TGPSAC – Chapter 61

The Front, Right, and Rear Camps went smoothly. Just as she had at the Central Camp, Chi Wan did not enter, merely distributing the pay outside before departing.

They had likely heard what happened at the Central Camp. Without a perfect plan, they probably wouldn’t act rashly.

It was fine if they didn’t. She could use the peace and quiet.

But the divination reading indicated that the crisis had not yet passed. It had only overcome one hurdle.

Sure enough, after leaving the Rear Camp, Chi Wan had only one destination left: the Left Camp. That night, she again chose to stay at a post station. As expected, she was met with another assassination attempt. After her party had settled in for the night, a poisonous smoke began to rise. They were trying to poison everyone to death.

This was different from what you saw on television, where someone would blow through a small tube into a room and the people inside would pass out.

This group of assassins was inhuman. They had actually set the post station on fire, and with poison smoke at that. Within a hundred-meter radius, even a dog would be poisoned to death.

“So much for martial ethics.”

Chi Wan cursed under her breath and had someone distribute the antidote pills. Thankfully, she had come prepared.

The silver had already been secretly moved away. She had entered the trap herself by staying at the post station, and sure enough, it had drawn out the assassins.

“Send the signal.”

Did they really think she had only brought a thousand Jinwu Guards? Not only had she brought men, but she had also brought explosives—an advanced version of explosive packs.

Having experienced one assassination attempt, how could Chi Wan not come prepared this time? A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. She had the Imperial City Division find craftsmen to produce the explosive packs, which would have otherwise taken who knows how long to research. They were made in just a few days, a testament to the skill of Great Zhou’s artisans.

With the inspiration she provided, the craftsmen of Great Zhou were quite formidable; they could make anything. Besides, Great Zhou’s cannons were already very advanced.

From Chi Wan’s knowledge of history, Great Zhou’s firearms were equivalent to those of the early Ming Dynasty.

From muskets and hand cannons to large-caliber artillery, there were various types of firearms. The cannons included iron and bronze models, many of which had impressive range and power.

Great Zhou had its own independent firearms army, the Divine Machine Camp, which coordinated infantry, artillery, and cavalry in battle.

Chi Wan had procured a batch of muskets for the men of the Imperial City Division. With these firearms, a cavalry force of less than several thousand would be charging to their deaths, and even several thousand infantry would be no match.

When she had time, she would have to think about more advanced firearms like matchlocks and flintlocks, as well as artillery.

If gunpowder in this world were limited to fireworks and its most basic uses, she might not be able to have them built even if she described them. But given Great Zhou’s existing invention and use of firearms, there was a foundation. The things she spoke of had a chance of being realized.

In its early days, Great Zhou had placed great importance on firearms. They had witnessed their power, especially against the steppe cavalry. Before, the sight of a cavalry charge would cause panic, and the reckless onslaughts resulted in heavy losses.

With firearms, they would first open fire with cannons, then with muskets. By the time the cavalry reached them, their numbers would be severely depleted.

Seeing the swathes of enemies fall before them, Great Zhou had come to value firearms more and more.

Chi Wan had obtained some muskets through Yu Jiuzhou. No matter how many assassins came, she would kill them all.

She even had a new model in her possession—a small hand cannon. It could be used after pouring in gunpowder. Though not very convenient, it was portable.

And so, the moment the poison smoke appeared, the men of the Imperial City Division were already waiting with their muskets in hand.

The accompanying Jinwu Guards were not entirely trustworthy, but they couldn’t be completely dismissed either. So Chi Wan had given them a different task.

The Jinwu Guards were camped outside the post station. For the assassins to enter, they would have to break through the Jinwu Guard camp.

Seeing the poison smoke outside the station, Chi Wan knew. It seemed there really were men planted by the three princes among the Jinwu Guards.

Of the three princes, the one who wanted her dead the most was Prince Zhongshan. Then there was Prince Ying, who wanted to fish in troubled waters, and Prince Bao’an, who concealed his deep ambition.

Just because Prince Bao’an was inspecting the salt administration didn’t mean he had nothing to do with this.

Though Prince Bao’an’s power was small, he was more than capable of fishing in troubled waters.

Chi Wan instructed Chen Yuan, who was beside her, “Detonate the explosives.”

Many explosives had been buried outside. Once detonated, no one out there would survive.

Since the assassins had already reached the gates of the post station without any sound of resistance from the Jinwu Guards, it meant they had betrayed her. In that case, she had no need to spare their lives.

Even if they hadn’t betrayed her, the area outside was now filled with assassins anyway.

The fuse connected to the explosives was lit, and the group quickly descended into a secret tunnel. The tunnel led directly to the mountain behind the station, where the silver was hidden.

This post station was one of Yu Jiuzhou’s outposts. Now, it was considered destroyed.

Just as the group reached the mountain, the explosives detonated, sending bodies flying through the air.

Chi Wan stood on the peak, watching the blaze below. Though the plan had succeeded, her mood was somber.

She knew this journey would not be easy, but she hadn’t expected to be constantly obstructed, let alone be the target of such a large-scale assassination attempt. The post station was now a sea of fire.

Chi Wan had good eyesight and could see the situation below clearly. There were several hundred assassins in black, and not far off, there was even cavalry. They were treating the post station like an enemy camp to be conquered.

Her opponent was dead set on killing her. What a deep-seated hatred.

It seemed that distributing pay to the Five Army Camps had disrupted many people’s plans.

It was just as they had initially thought: if the higher-ups distributed the military pay, ensuring the soldiers were well-fed, how many would still follow them in rebellion?

To put it another way, of the two hundred thousand troops, they might have been able to control over a hundred thousand. But with the silver Chi Wan delivered, they would be lucky if even half followed them in revolt.

In their eyes, Chi Wan was a dead woman walking as she transported the silver. Assassination attempts on the road were relentless, but with the Imperial City Division and the Jinwu Guard present, several waves of attacks had failed.

Perhaps it was an act of desperation, but they had actually sent an army to encircle and annihilate her.

Thankfully, she had received news beforehand that Prince Zhongshan was making unusual movements.

Prince Ying had submitted evidence of Prince Zhongshan’s crimes. Emperor Shengyuan was furious and ordered his arrest, but Prince Zhongshan was nowhere to be found.

While Chi Wan was being besieged by an army at the post station, fires were breaking out all over the capital.

Someone was taking advantage of the night to set fires everywhere, plunging the capital into chaos. Chi Wan was not yet aware of the situation in Shengjing, but she watched the scene at the foot of the mountain with cold eyes.

“Chen Yuan, pack up. We’re leaving.”

There was still the Left Camp. Once the silver was delivered, they would be in the southeast, where her divination had indicated her thread of life lay.

Seeing that her opponent had played their trump card, she had to hurry over.

They would travel through the night, distribute the pay in the morning, and rush back to the capital in the afternoon. This way, she could return to Shengjing a day early and see Yu Jiuzhou. Otherwise, her heart would not be at ease.

With so much happening recently, she had a feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.

Chi Wan didn’t know that the capital was also in chaos, but she guessed that turmoil was inevitable. She had to get to Yu Jiuzhou’s side.

Chen Yuan had the Imperial City Division men pack up the silver. With them were the guards sent from the Princess’s Residence. As for the Jinwu Guards, some were dead, some had surrendered. Her group now numbered just over a hundred people.

“Report.”

A scout returned. “Fuma, some of the Jinwu Guards escaped. Others were already the enemy’s men and surrendered with a large group.”

Just as she thought.

Chi Wan considered for a moment. “Send someone to tell those who escaped to return to the capital immediately. They don’t need to find me.”

“Yes.”

No one knew if there were enemies among the escaped Jinwu Guards. To be safe, it was best to have them return to the capital.

In any case, there was only one camp left. Once the delivery was done, her task would be complete.

However, even though they had broken the army’s siege, Chi Wan still felt a little worried. She had great faith in her divinations, and so far, they had never been wrong.

The reading said she would turn misfortune into fortune. Today, she had indeed encountered misfortune, but it was something she had planned for; it wasn’t a case of finding life in a place of death.

From her current position, it was over an hour’s journey to the Left Camp. The divination indicated that a thread of life would only appear in the southeast, which meant the calamity was not yet over.

Chi Wan didn’t know what other dangers lay ahead, but she felt a persistent unease.

Logically, the silver that needed to be delivered had been delivered. For them to pursue her so relentlessly, it was likely not just about the silver anymore.

Looking at the men transporting the silver, she pondered for a moment. “Chen Yuan, you take the silver to the county near the Left Camp first. Wait until dawn before heading to the camp.”

“And you, Fuma?”

“I will go directly to the Left Camp.”

Chi Wan was certain there was still an ambush ahead. The silver could not be lost; it had to be delivered to the Left Camp. But they were down to just over a hundred men. If they encountered another army siege like that, it would be very difficult to break through unless they abandoned the silver, which was a last resort.

Since she knew there was danger ahead, it was better to transport the silver via a different route. As for her, she would appear on the road to the Left Camp as planned, to draw out the enemy.

If she didn’t show up, who knew what those people would do. Rather than waiting for them to strike from the shadows at an unknown time, it was better to act as bait and lure them out.

As long as the silver was distributed to the Left Camp, this assignment would be complete. Once the assignment was complete, the predicament would resolve itself.

As long as she wasn’t transporting the silver, with her skills and this team armed with muskets, self-preservation was certainly not a problem.

Chen Yuan was still worried. “Fuma, you cannot place yourself in danger.”

Chi Wan wasn’t recklessly putting herself in danger. This was her fated calamity; it couldn’t be avoided, unless she was cruel enough to let others bear it for her.

It was like the well-known practice where a gravely ill person on the verge of death would drop a sum of money on the ground to buy life. Whoever picked it up was agreeing to lend their life.

The situations were different, but the principle was similar.

If she transferred her calamity to someone else, it might cost them their life. It was her own tribulation, so she should be the one to face it. Besides, there was still a thread of life, so what was there to fear?

Chi Wan waved her hand. “I have made my decision.”

There was a line in her divination that she hadn’t understood for a long time, but now she did. It was an exchange. She had gained a new life, changing the fate of her predecessor, and lived again in this identity. Naturally, she had to inherit the fated calamities that came with this body.

This body was originally destined for a calamity, one that was supposed to come from Yu Jiuzhou. But with her arrival, given their current relationship, Yu Jiuzhou would certainly not kill her. The fated calamity had transferred to her, and she had to pass this trial.

Once she passed it, this body would truly belong to her.

Chi Wan took more than twenty men from the Imperial City Division and twenty guards from the Princess’s Residence, and, escorting chests filled with rocks, headed for the Left Camp.

Sure enough, about three li from the Left Camp, she suddenly felt a murderous aura.

Chi Wan immediately ordered, “Slow down.”

“Yes.”

In the dead of night, everyone carried a torch. In the pitch-black darkness, they were the only source of light, visible from a great distance.

Chi Wan didn’t believe the assassins would fail to show themselves upon seeing her party.

They were about to reach the Left Camp. If they didn’t make their move now, they would lose their chance.

There was a river here, along with many earthen mounds and haystacks, perfect for hiding people.

Suddenly, a sharp arrow shot toward them. Chi Wan leaned back slightly, and the arrow flew past her eyes. Immediately after, countless flaming arrows rained down on them.

“Shields, defend!”

“Cut the horses’ reins! Use the silver chests for cover!”

Chi Wan gave two quick commands, and everyone complied. The moment the reins were cut, the horses scattered. It was a good thing they cut the reins; otherwise, they would have had no cover and would have been used as target practice.

After the volley of arrows, many haystacks caught fire. In the bright light, she saw numerous assassins, as well as several dozen heavy cavalrymen.

Heavy cavalry was different from ordinary cavalry. The horses were fully armored, and the riders wore heavy plate. Both man and horse were one in a thousand. Though there were only a few dozen of them, hundreds of ordinary cavalry would likely be unable to stop their charge.

First, an army besieged the post station, and now heavy cavalry lay in wait. These people truly thought highly of her.

Chi Wan’s eyes grew cold. The heavy cavalry was armored down to their eyes, as were their horses. Ordinary swords and sabers would likely be useless, and arrows would be ineffective.

In that case, she would kill the assassins first.

Dozens of assassins charged forward, and Chi Wan met them with her saber. This time, she also had dozens of men, so a head-on clash wasn’t too difficult.

Moreover, these dozens of assassins were far inferior to the twenty-odd she had faced before. It seemed the twenty she had killed had struck a major artery of her opponent.

So, were these Prince Zhongshan’s men? Prince Ying was probably not this reckless.

With Prince Zhongshan gone, Prince Ying was the most likely to become the crown prince. At a time like this, he would fan the flames but wouldn’t get too deeply involved, lest he leave behind evidence that could be used against him.

The current Prince Bao’an lacked this kind of power. It was obvious he couldn’t orchestrate something like this; at most, he would sneak in a few men to reap some benefits.

Although Prince Bao’an was good at hiding his intentions, he lacked a foundation. His years of plotting were far inferior to those of the other two princes.

Based on her understanding of Prince Bao’an, he didn’t have this many men under his command at this point. It was only later, with Yu Jiuzhou’s support, that his power grew rapidly.

Therefore, it could be no one other than Prince Zhongshan.

Chi Wan leaped forward, felling two assassins with a single strike. No one could stop her.

Seeing this, the dozens of heavy cavalrymen spurred their horses and charged, though their speed was not as great as that of light cavalry.

As they galloped toward her, Chi Wan let out a cold laugh.

“Retreat!”

“Ready the muskets!”

She single-handedly held off all the assassins, buying time for her men. Under her interception, the dozens of assassins were astonishingly unable to advance an inch.

The men behind her loaded their muskets. Immediately, an Imperial City Division officer shouted, “Reporting to the Commander, we are ready!”

Chi Wan subconsciously gave an “OK” sign. Without caring if the people behind her understood, she leaped back.

The moment she retreated, she immediately commanded, “Fire!”

A line of muskets fired at once. As soon as they finished, the line behind them stepped forward, while the first line reloaded with gunpowder.

Only then did the enemy realize. “Muskets! They have muskets!”

Heavy cavalry feared neither arrows nor blades, but against muskets, killing them was as easy as slaughtering chickens.

“Retreat! Retreat quickly!”

“We can’t! The armor is too heavy, the horses can’t run fast enough!”

At that moment, the heavy cavalry was trapped. They couldn’t escape, nor could they charge forward.

Muskets and cannons were primarily developed to deal with the steppe cavalry and were mostly used on the battlefield. Dealing with a few dozen heavy cavalrymen was very easy.

It was a good thing she had prepared muskets and gunpowder; otherwise, she would have truly been doomed this time.

It was also because Yu Jiuzhou was worried about her that she had given her all the muskets from the Princess’s Residence. If something were to happen at the residence, they would be left without any.

Chi Wan looked at the numerous bodies on the ground, her heart growing heavier.

“They’re up ahead! After them!”

Chi Wan quickly looked back. It must be the troops who had besieged the post station. Having found no trace of her or the silver, they saw the firelight here and immediately gave chase.

“Go!”

It was only three li. At full gallop, they could reach it quickly. They absolutely could not be caught.

Chi Wan kicked a few haystacks onto the silver chests, then threw a packet of gunpowder on top and lit it. A booming explosion echoed as the chests caught fire.

She quickly mounted her horse and fled the scene.

The pursuing army arrived and discovered the chests, but the fire was too intense to see what was inside. They could only shout, “Put out the fire!”

Just as they approached, a packet of gunpowder Chi Wan had casually dropped was engulfed by the spreading flames. The pursuers who had gathered around were instantly blown to smithereens.

By the time they extinguished the fire and saw that the chests contained rocks, not silver, Chi Wan was already two or three li away.

One li from the Left Camp, the sound of dense hoofbeats came from ahead, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chi Wan called a halt, her hand resting on the hilt of her saber. Then she heard a shout from the approaching party, “Who goes there? I am Great General Rong Chengying of the Left Camp, requesting an audience with the Fuma!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the troops halted, and a single rider came forward.

A robust man dismounted and bowed. “This subject, Rong Chengying, pays his respects to the Fuma.”

“Great General Rong, please rise.”

Chi Wan remained vigilant. After so many assassination attempts, she trusted no one now.

Rong Chengying approached and said in a low voice, “This subject has come to welcome the Fuma under the orders of the Grand Princess.”

Yu Jiuzhou sent someone to meet her?

Chi Wan breathed a sigh of relief. “In that case, let us go.”

She saw Rong Chengying glance at the people behind her. “If I may ask the Fuma, where is the military pay for the Left Camp? Was it stolen? This subject will lead his troops to retrieve it at once.”

Chi Wan waved her hand. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to. I burned the silver.”

“Burned it?” Rong Chengying’s voice rose. “Then my Left Camp…?”

Chi Wan remained silent. Rong Chengying caught himself and quickly said, “Yes, yes, of course. The Fuma’s safety is what’s most important.”

She had nothing to say to that.

The silver was with Chen Yuan. She wouldn’t transport it until dawn. Before then, she would not reveal its whereabouts to anyone.

Rong Chengying said nothing more on the surface, only adding, “Fuma, please return with us to the Left Camp. At dawn, this subject will dispatch troops to escort you back to the capital.”

“However, I hope the Fuma will forgive me. Without an imperial edic, we cannot leave the camp’s two-li perimeter.”

Chi Wan acknowledged him. “It is proper for Great General Rong to abide by military regulations.”

“Then, Fuma, will you return to the Left Camp with me now?”

“Naturally.”

Chi Wan nodded and waved for her men to follow as she rode with Rong Chengying to the front of his column.

Only then did she see clearly that Rong Chengying had brought a force of a thousand men.

How did he know she was under attack? Although she had been attacked throughout the journey, tonight’s events had only transpired a few hours ago. The Left Camp shouldn’t have known so quickly.

Sitting on her horse, Chi Wan gave a hand signal to a nearby guard. It was a code she had taught them before they left: eight meant kill, six meant safe.

After she gave the signal, her people understood.

Not long after the group set off, Chi Wan felt a sudden chill. Her horse collapsed to the ground. Though she reacted quickly, she still fell. Fortunately, she managed to brace herself with her hand, avoiding a complete fall.

Just as Chi Wan was about to get up, it was almost too late. There were so many cavalrymen behind her, and they were so close. The iron hooves were about to trample her.

She had no time to think. The true qi in her body erupted, and at the instant a hoof came down on her arm, the surrounding horses and riders were blasted away.

However, her left arm was still trampled, the pain so intense it left her speechless.

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. Fortunately, Chi Wan had given prior orders. Amid the chaos, her guards formed a line, took out the small explosive packs from their waists, lit them, and quickly threw them into the crowd.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Chi Wan leaped back, drew the sleeve arrow from her sleeve, and, enduring the pain, fired a dart at Rong Chengying’s horse. The dart was coated with a powerful anesthetic; it could knock out an elephant, let alone a horse.

As Rong Chengying’s horse fell, he, having no internal energy, could only roll wretchedly on the ground a few times to narrowly avoid the hooves.

Fortunately, upon seeing him fall, the men behind him quickly called a halt. Even so, while the horses in front stopped, those behind couldn’t stop in time and crashed into them.

The chain reaction of collisions brought down more than half of the thousand horses. With the path ahead blocked, the men in the rear couldn’t get through.

While the others were unable to approach, Chi Wan leaped forward to Rong Chengying’s side and stuck a silver needle into the back of his hand. His entire body went limp.

“Hold him up.”

Chi Wan’s left arm had been fractured by the horse’s hoof. If not for the protection of her internal energy, her arm would have been completely crushed. As she dodged, a hoof had also kicked her in the chest. The dull, throbbing pain filled her with suppressed rage.

If she hadn’t been prepared, if her internal energy hadn’t reached a profound level, that kick would have left her dead or crippled.

These people had prepared assassination after assassination, and even resorted to schemes, trying to lure her into a trap.

Chi Wan placed her saber against Rong Chengying’s neck. Seeing this, the troops finally stopped.

“Fuma, what is the meaning of this?”

Rong Chengying asked weakly. At this moment, he had no strength at all and even felt a little dizzy.

Chi Wan directly slit his neck with her saber, though it only drew blood and didn’t cause a fatal wound. “I thought you would wait until we reached the camp to make your move. I didn’t expect you to act so quickly. I almost fell for your trick.”

With her words being so clear, Rong Chengying knew his plot had been exposed. “When did the Fuma see through it?”

Chi Wan smiled. “Did you know that my relationship with Her Highness is not good?”

They projected an image of discord to the public, one that even gave His Majesty a headache. Even when she joined the Imperial City Division, Yu Jiuzhou had specifically sent a message to Huang Yuecheng.

In any case, Yu Jiuzhou had never told her about her relationship with the Great General of the Left Camp.

Nor had An Shi told her that Great General Rong Chengying of the Left Camp was trustworthy.

She had An Shi with her, a secret guard who would inform her who could be trusted whenever a situation arose. She had been specifically sent by Yu Jiuzhou to help her.

So Chi Wan kept one thing in mind: since An Shi hadn’t said anything, and Rong Chengying claimed to be acting on Yu Jiuzhou’s orders, she was either testing her or truly ignorant of the inner workings.

Many people in the capital could only guess at her relationship with the Grand Princess; no one could know for sure. They would certainly not think their relationship was good, but they couldn’t be certain it was bad either. Only the Emperor and the Grand Secretary knew that their relationship was indeed “not good.” The three princes were likely unclear, especially Prince Zhongshan, who was probably even more confused and just assumed she and Yu Jiuzhou were definitely on the same side.

If it were Prince Ying or Prince Bao’an, they certainly wouldn’t have used this pretext. Prince Zhongshan, by a fluke, had actually discovered that her relationship with Yu Jiuzhou was very good—oh, not discovered, but stumbled upon the truth.

However, the above was only one reason. The second was that Chi Wan had sensed Rong Chengying’s well-disguised killing intent. If not for these two reasons, she might have truly been deceived.

She had noticed something was wrong, but unfortunately, she was facing a thousand cavalrymen. Otherwise, Chi Wan would never have patiently followed Rong Chengying. Even so, she had been severely injured.

Rong Chengying’s eyes widened. After a long moment, he roared, “Prince Zhongshan has ruined me!”

Chi Wan sneered, enduring the pain. “Lay down your weapons, or I will kill him.”

She was about to collapse. She had to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible.

Just then, a shout came from the distance. “Who goes there? State your name! We are soldiers of the Left Camp! I am General Ming Zhu of the Left Camp!”

Her own people had arrived. This person could be trusted.

Chi Wan circulated her internal energy to sustain her body. If this continued, she could pass out at any moment.

The hoof on her arm was one thing, but the kick to her chest felt as if her internal organs had been displaced.

“We are the Fuma’s subordinates, here to deliver pay to our brothers and sisters of the Left Camp!”

One of Chi Wan’s people shouted. The cavalrymen before them, with Rong Chengying in her hands, dared not act rashly. But seeing another unit approaching, they began to panic, some even considering a desperate fight.

Chi Wan immediately said, “Those who lay down their weapons will be spared! Only the ringleader will be punished!”

Hearing this, many dismounted, threw down their weapons, and surrendered.

No one wanted to die. Besides, their leader was in the enemy’s hands. If he hadn’t been taken hostage, they might have put up a fight.

Seeing them lay down their weapons, Chi Wan breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the distant horses.

Did she just see Yu Jiuzhou?

Chi Wan shook her head forcefully. She really did see Yu Jiuzhou at the head of the column, dressed in military attire.

Your Highness? Why is she here…

At this point, Chi Wan could hold on no longer. Her body swayed, and a moment later, she fell into a warm, soft embrace.

A gentle, cool voice sounded in her ear, “Chi Wan! I’ve come for you.”

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