Setting up the signboard to show off was not a deliberate show of strength for the general, but a psychological attack tactic. When a confident general led thousands of troops and spent a lot of effort to take down the target he wanted and was feeling proud of himself, he would suddenly see this line of words and know that he had fallen into someone else's trap the entire time. That kind of strong psychological blow was enough to wear down his fighting spirit and destroy his confidence.
Li Fuda often took advantage of the situation to make use of others, but he did not expect himself to be included in the most critical battle. Disappointment, anger, and sorrow made the Maitreya Cult Master, who had always been calm and astute, feel endless anger in his heart. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Yang Ling!" He suddenly turned around and left.
The defeated Jiang Nanyan, You Qingyu, and the others looked at each other and hurriedly chased after him. At this time, Liu Dachui and City Head Luo had led the remaining soldiers to the dangerous peak with its back facing the cliff. The fanatical religious beliefs of the Maitreya Cult members were extremely destructive. Even though they were definitely not a match for the three thousand Iron Guards that Yang Ling had left in the temporary headquarters, they would rather exchange a knife for a knife and a spear for a spear. They still caused heavy losses to Liu Dachui's bodyguards and City Head Luo's soldiers.
Now, less than half of the four thousand people guarding the temporary headquarters were left, and most of them were injured. This dangerous peak was bare and made of black rocks. There were only some weeds growing in the cracks of the rocks. However, the mountain was extremely steep, and one had to use both hands and feet to climb up. Thus, even though there were no rocks that could be thrown from the top, it was easy to defend as long as one was on top.
Liu Da Bang Chui's ribs, shoulders, and thighs were all injured. He tried his best to climb up a protruding rock. Panting heavily, he looked down the mountain. The entire military camp at the foot of the mountain was like a brilliant galaxy. There were flowing flames everywhere. Those were the Xiang soldiers who were waving torches and searching for officers and soldiers everywhere.
After watching for a while, Liu Bangchao suddenly pointed to the distance and burst into laughter. City Secretary Wang had suffered several minor injuries, one of his little fingers had been cut off by a saber. He endured the pain and climbed up. As soon as he heard Liu Bangchao's laughter, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "General Liu, why are you laughing?"
"Lord Wang, look! Look! The High Duke is back! The three armies have blocked all the routes of retreat. Li Fuda is finished! Maitreya Sect is finished! I've done a meritorious service, you've done a meritorious service! The Maitreya Xiang Army is going to go back to their grandmother's house, hahaha … "
City Secretary Wang suddenly looked back and saw a torrent of torches marching towards the Jingjing Inn camp from three directions. There were also some sparks on the mountain peaks between the three roads. It was obvious that the higher-ups had also arranged for people to guard the mountain. From the looks of it, they had trapped the Jingjing Inn camp like an iron bucket and didn't want to let a single one of them escape.
The Maitreya Xiang Army had not seen much of the world, but the Maitreya Cult Leader, who was boasted to be all-powerful and omnipotent, had suffered such a crushing defeat and was surrounded by Yang Ling. Even though the Maitreya Xiang Army's morale had suffered a setback, they did not panic. Under the orders of the Incense Masters, Altar Masters, and Sorcerers, they quickly assembled. Their formation was still neat and orderly, and their advance and retreat were still orderly.
Yang Ling led thirty thousand soldiers from the center of the army and blocked off the main exit of the Jingjing Inn. This army was made up of the guards of the Jingjing Inn and the soldiers from Zhending and Baoding who had come to surround the White Robed Army. On the left and right flanks, there were twenty thousand strong soldiers each. They were formed by soldiers from Fangma, Chinese Redbud, Pingxing Pass, and Liaozhou.
As it was still uncertain whether there were still Maitreya followers in the Taiyuan Guards, Yang Ling ordered the Taiyuan Guards to quickly surround the Taiyuan Guards and the Middle Guards. After ordering all the soldiers to put down their weapons, he trapped them unarmed into the canyon in front of Tianqing Gully. The Tianqing Gully Garrison and the five thousand strong soldiers he had sent were strictly guarded, and did not participate in the siege.
As for Red Lady's cavalry, it was said that when the imperial court's army was in internal strife, they took the opportunity to break out of the encirclement and fled all the way north. At present, their whereabouts were still unknown. To the generals of the various routes, the five thousand White Shirt Army, which no longer had a foundation, were obviously not as dangerous as the remnants of White Lotus who had overthrown those in power for hundreds of years. Yang Ling made a prompt decision not to entangle himself with the White Shirt Army. Instead, he concentrated his troops to pursue and attack the Maitreya Xiang army that was besieging the Jingjing Inn.
Yang Ling's army stopped. Sometimes, momentum also needed to be piled up by the number of people. The thirty thousand strong army, lined up in a few neat square formations. Their armor was bright, and their swords and spears were everywhere. They stood there as a black mass, like an iron wall. The momentum of the Maitreya Xiang army was gradually suppressed, and their fanatical cries gradually cooled down.
The other two routes of troops also arrived, and soon formed a perfect encirclement and assault formation. It was only then that the Maitreya Xiang army discovered that the simple defensive fortifications and equipment inside the military camp had been destroyed when they attacked the defending troops. It was impossible for them to defend against this regular army that was far superior to them in terms of numbers, equipment, and war experience.
At this moment, Li Fuda led Jiang Nan Yan, You Qingyu, and a few others out of the imperial envoy's office. Li Fuda held a bloody head in his hand and shouted, "We have succeeded. The head of Emperor Ming Destiny is here. Now rush out immediately."
His breath was long, and his voice was distant. Although it was among the thousands of horses and thousands of soldiers, it could be heard very far. The followers of the Maitreya Xiang army heard it clearly, and all of them became spirited, cheering like a tsunami.
But there was no commotion in Yang Ling's army. Only hundreds of warriors shouted in unison, "His Majesty has just married, and is waiting for your head in the Leopard Room to congratulate him. Kill!"
Hundreds of warriors shouted in unison, and the word "kill" was shouted from the battle formation, which immediately suppressed Li Fuda's voice and the cheers of the Maitreya Xiang army. Immediately, the soldiers of the three armies shouted "kill" in unison. This shout was like the first spring thunder rolling across the Wilderness, and the momentum was really terrifying.
Li Fuda did not dare to say more, and hurriedly shouted, "Rush out!"
You Qingyu immediately responded. He held up his spear and roared, and led the followers of the Maitreya Xiang army to rush towards Yang Ling's phalanx. He was already in a weak position in the encirclement, so how could he dare to argue with the other side and argue about whether Emperor Zhengde was alive or not? Now he could only take advantage of the believers' doubts and morale to immediately enter the battle.
The opposite Ming Army had just arrived, and they were still in an ordinary phalanx. They did not form a round formation suitable for defense, a conical formation suitable for attack, or a geese formation suitable for encircling. This was a good opportunity to quickly break through.
"Buzz ~" There was a terrifying sound, and countless javelins swept over the thousands of Maitreya Xiang soldiers who rushed out like a gust of wind. The flat drill ground seemed to suddenly grow a forest, and the javelins that were powerful enough to shoot through a galloping horse nailed them to the ground. Corpses crawled under the forest of javelins, lying in a pool of blood and twitching for the last time.
In the situation where they had an absolute advantage in numbers and military equipment, why should they care about the battle formation? Moreover, the center of the phalanx was weak, and the surrounding was strong, which was suitable for the two groups of infantry to fight head-on. You Qingyu's figure could no longer be seen. Under such a dense and terrible rain of javelins, his life was not as valuable as that of others. A short javelin as thick as an egg pierced through his right eye, and the huge force nailed him to the ground on his back. Immediately after, another spear pierced through his lower abdomen, and he died before he could even struggle.
Such a terrible and merciless attack, even ghosts and deities would be terrified, let alone a group of ordinary people who hoped to become immortals. The battlefield immediately fell into a dead silence.
"Ku! Ku! Ku! " It was the sound of the entire phalanx of the Ming Army moving forward. Jiang Nanyan was trembling all over. Suddenly, he shook the sharp arrow in his hand, and with a shout, he led the people to rush out again, "Kill! Charge! The White Lotus was born, the Yuan Venerable created it, the Ajati Matriarch has infinite power! "
Countless followers of the Maitreya Xiang rushed forward as the Great Master chanted in unison.
Li Fuda was very sad and extremely angry. Red Lady had betrayed him! Red Lady was too despicable!
The civilian group's arrows were limited, and when Red Lady escaped from the encirclement, she asked for half of them from him. As a result, every follower of the Maitreya Xiang carried less than half a quiver of arrows. During the attack on Jingjing Inn, they had used bows and crossbows to suppress each other. Now, they had only a few arrows left. They had no other choice but to fight head-on.
"Hiss … Swoosh …"
The guns and crossbows fired at the same time, and a dense rain of arrows flew like locusts, turning the fresh bodies into porcupines. Jiang Nanyan danced with his sword like a wheel, and flew into the phalanx of the Ming Army like an eagle. His Lightness Skill was indeed outstanding, and he actually managed to block the first round of arrows.
He waved his long sword, and with a "Bang, Bang, Bang …" a series of shots were fired, and the Great Master Jiang, who was skilled in martial arts and unparalleled in Lightness Skill, was shot into a sieve. With hundreds of lead bullets in his body, he suddenly became abnormally heavy, and fell down like a broken kite.
"Ku! Ku! Ku! Hiss … Swoosh … Bang, bang, bang … "
Li Fuda became even more indignant, indescribably indignant. Yang Ling was too despicable! To think that he called himself a famous general in vain, and did not even give people a chance to fight fairly. His phalanx advanced slowly as they continuously fired arrows and guns. They had no path of retreat, no bows and arrows, no horses to break through the enemy's arrow formation. They could only continue to lose their lives in the charge, using blood and lives to close the distance between each other.
Finally, after paying the lives of more than four thousand believers in vain, the two armies engaged in a chaotic battle. When enemies meet on a narrow path, the courageous win. The thousands of soldiers and horses crowded together to fight for their lives, each step creating a bloody hole. Even the most cowardly person would not take a step back, because they had no way to go. All around them were weapons that dripped with blood. The courageous could still find a chance of survival in the battle, but the cowardly could only lose their lives under the blades of others.
There was blood and fire everywhere, thick smoke, shouts, screams, and roars. Li Fuda's gentle and elegant image was gone. The treasured sword in his hand was almost bent, and with another slash, he chopped the leather shields of two sword-and-shield soldiers in half, and a head flew into the air. Before he could stab another soldier who had lost his cover, three long spears pierced into him in a split second.
He quickly retreated and parried, but his ribs were still shot, and blood flowed like a fountain. Li Fuda staggered backwards, covering his bleeding right rib and looking into the distance. Behind the chaotic battlefield, there were still neat phalanx formations. They stood there with torches in their hands, motionless. Under the light of the torches, he could clearly see the guns and crossbows that were ready for battle.
He could not find the opponent he wanted the most. He thought that Yang Ling was not worthy to fight with him, but now he could not find Yang Ling. The dignified Duke Wei would not put himself in danger. If he wanted to see Yang Ling, he did not know how many phalanx formations he had to kill to be able to do so. With a flash of the signal light, another spear, sword, and shield phalanx joined the battle, while the crossbowmen and gunners still stood on the periphery, on high alert.
Li Fuda could not help but feel a chill: Yang Ling did not want a single Maitreya follower to slip through the net.
Tonight, it was destined to be the night of his eternal rest …
※ ※ ※
Red Lady hugged the child tightly, tears falling on his lapel. Yang Qichou, who was still immature, rarely saw his mother. He excitedly hugged her neck and smiled.
Red Lady sniffled and handed Yang Qichou back to Third Aunt. She whispered, "Third Aunt, the child is used to being with you. Besides, Third Uncle's legs are not good. You can bring him back to Yang House first. That way, I will feel more at ease."
Third Uncle and Third Aunt nodded with a dignified expression. Feng Lei stood on the horse, looking at Red Lady from several zhang away. Suddenly, he smiled helplessly and let out a long sigh of relief. It was all wishful thinking. The two of them even had a child so big. Now that he thought about it, his infatuation was really pitiful and ridiculous.
But no one noticed this sad person. Yang Ling gently held Red Lady's shoulder and gently wiped away her tears. He whispered, "You are the soul of the White Coat Army. Without you, no one can command this army. I can think of a way to let you marry into the Yang Family incognito, but I want you to marry into the Yang Family openly. The person you marry into will be called Red Lady, Cui Ying 'er, without any concealment or change.
What's more, to let this White Coat Army team become upright, to let these hot-blooded men no longer become criminals wanted by the imperial court, and even their children and grandchildren have to be thieves, the only way is to make a great contribution and wash away the sins they have committed. "
"I understand," Red Lady was dressed in men's clothes, just like a handsome and elegant young man, "I am used to fighting and killing all day long. Now that he is going back to the Yang Family with you, I also have a lot less worries and worries. It's just that I will not be able to see him for a long time, and I feel a little uncomfortable."
Red Lady embarrassedly wiped her tears again and said, "You still have a lot of things to do. It's enough to send me all the way to the pass. I … I'm leaving."
Yang Ling nodded his head. Red Lady's bright eyes stared at him. Suddenly, she impulsively came up and quickly kissed him. Then, she suddenly turned around and jumped onto the horse with a beautiful spring onion. She shouted, "Go!" She shook the reins and took the lead to rush out.
Jing Fu 'er had already grown a beard. The short beard on his chin added a bit of majesty to him. The three thousand cavalrymen that he had brought with him had all changed into the clothes of the White Army. In order to hide the obvious characteristics of their weapons, only a few of them still used broadswords. The rest had switched to metal rods, spears, and steel forks. However, all of them were long weapons.
Liu Da Bang Chui was also dressed in the clothes of the White Coat Army. The one thousand elite cavalry that he led were all the surviving warriors from the bloody battle with the Maitreya Cult that night. Many of them more or less had some injuries on their bodies. This was good. There was no need to conceal them. Anyone who saw them would know that they had gone through a cruel and bloody battle to rush out of the pass.
The two of them also cupped their hands towards Yang Ling and shook the reins as they followed behind Red Lady.
The gate was opened, and the war horses left a trail of dust. Wherever the thousands of soldiers and horses passed, a grey dragon soared.
Duke Wei Yang Ling carried his son who had just learned to speak and stood outside the gate, looking infatuatedly into the distance. His figure did not move for a long time, like a stone gazing at his wife. The guards beside him were so moved that their eyes became moist.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, carrying a cloud of dust, immediately blinding his eyes. Big Official Yang blinked his teary eyes, picked up his son and ran away. The soldiers and Imperial Bodyguards also followed him and ran into the pass. 'Bang!' the door was slammed shut.
After a while, Yang Ling, who had washed his eyes and face, appeared on the top of the city wall again. But looking into the distance, it was desolate, and the army had disappeared. The dust was caused by Ming Destiny's army burning the land. At the beginning of winter every year, the border army would send a few teams out of the pass to burn the grass, sometimes even hundreds of miles into the desert.
At that time, the weeds would wither and burn easily. Once this wildfire was set, it would not stop until it reached the mountains and rivers. Large areas of grassland would be burned. This would reduce the ability of the nomads to survive the winter and weaken their power without shedding a drop of blood. Because of their innate aggressiveness, once the power of these nomads expanded, they would constantly invade the border wall.
However, on the other hand, when the nomads found it difficult to survive the winter, they would also transfer their internal conflicts and difficulties to the Han people. They would still invade the border and plunder the people. This cycle of war would never be broken.
Yang Ling stood on the top of the pass for a long time, then let out a long sigh and quietly went down the city wall.
A piece of news began to spread. Duke Wei Yang Ling received the emperor's order to wipe out the rebel White Coat Army and set out for Jingjing Relay Station. Maitreya Sect Leader Li Fuda, who changed his name to Zhang Yin and hid in the army as the commander of the Taiyuan Guards, rebelled. He attacked the Jingjing Relay Station at night and defeated the soldiers guarding the pass. Duke Wei Yang Ling escaped under the cover of the three thousand iron guards, who were all killed.
The situation was very serious. Duke Wei Yang Ling hurriedly mobilized the surrounding guards and border troops to cooperate to destroy the evil sect. The Maitreya Sect was ambushed and wiped out. Maitreya Sect Leader Li Fuda was shot seven times, stabbed two times and shot three times. He was exhausted and was dismembered. The White Coat Bandits of Taihang Mountain took advantage of the chaos to escape. They went through Yanmen, Wuning, and turned to the west. They went through Yulin and Yunchuan to escape into the grasslands.
In a Mongolian yurt in the Tai Ning Garrison outside the Great Wall, Cheng Qiyun had just burned a secret letter with a candle. Adeni sat to the side, imitating the Mongolians, eating the tender and delicious hand-grabbed mutton. She was wearing a Mongolian woman's attire, but it didn't hide her charming and somewhat heroic appearance.
Adni saw that Cheng Qiyun had finished reading the letter and had a thoughtful look on her face. She couldn't help but ask: "What did Yang say in the letter?"
Cheng Qiyun glanced at her with a faint smile and said: "What else could he say in the letter? He said women. "
Adni's eyes suddenly lit up and her face turned red. She said shyly: "Did … did he mention me?"
"He did. He told you to eat less beef and mutton, lest your breasts get bigger and bigger. If you're not careful, you'll suffocate him."
Adeni blushed when she heard this. Her pair of soft breasts were full and firm, even straighter than Cheng Qiyun's beautiful breasts. Cheng Qiyun looked at the young girl's bulging breasts and felt a bit jealous in her heart. Whenever she had the time, she would tease her breasts.
Adeni unwillingly stretched out her oily little hand to wipe Cheng Qiyun's face. Seeing this, Cheng Qiyun hurriedly ran away, and Adeni chased after her. Cheng Qiyun was forced to the corner of the tent, and seeing that she couldn't hide anymore, she smiled and begged for mercy. She told them about what Yang Ling said in the letter, requesting them to quickly prepare bows, weapons, armor, good horses, and rations to supply Red Lady who had just entered the desert.
"That woman from the Outlaws?" Adeni was elated. That heroine who led a few thousand bandits and caused the Great Ming Dynasty to send out hundreds of thousands of troops to chase after her was someone she idolized. She didn't expect that she would side with Yang Ling and even lead troops to the desert.
Cheng Qiyun looked at the excited Adni and curled her lips disdainfully: "It's fine if Sir likes her, but this little girl also appreciates her? Hmph, she's just a troublemaker, a stupid woman with breasts but no brains. Can she bear such a heavy responsibility? Can she do it without my help? I can't let her ruin Sir's business. When she comes, I have to teach her a lesson. First, I'll give her a show of strength and make her obedient. "
Cheng Qiyun bit her red lips with her white teeth and pursed them into a seductive arc. But no matter how one looked at it, it felt a little sinister.
※ ※ ※
"Sister, Yang Ling has returned to the capital, Yang Ling has returned to the capital, this time I must … must … must …" Yongchun ran into Yongfu's boudoir … meditation room and was stunned to see Gao Wenxin and Ma Lian 'er also sitting in the room. She was dumbfounded.
Yang Ling had nothing to do with her, really nothing at all, but now her little face was flushed, as if she had stolen someone else's man but was caught red-handed by someone else's woman. Ma Lian 'er rolled her eyes, got up and smiled, and said slyly: "Greetings, Your Highness Princess Yongchun. You said that my master has returned to the capital? What do you want? "
With one hand still pointing outside, Yongchun stammered: "I want … I want to ask him about the annihilation of the Maitreya Sect. Yes, I want to ask him about the annihilation of Li Fuda. I heard that the cult leader has magical powers and can cast beans into soldiers. I really want to know how Duke Wei annihilated them in one fell swoop. Ha, ha ha ha …"
But Gao Wenxin didn't see the clues. She got up in surprise and joy and said: "Your Highness is saying that my master has returned home? He … he has returned to the mansion now? "
Princess Yongchun said dryly: "Not yet. When I came out of the city, I met his ceremonial guards entering the city. I think my brother summoned him urgently, so he went to see His Highness."
Princess Yongfu was afraid that her sister would spill the beans. She quickly got up and said, "Madams, it's a happy event for Marquess to come back. Madams, you'd better go back. Marquess must be tired, and the whole family must welcome Marquess back."
Gao Wenxin and Ma Lian 'er smiled faintly and bowed reservedly: "Then … I will bid farewell to Your Highness."
"Dispense with the formalities, dispense with the formalities." Yong Fu and Yong Chun hurriedly stopped them, and the two dukes left gracefully.
Princess Yongchun looked around. When she saw the two of them leaving, she stuck out her tongue and said proudly: "Quick wit. I really admire my quick wit. Why am I so talented?"
Princess Yongfu said unhappily: "If you had spilled the beans just now, I wouldn't have the face to see anyone. I would have to cover my face with my sleeves and drown myself in the lake. If you can kill your sister with one sentence, then you are even more talented."
Princess Yongchun smiled cheekily and said: "Then I will tie up Yang Ling and throw him into the lake to accompany you. Hehe, sister, I have another good idea. Listen to me … "
Yongfu's expression changed when she heard this. "Another good idea? You'd better think it through. Look at what you did last time. Now Xiang 'er is trembling whenever she sees you. "
"Oh no, sister, believe me. Hey, don't go. I really have a good idea …" Princess Yongchun hurriedly chased after her.
The two Madams, Gao Wenxin and Ma Lian'er, slowly and quietly left the nunnery. They got on the small sedan chair and entered the Yang House. They elegantly and gracefully entered the backyard. When they arrived at the reception hall in the backyard, they saw their sisters. The delicate appearance that they had been pretending for a long time was swept away. The two of them cheered at the same time: "Master has returned to the capital! Master has returned to the capital! "
The excited cheers attracted the stunned gazes of everyone in the room.
At this time, Yang Ling was riding a horse on the road leading to the Leopard's room. He solved the rebellion of the Maitreya Incense Army at Jingjing Yi Yi. Then, he took the opportunity to expand his momentum and created all kinds of illusions to cover Red Lady's troops. At the same time, he dispatched the Killing God Jing Fu'er's troops to support them.
At the same time, he also paid close attention to the movements of Prince Jin's mansion. Li Fuda rebelled. Once he sent troops, it would be a frontal battle. If he had any important forces, it was impossible for him to keep them and bear the heavy pressure of the imperial court alone. However, according to the information reported by the spies that he had set up earlier, there was no movement in Prince Jin's mansion. Not to mention sending troops to respond, there was no sign of dealing with sudden changes.
Yang Ling breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the report. Prince Jin was the most powerful vassal king among the three northwestern kings. If he really colluded with Li Fuda, even if he had ordered Wang Shouren to make preparations to quickly extinguish their rebellion, it would still be a big loss of vitality. It was best that Prince Jin had nothing to do with the Maitreya Cult.
However, the Taiyuan Guards had to carry out a big purge. All the generals and schools in the Taiyuan Guards were included in the investigation targets, especially those who were promoted, transferred, or joined the army after Li Fuda became the commander of the Taiyuan Guards. They were all ordered to temporarily leave the army and be thoroughly investigated under the supervision of the local government officials, in case there were any fish that slipped through the net.
Yang Ling presided over this series of things. Before everything was almost finished, Emperor Zhengde's urgent edict arrived. There were only four words on the edict: "Return to the capital as soon as possible!" It seemed that something big had happened in the capital. Yang Ling did not dare to be negligent. He immediately handed over the matter to Miao Kui and let him continue to preside over the unfinished matters. He himself rushed to the capital through the night.
Along the way, Yang Ling got a general idea of the situation from the eunuch who delivered the edict. Now the capital was full of rumors, such as a mutiny in the border army, Yang Ling was ambushed and killed, the White Coat Army fled back to Taihang, Prince Jin of Taiyuan rebelled, and King Ning of Jiangxi also rebelled because the current Emperor was not the blood of the Former Emperor, and so on. What was even more outrageous was that the current Emperor was clearly living well in the Leopard House, but there were actually rumors that he followed the army to the Jingjing Inn, so the Maitreya Cult started a rebellion and caught him and Yang Ling in one fell swoop.
The Three Mills and One Guard were in a state of high alert. Secret agents and spies inquired everywhere and arrested the people who spread the rumors. The whole capital was in a foul atmosphere. If the guards did not arrest people, the rumors would spread endlessly. If they arrested people, it would seem that they had a guilty conscience, which in turn confirmed the truth of the rumors. The people who had just calmed down began to waver again.
Emperor Zhengde did not know the truth of these rumors. Yang Ling's secret request for the Emperor to keep an eye on Guo Xun, the Marquis of Wuding, and to guard against the rebellion of the Capital Camp and Shenji Battalion. He had already been troubled listening to the news. Now that so many rumors had spread, the young Emperor was impatient, but it was difficult for him to defend himself. Even many people in the yamen were now affected.
Yang Ling knew that these were spies that Li Fuda had sent into the capital before his rebellion, using this opportunity to mislead the people and confuse the public. Now that Li Fuda was dead, these clamoring rumors should have died down, so there was no need to care about them. However, the mention of King Ning of Jiangxi's rebellion made Yang Ling's heart rise to his throat.
Li Fuda had mentioned Prince Jin because he was the commander of the Taiyuan Guards, which would make it easier for him to win the people's trust. However, King Ning, who was far away in Jiangxi, should not have had anything to do with him. Why did these rumors not mention any other princes, including the local vassal king that Li Fuda had once served in Shaanxi, only mention King Ning, a prince who had really rebelled in history?
There was falsehood in truth, and truth in falsehood. Could one of these rumors be true?
Thinking of this, Yang Ling did not dare to be negligent and immediately rushed back to the capital. When he reached the capital, he did not even enter his house, but went straight to the Leopard Room.
As Yang Ling walked, he pondered over the various situations. Suddenly, the imperial bodyguards in front of him shouted, "Go away, go away! Duke Wei has returned to the capital to meet the Emperor. If you dare to block the procession again, you will be immediately sent to the officials for investigation!"
Yang Ling raised his head and saw many commoners crowding in front of him. They were tiptoeing and looking at a restaurant by the roadside. They were so engrossed in their gazes that they did not notice the procession. At this moment, the imperial bodyguards shouted to drive them away, "Duke Wei has returned to the capital to meet the Emperor. Unrelated people, please make way!" Only then did the commoners disperse and hurriedly escape to the two sides of the street under the eaves.
He heard some brave commoners still discussing, "Quickly look, quickly look, it really is Duke Wei. I have seen him once. Aiya, Duke Wei really did not die. His Majesty also did not die. Today, I have seen both alive."
"Shh, don't talk nonsense. Be careful or I will arrest you and flog you."
Yang Ling was puzzled but it was not convenient for him to go over and ask. He shook his head in puzzlement and was about to urge his horse forward when a window of the restaurant by the roadside was pushed open with a squeak. A head poked out and shouted loudly, "Who said that Yang Ling has returned to the capital? Where is he, where is he? He … aiya, Official Yang, hahahaha …, quickly come upstairs. I am here, I am here. "
Yang Ling suddenly raised his head and saw Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, wearing a golden crown and a five-clawed golden dragon robe. He was holding on to a window and happily waving at him. Yang Ling was startled and hurriedly jumped down from his horse and said, "Your Majesty, you … why are you here?"
Zhengde smiled and said, "My beloved subject has finally returned. Come, come, quickly come upstairs."
Yang Ling did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly walked up the stairs. There was a row of Imperial Bodyguards standing on the stairs. Earlier, when he was stopped by the commoners, Yang Ling did not notice their existence. These personal bodyguards of Zhengde all recognized Yang Ling and immediately moved aside to let him in. Yang Ling rushed up to the second floor. Before he could turn the corner, he saw a line of large words dripping with ink written on the snow-white wall: "Emperor Zhengde has been here!"
Yang Ling walked up the stairs in bewilderment. When Emperor Zhengde saw him, he clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Zhen was looking forward to your return to the capital. It's good that you are here. Wait for zhen to write another sentence and then we will return to the leopard room."
He pulled Yang Ling with one hand and held a brush in the other, while a yellow-haired servant held an inkstone and followed by the side. Zheng De picked up a piece of whitewashed wall and wrote a line of words neatly: "Zheng De Emperor was here." Then, he tilted his head to admire it for a while. Suddenly, he said excitedly, "Come, my beloved official, write a line of words too."
He stuffed the brush into Yang Ling's hands. Yang Ling asked in a daze, "What does Your Majesty want this subject to write?"
"En … just write that Yang Ling has accompanied Your Majesty to this place. Quickly write, quickly write. Then we will leave."
Yang Ling had no choice but to pick up the brush and dip it in ink. Following the Emperor's instructions, he wrote a line of smaller characters next to his treasured calligraphy. Zhengde finally smiled and said, "Let's go, we will return to the leopard room. Zhen will slowly tell you."
"The capital is a mess. Your Majesty is wearing formal court attire and running to this hotel to write something about being here?" Yang Ling was puzzled and asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, you … why are you here? Did something happen? "
"It's nothing! Aren't all the people in the world saying that I have returned to heaven? It's not like I can go to each and every one of them and tell them that I am still alive and kicking. Then I will write two characters in this busy market place and let those bastards who follow what others say see it clearly. " Zhengde said with a smile, but there was an indescribable depression between his brows. It seemed that the many rumors that couldn't be refuted had made this usually good-tempered emperor very angry.
Yang Ling opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He accompanied Zhengde down the stairs. The two guards of honor left together and went straight to the leopard room.
Once he saw the two leave, the owner of the hotel hurriedly ran into the restaurant. Looking at the words that Zhengde had casually scribbled, he held his stomach and laughed crazily. He repeatedly said, "Hurry, hurry, make a gauze cover, I'm rich! This time, I'm rich! This is the calligraphy of Your Majesty and Duke Wei, ha ha ha ha … "
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