Chapter 008: One Conclusion, Two Bowings

His action truly left Huo Xini in a daze

Hehe. Revenge knows no bounds; as long as it can strike the opponent, it is acceptable. The principle of uprooting the problem must surely be understood by General Huo as well.

The man with the dagger hurriedly stopped him, saying: "I will report this to Lord Wu right away."

"Is your father? Is your father Huo Xini?" Meng Chuang asked

Huo Xini did not understand why Wu Qianyu, as a fellow court official, was so concerned about the family of his superior. He replied, "Grievances have their source, and debts have their owner. Does Lord Wu want me to take action against women and children?"

Wang Lu pondered and said: "We cannot hand it over to him. If we do, Young Master Meng will surely die, and the outside world will only say it was our doing. Not only will Meng Zhiqiang blame the stronghold, but others will also undoubtedly look down upon us."

Yesterday, Huo Xini heard in the mountain stronghold that the county lieutenant of Mianzhou, Wu Qianfu, had come to pay a visit, which was quite surprising

I am exasperated. Wang Zhaoyuan, this so-called Zhuge of Shu, is merely a person who can only engage in theoretical discussions. My great Shu has been ruined by his hands

Huo Xini awkwardly smiled and said: "I also know that I cannot kill. But what should be done about that Wu Qianfu who demands a person?"

Li Tinggui and Du Yifeng would never allow Meng Chang to take risks, so they jumped over together, intending to stop him

Returning to the stronghold, Huo Xini truly did not know how to deal with Meng Chang

The others also sighed in sympathy

The person holding the gun opened his eyes wide in anger and said, "What are you wasting time for? Hurry up and hand over those two children."

Meng Chang and the other two looked at Chai Rong's back, feeling a deep sense of unease in their hearts

The child pouted and said, "It won't be difficult for you to let me go; I will just tell my father when I return."

The three individuals left the stronghold, yet they headed towards the concealed location of the Li clan and others

Chai Rong interjected, "General Huo is the chief here, the highest authority, how could he heed your father's words?"

What is your name? Meng Chang continued to ask

This idea is equivalent to not producing any books. You say it is not related, but can we still entertain it properly?

Without delay, everyone immediately took action

Huo Xini is a warrior who has always been obedient to Wang Lu. Upon hearing his words, he couldn't help but laugh heartily, saying, "Brother Wang, you say that this matter of friendship is neither here nor there; in the end, should we be friends or not"

Chai Rong paused and turned back, saying: "What is the need for this!"

After Wu Qianfu left, his friend and advisor Wang Lu remarked, "The general should never have agreed. What trouble is it to eliminate a few women and children? Wu Qianyu intends to frame us for this. The consequences will be endless"

My name is Wang Zhaoyuan, which means to act with ambition and vision.

Brother Lu, please feel free to speak without reservation

According to the reported birth dates, Wang Zhaoyuan is one year older than Meng Chang, thus he became the second elder brother

Li heard that Meng Chang had become a hostage, and that the other party had deep-seated enmity with her husband. Tears welled up in her eyes as she anxiously asked, "What shall we do? What shall we do?"

Wang Lu smiled apologetically and said, "I am rather dull-witted; please allow me to ponder this matter further."

No, but Uncle Huo listens to my father

Meng Chang turned around and waved his hand, "I believe General Huo would not harm children. You all hurry back and organize everyone to evacuate from here. Uncle Huo, you agree, right?"

Li looked up at the mountain and comforted himself, saying, "Chang has great fortune and a long life; he will be safe."

Huo Xini nodded, "I am also aware of their intentions; they may be seeking revenge for General Kang, and I can no longer concern myself with these matters."

"Hehe" The two exchanged smiles at each other

Meng Chang walked up to him and said, "Young Master Chai, if I, Meng, have the fortune to return, I will certainly pledge brotherhood with you." Then, he approached General Huo Xini and said, "General Huo, you must keep your word!"

Their stronghold is even inferior to the one where Fu Yanqing stayed, with only about a hundred people at most. The weapons, such as those found at https://m.hetushu.com, are even more outdated and cannot compete with the soldiers from Mianzhou

Hmm. Meng Chang replied and then sat down on the ground.

Peace cannot be claimed, but at least one is still alive. Being alive is a good thing, yet Huo Xini feels quite troubled, as if he has taken on a hot potato

To speak frankly, Huo Xini truly looked down upon the Wu brothers, yet what he said was also quite agreeable to him. He was originally a general of the court, and at this moment, gathering in the mountains and forests was merely a temporary measure; returning to the court was the proper path.

"I wonder what General Huo intends to do?" asked Chai Rong

On the second day, Wu Qianfu indeed sent someone to inquire about the news

Huo Xini has not actually agreed to anything until now, but in front of the two children, he helplessly said: "Of course. Bring Young Master Meng back to the mountain stronghold, and take both of them away. Withdraw."

Chai Rong nodded, "A good name, actions are bright, and aspirations are lofty"

Then what if we don't hand it over to him?" Huo Xini asked again

Will my younger brother be alright? Meng Jiuzhu asked his mother with concern

Three individuals approached: one wielding a saber, one holding a long spear, and one grasping a long gun

"This child, Chai Rong, has great ambitions and always thinks of others. It seems a bit beneath his talents to be doing business with me," sighed Xie Die.

Li Tinggui hurriedly comforted, "Madam, do not be anxious. That Huo Xini is not of a despicable nature. Let us first exit the narrow passage and then think of a solution."

Seeing Huo Xini hesitate, he further analyzed the pros and cons, "My cousin An Zhonghui is no stranger to General Huo, who must have known him for some time. He has long intended to eliminate Meng Zhixiang, but unfortunately, he has lacked a legitimate cause. But what if Meng hears that his wife and children have been harmed and revolts? In that case, with the Tang army pressing in, my brother could rise in anger and take up arms, which would be justifiable. How could we worry about not eliminating Meng Zhixiang then? At that time, General Huo would join our Mianzhou army, achieve great accomplishments, and would certainly receive generous rewards."

In the previous arrangement of the books and maps, Wu Qianfu was certain that Meng Chang and others would retreat, and he instructed Huo Xini not to show any mercy, to capture the living and to collect the dead.

Brother Chai, I do not know if we can escape this calamity. We have pledged our brotherhood in advance; you will not blame me, will you?

Chai Rong then said: "Since General Huo's purpose is revenge, that is easy to handle. I will surrender myself to the general and allow you to deal with me as you see fit. I hope the general will show mercy and let the others go free."

These two children are competing to take risks, while he himself is targeting women and children, which makes Huo Xini Wang Lu and others feel ashamed

Indeed, Wu Qianfu directly stated his intention: "Meng Zhixiang's family will pass through the Line of Sky tomorrow. General Huo, would you be willing to avenge General Kang?"

In the small dark room, a few pieces of candy were placed on the ground, while Meng Chuang and Chai Rong were swearing brotherhood.

Hehe. You are really fun, can you add me in?

The two individuals gazed at the only small window in the room and saw a youthful face.

"Brother Huo, I still believe we cannot kill him," Wang Lu said as he locked Meng Chang and Chai Rong in a small dark room, stationed soldiers to guard it, and hurried back to persuade the chief.

Kang Yanshou was killed, and the army scattered. He, along with a group of brothers, arrived here and became a bandit leader. The government of Mianzhou turned a blind eye to this. His stronghold did not disturb the government, and both sides coexisted peacefully.

Chai Rong smiled at them and calmly walked forward

He did not know that this farcical brotherhood would lead to even prouder moments ahead.

Chai Rong and Meng Chang naturally agreed. With this brotherhood established, and with Wang Lu present, their lives were no longer in danger

There is a saying, but I wonder if it is appropriate to speak of it? Wang Lu inquired

A narrow path emerged, and everyone hurried to find a quiet place to settle down, while they all vied to explore the mountain stronghold

Wu Qianfu is the younger brother of Wu Qianyu, the governor of Mianzhou. He has been summoned to the mountain, likely for an important matter

Wang Lu spoke sincerely: "General Huo only seeks revenge, yet he does not know what grievance he is avenging. General Kang led us to rise in arms, claiming to be righteous troops, but in truth, they are rebels. Lord Meng is an official, tasked with suppressing the rebellion, which is entirely justifiable. What grievance is there to speak of?"

How dare you!" Huo Xini roared in anger, "Do you intend to flatten my stronghold?"

The child pleads with me to let you go, which is absolutely impossible. However, you can rest assured that General Huo is kind-hearted and, having made a mistake in a moment of confusion, will not take your lives. Zhao Yuan wishes to form a brotherhood with the two of you, and I believe this is feasible. I wonder what the two young gentlemen think about this? Wang Lu, in his youth, had read some books on physiognomy and felt that the two before him were not ordinary individuals. His wife passed away early, and he is very fond of his son, but remaining in the mountain stronghold will not lead to any significant achievements for him. Since his son wishes to form a brotherhood with them, why not agree to it? Allow him to meet more notable figures from a young age, which will be beneficial for his future.

Meng Chang and the other two urgently stopped him, saying: "No."

I will go, as I am a person of the martial world, which is more suitable. Du Yifeng said. He possesses the highest martial arts skills and has more experience in the martial world than others, making him the most suitable choice to go.

Chai Rong also approached, and it turned out to be a child of similar age to Meng Chang

Huo Xini glanced at Wang Lu, who spoke: "It may not be appropriate for you to take it back; we will take good care of it and personally hand it over to Lord Wu"

Chai Rong patted his shoulders and said, "How could that be! Meng Di clearly could have escaped this calamity but chose to stand up and acknowledge his identity. I truly admire him for that."

Wang Lu smiled with his eyes narrowed, proud of his decision

No, he is not Young Master Meng; I am Meng Chang, the third young master of the Meng family.

Since his identity is known, it is still better to address him as General.

Let's close it for now. Wang Lu came up with an idea. With - illustrations - books

The person with the saber stated directly the purpose of their visit: "Having heard that General Huo has captured the young master of the Meng family, we kindly request that he be handed over to us for disposal by Master Wu"

If we do not hand it over to him, Mianzhou will surely be dissatisfied with us, and it is possible that they will send troops to attack. The stronghold is in grave danger

After all, being still young, Meng Chang approached with a smile and said, "Then you must let us out first."

Li Tinggui followed up, saying: "Indeed, it is still the lady who has thought things through. Brothers Wang and Fu, I trouble you both to make a trip to the mountain stronghold."

Dinner was personally delivered by Wang Lu, and surprisingly, his son Wang Zhaoyuan accompanied him

Today, I, Meng Chang (Chai Rong), and Chai Rong (Meng Chang) have sworn brotherhood as brothers of different surnames. We shall share blessings and bear hardships together. We do not seek to be born on the same year, month, and day, but we do wish to die on the same year, month, and day. Should we violate this oath, may the heavens strike us with five thunders.

The child snorted and said, "Because my father is Wang Lu. General Huo listens to my father about everything"

"Wait for me, I will call my father to let you out, and we will become sworn brothers," Wang Zhaoyuan said, and then he ran off.

Chai Rong also sat down, and only then did the two of them begin to worry about their situation

The two individuals knelt on the ground to exchange vows, picking up the candies from the ground and exchanging them with each other

"Meng Di, Huo Xi Ni will not easily let us go, do not listen to this child," Chai Rong said, nudging the dazed Meng Chang.

Huo Xini truly did not know what to do, glancing back at Wang Lu, who was filled with concern.

Li said, "Sir Du has more important matters to attend to." After speaking, he took out a jade pendant from his bosom and handed it to Du Yifeng, saying, "I would trouble you, Sir, to go to Chengdu and inform my husband of everything here. He will believe you upon seeing the jade pendant."

Huo Xini gazed into the distance, momentarily at a loss for words

Huo Xini had never seen Meng Zhixiang, and General Kang did not die at the hands of Meng Zhixiang; however, the destruction of the righteous army was indeed orchestrated and arranged by Meng Zhixiang himself