Han Ji

Chapter 122 The Thief's Heart Remains Undiminished

Guan Yu followed behind him and whispered, "Brother, Xi Jian is clearly biased towards Su Gu."

"I can tell."

"That military order..."

"The military order is just a way for him to save face." Liu Bei mounted his horse. "If he really wanted to harm me, he wouldn't have waited two months. As my and Su Gu's common superior, the current situation is exactly what he wants to see."

"Then what is he going to do?"

"Wait," Liu Bei said, glancing at the lights of the prefect's residence. "He's waiting for me to deliver his gift."

That night, at the camp.

Hu Si quietly slipped out of the shack and headed towards the east wall.

Someone outside the wall is imitating bird calls.

Hu Si responded by tossing a scroll of silk. The person outside the wall caught it, stuffed it into a money bag, and then tossed it back.

The purse felt heavy in my hand.

Hu Si tucked the money away and was about to return to the shed when a torch lit up behind him.

They led troops to surround him.

"Hu Si," Qian Zhao said, "the captain requests your presence."

When Hu Si was brought into the camp, his legs were weak.

Qian Zhao forced him to kneel on the ground and pulled the bag of money from his arms. The money poured out was all five-zhu coins, about two thousand in total. There was also a scroll of silk with a few lines of writing on it:

"On the fifteenth of August, the camp lit a fire as a signal, and they were attacked from both inside and outside, causing chaos."

The handwriting is messy and there is no signature.

Liu Bei sat behind the table, not looking at the money or the silk scroll, but only at Hu Si.

"Who gave it to you?"

Hu Si kowtowed: "Captain, spare my life... I... I didn't know..."

"You don't know?" Liu Bei picked up the silk scroll. "On the fifteenth of August, the night of the full moon, the camp will be set ablaze. At that time, the refugees will panic, and there will be reinforcements outside the city. They will kill officials and seize grain. You don't know about this plan?"

Hu Si trembled like a leaf.

Guan Yu walked behind him, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade unsheathed half an inch.

The glint of the blade illuminated Hu Si's profile.

"Speak," Guan Yu said in a low voice.

"It's...it's a masked man..." Hu Si collapsed to the ground. "He always comes at night, drops off money and instructions, and leaves...I really don't know who he is..."

"accent?"

"It sounds like... the local dialect of Hanzhong, but with a hint of Guanzhong accent."

Liu Bei and Guan Yu looked at each other.

The local dialect of Hanzhong has a Guanzhong accent, which is a deliberate disguise.

"What did he ask you to do among the refugees?"

"Sow discord...say that the commander's rations won't last long, say that the government will drive away the refugees after the autumn harvest...incite unrest among the people."

"Anything else?"

"Also, let me recruit some able-bodied men, promising them a share of the grain and money after the deed is done..."

Liu Bei got up and walked to Hu Si.

"Hu Si, you are a refugee from Guanzhong, fleeing famine to this place just to survive. Why would you do such a thing?"

Hu Si cried, "My mother and sister are still in their hands..."

The tent was quiet.

Liu Bei squatted down and looked at him: "Where is he?"

"N-I don't know... They arrested people to make the little devil obey, or else..."

"I'll help you save her," Liu Bei said.

Hu Si looked up, his eyes blurred with tears.

"You help me identify the contact person, and I'll help you save your family." Liu Bei stared at him, "But if you lie to me, you know what will happen."

Hu Si kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "I wouldn't dare! I'm willing to help the Commandant!"

That night, Hu Si returned to the camp, pretending nothing had happened. Qian Zhao and his men secretly kept watch.

When Liu Bei returned to the western military camp, Jian Yong was already waiting in his tent.

"Brother, the prefectural government has issued a document." Jian Yong handed over the bamboo slips. "Xi Jian is on his way to the capital. Each prefecture must prepare funds for welcoming the emperor. Hanzhong will be allocated 30 million coins, to be shared by the powerful and wealthy households in the prefecture."

Liu Bei took it and looked at it.

The document was written in a grand and dignified manner: the governor had worked hard, the soldiers were rewarded, and border defenses were strengthened, and so on. But at the end, a list of apportionments was provided: the Wang family received 500,000, the Zhao family 800,000, the Li family 600,000... It was densely packed with names.

"Su Gu is using this as an opportunity to amass wealth," Jian Yong said. "Most of those on the list are close to him. Those who oppose him are either not on the list or have been assigned extremely heavy burdens."

"What about us?"

“We’re not on the list.” Jian Yong paused. “But Su Gu sent someone to say that although the Commandant’s Office is newly established, we should still express our gratitude.”

How much do you want?

"One million coins."

Liu Bei smiled.

One million coins. Su Gu is blatantly robbing us.

"Should I give it to you?" Jian Yong asked.

"No," Liu Bei said.

Just then, a guard reported, "Captain, they've captured them at the camp!"

The masked men did indeed arrive.

At three-quarters past midnight, a dark figure scaled the wall and entered the camp, heading straight for Hu Si's shack. Hu Si waited outside the shack as agreed. Just as the masked man handed over the money bag, torches suddenly lit up all around.

They led their troops to surround the enemy.

The masked man drew his knife, ready to fight, but was tripped by a horse-tripping rope and fell to the ground. After pinning him down, the mask was removed, revealing a man in his thirties with a scar on his left cheek.

"Whose side are you on?" Qian Zhao asked.

The man gritted his teeth and remained silent.

They searched him and found a wooden plaque with a wolf's head carved on it.

"Black Wolf Riders." Qian Zhao handed the wooden plaque to Liu Bei, who had just arrived.

Liu Bei looked at the cards, and then at the men.

"Did Lawyer Zhao send you?"

The man's eyes flashed, but he still didn't speak.

"I know even if you don't tell me." Liu Bei put the wooden plaque into his pocket. "The Black Wolf Cavalry were originally in Guanzhong, but they were wiped out last year. The remnants fled to Hanzhong and were recruited by Zhao Lü, where they do dirty work. Last month they burned the salt carts, and a few days ago they stole grain and caused trouble—it was all your doing."

The man's forehead was beaded with sweat.

"What will Zhao Lu promise you? Money? Or official positions?" Liu Bei squatted down, looking at him. "But have you considered whether Zhao Lu will spare your lives after this is done?"

The man's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Identify Zhao Lü for me, and I'll guarantee your life," Liu Bei said. "Otherwise, you'll die right now."

Guan Yu's blade was pressed against the man's nape.

It was icy cold.

The man finally spoke: "...Zhao Gongcao ordered us to stir up trouble in the refugee camp, preferably by killing a few officials and inciting a popular uprising..."

"and then?"

"Then he had an excuse to ask Governor Xi to dispatch troops from the prefecture to suppress the rebellion... saying that Commandant, you have failed in your duties and should be dismissed..."

Where are Hu Si's family members?

"...In the cellar of the Zhao family manor in the east of the city..."

Liu Bei stood up.

"Tie him up and lock him up," he said to Qian Zhao. "Don't let him die."

"Yes."

The man was dragged away.

Hu Si knelt down: "Captain, I beg you... save my family..."

Liu Bei looked at Guan Yu: "Yun Chang, take fifty men and go to the Zhao family manor to demand the release of the hostage. Tell them that you discovered something amiss while searching the mountains to suppress bandits."

"What if the Zhao family won't allow the search?"

"Then let's go," Liu Bei said. "I'll be there shortly."

Guan Yu led his troops away.

That night, at the Zhao family manor in the east of the city.

Zhao Lü's manor had high walls and deep moats. Guan Yu led his troops to knock on the door, but the gatekeeper did not open it, saying that the master was already asleep.

Guan Yu rammed the door open.

The door burst open, and the manor guards rushed out armed. Guan Yu swept his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, knocking down three men with the back of the blade.

"Anyone who obstructs the operations of the Hanzhong Commandant's Office will be killed!"

The guards were stunned.

Zhao Lu emerged, his face ashen, and shouted, "Commander Guan! You've broken into my private residence at night! Is there no law left?!"

"Suppress the bandits," Guan Yu said. "The bandits confessed that the manor's cellar contains kidnapped women and children. Please ask Zhao Gongcao to open the gate so that our troops can search."

"Nonsense! How could my manor harbor bandits?!"

"Then let them search." Guan Yu took a step closer. "If there are no bandits, I, Guan, will apologize. If there are bandits..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was clear.

Zhao Lu gritted his teeth: "What if we can't find anything?"

"If you can't find anything, Guan has bound himself and is at your disposal."