Nomadic or hunting peoples like to drink large bowls of wine and eat large pieces of meat.
With low productivity, they would organize large-scale burning, killing and looting. Thus, our Great Jin Dynasty was born.
From the day the Jin Dynasty was born, their career of robbery was destined.
You have to admire these fierce Jurchens. Their fighting ability is amazing, and in their eyes, foreigners are no different from prey in the mountains and forests.
After Wanyan Aguda founded the Jin Dynasty, many famous generals emerged, including Wanyan Loushi, Wanyan Zonghan, Zongwang, Zongbi, etc., all of whom were extremely capable fighters.
At this moment, Wanyan Gao was hosting a banquet in the Jin camp. Wanyan Ang and Maji were seated at the lower table, while Bai Wanli was sitting at the second table.
Wanyan Gao raised his glass and said, "General Bai, congratulations on your decision to turn from evil to good. I have reported this to the Emperor, and I have appointed you Shangshu Youcheng (Right Chancellor), and promoted you to General Pingnan (General of the Southern Front), and Vice Prime Minister."
Bai Wanli was flattered: "Thank you for your support, Marshal. I will be loyal to you! I offer you a toast!"
Wanyan Gao raised the cup to his lips but did not drink. He looked at Bai Wanli and said, "General Bai, the position of Shangshu Youcheng is a prestigious official position with great power. General Maji and General Ang were not able to hold such an important position. You, General Bai, have a bright future ahead of you."
Bai Wanli chuckled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Marshal. I'm really unworthy of it."
"However," Wanyan Gao changed the subject, "General Bai has been promoted to Deputy Prime Minister at such a young age. Isn't this promotion a bit too easy?"
Bai Wanli was stunned: "I don't know what the Marshal means by this."
Wanyan Gao smiled and said, "My Lord holds General Bai in high esteem, but General Bai has accomplished nothing since his arrival in the Jin Dynasty. Even if Your Majesty and I were to insist that General Bai assume the position of Vice Prime Minister, the other ministers might not accept it."
"That's right!" Wanyan Ang slammed the table and stood up. "As your Majesty's subordinate, I, Wanyan Ang, have risked my life and death following the Marshal, yet I still haven't been able to become Vice Prime Minister. If General Bai becomes the Right Prime Minister, I will be the first to disobey!"
Maji also stood up and glared: "I don't accept it either!"
Bai Wanli was startled and dared not say anything.
Wanyan Gao smiled and said, "Look, General Bai. If you don't make great contributions to the Great Jin, even if you become the Right Prime Minister, they won't accept you."
Bai Wanli stood up and bowed: "I am willing to serve the Marshal!"
"Excellent!" Wanyan Gao clapped his hands. "General Bai, what you said is very true. General Bai serves as the deputy commander of Cangzhou in the Zhong family army. He should be well aware of the Zhong family army's tactics and deployments. As the saying goes, before the troops move, the food and fodder must go first. If General Bai leads our Great Jin cavalry to burn the Zhong family army's food and fodder, General Bai will have performed a great service for our Great Jin. When the time comes, I will ask His Majesty to confer upon General Bai the title of Shangshu Youcheng. Who in the court would be dissatisfied?"
Wanyan Gao winked at Wanyan Ang, who understood. He then slammed the table and declared, "Alright! As long as General Bai can lead us in burning the Zhong family army's food supplies, I'll be the first to support him!"
Maji glared and said, "That's what I meant!"
…
The next day, the yamen runners again only interrogated Shi Dunzhu, but this time they were very polite to him. They no longer pushed or scolded him, but respectfully escorted him out of the prison.
Zhuo Tuo Tangren hid in the corner and watched all this coldly. He stopped shouting and asked Shi Dunzhu to be punished. Shi Dunzhu was furious and glared at Zhuo Tuo Tangren fiercely.
This interrogation took a long time, and Zhuo Tuo Tangren waited for a long time before Shi Dunzhu returned. This time, Shi Dunzhu changed into clean prison clothes, and the yamen runners were doubly polite to him.
The two yamen runners locked Shi Dunzhu in another room across the street. This room was clean and tidy. It had been carefully cleaned several times, and even the quilt on the kang was new.
Shi Dunzhu had a cold face and looked nonchalant. He lay down on the kang and stretched comfortably.
Zhuotuo Tangren became even more suspicious and deliberately let out a loud "Hmph!"
Shi Dunzhu was furious and jumped up from the kang: "Hmph! I didn't say a word during the interrogation!"
Zhuo Tuo Tangren said nothing, rolling his eyes and looking at his cell. The meaning was obvious, you didn't say anything, but they treated you so well?
Shi Dunzhu guessed what he was thinking and kicked the quilt off the kang in anger, then fell straight down and stopped talking. But his breathing was rapid and his chest was heaving, obviously he was very angry.
Soon the yamen runners brought in food, including wine and meat. Shi Dunzhu smelled the aroma of wine and jumped up from the kang, grabbed a chicken leg and started chewing it, then picked up the wine pot and drank.
In comparison, the Zhuo Tuo Tangren in the other room was much more miserable. In front of him were two cold steamed buns and nothing else.
Zhuo Tuo Tangren watched Shi Dunzhu feasting in the cell opposite him and couldn't help swallowing his saliva.
Shi Dunzhu looked at the Zhuotuo Tangren across from him, deliberately smacking his lips and sipping the wine in the wine pot. The Zhuotuo Tangren swallowed his saliva even harder.
Shi Dunzhu ate loudly on purpose. When he was done, he pushed his plate aside. A yamen runner had already arrived to clear the mess. Shi Dunzhu picked up his quilt, jumped onto the kang, and turned his head inward, ignoring Zhuo Tuo Tangren.
Zhuo Tuo Tangren looked across at the other side while gnawing on his dry steamed bread. After a while, two more yamen runners came, this time heading for Zhuo Tuo Tangren's cell.
"You, bring him in for interrogation!" The bailiff opened Zhuo Tuo Tangren's cell and brought him out.
Shi Dunzhu, who had been lying down, suddenly threw off his quilt and jumped down. He silently looked at the Zhuo Tuo Tangren who was being brought out for interrogation. The Zhuo Tuo Tangren also looked at him, and the two did not exchange words.
At dinner time, Zhuo Tuo Tangren was brought back for questioning. He only had a few more whip marks on his body, but compared to the torture Shi Dunzhu had endured, these superficial injuries were nothing.
As the yamen runner threw Zhuo Tuo Tangren into the cell, he said, "Master Zhan is very satisfied this time. As long as you cooperate, you will not be tortured tomorrow."
Zhuo Tuo Tangren was furious: "I didn't say anything! Don't even think about getting a word out of me!"
Shi Dunzhu also looked at the Zhuotuo Tangren across from him with suspicion. The Zhuotuo Tangren looked at Shi Dunzhu and said, "I didn't say anything about their counter-espionage plan!"
Shi Dunzhu snorted, "Hmph!" and thought to himself, you fucking know it's a counter-espionage plot and yet you still suspect me.
The yamen runner no longer paid any attention to Zhuo Tuo Tangren. Instead, he turned around and brought Shi Dunzhu back from the opposite side for questioning. Shi Dunzhu followed him out without saying a word.
When we arrived at the interrogation room, Zhan Yunpeng and Fang Ru were there.
The two sat at a table in the corner. Various torture instruments hung on the wall. The bloodstains on the worn table had already turned black. It was best not to think about what had happened on it.
Shi Dunzhu looked at the two of them coldly: "Don't waste your time!"
Zhan Yunpeng smiled and said, "We didn't call you here today to interrogate you. Zhuo Tuo Tangren confessed everything."
Shi Dunzhu was shocked. How did they know the name? Did the Zhuotuo Tang people really confess everything?
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