Chapter 620: 100,000 Jin of Refined Iron
Shi Tianze quickly went over to pull Cao Shaoqing away, helped Yuan Datou up and comforted him: "Little brother, you are also very anxious and have no idea what to do. This method is not bad." He thought it was a good idea.
Right now, Shi Tianze has only two personal guards around him, plus Yuan Datou's informant. It's a bit far-fetched for the six of them to pretend to be a family. So they say they are all traveling pilgrims, and their boss has died of plague, so they are going to escort his coffin back to his hometown.
After Yuan Datou got the confirmation, he immediately made arrangements.
Shi Tianze watched Yuan Datou walking away, patted Cao Shaoqing on the shoulder and said: Now is the time to use people, we are like dogs that have lost their home, how can we touch our brother casually, aren't you afraid that he will turn against us and inform on us?
Cao Shaoqing shouted in a deep voice: He dares.
Guard A beside Shi Tianze said: He sneaked out for patrol at night and found that notices for the arrest of the two family heads were posted at the main streets of the city. The portraits on them were lifelike and recognizable at a glance. The reward offered by the government was frighteningly high.
Cao Shaoqing chuckled and said: I didn't expect that this stinking skin could be sold for a good price, it's worth it.
After hearing this, Shi Tianze was certain that it was not advisable to stay here for long and he had to leave.
In the afternoon, Yuan Datou returned with the informant.
The informant worked in the coffin shop, and Yuan Datou often contacted him there. He came up with this trick when he saw that the business was booming. This guy reported that everything had been arranged. Tomorrow, on the first day of the lunar year, the Shenwei Army in the city will celebrate the New Year and will definitely relax their vigilance. We can just go out through the north gate.
When the soldiers guarding the city heard that someone had died of the plague and it was New Year's Day, they certainly didn't want to have such bad luck.
Shi Tianze was very satisfied with Yuan Datou's arrangement and kept saying it was a great kindness.
That's it.
Then, the coffin shop sent a large and fine coffin along with all the funeral paraphernalia. After the porter left, Yuan Datou said proudly: "Mr. Shi, please take a look."
He pushed open the coffin lid. It was spacious inside and could easily accommodate Shi Tianze and Cao Shaoqing. Although it was a bit crowded, it didn't require two people to lie on top of each other.
The most crucial thing is that the informant deliberately set up a mechanism by chiseling a finger-wide gap at the bottom of the coffin cover, and also drilled holes on both sides of the bottom of the coffin head.
This solved the problem of them breathing fresh air inside.
This matter is very important, because after the Song people buried the dead, they would nail the coffin lid shut and seal the coffin with wax. If it was sealed tightly, the two of them would suffocate to death due to lack of oxygen inside.
Shi Tianze was delighted and very satisfied with this guy's meticulousness and efficient work. He said happily that as long as he got out of Baozhou City, he would reward him handsomely.
The next morning, these people began to act as funeral processions, pulling the coffins containing Shi Tianze and Cao Shaoqing towards the north gate.
The soldiers guarding the city saw it from a distance.
Damn, why are there a funeral procession coming so early in the morning?
It’s New Year’s Day, so damn unlucky.
The two veteran soldiers frowned and went over to check. They couldn't stand it anymore when they heard that it was another body that died suddenly of plague. They were going to open the coffin to check, but they simply gave up and waved their hands to tell them to leave quickly.
Yuan Datou was overjoyed to see that his plan had succeeded. He no longer needed the silver he had prepared to bribe the doormen. He just pushed the cart out with a few strong men.
As soon as he left the city gate, he was stopped by a group of fully armed soldiers and asked to stop for inspection.
Yuan Datou stepped forward and said with a smile that the city had checked and that they were legitimate merchants whose boss had died of plague and that they were returning home. As he spoke, he stuffed the small change that had not been given away into the leader's pocket.
The leader ignored him and asked for a tinder, and a soldier immediately handed him a tinder that was emitting yellow smoke. He took it and stretched it to the bottom of the coffin, circling around it. When he reached the head of the coffin, the yellow smoke quickly poured into the coffin and found a gap to get in.
This is a coffin-searching technique invented by the patrol coroner. Everyone knows that the coffin must be waxed and sealed, and the owner of the house is afraid of disturbing the corpse and thinks it is disrespectful to the deceased, so opening the coffin is absolutely not allowed. So how can one check whether there is a living person hidden in the coffin?
This trick works.
The team leader discovered the trick and brought the fire lighter close to the air inlet of the coffin. The pungent yellow smoke then went in as if it had found its home.
After a short while, smoke began to come out from the top of the coffin.
Wow, the air is flowing in and out smoothly.
At this time, another group of people ran out from the city gate and joined the roundup. The coffin on the cart began to shake loudly, it was like a ghost.
Yuan Datou knew that the plan had been exposed, and immediately shouted: "Get your weapons, brothers, let's fight!" He pulled out a goose-feather knife from under the cart and rushed forward. Several fierce men followed closely behind him.
However, no matter how good their kung fu skills were, how could they compete with the brothers in the Shunfengchu Action Camp? Moreover, this was a fair and open roundup, and Yuan Datou and his men were quickly destroyed.
The leader went up to report: General Jiashen, my subordinates have been guarding outside and have not let anyone escape.
Jiashen nodded, kicked the man who was still groaning in pain, Yuan Datou said: It's just a trivial trick, you thought I was not aware of it, but the people around me had already discovered the tricks of the carriage inn, and I know exactly how many people came out during this period and how many pounds of grain they bought.
The team leader kicked him again and yelled, "Confess the crime and be treated leniently; resist the crime and be treated severely."
Before Yuan Datou, who was lying on the ground, could speak, a voice came from inside the coffin: I, Shi Tianze, am here, hoo hoo, open the coffin quickly, hoo hoo hoo.
Haha, Shi Tianze couldn't stand the smoke of the fire stick with pepper added, and he coughed and shouted, "Open the coffin!"
Jiashen was overjoyed and said to his men: Shi the thief is very cunning, be careful.
Two soldiers went up and cut the ropes that bound the coffin, and directly lifted the coffin off the cart. The coffin was immediately broken into pieces, and Shi Tianze was also knocked unconscious and collapsed on the ground.
The soldiers immediately went up and tied him up with swords. Strangely, there was a ball of flesh inside. Upon closer inspection, it was the dead Cao Gang leader Cao Shaoqing.
Shi Tianze allowed himself to be tied up by the people at Shunfeng. After he took a breath, he said: He has made meritorious services and I request a lighter sentence because he was the one who strangled Cao Shaoqing to death and this thief is the leader of the Cao Gang.
Jiashen went forward to check and saw that the dead man's face was blue and purple, and there was a deep blood-red mark on his neck. He was indeed strangled to death. He picked up the portrait and compared it with the portrait, and it was undoubtedly Cao Shaoqing.
Yuan Datou and the informant from the coffin shop on the side were so angry that they screamed and cursed Shi Tianze, saying "magic bullshit". The brothers of the Cao Gang saved him for the sake of their leader's name, but this guy actually killed their leader in order to save his own life. Damn Shi Tianze, why wasn't he killed by the splitting bombs of the Shenwei Army?
The two guys kept crying and wailing, which made the people around who were watching the fun eat onlookers. More and more people gathered around to watch the fun.
Jiashen was in a good mood after capturing Shi Tianze. He asked his brothers to tell the people of Baozhou how they captured him, and asked Shi Tianze to tell the people how he strangled Cao Shao to death and ask for meritorious service to atone for his sins.
When there are people performing, there are people watching the show. The people are happy and keep coming closer.
At Cuiping Mountain in Yibin, Zhao Yulin learned that Shi Tianze had been captured on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. He brought his wives to accompany Ma Linger to celebrate the New Year, and only set off for Chengdu today.
The official ship went around a big bay. Seeing that he was still standing at the stern, Chen Chen said with a smile: The wind is strong, let's go in, and pushed him towards the cabin.
Shunzhi Di made tea herself, and Zhao Feiyan said with a smile that Ma Lingjie looked good, so there was no need to worry. How to get rid of Hubili was going to be a big problem for Brother Yulin.
At this time, they all knew that Hubili had hidden in the diplomatic delegation and arrived in Chengdu.
Zhao Yulin said that he would not hesitate and would send the delegation away as soon as he returned.
After all, Hubili is the Khan of the grassland empire, and his safety must be guaranteed. Otherwise, it will lead to a deadly fight between the Mongolians and us, which is not the result we want. However, the Mongolian army fought with us, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. There are definitely many people who want to kill him.
The Fire Phoenix said angrily: It would be better if they died. Let her kill them all to avenge Ma Yuan.
Zhao Yulin remained silent. It was not because he did not love his son, nor because he did not want revenge, but because of the war. When would the cycle of revenge end?
The New Song Dynasty also wants to recover the entire desert. Does it have to kill all the people on the grassland?
Obviously not.
When Hubili returned to the post station in Chengdu from Qiongzhou, the people of Chengdu were busy celebrating the New Year. This guy went to the temple fair with them, sat in a tile house to eat and play, and truly felt the prosperity of the big city. He sighed at the peace and prosperity under the rule of the new Song Dynasty.
He hurried all the way to Chengdu, and saw the increasingly prosperous city along the way. He was amazed at how lucky Zhao Yulin was to be in charge of such a powerful country, and was worried that he would never be able to conquer the Central Plains in his lifetime.
Wang Han reported to him that he had contacted the secret guards in the city and informed them that Zhao Yulin's whole family were spending the New Year in Yibin . It seemed that his eldest son Ma Yuan had died in the battle at Waqiao Pass, and they were all accompanying their first wife Ma Ling'er to relieve their boredom.
Hubili was stunned for a moment and said: How can a real man lose his fighting spirit because of the gain or loss of his son? Zhao Yulin is too sentimental.
Wang Han explained: Great Khan doesn’t know that Ma Yuan is Zhao Yulin’s first son. Logically, he is the eldest son of the New Song Dynasty, the crown prince.
Zhao Yulin respects Ma Linger as the mistress of the family, and it is clearly written on his face.
Hubili thought for a while and said to himself: No wonder our negotiations have made no progress. It seems that this trip to Western Shu is in vain.
The two were still talking when the envoy outside reported that the steward of the New Song Dynasty's Ministry of Rites had come to pass on a message: Go to the Ministry of Rites to discuss matters tomorrow, and Commander Zhao wants to participate in the negotiations.
Hubili smiled and said: The real culprit has finally shown up.
The next day, Wang Han and his party came to the magnificent meeting hall of the Ministry of Rites, and Zhao Yulin had already arrived. He saw that Han Ketian's table name was placed at the main seat, and his own table name was moved to the side, and he looked at Zhao Yulin and Hu Lan beside him in surprise.
Minister of Rites Li Liang sat on the left of Zhao Yulin. He picked up the tea bowl, blew on the bubbles, took a sip and said: "Please sit down and talk, Your Excellency the Commander, time is tight."
Hubili smiled, sat in Hanketian's seat and said: Commander Zhao really has a good eye. He knows that I am the one in charge of this delegation.
