bookrandom Chapter 1443: Prisoner Robbery? Predict in Advance!
Chapter 1443: Prisoner Robbery? Predict in Advance!
The case of Youzhou Governor Ma Qingsheng colluding with foreign enemies and smuggling military supplies was like a thunderclap that exploded in the sky above Kyoto City.
The whole of Kyoto was in an uproar the day the news came out.
"Have you heard? That bastard Ma Qingsheng actually dared to sell our military rations to the Scorpion Tribe!"
"Bah! Such a traitor deserves to be cut into pieces!"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince just issued a strict order prohibiting grain trade with outsiders, yet this corrupt official actually pretends to obey and secretly disobeys!"
"Humph, people like this should be executed along with their entire clan!"
In the streets and alleys, the people were filled with righteous indignation and cursed one after another.
When the yamen runners beat gongs and announced along the streets that Ma Qingsheng and his followers would be executed in Xishi in three days, the crowd burst into cheers.
"Good kill!"
"His Royal Highness the Prince is wise!"
"To deal with such people, we should use thunderbolt methods."
"Killing so many people at once, I believe no one else in the court would dare to sell food to the Scorpion Tribe again!"
The aristocratic families held meetings behind closed doors, and many of them were terrified, fearing that they would be implicated.
After all, to be able to sit in the position of Governor of Youzhou, Ma Qingsheng must have had some support in the court.
Now that he has been arrested, who knows who will be implicated next?
At this moment, Ma Qingsheng and seventeen other prisoners were being escorted on the official road to Kyoto City.
The cold wind in December is like a knife, cutting people's faces painfully.
The team escorting prisoners moved slowly forward on the official road. Ma Qingsheng in the prison car had disheveled hair, heavy shackles on his hands and feet, and his face was as pale as a death.
He looked at the mountains vaguely visible in the distance, feeling both desperate and unwilling.
"Sir...are we really finished?" Zhou Huan, the head of the warehouse department beside him, asked in a trembling voice.
Ma Qingsheng sneered and whispered, "Not necessarily."
Zhou Huan was stunned. Before he could react, he heard Ma Qingsheng lower his voice and say, "Do you think those people will watch us being taken to Kyoto?"
Zhou Huan's pupils shrank, and he seemed to understand something, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
If something happens to them, not only will the food not be transported out, but even the people behind them will be exposed.
That person will never let them confess!
The only way is to rescue them!
Although there is a team of 100 people escorting them back to the capital this time, as long as the person behind them wants to take action, this team of 100 people will be no match for them.
As it grew dark, the team set up camp in a valley sheltered from the wind.
The Youzhou cavalry responsible for the escort were on high alert, with torches lit all around the tents. Patrolling soldiers moved back and forth, vigilantly watching every movement in the darkness.
At midnight, the cold wind howled, and the torches in the camp were blown flickering.
Suddenly, an arrow came through the air and accurately hit the throat of a soldier on guard!
"Enemy attack——!"
The shrill screams pierced the night sky, and the camp was instantly in chaos!
Dozens of men in black rushed out from all directions. They moved swiftly, their swords flashing like snow, and rushed straight to the tent where the prisoners were held.
The masked man in the lead kicked open the tent door and shouted, "Quick! Save them!"
However, when he rushed into the tent, he suddenly froze—
The tent was empty, where was the trace of Ma Qingsheng and others?
"Fell into a trap!"
The pupils of the leader of the men in black suddenly shrank, and he shouted sternly, "Retreat!"
But it's too late.
"kill--!"
The deafening shouts of killing suddenly broke out from the outskirts of the camp. The Youzhou cavalry surged in like a tide, and torches illuminated the entire valley.
The leading general was wearing silver armor and holding a heavy sword. She was the prince's concubine - Feng Mulan!
Seeing that the situation was not good, the leader of the men in black immediately blew the whistle, and the remaining men in black quickly gathered and tried to break out.
"Want to go?"
Feng Mulan sneered and swung her heavy sword: "Don't leave any alive, capture them all!"
The cavalry charged, their iron hooves shaking the ground!
The men in black fought and retreated, but the Youzhou cavalry were well-trained and surrounded them in a blink of an eye.
Amidst the flashing of swords and the shadow of sabers, blood splattered and screams were heard everywhere.
Seeing his men suffering heavy casualties, the leader of the men in black gritted his teeth and shouted, "Break out in separate groups!"
He flashed and rushed out of the encirclement like a ghost, rushing straight towards Feng Mulan!
"Looking for death!" A cold light flashed in Feng Mulan's eyes, and the heavy sword suddenly chopped down!
"clang--!"
Gold and iron clash, and sparks fly!
The dagger of the leader of the men in black was shaken out of his hand, he groaned and staggered back.
Feng Mulan took advantage of the situation and pursued him, her sword was as powerful as a storm, forcing the opponent to retreat again and again.
"Tell me! Who sent you here?!" Feng Mulan asked sternly.
The leader of the men in black gritted his teeth and did not answer, but suddenly threw out three poison darts from his sleeves!
Feng Mulan was prepared. She dodged to the side and swept her heavy sword across, directly cutting off the opponent's right arm!
“Ah——!” The leader of the men in black howled and fell to his knees.
Feng Mulan stepped on his chest and said coldly, "Do you think that if you don't tell me, I can't do anything to you?"
"Hmph, since you don't want to speak, then go back to Kyoto City and experience the methods of the Jinyiwei."
"Take him away! Bring him back to Kyoto and hand him over to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for interrogation!"
The battle was over and the camp returned to silence, leaving only corpses on the ground and a strong smell of blood.
Feng Mulan stood in the firelight, looking at the leader of the men in black who was tied up, a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes.
"You dare to rob the imperial court's most wanted criminal. You are quite courageous."
She sneered: "I want to see who is behind this!"
The leader of the men in black lowered his head and said nothing, but a trace of black blood seeped from the corner of his mouth - he had actually bitten the poison sac hidden in his teeth!
Feng Mulan's face changed and she immediately pinched his chin, but it was too late.
"Damn it!"
She cursed angrily and turned to her guards, "Search! See if there are any clues on them!"
The guards quickly searched the body and soon found a token from a man in black.
On the token, there is a scorpion tail engraved!
Feng Mulan's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Scorpion Clan Death Warriors?"
She murmured, "No...that's not right. If they were from the Scorpion Clan, why would they risk their lives to save Ma Qingsheng?"
She gripped the token tightly, a cold light flashing in her eyes.
"It seems that this case...is not over yet!"
She knew very well that if the person was sent by the Scorpion Clan, he must be a member of the Scorpion Clan.
The other person's appearance is very different from that of the Central Plains people and is very easy to identify.
Although these people had the Scorpion Clan's identity tokens, they did not look like the other party and were clearly from the Central Plains.
Whether or not he is a member of the Scorpion Tribe still needs to be investigated.
At this time, the Youzhou Iron Cavalry learned their lesson and took out all the poison from the bodies of the remaining dozen or so men in black and hidden in their mouths and teeth.
"My Lady Concubine, these people have poison and identity tokens of the Scorpion Clan." The deputy general came to report.
Feng Mulan looked at the many identity tokens in the other party's hand, and a sneer flashed in her eyes:
"It seems the other party is quite clever, actually knowing how to divert the trouble away. Humph, even I can see through such a simple scheme, let alone His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Immediately have the Imperial Guards send a pigeon to inform His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of this matter. I'll also add that I suspect these people are deliberately trying to frame the Scorpion Clan."