xymnovel Chapter 23 Making the Move
Chapter 23 Making the Move
Chen Tingyu was reviewing documents in the signing room.
The report has been submitted. The handwriting is messy, as if it were written with a finger dipped in muddy water, but the content is clear:
The Liubai Battalion suppressed bandits, beheading thirty-three. The bandits had connections with someone in the Ministry of War.
He turned to the ledger.
The account book was old, the paper yellowed. The last page read "Filial Piety Silver," and below it was—.
He was about to speak—
The door was pushed open.
Wang Dechang rushed in.
"My lord!" Wang Dechang's voice boomed, "Shen Bai ordered his troops to massacre the village! The people of Dawangba outside the city were slaughtered! This is the evidence of his crimes!"
He was holding a stack of papers in his hand, and the papers were trembling.
Chen Tingyu looked at him.
Wang Dechang's face was covered in sweat, and his eyes were gleaming. He looked like a rat that had smelled blood.
Chen Tingyu closed the ledger.
"In that case," he said, "let's go and ask Captain Shen together."
---
Liubai Camp, in the center of the camp.
Wang Dechang pointed at Shen Bai.
"Shen Bai! You ordered your troops to massacre villages and ravage the people! Over a hundred people were killed by your men at Dawangba outside the city! What else do you have to say?!"
His voice was shrill, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Several clerks followed behind him, holding a petition written by Wang Dechang. The petition was very long, like a snake crawling on the ground.
Shen Bai stood motionless in the center of the camp.
Chen Tingyu stood aside, watching him.
"Captain Shen," Chen Tingyu said, "is what Lord Wang said true?"
Shen Bai remained silent.
He looked at Wang Dechang.
Wang Dechang was also looking at him, his eyes full of smugness.
"What's wrong? Not saying anything?" Wang Dechang took a step forward. "Feeling guilty?"
Shen Bai's voice was very flat.
Who is feeling guilty?
Wang Dechang's expression changed.
"you--"
"Who massacred the people of Dawangba?" Shen Bai interrupted him. "Who ordered Wu Liu to do it?"
Wang Dechang's face turned pale instantly.
"You're spouting nonsense!"
"Who's spouting nonsense?" Shen Bai said, "We'll find out soon enough."
Chen Tingyu's eyes flickered.
"Captain Shen," he said, "what evidence do you have?"
Shen Bai remained silent.
He glanced back.
Chen Qingzhi came out of the tent, holding someone's hand.
Wu Liu.
When Wang Dechang saw Wu Liu, his face turned completely ashen.
---
Wu Liu was pushed in front of Wang Dechang.
His eyes lit up when he saw Wang Dechang.
"Lord Wang!"
He shouted it out, his voice shrill.
"Lord Wang, save me! I was just following your orders! You said to kill them all and plunder all their grain, and I did it! You said—"
"shut up!"
Wang Dechang's face was as white as paper.
"You're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!"
"I'm making false accusations?" Wu Liu looked at him, his eyes filled with fear. "Lord Wang, have you forgotten? I still have the letter you gave me! You said if I did it, I wouldn't be shortchanged on the money! I've kept it all!"
Wang Dechang's lips were trembling.
He took a step back.
"You—you're talking nonsense—"
"What letter?" Chen Tingyu asked.
Shen Bai took out a letter from his pocket.
The envelope had writing on it, and the recipient was Wu Liu.
Shen Bai took out the letter and handed it to Chen Tingyu.
Chen Tingyu took it and glanced at it.
The letter read: Take action. Kill them all. The reward will be doubled.
The signature is Wang Dechang.
The handwriting is messy, but the penmanship is genuine.
Chen Tingyu raised his head and looked at Wang Dechang.
"Lord Wang," he said, his voice flat, "is this your handwriting?"
Wang Dechang's face twitched.
"Yes—it's a forgery—"
"Wu Liu," Chen Tingyu interrupted him, "is there anything else you want to say?"
Wu Liu nodded vigorously.
"Yes! Yes! I'll tell you everything!"
He began to speak.
---
Wu Liu squatted on the ground, holding his head, and poured out his words like beans pouring from a bamboo tube.
"Wang Dechang contacted me! He told me to gather information about Liubai's camp! He said he'd give me money if I found anything!"
"Later, he ordered me to massacre the village! He said he would pin the blame on Liu Bai's camp! He said that as long as the village was gone, Shen Bai would never be able to clear his name!"
"He said if I killed someone and stole the grain, he'd pay half the money! He even wrote me a letter saying someone would vouch for me after it was all done!"
"I've kept them all! Every single one!"
He pointed at Shen Bai.
"The letters are all with him! Ask him for them!"
Chen Tingyu turned to look at Wang Dechang.
"Lord Wang," he said, "what else do you have to say in your defense?"
Wang Dechang's lips were trembling.
His eyes darted around like a trapped mouse.
"I—I was framed—they conspired together—"
"Colluded?" Chen Tingyu's voice changed. "Wu Liu is a bandit, and Captain Shen has only been here a short time. When did they collude?"
Wang Dechang remained silent.
His legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.
"Nothing to say?"
Chen Tingyu stood up.
"Someone come here."
"exist."
"Take it down."
---
Two soldiers came up and tried to take Wang Dechang away.
Wang Dechang's face had turned ashen, but he was still shouting, "I am an official appointed by the imperial court! You have no right to arrest me!"
Shen Bai took a step forward.
His hand rested on the hilt of the knife.
"Captain Shen."
Lin Yu's voice came from behind.
Shen Bai didn't stop.
"Chen Bai."
Lin Yu called out again.
Shen Bai stopped.
He turned around.
Lin Yu looked at him.
"You are a captain."
Just four words.
Shen Bai gripped the hilt of the knife for a moment.
He didn't move.
Wang Dechang had just breathed a sigh of relief—
A flash of silver light.
Lin Yu's gun pierced through Wang Dechang's chest from behind.
Wang Dechang's eyes widened.
He lowered his head and looked at the silver spear tip on his chest.
"let me."
Lin Yu's voice was very flat.
He drew his gun.
Wang Dechang fell to the ground.
---
Chen Tingyu stood still, motionless.
He looked at Wang Dechang's corpse.
Looked for a long time.
Then he spoke.
"He's from the Cui family."
Just this one sentence.
Shen Bai looked at him.
"I know."
"He's dead, the Cui family will investigate." Chen Tingyu's voice was low. "I can only stall for a month at most."
"Within a month, you must wipe out all the bandits in the surrounding area."
"Get all the usable evidence."
"I can't protect you a month from now."
Shen Bai looked at him.
Why did you help me?
Chen Tingyu paused for a moment.
He lowered his head and looked at Wang Dechang's corpse.
"I come from a poor family."
His voice was flat, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
"Back then, I also thought about becoming a good official who could get things done."
He looked up at Shen Bai.
"But this road is too difficult to travel."
He turned around and walked towards the camp gate.
He took a few steps and then stopped.
"Lord Wang went out of the city for an inspection," he said, "but unfortunately encountered bandits and died in the line of duty."
He turned around and looked at everyone present.
"Do you understand?"
No one spoke.
Chen Tingyu nodded.
he's gone.
---
Chen Tingyu's carriage disappeared outside the camp gate.
The camp fell silent. Torches flickered in the wind, casting long shadows.
Shen Bai turned around and looked at Wu Liu kneeling on the ground.
Wu Liu trembled all over, lowered his head, and dared not look at anyone.
"Lock him up."
Iron Shield hesitated for a moment. "Not kill?"
"Don't kill."
Shen Bai's voice was very flat.
"The Cui family will send someone to kill him. Let's wait."
Iron Shield's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "What are you waiting for?"
"Wait for them to come."
Shen Bai raised his head and looked at the night outside the camp gate.
"They're here. Seize them. Find out who gave the order."
He turned around and walked into the tent.
"With Wu Liu dead, the Cui family is cut off. Only if he lives will the Cui family be anxious."
He lifted the tent flap and paused for a moment.
"Haste makes waste."
The curtain fell down.
Lin Yu stood next to Wu Liu, the tip of his spear pressed against the ground.
Old Gui walked over, picked Wu Liu up from the ground, and dragged him towards the barracks.
Wu Liu's legs were shaking, and he couldn't stand steadily. He was dragged along by Lao Gui.
"I...I already told you...what more do you want...?"
Old Gui ignored him. He pushed him into the barracks and locked the door.
Iron Shield stood at the entrance of the barracks, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I have high hopes for him," Lin Yu said.
"Know."
Chen Qingzhi stood outside the barracks, looking at the door.
Lin Yu walked over and stood next to him.
How many people do you think the Cui family will send?
Chen Qingzhi didn't answer. He stared at the door for a long time.
"Not more, but not less."
He turned around and walked towards the tent.
"Those who come will not be ordinary people."
His voice was very low.
"They're suicide squad members."
(End of Chapter Twenty-Three)