Wu Shuangren, dressed in a bright red robe with a large red flower on his chest, rode a white horse at the very front of the procession.
Behind him were more than a dozen carriages, over two hundred warhorses, and more than a hundred personal guards.
The guards were all dressed in light lamellar armor, with an overcoat for concealment, while their weapons and bows and arrows were mounted on their horses.
The infantry armor, crossbows, and repeating crossbows—these powerful weapons of war—were all placed in the carriage carrying the gifts.
Those who know him understand that Wu Shuangren is going to fetch a bride. Those who don't might think he's going to war!
However, given his current status, it's quite normal for him to take a hundred personal guards with him on a long trip.
Looking at the entire Jiannan Circuit now, Wu Shuangren should have no enemies. The only one he needs to be wary of is the group that Lu Yulin took away.
Lu Yulin and his group fled to Lu Province and have been keeping quiet ever since. Wu Shuangren instructed Flying Feather Hall to assign a large number of people to keep a close watch on them.
So far, there have been no unusual developments in Lu Province.
Even after Wu Shuangren set off, Lu Yulin also set off with his men. By the time the other party arrived in Shu Province from Lu Province, Wu Shuangren had already returned to Yi Province with his bride.
However, just in case, Wu Shuangren brought over a hundred personal guards and various equipment with him on this trip.
As for bringing more troops, Shu Province is, after all, the capital of Jiannan Circuit. If Wu Shuangren suddenly led a large force there, it might cause unnecessary panic and misunderstanding.
This is the maximum number of people he can muster, considering he really is going to fetch a bride.
"Congratulations, Militia Commander Wu!"
Congratulations!
"..."
The crowds on both sides of the street kept shouting and congratulating Wu Shuangren.
Wu Shuangren bowed from horseback and smiled in response to the elders of his hometown.
A moment later, Wu Shuangren led his men to the entrance of the county town.
Ahead, He Zhixu, the magistrate of Bo County, and several other county officials had been waiting for a long time.
"Congratulations, Militia Commander Wu!"
He Zhixu took a few steps forward, smiling as he cupped his hands in greeting to Wu Shuangren on horseback.
He had once been dissatisfied with the Wu Clan's influence in Bo County. In fact, when Xu Jing and Wu Shuangren went to Yi Prefecture City together, he wrote a letter accusing Xu Jing.
But now, this county official's face is full of smiles, as if he were going to marry his own son today!
Despite the large crowd, Wu Shuangren still gave He Zhixu face. He dismounted, stepped forward, and returned the greeting. "Thank you for coming, Lord He and all the other officials."
"Hahaha, Militia Commander Wu is a hero of our Bo County! How could we not come today to celebrate your wedding?"
He Zhixu's laughter was somewhat exaggerated, "Come, come, I will personally lead your horse for Militia Commander Wu and escort you out of the county town!"
These words stunned the surrounding officials and Wu Shuangren himself.
Wu Shuangren immediately declined, but He Zhixu insisted:
"Previously, we relied entirely on Militia Commander Wu to organize the Yi Province Militia, which held off the Mount Liang rebels and spared the people of Yi Province from the suffering of war. As the magistrate of Bo County, it is only right that I lead the horse to see off the hero who saved tens of thousands of people in Bo County!"
In the end, Wu Shuangren could not refuse and had no choice but to mount his horse.
Amidst the stunned expressions of his colleagues, He Zhixu smiled and led Wu Shuangren, escorting him out of the county town.
Along the way, whenever Wu Shuangren's wedding procession arrived at a county or market town in Yi Province, it was greeted by crowds lining the streets, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
On this day, Wu Shuangren went to welcome his bride.
The county magistrate led the horse, and the entire prefecture escorted them!
? 198 The Mining Hell, the Wedding Ceremony in Shu Province
The border area between Shu Province and Yi Province.
A mine is located in a valley, with only a narrow road leading out of the mountains.
There was a gate at the entrance of the valley, and soldiers with bows and arrows guarded the walls.
Beyond the village gate was a clearing overgrown with weeds. The east side of the clearing was enclosed by a wooden fence, inside which were dozens of thatched huts, and the west side had a military camp.
The entrance to the mine is on the north side of the valley; it's a private mine that's not recorded in official records!
Further into the mine, an oil lamp was lit every few dozen steps, providing dim light.
Deep inside the mine, the sound of picks striking rocks was as dense as rain, as a group of dirty men swung their picks tirelessly in the narrow tunnel.
Overseers patrolled the mine shafts, carrying leather whips, steel knives at their waists, and wearing leather armor. If they saw anyone slowing down or slacking off, they would raise their hands and lash out with the whip!
A man in his forties suddenly collapsed. He curled up on the ground, clutching his chest with one hand, his lips pale, and he was having trouble breathing.
"Old Zhang!"
Several people nearby quickly gathered around to check.
"Disperse, everyone, and get back to work!"
The overseer's shouts soon followed, then the sound of a whip lashing against a person.
The crowd quickly dispersed, and the foreman walked over, looked at the man on the ground struggling to breathe, and kicked him. "Stop pretending to be dead! Get up and get to work!"
The man didn't get up, and kept groaning.
The foreman crouched down to take a look, then stood up, spat, and shouted into the distance, "Carry this man away!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people around changed, and someone immediately stood up to say something.
The foreman drew his steel knife from his waist, pointed it at the men, and shouted sternly:
"What are you doing? Do you want to die?!"
The sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached, and four soldiers quickly ran over, knives in hand.
Upon seeing this, the nearby miners quickly moved aside, not daring to say anything more, and continued working.
"Take him away!"
The foreman pointed to the man who was lying on the ground and couldn't get up.
Two soldiers, one lifting the man's head and the other his feet, carried him away from the ground.
But instead of carrying them out of the mine, the two men went deeper into the mine.
At the end of an abandoned mine tunnel, there was a crater formed by a collapse. Two soldiers threw the man they were carrying directly into the crater!
"No... I can still..."
The man groaned, struggling to his feet, "Please..."
The two soldiers didn't care. They picked up the lime they carried and sprinkled it on the man. After they finished, they dusted off their hands and turned to leave.
Seven or eight bodies have already been thrown into this crater in the last few days, and they will be burned together in another day or two.
Human life was the cheapest thing in this place. The overseers and guards didn't care about the miners' lives or deaths at all, since new miners would be sent over every now and then.
Once they enter this mine, these miners are doomed to die sooner or later; none of them can escape!
After half a day's work, the miners carried the iron ore out of the mine. Overseers would check their catch, and anyone who slacked off would be severely beaten!
Afterwards, hundreds of people returned to the dozens of thatched huts, which were where they lived.
The thatched hut was low, and one had to bend over to enter. Inside, a layer of dry straw served as a bed.
Each shed was crammed with more than a dozen people, so crowded that it was difficult to even turn over. Lice and fleas were everywhere, and many people had sores on their bodies, with festering, oozing pus, and a foul stench!
A moment later, soldiers were serving their meals.
Each miner was given two coarse flour pancakes and a bowl of thin porridge.
They only get one meal a day, and regardless of whether they're full or not, they have to go down into the mine to work. If they collapse from exhaustion and can't work anymore, they'll be dragged deep into the mine to fend for themselves.
This private mine is like a living hell!
Everyone looked numb, like zombies.
After resting for more than an hour, the miners were woken up again and resumed work...
Deep inside the mine, in an abandoned tunnel, a dozen people were crammed together in extremely dim light, their silhouettes barely visible.
Everyone spoke in hushed tones, and one person remained at the entrance as a lookout.
"Two days from now, it will be time to send supplies here again. The gate at the valley exit will open then, and that's when we'll make our move!"
The speaker was a man in his fifties, not very tall, but with a broad frame, thick arms, and many scars on his body.
"Brother, will it work?"
Someone nearby asked in a low voice.
The man's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "The worst that can happen is death! Haven't you all figured it out? This is a private mine; these people have no intention of letting us leave alive! Rather than stay and be worked to death, we'd rather fight them!"
"Yes, let's give it our all!"
"I'll take someone down with me even if I die!"
"Kill these heartless beasts!"
"..."
Everyone spoke up, their emotions running high.
Next, the man who appeared to be the leader began to explain the detailed plan to everyone.
After a conversation, everyone dispersed, leaving only the man and a young man in the mine tunnel.
"Father, will we be able to get out of here alive?"
The young man asked, his voice trembling slightly.
The man gritted his teeth and said, "This illegal iron mine must also belong to Zhang Da. We must escape alive, expose what he's done, and avenge our whole family!"
"Um!"
The young man nodded emphatically.
The 110th day since Xu Rong was killed.
Outside Shu Province City, on the official road.
Wu Shuangren led the wedding procession slowly, with all the carriages draped in red cloth.
Someone in the front was beating the gong all the way, and there were sixteen riders in the back, each holding a flag with gold characters on a red background, with '' embroidered on it.
The convoy thus arrived at the north gate of Shu Province City in a grand procession.
Xu Cheng had already arranged for people to wait at the city gate. Today, the soldiers guarding the north gate were all under his command, so they were allowed to pass easily.
Wu Shuangren led the team into Shu Province City, beating gongs and drums all the way.
Among the crowd watching the spectacle on the street were not only ordinary people, but also spies sent by powerful and influential figures from Shu Province.
Everyone wanted to see just how good this Yi Province Militia, which was said to have defeated the Mount Liang rebels, really was.
The guards on horseback all stood tall and proud, their expressions exuding a murderous aura. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that these were elite soldiers who had seen battle!
The journey was bustling with activity, and Wu Shuangren led his team to the gates of the Xu residence without incident.
According to local custom, during the wedding procession, the groom must pass through a series of "checkpoints" and various tests from the moment he enters the house before he can finally take the bride away.
Many members of the Xu Family also suggested setting up some tests, not to deliberately make things difficult for Wu Shuangren, but at least to prevent him from entering the Xu Family so easily.
However, Xu Cheng overruled all objections and cancelled all of these procedures!
Outside the Xu residence's main gate, the steward was already waiting. Upon seeing Wu Shuangren arrive with his men, he greeted them with a broad smile and clasped his hands in a respectful bow.
"Greetings, Militia Commander Wu."
Wu Shuangren dismounted, smiled and nodded, indicating to Xu Yu was beside him, to give the steward a reward.
Xu Yu stepped forward and handed the other party a handful of loose silver.
The butler beamed with joy and thanked him repeatedly.