141. Taking Yuan Shao’s Estate

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Outside Yuan Shao’s residence, Xu Qian nervously glanced in every direction. On closer inspection, one could see a fine sheen of sweat across his forehead.

From where Xu Qian and the others stood, the sounds of shouting, killing, and weeping could faintly be heard coming from within Yuan Shao’s residence.

Fortunately, the common people were completely absorbed in the distribution of grain and had paid no attention to the noise from the estate.

Xu Qian beckoned one of the Xu household servants over and ordered him, “Hurry. Tell the people outside to beat the drums and gongs louder.”

“Did they not eat? The noise is so feeble.”

In truth, Xu Qian was simply feeling guilty. The drumming and clanging were already loud enough.

The servant wore a miserable expression. “Second Master, the noise is already loud enough. If we strike any harder, the drumsticks will snap.”

Xu Qian thought, If the drumsticks snap, then use your hands!

If the people outside heard the sounds of fighting from Yuan Shao’s residence, there would be no telling what might happen.

“Then add more people to the drums and gongs. Double the number,” Xu Qian ordered.

Since Xu Qian had given the command, the men below could only obey.

Before long, the additional drummers and gong beaters arrived. With so many more people, the noise was indeed far louder than before.

Now the sound of drums and gongs filled every direction. Nothing else could be heard at all.

The cries of battle from Yuan Shao’s residence were completely drowned out.

Yet Xu Qian had barely begun to celebrate before his expression darkened once more.

The smell of blood.

A heavy, pungent stench of blood drifted over.

Su Ming and his men had stormed into Yuan Shao’s residence, killing every resisting guard, servant, and household defender.

Many people had died, and a great deal of blood had been spilled.

Now that smell was drifting over.

The cries of battle could be concealed beneath the pounding of drums and gongs, but how could the smell of blood be concealed?

What could they do about it?

Spray perfume to cover it?

The problem was that there was no perfume in the late Han and Three Kingdoms period!

For the moment, the common people were concerned only with receiving their grain and had not noticed the smell.

But once the stench grew stronger, it was inevitable that someone would become suspicious.

This was also one of Su Ming’s oversights.

He had calculated everything a thousand times over, yet had somehow neglected the smell of blood.

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After smelling the blood, Xu Qian’s forehead was soon covered with beads of sweat.

To say that he was sweating like rain would not be an exaggeration.

If they could not deal with the smell, it would become a major problem.

Although Xu Qian was a merchant, his intelligence was no less than Xu You’s.

He was also a man of quick wits. His mind turned, and an idea immediately came to him.

“Quick! Bring over some livestock!”

“Pigs, cattle, sheep, dogs—bring whatever you can find!”

“Slaughter them here. Kill them on the spot and distribute the meat!”

“Hurry! Not a moment can be wasted!” Xu Qian gritted his teeth as he issued his orders.

“What are they doing up ahead?”

“Curfew is about to begin. Why is everything in such disorder? What kind of behavior is this?”

A junior officer leading a squad of soldiers on patrol frowned as they passed the area where the Xu household was distributing grain.

One of his soldiers quickly answered, “Sir, it is the Xu household distributing grain.”

“Never mind that curfew is about to begin. Even if it had already begun, we could hardly interfere with them, could we?”

As soon as the junior officer heard that it was the Xu household, he fell silent.

The Xu family was not someone a mere junior officer could afford to offend. Even a deputy commander or assistant general would hesitate to cross them.

“Hmph.” The junior officer wrinkled his nose, then asked the soldiers beside him, “Wait. Is that the smell of blood?”

“They are distributing grain. Where would the smell of blood come from?”

Soldiers were especially sensitive to the smell of blood, and they had noticed it immediately.

The several soldiers beside the junior officer also sniffed the air. Soon, they were nodding repeatedly, confirming that the smell of blood was indeed coming from nearby.

They truly could not afford to offend the Xu household, but the presence of blood made the matter different.

No matter what, they had to investigate.

The junior officer led his squad forward. When they pushed through the crowd and looked inside, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

It had all been a false alarm. The Xu household was slaughtering pigs and sheep and distributing the meat!

There was indeed a smell of blood, but it came only from the cattle and sheep being butchered.

When Xu Qian saw the squad of soldiers push their way in, he instantly grew tense.

Fortunately, he had ordered livestock to be brought in and slaughtered for distribution. The smell of their blood concealed the stench coming from Yuan Shao’s residence.

Otherwise, everything would certainly have been ruined that day.

Xu Qian immediately went forward to greet the soldiers and called to his men, “Come, quickly cut a few pieces of meat for our brothers and give them some grain to take home.”

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At this, the junior officer hurriedly declined. “Second Master Xu, you should give it to the common people. We still have to patrol, and carrying these things would be inconvenient.”

Indeed, the officer and his men were in the middle of a patrol.

Having each man carry several pieces of meat and a sack of grain while patrolling would hardly be appropriate.

Xu Qian was exceptionally skilled at handling people.

If carrying meat and grain was inconvenient for them, he thought, then I shall give them something convenient.

With a wave of his hand, Xu Qian had half a basket of copper coins brought over.

“Brothers, take as much as you like. Consider it tea money from the Xu household.”

When the junior officer and the soldiers saw the coins, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

With the junior officer leading the way, the other soldiers swarmed forward and stuffed the copper coins into their clothes.

Those who took another’s gifts could no longer be hard-hearted; those who ate another’s food could no longer speak harshly.

After accepting the benefits, the junior officer immediately cupped his hands toward Xu Qian. “Second Master Xu, we brothers shall be on our way.”

After seeing the soldiers off, Xu Qian could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, several of Yuan Shang’s trusted retainers were escorting him toward the rear gate in an attempt to escape.

They had never imagined that enemies would be waiting there as well.

Zhang Liao happened to be storming in through the rear gate, and he came face-to-face with Yuan Shang.

Xu Qian had shown everyone a portrait of Yuan Shang earlier.

Thus, Zhang Liao recognized him at a glance.

Leading dozens of men from the Forlorn Hope Battalion, Zhang Liao immediately surrounded Yuan Shang.

“Fight our way out!”

One of the guards in front of Yuan Shang sought to prove his loyalty. He charged forward first, hoping to carve out a bloody path for Yuan Shang.

The guard was certainly loyal, but his abilities were limited.

He had barely rushed forward when Zhang Liao felled him with a single slash.

Yuan Shang retreated several steps in terror. Stammering, he asked, “You—you—what exactly do you want?”

Zhang Liao did not bother with any more words. He gave a cold snort and ordered, “Men, bind Yuan Shang!”

Su Ming had commanded that Yuan Shang be taken alive. They still needed him to issue orders and summon all the city’s officers.

In less than half an hour, Su Ming and his men had taken complete control of Yuan Shao’s residence.

Everyone who resisted was killed. The women of the household, the maids, and the others were all bound and locked away in the rooms.

End of Chapter