He didn't even finish a cup of tea, but he didn't expect Yang Lu to do it. This was beyond Zhu Su's expectation. A dozen sticks had not even begun to bleed. The guy who had just vowed not to give in was cowed.
I thought it would be at least to the point of getting my butt smashed.
"Since you are willing to recruit, let's talk about it." Zhu Su put down the tea cup. "Ma Fengsun, how do you want you to cooperate with them inside and outside?"
Yang Lu was already standing up in embarrassment. When he heard this, his knees softened and he knelt on the ground and cried: "His Highness has known about it for a long time? If the general said so, can Your Highness save my life..."
"You're like a dog. If you want to talk, just say it. There are so many words." The tyrannical Zhu Ping threw a cup of tea at Yang Lu. "You still want to plead for mercy after collaborating with the bandits? I and the fourth and fifth elders are all in this city, but you fucking dare to collude with the bandits?"
"If the city is destroyed, what will happen to my three brothers? I think you not only want to kill the bandits, but you also want to assassinate the king!"
The tea cup exploded in front of Yang Lu, and the fragments scratched his face. Yang Lu felt a little aggrieved: "The last general...the last general is not a bandit either,"
"Isn't this the last time the general is packing up his belongings and preparing to escape..."
"Don't say anything else. Just call him truthfully." Zhu Su took out the folding fan from his waist. "How do those thieves want you to cooperate?"
Yang Lu didn't dare to say anything, and like an eggplant beaten by frost, he told everything about the letter that Ma Fengsun had given him.
"Tomorrow night, do you want you to open the water gate in the south of the city and let them into the city..." Zhu Su tapped the folding fan lightly. Zhu Di and Zhu Chong were also thoughtful. Zhu Di said: "We want to seize the city tomorrow. It seems that these thieves are still in a hurry. The slow establishment of the camp before and today's siege are indeed just acting, just to draw our attention to the east of the city..."
"Then he can sneak into the city from the south of the city... Speaking of that person named Ma, why are you so sure that you will listen to them?" Zhu Ming turned to ask Yang Lu.
"You are a relative of the emperor after all, so you are willing to work for the bandit leader?"
"This..." Yang Lu hesitated, unwilling to reveal his reasons. Zhu Su sneered: "What else could it be? It's nothing more than reselling vacancies in the army, collaborating with Ma Fengsun, selling private salt, and privately selling weapons and armor."
"Ah?" Yang Lu went limp and slumped on the ground: "Your Highness, Fifth Prince, you...how do you know..."
Zhu Su smiled enigmatically. Selling vacancies in the army, this is the news found by Jin Yiwei. The elite guards of the old Suzhou were transferred to the south, which left many vacancies. In the early Ming Dynasty, military households were regarded as iron rice bowls that could guarantee harvests despite droughts and floods, and they also had land to farm. Therefore, many landless and propertyless people are struggling to get the status of a military household for their family.
It happened that the newly appointed Yang Lu needed to recruit troops to make up for the vacancies that had been transferred, so he took advantage of the situation and started a business of reselling the vacancies. In fact, all the generals in the various David offices were doing this, but the amount of reselling was large or small, and it was not enough to make Yang Lu feel so guilty. The most important ones are actually the last two charges.
The enforcement of the ban in the early Ming Dynasty was still very strict. Selling ordnance, armor and heavy equipment was undoubtedly a capital crime. Where did Ma Fengsun get those armors on New Year's Eve? There are even two sets of infantry armor that can be called the king of heavy armor. If you say that such a heavy weapon did not come from Suzhou Wei, no dog would believe it.
Zhu Su had long suspected this, and sure enough, now that he had deceived him, his true colors were revealed.
"How can a dignified commander of a guard be such a weakling?" Zhu Di looked at Yang Lu who was slumped on the ground with a wet stain leaking out from under him, and was a little in disbelief. He has been obsessed with the military since he was a child, and the soldiers he comes into contact with on a daily basis are either resolute and brave generals like Li Wenzhong and Chang Yuchun, or determined people like Xu Da and Mu Ying. In his mind, the generals of the Ming Dynasty should all be tough guys with strong bones. How could he have seen a weakling like Yang Lu?
"If he hadn't been a coward, he wouldn't have squatted in the city and refused to leave the city because of a setback in the bandit suppression." Zhu Su sneered. "If it weren't for the fear that the military's morale would be shaken, his military power would have been taken away long ago."
"Then why did you attack him again now?" Zhu Xi was confused.
"This guy is beyond expectations." Zhu Su nuzzled at Yang Lu. "If he had honestly followed the letter and cooperated with the thief, I wouldn't have made such a big move."
"But who would have thought that he actually wanted to pack up Xinruan and run away... If he ran away, who would cooperate with the thief inside and outside, how could I take advantage of him?"
Yang Lu over there was almost stunned when he heard this. I dare to suffer this crime, the fundamental reason is that I did not choose to rebel...
When did not having the courage to rebel become a sin... Yang Lu's tears flowed down again.
"Stop crying." Seeing the water stain flowing towards him, Zhu Su got up and hid aside in disgust. "Since you haven't rebelled yet, for the sake of Concubine Yang in the palace, I am willing to leave you a way out."
"Hand over your military talisman and let my second brother manage it. Just stay with my second brother for the time being and be a sullen gourd."
"Reply to the outside of the city immediately. If Ma Fengsun is really deceived by you, and our army has surrounded and suppressed those thieves outside the city, you will be considered guilty."
"If not...haha." Zhu Su sneered.
But Yang Lu only heard the four words "exchange merit for crime" and excitedly took two steps forward: "Your Highness, are you willing to cover up my crime?"
"Then why didn't you tell me earlier? If I had told you earlier, I, Yang Lu, would have done everything for His Highness on the spot..."
"Haha." Zhu Su couldn't deny it. How could he be willing to listen without breaking his spine? The second brother may not be able to control him. Zhu Xi was asked to accept the military talisman given by Yang Lu. Zhu Su ordered Yang Lu to be captured and taken to the tower, where he was guarded at all times. They also sent a team of troops to keep an eye on the young and old of the Yang family as hostages. They told the public that the three princes had come to the Yang Mansion to invite Commander Yang to drink, and the matter was suppressed.
"Lao Wu, then I..." On the way back, looking at Zhu Xi who was holding the military talisman with an excited expression, Zhu Di suddenly felt a little jealous: "What about me? Lao Wu, you can't just let me watch. Bar?"
"Fourth brother, you have read a lot of military books, so naturally you will attack the second brother!" Zhu Su said. Zhu Di is too young and may not be able to convince the public in a short time. On the other hand, although Zhu Xi acted a bit foolishly, he was already considered an adult. With his status as the vassal king, Suzhou Guard would not dare to make any mistakes even if he had the right to do so.
This is also the reason why he kept Yang Lu. Now Suzhou Weiduo is Yang Lu's subordinate. Although he is useless, it will be a troublesome thing if he breaks out.
Moreover, Zhu Su couldn't guarantee whether the leaked Suzhou Guards had the eyes of thieves outside the city. If people outside the city knew that he had dealt with Yang Lu, then the plan to exploit Yang Lu would be ineffective.
Therefore, Yang Lu must openly remain the commander of the Suzhou Guard...it is just a talisman for mobilizing troops, but he can no longer hold it.
If this guy really rebels, Zhu Xiang has the military talisman in his hand, which can at least make the soldiers of Suzhou Guard hesitate.
"That's true..." After explaining the reason to Zhu Di, Zhu Di nodded in understanding. Thinking that their brothers were going to use their plan to annihilate the bandit army, Zhu Di and Zhu Xi couldn't help but feel excited. But Zhu Xi thought about it and suddenly shouted on his horse:
"Ah! Lao Wu, you were negligent!"
"There are more than ten thousand thieves outside the city, but most of them inside the city are soldiers of the Suzhou Guard."
"Since the soldiers and horses of the Suzhou Guard are useless, if these people set up an ambush and cannot defeat the thieves..."
(End of chapter)
