[R18] Will drink wine – “About Wine” Chapter 117 [English]

Chapter 113 Reunion (Part 2)

When the meal was almost done, Kong Ling arranged for people to open up the courtyard for the guests who were traveling all the way to rest.It was already midnight, and Shen Zechuan asked Ding Tao to send Ji Gang off to rest. The leaders of the group all reported matters and stood on the porch one by one, preparing to go in one by one.

“Come in and sit down together. Let’s talk if we have anything to say.” After they all came in, Shen Zechuan sat in the main seat and asked Chen Yang first, “Did the preparation of military rations go well?”

Chen Yang sits upright, heAfter compiling his words for a moment, he said: “It didn’t go well. Just as the young master expected before I left, the officials in Huaizhou were prevaricating in every possible way and were reluctant to make arrangements. At that time, the war in Libei was tense, and the master’s two-day deadline was about to come. I was so anxious that it was only Master Jiang, the guard at Luoxia Pass, who came forward to guarantee that Huaizhou would release the grain. Fortunately, we met the deadline and were connected by the grain and horse road, so the military situation was not delayed.” heAt this point, he was silent for a while and said, “I met the prince in Libei. The prince was seriously injured. I heard that the master was under siege in Qandu. I wanted to lead my troops to pick him up, but unfortunately the prince rejected it.”

Shen Zechuan did not ask for more details, but turned to Gu Jin and said, “You came to Cizhou to adjust grains at that time. Zhou Gui was not as difficult as Huaizhou Prefecture, so why are you frowning now?”

Gu Jin was a little surprised when his name was called.Everyone present noticed that he was absent-minded. Shen Zechuan looked at him and he said: “…I came to Cizhou to supervise the preparation of military rations, and I did not encounter any difficulties. I was sent to the front with the army early, and I met the prince in the Hongyandong Mountains.”

He didn’t speak quickly and stopped and hesitated for a long time.

“I heard that the master had left Qidu and had been waiting for him to return home. Later, when I met Chen Yang in the army, I found out that the master had stopped in Cizhou, so I rushed here.”

Libei is just north of Cizhou. Logically speaking, they should be faster than Qiao Tianya.

Shen Zechuan tapped his fingertips on the table, stepped over, and said to Qiao Tianya, “What about you? Tell me in detail.”

Qiao Tianya crossed his arms on the handle of the chair and answered quickly: “I was ordered by the master to rush to look for the person. I traced the traces in the inner house of Xue Mansion and found that Xue Xiuzhuo had moved the master to Donglong Yaxing, but the husband was missing. We were a step late… We couldn’t get out of the city gate, so we had to hide in the capital.” He said and looked at Fei Sheng, “It just so happened that heWe also took people to hide from the family and search. We tried every means to get out of the city, but Han Cheng blocked everything.We really had no place to go, so we hid in the Mei residence of the Marquis.I happened to find the map of the Guangou ditch that the Marquis had taken from the Pan family.”

This thing was obtained from Pan Lin when Xiao Chiye hosted a banquet. At that time, he planned to keep it for himself just in case, but unexpectedly, it became the key for Qiao Tianya and others to escape from the capital.

“We crawled out of the Guan ditch,” Fei Sheng said, stretching out his hand and showing his fingers. “The Guan ditch in each street was newly dug. I don’t know if it was the intention of the Marquis. They are all narrow on the outside and wide on the inside. There are still candles and some dry food in the dry place. We, a group of more than fifty people, relied on these dry food to go around the Eighth Camp for more than ten days, and finally left the capital near Fengshan Mountain.”

“After I came out, I found that the official inspection between the eight cities in the capital was strict, so I pawned off my gold and silver jade pendants, disguised myself as a traveling merchant, and went around from the south of Trent City to Chazhou, and then rushed from Chazhou to Cizhou.” Qiao Tianya said, “When we arrived in Chazhou half a month ago, we heard that Han Cheng had sent the emperor’s heir to the palace. But after leaving Chazhou, the news was blocked, and we lost the follow-up.For details, we have to wait for Ge Qingqing’s letter.”

Shen Zechuan was deep in thought and no one disturbed him.He heard the sound of Ding Tao walking in the corridor. When Ding Tao walked to the door, he said: “You two are also tired, so follow Ding Tao to rest first tonight.”

Fei Sheng had a look, and was not too busy confessing his loyalty tonight. He simply stood up neatly, called “Master” with Qiao Tianya, and then left.

* * *

The candle exploded slightly and flickered.

Gu Jin never raised his head and said anything. He was trapped in the dim light, and the shadow of the candlelight was projected on the side of his face, like two little people wrestling together.

Shen Zechuan was surprisingly calm and said, “What happened to you two in Libei?”

Chenyang raised his hands to partially cover his face, resting his elbows on the handle of the chair.He said: “…I didn’t encounter anything in front of the Crown Prince, it was Gujin.”

In the uncomfortable silence, Gu Jin unbuttoned his clothes, took off his shirt, and turned his back, exposing his entire back to Shen Zechuan.He said: “These things should have been reported directly to the master, but the master will not return until a few days later. According to the master’s instructions in Qudu, I can report to the young master first. I arrived at the most intense place of the war, and both the prince and the commander-in-chief are safe. After the military ration review, I temporarily served as the forward of the original scout team and dealt with the cavalry of the Viper Division every day. I can’t remember the day when I led the team back from the Eastern Mountain Range and encountered an ambush on the way.”

The back was eroded, and the severe areas had been scraped off, and blood could still be seen oozing from the areas wrapped with gauze.

“I was hit by an arrow, but escaped. I originally thought I was from the Viper Tribe, so I took the remaining two hundred brothers to bypass the pasture where the Viper Tribe was infested, and walked back from the swamp of Tudalong Banner. Unexpectedly, I was ambushed again in Tudalong Banner that night.” Gujin pulled up his clothes again, heHe tied the button and said, “Sir, I am a scout. I was selected by the prince to join the guard because of a pair of eyes and a pair of ears. Although I have not been as good as before in Qandu these years, after my master gave me some advice, I did not dare to be careless anymore, especially on the battlefield. I was even more cautious on the battlefield. That night, my marching route was given directly without discussing it with anyone, but I was ambushed twice, so I began to suspect that there was an informant from the Viper Division in the team.”

“On the way to escape for the second time, I found snake venom on the arrow. This poison was painted on the steel needle by Ding Tao before. It is something from the Hongyanxi Mountains. My back was badly rotten at the time, and I was chased closely in the swamp. I was bitten by some poisonous insects. I couldn’t bear it, and I started to have a fever at dawn.”

Gujin stopped again when he said this.

He spoke very dullly, pausing frequently, as if to confirm again and again in case he said a wrong word. He knew what the next words meant.

“Our horses were drowned in the swamp, and I couldn’t leave. A dozen miles south from Tudalong Banner was the permanent camp of the Libei Iron Cavalry. The strange thing was that no one was patrolling that day. I asked my trusted general to go back first and wait for reinforcements. As a result, from dusk to dawn the next day,No one came.I was worried that the spy would use this to enter the permanent camp, so I forced myself to return to the camp, but I was detained by Xie Dao and stayed in the prison cell where the Biansha prisoners were held for a night.The next day, I was taken to the front tent and interrogated by the general of the permanent camp, Guo Weili. ”

Gu Jin omitted the details of the trial, and he did not want to recall it. For him, it was not physical pain, but the collapse of some kind of thought.

He said in a very soft voice: “They said that I had an affair with the Viper Division, which led to the annihilation of the vanguard further east of Tudalong Banner that night, and deprived our army of mid-level rank, and asked me to explain whether I was instructed by others. I couldn’t admit what I had not done. I asked the resident camp why they ignored my request for reinforcements twice, heThey claim that they have not received it.According to military regulations, I have to go through the trial of the three generals and then be executed by the current commander-in-chief. However, Guo Weili killed the prince and was seriously injured. We have the right to act on our behalf. If Chen Yang hadn’t arrived at the right time that day, I would not have been able to see the prince.”

Shen Zechuan used a silver needle to pick out the candle wick, and the fire went out.He stared at the tear-like candle, and countless thoughts flashed through him in an instant.He didn’t even need Chen Yang and Gu Jin to remind him, but he still remembered that in the appointment book of the Ministry of War, this Guo Weili was promoted by Xiao Jiming.

* * *

Xiao Chiye followed the traces left by Lei Jingzhe all the way to the north of the old camp.He dismounted and grabbed a handful of dirt, looked forward, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Tantai Tiger looked at the mountains and said: “If you continue to go north, you will have to step on the edge of Libei. We don’t dare to go there, so we can only separate and flee. Master, I suspect that he is walking people. It is too strenuous to chase him like this.”

“He is indeed walking people,” Xiao Chiye loosened his fingers, “it is a small stream, which cannot be caught with a big net, but if we spread out, we will fall into the opponent’s trap. He refused to fight me head-on because he could not withstand the momentum of the imperial army and was worried that his people would be distracted. They are familiar with this place, so they tried every means to lure us to disperse into groups so that we can attack them one by one.”

“We don’t have enough cavalry,” Tantai Hu surveyed the terrain, “this dog thief is too cunning!”

“Not busy.” Xiao Chiye stood up.

After returning from a fierce inspection, he landed on Xiao Chiye’s shoulder, and stood with Xiao Chiye in the night wind.The wind rustled the grass, scattering a few wisps of willow leaves.

“Among the five soldiers, fire is the strongest.” Xiao Chiye mounted his horse again, “I want to burn him with fire until he has nowhere to hide.”

Tantai Hu then mounted his horse and said, “But there are many trees here. If they burn, the fire will probably spread to the Libei grassland.”

Xiao Chiye laughed out loud on the horse and said to Tantai Hu: “I’m not asking you to burn this place. Let’s go to the villages and towns along the way and let them post notices. Anyone harboring bandits will be killed on horseback. But if the forbidden army is notified, the copper coins will be weighed according to the head. I will reward you as much as you want. Also tell himWe are about to issue a recruitment notice in Cizhou. If you go there, we will provide three meals a day. Those who can get the reward from the imperial army will be given priority.Since Lei Jingzhe is unwilling to be found by us, then I will knock him out.”

Tantaihu hesitated again and again, but still said: “But don’t we have no money…”

“Report to Lan Zhou in full when you go back,” Xiao Chiye spurred his horse, then reined in his horse and turned back, saying, “Second Young Master, can’t you afford a few handfuls of copper coins?”

Tantai Tiger looked embarrassed.

Xiao Chiye turned his finger and said coldly: “Oh.”

__________________________________________________

The author has something to say:

1 “New Book of Ji Xiao”