Xie Ming

Xiao held out until reinforcements arrived from the front residence, and the situation was finally brought under control.

He stood upright at the entrance, scanning the four sides with his eyes, his mind calm and meticulous as he searched.

This time, I escaped danger by sheer luck, and thinking about it now, I feel quite frightened.

Who exactly wants to kill me?
Currently, the troops under his command are almost depleted within Hangzhou city.

This was truly due to carelessness and impatience.

That's why he ended up in such a miserable situation.

Judging from the evidence, Dingye must have had his eye on him for this night raid on the bandits.

Thinking back to my trip to Lingyin Temple a few days ago, I felt as if someone was following me. I fear that on that occasion, or even before, the enemy was hiding in the shadows and had already planned and plotted against me.

As for the analysis of the situation right in front of us.

The crisis at the government headquarters has been resolved.

But the real fear is that the enemy is lurking in the shadows, and if they have any further tricks up their sleeve, then...
His thoughts were scattered and his expression was complicated.

Xiao Jiang's face darkened as he read out an urgent arrest warrant from the manor.

Suddenly, a vein on his forehead started throbbing.

Something's not right. Why is this happening? Why isn't that jinx coming into the back house?!
"Hey, wait a minute, Bai Jiu'er, where's the jinx?"

"Where is he?" Xiao blurted out, his heart filled with panic.

But it would have been better not to ask.

But when the topic was brought up, Bai Jiu'er suddenly fell silent, stunned, as if she had something to worry about, and hesitated in place.

After a pause, Fang stammered and gave an unconvincing answer.

"Commander, Commander-in-Chief, Brother Wang..."

In fact, judging from the governor's current expression, Bai Jiu'er was afraid that he had lost his temper again and injured himself.

However, while he was carefully considering the situation, there was also the unruly and ignorant guard on the side.

He had no sense of propriety and blurted out the whole truth before Bai Jiu'er could even respond.

"General Wang has died in front of the house."

"When we went out of the cell to check on him, he was already stiff."

"It's likely that these thieves were assassinated when they sneaked in."

"That's terrible."

Well, they really have no sense of proportion.

Upon hearing this, Bai Jiu'er glared and kicked the simpleton, sending him tumbling over.

However, the words have already been spoken and cannot be taken back.

Upon hearing this, Xiao was horrified. His blood rushed to his head, and he couldn't control himself. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Judging from the situation, there are signs that he will faint immediately.

The guards who were nearby were shocked and quickly managed to support the person.

Moreover, misfortunes never come singly.

Given this situation, with Xiao already in such a state, yet more trouble has arisen outside.

"Lord Duke, Lord Duke!"

"No, no, something terrible has happened!"

Right at this critical juncture, in the front courtyard, the steward of the mansion, Xue Zhong, was stumbling along, supported by two bodyguards. When the messenger arrived, he looked flustered and uneasy.

Lai Zhi, being old and frail, only managed a couple of shouts before losing his strength. It was only thanks to the soldiers nearby that he was able to speak out about the danger.

"Commander, Commander, something terrible has happened!"

"Outside, right now, the gates of our mansion are completely surrounded by soldiers."

“This humble servant, this humble servant had just finished guarding the door when I noticed some light coming through the crack in the door, so I peeked out.”

"They're all soldiers!"

"They look like the city's Imperial Guard."

"Three layers inside and three layers outside."

"Raise the fire and prepare for battle; the newcomers are not friendly."

"I estimate that the two sides of our house, and the back garden, aren't much better off."

"Commander, we only have this many soldiers and officers in our manor. I'm afraid if we really start fighting, we won't be able to withstand a fight."

The garrison soldiers recounted everything they had seen in detail.

Upon hearing this tragic news, Xiao's heart sank even further, his eyes rolled back in shock.

"Commander, Commander!"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Bai Jiu'er quickly pulled Xiao Jingchuan in front of her and was about to reach out to pinch his philtrum.

Xiao Lang gritted his teeth and, in the face of danger, managed to regain his senses and grabbed Bai Jiu'er's wrist.

The decree was issued, stabilizing the situation from chaos and danger.

"Don't panic."

"I'm fine."

"Bai Jiu'er, go, bring Chang Yan here."

"Give the order that all the women in the household gather in the courtyard."

"Find Jingyi and Hongyu, and take them to the inner room to look after the madam."

As he spoke, Xiao Jiangjian stood up again, straightening his back. "Everyone in the household, the servants, the doormen, the shop assistants, Uncle Xue, you take two men and go gather them together."

"Just as I said, give us three months' salary, grab our weapons, and stay in the back courtyard."

"I entrust my entire family, young and old, to them."

Xiao Ling took the initiative, ensuring the stability of the inner quarters.

"Yes, I understand, I understand."

When Uncle Xue arrived, he saw that Xiao Yan was determined to pull through, even with his old bones. He was sure he could manage.

That's just how people are sometimes. When they first find themselves in danger, their legs go weak and they lose their backbone.

But the matter was already at hand, and Xiao Ling's actions had already caused it.

It seemed that everyone, including Uncle Xue, suddenly calmed down.

All that remains is for everyone to perform their duties faithfully.

"And also, Bai Jiu'er."

"Go to the brothers in the back garden and give them my orders."

"We're not going to wipe out the back garden."

“Call back all the soldiers who were sent out, and leave two shifts to garrison the courtyard.”

"No matter what, the inner quarters must not be in chaos."

Xiao made double insurance.

After all, the household had a diverse population.

At this moment, he couldn't be sure who could be trusted, or whether there were spies or insiders mixed in among the servants and young men.

With limited manpower available, he had no choice but to let people into the inner palace in order to protect his family and home.

However, he still found it difficult to completely trust these people.

This statement was made out of desperation during a time of crisis.

"Yes, I understand."

Bai Jiu'er was quite clever; upon hearing Xiao's order, she quickly understood its meaning and promptly carried it out.

As he was about to leave, Xiao drew his sword from the waist of the guard beside him and spoke with a resounding voice, displaying the courage and bravery of a warrior.

"Alright, the rest of you, come with me to the front house."

"It looks like things won't be quiet tonight."

"This house has narrow alleys on both sides and at the back."

"Even if we are truly surrounded and trapped, I predict that if they are going to attack, they will definitely come in from the front courtyard."

"I'd like to see who the hell is so blind as to come here to die tonight."

"go!"

After Governor Xiao gave this order, all the soldiers clasped their hands in unison and agreed.

"Yes!"

With morale boosted, their fighting spirit was rekindled.

At this moment, Xiao Hua's grief turned into courage.

In times of crisis, we must rekindle our spirits.

The jinx is gone, Changting is not around, and Yuanping is not in the city either.

Xiao Xin knew he had no one left to rely on.

Only by enduring hardship can one have a glimmer of hope.

If the Imperial Guards were truly pressing on the government office, he could not believe that Qin Jing had rebelled.

But something just felt off.

Not long ago, I led a small force to Hangzhou to serve the emperor.

In that life-or-death crisis, if it weren't for Qin Jing's timely intervention, his entire family would have perished long ago.

If that's the case, why betray us in the first place if you wanted to do it now?
Therefore, this person has absolutely no intention of going back and forth like this.

Considering this, it is still possible that the situation may turn around.

In this limited space, there's not much we can do.

Just one word: wait!

Since we can't get out, the only option is to hold onto the front of the house.

Even a cornered beast will fight.

The main gate of the mansion was breached, but there was a second gate.

If we can get through tonight, the situation will definitely change when dawn breaks!
PS:

Dear readers, I am truly sorry.

Lately, I've been extremely busy with work and overwhelmed, so the time I can spare for writing has been very limited, resulting in fewer and fewer updates.

Life is tough, and it's hard to get by.

Helpless, truly helpless.
It's expected that this project's overtime work will continue until mid-July.

Don't worry, everyone. Once we get through this period, I'll try to update as quickly as possible.

Of course, during this period, if I have the time and energy in the evenings, I will try my best to keep updating.

It will be a little slow, please forgive me! (End of Chapter)