Chapter 553: The Nest Breaks Open

Xianzhou.

Shicheng.

In the deep night, the wind whirls sand and dust, howling through the streets and alleys like Guimo's whispers.

The towering shadow of the city wall falls on the ground, blending with the heavy night.

Only a few oil lamps flicker atop the gate tower, their dim yellow halos barely dispelling the surrounding darkness.

Ji Baiyu staggers down to the city gate; the rough Shiban road scrapes his knees, making them ache.

The servant's uniform he once wore, which had been fairly respectable, is now tattered beyond repair, the fabric slit open in several places.

Exposed skin is mixed with black ash and dried blood, congealing into dirty crusts.

His hair sticks messily to his forehead, covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of eyes that, in the night, shine with burning panic like prey chased by a beast.

"Quick, open the city gate!"

"Open the city gate!"

He grasps the cold gate pillar, his hoarse voice cutting through the night, a sobbing roar echoing in the open gate, "I have urgent, critical military intelligence that must be reported immediately!"

On the gate tower, a soldier who had been curled up napping in a corner is startled awake by the sudden shout, jolting upright, rubbing his sleepy eyes and stumbling to the city wall.

He presses his hand to the sword at his waist, sticks his head out to look down, his sharp gaze sweeping over Ji Baiyu, and barked sternly, "Who are you!"

"What urgent, critical military intelligence!"

The other night‑shift soldiers are also roused, rising from their posts, bearing Chang Qiang and gathering at the wall.

Beams of eyes, like spotlights, focus on the disheveled figure below the city, and tension instantly fills the air.

Ji Baiyu lifts his head and shouts forcefully at the soldiers on the tower, "I am the Chief Clerk's servant on the Zhuangzi outside the city!"

Before the words finish, as if recalling a terrible sight, his body trembles violently, then he hysterically roars, "The lowborn on the Zhuangzi have rebelled!"

"They wield hoes and sickles, killed the overseer, and now have gathered thousands upon thousands of people; they will soon march on our Shicheng!"

"What?!"

The soldiers on the tower hear this and are instantly stunned, the drowsiness on their faces vanishing without a trace.

A young soldier cries out, "The farmers who usually till for the lords have actually all rebelled?!"

His voice is full of disbelief.

The comrades beside him also show shocked expressions.

"You look at me, I look at you, and for a moment we forget to reply."

Only the whimper of the night wind passing the tower remains.

Ji Baiyu watches the hesitant soldiers on the tower, his inner burning growing stronger, and he pounds the city gate forcefully, his voice trembling with sobs, "Don't just stand there!"

"Quickly open the city gate!"

"Those rebels are ferocious; if we delay any longer, they'll soon have troops at the city walls!"

"When the city falls, none of us can bear the consequences!"

The leading soldier, a veteran over forty, is now panicked.

He knows the lords in the Zhuangzi outside the city; there are many farmers there, and if they truly rebel, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He has no time to think further, nor can he question carefully, and he shouts repeatedly to the soldiers behind him, "Quick, quick, quick! Open the gate and let this person in!"

"Xiao San, you must sprint to the Inspector's Office and report that the farmers in the Zhuangzi outside the city have rebelled, troops are about to reach the city, and the lord must decide quickly!"

"Yes!" the soldier named Xiao San replied, turned, grabbed an oil lamp, and hurried down the Stone Steps of the tower.

His footsteps sound especially hurried in the silent night.

The other soldiers also dare not delay, rushing toward the gate's winch.

The heavy wooden gate, turned by the winch, creaks "creak creak", like an old ox's wail, echoing over the Shicheng night sky.

Inside a side hall of the Inspector's Office, candlelight flickers, stretching the shadows on the walls long and short.

A faint scent of pine smoke drifts in the air.

Ji Baiyu stands anxiously in the hall's center, his hands nervously twisting the tattered hem of his clothes, the black ash and blood on him looking even more disheveled in the dim yellow light.

He occasionally lifts his head to look at the hall door, his gaze full of burning anxiety.

In the courtyard outside the hall, footsteps draw nearer, their hurried rhythm breaking the deep night's silence.

The soldiers and officials standing outside the hall hear the sound and straighten their attire, standing solemnly with hands at their sides.

When three figures appear at the courtyard entrance, everyone bows in unison and says in perfect unison, "Presenting to Inspector You! Presenting to Chief Clerk Yi Fu! Presenting to Staff Officer Gao!"

Leading them, You Shuohan wears official robes, a jade sash at his waist, and though he is over forty, he still stands tall.

His face shows obvious fatigue, clearly woken abruptly from sleep, yet his brows are furrowed, his eyes sharp, showing no trace of laziness.

Hearing the subordinates' salute, he waves his hand, his tone urgent, "No need for formalities, no need!"

He then scans the hall door, asking anxiously, "Where is the person? The one who brought the news?"

An official beside him steps forward quickly, bows and reports, "Sir, the person is waiting inside the hall."

"Take us in quickly!" You Shuohan says, stepping forward first toward the hall.

Behind him, Chief Clerk Yi Fu Feng and Staff Officer Gao Lin Yue follow closely.

The three stride quickly into the hall, their gazes instantly focusing on Ji Baiyu.

You Shuohan scans him from head to toe, noting his ragged clothes and the black ash and blood on his face, his brows furrowing deeper, and asks in a deep voice, "Are you the one who brought the news that the farmers on the Zhuangzi outside the city have rebelled?"

Ji Baiyu, seeing this, quickly kneels, bows his head, and with a trembling voice says, "Indeed, it is I!"

He lifts his head, his face full of lingering terror, "I risked death to flee from the Zhuangzi and bring the report; had I not run fast, I would have become a dead soul under those rebels' blades!"

You Shuohan walks to the desk in the hall, sits, taps his fingers lightly on the surface, and in a deep voice says, "Stand up and answer!"

"Tell me in detail, what exactly happened on the Zhuangzi?"

"Why did those farmers suddenly rebel?"

Ji Baiyu slowly stood up, his hands still trembling nonstop.

Thinking of that scene, his complexion instantly turned deathly pale, his lips quivered, tears welled up involuntarily, and he cried out, "Sir Inspector, today the sky just darkened, and the previously tranquil village suddenly fell into chaos!"

"Those seemingly honest serfs in everyday life, unknown who incited them, rose up suddenly under the cover of night!"

"They brandished hoes and sickles, and some hidden hatchets, charging like madmen toward the stewards' residences of each village!"

He paused, as if calming his inner fear, his voice choked as he continued, "I was working in the kitchen then, heard shouts and killings outside, and rushed out to see..."

"I saw the steward pressed to the ground by several farmers; a single strike of a hoe silenced him!"

"Then they began looting weapons and food from the storehouses, and anyone who tried to block them was beaten to death!"

"The whole village instantly turned into Rensheng Jianyu, flames shooting to the heavens, cries echoing through the sky!"

Yi Fu Feng's complexion changed abruptly upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but ask, "Did you see who was leading them?"

"Approximately how many farmers were there?"

Ji Baiyu shook his head, his face full of bewilderment and fear, "I was so terrified I lost my soul, only fled, how could I see who was leading!"

"But at a rough glance, there were at least a few thousand people!"

"They gathered en masse, a massive tide, continuously absorbing farmers from other villages along the way; the numbers are probably even higher now!"

The candle flames in the hall flickered, casting You Shuohan's silhouette onto the screen behind him, wavering between light and shadow.

He sat upright beside the desk, hands clasped on the surface, eyes narrowed, his gaze deep as he stared at the floor, as if trying to see through the tile patterns.

His fingertips tapped the desk rhythmically.

"Thud, thud, thud" echoed unusually clearly in the silent hall, each beat reflecting his inner anxiety and contemplation.

"How did Xianzhou also descend into rebellion?" he muttered to himself, his tone full of confusion and gravity, "Lately there have been occasional incidents of Liuren unrest caused by soaring prices, but they were all handled properly; how could such a massive farmer uprising erupt suddenly?"

"And it came without any warning!"

Xianzhou has always been relatively stable, agriculture orderly, never before experiencing such violent turmoil.

This sudden turn of events left it feeling deeply troubled.

At that moment, Ji Baiyu suddenly dropped to his knees, shuffled a few steps to Yi Fu Feng's side, clutched his trousers tightly, and cried out hoarsely, "Sir! All the grain in our village has been seized by those rebels!"

"The ladies you placed in the village have also been taken away by them!"

Yi Fu Feng had been bowing his head in thought; hearing this, he was struck as if by lightning, his eyes widening, and he barked, "What did you say?!"

His aura instantly became fierce, his once slender face flushed crimson with anger, the veins at his temples pulsing.

"Those scoundrel rioters!" Yi Fu Feng snarled, his voice trembling with extreme fury, "How dare they plunder my family, seize my property, truly lawless! They deserve to be torn apart!"

At this moment, the fire of his anger roared like an erupting volcano, nearly consuming him.

Ji Baiyu wept even more sorrowfully, sniffling and tearing, continuing, "Sir, when I fled, I saw with my own eyes the ladies being dragged, their cries shaking the heavens!"

"Those rioters each had ferocious faces, perhaps..."

"Perhaps the ladies have already been violated by them..."

"This is intolerable! What can be endured?" Yi Fu Feng, his anger burning, clenched his fists hard, his knuckles whitening and trembling slightly.

A violent wave of nausea and humiliation surged like a tide, nearly toppling him.

Even ants have become comrades in the same path?

And among them are many women I favor...

He inhaled deeply, suppressing the turmoil within, hurried to You Shuohan, his eyes blazing with hatred, bowed and cupped his fists, and said forcefully, "Inspector You, the military situation is like fire, we cannot delay a moment!"

"Those rioters are cruel and inhumane; if we do not eradicate them quickly, not only my family's safety is at risk, but Stone City may also fall into crisis!"

"Please allow me to lead troops to quell the unrest!"

"I will cut down these rioters to the last, to vent my hatred!"

The candlelight halo swirled across You Shuohan's face; his sidelong glance passed over Yi Fu Feng's flushed cheek, seeing not only hatred but also a hint of urgent restlessness, and he thought silently, "Is Yi Fu Feng planning to claim the credit for quelling the unrest for himself?"

With that thought, You Shuohan slowly rose, adjusted his collar, scanned the hall, and said authoritatively, "Quelling the unrest is a top priority for Xianzhou's safety; how can we let the Chief Clerk go alone?"

"For such a matter, how could I not go personally?"

Yi Fu Feng was startled, his angry expression froze, and he instinctively began, "This..."

He clearly hadn't expected You Shuohan to suddenly propose personally leading the campaign, and was momentarily at a loss.

The next moment, he suddenly realized something, muttering in his mind, "This You fellow wouldn't be afraid of me, stealing his glory, would he?"

You Shuohan turned to Gao Lin Yue, loudly ordering, "Staff Officer Gao, mobilize the troops!"

Gao Lin Yue heard the command, immediately bowed and replied, "As you command!"

He turned and briskly walked out of the hall, his hurried footsteps fading away.

You Shuohan raised his hand to the jade sash at his waist and declared grandly, "Today, I will personally lead the great army, march out of the city to meet the enemy, and in one stroke subdue these rebels, restoring peace to Xianzhou!"

In his eyes flickered a confident light, as if victory were already assured.

The massive army marched toward Outside City, and in the night the torchlights merged into a sea, like a fire dragon weaving through the darkness.

Halfway there, they could already see flames shooting skyward from the villages outside, reddening half the night sky, with distant shouts and clashing weapons faintly audible in the air.

Yi Fu Feng rode on a Horse, gazing at the blazing fire, his heart burning with pain, gripping the reins tightly, and gritted his teeth, saying, "My village!"

"Those damned rebels dare to destroy my estate like this!"

The hatred in his eyes was almost tangible.

Not only Yi Fu Feng felt heartache, but several high officials accompanying him also wore solemn expressions.

Many of them owned estates and fields Outside City; now, seeing the villages plundered and burned by rebels, their hearts bled.

Ji Baiyu rode a lame Horse, deliberately staying at the rear of the formation, pointing to the village silhouettes engulfed by flames, and shouted loudly to You Shuohan and the others ahead, "Gentlemen, the villages are right ahead!"

"We can still hear the rebels' war cries clearly!"

Gao Lin Yue halted his horse, eyes narrowed, and looked in the direction Ji Baiyu indicated.

Inside the village, flames roared, faint silhouettes flickered in the fire, and occasional sounds of broken objects and looting echoed, clearly the rebels were still plundering.

He gritted his teeth, his tone full of hatred: "Inspector, look!"

"Those rebels haven't left yet!"

"Look at this formation, it's more than just ordinary fun to plunder!"

You Shuo An's corner of the mouth curled into a cold sneer, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes: "Good, very good!"

"Dare to act so brazen in Xian Prefecture's territory, do you really think my sword is dull?"

Before the words finished, he suddenly drew the sword at his waist, its blade reflecting a sharp, cold glint in the torchlight.

"By my command! All troops launch a charge, leaving not a single living soul!"

At the command, the entire army boiled with fury.

"Kill!"

A thousand soldiers clad in iron armor surged ahead first, the clashing armor emitting a clang like thunder rolling across the night sky.

Following them, five thousand unarmored troops gripped their knives, spears, swords and halberds, roaring as they galloped toward the direction of Zhuangzi.

For a moment, the sounds of horse hooves, shouts, and weapon clashes intertwined, shaking the surrounding air.

Amid the crowd, Ji Baiyu, at the instant the army charged, seized the Horse Rein amid the chaos and quietly turned the horse's head.

Then, after a vigilant glance at the surging crowd behind, seeing no one watching, he swiftly turned the horse's head and galloped toward the darkness by the roadside.

In no time, his figure completely merged into the deep night.

He vanished without a trace.

As if he had never appeared in this anti‑rebellion army.

Meanwhile.

In the dense forest not far from the official road, Peng Chong leaned casually against a Lao Huai Shu, his eyes like a hawk's as they watched the movements of the Qi State army.

Clad in dark Xuan Armor, a Horizontal Blade hanging at his waist, a playful smile on his face.

Seeing the Qi State troops stretched out long, disjointed front and back, with no formation at all, he shook his head with a half‑smile, murmuring, "The Xian Prefecture garrison is truly impatient!"

As soon as the words fell, Peng Chong abruptly straightened, turning his head toward the rear.

Deep in the forest, hundreds of militia clad in Xuan Armor were already astride Warhorses, their horse spears angled toward the ground.

The blade's edge glimmered with a chilling sheen under the moonlight.

Each of them had sharp eyes and steady breath, like tigers coiled to spring, waiting with weapons for dawn, awaiting a single command.

"Brothers!" Peng Chong raised his hand, drew the Horizontal Blade, swung his arm, and shouted loudly, his voice ringing like a bell across the night sky, "Those bringing battle merits have arrived, it's time for us to reap the corn!"

"Achieving glory and success is today!"