The Drum of Grievance in front of the Five Cities Military Department's yamen was still standing there. According to the agreement in the letter, if the government agreed to exchange hostages, the Drum of Grievance would be removed. The yamen was located in the middle of the bustling market and could be seen from far away on the four streets and eight lanes. Now that the drum was still standing, it seemed like the government was still undecided.
Liu Laodaoist glanced at the fork in the road and walked away as if nothing had happened while holding the flag. The Emperor was about to leave the capital, Yang Hu had already escaped, and the soldiers were about to invade Bazhou. Under the Emperor's wrath, Yang Hu's Lulin forces were in imminent danger. This series of news completely disrupted his original deployment.
The Maitreya Sect had never intended to use the Lulin bandits to conquer the world. They wanted to take the route of the upper class, seize the military power and the throne, and smoothly take over the world. Now that there was a good opportunity for the emperor to leave the capital to eliminate the emperor, Li Fuda was reluctant to give up this big fish for a small shrimp.
Moreover, under the full encirclement of the government, the Lulin forces in Bazhou had little value. Yang Hu could only play a role as a brave assassin. As a military counselor, he did not care whether his identity was exposed or not. Therefore, he strictly ordered him to protect Yang Ling at all costs.
Priest Liu let out a bitter laugh. He had been plotting yesterday, afraid that Yang Ling would not die. Who would have thought that the situation would change overnight? Now he had to think of a way to protect Yang Ling's life. If the world was really controlled by fate, then no one would be more fortunate than him.
Pretend to be afraid of the power of the officials and rely on the government to lead the troops to kill Red Lady? As soon as this idea came to his mind, he gently shook his head. His and Cui 'er's household registration and travel permits were fake. Yang Hu, a Lulin bandit, could not dig out his real background, but the government would not tolerate a person of unknown origin.
The two that were sent to the palace had indeed used the guise of acrobats to roam the Jianghu for seven or eight years. Even so, Ning Wang, as a vassal king, had to personally act as a guarantor before they could be sent to the palace. If he relied on the government and someone dug out his background … … When he had followed Cult Leader Li Yue to preach in the Gansu and Shaanxi region, he was one of the famous Eight Protectors and many people knew him.
It was best that Red Lady knew that Yang Hu had escaped and was willing to let Yang Ling go. Otherwise … Liu Laodaoist secretly gritted his teeth. The killing intent in his eyes was hidden.
It was already past noon, but the important ministers of the imperial court were still congregated in the Hall of Preserving Harmony. They quarreled noisily without any conclusion. Zheng De initially wanted to serve the meal to let these ministers fill their stomachs first, but looking at this situation, he could not help but feel angry. He sat there suppressing his anger and watched them quarreling, his countenance turned paler and paler.
The ministers also noticed the little Emperor's expression, and the noise gradually subsided.
Zhengde silently twirled the exquisite jade cup in his hand and slowly looked around. He saw Liu Jin and Gu Daeyong whispering to each other. Li Dongyang and Jiao Fang each had a bitter face, twisting their beards one by one. Yang Tinghe looked at the calligraphy and paintings on the wall with his hands behind his back. The six ministries, nine ministers, and the ministers had different expressions. Some were angry, some were gloating.
Zhengde looked at Wu Jie. This boss had never been to the palace. His thin face was covered with fine beads of sweat. He was looking at him anxiously.
Zhengde coughed and exhaled the anger in his chest. He then said: "Dear ministers, it seems that the female thief Red Lady does not know that her husband has escaped from the capital. She wants to exchange Yang Hu with Yang Hu. Now the bandits are waiting for the court's reply. How is the discussion going?"
Liu Daxia said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, this old minister thinks that since the female thief sent a message to the palace, it is obvious that the capital was sealed in time and they have not had time to escape. The troops in the capital are as numerous as clouds. The Ministry of War, the capital barracks, Shun Tian Fu, QING Five Cities Warlords, and even the Three Ministries and One Guards. How difficult is it to turn the capital upside down? But if the other departments intensify the search, can they escape to the sky? "
Zhengde sneered: "We have searched for a day and a night, have they found them? Shun Tian Fu submitted a memorial saying that the people in the capital are already complaining. How can we continue to search? Moreover, Minister Yang is in their hands. If they are forced into a corner, won't they lose everything? "
Yang Fang replied: "Your Majesty, this minister thinks that Lord Liu is right. How can the imperial court bargain with bandits? In the past, when Xiahou Chun was guarding Puyang, Lü Bu sent people to rob him and swindle his belongings. Subordinate Han Hao refused to compromise outside the barracks and brazenly used troops against the bandits. Since then, there have been no more hostages. Today, the bandits have committed such a serious crime under the feet of the Emperor. How dare they bargain with the imperial court? Where is the dignity of the imperial court? In the future, the bandits will use this as an example. How will the imperial court respond? This trend cannot be allowed to continue! "
Jiao Fang's white eyebrows spread and said: "Sir Yang's words are wrong. As the saying goes, all is fair in war. Yang Hu is not in the hands of the imperial court. Why can't we beat them at their own game and pretend to agree to exchange hostages and seize the opportunity to rescue Sir Yang? Don't tell me that watching an important official of the imperial court lose his life in the hands of bandits is not a loss of the imperial court's dignity? "
Hangul muttered to himself: "Your Majesty, the laws of the imperial court cannot be disregarded. Sir Yang's life must also be taken into consideration. In this minister's opinion, we should think about it more carefully. Since the bandits have a request, Sir Yang will not be harmed for the time being. Of course, the imperial court must strictly seal off the news and step up patrols in the four cities. Don't let the bandits escape and also don't let the news that Yang Hu has already escaped leak out."
Li Dongyang listened and lightly shook his head. Zhengde saw his movements and promptly asked: "What does Grand Secretary Li think?"
Li Dongyang cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, in this minister's opinion, if the great bandit Yang Hu is really in our hands, whether or not these bandits, who kill officials and roar in the mountains, will compromise with the bandits is still open to discussion. After all, the imperial court's laws and dignity cannot be ignored. Sir Yang has received the Emperor's favor and will certainly understand the Emperor's intentions. He will not be willing to do something that will encourage the bandits' arrogance.
But … since Yang Hu is not in our hands, this expedient plan can be used. This minister thinks that we should temporarily stop the search. Not to mention that this may not be the bandits' hiding place. If we really find it, Sir Yang is in the hands of the bandits. How can we exterminate the bandits and rescue him?
Therefore, there is no harm in the imperial court agreeing to their request. It will take at least two or three days for the two sides to finally reach an agreement. The imperial court should order the Beijing Barracks and the QING Five Cities Warlords to tighten the lockdown and patrol to prevent the bandits from escaping. Order the secret agents and factory guards of the Ministry of Punishments to secretly investigate the place where Sir Yang is imprisoned and wait for an opportunity to rescue him. Once the two sides have agreed on the location of the hostage exchange, we can secretly set up archers to ambush them and act according to the situation. "
Hearing this, Ma Wensheng took a step forward. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, Gu Daeyong and Liu Jin, who had already come up with a plan, spoke up first. "Your Majesty, your servant thinks that Grand Secretary Li's plan is the most appropriate. If we don't agree, we will endanger Sir Yang's life in vain. If a dignified official of the imperial court dies in the hands of bandits, wouldn't it also be a loss of face for the imperial court?
If we agree rashly, we don't have the great bandit Yang Hu in our hands. If the bandits send some underlings to verify the authenticity of the bandit's identity, we will definitely be exposed. We might as well agree slowly first. Here, we will make preparations while tracking down the bandits. If we can successfully rescue Sir Yang, that would be the best. If we can't, we will think of another way to cross the sea and when we exchange the hostages, we can catch all the bandits in one fell swoop. "
Hearing this, Zhengde slapped the table and said, "Good. Everyone, there is no need to discuss further. Let's follow this plan. It will be of great use. Have the QING Five Cities Warlords send out a message. When the bandits send someone to contact them, you and Wu Jie from the Inner Factory will be responsible for investigating the bandits' lair and exchanging the hostages. Remember, I want Yang Ling alive, not the Factory Supervisor! "
All the ministers bowed in unison and said, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
* * *
Old Taoist Liu walked through the streets and alleys while thinking about countermeasures. If they exchanged the hostages, it was hard to guarantee that the government would not set up an ambush. Even if Red Lady could escape, it was hard to say whether he could escape or not.
Moreover, Red Lady had kidnapped rich people and extorted money many times. She was an expert in kidnapping. If she sent someone to check on the hostages first, it would be exposed.
If he told the truth to Red Lady that Yang Ling had escaped, the possibility of him being released was small, but the possibility of him being killed immediately was higher. Tell her that releasing Yang Ling was to lure the Emperor out of the capital? This woman had mingled in the Lulin Forest since young. She was very alert. When he was in the tightly sealed capital, he had already obtained such accurate and confidential information. It would definitely arouse her suspicion.
Old Taoist Liu thought about it and finally made up his mind. It was better to go back first and sound her out first. If it really did not work, for the sake of Emperor Zhengde that big fish, for his own future, he could only abandon this Red Lady. It was just a pity for this little girl who did not know how to run away.
Old Taoist Liu read the fortunes of the two old grannies and obtained a few copper coins. After noon, he wandered to the front of the QING: Five Cities Warlords. He saw that the shelf was empty and the big drum was nowhere to be seen. At this moment, the sky was gloomy and sparse snowflakes fluttered down. There were fewer people on the streets. Old Taoist Liu was afraid that he would arouse suspicion so he turned back and walked slowly towards the north of the city. When he reached that alley, he saw that no one was paying attention to him. Old Taoist Liu hurriedly dashed into that Taoist temple.
The Taoist temple did not even have a door, so the wind blew in all directions. Last night, he sent someone to keep watch outside, but during the day, he could not let anyone wait outside for fear of attracting the attention of the passing commoners. Old Taoist Liu opened the mechanism and quietly entered the stone room. When the two burly men saw him, they put down their weapons and anxiously asked, "Mister Liu, did the government agree? Is Brother Hu still safe? "
Old Taoist Liu smiled and said, "Fortunately, the government has already indicated to us that they are willing to exchange hostages with us." At this time, Cui Ying 'er and Cui' er also heard the news and came out to welcome them. Old Taoist Liu hid with them in a stone room and made up a story. Then he asked, "What is Madam's plan? After we rescue the big master, how will we deal with Yang Ling? "
Red Madam bit her lips and softly said, "This morning, we have decided that we cannot ignore the lives of more than two hundred people. As soon as they are rescued, we will kill Yang Ling as a sacrifice to their souls in heaven."
Old Taoist Liu forced a smile and said, "This … the overall situation is important. Madam, the big master is going to do something big. If we anger the government because of this, the big master's hard work will inevitably be affected. Why don't we let him go …"
Cui 'er was startled and looked at him strangely. She did not know what kind of trick he was playing. Old Taoist Liu smiled a little bitterly, but he could not say it out loud.
The two bandits standing at the door heard the words and walked in. A burly man with a fierce face said disapprovingly, "How can Mister Liu be so soft-hearted? If we don't kill him, we will make such a big scene. Will the government be willing to let us go so easily? "
The other burly man beamed with joy and said, "That's right. We are not afraid of offending the government, but we are afraid that our name is not famous enough. This time, we lost two hundred brothers in the capital. If we don't kill him, how can we explain to everyone in the mountain stronghold? If we kill him, all the heroes of the three mountains and five peaks will admire us. Brother Hu's name will be even more famous. Even if this mountain stronghold is destroyed, it will be easy for us to start anew. "
When Red Madam heard this, she made up her mind and said, "Let's do it this way. What trust do we have with the government? Hu Dachui, since the government has agreed, we will prepare to force our way out of the city tomorrow morning. You go to the government and see your brother first. Don't be tricked by them. "
The fierce-looking Hu Dachui nodded indifferently and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. With that dog official here, what can the government do to a small fry like me? I will definitely accompany Brother Hu to Fengtai safely. The government can't play tricks with me. "
Old Taoist Liu's heart sank when he heard this. Red Madam thought of Yang Ling and still felt a little guilty. But her husband had already walked on this road. As his wife, other than accompanying him, what else could she do?
She sighed and said to Old Taoist Liu, "Mister Liu has worked hard. You should take a rest first. After tomorrow, we will go far away."
Red Madam turned around and went into Yang Ling's room. Hu Dachui and the bald man, Black Sparrow Hawk, followed behind her. Cui Ying 'er turned around and glared at them. The two bandits looked at Yang Ling with evil intentions and smiled, then slowly walked out.
Yang Ling stood up by leaning on the wall. There was no fire in the cave. Although it was warmer than outside, it was still very cold. His body was not as strong as these bandits. It was very difficult to endure alone in the cave. So he sat cross-legged and meditated according to the method Wu Hanchao taught him. He still did not know how to use the big pot and did not dare to show off under the watch of the bandits. But after meditating for more than an hour, both his knees were numb.
He looked at Red Madam's expression and asked, "The imperial court agreed to the exchange?"
Red Madam looked at his haggard appearance and her heart softened. How many officials would be willing to give porridge to help the people? He was also painstakingly thinking about improving the crops. He was really a good official.
When we visited his house, his wife was also kind and amiable, without the slightest air of an official's wife. But … if we don't kill him, how can we explain to our brothers about the more than two hundred lives? Besides, since my husband has already embarked on this road, the more useful an official is to the imperial court, the greater our enemy. Who would have thought that this time when we went to the capital, we failed to kill the Emperor and instead made him a scapegoat?
Cui Ying 'er felt guilty in her heart, so her tone of voice was a lot gentler. She nodded her head and said, "Hmm, it seems the Emperor appreciates you very much. For you, he sealed off the entire capital. We proposed the exchange, and the government officials did not even think about it before agreeing. Tomorrow I will send someone to meet with the government officials. As long as they do not play any tricks when exchanging the hostages, you … you can go back."
Cui Ying 'er was arrogant in the forest, killing people and plundering goods. She was also a ruthless and merciless person. Otherwise, how could so many unruly bandits submit to her? But when she said this, her face became hot. She was somewhat embarrassed. She hurriedly turned around, took off her cotton cloak, and threw it to him. She said, "You officials can't compare to us. Don't put on airs here. Put it on. Tonight … I will ask someone to bring some wine and meat back. You won't be cold like last night and can't sleep."
When Yang Ling heard that the imperial court agreed to the exchange, he also felt ashamed. He knew that the imperial court must have seen the hint in his letter and wanted to deceive Cui Ying 'er. At that time, he was afraid that they would also set up an ambush. When he escaped, this woman would most likely die on the spot. Although she brought this upon herself, he always felt that it was somewhat unfair, so he did not notice that her attitude was a bit strange.
In another room, Red Madam had just left. Cui 'er approached Old Liu and whispered, "What the hell are you doing? Didn't you say that you would encourage Red Madam to kill him? Why did you change your mind again? "
Old Liu smiled bitterly and looked outside. He quickly said, "Alas! Things are hard to predict … Sect Leader sent someone to personally pass the message that the Emperor may be leaving the capital. This is an excellent opportunity. Yang Ling is an important person accompanying the Emperor. Without his support, I am afraid that it will be difficult for the Emperor to leave the capital. Therefore, we must protect him. No matter what, we can't let him die. "
Cui 'er was shocked and whispered, "Is there such a thing? Oh no, what should we do now? Those guys are determined to avenge their brothers. I also helped to persuade her. If Red Madam has made up her mind, she is very stubborn. Not many people can persuade her. "
Old Liu coldly said, "You have followed her for several years. You are most familiar with her temperament and temperament. She has already treated you like a sister. Later, you can persuade her again. I live in Hong Yuanwai's house behind this Taoist temple. We can't hear the night watch from here. You estimate the time. I will bring people here around the second watch. You pretend to come out at night to see me. If she changes her mind, then it's fine. If not, you come out and deal with the people who keep watch first, then we will part ways with her! "
Cui 'er involuntarily said, "What? In that case, our efforts in the Lulin Forest all these years …? "
Old Liu blushed and said, "They have fallen to the bottom of the imperial court. Do you think they can achieve anything under the siege of the soldiers? Our treasures are not on these bandits! "
At night, the torches in the cave gradually brightened and dimmed. Cui 'er, who was sleeping at the entrance of the cave, suddenly opened her eyes and slowly sat up. She pressed her hands on the ground and looked at Cui Ying' er nervously. Cui Ying 'er was leaning against the stone wall with her arms crossed and the dagger in her arms. Her breathing was calm and natural.
Cui 'er looked into the cave again. Yang Ling did not sleep in a sitting posture. He was wrapped in a cotton cloak and snuggled on the ground. Cui' er gently sighed, stood up, and quietly walked out. Tonight, the entrance of the cave was guarded by Hu Dachui and Second Brother Fan. Seeing Cui 'er walking over, Hu Dachui lecherously smiled and said, "Cui' er, it's so cold that you can't sleep. Do you want me to hug you to warm you up?"
Cui 'er laughed and said, "Go to hell. Don't be dirty with me. If Miss hears you, see if she doesn't punish you. Move away."
Cui 'er walked up the ladder. Although Hu Dachui dared to joke, he did not dare to touch Red Madame's people. Moreover, he knew that Red Madame's kung fu was much better than his. He smiled and stood aside, watching Red Madame's round buttocks wiggling as she disappeared from his sight.
Behind the Taoist temple was a short forest. In the evening, the cold wind was whistling, but at this time, the wind was much weaker. Large snowflakes fell silently. There were no stars and no moon. The sky was as dark as ink.
Cui 'er dealt with the bandits and quietly sneaked into the forest. When she heard that there was no movement behind her, she quietly moved forward. When she reached the low wall outside the forest, Cui' er listened carefully and clapped her palms three times. Not far away, someone shouted in a low voice, "Who is it?"
Cui 'er also lowered her voice and said, "The Maitreya Buddha descends from the sky."
The other person happily replied, "Master of the other world! Protector Liu, they are here. "
Cui 'er moved forward, but the other person did not dare to light the lamp. Under the dim light, she saw six or seven shadows surrounding her. The person in the middle whispered, "Cui' er, how is it?"
Cui 'er recognized Taoist Liu's voice and hurriedly greeted him, "Red Madame is very alert. In the morning, I persuaded her to kill Yang Ling. In the evening, I did not dare to persuade her again, for fear of arousing her suspicion. Later, Black Sparrow Hawk and the others heard it and refuted me. They are all Yang Hu's sworn brothers. Red Madame heard it and refused to let go."
Taoist Liu said, "There is no other way. Now it seems that for the sake of Hierarch's plan, we only need to kill her. This woman's kung fu is very good. Later on, we will all be more alert. It's a pity that we did not bring any medicine, otherwise it would be much more convenient."
Cui 'er whispered, "How can there be a colorless and odorless poison in the world? Besides, I have followed her for several years and know how powerful she is. She can smell ordinary harmful things with just a sniff. Don't come up with any bad ideas. It's better to catch her off guard and give her a hard blow. "
Taoist Liu said, "Well, everyone must be careful. We must be ruthless and fast. We must not let any of them go. If we blame Red Madame's death on the soldiers, Yang Hu will go even if it is a mountain of swords."
A black shadow, who seemed to have a high status, laughed obscenely and said, "What a good plan to drive the tiger away the wolf. Unfortunately, the famous Yang Hu is a stupid tiger. He's sacrificed two hundred of his trusted subordinates for us, and now he's even going to lose his wife. I heard that the little girl is skilled in martial arts, but she's charming and has an enchanting figure. I have the Immortal Net with me. Do you want to catch her alive?"
Taoist Liu thought of Red Madame's charming appearance and his heart itched. However, as one of the Eight Great Protectors of the Maitreya Cult, he was a determined person. After weighing the pros and cons, he dispelled the idea and said, "We must not. Red Madame's martial arts are excellent. We must kill her quickly when she is unprepared. Let's go!"
Several people followed behind Cui 'er and quietly made their way to the Taoist temple. Seeing the dark house in front of them, Cui' er stopped behind a tree and whispered, "There is a lookout on the beam in front of the hall. You guys wait. I will lure him down and kill him first."
Before Cui 'er's voice died away, a person at the back suddenly screamed, and then suddenly became silent. Several people clenched their weapons and looked back in horror. They saw that the black shadow swayed a few times and fell to the ground in the snow.
Several people had a creepy feeling. Their bodies were tense and motionless. Even the tips of their eyebrows were covered with snowflakes, but no one dared to brush them off.
Everyone stared at the dark surroundings with their eyes wide open. After a long time, Cui 'er said with a trembling voice, "What happened?"
Suddenly there was the sound of weapons clashing on the left side. Two shadows were entangled with each other at an extremely fast speed. Then the shadows blurred, one escaped into the night, the other cried out 'Aiyo!' and fell back. He cried out in pain, "Someone sneak attacked me, I … I was stabbed in the ribs."
Taoist Liu said anxiously, "What happened? Who is it? Is it the soldiers, or … "He suddenly turned around and shouted at Cui 'er," Did you betray our cult? "
Cui 'er panicked and said, "I … I didn't. Who is it?"
A woman's voice said, "It's me!"
Cui 'er and Taoist Liu were shocked. Cui' er stamped her feet and said, "Red Madame? I … I shouldn't have persuaded you. I've made you suspicious! "
The low voice laughed. When the laughter stopped, the voice said leisurely, "Cui 'er, you don't know that I was besieged by the soldiers. I didn't have a good sleep for twenty consecutive days, right? Moreover, this is the capital. I'm surrounded by layers of soldiers. How can I sleep so well?
I don't doubt your words at all. It's just that you shouldn't have spied on my movements at night. Beasts are the most sensitive to other people's hostility. And I'm a fierce tiger in the forest! "
She said with hatred, "Remnants of the White Lotus! We're in the forest now. It's my time to hunt. Die! "
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