Chapter 112: Not Yet in Yang Zhou 3: Drawing the Net Early [Many Thanks for Everyone's Support

At night,

at the Canal Soldier Guard Post of Xia Yi Prefecture in Yingtian Prefecture by the Bianhe River,

the person who had appeared where Mustache and Little Eyes were located arrived at the gate.

In the darkness, details were unclear, but several leaves remained unswept from his head.

The guard post was heavily fortified at night; when the visitor stated his purpose, the canal soldiers atop the wooden tower merely said their Squad Leader had gone out drinking and was not at the post.

The man below could not reveal his identity, so he could only say:

"Please inform Squad Leader Marquis Hu Yan that there are future relatives of the Marquis Hu Yan family on those boats; they must be protected well!" the man said.

"We will certainly pass on the message: there are relatives of the Marquis Hu Yan family on the three boats; they must be protected well!" the canal soldier atop the wooden tower replied.

"Good, thank you for your trouble!"

The man stepped back into the night; as a cold wind blew, he was heard muttering, "They didn't even invite Laozi inside to warm up. This job at the Imperial Security Bureau, clenching one's buttocks all day—Laozi doesn't want to do it for another single day!"

Finding a sheltered spot, he lit the fire starter in his bosom to read characters deeply branded onto bamboo slips with a hot iron:

"Damn it! Still have to notify the yamen here. If not for the next critical location for my wife—Chuzhou!"

Perhaps because he could not speak while lying in ambush, and his ambush had lasted exceptionally long, he was now somewhat talkative: "Joining the sect would surely mean eating rich food and drinking spicy wine! Detestable! The master's orders are difficult to disobey!"

He extinguished the fire starter and vanished into the darkness.

"Once this matter is concluded, I must surely get a promotion. Hiss! So cold!"

Not long after he departed,

deep into the night, a group of people arrived at the guard post gate.

After nightfall, the camp gates remained closed.

Marquis Hu Yan Zhao, the Squad Leader, thoroughly drunk, was hoisted up to the wooden tower in a large basket.

Upon hearing what the canal soldier said, Marquis Hu Yan Zhao waved his hand and said, "I already knew this. Go, brew some sobering soup. That steward from the Hou Fu truly knows how to drink!"

"Furthermore! Tomorrow at first light, select twenty men to follow the three official boats and provide escort."

"Yes, Squad Leader!"

"Ugh~~~~"

The next day,

the boats weighed anchor,

at the Hour of Chen (around nine in the morning).

Behind them, a fast canal soldier boat caught up.

After sailing for half a day,

by noon, the three official boats were still navigating the Bianhe River.

On the rearmost boat, the Xu family's scar-faced personal guard was eating food sent from the front boat together with Zhu Zhu Qinghu.

Stuffing a steamed bun into his mouth along with a bite of meat, the scar-faced man muttered, "Seeing them in daylight, these canal soldiers are truly excellent; worthy of the Marquis Hu Yan family, very fierce. Could they be veterans discharged from the Imperial Army?"

Zhu Zhu Qinghu said, "Perhaps. Nowadays, the Marquis Hu Yan family commands the Tiger Wing Naval Force of Bianjing, so having some elite troops is plausible."

The two watched their own boat's attached skiff rowing over to deliver meals provided by the three noble families.

The scar-faced personal guard continued, "Once this mission ends, they will surely receive generous rewards from the three families."

Zhu Zhu Qinghu smiled and said, "Certainly, they will not lack for rewards."

Brother Qingyun came aboard the boat, frowning slightly, for he detected an unpleasant odor.

"Young sir, we are all rough military men; please forgive us, please forgive us," the leading clerk said with an apologetic smile.

"It is nothing; the clerk is too modest. These dishes were prepared by a master chef brought from the Eastern Capital; please, brothers, do not dislike them."

The canal soldiers on the boat seemed momentarily stunned by the meal; only after the clerk called out did everyone hastily bow to give thanks.

Brother Qingyun also bowed in return, boarded the small sampan, and immediately frowned again, clearly overwhelmed by the stench.

Inside the canal soldier boat, the many troops did not immediately eat; instead, they pushed forward the smallest and thinnest among them, as the clerk commanded, "Eat!"

When Brother Qingyun returned to the official boat, Xu Xu Zaijing was standing at the stern; watching Brother Qingyun, he asked with a frown, "How was it?"

"The smell is very strong!" Brother Qingyun replied.

Xu Xu Zaijing saw the leader on the canal soldier boat behind bowing to salute him; he clasped his hands in return, wearing a smile.

By evening, an experienced old steward from the Bai family once again delivered prepared food.

That night, at midnight,

the three official boats, linked as one, suddenly blazed with light; servants waved lanterns at the stern, while other servants held torches to guide small boats, ferrying two horses ashore.

"Ai, ai, ai, yo~ it hurts! Ai, ai, ai," the old man's groans drifted from afar.

The canal soldier boat stationed nearby as guards heard the commotion, and the soldiers on board grew somewhat restless.

Fortunately, a young servant soon arrived from the official boat, stating that a steward had fallen suddenly ill and needed to be ridden quickly to a nearby city.

Asking the canal soldiers to remain calm, and listening to the steward's painful groans, the leading clerk uttered a wish for the steward's speedy recovery before returning to the cabin.

Soon, the sound of galloping horses rang out on the dark riverbank, quite loud in the silent night.

When the sky brightened fully, the three official boats had reached Yongcheng on the Bianhe River, four hundred li from Yang Zhou and sixty li from the next major canal town, Chuzhou.

The official boats again dispatched a small boat, stating explicitly that the nobles aboard wished to go ashore to visit the steward who had fallen seriously ill the previous night, and that the boats needed to dock.

Having worked hard for a day, the soldiers on this boat were also invited ashore to enjoy themselves.

However, the clerk on the canal soldier boat insisted on remaining on the river to provide protection.

The three official boats slowly approached the riverbank.

On the Bianhe River, canal transport was busy, but as it was still early, there were not many vessels.

Gradually, however, the coming and going boats began to thin out, until finally only a few fast boats were loitering.

At this moment, the Squad Leader of the Yongcheng guard post also arrived at the highest boat by the riverbank.

"Marquis Hu Yan Tai of the Yongcheng Guard pays his respects to Han Wulang and Yuan Erlang!"

"We pay our respects to Elder Brother Tai!"

"Rest assured, gentlemen; we have naval troops withdrawn from Jinming Pool here, and we shall ensure not a single one escapes."

Xu Xu Zaijing, watching from the stern as the river surface was nearly cleared, shook his head at the canal soldier boats, seemingly negating some notion, then said, "Please have the Guard dispatch its troops, Elder Brother Tai; let us capture a few first."

On the boat, Marquis Hu Yan Tai waved the flag in his hand.

Upon the river,

"Boom, boom, boom," came the sound of drums.

Instantly, a row of oars appeared on both sides of two of the swift boats that had just been drifting on the river.

With the drumbeats, the oars stroked faster and faster, accelerating to ram into the troop transport boats that had followed from Yu Xiao Yi.

Another seven or eight swift boats merely patrolled the surroundings, preparing to 'catch fish.'

Hearing the drums, several men instantly surged out from the canal soldier boats that had come from Yu Xiao Yi; looking at Xu Xu Zaijing observing the battle from afar, the leading clerk's face turned pale.

Immediately, his expression hardened; he turned and shouted loudly, "You spine-beating scoundrels! That bird-brained monkey of the Xu family has already seen through us! Brothers, grab your weapons and fight them to the death!"

Zhu Zhu Qinghu, watching the battle on the river from the side, shook his head and said, "This feint drew them out immediately; what sort of bandits are these?"

Then he saw the canal soldier boat capsized directly, and the thieves aboard, clad in thick clothing, plunged straight into the water.

Once the thieves in the water were sufficiently frozen, the Yongcheng canal soldiers, having drunk warming strong liquor, stripped off their clothes, bared their torsos, clenched knives in their teeth, and leaped into the river; thereafter, the river surface gradually fell quiet.

On the other two official boats, Bai Shi had sent Old Cui Mama Chang over to ask what was happening.

Gu Gu Tingye replied, "Cui Mama, that is the Guard arresting bandits."

"Very well; I shall report back to Da Da Niangzi."

In less than two quarter-hours, the Yongcheng canal soldiers, bare-chested and steaming with heat, dragged the last thief, who had drunk his fill of icy river water, aboard; regardless of whether they were unconscious or dead, they were bound tightly with rope.

Afterwards, they hastily wrapped themselves in clothes and huddled beside their comrades to warm themselves by the fire.

One more chapter remains.

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(End of Chapter)