bookcurios Chapter 36 The Imperial City Guards Are Here Again
Chapter 36 The Imperial City Guards Are Here Again
The morning sun shone on the outskirts of Lijiazhai. A large agricultural tractor was vigorously belching black smoke into the sky, behind which was a furrow plow for deep tilling the land. The driver of the tractor was Li Zhen. He had originally intended to pass on his driving skills to Yue Peng, but as soon as Yue Peng stepped on the gas, he was terrified by the black smoke billowing from the tractor. He jumped off the vehicle and knelt down, kowtowing to the tractor.
Left with no other choice, Li Zhen had to drive the tractor himself and teach them how to drive it as he went. Although Li Zhen wasn't very familiar with it either, he was still far better than them.
As the tractor passed by, round potatoes were pulled from the ground. In addition to potatoes, the corn planted was estimated to be ready for harvest in another half month. Li Zhen decided to plant a batch of vegetables on the harvested land. Although he had plenty in his spatial storage, for the long-term development of Li Family Village, self-reliance was the only way forward.
At noon, the canteen in Lijiazhai prepared a potato feast, including steamed potatoes, boiled potatoes, roasted potatoes, stir-fried potato shreds, stir-fried potato slices, and beef stew with potatoes. Everyone found the fresh potatoes delicious, unaware that this crop, which serves as both a staple food and a vegetable, has fed countless people.
After finishing their meal, Li Zhen handed Yue Peng a barrel of diesel fuel and told them to figure out how to drive the tractor on their own. He and Zhao Yingluo then found a cool spot on the hillside to enjoy the scenery.
"Snapped!"
Li Zhen handed Zhao Yingluo a can of refreshing soda. His space had a time-stopping function; as long as an item was placed inside, it would remain in the same state as when it was first placed inside, no matter when it was taken out.
Li Zhen tried placing live animals inside, and after a while, they were still alive when taken out, indicating that the space had a time-stopping function. This reminded Li Zhen of an item from a game that was popular in the early 2000s, something like a storage space ring, except that in his case it had become a jade pendant.
A gentle breeze, carrying the freshness and coolness unique to the mountains, softly stirred Zhao Yingluo's hair. Strands of her black hair danced in the wind, creating a melodious melody with the gently swaying leaves around her.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the air rich in negative oxygen ions, and her face was filled with a satisfied and happy smile. At that moment, Li Zhen seemed to be able to see the purest joy in the depths of her heart.
Li Zhen turned to look at Zhao Yingluo. Sunlight shone on her profile, outlining a soft and warm contour. At that moment, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Li Zhen instinctively reached out and gently pulled Zhao Yingluo into his arms. Their heartbeats intertwined in the tranquil mountain forest, creating the most beautiful melody.
The two stood side by side on the mountaintop, with the undulating mountains below them, layer upon layer, like a staircase carefully arranged by nature, leading their hearts step by step closer to the embrace of the sky.
In the distance, a sea of clouds churned like a vast ocean, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing, ever-changing and inspiring contemplation. The villages below, shrouded in this cloud sea, appeared and disappeared, like a secluded paradise, a place that stirred the heart with longing. The two stood there quietly, silent, yet seemingly able to read a thousand unspoken words in each other's eyes. This tacit understanding and deep affection were all the more precious against the backdrop of this magnificent mountain scenery.
Just as the two were enjoying the peace and quiet, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.
"Chief, those Imperial City Guards are here again. This time they specifically asked to see you."
Li Zhen turned around and saw Wang Changdao panting as he climbed up.
"How many of them came?"
Wang Changdao, leaning against a large tree and panting, said, "There were about fifty or sixty people, all of whom came on horseback, but our soldiers stopped them outside the stockade wall."
Li Zhen glanced at Zhao Yingluo and said gently, "They came for you. Why don't you come with me to meet them?"
Zhao Yingluo looked at Li Zhen tenderly and said, "I will leave it all to my husband."
Outside the walls of Li Family Village, Du Qiang, the Imperial City Commander, was shouting at the walls with a displeased expression: "You bunch of country bumpkins, hurry up and invite us in, or you'll be in for a beating later."
At this moment, Li Zhen and Zhao Yingluo appeared on the stockade wall. Li Zhen stared at Du Qiang with a murderous look and said, "Last time, it was you who attacked my stockade while I was away, wasn't it?"
Before he arrived, Du Qiang had seen Zhao Yingluo's portrait. Upon seeing Zhao Yingluo on the stockade wall, he immediately jumped off his horse.
"Your Highness, we request that you return to Lin'an with us. His Majesty the Emperor is very concerned about you and has specially ordered us to come and protect your safety."
Li Zhen: "There is no Song princess here, only my wife Zhao Yingluo. If you know what's good for you, get out of here!"
Upon hearing Li Zhen's words, the members of the Imperial City Guard all showed displeasure, and some secretly took out crossbows from their horses, ready to shoot Li Zhen on the spot.
Du Qiang frowned and said, "Li Zhen, I'll let you go for now because you saved Her Highness the Princess. Release the princess immediately, or I'll order your Li Family Village to be drenched in blood."
Yue Ying, carrying a hunting rifle, sneered and said, "You bastards, your small force is no match for us. If you keep yelling down there, believe me, I'll blow your head off."
It seems Yue Ying has mastered the marksmanship quite well; he's even learned how to headshot.
Zhao Yingluo called out to Du Qiang, "Captain, please go back. The original Princess Shunfu is dead. There is no princess here, only an ordinary Zhao Yingluo."
A soldier from the Imperial City Guard whispered to Du Qiang, "Boss, what do we do?"
Du Qiang glanced at the stockade walls, which were much higher than before, gritted his teeth, and shouted, "Brothers, let's do it! Rescue the princess!"
At Du Qiang's command, countless soldiers of the Imperial City Guard began to urge their horses on, attacking various parts of the stronghold's walls. Countless crossbow bolts fired sharp short arrows, wounding the soldiers on the walls.
Li Zhen shielded Zhao Yingluo behind him and shouted loudly at Yue Peng, "Kill them all!"
Du Qiang sneered from under the stockade wall: "Hmph, what a big mouth."
"Bah!"
Yue Ying shot a soldier from the Imperial City Guard who was using the Flying Tiger Claw to climb the wall, sending him flying. The steel balls from the shotgun shell riddled the soldier's body with holes, killing him instantly.
"Whoosh whoosh..."
The composite bow unleashed a dense rain of arrows, instantly killing nearly half of the Imperial City Guard soldiers.
Although these Imperial City Guards were all martial arts masters recruited from the common people by the Song Dynasty, they could not withstand such a dense rain of arrows. As the saying goes, even the best kung fu master is afraid of a kitchen knife, which is exactly the case.
"Bah!"
A double-barreled shotgun appeared out of thin air in Li Zhen's hand, and with one shot, he knocked the Imperial Guard soldier, who was holding a crossbow, off his horse.
"Their horses are good. Shoot them well and try not to hurt them."
Seeing the enemy's overwhelming firepower, Du Qiang knew he couldn't take Zhao Yingluo away today, so he quickly ordered the remaining half of his men to prepare for a retreat.
Upon seeing this, Yue Ying immediately shouted, "Boss, these bastards are trying to escape!"
Upon seeing this, Li Zhen immediately ordered: "Open the gates and kill them all!"
As the gates of Lijiazhai opened, the first vehicle to rush out was a tractor driven by Yue Peng. He was already skilled at operating this big machine, and Yue Peng had even given it a name: Iron Horse.
Yue Peng drove the tractor, with Wang Changdao holding a hunting rifle and another soldier holding a composite bow standing on either side of him. He frantically floored the accelerator and charged towards the Imperial City Guard's troops.