Chapter 94: Zheng Hui

The Wen family restaurant is very close to the city gate.

It is normal for the city gate official to discover the commotion here and be able to bring soldiers over to investigate in a very short time.

However, the soldiers under the city gate official usually wear leather armor on their upper bodies at most, and most of the time they do not wear armor at all.

What Cheng Xiazi hears now is the sound of footsteps of people wearing iron armor, well-trained, and rushing over rapidly.

"All criminals inside, listen up, abandon your weapons immediately and surrender!"

A strong and powerful voice of a middle-aged man rang out.

Immediately after, Chu Tianshu even heard the sound of crossbows being cocked.

A team of armored soldiers appeared outside the door, divided into three rows.

The front ones held shields and carried blades, and the back ones held crossbows.

The last row consisted of several blade-wielding men who were not wearing armor, each with a cold temperament, guarding a person who looked like a general.

It was precisely that middle-aged general with thin cheeks and a goat beard who was shouting.

"General Duan."

Wen Jingniang saw this person and smiled, "So it is General Duan Rusu who leads the patrol in the city. He has also eaten at my place a few times, and must have just happened to be nearby."

She said loudly, "General, this group of criminals has already been brought to justice."

Duan Rusu's eyes flashed, noticing the corpses in the restaurant.

"Since they are criminals, how could it be so easy to bring them to justice? Besides, what are you two doing with blades and swords? Did you hijack Wen Jingniang?"

Wen Jingniang's face turned slightly cold, sensing that something was wrong.

If it were really criminals hijacking people in the restaurant, wouldn't this General Duan exposing the matter directly force the criminals to go to extremes?

Chu Tianshu whispered: "Is this person stupid or bad?"

Wen Jingniang stared at the people outside, her footsteps already moving toward the counter, and she replied softly: "I heard he once made contributions in the army, I'm afraid he is not a stupid person."

The shop assistants in the store had all been hiding behind the counter and pillars before, and were peeking out at this time.

Cheng Xiazi scolded: "Don't come out."

"Why, was I right, and you are speechless?"

Duan Rusu said loudly, "Your group of criminals has committed too many crimes recently. Even if you hijack people in the restaurant, don't think about escaping with your lives."

"Since you refuse to abandon your weapons, there is only one way: kill without mercy!"

A ruthless look appeared on Duan Rusu's face, and those crossbowmen were about to pull the triggers of their crossbows immediately.

Chu Tianshu's eyes brightened; he hadn't had enough fun just now.

Just at this moment, someone suddenly swept over on the long street.

That person seemed to be wearing purple-red robes, with a high crown and tied hair, and his speed was so fast that he looked like a flat shadow.

He passed through the gap between the row of blade-shield soldiers and crossbowmen.

Bang bang bang bang bang!!!

The bowstrings all snapped, but there were no arrows on the strings.

This snapping force was released into the air, causing the bowstrings to break directly, and after the bow arms of some crossbows broke, they even hit the people next to them.

All the soldiers were shocked.

Those blade-wielding men drew their blades one after another.

Duan Rusu turned his head abruptly, staring at a shadow on the front right.

The man in purple-red robes, after a sweep, swirled his figure, turned a corner from the side, and returned to the front of the restaurant door.

The arrows on the crossbows were like a large handful of chopsticks being held in his hand.

Just in that sweep, he had taken away all the arrows on the crossbows in front of the main entrance.

Cheng Xiazi felt the speed of this person's movements, and his expression became solemn.

Chu Tianshu was also a bit surprised and glanced at the person's feet.

That person was facing the restaurant door sideways, first looking inside the restaurant.

This face-to-face meeting also allowed everyone in the building to see his appearance clearly.

Among this person's thick hair, there were a few white hairs, his eyes were long and narrow, he was lean and elegant, and his black beard hung down to his chest.

Looking at his temperament, he was entirely a well-learned Confucian scholar, but the gold and jade inlaid on his belt, and the patterns drawn, were a bit too cumbersome, appearing somewhat vulgar.

He glanced at the people in the building, smiled slightly, and looked outside again, his voice turning cold.

"General Duan, why haven't you let your men withdraw their blades and weapons? Do you want your subordinates' blades to hack toward my purple robe?"

Those soldiers already had expressions of hesitation on their faces, and upon hearing this, some could not help but turn their heads to look at the general.

Many places in the Nanzhao Kingdom imitate the Tang system, but they are not exactly the same.

However, this luxurious purple robe, matched with that six-flower gold-inlaid jade belt at the waist, is an attire that only a "Qingping Official" can wear.

Below the monarch in Nanzhao, there are a total of six Qingping Officials in the whole country, equivalent to first-rank officials.

Among the Qingping Officials, the most powerful person is even close to the prime minister of the Great Tang.

"Lord Zheng, why did you come here?"

Duan Rusu's face was a bit ugly, but he did not look too fearful, and walked forward righteously for two steps.

"Someone dares to cause trouble here in Wang Cheng, which is almost contempt for the monarch. I am arresting criminals here, it is truly a dangerous place, Lord Zheng should return to the mansion quickly."

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu remembered that Dao Bai Shu had said that among the six Qingping Officials in Nanzhao today, one was of Tang origin, named "Zheng Hui".

This person originally passed the Mingjing examination during the Tianbao period of the Great Tang and served as a county magistrate, but was abducted back to the country by the former king of Nanzhao along with the craftsmen and people in the county.

He was reused in Nanzhao, allowing the Tang people to live in peace, and also made great efforts in the choice of Nanzhao seeking an alliance with the Great Tang again in recent years.

It was just unexpected that this civil official was actually also an expert.

"Where are the criminals?"

Zheng Hui threw the crossbow arrows in his hand onto the ground, stroked his beard and said, "The criminals you are talking about are the elders of the Junzi Alliance, and Wen Jingniang in this restaurant?"

"Or are you talking about Chu the physician, whose medical skills and benevolence are famous, and whom I am preparing to invite to my mansion for treatment?"

"Or are you talking about Captain Cheng, whom I have long wanted to recruit?"

Zheng Hui sighed and looked into the building again, "It couldn't be that you are talking about these kitchen helpers and the storyteller, these are all honest people whose household registration can be found locally."

Duan Rusu did not expect that this old guy would speak so clearly about the origins of these people in the restaurant.

"Ha, hahaha!"

Duan Rusu laughed, "So these are all acquaintances of Lord Zheng. It seems they won't be criminals. If they really are, Lord Zheng will bear the responsibility in the future."

"Then I won't bother you here, just take away those fallen criminals."

Zheng Hui waved his hand: "No need, the matter here is not under the jurisdiction of the General anyway, let me handle it."

Duan Rusu's eye corners twitched, his gaze falling on Yuwen Tongxin, seemingly seeing that the person was not dead, but he did not say anything more, just waved his hand and led the team away.

Chu Tianshu sighed secretly.

This guy surnamed Duan escaped with his life.

Never mind, Zheng Hui is more interesting right now.

"Thank you, Lord Zheng!"

Wen Jingniang smiled and bowed.

The shop assistants also came out one after another, bowing unevenly.

"No need for this."

Zheng Hui turned around and said hurriedly, "I also arrived a step late. This group of criminals was killed and repelled by you yourself after all."

Wen Jingniang introduced to Chu and Cheng: "Lord Zheng has visited our Junzi Alliance many times and is very concerned about us Tang people."

"I heard Lord Zheng's concern."

Cheng Xiazi laughed self-deprecatingly, "You can even find out about the little things of a captain."

Zheng Hui said solemnly: "A few years ago, you arrived near Wang Cheng and hunted criminals for three consecutive months, killing so many people that heads rolled. Such a fierce bounty hunter, the government inevitably has to pay a little more attention."

"I paid attention and investigated, only then did I know a little about your background. You are of commoner origin, yet you became a captain in the army before the age of thirty."

"How can such a person be ignored?"

Cheng Xiazi said plainly: "Just a small captain, I am also just a blind man now."

"Among this group of criminals, the most powerful character was not solved by me. I don't know why, but he focused on attacking Physician Chu."

Chu Tianshu said "Oh" and said casually: "They thought I was an Inner Guard."

Inner Guard?!

The expressions of the people in the main hall changed a little.

Dao Bai Shu gasped, his legs felt a bit weak, and he was supported by the shop assistant beside him.

He remembered those days when he was asked for information by Chu Tianshu every morning.

Good! So I was showing off my well-informed news in front of a Tang Inner Guard...

Dao Bai Shu's throat was dry, and he tried his best to recall.

I also took money from the Inner Guard lord. Did I say any nonsense during those days?

Zheng Hui's eyes also had a tiny change: "So you..."

"I am not."

Chu Tianshu waved his hand, "They just got it wrong."

Zheng Hui nodded slightly, with an expression of understanding.

"I have long been concerned about the recent assassinations of people in the Junzi Alliance, and knowing that the elders and patriarchs of several clans near Wang Cheng have had accidents, I knew that the plot behind it was probably not small."

Zheng Hui said, "Wanting to provoke the opposition between Tang people and other ethnic groups, I am afraid that they will incite people of other ethnic groups to burn, kill, and loot Tang people later."

"And the development of these things to the end is undoubtedly to destroy the alliance relationship between Nanzhao and the Great Tang."

"The Great Tang also has people paying attention to this matter, maintaining the alliance, which is a good thing."

His words implied that the Tang Inner Guards were secretly making trouble in Nanzhao, and as long as it helped the overall situation, he would also provide convenience.

"I really am not... forget it."

Chu Tianshu shook his head, "Let's first ask who is behind this group of guys."

Yuwen Tongxin was an expert after all. Even if he was unconscious with a severed arm, the wound did not bleed continuously, and his body instinctively contracted muscles to stop the blood.

Chu Tianshu took a look, first shot three silver needles, nailing them into the acupuncture points on his chest, hindering blood supply, making his brain reaction more sluggish, and then nailed a needle into the center of his eyebrows, waking him up.

Yuwen Tongxin opened his eyes, and there was still a flash of fierce light in his eyes, but immediately after, a silver needle slid through the air in an arc, turned a corner, and nailed into the top of his head.

"Lin!"

Chu Tianshu uttered a mantra.

All the silver needles on Yuwen Tongxin's body hummed, making his eyes become confused.

Chu Tianshu asked: "Why did you assassinate Wen Jingniang and these people?"

As Zheng Hui expected, Yuwen Tongxin's answer was to provoke opposition and destroy the relationship between Nanzhao and the Great Tang.

"Who told you to do this?"

When Chu Tianshu asked this, he had already thought of Duan Rusu and his group just now.

Who knew, Yuwen Tongxin said: "Huaixi."

Chu Tianshu frowned: "What?"

Huaixi and Nanzhao, running so far to make trouble?!

"The Wu family of the Huaixi Military Governor, our Yuwen family is doing things for Huaixi."

Yuwen Tongxin's voice was like sleepwalking, as if he had returned to the scene before departure, saying, "During the An Lushan Rebellion, Tubo took the opportunity to occupy a large area of the Great Tang territory."

"Ten years ago, the imperial court defeated the joint forces of Tubo and Nanzhao, testing their military edge slightly. In recent years, they have been recuperating, but they are still preparing food and grass, and are about to raise an army to attack Tubo, completely recover the lost territory, and deter the border."

"Wei Gao will serve as the commander-in-chief, and Nanzhao has already surrendered, so it will most likely become Wei Gao's helper."

"We want to create trouble in Nanzhao, let Nanzhao turn to Tubo again, and fight against the Tang army together."

"Huaixi and other places can take the opportunity to rise up."

Chu Tianshu thought for a while: "Just by you doing these things, it may not necessarily affect Nanzhao's choice, unless you still have allies among Nanzhao officials, is it surnamed Duan?"

"Yes."

Yuwen Tongxin said, "Duan Rusu."

Chu Tianshu laughed, looked up and said: "Lord Zheng, if I had taken action just now, maybe at the critical moment, you would have had to stand on Duan Rusu's side to help."

"But now that there is this confession."

Chu Tianshu smiled, "Can I ask where this General Duan lives?"

When Zheng Hui heard about the mastermind behind the scenes, there was no surprise on his face.

"A confession alone is not enough."

Zheng Hui asked Yuwen Tongxin, "Is there any evidence? Tokens? Letters?"

Yuwen Tongxin said: "No."

"Sure enough, there is none."

Zheng Hui looked at Chu Tianshu, "Physician Chu, in fact, even if there is evidence pointing to Duan Rusu, it doesn't make much sense."

"He is just someone pushed out to run errands. The mastermind who truly colluded with Huaixi is someone else."

Chu Tianshu's eyes brightened.

"It sounds like Lord Zheng already has a guess in his heart. Then who is this person? The status must be very high, right?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 95 =====