"Take him down!"
Gu Yin Qi Dan, with over two hundred Jin Ci A La guards, stormed into a mansion in You Prefecture city and burst directly into the side room where Tang Qing Si was located. Gu Yin Qi Dan cast a cold glance at Tang Qing Si, who was entwined with his concubines on the bed, and issued his command.
A group of guards swarmed forward like wolves. Tang Qing Si's two beautiful concubines screamed in terror, their faces ashen, and tumbled naked from the bed. Their screams abruptly ceased as two guards plunged their blades into their bodies. Outside, Tang Qing Si's escorts were decapitated, their corpses littering the entire courtyard. Blood flowed, quickly seeping into the earth, ensuring that the trees in the courtyard would grow lush and full the following year.
The Jin Ci A La guards were hand-picked, each an expert in martial arts, strong and robust, skilled in the use of sabers, spears, swords, halberds, bows, and crossbows. The most crucial criterion for selecting guards was loyalty – loyalty to the Emperor of the Great Yan. With the Empress currently in power, their loyalty was, in effect, to Empress Murong Qing.
Therefore, although Tang Qing Si's escorts were also brave warriors of the Fire Blaze Camp, they were outnumbered. Gu Yin Qi Dan and his guards were well-prepared and launched a surprise attack. Consequently, Tang Qing Si's escorts could only resist for a moment before being shot down by arrows or cut down in the courtyard.
"Who are you all...?"
"Bang! Bang!"
"Crash!"
"This is bad, the rebels are trying to escape!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
"Ah!"
"Watch out for poisoned darts!"
Tang Qing Si seemed utterly terrified. He shakily stood up and asked. As two guards approached, he suddenly leaped up, knocking over the two guards with two "bang bang" sounds. Then, with a "crash," he smashed through the wooden window and escaped outside. The guards pursued. Tang Qing Si shot out two sleeve darts, felling two guards. The tips of the sleeve darts were coated with a potent poison. The two guards, struck by the poisoned darts, cried out and collapsed. Within moments, their faces turned black, and they began frothing at the mouth before perishing. The arrowheads were laced with a poison that was deadly upon contact with blood.
Tang Qing Si was a scholar, appearing refined and gentle, seemingly unable to even lift a chicken. Who would have expected him to possess such hidden skills?
"Pursue him and capture this scoundrel alive!" Gu Yin Qi Dan, seeing Tang Qing Si escape outside, did not panic. He waved his hand coldly and ordered.
Outside, countless guards and soldiers had already laid a trap. Even if Tang Qing Si had wings, he could not escape.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
As expected, Tang Qing Si, his robes dishevelled, fled outside. Just as he was about to use a large tree in the courtyard to escape, a volley of arrows flew towards him. Tang Qing Si's toes brushed against the tree as he spun around and landed, the arrows embedding themselves in the tree.
Upon landing, Tang Qing Si stomped his feet and leaped into the air, aiming for the outer wall. However, his indulgence in pleasure had greatly diminished his martial arts prowess. Before he could reach the wall, two arrows flew towards him, one hitting his shoulder and the other his lower leg. Tang Qing Si cried out in pain, blood gushing from his shoulder and leg. He flipped over and fell to the ground.
After Tang Qing Si fell, limping and attempting to escape again, rows of cold weapons surrounded him, leaving no room for escape.
"Doctor Tang, I never would have guessed you were so skilled. You've been hiding your true abilities." Gu Yin Qi Dan parted the crowd and walked up to Tang Qing Si, sneering.
"Gu Yin Qi Dan, on what charges do you arrest me?" Tang Qing Si glared at Gu Yin Qi Dan and asked.
Tang Qing Si truly regretted not listening to Murong Bo Lie's advice. If he had taken refuge in the Left Virtuous King's mansion, Jin Ci A La would not have dared to be so audacious.
Tang Qing Si had been reluctant to abandon his concubines and had planned to settle them properly before returning to the Left Virtuous King's mansion. However, he could not resist their entreaties, which caused him to delay, and he was caught by Jin Ci A La.
Now, not only was Tang Qing Si's life in jeopardy, but his concubines had also met a tragic end. As the saying goes, lust is a double-edged sword, and there is truth to it.
This was also due to Tang Qing Si's carelessness. He had not anticipated that Murong Qing and the others would act so soon. And once the arrow was loosed, there was no turning back. Once Murong Qing and her faction made their move, it would be a sea of corpses and a deluge of blood.
"Do you not know what you, Doctor Tang, have done?" Gu Yin Qi Dan threw a thick stack of indictments in front of Tang Qing Si and snorted, "Oppressing the weak and bullying the common people, disregard for human life – have you, Doctor Tang, committed few evil deeds?"
Excuses, all excuses. Tang Qing Si glared at Gu Yin Qi Dan, thinking furiously, you Xianbei people have committed far more wicked deeds, countless numbers of them.
Tang Qing Si wanted to retort, but how could he? How could Gu Yin Qi Dan and the others allow him to?
"Take him away!" Gu Yin Qi Dan then cast a cold glance at Tang Qing Si and coldly ordered.
Upon hearing this, several guards severed Tang Qing Si's wrist and ankle tendons and threaded a rusty iron chain through his collarbone. Tang Qing Si was resilient; he uttered not a sound, ceasing to speak. However, his heart was as dead as ashes.
With Tang Qing Si captured, Murong Bo Lie's grand plans were delayed.
...
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Outside the city of You Prefecture, the capital of Yan, near Bai Niao Lake, the sound of low and distant horns echoed. Amidst the sound of the horns, countless Xianbei warriors, some holding banners and spears, some with hunting falcons, some with bows drawn, and others with small flags, emerged on horseback, pursuing various scattered prey.
Innumerable hunters and soldiers drove out various game such as tigers, leopards, wolves, rabbits, and roe deer from the bushes and forests for the Emperor of Yan, Murong Xi, and other royal family members and ministers to hunt.
Among the Xianbei warriors, some rode horses, brandishing spears to fight tigers. Others galloped on horseback, drawing their bows to shoot deer. Several cavalrymen charged into the hunting ground, striking the fleeing deer with maces. The cavalrymen's disruption caused the deer herd to panic and scatter, leading the Khitan cavalry to draw their bows or charge with spears, pursuing the dispersed deer. The deer fell dead or wounded, emitting cries of agony.
The fierce tiger, chased, leaped in despair, attempting to flee mournfully. Hunting falcons plummeted from the sky, striking the ground to pursue deer and rabbits.
The strong wind causes the curved bow to sing, the general hunts at Weicheng. The grass withers, the eagle's eye is sharp, the snow melts, the horse's hooves are light. Suddenly passing through Xinfeng Market, returning to Xiliu Camp. Looking back at the place where the eagle was shot, the distant clouds are level for a thousand miles.
What a lively scene of a hunt!
Northerners enjoyed hunting, and the Xianbei people, who had separated from the Eastern Hu, were no different. They lived by following water and grass, hunting and fishing, which was a regular occurrence throughout the year. The northern grasslands were vast, sparsely populated, and had harsh climates with long winters and short summers. The ethnic origins were complex, but there was an abundance of various prey, both large and small, including bears, tigers, leopards, deer, eagles, wild boars, swans, geese, ducks, antelopes, and yellow sheep, among others. The desert was often cold and windy, with a frigid climate and long, cold winters, which were unfavorable for crop growth. For survival and sustenance, the Xianbei people had to rely on hunting for food and use animal skins for warmth, living a life of following the seasons, herding livestock, and hunting.
The Xianbei cavalry descended south and occupied the Central Plains, but they still retained their seasonal hunting customs. This was true even to this day. Royal hunts were not merely about capturing prey; they were about demonstrating imperial power and military strength, divided into four seasonal hunts: "Spring Water," "Autumn Mountain," "Cooling," and "Winter Sitting." The current Yan imperial family's seasonal hunts were essentially grand festivals for Yan, or activities that the emperor had to perform. No one dared to obstruct them, lest they offend their ancestors and the gods. Kuaishuge.
Therefore, regardless of the circumstances, when the seasonal hunts arrived, the Emperor of Yan, Murong Xi, had to leave the palace to hunt.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
With the striking of three drums, the Emperor of Yan's personal guards, the Zhongjie Army, over a thousand cavalry, surged forward. These thousand-plus cavalrymen held various battle flags such as Chang, Gui, Zhe, Wu, Qi, Zhao, and Zhui. The flags of various colors fluttered vividly in the wind, signifying the Emperor of Great Yan's imminent appearance in the hunting ground.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Another three drums. Another thousand-plus cavalry of the Zhongjie Army thundered forth, this time carrying weapons such as bows, arrows, sabers, and spears. Their weapons were, of course, for hunting. However, if anyone dared to rebel or was suspected of rebellion, their weapons would be turned against them.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
Then, another round of horns sounded. The Emperor of Great Yan, Murong Xi, surrounded by his consorts, imperial ministers, royal relatives, and imperial guards, rode a powerful warhorse over a slope and entered the hunting ground.
On the days of the imperial hunt, Emperor Yan was accompanied not only by generals, warriors, guards, soldiers, palace servants, and hunters of all descriptions but also by the Empress, numerous consorts, princes, and princesses. The entourage was numerous and grand.
They hunted a multitude of tigers, leopards, wolves, rabbits, roe deer, birds, and fowl to be offered as tribute. From the acquisition of prey to the subsequent distribution and rewards, there was a complex set of rituals, akin to a meticulously planned major military campaign.
At this moment, Murong Xi was hunting at Bai Niao Lake, personally leading over twenty million Zhongjie Army soldiers and several thousand temporarily conscripted Yan civilians, along with his consorts, princes, princesses, and ministers, totaling over thirty thousand people for the hunt. These civilians had been unable to do anything else for days, only accompanying Murong Xi in hunting swans and fishing, etc.
The scale of this hunt was grander than any previous one. The expenditure of tens of thousands of people hunting was not a small sum; it far exceeded the proceeds from the hunt. However, Murong Xi either had no concept of money or deliberately avoided it. When money was lacking, Empress Murong Qing and a host of ministers and generals would naturally help him seize the wealth of the people.
For some unknown reason, Murong Qing had claimed to be ill today and did not attend the hunt.
"Giddy up... giddy up..."
"Warriors, those who shoot down swans will be richly rewarded!"
Murong Xi appeared unusually excited today. Holding a golden bow, he rode his horse at full gallop, shouting orders.
Following Murong Xi's command, the Xianbei warriors galloped wildly, drawing their bows and firing arrows along the lake shore towards the lake. In an instant, arrows rained down, darkening the sky. Countless swans were hit, letting out cries of agony, and fell from mid-air with thuds into the lake.
The scene was spectacular!