klisemfg Chapter 274: Encountering Mountain Bandits
Chapter 274: Encountering Mountain Bandits
Gao Tuan and Su Xiangqing disappeared for two whole days after their lake trip.
She thought that the couple, who had just confessed their feelings for each other, were in the throes of a blissful honeymoon phase, and it wouldn't be appropriate for her to disturb them.
But after two days, Lin Rusi, who was worried about Su Xiangqing, couldn't sit still any longer.
Su Xiangqing is such a naive girl, her memory hasn't returned yet. Without her watching over her, how could she possibly be a match for Gao Tuan, this seasoned veteran in the business world?
Could I have been scammed?
Just then, Li Jingyang was summoned to the palace and hadn't returned yet. With no one bothering her to do those unspeakable things, she finally had some freedom and decided to go find Su Xiangqing.
Having made up her mind, Lin Rusi casually grabbed a cloak and draped it over her arm. As soon as she opened the door, Li Jingyang walked towards her with a solemn expression.
"What's going on here?"
Lin Rusi quickly stepped back, draping the cloak she was holding back over her shoulders: "Is it the Empress again?"
The investigation into the Yuan family's affairs was nearing its end. At this crucial juncture, the first thing she thought of was whether the Empress had caused some trouble.
"Something has happened in Suzhou."
Li Jingyang sat down at the table, frowning: "Those lazy bastards have really messed things up."
Lin Rusi poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him: "Tell me slowly."
Li Jingyang took the tea and drank it all in one gulp: "The border wars continue, and the number of refugees is increasing. They flock to Suzhou to make a living, but the governor of Suzhou is in a position of power but does nothing. He forcibly drives out the refugees and watches as a large number of them starve to death outside the city."
"That's utterly absurd."
Lin Rusi was shocked: "Isn't pushing these refugees to the brink of despair just encouraging them to riot? The war situation is already unstable. First there's external trouble, then internal strife. How are the people of this city supposed to survive?"
“Outside Suzhou, corpses of the starving are everywhere, and the situation is out of control.”
Li Jingyang grasped her hand: "His Majesty sent me and General Zhenbei to depart at the same time. I will be stationed in Suzhou, while he will handle the border war."
"Now, the thing I worry about most is you."
His voice was deep as he held Lin Rusi's hand in his palm and looked quietly into her eyes: "I have requested His Majesty's permission. Rusi, would you like to come with me?"
Lin Rusi smiled slightly: "Your Highness, if you are going to war, how can I not go with you?"
Things happened so suddenly that Lin Rusi's plans were all disrupted.
Of course, she would accompany Li Jingyang; otherwise, how could she feel at ease letting him go to the battlefield alone?
However, Li Jingyang's movements were too fast, giving her no chance to react.
Seeing that there was no time left and she could not say goodbye to Su Xiangqing, Lin Rusi had no choice but to leave a letter for Su Xiangqing and instruct the maids to deliver it to her personally. Only then did she and Li Jingyang get into the carriage and embark on their journey south to Suzhou.
The journey was long and arduous, and the further south they went, the more desolate it became. The road was also very difficult to travel, and the land was rugged and uneven. Lin Rusi sat in the carriage, swaying back and forth, and kept gagging.
Although Li Jingyang felt sorry for her, there was nothing he could do.
The Emperor ordered them to rush to Suzhou to quell the riot and take charge of the city. He couldn't slow down the carriage and waste time on the road.
Moreover, the further south you go into the mountainous areas, the more bandits roam. The imperial court doesn't have enough funds to support them sending waves of troops all the way here to quell the banditry. So they can only issue verbal warnings and occasionally send some troops to make a show of it.
As a result, this almost uncontrolled area was filled with bandit strongholds of all sizes, and their combined weapons were perhaps enough to rival those of the imperial court.
This gives a glimpse into the severity of the banditry in the south.
There are even rumors that the reason why the bandits have been delayed in being suppressed is because the government troops in the south are colluding with the bandits, protecting them, and taking a portion of what the bandits steal from others as "tribute" to the government troops for their own enjoyment.
Of course, all of this is hearsay, and the truth is unknown. They will have to find out for themselves on this trip.
Another steep slope appeared, and as the carriage passed, the ground shook violently inside. Lin Rusi stumbled and fell into Li Jingyang's arms. Li Jingyang held her tightly, afraid that she would fall.
Just then, thunderous battle cries reached their ears, and hurried, rapid footsteps approached in their direction.
"Oh no! Bandits! Protect the princess!"
Li Jingyang frowned, then shouted in a deep voice, drew a sword, patted Lin Rusi's head reassuringly, and then stepped out of the carriage to fight.
Lin Rusi sat calmly alone in the carriage, showing no panic.
She had long anticipated how thrilling this trip would be, after all, there were many people in the capital who wanted them dead, and this remote, impoverished place was the perfect place to kill someone silently.
Her gaze sharpened again, and she firmly believed in Li Jingyang.
As long as he takes action, he will surely be able to bring himself safely to Suzhou; those villains' plans are likely to fall through.
The bandits were quickly wiped out!
After wiping the blood off his sword, Li Jingyang washed his hands by the stream and tidied himself up, but did not get back into the carriage.
Fearing the same thing would happen again, he sat on the horse pulling the carriage, remaining vigilant at all times.
Sure enough, after walking for two hours, another assassination attempt occurred.
Although these assassins disguised themselves as bandits and looked like thugs and brutes, their superior weapons and synchronized fighting style still gave them away.
These are all unknown whose bodyguards they are.
This time, the enemy is even more formidable than the last. They are less afraid of death and are determined to take a piece of flesh from the enemy, even if it means their own death.
Although the damage was more severe than last time, at least everyone was mostly unharmed.
After packing up and preparing their belongings, and treating the wounded, the large group once again embarked on their journey south.
Under Li Jingyang's protection, Lin Rusi finally arrived at her destination—Suzhou—without any major incidents.
The outline of Suzhou was already visible, but it was getting dark. Fearing that someone might take advantage of the darkness to launch a sneak attack while traveling, Li Jingyang decided to stay there and set off again the next morning.
As night fell, just when they thought it would be another peaceful night, an accident still happened.
That night, all the soldiers suddenly began to have diarrhea, and it was so severe that they were unable to walk at all.
Li Jingyang and Lin Rusi were fortunate not to be infected because they were constantly vigilant about everything around them, including their drinking water.
Seeing the soldiers lying in the tents groaning in pain, Lin Rusi and Li Jingyang were extremely annoyed. They never expected that despite their best efforts, they still couldn't guard against the malice of these villains.