The group of strangers who came ashore from Dengzhou in a small fishing boat were indeed Goguryeo people, and they were expert guards in the Goguryeo palace.
They sneaked into Dengzhou in order to assassinate Li Qinzai.
After receiving Li Zhi's order, Li Qinzai did not delay. He immediately left the Tang army camp and took a navy ship straight to Dengzhou.
However, Goguryeo scouts and spies were lurking everywhere outside the Tang army's camp. Their eyes were always fixed on the camp, not missing any slightest movement.
There was a lot of commotion when Li Qinzai left the camp. Everyone from Li Ji to ordinary soldiers came out to see him off. Of course, this scene also fell into the eyes of the Goguryeo spies.
In fact, Li Qinzai's identity is not difficult to check. Goguryeo already had the names, official titles, and portraits of many generals of the Tang Army. The spies saw Li Qinzai's appearance from a distance and compared it with the portraits. Well, the identity was confirmed.
Outside Wugu City, Li Qinzai led 5,000 soldiers and shattered the last trump card of the Goguryeo ruler's surprise.
If before this, the victory-loss ratio between Datang and Goguryeo was seven to three, then in Li Qinzai’s battle outside Wugu City, the balance of victory once again tilted towards the Tang army, and the ratio instantly became nine to one, which was basically There is no suspense anymore.
Therefore, the leader of Goguryeo hated Li Qinzai deeply.
When he heard that Li Qinzai had left the Tang army camp and boarded a navy ship, the emperor immediately judged that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty had summoned the seriously injured Li Qinzai back to the country.
How can we not avenge the sworn enemy?
The king immediately selected more than ten masters from the palace, came to Dengzhou in advance to ambush, and waited for an opportunity to kill Li Qinzai. On the one hand, he wanted to take revenge and eliminate the enemy, and on the other hand, he demoralized the Tang army officers and muddied the waters on the battlefield of Goguryeo.
Unexpectedly, several Dengzhou fishermen gathered together and made several guesses, and they guessed the truth almost exactly.
What's even more incredible is that this group of fishermen actually had the courage to smash the enemy's conspiracy.
Full of righteousness and courage, they are worthy of heaven and earth. In the life of a little person, there is always a moment when they burn themselves and shine brightly. Even emperors and generals cannot hide their brilliance at this moment.
In a place where Li Qinzai could not see or even know about it, a group of strangers were willing to abandon their families and risk their lives for him.
Throughout the ages, it has always been the little people who have rewritten history, and emperors and generals just rose up along with the trend.
…………
This is a small road outside Dengzhou City. There are many pedestrians on the road. After all, Dengzhou has a seaport and is considered a trading city. There are all kinds of carriage drivers and traders on the road, as well as poor fishermen dressed in various costumes and people waving Luo Fans. The hurried petty officials follow.
The group of Goguryeo assassins were inconspicuous among the crowd. As long as they did not speak, they looked no different from ordinary Tang fishermen and would not arouse anyone's suspicion at all.
A group of Dengzhou fishermen followed them leisurely, looking nervous and fearful, but they remained firm with every step they took.
There is a small hill four or five miles to the north from Dengzhou City. The jungle on the mountain is dense. In this crisp autumn season, many yellow fallen leaves have accumulated in the mountain forest, which are thick and soft under your feet.
The Goguryeo assassins were walking when they suddenly turned a corner and more than ten of them got into the forest on the roadside.
The fishermen who were following behind were startled. After some discussion, they turned around and went to the other side of the shady side of the forest, and also got into the forest.
Then several people gathered together and talked quietly.
"What should we do? Did they find us when they entered the forest?" A fisherman's face turned pale. He had never done this work before and had no experience at all.
"Probably not..." Another middle-aged fisherman frowned and said slowly: "If we are discovered, even if they don't attack us on the road, they should at least do something else."
"They are now in the forest. Look at the location of this forest..." The fisherman pointed to the road outside the forest and said: "From Dengzhou Port to Dengzhou City, this is the only road into the city."
"If Li Shuai disembarks from the ship at Dengzhou Port, what is the first thing he will do? He is a big shot, so the governor of Dengzhou must go to the harbor to greet Li Shuai in person, right? Li Shuai is the one who welcomes Li Shuai.
Don’t we also want to go to Dengzhou City to socialize with the officials of the Governor’s Office?”
"Then, this road is the only way Li Shuai must pass, and the forest on the roadside has so many fallen leaves. If a person goes into the forest and his body is covered with fallen leaves, he can use his bow without anyone noticing.
The crossbow is aimed at the road by the forest. Think about it, what will happen when Li Shuai's official driver passes by?"
After some analysis by the middle-aged fishermen, everyone was shocked.
"With more than a dozen assassins, even if they fire hundreds of crossbows, if one crossbow arrow hits Li Shuai, the consequences will be disastrous. And Li Shuai's personal guards cannot prevent him in the blink of an eye."
The fishermen suddenly became angry: "You bastard, you dare to murder our hero of the Tang Dynasty, how can you teach him to do what he wants?"
"Tell me, what should we do next?"
The middle-aged fisherman spread his hands innocently: "I don't know what to do."
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then said angrily: "What you just said is very clear, how could you not know?"
The middle-aged fisherman said leisurely: "Are you mistaken? I am just a bad fisherman like you..."
Everyone was immediately discouraged. Yes, we are all just fishermen. They really don't know how to do this kind of work that uses their brains and skills. They have never done it in their lives.
"How about... setting fire to the forest? There are so many fallen leaves in the forest, just light a fire." A fisherman came up with an idea.
"No, if the forest is burned, they are not fools. Why don't they run away? If someone runs away, they will still ambush us in another place. If we show our signs, we will be slaughtered."
"Then what should we do? Is it possible to rush over and fight them head-on?"
"Just wait, the fourth child has gone to report to the official. Officials will arrive soon, and then we won't be afraid."
As soon as he finished speaking, a rustling sound suddenly came from the other side of the forest.
The fishermen all heard this and looked at each other in horror.
Before they could react, a dozen arrows suddenly shot out from the dense forest, hitting three fishermen. The fishermen screamed and fell to the ground. The other people were so frightened that they even lay in the grass and did not dare to make a sound.
The terrified eyes looked at each other, conveying the same message.
Discovered by an assassin!
Are you going to run or not? In terms of skill, they can't compete with each other. If they don't run, they will be killed by the assassins here one by one.
If they ran away, what they just said about clearing the way for Li Shuai and eliminating enemies would become a big joke.
The fishermen lay down in the thick grass. The assassins on the opposite side lost their targets and suddenly there was no movement. The two sides faced off in silence.
After a long time, the middle-aged fisherman gritted his teeth and said angrily: "I have been shrinking my head all my life. When I have no future, I won't shrink this time!"
"I can't beat you in a fight, but can't I do it with a spearfish?"
As he spoke, the middle-aged fisherman picked up the harpoon in his hand and looked at the direction where the bow and arrow from the opposite side were shooting. He used the harpoon as a spear and threw it fiercely towards the opposite side.
I heard a scream suddenly coming from the other side. As soon as it started, it stopped immediately. It was obvious that my mouth was covered.