Chongzhen Undergraduates

Chapter 45: Along the Ancient Road Outside the Changting Pavilion

"If you don't tell me, how will I know whether you are a good person or a bad person?" Zhu Youjian looked away and stared into Yang Jing's eyes.

"Why do you say we are bad people?" Su Yi was furious, with an aggrieved expression on her face.

"You assassinated officials ordered by the imperial court. This is a crime of decapitation. There is no reason, why can't I consider you to be bad people?"

"He should be killed!" Yang Jing gritted her teeth and finally couldn't hold back anymore.After all, she is just a 20-year-old girl, how can she bear the grievance in her heart.

"Three years ago, our elder brother went to play near Liu Zeqing's old house, and he beheaded him indiscriminately just because he said that he saw an embroidered shoe at the door of his house. Thirteen scholars, all He is so young. Should he be beheaded just because of one sentence?" Yang Jing choked up.

Zhu Youjian suddenly remembered a record about Liu Zeqing in the history books. It seems that there was such a thing. At that time, a dozen scholars laughed and satirized the embroidered shoes. Afterwards, Liu Zeqing killed all these scholars. .What I didn't expect was that these two girls were actually involved in this matter.

"That's the evidence left by Liu Zeqing's nephew who robbed the civilian girl, and our brothers didn't talk nonsense. It's just for nothing..." Su Yi was already crying so hard.

"Hateful Liu Zeqing, who covered the sky with one hand in Shandong. We had nowhere to appeal. In the end, even our parents were killed by Liu Zeqing. Only the two of us escaped. Two helpless little girls, apart from joining Maitreya, how do you want us to live?" Yang Jing Lihua burst into tears with the rain.

"Tell me about Liu Zeqing's situation."

After chatting all morning, Zhu Youjian basically had a grasp of the situation of Liu Zeqing's troops.Liu Zeqing's army is mainly composed of ruffians, bums, gangsters and the like.He made his fortune in Linqing, took advantage of the canal, and along the canal he gathered local hooligans, gangs on water transport, and stragglers who fled from various places.

Some people lead troops, and the more they fight, the stronger they become.This is because in the constant battles, the cowardly and fearful people either died or ran away, leaving some brave ones in the end.

Some people lead troops, and the more they fight, the weaker they become. The situation is just the opposite. This kind of troops is not well organized, and it is easy to consume soldiers who are not afraid of death. In the end, only some weak combatants are left.

But Liu Zeqing was neither. His troops ran away when they saw the enemy, and robbed the people when they saw them.Not to mention whether there is combat effectiveness, the ability to harm places is absolutely first-rate.To put it bluntly, this army is an underworld soldier.No other general would want such a soldier. No wonder that after the four Jiangbei towns surrendered to the Jin soldiers, the other towns had famous generals.Only Liu Zeqing's subordinates are not qualified to be slaves.

Zhu Youjian looked at the map, and he suddenly understood why Liu Zeqing went to Huai'an to enjoy the blessings, because there was Yancheng there.Liu Zeqing was heading for the saltworks. This man is a cancer, and his army is a piece of trash.

"Let's make a deal?" Zhu Youjian stared at Yang Jing and said, "I'll kill Liu Zeqing. If you kill Liu Zeqing, you and Maitreya Sect will make a clean break."

"Why? Why do you control us?" Su Yi quit. This kind of request is obviously interfering in other people's private affairs, which is unreasonable. What kind of deal is this?

"I think you guys know more about Maitreya Sect than I do. You can compare Maitreya Sect and Liu Zeqing, who is better?"

"Our Maitreya Sect will act on behalf of the heavens." Su Yi was not convinced.

"Draw a blood talisman when someone kills someone?" Zhu Youjian looked contemptuous: "If you don't agree, I won't help with Liu Zeqing's affairs, and you can leave now."

"Can you really kill Liu Zeqing?" Yang Jing looked suspiciously, knowing that her group had assassinated Liu Zeqing many times, but they had never succeeded, and sacrificed a lot of people in vain.

"You can't kill Liu Zeqing, you can kill me later." Zhu Youjian looked at the two little girls with a smile.

"Okay, it's a deal!" Yang Jing nodded, anyway, her goal was to avenge her family, and she joined the Maitreya Sect simply because the Maitreya Sect had a relationship with Liu Zeqing.The so-called masters are not relatives after all, and most of the Maitreya teachings are masters.

After seeing off the two little girls, Chen Yuanyuan smiled and asked, "Isn't it fun to fool the two little girls?"

"It's all seen by you. I'm helping them, lest they go astray."

"Oh? Then why are you still staring at someone's chest?"

"Injustice! I didn't want to watch it, they hooked me up to watch it, and you saw it too, so I'm not even interested."

"Really? Then what do you see?"

"Huh? Kind of spectacular. You first, she second."

"rogue!"

......

The Prince's chariot and horses have been prepared and will leave tomorrow.

Wang Chengen is making final preparations, and he needs to confirm with Zhu Youjian about some things.

"When you go south this time, helping the prince to stabilize the court is the first priority; the second is to settle the three hundred young craftsmen; the third is to find all the people I want, even if they are arrested, they must first be arrested in Nanjing. Go, send me a letter when the person arrives, I have arrangements; the fourth is to set up factory guards, and the last thing is to put the money into the internal treasury. Do you understand?" Zhu Youjian continued to babble.

"Long live, are those people on the list really that important?" Wang Chengen didn't understand how Zhu Youjian, who had never been out of the capital, knew about these people.

"Let me tell you this, those craftsmen are the greatest guards of honor of our clan; those on the list are my hope for the restoration of the Ming Dynasty; and the 6000 million taels of silver are the capital of our work. Of these three, which one do you think is the lightest? ?”

"It's not light. The old slave feels that none of the three things that Long Live Lord did is light, and I can't afford to lose one of them." Wang Chengen said with a smile: "The old slave should start with the simple things first! I think Long Live Lord is also worried that the money will fly, and he can't sleep all day long."

"Poor mouth. Don't you worry about money? It always feels unsafe to put it in the north. It's better to send it to Nanjing as soon as possible."

Wang Chengen watched the prince coming from a distance, tugged at the corner of Zhu Youjian's clothes, and pouted.

"Father, I don't want to leave you." The prince cried and knelt in front of Zhu Youjian.

"The prince has grown up, and my father needs you to help me with some things. Would you like to?"

"For the sake of Daming, Father, I am willing." Zhu Youjian waited for the prince to finish speaking, and then began to ramble.

Zhu Youjian was busy all afternoon, telling the prince all kinds of matters that need attention.When the son wants to travel far, the father is naturally worried. Although Zhu Youjian has no experience as a father, the Chongzhen in his head still retains a strong fatherly love.

Wang Chengen stood aside with red eyes.This is the first time for him to go far away from Zhu Youjian's side.Although I knew in my heart that Zhu Youjian's arrangement was the most correct, I was still reluctant to let go.

"Okay, my father will send you a song. When you think of my father, just sing it. I will look far away in Beidi." After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, he took out a pan flute from his arms and pointed it at Lips blow.

"Outside the long pavilion, by the side of the ancient road, the green grass stretches to the sky; the evening wind blows the sound of the willows and flutes, and the sound of the sunset and the mountains beyond the mountains. The best friends are half scattered in the corners of the sky and the earth, and a pot of turbid wine is full of joy. Farewell to the cold dreams tonight!"

"It's so nice." Chen Yuanyuan, who was standing far away, leaned against the door frame, said softly with wet eyes.

"Miss, why did the brigade commander suddenly know how to write lyrics? This poem seems to be much better than those written by those literati in Jiangnan." Xiaoyu was also addicted to singing.

Hearing what Xiaoyu said, Chen Yuanyuan recalled the past.I have never seen Zhu Youjian write poems and lyrics before, I didn't expect this guy to have such a great talent, I really underestimated him.

In the distance, following Zhu Youjian's singing, the prince slowly memorized each sentence in his heart.Zhu Youjian stroked the prince's hair caressingly, and sang a chorus with the prince lightly.

"Father, what's the name of this song?"

"This song is called farewell, and it's for close friends." Zhu Youjian looked at Wang Chengen and said.Wang Chengen couldn't bear it for a moment, turned around quietly, and wiped away the falling tears with his sleeve.

......

In Kaifeng, a group of people are also leaving.

The somewhat desolate Central Plains has lost its former vitality.Kaifeng City, which has gone through many wars, has been dilapidated.Some city walls have already collapsed, and the towering city gates and buildings in the past have been burned to blackness by the fire. Even the city gate of Kaifeng City has only one gate left.

There are not many people left in Kaifeng City, and the few people who occasionally show up to watch the excitement are also dull-eyed and patched.Most of the fields outside the city were abandoned, and the weeds in the field grew taller than a person. There was only one area where sparrows were flying in groups.

"Hey! This Kaifeng is destined to be unstoppable. Only Jiangnan has hope." Li Yan sighed when he saw the scene in front of him.

"Husband, you have really made up your mind and don't regret it anymore?" A heroic woman in her 20s in a red dress glanced at Kaifeng City behind her and said to Li Yan who was riding a horse.

"I won't miss you this time. Believe in your husband!" Li Yan bowed to Kaifeng, reluctant to part.

"Then you don't have to bring all your wealth with you? I should stay in Henan. If something happens, there is room for my friend to maneuver. Don't forget, he is the emperor, and we were his sworn enemies before." Li Yan His wife Hong Niangzi was a little worried.