Yang Ling received the imperial edict and rushed to the Inspector-General's yamen. He ordered people to invite the dozens of officials out of the prison and read the edict in front of everyone. The edict said that the Emperor was worried and angry when he heard that Gu Daeyong had been implicated and that many innocent officials were imprisoned. He ordered Yang Ling to immediately release all the officials, restore them to their positions, and remove Gu Daeyong from his post to investigate.
When the officials heard the imperial edict, they burst into thunderous cheers and cried tears of joy. With a smile, Yang Ling walked around the official table and helped up the injured officials. He comforted them and said that the miller, Liu Guang, was indeed a member of the Maitreya Cult. Because he was already dead, he would not be pursued, but his family property would be confiscated.
Yang Ling revealed this news to the officials that the Emperor's order to arrest the Maitreya Cult was not without purpose. There were indeed people from the cult in the government. It was just that Gu Daeyong could not understand the Emperor's intentions and gave up eating for fear of choking. His actions were inappropriate.
As the Dongchang Factory Supervisor, Gu Daeyong had a close relationship with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Liu Jin. Looking at all levels of officials in Datong, other than the Acting Prince, only Yang Ling had the qualifications and courage to speak to the Emperor without giving him face.
When the Acting Prince was besieged by Mount Baideng a few days ago, it was obvious that the entire city would fall if the army left the city, and that they had no choice but to defend the city and wait for reinforcements. However, he still bore the crime of watching the Emperor fall into danger without rescuing him. How could he come out at this time and invite a snub?
The officials all had eyes and ears. Yesterday, their comrades had invited Yang Ling to a banquet and asked him to speak to the Emperor. Someone had already quietly passed the news to them. In their hearts, they were certain that Yang Ling had pleaded for mercy on behalf of the officials in front of the Emperor, and that everyone had been released from prison.
People were most grateful to those who helped in the hour of need. In addition, during the emperor's trip to Datong, Yang Ling was the one who had been running around to arrange the arrangements. This matter was obvious to all. Now that Yang Ling had dealt a heavy blow to Boyan and ensured the peace of Datong for several years, he had done both public and private favors. In their hearts, these local officials had already regarded Yang Ling as a high-ranking official in the court that they could rely on and be close to.
Some idiots would pull out the donkey when someone else was leading it. Gu Daeyong pulled out the donkey and then handed it to someone else. However, he was diligent. Early in the morning, he got up and went to the main hall to continue the interrogation. Although Gu Daeyong did not dare to use the cruelest methods of the factory guards, the ordinary tools of torture were not something these officials could withstand.
The officials who had been unjustly punished for no reason hated him to the bone, but as the saying goes, "Once you enter the Dongchang gate, you will lose a layer of skin if you don't die", so they could only grit their teeth and endure it. Only a few dared to curse him to his face.
Gu Daeyong sat cross-legged on the official hat chair, holding a teacup. With a smile that did not reach his eyes, he ordered people to hang two rows of officials on a wooden frame, with large stones at their feet. "Pull out the big ones."
Those officials had only eaten a bowl of cold prison food in the morning. Now their hands were tied, and large stones were tied to their ankles. The ropes were so tight that blood seeped out of their hands and feet. A few foreigners were flaunting their prowess and scolding, "If you are not from the Maitreya Cult, then you are dirty officials who have been bribed and used by them. If you don't want to suffer any more physical pain, then confess honestly. How much money have you received from the Maitreya Cult? What have you done for them? Tell us …"
Before the voice died away, two rows of foreigners wearing green clothes and red hats, with podaos and white boots, walked in proudly and stood on the two sides of the main hall. Gu Daeyong was stunned. Without orders and without notification, who would have the guts to enter the main hall?
What he did not know was that ever since the Dongchang foreigners had been brutally attacked by the regular army with guns and cannons, they had suffered from a serious "fear of the Inner Factory". The capital was still concealing the news that the Emperor had left the capital, so Gu Daeyong and Yang Fang had also come to Datong as imperial envoys.
As the saying goes, 'evil people will be tortured by evil people'. As soon as the Dongchang imperial envoy's subordinates saw the troops of the imperial envoys, they were terrified from the bottom of their hearts. As soon as they saw Yang Ling personally leading the troops of the imperial envoys to announce the imperial edict, the foreigners guarding outside the door were as silent as cicadas in winter. Not only did they not dare to stop them, they did not even have the guts to leave to report the news.
Yang Ling walked in slowly, followed by Liu Biao and Wu Hanchao. As soon as Gu Daeyong saw him, he suddenly understood. He quickly stood up and said with a smile, "I say, no wonder this bunch of monkeys did not even let out a fart. Turns out Mr Yang has arrived. Hehehe, come, come, come, please sit. Is His Majesty worried about the Maitreya Cult spies? Mr Yang, don't worry. With me, the Governor, in action, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I will dig them all out. "
With a straight face, Yang Ling said, "Gu Daeyong receives the imperial edict!"
Gu Daeyong was taken aback. He quickly lifted his robe and knelt down, facing the south to receive the imperial edict. Yang Ling unfolded the imperial edict and read it out loud. He then put it away and glanced at the dumbstruck Gu Daeyong. He flicked his sleeve and said, "Come, strip Gu Daeyong's python robe and jade belt. Immediately release all the daren."
Two rows of foreigners immediately rushed forward to release the hanging daren. Yang Ling cupped his fists and said, "Daren, this official has already informed your family members to come and receive you. Would all daren please return to your residences and recuperate first. After your injuries are healed, you will resume your duties. Gu Daeyong has arbitrarily violated the Emperor's order and punished indiscriminately. His Majesty has already issued an imperial edict to investigate, he will give everyone an explanation!"
Yang Ling waved his hand, the various daren's family members and servants were let in. They were in a mess, crying and screaming. Those daren's feet were injured and could not stand steadily, but they were still supported by their family members. They went forward to thank His Majesty and Yang Ling, and then took their leave one by one.
Gu Daeyong's complexion was ashen, he knelt there without moving. It was not until the courtyard was empty that he was frightened. He grabbed Yang Ling's sleeve and cried loudly, "Mr. Yang, the Old Slave wants to see His Majesty. The Old Slave was loyal and devoted to His Majesty's service."
Yang Ling had been standing upright with a calm expression, he did not even give him a glance. Now that all the officials had been taken away, his face suddenly changed into a smile. He affectionately pulled Gu Daeyong up and said with a smile, "Gu Gonggong, what are you doing? Although your conduct was impetuous, aroused the resentment of the civil and military officials of Datong, caused the morale of the army to be uneasy, and there were countless casualties in the camp last night, the garrison troops in each town are in a state of panic, and there are signs of a mutiny, but His Majesty's heart is very generous and has treated you well. Gu Gonggong's imperial favor has not waned, please be at ease. "
"Huh?" When Gu Daeyong heard that he had caused so much trouble, his face turned paler with each sentence he heard. When he heard that there seemed to be some leeway in the end, his deathly pale face regained some color. He hurriedly wiped his tears and tugged on Yang Ling's sleeve, saying, "Mr. Yang, what do you mean by this? His Majesty does not resent the Old Slave? "
Yang Ling pulled Gu Daeyong to one side and whispered in his ear. When Gu Daeyong heard this, his tears turned into a smile. He said, "Many thanks to Daren for interceding on my behalf. Ai, I only wanted to make a contribution in front of His Majesty, but I have underestimated the power of these local officials."
Yang Ling waved his hand and said, "Not at all, not at all. This is His Majesty's benevolence. To tell the truth, this matter has indeed caused the morale of the Datong army to be greatly depressed. Yesterday, the 'Battalion Howl' suffered several thousand casualties, and there are already signs of mutiny in the army. Left with no other choice, Commander Yang could only submit a memorial to His Majesty to impose sanctions to calm the army's morale. To tell the truth, I was forced to do so.
"Ah?" Gu Daeyong had thought that Yang Ling had put in a good word for him, but he had not expected that Yang Ling would also hit him when he was down. But now that his own future and life were in Yang Ling's hands, he did not dare to flare up. His heart was filled with resentment, and his face alternated between green and white. He mumbled something, not knowing what to say.
Yang Ling softly said, "Gonggong Gu, His Majesty is slowly growing up. This time, at the siege of Mount Baishan, thousands of soldiers pointed their spearheads at His Majesty alone, but His Majesty was calm and unafraid, calm and composed. His Majesty is no longer an insensible child. Our personal friendship is excellent, but now that you have caused such a disaster, if I were to plead for leniency for you in front of His Majesty, what would His Majesty think? "
"I am the Inner Factory Supervisor, and you are the Factory Supervisor of Dongchang. Both of us hold great power in our hands. His Majesty sees that we are of the same breath and branch, echoing each other, so how could he not be wary? Even if he had wanted to pardon you, I'm afraid he would have had to make a prompt decision to prevent future troubles. Gonggong Gu has taken care of His Majesty since he was young, so this affection cannot be thin. If he sees that I am also hitting him when he is down and requests for severe punishment, His Majesty's compassion will rise … Hehehe. "
"Ah!" Gu Daeyong suddenly understood. Raising his thumb, he praised, "So daren is taking a step back in order to advance. Brilliant, brilliant. Daren has really gone to great lengths for our family. Time really reveals a person's heart. Daren, I am deeply grateful!"
Although Yang Yiqing was a straightforward person, he was not a hothead. Since he had bluntly requested the Emperor to severely punish Gu Daeyong, without the slightest concern for his own future, Yang Ling could guess that the atmosphere in the army was indeed tense, and that it could explode at any moment. Without a strong dose of medicine, it would be difficult to quell the anger of the people.
But given Emperor Zhengde's protective personality, asking him to punish someone close to him was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. If he did not lend Yang Yiqing a hand, Zhengde would certainly not make up his mind to punish Gu Daeyong, and then Datong would be in a dangerous situation. Now that he had helped Yang Yiqing, Gu Daeyong would sooner or later find out what he had said in front of the Emperor. Rather than letting him suspect and resent him, it was better to say it now, so as to avoid making an unnecessary enemy.
Seeing Gu Daeyong's appearance, Yang Ling let out a sigh of relief. He spoke with an expression of complete sincerity, "Gonggong, ever since Yang entered the capital, you, Liu Gonggong, and the others have taken care of him. Of the internal and external courts, we are the closest. Tell me, if I don't help you, who should I help?
It's a pity that you were rash and gave others a handle on your weakness, so you can't keep your position as Dongchang's Chang Gong any longer. After returning to the capital, I will recommend to the Emperor that you go to Jiangnan to preside over the opening of the sea trade. Heh heh, when the time comes, ten thousand countries will come and go, gold and silver will flow like water. I don't know how many people will be jealous of this fat job.
Gonggong lost the mulberry elm, but gained the reputation a hundred years later. "Gu Daeyong nodded his head repeatedly as he listened. Yang Ling patted his shoulder again and said in a sincere and heartfelt tone," Gonggong Gu, in the officialdom, you can't just rely on the Emperor's favor and trust to do whatever you want. In the future, you must be careful and do your best to handle the opening of the sea trade well. Not only will glory, splendor, wealth and rank be at your fingertips, regardless of whether it's the power in this world or the fame in a hundred years, who can compare to you? "
He smiled slightly and said, "Think about how mighty the Eunuch Three Treasures was in the past. Who in the external and internal courts didn't give him some respect? If it wasn't for an unearthly merit, it wouldn't be possible to have such a sharp edge. "
Wealth, fame, power, one beautiful future after another dazzled Gu Daeyong's eyes. The dejection from being dismissed as the supervisor of Dongchang's factories was immediately swept away. If he went to Jiangnan and did something spectacular, he would be able to shake the world like Zheng He.
He had listened to Yang Ling's warning. He had worked with Li Guang and had seen with his own eyes how the Hongzhi Emperor's most favored Li Guang had gone from being arrogant to being crushed. He had originally thought that the little Emperor was easy to bully. After gaining power in Dongchang, his wariness had gradually disappeared and he had become arrogant. After today's matter, he had finally woken up with a start.
Hearing the words of Yang Ling's confidant, Gu Daeyong's heart was moved to tears. He obediently followed him to the courier station and was scolded by Zhengde. Gu Daeyong already knew where he would be settled after returning to the capital, so he only smiled and pretended to be careful. He allowed Zhengde to vent his anger and didn't argue.
Zhengde had enough scolding and felt that Gu Daeyong was doing things for himself. Although the matter had failed, it was still better than those officials who had been evasive and perfunctory about his edict. His official position had been removed and he had been scolded badly. It was truly pitiful for him to keep smiling and not say anything. He waved his hand and dismissed Gu Daeyong.
Yang Ling discussed the matter of appeasing the army with Zhengde. Zhengde ordered Inspector Hu Zan to represent the Emperor to visit the innocent officials who had been imprisoned. Then Yang Ling brought another edict and rushed to the pass to appease the army.
The Datong military officials who had been arrested were all released and immediately restored to their positions. The Dongchang factory officials were removed from their positions and investigated. The officers and soldiers of the three armies were rewarded and the entire army retreated to the pass to rest and reorganize. After returning to the capital, the Emperor would raise the rank of the high-ranking military officers who had performed meritorious service in battle. The officers and soldiers of the border army would take turns to enter the capital and change the garrison in the capital. When these soldiers, who had been guarding the bitter cold all year round, heard this exciting news, they were immediately overjoyed and cheered "Long live the Emperor". For a moment, the mountains echoed and the sound could be heard both inside and outside the Great Wall.
Although the morale of the army had been pacified, but the border was an important place and could not be careless. Yang Ling and Yang Yiqing discussed and arranged for Jing Fuer and Xu Tai to each be stationed at two passes that were heavily garrisoned. This way, with the addition of Yang Yiqing and Wang Shouren each guarding one side, the four important passes and Datong's Du Renguo could coordinate with each other from a distance and suppress the other garrisons. If there was a mutiny among the troops, they could be quickly separated and annihilated to prevent the situation from escalating.
After spending two days, everything calmed down. The Emperor's return to the capital became the most important matter at hand. Yang Ling had already learned of the news of the rumors that had spread in the capital through various channels. This news had already spread, and under the spread of people with ulterior motives, the more it spread, the more bizarre it became. The people of the capital were alarmed and Yang Ling was also afraid that the local vassal kings would have improper thoughts. At the very least, if the affairs of the court had been neglected for too long, it would ultimately be disadvantageous to the country. If anything were to happen, the merit of the Great Harmony would be erased. Seeing that Tang Yixian's illness had improved in the past few days, he set off for the capital.
When the Emperor had left the capital, he had traveled incognito, and now that Yang Ling had purposefully spread the news of the Emperor's defeat of Boyan at Datong, through the official and internal affairs channels, the Emperor's return to the capital could not be stealthily carried out. Thus, a grandiose procession of carriages, banners fluttering in the wind, openly departed from Datong and set off for the capital …
※ ※ ※
Cui Ying 'er hid during the day and went out at night, avoiding the layers of official defenses and taking small paths. After two days, she arrived at Xing Village. After two days of travel, she had made up her mind to preserve her chastity by dying. Only then did her feelings of shame and embarrassment fade a little.
With her innocence tainted, the person Red Lady was most ashamed to see now was Yang Hu. However, if she were to quietly end her life, Yang Hu was certain to blame this on Yang Ling.
Yang Ling's authority reached the heavens. Regardless of whether Yang Hu could kill him or not, Ba Province and even the Cui family's old stronghold were in danger of being searched by the soldiers. How could Cui Ying 'er be willing to add another sin to her body before death? She could only brace herself and shamelessly come to see Yang Hu.
Along the way, she also carefully listened to Fifth Uncle's last words, but she still could not understand the meaning of 'Li Fuda is hidden in the crowd'. She had wandered in Jianghu for many years, but she had never heard of a sect or place like 'group' or 'group'. She had asked the local farmers along the way, but they did not know the details. This matter became a mystery in her heart.
However, she understood Fifth Uncle's martial arts. Now that she had calmed down, she also expected that if there was no opportunity to launch a sneak attack, she would definitely not be Li Fuda's match with her martial arts skills. She had to spread the news of Fifth Uncle's death back to the mountains. Perhaps an experienced Jianghu person like her father would know the meaning of Fifth Uncle's words, and then find Li Fuda's hiding place to avenge him. Before she died, she only had these two unresolved matters on her mind.
Xing Village's Julong Inn was the largest carriage and horse shop. All sorts of people were mixed in, and it was extremely easy to hide one's tracks. When Cui Ying 'er arrived at the place, she quietly observed for a while. She found that there were no soldiers or Yamachi soldiers paying much attention to this inn, so she sneaked into the inn and asked the waiter to look through the guest book. However, she did not find the disguised guest that Yang Hu and the others had arranged to stay in the inn.
Red Lady's heart tightened. Could it be that something happened to Yang Hu and the others? Cui Ying 'er, who had always been strong, was heroic. When she first entered the capital, if necessary, she even dared to break into the Forbidden City. However, during this trip to Datong, some people lost their lives, and some lost their virginity. She was like a walnut whose hard shell had been cracked open. She really could not bear the blow of such bad news.
Red Lady walked out of the inn and looked around. She found a few seemingly meaningless patterns engraved on the wall of the house. They were just some simple circles, squares, and arrowheads. They were so messy that they looked like they were randomly drawn by a bored child on the adobe wall. However, the positions were a little higher.
Red Lady carefully looked at them for a while, then turned around and walked to the street. A girl dressed like an ordinary village girl, with an ordinary appearance, quickly disappeared in the crowd …
It was late at night.
On the west side of Xing Village was a river that was more than a hundred meters wide. In the rainy season, the river was divided into several streams. The shallow water flowed in several deep ravines in the river. Only when mountain torrents broke out would the entire river be filled with yellow-brown water. When the water flowed out of the river, it would submerge the highlands on both sides. Therefore, no one built houses in this area.
Now the river was covered with snow. The frozen ice of the shallow river became thin and brittle because of the gradually warming weather. If one accidentally stepped on it, one's shoes would be soaked.
Tonight was a crescent moon. The crescent moon was curved, and its faint silver radiance gently sprinkled on the ground.
Under the moonlight, a figure lightly swept across the river like a leopard. She lay on the bank and quietly waited for a while. When she found that no one was following her, she jumped up and flew away. After a few leaps, she suddenly lay in the snow and turned around to look back. With her alertness, although the moonlight was dim, it was really difficult to follow her.
Halfway up the mountain, there were three broken kilns that had long been abandoned. A man limped out with a wooden stick and squatted down to fill a half-broken clay pot with snow. On the left and right were uneven rocks and mounds. The ground in front of him was also full of holes because of the digging. Under the moonlight, it was a mottled scene.
"Dachui, let me do it. It's not convenient for you. Go and rest for a while." Yang Hu walked out and said to him, reaching out to take the clay pot.
Hu Dachui snorted heavily and reached out to pull the clay pot. Intentionally or unintentionally, he blocked it. Yang Hu's face couldn't help but heat up. He said in a low voice, "Dachui, what's wrong with you?"
Hu Dachui was silent for a moment, then said in a muffled voice, "First Master, what did we say about sister-in-law going into the city to kill Yang Ling? We'll first attack a few checkpoints to attract the attention of the soldiers. As long as sister-in-law safely enters the city, we'll wait for her at Xing Village. Is that right? "
"Yes, what's wrong?" Yang Hu's eyes narrowed. A strange smile appeared on his face as he asked softly.
"What's wrong? You're asking me what's wrong? Da Dage, we brothers have gone through fire and water with you, we did not even crease our brows, but we must not fight a muddled war. I heard the Emperor's Duoyan Sanwei outside the Great Unity Conference's Great Unity Pass is fighting the Tatars.
At this time, the city is full of soldiers. How can it be so easy for sister-in-law to find a chance to kill Yang Hu? Can't we just wait here for sister-in-law to come back? Fine, take us to Hu Laocai's house to wash the Hu's dam. There are more than ten wolfdogs in that house. They didn't check the place properly beforehand. Wu Laoer was held back by the dogs and let a strong citizen's manure fork be trampled to death. Isn't that a coward? "
He grabbed the dog skin hat and started crying. As he cried, he suddenly wiped his face and said, "Then, we went to the Yellow Goat Guards Station to kill the commander. Isn't that courting death? With just the few of us, how many nails can we hit even if we're made of iron? These few fights are all messy and muddled. Our good brothers are almost all dead. The only one left is Black Sparrow Hawk lying in the kiln. He's dying even without medicine. You still want to take revenge tomorrow night? Big Brother, what the hell are you doing? "
The smile on Yang Hu's face turned cold. The corner of his mouth twitched. He asked sternly, "Dachui, what's the first rule of our fort? Have you forgotten?"
Hu Dachui raised his head and said stubbornly, "I haven't forgotten. We follow First Master's orders and travel the world. If we disobey Master's orders, we will be executed! But whether we are a pack of tigers or a pack of wolves, the leader can't lead everyone into a dead end even though he knows it's a dead end. How can we help sister-in-law by doing these things?
First Master, how did Hong Fuzhi die in the Guards Station? Tell me! He could have dodged that arrow, but you just so happened to flash behind him, leaving him with nowhere to dodge and taking that arrow head-on? I didn't think too much about it at the time. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that something was wrong. "
A dangerous glint flashed in Yang Hu's eyes. He chuckled and said, "Da Chui, you're in the wrong here. Tell me, we're brothers who have gone through thick and thin together. Do you think I'm the one who intentionally harmed him? What am I after? "
Hu Dachui growled in grief and indignation, "I just don't understand. What is First Master after? What are you after? You have no reason to lead everyone to death. But you are clearly sending everyone to their deaths! I won't go tomorrow night. I'm going to kidnap a doctor to treat Black Sparrow Hawk and carry him back to the fort. His blind mother only has this one son. I have to think of a way to bring him back. "
After saying that, Hu Dachui stood up and walked towards the cave. Yang Hu's eyes shone. When he saw Hu Dachui walk to the entrance of the cave, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and stood up with a low growl. He punched Hu Dachui's ribs heavily.
Hu Dachui was well-trained in martial arts, but his hard body skills were not as good as Yang Hu's. Caught off guard, he was hit in the ribs. He grunted and the sound of bones breaking could be heard. Hu Dachui slammed into the wall of the cave with a bang. The broken bones pierced his heart, and blood flowed out of his mouth.
He stared at Yang Hu in shock and disbelief. He said hoarsely, "Why? Why? You … you … "
Under the moonlight, Hu Dachui's gaze was like a bone-piercing cold arrow to Yang Hu. He didn't dare to look at Hu Dachui's eyes again, but those eyes kept staring at him. Yang Hu shrank back, then roared in anger and hatred. He pounced forward and punched Hu Dachui's chest heavily.
Bones cracked, chest caved in, and blood gushed out.
Yang Hu grabbed Hu Dachui's shoulder with one hand and clenched his other hand into an iron fist. He punched Hu Dachui's chest fiercely, and with a trembling voice, he growled angrily, "Don't look at me! I don't want to be stained with your blood. Why did you force me? Why did you force me? You bastard! "
Hu Dachui's strong body was pressed against the wall of the cave. His chest had caved in completely. Blood flowed out of his mouth and onto Yang Hu's hands, arms, and even his face. Hu Dachui seemed to have gone mad. As he punched, tears rolled down his cheeks. "You are all my good brothers. Why do you have to be the ones who spoil my plans? You are the ones who are looking for death. You are the ones who are looking for death! "
The person who had quietly appeared behind the protruding rock stood there in a daze. He looked like Hu Dachui's corpse that would have fallen to the ground if Yang Hu had not held onto him tightly. He was limp, and as Yang Hu punched him, he shuddered.
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