Chapter 7, Entrapment

Dare to let the envoy know, the esteemed family is willing to sacrifice their lives for the well-being of Her Majesty the Empress. The loyalty and devotion are as evident as the sun and moon. Who is this Commander Lu? When the young men wish to howl in the face of the storm, where is he? Now someone jumps out to seek the esteemed family as a scapegoat? It is truly laughable. If the envoy wishes to take the esteemed family away, it is not difficult; just bring forth evidence of the esteemed family's collusion with the enemy, and we will all be convinced. How can empty words convince the public? Captain Gao, you and your officers should be orderly; if anyone dares to harm a single hair on my father's head, they shall be killed without mercy. It is truly laughable. If the envoy wishes to take the esteemed family away, it is not difficult; just bring forth evidence of the esteemed family's collusion with the enemy, and we will all be convinced. How can empty words convince the public? Captain Gao, you and your officers should be orderly; if anyone dares to harm a single hair on my father's head, they shall be killed without mercy.

Deng Huai and Geng Zhong also stood up, their hands resting on the handles of their waist knives, each glaring with wide eyes, "... Ma Yuhou, colluding with the enemy is no small matter, is there any evidence or witnesses?"

This left An Jing feeling quite frustrated. In this day and age, people are often bound by foolish loyalty. Individuals like Gao Chong, who come from prestigious families, pride themselves even more on their loyalty and are unlikely to betray the court easily. They adhere to the belief that 'When the ruler commands, the subject must die; when the father commands, the son must perish.' Reflecting further, it is indeed not easy to raise a rebellion in this era. The winding path ahead is likely to be long, and how to overcome the current obstacle is a pressing concern. Yet, one must ponder this matter carefully.

In the third year of Zhenghe, on the thirteenth day of the third month, Empress Zheng temporarily stayed at the Leshou Prefectural Office in Leshou County. There were fewer than three hundred Dragon Wu troops guarding the county office, resembling an iron barrel. Of course, this so-called 'iron barrel' description originated from the mouth of the filthy Grand Marshal, a person whose shamelessness is rarely seen throughout history.

Lu Jingwu, of medium build and around fifty years of age, donned in a helmet and armor, made a clattering sound with his armor as he moved. At this moment, however, he wore a grim expression, his triangular eyes wide open in anger, breathing heavily. After hearing Song Yun's words, he first snorted, then said: "Commander Song, how could you be so confused? Is it that An Zheng is colluding with the enemy, or is it that our Longwu Army is in league with them? If he is not in collusion with the Liao people, how did he disguise himself to appear at the Xiaofeng Pass? It is clear that there are strong bandits gathering at Xiaofeng Pass, yet An Zheng, knowing this, did not report it in advance, waiting for us to fall into an ambush while he pretended to come to the rescue. This person is highly suspicious; if captured, he should be subjected to severe interrogation, and he will surely confess..."

At this moment, as Lu Jingwu gathered his elite troops to head towards the inn, An Jing also seized the opportunity to send someone to Lord Zheng Shiyuan to request assistance, who then entered the Hejian Prefectural Office

This must be the son of the county magistrate of Leshou, An Yanei, right?" Ma Tai, being perceptive, cupped his hands in salute. According to the Song Dynasty's regulations, the son of a seventh-rank county magistrate could obtain the official title of a ninth-rank junior official. Although this position held no real authority, it still came with a salary from the court. He was not an unrefined commoner without background. The Song system valued civil service over military, so how could he dare to underestimate him

Song Yun, seeing that his advice was in vain, could not help but sigh inwardly. If one wishes to add a charge, what is there to fear about lacking words? It is clear that Lu Jingwu wants to shirk his responsibility for fleeing in the face of danger, alas...

In the battle of Xiaofeng Gorge, Empress Zheng fell ill due to shock. Duke Zheng Shen of Hejian was furious, and the Emperor's father-in-law was enraged, causing even the esteemed Grand Minister Gao to feel uneasy. Although Zheng Shen held no real power, his daughter, Empress Zheng, was not merely a figurehead. In light of such a significant incident, how could they justify themselves without finding one or two scapegoats? However, the cunning and shrewd Gao Qiu did not speak up to defend anyone. Instead, he secretly instructed the commander of the cavalry guards, Lu Jingwu, to explain the situation to Duke Zheng. This Commander Lu, seeking to evade his own culpability, shifted all the blame onto An Zheng, the magistrate of Leshou County.

Lu Jingwu's face was slightly flushed, yet he said: "That An Zheng is cunning and merely putting on an act, hoping to take credit for it. He has been convicted, and other matters will be reported to Her Majesty the Empress by the Grand Commandant. You and I need not worry. We must understand that none of us are not risking our lives to support Her Majesty. Now, An Jing dares to confront the guards, which shows he has long harbored ulterior motives. What is wrong with taking him in and questioning him? I believe Commander Song is overly concerned; everything will be handled by me. Let the people come, and I will personally go to the inn to apprehend him."

Ma Tai's attitude towards An Jing was resolute, and he hesitated even more. If a conflict were to arise, he feared that the Empress would blame him, putting his own life in jeopardy. He furrowed his brows and stared at An Jing, and after a long while, he said: "The officer indeed possesses courage... I deeply admire this..." After speaking, he turned around and said to two soldiers among his subordinates: "You two, hurry back to the military office and report the actual situation here... Please let Commander Lu make a decision..." After sending the two away, he sat down in the hall, merely cupping his hands in salute towards An Jing.

In fact, after he sharpened his words, Gao Chong and the others were clearly taken aback. It was the disguised 'Gao Junshi' who played along with his act. Therefore, it is not difficult to see that Gao Chong and the others were still intimidated by the court's tyranny; in their minds, they had never entertained the thought of 'rebelling against authority,' having become accustomed to submission.

Anwen Gong's question was, "Who sent the horse envoy to capture my father?" From this person's expression, An Gong could tell that he was also acting under orders.

On March 15, the Le Shou boat traveled north to Hejian. The entourage of Empress Zheng entered Hejian Prefecture the following evening under the protection of the Hejian Prefecture Army and the Longwu Army, both by land and water.

Gao Chong, Deng Huai, and Geng Zhong also clasped their fists together, "We vow to abide by the orders of the yamen..." Deng Huai then stepped forward with great strides, organizing the more than ten yamen runners within the inn.

At this moment, the Deputy Commander Song Yun, who was seated in the next place, spoke up. With a serious expression and furrowed brows, he said: "Commander Lu, please think carefully. The An family father and son have rendered great service in protecting the royal carriage. An Wengong even escorted the imperial carriage through the Xiaofeng Pass. If we were to capture him and his father, how would we respond if Her Highness were to question us?"

Furthermore, it is said that An Jing, the deputy commander of the cavalry guards, Song Yun, held him in high regard, as he had indeed achieved extraordinary merits in the midst of the howling winds.

... ...

An Jing also curled his lips and clasped his hands, saying: "Hey, Yu Hou, you may as well accompany Yu Hou for tea, I will go check on my father's injuries..."

His implication was no different from telling An Jing, "Do not act recklessly; this is not Leshou County, but Hejian Prefecture. If something goes wrong, how many heads do you have that would be enough to be chopped off?"

At this moment, An Jing stood up respectfully and smiled faintly, "If the envoy cannot take charge, please return to the superior. As the saying goes: 'Catch the thief with the stolen goods, catch the adulterer with both.' The head of the family is already injured; how can he withstand further torment? Do you intend to imprison him and force a confession? Hmph, that is utterly unreasonable. Who accuses him of colluding with the enemy? I, An Wengong, am the son of An Zheng. Father and son are united in heart, and we have been protecting Her Majesty from danger. Is there really any suspicion of collusion with the enemy?"

Ma Tai was indeed afraid of provoking this group of fierce and formidable yamen runners, each of whom was a tough man capable of killing without a blink, not just putting on a show. He felt a genuine sense of unease in his heart... He also noticed that the handsome and seemingly unperturbed 'An Yan Nei' remained seated at the square table, beside him sat an even more delicate-looking yamen runner in a black robe.

In the Battle of Xiaofengkou, Gao Chong single-handedly killed hundreds of formidable bandits, instilling great fear in Hejian. Consequently, those who faced him at this moment felt an immense pressure.

The guard cavalry under the command of General Longwu, the left wing army, was ordered by the officer Ma Tai to apprehend the suspect An Zheng for colluding with the enemy... Officer Ma Tai, leading the troops, issued the order with a serious expression

Has Lord Lu ever considered that the merits of the An father and son in rescuing the throne are indeed true? When Her Highness faced peril and danger, there were only a few people by her side; how could she not feel grateful to the father and son?

"How outrageous! This rebellion cannot be tolerated..." Lu Jingwu slammed the tea table, his eyes wide as he shouted, "Send the order down, quickly capture the traitors An Jia and his son..."

No one expected that the frail scholar An Jing would utter such absurd words at this moment. Not to mention that Ma Yuhou was left speechless, even Gao Chong and the others were stunned on the spot. At this moment, Gao Yingmei, who had not stood up until now, rose with her beautiful eyes shining and said: "I vow to abide by the orders of the court; Lord An is innocent and shall not suffer this unjust accusation"

Seeing that An Jing remained unmoved, his expression as calm and composed as ever, Ma Tai couldn't help but secretly admire him, "The commander of the imperial guard cavalry, Lord Lu Jingwu."

Uh? As soon as the three captains stood up with their brows furrowed, Ma Yuhou pressed his hand against the hilt of his sword, as if ready to draw it at any moment due to a disagreement. In recent days, it has been said that the group of officers from Leshou Prefecture are as fierce as tigers, especially that Gao Chong, who is known as an unparalleled warrior, a true champion against a thousand foes. On the day when Commander Song led his troops in retreat, all the soldiers of the Longwu Army witnessed how 'Captain Gao' wielded his spear to eliminate bandits and marauders, and those who survived all remembered this fierce man. Especially that Gao Chong, who is known as an unparalleled warrior, a true champion against a thousand foes. On the day when Commander Song led his troops in retreat, all the soldiers of the Longwu Army witnessed how 'Captain Gao' wielded his spear to eliminate bandits and marauders, and those who survived all remembered this fierce man.

Suddenly, the atmosphere became incredibly oppressive, and the group of "wolf-like and tiger-like" Longwu Xiangjun soldiers who rushed in with Mat Tai tightly gripped the handles of their knives, breaking out in a cold sweat. Each of them stared at the formidable figure of Gao Chong, who stood in the hall, and could see the chilling glint in his eyes, as if they could also sense the murderous aura he exuded

The injured Lord An Zheng'an did not recuperate in Leshou, but instead accompanied the army to Hejian Prefecture and rested at the inn. One day, a group of soldiers burst into the inn.

He took advantage of the opportunity to check on his father's injury in the back hall to let Geng Zhong, who had followed him, leave the inn and go to the government office to find Lord Zheng. There was no way to find Zheng Shiyuan now. As for the claim that he had fallen out with the guard Ma Jun, it was merely to intimidate that Ma Tai. An Jing also had no confidence to assert that Gao Chong would resolutely follow him to 'rebel'.

At this moment, the gazes of Gao Chong and several others were all directed towards An Jing, including Gao Yingmei who was on the side. They all knew that the official Lu Jingwu held significant power, and they were merely waiting for the decision from the heir.

In the inn, An Jing, along with Gao Chong, Gao Yingmei, and the other two captains, Deng Huai and Geng Zhong, were left dumbfounded. They had also come to protect the emperor and arrived at Hejian Prefecture. An Jing had long anticipated that this matter would not end well, as Gao Qiu or Zheng Juzhong would surely seek a scapegoat to take the blame for the recent robbery at Xiaofengkou. However, he did not expect that this scapegoat would be his own father, An Zheng. As soon as the envoy Ma Tai finished speaking, Gao Chong slammed the table and stood up angrily, saying: "What is this talk, Envoy Ma? My lord An fought valiantly at Xiaofengkou, risking his life to protect Her Majesty the Empress. How can it now be said that my lord is colluding with the enemy? What is the reasoning behind this? If you do not clarify this matter, you shall not take my lord An away..."

Ma Tai could not help but frown. Faced with these fierce and valiant soldiers of Leshou, he did not dare to act recklessly. He quickly raised his hand to stop his subordinates from making any rash moves and said: "Sir, please do not make things difficult for us. Ma Tai is merely acting on orders. Your actions leave us with no way to report back. Moreover, this place is under the jurisdiction of Hejian Prefecture, so I urge you to think carefully."