Li Yijie had only heard about these things from hearsay, he had not personally participated in any of them. After being exposed by Nangong Xue, Lu Qian had always opposed the two of them. At that time, Li Yijie hated him to the core. However, after six years, he had been living in the Snow Song Palace, his will had been mostly worn away. Other than his deep-seated hatred for the Devil Cult, he had long become indifferent to the old Jianghu grudges. Knowing that Lu Qian was not dead, Li Yijie was indeed happy for him. He also hoped that Lu Qian would experience a change in temperament after the calamity. He opened his mouth and said, "Today I am visiting Taihang Mountain, not for sightseeing, but for what purpose I am here. I know that Brother Lu's vision is broad, and all along you have been yearning for supreme power … "Lu Qian smiled and said," No one knows me better than Brother Li! "
Li Yijie smiled stiffly and changed the subject. He said, "But Brother Lu, have you ever thought that if you stay in Taihang Mountain and become the Xiaoyao Zhaizhu's Head, making an enemy of the imperial court and spending the rest of your life like this, you will be nothing more than a king of a small mountain without a proper name. It will be difficult for you to leave a good name in the history books of later generations.
Lu Qian smiled faintly and said, "Not necessarily. A king of a mountain stronghold is always better than a dog under the Emperor's foot. I am happy to be the Head of a mountain stronghold, I do not want to follow Brother Li's example and become a low-ranking official in the imperial court, relying on wagging my head and wagging my tail to please my master and ask for a moment of comfort. A gentleman knows what to do and what not to do. I have no choice but to decline Brother Li's good intentions. "
Li Yijie heard Lu Qian's sharp words, each of which was mocking him. Suppressing his anger, he still tried to negotiate. He said, "This is not Xiao Di's personal idea, but the Emperor has decreed that I will recruit the Qingtian Zhaizhu, and those who surrender will be pardoned. Those who feel unfulfilled can join the Shang San Banners and be personally led by the Emperor. Those who do not want to be an official will not be forced. If the travel expenses are not enough, the imperial court will provide the money. Head of a mountain stronghold, this offer is very generous, you cannot miss this opportunity. Don't be stubborn and provoke the Emperor. I'll give you one month to prepare. If you still treat me, Li Yijie, as your friend, then listen to my advice. Don't make things difficult for your brother. "
Before Lu Qian could answer, a one-armed young man dressed in luxurious clothes beside him took a step forward and shouted coldly, "What nonsense are you talking about? "You want to end Qingtian Village with just a few words?" Why don't you go and find out where this place is? What sin have we committed that we need to be pardoned by you? What was so great about the Qing Dynasty? Do you really think that we, the Qingtian Stockade, will live in seclusion in Taihang Mountains forever? Once our soldiers are ready, we will immediately set out for the capital and drive them all back to their homes in the northeast. At that time, the bandit master will be the emperor, and all of you will have to kneel and beg for mercy. I advise you to know your place and curry favor with Chief Lu as soon as possible. That way, you might be able to keep your life in the future. "
The faces of the Qing generals who came with Li Yijie immediately changed; they were about to shout and scold. Lu Qian raised his hand and stopped him. He smiled mysteriously and said, "Isn't it just recruitment? Not bad! It's just that these words won't work if you say them to me. " The young man anxiously said, "Bandit Master …" Li Yijie was delighted. He thought, "Brother Lu has seen a lot of the world. Indeed, he is more sensible than other people. This will be easy to handle!" Busily he searched his pockets and said, "I have an imperial edict personally written by His Majesty here. If you think it's not enough, I can still find some senior officials of the imperial court, some elite debaters …"
With a smile on his face, Lu Qian walked toward Li Yijie. He paced back and forth in front of him and said, "Brother Li, you don't have to go through so much trouble. Even if you invite ten lobbyists, each one of them eloquently, you still won't be able to persuade me, Lu Qian, to change my mind. "Li Yijie said," So what do you want? "
Lu Qian's smile became even more cunning. He said, "This matter is not easy to say, but it is also not difficult to say. It's very simple! As long as Grand Marshal Li sends that beautiful precious Shimei of yours to Taihang Mountain to be my Bandit Master's wife, with her by my bedside every day, after three, five years, perhaps I will reconsider. "
Li Yijie was furious. Without saying anything, he brandished his fist toward Lu Qian's face. Lu Qian leaned back slightly and grabbed Li Yijie's wrist. Calm and composed, he laughed and said, "Brother Li, if you have something to say, let's talk nicely. Why use violence?"
Li Yijie tried his best to restrain himself. He fiercely flung Lu Qian's hand away. Gnashing his teeth, he said, "How can you say such shameless words? If the imperial court did not issue an imperial edict today, just because you humiliated my Shimei, I would definitely give you a good beating! "
Lu Qian said, "I don't have enough time to cherish and protect Shimei Nangong, how can I humiliate her? On the contrary, it is you, Grand Marshal Li, who ignored Xueer's infatuation with you. You only want to hook up with that Noble Consort Yun. No matter how beautiful she is, in the end she is the Emperor's woman! You keep saying that you eat the Emperor's salary, that you are loyal to the Emperor, but unexpectedly you have the audacity to commit adultery with your master's wife, to defile the Imperial Palace? Since you don't like Xueer, why don't you tell her directly? Why don't you keep her by your side? Why do you keep her by your side? Why do you want her to cry for you? Why do you want her to be heartbroken? "
Li Yijie shouted, "Shut your mouth! I am sincere toward Yun 'er, I am open and aboveboard, I have a clear conscience! But I know where I stand. For the past six years, I've never violated her in any way. The two of us are innocent! What adulterous wife? Shut your dog mouth for me! As for Xueer, we grew up together. I have always regarded her as my younger sister. She treats me sincerely, I am very touched. But my heart belongs to someone else, I have no choice but to betray her. I didn't make it clear because I didn't want to hurt her feelings! "
Lu Qian sneered and said, "Your mouth makes it sound nice. Let me tell you, this is just a ridiculous excuse for you to appease your conscience! It is precisely because you have never given her a clear answer, such an ambiguous attitude, that you have hurt her the most! You have always let her have fantasies, but you have never fulfilled them. You have wasted her time waiting for you, wasted her youth, and finally she has to see her beautiful dream shattered with her own eyes! How can she endure this? In the past, because of me, she was punished by your muddle-headed master and put under house arrest on Mount Hua, facing the wall for the rest of her life. But you didn't care about it, you only cared about staying in the Imperial Palace and having fun with Noble Consort Yun. You left her alone on the cliff every day, enduring the pain of her sweetheart being with her love rival all day long. You enjoyed her sacrifice with a clear conscience, but you never knew how to repay her. Even I felt that her punishment was too heavy. I couldn't bear to see it, I always wanted to save her, but you were indifferent! Without Xueer's troubles, you can have unimpeded time with Noble Consort Yun. I am afraid you feel that you have removed a burden, right? A scum like you is not worthy of Xueer's love! Even if she doesn't have this kind of affection for you, even if the one being punished is just an ordinary martial sister like you, you shouldn't be this insensitive. You fought for the position of the Alliance Leader for Noble Consort Yun, and then you abandoned all the heroes of Jianghu who trusted you and insisted on surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, turning a blind eye to the Manchu-Han blood feud, all for her sake. You are really disloyal, unrighteous, selfish and despicable to the extreme! Li Yijie, are you still a man or not? "When he said these words, his finger was almost poking the tip of Li Yijie's nose.
Li Yijie heard several sneers from both sides. He thought about how he was being recruited by imperial decree, he should have been awe-inspiring, but now he was being scolded by a bandit leader who was pointing at his nose and scolding him. Every word he said was reasonable and not easy to refute. He was really pushed to the limit of his tolerance. Maintaining his last bit of rationality, he said seriously, "Lu Zhaizhu, I still have to respectfully call you Lu Zhaizhu! Please conduct yourself with dignity, you have improper thoughts about my martial sister, it is not something to be proud of and give you face. Saying these words, aren't you afraid of lowering your status? Whether I am a man or not, it is not up to you to decide. My martial sister has indeed violated the sect's rules and received some punishment, it is a matter of course, there is no need for Lu Zhaizhu to actively help and act bravely for a just cause! Today I am here to seek peace, I don't want to quarrel with you, I have already endured time and time again, please don't go too far, otherwise … "
With a cold laugh Lu Qian said, "Otherwise what? Great Marshal Li, don't be too full of yourself, otherwise you won't be able to step down from the stage later. Do you really think we are afraid of you? "He raised both hands and clapped his palms together three times, then loudly said," Everybody assemble! "The whole mountain and wilderness responded in chorus," Yes! "The sound was deafening. Tens of thousands of Qing Tian Zhaizhu bandits responded in unison, as orderly as one person, without the slightest bit of noise, and the loudness was not something any internal energy expert could match. Li Yijie watched them gather from all sides, forming a huge square formation in the square, waiting for orders, his heart trembled.
Lu Qian sneered and said, "This Great Marshal Li from the Imperial Palace is looking down on us! Brothers, come and give him a demonstration, let him see the strength of Qing Tian Zhaizhu. Be careful, don't let the distinguished guests from the capital look down on you! "
The bandits responded in unison, holding long spears in their hands, lined up in a column, gathering in the middle. Their steps were regular, loud and clear, and it didn't take long for them to turn the loose square formation into a square formation. The Qing Tian Zhaizhu bandits were dressed according to their ranks, the color of their clothing was different, the three colors of green, yellow, and purple were particularly distinct. They walked half a circle around the square, raised their long spears, and changed their stances to stab. Someone else met the attack with a sword or a saber. Every move was done in slow motion, so that outsiders could see it clearly. At the same time, they were shouting incessantly.
After a few more moves, the Qing Tian Zhaizhu twirled their spears, brandishing their spears a few times, then stopped and walked to the front. The people behind them also brandished their weapons and followed suit. When the bandits returned to their positions, they propped their spears on the ground and shouted, echoing through the valley.
Lu Qian opened his mouth and said, "Great Marshal Li, are you satisfied with the shallow tricks of my Qing Tian Zhaizhu brothers?" Li Yijie was already stunned. The bandits were so solemn that even the Imperial Family's Eight Banners Army couldn't compare to them. When he heard Lu Qian's question, he came back to his senses and applauded, "The Qing Tian Zhaizhu is the best in the Wulin world, it really lives up to its reputation!"
Lu Qian smiled and said, "It seems that whether it's the quantity or the quality of the soldiers, I'm far better than you." What did Marshal Li say now? "Li Yijie calmed himself down and called over a soldier," Bring the things up. " Lu Qian frowned and sneered, "Great Marshal Li doesn't seem to be flustered at all after seeing my lineup. What, did you bring something good to show me? Don't tell me you brought cannons? "
Li Yijie smiled faintly and didn't answer. Not long after, a few soldiers at the end of the line came forward, each carrying a wooden jar. Li Yijie took out a jar and said, "Zhaizhu Lu, this is the ancient well wine that His Majesty ordered me to bring. Throughout the ages, there have been many people who have offered it to the Emperor to enjoy. If you're willing to drink this wine with me, then surrender and go down the mountain, I can overlook your previous disobedience and you'll still be a good friend of the Qing Dynasty. I'll drink this bowl of wine first as a sign of respect. " As he said this, he opened the clay seal on the wine jar and ordered a soldier to bring a big bowl. He filled it with wine, raised it with both hands, and drank it all in one gulp.
The one-armed youth from before spat and sneered, "Screw you! You want to destroy the Qing Tian Zhaizhu with just a few jars of wine? You're underestimating us too much! Do you think we've never seen wine before? " With a flick of his wrist, he threw out a few iron chains. With a few snapping sounds, the chains broke a big hole in each of the jars, and the wine flowed all over the floor.
Li Yijie's face suddenly changed color. Lu Qian said, "Great Marshal Li, you should be able to see that even if you don't agree to my request, we can still attack Mount Hua and rescue Xueer. But when that time comes, you won't have the right to negotiate with me. Think about it, do you think that Xueer will be better off following me than living in Mount Hua for the rest of her life? "
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