Chapter 76 Invasion

We were alerted by the arrival of a line of oxen-drawn wagons that waited outside the encampment at nine the following morning. Each of the wagons was carrying a large crate, and the convoy was led by the agent who had tried, and failed, to secure an audience with Aunt Ulan. "The goods are all on the ox carts," he said, "Feel free to inspect the goods, Chief Ulan!" Under orders from Aunt Ulan, some of the girls carefully pried open the lids of the crates and inspected the rifles and boxes of ammunition. Still wrapped in oil papers, the guns could be seen glistening with gun oil when the wrappers were peeled off! Satisfied, Aunt Ulan barked some instructions to her girls, ordering them to begin hauling the crates into the camp, but the agent came to her and stopped her immediately. "Wait!" he cried, "You can take the goods, but not the crates!" "What nonsense is this?" Aunt Ulan glared at him indignantly and earned the agent's hesitant answer, "I'm afraid this is my employer's explicit instruction, that the goods are yours for the taking, except for the crates. The three persons that my employer wants are to be put into the crates and caskets are to be nailed tightly shut," said the agent, before adding proudly, "Surely Murong Hai would least expect his son to be transported using these crates!" "Your employer is a shrewd man indeed!" Aunt Ulan hissed bitterly through gritted teeth. She yelled to her subordinates, "Very well! Bring them out!" Out we came, the three of us, all with our hands tightly bound and our mouths gagged with pieces of cloth. The agent made sure that we were properly restrained before commanding his people to put us into the crates before nailing them shut. He gave a curt bow to Aunt Ulan and said, "It's been a pleasure doing business, Chief Ulan. Farewell!" With that, he gave the word for the convoy to begin moving away.