The arrival of the patrol led by Bai Yousi in Yangzijin caused a shock in both the local officialdom and the people. Obviously, aside from the special nature of the Jinyi patrol itself, the speed of the horse and down the river along the way also made it impossible for Jiangdu to be here. There was no time to receive any valid information... Of course, this was a routine operation of the Jinyi patrol during daily patrols. What was needed was that the local government was caught off guard and the local government was shocked.
Only this time, everyone in the second patrol team knew very well that there was no transfer of crime or imprisonment at all. They just had to wait here until the Chinese New Year, collect the festival gifts from the counties in Jiangdong, and then escort the grain supplies back to the Eastern Capital in the spring.
This day is October 28th, the first month of winter is about to pass, and the midwinter season is about to enter.
"The people here are particularly afraid of us."
Qin Bao shook his head slightly as he led his knobby-spotted beast to the inn next to the ferry.
"Where are the common people who are not afraid of us?" Li Qingchen, who was standing beside him, said he was overly expressive as usual. "We are the patrolmen of the Fusi of Jing'an Taichung Town. We are the eagle dogs of the imperial court. We are the dogs in golden clothes as they call us. We are here to arrest people and handle cases. The central officials in Dongdu hid when they saw us, let alone thousands of years apart. Jiangdu in there? Besides, Jiangdu is so prosperous on the one hand, but on the other hand it is a Dafang town farthest from the imperial court. The sky is high and the emperor is far away. As long as you hide it from the higher ups, you can do all kinds of dirty things. How can you not be afraid of us? "
"Li Twelve Lang, I went off topic. I'm talking about the common people." Zhang Xing corrected behind him while holding the yellow gelding. "What Qin Erlang probably means is that compared to the hometown of other countries that were destroyed in Hebei and the Eastern Qi in the east, as the hometown of Nanchen, here is actually more separated from the imperial court..."
"Jiangdu is not the hometown of Nanchen." Li Qingchen was not afraid and pointed out the mistake on the spot. "After the destruction of Dong Qi, this place was occupied by the Wei Dynasty. It was here that the saint took office as Fangzhen and planned to destroy Chen... After the destruction of Chen, because although this was Jiangbei, it was the headquarters of Jiangdong, so everything in I stayed here for several years to appease Jiangdong..."
Speaking later, Li Twelve himself felt that his words were a bit unreasonable. Dong Qi had its old place, so the place occupied after destroying Dong Qi was not its old place? Do you also know that this is the land of Jiangdong Commandery?
Are you not ashamed to say this?
Especially after Zhang Xing heard this, instead of refuting it, he nodded repeatedly... Although Li Twelve was a stubborn person, he was still shameless, so he immediately shut up.
"Who says it isn't?"
Seeing that the words were a bit embarrassing, the elder Hu Yan with black ribbon also sighed a few words. "There are deep grudges in Dong Qi, but more of them are the grudges of the big families and powerful people above. The two sides have been fighting for hundreds of years. How many blood feuds have there been? Which Shangzhu country has not killed anyone in Dong Qi? So? Only now are they suppressing the noble families and powerful people over there and not allowing them to become high-ranking officials. In fact, the former dynasty and the Eastern Qi Dynasty are basically from the same source. The people above will hate each other and hate will hate each other, but the people below still have a strong sense of identity. , otherwise the saint would not have built the Eastern Capital as soon as he ascended the throne and then moved there. On the contrary, here in the south, we had been isolated for hundreds of years..."
There is some truth in this statement, but it may not be the biased words of a central official in the imperial court. How do the people below feel, how do the officials above feel, how do the top families feel, and what do the powerful Eastern Qi people who have been pushed aside, including the saints, feel? , it’s not that I don’t know anyone, I can only listen more, read more, and think more.
It seemed that the group of people were talking about the excitement at the moment, but as soon as they stepped into the courtyard of Yangzijin Station, they saw a chaotic scene - countless officials and merchants seemed to be fleeing, carrying their luggage. , dragging children, leading livestock, and scolding servants, most of them looked embarrassed, as if they had heard that a dog in brocade clothing had arrived at the ferry on a military ship, and were about to leave to avoid trouble, but they saw dozens of people riding brocade clothing and embroidered swords. When he came face to face, he lost his voice on the spot and was as stunned as a freeze-frame painting.
But soon, the scene became even more disordered and chaotic.
Seeing this situation, everyone from Bai Yousi to Hu Yan was speechless. They could only lead the crowd to stand on one side of the courtyard, and then remained silent, waiting for the chaos to end.
And this ordinary behavior of people and horses standing solemnly and neatly, although it did not aggravate the chaos, clearly made everyone more fearful - they walked around without saying a word.
After a while, all the people left, and some even left their luggage behind. Zhang Xing originally wanted to shout and hand it over, but after thinking about it, he didn't dare to move... The Jinyi dogs themselves were fascinated by this scene. scared.
But the trouble is not over yet.
First, the station official with a southern accent came over cautiously and asked for time to clean up; then after finally cleaning it up, a messenger from Zhu Shou Pegasus in Jiangdu City was sent to ask about the mission and situation; then, before there was time to hand over documents and explain the situation, Jiangdu stayed behind and sent envoys over when they came to visit, saying that Yangzijin was the node for officials from the south of the Yangtze River to go north, and the people from Jingantai occupying the post station there would scare people and make them live in the city.
Jiangdu Liushou Lai Zhan'er is a truly great man. He is a veteran in the army. He has been an official to Zhuguo and accomplices to Liushou. His title has reached the level of Duke. His cultivation has reached the threshold of a master. What's more important is that this person is one of the confidants of the current sage. Otherwise, even if there is a temporary need for military supplies and rest, he, a native of Jiangdu, and a man of low origin, will never be able to serve as Jiangdu's left guard.
In short, I must respect what this person said, but the problem is, where will I live in the city? Didn’t Lai Gong tell me?
In desperation, everyone could only ask the envoy to go back to inquire, and then wait where they were.
However, just a quarter of an hour after the envoy from Lai Gong arrived, another envoy arrived. It was Zhou Xingfan, the deputy general of Lai Gong and the youngest son of Zhou Xiaoming, who directly invited the men on patrol in Jinyi to go to the north of the city as the emperor's personal guards. They were stationed outside the palace as a stronghold.
Up to this point, the superiors and subordinates had no idea that they were acting so carelessly because of two military masters. But now, they had no choice but to hold their noses and get on their horses in a hurry, heading towards the north city, leaving an empty city. The inn left... It was at this time that something even more speechless happened.
Dozens of people were patrolling in brocade clothes, leaving the post station and heading north. As soon as they left the area around Yangzijin, the cheers of the soldiers and people could be heard from the ferry, the inn station, and the market, as if the master of the blue sky had made the decision and drove away the god of plague. , like a big victory.
Hearing this, even though everyone had spoken clearly just now and said they could understand it, from Bai Yousi down, almost everyone stopped and looked back, their expressions getting uglier than the last.
Only Zhang Xing, although he was also on horseback, only listened with interest for a few times, and then shook his head and laughed on his horse.
"Inspection Bai, everyone."
Zhou Xingfan was only eighteen or nineteen years old at that time, but he seemed stable. When he came back to his senses, he naturally understood the embarrassment, so he quickly apologized to Bai Yousi and others on the horse. "It's definitely not what you think...my father and Lai Gong are both loyal ministers of the imperial court. They have no intention of restraining the imperial envoys. I just heard that you have landed in Yangzijin, so you must consider it from a high point."
"If Lai Gong and Zhou Gong were not loyal ministers of the court, there would be no loyal ministers in the world." Li Qingchen became more angry and faced Bai Yousi coldly. "But Yang Shen is a loyal minister recognized by the world even if he doesn't rebel! Besides, Lai Gong is a meritorious official, so it doesn't matter that his son has rebelled! Lai Gong and Zhou Gong are relied on by the court, and it doesn't matter that they are both southerners, and they are also relied on by southerners! "
These words relate to an incident at the beginning of this year.
It is said that after Yang Shen's rebellion, Lai Zhan'er, who was the general manager of Xuzhou, and his deputy Zhou Xiaoming had already sent the navy to Luolongtan. After hearing the news, they immediately made a decisive decision and hurriedly withdrew the troops, in order to prepare infantry rescuers and navy reinforcements for possible emergencies in the front. The defeated army, such an action was extremely involved. They didn't even have time to report to Luoyang, and the two of them had already taken action... Later, it was proved that this approach was absolutely correct.
But at the same time, Lai Zhan'er's second son, who was transporting grain and grass in the rear, became the first batch of senior officials to surrender to Yang Shen. Afterwards, he was caught on Tian Street and publicly discussed to death, becoming one of the more than a thousand people. One of the unlucky ones.
In fact, this kind of thing is too common. It is natural for a person to have weak knees. If he does not delay coming to fight, he will be more trusted by the saint afterwards.
At this time, Li Qingchen didn't really want to use this thing to make a fuss. He was just angry, engaging in personal attacks and regional discrimination, and also making accusations... But what's interesting is that such low-level personal attacks were not tolerated by the patrol team. But no one stopped him, and he actually allowed Li Twelve, a son of an aristocratic family, to scold him in public.
At this time, Zhou Xiaofan knew that he had angered almost everyone, so he simply shut up and led the way silently.
After entering the city, he went straight to the palace and found a clean place to station in the outer city. Zhou Xiaofan quickly escaped. Then the local Zhu Shou said that he would come to visit. The governor from Beiya and the captain of Jinwu Guard also came to invite... When everyone was debating whether to go to Beiya first or make an explanation face to face with the local Zhu Shou, they didn't know if Zhou Xingfan went back and said something to his father, and then his father said something to Lai Gong. Suddenly, Liu Bei Another messenger came from the government, saying that he was hosting a banquet and asked Inspector Bai to bring her capable subordinates to attend the banquet.
It was impossible not to go.
Only when we got there did we find out that Zhao Gonggong, the remaining governor of the Beiya Palace, Liu Jing, the captain of the Jinwu Guard, Zhu Shou and Liao En, the assistant capital of the Fusi of Taidong Town in Jing'an, and Xie Mingshan, the county magistrate who had been pretending to be deaf and dumb before, were actually there. They were all invited together.
It saves trouble.
The banquet started. Lai Gong was from a humble background, and the banquet was also vulgar. He came up and asked the leading figures to meet Bai Yousi and Hu Yan in turn. He also heard that they were just sitting and waiting for food supplies, so he lost any interest and just called for people. Wine and food were served, and singing and dancing were called to warm up the show... Seventeen or eight beauties from Jiangdong came together and danced in the hall. Although they were not beautiful and fragrant, they were still youthful and beautiful, and had a unique style. It was the first time that a group of dogs in brocade clothes had a real life. I realized that this trip was really for enjoyment... The feeling of sullenness in Yangzijin disappeared early.
Even Bai Yousibai looked fascinated when he was inspecting, even more fascinated than others.
The so-called midwinter is approaching and it is slightly cold in the south of the Yangtze River. The Duke of China buys wine and sings and dances to praise Tai'an in the world. It is full of wealth and peace.
Zhang Xing watched the singing and dancing, thought about it, and suddenly laughed, which made Qin Bao, the co-defendant next to him, curious: "What are you laughing at, third brother? What went wrong in the singing and dancing?"
"No." Regarding Qin Bao, Zhang Xing naturally had no need to hide anything and just responded in a low voice. "I was thinking of the introductions made by the group of people just now...Lai Gong is a local, a poor hero selected by the sage here; Zhou Gong is a general of Nanchen, who surrendered in anger after being wronged; Zhao Dugong is a Nanchen general. An old member of the Chen palace, he followed the saint after the war; Liao Zhushou was also from the south, but after becoming Zhu Shou, he took the initiative to be transferred to Dongzhen Fusi to serve as the capital of Jiangdu Zhu Shou; he was the county magistrate, and he was also the daughter of the famous Xie family in the south... The people in power in Wujiangdu are all from the south, except for the unimportant Captain Jinwu, who was born in the hometown of Dong Qi."
Qin Bao thought for a while and asked again: "Is there anything wrong with this?"
"Of course there's nothing wrong with it." Zhang Xing smiled. "Not to mention anything else, Duke Lai, Duke Zhou, and Duke Zhao are all close friends of the saint. The saint does not doubt anything. What we say is inappropriate... But the problem is, why do they, officials from the north and the south, gather here? Jiangdu, the place where Jiangdong is the commander-in-chief of Jiangbei?"
Qin Bao thought for a moment and realized: "Third Brother, are you saying that these people cannot please both sides? In the future, they will be ostracized in the central government, and in the future they will not be tolerated among the people and the countryside in Jiangdong?"
Zhang Xing nodded.
"In that case." Qin Bao hesitated. "Will people like me from Dongqi be like this in the future?"
"That doesn't mean..." Zhang Xing couldn't help laughing. "What will happen to this world after you stay on one side?"
Qin Bao was about to say more, but shut up. It turned out that at this moment, another round of servants carrying wooden trays came in from the side doors on both sides, obviously wanting to serve new dishes.
However, just when Zhang Xing and Qin Bao'er and the two country bumpkins shut up and were about to clear up the space on the tables in front of them to eat new dishes, a sudden light flashed in the center of the hall, attracting the two of them to look at it together, and then they were shocked - it turned out that , one of the dancing girls actually waved her long sleeves and hit the deputy guard Zhou Xiaoming directly. The long sleeves were equipped with gold ornaments at the end, making the wind howl, as if a master had used enough energy, like a sharp blade to stab, and like a heavy hammer. Come and attack.
Any fool can see that this is an assassination.
The two of them were about to shout, but unexpectedly, a bigger mess came - the servants who had just come in with plates also acted separately, but they took out daggers from the bottom of the plates, channeled all kinds of energy, and directed them towards the leaders. The powerful men launched a surprise attack, and there were screams immediately.
Not only that, the other dancers were confused when they saw one of their partners waving a long-sleeved fashion. When they saw the dagger flashing by, they panicked and ran away in panic.
These changes and turmoil were delayed but came quickly. They happened in an instant.
Now that chaos has arisen, everyone under Hu Yan is so well trained that they don't know that this is a planned assassination. Although the patrols are not allowed to bring weapons inside, they do not delay everyone from lifting the table and taking out the footstool to fight.
Even Zhang Xing and Qin Bao each held a low stool in their hands.
Only Bai Yousi, as the only master allowed to bring a long sword into the lobby of the left-behind mansion, actually sat calmly at this time. He drank a glass of wine first, and after Zhou Xiaoming overturned the table and blocked the first blow, He just threw the wine glass and hit the long sleeve of the dancer's second stroke of luck.
The dancer staggered two steps after receiving this blow from the air, but she was not afraid at all. Instead, she threw up her long sleeves and attacked Bai Yousi.
Inspector Bai had just drawn his sword at this time, and with just one strike, he cut off the opponent's long sleeve. The dancer was so shocked that she didn't dare to move anymore and ran straight out.
Bai Yousi did not give chase, but swung his sword again, almost chopping up the assassins holding daggers one by one.
After a moment, the scene calmed down, but everyone discovered among the screams of the assassins that Jinwu Guard Captain Liu Jing was already dead.
"I heard the screams and found out that Lieutenant Liu had been stabbed in the back." Bai Yousi looked calm and sat back to press his sword. "It's too late to save."
The rest of the people looked at each other in confusion. Zhou Xiaoming, the leader, wanted to speak for a moment but didn't know what to say.
But at this moment, Lai Zhan'er Lai Gong, who had left suddenly for unknown reasons before, happened to return. Seeing this scene, he was extremely surprised.
"This is a design provocation." Zhou Xiaoming, the deputy left behind, looked away from the still confused Lai Zhan'er, thought for a moment, and spoke coldly. "Brother Lai and I have known each other for twenty or thirty years, and we have lived and died together countless times on the battlefield... There is no need for words. I am just afraid that some of you don't know, so I say more... Besides, everyone knows it. , Brother Lai has almost reached the status of a master, how can we assassinate him if we don’t transfer him?"
Almost everyone in the hall nodded in unison.
To put it bluntly, whoever Lai Zhaner wants to mess with here in Jiangdu can be put on a crime and killed. How can there be so many things? If you want to exclude Zhou Xiaoming, you don't have to be so low-end.
However, after Lai Zhan'er finally figured out what was going on, the general in his fifties became furious: "Girls from the Bai family! Aren't you idle? Now you have no idle time!"
