"She seems to be called Ms. Li," Ma Village Chief said, "The people you captured this time are merchants under her. Qiu Village Chief, you've provoked someone you shouldn't have this time."
Who else if not Yao Li would be bad to provoke?
She's someone who could shave a man bald in the middle of the night!
"How do you plan to deal with us?"
"Originally, your Hong Shan Stockade was at odds with our Qing Song Village and Xiao Wa Village," Ma Village Chief said, "But we've promised Ms. Li that as long as you're willing to give up Hong Shan Stockade and rebuild a stockade nearby, and no longer commit crimes, but rather do business properly with Great Ling's merchants, then we'll spare you."
Spare us that easily?
Qiu Village Chief thought he had misheard, exclaiming that it was impossible.
"Can she call the shots?" Qiu Village Chief asked, "Where is she? I want to ask her in person."
"Don't worry, you'll be able to see her soon," Ma Village Chief looked at the firelight on the mountain across, saying, "And Wu Ling will come soon too, I guess."
...
At this time, Wu Ling was very nervous.
Even with dozens of loyal guards protecting him, as long as the army was still in chaos, he felt extremely uneasy.
He knew that in this expedition, he had violated at least several major military taboos, any one of which could lead to defeat, even death.
He was a little confused about when exactly he had become so incautious. He only hoped that Master Tang at Hong Shan Stockade could figure things out and end this sudden turmoil as soon as possible.
Some people brought over the knocked out regimental commander.
Seeing his most loyal subordinates beaten like this, Wu Ling's heart grew heavy.
Someone was making trouble in secret!
But who exactly?
Wu Ling instantly thought of the Ninth Prince.
Could it be that the Emperor already had suspicions about him and had the Ninth Prince Liu Yun come secretly to set a trap for him?
Thinking of this, Wu Ling broke out in cold sweat, but then felt confused again when he considered that the Ninth Prince may have really come but without any troops.
In short, Wu Ling's mind was in complete disarray at this point.
Just then, shouting and killing sounds suddenly came from the nearby woods, scaring Wu Ling out of his wits.
"What's going on?"
"Reporting to General, there seem to be many people in the east and north woods! They are Nanzhao Kingdom's men!"
"What?"
To the south here was Hong Shan Stockade, and to the west were endless towering mountains, completely impassable.
Now there were enemies to the east and north, so weren't they surrounded?
The worst case scenario had finally happened.
"Take up your weapons and engage the enemy! Go engage them quickly!"
The soldiers had been shitting themselves all night, and were already nearly spent. To engage the enemy in this state, they were afraid they would only be slaughtered.
"Why are you still dallying?" Seeing that even his personal guards wouldn't budge, Wu Ling's anger rose as he shouted loudly, "Anyone who dares not go, will face military law!"
They looked at each other, just about to reluctantly go into battle, when Liu Hu came over leading more than a hundred new soldiers, marching vigorously.
Seeing them fully armored and energetic, without any sign of exhaustion, Wu Ling was overjoyed.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the new centurion, Liu Hu! Leading my old troops to protect the General!" Liu Hu saluted with clasped hands, "We've already scouted that the attacking enemies are from Xiao Wa Village and Qing Song Village, numbering around two thousand."
"Very good, very good," as long as it wasn't Hong Shan Stockade, then everything could be talked through, Wu Ling said, "Liu Hu, I now appoint you regimental commander, lead the army to engage the enemy!"
"Yes!" Liu Hu acknowledged, "But General, the enemy has great numbers, I'm afraid amidst the chaos the General may be accidentally injured. Please find a safe place for the General."
Wu Ling felt this young man was quite sensible, and was comforted in his heart.
He really should find a safe place.
Now that it was confirmed not to be Hong Shan Stockade causing trouble, then the stockade across would be safe.
"Alright, I'll take twenty personal guards and temporarily go to Hong Shan Stockade."
"Hong Shan Stockade?" Liu Hu feigned puzzlement, "General, Hong Shan Stockade belongs to the Nanzhao Kingdom, if you go there, aren't you afraid they might have..."
"No need, I'm on good terms with the Chief of Hong Shan Stockade."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Wu Ling suddenly felt the situation was bad.
How could he have casually spoken of this?
And what chilled his heart was that Liu Hu's face already revealed a hint of a smile.
He turned and said loudly to the surrounding troops: "Everyone heard that! Wu Ling is the commanding general of the garrison, yet he is colluding with Hong Shan Stockade, this is the crime of treason! Someone come, arrest him!"
"You dare!" Wu Ling panicked and bellowed, "I'm the general, I hold the military talisman, you all must obey my commands! This Liu Hu is trying to rebel amidst the chaos, you all must arrest him for me!"
The troops looked at each other, at a loss for what to do for the moment.
Wu Ling's collusion with Hong Shan Stockade was something they all knew perfectly well.
By principle, they had benefited from it too, Wu Ling had only cheated some money from the merchants, and had not cost any lives or endangered Great Ling thus far, so they had just quietly taken the money.
But now that someone had exposed this, the nature of it became different.
"Why are you dallying, come at me!" Wu Ling yelled at his personal guards, "How have I treated you all this whole time? And now you actually dare disobey my orders? I'm telling you, if I fall, you lot won't have any good outcome either!"
Hearing this, the guards suddenly came to their senses.
That's right, they and Wu Ling were grasshoppers on the same rope.
Shing shing shing—
Gleaming military sabers were unsheathed, dozens of personal guards lined up layer by layer in front of Wu Ling, confronting Liu Hu's men.
And those ordinary soldiers, seeing this situation, also gathered around, surrounding both sides.
Just as swords were drawn and crossbows cocked, a tall, thin figure parted the crowd and strode over swiftly. It was none other than the Ninth Prince Liu Yun.
"Wu Ling!" Liu Hu said, "The Ninth Prince is here, why don't you kneel and pay respects?"
Wu Ling knew things had gone badly.
Wasn't this Ninth Prince locked up in prison? How could he have suddenly appeared here?
"Humph, just because you say he's the Prince, that makes him the Prince?" Wu Ling forced himself to stay calm, saying, "Daring to impersonate the Prince is punishable by execution of nine generations of your clan!"
Liu Yun had been locked up for a day and a night, and the anger in his heart had built up as high as a mountain.
But for some reason, at this moment he did not have as much rage as he had imagined, instead feeling exceptionally calm in his heart.
"Wu Ling, look what this is?"
Liu Yun took out his personal token and displayed it in front of Wu Ling and everyone.
Ordinary people wouldn't recognize this token, but Wu Ling did, and his face instantly turned ashen. Seeing his reaction, the others knew this token was no fake.
Swish swish swish—
No one knew who took the lead, but the surrounding soldiers all put away their weapons and bowed to Liu Yun.
"You have all committed offenses against military law, and by principle ought to face military justice," Liu Yun said loudly to Wu Ling's personal guards, "But given that you are all good sons of my Great Ling, only misled by Wu Ling, as long as you are willing to repent and renew yourselves, and in the future dutifully protect Great Ling's territory, this throne will pardon your crimes!"
