Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 65 I am Lu Shuai's man! (Please read on)

In Chao County, the Qin family had already recruited soldiers to enter the city. Qin Zhao guarded the east and south gates, Qin Rong guarded the west gate, and Jin Chaoxing guarded the north gate.

This arrangement was, of course, intended for the Qin family to open the city gates and lure the rebels into the city when the Chaohu navy attacked the city. Therefore, the Qin brothers were guarding the side close to Chaohu Lake.

Of course, this is just in case. If we can capture the city ourselves and then give it to Lu Jin, that would be a greater achievement!

On September 23rd of the eleventh year of Zhizheng, the sky began to darken.

A curfew has been imposed in Chao County, and the people are hiding in their homes. Only Qin's newly recruited soldiers are patrolling and guarding the city on the streets.

When everything was arranged, the chief clerk Qin Li immediately found the two brothers. After sending everyone away, Qin Li immediately asked.

"Have all the city gates been taken?"

Qin Zhao immediately replied, "Don't worry, brother. The soldiers guarding the city gate are our trusted ones and we will ensure nothing goes wrong."

Qin Li nodded in relief after hearing this, and then asked, "Have you checked the positions of Yao Zhaoxian and Su Butai? If we start a rebellion, we must subdue them as soon as possible."

Hearing his brother asking about these two people, Qin Zhao immediately frowned and said, "I have asked someone to keep an eye on Yao Zhaoxian. His family is all in the city, and he has nowhere else to go. It's just that Su Butai. He went to the mansion outside the city once that day, and he has been running away since then. He is not in the city now, and I don't know where he went."

When Qin Li heard that Subutai was not in the city, he immediately hesitated. This was a rebellion, a beheading business, there must not be any accidents.

Seeing his elder brother's hesitation, Qin Rong immediately advised him.

"Brother, the night is long and dreams are many. We cannot hesitate to seize the city. Subutai is not in the city. Even if he finds out that we have started a rebellion, he has no troops of his own. Can he still take the city back from us? At most, he can run to Hezhou for help.

"As long as we capture the city and invite Marshal Lu's reinforcements as soon as possible, we will not be afraid even if Subutai and Kang Maocai come."

Qin Li nodded when he heard this. All the people in the county government were his people. He certainly knew that Yao Zhaoxian had sent his attendant to ask Kang Maocai for reinforcements. He even knew that Kang Maocai refused to send reinforcements on the grounds that the river defense was more difficult.

In this case, as Qin Rong said, even if Subutai went to find Kang Maocai, he would probably return empty-handed.

So he gritted his teeth, made up his mind immediately, and asked, "What about Jin Chaoxing? If you let him guard the north gate alone, will he be willing to join us in the uprising?"

Qin Zhao and Qin Rong looked at each other, and Qin Zhao immediately said, "Brother, Brother Jin is a man we can trust. If you are worried that he is not on the same page with us, that is easy to deal with. When we go to capture Yao Zhaoxian later, we will let Brother Jin do it himself. As long as he kills the county magistrate, we will not be afraid that he will not rebel."

"That's a good idea." Qin Li raised his eyebrows, "Let's do it this way, there's no time to lose, you go now!"

"it is good."

Qin Li hid in his home in the city, protected by servants inside and outside, waiting for his brothers to come with Yao Zhaoxian's head.

On the other side, the brothers Qin Zhao and Qin Rong, each wearing a set of iron armor, which they took from the Chao County armory, quickly went to the north gate to find Jin Chaoxing.

The two men sandwiched Jin Chaoxing on the left and right, making Jin Chaoxing frightened. He thought that his act of being an accomplice to the Chaohu navy had been exposed.

He put one hand on the hilt of the knife and asked calmly, "Brother Qin, you two need me help. It's already dark!"

Qin Zhao immediately smiled and said, "Of course I have something to ask Brother Jin. My brother prepared a table of wine and food and asked the two of us to invite Brother Jin. We are all family members. Now the defense of Chao County depends entirely on us, so we should comfort Brother Jin."

"It's rare that Chief Qin thinks highly of me, so I'd better obey your command." Jin Chaoxing responded with a smile, but he became more alert in his heart, wondering what the Qin family was up to.

But I have no choice now, maybe I will have to fight for my life later!

Fortunately, his wife and children had been taken to Luzhou by Liao Yongan, otherwise it would be hard to say whether his family would be implicated.

But as he walked with Qin Zhao, Jin Chaoxing felt something was wrong, and asked, "Brother Qin Zhao, isn't this the way to the county government office? Could it be that your brother is holding a banquet in the county government office?"

Qin Zhao said with a smile, "Defending the city is a public matter. Not only do we warriors need it, but the clerks in the yamen also have the responsibility to supply food and grass. Of course, we will attend the banquet together, but don't worry, Brother Jin, we will not be at the same table with them."

"Oh, I see."

Jin Chaoxing has already confirmed that Qin is up to something, but he can't just turn against him now, so he can only take one step at a time. And he still doesn't understand where his identity was exposed?

When the group was about to reach the gate of the county government office, they saw that it was pitch black there, without even a lantern hanging. No matter how stupid Jin Chaoxing was, he could no longer pretend.

He immediately stopped at the intersection. Qin Zhao and Qin Rong looked at each other, and a group of soldiers behind them immediately surrounded Jin Chaoxing.

Jin Chaoxing smiled bitterly and said, "I wonder how I have offended you two brothers? Where is the banquet you mentioned?"

Qin Zhao immediately clasped his fists and said, "No, we two don't want to harm Brother Jin, but now there is a tyrant emperor and treacherous ministers in power, forcing the people to live in misery, and righteous armies are rising up all over the country. My Qin family wants to take justice and seize Chao County to join Marshal Lu in Luzhou. That's why we recruited soldiers to sneak into the city, but we don't want to involve Brother Jin.

"This is a matter of life and death. If the truth is revealed, the whole family will be destroyed. Therefore, the two of us have no choice but to resort to this last resort. I would like to ask, Brother Jin, are you willing to join us in the uprising?"

Qin Rong also said, "Brother Jin, Marshal Lu of Luzhou is quite capable. He won three battles and three victories, beheaded Zuo Junbi, captured Zhu Liangzu, and has great ambitions, showing the demeanor of a great leader.

"When you and I take Chao County, we will have the credit for capturing the city, and then we will defect to them. We will definitely be valued and accomplish great things. It won't be a problem for your wife and children to be given titles. Brother Jin, please join us!" Jin Chaoxing didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard this. His mood was like riding a roller coaster. He was worried that his identity would be exposed and he might die, but now he found out that Qin actually wanted to take the city and defect to them. He was so up and down.

If he hadn't forced himself to remain calm just now, the two sides would probably have started fighting with knives.

Jin Chaoxing took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll do it with you. So what are you planning to do by bringing me to the county government?"

Qin Zhao was immediately delighted when he heard this and said, "Don't worry, Brother Jin. The city defense is in our hands now. As long as Brother Jin kills the magistrate of Yao County, we will send someone to tell Marshal Lu that the credit for surrendering the city will be ours."

"Let me kill the county magistrate?" Jin Chaoxing pointed at himself.

"Correct."

"Well, you two brothers, please lead the way."

Jin Chaoxing agreed immediately, but he did not reveal his identity right away. Although the Qin brothers said so, they didn't know how to do it.

The two men forced Jin Chaoxing to hand over a pledge of allegiance, but wasn't this pledge given to Jin Chaoxing by the Qin brothers?

Only when everyone's hands are stained with blood can we trust each other.

Qin Zhao waved his hand and someone broke in immediately. Qin Li was the chief clerk of the county government, and most of the clerks in the government were his people, so it was effortless for him to break in.

A moment later, the lights in the county government office were bright, and Yao Zhaoxian's family was pulled out by soldiers, including Yao Zhaoxian himself, his wife, concubine, and a 14-year-old son.

When Yao Zhaoxian saw the two brothers Qin Zhao and Qin Rong, he was immediately shocked and angry and yelled, "Qin Zhubu, you have received the imperial court's favor in vain. Are you planning to rebel?"

Qin Zhao and Qin Rong turned a deaf ear to this and both looked at Jin Chaoxing.

"Brother Jin, shall we do it?"

"you?"

Before Yao Zhaoxian could say anything, Jin Chaoxing looked around, drew his sword and stabbed it straight into Yao Zhaoxian's chest. He then turned the handle of the sword left and right, and blood splattered all over the three people. Yao Zhaoxian's wife was so scared that she fainted on the spot.

"No, don't kill me!" His 14-year-old son wet his pants instantly, and the concubine screamed in fear.

With a "puff", Jin Chaoxing pulled out the knife. Yao Zhaoxian immediately fell to the ground, holding his chest, and soon died.

Jin Chaoxing then said, "Are you two satisfied? It's your turn now, right?"

The brothers Qin Zhao and Qin Rong were still relatively young. It was their first time seeing a murder scene and they were actually a little excited. When they heard what Jin Chaoxing said, they looked at each other. Qin Zhao killed Yao Zhaoxian's first wife with a knife, and then chopped off Yao Zhaoxian's head with the knife.

Qin Rong also swiftly killed Yao Zhaoxian's concubine and his 14-year-old son, beheading them all on the spot!
The three men were covered in blood, and there was no innocent person present.

Jin Chaoxing asked after seeing this.

"Killing an official now would be considered a rebellion. Chao County is not far from Hezhou. With only two or three thousand of us, it may be difficult to resist Kang Maocai's army. What do you two brothers plan to do?"

Qin Zhao picked up Yao Zhaoxian's head and said, "We will send a fast horse to Luzhou to ask Marshal Lu to send reinforcements to take over Chao County."

"Wait a minute." Jin Chaoxing suddenly stopped the two of them upon hearing this.

Qin Zhao and Qin Rong were both puzzled and turned to look at him.

Jin Chaoxing then said.

“From Chao County to Luzhou, it’s nearly 200 miles. It will take at least three days for you to send the message and for General Lu to gather his troops and send them to our place. However, Kang Maocai is only one day’s journey away.

"Why don't we contact the Chaohu Navy directly and ask them to help defend the city?"

"This is good, but how do we contact the Chaohu navy? Don't we still have to go to Luzhou to send a message first?" Qin Zhao asked puzzledly.

Jin Chaoxing's aura suddenly changed.

"To be honest with you two brothers, there is actually no need to go through so much trouble. Marshal Lu has already sent a large army of more than 10,000 soldiers to lie in wait near Chao County. I am Marshal Lu's internal supporter. The army outside the city is just waiting for me to sneak into the city and they can break into the city at any time.

"As long as I send a signal to the Chaohu navy, more than 10,000 troops will come to help me defend the city that night."

"Ah? This..." Qin Rong was stunned when he heard it.

Qin Zhao also frowned in disbelief, "Are you serious, Brother Jin?"

Jin Chaoxing immediately patted his chest proudly and said, "I am Coach Lu's man!"

(End of this chapter)