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Chapter 662 Ambush Plan in Advance: Luring the Enemy into a Trap

"And then? Was it because someone embezzled funds?"

"That was the end of it. Yes, not long after that incident, Prefect Pei was rumored to have embezzled funds meant for repairing the dike, and eventually hanged himself at home."

Shen Ruyi rephrased her question, "Do you know how many people survived that flood?"

The waiter said, "I don't know. Some people say that everyone in that town is dead, while others say that a group of people escaped beforehand and eventually went far away."

No one knows the exact details, but it's certain that after the floodwaters receded, the villagers in that town were all disaster victims who had gathered there from other places.

Shen Ruyi continued, "Does anyone know who the Assistant Magistrate and Sub-Prefect were at the time?"

"The Tongzhi at that time is now Prefect Qiu, and the Tongpan was surnamed Chen. He was transferred two years ago and replaced by the current one."

Shen Ruyi tapped the table with her hand bone. In that situation, the prefect died, but the assistant prefect survived. Interesting.

In many cases, the person at the very bottom of the chain is usually pushed to take the blame, but I never expected the former prefect to be pushed out.

Just like in later generations, when something goes wrong, it is always the deputy who is exempted from responsibility, not the head of the department.

Its biggest problem is that it defies common sense.

It seems she'll have to interrogate her advisors and clerks after she's done; they should be able to find out quite a bit of information.

Thinking of this, Shen Ruyi continued, "Were there any other major events that happened that year?"

"Furthermore, starting from that year, Jiakang Town frequently suffered humiliation. Many people disappeared without a trace, including not only women and children, but also young adults."

For a time, the streets were filled with fear; many people were afraid to go out for fear of being kidnapped.

"Have you found any dead bodies or corpses?"

"No, I've never heard of it. It just disappeared without a trace, and nobody can find it. Later, rumors started to circulate that the place was cursed."

The missing persons were young adults, and no bodies or anything like that were found, so they must have been conscripted.

They were either keeping a private army or being recruited to mine; that was the only thing Shen Ruyi could think of.

It's hard to say what kind of mine it is.

It could be an iron ore mine, a silver mine, a gold mine, or even a salt well mine, since Prefect Qiu was selling smuggled salt.

Reselling smuggled salt is nowhere near as profitable as selling locally produced salt.

Unfortunately, the things she's holding right now don't reveal any relevant clues.

"Has anything else major happened?"

The waiter racked his brains for a moment, then shook his head.

"Sir, that's all. These are the three most important things. The rest are things like the prefect taking a concubine."

After asking the questions she wanted to know, Shen Ruyi drank two cups of tea and strolled out of the teahouse.

I asked several places using the same method, and the answers I got were pretty much the same.

Shen Ruyi then went back to the inn to sleep.

Meanwhile, at the other two inns, apart from those on duty and on guard, the rest of Xihe and his group were either wandering around the inns or sleeping.

As everyone knows, the next few days are unlikely to be peaceful, so we must conserve our energy in advance.

While the two inns where they stayed were under close surveillance by Prefect Qiu, they also used many excuses to repeatedly suggest that they should personally pay a visit to the King of Donghai in order to test the waters.

However, Xihe ultimately refused, making up an excuse.

Meanwhile, some people were secretly trying to find out who was in the team.

Fortunately, the impression that the King of the East Sea left on everyone was that he was ruthless and merciless.

She used swift and decisive methods to subdue the people in the team, and no one dared to speak recklessly or seek benefits in front of outsiders.

After searching for another day without success, these people decided to proceed with the plan they had made the previous night.

Shen Ruyi, Yiren, and Yingwu slept until nightfall. As darkness approached, Yiren and Shen Ruyi each took a bow and arrow and a large number of arrows, intending to provide cover and support.

They were divided into two groups, each assigned to guard an inn.

He chose an excellent sniping position, quietly hiding on the rooftop, and focused intently on the inn.

Shadow Five and his group were much more casual. Each of them chose a spot with a similar angle and position and laid in ambush beforehand, naturally using their swords.

This time, we must ensure a perfect shot.

Meanwhile, the people in the two inns had already received the news and were on high alert, outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense, just waiting to lure the enemy into a trap and trap them.

Just past eleven o'clock, Shen Ruyi, who was hiding behind the window, watched as a group of men in black strode into the night.

The gleaming broadswords, gleaming silver in the moonlight, surrounded the two inns where Xihe and the others were staying.

There were at least sixty or seventy people; that's quite a significant investment.

It's finally here, that's good.

In fact, these bandits were discovered by the shadow guards as soon as they entered the inn.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the fish to take the bait and fall into the net.

Just as the last person was about to climb over the wall, Shen Ruyi shot an arrow at their head.

One arrow killed him instantly, and the man fell against the wall and collapsed to the ground, where he soon stopped breathing.

Shen Ruyi drew her bow to its fullest extent, her eyes fixed on the bandits who had already disappeared from sight.

Her job this time was to keep watch from the sidelines and make sure no one escaped, not to personally cut the watermelon.

A voice rang out, "Kill! Anyone who dares to assassinate the prince will be killed without mercy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone shouted, "Watch out, we've fallen into a trap! We've been tricked!"

"We've fallen into a trap! We've fallen into a trap! Run!"

Some people continued to charge forward despite the danger, while others sensed something was wrong and retreated in fear, wanting to save their lives.

Some people were terrified by the people who suddenly appeared and attacked them.

Knowing they had fallen into a trap, they had to escape immediately.

Unfortunately, the Shadow Guards and General Huang's soldiers were locked in a fierce battle with the bandits and couldn't break free for the time being.

Some clever ones found an opportunity to reappear on the wall, intending to climb over the wall and run away.

Unfortunately, Shen Ruyi shot an arrow that pinned the man to the wall, and he twitched twice before dying on the spot.

Soon there was a pool of blood beneath him, and he was no longer alive.

Later, Shen Ruyi killed all the people who climbed over the wall one by one with a single arrow.

Shen Ruyi waited for a long time, and when no one came out, she knew that the first round of battle was over.

She always had confidence in the fighting capabilities of her own people.

Shen Ruyi acted as if nothing had happened, put away her bow and arrows, and resumed her hunt.

These people, represented by Prefect Qiu, definitely have more tricks up their sleeves; they will absolutely not stop here.