Chapter 73 Draft - Do Not Subscribe, Please Await Revision

The bridal sedan chair had just been carried away from Old Man Shou's house when the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

Sha Gang led the way, followed by Xiao Jianseng, and behind them was a group of strong and muscular armored soldiers.

At first glance, one might mistakenly think that the official in charge of levying taxes was Sha Gang, rather than Xiao Jianseng.

The guests inside and outside the courtyard had not yet left, and farm tools covered in mud were still lying at their feet.

The young and middle-aged men in the town were drinking and feasting on braised goose. Everyone was eating voraciously and hastily, eager to stuff their bellies, which were so thin from hunger that their ribs were showing, into a round shape. At the same time, they ate with great care, licking clean even the oil droplets on their fingertips and the grains of rice that had fallen onto the rim of their bowls.

Including Old Skinny himself.

He squatted on the doorstep, holding a bowl of grain, and shoveled mouthfuls of rice into his mouth.

This might be my last meal; I'd rather die starving than die a starving ghost!

"Oh, pickled goose, plum wine, and this whole table of grain... This meal is pretty good today," Sha Gang reined in his horse, glancing at the old man's table with a forced smile. "You said the land tax would be ready in three days, right?"

Old Man Skinny seemed oblivious to Sha Gang's sarcasm. He quickly wiped his mouth, stood up, and greeted them with a smile: "General, the land tax in Laoqu Town has all been paid in full. Each household paid more than three dou, and the wealthy families paid two shi!"

"You're lying to me!" Seeing the old man's ruddy face, Sha Gang was not happy. He raised his hand and lashed out with his whip, striking the old man hard on the back and knocking him to the ground. "A few days ago you were shouting that you had no grain, and now you're saying you've paid it all?" He was a strong young man with a military background and some martial arts skills. With this lash, he tore the old man's skin open and left him bleeding, staining his brand-new clothes red.

When the whip struck, the young men who were enjoying the feast almost lost their temper and grabbed their weapons to fight back.

Fortunately, the old man reacted quickly, enduring the pain as he got up and said with a forced smile, "General, please calm down. If we didn't have this, how could we hold such a grand banquet?"

Sha Gang thought about it carefully and realized it did make some sense. But he suspected that the land tax hadn't been paid in full, but rather that the old man had used the betrothal gifts sent by the general to cover it. The betrothal gifts for taking a concubine usually included some gold and silver, which was then used to exchange for grain.

Thinking of this, Sha Gang couldn't help but sneer inwardly, secretly mocking the old man who, despite his advanced age, still had a strong desire for officialdom and was cowardly. Upon hearing that he was going to be killed in droves, he was willing to give up even the money from selling his daughter in order to save his own life and not lose the support of the townspeople.

"General, I have not uttered a single falsehood. I have indeed paid all the land taxes for this spring. However, there was a thunderstorm a few days ago, and I was worried that the rice would get moldy. So I renovated the original granary to store the grain. There is more grain than expected, and I would never dare to deceive you, General. Please come with me to take a look."

The old man adopted a humble posture, and Sha Gang glanced at the crowd with a smug look. Although he noticed the farm tools at the crowd's feet, his long-standing mentality of regarding farmers as ants prevented him from considering the possibility of an uprising.

Sha Gang looked smugly at Xiao Jianseng: "Brother Xiao, would you like to come in with me and take a look?"

Xiao Jianseng glanced at the old, thin man, who then gestured to him.

He said coldly, "No need."

Xiao Jianseng was unusually quiet all day, as if he had something on his mind.

Sha Gang was hoping he would keep quiet; if Xiao Jianseng talked too much, he wouldn't be able to show off his talent.

I've often heard the Fearful General lament that he hasn't had a loyal and capable subordinate who isn't arrogant or complacent for a long time. Sha Gang wants to take this opportunity to impress the General.

Sha Gang slowly dismounted, hands behind his back, and followed the old, thin man into the courtyard, saying, "Let me see—"

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Before he could finish speaking, a flash of cold light suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Sha Gang felt a chill on his neck, a tightness in his throat, and a sharp, intense pain that spread throughout his body, causing blood to spurt out.

"Ugh!" Sha Gang covered his neck with both hands, his hand trembling as he pointed at Lu Xiaojia in front of him.

A drop of bright red blood rolled down the blade. Lu Xiaojia shook the unsheathed sword, then tucked it back into her belt. With a light tap of her toes, she leaped onto the roof and vanished in the blink of an eye.

He has another very urgent thing to do.

That was Yu Aixi, the younger sister who took Yu Chuntong away.

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Warm blood flowed down his collarbone and across his chest. Sha Gang stared wide-eyed in resentment. Why was he the one who died... How dare these lowly ants?

Looking at this shadow general who used to act arrogantly, and feeling the pain from being whipped, Old Skinny grabbed a broadsword nearby and chopped off his head!

"Pfft—"

The gushing blood splattered on the land of Laoqu Town, like a belated rain after a sacrifice. Shagang's head rolled to the doghouse, and the big yellow guard dog suddenly jumped out, grabbed the head with its unseeing eyes, and "whoosh" dashed out of the house, running towards the back mountain.

The headless corpse, its neck empty, collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The old man, panting heavily, looked at the headless corpse lying on the ground, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed. As he laughed, tears streamed down his face, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

So killing a person is so easy, simpler than harvesting rice.

So what kind of damned general died? He was no different from these people who toiled in the mud.

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The soldiers, recovering from their shock, drew their swords and roared, "You audacious scoundrel, are you plotting a rebellion?!"

"Pfft!" This time, the attack was even more swift and decisive!

A rusty, unsheathed sword severed the heads of the ten generals leading the squad.

The person who made the move this time was Xiao Jianseng.

The ten generals in the team never expected that Xiao Jianseng would attack them.

He was completely unprepared, and his severed head still retained a ferocious expression.

"Rebellion! Rebellion!" The townspeople grabbed the broadswords disguised as farm tools from the ground, raised them high, and shouted that echoed through the sky. At this moment, they had forgotten You Mingjiang's instructions. This explosion, after a long silence, allowed them to release all the anger that had been building up in their hearts.

What difference is there between the emperor and these peasants?

He has to squat to defecate, and he bleeds when he's shot with an arrow.

Didn't the emperor's ancestors for eighteen generations also farm the land naked, just like them?

The golden minced fish and jade slices he ate were all forcibly confiscated from the grain bags of these farmers!

These parasites were also bred by the emperor and kept in the farmers' grain sacks!

Rebellion is rebellion!

What's wrong with rebelling against an emperor like that?!

Seeing this, the armored soldiers were terrified and were preparing to launch a charge when the townspeople who were feasting inside and outside the courtyard suddenly overturned the huge round table. Pots and pans were scattered all over the ground, and overturned tables were everywhere. The horses were frightened and ran around wildly, tripping over the overturned table legs and benches. As soon as the armored soldiers on horseback rolled to the ground, six or seven townspeople immediately rushed up and hacked them to death with broadswords disguised as farm tools.

Xiao Jianseng blocked the escape route of the armored soldiers, and he had no intention of letting any of them escape.

This was an ironclad order issued by You Mingjiang.

For the first time ever, the faces of these jackals showed the terror and pleas of lambs awaiting slaughter. Xiao Jianseng, with a cold expression, raised his knife towards the panicked remaining armored soldiers.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you go. Go to hell in peace and repent for your sins—"

.

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At this moment, You Mingjiang is not in Laoqu Town.

She handed over command of the Battle of Laoqu entirely to Xiao Jianseng and Lao Shou, while she disguised herself as a maid and hid in the wedding procession, sneaking into General Ling Luoshi's mansion.

She certainly wasn't there for the wedding candy; she was there to ensure ultimate victory.

Betting on others is not Yu Mingjiang's style.

Even with the Holy Mother system that could provide medicine, she never gave up on studying and improving her medical skills.

You Mingjiang held the same attitude regarding eliminating the Frightened General.

Having witnessed the "bride" being led into the bridal chamber, You Mingjiang went to the garden and found a dry well. Seeing that no one was around, she threw the things she had prepared into the well.

It wasn't some kind of explosive like thunderbolts.

Its effects, however, are even more terrifying than those of explosives.

The current emperor wears an ochre-yellow dragon robe, but the ceremonial robe with the twelve auspicious symbols still requires precious materials such as peacock down and twisted gold thread. An inch of kesi (silk tapestry) is worth an inch of gold, and a whole kesi is too extravagant, taking a full thirteen years to sew.

You Mingjiang had no interest in doing it.

She only made a black gauze winged crown.

Rong Sao made a bamboo-framed turban. You Mingjiang folded the two tassels up, making them small and pointed. She then took a piece of ochre-yellow cloth and asked A Yu to embroider a dragon with four legs and five claws on it. Only then did she throw both tassels into the fire. They burned until the edges were charred, but this did not affect the extent of the investigation. It looked like a cover-up.

That's why we're in this situation now.

Doesn't Ling Luoshi like to slander the common people for rebelling and killing innocent people to claim credit?

Then she'd give him a taste of his own medicine and accuse him of possessing a dragon robe, usurping the emperor's authority, and plotting a rebellion. If Yu Chuntong succeeded in poisoning him, she could take advantage of Ling Luoshi's weakness and have Leng Xue reveal his identity, along with Chi Ping and Luan Jue, search the General's mansion. She was sure they'd find the fabricated evidence and be able to convict Ling Luoshi.

Even if Yu Chuntong fails, it won't matter. She will approach Ling Luoshi again as a divine messenger to poison him!

Over the years, Ling Luoshi's subordinates have always felt more fear than loyalty towards him.

There are a few suitable candidates to expose him.

Of course, she wouldn't tell Leng Xue that this evidence was fabricated.

She had figured out Leng Xue's temper.

Even if he had to assassinate Ling Luoshi, he would prefer a duel to assassination.

There was no time to explain things clearly to Leng Xue, nor was there time to wait for him to come to his senses, and she didn't want to force him. Everyone has their own path to walk, and she didn't want to force Leng Xue to do as she wished.

No matter how hard they try, the rift between the government officials and the elders of the demonic sect is destined to be irreparable.

Even if we bury our heads in the sand and pretend these cracks don't exist, once the dust settles, we'll eventually have to face the problem. No one wants to relinquish control of this precarious city, and no one will be happy if everyone goes along with their own ideas. So let's just leave each other in the dark for now.

After covering the dry well again, You Mingjiang hurriedly left the mansion of the Terrifying General.

She was not afraid that the false evidence in the dry well would disappear.

In addition to this charge, she also helped the Frightened General fabricate evidence of treason through letters.

The five-man gang was figuring out how to fabricate the contents of the letter. They all came from the border region and had dealt with foreign tribes, so they were all quite fluent in written language and speech. The details of the document were to be finalized by Yin Dong'er, who had seen a lot of the world.

Of course, this was also kept from Leng Xue.

You Mingjiang ran so fast not because she was afraid Leng Xue would discover this, but because...

It was because she had an agreement with Xiao Jianseng.

Presumably, Xiao Jianseng has kept his promise and fulfilled his commitment to her, so she naturally cannot go back on her word.

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Inside the stone cave beneath the hidden door of the Hall of Salvation from Suffering.

Yin Dong'er was extremely busy, trying her best to soothe the group of crying children.

The women and children of Laoqu Town were all sent to the Salvation Hall. The adults stayed above, while the children were arranged in the stone cave. The originally empty space suddenly became crowded.

That's how kids are; one minute they want their parents, the next they want food and drink, then they sneeze and get a fever. If you don't keep an eye on them, one will scratch another's face, another will run over another's foot...

The constant crying and wailing gave Yin Dong'er a headache; it was almost driving her crazy.

So much so that changing the dressings for Zhang Shusheng, whose wounds were so gruesome, became a pleasant task.

Unfortunately, once Zhang Shusheng regained consciousness and recovered some strength, he only allowed Rong Sao to approach him. Although Zhang Shusheng was still somewhat drowsy, his inflammation had improved considerably, and Rong Sao was too busy to help him, as she was brewing a pot of medicine to replenish his qi and blood.

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"Stop crying, my little darlings, there will be food soon!" Yin Dong'er was covered in sweat, her messy hair sticking to her cheeks.

She wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve and added a spoonful of millet and a spoonful of water to the large pot of tofu soup.

“…Dong’er.” A familiar voice called out from behind.

Yin Dong'er thought she was probably hallucinating from being too busy, because she actually heard Xiao Jianseng's voice.

But this time the voice was clearer, and it was tinged with a sob: "Dong'er."

Yin Dong'er paused for a moment, then turned around and saw You Mingjiang and Xiao Jianseng standing at the entrance of the stone cave.

She subconsciously ignored the smiling You Mingjiang, her eyes only fixed on Xiao Jianseng.

He was as heroic as ever, but he had lost a lot of weight, and his armor was stained with blood.

“Xiao Jianseng…” Yin Dong’er’s eyes gradually reddened. She put down her spoon in a daze and took a step forward. “Am I dreaming?”

Xiao Jianseng stood there, tears welling in his eyes, choked with sobs, unable to speak.

Seeing this, You Mingjiang secretly nudged Xiao Jianseng and teased, "I've returned the jade intact, so don't just stand there like wooden blocks... Tsk, what are you standing there for? Go over there!"

Yin Dong'er reacted even faster than Xiao Jianseng.

She flew over like a joyful little bird, rushing into Xiao Jianseng's outstretched arms. Xiao Jianseng caught her steadily and embraced her tightly!

"Wow--"

The children stared wide-eyed, forgetting all about crying, and clapped their little hands in a silly manner.

Rong Sao walked up to You Mingjiang at some point and sighed softly, "Lovers eventually get married. No matter how many times you see this kind of story, it always makes you feel happy."

You Mingjiang clapped her hands vigorously and said sincerely:

"It's wonderful that we are also a part of this happy story."

.

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Author's Note: [Lucky Lotus] This story is set in a fictional world, and there are many Song and Ming Dynasty settings involved. Actually, the squad leader is one thing, and the ten generals are another; combining the two can be understood as a "squad leader of armored soldiers." [Laughing and crying with facepalm]