xymnovel Chapter 11 Interception
Chapter 11 Interception
got windy.
A large green sedan chair slowly approached in the afterglow of the setting sun and stopped in front of the Salt Transport Commissioner's office.
Before the sedan curtain was even lifted, the salt commissioner stepped out, his face extremely grim.
Although the man surnamed Bai was just a merchant of low social status, he had powerful backers, and it took him a lot of effort to resolve the matter.
The thought of the other party's arrogant and unreasonable manner ignited a surge of anger in the salt commissioner's heart. He muttered under his breath, "What a bully who relies on his master's power," and strode into the yamen with a sullen face.
As soon as he entered, the butler came forward and whispered, "Master, you were right. That Lin fellow was indeed using a feint... Our men didn't find out the specifics, they only know he left the city after dark..."
Leave the city?
The salt commissioner frowned. No one was smuggling salt tonight, so what was he doing out of the city?
Butler: "The only things outside the city that we can be connected with are salt and salt fields..."
A single sentence awakened me from my reverie.
The salt commissioner's eyes darted around, then he let out a cold laugh.
The butler then realized what was happening: "Master, is that Lin fellow trying to undermine us from the start?"
The salt commissioner paced back and forth twice with his hands behind his back, then suddenly turned around: "Since he's courting death, then so be it!"
The steward's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "Master! You mustn't! That Lin fellow is still carrying the imperial envoy's seal! Assassinating an imperial envoy is, according to the law, treason, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!"
"Exterminate nine generations? That depends on whose nine generations!"
The salt commissioner snorted coldly, "Isn't that Lin fellow always boasting of being a loyal and devoted minister? Let him see what kind of face the royal family he's so desperately loyal to really has! Only when he's dead can the officials of Lianghuai and Liangjiang rest easy!"
The butler knew who he was referring to, but his face was still full of worry: "Master, this matter is of utmost importance. Perhaps... we should seek another solution?"
"The sins I have committed are more than enough to warrant the extermination of my entire family, let alone nine generations!"
A ruthless glint flashed in the salt commissioner's eyes. "Rather than sitting and waiting to be slaughtered, I'd rather fight back! At worst, we'll all perish together!"
The butler swallowed hard. "But...do they really dare to make a move?"
"Money can make the devil turn the millstone, and even communicate with the gods!"
The salt commissioner waved his hand abruptly, "Go and fetch the 500,000 taels of silver notes prepared for the Grand Secretaries. I want to buy the head of that Lin fellow!"
"Yes," the butler replied, his voice trembling.
......................
As dusk was just beginning to fall, the back courtyard of the Salt Commissioner's office was already pitch black. A lantern slowly drifted towards Lin Daiyu's small courtyard.
Lin Daiyu had already washed and changed her clothes, and was now sitting under the lamp reading a collection of poems.
Clearly, she was somewhat troubled; her eyes were on the poetry collection, but her gaze was not on it.
Suddenly, she looked up and asked, "What time is it?"
Xueyan glanced at the clock in the corner and replied, "It's early past 7 PM."
Lin Daiyu glanced out the window and continued flipping through the poetry collection in her hand.
"Madam is here!" a maid called from the outer room.
Lin Daiyu quickly stood up, and Jia Min walked in as the red silk curtain was lifted.
"Mother, what brings you here?" Lin Daiyu stepped forward to help Jia Min sit down, and then asked Xueyan to pour tea.
Jia Min picked up the poetry collection, flipped through it, and said with a smile, "Didn't you always dislike Li Yishan's poems? Why are you reading this today?"
Lin Daiyu smiled and offered the hot tea to Jia Min: "I'm just browsing around since I have nothing else to do."
Jia Min didn't ask any further questions, took the tea and sipped it. "I heard from Granny Wang that Mr. Jia started teaching you the Four Books today?"
"Mm." Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, her face showing a hint of pride.
Looking at her daughter, Jia Min felt a mix of tenderness and pride, but when she thought of her son who had died young, a complex and indescribable feeling welled up in her heart.
Lin Daiyu: "I was just thinking of going to find my mother."
"Oh? What's wrong?" Jia Min asked.
Lin Daiyu gently twisted her handkerchief in her hands, frowning. "I don't know why, but I feel very restless and uneasy, as if... something is about to happen."
Jia Min slowly put down the teacup in her hand.
She herself was also feeling uneasy, which is why she came to her daughter's place to relax.
Could it be...?
No, the Great Qian Dynasty has existed for over a hundred years, and there has never been an assassination attempt on an imperial envoy...
"Madam! Madam—"
"What's wrong?"
Jia Min looked at Granny Wang, who was rushing in.
"We just received news... Old Jin, the janitor who signed the contract for cleaning the master's quarters, hasn't returned yet!"
Deposit room?
Jia Min's expression changed, and she suddenly stood up: "This is bad! Quickly go to the front office and call Wang, the head constable, and the others over!"
"Quack quack—quack quack—"
Just then, a crow landed on a tree in the yard and started cawing frantically, casting a shadow over Jia Min's heart.
......................
There was no moon at the end of the month, only a few stars shining on the official road of the canal embankment.
When the wind blows, migratory birds flying south to overwinter on the mudflats occasionally call out, but this period of quiet is unusual.
A rapid sound of horses' hooves came from the night sky.
A horse-riding figure gradually approached.
Suddenly, the horse stumbled.
A suddenly taut tripwire tripped the horse.
The man was immediately thrown to the ground.
Several burly men leaped out from both sides of the official road, rushed forward, and pinned the man down.
But the person didn't make a sound at all.
The leader of the men in black reached for his neck, then kicked one of his henchmen beside him, yelling, "What are you doing! Your neck's broken!"
Everyone hurriedly let go.
"Who pulled the rope just now? I already said it was just for scouting!"
"I...didn't hear you..."
"A bunch of useless trash!" the man in black sneered. "Re-lay the tripwires—"
Before he could finish speaking, a cacophony of hoofbeats echoed from afar.
"It's too late!"
The man in black drew his knife with a swift motion, while the others quickly retreated to the roadside, standing with their guns drawn, the tips gleaming coldly in the starlight.
"The horses in the interior aren't as tall as our border troops' warhorses. Lower your spears and aim for the horses' bellies! Stop them first, then make your move, understand?"
"yes!"
Liu Feng wasn't blind; he suddenly pulled on the reins, and his horse came to a stop.
Lin Ruhai and the others also reined in their horses.
"Did you run into robbers?" Lin Ruhai asked in a low voice.
Liu Feng gave him a strange look. He was usually so shrewd; why was he acting so confused now? The salt soldiers scouting ahead had stopped moving—they couldn't possibly be ordinary highwaymen!
He spurred his horse forward two steps and shouted, "Who are you heroes ahead? Please be merciful! I have ten taels of silver here; consider it a treat for you brothers to some wine!"
"Lin Ruhai, the Salt Commissioner is offering 500,000 taels of silver for your head!"
Liu Feng was slightly taken aback. Was it really that direct?
Lin Ruhai's face darkened instantly. How dare they hire someone to ambush and kill him, the imperial envoy? They were simply outrageous!
The roads at this time were not the wide asphalt roads of later generations.
Liu Feng guessed that the opponent was carrying a long spear, making it difficult for the warhorse to pass unharmed.
Just as he was about to suggest retreating, the other side spoke again: "Don't even think about retreating. The Bai family has already blocked your escape route. You're going to die either way, so why not let us brothers make a fortune? Don't worry, we'll be ruthless and won't hurt!"
A burst of laughter erupted.
Liu Feng looked at Lin Ruhai: "Sir?"
Lin Ruhai gripped the reins tightly: "We're less than twenty miles from where we agreed to meet Uncle Lin. If we rush over there, we'll be safe."
Charge through?
Liu Feng really wanted to slap the sole of his shoe against his face, but retreating might mean an even more miserable death, so he could only grit his teeth and nod.
He pointed to the two salt soldiers beside him: "You two will charge with me later. The enemy will probably use long spears to stab the horses in the belly. You two control the horses and lean to both sides to buy time for the commander."
The two nodded emphatically without saying a word.
Liu Feng then pointed to the other two salt soldiers: "You two protect the adults and charge forward, don't look back!"