Prince talk to your emperor and ask him to cede Suzhou to our Great Jin?

Shi Shun was quite shrewd; he remained unmoved by Wanyan Shang's sarcastic remarks, bowing slightly and showing great respect.

He led Wanyan Shang to a pavilion, invited Wanyan Shang to take a seat, and then with a wave of his hand, a table was set with all kinds of delicacies, seasonal fruits, and exquisite pastries from Jiangnan. Two beautiful maids gracefully walked to Wanyan Shang's side, one massaging his shoulders and the other pouring wine.

Shi Shun took out a brocade box and handed it to Wanyan Shang, saying, "My master and the Fourth Prince conspired to eliminate some of the unruly people who are detrimental to our Great Song and Great Jin under the guise of peace talks. It is truly unsettling that you have to make this trip, Lord Wanyan. This small gift is just a token of our appreciation."

Wanyan Shang opened the brocade box, and inside was a jade ruyi, about a foot and a half long and as thick as an adult's forearm. It was made of the finest jade and inlaid with gold and gemstones. What was most remarkable was its exquisite carving, which was perfectly natural and clearly not an ordinary item.

"This item was made by skilled craftsmen of the Song Dynasty court, and was specially made for the use of the royal family. My master went to great lengths to get it out of the palace. If it were placed outside, it would be worth at least ten thousand taels of silver. Such a treasure should naturally belong to my master."

This is merely a small token of our greetings. We would be grateful if Lord Wanyan would put in a good word for us with the Fourth Prince; in return, our Shi family will present you with an even more substantial gift.

Wanyan Shang's complexion had improved considerably. He handed the brocade box to the person behind him, closed his eyes to enjoy the beautiful maid's delicate hands, and only spoke after a moment.

"I separated from the prince along the way and deliberately traveled around. People have been following me since the beginning of my Great Jin territory, which has probably created some momentum. No one doubts my identity. How is the situation on your side?"
"Don't actually use me as bait. I am, after all, a member of the Jin royal family. If even a single hair on my head were to fall in the Song Kingdom, I'd like to see how your Lord Shi explains himself to the Fourth Prince."

Shi Shun replied, "Don't worry, sir. Everything is under the control of the Shi family. My brother Shi Chang is currently in charge of the situation in Suzhou. We are fully aware of all the rioters who have flooded into Suzhou with the intention of harming you."

"Now they've split into five groups and are heading towards Tiger Hill, intending to harm you, sir, but I guarantee none of them will make it to you alive." Wanyan Shang, now showing some interest, held a beautiful maid in his arms, gently caressing her, and then asked, "What tricks is your Shi family up to now?"

Shi Shun poured Wanyan Shang a cup of wine and said, "My lord, please try this wine. It is plum blossom wine made from the winter plums of last year. It is fragrant, cool, and has a lingering aftertaste."

The strategy my historians are employing today is the "split-petal plum blossom" tactic; these five groups of people can't get through."

Wanyan Shang immediately understood: "You Song people are just making a big fuss. It's just a five-pronged ambush, why make such a fuss?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the small road from Jin Kingdom to Suzhou, there were nearly a hundred people, covered in dust from their journey. These people were dressed in roughly the same clothes, as if they came from the same organization.

A group of people traveled through the night, and some of them were exhausted. The leader told them to rest for a while and get some food.

One of them, chewing on some jerky, asked, “Leader, why didn’t we just kill that Golden Dog’s envoy back then? Why did we have to follow him into the Song Dynasty? Our righteous army has never been welcomed by the Song court. I’m too lazy to fawn over them.”

The leader replied, “Jin Gou can be killed at any time, but I heard that he went to the Song Dynasty in secret this time. In addition to making deals with those corrupt officials in the court, he was also involved with the Wumu Manual. Some spy somehow obtained the Wumu Manual and wanted to offer it to Jin Gou in exchange for wealth and honor.”

I had never heard of this "Wumu's Legacy" before. After learning about it, I found out that it was actually a military treatise left by Grandpa Yue, specifically designed to counter the Jin invaders.

If we obtain this military treatise and train our army according to Yue Fei's methods, it won't be long before we can conquer a piece of land in the Jin Kingdom, and even overthrowing the Jin rule would be within our grasp.

"Everyone, give it your all! Once we get over this mountain, that's where the Golden Dog's transaction takes place. When the 'Martial Arts Manual' appears, we'll swarm in, kill the Golden Dog, and snatch the manual back!"

~~~~~~~~~~
Wanyan Shang took a sip of plum wine, then casually picked up a crisp jujube from the table and tossed it away.

"The first ambush was set up by the bandit leader who came with me from the Jin Kingdom. He usually keeps his head down like a rat and is impossible to catch. This time, he was lured out by that damned Yue Fei's Military Manual."

Little did they know that while they were following me, others were following them. By following the clues, the places where these people usually hid were all discovered by the elite troops of my Great Jin. They have now followed me to the Song Kingdom, but their old lair has been completely wiped out.

Shi Shun, remember to leave all these remaining bandits behind. If even one escapes, I will hold you responsible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rebel leader and his men, who had just been resting on the path, were now all lying dead in a grove of trees, their bodies riddled with crossbow bolts; none of them had survived.

The ambushing men, clad in armor, chopped off their heads one by one; all the heads stared wide-eyed in fury, their eyes wide open in death.

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(End of this chapter)