mtl008 Chapter 135 Imperial Guards' Surprise Attack
Chapter 135 Imperial Guards' Surprise Attack
Shen Yanchu lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with the image of Miss Shi; every smile and gesture of hers stirred his heart. He longed to know Miss Shi's true feelings for him, after all, he was the first man she, a vulnerable woman, had ever met, and he had already placed her within his protective sphere.
He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the moonlight, his mind filled with countless thoughts. He recalled their first meeting; her resilient and intelligent appearance was etched in his heart. From that moment on, he resolved to protect her and prevent her from ever getting hurt.
He knew she also had feelings for him, but she always deliberately kept her distance, which puzzled him. He didn't know what she was worried about, nor how to get her to lower her guard and accept his feelings.
He decided to find an opportunity to have a serious talk with her and let her know how he felt. He believed that as long as they were honest with each other, they could solve all their problems and be together.
As dawn broke, Uncle San hurriedly knocked on Li Changyu's door. Li Changyu groggily got up and opened the door to see his uncle looking anxious. Something serious must have happened! Otherwise, his uncle wouldn't be like this.
"Third Uncle, come in quickly, what happened? Why are you so flustered?" Li Changyu led his third uncle into the room and helped him sit down. He poured him a glass of water and gestured for him to speak slowly.
Uncle quickly drank a cup of water to moisten his throat. "Young master, this old servant just led some men down the mountain to scout ahead and discovered a group of government soldiers, numbering around several thousand, charging towards us."
"In order to find out the truth, this old servant even went so far as to inquire about the situation on their way here. I overheard that they were the Imperial Guards under the Yan Yue royal family, and this time they were led by Lin Wei, the Lieutenant General of the Imperial Guards, with more than three thousand men. They said they were ordered to arrest Prince Xiang, Shen Yanchu!"
"Young master, let's go quickly! This old servant has ordered men to guard the foot of the mountain; they're to signal if anything happens. Let's retreat from the back of the mountain first! Otherwise, it will be too late."
Li Changyu pondered for a moment. This group was up to no good, and he didn't have many men; a direct confrontation was out of the question. However, their group was too conspicuous. Although they weren't their target, if they were, it would be a huge problem. He still needed to notify Shen Yanchu and the others; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to break out on their own.
Li Changyu got up and paced back and forth in the room, pondering how to resolve this crisis.
"Third Uncle, here's what we'll do: go and call all our men up and set up positions around the temple. Remember to instruct the brothers that if there's any danger, they must scatter and break through, and they must protect Miss Shi and the others."
Uncle San was actually quite puzzled by the young master's order. The girl's origins were unknown, and her ambiguous relationship with Shen Yanchu was far too unchaste. He couldn't understand why the young master preferred such a promiscuous woman. After all, what respectable woman would so openly flaunt herself and associate with strange men?
Although filled with doubt, he dared not disobey his young master's orders in the slightest. He silently turned and walked out of the room to begin gathering his men. His steps were firm and powerful, and his eyes revealed a resolute determination.
He quickly gathered a group of loyal subordinates and conveyed the young master's orders to them. These subordinates were all highly trained elites, and they obeyed his commands without hesitation, acting swiftly.
They set up a tight defensive line around the temple, vigilantly watching every move around them. He also specifically instructed his men to remain highly vigilant and not to be negligent in the slightest.
In the still of the early morning, the area around the temple was utterly silent. He stood on high ground, overlooking everything around him, silently praying for the young master's safety. He knew that he bore a heavy responsibility and had to ensure the young master's safety.
Li Changyu turned around anxiously and shook the still-sleeping Shen Yanchu violently, shouting, "Young Master Shen, get up quickly! More than three thousand elite Imperial Guards from Yan Yue Kingdom are on their way here. They have received orders to arrest you!"
Shen Yanchu was startled awake by Li Changyu's shouts. He sat up abruptly, a hint of panic in his eyes. He quickly dressed, grabbed his sword, and rushed out of the room with Li Changyu.
Shen Yanchu stared at the topographical map, his fingers tapping lightly on it, lost in thought. After a moment, he looked up, his gaze unwavering as he looked at his subordinates.
“We must evacuate from here as soon as possible.” His voice was deep and powerful. “According to the topographic map, we can split into two groups, one group will evacuate from the valley on the east side, and the other group will take the path on the west side.”
Li Changyu frowned, looking at the group before him with deep worry. He knew that in the face of imminent disaster, hastily dividing his forces was extremely dangerous, especially since neither the young woman nor the monks at the temple knew martial arts. Their manpower was severely limited; how could they guarantee everyone's safety?
He pondered for a moment before finally speaking, “I don’t think this is a good idea. We are short-handed right now, and neither the girls nor the monks know martial arts. If we split up, they could easily run into danger. We should act together and look after each other so that we can better deal with any situation that may arise.”
Everyone fell into deep thought after hearing his words. They knew Li Changyu was right, but dividing the troops was also for the better completion of the mission. After some discussion, they finally decided to proceed with the original plan of dividing the troops.
Li Changyu sighed helplessly, knowing he couldn't change everyone's decision. He could only do his best to protect the girl and the monks. Watching them leave, he silently prayed that everyone would be safe and sound.
After pondering for a moment, Li Changyu still felt the risk was too great, so he suggested, "Young Master Shen, you will command all my men. You will lead these men to fight on the front, while I will take a few men to protect Miss Shi and the others and retreat from the back mountain first. You only need to hold out for half an incense stick's time before retreating from the back mountain. We will meet up at Cangcheng Mountain then."
Young Master Shen frowned slightly. He knew Li Changyu's concerns were not unfounded, but he also understood that a direct confrontation would require sufficient manpower and courage. He glanced at Li Changyu, then at Miss Shi, and silently made up his mind. Moreover, Cangcheng Mountain was not far, only about sixty li from here.
“Alright, we’ll do as you say.” Young Master Shen nodded. “Brother Li, you must protect Miss Shi. I will lead my brothers to resist as much as we can.”
Li Changyu solemnly said, "Young Master Shen, rest assured, I will protect Miss Shi even if it costs me my life."
Li Changyu led his third uncle straight to the backyard, where the girls had already packed their luggage, and several monks from the temple had been arranged in a carriage. Li Changyu was agile and leaped onto the horse. He then asked one of the monks to give directions, as he was very familiar with the terrain of the area and led the way.
Along the way, everyone rode at breakneck speed, not daring to delay for even a moment. Li Changyu would occasionally look back to check on the group, making sure everyone was keeping up. The girls sat in the carriage, their hearts filled with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Shen Yanchu led several dozen men to set up traps and also sent men to guard the retreat route. His men nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, a breeze blew by, and he sensed an unusual presence. He immediately became alert, his eyes fixed on what lay ahead. He saw dark figures rapidly approaching from afar, and his heart pounded.
Xing Ce immediately jumped down from the roof and reported to Young Master Shen.
At this moment, the footsteps and shouts of the Imperial Guards could be heard outside. Shen Yanchu and Xing Ce exchanged a glance and decided to split up.
Shen Yanchu led his men stealthily around to the rear of the Imperial Guards. He surveyed the area and spotted a weak point in the defenses. He took a deep breath, raised his sword, and shouted, "Brothers, charge!" The men responded enthusiastically, following Shen Yanchu as they charged towards the Imperial Guards.
Xing Ce led his men to draw fire from the left, relieving the pressure on Shen Yanchu and his group. As long as they couldn't form an encirclement, they would be able to win.
Lin Wei had already detected their scheme and ordered his men to split into three groups to surround and divide the group, defeating them one by one. The Xiang King of Cangling Kingdom was nothing to fear; it was simply that the northerners had over-mythologized him.