Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 95: My Little Bandit and Granny Li Take Charge

"A few young masters from prominent families have arrived at the Ferocious Tiger Stronghold, and even the Deputy Hall Master of the Pavilion of Celestial Secrets at the Border Outpost Branch is here. It seems that the little bandit will have a hard time dealing with them."

Behind a large tree several miles away from the Ferocious Tiger Stronghold, a hoarse and sharp voice sounded with a hint of surprise.

Perched on a branch, Huiruqing, dressed in a moon-white monk's robe, spoke coldly, "Why is Minister Li making such a fuss? They are nothing more than a bunch of nobodies. Even though the Pavilion of Celestial Secrets is large, the Border Outpost Branch is just known for its intelligence gathering. Apart from the Hall Master, who is considered a master, his son is probably just a wastrel. You know that Xin Zhuo went to Ping'an County, he must have a plan."

There was a moment of silence behind the tree, and the sharp voice sighed, "Your Highness, what exactly do you see in the little bandit? This old servant really doesn't understand."

This Highness has been clever since childhood, with exceptional talent. Several imperial consorts have praised him. What kind of outstanding talent is worthy of her? Now...

A strange smile appeared on Huiruqing's face, "Good-looking, intelligent, good-tempered, knows how to please people. Don't you think he's excellent?"

"Hey!"

Minister Li sighed again and suddenly said, "The guests from the Autumn Palace Pavilion have finally arrived!"

On a hillside five or six miles away, stood eight people, five men and three women, young and old, wearing wide robes with hidden auras. At this moment, they were also looking towards the direction of the Ferocious Tiger Stronghold.

"The son of Lord Shangguan is becoming more and more like his old self. As the Deputy Hall Master of the Pavilion of Celestial Secrets, why would he become a bandit?"

An old woman with white hair spoke with a hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth.

"And the young master who cut off the Great River with a single stroke, the son of the Duke of Dukang Manor!"

A handsome young man smiled faintly, "I'm curious, who are they dealing with?"

The group looked towards a cold and aloof woman in black clothes, holding a sword, "Miss Zhao Li, you arrived early. It is said that you have been making rice wine in Peach Blossom Town. Do you know who they are?"

The woman in black clothes said calmly, "Another group of bandits, led by the bandit leader Xin Zhuo, a teenager in his teens. He's an interesting little guy."

"Where is he?" the old woman asked in surprise.

The woman in black clothes replied, "He went to Ping'an County early in the morning."

The young man said, "What's the significance of going to Ping'an County?"

The woman in black clothes shook her head, "That little bandit is quite clever. I don't know what he's up to, and I can't be bothered to find out."

The old woman burst into laughter, her face wrinkled with age, "This old woman has always loved gambling. How about we make a bet?"

"Since Granny Li is taking charge, I, as a humble person, will bet ten thousand taels on Lord Shangguan's face!"

"I'll do the same!"

"I'll bet ten thousand taels on Xin Zhuo!" the woman in black clothes sneered.

...

"Very well! Let's set off!"

After Lord Shangguan Fan made a long-winded speech for half an incense stick's worth of time, Jiang Hezhu's heart surged, and he waved his hand.

More than three hundred people rubbed their fists, their faces filled with bloodthirsty smiles, and rushed down the mountain with a rumbling sound.

However, at this moment, an even louder rumbling sound came from the foot of the mountain, accompanied by earth-shattering shouts and killings.

Lord Shangguan Fan, Jiang Hezhu, and the others exchanged glances and quickly looked down.

They saw that the only two mountain paths leading down were blocked by a dense crowd that seemed to stretch endlessly.

Those people were full of momentum and bloodlust, raising knives, guns, sticks, and even a strange greed and bloodthirstiness that was hard to describe.

The momentum that the Ferocious Tiger Stronghold had painstakingly built up with more than three hundred people instantly withered away.

The smiles on the faces of Lord Shangguan Fan, Jiang Hezhu, and the others disappeared.

No! Their smiles didn't disappear, they just slowly appeared on the faces of Xin Zhuo, Murong Xiu, and the others.

"Attack the bandit stronghold, capture the bandits alive, rescue our compatriots, divide the bandits' gold, silver, and jewels, and return home as wealthy landowners!"

"We have a large number of people, with a hundred people fighting against one person, there is no possibility of losing. We must fight ruthlessly. As long as we have a fearless heart, we are invincible!"

Han Qiniang and Bai Jianxi kept repeating the lines taught by the leader, constantly stoking the fire.

These words are too provocative, from analyzing the pros and cons, to discussing righteousness and reasonableness, and then to the temptation of advantages and wealth...

The women and children have already fallen behind, leaving only seven or eight thousand young and middle-aged people from Ping'an County, practitioners, and constables. Their eyes turned red: "Kill!"

Jiang Hezhu, Shangguan Fanqing, and others on the mountain finally panicked, their minds unable to keep up.

Where did so many people come from? Are they crazy?

Why are they more courageous than the people who besieged Xin Zhuo last time?

The fact proves that facing the same event, different mentalities and thoughts can cause irreversible differences.

"What should the leader do?" Sun Wu and Sun Dalu were also panicked. If they encountered a few hundred or a few thousand people, they could charge and fight, but how can they fight against so many people?

"Don't panic!"

Jiang Hezhu pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "It seems that they are just a group of insignificant people. They will scatter as soon as we charge. Three hundred against ten thousand, we still have the advantage!"

As he spoke, he took a step forward and shouted coldly at the people below the mountain, "Are you really not afraid of death? With my sword in hand, I have killed many Eastern Yi cavalry..."

Before he could finish his words, a gust of wind pierced through the air, carrying a black ripple, silently reaching his chest.

As if being stared at by a venomous snake, his hair stood on end in an instant.

"Be careful..."

Shangguan Fanqing was the first to notice, just about to warn, but he found six identical stones cutting through the air, heading straight towards him at a tricky angle.

In a battle between experts, a momentary negligence is enough to be fatal, let alone being ambushed by hidden weapons.

He had already let his guard down.

Shangguan Fanqing was filled with anger, and he only had time to use his folding fan to knock away five of the stones before the last one struck heavily on his Divine Treasure acupoint.

Numbness, swelling, coughing, dizziness, and nausea all struck at once.

He took several steps back, while Jiang Hezhu, who was beside him, had already vomited blood and flew out, crashing heavily to the ground.

This cunning and mysterious hidden weapons technique was very familiar to him. He knew who it was, and angrily looked at the crowd below the mountain, finally seeing Xin Zhuo with a calm expression on his face.

A sense of shame, failure, and regret surged up in his heart, and he couldn't help but curse, "Xin Zhuo, you treacherous scoundrel!"

"My apologies!"

Xin Zhuo smiled and gave him a lip gesture, then shouted loudly, "Kill!"

The crowd, covering the mountains and plains, rushed towards the mountaintop in an unstoppable manner.

Facing the angry crowd, the bandits of Mount Menghuo had lost all resistance, huddling around their leader and fleeing towards the cave.

...

"Are my little bandits particularly outstanding..."

Huiruqing sat on a branch, swinging her long legs, her eyes curved like a crescent moon. "It's completely a matter of intelligence crushing! Did you see that, Li Neishi?"

Li Neishi felt disheartened. "I saw it, but it's not interesting. This old servant just didn't expect him to go to Ping'an County to incite the people and use hidden weapons in the crowd. Can a normal person do that?"

...

"Miss Zhao Li, this is an eight-to-one payout, 110,000 taels!"

Li Apo also felt disheartened. She won the money, but with an eight-to-one payout, she still lost.

Young Master Gong and the others were even more disheartened. If they had known this, why bother placing bets? This Shangguan Young Master is truly becoming more and more cunning.

A faint smile appeared on Zhao Li's cold face. "Thank you for your generosity!"

The group left the hillside with embarrassed expressions and headed straight towards the Autumn Palace Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)