Chapter 265

Han Chong’s words made both Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang’s expressions change.

For him to call so many people over meant that something had clearly happened.

And it was no small matter.

Ye Chutang immediately rose from Qi Yanzhou’s lap. “Azhou, go and take a look.”

After answering Han Chong, Qi Yanzhou led the Protectorate Army away.

Sun Chu immediately climbed a tree to get a better view.

Once he saw what had happened, his expression turned grave. He leaped down from the tree and looked at Ye Chutang, who was about to ask what was wrong.

He spat out two words.

“Soldier-bandits.”

Although those soldiers were not wearing official uniforms, their coordination and discipline made it clear that they were no ordinary bandits.

Ye Chutang knew that in times of chaos, soldiers often disguised themselves as bandits to burn, kill, and plunder.

Those with greater ambition might even build up their own forces, seize territory, and proclaim themselves kings.

But she had not expected soldiers to start acting as bandits when the consequences of the drought had only just begun to emerge.

“Even rabbits don’t eat the grass beside their own burrow. These soldier-bandits probably aren’t from the nearby counties or towns.”

Sun Chu nodded in agreement. “The soldiers stationed in the counties and towns wouldn’t have the nerve to do this. They’re garrison troops from a prefecture or commandery. And they probably aren’t stationed in Haixi Commandery, but Ningzhou.”

The exile party was currently in Haixi Commandery. In another two days, they would enter Ningzhou territory.

The distance was only a hundred and twenty or thirty li. An ordinary horse could cover it in three or four shichen.

They had more than enough time to make the round trip in a day and still rob people of their money and possessions.

Ye Chutang gazed toward the direction where the trouble had broken out. “It seems Ningzhou City is in for a difficult time.”

Sun Chu nodded. “Ningzhou City is surrounded on its eastern and western sides by towering, precipitous mountains. They’re impossible to cross, so if we want to continue north, we can’t avoid Ningzhou City.”

“Do you have any businesses in Ningzhou?”

“Of course. I have businesses in most of the prefectures and commanderies north of the capital. Gambling houses and restaurants are essential.”

Ye Chutang withdrew her gaze and looked at Sun Chu.

“Go ahead to Ningzhou City and find out what’s happening inside.”

Sun Chu raised an eyebrow. “Does this mission count toward my points?”

“Do you really need a point for something this simple?”

“Ningzhou City must already be under martial law. Anyone entering will be questioned. Finding useful information won’t be simple.”

Ye ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‍Chutang ignored that and instead brought up the first task she had assigned Sun Chu.

“It’s been more than a month since I gave you Night Fiend. Have you taken control of the Bingzhou garrison yet?”

“Ahem. Almost, almost.”

Sun Chu had not expected the troops stationed in Bingzhou to be so stubbornly resistant.

He had tried every method—soft and hard, threats and inducements—but only now had the garrison commander’s attitude begun to waver.

Of course, Qi Yanzhou’s growing reputation had also played a part.

Seeing Sun Chu’s embarrassed expression, Ye Chutang offered him a reward.

“I don’t know much about gambling, but I do know how to cook. How about ten medicinal-diet recipes?”

A gleam appeared in Sun Chu’s eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

“Of course! Once Qi Yanzhou deals with these soldier-bandits, I’ll leave for Ningzhou City immediately.”

Ye Chutang dangled another tempting bait.

“I also know how to make medicinal cosmetics.”

Sun Chu looked at Ye Chutang as though she were a gold ingot. His eyes nearly vanished from his broad grin.

“If we go into business together, we’ll definitely be able to control the economic lifeline of the Northern Star Kingdom.”

“Even without you, I can do it myself.”

“Since we’re fellow townsmen, let me have a share.”

“We’ll see how you perform.”

Sun Chu immediately promised, “Don’t worry. I’ll give it my all. If you say east, I absolutely won’t go west.”

Compared with leading troops into battle, he preferred making money!

Meanwhile.

Qi Yanzhou had already taken the Protectorate Army to support Han Chong.

Han Chong had called Qi Yanzhou over not to ask for help, but to have him intercept and capture the culprits.

There were more than a hundred soldier-bandits, while Han Chong had brought only ten men. He simply could not handle all of them.

The soldiers were no match for the Protectorate Army.

Before even the time it took to burn a stick of incense had passed, they had all been captured.

The people who had been stopped and robbed by the soldiers were a wealthy merchant’s family of more than twenty members.

The merchant had even hired escort guards for protection.

But twenty guards were no match for more than a hundred soldiers.

By the time Han Chong arrived with his men, all the escort guards had already been slaughtered.

The soldiers had not only robbed the merchant of his wealth, but had also attempted to assault the young and beautiful women in the family.

Now that the danger had been resolved, the women struggled to cover themselves with their torn clothing, huddling together and weeping.

Han Chong walked up to a man with a full beard and yanked off his disguise.

The beard had been stuck on so tightly that it tore away some of the skin on his face, leaving it bloody and raw.

“Ah!”

The instant his scream began, a bloodstained sword was pressed against his throat.

“Whose soldier are you?”

The man was so frightened that he forgot about the pain and hurriedly denied it.

“What soldier? I’m a mountain bandit!”

The moment he finished speaking, Qi Yanzhou picked up a blade from the ground and chopped off the man’s right hand.

Blood spurted from the severed wrist, and another scream rang out.

“If you’ve got the guts… kill me!”

Qi Yanzhou looked at the screaming man, who was carefully avoiding the sword at his neck, and let out a cold laugh.

“Wanting to die is easy. All you have to do is force your neck to the left.”

If the man had possessed the courage to die, he would have taken his own life before being captured.

Qi Yanzhou nudged the severed hand on the ground, turning the palm upward so he could examine it.

Looking at the man’s face, which had gone pale from blood loss, he said, “There are thick calluses on your palm and the web between your thumb and index finger. They were formed by years of daily military drills. Talk. Whose soldier are you?”

The man still refused to speak.

Qi Yanzhou lost patience. Turning to all the captured soldiers, he said, “The first person to confess will be spared. The rest will be executed on the spot!”

Then he gave them a time limit.

“I’ll give you ten counts to decide. Ten, nine…”

As the numbers dwindled, everyone grew tense, their faces filled with hesitation.

Every one of them wanted to be the only person who survived.

But none of them dared to gamble on whether Qi Yanzhou would really kill the others and spare only him.

What if their betrayal reached the general’s ears? Their entire families could be implicated!

Qi Yanzhou soon counted down to “one,” yet no one spoke.

He gave Han Chong a look.

Han Chong understood and slit the disguised man’s throat.

After killing him, he announced, “By order of the Protectorate Army, kill one man for every count of three!”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Three, two, one.”

The instant the final word fell, a head rolled free from a body.

As more and more heads rolled across the ground, the stench of blood in the air grew heavier.

The soldiers waiting to die turned as pale as paper, their bodies trembling more and more violently.

At last, one of them could no longer endure the torment of fear and opened his mouth.

“I’ll talk! We are—”

Before he could finish, the others shouted over him.

“The Ningzhou garrison has rebelled!”

Everyone began blurting out whatever information they knew, desperate to become the one lucky survivor.

If only he survived, General Su would never know that he had betrayed him!

He could conceal his identity and live on.

Then, when the right opportunity came, he could reunite with his family.

Amid the cacophony, Qi Yanzhou picked out the information he wanted.

Then he ordered Han Chong to kill every last soldier.

The final soldier to be executed glared at Qi Yanzhou. “You went back on your word!”

Qi Yanzhou sneered. “I never keep my word to scum!”

Before the soldier could finish hearing him, his head was already separated from his body.

Qi Yanzhou looked at the bodies strewn across the ground and said to Han Chong, “Have the bodies dragged into the woods and buried. Clean up the scene.”

The weather was still unbearably hot. Leaving so many corpses exposed would easily lead to an outbreak of disease.

Han Chong immediately arranged for his men to dispose of the dead officials’ bodies.

Then he asked Qi Yanzhou, “Young Master Qi, what should we do with the escort guards who were killed?”

Qi Yanzhou turned toward the middle-aged man, who had been stripped until he was wearing nothing but his underclothes.

“Where are you from, and where were you headed?”

The head of the household was still terrified and had not heard a word Qi Yanzhou said. He only felt that the man’s presence was intimidating.

The woman beside him was somewhat calmer. She hurriedly knelt and answered, “My lord, we came from Tazhou City and were planning to go to the capital to seek refuge with our clansmen.”

After Ningzhou City came Wulu Commandery, followed by Tazhou City.

Beyond Tazhou City lay Tianshan Commandery.

Knowing that Haixi Commandery was far from Tazhou City and that there was no way to take the escort guards’ bodies all the way home, Qi Yanzhou instructed Han Chong to bury the guards together elsewhere.

Once he had given the order, his gaze fell on the woman.

“Write down the information about these escort guards. When I pass through Tazhou City, I’ll inform the escort agency.”

The woman hurriedly had her personal maid prepare paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.

After writing down the guards’ information, she picked up the box containing the gold ingots from the ground and wiped the blood off it with her sleeve. Then she handed it, along with the paper, to Qi Yanzhou.

“My lord, our entire family will never forget your life-saving kindness. This is just a small token of our gratitude. Please accept it.”

Qi Yanzhou did not refuse and had Han Chong take it.

“If you don’t want to invite disaster upon yourselves, keep everything you heard and saw today buried in your stomachs.”

The garrison of Ningzhou had not only rebelled but had also turned into a bandit army.

The matter was far too serious to be spread around.

If people learned that Su Chengzong had rebelled, other garrison commanders with similar power and status might do the same.

One rebellion after another would plunge the entire Beichen Kingdom into chaos.

The woman had her entire family swear by their lives and the lives of their entire clan that they would not reveal a single word.

After making the oath, she pulled two five-hundred-tael banknotes from the hem of her clothing.

“My lord, this money is for the escort guards’ burial expenses. Please deliver it to the escort agency on our behalf.”

Qi Yanzhou accepted the banknotes and asked curiously, “You’re clearly from a wealthy family. Why did you leave Tazhou City?”

Generally speaking, those who abandoned their homes and fled were impoverished commoners who could no longer survive.

Wealthy families usually only fled when the place they lived had fallen into disorder and neither their property nor their safety could be guaranteed.

The woman did not dare conceal anything and answered honestly, “Tazhou City has begun to suffer from a water shortage, and it borders Tianshan Commandery. There’s a good chance war will break out, so our entire family decided to leave.”

“Why do you think war is about to begin?”

Although the woman did not know Qi Yanzhou, she had guessed part of his identity from the way Han Chong addressed him.

She pressed her lips together before telling him a piece of unreliable news.

“I heard that a neighboring country will launch a major invasion of the Beichen Kingdom in winter.”

That was the true reason their entire family had migrated.

The Beichen Kingdom was already plagued by unrest.

If a neighboring country attacked at that moment, it might not be enough to destroy Beichen, but it could certainly breach the border cities.

When that happened, the capital, whose defenses were the strongest, would be the safest place to stay.

Qi Yanzhou asked, “Where did you hear this?”

“I don’t know, my lord. It’s only something I heard from others.”

“Hurry up and pack your things. Leave as soon as possible.”

With that, Qi Yanzhou returned to the place where the exile convoy was resting.

He deliberately stood upwind so that the smell of blood on him would not reach Ye Chutang.

But Ye Chutang’s nose was keen, and she still frowned slightly at the stench.

She took a step back and asked, “Were those bandits the garrison soldiers from Ningzhou City?”

Seeing Ye Chutang move away, Qi Yanzhou also took a step back.

“Yes. The Ningzhou garrison has rebelled.”

Ye Chutang was not surprised in the slightest. “By ‘rebelled,’ you mean they’ve carved out a territory and declared themselves its rulers?”

Qi Yanzhou nodded. “Exactly.”

He told her what he had just learned.

The Ningzhou garrison had rebelled seven days earlier.

General Su Chengzong had secretly taken the families and clansmen of the prefect and provincial governor hostage, forcing both men to obey him.

That was why Ningzhou City appeared perfectly normal on the surface.

After taking control of Ningzhou City, Su Chengzong had his soldiers disguise themselves as bandits. They looted not only the surrounding prefectures and commanderies but also the common people living under their own rule.

His goal was to amass enough money to recruit soldiers and purchase supplies once he openly declared his rebellion.

Who wouldn’t want that supreme position?

Of course, Su Chengzong was no fool.

He had specifically instructed the men he sent toward Haixi Commandery to avoid the route taken by the exile convoy so they would not encounter Qi Yanzhou.

As long as he did not alert them, he could simply wait for the exile convoy to enter Ningzhou City and then seize it in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, while that group of soldiers was robbing the wealthy merchants, they happened to hear news of a “fat sheep.”

Blinded by gold and silver, they forgot all about Su Chengzong’s warning.

As a result, they ran straight into the exile convoy and were wiped out to the last man.

After hearing about the situation in Ningzhou City, Ye Chutang sighed. “Luckily, Xi Ze and Aman left early.”

Otherwise, even if they had managed to escape Ningzhou City, they would have had to go to considerable trouble to do so.

Qi Yanzhou looked toward Ningzhou City, his brows drawn together.

“Su Chengzong is already on guard against us. Taking Ningzhou City won’t be easy.”

“It may not be easy, but we can still take it.”

“That’s true. It simply means we’ll have to delay our journey to Tianshan Commandery again.”

Ye Chutang was unconcerned. “We’re not in a hurry anyway. It’s more important to proceed steadily and securely.”

The more troops they brought under their command, the easier it would be when they eventually rose up.

Qi Yanzhou nodded in agreement.

“Atang is right. But with only the hundred or so people we have, there’s no way we can defeat Su Chengzong.”

“Call for reinforcements?”

“Mm. Call for reinforcements.”

After saying this, Qi Yanzhou turned to Han Chong. “We won’t travel today. We’ll rest here for the night.”

Han Chong knew that Qi Yanzhou had a plan. Without asking any questions, he agreed.

“All right!”

“I’m going out for a while. I’ll be back soon.”

Qi Yanzhou went to find Nan Xiao.

As before, Nan Xiao was leading his men behind the exile convoy, keeping a careful distance.

He had also seen the bandits robbing the wealthy merchants earlier.

However, since the Protectorate Army was capable of handling the matter, he had not shown himself.

When Nan Xiao saw Qi Yanzhou approaching at a brisk pace, he knew there was a mission.

“Master, is there something wrong with those bandits?”

Qi Yanzhou kept it brief, telling Nan Xiao only the most important details.

Nan Xiao was astonished.

He had never expected Su Chengzong, who commanded only sixty thousand soldiers, to dare carve out a territory and declare himself its ruler.

“Master, Su Chengzong will soon learn that you killed his men. I’m afraid Ningzhou City won’t be easy to deal with.”

Other refugees had witnessed the bandits robbing the wealthy merchants.

They had only seen the bandits being captured by the officials escorting the exiles. They did not know that the bandits were soldiers in disguise.

Those refugees would surely spread the story far and wide, praising Master for ridding the people of a scourge.

Qi Yanzhou looked at Nan Xiao’s worried face and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

“We’re not leaving today. Go to Haixi Commandery yourself and tell General Qin that Su Chengzong has rebelled. Ask whether he is willing to send troops to suppress the traitor.”

They had passed through Haixi Commandery before, but had stayed only one night and had not had much contact with the local officials.

But he knew that Qin Ke, the military commander stationed in Haixi Commandery, was like General Zhang of Jizhou City—he did not take sides and only concerned himself with his own territory.

That was why he had no certainty that Qin Ke would send troops.

Nan Xiao asked anxiously, “Master, if General Qin learns that Su Chengzong has rebelled, do you think he might also use his troops to establish his own power?”

“He won’t. Qin Ke knows very well that I’ve already taken Jizhou City, and he has no ambitions.”

After saying this, Qi Yanzhou ordered Nan Xiao to prepare ink, brushes, paper, and an inkstone, then wrote two letters.

One was addressed to Qin Ke, and the other to Ma Weiyuan.

Ma Weiyuan was the descendant of a trusted retainer of the Qi family army.

Once, the emperor had sent Qi Yanzhou to suppress a group of bandits who had been committing crimes throughout the region. Ma Weiyuan happened to be pursuing the same bandits.

He had been ambushed and wounded when Qi Yanzhou saved his life.

“Prince Chen, if there ever comes a day when you need me, I will repay you with my life!”

The two rarely kept in touch. They exchanged only one letter each year around the New Year, containing a few simple words of greeting.

In nearly five years, Ma Weiyuan had risen from an eighth-rank military officer to a fourth-rank deputy general, earning the title of general.

He was currently stationed in Wuhai Commandery.

Wuhai Commandery lay to the northeast of Beichen, nearly five hundred li from Ningzhou City.

The cavalry could arrive in three days, while the infantry would need five.

Qi Yanzhou handed the letter to Nan Xiao. “Have the gyrfalcon deliver this to Ma Weiyuan.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Rest here for three days, then set out.”

It would take two days to reach Ningzhou City from here—more than enough time for Ma Weiyuan’s advance troops to arrive.

Nan Xiao knew about Qi Yanzhou’s relationship with Ma Weiyuan, but he was still somewhat worried.

“Master, will General Ma send troops?”

He believed that if Ma Weiyuan came to Ningzhou City alone, he would do so without hesitation, even if it cost him his life.

But secretly mobilizing troops was another matter.

That was a crime punishable by the confiscation of one’s property and the extermination of one’s entire clan!

Qi Yanzhou said with certainty, “He’ll come. And the emperor won’t blame him.”

Because compared with secretly deploying troops, the crime of rebelling and declaring oneself king was far more serious.

Seeing how certain Qi Yanzhou was, Nan Xiao felt relieved.

“I’ll arrange it immediately.”

Qi Yanzhou returned to the exiled prisoners’ convoy and called for Wu Chenggang.

“Is there anywhere nearby suitable for us to stop and rest?”

Wu Chenggang took out a map and studied it carefully before shaking his head. “Young Master Qi, there are no villages or water sources nearby. It isn’t suitable for us to stop.”

“What about within thirty li?”

“There is a place.”

Wu Chenggang pointed at the map. “There’s a village here with only a few households. The villagers make their living gathering medicinal herbs, and they’re very friendly. Once, when I was escorting prisoners, we were caught in a sudden rainstorm and took shelter in this village.”

However, the village was not on their route.

Going there and returning would cost them an entire day.

Qi Yanzhou did not hesitate for long. “We’ll stop there for two days.”

Although Wu Chenggang did not understand why Qi Yanzhou wanted to stay behind, he immediately issued the order. They would set out for the village shortly.

Qi Yanzhou had one of Nan Xiao’s men remain behind to wait for him.

The exiled convoy rested until well past mid-afternoon, then prepared to depart.

Sun Chu finished packing her belongings and went to bid Ye Chutang farewell.

“See you in Ningzhou City!”

Ye Chutang gave Sun Chu a bottle of poison. “Be careful and stay safe.”

“Don’t worry. I’m quite good at running away.”

With that, Sun Chu mounted her horse and soon disappeared from sight.

The exiled convoy set out for the village.

Thinking that things had been far from peaceful lately, Qi Yanzhou had Han Chong send someone ahead to investigate the situation in the village.

The messenger rode swiftly and returned in less than half an hour.

His expression was grim.

Han Chong asked, “What happened?”

“The village was massacred. No one was spared—not the old, the weak, women, or children.”

“How long ago did the villagers die? Could you tell who did it?”

“They likely died yesterday. Because of the high temperature, the bodies have already begun to decay. The wounds are neat and smooth—most of them were killed with a single blow from a broad saber. Their homes had also been ransacked.”

From his subordinate’s description, Han Chong guessed that Su Chengzong’s men were responsible.

Those scum treated human lives like weeds. They had to be eliminated!

He told Qi Yanzhou what his man had discovered.

“Young Master Qi, should we still go?”

Qi Yanzhou’s hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist. His expression was terribly grim.

He did not answer. Instead, he looked toward Ye Chutang.

“Atang, you decide.”

Ye Chutang considered the matter. There were not many villagers, and they had nowhere else to rest. She finally said, “Have someone bury the villagers first, then make a simple cleanup of the village.”

“Yes, Madam Qi.”

Han Chong accepted the order and sent fifty men to the village.

Thirty were assigned to clean up, while twenty went to search for a water source.

The exiled convoy continued on until sunset before finally reaching the entrance to the village.

A village that should have been filled with curling cooking smoke now carried a faint, lingering scent of blood, making Ye Chutang’s heart feel heavy.

She felt no particular emotion toward deaths caused by conflict, but she loathed one-sided massacres with all her heart.

Han Chong’s men had already buried the villagers and made a simple cleanup of each household.

There were only eight families in the village.

To make it easier to dry and store medicinal herbs, all the houses had been built quite large.

Yet none of the families possessed anything of real value, which showed that they had not lived well.

Ye Chutang guessed that the soldiers or bandits had slaughtered the village for its medicinal herbs.

Seeing that she was in low spirits, Qi Yanzhou said, “Su Chengzong will undoubtedly die.”

Ye Chutang nodded. “I hope nothing unexpected happens.”

The Qi family was assigned the largest farmhouse.

As soon as they pushed open the door, they could clearly see dark bloodstains absorbed into the earthen floor.

The lingering scent of blood had been diluted by the residual fragrance of medicinal herbs.

The racks used for drying herbs and the large bamboo trays had been destroyed and piled in a corner by the Protectorate Army.

After inspecting the farmhouse, Qi Yanzhou assigned everyone their rooms.

“I’ll go ask Han Chong about the water source.”

Without water, they could not cook. They would have to make do with dry rations and pickles.

Soon, he returned.

“There’s a spring on the mountain behind the village. The villagers used bamboo pipes to channel the water to the end of the village.”

Although the flow was not large, it was enough for their daily needs.

After saying this, Qi Yanzhou took two buckets from the kitchen and went to fetch water.

Seeing that Ye Chutang did not look well, Concubine Xu asked, “Madam, what would you like to eat?”

Since water had been scarce along the road, they had rarely cooked.

Their stock of vegetables was limited as well.

Ye Chutang glanced at the basket of vegetables and said, “Auntie, keep it simple. Make a pot of meat soup and cook some noodles.”

“All right. He’er and I will prepare it.”

The others went to put away their belongings and tidy the house and courtyard.

Ye Chutang went to look at the backyard.

The neat vegetable garden had been trampled mercilessly, and only a few good vegetables remained.

She picked some of the better ones.

“After eating your vegetables, I’ll avenge you.”

She made the vow silently before returning to the front courtyard to help Concubine Xu prepare the meal.

By the time the meat-soup noodles were ready, it was completely dark.

After dinner, everyone rushed to the end of the village to fetch water and wash themselves.

Aside from Ye Chutang, who could secretly enter her space to bathe and freshen up, everyone else had merely wiped themselves down over the past two days. Their bodies felt sticky and grimy.

After washing, Ye Chutang lay down to rest on the rock-hard wooden bed.

When Qi Yanzhou entered, he saw her tossing and turning. He hurried over and asked, “Atang, what’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

Ye Chutang sat up and said with a frown, “I suddenly feel a little uneasy. I can’t shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen.”