As Yang Ling walked, he explained the general situation to Jiang Bin. Jiang Bin listened to it and laughed in shock. It was hard to imagine that such a ridiculous thing could happen in this world. When Yang Ling was in the capital, he had heard of a village in Jiangnan where a villager proclaimed himself Emperor and conferred titles to the empress. Due to the lack of transportation, the news was only leaked ten years later.
Fortunately, these fearless bastards met a benevolent ruler. The Emperor of Hongzhi only treated it as a joke and joked with Liu Jian, Xie Qian and the other officials for a while before pardoning them, preventing the massacre of the village.
Although Yang Ling had heard of such ridiculous things, he had always thought that it only happened in a remote and desolate place. Only some ignorant villagers could do such a ridiculous thing. Wang Mantang's father, Wang Zhi, was a famous litigator in Bazhou. She had been roaming the streets since she was young and had seen many things. How could she do such a stupid thing?
When Jiang Bin heard that it was a group of villagers plotting a rebellion and proclaimed themselves Emperor, he was delighted. This was a great achievement, especially since he was fighting alongside Yang Ling. He was basking in the light of the Great Fortune God. Maybe he would rise again soon.
Thinking of this, Jiang Bin was in high spirits. From afar, he unsheathed his twin sabers and fiercely led a dozen soldiers from the Xuan Residence and a group of servants from the capital to annihilate a country.
The place was not very far. Stepping into the reeds, it was about three miles away. During the summer, there was plenty of rain and the place was half submerged. They had to use bamboo rafts to move around. The carps and catfishes in the water were frightened and big fish that weighed more than ten catties would sometimes jump onto the bamboo rafts. The land was very fertile.
However, the reeds were deep in the reeds and there was no one around, so no one usually came here. When they reached the depths of the reeds, there was a higher piece of land that looked like a small island. The guards became nervous and unsheathed their sabers and spears, holding their breaths. Even though Jiang Bin was skilled and courageous, he could not help but lighten his steps.
But when everyone rushed forward and looked forward under the bright moonlight, they couldn't help but be stunned.
Right in front of them was a thatched hut, a very large thatched hut. Behind it were four bungalows, neither very tall nor very large. Except for the one in the middle, which was made of bricks and tiles and looked somewhat decent, the other three were made of stones and loess. The eyes of the guards almost popped out of their sockets. There were only so many things on the vast and empty land. The faint moonlight shone on these very ordinary houses.
Jiang Bin had a strange look on his face as he whispered, "High Duke, are you … referring to this place?"
Yang Ling also felt like he was in a dream. At this time, the imperial bodyguard who led them here had already brought Liao Sier, who had been lying in ambush here. Yang Ling could not believe it and asked, "This is the place you were talking about?"
Liao Si nodded, "Yes, High Duke. That's right, it's here."
Yang Ling was stupefied for a long time before he said, "How many people are there here? How many guards are there? "
Liao Sier said softly, "Just now, they were asleep. This lowly officer saw that there was no danger, so I sneaked in and caught a guy who got up at night. Now, I struck him unconscious. After this lowly officer interrogated, this country is called the Kingdom of Great Shun, and its era name is Pingding. Right now, it is the second year of Pingding. There is an Empress, Left and Right Prime Ministers, and civil and military officials in the country. "
Yang Ling calmed himself down and said, "Then … how many people are there now?"
Liao Sier said with a strange expression, "When the woman called Wang Mantang came back, two men with spears came forward to greet her and called her Empress. We were shocked and had Song Feng rush back to report to High Duke. But just now, this lowly officer interrogated the imperial bodyguard and found out … found out … that there are currently only nine people in the Kingdom of Great Shun."
"Clang!" The sound startled Yang Ling and the imperial bodyguard beside him. They looked towards the direction of the sound and saw Jiang Bin picking up the two zhanmadao from the ground. He laughed dryly and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just made a mistake."
Yang Ling sighed and continued to ask, "Nine people in the Kingdom of Great Shun? Only nine people in total? "
Liao Sier said embarrassedly, "It's more than that. It is said that there are more than two hundred and sixty subjects in the country. Usually, they don't need to come to see the Emperor. Currently, the Emperor, the Empress, and Left Prime Minister Feng Xiaomu live in the Imperial Palace. In addition, there is a little maid and five imperial bodyguards. The imperial bodyguard was originally a tenant farmer from a nearby village. As for the officials, every three, six, or nine days, they will meet in that … "
He pointed at the thatched hut and said, "In that Golden Throne Hall, they will meet the Emperor and discuss state affairs. The Right Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Shun is Liang Dezi, a local tycoon from Shengfang Town's Liang Village. The Mighty Protector of the Kingdom is Butcher Fan from Fan Village … "
"Clang …" Jiang Bin's two sabers fell to the ground again. Every imperial bodyguard beside him looked at Yang Ling with a strange expression. They didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Yang Ling was stunned for a long time before he took a deep breath and waved his hand. He said decisively, "Big Cudgel, take two people and destroy the Kingdom of Great Shun for me. Uh … Don't hurt the Emperor and the Empress!"
The Kingdom of Great Shun, which had been established for one year and four months, was destroyed like a farce under the wise command of Duke Wei, Ming Destiny. The whole war lasted less than ten minutes. Yang Ling's achievements were heavily written on the book: Ming Destiny, Duke Wei, on the Lantern Festival of the second year of Zhengde, led his family to destroy the Kingdom of Great Shun and captured the Emperor, the Empress, the Left Prime Minister, and a number of the Imperial Guards …
* * *
Shengfang Town's Inspection Office.
When he found out that this so-called country was not a rebellion at all, but a farce created by a group of foolish men and women, Yang Ling's vigilance towards the Inspection Office disappeared. These people couldn't be brought to the inn to be locked up, so they were all brought to the Inspection Office.
Fortunately, today was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. To maintain local law and order, to prevent thieves and candles from catching fire, the Inspection Office's officials and soldiers were all present. Yang Ling handed the criminals over to the Inspection Office to interrogate the Kingdom of Great Shun's rebellion.
Shengfang Town's Inspection Officer, Shi Zongwu, was a ninth-ranked official. Today, not only was Duke Wei interrogating him, but he was also interrogating the Emperor, Empress, and Prime Minister of a country. When Lord Shi sat in the main hall, he still thought that he drank too much tonight and had a dream.
The Emperor of the Kingdom of Great Shun was Zhao Wanxing. He didn't need to use torture. He just knelt there and honestly told the truth. As Madman Zhao expected, it turned out that Wang Mantang was like a wild girl, showing her face in public all day. She was also beautiful, so naturally, she was admired and pursued by many dissolute men.
Feng Xiaomu had a distant nephew called Chief Duan. This Chief Duan had attended a private school, but unfortunately, he didn't pass the imperial examination. Since he had nothing to do, he came to seek refuge with his uncle. That was how he got to know Wang Mantang. Chief Duan was handsome and good with words. The eldest daughter of the Wang family was also at the age of love. The two of them went back and forth, like firewood burning with fire, and without knowing why, they got together.
At this point, it was time to talk about marriage. But Wang Mantang knew that although her father spoiled her, with his snobbish personality, he would not agree to marry her to a poor scholar who had no land, no room, and no official title. Therefore, the two of them conspired with their uncle, Xiaomu, and came up with a plan to marry a noble, and successfully got a beautiful wife.
Chief Duan had a beautiful wife, and his father-in-law was well-off and wealthy. He was originally content, but who knew that Wang Zhi was a person who cared about his reputation. Chief Duan and Wang Mantang were not flamboyant, but the old couple told everyone they met, and talked about how their son-in-law was a great noble.
Wang Zhi was a litigator, and he was very eloquent. Chief Duan's little trick was exaggerated by him, and he was able to exaggerate the big mouth of a dead person. Moreover, it happened to be a good time when Bazhou was rampant, and the common people were talking about gods and ghosts all day long. Unexpectedly, many people believed him, and when they saw Chief Duan, they were respectful, and some even gave him generous gifts, to curry favor with this future great noble.
This time, Chief Duan's mind was really alive. After all, he did not have any real ability. It was easy to hang around in his father-in-law's house for a day or two, but after a long time, the truth would be revealed. Although what was done could not be undone, and he could not break off the engagement, but he would definitely be treated coldly. He found that the common people were so easy to deceive, and he could take this opportunity to make money.
But he did not dare to stay in Bazhou City, after all, he had lived there for some time, and many vagabonds had seen him. Once they found out that this great person who was destined to be an unspeakable noble was the little ruffian who followed them to drink and drink, their lies would be exposed.
Therefore, after some preparation, Chief Duan and his wife moved out of the Prince's Mansion, and came to Shengfang Town to repeat the old trick. Last time, he lied to people just to trick his wife, but after he tricked his wife, he found out that many people were willing to be tricked, so Chief Duan started to make up rumors to make money. But he was not a swindler, and he did not know how to chant scriptures to transcend, and he did not know how to draw talismans to catch ghosts, so he started with his fortune, and boasted that his fate was extremely good, that he was a god who descended to the mortal world, and that sooner or later, he would become a great person.
After boasting too much, he became shameless, from the beginning, he would become a high-ranking official, and then he would be conferred the title of king, and finally, he simply said that he had the fate of an emperor. But it was also strange, the more he boasted, the more the common people in the countryside believed him. Chief Duan changed his name to Zhao Wanxing, and became a well-known figure in the surrounding villages.
Everyone wanted to follow the noble, and in the future, when the noble took over the world, they could also get an official position or something. Gradually, local ruffians and unemployed farmers began to gather around him. After these people confirmed and spread the news, more and more people came to his side, and among them, there was no lack of wealthy squires and landlords.
Zhao Wanxing and Wang Mantang relied on their mouths to trick many people into working for them, and they were willing to give money and food to them. Zhao Wanxing was also not stingy, and those who were willing to come to his side were all given official positions.
A worker carrying a hoe suddenly became a great general, and a small boss who always bowed and bowed to people suddenly became the Minister of Appointments. This kind of dramatic scene made the common people, who dreamed of becoming rich and powerful, flock like ducks. They, together with Zhao Wanxing and his wife, weaved this dream of becoming an official together. Every three, six or nine days, they would excitedly rush to this secret residence to enjoy being an official, to pay respects to the emperor, and to discuss the affairs of the world. Unexpectedly, today, the fake Empress met the real Duke, and the Great Shun Kingdom, which had existed for thousands of years, was finished just like that.
The kingdom was destroyed smoothly, and the case was also investigated smoothly. Jiang Bin watched helplessly as the beautiful Wang Mantang was also taken away. The beautiful Wang Mantang glanced at him with a pleading expression, and Jiang Bin's heart softened. He wanted to plead with Yang Ling on the spot, but he also knew that although this matter was funny, it involved the proclamation of an emperor. No matter how ridiculous it was, it would become a huge matter. Not to mention that he couldn't handle it, even Duke Wei, Yang Ling, wouldn't dare to handle this matter on his own.
As expected, Patrol Inspector Shi respectfully said to Yang Ling, "Duke, such a ridiculous matter actually happened in my jurisdiction. It has been more than a year, and I didn't know anything about it. It is my negligence. I will ask for punishment myself. As for this group of traitors, it should be reported to the capital. The traitors were seen through by Duke, and it was also Duke who led people to capture them. Do you want to report to the imperial court, or let me handle it? "
Yang Ling thought for a while, and took the responsibility, saying, "Tomorrow morning, send people to escort these criminals to Bazhou's prison. In addition, arrest the Right Prime Minister, Great General, and the others who confessed. As for the common people … send them to the Baojia Li to strictly watch over them, and don't let them go out. As for the memorial, let me write it. "
Yang Ling remembered that the Hongzhi Emperor forgave the foolish people of the mountain village, and wanted to prepare a good excuse to submit to the Emperor a report on the confiscation of the An family's property. At the same time, he downplayed this experience. This way, he might be able to save the lives of those foolish people. Otherwise, if he let the Patrol Inspector report to the prefectural yamen, and the prefectural yamen report to the capital as usual, the memorial will definitely fall into the hands of Liu Jin. Liu Jin advocated the rule of law, and with a wave of his pen, these two hundred people will not be able to live.
But seriously speaking, these people are really funny and pitiful. They only built a few houses in the reed marshes, like children playing house, to have a taste of being an official. They have no intention of rebelling. If they were all beheaded, it would be too cruel.
Yang Ling said again, "As for your negligence, there is still some. But these people did not commit any crimes. The expenses are all from the donations of the common people who want to be an official. It is really difficult for outsiders to find out. Moreover, they built a few houses in the reed marshes. Hehe, even if your Patrol Inspector saw it, they would not be able to guess that it is the palace. You don't need to blame yourself too much. As for the prefectural yamen, our country's association will speak for you. "
As soon as Patrol Inspector Shi heard this, he was overjoyed. He was a Secondary ninth rank official, and if he were to be stripped of his position because of this incident, he would be very reluctant. Now that the High Duke said that he would protect him, his black hat would be firmly in place, and even a strong wind would not be able to blow it away.
Patrol Inspector Shi hurriedly kneeled down and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Duke, for your kindness. I will ask the Deputy Patrol Inspector to summon all the soldiers and strong people. In a moment, we will arrest all the important rebels according to the name list."
"Ah!" Yang Ling stood up, stretched and said, "That's good. You do your work, I should also leave."
"Duke, please wait a moment!" Patrol Inspector Shi hurriedly got up and jogged over to the writing desk beside him. He took a pen and paper and respectfully said, "High Duke, tomorrow morning, I will lead a group of people to destroy the so-called Imperial Palace of the Great Shun Kingdom. I will erect a monument there to warn the future generations. Duke, please write a poem to warn future generations who have improper thoughts. "
Yang Ling laughed. This Patrol Inspector Shi is a rough warrior, but he also knows how to show off his elegance to please his superior.
Write a poem? I don't know any poems. If I write a few lines of limericks everywhere I go, won't I become the Emperor Qianlong who wrote more poems than the Complete Tang Dynasty Poems but not a single poem as good as the Complete Tang Dynasty Poems?
Yang Ling smiled and was about to refuse when he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He thought of a poem that was extremely appropriate. The author of this poem wasn't very famous. Yang Ling also couldn't remember which dynasty it was from. However, in his previous life, he practiced calligraphy and once wrote this poem. He even hung it in his house.
The people of Bazhou were cheated again and again because of greed. It was good to leave this poem as a warning to future generations. After all, it only said to write a poem, not that it had to be written by him. Thus, Yang Ling rolled up his sleeves and said with a smile, "Alright, then I will write a poem to warn future generations."
Although Yang Ling's calligraphy wasn't considered outstanding, it was still passable. He picked up the brush and started writing. Song Ai obediently fetched an inkstone and looked at it from the side. She saw Yang Ling write on the paper,
Day in and day out only because of hunger, only then will I have food and clothes.
Putting silk on my body, I raise my head and feel that the house is too low. "
Everyone in the hall, including Jiang Bin, at most had a rough knowledge of literature. How could they tell if it was good or bad? They could only raise their fingers and applaud. Only Song Ai was rather talented. She saw that Sir's poem was a little superficial. Not only was the words not beautiful enough, but he also didn't pay attention to the level of the tone. She was afraid that if it was written and engraved on a tablet, it would make some pedantic scholars laugh their heads off and become the laughing stock of Duke Wei. She couldn't help but worry for him.
However, she saw that Yang Ling stopped writing and dipped his brush in it. He continued to write,
Building tall buildings, lacking beautiful wives in front of his bed;
Wanting to have beautiful wives and concubines, but worrying that there isn't a horse to ride when going out.
The general will buy a tall horse, the horse in front and the horse behind;
Recruiting dozens of family members, having money but no power, being bullied by others.
Once reaching the position of county magistrate, saying that his position is low and his position is low;
Once climbing to the position of Cabinet Elder, thinking of ascending to the throne every day.
One day sitting in the south, thinking of celestial beings to play chess;
Dong Bin played chess with him and asked where is the ladder to heaven.
Before the ladder to heaven is built, the King of Hell gives out the cards and the ghost comes to urge;
If it weren't for the fact that this person has reached the end of his lifespan, even ascending to heaven would still be considered low. "
Seeing this, Song Ai's eyes could not help but brighten. This poem did not care about embellishment, nor did it care about tone and tone, but it was a rare metaphorical meaning. Song Ai could not help but praise it.
When Yang Ling finished writing, he threw the brush and said, "Moving a mountain can fill the sea, but desire will never be leveled. Calculating and calculating a lifetime of suffering, in the end, it is only three feet of soil. I hope that the world can be enlightened and alert from these absurd things! "
※ ※ ※
Moving a mountain can fill the sea, but desire will never be leveled. How many people can be alert from the words, and how many people can have an epiphany? At least, it was impossible for Eunuch Zhang Zhong. For Zhang Zhong, everything else was illusory. Only gold and silver were real things. In order to plunder the people's wealth, he spared no effort.
The money donated to the Four Holy Monks was recovered by the magistrate's yamen and returned to him according to the amount recorded in the incense merit book. Zhang Zhong did not want women, he did not want fame, he only wanted wealth in this life and happiness in the next life. Now that he could not count on happiness in the next life, he was even more focused on making today's wealth.
In the backyard of the Zhang Mansion, the lanterns were brightly lit. There were a few people hanging on the wooden frame. Even in the middle of winter, they were only wearing thin clothes. Their clothes were tattered and stained with blood. However, it was unknown if the people being hung were unconscious or numb. They were swaying gently in the cold wind. They did not struggle or tremble, nor did they scream or curse.
Zhang Zhong wore a fur robe and walked out of the warm room. The housekeeper, Han Bing, hurriedly came up with a bloody whip and said respectfully, "Master!"
"Hmm!" Zhang Zhong snorted and asked, "Did he confess?"
Han Bing said with hatred, "Master, you really live up to your reputation as a miser. Ai Jing, this old fellow, is willing to sacrifice his life but not his wealth. He still refuses to confess."
Zhang Zhong's eyes became as sharp as a needle. He slowly walked to the first person hanging on the wooden frame and said, "Splash him to wake him up!"
"Hua." A basin of cold water was splashed. It was like ten thousand needles piercing into his body. Ai Jing's body twitched and he slowly woke up.
Zhang Zhong smiled insincerely and said, "Ai Jing, I was wondering why you were so stubborn. Isn't it just a coral butterfly tree? You don't need to eat or wear, so why are you clinging to it and not letting go? A seven chi tall Fiery Coral Butterfly is a rare treasure. Is it something a merchant family like you deserves to have? That's the root of trouble. "
Zhang Zhong raised his hands to the sky and said with a sinister smile, "The current Emperor is going to take a concubine. I want to show filial respect to the Emperor. The Emperor's family is rich, what do you lack? Isn't it just getting some rare things to make the Emperor happy? Let me tell you, I must have this Fiery Coral Butterfly. If you know what's good for you, hurry up and hand it over. "
Ai Jing laughed bitterly and said, "Surnamed Zhang, my family's money has all been squeezed out by you. My shop and business have all been changed to your name. Now, other than the house that is riddled with holes and those hundreds of hectares of land, there is nothing else that can enter your eyes. You … you made up some fancy excuse and made up some Fiery Coral Butterfly. Heavens, I have never seen a seven chi tall Fiery Coral Butterfly in my life. What else do you want? You want to trick me like this? Do you want to force my entire family to death? "
Zhang Zhong smiled sinisterly and rubbed his smooth chin. He clicked his tongue and said, "Aiyo, look at you. Ah? Wife, son, daughter, your entire family is hanging here. You don't think for yourself, but you don't think for your wife and children? If you are all gone, who will leave the Fiery Coral Butterfly Tree? You want it to be a family heirloom? My family is going to be gone! Surnamed Ai, I will be frank with you. As long as you hand over the Fiery Coral Butterfly, I will not make things difficult for you. How about it? "
"Heavens!" The miser had long been stripped of all his hair. Everything that could be extorted from his family had been extorted. He really did not expect Zhang Zhong to be so inhumane. Zhang Zhong went to his family's underground gold mine and extorted over ten thousand taels of silver from him. Then, he used the gold sand that he found and pretended to continue digging, extorting all of his shops. Now, his family was only left with a hundred hectares of land. It was barely enough for a small family.
Who would have thought that Zhang Zhong would still not let him go? Ai Jing's old tears streamed down his face. He looked up to the sky and howled, "Heavens, please open your eyes. You are merciful and merciful. Let my family live on. I really do not have anyone to befriend. Eunuch Zhang, please be merciful. I will also give you the deed to the land and the house. Please have mercy."
"Motherf * cker, a hundred hectares of land can be exchanged for a seven feet red coral butterfly? Are you trying to bribe a beggar? You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! "
Zhang Zhong scolded fiercely. He yawned and said to the housekeeper, Han Bing, "I am going back to sleep. You look after this place. Hmm … it should be about time for everyone to rest. I don't believe that this miser is really made of iron. It seems like he has not suffered enough."
"Yes, Master!" Han Bing followed beside Zhang Zhong. As they walked back, he said, "However, we have taught that miser a lesson today. We used the excuse that his family dug up an antique and did not report it to the authorities. Although Master, you have the authority to manage horses, collect taxes, and explore mines, but if you do not send him to the authorities and instead use private punishment in your own residence, it will be troublesome if it is spread out. Zhantou Yang has not left yet. "
"Hehe, Zhantou Yang is powerful. I have now witnessed his power. However, does he think that by killing a few swindlers, he has the resources to manage this imperial envoy's business? I have received the emperor's order to leave the capital to guard this place. I am the master of this small piece of land. Even if Yang Ling wants to manage this, he cannot manage me.
At most, in two years, the horse administration will have to be abolished. If I don't hurry and fish, when will I do it? Little Bing, you tell me, this Master is in charge of the food and clothing of this big family. Do you think it is easy for me? "
"Not easy, not easy."
"That's right. Therefore, if you can fish it up, you should do it as soon as possible. Time is limited, so you have to seize every moment."
"Master, what I mean is that the miser has steeled his heart to not hand over the Shan butterfly. I reckon that he wants to forcefully resist. In any case, it is not a big crime. Tomorrow, will you not let him go? He can grit his teeth and endure it. To deal with a miser, you have to use a blunt knife to cut his flesh. Making him beg for death, do you think he will not accept it? "
"Eh? What do you mean? "
"A seven-foot red Shan butterfly is not small. We have already searched the Ai residence, but there is nothing. It seems that he has transported it out and hidden it. Why don't we pretend to let him go, and then secretly send people to guard outside his house. The miser attaches so much importance to that priceless treasure. Once he is free, he will definitely go to see his Shan butterfly. Won't that be in our hands?
It doesn't matter if he does not say anything. Today, we will give him a ruthless blow and then let him go. He will definitely think that he has survived this ordeal. Hehe, I will find a few ruffians and go to his house to humiliate him. The magistrate's office will not accept his case, and he will not have a good day from morning to night. Master, you don't know how ruthless those street ruffians are. With my support, they can kill the miser. "
"Hehehe … That makes sense. Well, I will leave this matter to you. Let them go and slowly amuse themselves. By the way, the frozen soil in winter is not easy to dig. Deal with the miser and put this place aside for now. Go to Gu 'an and find a few rich families. Whether it is cemeteries, houses, or land, dig wherever you can. Don't let go until half of the property is extracted. When the soil is soft in spring, we will start working. "
"Yes, Master." Han Bing agreed.
"This New Year, there will be more small merchants and peddlers. Some sell meat and vegetables, some open shops to sell wine, and some form clubs to perform dragon dances. This is all money. We can't think of it as too little. Go and find some ruffians to be tax collectors in the counties and towns to collect taxes for our family."
"Yes, Master."
※ ※ ※
The miser and his family returned home in a panic. The walls of the house had collapsed, the yard was full of holes, and all the servants had fled. The house was empty, the stove was cold, and the vat was empty. Other people's houses were decorated with lanterns and streamers, but he did not feel like celebrating the New Year at all. Ai Jing and his wife and children hugged each other and cried bitterly.
Zhang Zhong would not stop until he was squeezed dry. Zhang Zhong was a person who could reach the heavens. He was just a commoner and a lowly merchant. How could he live like this? In fact, Zhang Zhong did not intend to kill him after taking his wealth and shop. But Zhang Zhong specially recruited ruffians to work for him for the convenience of extortion.
Among them was a follower of Zhang Zhong called Fang Yu. He had a grudge against the miser Ai Jing. He used to be a small trader and had a good relationship with Ai Jing. Once, when the goods on credit were delayed, Ai Jing came to his door to collect the debt, and he borrowed money from Ai Jing.
Ai Jing was the kind of person who did not want to take advantage of others, and others could not take advantage of him either. Everyone had to look after their own money. What if he could not get the money back? No matter how many times he tried to persuade him, Ai Jing would not agree. As a result, Fang Yu was chased by others and went bankrupt. Since then, he bore a grudge against Ai Jing.
Two days ago, among the people sent to the Ai family to extort money, he was the leader of the ruffians. He was enjoying his revenge. When he heard that Eunuch Zhang had collected enough money and was ready to call it a day, Fang Yu was indignant. I have nothing now, but he still has a house and land. This revenge is not satisfying.
Fang Yu thought to himself and came up with an evil plan. When he returned home, he deliberately told everyone, "The coral in our master's hall is about three feet long and can be considered a rare treasure. But compared to the miser Ai Jing, it's still a far cry. The Ai family has a coral that's entirely red, seven feet tall, and its shape is also very cute. When we brought people to dig the land, we didn't care about the beds, cabinets, antiques, or jades. The miser only cared about moving the red coral away, afraid that it would be damaged. That is a priceless treasure! "
When Zhang Zhong heard this, he took it to heart. He called Fang Yu over and asked him. Fang Yu's story was very convincing. When Zhang Zhong heard this, he thought, "Well, one guest shouldn't bother two hosts. This miser should continue to extort money." In the end, because they offended a villain, they also met a greedy official. The Ai family was tormented to death.
The family wiped away their tears and swept some rice from the bottom of the cabinet. With great difficulty, they started a fire and cooked a pot of porridge. The family was unkempt and dirty, and their faces were full of black dust. They took out a big bowl and were about to fill it with porridge to appease their hunger. Suddenly, a big stone was thrown into the pot, smashing a big hole in it. The hot porridge splashed out, and the young master of the Ai family cried out in pain.
Seven ruffians walked in with smiles on their faces. One of them held his leg and cried out, "The one with the surname Ai, you're so immoral. Why didn't you sweep the snow at the door? I was passing by and fell on my crotch. What do you think … "
* * *
Yang Ling, Jiang Bin, and the people from the Shengfang Town Inspection Department returned to Bazhou at the same time. The ones who were really escorted back were the Emperor and Empress of the Great Shun Kingdom, as well as the Left Prime Minister Feng Xiaomu. The three of them rode on three donkey carts. There was no place to get a cage for them. Each cart was guarded by four soldiers.
With Jiang Bin's special care, Empress Wang Mantang was given a quilt and hot water along the way, so the girl did not suffer much. In his gratitude, Wang Mantang had long forgotten about the Emperor of Great Shun, Zhao Wanxing, who was sneezing from being swept by the donkey's tail on the cart in front. Instead, he turned to the young, handsome, and high-ranking general and made eye contact.
Jiang Bin was seduced by this beauty. Seeing that the Duke was sitting in the cart in front and no one was paying attention to him, he simply jumped onto the cart. First, he touched her thighs through the quilt and squeezed her shoulders. Then, pretending that his hands were too cold, he reached into the quilt and pinched the beauty's soft hands. The two of them exchanged eye contact, treating this black donkey cart as an embroidered bed, flirting and flirting with the beauty.
The convoy had already entered the North City of Bazhou. This place was constantly expanding and there was already an outer city and inner city. The inner city had city walls that were built a long time ago. The outer city also had a large number of households. The only difference from the inner city was that there was an ancient city wall without a city gate. At this moment, someone screamed loudly and ran out of the alley. He wailed as if he had seen a ghost, "Dead! All dead! All dead … "
Before he could finish, Liu Bangchao, who had jumped off the horse, grabbed him by the collar and threw him half a circle. He then shouted loudly, "What are you shouting for? What do you mean they're all dead? Is there a chicken plague? "
That person trembled and said, "Ai … Ai … Ai Yuanwai, Ai Yuanwai's whole family, they … they're all dead!"
Yang Ling heard this from inside the carriage and couldn't help but be shocked. A murder case?
He pulled open the curtain of the carriage and saw Song Ai raise her hand and said, "The convoy stop!" Then, she jumped off the horse and walked to the front of that person and said, "Don't panic, we are the officials. Where is there a murder case? Bring us there! "
Jiang Bin heard someone shouting and couldn't care about flirting with the beauty anymore. He squeezed her hand hard and hurried over. The alley wasn't small and was big enough for the carriages to enter. However, Yang Ling also got off the carriage and ordered Liu Bangchao to lead the soldiers to watch over the prisoners. He, Song Ai, Jiang Bin, and more than 20 people followed the man into the alley.
There was a family in front of them that looked quite wealthy. They had high walls and a large gate. In front of the gate were two stone lions rolling embroidered balls. On the lintel of the gate hung black lacquer and gold words: "Ai Residence."
The man trembled and pointed at the gate. "It's … it's here. I'm a local peddler who just came back from beyond the Great Wall. Ai Yuanwai asked me to buy authentic Chang Bai ginseng. I rushed back today and paid a visit. Who would've thought that the gate would be wide open and there would be no one to welcome me? So I went in and saw … saw … they're all dead."
As soon as Jiang Bin heard this, he swung both of his Zhanmadao and leaped into the door without stepping on the stone steps. Like a praying mantis, he raised his Zhanmadao and looked left and right before he turned his head and said, "There's no one here. This lowly official will lead the way and protect the High Duke!"
As he said this, he gripped his sabers tightly and walked straight into the main hall. Yang Ling didn't care. Even if there was a murderer, he would've disappeared by now. Why would he stay in the residence and wait to be discovered to commit murder again? He lifted his robe and walked in with his head held high. Song Ai and a group of imperial guards surrounded Yang Ling and followed him into the main hall.
There were flower beds and rockery in the courtyard. Many of the surrounding walls had collapsed and there were some newly plowed soil. It looked like the residence was being expanded during the New Year. It was a little strange. After passing by four greeting pines, he saw that the main door of the main hall was only open for a while. He could see Jiang Bin standing there with his two sabers and looking forward.
Yang Ling walked up the steps and saw a bag on the ground. Beside it, there were a few ginseng leaves. It should be the goods that the traveling merchant had brought.
"Brother Jiang, I found …" Yang Ling took a step into the doorway and stopped mid-sentence. A chill suddenly struck his heart. The main hall was cold and cheerless. One could still vaguely see the prosperity and wealth of the past.
In the empty main hall, there were four people hanging. They were dressed in blood-stained clothes. Ropes were hung from the beams and chairs were upside down on the ground. The four people had long hair covering their faces. It was hard to tell whether they were men or women. As the door was open, the cold wind blew in and their bodies were swaying slightly in the cold wind.
Song Ai screamed, then immediately covered her mouth and turned around. The corpse at the front was swaying in the wind. The wind blew away the messy hair on his face, revealing a face with bulging eyes and a tongue sticking out.
Song Ai pulled on Yang Ling's sleeve and said in a low voice, "Sir …"
Yang Ling knew that although she was brave and good at fighting and was not afraid of death, the feeling of killing someone on the battlefield and seeing an entire family hang was different. He nodded slightly and said, "Yes, you can leave first!"
"No, Sir, you … look behind."
"Behind?" It was just a wall. What was there to look at?
Yang Ling obeyed and turned around. He saw three lines of words of varying depth on the snow-white wall. They seemed to have been written with something like a burnt wooden stick. The words were carved deep into the wall, and Yang Ling did not know how much strength had been used.
Dark clouds cover the sun. Despicable people are everywhere.
Strange grievances cannot be redressed. I only hope that there are upright officials in heaven.
Grievances! "
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