allonlinenovel Chapter 406 Breaking Through the Blockade
Chapter 406 Breaking Through the Blockade
Chapter 406 Breaking Through the Blockade
Wang Wenzhou cursed and said, "He Renlong, you dare not disobey the orders of the man surnamed Sun, but you dare to disobey my orders? Do you take me, the imperial envoy, for a child? Guards, bring me my imperial sword!"
"Huh?" He Renlong was completely dumbfounded. Although he had never seen Wang Wenzhou chop off Shen Zizhen's head on the spot, he had heard that Wang Wenzhou was a mad dog who would do anything when he went crazy, otherwise he would not have been able to force Yu Tao to rebel.
"Lord Wang, please calm down! Lord He has his reasons!" Yu Tao dared not give Wang Wenzhou a weapon.
"Huh?" He Renlong stared at Wang Wenzhou for a while, then at Yu Tao, looking very puzzled. What were these two up to? Wasn't Wang Wenzhou Yu Tao's hostage?
"Men! Seize this traitor!" He Renlong said, pointing at Yu Tao.
He Renlong's men were eager to try and subdue Yu Tao.
"Don't come any closer!" Yu Tao's men shouted, pointing at He Renlong's troops.
Wang Wenzhou said irritably, "He Renlong, do you really want to rebel? What do you mean? You dare to arrest my people?"
He Renlong was dumbfounded again. He felt like his brain wasn't working properly. Who would have a hostage speaking up for the kidnapper?
"Lord Wang, this humble general wishes to save you!" He Renlong said hurriedly.
"Who the hell needs your help?" Wang Wenzhou cursed. "He Renlong, you don't know, because I killed the corrupt official Shen Zizhen, recently Shen Zizhen's remaining followers have been slandering me everywhere, saying that I was kidnapped by bandits! How is that possible? Since I became an official, I have experienced countless battles, big and small. I have not only personally killed bandits, but also personally beheaded Tartars. How could I be kidnapped by bandits?"
Yu Tao couldn't help but laugh. Lord Wang was such a considerate hostage.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" He Renlong quickly slapped himself a few times and apologized, "Lord Wang, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have believed the rumors. I will lead my men to protect you and ensure your safe departure."
Sun Chuanting's orders were completely opposite to Wang Wenzhou's. After thinking about it, He Renlong sided with Wang Wenzhou, hoping to curry favor with him. He felt that following Sun Chuanting was pointless. Theoretically, a general and a governor were on equal footing, and no matter how much he tried to curry favor with Sun Chuanting, he would have no chance of being promoted further.
Wang Wenzhou said, "Xiao He, I know your loyalty. I have over a thousand men with me, so I don't need you to bring any protection. It would be too conspicuous. I always keep a low profile. Xiao He, I'll remember you. If you ever need my help in the future, just ask me. I will help you if I can."
"Thank you, Lord Wang!" He Renlong quickly expressed his gratitude. He had finally escaped the initial stage of clinging to Wang Wenzhou's coattails. He felt that he could definitely hold onto this powerful figure tightly if given the opportunity to interact with Wang Wenzhou more often in the future. By the way, Lord Wang likes pretty girls, so I will help him find a few more.
Wang Wenzhou waved and said, "Xiao Yu, stop dawdling, let's go."
Yu Tao nodded. He couldn't quite understand why Wang Wenzhou didn't want to be rescued, but Wang Wenzhou's behavior suited him perfectly. If Wang Wenzhou wanted to escape, that would be what he should be worried about.
He Renlong's men cleared the way, and the procession continued. Half an hour later, they were stopped again. This time, the general leading the procession was Qiao Qiangao, Sun Chuanting's deputy.
Qiao Qiangao's 3,000 elite Qin soldiers and Wang Wenzhou's 1,000-plus men, though both on horseback, could not possibly break through the blockade.
Wang Wenzhou had no choice but to step forward and negotiate.
"This humble general, Qiao Qiangao, greets Lord Wang." Qiao Qiangao quickly bowed and greeted him.
Wang Wenzhou cursed and said, "Xiao Qiao, what the hell is this? Sun Chuanting is personally commanding tens of thousands of troops to surround and intercept us! I am the emperor's personally appointed envoy and the Northwest Military Supervisor. What do you mean by chasing me like a bandit army?"
Qiao Qian was both amused and exasperated. No wonder the civil and military officials called Wang Wenzhou a mad dog; this man was utterly ungrateful. The Governor had come with a large force to rescue you, his plan meticulous and his deployment thorough. If you had cooperated even slightly, you would have been rescued long ago. But why, then, do you refuse to be rescued?
Qiao Qian bowed and said, "Lord Wang, the Governor wishes to have a small gathering with you, so he has sent me to wait here. Please wait a little longer, Lord Wang. I have already sent someone to inform the Governor."
Qiao Qiangao knew that Wang Wenzhou would definitely not listen to him, and he dared not help Wang Wenzhou on his own. If something happened to Wang Wenzhou, he could not bear the blame.
"No need!" Wang Wenzhou waved his hand and said in a serious manner, "I am busy with official duties and really don't have time. Please convey my regards to Sun Chuanting. I will definitely host a banquet for him another day. Please make way, I have to travel overnight."
"Lord Wang!" Qiao Qiangao hurriedly stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Lord Wang, as long as you give the order, my elite guards will swarm in and guarantee your safe rescue!"
"Lord Qiao, what are you trying to do?" Yu Tao quickly stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly. He would draw his sword immediately if Qiao Qianga made any move.
"Don't get agitated! It's alright!" Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Lord Qiao, you must have believed the rumors that I was kidnapped by thieves. Those are all rumors. Rumors stop with the wise, and I believe Lord Qiao is not a fool."
"Sigh..." Qiao Qiangao sighed softly, truly unable to understand why Wang Wenzhou was so insistent. Could it be that Lord Wang was really concerned about saving face and afraid of losing face?
Wang Wenzhou said coldly, "Xiao Qiao, get out of the way! If you delay my official business, don't blame me for being impolite. Someone, bring the Imperial Sword!"
"Lord Wang, please calm down!" Yu Tao quickly stepped in to play along.
"Hehe!" Qiao Qiangao was both amused and exasperated. Wang Wenzhou's behavior was truly bizarre. He was kidnapped, yet he helped the kidnappers fight against the rescuers. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, no one would believe it.
"Xiao Qiao, have your men clear the way!" Wang Wenzhou commanded without room for argument.
Qiao Qian Gao had no choice but to wave his hand and order his subordinates to make way.
Wang Wenzhou climbed onto the carriage, lay down on Liu Rushi's lap, and cursed, "That old bastard Sun Chuanting, he's always looking for trouble, he's so annoying!"
Liu Rushi said softly, "He did it for your own good, that's why he went to such lengths to save you."
Wang Wenzhou curled his lip and said disdainfully, "He's not doing this for my own good; he's doing it for himself. If something really happens to me, his position as governor of Shaanxi will be over."
“Sigh…” Liu Rushi sighed softly and complained, “Wang Wenzhou, since you wanted to take this opportunity to negotiate with Gao Yingxiang, why didn’t you tell Sun Chuanting the truth? That way, he could cooperate with you.”
Wang Wenzhou shook his head with a wry smile and said helplessly, "Ruru, there are too many shady dealings involved. Sun Chuanting trained a strong army, but he didn't use a single tael of silver from the imperial court. Where did the money for training the army come from? Do you think Sun Chuanting's hands are clean? Yes, perhaps he didn't pocket the money, but for the sake of official position and political achievements, he made the people of Shaanxi live in dire straits."
Wang Wenzhou grumbled, "This time, it's really hard to say whether he's here to save me or to kill me!"
"Hmph!" Liu Rushi snorted coldly, saying irritably, "In your eyes, there are no good people!"
"Sigh..." Wang Wenzhou sighed softly and said helplessly, "Ruru, you shouldn't have the heart to harm others, but you can't be without the heart to guard against others. As long as there is enough profit, most people would sell even their own parents!"