What was power? Now it was.
Yang Hu rode on his horse and looked at the mighty army with satisfaction. An army of nearly one hundred thousand. When he left the mountain, there were only ten thousand bandits in Taihang Mountains. Now, he had one hundred thousand strong soldiers in his hands. He could conquer cities and seize lands, and he had power over life and death. Who dared to say that he, Yang Hu, did not have the ability to rule the world?
Shandong was also a region where horse policy was implemented. The people were responsible for raising horses for the government, so Yang Hu could plunder a large number of warhorses in a very short time. The tens of thousands of horse bandits who made a living in Mount Taihang were brave, skilled in fighting, and bloodthirsty. With the guidance of these ruthless and skillful killing experts, and with the experience of fighting on the cruel battlefields of blood and fire, these simple, kind, and even cowardly farmers soon became as cruel and savage as they were.
The combat power of Yang Hu's army increased rapidly. The soldiers were like wolves and tigers, and it was difficult for the local officials to fight against this crazy group of desperados. Along the way, when they conquered cities and seized lands, except for Dafu, which was heavily guarded and had high and thick walls that were difficult to breach, and Yang Hu was not willing to waste a large number of troops to attack it, no army of the imperial court could compete with them in a field battle.
Yang Hu's army received a large number of weapons seized from the officials. Not only were they well-equipped, but his personal guards were also equipped with firearms. In order to maintain a strong combat power and drive his soldiers to work for him, Yang Hu abandoned the principle of not robbing the old, the young, and not raping women that he adhered to when he was a mountain bandit. The discipline of the army was extremely corrupt. Everywhere he went, there were ruins, and countless women were raped to death.
People in troubled times were worse than dogs. How could these people be just ordinary people?
The strong in troubled times were likely to be the lowly people in times of peace. They picked up weapons, so they could decide the rise and death of others, but at the same time, it also hastened their own deaths.
However, the suffering of the people was not limited to this. There were also soldiers in the army who had broken military discipline, especially the small troops that were scattered. Without the control and supervision of the imperial court's laws, they became as cruel and greedy as Yang Hu's White Cloak Army.
As the saying goes, 'Bandits are like combs, soldiers are like hens'. In order to evade the pursuit of the imperial army, the White Uniform Army plundered and plundered in a hurry. After satisfying their bestial desires, they hurried on their way. However, the soldiers following behind them were unscrupulous and used the same method to humiliate the common people.
Their actions forced even more desperate commoners to join the White Coat Army. From a kind commoner who had been bullied and humiliated, they turned into beasts and began to harm other kind commoners. In order to survive, they became savage. Because their future was bleak and they didn't know how long they could live, they became shameless. It was a vicious cycle.
It was not that the Shandong Inspector-General was unaware of this situation, but in this chaotic moment, he was busy deploying troops to fight against the White Uniform Army. He could only pretend to be deaf and mute to the defeated soldiers who had separated from the main group of officers and soldiers in the battle, who had broken military discipline and committed crimes, so as to avoid inciting a mutiny and adding fuel to the fire of the situation.
As a result, the situation in Shandong worsened, and no one had any hope of putting down the rebellion quickly. The rich had long begun to move to the canal, using the waterway to escape to the capital. Duke Yan's dozens of treasure carriages and hundreds of people had fled to the capital through the waterway.
Yang Hu's army moved quickly and surpassed them. Along the way, they encountered many wealthy landlords who had fled to the canal with their families. In the end, the men of these rich families lost their lives and the women became playthings. The gold, jewels, and jewels had all been packed up and given to Yang Hu as military supplies.
However, these were not enough. On one hand, the gold, silver, and jewels had aroused the fighting spirit of the rebels, and on the other hand, they had provided Yang Hu's army with the financial foundation to rebel. However, because the entire Shandong was filled with soldiers and bandits, and war was everywhere, the normal economy had been completely disrupted. For the time being, money could not be converted into the war supplies they needed.
The White Uniform Army did not engage in production and only destroyed it. An army of one hundred thousand, more than fifty thousand warhorses, and such a large supply of provisions were completely reliant on robbery. The producers had either died, fled, or joined the ranks of the destroyers. For the time being, how much food was there in Shandong for them to consume?
There might still be an abundance of resources in the cities, but all the cities were being fortified and guarded by soldiers. Once they reached the wilderness, it would be the world of the White Shirt Army, the predators. Once they attacked the cities, especially Da Fu Gao City, they would have to pay the price of a large number of newly trained soldiers. Yang Hu could not afford to pay such a huge price.
In this season of hope, when spring was in full bloom and the fields should have just been sown, there was desolation and death everywhere. The soldiers of the White Uniform Army had not yet noticed, but as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Yang Hu could already feel the pressure brought about by the lack of food. If there was food, there would be soldiers. If the soldiers could not eat and use food, the consequences would be dire. Therefore, it was imperative to cross the Henan River or go south through the Henan River to enter the richer Central Plains.
In the distance, the silhouette of Juye County could already be seen. The soldiers were like dogs that had seen a bone. They were excited from the bottom of their bones.
There was a city in front of them, which meant that they could rob another sum of money, play with beautiful women, and enjoy free delicious food. As for whether they had to exchange their lives for it, who cared? If they did not fight, not be a soldier, and not be a bad person, did they think they could live on? Since that was the case, they would live to their heart's content.
Since they did not know when they would die, why not enjoy it as much as possible? The mentality of enjoying life in the present gave the tired troops a boost in morale. They quickened their pace, and the cavalry even shouted excitedly.
Seeing the high morale of the soldiers, Yang Hu could not help but smile in satisfaction. He continued to discuss the next step of the plan with a few of his trusted generals.
Mu Yun was now a general that Yang Hu relied heavily on. Yang Hu's army was divided into the front, back, left, and center of the five tiger armies. Mu Yun led the center army and was the first among the five tiger generals. He tilted his head and said, "Take down Julu and then take down Jining. This way, the provisions should be able to last for more than half a month. Use this time to besiege Xuzhou City and take down Xuzhou. We will definitely be able to shock the world."
Yi Chenfeng, the commander-in-chief of the left army, was a general of the Bazhou Stronghold who had been following Yang Hu. Hearing this, he said doubtfully, "General Mu, I'm afraid this is a little difficult. There may be some hope in taking down Jining, but Xuzhou … is heavily garrisoned and backed by the Yellow River. There is no need to worry about the rear. Ming Destiny can also send more troops and provisions through the waterway at any time. If we take down Xuzhou, we can't take it in a short time. If we take too long, the pursuers behind us can surround us from three sides. It's too dangerous. "
The commander-in-chief of the front army was Han Bai. He took the opportunity to inform Red Lady of Yang Hu's plan to destroy the dikes and dig the rivers. Then he quickly rushed back to the army. Now he was also called back by Yang Hu to discuss the big plan. Hearing this, he immediately agreed and said, "Yes, Marshal. Our original plan was to mess up the whole territory of Shandong, recruit troops, and store provisions. Now it seems that our goal has been achieved.
I still suggest that we should get in touch with Liu Liu and Liu Qi of Bazhou as soon as possible. We should join forces and use fast cavalry to attack the capital and directly attack the central area of Ming Destiny. More than half of the troops in the capital are infantry. They may not be able to fight with us. Even if we lose, we can immediately retreat and directly attack the Central Plains. At that time, the sky is high and the ground is wide, and the horses are like dragons. Who can do anything to us? "
Not only is it dangerous to go to Xuzhou, but our army is also heavy, especially more than 50,000 warhorses. Crossing the river is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even if we cross the river, along the way, the rivers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are crisscrossed, which is not conducive for our tens of thousands of cavalrymen to fight. This plan is not feasible. "
There were many rivers and lakes in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which were not conducive for cavalry to fight. What the White Coat Army relied on was the momentum of the tens of thousands of horses. Hearing this, Yang Hu couldn't help but hesitate.
The commander-in-chief of the right army, Li Yeyin, was one of the three rich men in Qingzhou who joined Yang Hu. He was about 40 years old, with a beautiful beard, a pair of phoenix eyes, and a dignified appearance. Because he had outstanding martial arts, he was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the left army.
Seeing Yang Hu's hesitant expression, Li Yeyin laughed and said, "No matter what, if we can take Xuzhou, our army's reputation will be greatly boosted. If it's not suitable to go south, it won't be too late for us to send the army north. Haven't we already sent someone to contact Liu Liu? We have to have news of them before we can discuss the battle strategy for going south to the Central Plains. "
The commander-in-chief of the rear army, Tofu Wolf, was a fierce Taihang bandit. Riding on a black horse, he said lazily, "Rich man Li, it's difficult! Ah! Our people are good at fighting in the open, not at attacking fortifications. We didn't take Qingzhou, and we took Dezhou. Is Xuzhou so easy to take?
In my opinion, there's not much to be gained in Shandong. It's better for us to go to the Central Plains as soon as possible. Jiangnan is overflowing with wealth, and the women in Jiangnan are all beautiful. Each of them has soft skin and tender flesh. Compared to our big girls … Wow! What beautiful girls … "
Tofu Wolf's eyes were fixed on a mountain ridge in front of him. He seemed to be drooling. When everyone saw this, they all turned their heads to look at the mountain ridge.
In front of them, there was a mountain ridge on the left. It was bare except for a few short shrubs growing sparsely. On the right was a plain. On the mountain ridge was a vigorous white horse, and on the horse was a woman in red. She was wearing a red cloak, a red tight suit, and a red veil. Her face couldn't be seen, but from her alluring waist and soft breasts, it was clear that she was a hot beauty.
With a neigh, the white horse stood up on its hind legs. Then, its large feet stomped heavily on the ground, as if it were made of iron and stone. It didn't move at all. The woman in red turned her head to look down the slope. Although they were far away, everyone could feel that the woman's starry eyes were looking at them.
The wolf-like soldiers were eager to give it a try, but they didn't ignore the woman in red's domineering aura and the dagger at her slender waist. The dagger was still unsheathed, but it was filled with killing intent. The instinct taught to them by killing made them realize that this woman wasn't to be trifled with. No one dared to rush forward, but the soldiers began to stir.
When Yang Hu saw this woman, the complacent expression on his face disappeared. His face turned very ugly. The people of Yang Clan from Bazhou and some core members of the bandits in Taihang Mountain had already recognized this woman. Han Bai's eyes brightened, but he quickly hid his excitement. He urged his horse to Yang Hu's side and said in a low voice, "Brother Hu, it's sister-in-law."
Yang Hu's expression was ugly. "I know."
Han Bai looked at his expression and laughed. "I don't understand you. You two are getting along so well. What's going on? Now, sister-in-law is looking for you. Maybe she wants to make up with you. Why don't you go up and meet her?"
Yang Hu sneered. After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded and urged his horse to go up the mountain.
Tofu Wolf had only seen Red Madame twice. Seeing this situation, he remembered who this woman was. Red Madame, the one who broke into Taihang Mountains alone. She was a flower with thorns all over her body. He couldn't afford to offend her. Tofu Wolf let out a sharp whistle and shouted, "All troops, rest where you are."
The soldiers saw the Grand Marshal riding up the mountain alone. Even those who hadn't heard of Red Madame knew that this woman in front of them must be related to Grand Marshal Yang. They lazily got off their horses and sat on the ground. Some went into the grass to lie down while others stood to the side to relieve themselves. Laughter and quarreling could be heard everywhere.
Mu Yun sat on his horse, frowning as he looked at the two figures on the mountain ridge. His eyes flickered. No one knew what he was thinking. His eyes occasionally met Li Yeyin's, and the two's gazes instantly moved away.
On the hillside, Yang Hu slowed down his horse and slowly approached Cui Ying 'er. Cui Ying 'er's face was covered with a red silk scarf, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes, a pretty nose, and plump cherry lips. The red scarf reflected a delicate and charming outline.
"Ying 'er, you … why are you here?" Yang Hu stammered.
Cui Ying 'er glanced at the bandits at the foot of the mountain and lightly said, "Grand Marshal Yang is so powerful. When I left Tang Sai' er Stronghold, you were still attacking Qingzhou. When I took down Qufu, you also arrived at Liangshan at the same time. You really moved at lightning speed. Where are you going now?"
Hearing her address, Yang Hu's eyes dimmed and his voice also became cold, "Where else can I go? Naturally, I'm going to attack Juye. "
"You led a hundred thousand troops and traveled such a long distance just to attack a small Juye?"
"That's not true. After occupying Juye, we still have to attack Jining. If we take this big city, we can definitely raise more military expenses, recruit more soldiers, and accumulate more power. Then, we can kill our way out of Shandong and seize the world!"
"So what if we take Jining? If we continue eastward, if we take down Xuzhou, we can even directly cross the river and seize Jiangnan. Wouldn't that be even better? "
Yang Hu looked at her strangely. For a moment, he couldn't figure out her intentions and could only answer carefully, "Xuzhou has high walls and is heavily guarded. Once we attack the city, the Ming army can send reinforcements through the waterways. Taking Xuzhou is very difficult. Even if the imperial army doesn't surround us, the food we carry will not be able to support us fighting outside Xuzhou for many days. "
Cui Ying 'er sneered and said, "What if we fight around here for a while and wait for the spring rain to increase and the river to rise? What if we breach the northern dam of the Yellow River near Changyuan, Dongming, Liangshan, or Taiqian? The lower reaches will all be flooded, millions of people will become ghosts, the Yellow River will change course, and Xuzhou will become an isolated city. Not only will it not be difficult to take it, but it will also be easy to abandon the city and cross the dried up Yellow River, right? "
Yang Hu's expression suddenly changed and a fierce light appeared in his eyes. In a deep voice, he said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Cui Ying 'er's gaze slightly lowered and looked disdainfully at his hand that was tightly gripping the hilt of his saber. She mockingly said, "What, you want to silence me?"
Yang Hu's body trembled and he struggled internally for a moment. Finally, he slowly loosened his right hand and said coldly, "I understand. It's Han Bai, it must be him. I ordered him to be the vanguard and scout ahead. He knows about this matter, and only he has the time to find you. I trusted him so much, and he actually betrayed me! "
"Betrayed you?" Cui Ying 'er countered with a laugh and shook her head. "Yang Hu, oh, Yang Hu, you are really blinded by greed now. You can't even tell who is good to you and who is harming you. Bursting the dike and digging the river to flood Shandong. Only you can think of this. Not bad, this will definitely cause chaos in Shandong.
But have you thought about it? You sent your troops to Xuzhou just as the Yellow River changed its course. No matter how secretive you are, you won't be able to hide it from the eyes and ears of those with ulterior motives. Once this matter is exposed, you will be the enemy of the entire world. Not to mention becoming the Emperor, you will immediately lose your reputation and become a street rat that everyone will curse and beat. "
How could Yang Hu listen to her now? Hearing this, he only sneered and said, "So you are saying that Han Bai betrayed my trust and betrayed me for my own good? You, Miss Cui, specially came to stop me for my own good? "
Red Madame raised her chin and said arrogantly, "Forget it, you have long been unreasonable, and I am also too lazy to reason with you. I came to tell you that bursting the dike and turning the river yellow, don't even think about it! "
Yang Hu sneered. "Red Madame, let me tell you, don't point fingers at me. I now have one hundred thousand cavalrymen under my command. Who in the world dares to look down on me? With a wave of my hand, blood will flow for a thousand miles. With a command, thousands of heads will fall to the ground. What qualifications do you have to fight with me? With your martial arts skills, can you fight against more than one thousand defeated soldiers of Cui Family's stronghold? "
Red Madame's slender finger pointed to the north and said indifferently, "Go back!"
"Huh?" Yang Hu was infuriated by Red Madame's contempt and said sternly, "Don't forget, I am the commander-in-chief of the three armies! You dare to order me? "
Red Madame turned her horse and said coldly, "Go back! Don't have any ideas about the Yellow River! Otherwise, I will immediately announce to the world that the Yellow River was dug by you, Yang Hu! Three thousand soldiers? I can immediately gather an army of three hundred thousand people, three hundred thousand soldiers who will fight you to the death! "
Yang Hu roared in exasperation, "Are you crazy? I didn't want to rely on your Cui Family's people when I rose up in Shandong, and I don't care about your Cui Family's power. It was you! It was you who came to my door and wanted to rebel with me. I, Yang Hu, let bygones be bygones and took you in. Now you want to hold me back? "
Cui Ying 'er coldly glanced at him and said, "Hold you back? If it weren't for you, how could Cui Family's stronghold be implicated? Commander-in-chief of the three armies? That's even more ridiculous! Let me tell you, without me, you will rebel! Without you, my uncles will still rebel. I am willing to join them only because they are my uncles and they want to avenge my father. We are just using each other.
Bursting the dike and turning the river yellow, completely devoid of conscience. Do you know how many people will drown in the flood? After the flood, the plague will spread. How many people will die of illness? It's spring now, and all the crops planted at the beginning of spring have been destroyed. Without this year's harvest, how many people will starve to death this year and next? This is madness! "
"Hahahaha …" Yang Hu pointed at her and laughed heartily, "Red Lady, why are you still rebelling? You might as well become a Bodhisattva."
Red Lady stared at him and faintly said, "Is Bodhisattva very funny? In this world, there are really people with the heart of Bodhisattva, doing great deeds of kindness and doing great deeds of kindness. You, Yang Hu, can't even compare to one of their toes! "
Yang Hu's laughter stopped, and his face turned red from her humiliation. Red Lady gazed into the distance and said, "I'm not Bodhisattva, I'm just a stupid woman. What I'm doing is not a good deed, but something that anyone with a bit of humanity in them would never do. Yang Hu, I've said all I want to say. You decide for yourself where to go! "
She coldly glanced at Yang Hu and said, "My people have already gone north. I want to go back, back to Bazhou. Yang Hu, remember, as long as the Yellow River bursts, your crimes will be exposed to the world. I, Cui Ying 'er, will be the first to not let you off! "
After saying that, Red Lady stomped on the horse. The white horse neighed and galloped toward the other side of the hill. At the foot of the hill, more than twenty horsemen had been quietly waiting there. Seeing her go down the hill, they immediately mounted their horses and surrounded her as they galloped toward the distant plains. Their white cloaks fluttered in the wind like a white cloud carrying a ball of raging flame.
Yang Hu stood alone on the mountain ridge, disappointed and frustrated as he looked at the place where Red Lady had left. Even after more than twenty horsemen disappeared into the horizon, he still stood there in a daze. Mu Yun couldn't bear it anymore and rode up the hill to his side. Seeing him staring into the distance in a daze, Mu Yun softly called out, "Marshal! Marshal! Brother Hu? "
Yang Hu's gaze moved and he came back to his senses. Gritting his teeth, he said to Mu Yun, "Let's go! After capturing the giant deer, the army will return north! "
Mu Yun asked curiously, "What? Aren't we going to Xuzhou to cut off the Yellow River? "
Yang Hu looked at Han Bai at the foot of the hill with boundless hatred in his eyes. He fiercely said, "We can't go! She … already knows of my plan. Once the Yellow River is cut, she will immediately announce it to the world and ruin my plan. "
Mu Yun still didn't understand why this husband and wife were acting like strangers. Since they rebelled together, why did they drag Yang Hu down? However, he had heard of Red Lady's prestige. She was someone who would do what she said. She was a Jianghu hero who kept her word and kept her word. If she really broke off her love for Yang Hu and wanted to do this, it would indeed be troublesome. He was afraid that the good situation they had just opened up would be ruined just like that.
Mu Yun thought about it in annoyance for a moment before he suddenly laughed coldly and said, "Marshal doesn't need to be depressed. We originally didn't expect to have so many troops so quickly and had no choice but to use this method. We now have a hundred thousand elite troops. If we continue to recruit more troops and buy horses along the way, it will be enough to resist the imperial court. If we recruit more troops, it will be very difficult to solve the problem of rations. "
He glanced at Yang Hu and said, "I have a plan. We will lead the army north and try to meet up with Liu Liu. Then we will break through from Henan and directly attack the hinterland of the Central Plains. We are all cavalry and can move quickly. We can take advantage of the fact that Ming Destiny's army can't return to help and attack Nanjing. We can support the Ming Dynasty's royal family as a puppet emperor to fight against Zhengde. When the time is right, we can kill the puppet emperor and replace him with Marshal. At that time, we can attack Ming Destiny in the north and retreat to divide the river. What do you think? "
Yang Hu said hatefully, "Now this is the only way. Let's go, we will first take the giant deer, then lead the army north to Dezhou and try to meet up with Liu Liu and his brother."
His eyes were sharp and he said, "I want to try. It would be best if we can take the capital in one fell swoop and take the head of Zhengde and Yang Ling!"
* * *
Yang Ling was most concerned about the situation in Shandong. But the military intelligence in Shandong could not be delivered in time. Instead, he received news from both the north and the south. The news from the north was that the Xuan Residence was attacked by the Tatar cavalry. Yang Ling did not expect that Boyan would dare to transfer troops to attack Ming Destiny when he was surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Perhaps it was because Boyan's troops and horses were not as strong as they used to be, but this time he could only make use of the cavalry's mobility and agility to quickly attack some easily conquered small towns and villages, leaving as soon as he came into contact with the main Ming army. He had no intention of fighting a protracted battle. Now he was gradually moving towards Shanxi and Datong. It seemed that the threat was not too great. The various garrisons were on high alert and he would not be able to gain much advantage. But this way, the troops at the border could not be transferred. The south was still a scene of peace and prosperity. After a winter, the merchant ships of various countries came to Suzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou. The sea transportation tax was endless and had now become a major pillar of the imperial court's finances.
A small merchant group came in Frang Ji and brought news from Spain. The country's expeditionary fleet had returned. As they had lost the protection of the powerful fleet, they were repeatedly robbed by pirates along the way. When they returned, there were less than a third of them. Their clothes were tattered and they were sallow and emaciated. They were worse than beggars.
The imperial court of the country was in a heated argument. Whether to retaliate or change their strategy to deal with Ming Destiny became the focus of the court's debate. But from reality and after seeing the power of Ming Destiny's navy, an expedition to the east was almost a fantasy. In the end, the side seeking peace gained the upper hand with the support of the king. They were currently building a large merchant ship and estimated to be able to set off this autumn at the earliest.
In Jiangnan, under the management of Ma Lian'er and Adeni, the business of the inner factory was booming. Yang Ling was very pleased with this. The powerful force he separated from the inner factory was hidden from the imperial court, and it was impossible to return this force. To confess to the emperor was to show that he accepted the position of Marquess as a backup plan. Moreover, once the country was on the right track, Yang Ling was not willing to let the imperial court have such a powerful secret service organization.
But this force and these people must be arranged for a way out. With the development of business, Yang Ling wanted to gradually transform them into a powerful business organization that ran through the north and the south and connected overseas.
Looking at Ma Lian'er and Adeni's letters, Yang Ling frowned slightly and said, "Adeni is too anxious. She suggested that I colonize overseas now and quickly take some small countries or unclaimed lands as my own. She doesn't understand Ming Destiny's national conditions and the geographical situation of Ming Destiny."
Cheng Qiyun blinked and said, "I think what she said is very reasonable."
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "I also hope for a double hegemony on land and sea. But Ming Destiny's territory is vast and rich in resources. The demand for colonial trade will not become its main demand for a long time. Without the efforts and efforts of several generations, colonial trade can only be given up halfway. It is difficult to achieve if there is no demand and it is forcibly promoted.
When she sent this letter, she did not know the great momentum of the rebellion in Shandong and Hebei, but even if these reasons were put aside, it was still not feasible. After the remnants of the Meng Yuan Dynasty split, it seemed difficult to threaten the survival of Ming Destiny, but if the snake is not killed, there will be endless troubles in the future. Once their power is unified, it is difficult to estimate how much impact it will have on the Central Plains. Before that, concentrate financial resources and talents to carry out colonization?
To expand on a large scale, they must first completely solve the northern frontier and regain control of the western regions. In addition, there is also the internal system of Ming Destiny. The colonial trade was for money and land. These things could not be controlled by the imperial court alone. If it was handed over to the aristocrats and wealthy merchants, the merchants, especially the sea merchants, would have great power. Could the imperial court sit back and watch uncontrollable forces appear?
Adeni's country is ruled by the nobles. The nobles each have their own territory and people. They carry out colonization to expand their power and benefit the whole country. But Ming Destiny is a unified imperial court. It has too strong a demand for stability and complete control.
To change this mentality, we must first not suppress the business, but start from opening up the business, develop the industry and commerce, expand the source of wealth, and slowly increase the power of the industry and commerce, penetrate into the political world, until the economic development has the power to change the system to suppress them. That is not something that can be done in a hundred years or a generation. "
Yang Ling sighed, shook his head, and said, "No matter how far a person can see, he can't change the entire world. Even a wise ruler can try to change its direction and make it move in the right direction, but he can't leap forward and surpass the world by a few hundred years in his limited few decades."
Cheng Qiyun laughed dryly, "To be honest, Sir sometimes speaks in a mysterious way. I don't understand at all."
Yang Ling couldn't help but laugh. Cheng Qiyun said with a smile, "I don't understand what Sir is saying. Sir, please listen to me. Our business is growing rapidly. Now we have countless real estate, houses, and shops. If it is turned into silver, Sir, you are now rich enough to rival a country.
Right now, the business has just been opened. Just watch. By this time next year, we will be able to make money from money, profit from profit, and gold and silver will roll in. Yu Yong is really a genius. Without borrowing the power of the imperial court, he can still find a way to make money. With our current strength, even the rich and powerful merchants of Jiangnan will be amazed. "
Yang Ling nodded his head, saying, "En, remember to give Yu Yong and the others some shares. We need to establish a stable relationship. Only when there are interests at stake can they work harder and advance and retreat together."
He smiled and glanced at Cheng Qiyun. This money-grubber held up the account book and looked at it happily with a smile. Her light blue blouse revealed a light crimson bra, and a pink and alluring cleavage was happily pressed against the account book, being squeezed by it until it sunk in slightly.
"Say it, your contributions cannot go unnoticed. How many shares do you want, little money grubber?" Yang Ling sat back on the chair and crossed his legs.
Cheng Qiyun rolled her eyes at him and said, "I am very greedy. Will you really give me as much as I want?"
"Okay, say it. As long as I can take it out."
Cheng Qiyun threw down the account book and snuggled into his embrace like a kitten. She wrapped herself around his body and used her finger to draw circles on his chest. She breathed like an orchid and said, "I want all of you. Everything you have is mine."
Yang Ling smirked, "Isn't that easy? Didn't I give you all of it last time? All of the shares … share after share, they were all squeezed out by you. Not a single drop was left. "
"Really?" Cheng Qiyun's face was red. He didn't know when she had straddled his body. She bit his ear and panted, "Then why did you go to Wen Xin's room last night when you wanted me? Was it because I couldn't satisfy you?"
Being rubbed by her plump buttocks, Yang Ling quickly reacted. He held Cheng Qiyun's big breasts and was about to tease her when Sheridan rushed in excitedly. She was dumbfounded when she saw the situation. The relationship between Cheng Qiyun and Yang Ling was known by almost everyone in the Yang House. However, no one had pointed out this layer of window paper. Now that she saw it, what should she do?
Cheng Qiyun wanted to jump off the floor, but just as she bent her leg, she was grabbed by Yang Ling and fell on his lap. Yang Ling saw that Cher was blushing and wanted to retreat, so he coughed and said seriously, "I have no choice. There is only one chair in the house. I can only sit on it."
"Ah?" Cher giggled and glanced to the side, "That four-legged thing, I don't know what it is …"
"Come here, come to the master!" Yang Ling said arrogantly.
"I can't show weakness. I'm the master. If I'm a bit tougher, then everyone will see it as natural. If I show weakness, even if they inadvertently reveal some inappropriate expressions, Yun Er will inevitably be sad." As Yang Ling was thinking, Cher had slowly moved in front of him. She glanced at Cheng Qiyun. When their eyes met, they couldn't help but blush.
She sat so intimately on Yang Ling's lap in front of his concubine, and that lass was only half her age. Even though Cheng Qiyun was open-minded, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She thought to herself, "I've really embarrassed myself today."
Sheridan was equally unnatural. With great difficulty, she moved to Yang Ling's side. Her slender waist was embraced by him. With a soft cry, she also sat on his other leg. The two women looked at each other in dismay. Suddenly, they burst into laughter at the same time, the awkwardness on their faces fading away.
Yang Ling embraced the two beauties, one big and one small. His hands moved up and down, gradually reaching their soft breasts. With a smile on his face, he said, "Our house only has this chair. You two beauties, big and small, can only suffer a little and squeeze together. Hehe, what is the matter that you have so rashly barged in here?"
Sheridan suppressed her embarrassment and said, "Ah, I have come to tell master that His Majesty has decreed for master and Official Wang of the Ministry of Rites to pick up someone. Official Wang is currently drinking tea in the front hall, waiting for you."
"Pick up someone?" Yang Ling frowned, "In this chaos of war, which country's ambassador is coming to visit? Or is it a vassal king returning to the imperial court? Do you want me and Official Wang to welcome him? "
"I heard that Duke Yan has entered the capital. It is rare for him to make a trip here. In order to show his solemnity, His Majesty has specially decreed for master and Official Wang to welcome him. Otherwise, he is a second-rank duke, and master is also a second-rank duke. There is no need for you to welcome him."
"Oh … so it is … Duke Yan. Hmm … why is he in the capital?" Yang Ling caressed the two women's fragrant skin and jade-like thighs. His movements slowed down, and his mind spun quickly, "Duke Yan? He is also a second-rank duke. Who is he? Where did he come from? Should I have heard of him? "
Yang Ling was anxious. Cheng Qiyun pouted and said disdainfully, "In the fifth year of Chenghua, Duke Yan was stripped of his title and demoted to a commoner. After he left the capital in disgrace, his descendants were too embarrassed to come to the capital except for when they inherited titles. Now that he has come again, could it be because of the civil unrest in Shandong?"
With this string of words, Yang Ling at least knew where he came from. However, he still did not know the identity of this duke. Thus, he pretended to be interested and asked, "In the fifth year of Chenghua … what happened?"
Cheng Qiyun was about to speak, but suddenly remembered that Yang Ling was a scholar and a disciple of a saint. She was afraid that he would be embarrassed if she said it, so she hesitated and did not answer.
Cher, on the other hand, did not have these kinds of thoughts. Seeing that the master was very interested, she rushed to say, "I know this. Duke Yan, Kong Hongxu, inherited his title when he was eight years old. He stayed in the capital and did not return. When he grew up, he married the daughter of the Grand Secretary Li Xian. This person's conduct was not good. He had more than 40 women and was tyrannical and overbearing. He strangled four innocent people for no reason, so he was stripped of his title. "
Cheng Qiyun raised her eyebrows and said coldly, "Such a disregard for human life is a heinous crime. Just because he is the descendant of a saint, he only gave up his title and continued to enjoy wealth and glory. Moreover, his son will inherit Duke Yan's position when he grows up. Hmph! Where is the justice? The world is not fair. "
"Ah!" Yang Ling cried out.
Now, no matter how stupid he was, he would know who the other person was. No wonder he was so arrogant. Although their titles were similar, he was the descendant of a famous family.
Cher giggled and said, "Sister, don't be angry. This time, you have vented your anger. I heard from Official Wang that the Red Lady rebelled in Shandong, took over Qufu, and broke into the Kong family. The main hall reared horses, the second hall cooked, and the garden was used as a ranch. Duke Yan's whole family fled to the capital in panic. The mountain of food in the house was divided among the others."
"Ah!" Yang Ling cried out again.
He opened his hands and was momentarily stunned, unable to make a sound.
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