Chapter 23 Shocking News

  Fan Township, south slope of Rongshu Ridge.

  "What? No sign of thieves?" In the camp, An Tong was both shocked and angry.

  The attendants replied: "Yes, Magistrate Wu did say so."

  "An Tong asked again: 'What did the scouts report? What was the situation on Rongshu Ridge?'"

  The minister said: "There are no bandit tracks on the banyan tree ridge, and the scouts have confirmed that there are indeed traces of a large group of people walking on the mountain road on the south slope."

  "Oh? Wu Rui is really dishonest, dare to deceive me?! Hmph!" An Tong's words were tinged with a hint of anger.

  The minister hesitated and said: "This is possible, but it's also not good to say without any evidence."

  An Tong ordered: "Send someone secretly to Fan Township to investigate clearly. When the time comes, see how Wu Rui will dodge and weasel out of it."

  "Agreed!"

  Just then someone came to report: "General, Xin Gang has arrived."

  "Huh?" An Tong exclaimed in surprise: "How did he get here? Let him come in?"

  When Xing Gang, covered in bloodstains, was supported by his subordinates as they came in from outside, An Tong's eyes widened and her face was filled with shock.

  "What's going on?" An Tong hastily asked as he rushed forward.

  Before he could even open his mouth, a soldier who had come with him spoke up in a tearful voice: "General, the bandits launched a surprise attack on our camp, burning down our grain and tents, and many of our brothers were killed or injured."

  "What? Bandits are hiding in ambush?" An Tong was shocked again and hastily asked: "Speak, what's going on?"

  "Who would have thought that last night, bandits suddenly appeared, setting fire to the grain warehouse and haystacks. Many brothers were killed or injured in the big fire. The bandits took advantage of the chaos to attack, our army suffered heavy losses." The soldier sobbed: "Xin Ge was also seriously injured, it was a struggle to break out of the encirclement."

  An Tong's face turned red with rage as soon as he heard the news. The bandits were in the north? And they had raided his camp? But all the signs indicated that the bandits had infiltrated Fan Township, how could this be? However, the fact was right before his eyes, and he couldn't help but believe it. Being fooled by the bandits again made An Tong's self-esteem suffer greatly.

  These bandits are really too much, we must give them a lesson. An Tong roared: "Mobilize the troops, follow me to kill our way back and avenge our grievances."

  "General, wait!" Although the bleeding had been stopped and the wound bandaged on the road, Xing Gang was extremely exhausted and weak after being injured and rushing for a long distance. The soldier's previous lamentation had just saved him the trouble of speaking, but now it was his turn to speak.

  An Tong lowered his head and looked at his personal soldier Shi Chang, asking: "What's wrong?"

  Coughing twice, Xin Gang said: "I have important military information to report, General, please dismiss the attendants."

  An Tong was shocked by this, and the generals present also felt a little awkward. What's so mysterious about this? Don't we have the right to know?

  Looking at Xing Gang's persistent expression, An Tong nodded slightly, and the subordinates helped Xing Gang to lean against a mat on one side of the tent, and they all walked out of the camp.

  "How's your injury?" An Tong asked, not inquiring about the military situation but showing concern for himself, which warmed Xin Gang's heart. He replied excitedly, "Thank you for your concern, General. It's nothing serious, just need to rest for a few days and I'll be fine!"

  "Hmm, go on! What's up?"

  "General, are you aware of the identity of the bandit leader Yin Xu?"

  "What's the point of asking this? Isn't he just a thief who has broken the law?"

  Xin shook his head: "If it were just that, why would Zhao Xiang and Yan let the general come to suppress the bandits? And only suppress this one group of thieves?"

  An Tong's heart moved, and at first, he received the order and Yan Le's letter, only saying that the thieves had robbed the middle car house. This year, offending the middle car house is undoubtedly moving earth on the head of the great age, how can Zhao Xiangguo let it go? Sending troops to exterminate is reasonable. He didn't take it too seriously, as long as he followed orders and made Zhao Xiangguo happy, he would get his own benefits. At this time, hearing Xin Gang say so, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong, so he asked: "What? Did you discover something?"

  "General, can you tell where this wound came from?" Xingang said lightly: "General, take another look at this." He took out a broken sword from his side.

  An Tong took it over, and saw that the fracture was brand new, the section was smooth without any stagnation, apparently done in one breath. Listening to Xin Gang's tone, could it be that someone had cut it off with a single sword? An Tong was half-believing and half-doubting, and looked over with an exploring gaze.

  Xin Gang nodded slightly: "This sword was given by Yin Xu, the one in his hand is extremely sharp, called Duan Shui, from King Goujian of Yue. General, do you know who the previous owner of this sword is?"

  "Who?" An Tong was already used to this way of speaking from his subordinate.

  "Great General Meng Tian!"

  "Are you kidding me? You can't be serious?" Today, An Tong was shocked for who knows how many times already.

  Xin Gang said firmly: "My subordinate had served in Shang Jun, and had seen Meng Tian wear this sword. At that time, it was called the General's Sword in the army."

  An Tong's heart skipped a beat as he understood the meaning behind Xin Gang's words. Yin Xu was holding Meng Tian's sword, could he be just an ordinary thief? The matter of eliminating bandits wasn't that simple after all. After remaining silent for a long time, An Tong said: "Does Zhao Xiang and Yan Gong know about Yin Xu's identity or not? What will the general do then?" An Tong suspected that Zhao Gao and Yan Le were hiding something from him, even using him as a pawn.

  Xin Gang's heart moved slightly, and An Tong said this, obviously considering himself a confidant. After thinking for a moment, he said: "Yin Xu's identity is quite mysterious and still needs to be confirmed; I think that Lord Yan and the others may or may not know about it; I suggest that the general temporarily hold back his troops and report this matter, waiting for instructions."

  "Oh?" An Tong thought about it and felt that it made sense. Regardless of whether Zhao Gao or Yan Le knew or not, reporting the truth was always correct. If Yan Le already knew, it would show his sincerity. If he didn't know, it would be a great achievement.

  Alright, let's do it!

  But how to write this memorial? Can't say that I was defeated by the bandits and repeatedly underestimated the enemy, right? After a moment of contemplation, An Tong revealed a thoughtful smile. He then turned to Xin Gang and said: "You've worked hard, go down and take good care of your injuries!"

  As one swift horse galloped towards Xianyang, the generals under An Tong's command were all greatly surprised. How could the general who was furious just a moment ago order his troops to stand down? Moreover, this time of inaction lasted for quite some time, and before they knew it, more than a month had passed.

  It's already April, and Yin Xu and others have been hiding in a forest north of Pengze for over a month. The surprise attack on the Qin army's camp had burned down their barracks and food supplies, killing more than 200 Qin soldiers, but at the cost of 27 lives. War cannot be fought without casualties, especially in this era where war is unavoidable, making life all the more fragile.

  With a heavy heart, the deceased brother was buried in the green hills and clear waters, but life had to go on. It was thought that the Qin army would immediately counterattack, but after a long time, there was no movement at all. Pu Jun led his men to scout several times, and the news they got was that the Qin army had temporarily retreated back to the north of Fan Township to camp, and did not move. Yin Xu was greatly puzzled by this, and at the same time, he dared not relax his vigilance in the slightest, always sending people to keep watch, and making preparations for battle at all times.

  Now Fan Qing is doing his best to provide food, and it doesn't matter if the hiding time is a little longer. As long as we can hold on until this autumn, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang will rise up in Daze Township, and heroes from all over the world will respond, and that's when we'll be able to get our heads out.

  As the weather gradually became hotter, the air in the forest grew thick with moisture and miasma, and mosquitoes buzzed around, biting incessantly. It was inevitable that some medicine would be needed to prevent illness, which would only add to Fan Qing's troubles. Yin Xu thought to himself: after this matter is settled, I must properly thank him.

  ……

  Xianyang, Prime Minister's residence.

  Zhao Gao was in high spirits, and after Li Si's death, relying on the favor of Qin Er Shi, his power grew greater. Ministers who refused to listen were eliminated one by one, and those who remained were intimidated by his authority and surrendered. At this time, he could be said to be second only to the emperor, with all others below him, and the entire Qin state was gradually under his control.

  Returning from the imperial court, he drank two cups of fine wine and then had a beautiful woman massage his back and pinch his legs, feeling very comfortable. However, he could only look but not eat, making it difficult to fulfill human relationships, probably the greatest regret of his life!

  At this time, his son-in-law Yan Le, the magistrate of Xianyang, suddenly arrived.

  "See Father-in-law!"

  Zhao Gao said in his characteristic sly tone: "Huh, what's going on? Rushing over here like that."

  Yan Ledao said, "I have come to report to you, Father-in-law. The Left Camp Commander An Tong, who is currently suppressing bandits at Pengli Marsh, has sent a memorial with some extremely important news, so I hurried here to see you."

  Zhao Gao asked suspiciously: "What's wrong? Has the matter of eliminating the bandits been settled?"

  "Huh? This..." Yan Le said: "Father-in-law, it's like this, An Tong discovered an important situation, the bandit leader Yin Xu has a treasured sword called Duan Shui, which originally belonged to Meng Tian."

  "Who? Meng Tian?" Zhao Gao was shocked and lost his composure.

  "Yes, An Tong has a subordinate who used to serve in Shang Jun and saw Meng Tian wearing a sword. He is very certain about this." Yan Le said: "An Tong also said that the bandits in Jiangdong are working together, calling each other and causing great inconvenience to his suppression work, resulting in consecutive losses. An Tong thinks it's a big deal and has come to ask for instructions on what to do next?"

  Zhao Gao got up and paced back and forth, asking: "You said Meng Tian's sword, how did it end up in the hands of that traitor Yin Xu?"

  "Xiao Xu considered it and thought of two possibilities: one was that Yin Xu was related to Meng Tian; the other was that the sword was a gift from the mother and daughter of the Fan family."

  "Oh?" Zhao Gao said: "Which one is more likely?"

  Yan Le analyzed: "I think the first possibility is more likely, it's possible that Meng Tian gave the sword to the Fan family, but it should be in Fan Wenyuan's hands, not his wife and daughter. Moreover, this sword is precious, how could the Fan family give it away so easily? Another point, I always feel that the rescue of the Fan mother and daughter was suspicious, now thinking about it, maybe it wasn't an accidental rescue, but a deliberate act, Meng Tian's sword is the best evidence."

  Zhao Gao listened carefully and nodded frequently, saying: "That makes sense. In any case, this person is inseparable from Meng Tian, and may be in cahoots with Fan Zeng."

  Yan Ledao said: "According to An Tong, the bandits in Jiangdong are rampant and have connections with each other. That's why this time's suppression of bandits was unsuccessful. If we let them continue like this, they will unite as one. What if they really are remnants of Fu Su and Meng Tian's party... There has been a rumor among the people that Fu Su is still alive. If he is being used by some petty villain, it would be a great threat to our heart."

  Zhao Gao nodded and said: "According to what you've just said, the bandits in Jiangdong are indeed not to be underestimated and must be eliminated as soon as possible."

  "Yes!" Yan Le said respectfully: "Father-in-law is wise, An Tong reported that Jiangdong has a vast territory with many mountains and hills, and there are many thieves who are cunning. With only 5,000 people, it's feared that the task will be difficult to accomplish."

  Zhao Gao said coldly, "What's difficult about this? I'll have the Right Commandant of Kuaiji, Zhou Kang, lead an army of 30,000 to join forces with An Tong and completely annihilate the bandits in Jiangdong. I want to let everyone under heaven see that anyone who dares to be my enemy will not die a good death."

  "Will it work on that side?" Yan Le was somewhat hesitant about this.

  Zhao Gao sneered, "What's there to fear? Can they still turn the sky upside down? This time, suppressing the bandits in Jiangdong is just to intimidate them. The world of Great Qin belongs to me, and they must all be obedient."

  Thirty thousand troops suppress bandits, another shocking news is born...