Chapter 143: Assassination
Chapter 143: Open Assassination (Part )
Liu Heiying's eyes turned and his face showed thoughtfulness.
At the end of the Shen hour, the bride-receiving party will return to the Lu residence. At the beginning of the You hour, the wedding ceremony will be held. At the end of the You hour, the banquet will begin.
Jiang Li will leave the central army during this period.
There are three entrances to the camp from the south side, namely the southwest gate, south gate, and southeast gate.
Near the southwest gate, food and weapons were piled up, near the south gate, the front troops were stationed, and near the southeast gate, war horses and grassland captives were placed.
Judging from Jiang Lin's personality and the location of Lu's residence, he would not go through the south gate where the military officers went.
Instead, he went out from the southeast gate, where there were not many soldiers and it was more secretive.
During this time, he would pass by stables and two places where grassland captives were kept.
It was his habit to spend a cup of tea at the place where the captives were placed.
Then he went to the stables to select an inconspicuous warhorse.
If there are grassland captives around, they might even have a conversation with them.
There are four opportunities to take action. As for when to take action,
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Liu Heiying's eyes, and he decided to trust his men.
He walked quickly to the table on the side and ordered:
"Xiao Wu, I told you to write."
The slightly immature soldier nodded: "Brother Black Hawk, go ahead and speak."
"Southeast gate, stable, prisoner-of-war camp, early evening, wait for your opportunity to move."
Liu Heiying watched Xiao Wu finish writing quickly, nodded gently, walked up and patted him on the shoulder:
"Send the letter to your brother, and then go home. Your father must be waiting anxiously."
Xiao Wu folded the letter, stood up with a smile, and picked up the head armor from the shelf on the side:
"Brother Black Hawk, you need to come soon. Brother Yun is getting married. We need to have a good drink together."
"Go ahead, we are going to withdraw too."
"Hey, I'm going then."
Xiao Wu smiled and went out of the camp.
After leaving the camp, his cheerful face instantly returned to calm.
Although the eyes are looking straight ahead, they are constantly looking around with their peripheral vision.
After a lot of twists and turns, he came to the southwest side where food and grass were stored.
There are soldiers guarding here, and whenever someone passes by, they will stare at them without stopping.
Food and fodder are of paramount importance.
Xiao Wu walked by expressionlessly, and soon he came to where the carts were stored.
There was a small house here, and he stepped forward and knocked gently on the door.
Soon the door opened, and a young man in his twenties, dressed in ragged clothes, lame, with two scars on his face, stood inside, his eyes full of dead silence.
When he saw it was Xiaowu, he raised his eyebrows, slightly turned sideways, and Xiaowu went in.
Inside the house, Xiao Wu took out the paper in his arms and handed it over, lowering his voice and saying:
"Brother, this is given to you by Brother Black Hawk."
The young man from Pojiao was Hu Kui, a wounded soldier from the front army scout unit who was seriously injured while following the army into battle.
Hu Kui took the paper and nodded: "I see, you should go back soon, don't let Dad wait anxiously, go early and see if there is anything I can do to help."
"Brother, Brother Yun is getting married, aren't you going?"
Hu Kui smiled, and the hideous scar on his face began to move, making him look a little scary.
He picked up a red envelope from the table and handed it over:
"This is my gift money. Please bring it to Lord Lu for me. As for the banquet, I won't go because I have other business to attend to."
A trace of disappointment flashed across Xiaowu's face, and he nodded slightly:
"Well, brother, you have to be careful and don't get hurt again."
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
There was still some worry on Xiaowu's face.
"My life was brought back by Master Lu.
I've saved my life. This little thing is not a problem for me.
Even if something happens to me, you still have to follow Lord Lu and make contributions.
Our family is enjoying such a good life now, all thanks to Lord Lu, you must not be ungrateful."
"Don't worry, brother." Xiao Wu's eyes turned, he moved closer and whispered:
"Brother Black Hawk told me yesterday that he wrote five extra levels for me when reporting my merits, which was allocated from his level-killing.
When the imperial reward is distributed, I estimate it will be more than 100 taels.”
Hu Kui was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and walked up to touch his head:
"Okay, okay, I'll follow the adults and make meritorious deeds. After this is done, I will go to Peking to treat my leg. Lord Black Hawk has already found the best doctor."
"Really? That's great." Xiaowu's eyes suddenly lit up and he laughed.
"Of course, go back quickly, don't tell Dad and Mom about what happened today, keep it a secret!"
"Don't worry, brother. I won't tell her even if I get married in the future."
"Well, let's go."
When Xiao Wu left, the smile on Hu Kui's face gradually disappeared, replaced by solemnity.
He checked the time, picked up the key hanging on the wall, and walked out of the hut.
Hu Kui locked the hut and limped towards the cart.
He picked out the most pleasing cart from among the many carts, opened the lock, and pulled it out.
Since he was injured in Lianfeng Valley, he has been helped by the front army scouts.
He opened a horse and carriage shop in Gyeongju, bought some carts, and also bought some horses with sloping feet from the army.
Do some transportation business,
Because there was a large army, the main purpose was to help transport food and fodder for the war horses.
Now there are more than 100,000 grassland captives in the city, and the northern camp is expanding, so his carriages and horses are covered in it.
The dozen or so carts and horses in his shop were all under the command of the army.
Help the army transport food and fodder for the horses within the camp.
Because he was originally from Gyeongju and was a wounded soldier on the battlefield.
The soldiers took good care of him and he lived a relatively comfortable life.
Hu Kui hummed a little tune and limped along pulling a cart to the storage area for warhorse fodder.
The soldier guarding the grain was sitting there, recording things in a booklet. When he saw him coming, his eyes lit up:
"Old Hu, go deliver food again."
Hu Kui smiled and said, "Yes, the war is over and the horses have become much thinner.
The adults told me to feed him five times a day, and this is only the fourth meal. I will have to do it again in the evening."
"Horses are precious. They eat better than us."
Seeing that Hu Kui was having some difficulty pulling the cart, the soldier stood up.
The two of them chatted casually while pushing the cart, and soon they arrived at the place where the food and grass were gathered.
The soldier said again, "Come, load a cart with food and fodder for the horses."
As soon as the words fell, the two men sitting on the side stood up, bare-chested and with muscular bodies.
The two men went to lift the food and fodder that had been pressed into cubes on one side.
"Thank you, Lao Zhang. Let's have a drink together some other day. Let's eat first."
Hu Kui smiled, walked closer, opened his pocket, and revealed a bag of dried apricots.
"Oh, what a good thing." The soldier was not polite and reached in and grabbed a handful.
Put a dried apricot into your mouth and enjoy it.
"Old Hu, you look sloppy, but your family is quite wealthy. We even have dried apricots, which are very expensive outside nowadays."
"Oh no, the army has already returned. These things are worthless."
Hu Kui smiled, grabbed another handful and handed it over, saying:
"This is what my brother sent me. They gave a lot of it when the army went out to fight.
I thought this battle would be hard, and I might have to rely on dried apricots to survive.
But who knew that the Northern Yuan Dynasty would be so unforgiving, and that the cattle and sheep were almost vomiting from eating them.”
As soon as these words came out, not only did the soldier show envy, but even the two porters stopped and asked:
"Old Hu, did your brother win this time?
I heard that each head is worth at least ten taels, and most of the tribes that have made contributions will receive bonuses and profits.”
Before Hu Kui could say anything, the soldier named Lao Zhang started to scream like a cat whose tail had been stepped on:
"What a joke! Lao Hu's brother followed General Lu in the front army. In this battle, if he is not the first in military merit, he must be in the top three. How could he not have killed a level?"
After hearing this, the two porters could hardly conceal their envy.
"Old Hu, how many levels has your brother cut?"
Lao Zhang asked loudly, attracting the attention of many laborers who were resting nearby. "There are always ten or eight of them. Those grassland people can't stand a fight.
He said that once the reward came, he would take me to Beijing to see the best doctor for my leg."
As he spoke, Hu Kui patted his legs which had lost much feeling.
There were suddenly many sighs from the surroundings, and they all lamented that Hu Kui's younger brother had a promising future.
The two porters looked at their clothes which were already soaked, sighed, and continued to carry food and fodder for the war horses.
Lao Zhang was very satisfied with their reaction. While eating dried apricots, he whispered:
"Old Hu, let's not beat around the bush. You've been in the camp for a few months. How have I treated you?"
"That's of course nothing to say."
"Then can I ask your brother to transfer me to the front line?"
Lao Zhang showed some indignation and said quickly:
"We all join the army to kill the enemy and get reward money. I might as well be carrying heavy bags instead of guarding food and grass in this camp all day long."
As he spoke, Lao Zhang smiled flatteringly:
"Old Hu, if it really doesn't work, you can help me.
I know that it was you who asked General Lu for your brother to join the army. Can you get me in as well?
Don't worry! Once it's done, I'll give you all my wealth, ten taels of silver!"
Hu Kui smiled and said, "Old Zhang, you should save the money to marry a wife. It will be enough in two or three years."
"No, Old Hu. This crappy job pays eight cents a month. I've been frugal and saved for two years to save ten taels.
But those who went to war could get ten taels of silver for killing a grassland man.
I can't wait any longer.
My fellow countryman Xiao Liu, the one with the sharp-nosed and monkey-faced face who we drank with last time,
Damn, he beheaded three people in the rear army this time,
He calculated with me yesterday, and the total amount of various rewards was at least fifty taels, not including the salary issued by the court!
Didn't you see how arrogant he was?
If I could go to the front army, I could earn a hundred taels for every battle I fought! ! Pah! "
Lao Zhang spat out the fruit core in his mouth with force, his face full of resentment.
But Hu Kui just smiled and said nothing, sorting the food and grass on the cart.
"Speak up, Lao Hu. Fifteen taels! Only fifteen taels! I really don't have any more."
Seeing how anxious he was, Hu Kui turned around with one hand on the food and said with a wry smile:
"Old Zhang, don't you see how I look? Fighting makes money quickly, but you can die if you're not careful."
As Hu Kui spoke, he lifted up his clothes, revealing the long gash on one side of his body:
"My injuries are irreparable no matter where I am. At most you can give me a quick death, or I will die there.
It was Lord Lu who brought us back, and I was able to save my life. Fighting is never that easy."
Old Zhang was somewhat disdainful and curled his lips:
"I, an old man with nothing, should go to war to earn some reward money.
I have no parents and no children, so I just want to make some money to marry a wife.
It would be best if you can kill the enemy and gain merit, even if you die, it doesn't matter, just help me, I beg you!! "
Hu Kui still smiled:
"I can't make the decision on this matter, but I will ask my brother tomorrow to see if the front army needs any more soldiers."
When Lao Zhang heard this, all his facial features squeezed together and he laughed exaggeratedly.
"Oh~ I told you that you are kindhearted, Lao Hu. Don't worry, I will pay you a penny after I get the job done."
"Forget it. I don't even care about your little money. Just keep it for yourself."
As Hu Kui spoke, he tied up the food and grass on the cart.
Then he pulled the reins, urged the horse to move, and the cart started to move slowly.
Lao Zhang laughed and followed beside him:
"Old Hu, thank you so much. If you have any questions in the future, just tell me. I will never refuse."
"Walk slowly"
Lao Zhang stood there waving his hands because of his duty.
Hu Kui urged the cart to go farther away little by little, and the smile on his face faded little by little, until finally it was filled with frost and his face became extremely solemn.
Soon, Hu Kui drove a cart to the stable near the southeast gate of the camp.
The soldiers here were also very familiar with him and let him go after checking him.
The towering village wall tightly surrounds this area, which is filled with a strange smell.
Neat rows of fences separated the horses.
Here are all the best war horses, each of them has its own little world,
The war horses were either lowering their heads to nibble on the grass in the trough, or wagging their tails leisurely, or half lying in the corner and sleeping soundly, occasionally making a few low neighs.
In the center of the stable, several prairie captives were busy combing the horses' hair and checking their bodies.
Their technique is skillful and gentle, and their movements are fast.
The horses also enjoyed this care and rubbed the groom's hands with their noses from time to time.
The grassland captives who can be here are all carefully selected and the most skilled horse breeders.
Their clothes were clinging to their bodies, revealing their tired and thin outlines.
The clothes on his chest and back were soaked with sweat, and there were beads of sweat on his dirty face.
When they saw the grain-carrying cart approaching, they quickly tied the horses to the central pillar.
He hurried over to untie the ropes that tied up the food and fodder, and carried down the piles of fodder.
Hu Kui was waiting quietly on one side. When a tall but thin grassland captive came forward,
Hu Kui approached him as if nothing had happened, pretending to help him remove the hay. When he got closer, Hu Kui lowered his voice:
"Take action at the beginning of the Hour of the Rooster, regardless of the cost."
The slightly silly big guy suddenly widened his eyes.
In an instant, he turned his head and stared at Hu Kui.
But his expression quickly returned to normal and he nodded slightly.
Hu Kui nodded, stuffed all the dried apricots he was carrying into the big man's cloth bag, and then watched the big man carry the fodder and walk away as if nothing had happened.
By the time the grassland people finished loading and unloading the food and grass, they were exhausted and stood there panting, but they could not stop and needed to continue to help the war horses comb their hair.
The number of people originally gathered in the center has also decreased significantly. They need to allocate people to prepare food for the war horses.
As a result, there was a shortage of manpower to feed the war horses and comb their fur, so they could only speed up their work, sweating profusely and their lips turning white.
Every time Hu Kui came and saw them like this, he would feel some pity in his heart.
With a slight sigh, Hu Kui put his hands into his pockets, took out two handfuls of dried apricots and threw them on the ground casually, then left on his own.
After Hu Kui left, the grassland people pounced on him like hungry wolves, scrambling for the dried apricots on the ground, and put the solid soil into their mouths, just like wild dogs fighting for food on the ground.
After leaving the horse farm, Hu Kui did not leave, but stopped at the gate to chat with the guards. His peripheral vision was always looking at the gate of the prisoner-of-war camp not far away.
There were not many guards, only about a hundred people.
Hu Kui took out a handful of dried apricots from his big bag and handed them over.
The eyes of the two soldiers guarding the door suddenly lit up:
"Old Hu, you are so generous. I love being with you."
"Come on, you think I'm taking advantage of you."
"Hahaha." Two soldiers sitting on the cart laughed out loud, and one of them said:
"Old Hu, if you ask me, you don't need to worry about those grassland people inside.
If they starve to death, there will be others to feed them. Don't feel bad. You don't know how many people there are in the prisoner-of-war camp."
Hu Kui smiled and said, "It's hard to see them starving. In the past, my family was poor and we only had one meal a day. When we were hungry, we would just tighten our belts. But we only had a handful of dried apricots, so it was no big deal."
"Old Hu, you are kind and righteous."
"I've saved my life for nothing, so I have to believe in something."
"Too."
Hu Kui smiled and raised his hand to finish them off: "Go, go, I have to go to work."
The two soldiers jumped down quickly, and one of them shouted:
"General Lu is getting married today, why aren't you going?"
Hu Kui didn't look back, but just raised his hand and waved:
"There's work to be done, so my brother went."
When Hu Kui walked away, two soldiers stood side by side, holding dried apricots in one hand and putting them into their mouths with the other.
"This old Hu is really blessed and kind-hearted, so why is he lame?"
"Come on, it's good enough to save one's life."
(End of this chapter)