The 18th year of the Da Yong reign: The beginning of the story involves rescuing revolutionaries.

"This is a hearse, used to transport the dead," Afu muttered to himself in Wang Zhi's ear. In fact, even now, Afu still didn't know how the gang leader planned to get rid of those rebels.

The most difficult hurdle was gaining their trust. Could those few rebels from the New China Society really trust the notorious leader of the Daxing Gang in Liuzhou County?

"Check them thoroughly." Wang Zhi nodded slightly and said, "So what if you're transporting dead people? Even if you're a manure truck driver passing by, we'll still stick our sticks in and stir things up. We've already given that instructions before."

Now that he is personally overseeing it, it is even more so.

The person driving the car slowly brought it to a stop at the intersection, holding the reins.

"This old man greets you gentlemen." The driver, whose beard was half-white but who wore a white face mask, stepped down from the carriage and bowed to Wang Zhi and the other man.

"Why are you wearing a mask too? It's chilly at night," Wang Zhi asked, frowning.

"No, no, no, this old man is not very healthy and doesn't have such fuss. But this cart is carrying dead people who have contracted the plague. Even if I don't have many years left to live, I still have to take precautions to prevent my little grandson from getting infected."

"If the employer hadn't paid me enough, I wouldn't have wanted to take this job. According to the yamen's rules, I'd be taken to Shili Slope outside the city and burned."

"An epidemic?" Wang Zhi asked in surprise.

"Yes, indeed." The old man nodded emphatically.

Wang Zhi seemed not to understand, ignoring him and striding straight to the back of the carriage. He reached out to lift the curtain at the back, but the driver quickly stepped forward and skillfully blocked him, smiling as he said, "Sir, this epidemic is no joke. If someone as precious as you were to catch it, I, an old man, could not bear the consequences. Even martial artists are afraid of being afflicted by the epidemic and having their qi and blood weakened."

"Oh?" Wang Zhi stopped lifting the curtain, looking at the driver with a half-smile, and asked, "Who died in the carriage? What was their name?"

"I don't even know those poor guys who work for the boss. They just roll me up in that straw mat, throw me in the car, and then I'm told to haul people out."

"Who is this 'boss' you're talking about?" Wang Zhi continued to ask.

"The boss is Master Cao, the third master of the horse caravan," the driver replied.

"Third Master Cao from the caravan," Wang Zhi muttered, an image of a bearded man flashing through his mind. He sneered, "Third Master Cao isn't from our Liuzhou County caravan. He already led several cartloads of goods to the Western Regions a few days ago. And where did these dead men come from?"

"Are you trying to fool me?"

The driver hurriedly cried out, "Your Honor, it's a misunderstanding! It was precisely because these men were seriously ill that Master Cao left them in the county for treatment while he led the team ahead. Now they've died from their illnesses and are being taken out of the city."

"The government has issued a warrant for the arrest of rebels, so I have to see what they look like no matter what." Without saying a word, Wang Zhi yanked open the curtain, and a strange smell rushed out of the carriage like a tide, causing the driver to stumble back a few steps.

His eyes, however, were fixed on Wang Zhi's back.

Wang Zhi held his breath and boarded the carriage. Sure enough, there were three corpses wrapped in straw mats inside.

He stretched out two fingers and lifted a corner of the straw mat. The moment he saw the face of the deceased, he almost vomited. It was full of pustules and still dripping blood. Wang Zhi felt disgusted and got goosebumps all over his body. He immediately let go of the mat with his right hand and jumped off the car.

With her face in such a state, it's impossible to recognize her features.

The driver stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Sir, I'm not lying to you. You'd better go back and wash your hands carefully with that soapberry water."

"Let's go." Wang Zhi waved his hand impatiently.

The three of them stood at the intersection, silently watching the car gradually disappear into the distance.

Completely blended into the night.

......

The driver deliberately chose to travel along the narrow roads, and after traveling for an unknown amount of time, low voices suddenly came from inside the carriage.

The three corpses were still lying there properly, but the straw mat had been overturned.

"Mr. Ning's idea is brilliant!"

"Let's head out of the city like this."

"If the Daxing Gang has been fooled, the local militia at the city gate will surely not be able to see any flaws either."

"The Daxing Gang are nothing but lackeys of the county government. They have been bullying and oppressing people in this county for a long time. They are just waiting to send out this important information so that they can seize Liuzhou County and take the heads of these two dogs."

"We've encountered this in many places along our journey, but it's not just limited to one county or one region." The speaker's voice was deep; this was Mr. Ning, as they had mentioned. He continued, "However, there's always a lingering doubt in my mind."

The driver, still holding the cart, said, "Sir, don't worry. Even Wang Luoyun, the leader of the Daxing Gang, couldn't find any flaws when he personally inspected the place. This trip will definitely go smoothly. After I take you around this long street, the city gate will be..." The driver's voice suddenly stopped, as if someone had grabbed his throat. He slowly reduced the speed of the cart and quickly tapped three times on the cart door with his fingers.

The car fell silent, and straw mats covered everyone's faces again.

Because in this dark alley, someone was blocking the way.

Isn't this the same leader of the Daxing Gang who has returned after leaving?

The coachman's heart pounded, and his palms sweated, but he still gripped the whip, dismounted, and came forward to greet him, smiling, "I wonder if there's anything else you'd like to say, sir?"

He had a vague sense of foreboding; he felt that he and his companions were not going to get through this ordeal, and that he would not be able to complete the task assigned by the master.

"There are some things I forgot to say in my haste to leave earlier," Wang Zhi said with a smile as he walked forward.

"I don't know if there's anything else you need to tell me, but I'll keep it all in mind." The coachman bowed and stood beside Wang Zhi.

"It's not that I'm explaining anything to you," Wang Zhi replied.

Upon hearing this, the driver and the three people in the car were immediately terrified. If they couldn't explain it to him, who else could they explain it to? The "dead"?

It was obvious that their group had been exposed, but Mr. Ning still had a question in his mind: why didn't the gang leader make a move where he had just been?

The guards on either side had already drawn their guns.

The driver was still trying to bluff his way out of it, but his hand had already reached behind his back for a dagger. He said, "Sir, you jest. Who else is here besides me?"

The alleyways under the moonlight were quiet, so still that they seemed to be condensing into water.

Just as the coachman was about to make a sudden move, Wang Zhi said softly, "The plum blossoms are slender, the snow is deep, and their fragrance enters the inkstone; once, the blood of the emperor was used to sacrifice to Xuanyuan."

"What the hell are you reciting poetry in the middle of the night?" The driver's hand, gripping the dagger, froze, and he wondered to himself.

The alley remained silent, and no one answered. Wang Zhi paused for a moment before continuing, "The boat lies adrift at the wild ferry, frost clinging to its oars, carrying a lonely soul startled by spring thunder. Wang Luoyun has come especially to see you off. Will you still hide, sir?"

Finally, Mr. Ning's gentle voice came from inside the car: "Chief Wang, please get in and let's talk."

Wang Zhi turned to look at the driver and said, "Put it down." Then he walked leisurely into the carriage.

The driver, standing by the carriage, awkwardly released his grip on the dagger. He looked up at the moon, which was nine-tenths full tonight, and the night seemed a little less chilly.

Under the moonlight, Wang Zhi, dressed in a black outfit, once again lifted the carriage curtain and saw the New China Society rebels whose portraits he knew by heart. The three of them sat cross-legged and looked at Wang Zhi outside the carriage curtain. The one in the middle was Mr. Ning. If it weren't for the pustules on his face, he would be considered to have a calm and extraordinary demeanor.

Mr. Ning, whose courtesy name is Zuliang, was not recognized by the original Wang Zhi, but he was familiar with the game's plot.

A pioneer of reform, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) during the reign of the late emperor, he submitted many proposals for policies that would benefit the country and its people, but unfortunately none of them were adopted. All his ambitions and passion were in vain. Later, he was recruited into the New China Society. He died at the age of 29.

But now, Wang Zhi must not let this spark be extinguished in Liuzhou County.