Chapter 42
Chapter 42
“Qin Meng, what is the meaning of this? Do you realize that thanks to your delay, all the Horse Bandits have gotten away?”
Yang Xianwen feigned fury, his eyes wide as he sat astride his horse. He struck first, clearly intending to shift the blame.
Qin Meng gave a cold laugh. “Deputy General Yang, the general requests your presence.”
Yang Xianwen cast a furtive glance at the woods nearby, unwilling to accept this. He left behind a harsh accusation. “Qin Meng, you will bear the primary responsibility for letting the Horse Bandits escape. I went to great lengths to buy off an informant and confirm the Horse Bandits’ whereabouts before leading troops out to suppress them, yet you did everything you could to obstruct me.”
“Deputy General Yang, this way, please.”
Yang Xianwen’s accusations failed to stir even the slightest reaction from Qin Meng, which only made him more unwilling to let it go.
Still, doubt crept into Yang Xianwen’s heart. But then he thought it over. He had always acted with meticulous care. There was no way these people could have noticed anything. At that, he felt somewhat reassured.
Qin Meng had all of Yang Xianwen’s men escorted into the city.
Only then did he dismount, step forward, and salute.
“I am Qin Meng, under General Cai’s command. General Cai ordered me to escort Old Madam Xiao and her party into the city. Please forgive any discourtesy, Old Madam.”
Old Madam Xiao leaned on her cane and gave a slight nod. After exchanging a few polite words, everyone followed Qin Meng into the city.
Madam Chen and the others hurried after them as well. Hiding from the rain in the woods was simply impossible; they were still drenched like drowned rats. Now that they could enter the city, they followed without hesitation.
Madam Liu’s group of three and the people from the Xiao Family Main Branch were directly arranged to stay in the general’s residence.
To outsiders, it was said that they had been placed in the prison of the general’s residence. In truth, they were settled in side rooms, with an entire courtyard set aside for them.
After the Xiao Family had been settled, Qin Meng finally interrogated Yang Xianwen.
Sure enough, the Defense Map was found on him, but Yang Xianwen refused to admit anything.
At the same time Qin Meng arrested Yang Xianwen, he detained all of Yang Xianwen’s subordinates and questioned them one by one. From them, he learned that someone outside the city was waiting to meet Yang Xianwen, and even obtained the exact location.
Meanwhile, the information Qin Meng had previously ordered people to investigate also came back.
It turned out that Yang Xianwen’s original name was Ah Man. He had grown up in a brothel, and his mother had been a Hu woman.
After giving birth to him, she sank into depression and died. When Ah Man turned ten, he ran away from the brothel and spent four years as a beggar. Later, he assumed Yang Xianwen’s identity and joined the army.
For the past ten years, he had fought bravely against the enemy. Yet a seed of vengeance had always been buried in his heart. It was not until he made contact with the Hu people a year ago that he began laying down this chain of schemes.
“Should I call you Yang Xianwen, or should I call you Ah Man?”
Qin Meng’s single sentence sent Yang Xianwen plunging into an icy abyss. That name was his humiliation, his unbearable past. Now that it had been brutally stripped bare by another person, he felt as though he had been forced to run naked in front of the world.
Seeing his reaction, Qin Meng knew that everything was settled.
With a wave of his hand, soldiers dragged Yang Xianwen away to be placed under strict guard.
Over the course of a single night, nearly half of Shanhai Pass’s defending officers were replaced. Blood stained the front courtyard of the general’s residence red, only to be washed clean by the rain. By the next day, it was as if nothing had ever happened.
After this incident, Cai Hong submitted a memorial to the capital overnight, recommending a thorough investigation of the household registrations of all military officers.
The next day, when the sky was fully bright, the Xiao Family had already packed up and was ready to depart.
Cai Hong personally came to see them off.
“Brother Xiao, the road ahead will be dangerous. I have prepared a few things for you.”
Cai Hong had prepared quite a lot: food, clothing, and a mule cart.
This time, Xiao Che did not refuse. He accepted everything. He knew that once they passed Shanhai Pass, the road would be difficult to travel. The elderly and children in the family needed such a mule cart.
Mules were suited to long journeys, making it just right. Accepting these things could also count as Cai Hong repaying the favor he owed him.
The happiest one about having a cart to ride in was none other than Jin Bao.
The mule cart had been lined with a thick layer of straw, and on top of the straw was a brand-new quilt. Sitting on it, one barely felt the bumps at all. Jin Bao happily rolled around in the mule cart, tumbling and playing with Xiao Jingyu until the two of them were in a delighted heap.
Zhu Laosan had no objections either. With the mule cart, their journey would move much faster. They could make up for the distance they had lost earlier and still send everyone to the Northern Frontier within the required time.
What Zhu Laosan had not expected was that Cui Jin and Zou Yong, who had entered the city ahead of them last night, would appear at the city gate, each riding a horse.
Cui Jin even came up with an excuse, saying that Zou Yong had injured his leg and had trouble walking, so riding a horse would keep him from slowing down the journey.
Zhu Laosan couldn’t be bothered with those two right now. As long as they behaved themselves along the way, everyone could stay out of one another’s business.
The most pitiful ones were Madam Chen and the other exiles from the branch families. Like Xiao Che, they had to rely on their own two legs and follow behind the mule cart.
Madam Chen watched longingly as Pei Wanqing helped Old Madam Xiao onto the cart. She stomped her foot in resentment and shot Xiao Yan a vicious glare.
“Everyone else gets to ride in the mule cart. I want to ride too. Go beg the officers for me. You’re a grown man, yet you can’t even take care of your own wife.”
The moment Madam Chen finished speaking, Xiao Yan slapped her across the face.
“Why don’t you piss and take a look at that ugly face of yours? You think you’re worthy of riding in a cart? I haven’t even asked you to take care of me, and you’re already looking down on me? Who do you think you are?”
Madam Chen clutched her face, her eyes reddening, but she no longer dared to say another word. She watched as Xiao Yan scurried forward like a lackey to curry favor with Xiao Che.
“Big Brother, your little brother’s legs have walked themselves thin. How about you let me sit in that mule cart for a while too?”
Xiao Jingmo was so angry at Xiao Yan’s shameless gall that he actually laughed.
“Second Uncle, I have some hemp rope here. Why don’t you lie down on the ground and let the mule cart drag you along? It might even grind that thick skin of yours a little thinner.”
Xiao Yan gave an awkward laugh, hurriedly waved his hand, and stepped aside.
Once they left Shanhai Pass, the nearest government post station was still a hundred li away. If they wanted lodging, they would either have to stay at an inn or camp in the wilderness. No one dared delay. After bidding farewell to Cai Hong, they set out.
Cui Jin and Zou Yong walked at the very rear of the group.
Cui Jin took a letter from inside his robe. He had only received it that morning when they left the inn and had not had time to read it yet.
He opened it and glanced at the contents. His expression changed slightly.
“Brother Cui, what is it?”
Noticing that Cui Jin looked off, Zou Yong rode his horse closer and asked.
After the two had revealed their identities to each other at the inn the previous night, they discovered they served the same master. Their relationship was now much friendlier than before.
“Our master sent word that there has been news of the Star Maiden recently. He wants us to keep a close watch along the way. If we notice anything unusual, we are to seize the person and send her back.”
This was the first time Zou Yong had ever heard of the Star Maiden.
“Brother Cui, what is the Star Maiden?”
Cui Jin glanced at Zou Yong. It seemed Zou Yong’s status was still not high enough to know such a confidential matter. However, their master needed manpower right now, so there was no need to keep it from him.
“The Star Maiden is the destined girl personally identified by Master Huiyuan. She can peer into the secrets of heaven, determine the fate of the realm, and unify the four seas. If our master can obtain her assistance, he will be able to claim the world, achieve a great dominion, unite all nations, and become an unprecedented overlord.”
This was the first time Zou Yong had heard that such a person with extraordinary abilities existed in the world.
“Brother Cui, if this Star Maiden is so powerful, what exactly is her background?”
“I heard she is the daughter of the Imperial Noble Consort. Rumor in the palace said the Star Maiden and the Imperial Noble Consort both died during a difficult birth. But our master found the greatest astrologer in the world to perform a divination. He discovered that the star corresponding to the Star Maiden had once been dim and lightless, but recently it has become dazzlingly bright. That means the Star Maiden was recently saved by someone and has reappeared in the world.”
Zou Yong’s breathing grew rapid. If he could find the Star Maiden, wouldn’t he be able to win a marquis title or become a minister?
“Brother Cui, hurry and tell me. What does this Star Maiden look like?”
“Judging by the time, the Star Maiden should already be three years old this year. She is still a young child. But our master said the Star Maiden has supernatural abilities and is different from ordinary children, so she should be easy to distinguish.”
Zou Yong’s gaze drifted toward the mule cart.
“Brother Cui, that little beggar the Xiao Che household picked up is also three years old. Do you think it’s possible…”
Cui Jin shook his head. “Impossible. That little brat may be somewhat unusual, but the Star Maiden is a lucky star. If she really were the Star Maiden, the Xiao Family never would have had their home confiscated and been exiled.”
Zou Yong smacked his lips and said nothing more.
Cui Jin glanced at the mule cart up ahead.
“Our master has been rather displeased with our recent actions. A few days ago, I already sent a letter requesting support. Counting the days, they should arrive soon.
“The next stop is Suizhong, the first stop outside the pass. After Suizhong, we will enter Yanshan Remnant Mountain Gorge. That is where we will make our move.”
Zou Yong had no choice but to obey. But Xiao Che had made him suffer the agony of a broken leg. This time, he would settle both old and new scores together.