Dream of the Red Chamber: Dark Blue skill points, Imperial Guardian

Chapter 20 The Great Robbery of Ten Thousand Yuan in Official Silver, Encountering the Blood Shadow

Jia Huan, accompanied by Li Shun, Wang Ren, and five newly recruited captains, made a grand procession to the Imperial Guard's archives.

He had just taken over the "Kui" case and urgently needed to understand the recent case files in order to arrange subsequent actions.

The Archives is located at the deepest part of the Southern Garrison Office. It is a vast bluestone building that is perpetually filled with the smell of old paper and ink.

The interior was dimly lit, with rows of tall bookshelves standing like silent giants, piled high with all sorts of files.

As soon as Jia Huan entered the archives, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in a flying fish robe and wearing a jade belt standing in front of a huge map of the capital, his brows furrowed, as if he was thinking about something.

"This humble servant greets Commander Lu!"

Jia Huan immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute.

Li Shun and the others quickly followed suit and bowed.

Hearing the voice, Lu Chengen turned around and saw Jia Huan. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by a smile.

"Oh, it's Commander Jia. You were just promoted the day before yesterday, and you're already here at the archives today? You're quite diligent."

"I'm new here and would like to familiarize myself with the recent case files first," Jia Huan replied respectfully.

Lu Chengen nodded, his gaze sweeping over the captains behind Jia Huan. When he saw Zhao Tiezhu and the others standing respectfully behind Jia Huan, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

He had heard before that the troublemakers in the "Kui" branch were difficult to manage, but he didn't expect that Jia Huan would subdue them so quickly.

"Since you're here, I'd like to tell you something."

Lu Chengen pointed to a location on the map in the suburbs of the capital and said with a solemn expression:

"Did you know that a shocking case occurred in the suburbs of Beijing a little over two weeks ago?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Huan's heart stirred, and he quickly said, "This humble servant would like to hear the details."

"More than half a month ago, a batch of official silver worth one million taels from the Ministry of Revenue was robbed by a group of ruthless bandits on its way from Tongzhou Wharf to the capital."

Lu Chengen's voice was deep and powerful.

"The soldiers escorting the government silver were almost all killed or wounded, and the million taels of silver were looted!"

"A million taels?!"

Jia Huan was shocked. The theft of such a large amount of official silver was definitely a major case that would shake the court and the public.

"That's right, one million taels."

Lu Chengen sighed.

"After this case occurred, the imperial court was furious and set a deadline for solving the case. Our Embroidered Uniform Guard also deployed a large number of people to investigate."

After extensive investigation, we have preliminarily determined that the robbery of government silver was most likely carried out by a martial arts force called "Black Wind Stronghold."

"Black Wind Stronghold?"

Jia Huan frowned slightly; this was the first time he had heard of this name.

"Black Wind Stronghold is located deep in the mountains outside the capital. It is extremely familiar with the terrain and environment of the mountains. The leader of the stronghold is named 'Ghost-Faced Gentleman' Mo Qianshan. It is said that he is highly skilled in martial arts, ruthless and vicious, and has gathered more than a thousand fierce bandits under his command."

What's even more troubling is that this Black Wind Stronghold seems to be colluding with a much larger rebel organization.

"A rebel organization?"

Jia Huan's pupils contracted slightly.

"That's right, Liangshan Marsh."

Lu Chengen uttered these three words, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity.

"Liangshan Bo!"

A storm raged within Jia Huan's heart.

Liangshan Marsh was a major threat to the imperial court. It was located in the Shandong marshland and had gathered 100,000 followers. It repeatedly opposed the imperial court and was a veritable den of rebels.

"The collusion between Black Wind Stronghold and Liangshan Marsh is no small matter," Lu Chengen said in a deep voice, looking at Jia Huan.

"Because this case is of great importance, most of our elite Jinyiwei officers have been transferred to investigate it, striving to solve the case as soon as possible, recover the official silver, and sever the connection between Black Wind Stronghold and Liangshan Marsh."

At this point, Lu Chengen paused, looked at Jia Huan, and said meaningfully:

"It is precisely because this case has involved most of our resources and we are severely short-handed that the previous case of 'Blood Impermanence' fell to you, the captain."

"If it weren't for your exceptional abilities in capturing Xue Wuchang, this case would probably still be unsolved."

Upon hearing this, Jia Huan felt a sudden sense of relief.

That's it!

No wonder those tricky cases fell to me, a newly recruited captain. It turns out that the main force of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was tied up in the case of the million-tael government silver.

"Lord Lu."

After pondering for a moment, Jia Huan raised his head and said with a firm gaze, "I would like to take on this case of the Black Wind Stronghold robbing government silver!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Chengen's eyes.

"Chief Jia, have you thought this through? This case is no child's play. Black Wind Stronghold is entrenched deep in the mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is also in league with Liangshan Marsh. If we are not careful, we will be doomed."

"I understand," Jia Huan said in a deep voice.

"But I believe that the more dangerous the case, the more merit can be gained, and I also have several capable brothers under my command who are willing to serve the court."

Looking into Jia Huan's determined eyes, Lu Chengen remained silent for a moment before slowly saying:

"Alright! Since you have the courage, I will allow you to investigate this case. However, you must remember to act carefully and not be reckless. Report any discoveries to me immediately."

"Your humble servant obeys!" Jia Huan clasped his hands in acceptance, his heart filled with fighting spirit.

One million taels of government silver, Black Wind Stronghold, Liangshan Marsh... these keywords attracted him like a magnet.

He knew that this was a huge challenge, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Once this case is solved, Jia Huan's name will surely resound throughout the capital!

……

After accepting the mission, Jia Huan acted swiftly and decisively. He immediately gathered his men and, along with five captains including Li Shun, Wang Ren, and Zhao Tiezhu, rode out of the city, heading straight for Black Wind Ridge on the outskirts of the capital.

Along the way, the sound of horses' hooves clattered and dust billowed.

Although no one said much, the atmosphere was not dull.

"My lord, is Black Wind Ridge truly dangerous?" Wang Ren reined in his horse and asked Jia Huan.

Jia Huan looked straight ahead and said calmly:

"They were able to rob a million taels of government silver and had connections with the rebels of Liangshan. They are no ordinary bandits. You should be on your guard and not let yourselves be caught off guard."

"Hehe, don't worry, sir!"

Zhao Tiezhu brandished his ghost-head saber and grinned maliciously:

"My knife has been thirsting for blood for a long time; I'll use the blood of those bandits to consecrate it!"

Sun Wukong chimed in, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"Sir, we Imperial Guards are fearless in our duties, not even the King of Hell himself. A few bandits are nothing to us!"

Just then, a piercing whistle suddenly came from both sides of the road ahead.

"Whoa!!!"

Jia Huan suddenly pulled on the reins, and his warhorse neighed loudly, its front hooves rearing up high.

"There's an ambush!"

Jia Huan shouted in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping across the dense woods on both sides.

Before the words were finished, dozens of men in blood-red robes leaped out of the forest and instantly surrounded the group.

They all wielded sharp blades and exuded a strong stench of blood.

"Blood Shadow Cult?" Li Shun's expression changed, and he exclaimed in a low voice.

"Jia Huan! You killed my sect's leader, Blood Impermanence! Today is your death day!"