Chapter 94: Welcome to Ningzhuo 2

(Warning this chapter contains some violence)

*****

At the temporary camp just outside Ningzhuo borders.

The smoke made her choke, she coughed softly as she looked around for a bowl of water or a jug of drinking water. Baozhai usually left a jug of water for her every night, she saw a jug of water totalled to the side on the ground next to the table.

The tent although temporary was like a standard war tent that was like a small room and took up a wide space. Which was a good thing because the fire was at one end of the rent but was spreading rapidly. 

While the maids tried to put out the fire, the fire wasn't budging and spread to the other parts of the tent. There were a few fur materials that were flammable around the tent must especially at her bedding area where she currently stood. Su Liya pulled the small dagger from under her pillow, Lu Yaozhu had given her the dagger for her protection after the incident at Yul village. 

She ran to the box of clothes by the head of her bed and pulled out a blouse at cut it into a few scraps of clothes with the dagger. Luckily there was still water in the pitcher of water when she picked it up, she worked a scrap of the blouse in water and wrapped it around her nose.

This made breathing a little easier, one end of her fur blankets caught fire and the bed lit up. She ran to an unaffected end of the tend and slashed the leather tent with the dagger, continuously until a tear was made. Su Liya widened the tear until she could pass through the tear.

A rough-looking man ran at her with a sword as she ran out, Su Liya jumped away from his sword. She stepped in the steal and looked town. She was stepping on the sword of a fallen soldier, Su Liya quickly picked up the sword and swag it at the man. He bent down immediately and she stabbed the knife through the neck taking him down and pulled out her dagger. 

The man fell forward, Su Liya slashed him twice with the sword and holding the knife and dagger in both hands she jumped over him and ran to the front of the tent where her maids were. Baozhai and Rong Rong had their hands full trying to fight a few bandits while protecting the maids who were trying to put out the fire at her tent.

Su Liya picked up an empty bowl of water and threw it at the man struggling with Rong Rong, hitting him at the back of the neck which knocked him out. Rong Rong slashed his neck with the sword in her hands and turned to where the bowl came from.

"Your highness, you are not already out!" Rong Rong exclaimed.

The man fighting Baozhai paused for a second n hearing her. Which was as long as Baozhai needed to kill him. Su Liya rushed to them, "where is the general?"

It was Baozhai that answered her while Rong Rong led the maid that was trying to put the fire out to safety. "The general is fighting in front, these men came suddenly but we have them contained. Our reinforcement will be here soon".

They walked forward, the loud noise of horse hops and battle cry was heard before a large group of soldiers dressed in the Lu family's colours rode into the camp. The fighting was over not long after and a few of the men were captured but before they were captured the men pit their teeth and took committed suicide.

Su Liya found Lu Yaozhu leaning by a tree with his guard Yu Tao holding him up. She rushed forward as soon as she saw him, he had a few burns on his arm and gushed on his left thigh and stomach. She dropped semblance of proprietary, "Yaozhu!, you are injured"

When Lu Yaozhu tried to keep her away, she just ignored him and instructed Yu Tao "take the general to a clean tent and bring me hot water and alcohol"

Before he could argue with her, Lu Yaozhu was led away to one of the closeby tents unaffected by the fire. He sat on the bed, while his elders came in to give their reports. Yu Tao and a few soldiers walked to the river close by and fetch some more water since a majority of the available water in camp was used to put out the fire.

After receiving a thorough report from the commanders, Lu Yaozhu send them away and his shadow guard Yu Ke sneaked in. 

"How are things in the capital?" Lu Yaozhu asked without looking up.

"It was as you predicted, the palace didn't have anything to do with the assassination attempt on the young madam, but I noticed some activities from the grand princess's residence. I raced that back to the Chem families youngest mistress Chen Su"

"Then this must all be the commandery princess's doing, have someone monitor her activities from now on and sent a calling card to General Chen. He had better control his daughter or I will do so. Meanwhile, how is it at the crown Prince's end?"

"Quiet, his highness accepted the union with the commandery Princess. The wedding will be in a few days, what are we going to do about the Zhu Fenfang"

"The commandery Princess is too much of a handful to be left to her own devices, handle Zhu Fenfang as we planned"

"Yes"

"Once the sixth Princess consort has given birth, deal with her as per instruction. Since she dared to play with this general, she will receive no mercy"

"Yes, general" Yu Ke replied, bowed his head and snuck out of the tent.

*******

A few hours later at a well-furnished study at Ningzhuo

An armoured guard rushed in and fell on one knee with his right hand clamped in his left hand and his hands stretched forward. "Master, our spies reported that an attempt was made on the Governor's life by a team sent by the Behe gang. It was unsuccessful"

His master a tall man seating by the fire glanced at him and sighed "this Buhe gang keeps causing a lot of mess, once again I am forced to clean up their mess. Tell our men to prepare for the Governor's arrival, there must be nothing out of place".

"Yes," the guard nodded and left the room.

A few minutes later a slender woman in red stepped out of the hidden room and hugged the man from behind. She whispered, "don't let the affairs of Buhe gang disturb you, I will handle them".

The man sighed again "and the new general?"

She chuckled "not so fast my dear, one problem at a time".