Chapter 608: Abandoning a pawn for a car, exchanging prisoners, plotting against Zhao Duan

Chapter 608: Abandoning a pawn for a car, exchanging prisoners, plotting against Zhao Duan (5k)

Inside the cold government office.

As Hu Xuezhai cursed with red eyes, Feng Ju and other officials who were about to stop the fight were stunned.

"Snapped!"

Lin Susu slapped Hu Xuezhai hard on the face, leaving five clearly visible red finger marks.

"You dare to hit me!? Bitch...bitch..."

Hu Xuezhai was stunned, as if he was caught off guard. He covered his face and kept repeating the same thing.

Lin Susu, who looked very similar to the concubines in the palace, also had red eyes and tears welled up in her eyes.

She bent her waist and raised her head, as if the slap had broken her waist. She stared at her husband and almost bit her lips until they bled:

"What bullshit are you talking about!"

Hu Xuezhai felt the gazes of the officials around him, and his anger surged up like a fully inflated gas tank that exploded when ignited. He sneered:

"You want to hear it again? You are such a shameless whore!
When you first came to Beijing, you hooked up with Li Yinglong, and later you hooked up with a guy named Zhao. Do you think I don't know? Do you dare to say that you have nothing to do with him?
Otherwise, with his status, why would he give you such great benefits as an imperial merchant?

Do you know what people in Jiangnan business circle say about me, Hu Xuezhai? They all say that I got to the top by offering my wife to others!
I was blind at the time, so I redeemed you, a prostitute! If it weren't for you, how could I have been dragged onto the pirate ship and now be held here as a prisoner? "

He spoke these words with great relief, and it was obvious that he had been holding it in for a long time.

Lin Susu looked at him in disbelief, the light in her eyes gradually extinguished, and she murmured:
"So, this is how you see me..."

"Otherwise?" Hu Xuezhai said sarcastically:
"She is also a stupid woman. She was just attracted by your beauty, but she didn't want to go to Beijing. Instead, she was imprisoned and offended the Li family.

If you hadn't been related to the Zhao family and held the title of Imperial Merchant, do you think I would have acted with you? Acting as a loving couple? Wearing a hat?"

The light in Lin Susu's eyes completely went out, and she couldn't utter a word.

Feng Ju came back to his senses at this moment and said in a deep voice:

"Hu Xuezhai, are you treating me as if I don't exist?"

Hearing the sound, Hu Xuezhai turned his gun around and stared at Feng Ju and the others in a mocking manner. Suddenly, he raised his foot and kicked over the iron pot on the fire!
"Dangdang!"

The hot water was splashed over and several officials screamed in pain from being scalded.

Feng Ju retreated decisively, but half of his arm was soaked. He grimaced in pain and shivered:
"You are crazy, crazy. The court is still here, waiting for Lord Zhao to come..."

Hu Xuezhai laughed wildly toward the sky:
"A bunch of idiots. At this time, you are still trying to scare me with a pretty boy named Zhao?"

He doesn't pretend anymore!

Having been imprisoned for too long, and unable to get any news from the outside world, he had already lost hope and fear.

"With so many princes rebelling, the imperial court might be almost gone! Those with the surname Zhao might have died long ago! How dare you still count on them?"

As Hu Xuezhai laughed, his face twisted. He looked greedily at the official on the ground, his arm that was burned red. His Adam's apple rolled, and he actually bent down, picked up a brick from the ground, and walked over.

Feng Ju was horrified and quickly picked up the iron pot on the ground and tried to resist.

However, most of the officials in the yamen were quite old and felt dizzy and hungry. On the contrary, Hu Xuezhai was young and strong.

Just when a fight was about to break out.

Suddenly, the locked door of the yamen was kicked open.

"Dangdang!"

Several people in the room were stunned. They turned around and heard sporadic footsteps approaching from the yard outside the closed door.

Then, the door was kicked open.

"Woo-"

The cold wind swept in, causing the scattered charcoal fires on the ground to flicker and emit a red glow.

Several armored rebels came in with swords on their waists. The leading rebel glanced at them, frowned slightly, and then sneered:
"You still have the energy to fight. It seems you are overfed. Lock them up and take them away!"

Hu Xuezhai, who was already half crazy, seemed to be poured with a basin of cold water. He calmed down immediately, dropped the brick in his hand, and his eyes were full of fear:

"Don't kill me... We are still useful... Useful..."

It's not just him.

Feng Ju and several other yamen officials almost subconsciously believed that the rebels were finally going to "interrogate" them.

Suddenly fear welled up in my heart.

I don’t know what fate awaits me.

How can a few weak people resist?

The rebels easily tied his hands with ropes and dragged him out like a grasshopper on a rope.

Lin Susu, on the other hand, did not resist at all throughout the whole process, as if she had lost her soul and was just a walking corpse.

"Excuse me, who wants to see us?" Feng Ju asked, pretending to be calm.

The rebels didn't bother to answer.

He was escorting a group of people out. The moon was dim and the stars were sparse, so he couldn't tell whether it was night or early morning.

Outside the gate of the yamen, there were still rebels holding torches guarding. Feng Ju saw the rebel leader who was escorting him take out a token and hand it over to him, and then put a fingerprint on the document handed over by the other party, as if he was going through the interrogation procedure.

Then, the group was driven into a prison van and taken away.

The night was getting darker and darker, and Feng Ju estimated that it was more like dawn.

Everyone was trembling, except Hu Xuezhai, who kept begging. He only stopped begging after a rebel blocked his mouth with a rag.

I do not know how long it has been.

The cart made many twists and turns, avoiding several patrol teams along the way - strangely enough, the escorting rebels seemed to know the rebels' deployment and patrol routes.

It moves from time to time, stopping from time to time, moving around like a ghost.

The more Feng Ju looked at it, the more he felt something was wrong. If it was a normal interrogation procedure, why would he have to avoid the other rebels?

at last.

When the cart passed through an alley, a flash of fire suddenly appeared in front. It turned out to be another group of people holding torches who had been waiting for a long time.

"Sir, the people have been brought back safely." The leading "rebel" saluted.

"very good."

Song Jinxi nodded, stepped out of the darkness, his face gradually illuminated by the torches.

He walked to the prison car, raised his hand and gently placed it on the car, and then with a "bang", the wooden cage broke into pieces!

Then, in the dull gaze of Feng Ju and others, Song Jinxi smiled and grabbed Feng Ju's hand:

"But Doctor Feng? The governor specially ordered us to rescue you all. You have suffered so much."

Feng Ju was confused and hadn't recovered yet: "Governor? What governor?"

Song Jinxi was stunned for a moment, then he understood, his eyes full of emotion, and he smiled:

"It's Zhao Duan, Lord Zhao. He is now the commander-in-chief of the front line to suppress the rebellion. He arrived at Huting not long ago."

Zhao Duan... Lord Zhao... Lord Zhao has come to save us...

The officials in the prison van were almost fainted by this unexpected good news.

After Song Jinxi took out the waist badge of the Imperial Palace Worshiper from his arms and revealed his identity, Feng Ju and other officials burst into tears of joy!

"Woooo..."

Many officials burst into tears. Feng Ju also burst into tears as he watched a group of officials come forward to remove their shackles and help them off the cart. He choked with sobs:

"My Lord... where are you? You still remember us..."

Song Jinxi smiled and said:

"The governor is waiting for you all. He has prepared food and a warm stove. If Doctor Feng is able to move, he will come with us immediately."

"It can move! It can move!" Feng Ju said hurriedly.

Song Jinxi nodded, and suddenly seemed to remember something, and said:

"I almost forgot. The Lord also told me to ask Doctor Feng if anyone has betrayed His Majesty in the past few months since the fall of the government office?"

Feng Ju was stunned, and so were the other core imperial party officials around him.

Immediately, they turned around almost at the same time and looked at Hu Xuezhai, who was pale, trembling like a sieve, and had gloomy eyes in the prison van.

"I didn't betray him, but..."

Feng Ju looked at Lin Susu who was sitting in the prison car, and suddenly said:
"Mrs. Lin, you..."

Lin Susu was sitting like Guanyin, and now she seemed to have come back to her senses. Hearing this, she turned her head and glanced at her husband beside her.

Hu Xuezhai became anxious, put on a smile, and pulled her sleeve:
"Madam, I was so hungry that I lost my mind. I don't remember anything I said. You..."

Lin Susu silently pried his hands apart, stepped out of the prison van, and walked forward expressionlessly.

"Madam, please don't abandon me. I love you with all my heart, madam..." Hu Xuezhai grabbed her sleeve tightly. Song Jinxi's smile faded and he waved his hand.

Immediately, a "rebel" stepped forward, suddenly drew out a knife, and chopped it with one blow. Hu Xuezhai screamed "Ah!" and his wrist was cut off. The severed hand that was holding the hem of Lin Susu's clothes also fell to the snow.

Lin Susu paused, but continued walking towards Feng Ju and the others.

Then, as everyone staggered towards the fire, Hu Xuezhai was left in the alley, swallowed up by the darkness. After a scream, there was no sound anymore.

……

Temporary Governor's Office.

Zhao Duan sat behind his desk, flipping through military documents while listening to Song Jinxi's report.

When Zhao Duan heard about Hu Xuezhai's death, he was stunned for a moment, raised his head, and had a strange expression on his face:
"Lin Susu's husband?"

"Yes." Song Jinxi explained:
"Doctor Feng said that this person cursed and slandered you and wanted to kill them and eat them. Fortunately, we arrived in time."

Cannibalism... Zhao Duan snorted and said:
"You have brought this upon yourself. Send someone to give Feng Ju and his men a warm welcome. As for Lin Susu, tell them that I will not punish them because of Hu Xuezhai, and the court will not treat them unfairly. Later, bring Feng Ju to see me."

"Yes."

"Has the military intelligence provided by Jiang Wangsun been confirmed?"

"Well, our people used the fake identity he provided to successfully rescue the person. We found the route back ourselves. The rebel patrol route was exactly the same as the one he provided."

Song Jinxi whispered:

"Sir, now that we have this information, can we take the initiative to seize control of Huting?"

"But..." Zhao Duan almost nodded, but because of the uneasiness in his heart, he still shook his head:
"hold on."

Song Jinxi said happily: "The news of Feng Ju's rescue will not be kept secret for long. Once the rebel leaders know about it, they will most likely realize that there is a spy among them and change their defenses."

Zhao Duan sneered:

"With Jiang Wangsun's status, if he is exposed because of such a small matter, he will be a waste. Keep waiting. Jiang Wangsun should send new news soon."

……

……

When the sky in the east turns pale.

Ye Xin had finished washing up, put on his armor neatly, and stood in front of the full-length mirror in the room, staring at himself in the mirror with sharp eyebrows and eyes.

On the wall of this bedroom, above the mirror, are topographic maps nailed to the wall.

"Another day to live..."

Ye Xin muttered to himself in the mirror in a self-deprecating tone, turned around, raised his hand and grabbed the long sword lying horizontally on the weapon rack.

As the former deputy general of the Jiancheng Dao Military Office, Ye Xin made great contributions in the early days of Prince Jing's rebellion, and as a result, he was quickly promoted within Prince Jing's group.

If we say that Jiang Wangsun can now be ranked among the top ten civil servants.

Ye Xin can be ranked among the top five generals under Prince Jing.

Ye Xin's strength lies not in his personal cultivation, but in leading troops in battle. He is particularly good at small-scale battles, focusing on speed and flexibility.

This is also the reason why he can face Xue Shence and the Shenjiying and stand on the front line.

I took a step, pushed the door, and walked out of the bedroom. There was a slight hint of white in the eastern sky, some snow remained in the corners of the wall, and the yard was swept quite clean.

This is his temporary residence and also the rebel headquarters.

At this moment, smoke was rising, and the cooks had already prepared breakfast.

Ye Xin walked into the cafeteria and ate alone.

Suddenly, a soldier outside the courtyard ran over in a hurry, covered in the light red morning light, exhaling a breath of white air:
"General! It's bad! Feng Ju and other officials imprisoned in the Kaishi Yamen have been rescued!"

Ye Xin's fingers suddenly sank into the soft buns and he raised his head at the same time.

……

Inside the rebel "headquarters" meeting hall.

Ye Xin sat at the head of the table and glanced coldly at the people present: "Have you heard everything? Tell me."

Besides Ye Xin, there were four other people sitting at the long table.

Two civil officials and two military officials were stationed on the left and right.

The two generals were both officers under Ye Xin. One was stocky and strong, and the other had white hair, but he was a premature gray-haired general.

As for the two "civil officials", one of them was Jiang Wangsun who came in a hurry.

The other one was wrapped in a cloak and wore a monkey mask on his face. The only one who could attend the meeting in such strange attire was Xu Jianwen, the "military advisor" backed by Prince Jing himself.

"It couldn't be more clear!"

The sturdy general had a gloomy face:
"It was the imperial court that forged our token, took advantage of the night, and passed on a false order to trick people away. He even avoided all patrol teams and disappeared without a trace. Oh, if the other party's cultivation masters came to forcibly take people away, I would accept it, but it was tricked away..."

The white-haired general said calmly, "I'm afraid there is a spy in the army."

Ye Xin said expressionlessly:
"Zhao Duan had just taken over from Xue Shence when he rescued Feng Ju. His intention was obvious, and it must be to boost morale. He had done this before in Yongjia City. I wonder who in our army is the 'Zhao Shixiong'."

After saying this, a light laugh suddenly rang out from under the monkey mask:
"The court has spies in our army, is there anything surprising about this?

It would be strange if they didn't have even half of them.

This spy was probably infiltrated when Xue Shence was in power, but was never used and was left to Zhao Duan to establish his authority.

Feng Ju and his gang are just small characters. There are a lot of people who can find ways to rescue this man. It would not be easy to screen them.

In contrast, it is more important to adjust the deployment as soon as possible to prevent more of our military deployment from being leaked."

Ye Xin agreed:
"I have already arranged for someone to change the defense. Today's meeting is not to screen for spies, but to discuss Zhao Duan's next step and how we should respond."

Jiang Wangsun coughed lightly and prepared to speak.

But Xu Jianwen interrupted him, laughing from under the monkey mask:

"In my opinion, if you just stay passive, you will just be led by the other party, so it is better to take the initiative."

Ye Xin asked doubtfully:
"In Huting City, our military strength is not as strong as the enemy's. We are just relying on the city to defend. Zhao Duan's arrival has greatly boosted morale. If we rashly start a war, I'm afraid the chances of winning are slim."

Xu Jianwen said quietly:

"It's not a contest of military strength. Didn't he rescue Feng Ju? Why don't we send him a message and exchange prisoners with him? Oh, not to bring Feng Ju back, but to use other prisoners in our hands to exchange for our people who were captured by the court."

The sturdy general was stunned for a moment: "Will the man named Zhao change?"

Xu Jianwen smiled and said:
"Why not? He is willing to save Feng Ju, but not others. How will people around him see him? How will the army talk about him?

This person has just replaced Xue Shence, and the military has not yet gained a firm foothold. This is the time to win over the people. Why would you refuse?"

The white-haired general frowned: "Even if you agree to change, then what?"

Xu Jianwen smiled and said:
"We can agree to exchange prisoners at Yansuo Lake outside the city, and arrange for experts to accompany us. At the same time, send experts with elite troops to randomly attack the important places where the imperial court is stationed in the lake pavilion on the day of the prisoner exchange...

We can even spread the word and secretly mobilize troops, making the enemy think we are going to ambush in Yansuo Lake.

It is just right to use the spy to send this false information over.

In this way, the enemy will be distracted and lose sight of the big picture. If they go all out to deal with us at Yansuo Lake, the defenses in the city will naturally be empty, and we will take the opportunity to attack the enemy's key points... This is a combination of false and real, real and false."

After a pause, he said:

"The most important thing is that this matter was initiated by us. He will not know that we are trying to make a feint to the east and attack in the west. Therefore, no matter how we fight, we will seize the initiative. As long as we gain an advantage, we can undermine his prestige in the army and hit the morale of the court..."

This method...Ye Xin fell into deep thought.

The white-haired general said:

"But what if Mr. Zhao doesn't fall for it? He might guess that we deliberately spread the news and focus on defending the defense line, ignoring Yansuo Lake."

Xu Jianwen smiled and said:
"If that's the case, then we can just eat up the people from Yansuo Lake and snatch the people from the other side, and we will still win."

This... Ye Xin's eyes lit up, and he immediately smiled and said:
"This is a very good plan. Let's do as the military advisor says. The prince is not here now, and we are going to make achievements and give the prince a surprise."

Jiang Wangsun was about to speak, but he saw that Ye Xin didn't even ask for his opinion and made the decision directly. The old man's face became more gloomy and he said coldly:
"General Ye, is this the decision? Don't you want to think about it anymore?"

Ye Xin seemed to have finally remembered that there was someone else at the table. He turned his head and frowned, saying in a light tone:

"Master Jiang thinks the military advisor's plan is not good?"

"Okay." Jiang Wangsun said calmly, "Then let's do this."

After saying this, Jiang Wangsun stood up and walked out.

The other two generals also stood up and walked out, while Xu Jianwen was pulled by Ye Xin to stay and discuss the details.

After everyone left, Ye Xin looked at Jiang Wangsun's back as he left, then suddenly looked at Xu Jianwen and said calmly:
"Is that all? Will he be fooled?"

Xu Jianwen adjusted the monkey mask on his face, and a gentle laugh came from behind the mask:

"It doesn't matter whether Jiang Wangsun believes it or not. It's enough to convey the message to Zhao Duan. After all... why bother about a discarded pawn?"

(End of this chapter)