My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

That night, on the secluded beach on the north side of Xiaozhu Island.

An ordinary-looking single-masted fishing boat gently approached the reef with the tide.

Jiang Qianzhi jumped down first and quickly scanned his surroundings.

Several people were already waiting on the high point of the beach.

Jiang Qianzhi strode forward, stopped a few steps away, clasped his hands in a fist and said in a low voice.

"Jiang Qianzhi, commander of the Dingzi Battalion of the Northern Army, is hereby ordered to deliver this confidential letter."

As he spoke, he revealed a bamboo talisman engraved with a special secret mark.

Xu Xianzhi nodded slightly, and an old soldier beside him stepped forward to examine the bamboo talisman. After a moment, he turned around and nodded.

"Captain Jiang, you must be tired from your journey. Please come with me."

Xu Xianzhi stepped aside to lead the way.

The group walked through a dense bamboo forest and arrived at a sheltered natural cave deep in the island.

The cave was dry, with a few fish oil lamps burning, and the air was filled with a faint smell of herbs and dampness.

Jiang Qianzhi took out a thin bamboo tube sealed tightly with wax from his personal leather pouch and presented it with both hands.

"Young Master Xu, Commander Han, this letter is here."

Xu Xianzhi took it, carefully used a knife to break open the wax seal, and pulled out a roll of plain silk from inside.

His gaze swept quickly across the area, his breath hitched slightly, and then his eyes were filled with astonishment.

He suddenly looked up at Han Yong.

"Commander Han! Commander Cao... he was recommended by Governor Xie to serve as the acting governor of Donghai. Now we also have a formal title!"

"What?!"

Han Yong snatched the scroll from Xu Xianzhi's hand, held it up to the lamp, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Prefect...good! Those brothers didn't die in vain!"

Han Yong murmured, and a trace of color seemed to return to his face.

Xu Xianzhi quickly calmed himself down and turned to Jiang Qianzhi, who was standing solemnly to the side, to ask the most crucial question.

"Commander Jiang, when will the Prefect lead his troops eastward to join us?"

Jiang Qianzhi dared not be negligent in the slightest. After a brief assessment, he clasped his hands in a fist and replied.

"Reporting to Young Master Xu, the siege of Tan County has been lifted, but the situation is not yet stable. The Prefect needs to handle the aftermath and prepare the troops. Even if everything goes smoothly, it will take at least five days for the army to arrive here."

"Five days..."

Xu Xianzhe repeated in a low voice, "It's been a long time, enough for a lot to happen."

Without further hesitation, he strode to the simple wooden table inside the cave, spread out a rough piece of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and after a moment's thought, began to write furiously.

Soon, a secret letter was written.

He carefully blew the ink dry, put it into another slightly smaller bamboo tube, sealed it with sealing wax, and stamped it with an inconspicuous private seal.

He turned around and solemnly handed the bamboo tube to Jiang Qianzhi.

"Captain Jiang, this letter must be delivered to the Prefect personally. It contains details about the island, the enemy situation assessment, and our next strategic plan."

Jiang Qianzhi felt a chill run down his spine. He took the bamboo tube with both hands, hid it close to his body, clasped his hands tightly in a fist salute, and left.

As soon as we arrived at the beach, we saw several men carrying several bulging leather bags and packages, which contained durable coarse cakes, dried fish, and precious salted dried meat.

Jiang Qianzhi did not refuse, and after taking the packages, he boarded the fishing boat and left the island.

Northeast of Wild Boar Ridge lies an abandoned earthen fort.

Jiang Qianzhi arrived at the place at dawn.

Upon seeing Jiang Qianzhi return, Lu Ming hurriedly stepped forward.

"Team Leader!"

"There's meat! Quickly send the others back; I don't have much time!"

"promise!"

After hearing this, Lu Ming took out a peculiar whistle from his pocket and blew it.

A moment later, the three scouts who had been on guard outside returned to the earthen fort.

The five of them picked up the dried meat and started eating. Jiang Qianzhi unfolded the simple map that only showed the direction of the mountains and rivers.

"We can't worry about that now. This time we'll take the official road, with scouts sent out in sections and horses resting in shifts."

After saying that, Jiang Qianzhi took out a few bamboo slips, and the group began to draw lots in unison.

They looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Jiang Qianzhi put away the map and began assigning tasks.

"Zhao Da goes first, with a half-hour deadline. If Zhao Da fails to leave a safety mark at the fork in the road ten miles ahead on time, the rest of the team will immediately change course and take the prepared hilly path on the northeast side."

"..."

Soon, Zhao Da, alone on horseback with a spare horse, disappeared into the dust raised on the official road.

Jiang Qianzhi and the others then tried to let the horses conserve their energy.

Half an hour had passed, and the intersection ahead was deserted, with neither Zhao Da nor the agreed-upon marker made of broken grass.

Something's happened.

Lu Ming's face was grim.

"Change course! Take the hilly route!"

Without hesitation, Jiang Qianzhi reined in his horse and turned around.

The caravan had barely left the official road by a mile when the sound of horses' hooves could be heard from afar behind them.

"Let's split up!"

Jiang Qianzhi suddenly ripped off the bamboo tube containing the secret letter that he had been keeping close to his body and stuffed it into Lu Mingzhi's hand beside him.

"Take them both south into the mountains!!"

Lu Ming didn't say much. He put away the secret letter in the bamboo tube, gave Jiang Qianzhi a deep look, and then led the other two and the remaining better horses into the dense forest to the south.

Jiang Qianzhi then spurred his horse and charged towards a relatively open wasteland to the north, deliberately raising conspicuous dust with his hooves.

The sound of hooves chasing after him was indeed drawn to him, and they drew ever closer.

Jiang Qianzhi crouched low, displaying his exceptional horsemanship, and attempted to use the terrain to delay the enemy.

However, just as he charged over a seemingly gentle slope, his warhorse suddenly let out a mournful neigh, its front hooves lost their footing, and it tumbled down with him!

Down the slope was a horse trap cleverly concealed by weeds!

Sharpened wooden stakes were still stuck in the bottom of the pit, and the warhorse was injured on the spot. Jiang Qianzhi was thrown out by the huge inertia and crashed heavily on the edge of the pit. He felt dizzy and his left arm was in excruciating pain.

He struggled to get up, but several knives were already pressed against his neck and chest.

Looking up, the dozen or so people who had surrounded them were ragged, emaciated, and their eyes gleamed with ferocity and greed; they were definitely not Qin soldiers or Xianbei cavalry in full armor.

Refugees? Or bandits who ruled the mountains?

Jiang Qianzhi's heart sank, knowing that encountering these lawless thugs was more troublesome than encountering a regular army.

He endured the pain and cried out hoarsely.

"I am a scout from the Northern Army of the Great Jin Dynasty! Your interception of government messengers is tantamount to treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire family!"

"The Jin army? Bah! We've even robbed the Qin army's supply wagons, what are we afraid of from a lone soldier like you?"

"Search him! See if he has anything valuable!"

"What a pity about that horse... The package! There's something in the package!"

"..."

Jiang Qianzhi was thoroughly searched, and the dried meat in his package even caused a conflict among several people.

The group was stopped only when a one-eyed man, who was leading them, arrived.

The one-eyed man sized up Jiang Qianzhi's well-made military uniform and boots, then looked at the dead horse's tack.

"The people of Qu County are all Xianbei dogs, where did you come from?"

Seeing that this person was somewhat knowledgeable, Jiang Qianzhi asked a question.

"Are you the leader here?"

The man used the hilt of his knife to adjust his blindfold, then slapped him across the face.

"Kid, I'm asking you a question!"

Jiang Qianzhi's face stung; the slap had been quite forceful.

He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, didn't answer, but instead raised his eyes and looked calmly at the one-eyed man.

"Damn it!"

The one-eyed man was immediately enraged and raised his knife as if to strike.

"Kill me or torture me, do it quickly, or take me to see your leader!"

The one-eyed man spat, but ultimately didn't kill him.

"Take him away! Hand him over to the boss for punishment!"

Soon, Jiang Qianzhi was taken away, along with his horse.

After several bumpy rides and twists and turns, and traversing rugged valleys, the view suddenly opened up before us.

Deep in the valley, there were about two hundred people gathered, with simple huts built against the rock face. In the central open space, several bonfires were burning, pots were set up, and smoke was billowing around.

Although it was chaotic, there were subtle signs of sentry posts, indicating that it was not entirely a mob.

Jiang Qianzhi was pushed and shoved to a relatively intact wooden house in the valley.

The door was pushed open, and he was shoved inside.

The room was dimly lit, and a strong smell of cheap liquor wafted through the air.

The one-eyed man started yelling as soon as he entered the door.

"Boss! We didn't catch the Xianbei dog, but we caught a lone soldier, and he's really stubborn!"

Lu Da, who was wiping a ring-pommel sword in the main seat, looked up when he heard this.

His gaze fell on Jiang Qianzhi's military uniform, his brows furrowed, and he suddenly stood up, took a few steps to Jiang Qianzhi, and leaned in to examine him closely.

Lu Da's pupils contracted slightly. He had seen similar attire before, at the foot of Tan County, on the old soldiers who were close to Xiao Heng!

"From Tanxian County?"

Jiang Qianzhi was slightly shocked. He hadn't expected that in this desolate wilderness, someone could recognize his approximate origin just by looking at his clothes.

"Prefect Xiao's personal guard. Are you Lu Da?"

"Prefect Xiao...?"

Lu Da was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was happening!

Prefect? ​​Which prefect? ​​The Prefect of Donghai?! They're both surnamed Xiao?

Xiao Heng has become the governor of Donghai?! This news was like a thunderbolt, leaving his mind reeling.

Oh no! They've captured Magistrate Xiao's personal guard and messenger!

"Quick! Untie him! Damn it, untie him right now!"

Lu Da's expression changed instantly. He personally started to untie the ropes on Jiang Qianzhi's back while turning to the one-eyed man and cursing him mercilessly.

"You blind bastard! This is one of Magistrate Xiao's men! You dare arrest him? Do you even want to make a living in this Donghai region?!"

The one-eyed man was stunned by the scolding. Looking at his boss's arrogant attitude and then at Jiang Qianzhi's upright posture despite his disheveled appearance, he subconsciously shrank his neck.

As the rope reached the ground, Jiang Qianzhi stretched his wrists, which had gone numb from being pulled, and looked at Lu Da, whose expression was constantly changing, quickly assessing the situation in his mind.

Lu Da's reaction shows that he is wary of Lord Xiao and may even have something to ask of him.

This might be an unexpected opportunity.

......