51 Chapter 051

◎Anlu Ending◎

The study of Prince Liang's mansion.

Xie Yu sat behind the desk. After listening to his subordinates' report, he frowned and said impatiently, "You're asking me about such a trivial matter? What's the point of keeping you here?"

"Forgive me, sir. I'll take my leave."

"Wait a minute," he raised his head, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with ferocity. "Haven't we found those people yet?"

“No, no.”

Xie Yu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and asked, "Have there been any unusual movements from the Jinyiwei recently?"

"Jinyiwei?" The subordinate recalled and quickly replied, "I did hear that Jinyiwei went to the dock a few days ago."

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were the emperor's eyes and ears, and people with something to hide would generally pay special attention to the movements of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

The Prince of Liang's Mansion received this news a few days ago, but did not take it seriously. After all, the most urgent task was to find the "murderer", not the Jinyiwei.

Xie Yu suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "How many people?"

"Seven people."

"Are you idiots?!" Xie Yi picked up the pen holder beside him and threw it at the other party, hitting him on the forehead. "There are seven murderers who killed my father. Why didn't you stop them?!"

The subordinate was stunned for a moment and said bewilderedly, "They are Jinyiwei, how can we stop them?"

Xie Yu knew that the Jinyiwei were difficult to deal with and he couldn't blame his subordinates, but he couldn't suppress his anger and his chest heaved.

He glared at the other person: "Where did they go?"

"Go east by boat."

"Eastward?" Xie Yu frowned. "Why eastward?"

Is it just a coincidence?

No! They must be deliberately creating confusion!

He stood up abruptly. "Order someone to thoroughly investigate Bishan for any unusual activity lately."

"yes."

After receiving the order from Prince Liang's Mansion, Commander Bishan immediately checked the nine camps. However, there were too many people in the nine camps and it was impossible to check them all in a short time.

With Captain Zhao covering for them, Xie Mingzhuo and the other three had already left Bishan, so in the end, this investigation plan was just a formality.

Three days passed in a flash, and Xie Yi, the prince of Liang, went on his first tour to Bishan since his father's death.

The son inherits the father's power, and Bishan's "military power" will fall into Xie Yi's hands today.

The boat gang in Lingxia Town.

Xie Mingzhuo and his seven companions have been staying here for three days. During these three days, under their "sugar-coated bullets", the gang members have completely accepted them and become one with them.

The morning light poured down through the clouds in the sky, and the sparkling waves dotted the wide river surface like broken gold.

Xie Mingzhuo sat leisurely at the bow of the boat sipping tea.

The chair was brought back from town by Lin Fan that day. It was of average workmanship, but sturdy.

The tea and tea sets are the best in town, and they taste pretty good.

A little girl of seven or eight years old, with two pigtails on her head, jumped to the bow of the next boat and shyly held up a bouquet of wild flowers.

Xie Mingzhuo was stunned for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Is it for me?"

The little girl nodded and held the bouquet forward again.

"Thank you." Xie Mingzhuo first went into the cabin to get a few candies and put them in the little girl's palm before taking the colorful bouquet.

The little girl stared at the candy with her eyes wide open, feeling surprised and at a loss.

No matter how stupid she was, she knew that the value of the candy was much higher than the free wild flowers.

"Give it back to you." The little hand slowly stretched back.

Xie Mingzhuo asked, "Why?"

"No, it's too expensive."

"You gave me flowers, I was happy. I gave you candy, were you happy?"

"Happy."

"Since you and I are both happy, why can't we have it?"

The little girl was stunned.

"Take it and share it with your family and friends." Xie Mingzhuo's eyes were smiling and his tone was gentle, which made the little girl blush and she could no longer say no.

She whispered "thank you" and skipped back to her cabin.

When the other children saw the scene of "exchanging flowers for candy", they followed suit and ran to the shore to pick wild flowers.

They didn't dare to look for "Boss Jiang", so they sent flowers to the rest of the people.

Li Jiuyue and others were at a loss whether to laugh or cry. They accepted the bouquets and offered snacks.

The children were so happy that they almost plucked all the flowers on the roadside. They wanted to continue the "reciprocity" but were told that Jiang Dangjia was leaving.

To be precise, it was Jiang Dangjia who took everyone on the boat and left Lingxia Town and headed for Yingshan County.

"Boss, we can set off now." Yang Yunkai jumped onto the bow of the boat to report.

Xie Mingzhuo nodded and bowed to enter the cabin.

It’s time to end our trip to Anlu.

At the same time, Xie Yi set out from Prince Liang's Mansion and headed for Bishan with his guards in the name of selecting a Feng Shui site to build his mausoleum.

The excuse of building a grave was too easy to use, so Xie Yu naturally wouldn't find another reason.

He was already tired of riding in a carriage that was fit for a prince. Once his great cause was accomplished, he would be able to ride in the most spacious and luxurious carriage in the world.

So he chose to ride a horse.

Three hundred attendants kept strict guard and bypassed Anlu County and headed straight for Bishan in the western suburbs.

Xie Yi had walked this road many times, and each time he was accompanied by King Liang, and each time he was cautious and walked as if on thin ice.

After today, everything will change completely.

Even the anger that the "murderer" had not been caught could not suppress the rising excitement.

He gripped the reins tightly, his back straight, and the madness he had shown in the palace was gone, and he looked full of vigor and vitality.

The team passed Hulu Peak and crossed the long valley.

The valley is wide at the entrance to the mountain, but becomes narrower as you go deeper. By the time you reach Kunbing Peak, there is only enough space for three horses to pass side by side.

Kunbing Peak is the best shooting location planned by Captain Zhao.

The three elite archers in the camp have been hiding in the woods on one side of the canyon, waiting for the most appropriate time to shoot.

Fortunately, Xie Yi was not riding in a carriage, which obviously reduced the difficulty of shooting him.

A sharp arrow suddenly rushed out of the forest, pierced through the valley, and headed straight for Xie Yi's vitals!

The guard beside him twitched his ears slightly, quickly drew his sword and split the iron arrow. The guards in front and behind immediately raised their shields to cover Xie Yi's figure.

This arrow seemed to be a signal, and the other two arrows were shot from different directions, brushing past Xie Yi's earlobe and falling onto the horse's back.

Xie Yu raised his hand and touched it, and his fingertips were bright red.

"Protect the prince and move forward!"

As long as we bypass this valley, the archers lying in ambush on the mountain will be useless.

Most of the guards surrounded Xie Yi and moved forward, while the remaining small group was divided into three teams. They quickly sneaked into the forest and rushed towards the direction from which the three arrows came.

Just as the team was bypassing Kunbing Peak, a cold arrow shot out from the upper left corner, penetrated the gap in the shield, and pierced Xie Yi's left chest!

Xie Yu screamed in pain and fell off his horse.

At the same time as this arrow was shot, a signal flare also broke through the sky. The sound of the fireworks exploding resounded throughout the valley, and after being amplified by the echoes in the valley, it was transmitted to even farther places.

Gan Wufeng.

Captain Zhao stood behind the commander-in-chief and mixed with the captains of the other eight battalions.

At the moment the fireworks exploded, while everyone was confused, he exchanged glances with the three allied captains, and at the same time pounced on the surrounding captains.

The commander-in-chief standing at the front was so shocked by the chaos before him that he froze in his tracks. It took him a while to come to his senses and roared, "What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel?!"

"Rebellion?" Captain Zhao kicked the captain of the Fifth Battalion and laughed loudly. "Isn't what we're doing a rebellion?"

“…”

The prince of Shan Gu was assassinated, and the soldiers on the mountain were fighting among themselves. The chaos in Bishan has begun.

On the official road from Wuchang Prefecture to Anlu County, Gao Quan led the way, followed closely by Chen Shi.

"Hurry up! Run faster!"

The officers in the team kept issuing orders, fearing that they would delay the important work of the governor, although they did not know the purpose of Governor Gao's visit.

I only vaguely heard that they were going to suppress bandits.

What kind of bandit needs to be led by the governor himself?

How could Gao Quan have anticipated that there would be a rebel under his rule? If he mishandled this matter, he might lose his position.

He was extremely anxious and wished he could grow wings and fly over.

But no matter how anxious you are, you still need to rest while traveling.

The sky gradually darkened and the wilderness became desolate.

Gao Quan set up a separate tent and invited Chen Shi to dine with him. The march was not so formal, with only a few plates of dry rations, biscuits, and dried meat on the table.

"Official Shen, we will arrive in Anlu tomorrow. Please tell me in detail what the procedures will be once we arrive in Anlu."

Chen Shi was a little confused. He only knew how to investigate cases, not fight. Besides, Miss Meng didn't tell him before she came.

"To be honest with you, Master Gao, Miss Meng only asked me to deliver the message and didn't mention anything else."

Gao Quan frowned slightly: "Is she really a girl?"

"...Seriously." Chen Shi felt offended.

He is not blind.

"Please don't blame me, Judge Shen," Gao Quan explained politely, "I just couldn't imagine what kind of person this young lady named Meng, who is so highly regarded by His Majesty, is."

He subconsciously guessed that it was a high-ranking official of the Jinyiwei, at least at the rank of assistant clerk or above, but he had never heard that there was a girl in the Jinyiwei.

Chen Shi said: "Maybe it's a pseudonym."

"That's right." Gao Quan didn't ask any more questions.

But even if it was a pseudonym, it was surprising enough that a young girl could take on such an important task.

It seems that after being away for so long, he has lost his sensitivity to the changes in the capital.

On the other side, Xie Mingzhuo led the boat team northward along the tributary of Fuhe River and arrived near the Yingshan County wharf.

Although the arrest warrants had been posted in all the surrounding prefectures and counties and checkpoints had been set up along the way, the water checkpoints were somewhat loose. Xie Mingzhuo and his companions disguised themselves, and the portraits on the documents were particularly rough, so they were able to pass smoothly.

"Boss Jiang, what should we do now?" Liu Jian squatted at the bow of the boat, still holding the oar in his hand.

"wait."

"Waiting for what?"

Xie Mingzhuo was sitting in the cabin. On the low table in the cabin was a topographic map, which was drawn by Lin Fan based on the descriptions of Liu Jian and others.

The layout of the Yingshan peak group is clearly visible.

Her ears twitched slightly, and she looked up at the dock, "Here I come."

Soon, several Jinyiwei came striding over, with swords on their waists, all of which showed murderous intent. The people around them wanted to retreat three miles away.

In a blink of an eye, only the Jinyiwei were left at the dock. The leader was wearing the standard military uniform of the general flag and was an old acquaintance.

He swept his stern eyes across the nearby boat gang, and his gaze finally stopped on the faces of Xie Mingzhuo and others, with a hint of hesitation.

Last night I received an order from my superior, saying that I would come to the dock to pick someone up today. I don’t know who it is, but he said it’s an important person, maybe even a high-ranking official in the Jinyiwei.

Thinking back to the last time when these people appeared at the checkpoint to save people for no apparent reason, General Hu suddenly had an epiphany.

It turns out that they are the superiors who gave the secret orders!

I just don't know who is the person in charge.

He stepped forward, bowed respectfully towards the cabin, and said, "I am late, and I beg your pardon, sir."

Xie Mingzhuo sat firmly in the cabin and asked, "Has Zong Zhen arrived?"

"Your Excellency, we arrived at Zongdutai last night."

I understand. This is the real superior.

Hu Zongqi understood this and did not dare to question why Shangguan, a young girl, could call Zongdu Tai by his name directly. She must be from a prominent family.

Xie Mingzhuo stood up and left the cabin, telling Liu Jian and Liu Tie, "Row the boat to the shore."

Both of them: ???

No matter how dumb they were, they could see that this so-called Jiang Dangjia was not a pirate at all, but a high-ranking official of the imperial court!

He is also a high-ranking official in the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

What good will this gang of bandits get if they fall into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guards?

Liu Jian knelt on the deck with a thud and begged, "I was blind and didn't recognize Mount Tai. I offended you and ruined your business. I beg you to be magnanimous and spare my brothers."

Dozens of young and strong men against a few Jinyiwei. Xie Mingzhuo and his seven men were still in their territory and were not without the ability to fight.

But if they really take action, what awaits them will be endless pursuit and wanted list.

Being a bandit and being able to be recruited, and going against the Jinyiwei, that means your life is really too long.

Liu Tie was still confused, but when he saw his elder brother kneeling, he also knelt down and begged for mercy.

"You only said to forgive your brother, but not to forgive yourself." Xie Mingzhuo's face was calm.

Liu Jian lowered his head, not daring to look at her, and said, "It was my idea, and it was I who hijacked the ship. I will take full responsibility for all the mistakes."

"And me!" Liu Tie pounded his chest, "I have a share too!"

Seeing this, the other gang members knelt down and apologized.

General Hu was completely confused. What was going on?

There was a moment of silence, everyone waiting for Xie Mingzhuo to speak. The adults on the boat knelt at the bow and stern, and the children, unsure of what was going on, were also pulled to bend their knees. Some did not lower their heads, but instead looked over with confused curiosity.

Xie Mingzhuo looked around and met a pair of big eyes. It was the little girl who gave her the bouquet of flowers yesterday morning.

She couldn't help but smile, and the little girl also frowned.

"You have become bandits. The law stipulates that those who commit bandits should be severely punished. However, considering your difficulties, I will give you a chance to atone for your crimes. Are you willing?"

After spending a few days together, I realized that this group of people are not extremely vicious. Once it is confirmed that they have not killed anyone, I can give them a chance to reform.

Liu Jian and others were overjoyed.

"Yes! Yes!"

"Thank you for your help, sir!"

They were so immersed in joy that they forgot to row the boat for a moment. It was not until Jiang Qing shouted that they woke up from their dream.

After the ship docked, Xie Mingzhuo went onto the dock.

"Take me to see Zong Zhen."

Hu Zongqi pointed behind her: "Then they..."

"Let's go to the camp together."

After discovering that Yingshan also had troops hidden, she sent someone to give orders to Zong Zhen.

The rebels in Bishan will be handed over to Gao Quan for disposal, and only one other person can be chosen to deal with the rebels in Yingshan.

The Wang family mine had been taken under control, and Second Young Master Xie would have walked right into a trap if he had gone there. The mine, the Datong Carriage and Horse Company, and all the officials from various departments in Henan were now under Lu Lian's investigation.

Zong Zhen has been fighting bandits for many years and has rich experience in mountain warfare. He is the best candidate to lead the troops to encircle and suppress Yingshan.

With the help of "local guides" like Liu Jian, it was not difficult to capture Yingshan.

Xie Mingzhuo had thought about catching Xie Yu on the road and prying the secret of Yingshan out of him.

But Xie Yu cannot be judged by common sense. He is even crazier than Xie Yi, and nothing he says can be trusted.

In order to charge him with treason, he must be caught red-handed in the mine.

According to the law, treason will result in the punishment of nine generations of the clan, but the nine clans of King Liang include the current emperor, so it is impossible to really punish all nine clans. At most, the three generations of blood relatives of King Liang can be killed.

No matter what, Xie Yu was doomed to die.

But the crime is what it is. Death due to being implicated and being convicted and beheaded for actively participating in treason are two different concepts.

Outside Yingshan County, Zong Zhen stationed thousands of soldiers and horses.

He was quite confused when he received the order. As the commander-in-chief of Henan, it was against the rules to lead troops to suppress the bandits in Huguang.

But military orders are military orders and cannot be questioned.

"Sir, the Jinyiwei are here!" the subordinate reported.

Jinyiwei?

Zong Zhen stood up and walked outside the tent with the gait of a dragon and a tiger. He saw a general leading several captains and strong men waiting dozens of steps away, with dozens of young and strong men following behind them.

Yang Yunkai stepped out of the group and said in a deep voice, "Zongdutai, why don't we talk inside the tent?"

Zong Zhen didn't recognize Yang Yunkai, but he could feel the aura of being a fellow soldier from him.

This person's martial arts skills are not inferior to his, and he is definitely not an ordinary person.

Zong Zhen, with a rough face and a careful mind, extended his hand: "Please."

Only Xie Mingzhuo and Yang Yunkai followed him into the tent, while the rest stayed where they were.

After entering the tent, Xie Mingzhuo sat in the main seat. Before Zong Zhen could speak, Yang Yunkai took out the badge of the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Zong Zhen, listen to your orders."

Zong Zhen quickly knelt on the ground with a respectful look.

"The Emperor has ordered Zong Zhen, the Commander-in-Chief of Henan, to fully assist Princess Rong'an in eradicating the rebels and await her orders."

Zong Zhen was shocked and his eyes involuntarily fell to the main seat, but then he immediately lowered his head, not daring to look any further, and knelt on the ground to salute.

"Your humble servant obeys the order. Long live the emperor. Your humble servant wishes the princess good health and happiness."

No matter what you think in your heart, you have done your best to save face.

Xie Mingzhuo would not try to pry into his inner thoughts. Judging by his actions rather than his heart, as long as he could get practical things done, he would be a useful person.

"Get up. There's no need to publicize my identity, Zongdutai, for now."

"I understand."

Xie Mingzhuo said gently, "There are rebels hiding in Yingshan, just like bandits. Zongdutai is an expert in suppressing bandits, so I shouldn't say much. However, these rebels are armed with muskets, so Zongdutai must be more careful."

"Princess, you are embarrassing me," Zong Zhen said in panic, "I should thank you for your advice."

"Once you're outside the tent, don't say 'Princess' or 'Humble Minister' anymore. Zongdutai, remember this."

Zong Zhen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he heard her smile while speaking, and she didn't seem as arrogant and willful as the rumors said.

Although I don't know why His Majesty asked the princess to come here, as long as the princess doesn't cause trouble, everything will be fine.

"I've made note of this."

"Um?"

"I've made a note of that."

Xie Mingzhuo was still a Jinyiwei on the surface, and the commander of the Jinyiwei was only a third-rank official, not as high as Zong Zhen's rank. In front of outsiders, Zong Zhen could not call himself "your subordinate" and could only communicate on the same level.

The rebellion in Prince Liang's Mansion has far-reaching implications, and the closer it gets to the final stage, the more cautious and careful we must be.

The specific situation of the civil unrest in Bishan is still unknown, and it is still unknown whether Gao Quan can successfully eliminate it. Therefore, Xie Mingzhuo decided to let Zong Zhen eliminate the rebels in Yingshan first, and if there is spare capacity, he can support Bishan.

This matter needs to be resolved quickly.

The taxation issue in Runing Prefecture mentioned by Liu Jian and others must also be thoroughly investigated by someone.

Orders were issued one after another, Zong Zhen assembled his army and prepared to go. Liu Jian and others redeemed themselves for their crimes and went to Yingshan with the army.

When the magistrate of Yingshan County heard about this situation, he didn't dare to ask any more questions, but he had to ask, so he sent people to investigate carefully. When he learned that the people were sent by the imperial court to suppress the bandits, he stayed in the county government office with peace of mind.

Outside the tent, flags fluttered.

"Zongdutai, Meng is waiting for good news." Xie Mingzhuo personally saw him off.

Zong Zhen clasped his fists and said, "I will definitely live up to Master Meng's expectations."

After getting to know her, he found that the princess was indeed very different from the rumors, and what he didn't expect was that the princess had already arrived in Anlu as early as May.

The princess personally investigated the entire case of Prince Liang's rebellion, and even became a wanted criminal because of it.

Zong Zhen was filled with admiration, and his previous confusion and doubts disappeared.

According to the description of Liu Jian and others, a year ago, the group of "bandits" armed with muskets in Yingshan numbered about a thousand people. A year later, their number had grown to two thousand at most, which was still not enough to face Zong Zhen's army.

Even though the mountains are easy to defend but difficult to attack, Zong Zhen can rely on his many combat experiences to pin this mob to the ground and rub them against him.

The most important thing to be careful of is that they are hiding firearms.

After the army set out, Xie Mingzhuo and several others stayed in the camp. There were still hundreds of guards and logistics soldiers stationed in the camp, and no one dared to attack.

Intelligence from Anlu, Yingshan and Henan came in one after another.

Gao Quan had already led his troops to Anlu. After receiving orders from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he sent scouts to inquire about the current situation in Bishan, and then led his troops to surround Prince Liang's Mansion.

Xie Yi was seriously injured in the assassination. If he had been sent out for treatment in time, his life might have been saved. With proper rest afterwards, he could have lived for another few decades without any problem.

But after he was shot, civil strife broke out among the Nine Camps of Bishan, and no one cared about his situation except his three hundred guards.

The three hundred guards were loyal and tried their best. After sacrificing more than two hundred lives, they finally escaped from Bishan, but this also delayed their treatment.

Xie Yu's life was saved, but he injured his lung while escaping. He was shot by an arrow and fell off his horse, where the frightened horse trampled and broke his leg bones. The bumpy road during his escape aggravated his bone injuries. Even if he could walk again in the future, he could only take one deep step and one shallow step.

No one was willing to assist a lame man to become emperor, and his dream of becoming emperor was completely shattered.

The base outside Yingshan City.

After processing the last piece of information, Xie Mingzhuo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

"Second Madam," Feng Caiyu came in carrying a tray, "Master Lin has made some pear soup. Would you like to try it?"

She put the tray down and moved behind the chair.

"It's still a little hot. Let it cool down before drinking. How about I give you a massage?"

Xie Mingzhuo said "hmm".

His two hands gently massaged her temples, and her sore and tense nerves gradually relaxed.

The aroma of the small pear soup gradually lingers around the nose. After the autumn pears are slowly simmered, they emit a unique sweet taste.

"Don't worry, Madam. Master Zong is brave and good at fighting. He will definitely be able to wipe out the rebels."

Xie Mingzhuo smiled, opened his eyes and sat up straight.

She knew Zong Zhen could win, but she hoped he could win beautifully and with the least casualties.

"Why is he making sweet soup?"

The snow-white pear flesh in the celadon bowl is soaked in the soup, which has a slightly sugary color and is dotted with a few vermilion wolfberries. The transparent and soft white fungus is faintly visible.

She scooped a spoonful into her mouth and raised her eyebrows slightly. It tasted better than she had imagined.

She is not very interested in sweets, but this kind of sweetness is just right, refreshing and not sticky.

Feng Caiyu smiled and said, "Your throat was a little dry yesterday, and your lips were chapped. Master Lin said this soup would moisturize and soothe dryness, so I went out to buy pears early this morning and stewed it right away when I got home."

Poke the spoon into the soft pear flesh, scoop out a ball and put it in your mouth. The granular texture of the pear flesh itself neutralizes the sweetness of the rock sugar, which is indeed delicious.

Before I knew it, the bowl was empty.

Feng Caiyu's eyes lit up with joy when she saw this. She thought that His Highness loved it, so she would go find Lin Fan to learn how to make the sweet soup.

She picked up the empty bowl and walked out of the tent, just in time to meet Yang Yunkai who was walking quickly towards her.

"Second Lady, great victory at Yingshan!"