SFS Chapter 244 Assassination of Zhang Liang 6
Chapter 244 Assassination of Zhang Liang 6
At that very moment, Zhang Liang was hiding in a small room, pacing anxiously back and forth. He knew the situation outside was extremely critical, and if he couldn't come up with a solution quickly, the consequences would be unimaginable. Just as he was racking his brains, a slave rushed in, panting, and said, "Master, something terrible has happened! I just heard that the street guards are searching house to house for people! What should we do?"
Upon hearing this news, Zhang Liang felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping his heart. The pain surged like a tidal wave, one wave after another crashing against his chest, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. His face turned pale, his body trembled slightly, and after staggering a few steps, he finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed heavily to the ground like a deflated balloon.
Zhang Liang's mind was in turmoil, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. After leaving the academy yesterday, he hadn't gone straight back to his residence, but instead headed to another courtyard not far away. Several slaves he had bought at great expense lived there; these men were all burly and robust. Upon arriving at the courtyard, he quickly ordered them to prepare a carriage and instructed them to be on standby at any time. Once everything was arranged, he hurriedly left.
However, fate always seems to enjoy playing tricks on people. As he happily returned to his lodgings, a sudden assassination attempt shattered his peace. Several dark figures, like ghosts, relentlessly pursued him at astonishing speed. In his panic to escape these vicious pursuers, Zhang Liang and his companions stumbled upon an ordinary house. Faced with a terrified family, they had no time to spare and brutally murdered the innocent family of six.
Now, Zhang Liang and his companions hid here, their hearts filled with fear and regret. What shocked him even more was that the assassins had not only posted their portraits on the city's bulletin boards, but had also conducted house-to-house searches, determined not to give up until they achieved their goal. This clearly indicated that these people had extraordinary backgrounds and their power was not to be underestimated. Thinking of this, Zhang Liang frowned, his face full of worry, silently pondering how to resolve this crisis.
Zhang Liang slowly walked out of the house, his steps light and cautious. He looked around, his gaze finally settling on a corner of the courtyard. As he reached the corner, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, and a brilliant idea came to mind.
He quickly summoned several slaves and whispered orders to them to quietly lift the bodies of the family of six and throw them into the deep well in the courtyard. The entire sequence of actions was silent, swift, and secretive.
After finishing these tasks, Zhang Liang returned to his room and began to meticulously dress himself. He skillfully used various props and makeup techniques, and in no time, the image of a haggard, seemingly seriously ill old woman appeared vividly before him. Next, he carefully dressed and groomed several slaves, and after some adjustments, they looked exactly like an elderly couple and their several strong and healthy sons.
Just then, a rapid knocking broke the silence in the room. Zhang Liang's heart tightened, but he quickly regained his composure. He hurriedly lay down on the bed, tightly covering his body with the blanket, and began to cough violently, his voice hoarse and low, as if the pain had tormented him to the point of being unable to breathe.
One of the slaves strode to the door and gently pulled back the latch. As soon as the gate opened, a group of people stormed in aggressively. Like a pack of hungry wolves rushing into a sheepfold, they looked around rudely. The leader went straight to the room and immediately spotted the old woman lying on the bed, coughing incessantly—Zhang Liang in disguise.
He frowned slightly, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Then, he waved to his men, signaling them to come forward and check. The men were clearly reluctant, but under their leader's authority, they reluctantly entered the room. They carefully circled the bed, scrutinizing every detail, but ultimately found nothing unusual.
Seeing this, the leader turned to the tall slave standing to the side and asked sternly, "How many people are in your family? What kind of work do you do?"
The slave took a deep breath and answered the questions one by one, according to the instructions Zhang Liang had given him: "There are five people in my family. My wife and I make a living by farming, and our three children help with farm work on weekdays."
After hearing the slave's answer, the leader remained silent for a moment, then pressed on, "What illness does this old woman have? Why is it so serious?"
The slave replied tremblingly, "I really don't know! My wife has been coughing non-stop for the past few days. I've taken her to see many doctors, but none of them have helped."
Upon hearing this, the leader frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. Finding nothing amiss, he waved his hand and led his men out of the room.
Hearing the door close, Zhang Liang, curled up on the bed, breathed a sigh of relief. He had been feigning a cough to avoid detection, but the long-term pretense had triggered a real reaction in his body; his throat was unbearably itchy, and he involuntarily began to cough violently. Zhang Liang gasped for breath, taking several deep breaths before gradually calming down.
After this ordeal, Zhang Liang knew that although he had luckily escaped the first wave of searches, the subsequent operations would inevitably become increasingly difficult. The enemy would not give up easily, and the search efforts would only intensify. Therefore, he had to devise a foolproof plan to escape the city as soon as possible, otherwise he would fall into enemy hands sooner or later. With this in mind, Zhang Liang dared not delay for a moment. He quickly summoned the slaves around him and, in a low voice, began to meticulously plan his escape from the city.
After everything was arranged, Zhang Liang felt a wave of weariness wash over him. Exhausted, he leaned against the wall and drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
The next morning, just as dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, Zhang Liang woke up early, quickly changed into women's clothing, and carefully disguised himself. Accompanying him were several slaves who had also been disguised. They cautiously made their way towards the west gate of Huaiyang City.
By this time, a long line of people had already gathered at the city gate, waiting to leave. Zhang Liang mingled in the crowd, silently moving forward with the queue. He thought to himself, "With my clever disguise, I shouldn't arouse suspicion. As long as I remain calm and don't give myself away, leaving the city smoothly shouldn't be difficult." Thinking this, Zhang Liang relaxed a little, but his face remained calm.