Chapter 103 It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake the Yue Family Army!
The truth is always cruel, making it hard to face.
After listening to Zheng He's account, Du Fu's fingers trembled slightly, and he seemed unsteady on his feet. He remained silent for a long time before slowly straightening up, his knuckles turning white from the effort.
“Brother Taibai… how could this be?” His voice was so low it was almost inaudible, as if it were being squeezed out of his chest.
Zheng He sighed and nodded, saying, "After the Yongwang Eastern Tour incident, he was exiled to Yelang. Although he was pardoned and returned, he lived a life of wandering and hardship in his later years and eventually died of illness in Dangtu."
Fate shows no mercy to anyone.
Du Fu's brows furrowed deeply, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to deepen. He gazed into the distance, his gaze seemingly piercing through time and space, landing on some distant place.
“A man like him… should have laughed heartily and gone out the door, how could he…” His voice choked slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and then he fell silent again.
"And what about me?"
Zheng He looked reluctant, but continued speaking.
After hearing Zheng He recount his own fate, Du Fu was first stunned, then he chuckled softly. The laughter carried a touch of melancholy, evoking sadness in those who heard it.
"Died alone on a boat due to illness..." he murmured, repeating these four words. "Was this my original fate?"
Zheng He felt a pang of pity and said softly, "Lord Du was indeed in dire straits in his later years, but your poems will be passed down through the ages..."
Du Fu waved his hand, interrupting him. His gaze fell on the drifting clouds in the sky, his voice eerily calm: "In my life, I've witnessed the collapse of prosperous times, seen fields strewn with corpses of the starving. All I ever wanted was three meals a day, but I never imagined even my wife and children..."
That's just how fate is; the more you try to hold onto something, the more it slips away.
Zheng He didn't reply, but simply waited quietly. He knew that some pain needed time to heal.
When Jiang Ge saw Du Fu again, he felt that Du Fu had more wrinkles than he had that morning, even though it had only been a few hours since they last met. Why did he look so exhausted upon their reunion?
She glanced at Wei Zhongxian, and although she didn't ask any questions, the meaning in her eyes was very clear: what exactly is going on?
Wei Zhongxian raised his head, pointed to his mouth, and then closed it again.
Django understood.
Presumably, Du Fu inquired with Zheng He about the predetermined fate. History records only a few strokes, yet they vividly depict the tragic end of a great poet—dying alone on a boat, dying in poverty. Such an end should not have belonged to this poet saint.
“Lord Du,” Jiang Ge stepped forward, his voice gentle yet firm, “those records are nothing but fleeting memories. Now that we have met in Songyang County, the road ahead will surely be different.”
The original course of history is quietly changing.
But Du Fu said softly, "Brother Li Bai shouldn't have done this, and neither should I." His gaze passed through Jiang Ge, looking towards a distant place, "But this is our Great Tang Dynasty..."
Django suddenly realized that any words he could say at this moment would be meaningless.
This poet, who experienced the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, witnessed the An Lushan Rebellion, and spent half his life wandering in turbulent times, needed not comfort, but time.
Jiang Ge quietly slipped out, leaving Du Fu with some time alone.
Just as Jiang Ge reached the corner of the corridor, Wei Zhongxian crept up to him furtively. He looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Magistrate Jiang, may I speak to you in private?"
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ge frowned.
Songyang County has been relatively peaceful lately. Although Jiang Yuanshan is sure to cause trouble after he leaves, things are indeed calm for now. She couldn't imagine what might have happened, as she had been busy dealing with the refugees recently.
Once the two reached a secluded spot, Wei Zhongxian whispered, "My spies have reported that the emperor of this world has dispatched two thousand elite soldiers, along with personnel from the Ministry of Justice, who are heading towards Songyang County."
Since the last incident, Wei Zhongxian has developed a large number of spies. He knows about the slightest movement. After all, he failed to seize the initiative last time, and he must do it this time.
Django's eyes narrowed: "Two thousand elite soldiers?"
This is no small number, and elite soldiers and bandits are two completely different concepts. In terms of combat power, the danger this time is far greater than last time.
Wei Zhongxian secretly observed Jiang Ge's expression and cautiously said, "I heard... he also carried an imperial edict."
Jiang Ge was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "Then what do you suggest we do?" Since Wei Zhongxian knows about this and is acting this way, he must have a solution.
"Of course, it's most appropriate to hand him over to our Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard!" Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian immediately perked up, his hunched back straightening up slightly, his narrow eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "No matter how high his martial arts skills are, he can't withstand a volley of musket fire."
"Oh?" Jiang Ge raised an eyebrow with interest. "How many men does Eunuch Wei plan to bring?"
Wei Zhongxian stroked his sparse beard and pondered for a moment, then slowly extended his withered hand and made a gesture: "In my opinion... it should be at least this amount."
"Five hundred?" A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Ge's eyes. "Five hundred Imperial Guards is no small number."
Moreover, judging from Wei Zhongxian's intention, this operation must be carried out entirely by the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard; he's leaving no one else a drop of soup.
If those guys found out, they would definitely skin Wei Zhongxian alive.
Seeing that Jiang Ge remained silent, Wei Zhongxian's old face wrinkled even more, resembling a dried orange peel. He sighed deeply, his voice trembling with emotion: "The Ming Dynasty is now in turmoil. Although I am a useless old man, I must still do my best for the country. Magistrate Jiang, think of all the common people in this world..."
As he spoke, he even raised his sleeve to wipe the corner of his eye, looking exactly like a loyal old minister who was concerned about the country and its people.
“If the day of dynastic change really comes, it will be the innocent people who suffer.” Wei Zhongxian shook his head, his tone so sorrowful that it sounded like a bodhisattva appearing in a temple.
This is moral blackmail.
Jiang Ge gave Wei Zhongxian a meaningful look and said, "No need, I have my own choice."
——
Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, Bai Qi, Huo Qubing, Yuchi Jingde, Qin Shubao, Zheng He, Hei Fu, and even Wei Shun, who was guarding the prison, and the heartbroken Du Fu were all captured.
Everyone gathered together, but Wei Zhongxian was not invited.
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, his brows furrowed with seriousness: "Just now, a scout reported that the imperial court has dispatched two thousand elite troops to capture Magistrate Jiang, and the commander of the troops is none other than the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."
Two thousand elite soldiers is quite a large force, and they made quite a commotion along the way.
"Two thousand?" Zhou Yu sneered, tapping the table lightly with his fingertips. "What a grand display. It seems the emperor is determined to kill Magistrate Jiang."
Huo Qubing slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his eyes filled with fierce fighting spirit: "What's there to be afraid of? I'll kill one if one comes, and I'll cut down a whole group if a group comes!" His young face flushed red from the action, and the sword at his waist seemed to sense its master's intention, emitting a clear, ringing sound.
He certainly had the right to say that; no matter how elite the troops were, they could not possibly match Huo Qubing.
but.
Zhuge Liang paused with his feather fan, and said in a deep voice, "General Huo is brave and fearless. But the other side holds an imperial edict. If Magistrate Jiang openly defies the edict, he will be making an enemy of the entire court. At that time, hundreds of thousands of troops will be pressing in. Even if you are made of iron, how many nails can you drive?"
Huo Qubing paused upon hearing this. Although he was a fearless young general, he understood that individual martial prowess had its limits. What frustrated him even more was that, as Zhuge Liang had said, even in the Han Dynasty, the deployment of troops was not solely his decision.
Even when fighting the Xiongnu, the court officials would still complain, let alone this was not the Han Dynasty.
In a corner, Du Fu sighed deeply: "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie. A good official like Magistrate Jiang, on the contrary..." Before he could finish speaking, the poet saint, who was deeply concerned about his country and its people, already had tears in his eyes.
I don't know if it's because I'm feeling sad or because I'm expressing my feelings through someone else.
Bai Qi stroked the hilt of his sword and said in a sinister tone, "If you ask me, why don't I lead the Qin army..." He made a throat-slitting gesture, his eyes revealing murderous intent.
They were intercepted halfway through, that's a special case.
It's done without anyone noticing, and it's both clean and fast.
"No!" Zheng He hurriedly dissuaded him, "I don't know that Magistrate Jiang's actions will only confirm the charge of treason. Besides..." He looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky, "Judging by the time, the imperial envoy's team will arrive no later than noon tomorrow."
"How about we let Magistrate Jiang escape first?" Hei Fu scratched his head. If we can't afford to offend him, can't we at least avoid him?
"Escape?" Zhou Yu smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes. "All land under heaven belongs to the king. Besides..." He glanced meaningfully at the figures of the common people faintly visible outside the hall, "If Magistrate Jiang leaves, how will these people cope?"
These common people can't escape. If the imperial envoy comes and doesn't see Magistrate Jiang, and instead takes his anger out on the people, it would be an undeserved disaster for them.
Everyone gathered together, but dared not make a decision easily, mainly because no one knew what Magistrate Jiang meant.
Zhuge Liang slowly closed his feather fan and tapped it lightly in his palm: "Gentlemen, things have come to this..." He looked around at everyone, his eyes blazing, "Why not—rebel?"
"The rewards for the battles are definitely more than a month's wages."
The monthly wage is only a few hundred yuan. After the last great battle, Zhuge Liang realized that if he wanted to get more money and things, he had to make a huge contribution. This time is an opportunity.
"It should have been done long ago!" Huo Qubing drew his sword with a clang, the cold light illuminating his young and sharp eyes. "Now we can tell Magistrate Jiang that the men of Han are willing to be the vanguard, and after killing these two thousand elite soldiers, we will march straight to the capital!"
Dream on. Nobody's a fool.
Bai Qi chuckled, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists: "My three thousand Qin warriors can fight these two thousand elite soldiers in just a few hours."
As Huo Qubing and Bai Qi locked eyes, a flicker of fire seemed to ignite between them. After all, every battle involved money, and who would be willing to give up?
Zhou Yu pointed with his long, slender fingers and said with a smile, "Don't forget us Jiangdong men, we are ready to be called upon at any time."
Three people were vying for just those two thousand elite soldiers, and it's unlikely that any of the others who remained silent would give way. Yuchi Jingde, usually so impulsive, didn't utter a word, simply standing aside with Qin Shubao listening.
However, none of the people present dared to underestimate the two of them.
After all, everyone had seen clearly what happened in their dynasty last time; there were probably very few dynasties where even the emperor was an unparalleled general.
In the midst of the scramble, no one noticed Kui Shun in the corner. He was so ordinary, neither a general nor a soldier, neither a prime minister nor a man of great talent.
No one considers him a rival.
Kui Shun quietly squeezed two more steps into the corner. He desperately wanted everyone to stop arguing, as he knew who the army coming this time was.
It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake Yue Family Army!
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Author's Note: [Starry eyes][Starry eyes][Starry eyes] Please add my new story to your favorites, thank you! [Crying][Crying]
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