Escape (Part 2)
Wu Kun remained motionless. I immediately imitated the way Wei Tan restrained me, looming over him. With one hand in a reverse grip on his elbow and my knee pressed against his back, I left him with no room for any movement.
"Zhugong," inquired one of the attendants outside, "What is the matter?"
The noise just now was still a bit loud, and Wu Kun's eyes shifted towards me.
"Answer," I whispered.
"No issue, proceed with the carriage," Wu Kun hurriedly responded.
But right at that moment, a chaotic rush of footsteps approached, and someone exclaimed, "Zhugong! There's a fire in the city!"
Wu Kun's expression changed, and I pushed the dagger a bit deeper into his flesh.
"I got it, proceed forward," Wu Kun replied.
There were no more disturbing sounds from outside, and the carriage continued to move swiftly.
I didn't dare release my grip for a moment, my heart pounding intensely like a drumbeat in my chest.
"You're afraid too, aren't you?" Wu Kun's voice shifted slightly, "Release me, and I will let you go."
"For now, Jiangjun doesn't have to worry about this matter," I remained unmoved.
The torchlight flickered through the carriage window, occasionally revealing hurried soldiers passing by. I could sense Wu Kun's frustration.
By the time we finally arrived at the residence, my hand and body had grown stiff and sore.
The carriage stopped, and one of the attendants outside said, "ZhuGong, we have arrived."
"Have the people inside the house come out," I whispered.
"Have the people inside the house come out," Wu Kun repeated.
The people outside seemed a bit puzzled, "Zhugong, the ones in the house are..."
"Let them out," Wu Kun repeated firmly.
The person outside acknowledged and soon, the sound of the main gate opening reached us. I glanced out the carriage window and saw Gongyang Gui and the others stepping out, their expressions uncertain.
"Open the carriage door!" Wu Kun suddenly exclaimed.
I had already tightened my grip on the dagger, and my voice was low but sharp, "Does Jiangjun seek death?"
With the blade pressed against his throat, Wu Kun held his head high, wearing a mocking smile. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word, "If you kill me now, you won't even make it past the city gates."
Frustration surged through me, but he was right. As the carriage door opened, I took a deep breath to steady my emotions.
The torchlight illuminated the scene, and the attendants were about to come forward to attend to us. However, upon seeing the situation inside the carriage, they were all stunned.
"Nobody move," I shouted, slightly rotating the dagger in my hand to make sure they could see the gleaming blade against Wu Kun's throat. "Step back, put down your weapons, and let my people approach. Otherwise, your Zhugong's lives will be at risk!"
The weapons were aimed at me threateningly, and the faces of those people displayed a mixture of surprise and hesitation.
"Have them do as I say," I told Wu Kun.
"Follow Furen's instructions," Wu Kun replied.
The group exchanged glances and then lowered their weapons.
"Furen!" Ah Yuan was the first to run to the front of the carriage, her eyes welling up with tears.
I didn't have time for lengthy explanations. I turned to Gongyang Gui and said, "Gongyang Gongzi, subdue him. Huang Shu, take over the reins. The rest of you, get on the carriage!"
Gongyang Gui didn't waste a moment and got onto the carriage, taking control of Wu Kun.
Wu Kun struggled and shouted in anger, "How dare you all seize me! I swear you will end up with no burial..." Before he could finish speaking, Gongyang Gui delivered a punch to his abdomen, causing him to curl up in pain.
"Jiangjun is speaking too soon," Gongyang Gui said coldly. "Whether One lives or dies, that will be determined after tonight." With that, he bound Wu Kun's hands behind his back and tossed him into a corner.
As he spoke, everyone had climbed onto the carriage. Wei Jiao called out from the front of the carriage, "Go!"
With the crack of the whip, the carriage started moving, galloping forward.
Leaning against the carriage wall, I took a moment to catch my breath. Only now did I realise that my body felt sore and weak, and my clothes were drenched in cold sweat.
"Does Huang Shu know where the city gates are?" I asked, still feeling uneasy.
"I do," Gongyang Gui replied. "There are five bright lanterns atop the city walls."
"What about outside the city?"
"Once we're out of the city, head to the riverside. There will be a boat."
I was surprised, recalling the location of the banquet earlier. If there was a boat, our escape would indeed be expedited.
"Are we sure that Yang San and the others have prepared the boat?" Ah Yuan asked in uncertainty.
Gongyang Gui sighed wryly, "I'm afraid I don't know that."
Everyone stared, and a moment of silence ensued.
"We have him," Wei An finally spoke up, looking at Wu Kun.
Wu Kun glared at him, his gaze resembling that of a ferocious beast.
The carriage sped through the streets, soldiers were everywhere, and someone was shouting, "Put out the fire!"
"Did Yang San succeed?" Wei Jiao asked anxiously.
Gongyang Gui looked up at the sky, seemingly calculating the time for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should have succeeded."
But at this moment, more commotion came from behind the carriage. Someone was shouting "Protect Zhugong!" and the sound of hooves was rapidly approaching.
"The news spread too quickly," Gongyang Gui frowned, then turned to Wei An. "Si Gongzi."
Wei An nodded and swiftly uncovered a cushion on the carriage, revealing a wooden box hidden underneath a removable floorboard.
Wu Kun looked at it, his face filled with disbelief.
Wei An retrieved a self-made wooden bow and over a dozen arrows from inside. Gongyang Gui took them, strung the bow, and prepared it.
The sound of hooves grew closer, and Gongyang Gui opened one of the carriage doors, drawing his bow and firing an arrow. A pained scream followed from behind. I looked nervously, catching a glimpse of a glinting blade swinging our way. "Watch out!" I exclaimed.
Gongyang Gui slammed the door shut with a "bang" and said, "Si Gongzi, the iron spikes!"
Wei An remained calm and composed. And as if he had opened something, a crisp "clank" sound followed. Not long after, there were more screams from behind, even louder than before, as if a group of people was involved.
Wei Jiao burst into hearty laughter, and I too looked at the unfolding scene in astonishment.
"Clang clang" came a few sounds, as if something reluctantly crashed onto the carriage.
"Close the windows, they have bows and arrows!" Gongyang Gui exclaimed. Wei Jiao and Wei An quickly pulled down the windows on both sides. The solid iron carriage immediately blocked out the outside light and noise.
"Gongzi! Ah..." Suddenly, a cry of pain from Uncle Huang came from the front, startling everyone.
The carriage slowed down, and Gongyang Gui quickly reached out to pull down the curtain on the front wall, opening the front window. The night wind rushed in, and the city gates stood ahead. Despite an arrow in his arm, Uncle Huang continued to drive the carriage, darting left and right. Right in front, a troop of cavalry was rushing towards us, with Lin Chong at the forefront.
"You scoundrels! Don't you dare run wild!" Lin Chong shouted loudly, immediately positioning himself in front of the carriage, wielding a steel spear that was over eight zhang long.
Gongyang Gui brought the carriage to a halt and said in a low voice, "Wei Jiao, tend to Huang Shu's injury."
Wei Jiao nodded and quickly helped Uncle Huang inside.
Soldiers lined both sides of the street, some pointing their weapons at the carriage, while others seemed confused, creating a chaotic scene.
Gongyang Gui turned around, grabbed Wu Kun, and chuckled. "Jiangjun, it's your turn now," he said, then pulled him up and sat him at the front of the carriage.
Everyone in front of the carriage had a changed expression.
"Xiongzhang!" Wu Jiao spurred her horse from behind Lin Chong, but was stopped by Lin Chong.
"Tell them to open the city gates!" Gongyang Gui pressed the dagger against Wu Kun's jaw.
Wu Kun glared at him, keeping his mouth shut.
Gongyang Gui's gaze turned fierce, and with a swift motion, a red line appeared on Wu Kun's neck.
"Move aside! Open the city gates!" Wu Kun's face turned pale, and he immediately shouted.
The road ahead immediately cleared.
But Lin Chong still stood there, his expression uncertain.
"Is Jiangjun willing to disregard your Zhugong's life?" Gongyang Gui's voice was cold as he held the dagger horizontally against the other side of Wu Kun's neck.
"Lin Chong!" Wu Kun's voice had grown hoarse, revealing his panic.
Only then did Lin Chong lower his weapon and give the order, "Open the city gates."
Gongyang Gui held Wu Kun firmly and said, "Wei Jiao."
"Coming, coming!" Wei Jiao let go of the freshly bandaged Uncle Huang, crawled to the front to take the reins, and muttered under his breath, "Playing the role of both Bian Que and a coachman…"
The city gates ahead opened slowly, like a gap in a desperate situation. Inside the carriage, there was silence, with only the sounds of deep and shallow breaths.
With a crisp crack of the whip, the carriage started moving once again.
"Xiongzhang..." Wu Jiao stood by the roadside, her eyes wide open, filled with anger and concern.
Once outside the city gates, the carriage sped along the road. Following the directions provided by Yang San, within less than half an hour, the bright lights atop the tall buildings by the riverside came into view.
However, as the ferry crossing came into view, the surface of the river appeared empty.
"Where are Yang San and the others? Where's the boat?" I asked Gongyang Gui anxiously.
Gongyang Gui didn't answer. At that moment, under the light of the torch, a figure suddenly rushed towards us.
Wei An quickly grabbed a bow and arrow, but Gongyang Gui said, "Hold your fire! It's one of our own!"
I looked and indeed, the person was familiar – it was Yang San's brother.
"Gongyang Xiongdi!" he shouted, and Wei Jiao quickly brought the carriage to a halt.
"Where's the boat?!" Gongyang Gui asked urgently.
The man was out of breath as he said, "The boat... we didn't succeed! The boat... the brothers who went to steal the boat were discovered!"
My heart sank, and everyone's faces turned pale.
"Has Da Ge managed to be rescued?" Gongyang Gui asked urgently.
The man nodded and said, "We managed to rescue him, but it was difficult to leave through the city gates. San Ge had me climb down from the city wall and wait here. He said you are on your way now, and they have their own plan."
Gongyang Gui nodded, about to say something, when suddenly, the sound of pursuing troops from behind grew closer, and the light from the torch illuminated the surroundings brightly.
"Furen, on the river..." Ah Yuan's voice trembled as she tugged at my sleeve.
I turned to look and was equally astonished. A large ship had appeared on the river at some point, slowly approaching the shore. It was adorned with bright lights, and a commander's flag fluttered on it, bearing the character "Wu".
"You go back!" Gongyang Gui said to the man. Then he turned to Wu Kun.
"We are at a dead end. Now, One can only borrow the ship from Jiangjun."
Wu Kun stared at him expressionlessly, not saying a word.
Just then, the group of people on the road had caught up, with Lin Chong leading the way. He shouted, "You rats, don't you dare escape!"
Gongyang Gui showed no fear, pulling Wu Kun forward. "Is Jiangjun testing whether I dare to take action again?"
Lin Chong sneered and suddenly pointed his spear, shouting loudly, "We have received the report. Our Zhugong has returned home! The one in your hands is an impostor. Shoot them down with a volley of arrows!"
Everyone was greatly shocked.
"Lin Chong! You traitor!" Wu Kun was also taken aback, but then his eyes widened in fury, and he shouted in a fit of rage.
Gongyang Gui pushed him back into the carriage and shouted, "Wei Jiao, go!"
Wei Jiao quickly turned the carriage around and sped off, but the sound of arrows flying through the air was already upon us. The carriage raced forward, the wheels bouncing over the uneven road, and the "clang clang" of arrows hitting the sides of the carriage echoed outside.
However, the carriage was still somewhat slow, and the clamour of pursuit grew closer. Gongyang Gui shouted to Wei An, "Oil!"
Wei An reached under the carriage and triggered a mechanism, while Gongyang Gui threw a torch out of the back of the carriage. With a "boom," flames erupted from the ground, engulfing figures and screams.
However, some riders managed to charge out from the flames. Through the gaps in the carriage windows, I could already see the gleam of blades on their weapons.
Gongyang Gui picked up his bow, but there were very few arrows left.
"Furen..." Ah Yuan held me in fear, her hands cold to the touch.
My heart was pounding out of my chest. My trembling hand instinctively touched my abdomen, feeling helpless and desperate…
Screams suddenly rang out.
It wasn't anyone inside the carriage; the screams came from outside.
I looked out, and inexplicably, one by one, the pursuing riders were falling down. In the light of the flames, the shadows of arrows darted like locusts.
"Boat," Wei An said, looking out of the carriage window on the other side.
We all turned to look, and indeed, the large ship on the river had reached the shore. From our vantage point, soldiers on the ship were shooting arrows towards the back of our carriage. Everyone was perplexed, but there was no time for further thought. Wei Jiao cracked the whip and urged the horses, heading towards the direction of the ship.
The shouts of the pursuing soldiers were still audible from behind, but the arrows raining down from above forced us to move forward without respite.
"Si Gongzi! Shao Furen!" someone shouted from the ship, and I widened my eyes to look. The night was still far away, making it difficult to see clearly, but the voice was familiar – it was Cheng Mao!
"Xiongzhang!" Wei An's eyes lit up.
I was also taken aback.
A person was leading soldiers down from the large ship. Even in the darkness or from a distance, I wouldn't mistake that figure for anyone else.
Ah Yuan sobbed and burst into tears.
With my hand resting on my belly, I stared fixedly at the person who had been haunting my thoughts, running towards us. It felt as though I had dreamt a dream that spanned aeons, and everything before me seemed hazy.
"Get off the carriage! Quickly!" Gongyang Gui shouted loudly. I quickly wiped my eyes and, along with Ah Yuan, got off the carriage.
"Shields! Shields!" someone shouted, and soldiers were already coming over with shields to provide cover.
A soldier ran over and said, "Shao Furen, quickly..." Before he could finish, a tall figure had already stepped in front of me.
I looked up, meeting those intense dark eyes gazing at me. His cheeks were illuminated by the flickering firelight. Hmm... he looked thinner.
Tears suddenly welled up again, as I covered my mouth.
"Why are you crying..." Wei Tan's voice was a bit tense, but he turned and shouted, "Cheng Mao! No need to linger, once everyone's here, get on the ship!"
Cheng Mao responded with a nod.
Wei Tan didn't say much. He lifted me up in his arms horizontally and quickly headed towards the ship in brisk strides.
The soldiers on the ship bustled about, and the sound of paddles in the water filled the air. The large ship started moving slowly, leaving behind a scene of firelight and silhouettes on the shore.
After Wei Tan had busied himself for a while, he walked back and looked at me.
I looked at him too, my throat still choked up.
"Still crying?" he softly asked, reaching out to wipe away my tears.
I held onto his hand, feeling the roughness, familiar and warm. Everything was real. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but it was like too much water being squeezed into a narrow-necked bottle — it was difficult to pour it all out at once.
Wei Tan let out a soft sigh and pulled my head into his embrace.
The long-lost scent, warmth, and tranquillity. I take a deep breath as if I'm still doubting if this is a dream, listening to that heartbeat, tightly gripping his arm…
"Brother." Before long, Wei An's voice came from beside us.
I lifted my head from Wei Tan's embrace and noticed that there were quite a few people looking at us, their gazes flickering.
I blushed and moved a bit away from him.
However, Wei Tan continued to hold my hand and looked at Wei An with a smile, asking, "Were you scared earlier?"
Wei An shook his head, "Not scared."
Wei Tan patted his shoulder and, after a moment, turned to the side.
Wu Kun sat on the side of the boat, motionless. His hair was slightly disheveled, and the bloodstains on his neck were conspicuous. But the most significant change was in his face. He stared at Wei Tan, a fixed, intense gaze that carried a reddish tint beneath it. Gone was his former arrogance and sharpness.
Wei Tan walked up to him.
"You are Wei Tan," Wu Kun's voice was low and composed.
"Indeed," Wei Tan replied.
Wu Kun's face remained impassive for a moment, then his gaze shifted to me.
He wore a faintly mocking smile on his face and sighed, "I was foolish for a moment, and now I've fallen into your hands. This place belongs to the Jiangdong region. Who helped you come here? Was it Cui Ting or Pei Qian?"
A slight curve appeared at the corner of Wei Tan's lips as he replied, "Gongtai need not worry too much about your life. It was we who saved you from the dire situation just now."
Wu Kun's complexion changed, his pale face now showing shifting shades of emotions.
"Da Gongzi," at this moment, Cheng Mao approached and reported, "There are three military boats ahead." He then glanced at Wu Kun, "They're from Jiangdong."