On the other side, Li Junxian also asked Xiao Rui very puzzledly, "Master Hou, do we really have to leave tomorrow?"
Xiao Rui smiled and said: "What else? How can this kind of thing be a joke? Besides, we have been playing in Dongting Lake for a long enough time, and we still have business to do."
"But...don't you want to conquer them?" Li Junxian was a little confused.
Xiao Rui: "Ah? Really? Fifth brother, I don't think I said that, right? Why do you think so? No wonder I feel weird these two days. I've been having trouble for a long time. Do you want to mediate this matter?"
Li Junxian scratched his head and said, "No, I clearly remember what you said. Did I remember it wrong? Yi Ai, do you know?"
Fang Er looked at Li Junxian doubtfully, "No, Fifth Brother, Brother Xiao never said he wanted to conquer them. Why do you think so?"
puff……
No, no, I have to be quiet. Li Junxian hid aside and fell into deep thought.
Xiao Rui asked with great interest: "Yi Ai, how do you feel about competing with others these days?"
Upon hearing about the martial arts competition, Fang Er instantly became interested and gushed about his achievements, "Brother Xiao, your method is better. You can't practice martial arts behind closed doors, you have to fight against more people. I didn't expect that this small cottage, There are quite a few masters, and almost all of them have unique skills.”
"The most interesting person is Lao Liu. Not only is he good at martial arts, but he is the one who can walk underwater for half an hour with his eyes open. If I had this kind of water ability, I wouldn't have lost to Military Master Lai Heng that day. I guess in this No one in the water village is my opponent."
"I want Lao Liu to teach me, but it's a pity that Lao Liu can't teach me. He has a talent inherited from his family and has been like this since he was a child."
puff……
Sixth child?
Xiao Rui really wanted to cover his eyes. Who did you ask to teach you bad things? Find someone like you?
But, being able to hold my breath underwater for half an hour, tsk tsk... is really a gift.
"I remembered!" Li Junxian in the corner shouted in surprise,
Xiao Rui and the other two were startled and looked at Li Junxian with strange expressions.
"Sir, I remember it. You said that after Yi Ai and Lai Heng competed on the boat, you watched Lai Heng swimming in the water and said in admiration: What a white stripe in the waves, a born general on the water."
Then what? Fang Er asked.
"Then? Isn't it obvious? The Marquis loves talents so much that he has taken a liking to him and wants to use him for his own purposes."
Xiao Rui laughed loudly and said: "Fifth brother, you do understand me. But you are wrong. You are not taking it for your own use, but to help the court recruit talents."
Li Junxian echoed: "Yes, yes, help the court recruit talents. But why do you want to leave again? Have you changed your mind? So what's wrong with the Lai brothers?"
Before Xiao Rui could speak, Fang Er rushed to say: "No way, after spending so many days together, I feel that the people in Dongting Water Village are all open-minded men, not like ordinary bandits and bandits."
oh?
Xiao Rui smiled, "Tell me, why are they different from ordinary bandits?"
Fang Er scratched his head and thought for a long time, "I don't know, could it be because they are water bandits? They live in the water? So..."
puff……
Xiao Rui really wanted to kick this idiot out, "Aren't bandits who live in the water not bandits?"
"Fifth brother, what do you think?"
Li Junxian thought for a moment and analyzed: "It should be that the sources of troops in the water village are different."
"Those bandits who cut the trails or prey on the surrounding bandits are usually Luo Cao and occupy the mountain as kings, and make a living by robbing homes and homes."
"But the Dongting Lake group is different. They were gathered from the people around Dongting Lake. In other words, after they occupied Dongting Lake, they dispersed around Dongting Lake. They work for the people in peacetime and serve as soldiers in wartime. "
"Fifth brother, he boarded the ship and became a bandit!" Fang Er corrected.
"Ahem... OK, OK, I boarded a ship and became a bandit. They are different from ordinary bandits who rob homes and houses. Although they also rob passing ships and merchants, due to their huge power and large number of people, this little income on the river is almost better than nothing. They mainly rely on They make a living by farming in the surrounding areas and fishing in the lake.”
"It can be said that these people are not bandits. The only thing that looks like bandits is that Labang gangs up and gathers in Dongting to fight against the imperial court."
"If they really cut off the Yangtze River and enclose land for self-government, haha, that would be tantamount to rebelling against the king, and the court will not tolerate it until now."
Xiao Rui stroked his palm and praised: "Yes, exactly. Fifth brother, you should not be a general, but can be the governor. Yi Ai, do you understand?"
Fang Er scratched his head in embarrassment, "Is it so complicated? I, I also feel that they are different, but I can't explain the reason clearly."
Everyone laughed, this was Fang Er.
Li Junxian asked: "Sir, you haven't said anything yet, why did you change your mind and leave?"
At this moment, footsteps were heard outside, and the three of them stopped chatting and looked at the door.
Military advisor Laiheng came in a hurry, walked into the living room of the other courtyard and took a look. He was stunned for a moment, saluted and said, "I'm sorry to bother you, Lord Marquis."
Xiao Rui waved his hand: "You're welcome, brother, please sit down, but what's the matter?"
Lai Heng opened his mouth, feeling a little embarrassed to speak. Xiao Rui didn't say anything, just drank tea and waited quietly.
After a while, Lai Heng really had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "Master Marquis, I'm going to tell you the truth, I have something to ask of you. You will go south tomorrow. If I don't tell you, I'm afraid I won't have a chance."
Xiao Rui said angrily: "What did Brother Lai say? I've been bothering you for so many days and I still haven't thanked you and the brothers in the water village for your warm hospitality. If you have anything to say, just say it. If I can help, I won't refuse."
Lai Heng stood up and knelt down on one knee towards Xiao Rui, "Master Marquis, please have mercy on me and accept our group of people and serve you as soldiers running errands."
Um? Why is this? Get up quickly.
Li Junxian and Fang Er went to help him at the same time, but Xiao Rui frowned and said, "Brother Lai, what do you mean? Do you want to submit to the imperial court? Do you want the imperial court to recruit you?"
Hearing this, Li Junxian and Fang Er stopped at the same time.
Lai Heng shook his head and said: "No, the court does not look down upon us water bandits. We want to follow you, Lord Marquis."
Xiao Rui laughed loudly and said: "Follow me? I will stay in Xiaojiazhuang from now on and never go to the battlefield again for the rest of my life. You are all good players on the battlefield who can fight against a hundred. If you follow me as a housekeeper and protect the courtyard, wouldn't it be like burying a hero?" How about this, I recommend you to serve the imperial court?"
this……
Lai Heng sighed and said, "Master Marquis, I'm telling you the truth! It's not that brothers and I don't know how to praise you, and it's not that we insist on causing you trouble. If there is a way to survive, we don't dare to disturb your Qing Dynasty."
"It's just that in these years, I have lived in the Dongting Mountains for survival, and watched the outside world change from war to peace. It would be a lie to say that I don't envy the peaceful and prosperous times."
"But it's not that we haven't thought about surrendering to the imperial court. The problem is that things are different now. In the turbulent times back then, surrendering to the imperial court was acceptable. Now we are just a group of water bandits. In the eyes of the people, we are criminals with heinous crimes. In the eyes of the surrounding officials, It’s a war achievement kept in captivity, and it wants to kill us quickly.”
"Master Marquis, tell me, who can we believe in this situation? Who can we dare to believe?"
Xiao Rui glanced at Li Junxian with a wry smile. Did he see it? This is what I want to explain. Originally, I wanted to give them a squeeze, and then come to the thatched cottage to invite them out. Unexpectedly, they cried first and came to the door. Actively surrender.
