Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 526: Taking a hot potato

President Zhao’s residence was extremely quiet!

The moon is bright and clear,

A hurried figure ran over from far and near. After a closer look, the person who came was President Zhao's confidant, Manager Zhao, with a panic look on his face.

Being scolded by President Zhao, I felt a little aggrieved.

"Master, please don't rush to scold me. I have something serious to tell you."

"What's the matter, tell me quickly,"

Zhao Yucheng was a little impatient. After a busy day, there was no good time. With so many gentry here, they still needed some face.

"Sir, a secret message came from the government office just now, saying that General Qin has obtained the key to the warehouse and is going to check it tomorrow, especially the number of acres of military land in the government, so as to collect the taxes owed by you masters over the years. The magistrate also agreed, so the matter will be left to General Qin to handle with full authority, and the matter of the government troops pretending to receive military pay will also be investigated and dealt with."

"what!"

"How could this be?"

"President, what can we do? It's over!"

The powerful squires in the hall were as anxious as if their mothers were dead. Not to mention taxes, even the empty pay of the soldiers in the imperial court was eaten up a lot. More taxes, no matter how little, and now the land and village have been looted by the rioters. If they continue to demand taxes, they will have little inventory left.

Looking at the panicked people, Zhao Yucheng and Cui Xuanli looked at each other and saw the solemn look in each other's eyes. The president shouted,

"Why are you panicking? It's not tomorrow yet. We still have a whole night until tomorrow."

"That's right, even if we don't have the account books tomorrow, how can we check the accounts? Do you think that's right?"

Vice President Cui Xuanli also had a sneer on his face, which made everyone sitting there feel uncomfortable. Some of the bolder people asked,

"May I ask the two presidents, what should we do?"

The sinister look on Zhao Yucheng's face flashed away,

"Since they are unkind, don't blame us for being unjust. Tonight, let our people burn down the treasury, and let the person in charge of the warehouse go with them. The fire will burn them all, and no witnesses will be left." Physical evidence, let’s see what happens to Qin Yunjiang.”

"This"

"hiss"

Everyone took a breath of air. If the treasury was burned tonight, the prefect and the others might not dare to speak freely, but since they were determined to kill him, what if General Qin didn't accept this trick.

But when they thought about having to pay taxes tomorrow, everyone was obviously unwilling to do so, and they all nodded.

"Okay, that's it. Come on, come on, those martial arts masters you have gathered to recruit, you have something to do for them tonight, gold and silver rewards, give them first, I will naturally not be stingy."

"Yes, sir."

Seeing that the president had finished handling the matter, everyone consciously took out the banknotes and placed them on their seats. Then, in order to avoid attracting the attention of the officials, they each found a side door and left the Zhao Mansion.

In a dilapidated house, a group of men in black had been waiting here for a long time. They were holding knives, guns, and carrying kerosene and other flammable objects on their backs. With the help of internal agents, they arrived at the government warehouse without any hindrance. There were no guards around, and there was no one around.

This group of people covered their faces, leaving two people on guard. The rest of them held straws, firewood and other flammable objects, leaned against the wall, then poured tung oil on them, blew on the fire sticks, and threw them directly over, while in the concierge , someone had already kicked open the door and rushed in.

"Ah, who are you? This is an important government office. How brave you are."

"Haha, what about the government office? We haven't come in yet. I think you are the person in charge of the warehouse. It's also your fault for your bad luck. You got into trouble. Have a good trip."

After the man in black finished speaking, he slashed the knife without waiting for the man to defend himself. The man in charge twitched and then became silent. He then put his hand close to the tip of his nose, confirmed that the man was dead, and then waved his hand.

"Pull him over there and burn him together."

"yes, Sir."

The men under him were neat and tidy, and they also set fire to the concierge directly to prevent him from leaving any backup. Seeing the raging fire at this time, they could not save him. The leading black man said,

"Brothers, retreat and go back to collect the money."

"yes, Sir."

By the light of the fire, a group of people found their way and fled quickly. Only the warehouse behind them was burning with fire, and the flames reached into the sky.

"Dang, dang, dang, it's gone, it's gone!"

I don't know how long it took before the watchman shouted, but when the government officials came in a hurry, the warehouse area had long been burned out and turned into a piece of white ground.

A servant had already circulated the news.

The prefect’s Yamen,

With a livid face, Magistrate Li looked at the Yamen servant kneeling in the hall and cursed,

"Trash, a bunch of trash, you can't even take care of the treasury. What use are you? Where are the people guarding the treasury?"

"Go back, go back, sir, the brothers guarding the warehouse are all dead, not a single one is left!"

The government servant, who was kneeling on the ground, was trembling as he replied, with a pale face that made him very frightened at first sight.

Magistrate Li felt like he was being strangled by the neck. He held it for a long time without saying a word. The fellow magistrate Lu Ren and the general judge Yang Luo beside him even trembled at the corners of their mouths but did not make a sound. They all knew that it was What those powerful country gentry did was to kill people and silence them, leaving General Qin with no evidence and no way to investigate.

But once the treasury was burned, the last supplies were also burned. It was up to them to defend the city. How could they defend the city like this? It would be dangerous, but the people in the government office alone could not scare the powerful gentry at all.

"Master Lu, Master Yang, what can you do now?"

"Lord Li, it's better to prepare early. I'm afraid this city can't be defended. There is no food and money. How can we defend the city? There are still 30,000 people in the city anyway. Those gentry are forcing General Qin."

Lu Ren had a wry smile on his face. He thought he could hold on for a few more days, but from the looks of it, one day was unnecessary.

"My lord, immediately gather our own people and prepare the carriages and horses. In addition, let someone quickly notify General Qin to make preparations early. The treasury will be burned and there will not be much food left."

"Yes, Mr. Li, if we can't defend the city, we won't defend it. We still have to leave a way to survive. If it falls into the hands of the Taiping Sect, we won't even be able to save a whole body."

Tongpan Yang Luo knew that this matter could not be done, so he could only consider the escape route. He must follow General Qin, otherwise he would not be able to escape.

"You two, get ready immediately. Take a look at the house and prepare everything that can be used. I will go to General Qin's house in person to discuss this matter, so hurry up."

"Yes, my lord."

After saying that, Li Cheng got on the carriage and went to the outer city with his confidants.

outer city,

General Qin’s residence,

Lan Xiao and his soldiers gathered around here, while inside the room a military medical officer was kneeling on the ground, crying bitterly.

"General, it's a plague that cannot be controlled at all, especially the young and strong recruits who don't have enough food and clothing and are weak. This is the source of the disease. There are not many herbal medicines in the city. The soldiers in the old camp under the general's command were basically treated. It’s almost used up, so there is no cure for Xiaguan.”

Qin Yunjiang had a gloomy look on his face. There was no way to save him, it just couldn't be saved. These people were just waiting to die.

"Lan Xiao, how many people are there in these battalions with the plague?"

"Back to the general, the old battalions, as well as the various battalions of the government army, are basically not affected. The young and strong people recruited are all in each battalion. Now nearly two thousand people have been infected and locked up in the barracks. Every day, only Some tea and whole grains are enough to satisfy the hunger, but the herbal medicine is limited and cannot cure many people."

Lan Xiao was also helpless. A clever woman could not make a meal without rice. She had already plundered the entire city. All the medicinal herbs in the drugstores had been emptied. Wherever there were extra herbs for treatment, she was just waiting to die. However, the number of people was increasing, and she was afraid that the plague would spread. , it will be over if word spreads.

Qin Yunjiang closed his eyes and was silent for a moment, then opened his eyes and asked,

"Tian Yu, get up and answer the question. Is there no solution at all for this plague? Is there any alternative medicine to treat it?"

Military doctor Tian Yu, who was kneeling on the ground, kowtowed and stood up with a sad look on his face.

"Returning to the general, the only way is to follow the previous prescription which is the safest. You also need to eat a lot of food to nourish it before you can slowly get better."

"That's not right. I have read the prescription you prescribed before. Rhubarb is a medicine for tigers and wolves. I saw that you used a large amount of medicine for the people in the old camp, especially the seriously ill patients. Can you tell me something about this?"

After Qin Yunjiang finished speaking, he stared at the thin military doctor in front of him. Lan Xiao and the guards around him also looked up. After all, this man was the one who curbed the plague in the army, and no one in the city was better than him.

Tian Yu cupped his fists and replied,

"Back to the general, although rhubarb is a powerful medicine, in the face of a dangerous epidemic, only by taking desperate measures can you have a chance to survive. In this world, there are all kinds of medicines, but there is no regret medicine. If you cut it off, you will be cut off. If you miss a glimmer of hope, you will be separated between life and death. "Now, there is a bandit army besieging the city outside. If the general's old battalion cannot get up, the city will definitely not be able to be defended." Then he patted his sleeves again and continued,

"The men and horses in the old camp under the general's command are all strong and strong people. It has no effect to use some side chambers. On the contrary, the treatment effect is very good. After the illness is cured, the body is naturally safe and sound. However, those who are young and strong, the body is weak, and the cold air attacks the body. If the deficiency is not replenished, the treatment will take longer, so there is no other way but to slowly recuperate, which could be as fast as one month or as slow as two months. Those who cannot bear it will definitely die within a few days."

Lan Xiao looked ugly. In this case, the so-called Qingzhuang Camp was completely useless. There were only 20,000 ready-made soldiers available, so how could they escape the encirclement of the bandit army.

"General, according to what the military doctor said, we only have more than 20,000 available troops. We have little chance of breaking through."

"If you continue to cut off, you will be subject to chaos. This is a great thing to say!"

Qin Yunjiang, who was squinting, immediately opened his eyes again and muttered to himself, as if he was telling others, but also to himself. Lin Yue's house can't stay anymore, it depends on tomorrow.

"What do you mean, general?"

Lan Xiao asked, somewhat confused.

"Lan Xiao, assemble the men of the old camp, and then send an order to the brothers in the army to go to the treasury to prepare five days of dry food and drinking water. Have a good night's rest and go out to fight tomorrow."

"This is, General."

Lan Xiao took the order and left, but Tian Yu, the military doctor in the mansion, seemed to have a bad premonition. If he went to battle tomorrow, he would not be able to defend the city.

"The general means to go out of the city to fight the bandit army, but the bandit army is so powerful that it is better to wait for General Gu from Jingnan to arrive before going out to fight."

"That's right, Tian Yu, you are also ready to follow Qin to break out of the encirclement tomorrow. We have to run away. General Gu should be here, but there are experts in the rebel army. General Gu may not be allowed to come to Fucheng. We can only Save yourself, the food and grass in the treasury is only enough for five days, do you think you should wait until the food is gone and then think of a way, or should you think of a way now."

Qin Yunjiang stood up, walked to Tian Yu, and whispered, making up his mind to finish the matter tonight and lead his army north to break out tomorrow. As for those people, the general will settle the accounts for them.

Military doctor Tian Yu didn't know what the general meant, so he followed him silently. Lan Xiao's voice came from outside the door,

"General, the brothers from the old camp have assembled."

"Okay, let's go to the military camp."

Qin Yunjiang flicked his cloak and strode out of the gate. When Tian Yu saw him, he immediately set off to follow him. Five thousand troops came straight towards the military camp.

Not far away, the prefect Li Cheng also arrived in a carriage not far away. When he saw Qin Yunjiang leading his troops away, he was very surprised. What was he doing? He quickly ordered the coachman,

"Quick, keep up,"

"Yes, sir, drive."

There was a sound of a whip being waved, and the carriage started to move again, followed by more than a dozen government servants.

Taking advantage of the night,

Qin Yunjiang led his troops to the Dongcheng military camp. At this time, the camp was filled with young men who had been recruited, and all the soldiers infected with the disease were also locked up here. Seeing no one around, Qin Yunjiang's eyes narrowed, and he made a cruel decision, and ordered,

"Lan Xiao, send troops to surround the military camp,"

"It's the general."

Lan Xiao didn't know what the general meant, but he still waved his hand. The captain and his troops immediately surrounded the military camp.

Seeing this situation, Tian Yu next to him asked,

"General, what do you mean?"

"What do you mean, come here, lock the gate of the camp, pour boiling oil on it, and prepare to light a fire. Anyone who comes out will be killed!"

Qin Yunjiang finally said that the purpose of this was to solve the scourge of the epidemic in an easy and permanent way. He didn't want to do this, but the world forced him to do it.

"General! No, this will harm Tianhe!"

Military doctor Tian Yu's face turned pale. He didn't expect the general to be so decisive, setting fire to the military camp and disregarding the lives of thousands of people.

"ignition!"

A cold voice sounded, and Qin Yunjiang shouted immediately without explaining.

The surrounding soldiers still pointed their torches inside, and the fire immediately ignited fiercely. After a moment, there was a movement in the barracks. The young man infected with the disease slapped the door desperately, but the concierge did not move at all, and the surrounding fire became more and more intense. The louder it gets, the more coughs, calls for help, and curses come in an endless stream.

But the people around him turned a deaf ear and watched helplessly as the fire engulfed everything. Magistrate Li Cheng, who had just followed, looked at the inhumane scene in front of him and his legs trembled unconsciously. How could this happen?

"Master Prefect, it's so late, what are you doing here?"

The thunderous question made Magistrate Li hesitate.

"General Qin, what are you doing? Give it to me. Give it to me."

"Kill them, Mr. Li. I will lead the army to break out tomorrow. Leaving these injured and injured people behind will drag us down. Although it is cruel, I don't know how many people will be alive tomorrow. I can only do this. If you want to Otherwise, everyone will die."

Qin Yunjiang looked at the barracks, where there was almost no sound, and the place engulfed by fire, and said in a deep voice.

Magistrate Li opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't ask any more questions. He turned his head and stopped looking. After waiting for a while, he said,

"General Qin, the treasury was burned to the ground, and almost nothing was left of the account books and food. The government servants and the army accountant who were in charge were also burned to death. It must be those powerful country gentry. What should I do, General Qin?"

"what!"

A cry of surprise,

Qin Yunjiang was so angry that he couldn't bear it anymore. These powerful squires who were inferior to pigs and dogs dared to cut off his own retreat. Since there was no food, breaking out of the encirclement had become a joke. If he wanted to survive, he had to get food. He could only Be cruel.

"Prefect Li, do you know who has the most acres in the city, huh?"

"Well, in Linyue Fucheng, the person with the most acres of land is Chamber of Commerce President Zhao Yucheng, but if you say the person who has the most greed is his brother-in-law, Zhuang Da, he used his status as president to cultivate 300 acres of farmland outside the city. He was blackmailed from a military household in the government."

"Haha, oh, you really treated my brothers in the army like monkeys. Since he is unkind, you can't blame me for being unjust. Come on, go to that village and kidnap his whole family, and then follow I’ll wait until we enter the inner city.”

"Yes, General."

The soldiers around him took the order and left.

Seeing that Magistrate Li didn't know what he meant, Qin Yunjiang didn't explain either.

"Master Li, I would like to trouble you to invite those powerful gentry back. They are still in that place, and we have to handle food and wine, and credit accounts at major restaurants. I will have a good talk with them."

"Well, don't worry, General Qin. I should take a look at this matter. But General Qin, the treasury account books have been burned clean a long time ago. How can we let them pay for money and food again?"

Li Cheng couldn't figure out how he could borrow food, grass and money again after the treasury was burned down just after a banquet.

"Master Li, don't worry, they will definitely borrow it this time."

"In this case, I will leave now. General Qin had better prepare earlier."

Magistrate Li had no choice but to salute Qin Yunjiang, then got into the carriage and returned.

After they left, Lan Xiao came over and asked,

"General, all those account books are gone, and our idea of ​​recovering the owed money is out of the question."

"Yes, it can't be done. There is no evidence to prove it. I know clearly that these powerful and evil gentry have seized acres of land. Those who should be confiscated cannot be confiscated and those who should be killed cannot be killed. I have been serving in the army for more than ten years. Why on earth am I fighting and for whom!"

Qin Yunjiang could no longer hold back his long-suppressed anger and roared. Lan Xiao was also speechless. Yes, for whom, for those corrupt officials, gentry and powerful people, but the matter at hand still needs to be solved.

"General, we still need them for things right now. We still need to raise money and food from them. General, how can you convince those people to lend us food, grass and money?"

Reflecting the light of the fire, Qin Yunjiang silently pulled out the long knife. Looking at the side of the knife, which reflected his cheek, Qin Yunjiang said coldly,

"Why, with the knife in our hand, we can't borrow money, food and grass. If we die, we might as well give it a try."

The cold words sounded, and Lan Xiao's pupils shrank. The general was about to take action, so whatever, those people should have died long ago.

(End of this chapter)