Book 6 - Chapter 4 – Confidential Matter That Is Not A Secret (1/2)
Book 6 Chapter 4 – Confidential Matter That Is Not A Secret
Kou Zhong slipped out theand came back Dejected, he said, “Those two daht that even a fly can’t escape”
The place they were staying was located in the garden at the southwest corner of Linjiang Palace, to the west and south of the place were open spaces with nowhere to hide The walls were high atchtowers everywhere To the east was a big garden, to the north was about a dozen big baroves with no passable path Therefore, the only way out was through the garden
Xu Ziling caed to obtain clear picture of the situation Sighing, he said, “The only way is to charge through the high wall, killing our way out It’s just that there is a thirty-zhang open space between the sh wall, I am afraid before we reach the foot of the wall, we’d be shot dead by the rain of arrows frouards, or perhaps we’d be cutoff by the opponent’s arden?”
Kou Zhong sht to know the situation without having to ask arden, plus it is brightly lit, thinking about escaping without the Gods know and the ghosts detect is just lunatic ravings Thisto prevent us fro”
And then, with a wolf-viciousness he said, “If we cannot get away froe our reputation as the Yangzhou Two Dragons Those two da e to get out, we still need to crash our way through the city defense, and then once we are inside the city, it’s still unknohether ill be able to find Su Jie or not”
Kou Zhong chuckled lightly and said, “Don’t worry! Beautiful shi+fu will not dare to deceive reed to leave secret marks all around the city, so that we can easily find their location This is the benefit of using the ‘by hook or by crook’was du continued his analysis, “The security here seeht, but we can clearly see that the iuards are undisciplined and their morale is low, everybody wants to shi+rk responsibility or even run away fro, ould the i’s eyes lit up i ordered Dugu Sheng to keep watch over us, it would ations; it would be strange indeed if Yang Guang did not behead them all Naturally the entire team will leave their job to join the rank of ar said, “Under norht now their heart is anxious, they have htly and rashly make indiscriminate action! We still have several sichen until daybreak anye uards are cold and tired, ill corand plan”
The end of yin hour [3-5am], early nals, one after another two shadows flitted out of the courtyard house where Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling stayed, toward the baroves, while several wind lanterns in the vicinity went out at the sa ba the I dispatched to keep watch over the two boys this time, there was no lack of martial art masters Iroves in pursuit of the two boys, yet they did not even see any shadow of ghost
nobody in the I’s te the bell to sound the alarm, they only split up and searched around Some even went into the two boys’ quarter to take a quick look; after confir that nobody was inside, they hurriedly joined the search operation outside
Half a sichen later, several leaders huddled around in discussion Someone said, “This is awful; does anybody have any plan?”
Another man said, “If we stay here, ill die for sure; if we flee right noe still have a little chance of surviving Please forgive Xiaodi for not keeping you coht, so as soon as that man spoke up, a hundred or so I over the wall and disappeared until nobody re crawled out frohed and said, “While there is still tiet some of Zhen Sao’s steamed stuffed buns!” [See Book 1 Chapter 1 on Sister-in-law Zhen]
By the ti the city via the secret passage, ie the water sewer, the sky was starting to brighten Returning to their for seee There was an indescribable inspiration in their heart
“Last tis to follow our trail, he should find this secret entrance; why didn’t he have hiswas applying his internal energy to dry his drenched clothes, “Perhaps he wanted to keep this secret passage for his own needs!” he blurted out
Kou Zhong gave hi your internal energy? Let’s go to Chen’s old clothing store and steal two sets of clothes! Giving that penny-pincher sohed heartily, feeling very pleased with theht, they leaped onto the roof of a commoner’s house, like an old horse who know the way ho the cold wind against their face, rushi+ng toward Chen’s old clothing store in the eastern part of the city
Since they were counting their chickens before they were hatched, unexpectedly it fell through
When they arrived, they found out that Chen’s old clothing store, as well as about a dozen other stores nearby, had been co house
Kou Zhong heaved a sigh and said, “These troops are like locusts who devoured Yangzhou until it is riddled with gaping wounds and cuts and bruises all over Ay! Zhen Sao is so pretty, I do hope those thief soldiers did not take a fancy on her”
Without saying a word, Xu Ziling swept across a side alley toward the h, Sister-in-law Zhen’s steaetable stall Thewith noise and excite into were unfa grabbed the fruit and vegetable stall owner and asked, “Where did that auntie who used to sell stea baozi – stuffed steao?”
The owner let out a bitter sigh and said, “Of course she is gone! Only people with nowhere to go liketo die But ifto try rushi+ng out the city gate”
An oldabout the Old Feng? Are you their relatives?”
Kou Zhong hastily replied, “We are his nephews”
The old hed, “Their steahness arrived in Jiangdu, they were enlisted as cook in the Palace Afterwards nobody knehat happened to the clenched his fists, turned around and walked away
Kou Zhong ran after hiht in the midst of the tide of people in the ?” he shouted
“I want to rescue Zhen Sao out of that place,” Xu Ziling indignantly replied
Kou Zhong grabbed his arotten thewas shaken and stopped abruptly Immediately the people behind them pushed them forward and said, “Don’t block the way”
The two boys hastily squeezed their way out of thethat noisy overcrowded place, their head cleared out so tummy first
They went to a nearby restaurant and sat down After absent-mindedly stuffed several kinds of stea said, “No matter what you want to do, I will support you, but you must not be hot-headed; first of all, we need to solve the proble all out”
He sighed and went on, “The Great Sui is really finished, the world has turned into a terrible mess, if nobody took the initiative to unify the world, I don’t kno much more misery the people on the street will have to suffer One bad Tujue ht his way into the Central Plains, we, Han people, will fall under the harsh rule of foreign power Only if you are willing to helpthe rivers and ood things for the innocent people”
Xu Ziling said, “Your thought seems to be too beautiful and too far for me Now is not the time to discuss thiswill be willing to let us go? It would be best if we could find our Su Jie as soon as possible”
Kou Zhong grabbed a couple of e of buying us t sets of clean clothes, I will go look for secret ain at the eastern end of Duke Ma Alley later”
Xu Ziling looked at hi happened, we can look after each other better”
“The two of us together is too conspicuous,” Kou Zhong replied, “Plus it would be easier for our old acquaintances to recognize us Going separately is a bit safer”
Xu Ziling had no choice but to let hi down the street; from time to time he came across Sui troops, womenfolk was nearly extinct from the street, only older ones remained Merely from this fact it was clear why so zhou
In thethan any rebel force
Suddenly so ju toward the voice, he saw so hi hesitated for half a day, but he finally ca man, as a bit older than he ith dark skin and sturdy build, who seerabbed his shoulders and said, “It is really you! At first I wasn’t sure Hey! You see, he used to hang around the saer, they even had several bouts with another gang together, but all ended in defeat However, the relationshi+p a these several boys could not be considered bad
Kou Zhong noticed that he earing Zhuhua Bang [ba] uniform, there were even three bamboo leaves embroidered on the lapel of his robe “Since when did you becorant master]?” he asked in astonishment, “You did not climb over a lot of other people’s heads, I hope?”
Gui Xiliang replied, “It was entirely due to Bangzhu showing favor topulled him toward the other end of the alley, he was puzzled, “It was a good thing, right? Why are you sighing?”
Gui Xiliang said, “Such a big deal, and you did not know? Where have you been hiding these past couple of years? Where is Xiao Ling?”
“Answerlet out a zhu, why should I answer your question first?”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, “So you want to be the Laoda [the oldest, ie ‘the boss’]? In that case, I’ll let you be you! These past couple of years Xiao Ling and I went , and the others have shook hands with us and drank wine together Ha! Your turn to speak”
Evidently Gui Xiliang thought he was bragging; clicking his tongue, he said, “You, this little demon, look more thick and solid than I aress Ay! Do you know that two zhu was beaten to death by the men sent by that muddleheaded ruler? It was si from the Tianxian Lou and sent her away instead”
Kou Zhong raised his thuh Gui Xiliang said, “A dead goodhave scattered away, leaving only about a hundredcome to attack, we can be their contact on the inside so that we can avenge Bangzhu, the Senior”
Kou Zhong’s eyes lit up; lowering his voice, he asked, “Have you elected new Bangzhu?”
Gui Xiliang sighed and said, “Elect what ghost Bangzhu? Right noe are like a sheet of loose sand, we are only waiting for the muddleheaded ruler’s death, and then we’ll hold an asse the new Bangzhu”