"Hmph~~~"
On the official road from Puji to Zichuan, two cavalrymen disguised as Banner scouts reined in their warhorses, looking at a wooden plaque erected in the middle of the road.
The wooden plaque was not very large. It had a few characters written on it in red paint. Perhaps because the red paint had not dried before it was erected, there were traces of red paint dripping down from the edges and corners of the characters, making it look quite eerie.
Unfortunately, neither of these Banner scouts could read. They only knew that to the left of the characters on the plaque, there was a drawing of a wooden stick. The top of the stick was thicker, and the bottom was thinner. Below the stick, there was also a circle drawn. Apart from this, the two scouts only knew that there were seven characters written on the plaque. As for what these seven characters were, they could only sigh in despair.
One of the scouts looked at the wooden plaque and said, "We're not far from Zichuan now. It's strange for such a wooden plaque to suddenly appear. Perhaps it was done deliberately by those rebels. Abukai, what do you think?"
Abukai agreed, "Exactly. Our Great Qing has never had the habit of erecting wooden plaques in the middle of the road. In my opinion, there must be something fishy about this."
The scout who spoke first grunted, looked at the wooden plaque again, and said, "Since that's the case, why don't we just take this wooden plaque back? Anyway, Lord Fu can read. It would be better to let him see what's written on this plaque."
After saying that, the scout cautiously walked to the wooden plaque, carefully looked around, and confirmed that there were no ambushes. Then, he gripped the wooden plaque with both hands, let out a shout, and with a slight exertion of his arms, pulled the plaque out of the ground.
Abukai, who had been on high alert, saw that the other scout had pulled out the plaque, and there was no movement around them. He immediately chuckled and said, "I thought those rebels were going to use some sinister plan..."
Before the word "plan" could be uttered, there was a loud bang. Abukai and the scout who pulled out the plaque were both sent flying by the explosion. The two warhorses let out neighing cries of alarm. By the time Abukai and the other fell heavily to the ground, the two warhorses had already galloped away.
Abukai spat out a mouthful of blood. Just as he was about to get up to check on the other scout, he felt a tearing pain in his leg.
Abukai endured the pain, twisted his head to look around, and saw the other scout not far from him. The scout's head was bizarrely embedded in his shoulder.
Where was his neck?
Abukai's last thought was, where did the scout's neck go?
...
Since learning that Zichuan had fallen into the hands of Zhu Jinsong, Fuk'anggan had massacred several villages along the way.
Anyone who dared to utter the word "Tartar," or any able-bodied men among the conscripted laborers who showed the slightest laziness, or anything else that was not done to perfection, was basically wiped out.
Even if the one who uttered the word "Tartar" was a child of three or five, even if the conscripted laborers were indeed exhausted, even if there were not many young girls and married women in those villages.
How could Lord Fuk'anggan be deceived by those common folk?
In short, "It is imperative to carry out strict suppression and extermination!" was the motto!
The continuous massacres had somewhat dispelled the pent-up anger Fuk'anggan felt because of the timid Imperial Envoy Agui.
However, after passing Puji Town for more than twenty li, the villages on both sides of the official road became fewer and fewer. As they approached Zichuan, there were no more villages on either side of the road.
The anger that had just subsided began to accumulate again slowly. Fuk'anggan's initially calmer expression gradually darkened once more.
Fuk'anggan decided to raze Zichuan to the ground.
But before Fuk'anggan could decide whether to refrain from drawing his sword for three days or ten days, the sound of hooves came from the official road. Two cavalrymen disguised as Banner scouts galloped over, dismounted before Fuk'anggan's army, bowed, and said, "Reporting to Lord Fuk, we have found Abukai and Achuhun. Achuhun is dead, and Abukai is seriously wounded and unconscious. Your servant has left someone to take care of him."
"Based on the situation around Abukai and Achuhun, they were likely attacked by rebels. There are traces of gunpowder explosions in the vicinity, and a wooden plaque was left at the scene."
Fuk'anggan snorted, "Two useless fellows, where is the wooden plaque?"
The Banner scout trembled, took the wooden plaque from his怀中, held it above his head with both hands, and said, "Reporting to Lord Fuk, the wooden plaque is here. Your servant cannot read the characters on it and dare not handle it arbitrarily. We request Lord Fuk's decision!"
Fuk'anggan lowered his head slightly and saw that the wooden plaque had seven characters written on it.
"Fuk'anggan's bones shall lie here!"
Fuk'anggan snorted, "I thought those rebels were so formidable. It turns out they are nothing more than this."
After speaking, Fuk'anggan ordered his guards, "Transmit my order. The army will continue to advance. Shield bearers will array in front, musketeers and archers will follow closely behind the shield bearers, and flintlock muskets will be loaded."
After the guards received the order and left, Fuk'anggan instructed the two scouts kneeling before his horse, "Continue to lead people to scout ahead. Where you find a village, massacre it. Where you find a city, massacre it. Leave no living thing!"
The two scouts also received the order and left. After traveling only two or three li, they saw another wooden plaque identical to the previous one.
The two scouts secretly lamented in their hearts.
Previously, Abukai and Achuhun had died inexplicably. The two scouted around but found no trace. At most, they knew that Abukai and the other had been blown up. Now, seeing another such wooden plaque, the two scouts couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.
One of them hesitated and said, "You go and get the plaque, and I'll stay here to cover you."
The other nodded in agreement, then dismounted and pulled out the plaque.
The Banner scout who was covering heard a loud bang and saw that the scout who pulled out the plaque had his leg blown off. The scout himself was completely done for, and the two warhorses, neighing in alarm, began to flee.
The Banner scout who was covering was both shocked and furious. He managed to control his mount and, disregarding the plaque on the ground, galloped directly towards Fuk'anggan's main army.
Upon meeting Fuk'anggan, the Banner scout dismounted, bowed, and said, "Reporting to Lord Fuk, your servant and Qibuchen went to scout. About three li ahead, we encountered another wooden plaque identical to the previous one. Your servant asked Qibuchen to retrieve it, but unexpectedly, the rebels had buried mechanical explosives beneath the plaque. As soon as Qibuchen took the plaque, the explosives were triggered, and Qibuchen died on the spot!"
An identical wooden plaque?
So it was "Fuk'anggan's bones shall lie here" again?
Fuk'anggan felt his intelligence had been insulted.
What, do those rebels want to blow me up so badly? Are they so sure that I will investigate those wooden plaques?
Damn it, isn't this just Sun Bin's old trick of killing Pang Juan? Those rebels are using it against me?
Don't they know that I'm educated?
When Fuk'anggan led his troops forward for about three li, he indeed encountered Qibuchen's corpse. A wooden plaque that read "Fuk'anggan's bones shall lie here" was already broken into several pieces and scattered around Qibuchen.
Fuk'anggan was furious, but his face remained calm. He merely narrowed his eyes, snorted, and ordered, "The army will continue to advance!"
After advancing another three li, there was indeed another identical wooden plaque standing in the center of the official road, still bearing the words "Fuk'anggan's bones shall lie here!" The scout who had escaped to report and another scout were gathered not far from the plaque, looking quite flustered.
Fuk'anggan snorted coldly and cursed, "A petty trick! How dare you show off in front of a master!"
After cursing, Fuk'anggan instructed his guards, "Use a rope to pull that wooden plaque."
The guard responded with a "Yes" and immediately found a bundle of rope from the army. He first tied a loop at the end of the rope, then placed the loop over the wooden plaque, and then galloped away with his horse.
The wooden plaque was directly pulled out by the rope, but the explosion that Fuk'anggan had envisioned did not occur.
Fuk'anggan's guard circled around, picked up the plaque, examined it, and called out to Fuk'anggan, "Master, there are more words on the back of the plaque!"
Fuk'anggan took the plaque from his guard's hand. He saw that the front of the plaque, like the previous two, bore the words "Fuk'anggan's bones shall lie here," but on the back, in small clerical script, there were a few lines of text.
"It's your sheer luck that you weren't blown up the first two times, dog slave. I'm not blowing you up this time because I don't want to. The game is still long, guess, how many more times can you dodge?"
Through these few lines of text on the wooden plaque, Fuk'anggan seemed to see Zhu Jinsong's arrogant smile and roaring laughter.
Fuk'anggan was furious, but after a cold snort, he calmed down and ordered, "Continue to advance."
After marching another three li, there was indeed another identical wooden plaque. Fuk'anggan still ordered someone to use a rope to pull it open, and as expected, there was no explosion. On the back of the plaque, there were a few more words: "I didn't blow it up this time, guess if I will next time?"
After another three li, there was another identical wooden plaque. Fuk'anggan still ordered someone to use a rope to pull it open.
Fuk'anggan had already prepared himself for the possibility of the plaque exploding, but to his surprise, there was still no movement.
Further on, there were two more consecutive wooden plaques. Both of these plaques also had words on the back asking Fuk'anggan to guess if the next one would explode, but in the end, neither of them exploded.
Fuk'anggan was extremely annoyed. He had forgotten the order from Agui to stop and set up camp every twenty li.
Three li, then another three li!
Fuk'anggan decided that after marching another three li to see if the next wooden plaque would explode, he would stop and set up camp, regardless of the outcome.
However, the wooden plaque three li later still did not explode, but like the previous ones, it had small characters on the back asking Fuk'anggan to guess if the next one would explode.
Fuk'anggan finally lost some of his composure.
Guess?
I'll guess what you want!
Fuk'anggan, who desperately wanted to see what those rebels were up to, simply began to march at an accelerated pace, advancing three li after three li, and if the plaque didn't explode, he would advance another three li.
Advise?
No one can advise me!
I, Lord Fuk, want to see how many wooden plaques that surname Zhu rebel has prepared for me! I, Lord Fuk, want to see which of those wooden plaques will explode!
Finally, a wooden plaque exploded.
Fuk'anggan also let out a sigh of relief, thinking that these rebels were nothing special, only capable of these tricks of playing ghost and making things up.
That rebel Zhu simply wanted to lure me, this commander, to keep marching forward by using the wooden plaques, preferably abandoning all the baggage, and then ambush me at a place he had already prepared.
It's just Sun Bin's old trick of killing Pang Juan, but little does he know that the wise Lord Fuk has already seen through everything!
Unfortunately, I, Lord Fuk, have plenty of commoner slaves. Even if I march thirty li a day, I can ensure that the soldiers are full of energy, not to mention that before pulling out the plaque, I always have people scout the area within three li to ensure safety!
To contend with me?
Heh!
Feeling like he had won a battle, Fuk'anggan's expression, which had been as gloomy as a rotten dog's excrement, finally improved slightly. However, due to the continuous marching and the constant tension, Fuk'anggan inevitably felt a sense of fatigue.
Fuk'anggan also finally remembered the matter of setting up camp.
After thinking about it, Fuk'anggan summoned a group of Banner scouts and instructed them, "Scout the surrounding area, scout up to a radius of ten li!"