The flag officer's voice was like a loud bell, and most of the people in the fire camp heard his shout.
The fireman who was busy washing and preparing vegetables and the women in the barracks all looked at Chunxiang in surprise.
There was contempt, surprise, and schadenfreude.
"Pah! So that's how she got the braised pork that day!"
The woman who was grabbed by the hair and slapped by Chunxiang last night spat at her.
"You pretended to be the general's reward to Master Jiang, and then came back to act like a big shot. How shameless!"
The women who were on good terms with Chunxiang also looked embarrassed. They knew they were too embarrassed to speak up for Chunxiang.
Chunxiang has always been very concerned about her reputation, but now she doesn't care what others think of her.
She was not clear about the crime of falsely claiming rewards, but if a life was involved, she would definitely be dead!
Chunxiang was held by two soldiers. She struggled desperately and cried out in begging, "It's unfair, sir. I didn't—"
The flag officer was severely reprimanded by his superior this morning for his poor performance yesterday. He was furious when he heard Chunxiang, the culprit, yelling that she was innocent. He raised his foot and kicked her hard in the abdomen: "What are you yelling about? You are such a bastard, I am not so blind as to recognize the wrong person!"
Chunxiang felt that the kick almost broke her intestines, her abdomen was cramped, her stomach was churning, and she almost vomited the food she had eaten the night before. Her screaming suddenly became quieter.
The women in the Huyanglin barracks all saw the flag officer waiting for Chunxiang outside the door that day. Now that the matter was exposed, they connected the cause and effect together, and looked at Chunxiang with even more contempt.
Liu Cheng heard the flag officer's shout in the barracks and felt something was wrong. He walked out of the barracks and saw Chunxiang being taken away. He couldn't help but show a bit of panic in his eyes.
Chunxiang saw Liu Cheng from the corner of her eye, and quickly reached out to him, screaming: "Save me—save me—"
Liu Cheng was so frightened that he took half a step back. Fortunately, the front of Huotouying was full of people who were crowded there to watch the fun, and he was standing at the very back, so others could not tell that Chunxiang was calling him.
Seeing Liu Cheng like this, Chunxiang suddenly went crazy and ran over here. The escorting soldier could hardly hold her back and kicked her several times in anger. Chunxiang was kicked so hard that she couldn't even stand. She was kicked several more times in the stomach and didn't have the strength to shout. She was dragged away like a torn sack.
Liu Cheng watched this scene and quietly retreated from the crowd.
He went to find Pockmarked Face to ask him how things were going, but he couldn't find Pockmarked Face anywhere in the entire Huotou Camp.
Liu Cheng had no choice but to ask the man who was in the same tent with the pockmarked face: "Zhu Lengzi, have you seen the pockmarked face?"
The fireman who was stopped by him shook his head and said, "I haven't seen him since I got up this morning. I wonder where he went to be lazy again. What's the matter, Brother Liu? Do you have something to do with him?"
When Liu Cheng heard that the pockmarked man hadn't returned home all night, he felt even gloomier, and could only respond with two reluctant words: "Nothing, I just wanted to ask because the boy wasn't here. Okay, go and get busy."
The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became. Whether the matter of Pockmarked Face was exposed or Chunxiang was interrogated, he would be exposed.
The only option now was to escape before the military camp sent people to arrest him.
But escaping privately is a serious crime, and the Xizhou camp is heavily guarded. I am afraid that I will be shot to pieces before I can escape.
Asking for leave from the military camp must be reported one day in advance. Now the only way to leave the military camp openly is to get the right card from Zhao Tou'er.
Zhao Tou'er was in charge of the purchasing of the Huotou Camp and often took people out to buy food. The guards at the gate of the camp would not suspect anything if he went out with his badge.
Liu Cheng immediately decided to steal Zhao Touer's pair of cards.
This morning, Zhao Tou'er was busy coordinating food and grass with the Liaonan Army brought by the general, and he was too busy to do anything else. Liu Cheng was the apprentice of Chef Li, and Zhao Tou'er was completely unprepared for him. Liu Cheng, under the pretext of helping, easily took away Zhao Tou'er's cards, and then slipped away with the excuse that he had something to do at the stove.
Everything happens without anyone noticing.
But Liu Cheng's palms still had a thin layer of sweat. He secretly glanced at the half-worn wooden sign in his palm, and his heart beat especially fast.
Now he just needs to find an excuse to leave Huotouying. He can go back and get the fifty taels of silver and leave the military camp directly!
At this moment, a deep shout came from behind:
"Liu Cheng!"
Liu Cheng was so scared that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He hurriedly put the pair of cards into his sleeves. He turned around and saw that it was Chef Li instead of Zhao who called him. He then breathed a sigh of relief.
He forced a smile on his face: "Master, you called me?"
Chef Li's old face was covered with wrinkles like pine bark. He was always serious, but today he looked even more severe than usual.
He glanced at Liu Cheng and said, "Come with me. I have something to ask you."
After saying this, he turned around and left with his hands behind his back.
Liu Cheng thought that Chef Li saw him stealing Zhao Tou'er's cards, and his heart almost jumped out of his throat. He followed Chef Li with a chill on his back and weak legs.
Chef Li led him into an empty military tent where food and fodder were stored before stopping.
He sat down at the paint-chipped table and picked up the teapot to pour tea.
Seeing this, Liu Cheng stepped forward and took the teapot: "Master, I'll do it."
He poured tea for Chef Li.
Chef Li took the tea bowl but did not drink it. He looked at this apprentice who had followed him for nearly ten years with a dark and complicated look in his eyes: "Ever since you offered me a bowl of tea at the age of twelve and worshipped me as your master, all the tea I have drunk in the past ten years has passed through your hands."
"Who knows what was added to the tea bowl?"
Liu Ben was already worried, and when he heard Chef Li's suggestive words, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
He forced himself to smile and said, "Disciple doesn't understand what Master is saying."
Chef Li put down the tea bowl heavily, his eyes, which had seen decades of hardships, were as sharp as hooks: "Ah Cheng, tell Master honestly, have you ever done anything to let Master down?"
Liu Cheng knelt on the ground with a sad face: "Master, you are my second parents. If I do something to let you down, won't my conscience be taken away by a dog?"
Chef Li closed his eyes to hide the disappointment in his eyes. He said, "I wanted to give you a chance. You know I have an old problem. If I touch a little bit of raw bean powder, I will have a stomachache. Except for you, even Lao Zhao doesn't know about this in Huotouying..."
Liu Cheng knelt down and hugged Chef Li's legs, crying, "Master, I am innocent! Yesterday was my mother's birthday, and I took a special leave to go home and make birthday noodles for her. I was not even in Huotouying, so how could I have tampered with your tea bowl?"
Chef Li's eyes turned completely cold: "I didn't even tell you, how do you know that the raw bean powder was smeared on the tea bowl?"
Liu Cheng didn't expect that he had let the cat out of the bag. He lowered his head and a ferocious look flashed in his eyes.
Things have come to this, since this old man is rushing to die, we can't blame him!
Chef Li didn't know that Liu Cheng had already made up his mind to kill him. The apprentice he had trained for ten years was actually someone who was secretly plotting against him. Chef Li felt very uncomfortable. He turned his head away and said, "Our relationship as master and apprentice has come to an end. From now on... uh..."
Before Chef Li could finish his words, Liu Cheng suddenly grabbed his throat and caused him to trip and fall to the ground along with the chair behind him.
Chef Li struggled hard, but was no match for Liu Cheng's strength.
Liu Cheng pinched his neck, no longer showing any sincerity, his face was ferocious as if he was treating an enemy: "You old bastard! I have been ordered around by you for ten years, and you have never taught me any cooking skills. How dare you say that you have done me a favor?"
Chef Li was completely speechless, breathing out more than breathing in, his eyes rolled up, and his slapping of Liu Cheng's hands became increasingly weaker.
At this moment, voices were heard outside the military tent.
"Master Li brought Liu Cheng here just now. I wonder what you are looking for Liu Cheng for, General?"
Liu Cheng was startled when he heard the messy footsteps. After he loosened his hand, he saw that Chef Li was no longer moving. He didn't know whether he had fainted or died, but he didn't have time to check his breath.
He found a dagger, cut the tent cloth behind the tent, and fled in panic.