Leading a group of personal guards, Song Ai was rushing toward the Governor-General Mansion when suddenly she saw a white-haired old man shouting and wrangling, 'The soldiers are fighting, my tavern is destroyed!' Hastily she had someone stop him and asked, "Senior, what happened?"
The old man stamped his feet and said, "Miss, don't block my way. There are two groups of soldiers fighting in my restaurant. I am rushing to the governor's mansion to report this."
Song Ai led her army to Suzhou and was stationed on a slope outside the city. Not only did Yang Ling give them half a month's worth of rations, he also gave them a thousand taels of silver as a reward for their meritorious service in killing the pirates the day before. Song Ai was elated and rushed to the Governor's Manor to express her gratitude.
At this moment, when she heard that the soldiers were fighting, Song Ai couldn't help but raise her eyebrows and shout, "Which blind fool is it? The Supervisor Marshal has won a great victory and the common people are very happy, yet they are causing trouble at this time. Come, take me to see!"
The old man said bitterly, "Miss, there are two groups of soldiers. I heard there is also a … a general. You can't afford to offend them. Don't delay my business. If you wait any longer, the restaurant will be torn down."
One of the soldiers said proudly, "Our leader is a female general. The emperor himself gave her the title. How can we not control them?"
Song Ai was a Cang Jiang, but she was a Zong Zong, so her official rank was higher than that of a Cang Jiang. As soon as she heard her subordinate's words, the young lady unconsciously puffed out her ample chest and proudly said, "Don't worry, whoever dares to disobey, I will take him down and flog him forty times. Lead the way!"
The old man had heard from the diners that the soldiers who helped the governor defeat the pirates last night were the wolf soldiers of the Guangxi Zhuang family. Their leader was a female general. He did not expect it to be this beautiful young lady in front of him. If it was this heroine who could defeat the pirates, dealing with a few soldiers would not be a problem.
He hurriedly led Song Ai back to the restaurant. By this time, the Shandong and Sichuan soldiers were fighting with all their might. But the Sichuan soldiers were generally shorter than the Shandong soldiers. Moreover, Jiang Zhou, who had just run down the stairs, was hit by a stool and was now lying unconscious on the ground. Without a leader, the Sichuan soldiers had fallen into a disadvantageous position. They were being chased around the restaurant by a group of Shandong men.
Song Ai stepped into the restaurant and saw the mess inside. She couldn't help but shout, "Stop! Whose soldiers are you? How dare you be so bold! "
When a Shandong soldier saw that it was a pretty little girl, he threw down the stool leg in his hand and said with a grin, "Little girl, why are you getting involved in a fight between men? Just stay at home and cook and take care of the kids. He's just asking for a beating!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw one of his companions being dragged to the ground by two Sichuan soldiers, who were riding on him and beating him up. He immediately roared and pounced on them. Song Ai shouted, "I am the General Commander, you must listen to me."
The soldiers from both sides were in the midst of fighting, so no one wanted to listen to this little girl's shouts. Song Ai was the leader of the Southern Elixir Province, and she usually had a lot of subordinates at her beck and call. When had she ever been given the cold shoulder? Seeing this situation, she couldn't help but fly into a rage. She waved her hand and shouted, "Take them all down!"
Seeing that their leader had given the order, a group of Zhuang men immediately rushed in and joined the fight, causing the owner of the restaurant to run around in circles in anxiety. Another few dozen men joined the small restaurant and this time it was a real mess. Luckily these strong family soldiers' physiques were stronger to begin with and the Sichuan and Lu soldiers' strength was more or less exhausted. After a round of tangled fighting, they were finally all captured by her people.
In the front courtyard of the Governor's mansion, the soldiers who had been beaten black and blue stood in the courtyard. On the ground next to them, a stretcher was put together using a table. That General Jiang Zhou, who had not yet won a battle, was lying on it. After being treated by the doctor, he had already regained consciousness.
Yang Ling sat on a chair with an official's hat in the corridor, coldly looking at the two groups of soldiers. The two groups were clearly divided, glaring angrily at each other. Looking at the tense atmosphere, if not for the fact that the Governor was up there, they would have started fighting again.
Bai Zhongzan was also angered to the point that his face was ashen. He pressed on the saber under his ribs, angrily pacing back and forth in the courtyard. A Sichuan soldier was standing perfectly straight, loudly reciting a military order: "Military law number one: Do not advance when the drums are heard, do not stop when the gold is heard, do not raise the flag, do not stop when the flag is pressed down. This is called disobeying the army, offenders will be beheaded.
Military law number two: Do not respond when called, do not arrive at the appointed time, do not arrive at the appointed time, change the division's law, this is called slow army, offenders will be beheaded. Military law number three: Do not report at night, do not report, do not know the order, this is called slow army, offenders will be beheaded … "
He could not continue reciting until the ninth law. Bai Zhongzan sneered and waved his hand. Two law enforcers rushed over and pressed him down on the ground. Two military rods flew left and right as they started to hit him. This Sichuan soldier was quite fierce, he gritted his teeth and did not make a sound.
Bai Zhongzan pointed at a Shandong soldier and coldly said: "You, continue!"
There were not many soldiers who could recite all the military laws. In a short while, a large number of soldiers were pressed down on the ground in the courtyard. The sounds of slapping rose and fell, and the number of soldiers standing around the two generals decreased.
At this time, it was another Shandong soldier's turn. He was singing loudly, reciting the military laws in a sonorous and forceful cadence. After he had finished reciting all the 'Seventeen Forbidden Laws and Fifty-Four Strikes', he glanced at the Sichuan soldier complacently and bowed to Yang Ling, saying: "Reporting to Governor Commander, this subordinate has finished reciting!"
Yang Ling was holding a cup of tea, using the lid to stir the tea from time to time. He did not even raise his eyelids, he only said unhurriedly: "Finished reciting? Good … not a single word wrong. Where are you from, what is your name? "
The soldier proudly raised his head and said loudly: "Reporting to Governor Commander, this subordinate is from Dezhou, Shandong. My surname is Yang and my name is Quan!"
Yang Ling smiled and said: "Hmm, Yang Quan … Yang Quan … Hahaha, you are from the same family. Good, good!"
Just as Yang Quan's face lit up with joy, Yang Ling lightly said: "As long as you can recite everything, that is good. Knowing the law and breaking it is an additional crime. Guards, add ten strokes of the rod!"
"Huh?" Yang Quan was startled. Before he could explain himself, he was pressed to the ground by the two law enforcers. The Sichuan soldiers on the other side burst out in laughter. Even those who were lying on the ground and getting beaten also let out a strange laugh.
Yang Ling passed the teacup to the side and stood up, saying: "Not bad, you guys. Hmm? I want to fight the Wokou pirates, so I asked the Emperor to send over some soldiers who can fight. It seems like the Shandong and Sichuan commanders have really put in a lot of thought for you guys to be sent over. Not bad, not a single one of you cried out in pain after being hit by the rod. You are all real men! "
His tone changed and he shouted: "But I have sent you here to fight the Wokou pirates and protect the civilians! Did I ask you to kill each other and tear down the buildings for the civilians? Who was the one who knocked General Jiang unconscious? Stand up! "
Yang Quan continued to lie on the ground and shouted: "It was General Biao! General Biao is being punished by military law and cannot stand up. Please forgive me! "
Yang Ling laughed coldly and said: "What a sharp tongue. Too many complaints, angry at the general, disobeying the rules and making it difficult to control. Offending his superior and injuring a general, he will be punished for all his crimes. Behead him and display his head in public!"
When the Shandong soldiers heard this order, they were shocked and the Sichuan soldiers stopped laughing. Meng Sihai was anxious and quickly knelt down and said: "Reporting to Governor, Yang Quan followed me to fight the bandits and made many contributions. I beg for Governor's forgiveness. This is all my fault for not disciplining my subordinates properly. I beg Governor to punish me. I am willing to bear all the consequences. "
Yang Ling coldly said: "Yang Quan offended his superior and injured a court official, a dignified General Jiang. Can you bear the consequences? The reason why I killed him is to uphold military law, to serve as a warning. If I pardon him from death, how can the Sichuan army officers and men be convinced? "
Meng Sihai was furious: What is there for the Sichuan soldiers to be dissatisfied with? You fought fair and square and father did not kick you in the groin. If you lost the battle, it was because your skills were not up to par. Why do you have to act like a child and complain to an adult?
But Meng Sihai was very loyal. Now that his bodyguard's life was hanging by a thread, and from the Governor's tone, if the Sichuan soldiers were willing to let him go, he would be pardoned. He had no choice but to cup his hands to Jiang Zhou and squeezed out a smile: "Official Jiang, it was our soldiers who acted rashly. As the saying goes, if you don't fight, you won't get to know each other. It can be considered fate that brought us together. I am willing to be friends with Brother Jiang and ask Brother Jiang to help me speak to Daren. "
Jiang Zhou's head was still throbbing and the blood on his cheek had already scabbed over. He was very angry with Yang Quan, but he did not hit a smiling face. Besides, fighting in the army was very common. Did he really want to borrow Daren's knife to chop off his head?
Just as he was hesitating, Yang Quan, who was lying on the ground, shouted: "Daren, there is no need to beg him. Losing his head is just a big scar. Twenty years later, he will be a good man again. He is not afraid of death!"
Meng Sihai angrily turned around and scolded: "Get lost! You don't know what's good for you!"
When Jiang Zhou heard this, he laughed instead. He sat on the table and chuckled: "You melon baby, you dare to cut off father's head. Hehe, father will not lower himself to your level."
He turned his head to Yang Ling and said: "Governor, we have come from thousands of miles away to follow Governor to fight the Wokou pirates. Seeing that he is a melon baby, he seems to have some strength. If he is killed now, why not let him go kill a few more Wokou pirates. Governor, please be merciful and forgive him for his crimes. "
Yang Ling smiled and said: "Good! If you say so, this Governor will give you face and spare his death sentence. Humph! Not only him, originally … … even if I didn't kill all of the soldiers who caused trouble, I would still have interrogated the captain of the two soldiers. Since his head has been sent to me, I will not go too far. I will let the two of them go for now! "
He raised his voice and said: "Although the death sentence can be spared, the punishment cannot be forgiven. You people have disrupted military discipline and destroyed civilian homes. This compensation will be deducted from your pay. Your crimes will also be recorded by the clerk. When the Wokou pirates are vanquished, this official will decide whether to reward or punish you according to your military merits!"
He waved his hand and the soldiers who were enforcing the military law stopped and retreated to the side with their military rods. Yang Ling raised his voice and said: "Is it very honorable to fight for a table? Does the rod you received not hurt? Do you think you are a real man just because you are not making a sound? In this official's opinion, you can only be considered ruffians. Whether you are a real man or not, we will see on the battlefield with the Wokou pirates.
Meng Sihai and Jiang Zhou were not strict with their subordinates and connived at gang fighting. Both of them will be demoted by half a rank and will continue to listen to orders. Do you all think that you are heroes? Go back and train your soldiers well. In a few days, the Japanese official will send you to the battlefield to kill the enemy. Shandong soldiers and Sichuan soldiers, your two armies will fight together. In the end, who is a hero and who is a dog? Use your military merits to speak! "
Jiang Zhou and Meng Sihai looked at each other and cupped their hands together and said: "General Mo obeys!"
Yang Ling was about to order people to get a few carriages to transport all the injured soldiers back when suddenly someone ran forward and said: "Daren, the Administrative Commissioner, Official Liu is here to see you."
When Yang Ling heard this, he was a little surprised. Official Liu hurriedly walked into the courtyard. When he saw so many soldiers standing in the courtyard, he was shocked. When he saw Yang Ling, he retracted his gaze and said: "Aiya, Mr Yang, this official has no choice but to take the liberty to come and see you. I hope that Daren can help this official!"
Yang Ling asked curiously: "Official Liu, why are you saying this? What happened?"
Official Liu said with a bitter face: "The Wolf Army is stationed outside the eastern part of the city. They casually cut down the trees of the commoners to build houses for firewood and steal. Some of the Wolf Army saw the commoners living in remote areas and simply robbed and stole. Many squires came crying to this official. This official ordered the Inspection Yamen to investigate. Who would have thought that the Yamachi soldiers were beaten by the Wolf Army and ran back in a sorry state. This official is really at his wit's end and can only ask for Daren's help. "
"Ah?" Yang Ling saw that the Wolf Army fought bravely yesterday and had high expectations of them. He thought that this was a brave and disciplined army that did not offend the commoners. Why was the military discipline so poor?
Yang Ling looked back at Song Ai who was in the corridor. Song Ai's big eyes were wide open and she was also looking at him inexplicably. Yang Ling helplessly ordered: "Someone, prepare a horse for me! Head Soldier Song, please come with this official to take a look … … "
When Yang Ling arrived at the eastern part of the city, he investigated openly and secretly before he found out the truth of the matter. It turned out that after these strong soldiers were placed outside the city, there were not enough military tents. But they were used to living a poor life and did not care about this. They were all good at building wooden houses.
They originally lived on the mountain but never heard that the trees had owners. Naturally, they cut down trees when they saw them. When the commoners came forward to argue, it was either because they did not speak the same language or because they felt that they were helping these commoners to fight. They chopped down the trees righteously so they simply ignored them.
Although these wolf soldiers were brave in battle and were kind and simple to their own people, it did not mean that they were very kind to everyone. Some of the wolf soldiers stole chickens and dogs, and even robbed some villagers, this was indeed a matter of fact. It turned out that the Han soldiers' salaries were divided into two categories: settlement allowance and rations. But according to the imperial court's rules, the Wolf Army only received rations. Every day, one cent of silver and one liter of rations per person per day.
But the local officials were very strict with their soldiers. If they beheaded people in battle, they would pay according to the rules and would not be ambiguous. But the daily salaries allocated by the imperial court were all embezzled by them. Even half of the rations were hidden. Those Wolf Army could not eat their fill, so how could they not steal and loot?
When Yang Ling found out the truth, he also felt a headache. Ethnic issues had never been easy to deal with. The imperial court could not casually deal with the local officials like they did with the Han officials. Although they knew that they embezzled the army's salaries and hid the rations, but if they were not dealt with properly, it would arouse ethnic conflicts and force the people of the various states to rebel.
Fortunately, Song Ai was a descendant of the Han officials. She was kinder to the tribal people. Moreover, she was the most powerful and had the widest territory among the various states. So her prestige was very high. Under her strict constraints, the various states' headmen finally controlled their own people and did not allow them to disturb the people.
Yang Ling and Song Ai had a private discussion and decided to send a military supplies officer to assist the Wolf Army in managing the army's salaries and rations. Although everyone knew that the headmen embezzled the army's salaries and rations, but no one could poke this window paper.
Therefore, as the governor of the six provinces, Yang Ling had to arrange for a military supplies officer to be responsible for distributing the army's salaries and rations. Moreover, as the head of the six states' headmen, Song Ai had already agreed, so they had nothing to say.
After Yang Ling and Song Ai dealt with these matters, they were preparing to return to the city. Song Ai suddenly said, "Governor, you want to send a military supplies officer to help me manage the rations and rations. Can you … send the General Wu next to you?"
"Hmm?" Yang Ling looked at her inquiringly.
Song Ai's face was a little hot. She did not know why she blurted out this sentence. But when she thought that she could fight side by side with the young general who was highly skilled in martial arts, her heart suddenly felt a little warm.
She gathered her courage and said, "General Wu's superb martial arts skills have made me admire him very much. Therefore, I would like to have the opportunity to learn from him. Since you want to send a military supplies officer, I … I think … this can be considered as killing two birds with one stone."
Yang Ling saw that this straightforward and generous girl suddenly became hesitant. He could not help but feel moved. Little Wu's character was outstanding and he was highly skilled in martial arts. Could it be that this Head Soldier Song …
Sending Little Wu to manage the military supplies was the most reassuring thing. In addition, the Zhuang family's seven people fighting method was very ingenious and had great practical value. Sending Little Wu to learn it could naturally be used in the army. Moreover, it seemed that the Wolf Army was brave but it was really difficult to control them. If this female headman's heart was completely tied to Wu Hanchao, then during the battle to suppress the bandits, how could she not fully cooperate and do her best? Hmm … killing three birds with one stone. This was a good deal.
Thinking of this, Yang Ling smiled and said, "What's so difficult about this? In a moment, when I return to the city, I will order General Wu to stay in your army. "
Yang Ling left the big tent and called Wu Hanchao over to instruct him to stay in the Wolf Army as the military supplies officer. He brought Liu Da Bang Chui and a group of bodyguards back to the city. He hurriedly rushed to the rear courtyard and ordered Cheng Qiyun to immediately allocate another batch of rations to the Wolf Army. After talking about official matters, he suddenly remembered something and said, "That's right, where did you arrange Yang Quan … er … Third Brother? I forgot to ask him on this trip to Jiangnan. "
Cheng Qiyun was startled and asked in surprise, "Why did you … suddenly think of him?"
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Today when the Sichuan and Shandong soldiers were fighting, there was a Shandong soldier called Yang Quan. Because the pronunciation is the same, I remembered this matter."
Cheng Qiyun already knew from Gao Wenxin that Yang Quan had taken advantage of Yang Ling's critical illness to covet Yang Ling's family property and wife. Why would Yang Ling really care about such a vile person? At least until now, Yang Ling only remembered that he had such a relative in Jiangnan. This meant that Yang Quan had no place in his heart. With this judgment, she was confident in her heart.
With Dai Lou 'er's usual style, she had always cold-blooded and mercilessly eliminated those who dared to infringe on her interests. Now, her heart had unknowingly been completely tied to Yang Ling. All of Yang Ling's interests, all of his emotions, had become the goal that she would protect at all costs.
In her eyes, as long as it was against Yang Ling, it should be eliminated. As for whether it was good or evil, she would not even consider it. Her tenderness, love, and care were only for Yang Ling alone. She, who had been tortured and lied to since young, had long ago tempered her heart to be as hard as stone. Towards others, she had no cheap pity.
A vile person like Yang Quan who became arrogant when he succeeded would only be detrimental to Yang Ling's reputation as an official. Sooner or later, he would become the weapon that those imperial censors who were watching Yang Ling, waiting for him to make a mistake, would use to attack Yang Ling. With her personality, how could she sit back and watch this kind of potential danger become a reality one day?
However, no matter how shameless Yang Quan was, he was still a member of the Yang Clan. Cheng Qiyun did not know how much importance Yang Ling placed on his bloodline, and did not dare to touch him for the time being. That was why she had arranged for Yang Quan to be a tax collector in Jinling, hoping to understand Yang Ling's thoughts before making a move.
After Yang Ling came to Jiangnan, he did not even mention this cousin of his. She had a plan in her heart, and began to secretly plan to get rid of this person who coveted Yang Ling's wife and family wealth, and who was trying to curry favor with the nobles but had a bad character.
When she heard Yang Ling's question just now, she thought that she had misjudged Yang Ling's state of mind and couldn't help but panic. After listening to his explanation, Cheng Qiyun finally relaxed.
She sweetly smiled and said, "Third Brother Yang … Third Brother has always hoped to be successful and famous like Daren, and be conferred an official title. I had originally arranged a lucrative position for Third Brother as a tax collector in Jinling, but Third Brother only wanted to gain military merits. He did not understand military affairs, so it could be said that he had no way to serve the country. When I was discussing with Elder Peng about summoning the Great Bandit Wang of Mount Putuo, Third Brother heard the news and volunteered to go up the mountain.
Daren should know that when soldiers recruit bandits, according to convention, they must arrange a hostage to pacify them. At the same time, this person is responsible for passing messages to both sides, playing the role of an envoy. However, the news of Beauty Wang defecting to the imperial court is still being blocked. In order to cover it up, I arranged for Third Brother Yang to rely on Beauty Wang with the identity of a great bandit from the north. Now he is the second-in-command of Mount Putuo. "
When Yang Ling heard this, he simply could not believe his ears. His jaw almost dropped, "What? You let him pretend to be a great bandit from the north and become the second-in-command of a pirate group? He … Is he really that kind of material? "
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he said, "How can you let him do whatever he wants just because of his identity? What big things can he do? Second-in-command! Alas! He is more like the guardian deity of Mount Putuo's Purple Bamboo Forest for Guanyin. "
Cheng Qiyun giggled and said, "Daren, rest assured. Third Brother Yang is now making the best use of his talents and resources. He is doing well in Mount Putuo!"
※ ※ ※
"Second-in-command, weigh the anchor!" A pirate respectfully said.
"Mhmm, set sail!" Yang Quan stepped on the clapper of the ship and waved his hand in high spirits.
"Hualala … …" Three huge sails were thrown down from above. The bare-chested sailors hurriedly ran on the deck. The hull of the ship swayed for a while before it slowly left the dock. The three-masted wooden ship sailed a few hundred feet out of the bay. The pirates adjusted the sails of the ship and began to speed up towards the northeast.
The sea breeze blew, bringing with it a trace of saltiness, making people feel very comfortable. Yang Quan looked back at the fading shadows of the mountains and laughed, "Damn, I've been tricked by that little slut. When I was in Jinling, I would plunder some money every day, drink a little wine, and go to the brothels. How free and unfettered. It's all my fault for listening to that little slut's words. She said that the pirates have mountains of gold and silver and that the beauties from all the countries that they capture look like fairies from heaven.
In the end, I came here. Being a pirate is just being a pirate. Why do you have to talk about robbing the rich to help the poor? The pirates on this island are usually like fishermen. Not only do those women have good looks, but they are also the wives of the pirates. I can't touch them, so I have to be dragged around by a few pirates to drink big and small bowls of wine. Every day, I feel dizzy. "
The waves slapped against the hull of the ship and the feeling of being light-headed returned. Yang Quan was afraid that he would fall head first into the water and hurriedly moved away from the side of the ship.
Beauty Wang's real name was Wang Xian. He was thin and weak. Years ago, when he was doing a kidnapping business, he failed and was chased by the soldiers all the way. After Wang Xian escaped into a village, he saw that the pursuers were in a hurry. In a moment of desperation, he shaved off his beard, put on women's clothes, and swaggered towards the pursuers. He actually escaped.
When Peng Fugui and a group of old pirates found out about this, they ridiculed him. From then on, he was given the nickname Beauty Wang. Today, he commanded nearly ten thousand pirates and controlled six islands, becoming one of the four biggest pirates on the water. However, Wang Xian's name was rarely known. The pirates called him Prince in front of him, but still called him Beauty Wang behind his back.
Recently, the Wokou pirates were rampant and the imperial court was in a hurry to exterminate them, so it was hard to do business on the water. Originally, the pirate Cao Tianchong who had turned to the fur seals and Beauty Wang's subordinates fought for business. In the end, they were beaten to a pulp, so they simply turned to Beauty Wang.
The people of the fur seals had never cared about morality. They would do anything to plunder money and women. When Yang Quan heard that Cao Tianchong's Lone Dragon Island had captured women from Korea, Japan, Ryukyu, Yizhou, and Hangzhou, his lust was aroused. Thus, he borrowed the opportunity of Mount Putuo's Second Master patrolling the island to rush over and have some fun.
Yang Quan turned his head to look at Mount Putuo, where only a small shadow remained. He bared his teeth and laughed mischievously, "You useless Beauty Wang, you really don't deserve to be called the biggest pirate on the sea!" He then turned his head and gazed into the distance, beaming with joy, "Beauty, my Second Master is here!"
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