Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 109 Xiao Wan's Scheme Against the Devoted Butler
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the dirt road outside Feng'anzhuang. Kang Zhengyang and his group of more than twenty riders rode by, and the dust they kicked up was tinged with a warm orange by the setting sun.

Seeing several elderly villagers squatting under the old locust tree in front of the village, Kang Zhengyang immediately pulled on the reins, and his chestnut horse stopped abruptly, panting heavily.

Kang Zhengyang dismounted swiftly and decisively.

He strode towards the group of people under the old locust tree. Several old men from the village stood up when they saw that it was the commander of the troops.

"Kongquchang!"

"Chief of the troops, what brings you from this side? Weren't you going to Tianshui City?"

Several villagers greeted Kang Zhengyang in a flurry of chatter, but Kang Zhengyang had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with them.

Kang Zhengyang asked urgently, "Is the fort still peaceful today?"

A villager shook his head and said, "I don't know. The gates of the fort have been closed since the afternoon."

I originally wanted to grind some beans at the mill, but when I got to the gate of the fort, hey, I couldn't get in.

Another villager said, "Yes, there are no bandits here, why would they close the door for no reason? Isn't that strange?"

The villagers were talking, and none of them suspected that something serious had happened in the fortress.

The Yang family mansion was located at the very center of this concentric circle of buildings. They were outside the fortress, separated by a "moat," so they couldn't hear the shouts of battle inside at all.

That's not like a massive army; there wasn't that much of a commotion.

Upon hearing this, Kang Zhengyang's expression changed drastically.

When Yang Can instructed him to return first, he made it clear to him that Li Youcai was feigning illness and staying at the mansion in order to find the whereabouts of the armor. He told him to make sure that the armor and the bald-headed falcon were not discovered.

The fortress gates were already closed by the afternoon, which meant that Li Youcai and Zhang Yunyi had already made their move.

They must have already found that deadly evidence by now, right?
Thinking of this, Kang Zhengyang's heart sank, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

If Yang Can is finished, he's finished too; the two of them are now in the same boat.

Kang Zhengyang immediately ordered one of his men, "Go to the village and strike the bell. Summon all the men and tell them to go to the fortress and await orders!"

After saying this, Kang Zhengyang led the remaining followers and hurriedly rode his horse towards Feng'an Fort.

Originally, he planned to sneak into the village, find out the situation, and then launch a surprise attack on Li Youcai.

Now that the fortress gates are closed, what's the point of blitzkrieg? Just go all out.

The gates of Feng'an Fort were tightly closed, and the drawbridge in front of the gate was suspended high.

The clear water in the moat reflects the afterglow of the setting sun, yet exudes a chilling sense of intimidation.

Kang Zhengyang rode his horse to the riverbank, reined in his horse, and shouted towards the fortress, "Who is on guard up there? Why is the fortress gate closed? I am Kang Zhengyang. Open the fortress gate immediately!"

After a moment of silence on the fortress wall, a few heads quietly peeked out.

Kang Zhengyang recognized it at a glance.

These people were not Zhang Yunyi's bodyguards or martial arts instructors, but rather his household servants.

However, these servants were also issued weapons, and Zhang Yunyi ordered them to guard the fortress gate; there were only about six or seven of them in total.

More than twenty men, all on horseback, arrived outside the fortress, exuding a fierce and imposing aura.

Kang Zhengyang, who held military power in Feng'anzhuang, stood in front of the fort, his voice booming like thunder, making them tense.

One of the servants mustered his courage and said, "The 'Kong, Kang' tune is too long, we can't open it."

Master Zhang gave the order: no one is allowed to open the gate without his permission.

"Damn it! I am the commander of Feng'an's troops, and I am responsible for the security of Feng'an, both inside and outside the city. Who gave you permission to close the fortress gates? Open them for me!"

The servants didn't dare to argue with him, so they shrank back and ignored him.

Kang Zhengyang felt quite helpless upon seeing this. This castle-like place was impossible for him to enter with his bare hands, even if he had thousands of men.

As for siege equipment, there wasn't any in the village at all, and even ordinary ladders couldn't reach the top of the fortress wall.

Left with no other option, Kang Zhengyang could only resort to psychological tactics.

Several of these servants of the Zhang family were originally villagers from Feng'an Village.

Kang Zhengyang used both soft and hard tactics, shouting loudly, while ordering someone to bring the families of these servants.

He hoped that he could persuade the servants to open the castle gates by relying on their families.

Inside the fortress, chaos reigned.

When Feng'an Fort was hastily closed, all the craftsmen and apprentices working in the workshops were trapped inside the fort.

They could faintly hear shouts of killing coming from the direction of the manor, and they saw that the manor lord's servants had taken control of the fortress gate. How could they not understand that something terrible must have happened inside the fortress!
Some of the bolder artisan workshop owners gathered at the street corner, whispering amongst themselves, their faces full of worry.
Some of the more timid ones simply barred their doors shut, only daring to peek cautiously through the cracks to observe what was happening outside.

They could faintly hear Kang Zhengyang shouting outside the fortress.

Before long, all the servants in the fortress were summoned to the front of the fortress. With so many people shouting and cursing, it was naturally easier to hear them inside.

“Master, I heard it clearly. It really is Kangquchang who has returned. He has also brought his troops and surrounded the fortified village.”

"Um?"

Li Yue, the blacksmith, sat on a long bench, shirtless, tending a nearly extinguished charcoal fire. Upon hearing his apprentice's words, he slowly raised his head.

His bronze skin was covered in sweat and oil, and his muscles were as firm as iron.

Beside the charcoal stove stood a heavy sledgehammer.

The hammer handle had become slightly hot from being in contact with the charcoal fire for a long time.

Li the blacksmith slowly reached out, grasped the scorching hammer handle, and slowly stood up.

Li the blacksmith said in a deep voice, "Kang Quzhang is back, what do we have to be afraid of? Come with your master!"

Li the blacksmith strode out of the blacksmith shop, carrying his sledgehammer.

In those days, the relationship between master and apprentice was very close. When a master disciplined his apprentice, even if he accidentally injured his apprentice, the apprentice's family could not utter a single complaint.

Li the blacksmith carried his sledgehammer out the door, and his apprentices immediately grabbed a piece of ironware and followed him.

One of the apprentices even pulled out the fire poker stuck in the charcoal stove; the front part was still glowing red.

"Assistant Zhang is plotting against the manor lord. Now that Chief Kang is back, everyone, follow me and let's open the fortress gate!"

Li the blacksmith strode ahead, shouting as he went, his loud voice carrying across half the street.

Manager Wang of the oil mill was peeking out through the crack in the door when he heard the shout. He peeked out and saw Li the blacksmith, shirtless and carrying a large hammer, walking aggressively at the front.

Behind him followed several of his apprentices, some carrying hoes, some holding iron rods, and some carrying sword blanks, closely following him.

Manager Wang quickly made a decision, grabbed a heavy oil ladle, and hurriedly chased after him.

The oil press lever used at home was too heavy for him to lift.

Li the blacksmith can now be considered Yang Can's die-hard supporter.

Since Yang Can improved the plow and waterwheel, his blacksmith shop business has been getting better and better, and he has earned several times more money than before.

Moreover, although he was not as famous as Yang Can, the name "Li the Blacksmith" gradually spread.

Previously, only a very few people respectfully called him "Old Man Tie," but now everyone in the village who sees him must respectfully call him "Old Man Tie."
This feeling of being respected came from Yang Can; the tangible benefits also came from Yang Can.

Although Li the blacksmith was a rough man, he understood the meaning of "gratitude and repaying kindness" best.

Now that there are helpers outside the fortress, if he still cowers in the blacksmith shop and dares not show his face, can he still be considered a man?
As for Manager Wang, it was because Yang Can had been fair in his dealings since becoming the head of the estate.
Zhang's distant and close relatives can no longer take advantage of his connections to take advantage of him from time to time.

Upon seeing that both blacksmith Li and shopkeeper Wang had rushed out, the workshop owners who were still hesitating no longer hesitated.

The carpenter, carrying an axe; the bricklayer, carrying a trowel; and Master Zhang from the tofu shop, each carrying a ruler-like knife for cutting tofu, all rushed out of their shops with imposing airs.

The Zhang family servants on the gate panicked. They usually did chores like serving tea and water and sweeping the courtyard. They had never been responsible for fighting before.
Moreover, these craftsmen who rushed over were all armed with weapons, and they looked like formidable opponents. How could they possibly defeat them?
Li the blacksmith led his men and charged towards the fortress gate. In no time, they had beaten several of Zhang's servants black and blue, and they fled crying for their parents.

Li the blacksmith untied the ropes controlling the drawbridge, and Wang the shopkeeper led his men to open the main gate.

Soon, Kang Zhengyang led a large contingent of his soldiers and rushed in.

Kang Zhengyang didn't even have time to thank them before rushing off to the Yang residence.

Seeing this, Li the blacksmith and the others decided to go all the way and followed after them, carrying their tools.

At this moment, Zhang Yunyi, having failed to break through after a prolonged siege, had his steward Wan Tai take two men to circle around to the rear to look for an opportunity. Meanwhile, the men at the front continued to ram the battering ram with the battering log.

With repeated impacts, they were about to smash open a large door.

This large log was moved from the left courtyard to be used for building a granary.

The place where Yang Can stayed when he was a guest in the left courtyard has been razed to the ground, and Yang Can is not in a hurry to rebuild it.

However, three of the grain silos at the grain storage site were also burned down at the time, and they were supposed to be rebuilt before the autumn harvest.

These building materials have now become tools for Zhang Yunyi to attack the inner quarters.

"Thump! Thump! Thump..."

The guards repeatedly rammed the gate with batons. Under the repeated impacts, the extremely sturdy wooden door developed obvious cracks, and wood chips kept falling from the cracks.

"Give it your all! We're about to break through!" Zhang Yunyi shouted excitedly.

Li Youcai felt uneasy, but he stood aside and did not stop it.

"boom!"

Another violent impact caused the crack in the side door to widen suddenly. Then, with a loud crash, the door panel was completely smashed open.

"Break it down! Break it down!" the guards who were breaking down the door cheered.

"Hahahaha..." Zhang Yunyi laughed wildly, drawing his sword with a clang and shouting, "Follow me and charge in! Anyone who resists, kill them..."

Before he could utter the words "no mercy," Zhang Yunyi suddenly felt dizzy, as if he had been hit hard in the chest by a heavy hammer, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

The sky and sunset before his eyes spun rapidly, and he felt like a wave of rice swaying in the wind, swaying left and right, and involuntarily took a few steps back.

"puff……"

A mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth. Zhang Yunyi's eyes were wide open, and his face still bore the traces of a maniacal laugh. His body went limp and he fell backward.

“We can’t go on a killing spree, Zhang…” Li Youcai was startled when he heard the ruthlessness in Zhang Yunyi’s voice.

He knew all too well the character of these martial arts guards. If Zhang Yunyi opened even a crack, they would unleash a torrent of violence.

If they go berserk and commit arson, murder, and looting in the inner quarters, what will he say to the young mistress if something happens to Steward Qingmei?

Li Youcai was about to dissuade Zhang Yunyi, but before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yunyi spat out a mouthful of blood, his body convulsed violently a few times, and then he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Li Youcai was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and his mind went blank. What... what's going on?

He was perfectly fine just a moment ago, how could he suddenly...? Could he be dead? Is this what they call "extreme joy turning to sorrow, and dying from excessive happiness"?

The excited martial artists were also stunned. One of them rushed forward, his fingers trembling as he reached out to probe Zhang Yunyi's nose. Then he abruptly withdrew his hand and cried out in horror, "Something terrible has happened! The Master of the Manor is dead!"

Li Youcai was still in a daze when he heard a loud shout: "Anyone who dares to trespass into the Yang residence will be killed without mercy."

Immediately afterwards, Kang Zhengyang charged forward with his knife, followed by a large group of people.

Besides the soldiers wielding swords and knives, there were also many villagers who held hammers, axes, iron rulers, and even hoes and oil ladles, all looking menacing.

Kang Zhengyang rushed forward and immediately saw that although the side gate of the Yang residence was broken, no one had rushed in yet, which made him overjoyed.

He immediately waved his hand and shouted, "Take them all down! Anyone who resists, kill them without mercy!"

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers immediately surged forward like a tidal wave.

When Li Youcai saw this scene, he was so frightened that his soul almost left his body.

He doesn't know any martial arts, how could he be a match for these people?

Without thinking about anything else, they turned and ran.

When the guards of Phoenix Mountain saw that he had run away, they lost all will to fight.

Anyway, they have Phoenix Mountain backing them up, so how could this commander dare to kill them all?
However, Zhang Yunyi's guards knew that if they were captured, they would definitely not have a good ending, so they had no choice but to fight back to the death.

However, with only a few men, they were no match for the vast army of soldiers and were soon buried by swords and spears.

Li Youcai lifted his robe, leaned back, and moved his legs rapidly.

Unfortunately, this posture was basically equivalent to standing still. His legs were as fast as a flying wheel, but he didn't run very far.

A soldier from the garrison strode over and raised his single-edged sword to strike. Li Youcai cried out in fright and tried to close his eyes.

"Spare his life!" A clear female voice suddenly rang out, and a figure flashed in front of Li Youcai.

Li Youcai looked closely and his eyes welled up with tears.

The person who opened their arms to protect him was none other than his wife, Pan Xiaowan.

Pan Xiaowan shielded Li Youcai behind her and said loudly, "Kang Quchang, my husband has no ill intentions towards Master Yang. Do you intend to kill everyone on Phoenix Mountain?"

"Stop!" Kang Zhengyang heard the commotion and rushed over.

He glanced at Pan Xiaowan, who was protecting Li Youcai, and then at Li Youcai, who looked terrified. After a moment's thought, he waved his hand and said, "Take him down and detain him for now, to await the master's decision."

Several henchmen rushed forward, and when Li Youcai heard that he wouldn't die for the time being, he stopped resisting and obediently let them tie him up tightly.

Pan Xiaowan felt relieved after hearing Kang Zhengyan's decision and did not object further.

Li Youcai's arms were tied tightly behind his back. When he saw Pan Xiaowan and remembered how she had bravely stood in front of him, spreading her arms to face the steel knife, Li Youcai's voice choked up.

"My wife! My dear wife..."

Just then, seeing that the reinforcements had arrived, Xiao Qingmei also came out from the broken gate of the back house.

Qingmei, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and carrying a short sword, greeted Kang Zhengyang with, "Kang Quchang, where is our master?"

Kang Zhengyang said, "This matter is a long story, and here..."

Kang Zhengyang glanced around, and Qingmei, understanding, said, "Let's clean up the mess first, and talk about it later."

Only then did Qingmei notice Zhang Yunyi lying face up on the ground, and she was surprised: "Did you kill this scoundrel?"

Kang Zhengyang shook his head: "I just arrived and I don't know the situation here yet."

The two turned to look at Li Youcai, who had just been tied up but had not yet been taken away.

Steward Li stammered, "Master Zhang... he was so excited when he saw the gate being smashed down... that he died."

Xiao Qingmei and Kang Zhengyang's eyes widened at the same time, staring at Li Youcai in disbelief.

Li Youcai chuckled dryly and said, "Perhaps... Master Zhang has a heart ailment?"

Pan Xiaowan's gaze swept over the scratches on Zhang Yunyi's neck before she silently retreated to Li Youcai's side.

The news that Master Zhang had attacked the Yang residence in an attempt to murder Master Yang spread quickly. Chen Wan'er was shocked when her maid rushed in to report the news.

That old bastard actually went to attack the Yang residence? He still doesn't trust me after all; I didn't even notice a thing.

That's not right. I heard him say this morning that Master Yang was going to accompany Steward He to Canglang Gorge today. If Master Yang isn't even in the manor, what is he going to attack?
"Ah!" The maid was suddenly struck on the back of the neck and fainted.

Chen Wan'er was startled. When she looked up, she saw the butler, Wan Tai, standing in front of her.

"Butler Wan? Where is the master?" Chen Wan'er asked, composing herself.

Wan Tai, panting heavily, said, "The master led his men to attack from the front, and ordered me to take two men to go around to the back, hoping to find an opportunity to climb over the wall."

But who knew that Kang Zhengyang would suddenly lead his men into the fortress, and the master... was dead.

The good news came so suddenly that Chen Wan'er was stunned and didn't react for a moment.

Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her lips unconsciously parted slightly, forming a soft "O" shape, revealing her pearly teeth...

Wan Tai saw this and a burning light flashed in his eyes, his gaze turning greedy.

He stepped forward, grabbed Chen Wan'er's fair wrist, and said urgently, "Master went to kill Yang Can, but unfortunately died."

Once Yang Can realizes what's going on, he certainly won't let the Zhang family off the hook. Young Madam, why don't Wan Tai escort you away?
Mr. Wan has accumulated some savings over the years and owns shops and properties in Tianshui City. He is confident he can protect the young mistress.

Chen Wan'er then came to her senses and exclaimed in surprise, "What? Go with you? No, I can go back to my parents' home."

"I am the daughter of the Chen family of Pingliang County, and I have never opposed Master Yang. Surely Master Yang wouldn't make things difficult for me."

Wan Tai sneered, "Young Madam, don't you understand? Come with me, and you'll have a chance to live."

Chen Wan'er turned pale and stammered, "Steward Wan, what...what do you mean by this?"

Wan Tai's eyes began to show a hint of confusion and madness as he said, "Young Madam, to be honest, I have admired you for a long time."

I kept these feelings hidden in my heart, afraid to let anyone know. It wasn't until the master took you that I suddenly realized what was going on.

If he can do it, why can't I? Just because I'm his subordinate, his butler?

Wan Tai gritted his teeth, his eyes growing increasingly fervent: "But things are different now. The master is dead, and the Zhang family has fallen. It's as if even Heaven is helping me, sending you to my side!"
"Young mistress, no, Wan'er, come with me. I will treat you better for the rest of my life, even better than the master!"

"you you……"

Chen Wan'er was completely stunned. She never expected that the seemingly loyal and honest housekeeper Wan had secretly loved her for many years.

Looking at Wan Tai's face, which wasn't well-maintained and looked even older than Zhang Yunyi's, along with the gray hair at his temples, she froze on the spot, speechless.

Wan Tai was unaware of the cause of Zhang Yunyi's death.

He was ordered to go around to the back of the Yang residence and wait for an opportunity to climb over the wall. Suddenly, he heard shouts and sounds of fighting. He hurriedly returned to the front and found that Zhang Yunyi was already dead.

Wan Tai thought he had died at the hands of his own troops. With the enemy outnumbering them, what was the point of fighting?
Wan Tai ignored the two guards and immediately retreated quietly, fleeing for his life.

The Yang family is currently in chaos and won't be sending anyone to retaliate against the Zhang family anytime soon.

Moreover, he was just a nobody, so even if someone discovered he was missing, they wouldn't take it seriously for a while.

So he wasn't worried about anyone coming to his door soon.

Nevertheless, it would be best to leave as soon as possible with the beauty he had been longing for day and night, the one he had dreamt of countless times.

However, seeing Chen Wan'er's helpless and pitiful appearance, Wan Tai could no longer restrain his desires.

He suddenly opened his arms and hugged Chen Wan'er tightly, his big mouth about to touch her cherry lips.

"Ah!" Wan Tai suddenly cried out in pain, abruptly releasing Chen Wan'er and taking two steps back.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Wan'er broke free and staggered to the side, her face pale, and said in a trembling voice, "You...you don't come any closer!"

The gold hairpin that Chen Wan'er wore in her hair was nowhere to be seen, while Wan Tai had a gold hairpin stuck in the back of his neck.

Fortunately, the hairpin didn't hit any vital points. Moreover, gold is relatively soft, and Wan Tai's neck muscles are thick and strong, so the hairpin not only didn't go all the way in, but it also tilted to one side.

Wan Tai reached out and pulled out the gold hairpin from the back of his neck, glanced at it, and threw it fiercely onto the dressing table.

He glared fiercely at Chen Wan'er and roared, "Why didn't you fight back when the master bullied you?"
If he can touch you, why can't I? Huh? Young Madam, do you look down on me? Do you?!

Wan Tai grew angrier as he spoke, his eyes filled with madness, and suddenly lunged at Chen Wan'er.

He couldn't wait any longer. Even if the sky were to fall, he would possess this woman who had been obsessed with him for so long today!
"Whoosh~" Just then, a cold light suddenly shot in from outside the door!

A sharp ring-pommel sword, its blade whistling through the air, hurtled straight toward his back!
(End of this chapter)