There was a heavy rain along the two rivers, but it did not have the clear blue skies of the north. Instead, it became increasingly hot and stuffy.
The Jiangbei garrison was a genuine miscellaneous army. It had only been under General Chung for a little more than a year, but it was already quite decent. If the enemy camp that Gu Yun and the others broke into had such quality, it probably would not have been so easy for them to turn the world upside down.
Gu Yun and Zhong Chan led their horses and walked side by side. Neither of them was wearing armor, and neither of them complained about the other's slowness.
"I haven't been idle all these years," Gu Yun said, "I don't know when was the last time I chatted with Master."
The Marquis of Stability called him Master in private, so Zhong Chan did not stand on ceremony. He accepted it without changing his expression and replied, "Little Marquis is becoming more and more mature. If The Old Marquis was still alive and saw your achievements today, he would probably …"
Gu Yun continued, "Beat me to death."
Zhong Chan was stunned, and a stingy smile appeared on his chiseled face, "There's no need to belittle yourself."
The river breeze came from the south, and there was a slight moisture in the air, making people feel that the surroundings were wet. Gu Yun brushed his unbound hair aside and looked towards the south bank without saying a word. The smile on his face gradually dimmed as he thought of the deserted village and the bones he saw with his own eyes.
Zhong Chan followed his gaze and reached out to pat Gu Yun's shoulder, "It's difficult to describe fate. Not to mention mortals like us, even saints would find it difficult to go against the world. I'll take advantage of my seniority to say something rebellious. For today's plan, let's not talk about The Old Marquis, even if your maternal Martial Emperor was alive, it might not be beneficial. We'll do our best and leave the rest to fate. We'll have a clear conscience."
Gu Yun was stunned. His teacher was really familiar with military books and was proficient in both civil and martial arts. When he taught him back then, he was really unreasonable. Unexpectedly, after roaming the martial world for so many years, he had become much more open-minded.
Zhong Chan: "We're not afraid of fighting on land. The main thing is that the navy is still lacking. Look at the Westerners. They either take the sea route or the river route. They know this as well. I have some ideas on how to fight naval battles these days, but I'm not very mature yet. You won't be leaving for the next few days.
Gu Yun nodded, "I know. Our Hai Jiao won't be able to do it either. This time, we've handed over a Xiyang Jiao. When we return, we'll let Ge Chen bring it back to the capital and see what the Lingshu Temple thinks."
Zhong Chan sighed. "Soldiers can be trained, but as for war preparations and Violet Flowing Gold, this old man is truly unable to help. I can only rely on you youngsters to deal with them as best as you can."
Gu Yun's brows twitched. He vaguely knew who General Chung wanted to talk to him about.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Zhong Chan said, "Yan Wang stayed by my side for a few years when he was young."
Gu Yun: "Yes, I understand. Sorry for disturbing Master."
Zhong Chan: "Then do you know that the Linyuan wooden token is in his hands?"
Gu Yun paused. He wanted to say "I don't know", but he felt a little guilty. He could only tell the truth. "He didn't mention it to me, but I have some guesses … I think that if it weren't for the Linyuan Pavilion, God of Fortune Du and the others wouldn't have supported him so easily."
Zhong Chan made an "oh" sound and said, "When Yan Wang was young, he rarely had the arrogance of a young person. He was self-controlled and calm. His temperament was a little stubborn, but he wasn't someone who blindly admired himself. He knew what was right and wrong, and he understood that benevolence and righteousness came first. He was much better than you when you were young."
Gu Yun: "…"
Zhong Chan glanced at him and narrowed his eyes. He revealed an imperceptible smile that disappeared in a flash. "But from what I see, it's sometimes not a good thing for a young person not to be frivolous. He matured so early that it's against human nature. He must have suffered too much when he was young. I've also heard about the barbarian witch from the Chen family. What do you plan to do?"
Gu Yun didn't answer quickly. He pondered for a moment.
Zhong Chan said, "Wu 'er's bone entanglement wasn't his own will. Sometimes I think that it's unfair for me to have so many doubts about him. If he was just an ordinary person from an ordinary family, I wouldn't say anything no matter what. But he's not. He's connected to the throne of the country — Zi Xi. Now that there's a Yan Wang in the imperial court, a slight move in one part will affect the whole situation. We can't do without him, and we can't rely on him completely.
Do you understand? "Gu Yun roughly understood the meaning behind General Chung's words. He had to hold back and not let Yan Wang have too much power. When necessary, he had to think of ways to use the military to coerce him. He had to retreat when necessary.
However, Gu Yun didn't respond. He only said, "I will watch over him. Shifu, don't worry."
Zhong Chan frowned. "I know that he grew up with you since he was a child, and you have deep feelings for him. But how long can you watch over him? The current head of the Chen family is that girl. She's so young. We can't count on her for the next eight to ten years. Can Yan Wang's divine intelligence last that long? "
"As long as I'm alive, I'll ensure that he's clear-headed," Gu Yun said. "Even if he really loses control one day, I'll be able to deal with him. Tens of thousands of Black Iron Battalion are still guarding the country's gate in the northwest. They won't let him act recklessly."
Zhong Chan was slightly stunned. For a moment, he felt that he heard the hidden meaning in Gu Yun's words.
Just as the two of them were blindly worrying behind their backs, Chang Geng and Xu Ling brought the twenty personal guards that Gu Yun had assigned to them to Yangzhou in Jiangbei. It was too difficult for them to pretend to be refugees, so they pretended to be merchants. They only said that they were the shopkeeper of a pawnshop in Lin 'an Prefecture under God of Fortune Du. Because they were forced to move to Jiangbei because of the war, they had nothing to do. This time, the Chamber of Commerce asked the Emperor for permission to build a factory along the canal to settle the refugees. Although the imperial court had yet to approve, it was estimated that there was a plan. Therefore, they were ordered to go north to do preliminary inspection.
The name of the pawnshop in Lin 'an, the identity and age of the shopkeeper just matched with Chang Geng. Du Wanquan had already made arrangements. Even if someone wanted to investigate, they wouldn't be able to find any flaws. The story was made up flawlessly, and they swaggered to Yangzhou.
In any case, God of Fortune Du was now the God of Fortune of the entire nation. He was deliberately flattered by Chang Geng. The Chamber of Commerce's last memorial was sent directly to the Grand Council. It was just like the grand imperial merchant's style. It was much better than the local small officials. It was reasonable for the local government officials to meet God of Fortune Du's people. Even if Yang Ronggui, a member of the Lu family, actually did not get along with Du Wanquan, they still had to do their job on the surface. They hosted a banquet at the Cornice Pavilion and invited Chang Geng and the others to eat.
Ever since the foreigners invaded and the nation began to be in turmoil, the number of palace banquets during the New Year's Festival was greatly reduced. Up until now, Qiyuan Lou had not been able to stand up again. Xu Ling felt that it had been a long time since he had seen this kind of extravagant place. The Cornice Pavilion was famous here, and it was also called the Small Qiyuan Lou. Although it was not as grand as the Zhaixing Platform and the Yunmeng Grand Temple of the past, it was more exquisite and extravagant.
It had been a long time since the capital had banned the pursuit of pleasure, but here, the sky was high and the Emperor was far away, so no one cared at all. The sound of singing could be heard from the eaves of the attic across the street, and the people coming and going were all men and women.
Xu Ling was speechless when he saw this. He said to Changgeng in shock, "Wang … Shopkeeper, is there such an imposing manner in your residence?"
Chang Geng shook his head and said with a smile, "Not at all. It's just food and clothing. The little money my husband has is used to subsidize a bunch of orphans and widows. He doesn't have any plans. I think he'll have to sell his ancestral home some other day."
Xu Ling was stunned for a moment before he realized that he was not talking about the empty Yan Wang residence, but the Marquis of Stability's residence. "Subsidize orphans and widows" was probably compensation for the families of those who died or were injured. A few years ago, when there was no war, the national treasury was in a difficult situation. The Emperor intended to reduce military expenditure, so the small amount of compensation was reduced again and again. Who knew how many times he had to argue with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. Those people would always drag it out and evade it if they could. Even like this, there were still times when he could not get it. It would be fine if the Marquis of Stability personally came to ask for it, but Gu Yun returned to the capital once every few years, so it was always beyond his reach.
It was impossible for him to get it. During times of peace, the Emperor was so negligent. Now that there was a war, the Emperor's golden mouth and jade jade words said, "All of the country's supplies must be given priority to the garrisoned troops." He had brought it out again … Presumably, in a few years, if the lost land could really be recovered, the survivors in the city would still have to rely on mending clothes under the lamp to maintain their families.
Xu Ling did not know what to feel in his heart.
Changgeng said to him in a low voice, "In a moment, the two of us are probably going to make a fool of ourselves. Don't worry, they just want us to make a fool of ourselves. I've also prepared a joke for us to see."
At this time, Xu Ling decided to follow Yan Wang blindly. Hearing this, he did not say another word. He followed Changgeng in with a heart full of ambition to purge the country.
This banquet was invited under Yang Ronggui's name.
Yang Ronggui, Assistant Minister Lü's brother-in-law, was the Governor of Liangjiang. It sounded very awe-inspiring, but in reality, in this unusual period of time, he did not have much power. First of all, Jiangnan was not under his control. The Jiangbei garrisoned troops were autonomous, and most of the Huainan area was not under his control. The area under his control was only a small area near Yangzhou. He had hurriedly brought it up because he wanted to use high-ranking officials to manage and coordinate the refugees from all directions and stabilize the front and rear lines. If he had the ability, in the future when the lost land was recovered, based on Yang Ronggui's contributions, he would certainly be able to truly be one of the eight governors for a long time.
Unfortunately, a man who is never content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Since Yang Ronggui took office, he was very dissatisfied with the current situation in Jiangbei. After getting drunk, he repeatedly complained to his confidants that he had the title of governor, but in reality, he was just a magistrate.
However, even though Governor Yang's head was full of bumps, his arrogance did not decrease. In addition, he had the Lü family behind him. He naturally did not get along with the new nobles in the court supported by Du Wanquan. Naturally, he would not personally come to see the merchants. He only sent a few of the Yangzhou officials who had nothing better to do to accompany them. During the banquet, the Yangzhou magistrate condescended to show his face. Before he sat down, he said some empty words. Before he finished speaking, a follower entered the room and said something in his ear. The Yangzhou magistrate's face suddenly changed. He stood up and left.
Xu Ling's alias was Zhang Dafu. He was born with a white face. When he drank, his face would turn red. He looked very simple and honest. He forced himself to pretend to be a little drunk. Intentionally or unintentionally, he asked, "Hey, we only drank three rounds. Why did Magistrate Zheng leave?"
Someone next to him laughed and said, "Brother Zhang, you don't know. Originally, Governor Yang also wanted to meet him in person. Unfortunately, you came at the wrong time. I heard that that person …"
He flirtatiously stretched out his hand and made a gesture of a wild goose flapping its wings. He whispered, "He just arrived in Yangzhou today. Governor Yang brought a group of officials to meet him in person."
Xu Ling thought he misunderstood. He was shocked and said, "Who?"
"Why? Brother Zhang, don't you know?" The man accompanying the guests drank too much. He was not very eloquent. He chattered endlessly, "Yan Wang, Prince Yan. He is … the younger brother of the current emperor! I really don't want to talk about this trivial matter. A while ago, there was a troublemaker who complained for some reason and caused a commotion in the capital. The Emperor really took it seriously and actually sent King Yan down. That person is a great ancestor. If we don't serve him well, we might be beheaded in public tomorrow. "
As he spoke, the man shook his head and added, "We are innocent. If we are upright, we are not afraid of slanting shadows. He can investigate as much as he wants. Haha … It's just that Official Yang and the others accompanied us the whole time. It's too hard."
Before Xu Ling finished listening, he turned his eyes to Changgeng, who was sitting at the table.
If Yan Wang was really here, who did Yang Ronggui and the others bring back?
Yan Wang smiled at him gently. He didn't hesitate to pick up a crystal dumpling and throw it into his mouth. It would be a waste if he didn't eat it.
First, he broke into the enemy's formation. Then, he brought back a living person. Although Lord Xu was a scholar, he was flexible and adaptable. Otherwise, he would definitely be scared to death by Yan Wang.
Xu Ling reluctantly finished a meal that neither the host nor the guest liked. He helped himself and Yan Wang get rid of a few dancing girls who pestered them. He hurried back to the inn. After making sure there was no one on either side, he closed the door and asked in a low voice, "Prince, why is there another one …"
Changgeng smiled and said, "Governor Yang has many eyes and ears. He must know when the imperial envoy left the capital. If we don't let him see the envoy from the capital, won't he be suspicious?"
Xu Ling thought about it and was still worried. He said, "That Yang Ronggui has seen Prince. What if he shows a flaw?"
"We've only met once or twice. We've never spoken within a hundred steps. We're not that close. My friend knows some jianghu tricks. He can't pretend to be someone else, but he can pretend to be me. Don't worry. Go rest immediately. We have plans for the evening. "
When Xu Ling heard this, he knew that they were going to explore the refugee shelter at night. His spirits were lifted, and he immediately became alert.
In the middle of the night, the two of them quietly left the city with two Xuan Tie bodyguards and went straight to the refugee shelter on the outskirts. The so-called refugee shelter was actually a few shacks on the outskirts of the city that housed refugees. It was currently hot and humid, so it wasn't cold to live in the open air. Nearby, there was a group of soldiers guarding the city to prevent them from causing trouble. There were also a few large pots by the street. Presumably, this was where they usually served porridge and food.
In the middle of the night, the refugee shelter was very quiet. A bodyguard from the Black Iron Battalion took the lead to sneak in. His footsteps were very light. He didn't even disturb the stray cat sleeping under the tree.
Xu Ling said in a low voice, "Prince, something's wrong. Places where there's an epidemic are usually marked with lime. There's also herbal soup on the ground. It shouldn't be so quiet."
Changgeng's expression didn't change, "Since Yang Ronggui knows that we're coming, he won't be completely unprepared. Let's just watch."
Before he finished speaking, the Xuan Tie bodyguard who had just entered slid out like a black shadow, "Prince, there are only about thirty people living in this refugee shelter. Most of them are young men and women. There's no sign of the epidemic."
"There are hundreds of thousands of refugees in Jiangbei, but there are only about thirty people in the refugee shelter outside of Yangzhou?" Xu Ling sneered, "Yang Ronggui is treating people like fools. Are the people living there all sleek and smooth? Do they look like they have nothing to worry about? I think they're most likely fake refugees that he hired. "
The bodyguard asked, "Prince, what should we do?"
"It's not a good idea to be blind," Changgeng said in a low voice, "First, we have to find a way to contact Master Liao Ran. Let the brothers walk around in the next two days to see if there are any clues. There's no wall in the world that doesn't have a crack. I don't believe that Yang Ronggui can hide the truth with one hand."
That night, a fast horse left Yangzhou, carrying a secret letter north to the capital. It told the ambitious people in the capital that Yan Wang was already in the city.
At the same time, the local city guards in Jiangbei received orders from the Governor of Liangjiang. They came dressed casually and secretly increased the number of troops in Yangzhou. The entire Yangzhou was still singing and dancing, but it was already loose on the outside and tight on the inside.
The poisonous snakes in the capital were waiting to be killed in one strike. They were patiently lying in wait, very quiet. Other than Old Master Shen suddenly being seriously ill, it seemed like nothing else had happened.
Old Master Shen was bedridden for several days. The imperial physicians came in and out like water. Even the Divine Doctor of the Chen family personally came to visit. Seeing that things were not going well, the servants of the Shen fu went to the coffin shop several times, as if they were preparing for the funeral. No matter how disgraceful Third Furen was, it was not good to talk about marriage at this time. The marriage alliance was left unsettled.
Shen Yi asked for leave to take care of his old father. He closed the door and did not see anyone.
At dusk, Miss Chen, who came to the Shen fu every day for the morning roll call, left as usual. She did not attract the attention of those who were secretly watching her. When the car arrived at the secluded courtyard where Miss Chen was staying in the capital, the car door opened. A string of zither music floated out and a man — — it was Shen Yi, who was supposed to be at the head of the bed.
Shen Yi politely cupped his hands and said to the person in the car, "Thank you, Miss Chen."
Chen Qingxu had a zither on her knees. She bowed and said, "General, please be careful. If you have any orders, please let me know."
Shen Yi looked at her again. He did not know about the Linyuan Pavilion incident. He only knew that this girl had no official position, no power and no influence. She was just an ordinary girl of Jianghu. However, she was willing to follow them and eat in the wilderness. She was willing to follow them and eat sand. Shen Yi was really grateful. He said seriously, "Miss Chen is righteous and has the demeanor of a famous hero. I really admire you.
I can't thank you enough. "Chen Qingxu seemed to smile. When she smiled, it was not obvious. When she was angry, it was also not obvious. It was as if nothing could shake her. A string of zither music came out from her fingertips.
Shen Yi did not dare to delay any longer. He mounted his horse and went to the northern suburbs.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
