GBP Chapter 273 Shimen Town
Chapter 273 Shimen Town
Everything is complicated and I feel heavy-hearted. It is hard to calm down when I think about the road ahead.
All the past events have come to light, and the changes in the world will become clear in due time.
Ever since he learned that the real identity of Li Xin's son-in-law was actually his own sixth prince, Zhao Hengzhen's eyes were fixed on Dingzhou and Weizhou. Every move of the two places became a frequent visitor to his desk. Every ten days, there would be news from Zhao Sheng quietly delivered to him.
"Does that supposed weapon that can emit strange noises and kill people from hundreds of steps away really exist?"
Zhao Hengzhang held the secret report in his hand, his brows full of suspicion. The strange stories revealed between the lines made him unbelievable.
"Wu Wei, have you ever heard of arrows that can be invisible and injure people, taking their lives without even being noticed?"
The pale-faced man standing by, Wu Wei, frowned slightly upon hearing this. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke, "Your Majesty, if an arrow leaves the bow at an extremely high speed, perhaps its trajectory would be difficult to track, and it might kill someone at a distance. This is not entirely unreasonable."
"Oh, there really is such a sharp weapon in the world." Zhao Hengzhen whispered to himself, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
However, his heart was filled with ripples, and he secretly wondered: How did the Sixth Prince master such an extraordinary weapon?
After thinking about it for a long time, he finally called Xu Hu from the Dark Cavalry Division.
"Pass the order down and make sure to find out the source of those weapons in Dingzhou." Zhao Hengzhen's voice was low and firm, revealing unquestionable majesty.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xu Hu bowed his head respectfully, responded, and then hurried away with steady steps.
After Xu Hu disappeared outside the door, Zhao Hengzhen spoke again slowly, seemingly talking to himself, but also as if asking the air beside him: "All the princes have been recalled. Should the Sixth Prince be recalled as well?"
"Your Majesty, you mean..." Wu Wei was confused for a moment when he heard this, and was interrupted by Zhao Hengzhang before he could finish his words.
Zhao Hengzhen ignored Wu Wei's unfinished words and immersed himself in deep thought, as if the hustle and bustle of the whole world had nothing to do with him.
Luancheng quietly welcomed the prelude to spring after the silence of winter. Inside and outside the city walls, people's lives gradually returned to their former vitality and bustle.
Zhou Tong, the county lieutenant who usually keeps his eyes and ears open, recently caught a glimpse of something unusual - there seemed to be an undercurrent in the stone leather land outside the city, and an inexplicable phenomenon made him alert.
Without delaying for a moment, he hurried back to the county government office, quickly gathered the government soldiers, and the group marched straight to the city gate.
At the same time, the 20,000 elite soldiers dispatched by Zhao Sheng from Dingzhou have quietly entered Luancheng, guarding the small city like a solid wall, allowing the people in the city to welcome the New Year in peace.
For Zhou Tong, such important information must be reported to his superior, Lord Li Xin, who is also the true guardian of Luancheng, as soon as possible.
"Captain Zhou, are you going to lead the team out of the city yourself?" At the city gate, a young officer guarding the city saw Zhou Tong leading the team and hurried forward to ask, with a sense of familiarity and respect in his words.
"That's right. I'm going to the county town. I have some urgent military information to report to the prince." Zhou Tong looked at his former comrade who had fought side by side with him. Although his words were concise, they revealed unquestionable firmness.
As the spring breeze blew by, during their brief conversation, it seemed that even the chill in the air was dispelled by their determination, foreshadowing what was about to come, perhaps a stormy contest.
He had informed the general stationed at the military camp of the matter and made a detailed report to Zhao Yongsheng to ensure that the security of the workshop could be strengthened immediately.
Upon hearing this news, Li Xin hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "When will the princess and her husband return?"
"Your Highness, I don't know the exact date, but they told me before we left that it would be around the 15th," the subordinate replied respectfully.
"Fifteen days? Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's almost time to return." Li Xin pondered for a moment, then made a decision, "I've made up my mind. I'll send ten thousand people to accompany you back. At the same time, I'll send a message to Cheng Ziyun in Lu County to increase security to prevent any accidents."
The subordinates looked worried and said, "Your Highness, if the Shige bandits attack, the cannons on the city walls can certainly repel them. But we are afraid that they will burn, kill, and loot wantonly outside the city, and the innocent people will suffer."
Upon hearing this, Li Xin couldn't help but sigh: "That's absolutely true. If that's true, I'm afraid all the food we harvested this season will be wasted."
His eyes fell on the tender green leaves that had just begun to bloom on the branches, but he felt helpless. He slowly stood up and walked towards the place where the shadows of the trees were swaying.
"Forget it. I'll take this token and mobilize the troops, but these onlookers' gazes are like thorns in my back. This is not a long-term solution." He sighed softly, a hint of irritation revealed between his brows.
Zhou Tong's departure was also particularly heavy, his steps dragging, as if a heavy burden was weighing on his shoulders. Although he clearly had the power to annihilate them in one fell swoop, for some reason, Zhao Sheng hesitated to make a decision.
This inaction made Zhou Tong confused and even more depressed.
As night fell, Zhou Tong led more than 10,000 soldiers and horses and returned to Luancheng in a mighty manner.
The outline of the city gradually became clear in the dim light. He then ordered the soldiers to go to the barracks to settle down and rest, while he hurriedly went to find Zhao Yongsheng.
Zhao Yongsheng had already prepared a bowl of water. When Zhou Tong came in, he went to greet him, his eyes full of concern: "Have you gone to mobilize the troops?"
Zhou Tong took the bowl of water, drank it all, and nodded. "Yes, you brought back 10,000 elite soldiers. With these reinforcements, it will be extremely difficult for Shi Ge's group to capture Luancheng. But..."
Zhao Yongsheng seemed to have already seen through Zhou Tong's worries. He smiled gently and interrupted Zhou Tong's unfinished words: "Don't worry, Shi Ge may not choose to attack directly. If he turns his attention to the outside of the city, that would be a real problem."
Zhou Tong felt relieved when he heard this, but he also knew that what Zhao Yongsheng said was true.
The two looked at each other with solemn expressions. They were not completely sure about the unknown challenges they were about to face. They could only pray silently that the precarious Luancheng could survive this disaster safely.
When Shi Ge was searching for Hou Lin, he received a secret letter directing him to find a place to set up camp not far away. However, on the top of the mountain, clothes were scarce, food and grass were scarce, and the situation was worrying.
Hou Lin came up with many clever plans. He suggested that Shi Ge capture a town under the jurisdiction of Lu County and use it as a stronghold, advancing steadily and slowly.
After reading it, Shi Ge felt that what he said made sense, so he led his warriors and marched northward in a mighty force, vowing to find a place to settle down in this chaotic world.
When Zhao Sheng returned, a new town had quietly risen thirty miles outside Lu County. It was called Shimen Town. It seemed as if new life had blossomed from the dust overnight.