across the Quartet

Chapter Two

A few days later, Li Mu received an invitation card. It was actually Guo Kai who invited him to a family banquet, accompanied by several important court officials.His subordinates Sima Shang, Zhao Cong, Yan Ju and others were all invited.

Most of Li Mu's cronies and subordinates advised him not to attend, and none was more opposed than Li Zuoche.Everyone said that the old thief Guo Kai had ulterior motives and the general was the pillar of the country, so how could he risk himself.However, Li Mu rejected all opinions, thinking that since Guo Kai was insidious, he would not do it in full view; besides, Guo Kai was still Zhao Guoqing's prime minister, in charge of a country's political affairs. Weapons, armor, civilian husbands, livestock, and military pay are all inseparable from the support of the rear, so it is best not to deliberately fight against them.

"I understand my grandfather's painstaking efforts, but that old thief has many methods, so we have to be on guard... Jin Linggong wanted to get rid of Zhao Dun, didn't he do it in the imperial court, with all his armor?" Zuo Che stopped worriedly.

Li Mu sneered. "Do you think this old man is similar to Zhao Dun?"

"No, grandson means—"

"That's all. Even if he Guo Kai can use the power of the monarch, the old man will have a 'spirit' to save him." Li Mu said turning his head and patted Gai Nie on the shoulder. "With this one here, who can touch me?"

On that day, there was a grand banquet in Guo's mansion, and many guests came. Guo Shangqing personally welcomed the door and entertained him hospitablely.There are fine wines and delicacies at the banquet, silk and bamboo orchestras, and there are dances by the family girls to add to the fun.

Gai Nie and several hundred gold warriors were dressed as attendants, and they seemed to sit casually behind Li, Sima and others.According to the information from Shan Gui before, Gai Nie also believed that Guo Kai was extremely powerful, and if he really wanted to harm General Li, he would definitely design a well-thought-out trap; Tricks such as ambush assassins are really low-end.But when he thought of Li Zuoche's mournful eyes before going out, he felt that the burden on his shoulders was really heavy, and he had to be careful and pay attention to everything, and he was very alert to every move of everyone in the hall, including servants and dancers.

"What about Brother Gai, are you dumbfounded?" Xia Qi laughed and hooked his neck.

"Brother Xia, be careful." Gai Nie whispered, "Those dancers are not simple. There are seven of them in total, and three of them will peep here every time they turn around; I am worried that they are confirming the general's seat. If one of them People are planning to send out a thunderous blow, my position can block the sword attacking from the left as quickly as possible; Brother Xia is in a good position to resist from the right. Perhaps, they are still weighing the situation at the moment of the attack—”

"...I think you are the one they want to see."

"..."

After drinking for three rounds, the host suddenly smiled and said: "Ordinary music and dances are really hard to catch the eyes of distinguished guests. Recently, the old man invited someone to rehearse a funny show, and I would like to entertain you adults."

He clapped his hands three times, the dancers all bowed and retreated, and the musicians also temporarily stopped their hands.

The sound of gold and stone colliding came from far and near under the hall.A short dwarf in red jumped up like a monkey, holding a thick iron chain in his hand.A string of weird people of different heights are being led by the chain: either they are missing an arm, or they have no legs, so they can barely crawl with their palms; It's like a shrimp.Their necks were tied with chains, and they barely formed a circle in the hall, making all kinds of weird movements, as if to show their physical incompleteness to their heart's content.

After a "performance", some of the guests immediately cheered loudly, and some laughed endlessly.In fact, most of them don't quite understand why such a juggling is so ridiculous, but since it was specially arranged by Lord Shangqing, they can only act as if the host and guest are enjoying themselves.

Ge Nie couldn't laugh.He scanned the crippled bodies one by one; he had been with the sword for so many years, and he could tell at a glance that those missing limbs were all severed by sharp weapons.

Those people's faces were painted with gold paint, covering their expressions, but there was a stern pain in the eyes of several people.

Could it be that they are...

The dwarf who came up first jumped a few times, whistling like driving a horse.As if receiving a military order, those people lined up again and walked past each guest's table one by one. The two with hands were holding jars and wine ladles, and wanted to refill the guests.

Passing in front of Li Mu, a man with only his left hand scooped wine out of the altar with a ladle handle in one hand. When he raised his head, his body trembled for some reason.He opened his mouth, and although his tongue was intact, he could only make a sound like the wind blowing through a dilapidated house.

Ge Nie stared at the two changed lips.What the man wanted to shout seemed to be the word "general".

His chest seemed to be hit by a sledgehammer, and his right hand involuntarily grasped the hilt of the sword.Almost at the same time, another hand suddenly appeared from his side and pressed his forearm tightly.

"Brother Gai, stay here." Xia Qi lowered his head and said in a low voice, "I'm afraid that even people a few feet away can feel such a murderous aura."

Ge Nie took a deep breath, removed his hand from the hilt, and turned his head to check the faces of the people around him.Li Mu raised his eyebrows, and the knuckles holding the wine cup turned slightly white due to too much force.Sima Shang lowered his head and took a sip of the contents of the cup, from which he could only see his shadow cast on the case.Zhongshan Wolf looked at the disabled people thoughtfully, and seemed to have noticed some clues.Only Lu Goujian seemed unaware of it.

At this time, there was only a sound of "duh", and the person who added the wine accidentally knocked over the table because it was shaking too much, and the wine juice spilled all over the floor.

"Bastard! How dare you neglect the honored guest so much—" Guo Kai yelled and cursed unceremoniously, "Drag it for me, and cut off his other hand."

"Wait a minute." Li Mu put down the wine cup, and said calmly: "Master Shangqing, why should you be angry? This wonderful play, I also love it very much, and I would like to exchange it with gold and silk. I wonder if Lord Shangqing can cut off his love?"

"Don't dare." Guo Kai said with a smile on his face, "These slaves are worth nothing. The general loves him wrongly, and he should have offered it with both hands. It's a pity that I have an appointment with the emperor, and I will send these people into the palace for entertainment in a few days Empress Dowager, I'm afraid—"

"So, the old man is being rude, please forgive me." Li Mu held up the wine vessel with both hands and drank it in one gulp.

Not long after noon, Li Mu said he was unwell and left the table early.Gai Nie and others naturally also left together.It wasn't until the horses and horses left the Guo Mansion far away that Li Mu let out a long sigh, and collapsed on the carriage exhausted.

"The old man has been in charge of the general seal for more than ten years, and I am really ashamed to be a lieutenant in the army."

"General, you don't have to blame yourself too much. This matter really cannot be said to be the responsibility of the Chinese army. It's just..."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Lu Goujian pulled Xia Qi's bridle closer, "Why don't I seem to be the only one who can't understand?"

Xia Qi smiled wryly and shook his head, "Brother Lu probably didn't take a closer look. Many of the jugglers at today's banquet were originally members of the Zhao army, and they became like this after being injured on the battlefield."

"What? It was..."

"According to the rules in the army, the families of soldiers who died in battle, and the veterans who were disabled due to war, should receive a pension to support their wealth. Unfortunately, in recent years, our country has experienced continuous wars and famines, and the treasury has become more and more serious. The pensions that can be given to these people can only be reduced again and again. After some disabled soldiers left the army, they quickly spent all their pensions and had no means of earning a living, so they had to sell themselves into slavery. I have long known these situations I have heard about it. I just didn't expect their situation to be so miserable." Sima Shang said in a deep voice, "Guo Kai's subordinates forced these people to swallow charcoal, which was supposed to be a cover-up; but they deliberately staged this scene in front of the general. Don't have any plans."

"I'm afraid the thief wants to warn the old man." Li Mu smiled wearily, "If we don't stand by his side in the court battle, our army's situation will be even more difficult. Today I left like this, the old man really... ...difficult to sleep well..."

"General," Ge Nie, who had been keeping quiet all this time, suddenly interjected, "I still have a plan to rescue these comrades; it's just that it's a bit dangerous."

******************************************************************************

Handan, like most capitals in the world today, is divided into two parts: the inner city and the outer city: the inner city is the king city, which is located in the southwest of Handan; the area outside the Zhao king city is collectively called the Great North City.In Dabei City, in addition to the residences of various dignitaries and dignitaries, there are also post houses where envoys from various countries come and go, markets, workshops, shops that are busy day and night, and neighborhoods where common people live together, which is the real center of Handan.However, since Changping was defeated 30 years ago, Handan was surrounded by the Qin army for three full years, and its vitality has been severely damaged.

At that time, because the whole city was besieged by the Qin army, the bodies of countless soldiers and common people who died defending the city could not be transported outside the city for burial. They were hastily buried under the city walls.Today, this area is already a place that ordinary residents of Handan would never want to set foot on.On top of the mass-burial tombs, various dilapidated wooden and stone buildings are stacked on top of each other, together with the tunnels and rammed earth remains left by the city guards, the ups and downs are like a maze.The only ones who dare to linger here are the homeless poor, idlers, bloggers, robbers, prostitutes, and beggars. I heard that there are also many vicious strongmen, each of whom has several lives on his back.It is rumored that they often hold candle gatherings late at night to discuss looting and murder.Therefore, the people in the city gave this place another name, called "Jackal Cave".

Rumors are often not groundless.The Jackal Cave is dirty and chaotic, but it also claims to be one.The local snake here is called "Boss Cao" by the people around him. He was once the most famous thief in Dahe's generation. During a certain robbery, he encountered a tricky idea, so he had to take the rest of his men to lie dormant in Handan, colluded with the rangers, took them into exile, and gradually gathered a group of forces.On the surface, Boss Cao runs a liquor store, an iron smelting workshop, and several establishments, but it is said that anyone who wants to do ulterior motives in the entire Handan City must go through Boss Cao's eyes and ears.Some news about the sale was directly brokered by Boss Cao, and [-]% of the proceeds had to be handed over to him afterwards.

On this day, Boss Cao's wine shop closed early before sunset.Thick oak boards sealed the doors and windows to prevent people from seeing the candlelit figures inside.Two burly men dressed as clerks sat outside the threshold. Anyone who approached here would be frightened away by their fierce eyes.

A few people sat in the dark hall, with several porcelain bowls lined up in front of them, and a jar of wine that had just been sealed with clay, as if they were about to negotiate a big deal.

"Old Cao, you are really not mean."

A young man sat cross-legged on the ground, propped his face with one hand, and shook a bowl of somewhat muddy wine with the other.He looked really out of place with the others in the room.He was too young, and his eyes were too bright; there were no scars or tattoos on his face or body, and he was clean. Compared with the group of fleshy men opposite him, he looked like a sheep sleeping in a jackal's den.

"I just think that the three strongest wines in the world are Lie Yun Shao from Yan State, Xifeng Wine from Qin State, and the old Fen from Zhao State; your altar is really not authentic enough. .Hey, let me tell you, don’t you know how to add water?!”

"How dare you dare? It's nothing more than selling it to others. How can it be possible to mix water with the wine used to entertain your old man?" The young people who looked like they were still young had a respectful attitude. "Mr. Jing, how did you think about that—"

"I said, Lao Cao, don't play with me," the kid became more and more frivolous, and put his arms around Cao's neck, "What's 'Mister', 'Strong Man', you used to call me Brother Jing , I’ll call you Lao Cao, it’s so close.”

"Hey, I've offended you so much in the past, it's best for brother Jing not to worry about it. If you think about it, we're going to do it tonight—"

"Is the news reliable?" The arrogant boy drank a big sip of wine, pursed his lips with a bitter face, "If there are so many valuable treasures, which fool would sell you the news, he would have fled with him long ago—"

"Reliable is naturally reliable. One of my distant relatives worked in Guo Kai's mansion, and he saw this with his own eyes——the manager of the mansion led people to bury a whole box of gold nuggets, white biscuits, agates, and emeralds. Under the wall of the inner courtyard. The box is so heavy that one or two people cannot move it. Besides, Guo's mansion is tightly guarded, and there are many experts. Even if you secretly dig out the treasure, who can transport it away? My relative is a smart man. People, he is very aware of his own weight, rather than risking his death for eating the whole piece of meat, it is better to let someone who has the ability to share some soup."

"It's not unreasonable. However, Lao Cao, Lao Zhao and you are enough for this business, so why bother me." Fill your own wine bowl.

"Hey... This is indeed not the first time we have encountered this transaction through the wall. It is a pity that Guo Kai is no better than ordinary people. I heard that some of his retainers are more powerful than Zhao Wang's guards. What if he is alarmed when he is doing business? Guard, we can fight for other things. If we encounter the four famous swordsmen in the "south, south, and north", I am afraid that only you, Brother Jing, can deal with it——Of course, after everything is done, you must be a part of everything. -"

The young man shook his head pretendingly. "Old Cao, I, Jing Ke, am not greedy for your thanks; I just heard that Guo Kai is a well-known traitor in Zhao Guo. Lessons for him."

"Ahahahaha... that's natural, that's natural, brother Jing is indeed the world-famous Mo—"

"Hush—" The young man's face suddenly darkened.Boss Cao's one eye was fixed by him, and he didn't even dare to move his eyelids.

"You don't need to mention the superfluous things. I'm just an idle friend of your Boss Cao."

Three o'clock at night.A carriage rattled across the street and stopped two streets away from Guo Kai's Shangqing Mansion.The sorrel horse pawed the ground restlessly, occasionally snorting.However, next door is the post house where the envoys from various countries live temporarily. There are many horses prepared all year round, so even in the middle of the night, no one will notice this strange movement.

The spacious carriage was full of people, even the driver driving the horse squeezed in, as if arguing about something.

"This is what you call a strategy? It's just some low-level means!" Zhongshan Wolf covered his head with a headache. "It's just a few of us who want to steal a group of living people out of Guo Kai's mansion—even if there are insiders inside, it would be strange not to alert the guards! If this matter becomes serious, how do you want the general to tell Guo Kai?" Explain, how to explain to the king?"

"This plan seems very risky at first glance, but after careful consideration, I don't think it is impossible." Ge Nie calmly spread out a piece of sheepskin, on which a picture was carefully drawn, and many small words were added beside it. annotations.

"This is a map of Guo's mansion. I drew it based on the news that our people have sent little by little over the past few months. Although the situation in the inner courtyard is not clear, the layout of all the courtyards in the outer courtyard, where are the people living? I have figured out which houses are used for people and which houses are used. The houses here are the places where the newly bought servants may live temporarily. There are only six people in the juggling troupe, and they should sleep together at night .I considered a route with the least risk of coming and going. There are eight people on our side, and one person will be left here to respond, and the remaining seven people will sneak in quietly. Except for me, one person will take one away and go back the same way." He While pointing with his fingers, he took out a small gun from behind, "If I accidentally alarm the soldiers, I have another way to distract them, making Guo Kai mistakenly think that there are robbers or assassins coming; You take the opportunity to take those people and flee to the northeast in a carriage, and you can temporarily hide in the 'wolf's den'."

"As expected of Brother Gai, you are very thoughtful." Xia Qi praised, "It seems that there is nothing difficult. Everyone, what do you think?"

The rest of the hundred-gold warriors nodded vigorously.After all, things hurt their kind, and everyone felt uncomfortable after hearing what happened to those former soldiers.It would be great if they could be brought out and resettled by the general.

Zhongshan Wolf finally suppressed the dissatisfaction on his face.He has always been dissatisfied with Sima Shang's ordering Gai Nie to take over as the leader of the "Mountain Ghost". Apart from selfishness, more importantly, he felt that Gai Nie was too honest to be a spy and a secret agent.Sima Shang smiled and said, Gai Nie looked honest, and he had a detailed account in his heart.Although he was still puzzled, since Gai Nie took over, the Shangui's intelligence network is not only not inferior to before, but has continuously grasped more and more secret movements of various countries, which made him convinced.

"Then, you guys just go in. I will stay in the carriage to meet you." He said.Gai Nie glanced at him and nodded.

"Walk."

A moment later, on the top of a small building in Guo Kai's mansion, several silent shadows climbed up without anyone noticing.

"Go along the pond, go left, bypass the firehouse and woodshed, and you can see the grain warehouse. The row of houses on the opposite side is the place we are looking for." Gai Nie used the method of "transmitting sound into secret". Explained to several others in turn.

Xia Qi also responded with secret methods: "Wait a minute, we are scattered at the same time, I'm afraid it will be easy to be discovered. Why don't you hide here temporarily, and then go ahead and search those rooms. When we find someone, we will use the cry of a crow as a signal to lead you over."

Gaine nodded in agreement.Xia Qi shrank his body, jumped off the roof with an ape-like posture, and quickly merged into the night.

Complete darkness.The remaining six people were lying on the roof, and even the sound of others breathing was too noisy.

After a while, a shrill scream suddenly cut through the watery night sky. "Murder - kill - catch the assassin!!!"

Many torches were lit one after another, reflecting the water in the pond, illuminating the entire courtyard as bright as day.Ge Nie gritted his teeth fiercely, and waved his right hand behind him.

"retreat."

Everyone immediately understood what he meant, and Qi Qi jumped off the roof, intending to escape along the same path; only Gai Nie himself held the gun tightly, and chased in the direction Xia Qi had just probed.Using the kung fu of flying on tiles, he quickly jumped over the fire house and warehouse, and when he jumped to the top of the small building suspected to be the residence of the servants, he bumped into Xia Qi who was covered in blood.

"what happened?"

"I don't know, it seems to be a trap." Xia Qi shook his head in embarrassment, "As soon as I entered, a person suddenly rushed towards me - I didn't have time to think, I hurriedly drew out my sword; I didn't have time to pull out the sword , someone yelled at the side—”

"How could this be?! Could it be that Guo Kai saw through that we would find these people... Rather, the antics at the banquet were simply his bait to lure us into the bait—" Gai Nie said in astonishment.

"I don't have time to think about it so much at the moment, Brother Gai, let's go—"

"No, you go first. I've been prepared for a long time." Gai Nie tore off a piece of cloth from the hem of his clothes to cover half of his face. "Remember not to let them discover our identities, just pretend to be ordinary robbers and break in."

"So that's how it is." Not only Xia Qi, but also Lu Goujian and the others who followed up also tore off their clothes and pretended to be masks.

"...Why are you here too!!"

"The escape route is blocked. There are more people over there." Lu Goujian shook his head helplessly, "They all shouted to catch robbers and assassins, so strange—it seems that we were not the only ones who sneaked into Guo Kai's mansion tonight. "

TBC