The servants and servants along the way watched in astonishment as the imperial envoy hurried back to the West Stride Courtyard with an expression of indescribable grief and indignation, not knowing what had happened.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Yang Ling's expression returned to normal. Thinking of the astonishment, pity, disdain, and disgust in the eyes of the amorous Madam Mo just now, Yang Ling couldn't help but want to laugh out loud.
With a trace of an evil smile on his face, he had just walked into his room when Gao Wenxin, like a swallow cutting through the water, happily called out, "Master!"
Yang Ling looked at her in astonishment and asked, "Your foot is better? What are you so happy about? "
Gao Wenxin smiled wholeheartedly and clasped her hands together. "Hmm, the swelling has gone down. There's nothing to be happy about, hahaha …"
Seeing her happy appearance, Yang Ling thought of his scheme just now and seemed to be infected by it. He chuckled a few times and warned Gao Wenxin, "Wen Xin, if someone asks you about my physical condition, you only need to respond vaguely. It doesn't matter what you say. The more mysterious you are, the better."
Gao Wenxin was startled and asked, "Why? Who wants to ask about Master's condition? "
Yang Ling laughed and said, "The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed. He may not dare to ask, but we have to be on guard. Oh … I really drank a bit too much today. I'm going to rest. That's right, help me brew a pot of tea."
He walked two steps and suddenly stopped. Grinning, he looked at Gao Wenxin's red and pouty little mouth and asked, "Do you know how to drink the best of the best tea?"
Gao Wenxin's eyes turned and said, "The Way of Tea … I know a little, but the key is the preparation and process of brewing. When tasting the tea … there doesn't seem to be much to say. Don't we still drink it with our mouth?"
Yang Ling laughed and said, "It's okay. Help me make something light. I'll go back to my room first."
Yang Ling thought to himself as he walked, "What an interesting idea. I should try it with Young-niang when I get back. She loves to be shy, so it's fun to tease her."
Thinking about this, he couldn't help but think of that Mo Furen's charm. His heart couldn't help but shake. He had to admit, "In terms of charm, no one can compare to her … … no, there is one, and that is Lian 'er … …
Lian 'er wasn't just beautiful, even her figure was seductive. If she grew a bit older … …
Sigh! I wonder how she is now? She must have heard about my big move in Jiangnan. Will she blame me for not seeing her? "
When Yang Ling thought of this, his footsteps became heavy, and the joy he felt just now was instantly swept away …
For the past three days, he constantly held banquets to entertain guests. Mo Qinghe was always by his side. Since that day, when he tested Yang Ling for the last time, Mo Qinghe was completely relieved. The next morning, he sent the tax money to the capital.
The huge tax ship set off for the capital. Flags fluttered all the way, and officers and soldiers escorted it. The news immediately spread to the world through various channels. When Li Daxiang, the eunuch of the Suzhou Weaving Factory, heard the report on a fast horse, he made a prompt decision and immediately ordered people to pay the tax money to the capital. Suzhou's shipping was faster than Hangzhou's. Since he was a step slower in bootlicking, the tax ship arrived at the capital before Mo Qinghe. This was also a show of loyalty to the factory supervisor.
On the third day, Yang Ling used the excuse that he had been drinking too much these past few days, so his capacity for alcohol had greatly decreased. Everyone knew that he had been entertaining guests for the past three days, so no one suspected anything. Most of the people who toasted him rushed to Mo Gonggong and Yang Zhifu, making the two drunk.
Yang Ling returned to the fu and waited for Mo Gonggong to be carried in by Butler Li and the others. Only then did he break into his own courtyard. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Gao Wenxin and said: "Has Liu Biao returned?"
Gao Wenxin was startled and said: "Liu Qianhu hasn't returned yet, but supervisor Huang has returned from Suzhou. He has been waiting for you."
Yang Ling was somewhat surprised: "So fast? Good, bring him to see me. "
Yang Ling walked to the corner of the hall and used a copper basin to wash his hands and face. Just as he was wiping his hands, two men dressed in black and wearing small hats walked in. They knelt on one knee and said: "Greetings, Factory Supervisor Daren!"
Yang Ling turned his head and saw that one of them was supervisor Huang and the other was Liu Biao. He couldn't help but laugh: "What a coincidence, have you just returned?"
Liu Biao answered yes and waited for Gao Wenxin to take the towel from Yang Ling's hands and carry the copper basin out. Only then did he come forward and say with a smile: "Daren, everything has been arranged. When Min Daren heard that he was going to lead troops to capture people, he patted me on the shoulder and praised me. This person is really good, to be willing to think of him when there is such a good thing."
Yang Ling laughed and said: "This Min Daren must have had a hard time as a civil official, to be so excited when there is a battle. Haha, how is Zhong Qianhu?"
Liu Biao said: "The salt soldiers have fought a great victory with Daren, and each of them has reaped great benefits. The officers and soldiers of the Wei Institute have long been envious. Although the news is only known by Min Daren and Zhong Qianhu, I expect that if we give the order tonight, the Wei Army will all obey.
Their morale is high. Although they lack training and are not good enough to deal with those bloodthirsty pirates who are good at fighting, they are certainly not a problem to deal with the equally useless officers and soldiers of the Longshan Guards. "
Yang Ling smiled and said: "Don't be careless. I have seen City Head Bi. This person is indeed a talented general. Although corruption is rampant in his army and his fighting ability is low, his personal troops are all brave and good at fighting. In addition, they are almost equivalent to his private troops and are extremely loyal to him. Although there are less than three hundred of them, it would not be good if they are driven to desperate action and suffer heavy casualties."
Liu Biao nodded and said: "Yes, I have also thought of this point. So although Min Daren has repeatedly requested to fight, I have always told him that the salt soldiers and Wei Army are only responsible for surrounding, suppressing, and suppressing the officers and soldiers of the Longshan Guards. As for Bi Chun's personal troops … with our three hundred foreigners, won't they be as easy as chopping melons and vegetables?"
Yang Ling recalled the imposing manner of the eighty machetemen sweeping the coast and couldn't help but nod. Then his expression froze and he said: "Right, do the Wei Army have heavy arrows? Have you given the bows to the salt soldiers to use? "
The Wei Army's physical strength was generally weak. Hard bows could not be pulled to a full moon, so heavy arrows could not be shot. So they made some light arrows to fool their superiors during the training.
Although the salt soldiers were not good at using arrows, they traveled north and south all day to deal with bandits and pirates, so they had quite a fighting ability. If they were given the bows and arrows, they did not need to be accurate. They only needed to shoot in a wide area, and it would be very effective against Yuan Xiong's group of desperadoes.
It was no wonder that Yang Ling was so cautious. He had thought that capturing Bi Chun would be more difficult. Yuan Xiong was only a Jiangnan Customs Commissioner eunuch. When the time came, he could directly go and capture him. Unexpectedly, the detailed information that Liu Biao found out surprised him.
How many people did Yuan Xiong have? A total of five thousand people. Excluding the thugs stationed at the various passes, there were still two thousand people squatting in the Yamen of the Customs Commissioner to make a living. Moreover, most of these people were local ruffians and criminals. These people had no respect for the court or the law in their hearts, so capturing them was even more difficult than capturing Bi Chun.
So Yang Ling wanted to quietly get rid of Bi Chun and then deal with Yuan Xiong with all his strength.
When this Customs Commissioner left the capital, he only brought ten attendants with him. He wanted to seize power and collect taxes, but he could not use the people of the government, so he could only recruit soldiers and buy horses, and take some desperadoes under his command.
The ten people he brought with him each had to take over a hundred subordinates, and each subordinate had to take at least five attendants. Like a rolling snowball, he took almost all of the people in the Hangzhou area who were extorting people, immortals, and ambushing people. In any case, they were imperial envoys. Their mouths were the law of heaven, and their hands were the law of the Emperor. The local officials could not do anything to them.
Liu Biao nodded and said, "There are military arrows, but other than Zhong Qianzong's personal guards, there are not many who can use them. I have already told him to distribute all the arrows under Min Daren's command. Daren does not need to worry too much. In my humble opinion, Yuan Xiong may not dare to resist. Even if he does, his people are all gathered with money, who would be willing to give their lives for him? After a rain of arrows, once they know how powerful we are, they will scatter in confusion. "
Yang Ling said, "I hope so. Tomorrow morning, take down Bi Chun, and immediately have the army surround the Customs Department yamen." He finished speaking and turned to Squad Leader Huang. "How is the investigation of the Suzhou matter?"
Squad Leader Huang hurriedly said, "Daren, I have investigated Li Gui in detail. Ever since those orphans left Hangzhou, their whereabouts have been unknown. They have not appeared in Suzhou at all. It is as if these children have disappeared into thin air. Since then, no one knows their whereabouts."
He looked at Yang Ling's expression and said, "I have been ordered to investigate Li Gui's background, but no one can explain it clearly. I have no choice but to show my face in public. I used the excuse that a local recruit from the Inner Works absconded with silver to go to the government to investigate his household situation. I secretly read through Li Gui's information … Li Gui has a house, land, and a boat company. Normally he uses it to transport rice, buying low and selling high. Sometimes he also helps the court transport gold bricks to repair the Imperial Palace and Emperor's mausoleum. And all of this, the owner of the contract is not Li Gui, but the wealthy merchant of Jinling, Du Qingjiang. "
Yang Ling was startled. "So it is a wealthy merchant of Jinling who wants to buy property in Suzhou and Hangzhou? Then why does he need to hide his head but show his tail, sending a puppet to act as a facade? "
Squad Leader Huang said, "This matter is indeed strange. I immediately sent people to Jinling to investigate. It just so happens that our people from the capital have already set up a foothold in Jinling and know about his situation.
Du Qingjiang's trading stalls are extremely large. There are silk and satins shops, pawnshops, gold shops, grain shops, as well as several large horse and carriage companies and fleets. Even the court's transport of grain, gold bricks used to build the Golden Palace and Emperor's mausoleum, and other forbidden items and offerings, they often find the Du family to transport.
Our people have tried to form an alliance with them, but the Du family's power and influence are quite large. When transporting goods from the north to the south, they simply do not have to worry about being blackmailed or obstructed. They do not need our people to come forward, so they refused.
Hearing that their Excellency wanted to investigate the Du family's background, the people of Jinling immediately did a careful investigation of the Du family. This Du Qingjiang was originally poor, when he was young he worked as a servant in a dried duck shop. Later he married the shop owner's disabled daughter, and his life became a little better. But in Jinling, he really could not be considered a famous person.
Later on, Du Qingjiang suddenly became rich. He bought houses and land and developed very quickly. There was a rumor in the streets that Du Qingjiang had dug up the treasure that Shen Wansan had buried and made a fortune.
However, there was one time when Du Qingjiang's birthday banquet was held for Jinling's celebrities. The Right Imperial Censor of Nanjing, Sir Jin, returned the invitation and did not show up. Du Qingjiang flew into a rage out of humiliation. He got drunk and cursed loudly during the banquet. He inadvertently let slip that his brother in the Department of Rites was so great that even a provincial official did not dare to not give him face. He said that Old Man Jin was too much of a bully and that he must teach him a lesson in the future. Jinling then began to spread that he had a blood brother who was a eunuch in power in the Department of Rites.
This lowly officer has checked Du Qingjiang's household records and found his disabled old wife who had been divorced by Du Qingjiang. I learned that this person indeed had a brother. When he was twelve years old, because his family was poor, he castrated himself and entered the palace. Because he cut off the roots of his descendants, he did not leave his surname. He changed his surname to Mo and was called Mo Qinghe! "
Yang Ling suddenly froze. After a while, he said in disbelief, "Mo Qinghe? The eunuch in power in the Department of Rites? Mo Qinghe … it's this Mo Qinghe … so that's how it is … so that's how it is … "
Liu Biao knew very well that the purpose of Yang Ling's trip to Jiangnan this time was to settle the three guarding eunuchs in Jiangnan. He wanted to show the tax supervisors of the world the methods of the inner court and give them a reassurance.
When he came back today, he heard that Gu Qinghe had returned to the capital with the tax money. It was clear that he had turned to Yang Ling's side. If he was too harsh on him, the tax supervisors of the various regions would think that the factory supervisor was harsh and ungrateful. They would inevitably have disloyal thoughts again, so he hurriedly tried to persuade him, "Daren, in fact, it is human nature for the officials and tax supervisors of the various regions to use their power to benefit their families. It is often said that when the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Looking at him taking things by force and trickery, he still knows how to be secretive. He is not a domineering, domineering person who does not know the gravity of the situation. As long as he is loyal to you, you don't have to be too calculative. "
Yang Ling slowly sat down on the chair and smiled bitterly. "I can ignore him seeking wealth, but what about those people? Where did those children go? If I don't get to the bottom of this matter, I will have a fishbone stuck in my throat … "When he said this, he suddenly jumped up. He looked at Headmaster Huang and said," What about the child from a few days ago? The child that was brought back from the tea garden and sent to the Gao mansion a few days ago. How is he now? "
Headmaster Huang swallowed his saliva with difficulty and stammered, "Daren, I said yesterday … the children that Master Mo took in are all gone now. That child is also … also …"
Yang Ling suddenly slammed the table and sneered, "How dare you! If I hadn't run into that child on a private trip that day, I really wouldn't have any suspicions. What exactly did he do with those fatherless and motherless orphans? "Liu Biao and Class Leader Huang looked at each other in dismay, neither of them able to answer.
Even if Yang Ling was an idiot, he knew that Mo Qinghe could not get away with this matter. He pointed at Headmaster Huang and said, "More than 30 lives and the whereabouts of more than 30 children are not clear. How can I calmly let Mo Qinghe go? Find someone to pretend to be a distant relative of the child as the victim and sue Li Gui. Use this as an excuse to investigate him. "
Liu Biao hesitated for a moment and cupped his hands, saying, "Since Daren is determined to investigate, please listen to me. If we investigate like this, we won't find anything. If Li Gui insists that he sold the child to someone else and casually says a few desolate places, it will take us a few months to investigate. If we find the person at that time and repeat the same trick, we don't know how many years and months we will have to investigate …"
When Yang Ling heard this, he remembered that this delaying tactic was the one he taught County Magistrate Min to deal with the musical instrument store Wang Da Er. Although it was simple, it was effective in this era of inconvenient transportation. He couldn't help but frown and say, "What brilliant plan do you have?"
Liu Biao raised the corner of his lips and said with a fake smile, "The gold bricks of the imperial court are all produced in Yuyao Village in the Yuanhe Town outside of Suzhou. Isn't the Du family's ship company specialized in transporting forbidden goods for the imperial court? How can this business be without Li Gui?
Let's send someone to the Yuyao Village to get a sample of gold bricks and directly go to the Li residence to search. We'll say that someone accused him of hiding forbidden goods. If we can find the child, it's fine. If we can't find the child, we'll throw the gold brick into his house and prove that he's guilty of overstepping the law and deceiving the emperor. He'll be beheaded. At that time, do we still have to be afraid that he won't obediently confess the truth? "
Yang Ling listened with some hesitation. He slowly walked around the room with his hands behind his back for a while. He thought of the skinny but clever and cute child he had seen. Finally, he gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Monitor Huang, let's do it this way. If we don't act, then we'll act quickly and ruthlessly! Mo Qinghe is the local snake here. Yuan Xiong can have five thousand minions, how bad can Mo Qinghe be? We can't let him react. "
He turned his head and said to Liu Biao, "Tonight, send troops to arrest Bi Chun and Yuan Xiong. When you come back, use the excuse of preventing their minions from causing trouble to strengthen the defense of the West Courtyard. Those who aren't from the Inner Factory are not allowed to enter or leave. We must especially guard against …"
He stared at Liu Biao, and Liu Biao nodded knowingly. He cupped his hands and said, "This humble officer understands!"
※ ※ ※
Haining's salt soldiers and guards rushed all the way, their torches snaking like a dragon. They occasionally passed by villages and towns. The old man who sounded the night watch, the pervert who had just walked out of the gold-squinting house with red lanterns, and the gambler who had been kicked out of the casino with his head down, were all stunned to see the large group of soldiers with bows and knives on their backs and torches raised high. They were all stunned to see the large group of soldiers carrying bows and knives and holding torches silently galloping past them.
The Southern Army rarely had an entire cavalry unit, and it was difficult to gather military horses. But to get a few hundred horses, it was enough to borrow them from the big salt merchants and rich people.
Min Wenjian commanded the whole army to move forward while quietly paying attention to Zhong Qian's movements. Yang Ling's secret letter clearly said that if Zhong Qian made any sudden movements, he would be beheaded without exception. But along the way, Zhong Qian's expression was calm, as if it was an honor to handle a case for the imperial envoy. He was even more excited than Wei Xiaobao, and nothing unusual could be seen.
At this time, Mo Qinghe, who was drunk and sleeping soundly in the Mo Mansion, had just woken up. He stretched himself and stroked his heavy forehead. Just as he sat up, a pair of sparkling and translucent jade arms had already handed him a cup of tea. Looking up, that pair of smiling eyes was still as gentle as spring water. As long as this woman was willing, she could reveal this kind of heart-warming and charming smile to a man at any time.
Mo Qinghe smiled and said, "I haven't drunk so much in a long time. These days I've settled my worries, so I drink to my heart's content."
He said as he took the tea. The tea was a bit cold, but for him, who had a dry mouth and body, it was suitable to quench his thirst. Madam Mo said softly, "You are happy and can sleep to your heart's content. Do you know that it's late, but Mr. Yang took the trouble to lead the foreigners out? Now there is no one else in the West Stride Courtyard except for a maid and 20 foreigners?"
Mo Qinghe choked on the tea. He coughed a few times, then raised his head and said angrily, "Where did the imperial envoy go? Why didn't you wake me up for such a big thing? "
Madam Mo was not afraid. She smiled, winked at Mo Qinghe, and said playfully, "I want to ask him, but I'm afraid that the imperial envoy doesn't dare to see me … … I let my family go and see. He took people out of the West City with a murderous aura, so I thought … … this news … … Will you feel more happy when you wake up?"
Mo Qinghe was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed. He laughed and slapped Madam Mo's plump buttocks, and said, "Xiao Lou knows me! Well … … I have worked with Master Yuan for many years, I can't ignore the old friendship. You tell people to tidy up the woodshed in the backyard. Before the imperial envoy returns to the capital, you have to find a place for Master Yuan to live, hahahaha … … "
※ ※ ※
When the horse arrived at Maple Leaf Town in front of Longshan Pass, Min Wenjian ordered the whole army to extinguish their torches and go around the town. Three miles out of the town was Longshan Pass, where the Longshan Guards were stationed. The entrance to the pass was zigzagged. Liu Biao had gone back and forth many times, and he had Commander Ding Lin as his spy. He knew that there was a sentry post in the second pass, and no one would go out at night, so Yang Ling's personal army was waiting at the first pass.
When Min Wenjian and Zhong Qian arrived with six hundred soldiers, the foreigners, dressed in green clothes and red hats, with swords strapped to their ribs and bows and crossbows on their backs, were already lined up in three square formations. They stood there motionlessly, like nails, their bodies perfectly straight.
These former Shenji Battalion officers and soldiers were best at performing in formation. Now that they had experience fighting on the battlefield, they looked even more awe-inspiring, solemn and dignified.
This ice-cold solemnity and well-trained neatness immediately filled the air between them with a murderous aura that could not be seen, but could be felt.
The ruffian salt soldiers, who had already seen the ruthless methods of the eighty swordsmen and butchers, immediately put away their laughing and relaxed expressions and became serious. The salt soldiers had suffered heavy casualties, and there was no time to replenish the number of soldiers. Other than some who stayed behind to guard, only one hundred people were sent out this time.
These hundred salt soldiers had gone through the blood and fire training of killing the pirates on the shore of the Qiantang River. Although their gait and demeanor were still sloppy, they already possessed the kind of frightening murderous aura that the Northern Frontier Army possessed after many years of fighting and killing.
The solemn atmosphere also infected the guards, and their faces became serious. There were nine hundred soldiers gathered in the pass, but right now it was absolutely silent, except for the occasional low snort of horses.
Official Min and Zhong Qian went up to meet the Imperial Envoy, who was dressed in a factory supervisor's robe. The two sides exchanged a few words in low voices, and then the three hundred foreigners entered the pass as usual. There was no sound, only the rustling of footsteps could be heard.
The various levels of generals passed down the factory supervisor's orders: leave twenty men to guard the horses, the others to follow, and not make a sound.
In front of the sentry post, four guards stood perfectly straight, but from the corners of their eyes, they secretly glanced at the pacing Qian Xian, feeling a little strange.
This military camp was set up in the pass, and it was not the time of war, so it was impossible for the enemy to suddenly appear and attack the camp. The sentry post was only a feint. At night, the soldiers only slept and chatted in the wooden huts, but today, before the fourth watch, Qian Xian Xian Lin suddenly appeared, saying something about inspecting the sentry post, but as soon as he arrived, he refused to leave, leaving them no choice but to obediently stand there.
At this moment, a group of men and horses appeared in the pass in front of them. One of the soldiers could not help calling out in alarm, "Who is it? Stop! Don't go any further. "
The two soldiers next to him hurriedly raised their spears, and another soldier reached for the horn at his waist. By now the sky was brighter, and Qian Xian Ding could clearly see the soldiers' attire. He could not help letting out a long sigh, and his worried heart finally relaxed.
Ding Lin immediately sternly shouted, "What are you panicking for? All of you stand back. These are the soldiers and horses of His Majesty's Imperial Bodyguard Commander, the Governor of the Inner Works, and the Imperial Envoy Sir Yang. This official has already received the order, so I am waiting here to welcome them. You are not to be rude! "
The string of official titles confused the four soldiers. The high-ranking military officer in the army had already said so, how could he be wrong? They obediently lowered their spears and stood to the side.
Ding Lin hurriedly went forward and knelt down on one knee. He cupped his fists and saluted Yang Ling, "This lowly official Ding Lin greets the Imperial Envoy Daren."
Yang Ling hurriedly went forward to help him up. With a smile, he said, "Qian Xian Ding is indeed a trustworthy person. Very good. Today you have helped this Imperial Envoy capture officials who have violated the law. When this official returns to the capital, I will definitely report this to His Majesty and reward you."
Ding Lin had already heard of Yang Ling's great victory over the Wokou pirates and had great confidence in the battle power of his personal army. At this moment, seeing that there were several hundred Inner Works foreigners behind them, and that there was a large number of soldiers behind them who had been transferred over from who knows where, he could not help but feel his heart relax, and his expression also became calm.
He cheerfully replied, "Daren is magnanimous and has given this lowly officer this opportunity to redeem myself by performing meritorious deeds. How can lowly officer dare not to do my best?"
Yang Ling smiled and did not bother to exchange pleasantries with him. He straightforwardly asked, "How is the situation in the army?"
Ding Lin said, "Daren's main purpose in patrolling the south is to collect taxes. Although Yuan Xiong is also the Dragon Mountain Guard Army Supervisor, the reason why daren is patrolling the Dragon Mountain Guards is unavoidably far-fetched. At first, this lowly officer was worried that Bi Du … Bi Chun would be suspicious. Fortunately, the news of daren's eighty machetemen fighting against more than a thousand Wokou pirates in Haining and the local Imperial Envoy fleeing in defeat had already spread. Bi Chun thought that daren was angry at the Guard's weak battle power and thus did not suspect anything."
Zhong Qian, who had already rushed to Yang Ling's side, felt a wave of shame in his heart when he heard Ding Lin's words. At the same time, he rejoiced: when the Guard army fled, there were so many pairs of eyes watching. It was impossible to hide it. Although he led his personal army to fight to the death, it could not atone for the crime of not being strict in leading his troops. Later, the Commander's Office would certainly investigate this matter. Today, he could follow Mr Yang to capture Bi Chun and Yuan Xiong and achieve meritorious service. With a word from the Imperial Envoy, he would definitely be able to avert danger.
Hearing this, Yang Ling nodded his head and asked, "Have you arranged everything?"
Ding Lin said, "Yes, in order to prevent the news from leaking, I did not dare to use too many people. Thus, I only found five people. They were all personally trained by me. Two of them are even my relatives. They are absolutely trustworthy."
Yang Ling nodded his head and said, "Good. In a while, we will act according to plan. Have your men bring Zhong Qian's men to control the perimeter. Take down all the sentry posts and suppress the soldiers in the army to prevent a mutiny. I will also send two hundred of my personal army and one hundred salt soldiers to attack the central army. While the soldiers in the five large tents are sleeping soundly, disarm and detain them. You will follow me with one hundred of my personal army and go straight to the commander's tent to meet this old friend. "
As he spoke, he glanced at the four soldiers not far behind Ding Lin and asked, "Are they your men?"
Ding Lin hurriedly shook his head and said, "They are not my men. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, I did not dare to bring them back. However, they are all waiting not far away. I can summon them to lead the way at any time."
Yang Ling nodded his head and gave Official Zheng a look. Official Zheng immediately led the four men over and said with a grin, "Four brothers, you have worked hard. For now, we will be taking care of the defense here. You can rest for a while."
"Ah?" The four soldiers were startled. Before they could reply, a shiny steel knife was placed on each of their necks. Official Zheng's smile disappeared and he said coldly, "Tie them up and throw them to the side!"
※ ※ ※
Bi Dushi had brought his most beloved concubine to Maple Leaf Town up ahead. He usually stayed in the town, but because he received news that imperial envoy Yang Ling would be inspecting the Dragon Mountain Guards these few days, he moved back to the army to stay.
Yang Ling was the little deputy of the former Chicken Crow Inn. He naturally knew this long ago. That day at Chicken Crow, everyone knew that he had set his heart on the daughter of the deputy, but Ma Lian 'er had disregarded his face and hurriedly chased after Yang Ling, who had come to the capital on imperial edict, causing him to lose a great deal of face. Not only did he hate Ma Lian' er to the core, but he also hated Yang Ling greatly.
Unfortunately, the heavens did not follow his wishes. Yang Ling had come to the capital to accompany the Crown Prince for a long time and obtained this opportunity to become the new favorite of the Emperor. Now, he was like the sun at high noon, the hot and powerful admiral of the internal affairs. Other than the hatred in his heart, there was nothing he could do. He could only lament that the heavens were blind.
However, he had never thought that Yang Ling would harm him. Yang Ling was investigating taxes, which had nothing to do with him. The two of them had no enmity. How could he have thought that his army supervisor, who was also the eunuch in charge of the Jiangnan customs, Yuan Xiong, had committed a crime and had followed the clues to find the melon and his embezzlement?
"Woo, woo, woo." The sound of a bugle horn suddenly rang out, followed by the thunderous beating of the military drums. Bi Du Si was startled awake from his dream and said angrily, "Who is beating the drums and sounding the bugle horn? Are you tired of living? "
The bodyguard Zheng Dapeng was sleeping in the outer room. Hearing the Bureau Head's roar, he hurriedly crawled up, put on a robe, and ran to the door to take a look.
The central tent was a square military camp, separated by a wooden fence about half a person's height. Outside the fence, there were five large tents on the left, right, and back like stars surrounding the moon. Stationed there were three hundred bodyguards personally selected and trained by Bi Chun. Further outside were the residences of the ordinary soldiers.
Zheng Dapeng saw that there was no movement in the five military camps. The soldiers standing around the commander's tent in front of the Bureau Head's sleeping quarters welcomed the first rays of the morning sun and stood motionless. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. He hurriedly ran back to report, "Bureau Head, there is nothing out of the ordinary outside. The soldiers in front of the commander's tent are still holding their posts …"
He hadn't finished speaking when the captain of the bodyguards, Guan Shouying, rushed in from outside. Bi Chun had risen to put on his clothes. Seeing him come in, he snorted coldly. As he put on his battle robe, he glared with his triangular eyes and said angrily, "These bastards just eat and wait to die all day. Do they not understand the military rules at all? Didn't I say that when the imperial envoy comes the day after tomorrow, we can blow the bugle horn and beat the drum? Has this stupid kid developed a mental disorder from sleeping? "
Guan Shouying said with a pale face, "Sir, the imperial envoy has arrived."
"Ah?" Bi Chun was shocked. The chainmail he had just picked up fell to the ground with a clatter. He said in bewilderment, "When did he come? Why haven't I heard any news? Where is he now? "
Guan Shouying said, "I don't know when he entered the camp. Right now, he is already waiting for you in the commander's tent."
Surprise flickered in Bi Chun's eyes. Then, he slowly bent down to pick up the chainmail and slowly put it on. Then, he tied the silk ribbons around it. In a deep voice, he said, "Gather the bodyguards and line up in front of the commander's tent to wait. I will go see this imperial envoy Yang."
Guan Shouying revealed a smile that was uglier than crying. He stammered, "Sir, the people that the imperial envoy brought seized our brothers' weapons without any explanation. Right now, we are all detained in the tent. Those who move without permission will be killed without question. Sir Yang … Sir Yang still recognizes me, so he let me out. He said that I should invite you to the commander's tent to see him. "
Bi Chun was so angry that his face alternated between green and white. "In any case, I am the commanding general of an army. What does Yang Ling mean by this? Putting on airs? Is there a need for such a big show of force? Want to arrest me? What crime? "
Bi Chun thought nervously for a while. Of course, he had done illegal things, and not just once. But didn't he come to Jiangnan on imperial orders to investigate taxes? The customs of the Jiangnan Guards have always been like this. What right does he have to use me as an example, and what right does he have to exceed his authority?
Bi Chun thought for a long time but could not get the gist of it. He put on and took off his knife, took it off and put it on again. Just as he was feeling uneasy, someone outside the door called out in a loud voice, "Your humble servant Zheng Guangde of the Inner Factory, under the orders of the imperial envoy, respectfully invites Department Head Bi to see you in the commander's tent!"
Bi Chun gritted his teeth, threw the knife on the table, and walked out in large strides.
In front of the commander's tent, more than twenty neatly dressed, brightly armored officers were hesitantly walking into the commander's tent. In the eyes of the officers, this commander's tent was like a ferocious tiger with its bloody mouth wide open. Seeing the dozens of guards in front of the tent with their hands on the hilts of their knives and their murderous appearance, they couldn't help but feel a chill rise in their hearts.
They saw that some of the guards with their hands on the hilts of their knives carried longbows on their backs, some had guns strapped to their waists, and some were even equipped with crossbows. The Godly Zhuge Crossbow shot five times at a time. At close range, it was impossible to dodge.
The five trusted aides Ding Lin had found were all middle and lower ranking officers in the army. Although their rank was not high, they were much stronger than the soldiers on sentry duty. With them leading the way, their advance was like a hot knife through butter. All of the sentry posts were cut down. By the time the mufflers and drums sounded and the officers and officers climbed up in a panic, the similarly dressed unfamiliar soldiers were already guarding every tent.
They were all soldiers, but they were able to command other troops, including many officers and officers. This made these Haining soldiers feel very proud. They didn't believe that these soldiers and officers would dare to rebel now that they were in a disadvantageous position. Therefore, they acted in an awe-inspiring manner and considered everyone else beneath them. This made it even more difficult for others to see through their strength and background, so even more nobody dared to act blindly without thinking.
As the Haining Guard Army patrolled, they announced the imperial envoy's orders in a loud voice, "All soldiers are to await orders in the tents. The officers and officers above are to immediately go to the commander's tent to welcome the imperial envoy. Those who do not obey the orders, kill! Those who leave the tent without permission, kill! Those who resist and escape, kill! "
By the third time the Guard Army shouted, officers and officers began to gather their courage and put on their weapons and neatly walked out of the tent. However, in order to avoid misunderstandings, no one dared to wear weapons. By the fifth time, all the officers and officers had gathered in front of the central military tent of the city manager. They lined up according to their rank and trembled with fear as they walked into the large tent to kowtow to the imperial envoy.
The guards at the door were fierce and fiendish, but when the imperial envoy saw them, his face was beaming with happiness and a mass of amiable air. This more or less made the officers and officers relax.
Inside the commander's tent, starting from the commander's desk, there were two rows of guards on the left and right, forty people on each side, surrounding the imperial envoy who was sitting behind the desk in the middle. The officers separated to the left and right. The two officers at the front were the Deputy Commander of the Dragon Mountain Guards, Lu Jiyun, and the other was the Commander Ding Lin.
Commander Lu was Bi Chun's trusted aide. He didn't know why the imperial envoy had launched a surprise attack at dawn, first taking control of the three armies, and then gathering all the officers and officers in the commander's tent. He was extremely afraid. Ding Lin saw that the overall situation had been decided and that the entire camp was under the imperial envoy's control. His face was immensely pleased with himself and even carried a faint smile.
On the commander's desk were the four treasures of the study, a brush holder, a paperweight, and an inkstone that was one foot square. At the corner of the desk was a red sandalwood arrow box with twenty fire token arrows stuck inside.
The distinguished and elegant imperial envoy sat at the top, fiddling with a brush in his hand. He didn't speak, so the commander's tent was also silent. More than sixty people were squeezed into this commander's tent. All that could be heard was the sound of incomparably stifled breathing, causing the pressure in everyone's hearts to become heavier and heavier.
At this moment, a clear voice was heard from outside the commander's tent. "Reporting to the imperial envoy, the Commander of the Dragon Mountain Guards, City Secretary Bi Chun, requests to enter!"
As the voice fell, a general wearing chainmail walked in with large strides. He walked straight to the commander's tent with his head held high. Seeing that he was close to the commander's desk, two foreigners flashed to his left and right. They raised their sabers to block him and sternly shouted, "Greetings and reply, there is no need to come forward."
The general's thin cheek under his high cheekbones twitched. His pair of triangular eyes, with more white than black, rose up as if he was about to fly into a rage. But when his eyes rose up, they met Yang Ling's calm and composed eyes. He couldn't help but drop his head. After a moment of hesitation, his hands shook the hem of his battle robe and he knelt on the ground. "This lowly official Bi Chun kowtows to the imperial envoy, Sir Yang!"
The brush in Yang Ling's hand stopped spinning. Looking at the general who was wearing helmet and armor and kneeling in front of him, he suddenly thought of the winter day when the two of them first met.
At that time, he was fetching water from a roadside well to drink. The water was cold and there were even floating pieces of ice in the water. A general in bright armor rode up to him on a warhorse and arrogantly pointed a horsewhip at his nose and scolded him.
With the passage of time, circumstances change. After a hasty parting, now he was going to kneel at his feet. Yang Ling sighed with emotion. He slowly got up and said, "General Bi, please rise. After the rooster crows, I thought we would never see each other again. Who would have thought that our reunion today would be like this?"
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.
