The Empress's expression softened slightly, her gaze fixed on Zheng Wei. "You'd best keep your word. I shall return in three days!"
"Yes, Your Highness, the Empress!" Zheng Wei replied, cupping his fists and bowing.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Zheng Wei did indeed receive news from Ta Sha County precisely on time. However, this news was rather peculiar, almost unbelievable.
He wondered how the Empress would react upon hearing it.
Zheng Wei felt a pang of unease. He forced himself to take several deep breaths, stuffing extra padding inside his armor. More importantly, he needed to loosen his facial muscles, so that he could still manage a smile even if the Empress were to scold him mercilessly. This was an art he had mastered over ten years as the chief guard of the Crown Prince's estate.
Having prepared himself, Zheng Wei paced back and forth before the hall, awaiting the Empress's arrival. Though he appeared calmer, his mind was racing, pondering what had happened at Hong Shen Po and what terrible ordeal his death guards had endured.
How could those peasants boss around over twenty death guards as if they were obedient dogs, working day and night without enough food? Were those people truly just lowly peasants, as the Empress had claimed?
Zheng Wei harbored serious doubts.
The Empress was always punctual. At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), she arrived at the Eastern Palace, accompanied only by Nanny Li.
After the Empress was seated, Zheng Wei took a deep breath and respectfully stepped forward, kneeling before her. He then proceeded to report the news from Ta Sha County in detail, carefully observing the Empress's shifting expressions as he spoke.
"What did you say?! My over twenty death guards helped those peasants with dung shoveling and farming at Hong Shen Po?!!!" The Empress's shock caused her to leap from her chair.
"It is true!" Zheng Wei replied, steeling himself.
"Outrageous! How is this possible!" The Empress raised her arm, sweeping the teacup and pastries on the side table to the ground.
Thanks to his thorough preparations, Zheng Wei bravely endured the shower of cups, tea, and pastries.
Pointing at Zheng Wei, the Empress roared, "Go! Summon Hei Mian Hu to see me immediately! I want to see how he trains my death guards! I invested ten years and tens of thousands of taels of silver. Are these the people he trained for me? All useless! They couldn't even defeat a few peasants! They ended up shoveling dung and farming for them!! Outrageous! Outrageous!"
Zheng Wei's knees moved nimbly forward a few steps, perfectly avoiding the shards of porcelain on the floor. He lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, have you forgotten? Hei Mian Hu was sent to Bei Qiang country by His Highness the Crown Prince earlier and is not currently in the capital."
"A bunch of idiots! Good-for-nothings! Useless wretches!" The Empress's face contorted with rage, as if she wished to grind her teeth to dust and spit them out.
Zheng Wei, startled, immediately prostrated himself on the ground. Only when the Empress had vented her fury and her strength began to wane did he dare to suggest, "Your Highness, your humble servant suspects there are supreme experts hidden at Hong Shen Po, which is why the death guards fell into a trap. Since a direct assault is futile, we shall resort to stratagem. Let us send another group of people. This time, we will use a subtle approach, ensuring no one knows and making all the people there disappear."
"What subtle approach?" The Empress narrowed her eyes.
Zheng Wei crawled closer to the Empress and whispered something in her ear.
Upon hearing it, the Empress was quite pleased. "Then so be it. If this attempt fails, I shall hold you accountable!"
"Yes, Your Highness, the Empress!" Zheng Wei replied resolutely.
At this moment, the captured death guards at Hong Shu Po were experiencing their most difficult times. They had initially attempted to break free from their iron chains using their internal energy. However, when they tried to circulate their internal energy, they found it completely gone. Some of the more optimistic ones thought it was due to residual poison limiting their abilities. Later, they attempted to kill the few farmers guarding them with a single palm strike. To their astonishment, not only did the strong men remain standing, but they even let out comfortable groans.
Heavens, their internal energy and martial arts were completely lost! This was the livelihood they had painstakingly trained for since childhood, honed over ten years. Now, in this desolate place, they had lost it all overnight. Even if they escaped back, the Empress and the Crown Prince would not want them, as they had become useless! They were homeless!
Ga Mei Die and the others glanced at the dejected faces of the assassins and knew what they were thinking.
"Gentlemen, quickly abandon any thoughts of escape. You cannot flee, so do not waste your energy. If you don't believe me, ask the bandits over there. They've been here for nearly half a year, and not a single one has escaped," Ga Mei Die said with a long, melodious burp, smiling amicably as he advised them.
The burping sound was incredibly enviable to the assassins. They worked so hard every day and still didn't get enough food, yet this detestable overseer was so full he was burping and deliberately showing off! This was no way to live!
The assassins cast resentful glances at the nearby bandits, who all wore serene expressions, seemingly accustomed to this life. One bandit, whose face was pockmarked, saw their gazes and kindly reminded them, "Brothers, I advise you to give up on escaping. You cannot get away. Look at me." The bandit pointed to the pitted marks on his face. "I also tried to escape before, but after leaving Hong Shu Po for a few miles, my body began to fester. The flesh on my face rotted away until my bones were visible. Fortunately, I came to my senses and ran back in time, thus saving my life."
The assassins' despair deepened. Although they had heard frightening tales of escape, they still felt unwilling to accept their fate without trying themselves. Some of them were only seventeen or eighteen, while the oldest was barely in his early twenties. They hadn't even married or fulfilled their duty of procreation. How could they stay in this desolate sandy ditch their entire lives, serving others like cattle? A few still harbored the desire to try escaping.
Ga Mei Die glanced at their expressions and let out a disdainful snort. "Let's go, everyone, get back to work! You only eat if you work!" The bandit group left enthusiastically, while the assassin group lagged behind, extremely reluctant.
During the distribution of dinner, the pockmarked bandit who had used his personal experience to help dissuade the assassins from escaping was given a full pottery bowl of food, topped with a large chicken leg. He proudly held his bowl and walked with his head held high amidst the envious gazes of many. While eating, amidst the slurping sounds of others, he took large bites of the chicken leg, eventually chewing the bone to smithereens and swallowing it. He hadn't tasted meat in nearly half a year, and this rewarded chicken leg was the most delicious chicken he had ever eaten in his life. He would remember it forever. And this full bowl of rice allowed him to experience, for the first time, the immense happiness of eating a satisfying meal.