Chapter 59 I Want It All

The plan to carve up the Wang family's property had been finalized. Once successful, Jiang Yi would take a twenty percent share.

Even a smaller share would not matter; the entire Hanzhou would eventually belong to him anyway. Since he still needed to cooperate with the Zhao family for the time being, he naturally would not quabble over such petty gains.

Having handed the Liao spies and the maps over to Zhao Guangxian, he left the rest of the work to the Zhao family.

Several days passed in this manner, yet the Hanyang prefectural government had yet to raid the Wang family.

"Several days have already passed, and Little Aunt still hasn't sent any word. I'm really worried about her."

For the past few days, Shen Rong had been constantly anxious about Wu Shimiao's safety, hoping she would return unharmed.

"I'm worried about her too."

Jiang Yi knew that Wu Shimiao possessed formidable lightness kung fu and exceptional practical combat skills, but she could still inevitably fall victim to dark schemes. Every day and night, the couple found it difficult to eat or sleep in peace.

"There's no need for you to worry about me. Aren't I back now?"

Wu Shimiao appeared silently before them, carrying a backpack on her shoulders.

"Little Aunt, it's so good that you've returned safely!"

Shen Rong ran over excitedly to check if she was injured or had lost weight.

"I gathered some untold secrets from Li Dongyang's estate, and then I went to the Wang family. I discovered that the Wang family is colluding with the Cao family, and the assassin sent to target you is named Cao Lian. He is currently staying at the Wang family residence."

Wang Rengui treated Cao Lian as an honored guest and gave full support to everything he wished to do. He was also aware that Jiang Yi had once been the Thirteenth Prince, who was demoted to a commoner last year and exiled to Hanyang.

"Very well. Since we know who sent the assassins to target us, I will take his life."

A murderous glint flashed in Jiang Yi's eyes as he resolved to find an opportunity to kill Cao Lian.

"Cao Lian will leave Wang Rengui's house this afternoon. I've decided to ambush him along the way."

"Little Aunt, you've worked hard these past few days. I'll take care of Cao Lian."

With men at his disposal now, dealing with Cao Lian would not be too difficult.

"You cannot take such risks. There are quite a few people keeping you under surveillance."

Wu Shimiao noted that the courtyard was being watched from the surroundings, and those watchers would report Jiang Yi and Shen Rong's every move back to the imperial court.

"Evading those people's surveillance is an absolute breeze for me."

Jiang Yi possessed absolute confidence; under no circumstances could he allow Cao Lian to leave Hanyang alive.

"Just stay at home, and don't try to persuade me otherwise."

As long as it concerned the people and affairs related to Cao Zhang, Jiang Yi would let none of them go. He needed to figure out Cao Lian's travel route and ambush him in a sparsely populated area.

Jiang Yi left the back courtyard and sent a servant to summon Pang Xiong.

Accompanied by Pang Xiong and twenty guards, he went to lay an ambush along the route Cao Lian had to take when leaving Hanyang. Dressed in fiery red garments, wearing fiery red masks, and raising the banner of the Fire Lotus Cult, Jiang Yi and his party left the Jiang residence through a secret passage, where horses had been prepared waiting for them southwest of Outer Funiu Village.

Riding rapidly, Jiang Yi and his guards reached the path ahead of Cao Lian's inevitable route, draping themselves in camouflage cloaks to lie in wait.

By evening, a carriage convoy slowly approached.

The carriage carrying Cao Lian was positioned in the middle of the procession, while the carts in front and behind were loaded with grain and wealth. Inside his carriage, Cao Lian was enjoying the ministrations of beautiful women; if not for the letter sent by Cao Zhang, he would have preferred to stay at the Wang family estate for a while longer.

"Remain alert to your surroundings and guard against any sneak attacks."

Knowing full well that public security in Hanyang was not particularly good, Cao Lian's accompanying guards maintained a high level of vigilance.

Jiang Yi fired an arrow first, and the others followed suit, letting loose a volley.

Caught off guard, several of the Cao family guards were shot dead instantly.

"To think there would be an ambush! How audacious. Kill them all."

Cao Lian issued the order to his guards, figuring that if the authorities ever pursued the matter, he would simply claim it was self-defense. Killing a few people meant nothing to him; his cousin was, after all, the reigning prime minister.

Jiang Yi and his men exhausted their arrows, leaving over half of the Cao family guards dead or wounded. Most of the arrows had struck the carriages, and the guards had sheltered behind them, narrowly escaping the worst of the missile attack.

Stripping off their camouflage cloaks, Jiang Yi and his men drew their sabers in their right hands and charged forward.

In the ensuing close-quarters combat, the blows landed by the Cao family guards upon Jiang's men caused not the slightest harm, as the latter were clad in fine armor. The Cao family guards, however, wore no armor and lacked any such protection.

This was the source of Jiang Yi's confidence. Crouched inside his carriage and too terrified to show his head, Cao Lian trembled violently, praying that his guards would slaughter all of Jiang Yi's men.

After a prolonged struggle, the fighting finally ceased.

As darkness fell, Jiang Yi led his men to surround the carriage. Holding his saber, he approached step by step, with Pang Xiong moving in front to shield him in case any hidden arrows were unleashed.

"Leave not a single one of Cao Lian's guards alive!"

With swift, ruthless strokes, Jiang Yi's guards cut down every surviving Cao family guard. They quickly encircled the carriage, and a few of the bolder men slashed their way inside with drawn blades.

They found Cao Lian cowering on the carriage floor, his body shaking uncontrollably. Four young women trembled in terror, not daring to scream out for fear of provoking the intruders.

Two of Jiang Yi's guards hauled Cao Lian up by his collar and dragged him before Jiang Yi.

"Take everything I'm carrying! Take these four beauties to serve you! I beg you to spare my life!"

Kneeling on the ground, Cao Lian kowtowed and begged for mercy, willing to surrender all the grain and wealth on the carts if only he could keep his head.

"We'll take the goods you brought, and we'll take your life as well."

"Let me kill him so your hands won't be dirtied."

Pang Xiong requested permission to execute Cao Lian, eager to serve as the sharp blade in Jiang Yi's hand.

"Please spare my life! I'll tell you everything I know!"

Cao Lian kowtowed like pounding garlic, ready to do anything if it meant survival.

"I already told you: I want your life, and I want your possessions too."

Turning away, Jiang Yi motioned for Pang Xiong to finish Cao Lian off.

It was Cao Lian who had originally dispatched assassins to murder Jiang Yi and Shen Rong; such an enemy could never be spared.

With a single stroke, Pang Xiong ended Cao Lian's life.

Leaving the corpse where it lay, they knew the Hanyang prefectural government would send men to deal with it.

"Don't kill us! We're slave girls bought by Wang Rengui, forced to serve him against our will!" cried the four women, pleading for their lives.

"Should these four women be killed?" Pang Xiong asked.

Believing they were innocent victims coerced into serving Cao Lian, he awaited orders. If Jiang Yi commanded their execution, Pang Xiong would have carried it out without hesitation.

"Give them some grain and money, and let them find a way to survive on their own."

Choosing not to slaughter the four women, Jiang Yi granted them a chance at life.

"Take the money and grain and leave this place."

"Thank you, lords, for sparing our lives!" The four women knelt and kowtowed in gratitude.

Instructing Pang Xiong to lead the men in transporting the carriage's cargo to Niutou Mountain and concealing it securely, Jiang Yi mounted his horse and rode back home to prepare for any inquiries from the Hanyang authorities.

A Fire Lotus robe was deliberately left beside Cao Lian's corpse so that the prefectural officials would attribute the deed to the remnants of the Fire Lotus Cult.

Entering his chamber through the back courtyard's side door, Jiang Yi found Shen Rong waiting inside.

"My lord is back. Did everything go smoothly?"

"Everything went smoothly. Help me take off this armor and hide it away."

Reaching out, Shen Rong unfastened the armor from Jiang Yi's body, checking him over for any injuries. The armor was quickly removed, and together they stored it away in a secret chamber.

"Undress and get some sleep."

Shedding his outer garments swiftly, Jiang Yi signaled for Shen Rong to do the same.

Extinguishing the oil lamp, the couple lay in bed, unable to sleep for a long while.

An hour later, Pang Yueting approached their door and knocked softly.

"My Lord, Madam. Officials from the prefectural government have arrived and wish to see you."

Noticing the dark room, Pang Yueting had assumed the couple was already asleep. She would not have disturbed their rest otherwise. She knew that Jiang Yi had ridden out with Pang Xiong earlier in the day and had returned an hour prior.