Chapter 587 - 587: Le County, Lord Wenchang
The two people in front walked at a moderate pace. Ding Si and Ding Jiu realized that the lower they went, the less steep it was.
When the sun rose above their heads, Ding Si and the other man followed the two criminals to the bottom of the valley. The two of them took out the dry food in their bags and found a rock to sit down and eat.
Ding Si and Ding Jiu looked at each other and flashed out of hiding. They silently arrived behind the two of them and slapped the back of their necks. The two of them fell to the ground with sesame cakes in their mouths. Ding Si and Ding Jiu pulled out the belts of the criminals and tied them up. Ding Si searched their clothing for a while and took out a wax-sealed bamboo tube and two money bags.
Ding Jiu opened their bags and saw that there were still some dried meat and pancakes inside. According to their appetite, each of them still had at least five days of rations.
Ding Si looked at the wax seal and pried open the wax seal with a dagger. He saw that it said, “Chief Manager, the people in the city have been captured by the rebels. What should we do? Please instruct!”
“Ninth Brother, look, we said they were rebels, but they call us the same.”
Ding Jiu nodded. “Shopkeeper Chu has already gone to the sharp mountain depression. The end of these rebels will come soon.”
“Let’s find a place to wake them up and ask about what’s going on inside before going back.”
Ding Jiu nodded and pointed under a big tree not far away. “Get over there.”
The two criminals were to the tree and had their faces doused with water to wake them up.
Brother He and the short man looked at the two of them and had a bad feeling. The two of them thought at the same time that it was over since the government had captured them.
Brother He forced himself to be calm and asked, “Who are you? Where did you come from?”
Ding Si placed the dagger on their necks and said coldly, “Haven’t you already guessed who we are? You better tell me honestly, how many people are in the cave? Where are you going? What’s going on inside?”
Brother He smiled bitterly and looked like he was begging. “Sir, we’re just two errand boys.
Ding Si cut the short man without hesitation. “Ah…” The short man let out a series of screams.
Ding Jiu covered his mouth and looked at him sinisterly. “Fourth Brother, what will happen if we cut them all up and leave them in the forest?”
Ding Si sneered. “What kind of ending will it be? The leeches, various insects, and wild beasts will eat them until not even their bones are left.”
The two of them had been in the mountains for so many years, so they naturally understood what it was like to be abandoned in the forest.
Before the two of them could speak, Ding Si stabbed Brother He again. Ding Jiu pretended to stab the short man, who hurriedly begged for mercy, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk…
“You’d better tell the truth, or you’ll die an ugly death,” Ding Jiu said, staring at him.
The shorter man nodded vigorously and said quickly, “The cave goes down into a valley. It’s surrounded by mountains on all sides. The road is difficult. The most convenient entrance and exit is the cave behind the waterfall. There are nearly two hundred people in the cave.”
The short man cried, “Officer, I’ve never harmed anyone. I’ve been reclaiming and farming in the valley!”
“Where do you plan to go?” Ding Si looked at Brother He and asked.
Brother He looked at the tube in Ding Si’s hand and did not dare to lie. “Boss asked me to send a letter to the sharp mountain beam. Our people are there.”
“Is there anyone else elsewhere? Where did you go out of the mountain? Where did you come back from last night?”
Brother He looked at Ding Si in surprise. He wondered how the man before him knew that he had left the mountain. He even knew that he and the Boss had returned last night.
Ding Si looked at him. “You’d better tell me the truth, or you’ll die an ugly death. ”
Brother He looked at Ding Si and nodded fearfully. “Boss sent a few people to Liang Village to pick them up a few days ago. In the end, only one of them came back to report. There’s no news of the others. Boss brought me outside to gather information and realized that the people who stayed in Liang Village had disappeared. There are still two people in the village.”
“We went to Shanyang County again and realized that the people there were gone too. Boss rushed back with me and came back to rest for the night. Boss asked me to send a letter and you caught me.” Ding Si looked at him. “Who are you picking up from Liang Village?”
Brother He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Ding Si glanced at Ding Jiu. The two of them cut the throats of Brother He and the short man at lightning speed. The two of them widened their eyes, not understanding why they were silenced when they had told the truth.
Ding Si and his brother returned to their hiding place. It was already dark, and their brother, who had been hiding there, was nowhere to be seen. After checking around, they found no traces of a fight. They felt that they might have followed the people inside and climbed up the tree to hide.
At ten o’clock in the middle of the night, the two secret guards returned to where Ding Si and the others were hiding. They brought a tube and handed it to Ding Si. “Fourth Brother, after you walked for fifteen minutes, two more bandits came out. The two of them were even leading two mules. We found a secret letter addressed to Le County on them.”
Ding Si took the tube. “Looks like they’ve also set up people in Le County. We’ll report when the Head Shopkeeper comes.”
The few of them went up the tree and leaned against it. They ate dry food and monitored the bandits inside.
Chu Sihai and Zhao Cai returned to the capital. After reporting the situation to
Chu Yuhao, they handed over the letter that Li Yu had brought to him. ‘Your Majesty, take a look. I think Madam Li’s suggestion is not bad. Please send more people. I’ll bring people to eliminate the traitor hiding in the mountains.”
Chu Yuhao saw Li Yu’s words in the letter, “Head Shopkeeper, I think you should announce the matter of those evil bandits and let the commoners be the eyes and ears of the Imperial Court. You should give a certain reward to the commoners who came to report the situation and mobilize their enthusiasm. Only then can you capture all the evil bandits hiding among the commoners.”
Chu Yuhao wrote a handwritten order and said, “Take my order to Shen Zhong and ask him to deploy 200 imperial guards to immediately set off for the hiding place of the renegade and annihilate them.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll take my leave.” Chu Sihai bowed and left.
Chu Yuhao looked at the letter on the table and felt that Li Yu’s suggestion was still feasible. He said quietly, “Second Brother, you used death to hide among the people and caused so much trouble. Then die outside and never come back.”
Chu Sihai sought out Shen Zhong with the written order. Shen Zhong immediately mobilized 200 imperial guards and followed Chu Sihai out of the capital overnight, rushing towards the forest where the bandits were hiding.
A few days later, when they arrived at the waterfall, Ding Si came out of his hiding place and said to Chu Sihai with two tubes, “Head Shopkeeper, we’ve already dealt with a few bandits who left the mountain. The people inside haven’t noticed it yet, but there’s a piece of news that is meant for Le County.
What do you think we should do?”
“Le County!” Chu Sihai took the tube from Ding Si’s hand in surprise. He saw a few simple words written inside: Lord Wenchang, there are developments in the capital.
Chu Sihai thought to himself, Oh no, Madam Li’s brother, Li Hanlin, has gone to Le County to work. I have to inform Madam Li quickly.
“Ding Si, rush back to the capital immediately and send the news to Madam Li.
Don’t mention this to anyone else.”
“Yes, Head Shopkeeper.” Ding Si agreed and turned to walk down the mountain.
Chu Sihai led the imperial guards into the cave. War cries sounded from all directions..