Zhengde hesitated for a moment before saying, "The year before last, when the Tatars almost attacked Datong, the Acting Prince ran to the capital to cry to Fu Huang, he saw Zhen once, if he saw him …"
He suddenly raised his eyebrows and said with a laugh, "I'll go, I'm an Imperial Bodyguard, I won't be able to see him. If I stay here all day, what's the difference between that and staying in the capital?"
The two of them were chatting and laughing when suddenly an Imperial Bodyguard came in to report, "Reporting to Daren, the Inspector-General Lord Hu has returned to the city and is on his way to the mansion."
This Imperial Bodyguard also knew Zhengde's identity, but Yang Ling had already instructed that when anyone saw Zhengde, they must not show any signs of abnormality, so as not to arouse the vigilance of people with ulterior motives. Therefore, he did not dare to see the Emperor, and only glanced at him.
Yang Ling was startled, Inspector-General Hu had returned? Although his rank was higher than his, but he was still the Imperial Envoy, and in terms of actual power, he was far above him, why didn't he announce his return? That was a little too rude.
Yang Ling was about to go to the study to see Hu Zan when suddenly he heard a stern shout from outside, "The Imperial Envoy's encampment, you are not allowed to barge in."
Another voice also shouted sternly, "Are your dog eyes blind? I am Datong's Inspector-General Hu Zan. Other than His Highness the Acting Prince, I, Hu Zan, am the superior in this place, what place can't I barge in?"
Ha! Wasn't this Inspector-General too arrogant? Yang Ling did not know what Hu Zan's official position was like, but listening to these words, his first impression was that this Inspector-General was too domineering.
Yang Ling glanced at Zhengde, pushed the door open and said, "Let him in! Inspector-General Hu, although my rank is lower than yours, I am the Imperial Envoy. Do you think you can barge into the Imperial Envoy's Residence? "
While speaking, he glanced over and saw the Imperial Bodyguards were blocking a civil official. Right now they were separating to the left and right. That official looked cultured, his face was fair and clean, and he looked less than fifty years old. He did not look like a domineering and domineering official. Seeing him, his anger subsided somewhat.
To his surprise, as soon as that Inspector Hu saw him, the anger on his face grew even stronger; he clenched his fists and stomped over in big strides. Unexpectedly he did not wait for his master to lead the way, he boldly went straight into the room.
Yang Ling was baffled, he did not know what he had done to offend him. He patiently waved his hand, indicating for the bodyguards to withdraw, and turned around to follow Hu Zan into the room. There were only two people in the room, Zhengde and Zhang Yong. Although Zhengde was still wearing the officer's uniform, he was standing in front.
Hu Zan passed the imperial examination and was later promoted to be the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Then he was promoted to be the Inspector-General of the Hongzhi imperial court. After the new Emperor ascended the throne, he still had not seen the Emperor. Hu Zan carefully sized up Zhengde, he hesitated and did not dare to casually pay his respects. Seeing Yang Ling following him in, he immediately shouted, "Where is the Holy Self?"
Yang Ling's countenance changed. "Lord Hu," he asked in alarm, "What did you say?"
Hu Zan laughed coldly, he fished out a letter from his sleeve and said, "General Yang, you have blocked the three Grand Scholars inside Juyong Pass, they cannot enter the pass, but the military courier station is several times faster than your journey. You have a lot of guts, unexpectedly you dare to bring His Majesty to such a dangerous place. Let me ask you, where is the Holy Self?"
Hu Zan looked like he had eaten medicine, his eyes were red as he stared at Yang Ling. Seeing this, Zhengde coughed lightly and said, "Zhen is here, Beloved Subject Hu does not need to question Subject Yang. It is Zhen who wants to leave the Capital, Subject Yang is merely following the imperial order."
Hu Zan turned his head around and saw the eunuch wearing the embroidered robe standing behind the officer, nodding slightly to him. Hastily he stepped forward and said, "Humble subject Datong Inspector Hu Zan, kowtows in salute to Your Majesty."
Zhengde laughed and said, "Beloved Subject, please rise. Zhen is leaving the Capital incognito, very few people know about it, please do not make it public. Zhen knows that the three Grand Scholars are earnestly persuading me, they are also worried about Zhen's safety, but Zhen's trip to Datong this time is an extremely important matter of state. I did not intend to conceal this matter from you and Yang Yiqing, I only wanted to discuss it in a few days. "
Hu Zan stood up and sternly said, "No matter how important it is, it should be your subject who bears the burden for Your Majesty. How can the Son of Heaven personally enter a dangerous place? Datong is in the midst of war and chaos, it is not advisable to stay for long. Your subject requests Your Majesty to return immediately. "
Zhengde was amused. This inspector was interesting. Even when Liu Jian and Xie Qian were present, the three Grand Scholars did not dare to speak so bluntly to the Emperor and give him an order. It turned out that not only did he speak harshly to the imperial envoy, Yang Ling, he also used the same tone when speaking to the Emperor.
Zhengde sat down on a chair without a care in the world. Crossing his legs, he said, "Zhen has already said that I am here on an extremely important matter of state. Before this matter is settled, Zhen does not wish to return to the Capital. If beloved Subject Hu wishes to know the details, you can ask Subject Yang. Otherwise, please return."
Hu Zan's face flushed red. Glaring at Zhengde like a fighting cock, he said, "The Lord worries and the subject toils, the subject dies when the Lord is humiliated. To sit and watch Your Majesty fall into danger, ten thousand deaths cannot atone for my crime. If Your Majesty does not return to the Capital, this subject will die in front of Your Majesty!"
Zhengde was stunned. It was a long time before he broke into laughter and said, "This … what kind of logic is this? Aren't you threatening Zhen with death? If Zhen does not return to the Capital, Zhen will not allow you to die. You may withdraw. "
Hu Zan loudly said, "The reason why this subject came today is to persuade Your Majesty to return to the Capital. If Your Majesty does not leave, then it will be this subject's dereliction of duty. Only death awaits me." As he said this, he put his hand into his pocket. Zhengde was greatly alarmed. "You brought a saber to see the Emperor?" he shouted.
Yang Ling also flew in front of Zhengde, blocking his way. Suddenly he pressed down on the saber he wore. Hu Zan said, "Bringing a saber to see the Emperor without permission is a great crime of rebellion. This subject would not dare. The ancients, who were loyal and devoted to remonstrance, died when they touched a pillar …"
While saying this, Hu Zan looked all around, but did not see any pillars in the room. He said, "A gentleman loves his sovereign, but not his body. There are many ways to die. This subject has long been prepared."
As he said this, he took out a paper bag from his sleeve. He shook off the powder inside and swallowed it. Yang Ling was greatly alarmed, but before he could rush over, Zhengde's reaction was even faster. He had already leaped up and rushed past Yang Ling's side. He grabbed Hu Zan's wrist and snatched the paper bag away.
The powder was scattered all over Zhengde's hand. Zhang Yong did not know what kind of poison it was, or whether it would be harmful to the skin. He was so frightened that he started to scream and scream. Immediately several Imperial Bodyguards rushed in to restrain Hu Zan. Zhang Yong hastily ordered someone to fetch some water. First he used a dry towel to wipe Zhengde's hand clean, and then he washed it several times in a basin.
Yang Ling knitted his brows and said, "Inspector-Fu Daren, His Majesty is personally patrolling the border for the sake of the country and the people. This important matter cannot be carried out without His Majesty's permission. How can you play the trick of remonstrance to the death at the drop of a hat?"
Hu Zan angrily said, "You are a ten-thousand-year venerable, how can you rashly step into a dangerous place? Learn from the mistakes of the 'Rebellion of Earth and Wood', do you want to harm Ming Destiny and cause your entire family to be executed? "
Yang Ling could not help but also become angry. He sternly said, "You keep talking about the past, the past, why don't you go a bit further? Why didn't they say that Emperor Hongwu's blood stained his conqueror's robe and conquered tens of thousands of miles of land? Why don't you talk about Emperor Yongle's five expeditions to the Northern Frontier, his military exploits throughout his life? Since ancient times, whenever faced with external humiliation and internal calamity, which promising Son of Heaven only paid attention to scholarly governance and not martial arts? "
Yang Ling passionately said in a loud and clear voice, "As a subject, loyalty to the sovereign is the heart, assisting the sovereign is the duty. You have the heart of loyalty to the sovereign, you should also fulfill the duty of assisting the sovereign. Do you want to assist the current Emperor to become a brilliant, brilliant and divine monarch of the generation, or do you want to protect the current Emperor in the Forbidden City? Do you want the young Son of Heaven to not take a step out of the palace gate, to not understand the ways of the world, to become a nominal symbol of the imperial court, a puppet worshiped by tens of thousands of people?"
Yang Ling's words unexpectedly stunned Hu Zan, rendering him speechless for a moment.
Yang Ling let out a breath and said, "Since the Inspector-General knows that the Emperor is here, you should still assist me in the defense of Datong. The Emperor will be as safe as Mount Tai here. The Emperor is here because he has an extremely important matter to attend to. Inspector-General Hu, are you willing to listen to the details? "
Hu Zan was silent for a long time before he cupped his hands and said angrily, "I am willing to hear the details!" But his tone was no longer unyielding.
Yang Ling smiled and bowed to Zhengde. He said, "Your Majesty, please rest. I will withdraw first to discuss this with Lord Hu."
Hearing this, Zhengde hurriedly waved his hand and said, "You go, you go."
Watching the two leave, Zhengde sat back down in his chair and said to Zhang Yong with relief, "This Hu guy is too scary. If there is nothing important, don't let me see him again."
Yang Ling and Hu Zan talked for more than an hour in the room before Hu Zan finally understood the purpose of the Emperor's visit. Although he was a civil official, he had been in Datong for a long time and was familiar with military affairs. Naturally, he knew that if he could rope in the Three Guards of Duoyan, not only would it reduce the threat outside the Great Wall, it would also be extremely beneficial in the long run.
If he could really change the previous small-scale trade and trade with the Three Guards of Duoyan, he could turn the Hetao area into a good horse supply area for Ming Destiny. Only then could he completely change the strategic situation of Ming Destiny's army being good at defense and not good at offense.
But when he thought of the Emperor personally coming to such a dangerous place, Hu Zan's heart jumped. He hesitated and said, "Datong's walls are high and thick, and outside the city there are tens of thousands of troops under Yang Ling's command. In my opinion, there is no need to worry about the Tartars invading. But recently the Tartars have been short of rations and often send small groups of troops to our rear to steal our rations. Moreover, they will leave as soon as they touch us. It is a real headache.
Yang Ling said, "Of course I know this. I will never let the Emperor enter such a dangerous place."
Hu Zan continued, "His Highness the Acting Prince is in charge of Datong. The Emperor's presence here is very important. Should we inform the Acting Prince?"
In the past, Zhu Yuanzhang divided the princes. His thirteenth son, Zhu Gui, was in Datong and he was one of the nine princes of the frontier fortress. There were three princes in Shanxi. Prince Jin was stationed in Taiyuan, the Acting Prince was stationed in Datong, and the Shen Prince was stationed in Lu An.
Different from the princes of the Central Plains, they had the right to interfere with the local military and politics. As the saying goes, 'the horse in charge of the army, the horse in charge of the ministers'. They represented the Emperor in charge of the border.
So even though there was a three-way system here and there was the Inspector-General, the real ruler and commander of Datong was the Acting Prince. At the same time, the Acting Prince and the Shen Prince were under the control of Prince Jin.
Yang Ling hesitated and said, "It is better not to tell the Acting Prince about this for the time being. If the Acting Prince hears about it, he will be panicking. There are many people in the Acting Prince's residence. If the news leaks before the Three Guards of Duoyan send someone to the conference, Boyan Meng will have to stop them."
Hu Zan thought for a moment and said, "Very well, then I will take my leave."
Hu Zan frowned and left worriedly. He did not even return to the Inspector-General's office and rushed to the top of the city wall to arrange for more people to defend the city.
※ ※ ※
Datong's House of Han Furs was a newly established furs shop. In less than half a year, it had become one of the few large furs in Datong.
Ever since the horse market trade with the Tartars was severed, the specialties of the north and south had been transported by the people. It was close to being half smuggled and half legal. This kind of goods was obviously unable to meet the large demand of merchants from all over the country.
Han Lin, on the other hand, was able to satisfy every request. No matter what grade of furs he wanted, or how many pieces he wanted, Han Lin's Furs would not hesitate. In addition, the owner, Han Lin, was forthright and fair. He had the style of a man of Jianghu, so the business grew bigger and bigger. When the southern furs went north to do business, most of them chose to do business with the Han family.
Han Lin's Furs was located on the busiest East Main Street in Datong, not far from the Acting Prince's residence. To the left of the shop was a carriage and horse shop, and to the right was the extremely luxurious' Savant's Restaurant ', which also ran a restaurant business.
Since wars and heavy snowfalls usually occurred in winter, the rules of the fur trade here were that it would be closed once winter came. Although there were still a few guests at the Han Residence, most of the servants had gone home to rest for the winter. The courtyard was deserted and the door was deserted.
A short man wearing an old sheepskin coat and a pair of boots with anti-slip strips of leather stepped up the stairs. He pushed open the door and took off the sheepskin warm hat that covered his mouth and nose, revealing a rosy, round face. This was a young man with a strong head, thick eyebrows, and big eyes.
He first picked up the big teapot on the table and gulped down the tea. Then he wiped his mouth and said excitedly, "Father, I saw brother-in-law. He's now staying at the posthouse."
There was a clay pot on the charcoal stove. Inside, fresh and tender mutton with seasonings was bubbling. The aroma of meat filled the air. There were also dried lotus leaves, walnuts, and other side dishes on the table to go with the wine.
A sturdy man in his forties with rough facial features put down an orange-brown wine gourd and glared at him, saying, "Little brat, do I need you to tell me? We're taking root here, so we can't let anyone know about our relationship with your brother-in-law. You didn't let the cat out of the bag, did you? "
The little guy was naturally Han Mancang. He laughed and said proudly, "How could I? Father, I saw brother-in-law. I followed his army all the way, but he didn't see me. Father, when do you think brother-in-law will come to see us? I really miss him, and miss sister even more. Hehe, sister is about to give birth to a baby. I'm going to be an uncle. Just thinking about it makes me happy. "
Han Lin scolded his son, but his eyes were wide open. He was obviously very happy. He said, "The young master Wu Hanchao that your brother-in-law sent just left the city the day before yesterday. There's a war going on outside. He carried the Taoist and left. Although I sent someone to lead the way, I'm afraid he hasn't reached his destination yet. Your brother-in-law will have to stay here for a few days."
He slightly raised his thumb and said, "Ling 'er is accompanying this person. That's a very important matter. I'm afraid he won't come to see us immediately. Don't be anxious. Tell the men to keep their ears open and pay attention to all the movements in the city. Don't ruin your brother-in-law's important matter."
Han Mancang sat down on the long bench in disappointment. He grabbed his father's wine gourd and took a small sip. Then he quickly picked up his chopsticks and picked up a piece of mutton from the pot. He blew on it slightly and stuffed it into his mouth. He then said, "Hmm, you don't have to worry too much about this matter. Not a single stranger in the city can hide from the eyes of my friends. Who would be wary of a child running around the city?"
"That's right." Han Mancang leaned on the table and kicked his feet. "Have you investigated the merchants staying at the Savant's Building? There aren't many who come here to do business at this time of year. Their shopkeeper is still lagging behind and has been staying here for seven or eight days. It's really strange. "
Han Lin shook his head. "I haven't found anything. Perhaps they're new merchants and don't understand the weather and market here. That housewife and a few servants are holed up in the inn all day. They don't seem to have any ulterior motives.
In the chaos of war, carrying silver and large amounts of leather goods to travel north and south, it's normal for the servants to know martial arts. Furthermore, there's nothing suspicious about their travel documents. Just in case, I still told the inn's workers to keep an eye out. "
The 'Savant's Building' was the largest inn in Datong. It had a history of more than a hundred years. The first generation Dai Wang Zhu Gui's consort was the second daughter of the famous general Xu Da. This woman was very much like her father. Although her appearance was ordinary, she was skilled in martial arts. When she married into the Dai Wang's residence, she brought along a personal maid surnamed Song who was also skilled in martial arts. Later on, she left the Dai Wang's residence to marry someone else and opened this' Savant's Building 'here.
Because of the Dai Wang's relationship with the Dai Wang, the restaurant grew bigger and bigger. Gradually, it developed into a restaurant, an inn, a gambling house, and a brothel. This' Savant's Building 'occupied a large area. Although there were many businesses, they all had their own courtyards. Even the inn was divided into three buildings: high, middle, and low. As a result, people from all walks of life were willing to stay here.
Although Datong was a war-torn area, this kind of place was the easiest place to make a fortune. After more than a hundred years, the descendants of this restaurant had made a lot of money. The year before last, the Tartars almost attacked the city, scaring the owner so much that he didn't want to stay here anymore. However, there were too few people who could afford to buy this' Savant's Building '. As a result, the matter was dragged on. When the Inner Faction's influence expanded to this area, they secretly bought it. To the outside world, they claimed that it was the Song family's business, but in secret, it was managed by Han Lin.
The 'Savant's Building' was a mid-range inn in the 'Savant's Building', which suited the leather goods merchant's identity. Only the madam and a few servants lived in this family. They rented three guest rooms on the corner of the second floor. The middle room was for the madam, and the two rooms on either side were for the servants.
This madam walked briskly, and her actions and speech were similar to a man's. She was extremely crude. Although her figure was quite attractive, her freckles and pockmarks complemented each other. Unfortunately, this madam liked to wear heavy makeup. She drew on a pair of coquettish thin eyebrows, and below her nose was a big bloody mouth. Even the shop's experienced and knowledgeable servants did not like to look at her.
When they arrived, they said that the innkeeper had been delayed by business and that the madam could not make the decision, so they waited for the innkeeper's arrival. It had been seven or eight days. The innkeeper had just arrived at the inn with an accountant and six servants. The servants had already received Han Lin's orders. They sent someone to quietly inform Han Lin and brought a basin of water upstairs.
Inside the room, Yang Hu embraced his beloved wife. It was a long time before he let go. He said emotionally, "I was worried to death. That night, I did not expect to fall into that dog official Yang Ling's ambush. Even the place where the horses were hidden had long since been ambushed. I knew things were not looking good. I was afraid that he had already thoroughly investigated our background and that there would certainly be ambushes in the capital's large residence. So I took a few injured brothers and fled far away.
When I returned, I sent someone to the capital to inquire about you, but I heard that you had captured Yang Ling and used him as a hostage to escape the city. Only then did I relax. Why didn't you return to the stronghold to lie low? Why did you come to Datong dressed like this? The brother who sent the message didn't explain clearly. "
When Cui Ying 'er first saw her husband, she was also very excited. Now that she had calmed down, she remembered that her husband was blinded by greed and did not listen to her advice. Instead, he had killed his way to Gao Village under the bewitchment of Taoist Liu, causing him to lose two hundred of his trusted followers. She could not help but glare hatefully at him, and her expression also became cold.
She turned to see the old servant who was disguised as a servant looking at her with a smile. She hurriedly came forward and softly said, "Fifth Uncle."
The stronghold that Yang Hu mentioned was the Cui family's hill. Cui Ying 'er's old father and a group of old brothers used to roam the Lulin Forest. They were extremely prominent figures in the Lulin Forest in the north. When they were old, they did not want to mingle in the Lulin Forest anymore. Moreover, they only had one daughter, so they wanted the dozen or so mountain strongholds under their control to establish themselves. She and a group of old brothers retreated to the dense forest of Panlong Ridge. They relied on the family property they had accumulated when they were young and planted some medicinal herbs and grain in the mountains to live out their remaining years.
The Fifth Uncle that Cui Ying 'er mentioned was from the Cui family's stronghold. He was the sworn brother of Eldest Cui and was proficient in Eagle Claw Kung Fu. He had watched Cui Ying' er grow up and treated her like a blood relative.
He patted Cui Ying 'er's shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't be sad. Fifth Uncle has heard that you were able to create such a big scene in the capital. You're amazing. When the uncles in the mountain stronghold heard about it, they all felt proud."
Yang Hu was used to being teased by Cui Ying 'er, so he did not get angry. He still impatiently said, "Wife, since you escaped from the capital, why didn't you kill that Yang Ling while you were at it? Instead, you let him go back in one piece. After I heard about it, I really did not understand. Why talk about morality with the soldiers?"
Cui Ying 'er coldly glanced at him and did not answer him. Instead, she asked in return, "I asked you to come to Datong. Why did you ask Fifth Uncle to come? The people in the Cui family's mountain stronghold have already retired from Jianghu. When they get old, they don't use their muscles and bones. Fifth Uncle is old, and you still want him to run around with you? "
Yang Hu was speechless. Fifth Uncle hurriedly smiled and tried to smooth things over. "Look at the two of you, quarreling the moment you meet! This matter cannot be blamed on Yang Hu. After you guys created such a ruckus in the capital, the soldiers in Bazhou became ruthless. Many of the mountain strongholds were uprooted. If our old stronghold was not deep in the forest, it would be hard to avoid being affected.
Huzi suddenly lost two hundred of his most capable helpers. He still needs to uproot the stronghold and relocate the disciples. He needs people everywhere. When he heard you asking him to come to Datong in a hurry, he could not spare any capable helpers. Boss Cui's heart ached for the young master and was worried that something would happen to you. So I volunteered to follow … "
As he said this, he suddenly dashed to the door and pulled it open. The waiter who had just tiptoed to the door was startled and almost spilled a basin of water on the ground. He quickly smiled apologetically and said, "Hey, when the old master opened the door, this lowly one was startled. The shopkeeper is here. It's been a long journey, so this lowly one brought a basin of water."
A woman's sharp voice inside said, "Don't play dumb. You said you were only three days late. Why did you only come after seven or eight days? Tell me, which vixen charmed you? And you, don't help him play dumb. If I find out that you hid it from me, I'll break your legs! "
The waiter took a glance inside and saw a woman wearing a coarse red satin cotton-padded jacket. With one hand, she grabbed the ear of the tall and sturdy man, and with the other, she pointed at the waiter who was smiling apologetically in front of her. She opened her bloody mouth and angrily scolded the waiter.
Fifth Uncle, who was disguised as the accountant, coughed dryly and gave the waiter a look. He said, "I'll call you when we need water. You can leave first. The master and madam are discussing business."
The waiter held back his laughter and hurriedly agreed. He took the water and hurriedly left. Wu Shu waited until Wei Xiaobao turned the corner before he closed the door. He cocked his head and listened for a moment before signaling Yang Hu and Red Madame. "There are too many people in the inn," he said in a low voice, "Let's go inside and talk, the two of you guard outside."
Hu Dachui and Black Sparrow Hawk nodded and vigilantly stood by the door. Yang Hu, Cui Ying 'er, Fifth Uncle, and the others hid in the inner room. Red Madame told them that Old Taoist Liu and Cui' er were from the Maitreya Sect, and that they sent Yang Hu to the capital to assassinate the emperor. She also told them about how they heard that the emperor was coming to Datong to inspect and how they sold her out to avoid alerting the enemy.
These two pieces of news were like a bolt from the blue. Yang Hu was dumbfounded. He was stunned for a long time before he suddenly stood up. He gritted his teeth and said bitterly, "Maitreya Sect! Maitreya Sect! These goddamn bastards, I was actually used by them. My two hundred good brothers who went through fire and water with me! "
He punched the pillar of the room heavily. His face was livid and the flesh on his cheek was twitching.
The brothers who had just rushed over from the stronghold only now knew the details. They also gritted their teeth in hatred. The room was silent for a moment. After a long time, one of the brothers suddenly changed his expression and said, "Master Liu … Old Taoist Liu is from the Maitreya Sect? Son of a bitch! Then … then what he said about Brother Hu being the reincarnation of Ziwei and having the appearance of an emperor was also false? "
The people next to him all changed their expressions and looked at each other. Yang Hu was shocked. Only now did he realize the seriousness of the problem. The person who inadvertently revealed this vital point was called Feng Fuzhi. He was also a good brother who followed him wholeheartedly. Seeing everyone's expression, he could not help but be embarrassed and speechless.
Yang Hu was a little angry, but it was not convenient for him to lose his temper. It was Fifth Uncle who was old and shrewd. He hurriedly said, "Rivers and mountains are fought for by people. Who has ever heard of someone who is destined to be the emperor and does not need to fight to rule the world? Unless it is the current emperor's crown prince.
Emperor Taizu of Song and Zhu Hongwu fought side by side with a group of good brothers to conquer thousands of miles of rivers and mountains. What do you mean having the appearance of an emperor? Isn't it just people who make things up? We are robbers and horse thieves. We have long put our lives on the line. No one is a coward. If we fight to the death, we may not be unable to conquer the rivers and mountains.
Alright, let's have a good discussion. Ying 'er just said that the Maitreya Sect also wants to rebel. Heroes are born in troubled times. Let's see who can fight and who can fight. Didn't Yang Ling lead the army into the city today? According to Ying 'er's words, that Emperor Zhengde must also be in the army. We should think about how to avenge our dead brothers and how to get rid of Zhengde. "
Yang Hu was secretly grateful. He hurriedly said, "Fifth Uncle is right. It seems that the Maitreya Sect has also followed. We should pay more attention to Yang Ling's movements. The Maitreya Sect drives wolves to fight tigers. Don't we heroes of the underworld know this? It is rare for the emperor to leave the capital. Taking advantage of the chaos, let's find a chance to kill him! "
Red Madame said, "I don't agree. Along the way to Datong, there are many refugees. I have thought about it carefully these few days. The Maitreya Sect is in the dark while we are in the light. The soldiers are encircling and suppressing the mountain stronghold. If something happens to the emperor here, this debt will inevitably fall on our heads. At that time, even if they use the whole country's army to deal with us, it would be considered light to cut the weeds and eliminate the roots. "
She glanced at the people with different expressions and said, "Moreover … the Tatars are fighting outside the pass. We are rising to enforce justice on behalf of heaven. If the emperor dies at this time, the Tatars will take advantage of the chaos to enter the pass. The people of our Bazhou will be the first to suffer. Besides … "
Her eyes became misty. After a while, she said with disappointment and frustration, "Can we really conquer the world? If we can, will we govern the world? We originally said that we eat from the rich, don't pay taxes, and don't force the people to raise horses. That is because we don't know the cost of fuel and rice. It is easy to say. If we really rule the world, how can we not do this? "
Everyone looked at her in surprise. They didn't understand why she said this. Yang Hu angrily retorted, "According to what you said, my two hundred brothers died in vain? Don't we take revenge? "
Red Madame bit her lips and said softly, "If we go to kill them, do we expect them to stretch their necks and wait for us to chop them? We feel that killing the rich to help the poor is enforcing justice on behalf of heaven. Isn't it right for the government to catch the thief? Moreover, he is doing this to protect himself.
Every injustice has its perpetrator and every debt has its debtor. If it wasn't for Old Taoist Liu's nonsense about the change of the heavens and the destruction of the Emperor Star, we wouldn't have brought people to the capital. I hate it! I hate that we were used by the Maitreya Sect. The Maitreya Sect is hidden in the dark. We don't know where the headquarters is or where the cult leader is. We can't even talk about revenge. "
Her eyes flashed and she hatefully said, "Can the few of us kill the emperor in the midst of thousands of soldiers and horses? Moreover, the Maitreya Sect also wants to kill the emperor. They are a big tree with deep roots and must be prepared. Once the emperor dies, they must have a detailed plan to conquer the world.
Our power has been greatly damaged by the government and it's hard to compete with them. If we kill the emperor, won't we be making dowry for others? The Maitreya Sect has a blood feud with us. Whatever they want to do, I won't let them succeed. I'm waiting for the Maitreya Sect to take action. I'll do something in the dark to prove that this matter was done by the Maitreya Sect and lead the fire to them. "
Yang Hu was angry and annoyed. In his heart, he didn't think that the group of evil Taoists who walked the streets and deceived the villagers were anything great. Wherever the Bazhou Horse Bandits passed, even the soldiers of the Imperial Guards Institution were terrified, not to mention a group of common people who only knew how to swing hoes. How could they conquer the world?
In his heart, he had always thought that the current imperial court was the biggest obstacle to his success. If the emperor was killed, the Ming Destiny imperial court would be without a leader. The ambitious vassals would definitely fight each other. Even if the Maitreya Sect took the opportunity to rise, he still felt that their chances of winning would be greater.
Now he heard his wife say such discouraging words in front of his confidant. She actually wanted to protect the emperor and use the power of the military to deal with the Maitreya Sect. She was really petty. If a woman hated a person, how could she be so unreasonable?
Yang Hu couldn't help but say angrily, "A woman is knowledgeable. So what if we were used by them? Even without them, we would still have to deal with the imperial court sooner or later. Now that they are targeting Zhengde, we can fish in troubled waters. This is a rare opportunity, how can we miss it? "
Red Madame stood up and said angrily, "What's wrong with being knowledgeable? If you are knowledgeable, how can you be used by others? How many books have you read? I feel that our original plan was indeed too shallow. We are still good at fighting and killing, but I don't understand these big principles. Do you think you do? "
Yang Hu was also angry. He said with a smile and anger, "What are you saying? Why are you suddenly talking about reading? Could it be that your big principles were taught to you by a teacher? "
"I …" Red Madame choked and stomped her feet angrily. "I don't know anything else, but I know that the Maitreya Sect is our enemy. They want to kill the emperor, and I want to use the emperor to kill them. I know that if you take the opportunity to make a move, the brothers in the stronghold, their parents, wives, and children will all follow you and have nowhere to hide. Instead, the Maitreya Sect will take advantage of this. I can't take this lying down. "
Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, Fifth Uncle hurriedly said, "Yang Ling just arrived in Datong today and won't be leaving for a while. Regardless of whether we make a move or not, there's no rush. It won't be too late to plan after we find out their background. You and your wife escaped death, and you just met, so don't hurt your feelings."
After saying that, he pouted at Yang Hu and said, "We haven't had a full meal on the way here. Let's quickly wash up and go eat something and have a drink or two."
Red Madame snorted heavily, twisted her waist, and sat on the bed. She angrily turned her head away and didn't say a word.
Yang Hu was pulled out by Fifth Uncle. The other brothers saw that the situation was not good and hurriedly followed. Feng Fuzhi whispered to a brother beside him, "I think what sister-in-law said makes sense. Besides … the mountain gate has been destroyed, and some of the strongholds are already suspicious of big brother's destiny. If Old Taoist Liu is the Maitreya Sect …"
"Shh …" The other man saw that Yang Hu and his wife were suppressing their anger and quickly pulled on Feng Fuzhi's clothes. Feng Fuzhi quickly shut up. However, Yang Hu's ears were extremely sharp, and he'd already heard their whispers clearly. He was in a fit of rage, and when he heard these disheartening words, he wished for nothing more than to give Feng Fuzhi a slap on the face.
Yang Hu suppressed his anger and walked forward. Thinking of Feng Fuzhi's words, he couldn't help but be secretly shocked. His brothers in the stronghold were trustworthy. However, in the past two years, he had recruited troops and expanded rapidly. Some of the strongholds he had subdued were subdued by his martial strength, or they were obsessed with the rumors that he was the destined one. If this news were to spread …
If he secretly told these brothers to hide this matter, wouldn't it be obvious that he was lying? Wouldn't it be obvious that he was also doubting his own destiny? Everyone in the underworld knew that big brother Yang Hu was an open and aboveboard man. How could he say such words to them?
As Yang Hu walked, he secretly thought of a solution. As he walked, an evil thought suddenly flashed across his mind, causing Yang Hu to be secretly shocked. He hurriedly raised his head, not even daring to think about it anymore.
※ ※ ※
Early in the morning, Yang Ling and Zhang Yong brought two hundred guards to the Acting Prince's residence to pay their respects. Zhengde blended in with the guards happily and contentedly. In the past, wherever he went, he was the center of attention. He had to pay attention to his words and actions as an emperor. Now, he was relaxed. Looking at the low houses by the roadside, the soldiers passing by leisurely, and the hawkers peddling on the streets during the Lunar New Year, he seemed unusually novel.
Even though he was the Sovereign of the Nine and Five, the ruler of the world, he looked like an ordinary guard when mixed in with these guards. From the outside, no one would be able to tell that he was different even if they swept their eyes over him.
The Acting Prince's residence was located on the East Main Street. It faced south and had a total of four gates: East Gate, West Gate, North Gate, North Gate, and South Gate, Duanli Gate. Duanli Gate was the main gate of the prince's residence. The prince's residence was surrounded by high walls made of rammed bricks, making it an independent courtyard that was isolated from the outside world. The commoners called it the "Imperial City."
In front of the Duanli Gate, there was a huge screen wall that was more than a hundred feet long and nearly thirty feet tall. It was made of glass of peacock blue, green, yellow, medium yellow, light yellow, purple and other colors, forming a magnificent screen wall. On the Sumeru Throne, there were nine glass wall dragons.
The lower part of the wall was surging turquoise waves, while the upper part was blue clouds and yellow flowing clouds. The huge dragons were connected by clouds, flowing clouds, waves, cliffs, and water plants. It was colorful and magnificent.
This Nine Dragon Wall was much bigger than the wall in the Imperial Palace. The thirteenth prince Zhu Gui and the prince of Yan, Zhu Di, were born from the same mother. Among the princes, their relationship was much closer. Their consorts were also Xu Da's daughters, so their relationship was even closer. In the past, Emperor Jianwen wanted to remove the vassal states. He first made his move on the Acting Prince and imprisoned him. It was only when the prince of Yan successfully rebelled that he was rescued.
Afterwards, the unruly Acting Princess went to the capital to see the wall in the capital. When she came back, she insisted that the Acting Prince build a wall that was even bigger than the capital. The Acting Prince was afraid of his wife and hastily agreed. As a result, this Nine Dragon Wall appeared.
Yang Ling and Zhang Yong handed over the visiting cards. In a short while, the Prince's Head Steward came out with two little eunuchs to welcome them. Yang Ling and Zhang Yong hastily dismounted from their horses. The Prince's Head Steward smiled and said, "His Highness heard that the two Imperial Envoys have arrived. He was very happy and sent this servant to welcome you. Daren, please."
Yang Ling and Zhang Yong hastily agreed with a smile. They each brought eight imperial bodyguards and entered the Prince's Mansion accompanied by the Acting Prince's Head Steward. After passing Cheng Yun Gate, Cheng Yun Hall, Chongxin Gate, Cheng Xin Hall, they turned west and arrived at Yin An Hall. This was the main hall of the Prince's Mansion.
The green tiles on the ground were square and neat. The tiles were as smooth as a mirror. The Acting Prince was wearing a python dragon robe and welcomed them with a smile. The Acting Prince was more than fifty years old. He had a pale face and a small beard. He was short and stout, but he looked very amiable.
Although the two of them were Imperial Envoys, the Acting Prince was a member of the imperial family. Normally, there was no need to be so courteous. However, the two of them were the Emperor's most trusted ministers. This generation's Acting Prince was low-key and did not want to offend them.
Although Datong appeared a lot more desolate because of the harsh winter and the war, the Acting Prince's Mansion was a different scene. Every hall, every brick, every pillar, every flower, every tree, everything was ingenious. The Yin An Hall was painted red and chalk, with carved beams and painted rafters. It was a dazzling sight, luxurious and noble.
The two of them were Imperial Envoys. His Highness first kowtowed to the Emperor as a subject to greet him. The two of them stood upright and accepted the greeting on behalf of Zhengde. Then they kowtowed to the Acting Prince. Both sides exchanged pleasantries before they took their respective seats.
After exchanging pleasantries for a long time, the Acting Prince asked, "His Majesty invites the two daren to Datong to contribute to the army and to inspect the war situation at the border. When will the two of you summon Yang Yiqing back to the city?"
Yang Ling bowed and replied, "Replying to Wangye, this lowly official heard that the war situation at the front is very urgent. As the commander-in-chief, Yang Zongzhi cannot rashly leave the battlefield. Therefore, tomorrow I want to go with Zhang Gong-gong to Zhenqiang Castle to visit Sir Yang and to inspect the defense there."
The Acting Prince chuckled, his two eyes narrowing into slits. He nodded incessantly and said, "Very good, very good. This year the Tatars have gathered a large number of troops. Ben Wang is very worried. Luckily His Majesty sent a capable general like Yang Yiqing. He has fought the war well and should be rewarded."
He raised his teacup and gently took a sip. With a smile, he said, "Although this is a time of war, ben Wang wants to take a side fei. His Majesty has already agreed. This matter cannot be delayed. In five days, ben Wang will be taking a side fei. At that time, two Imperial Envoys must come to the wang fu to drink a cup of wine."
If Wangye wanted to take an ordinary concubine, there was no need to report to the Emperor. But a side fei was still a wang fei. She had to request for an imperial edict from the Emperor and have it recorded in the Imperial Family's genealogy. This Wangye was around fifty years old and had even gone to great lengths to take a concubine of status into his household. It seemed that he loved that girl very much.
Yang Ling and Zhang Yong had already stood up when they saw him serve tea. Hearing these words, they couldn't help smiling at each other. Bowing together, they said, "So Wangye has such a joyous occasion. Congratulations, congratulations. In five days, this lowly official will definitely come to the wang fu to congratulate you. Wangye is busy, the two lowly officials do not dare to disturb you. We will take our leave now! "
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