Chapter 3

The residents of Xinhui who had gone out of the city to pay respects were gradually returning. Just like when they left the city, the crowd was silent, with only the tear marks on their faces not yet dry. Occasionally, a stifled sob could be heard amidst the silence.

No more paper money fluttered in the wind, and the offerings were no longer seen in the procession. The white mourning clothes had been removed for the most part, but the mournful and solemn atmosphere had not diminished in the slightest. A gentle breeze blew, making one feel as if the world was shrouded in a dim, hazy mist.

Seeing the returning residents, the constables all heaved a sigh of relief. It was good that nothing had happened. They were not afraid of the Ming army returning, but they were afraid that someone might cause trouble due to the death of a family member. Before leaving the city, County Magistrate Huang had repeatedly instructed them to ensure that nothing went wrong, or else their jobs would be at risk. Now that nothing had happened, the constables naturally felt relieved. Being able to earn a living in the county office was a good job, and no one wanted to lose it for nothing.

As they were about to enter the city, Huang Si still felt uneasy and specially led a few constables to check the front and back again. After confirming that there would be no trouble, he led the people to the front.

Just as they were about to reach the city gate, they saw a group of Qing soldiers escorting a mounted general out of the city. Huang Si immediately recognized this person as You Yunlong, a general under the command of the Prince of Pingnan.

Speaking of You Yunlong, his status was quite high. He was a genuine Han Army Banner officer who had followed the Prince of Pingnan since the Taizong era, serving in Liaodong. He had even received praise from the Taizong Emperor. In the fifth year of the Shunzhi era, he followed the Prince of Pingnan south, and through his efforts, he rose from a minor officer to a general. He was highly trusted by the Prince of Pingnan. In terms of closeness, Wu Jinzhong, the commander of the Green Standard Army's right wing stationed in Xinhui, was far behind You Yunlong. Therefore, when the old bandits besieged the city, the Qing army was led by You Yunlong, with Wu Jinzhong as his deputy.

Where is General You going out of the city?

Huang Si muttered to himself. He, a lowly person, dared not ask the Han Army Banner general about his affairs. He was considering whether to report to the county magistrate when he saw County Magistrate Huang, the deputy county magistrate, and a clerk hurriedly run out of the city gate.

County Magistrate Huang had run all the way from the county office and was quite exhausted, but if he could get General You to speak to the Prince of Pingnan to exempt Xinhui from taxes for three years, it would be worth all the effort. Hearing that You Yunlong was going to Guangzhou to meet the Prince of Pingnan, he rushed out, fearing that he would be too late and miss the opportunity.

He had been worried that You Yunlong might have already left, but now seeing that he was still there, Huang Zhi was overjoyed and relieved. He quickly walked to You Yunlong's horse, barely catching his breath, and respectfully bowed, explaining his intentions.

You Yunlong, on horseback, nodded after listening to a few words. He raised his whip and said sympathetically, "Xinhui is in ruins, and the people are suffering. I have seen it with my own eyes. Since County Magistrate Huang is so dedicated to the people, I will take the matter of tax exemption to the Prince of Pingnan. I will do my best to fulfill your wish. Otherwise, I will have no face to come back to Xinhui."

"Thank you, General, for your kindness. I, on behalf of the people of Xinhui, am deeply grateful!"

Hearing You Yunlong's promise, Huang Zhi was overjoyed. Seeing that You Yunlong was about to leave, he quickly bowed and said, "I will respectfully see you off, General!"

You Yunlong laughed and was about to ride forward, but then he saw the returning residents who had gone out to pay respects approaching the city gate. For some reason, seeing those soulless people, the ruthless general You Yunlong suddenly felt a strange impulse to lower his whip and stop his horse.

Huang Zhi, seeing this, knew the reason and did not dare to speak, standing quietly beside him. You Yunlong's personal guards also stood silently, and some of them looked at the residents with a hint of guilt.

...

The returning residents, under the watchful eyes of the Qing soldiers, entered the city one by one. No one spoke on the city walls or at the city gate, and the silence was suffocating.

Just as the residents were about to enter the city, a young man dressed as a scholar suddenly stepped out of the crowd and quickly walked towards where You Yunlong was.

This action immediately caught the attention of the Qing soldiers. You Yunlong's personal guards were about to intercept him, but You Yunlong waved them back. He thought it was ridiculous to be so tense about a scholar who couldn't even defend himself.

Seeing the scholar stumble forward, looking very anxious, You Yunlong was curious and turned to ask Huang Zhi, "County Magistrate Huang, do you know this scholar?"

Huang Zhi was also surprised and did not know why the scholar was coming over. He looked closely and said, "General, I know this person. He is a scholar named Zhou Shixiang from our county." The deputy county magistrate, who also knew Zhou Shixiang, nodded in agreement.

Hearing that he was indeed a scholar, You Yunlong felt even more at ease. He pointed his whip at Zhou Shixiang, who was now close, and asked, "What do you want, scholar?"

As soon as he said this, Zhou Shixiang suddenly knelt down about ten feet away and began to bow repeatedly.

This sudden action surprised You Yunlong. In broad daylight, someone was bowing to him, which made him very curious. He dismounted and walked a few steps forward, holding his whip, and asked, "Why are you bowing to me, scholar?"

But Zhou Shixiang did not answer. After bowing several times, he slowly raised his head and said, "General, my parents and family are in your stomach. As the Qingming Festival approaches, I have nowhere to pay respects. Seeing you here, I came to bow. If you do not allow it, where else can I go?" After saying this, he bowed again.

Hearing these words, You Yunlong's face turned red with shame and embarrassment. He did not dare to verify whether the flesh of the scholar's family was in his stomach, but he had eaten many people from Xinhui during the siege. He had even been haunted by nightmares. Now, he felt ashamed and guilty towards the tens of thousands of people in Xinhui.

"You, scholar, are really... really..."

Feeling both ashamed and guilty, You Yunlong did not know whether to scold or not. He turned his head and ignored the scholar. With so many people watching, he, as a general, could not be so thick-skinned as to take offense at a scholar who had lost his family.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Zhou Shixiang call out, "General, please wait. May I speak to you?"

"What is there to say?" You Yunlong instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing the scholar's pleading face, he sighed and said, "Alright, come forward. I will listen to what you have to say." He thought that if the scholar had any difficulties and asked for help, he should do his best to assist, as a form of compensation.

"Thank you, General!"

Zhou Shixiang stood up and walked to You Yunlong, slightly lowering his head and said, "General, what I want to say is..." He paused and said with a hint of sorrow, "My parents and family were killed by you. May I ask, General, should I seek revenge?"

As soon as he said this, Zhou Shixiang's right hand suddenly revealed a kitchen knife that had been hidden under his robe!

"You!"

The sudden appearance of the knife shocked You Yunlong. Before he could react, Zhou Shixiang's knife had already fiercely slashed at his neck. The speed, strength, and precision of the attack were so great that even You Yunlong, who had killed countless people, could not avoid it.

A "sizzle" sound was heard as the soft flesh of You Yunlong's neck was instantly cut open, and a gush of blood spurted out.

The knife, having struck with such force, got stuck in the bone, but the vengeful Zhou Shixiang, with a grim determination, pulled the knife out again. Before You Yunlong could scream, the knife plunged into his neck once more, this time completely severing his head, which rolled to the ground with a "thud."

Everyone was stunned, and You Yunlong's headless body stood there, covered in blood.

"Go!"

Having succeeded in his attack, Zhou Shixiang quickly grabbed the saber from You Yunlong's body, kicked the headless body to the ground, and, before You Yunlong's guards could react, dashed to You Yunlong's horse. He skillfully leaped onto the horse, kicked it into a gallop, and the horse, a fine Mongolian steed, galloped away.

"General is dead, General is dead!"

"Assassin, there's an assassin!"

"Quick, quick, stop him!"

"..."

It was not until Zhou Shixiang had galloped away for several dozen feet that You Yunlong's guards and the Qing soldiers at the city gate realized what had happened. They shouted and chased after him, but the Mongolian horse was of the highest quality, and Zhou Shixiang's horsemanship was excellent. By the time they started chasing, he was already out of sight.

How could they catch him?

When the sudden change occurred, Huang Zhi was still unaware. It was not until You Yunlong's head fell to the ground and Zhou Shixiang galloped away that he came to his senses. He stared at You Yunlong's head on the ground, muttering, "What can we do, what can we do!..."

The deputy county magistrate was also frightened, trembling and muttering, "How could Scholar Zhou be so brave, so brave..."

The clerk was so scared that he fell to the ground, his teeth chattering, unable to speak. The residents at the city gate were also in a panic, causing chaos at the gate, and the Qing soldiers were stomping their feet in frustration.

...

Author's Note: The Prince of Pingnan, Shang Kexi. The Prince of Jingnan, Geng Jimao (son of Geng Zhongming).

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