The bandits, who were about to act, were startled awake by Chen Laoda’s voice. The people soaking in the water still wished to struggle and climb up, pleading to Chen Laoda for help: “Boss! Save us!”
“Why should I save you? A bunch of damned dogs!” Chen Laoda scowled fiercely.
Without any support, the people in the water felt despair. For a moment, they couldn’t climb up and could only endure.
When they reached the front of the mountain, Zhang Fang ordered the team to stop.
“You all wait here for rescue,” he said to the people on the raft, then spoke to those still in the water, “You can come up and continue following me.”
The people left behind rebelled, unhappy with Zhang Fang’s arrangement. Some even recognized Chen Laoda as their leader, hoping he would lead them in resisting Zhang Fang.
Chen Laoda had long seen through human nature and would never lead these people to escape. Ever since he betrayed Xu Chang by revealing the situation in Meixian, he knew that Zhang Fang and his team were still alive, which meant that news about the gold mine would spread, and Xu Chang would eventually fall. He had already planned to find a way to escape once he arrived in Meixian, to start anew elsewhere, to leave banditry behind, and to make a proper living.
Zhang Fang also observed Chen Laoda, expecting him to accept the group now. Unexpectedly, Chen Laoda displayed indifference, seemingly uninterested in them.
“Boss!” someone knelt before Chen Laoda, wishing he could save them.
But Chen Laoda remained unmoved, his heart as cold as stone, even impatiently urging Zhang Fang, “Are we going or not!”
Zhang Fang left a group of bandits behind with a promise to return and rescue them. Regardless of whether Zhang Fang’s words were credible, those bandits were left there, cursing in anger.
As they continued on their path, the further they went, the more corpses they encountered. Zhang Fang’s hands trembled, his face grave, his gaze stern.
“There’s a boat!”
A voice called from ahead. Zhang Fang looked over and saw many people on the water. As they got closer, he realized it was a village; the villagers had climbed onto their rooftops to escape the flood, now trapped with water surrounding them. They saw Zhang Fang and the others as a glimmer of hope. Each person frantically waved, begging for rescue.
Zhang Fang squeezed his hands tightly, closed his eyes, and turned away from these people.
The cries of women and children echoed in his ears like a curse, burning his conscience, leaving him in agony; his heart was tormented.
Mu Qing, several times, couldn’t help but urge Zhang Fang to stop and save a few people. But just as she spoke, Hao Zhuang interrupted her.
“Master Zhang said to wait until we find a boat in the city to rescue people!”
Mu Qing also understood that with their current capabilities, they wouldn’t be able to save many. They had no choice but to trust Zhang Fang, enduring their painful torment, and continuing onward.
The setting sun looked like blood, and as they moved forward, the water became shallower.
After recognizing the official road, Chen Laoda instructed Zhang Fang to stop.
Upon reaching this point, he jumped directly into the water. The water reached Chen Laoda’s waist; for an adult, it was not deep. Zhang Fang also got down, and others followed, walking through the water.
Following the official road, they reached the outskirts of Meixian city by nightfall.
Here, many people had gathered—villagers seeking shelter from nearby villages.
Zhang Fang asked an elder woman, “Elder, why aren’t you going in?”
“We want to go in too! But the city gate is shut; they won’t let us in!” The elder woman’s face was haggard, her eyes filled with anxiety as she tightly held a child in her arms.
After learning the situation, Zhang Fang found a spot to sit down, rubbing his head in thought.
Mu Qing asked, “Master Zhang, do we have to wait until tomorrow to enter the city?”
Zhang Fang turned to Chen Laoda, asking, “Who is in charge of Meixian right now?”
“A man named Yang. He has been governing here for twenty years. He controls everything in Meixian and only listens to Xu Chang’s orders.” Chen Laoda wanted to go in too but didn’t want to leverage Xu Chang’s name; it would be too easy to get targeted, making escape difficult later.
“Can you talk to him? Is there a way to get into the city?” Zhang Fang pressed on.
Chen Laoda scoffed, not answering.
His reaction clearly showed he was unwilling to cooperate. Mu Qing found this displeasing and immediately wanted to teach Chen Laoda a lesson but was stopped by Zhang Fang.
On Zhang Fang’s account, Chen Laoda reminded them, “This city gate will not open! The situation inside is very complicated.”
“Complicated? Can you clarify, Brother Chen?” Zhang Fang suddenly became courteous to Chen Laoda.
This respect amused Chen Laoda, but he still informed Zhang Fang, “Inside the city, they are forging weapons and training death warriors.”
Zhang Fang was taken aback, initially thinking that Meixian was engulfed in darkness solely because of the gold mine. He never expected the gold mine was just the beginning! In this era, to dare forge weapons and train death warriors surely meant big ambitions! Someone was plotting rebellion!
Hao Zhuang and Mu Qing, who were close by, were equally shocked by this revelation.
The issues in Meixian were so significant! Therefore, even with so many refugees outside the city, they would absolutely not open the gates to let these commoners in! Even Zhang Fang and his group had a hard time trying to enter!
Zhang Fang’s face was serious as he pondered.
With the current Prime Minister’s son killing the Emperor’s nephew, these two powerful forces had turned against each other; the Emperor was the most troubled figure in this. So from the moment the original character became embroiled in the murder case, had this really been a conspiracy? No, perhaps it was just a part of the larger scheme.
Imagine if the Prime Minister had just one son, plotting against Zhang Fang. Once Zhang Fang was framed for murder and locked away, someone might extend a helping hand, implying to the Prime Minister that they could conspire to rebel together, promising Zhang Fang could come to no harm. As a father who cherished his child, the Prime Minister would inevitably waver. If he truly betrayed the Emperor, secretly colluding with someone to stage a coup, the rebellion would begin soon.
But Zhang Fang had traveled through time! His self-imposed exile had caused a shift in this matter. The Prime Minister, who loved his son so much, did not send anyone to monitor Zhang Fang along the way; this fact was indeed suspicious. Zhang Fang hadn’t thought much of it before. But now, upon reflection, was it not that the Prime Minister had intentionally orchestrated this? To let someone know that his son was not more important than the nation?
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments