Chapter 2253: Chapter 2228: Handed Over to the Authorities

Jin Kui’an tugged at the corner of his mouth, indicating he understood, then stood up and left. The steward immediately instructed someone to send the breakfast they ordered to outside the town.

After they had gone far, the steward asked, "Master, might they run into the returning Dayu and his group?"

The Town Leader replied, "If they do, they do. Dayu and his men aren’t foolish; these people obviously share the same goals as us. They definitely won’t disclose anything about the caravan. The urgent issue now is whether we should send someone to warn them."

The Town Leader felt a bit troubled, "If we go, we have to spend our money, energy, and manpower. If we don’t, I’ll feel uneasy. I’m still considering having them stay in town for a while when they return."

Zhou Man and his group cured quite a few people during their twenty-day stay here.

The Town Leader hesitated through a breakfast before finally sighing and giving an order, "Choose three clever ones and have them take provisions and set off now. Don’t travel through the desert; take a detour via Suzhou and ride swiftly to catch up with them."

He said, "Right now, they’re either already outside the pass or still within Shazhou City. Have someone go directly to the government office to inquire. If they’ve left, chase them outside the pass and return as soon as the message is delivered."

The steward asked, "If we go via Suzhou, won’t we miss Dayu and his group?"

"Missing them is fine," the Town Leader said. "These people aren’t fools. If they realize you’ve been following them, won’t the secret be out? Meeting with Dayu’s group is of no use."

The steward laughed, "I thought you wanted Dayu and his group to catch up to protect them."

The Town Leader snorted, "Didn’t he say? His men are outside the pass. Dayu’s group only has twenty men. Are they to be sent to be chopped like melons?"

He continued, "They’re not like us, fighting for turf. They’re officials; they don’t need us to save them. Just based on the status of those young masters and ladies, if anyone tries to rob them, plenty of people would want to protect them."

Bai Shan handed the letter to a guard, instructing, "Hurry, deliver it to Shazhou. Once you’ve heard from General Meng and Governor He, return. We’ll wait for you at the entrance to the desert."

The guard agreed.

The Post Station Steward rushed over with a carriage, and the guards dragged two tightly bound people out and threw them into the carriage.

Initially, Bai Shan considered asking whether to knock them out to make the transport easier, but seeing their pale faces, barely able to stand, and some bloodstains on their clothes, he decided against it.

Assistant General Nie, however, said proactively, "It’s safer to have them unconscious. We don’t know where their people are, and if they cause a commotion on the road and are noticed, what then?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

In fact, they could just knock the people out directly, but there’s a risk to it— a careless knock could accidentally kill them, hence using drugs might be a better option.

Manbao instructed Zhou Liru, who went up and fetched a packet of drugs, placing it directly under their noses for them to smell. In no time, the two flipped their eyelids and passed out.

She sealed the packet in a paper bag and handed it to the guard, saying, "If they wake, just let them inhale a bit. The effects are good, so don’t let them breathe it for too long. Knocking someone out can kill, and so can overexposure to the drug."

The guard received it with surprise, nodding repeatedly.

One guard, two soldiers, plus the Post Station Steward driving the carriage, set off at dawn.

The guard noticed the Post Station Steward still hesitating after traveling for some distance, saying, "This is an opportunity for merit, why are you still troubled?"

The Post Station Steward said, "Oh, you don’t know because you aren’t from here. In recent months, horse thieves outside the pass have been rampant like locusts after a drought. You’re a capable man, but I have a family here and can’t afford to stick my head out too far."

The guard said, "What’s the big deal? We’re sneaking into the city. Your merit will be remembered by Governor He and General Meng without public announcement. If you’re still worried, send your family to the city afterward. I don’t believe those horse thieves dare to enter the city."

The Post Station Steward smiled, "Of course, they wouldn’t dare enter the city, but it’s not easy to make a living inside."

The guard laughed, "You should have said earlier. Our young master is kind-hearted. If he knew, he would surely arrange something for you."

The Post Station Steward chuckled, having already planned that once he got the credit, he’d send his wife and children to live with her family for a while. The post station isn’t too busy; they’d manage without them.

Bai Shan and his crew were watching people pack their things while having breakfast.

With a lack of tables and chairs, Dayu squatted beside them to eat. He still didn’t understand, "Why send them back to Shazhou City? Keeping them might be useful for leverage when people come looking for them."

Bai Shan asked, "If I were to use your life to threaten the Town Leader, would he let us go?"

Dayu replied, "Of course not! I’m just one person, and our Eldest has many brothers. Letting go of a fat sheep like you, how would he answer to the brothers?"

Bai Shan nodded, "Exactly, the Town Leader wouldn’t let us go, so why would they?"

He added, "We’re not a caravan; we’re officials. Since we discovered the bandits’ plot, naturally, we need to report it."

Dayu didn’t understand, "But we’re about to enter the desert, where there aren’t many people and no government offices or officials. They can’t just send a garrison from Shazhou City to accompany you, can they?"

Bai Shan said, "That’s not our concern; it’s theirs. I’ve informed them, and if nothing is done and something happens to us, they’ll be held accountable by the court and won’t escape punishment."

Dayu: ...How unscrupulous.

Though Bai Shan wouldn’t actually be that unscrupulous, the number of people aware of this was few. After some thought, Dayu decided not to break the contract, considering only two people were involved, and they were discovered anyway. Running with fright would make them seem cowardly.

After breakfast, everyone prepared to set off. They moved leisurely because they planned to wait for the others. Their round trip would take two days, even with faster horses cutting down travel time, there was no rush.

Fu hadn’t expected Bai Shan to handle the two like this and was still bewildered when he woke up in the dungeon.

The guards dragged them outside to face Governor He and General Meng, who looked at them with curiosity. General Meng, familiar with dealing with bandits, had never seen bandits infiltrate a caravan before acting.

This indicated either they were few but greedy for large gains through internal-external coordination, or their intentions went beyond mere robbery, suggesting grand schemes.

Regardless of the motive, such bandits couldn’t be allowed to exist, for they’d threaten the peace of future trade routes.