Chapter 1560: Scared to Death
Chapter 1560: Chapter 1560: Scared to Death
Kunzi smiled and nodded, "Yes, we will definitely reclaim the seized cities."
He added silently to himself: Let’s hope so.
"Let’s go." Kunzi rode all the way, escorting Qin San Lang and his group more than ten miles out before turning around with his men, and with gifts in hand, entered the city to present them to Vice Magistrate Duan and General Dai.
Vice Magistrate Duan already knew about Qin San Lang and his group leaving Yongcheng Prefecture, and angrily cursed at Qin San Lang a few times: Those who don’t understand the rules, what’s wrong with offering him half of their plentiful resources?
And that guy surnamed Cao, he’s truly useless, couldn’t even handle a reminder.
However, when the Lei Family’s Trading Team personally brought a carriage full of gifts, Vice Magistrate Duan’s anger diminished a lot, and after accepting the gifts, he casually remarked that Qin San Lang and his people were sensible.
Kunzi noticed how Vice Magistrate Duan swiftly accepted the gifts but showed disdain when praising Qin San Lang and felt uncomfortable, asking, "Vice Magistrate Duan, have the soldiers’ injuries healed?"
The reason Vice Magistrate Duan and others stayed was to use the soldiers’ need to recuperate as an excuse. Seeing Kunzi ask like this, he grimaced, feeling Kunzi was meddling.
Yet, respecting the Lei Family’s Trading Company, Vice Magistrate Duan explained: "Injuries to bones take a hundred days to heal. Many soldiers have bone injuries, they need to heal before fighting the Rong people."
Afterwards, he asked Kunzi, "How is Elder Lei Wu’s injury? Is he planning to return to Yongcheng Prefecture to recuperate?"
Elder Lei Wu’s trip to Da Rong was supposed to be secret; outwardly it was said he was injured and recuperating in Long’an Prefecture.
Vice Magistrate Duan inquired about Elder Lei Wu mainly for currying favor.
Elder Lei Wu had considerable control over the Lei Family’s Trading Team. As long as Vice Magistrate Duan could curry favor with Elder Lei Wu, his influence in the Northwest would further expand. This way, even if the person surnamed Xu wasn’t killed by the Rong people, he wouldn’t dare pressure him excessively.
However, Kunzi said, "Master Wu won’t return to Yongcheng Prefecture and stated he wants to coexist with Long’an Prefecture."
This implied a veiled criticism of Duan Changling staying idle, but Duan Changling pretended not to hear, inwardly sneering, and said, "Long’an Prefecture is dangerous; Elder Lei Wu would do better to recuperate in Yongcheng Prefecture."
Lest Rong people breach Long’an Prefecture, and Elder Lei Wu gets killed by them.
Duan Changling was ill-tempered, and Kunzi frankly was just a servant, he could hardly bother with Kunzi, and after getting unsatisfactory news, he bade farewell with a cup of tea.
Kunzi did not stay long, left with his men, and went to deliver gifts to General Dai.
The two didn’t live together, so the gifts had to be delivered separately.
General Dai was upset, felt disrespected by the Lei Family’s Trading Team; but the Trading Team’s prowess and quality of their gifts soothed him, and he said, "Tell Company Commander Qin and the others that although they were first disrespectful, I won’t hold it against them."
Kunzi almost retorted, you really have the face to say that?
"General Dai, with the threat not yet resolved in Long’an Prefecture, when do you plan to set out with troops?" Kunzi asked again.
General Dai frowned at the question, displeased, and replied, "What danger could there be in Long’an Prefecture? The Rong people have not attacked for months, rest easy, they won’t hit Yongcheng Prefecture."
Kunzi nearly couldn’t hold back a laugh, sneered inwardly, and reminded, "General Dai, it’s been months since the Rong people last attacked; don’t you find that odd?"
General Dai dismissed it, "Odd? What’s odd? The Rong people plan to settle in our Great Chu, been busy relocating their civilians lately, no time to besiege."
Kunzi was stunned, had the gall you knew the Rong people wanted to settle in our Great Chu and won’t leave, yet haven’t marshaled troops to annihilate them?!
Yet General Dai, fearing death, dared not go Northwest; finding Kunzi a bit bothersome, he told his deputy, "You handle this, I have other matters."
Then rose up and left, ignoring Kunzi.
Kunzi was trembling with rage, such a cowardly person being dispatched as Kangrong General, Emperor Jingyuan must be crazy?
Yet General Dai was recommended by Minister Dai, if Emperor Jingyuan knew such incompetence of General Dai, he’d surely assign someone to assassinate him!
And four days later, You Ping and You Xi began their assassination plan.
Vice General Ye wasn’t as fortunate as Duan Changling and General Dai, couldn’t reside in the city but would come for pleasure, this night indulging in a prostitute and sleeping deeply.
The next morning at city gate opening time, yawning soldiers went to open the gate, only to look up and see a head hanging on the gate: "Ah——!"
The soldier screamed in terror, the sound was piercing, alarming all gatekeepers.
Section Leader shouted, "Shi Ba, you fool, what are you screaming for?"
Shi Ba pointed at the head on the gate, stiffened for a while, then yelled, "A head, there’s a head on the gate!"
"What nonsense, are you asking for a beating?" Section Leader rushed down, slapped Shi Ba on the head, "Head, head, I’ve come down, not on the gate, shut up, scream again and I’ll smack you."
However, Shi Ba continuously pointed at the gate, utterly terrified, looking about to die from fright.
Section Leader finally noticed something wrong, he immediately turned to look at the gate, when he saw a head hung there clearly, cold sweat broke, cursed aloud, and urgently shouted, "Quick, get the ladder up, take the head down!"
After a confusion, finally, the head was taken down.
On the brothel side, Vice General Ye was also found dead, hastily sending someone to report.
A deputy dead, Lord Magistrate was shocked, immediately sending notification to Vice Magistrate Duan and General Dai.
Duan Changling quickly arrived, saw Vice General Ye’s body and the head brought from the city gate, furiously slammed the table: "Daring to kill a court deputy, some traitor intends rebellion. Magistrate Weng, immediately seal the city, thoroughly investigate this case, give the court an account!"
An account for nothing.
Effortlessly beheading a deputy, is this someone to provoke lightly? The government can’t investigate; as soldiers, you figure it out yourselves.
Magistrate Weng didn’t respond but asked the government staff, "Has General Dai arrived?"
Not asking would be fine, but once asked, an official ran upstairs, shouting, "Lord Magistrate, it’s bad, General Dai was ambushed last night, hit by a poison arrow, now unconscious."
"General Dai ambushed?!" Duan Changling was shocked, hurried out, grabbed the official’s collar, asked: "What happened? Speak clearly!"
But the official couldn’t explain, Duan Changling angrily kicked him over, called his men, and dashed to General Dai’s separate yard.
The yard was already chaotic, vice general, company commanders, Dai family’s housekeeper all present, even General Dai’s favored concubine showed up.
"How did General Dai encounter an assassination, tell me!" Duan Changling pointed at Housekeeper Dai.
Housekeeper Dai, seeing Duan Changling inquire, dared not be slow, replied: "Reporting to Vice Magistrate Duan, this old servant isn’t sure either, this morning upon calling the General, just saw the General struck in the back by an arrow, unconscious."
"Don’t know?" Duan Changling roared: "Who was on guard last night? Didn’t hear any commotion?!"
Speaking of this, Housekeeper Dai shivered and said: "Last night, General’s guards were Dai Family members, all poisoned, now unconscious."
All poisoned, how bizarre?!