The Embroidered Uniform Guard did not have the authority to mobilize stationed troops, but usually, as long as the request wasn’t too excessive, the local garrisons would grant the Embroidered Uniform Guard some face.
After all, not many would want to offend the Embroidered Uniform Guard...
But this time, the person Yang Ge sent received an outright refusal from the prefectural soldiers.
Yang Ge had an idea, and then sent someone to the Yangzhou Garrison, requesting they dispatch the forces of five hundred-household units to enforce martial law in the city.
The result was the same, a flat refusal from the Yangzhou Garrison, and its military commander even assuredly threatened to report Yang Ge’s presumptuous act of calling troops to the Central Military Commission.
But this...
Was not what alarmed Yang Ge the most.
What truly set his heart racing was that the several messengers he openly sent back to the Northern Town Prefectural Commissioner had not even left Yangzhou territory when they were robbed by "bandits."
The men were unharmed.
But the horses and official documents disappeared.
Those messengers, with their bruised noses and swollen faces, were on foot when they returned to Jiangdu.
This made Yang Ge realize that there was probably an even bigger storm waiting for him.
If they could not withstand that impending storm, the more than four hundred people of his Right Division might not make it out of Yangzhou alive...
...
On the sixth night after Yang Ge took over the Yangzhou government office, Yang Tiansheng returned.
Upon their first meeting, Yang Ge smelled a strong, pungent medicinal odor...
"Where are you hurt?"
He quickly stepped forward, examining him all over, "Is it serious?"
Yang Tiansheng tossed his hat onto the table and grabbed the teapot, gulping down most of the tea in one go, "You owe a huge favor this time!"
"What favor?"
Yang Ge went around him once and, not noticing any injuries, reached out to pull at his lapel, "Where exactly are you hurt?"
Yang Tiansheng hurriedly covered his lapel, "Where are you looking... It’s nothing serious, just got stabbed here by a sword!"
He nonchalantly pointed to his right shoulder as if talking about someone else.
Yang Ge again reached out to pull at his lapel, "Is it treated? Let me see!"
Yang Tiansheng, unable to resist him, could only open his lapel to reveal the thick white bandage on his right shoulder, still oozing with blood, "It’s nothing, with the golden sore medicine of the Yang Family of Fengyang, I’ll be fine in three to five days!"
Yang Ge pulled his lapel back in place, his expression turning grim, "Who did it?"
Yang Tiansheng answered carelessly, "They all had their faces covered, couldn’t recognize them, but from the martial arts style of the person who injured me, it must have been someone from the Mount Lu Tianhe Sword Sect."
"The Tianhe Sword Sect?"
Yang Ge repeated the name, then earnestly clasped his hands together in salute, "I accept the favor, and I, Yang Ge, will be sure to repay this matter!"
"Yang Ge?"
Yang Tiansheng paused, then asked in return, "Don’t you go by Yang Erlang?"
Yang Ge was briefly startled, then laughed it off, "When you’re out in the world, who doesn’t have a few stage names?"
Yang Tiansheng nearly lost his composure, "This time it’s the real deal, right?"
Yang Ge hurriedly nodded, "For real, for real, truer than true gold. You also know about the things I’ve done. To use my real name, I’m not afraid for myself, but I fear dragging others into this!"
Yang Tiansheng thought about it and felt it made sense. Whether it was the fire at Lu Ting at the beginning or the knife in Yangzhou now, either could be a devastating event that risks annihilating an entire clan. He eventually responded speechlessly, "You officials really play dangerous games!"
Yang Ge invited him to sit down, "You just said that I owe a great debt this time. What do you mean?"
Yang Tiansheng let out a sigh, both admiring and anxious as he said, "With just one word from you, all seven chieftains of Lianhuan Fort showed up. To cover that kid’s passage, Chief Three, Wu Hongjiang, and Chief Six, Ma Jichang, both lost their lives!"
Yang Ge was stunned. After a long silence, he picked up the water bowl in front of him and drank it all in one gulp, slowly exhaling and said, "Tell me clearly what exactly happened..."
Yang Tiansheng shook his head, "Don’t ask me, I’m still in the dark. We were very cautious and concealed our tracks along the way. There shouldn’t have been any leaks. If you say the wind blew from Lianhuan Fort’s side, but then again, they lost two chieftains over this matter..."
Yang Ge fell silent for a moment, then pressed, "Where were you intercepted? How many people were there?"
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Yang Tiansheng, "We were cut off just as we entered the Bian River. There must have been eleven or twelve people, all skilful practitioners from the Qi Sea!"
Yang Ge, "All from the Tianhe Sword Sect?"
Yang Tiansheng shook his head, "No, those people’s martial arts were varied, and they used all sorts of weapons. There should have been three from the Tianhe Sword Sect."
Yang Ge pondered the words "Mount Lu" again, then asked, "Did Lianhuan Fort say anything?"
Yang Tiansheng raised a thumbs up, "I never had much regard for Lianhuan Fort before, but they handled this matter quite splendidly. Two chieftains died, and they didn’t utter a single word of complaint. They just said, please visit Lianhuan Fort for a drink when you’re free..."
Yang Ge pursed the corners of his lips and nodded solemnly, "I will go!"
After a pause, he asked again, "What about Fang Ke? Where have you taken him?"
Yang Tiansheng, "He disembarked alone before Suzhou to travel by land. Only I and a few chieftains from Lianhuan Fort are privy to this matter. That ship will continue to go against the current up the Bian River, so there shouldn’t be any more leaks..."
After a pause, he added, "Calculating the time, if the kid is swift enough, he should arrive in Kaifeng today or tomorrow."
Yang Ge tapped the table and pondered for a long time before speaking in a heavy tone, "If I’ve guessed correctly, they are going to make a move on this place next!"
Yang Tiansheng squinted his eyes contemptuously and laughed, "Kill you?"
Yang Ge shook his head, "Their attempt to intercept the message failed. Even if they kill me, it would be futile."
Yang Tiansheng made an "oh" sound, "Kill those officials?"
Yang Ge nodded, "Death without evidence!"
Yang Tiansheng clicked his tongue and frowned, "Then what are you planning to do?"
Yang Ge took a deep breath and said slowly, "I’d like to ask you to relay a message for me in the martial arts world."
Yang Tiansheng, "What message?"
Yang Ge spoke slowly and deliberately, "Regarding the case in Yangzhou, right and wrong, black and white have been distinguished. I, Yang Erlang, on behalf of the Right Bureau of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, earnestly ask all heroes of the martial world to discern good from evil, to refrain from interfering in this case, to restore to Yangzhou, to Jiangzhe, a clear and bright order... Should anyone insist on colluding with the enemy, if I, Yang Erlang, am still alive, I will pursue it to the end, never resting until death!"