The year was drawing to a close, with only two days left until the Lunar New Year. In Wannian City, the festive atmosphere grew increasingly palpable.
Inside the imperial palace, Xiao An, infected by the mood, found his spirits lifting. This day, he ascended the city walls with Xiao Shunzi, Bai Han, and others.
Gazing down upon Wannian City, he saw every household adorned with lanterns and colorful decorations, radiating a sense of joy. A faint smile finally graced Xiao An's face as he took in the scene.
Unbeknownst to him, in a nearby corner, Huang Wu watched him intently, a smile still playing on his lips. In his eyes, Xiao An was already his prey, and the time to claim him was entirely up to his own whim.
Just then, a fast horse galloped in from a distance. Bai Han frowned, glancing at the rider. He didn't recognize the man, but his hurried demeanor suggested an urgent matter.
The rider was a servant tasked with protecting Fang Jun. He rushed into Fang Zheng's mansion, shouting as soon as he entered, "Master, it's bad! It's bad!"
Hearing the commotion, Fang Zheng, who had been reading, put down his book and walked to the study door, his eyes narrowing.
"Liu Si, what is it? Why the rush?"
"Oh, Master, Young Master Fang Jun has been kidnapped by bandits and taken to the mountains!"
Fang Zheng's mind reeled. So that was why there had been no news for days.
"Quickly, tell me what happened."
"Master, the other day, as we passed Rooster Mountain, we were suddenly ambushed by a group of bandits who captured us all."
"If we had claimed to be ordinary folk, we might have been let go. But you know the Young Master's temper, his scholarly nature."
"After he revealed his identity, those bandits refused to let us leave. So they sent me back with this message, demanding a ransom of three thousand taels of silver." Sudannovel.com
As he spoke, Liu Si wept uncontrollably on the ground.
Fang Zheng, however, remained calm. He merely nodded slightly and said to the other family members who had gathered, "Alright, take Liu Si to rest!"
Just then, a young girl rushed over and cried out to Fang Zheng, "Grandpa, Grandpa, let me go! I'll go to Rooster Mountain and rescue my brother."
Fang Zheng raised his hand and gestured twice, signaling the girl to calm down. "Hush now, hush now. We cannot be hasty."
With that, Fang Zheng turned and entered the study. The young girl quickly followed.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, don't worry, I will definitely save my brother."
Fang Zheng nodded slightly. "There are only two days left until the New Year. When you go, try to be kind, do not provoke them, and rescue your brother as soon as possible."
"I will have someone prepare the bank notes for you shortly."
Hearing this, the young girl's eyes widened. "Grandpa, these scoundrels dared to kidnap my brother! It's already good that we're not annihilating them, and you want to give them money?"
Fang Zheng smiled faintly. "We will give them the money, but whether they live to spend it is another matter."
He then changed the subject. "I will go and see the Princess now and request her to send men to escort you. Once your elder brother is safe, we will then dispatch troops to eliminate the bandits on Rooster Mountain and rid the people of this menace."
Only then did the young girl understand and repeatedly give Fang Zheng a thumbs-up. "Grandpa, your plan is brilliant! You are truly thoughtful."
Soon, Fang Zheng changed into his official robes and went to meet Princess Zhaoning.
Upon hearing that Fang Jun had been kidnapped, Princess Zhaoning was furious.
Rooster Mountain was only four hundred li from Wannian City. Although it was a remote area, it was still relatively close to Wannian City, and yet such an incident had occurred.
Princess Zhaoning pondered for a moment and ordered someone to summon Zhou Quan.
Zhou Quan had been the captain of the Crown Prince's guards. With the Crown Prince now buried, he had nothing else to do and had been staying at the Crown Prince's mansion, preparing for Princess Zhaoning's eventual occupancy.
When he heard he was to lead a team to剿灭 Rooster Mountain bandits, Zhou Quan bowed respectfully. "Please rest assured, Your Highness. Zhou Quan will capture these bandits and await your judgment."
Princess Zhaoning nodded and then looked at Fang Zheng. "Old esteemed minister, are you at ease now?"
Fang Zheng respectfully bowed to Princess Zhaoning. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Soon, the young girl set off with her entourage first. Then, Zhou Quan followed with two thousand Crown Prince's guards. In his opinion, eradicating these mountain bandits with two thousand men was an easy and pleasant task.
Four hundred li was a distance the young girl could cover on horseback in less than a day. She arrived at the foot of Rooster Mountain that morning.
She shouted up the mountain, and a few bandits appeared, calling out to her, "Young lady, what are you here for?"
Liu Si quickly stepped forward, waving to the bandits. "Sirs, please look closely! It is I, Liu Si. My young lady has brought bank notes to ransom your captive."
The young girl took out several bank notes from her bosom and waved them.
"Here are three thousand taels of bank notes. Release my brother quickly."
Several bandits whispered amongst themselves, then one called out, "Wait here, I will go and invite our Great Chieftain."
After waiting for about the time it takes a cup of tea to steep, dozens of bandits descended the mountain.
The leader was a man with a shaggy beard, wearing a scarlet cloak, looking quite imposing.
The group of bandits stopped about an arrow's shot away from the young girl, and the leader leaped onto a large rock.
Someone nearby immediately shouted to the young girl, "Young lady, look closely! This is Zhang Qiu, the Great Chieftain of Rooster Village on Rooster Mountain, known as 'Drilling the Sky Dragon'!"
Drilling the Sky Dragon!
Upon hearing the name, the young girl suppressed a chuckle. How dare such a lowly person presume to call himself Drilling the Sky Dragon.
However, with her brother in their hands, she had to quell her anger. She shook the bank notes in her hand. "Chieftain Zhang, I have brought three thousand taels in bank notes. Release my brother."
Hearing this, Zhang Qiu burst into a hearty laugh.
"Today, I have met a sensible person. However, your family did not make it clear to you that I want money, not bank notes."
Liu Si, who was nearby, reacted swiftly. He stepped forward and cupped his fists in salute to Zhang Qiu. "Great Chieftain, the New Year is approaching, and we are in a hurry to ransom the captive, so we brought bank notes. Please rest assured, with these bank notes, you can exchange them for silver at any money house."
A subordinate of the chieftain whispered to Zhang Qiu, "Great Chieftain, we cannot accept bank notes! What if we are caught when we try to exchange them for silver? It is safer to have hard cash."
Zhang Qiu nodded. "Yes, what you say makes sense. It is indeed a problem."
Then, he turned and shouted to the young girl, "Quickly find a place to exchange them for silver. I will not accept bank notes. Rest assured, your brother will be safe and sound."
With that, Zhang Qiu waved his hand, and they turned back towards the mountain stronghold.
Watching them leave, the young girl stamped her foot in anger.