After a few days, there was no news from Bangyuan. Apparently, Tong Guan returned to Hangzhou.
Tong Guanzhi was very proud of his great achievements in regaining eastern Zhejiang. He had already written a memorial and reported it to Tokyo. When he met Zhao Tao, he couldn't help boasting that he was invincible and undefeated.
Especially when we arrived in Taizhou, before the army arrived, the Taizhou garrison led his troops to kneel on the roadside and beg for surrender. I had never fought such a comfortable battle.
Zhao Tong was a little puzzled. Fang La's army was different from other rebel armies. It was the foundation of Mingjiao. He came from Jiangning and never surrendered easily even if he captured some people. After all, few people who believed in Mingjiao were afraid of death.
As a defender of a state, he must be a mainstay among the Ming Cult. Why did he surrender without even using a sword or a shot? If you can't defend the city, you can at least escape. How can you betray and obey so easily?
However, Zhao Tong thought that Tong Guan had a poisonous eye and a suspicious temperament, so he thought he would not be deceived.
Tong Guan saw his doubts and explained: "Your Majesty, this guard is Lulin on Jingdong Road. He joined the Demon Sect not long ago. He was reused by Fang Qifu because of his strong martial arts skills. He doesn't have much affiliation with the Demon Sect. I have a close relationship with him. He is very knowledgeable about military formations and is loyal to the Song Dynasty. He just hates Zhu Meng for causing harm to the country and the people."
Zhao Tong glanced at Tong Guan in confusion. This was not like his behavior. Tong Guan was arrogant and rarely praised others, let alone a Lu Lin who was kneeling down to beg for surrender. The last time he publicly praised someone, it was Ma Zhi he brought back from Lugou.
Tong Guan smiled coquettishly at this time: "Your Majesty, this person has excellent bones and a very solid foundation of martial arts. I...have accepted him as a disciple."
"Huh?!" Zhao Tong was slightly shocked when he heard this, narrowed his eyes and said, "Does Taoist accept this person as his disciple?"
Tong Guan nodded and said: "That's right. After listening to the prince's good advice, I felt that the matter of recruiting disciples could not be delayed any longer, so I quickly searched for the mantle and paid attention to all kinds of people. I worked very hard in eastern Zhejiang, and I didn't realize it until I saw this person. He is extremely talented and is suitable for my martial arts skills."
Zhao Tong seemed to be smiling but not smiling and said: "Is this man willing to do the palace work and learn to turn the sun needle? Although he is a surrendered general, it is not beautiful to be forced."
A knowing smile appeared on Tong Guan's face: "Your Majesty, he has been practicing martial arts since he was a child and injured his meridians. He doesn't have to do the palace work to learn to practice Sun-turning Needle!"
Zhao Tong: "Oh?!"
Tong Guan explained: "Your Majesty, he started practicing martial arts at a young age. Because of his recklessness at a young age, he harmed his body. As a result, his meridians had no fire and all six meridians were yin. He didn't need to go through all the trouble in the palace and could directly practice Sun Transformation. Needle martial arts.”
Zhao Tong nodded and thought: "What's your name?"
Tong Guandao: "This man's name is Mu Shuang, his nickname is Bao Chou, and he is from Xingren Mansion in Jingdong."
"Mu Shuang..." Zhao Tong thought for a while: "It is a gratifying event for a Taoist to accept a disciple. You might as well call him and let me have a look. You should also get to know him and know that he is from your sect, so as to avoid misunderstandings in the future. alright."
Tong Guan was overjoyed when he heard this. Zhao Tong had acknowledged his status as a disciple. With this connection, there was no way he would be able to take care of him. This was a great thing for his disciple.
He hurriedly sent someone to call, and Zhao Tong sat on the chair and waited quietly.
After a long while, I saw Tong Guan's subordinates leading a tall and tall man into the hall. When he saw the two people, their shoulders slumped slightly and they looked respectful.
Zhao Tong looked this man up and down, but he was tall and strong, with strong arms and waist, but his face was covered with a golden mask, and his true appearance could not be seen.
Zhao Tong felt a little familiar for no reason. He seemed to have seen this person before.
Tong Guan said at this time: "Bao Chou, you still haven't paid homage to His Highness the King of Qin!"
The man hurriedly knelt down on the ground, bowed and paid homage, and said hoarsely: "Sinner Mu Shuang, I have seen His Highness live a thousand years old!"
Zhao Tong looked at him: "Why are you covering your face?"
Tong Guan explained from the side: "Your Majesty, this Mu Shuang was so fierce that he was disfigured by the green forest group on Jingdong Road, so he ran to Jiangnan to seek refuge with the Demon Cult. He couldn't see anyone with his face, so he put on a mask to cover it."
Zhao Tong nodded and said calmly: "Take off the mask and show it to me."
Mu Shuang hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then raised his hand to take off the golden mask.
Zhao Tong looked around and saw countless scars on his face. Even his eyebrows were half-cut, making him as hideous and terrifying as a Shura.
He frowned: "This is really a pity."
Mu Shuang hurriedly put on the mask again and replied: "I have offended the prince. I am guilty. Although I am disfigured, I hope to learn from General Mian Nirvana and hide his appearance to kill the enemy!"
Zhao Tong said: "It's a good thing to want to imitate Di Wuxiang, but I don't know why I surrendered to the thieves in the first place and begged for surrender now?"
Mu Shuang said: "The sinners were born in the Jianghu and acted recklessly. Only when they joined the Demon Cult did they realize that they wanted to rebel and start a rebellion, but they could not get out. They had to wait for the officials and soldiers of the Celestial Dynasty to come before leading everyone to surrender."
Zhao Tong said: "You are born in a green forest, and you really want to serve your country?"
Mu Shuang kowtowed and said, "I am humbled but I dare not forget my country!"
Zhao Tong looked at him for a moment and then nodded: "Get up."
Mu Shuang stood up after hearing the words and stood carefully next to Tong Guan.
Zhao Tong thought this Mu Shuang was a bit strange. He looked familiar, but his face was ruined and he couldn't remember where he had seen it before.
Since this man was the guard general of the Taizhou rebel army, what he said about joining the Mingjiao later on and being highly regarded by Fang Qifu due to his strong martial arts skills should not be false. After all, the soldiers who surrendered below can prove it.
But this person's name is debatable. As far as Zhao Tong knows, there is indeed no leader in the Ming sect named Mu Shuang, but this cannot be guaranteed to be true. After all, he defected to Fang La later and changed it after he came to Fang La's side. The name is also unknown.
However, Zhao Tong didn't pay much attention to it. After all, this was Tong Guan's own family matter. The prefecture and county in eastern Zhejiang had been recovered. Whether Tong Guan picked up a disciple was good or bad had nothing to do with him. Even if he deceived his master and destroyed his ancestors in the future, and his learning backfired, it would still be Tong Guan's. It's your own fault.
As for whether this person is a spy from the Ming sect, Zhao Tong believes that Tong Guan can find out by himself. Even if he recommends him to lead the army, the court has always been careful about such surrendered generals and will not give him too much official position. Liangshan The crowd is an example.
After talking for a while, Tong Guan stood up and said goodbye. Mu Shuang followed him out of the government office and let out a long breath.
This Mu Shuang was none other than Lin Chong. Fang Qifu entrusted Taizhou to him. He originally wanted to guard it with all his heart. From then on, he would run the Holy Dynasty of Fang La well, lay a foundation, and gradually build up prosperity and wealth.
A man is born between heaven and earth, and a husband is so proud that he will have to start all over again.
But what he didn't expect was that Fang La was defeated like a mountain. Even Fang Qifu was missing. Seeing that all the cities on Zhejiang Road were captured by Tong Guan, only Taizhou Guxuan was left. Knowing that this time his family was again The ambition is in vain, and the wish is about to become empty again.
Hu Sanniang advised him to abandon the city and flee, either to go to Xianju to seek refuge with Lu Shinang, or to go to Lingnan to avoid trouble, and then come back after the incident in Jiangnan calmed down.
But he was not willing. After thinking about it, he came up with the strategy of destroying his face and begging for surrender.
Anyway, except for Fang Lafang and the Seven Buddhas, no one knows his true identity or has seen his true face. Now that his appearance has been destroyed, even acquaintances in Tokyo will not be able to recognize him.
Hu Sanniang didn't want Lin Chong to do such a tragic thing, but her persuasion was useless. She watched him destroy his face with a knife, crying until he almost fainted.
Lin Chong ignored him. He knew how to make Tong Guan believe him. He turned around and killed many Mingjiao veterans in the city, hundreds of them, and then he knelt in front of the city gate and begged for surrender.
Who would have expected that after Tong Guan carefully interrogated him, he actually asked about his martial arts skills, felt his muscles and bones, and finally offered to accept him as his disciple.
This was something Lin Chong did not expect. His original intention was not to surrender in real or fake ways. He had long been tired of running around these years. He thought that after surrendering, he could follow the Song army back to Tokyo and find an opportunity to kill Gao Qiu for revenge. , or maybe work as an official and part-time official.
He was overjoyed when he heard this. Becoming Tong Guan's disciple would undoubtedly increase his chances of killing Gao Qiu, and in this way he could gain a firm foothold in Tokyo.
So he immediately agreed. As for what Tong Guan said about the need to commit suicide to become his disciple, Lin Chong didn't care, and just talked about his own situation and the secret injuries he had suffered since childhood.
Tong Guan was also happy. He fell in love with Lin Chong and was thinking about how to persuade him to mutilate himself to do the palace work. It was not easy to do it by force. After all, he wanted to pass on the mantle.
Then Tong Guan carefully examined his body and concluded that the eight extraordinary meridians were all yin and non-fire. He did not need to practice the sun-turning needle from the palace at all. He was overjoyed and then took Lin Chong to conquer Lu Shinang again. Until returning to Hangzhou.
Lin Chong was thinking about these things while walking outside the government office. He was a little unable to face Zhao Tong. This is a difficult thing in life!
But he is no longer the leopard-headed man who left Tokyo in shackles and chains. Once he gritted his teeth, he accepted the meeting as long as his flaws were not exposed.
Zhao Tong didn't ask too many questions. He thought about it and found that his answer was correct, except for the name Mu Shuang.
If someone is thoughtful about this name, it is easy to think of the word Lin, but it cannot be changed at this moment. When we were discussing the pseudonym, we would never have expected the change today.
Lin Chong felt a little annoyed, and thought that Zhao Tong should not be considered a caring person, but a person like Gao Qiu and Song Jiang. Zhao Tong should not think about the authenticity of his name based on this.
After sending Tong Guan back to his hometown, Lin Chong also went back. He and Hu Sanniang were living in a large tent outside the city. Although it was a military tent, his status was different now. He was Tong Guan's disciple. It was impossible to say that he would become his godfather after returning to the capital. Tong Guan's adopted son Qian'er, so Xin Xingzong and others arranged for him to use the general tent, which was not only large but also had no shortage of everything in it.
Seeing him come in, Hu Sanniang hurriedly stood up inside and whispered: "Have you met King Qin?"
Lin Chong nodded, then turned around and lifted up the curtain to look around, and then said: "It went well."
Hu Sanniang seemed to be relieved when she heard this. She picked up the kettle and went to make tea. Lin Chong said: "Madam, there is no need to be busy. Come and have a rest. I'm not thirsty."
Hu Sanniang said: "The weather is hot. Once cooked, you can cool it down before drinking."
Lin Chong sighed: "Thank you for your hard work, madam. I owe you so much. When I go to Tokyo and settle down, I can hire a few more maids and maids, so that I don't have to worry about my hard work. I can just enjoy the happiness quietly."
Hu Sanniang smiled when she heard this and walked out of the tent carrying a kettle...
(End of chapter)
