ATPnovel Chapter 59 The Storm Is Brewing
Chapter 59 The Storm Is Brewing
After accompanying Dai Quan's godson to the imperial prison and witnessing firsthand the methods used there, Liu Feng finally understood. When the Northern Garrison Command investigates a case, as long as the person is caught, they can find any evidence they want.
So he didn't intend to investigate slowly at all; instead, he took the person down directly and then slowly looked for evidence.
Although the Daqian Dynasty had constant friction with the Mongols, the tea-horse trade never stopped in order to prevent the Mongols from completely siding with the Tatars. Even when the two sides were fighting, the trade would immediately resume as soon as the war ended.
It was precisely because of this that Datong, a major border trading town, remained prosperous and thriving year-round. Shanxi merchants' camel caravans traveled back and forth day and night, and even the city gates of Datong were specially kept closed at night for caravans to facilitate their overnight travel.
In a private room at the restaurant, Liu Feng looked at the intelligence report in his hand, his brows furrowed.
The local officials in Datong are outrageous! How dare they leave the gates open for Shanxi merchants in the middle of the night? What if someone is colluding with the enemy? Wouldn't Datong change hands in the blink of an eye?
The thought that the General of Datong had already led his troops out of the city to support the besieged deputy general made Liu Feng's heart skip a beat. He felt inexplicably panicked and had a vague premonition that something terrible was about to happen.
"Snoring—"
Liu Feng looked up and saw Wang Daniu holding a bowl of mutton offal soup, eating it while sweating profusely.
He rolled his eyes; the restaurant didn't have that. This guy insisted the waiter go buy it, and he didn't know what kind of delicious food it was, adding so much chili in this hot weather...
Even though they came here to kill, they shouldn't deprive themselves of the pleasures they deserve.
Liu Feng ordered a table full of dishes, much like what Chu Yunfei said in "Bright Sword": there was nothing to choose from, except for a plate of local-style steamed dumplings, the rest were all from other places.
After finishing a large bowl of mutton offal soup, Wang Dani wiped his sweat, let out a satisfied burp, and laughed, "No matter how good the food in the capital is, it can't compare to the comfort of a bowl of mutton offal soup from my hometown."
He grinned lewdly, "If I could spend a few nights in that courtyard near Sipailou, that would be even more fun. You wouldn't believe it, sir, the women of Datong have several advantages that even southern women don't have... Ouch, why did you hit me?"
Liu Feng flicked him on the forehead again: "If I hear these words again while I'm away on business, I'll skin you alive."
He paused, then added, "In the capital, you can do whatever you want, even if you work yourself to death on women, I won't care."
"Who do you think you are!" Wang Daniu said defiantly.
Liu Feng, too lazy to waste time arguing with him, said seriously, "The commander of Datong is also from the border army, he has real skills and his abilities are absolutely top-notch. Most of the people around him are also veterans of the border army. Tonight you must go all out and not let your guard down."
"Don't worry, sir!"
Wang Daniu patted his chest confidently: "That old guy is over fifty years old, long past his prime, he can only last a dozen or so rounds at most."
Liu Feng nodded; he had always trusted Wang Daniu's skills and abilities.
"grown ups......"
"Come in."
A Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) officer responsible for gathering intelligence rushed in and reported to Liu Feng, "Sir, the situation has changed! The commander of the Datong Thousand-Household Garrison has just transferred over a hundred of his men back to their homes, equipped with muskets and crossbows!"
Liu Feng narrowed his eyes slightly. Had the news leaked from the capital?
Wang Daniu's smug expression instantly froze. They only had a dozen or so men; they could handle twenty or thirty, but the enemy had over a hundred men, and they were equipped with firearms...
He shook his head violently. There was no way to win; the disparity in skill was too great!
Liu Feng stood up, paced back and forth a few steps, then turned around: "The General and Deputy General of Datong are not here, and the remaining troops are all in the hands of the Assistant General... Let's go to the Assistant General's residence first."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the window of the private room was suddenly flung open by the wind, and a gust of wind carrying a wave of heat rushed in, making Liu Feng's robes flutter wildly.
Liu Feng slowly turned his head to look out the window. The weather had changed; large, dark clouds were rolling in from the horizon.
He sighed softly, "It's truly the storm brewing."
......................
June weather is like a child's face, changing in an instant.
Just moments ago the sky was clear and blue, but in the blink of an eye, dark clouds loomed overhead and thunder rumbled.
The magistrate of Datong came out of the camp, his brows furrowed, looking worriedly toward the direction beyond the pass.
Ever since the general led his troops out of the city, he had been feeling uneasy, always feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
News has just come that the commander of the Datong garrison and the prefect of Datong have transferred the soldiers and runners in the yamen to their homes, as if they have sensed danger and are on guard against something.
This matter made him increasingly uneasy. All he could do at the moment was to order all the city gates to be closed in advance, and forbid anyone from entering or leaving without his command.
But he also knew in his heart that with the general not in the city and the main force of the army not there, his order would not be able to control the situation and would have little deterrent effect.
"It's like a storm is brewing!"
The adjutant sighed deeply and muttered to himself, "As long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we fall... it's just death..."
"My lord! My lord..."
The officer on duty led an elderly man quickly over, cupping his hands in greeting, "Sir, the steward of the manor has arrived."
The adjutant snapped out of his daze and looked at the newcomer.
The steward stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Master, the Madam has sent me to request that you return to the manor immediately."
The adjutant frowned: "Didn't I say that defense is of utmost importance tonight and I cannot leave to return to my residence?"
The butler's eyes darted away slightly, and he advised in a low voice, "Master, you would be better off going back."
The adjutant asked, "What happened? Has something unexpected occurred at the manor?"
The steward hurriedly replied, "No, no, everything is fine at home. It's just that some relatives have come. The madam says they are from the master's old family and specifically requested that the master return home to meet them as soon as possible."
Old family members?
The adjutant was increasingly puzzled. If someone from his hometown was coming, why was there no prior communication or news?
Although he had doubts, he did not ask any further questions. He turned to the officer on duty and said, "Pass down the order that the entire army eat early tonight, keep their weapons with them at all times, and be on high alert and ready to respond to any situation that may arise during the quelling of the rebellion."
"Yes, sir!" the officer on duty replied loudly.
The lieutenant general gave a few more instructions to the officer on duty before heading home with his steward.
The rear courtyard of the military commander's residence was brightly lit, and Liu Feng sat quietly in the main seat, drinking tea.
The lieutenant general's wife suppressed her fear and held her two children tightly in her arms.
Although Liu Feng repeatedly emphasized that it was just an imperial mission that required the assistance of the adjutant, how much of what the Northern Garrison Command said could be trusted?
What sent chills down her spine even further was that the old steward who had served her family for over a decade turned out to be a spy planted by the Directorate of Ceremonial.
Liu Feng noticed that the little girl in the arms of the deputy general's wife was secretly looking at him. He put down his teacup and put on what he thought was a very, very gentle smile.
Unexpectedly, the little girl was so frightened that she buried her head in her mother's arms and dared not look again.
Liu Feng touched his face. "Am I really that scary-looking?"
A thunderclap sounded, and Wang Dani rushed in, bowing and saying, "Sir, the atmosphere in the city is strange; something big is about to happen."
Liu Feng tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his mind racing: the worst-case scenario was that someone wanted to take advantage of the chaos to start an uprising, seize the key points of the city gate, and secretly collude with the enemy outside the city.
But what role did the local officials, such as the commander of Datong and the prefect of Datong, play in this matter? Or what were their intentions?
Just then, a member of the Imperial Guard rushed in: "Sir, the Commander of Datong has returned."
A flash of lightning illuminated the courtyard in a stark white light, and the adjutant walked in through the moon gate.
His waist knife was gone, and he was followed by his steward and two Imperial Guards.
The adjutant stopped in the courtyard. Seeing that his family was safe and sound, he believed the steward's words even more.
His gaze shifted to Liu Feng, who sat upright in the main seat. His first impression was that Liu Feng was young and impetuous.
The adjutant took a deep breath and stepped inside.
In the hall, Liu Feng slowly stood up, took out a bright yellow imperial edict from his sleeve, unfolded it, and looked at the adjutant who had entered: "Imperial Edict..."