I am Li Shen and Li Shimin, the free kings of the Tang Dynasty

Wang Hongfu and the guard squad leader turned to look at Ma Wenchang when they heard him say this.

"Oh? Why do you guess so?"

Ma Wenchang quickly replied:

“Shopkeeper Wang, these people should be the guards of the workshop, there are only a few dozen of them in total.

Now all of you nobles have suffered casualties.

Even if they went back to the workshop to call for help, there were no extra guards in the workshop.

I heard that Wang Wencheng has a manor here with hundreds of guards.

The guards in the workshop were also sent from there.

So I guess they will go to Wang Wencheng's manor to report the news."

"Then do you know where Wang Wencheng's manor is?"

Wang Hongfu asked, he didn't expect that a small local shopkeeper would have his own manor.

Ma Wenchang shook his head.

“I don’t know either, I just heard about it from the guards accidentally.

But it shouldn’t be too far from here, probably about the same distance as the workshop.”

Ma Wenchang was just a craftsman and later did odd jobs. He had never been to Wang Wencheng's estate.

"Forget it, let's strengthen our guard and continue to rest. We will leave immediately after dawn."

They did not pick up the bodies, but returned to their tents.

It’s better to keep watch alone. It’s the same whether there are two people or one person.

On the second day,

As soon as the sky began to turn pale, Wang Hongfu's team set off.

It is no longer safe here, and they are now waiting for reinforcements, so they should move eastward.

Wandering near the official road to avoid missing the reinforcements, and also to be on guard against the pursuers behind.

~~~~~~~~

Wang Wencheng’s manor is not far from the workshop and covers an area of ​​more than ten acres, which is considered large for him.

It’s not that he didn’t want to build a bigger one, but there were other nobles and merchants here, and he was afraid of being exposed.

Even though it was a manor, it had high walls and was advertised as a workshop.

"Manager Wang, the head of the weaving workshop's guards, Zhang Biao, is here."

Wang Wencai is currently practicing calligraphy in his study to cultivate his character.

The study is filled with the scent of sandalwood, which is quite poetic.

"Let him in."

Wang Wencheng didn't look up and continued writing.

The servant responded and went out. Not long after, a burly man walked in.

"I am here to see the chief treasurer."

Zhang Biao came in and bowed immediately.

"Well, what's the matter? Something happened in the weaving workshop?"

"Yes, boss, something happened in the weaving workshop."

"What? Something really happened?"

Wang Wencheng originally asked the question jokingly, but he didn't expect to get a positive answer.

Wang Wencheng raised his head, put down the pen in his hand, picked up the wet handkerchief and wiped his hands.

"What? Did someone escape from the workshop again, or did someone die?

I have told you many times that craftsmen are also human beings. We should be nice to them. Only if they work hard for us can we earn more money.

You bastards just won't listen, and you're all so crude."

Wang Wencheng pointed at Zhang Biao and started scolding him.

"Boss, this time it's not the case."

"Neither?" Wang Wencheng paused while wiping his hands. "Then what is it?"

"My Lord, a servant in the weaving workshop has escaped."

"Go chase him if he runs away. It's no big deal if you can't catch him back."

"But before the servant escaped, he stole two account books from Manager Wang's study."

"What did you say? You stole the workshop's account books?"

Wang Wencheng, who originally didn't care much, suddenly turned pale. When he saw Zhang Biao nod, he became furious.

With a "pa~" sound, the handkerchief in his hand hit Zhang Biao's face.

"Damn it, how could such an important thing be stolen by a servant?

That rebellious son spends all his time eating, drinking and having fun. He can't even manage a workshop.

And you bunch of rubbish, if someone escapes, go and catch him back."

Wang Wencheng was really about to go crazy and yelled at Zhang Biao angrily.

"Boss, we went after them, but it seems someone got there first and saved the servant."

Zhang Biao hurried to explain.

"Do you know who he is?"

Wang Wencheng calmed down, sat on the chair and asked.

Zhang Biao came to the table and poured a cup of tea for Wang Wencheng.

“The enemy was not simple. They killed five of us to the west of the workshop, and then ran to the east of the workshop, near the market, at night.

We caught up with them last night and started to attack them, but we were no match for them after just one encounter.

In a short while, we were killed and only a few people were left. I managed to escape back and report the news to the chief treasurer with great difficulty. "

"How many people are there on the other side?"

Wang Wencheng picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"Reporting to the shopkeeper, about ten people."

Zhang Biao answered in a low voice.

"What? You are no match for ten of us. What's the point of me keeping you bunch of losers?

What's the use, you say?

Wang Wencheng roared again. He had spent a lot of money to hire such a group of thugs, which was a considerable expense every month.

"Boss, please listen to my explanation. They are really not simple people. Although it was dark last night, I saw from the firelight that they were wearing full body black armor.

There are bows and crossbows, as well as long swords.

Their armor is completely different from the cavalry armor of the Protectorate, and is invulnerable to swords and spears, otherwise we wouldn’t be defeated with so many people.”

Zhang Biao explained, he was also a little breathless, how could he win with armor that was impervious to swords and spears?

"Full black armor? With a bow and a long sword?"

Wang Wencheng muttered to himself that he had been to the Anxi Protectorate and had seen what kind of armor the soldiers there wore.

There weren't many people in the whole family, and ordinary soldiers didn't even have bows and crossbows.

Moreover, Zhang Biao said that the armor was different from that of the Protectorate, so which officers and soldiers could it be used for?

He dared to conclude that it must be a soldier, because armor and bows and crossbows were contraband and anyone caught would be beheaded.

Suddenly Wang Wencheng stood up, as if he had thought of something, and said to Zhang Biao:

"You are describing the outfits of those people in detail."

"Yes, these people were wearing black armor and had masks on their helmets, so their faces could not be seen clearly. Their swords were not very wide, but they were very sharp.

Also, they have a very good understanding of each other, which must be due to long-term training.

By the way, they were protecting someone. I didn’t see his face, but his clothes were very bright and gorgeous.”

"It happened."

After hearing Zhang Biao's description, Wang Wencheng sat down with a dazed look in his eyes and more of a look of fear.

Others have not seen it, but Wang Wencheng has.

Based on Zhang Biao's description, he concluded that these people were guards of Prince Ji's mansion.

He had seen the guards of Prince Ji's mansion more than once, and every time he saw them, they were all wearing full body armor and masks so that their faces could not be seen. They looked very mysterious.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

Zhang Biao asked with concern, not knowing what was going on.

"It's over. We are all finished."