Han Ji

Chapter 116 Zhang Fei is also clever

After Zhao Lu left, Wang Chun summoned the head of the guards.

The leader was called Du Laosi, not his real name, but because he was the fourth oldest in his family. He was ruthless and vicious. He was originally a notorious bandit from the Bashan Mountains, but was recruited by Wang Chun and made to do dirty work.

"Fourth brother, pick fifty good men and prepare kerosene," Wang Chun said. "Rob the salt carts in three days. Don't kill anyone, just burn the carts."

Du Laosi licked his teeth: "My lord, Zhang Fei is not someone to be trifled with."

"It's not like I'm asking you to set up camp." Wang Chun glared. "Burn the cart and run, head into the mountains, how can he catch you?"

"But what if he really does pursue me..."

"Hurry up, he can't catch up." Wang Chun waved his hand. "Go get ready."

Du Laosi stepped down.

That night, fifty guards gathered on the back hill of Wangjiazhuang.

These men were mostly desperate criminals, living on the edge. Du Laosi distributed kerosene canisters and crossbows, whispering, "This time, just burn the carts, don't kill anyone. Anyone who messes with their hands, I'll chop them off."

Someone asked, "Fourth Brother, why didn't you kill them?"

"Kill my ass!" Old Du spat. "If we kill, Zhang Fei will definitely chase us to the death. If we burn the cart, he'll have to put out the fire, and we can escape."

Everyone suddenly realized.

Three days later, at midnight.

On the official road from Yanjing to Mianyang County, ten salt carts moved slowly. Twenty soldiers escorted them, led by a squad leader on horseback.

The night was dark and the wind was high.

As we walked into the black pine forest, a whistle suddenly sounded from within.

Arrows rained down from both sides, embedding themselves in the salt carts. The escorting soldiers cried out in alarm and formed ranks, their leader shouting, "Bandits! Protect the carts!"

Du Laosi led his men out, not attacking anyone, but heading straight for the salt carts. The oil canisters smashed into the salt bags, and then the rockets were launched.

boom!

The salt cart caught fire.

The team leader, his eyes wide with fury, shouted, "Fire! Quickly!"

The soldiers extinguished the fire, and the bandits took the opportunity to retreat. Du Laosi gave a whistle, and fifty men scattered into the mountains and forests.

The whole process took less than 15 minutes.

The team leader's inventory: the salt carts were completely destroyed, the salt workers were unharmed, and three soldiers sustained minor injuries.

"Damn it!" the team leader stamped his foot. "They're messing with us!"

When the news reached Yanjing, Zhang Fei had just gone to sleep.

Zhang Wu rushed into the tent: "Yide! The salt carts have been burned! All ten carts are destroyed!"

Zhang Fei put on his robe and stood up: "Is the person dead?"

"No, the bandits only burned the vehicles, they didn't kill anyone."

Zhang Fei walked outside the tent and looked at the firelight to the south.

The firelight illuminated his face, flickering between light and shadow.

"Zhang Wu."

"exist!"

"Send a hundred riders, and give chase."

"Which way should we chase them?"

Saigo.

Zhang Wu was taken aback: "Yide, there's no evidence..."

"What evidence do you need?" Zhang Fei returned to his tent and put on his armor. "The bandits should go back to where they came from. Within a radius of thirty miles, the only place that could harbor fifty bandits is Wangjiazhuang."

A hundred riders emerged from the well site, their hooves wrapped in cloth, galloping swiftly with gags in their mouths.

Zhang Fei took the lead, holding his eighteen-foot spear upside down. Zhang Wu followed closely behind.

An hour later, they arrived outside Wangjiazhuang.

The manor was dark and gloomy, with only two lanterns hanging on the gate tower. Guards patrolled the walls at night, and the glint of swords could be vaguely seen.

Zhang Fei reined in his horse and hid by the edge of the woods to observe.

"Yide, should we just knock on the door?" Zhang Wu asked.

"No." Zhang Fei dismounted. "You take thirty men and go around to the back of the village to see if there are any hoofprints or the smell of kerosene. I'll take seventy men and block the front gate."

Zhang Wu led his men away.

Zhang Fei waited for a quarter of an hour, then the hooting of an owl echoed from behind the village. Zhang Wu signaled: "Found."

"Knock on the door." Zhang Fei mounted his horse.

The soldier stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker.

A servant peeked out from behind the gate: "Who is it? Making noise in the middle of the night!"

"Zhang Fei, Commander of the Hanzhong Commandant." Zhang Fei rode forward. "Bandits burned the official salt and fled in this direction. Please open the gates of the manor so that my troops can search."

The servant panicked: "Sir, sir, please wait a moment, allow me to report to our lord..."

"We can't wait any longer!" Zhang Fei shouted. "If the bandits are hiding in the manor, they could endanger the prince's life. Open the door!"

Hurried footsteps came from inside the door.

Wang Chun hurried to the gate tower, donned his robe, and shone his lantern down: "Zhang Sima? What brings you here so late at night?"

"Chase the bandits!" Zhang Fei looked up. "The bandits burned ten cartloads of government salt and fled to the west. To protect the safety of the Prince, please open the gates of the village. Our troops will search the area and then leave."

Wang Chunqian laughed: "Zhang Sima is joking. Xiaozhuang is peaceful and tranquil; how could there be bandits..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of fighting came from behind the village.

Zhang Wu's roar rang out: "Yide! There's bloodstained clothing in the stable behind the manor! They've made their move!"

Wang Chun's expression changed drastically.

Without another word, Zhang Fei pointed his eighteen-foot spear and shouted, "Break down the door!"

The soldiers carried the tree trunk forward.

Wang Chun shouted urgently, "Zhang Sima! You've trespassed on a private residence! Is there no law anymore?!"

"Suppressing bandits is the law!" Zhang Fei spurred his horse forward and pierced the wooden wall where the door latch was with a spear.

The gates of the manor were shaken.

Arrows rained down from the wall, sparse and scattered. Zhang Fei raised his shield to deflect them, then turned and roared, "Cloud ladder!"

A simple ladder is mounted on the wall.

Zhang Fei was the first to climb up, sweeping down two servants with his eighteen-foot spear before leaping into the manor. Soldiers followed closely behind.

There was chaos in the village.

The guards rushed out from their houses and engaged in a fierce battle with the government troops. But while these guards could bully ordinary people, they were easily routed when faced with the veteran soldiers from Guangzong.

Zhang Fei charged straight into the main hall.

Wang Chun was running towards the backyard when Zhang Fei caught up with him and kicked him to the ground.

"Lord Wang, where is the bandit?" Zhang Fei pressed the tip of his spear against his throat.

"No, there are no bandits..." Wang Chun stammered.

A woman screamed from the back room.

Zhang Wu brought out a man, who was none other than Du Laosi. He had been shot in the leg with an arrow and was being dragged by Zhang Wu, still clutching a knife in his hand.

"Yide! This bastard tried to escape through the back door, but I shot him down!" Zhang Wu slammed Du Laosi to the ground. "We found blood-stained clothes and kerosene cans in the stable."

Zhang Fei looked at Wang Chun.

Wang Chun's face was ashen.

"Search the entire village," Zhang Fei ordered. "Search every room and every cellar thoroughly."

The soldiers dispersed.

Half an hour later, the report came back: In the secret room of the west wing, three hundred bushels of smuggled salt, fifty standard ring-pommel swords, and thirty crossbows were found. There was also a box of letters sealed with sealing wax.

Zhang Wu brought over the letter.

Zhang Fei ordered his soldiers to escort Wang Chun and Du Laosi to the main hall to open and read the letter.

The letter is a record of Wang Chun's correspondence with officials of the prefecture: In a certain month of a certain year, he sent Su Gu a certain number of gold ingots; on a certain day of a certain month, he shared a certain amount of salt profits with Zhao Lü; in a certain criminal case, he bribed Chen Lun to change the verdict.

Zhang Fei put the letter away.

"Lord Wang," he squatted down in front of Wang Chun, "these letters are enough to kill your whole family three times over."

Wang Chun collapsed to the ground.

Suddenly, Du Laosi roared, "My lord! Don't be a coward! We have men..."

Before the words were finished, the sound of horses' hooves rang out from outside the village.

A great deal of hoofbeats.

Zhang Wu rushed to the gatehouse and shouted back, "Yide! Soldiers! At least two hundred men, led by... Guan Yu, the Commander-in-Chief!"

Zhang Fei was taken aback.

Why would Guan Yu come?

The gates of the village had been breached, and Guan Yu led his army straight in.

He wore a green robe and black boots, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade unsheathed, but his eyes were cold and sharp. Behind him were two hundred soldiers, half of whom were county soldiers and the other half were Liu Bei's personal guards.

"Yun Chang?" Zhang Fei greeted him. "What brings you here?"

"My brother anticipated Su Gu's counterattack and sent me to meet you. I reached Xixiang and heard shouts of battle." Guan Yu dismounted and looked at Wang Chun, who was kneeling on the ground. "What happened?"

"You've come at the perfect time, take a look." Zhang Fei handed over the letter box.

Guan Yu glanced at it quickly and put it away.

"Wang Chun," Guan Yu walked up to him, "colluding with bandits, burning government salt, bribing officials—each of these is a capital offense. Do you want to die now, or do you want to live?"