Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 155: The Sharp Blade Saves the Sadness

The leader was dressed in armor, holding a long sword, and looked very powerful. He was Zheng Yong, the commander of the Yangzhou Salt Transport Bureau.

"Master Jia, when our people entered the city, it took some time to hand over to the city gate guards. Fortunately, you left behind a letter with the golden seal of His Royal Highness Prince Ning, but it did delay us for some time."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Captain Zheng arrived just in time. He didn't delay anything. His timing was just right."

Zheng Yong waved his hand, and all the salt soldiers who had entered the mansion rushed forward and guarded the exits of the main hall and the outer hall. All the guests present were in a panic.

Zheng Yong said again: "Master Jia, we have surrounded the Zou Mansion and have deployed archers at the front and back gates. No one will escape!"

Jia Cong saw that the excitement in Zou Huaiyi's eyes quickly dimmed, and sneered, "I'm sorry to disappoint Captain Zou, the troops who came here are not from your Water Conservancy.

The Jinling Water Conservancy Bureau has colluded with the Japanese wanderers, causing great harm. The emperor has granted His Royal Highness Prince Ning the power to make arbitrary decisions. Yesterday, I received His Royal Highness's order to dispatch 2,000 salt soldiers from the Yangzhou Salt Transport Bureau to Jinling to prevent any accidents!"

"Send two thousand salt soldiers into the city!" Zhang Kangnian on the side took a breath of cold air. As far as he knew, the total number of salt soldiers in Lianghuai was no more than three thousand. King Ning mobilized two thousand into the city at once. What a big move.

What Zou Huaiyi did was exposed. Not only did the Water Supervision Bureau become the target of public criticism, but the emperor probably became suspicious and wary of the entire Jinling Guard. Otherwise, why would he allow Prince Ning to dispatch foreign troops into the city?

Thinking of this, Zhang Kangnian, the deputy commander of Jinling, felt a chill in his heart. The emperor was always scheming and suspicious. Even if Zou Huaiyi was executed, the Jinling guards would probably be liquidated by the emperor afterwards.

When the captain Zheng Yong heard Jia Cong say that three thousand salt soldiers were mobilized into the city, he was surprised. Didn't they only mobilize eight hundred salt soldiers? Why did Master Jia say it was two thousand?

But since he could become the commander of the Lianghuai Salt Soldiers, he was certainly not a fool. Jia Cong must have his reasons for saying so, and he certainly would not expose it.

The reason why Jia Cong said that the number of salt soldiers mobilized was doubled was that the situation was now critical. There were many Jinling Guard officers like Zhang Kangnian who came to the Zou Mansion for the banquet today.

Zou Huaiyi colluded with Japanese ronin and committed numerous crimes. The centurions under his command just now defended him so desperately. There must be many people in the Water Supervision Bureau camp who were in cahoots with Zou Huaiyi.

So those who came to attend Zou Huaiyi's birthday banquet were all military officers who belonged to the same Jinling Guard as him. No one knew which of them were involved in it.

The Water Supervision Division's main camp only has a thousand soldiers, but the entire Jinling Guard commands over ten thousand soldiers. Once this matter involves too many people, people's hearts are unpredictable and the consequences are unimaginable.

The news that he had led the salt soldiers to besiege Zou Huaiyi's mansion would surely spread quickly throughout Jinling. It would be better to use some tricks to confuse the enemy, exaggerate the number of salt soldiers entering the city, and confuse people.

When the situation is unclear, those who are hiding in the dark and have evil intentions can be deterred and dare not act rashly.

At this time, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from outside the door, causing panic again among the restless guests in the hall.

A personal guard of Prince Ning walked quickly into the hall, saluted to Jia Cong breathlessly, and said:
"Counselor Jia, Yang Pingshi asked me to come and report that he heard the sound of gunfire coming from Zou's residence. According to the agreement made by Counselor Jia, he sent people to various government offices in Jinling to report the disaster caused by the Water Inspectorate.

Yang Pingshi has also personally gone to the Jinling Guard Command and Jinyiwei Qianhu to pass on the order of His Royal Highness Ning Wang, requiring all the troops under their jurisdiction to stay at home, and anyone who moves without permission will be punished for treason! "

Guests like Zhang Kangnian were all horrified. Jia Cong had such drastic means that he had actually agreed to use the sound of gunfire as a signal and to pass on such an order to the troops in Jinling first. He wanted to seize the greater good first!
Zou Huaiyi, who was still surrounded by his centurions and guards in the main hall, now had a dejected look on his face and was completely in despair.

He had originally hoped that when the news of the Zou Mansion being besieged by foreign troops spread, with the connections he had built up over the past few years and the wealth he had spent, perhaps someone would come forward to intervene and resolve the situation.

But Jia Cong had already made arrangements and had people pass on Prince Ning's order to all parties in Jinling. Now, even if someone wanted to come forward, they would not dare to act rashly, otherwise they would be charged with treason.

Arresting people, using muskets to establish authority, leading troops into the city, surrounding the mansion, sending messages to control the situation, every step was calculated to perfection, leaving no loopholes. Was it the King of Ning who was in control, or was it the young man in front of him who had a plan? No matter which one it was, Zou Huaiyi knew that he was doomed. Once he was arrested and imprisoned, there would be no chance of survival.

Jia Cong said, "Zou Huaiyi, no one can save you from the things you have done. It is futile to resist. Let your men retreat immediately and surrender."

Zhang Kangnian, the deputy commander of Jinling, suddenly said, "Captain Zou, if you really did something like that, you will not be able to escape under the strict laws of the country, so you'd better plead guilty as soon as possible!

You have been in Jinling Guard for 20 years, and you are an old veteran in the guard. Commander Du and I will certainly consider our friendship as colleagues in the guard and make a plea to the superiors to spare your family from the disaster. We will ensure that your wife and daughter are safe. Think twice!"

Zhang Kangnian's words were so sincere and affectionate that even Jia Cong was moved.

When Zou Huaiyi heard this, his eyes lit up with wonder and he asked, "Master Zhang, are you serious?"

Zhang Kangnian replied sternly: "Although the national law is ruthless, Your Majesty is wise. We are begging you to spare my wife and children from the disaster. Of course, you are serious about it!"

Zou Huaiyi suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "One moment I was surrounded by friends and family, and the next moment I was cut off from my retreat. I am doomed to die. I, Zou Huaiyi, have ended up like this. It's my karma, my karma!"

At this time, a woman and a girl were struggling to come in through the moon door leading to the hall, but they were stopped by the salt soldiers guarding the gate. The girl was still crying and calling for her daddy.

Zou Huaiyi only glanced back, then turned back and shouted, "Jia Cong, if you want to hold me accountable, why bother with so much trouble!"

Jia Cong suddenly had a very bad feeling in his heart, and subconsciously glanced at Zhang Kangnian, but saw that the other party was looking at Zou Huaiyi calmly.

At this time, Zou Huaiyi said to the centurions and guards who were surrounding him, "All of you retreat!"

Seeing that the people around him were still hesitant, he shouted again, and these people retreated hesitantly.

At this moment, Zou Huaiyi suddenly snatched the long sword from a guard's hand and retreated two steps. He was able to accumulate merits and be promoted to the high position of a thousand households, so his skills were naturally not weak.

This was beyond everyone's expectations. Everyone thought that Zou Huaiyi was at the end of his rope and would surrender after he ordered the people around him to leave. Did he still want to commit murder with a knife at this time?

Jia Cong's face changed and he shouted, "Stop him!"

But Zou Huaiyi slashed his neck with a long knife, and blood spurted out from his neck, all over the golden and silver birthday banquet beside him, and then he fell to the ground with a bang.

Everyone in the hall was shocked!

The people who had just surrounded Zou Huaiyi were also rushed over by the musketeers and disarmed and captured.

The girl outside the Moon Gate broke free from the salt soldiers' obstruction, rushed into the hall, threw herself on the corpse and burst into tears.

She looked up at Jia Cong. Her little face was tearful and pitiful, but her eyes were filled with infinite hatred, which made her beautiful appearance seem a little distorted.

"It turned out to be you! It was you who forced my father to death. I will not let you go even if I become a ghost!"

Jia Cong's face suddenly turned extremely ugly. What was going on? It was obvious that Zou Huaiyi was guilty of a heinous crime and deserved to be put to death, but why did it seem like he was the one who forced a good person to death...

(End of this chapter)