bestfiction Chapter 804 Prepare for an Ambush
Chapter 804 Prepare for an Ambush
"The Third Master of Prince Jing's Mansion survived a disaster, and it was the Jing Family Army that brought him to protect me!"
The announcement was so resounding that the golden dragons coiled on the temple pillars seemed to be about to break through the walls.
In fact, he knew very well that in addition to the Jing family army in Daqing Mountain and Zhuangzi, the troops mobilized from Jian'an County formed his strongest protection.
As the figure of the last Jinwu Guard passed by the Panlong Caisong, the Prince of Yan swept his sharp eyes over the ministers of his palace - the jade scepter in the hands of the Minister of Rites no longer trembled, and the blood on the soles of the Minister of War's boots was solidifying into purple-black scabs.
"At noon tomorrow at noon at the latest..." He stroked the cloud-thunder patterned scabbard of the sword with his fingertips, his voice not loud but heard clearly by everyone, "The heads of the rebels will be hung all over the Suzaku Gate.
Xu Dingjia murdered his father and usurped the throne. His crime is unforgivable and he must be executed in seven days in front of the tombs of the retired emperor and the empress dowager.
"boom!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
An old minister who was almost the only one left from the previous dynasty except Prime Minister Xiao, along with Nanny Zhou and Eunuch An, who had been watching the situation quietly, suddenly fell to their knees, their knees hitting the gold bricks with a crisp sound.
Then came the second, the third... In a blink of an eye, the dark backs covered the entire Danchi like a tide.
The Prince of Yan's gaze was fixed on the trembling, kneeling purple-robed ministers. The crane patches on the fronts of their official uniforms were heaving violently, like birds startled by arrows. Their forced composure could not conceal their inner panic.
"There's more than just Prince Hong in the Northern Frontier." The Prince of Yan suddenly raised his voice, each word wedged into the palace pillars like a nail, "General Jing Da and General Jing Er will definitely expose the Tatar king's tent—"
His final words echoed lingeringly in the air, and everyone understood the underlying message. The Second General Jing, who had vanished after infiltrating the enemy camp, and the still-criminal General Jing, were probably currently leading the Jing family's cavalry, galloping through the snowstorms of Mobei, trying to save the nation from extinction.
Daqing is saved, and the people are saved.
This news was more exciting than any consolation. The eyes of several young generals were red and the knuckles of their clenched fists were white.
The sound of weapons clashing could be faintly heard outside the hall, but everyone inside felt strangely at ease.
The figure of Prince Yan standing with his hands behind his back cast a long shadow in the candlelight. That shadow gradually overlapped with the shadow of the dragon throne, silently heralding the arrival of a new dynasty.
At this moment, Xu Zize and Jing Chunxi, who had just caught up with the grain team at full speed, had no idea that the situation in Daqing Dynasty had changed.
The setting sun cast its afterglow across the winding path, casting the long shadow of the grain cart like a dormant dragon. Xu Zize's robe rustled in the strong wind, and Jing Chunxi's hair flew, a few strands playfully brushing against his cheek, carrying a faint orchid fragrance.
The two men still rode on the same horse, no longer wearing cloaks, and not even covering their faces.
Xu Zize's slender fingers tightly grasped the reins, and the handsome man and beautiful woman galloped forward without attracting anyone's attention. The dust raised by the horses' hooves formed a hazy barrier behind them.
All the yamen runners who were escorting the military rations were drugged and fell off their horses, lying in a mess in the grass by the roadside. Only the coachman was left lying on the shaft, staring blankly at the two people who suddenly attacked him. The whip in one of his hands dropped to the ground with a "snap".
"Sir, please spare our lives. We are captured civilians." The two old drivers got off the car first, their trembling knees pounding on the hard road surface, their rough palms nervously rubbing the patched corners of their clothes.
Others followed suit, and a long line of people knelt down, their thin shoulders trembling.
"You are innocent, you can leave on your own and find a forest to hide in first. Wait for ten days or half a month for the storm to die down before going back." Xu Zize spoke in a sonorous voice, as clear as the collision of gold and jade.
When he jumped off his horse, the long sword at his waist collided with his armor, making a crisp sound, which scared away several tits in the bushes by the roadside.
Seeing the kneeling men trembling, an old man bravely stepped forward, using his palms, which felt like dry bark, to support himself and take a half step forward. "We are never going back. If we go back, we will either be arrested again or chopped up. We are never going back again."
As he spoke, he suddenly started coughing violently, unable to straighten his back. A look of pain appeared on his face. If he hadn't thought about the old woman and children at home who were not sure whether they were dead or alive, he would have wanted to die.
A young man behind him saw this and hurriedly patted his back. His tattered sleeves slipped down, revealing the hideous whip marks on his wrists.
"Don't worry, the Jing family army is back, and Prince Yan will soon turn the tide and reorganize the court." Jing Chunxi suddenly spoke, his voice like a clear spring hitting a stone.
She also jumped off the horse nimbly, tapping the ground lightly with her boots embroidered with dark patterns. "Not a single traitor who collaborates with the enemy and sells out the country will be spared. Letting you hide first is just a temporary measure. You can come back and rebuild your homes later." As she said this, a determined light flickered in her almond-shaped eyes.
As they had not received any information from the capital, they did not dare to speak too confidently and could only ask the people to save their lives first.
Xu Zize observed the surrounding terrain calmly, his right hand always on the hilt of the sword.
However, once they have enough military rations, they will not spare any of those corrupt officials and their minions. This thought made his eyes darken, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the leather wrapped around the hilt.
After all the coachmen had fled, Xu Zize looked at the followers who were following closely behind him and was about to speak.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew, rolling up the dead leaves on the roadside and making them swirl in the air. He keenly noticed that the treetops in the distance were shaking unnaturally, and sure enough, someone came out on horseback.
"Master, there's a group of people coming up ahead, at least dozens of them. They look like well-trained soldiers, not Tartars. Should we ambush them?"
The one who loudly delivered the message was a guard who was originally exploring the way ahead. At this moment, beads of sweat were hanging on his forehead, and the quiver hanging on the saddle made a rattling sound as the horse stopped suddenly.
His rough hands gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white. He looked at Jing Chunxi, then at the grain carts stretching for miles behind him.
Xu Zize frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "I'll ask them to ride their horses back immediately, and Xier to collect the food all the way?" As he spoke, he unconsciously pushed Jing Chunxi behind him, and his wide sleeves swept over her shoulders.
"I'm afraid it's too late. If they are really Tartars, just lure them here and catch them in one fell swoop." Jing Chunxi gently tugged at his sleeve, and a small porcelain bottle slipped out from his sleeve and turned it in a circle in his palm.
What he was worried about just now was not being able to catch up with the food, but now Jing Chunxi is not worried at all about not being able to store the food into the space. There are only a few dozen people, and the worst that can happen is that they will just have to spend a little more medicine.
She squinted her eyes and looked at the dust rising in the distance, a cunning arc appearing at the corner of her lips.
"Everyone, hide. Listen to my instructions and prepare for an ambush." After hearing Jing Chunxi's words, he knew he couldn't wait any longer. Xu Zize spoke loudly but with undeniable authority.