Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 527: I can’t afford to lose even once

As the treasury caught fire and was burned to the ground,

Someone from the Jianghu community had already come back to report it.

The rich people in the city, especially the president and others, laughed in the house after hearing the news.

"President, you don't know that once the treasury burned down, there was no time for rescue, and it was burned to the ground. Not to mention the account books, not even a single rubble was left. It's up to Qin Yunjiang to check."

"Yes, President, without real evidence, we can no longer pay food and money. How can he have the nerve to ask for it?"

"Yep,"

Seeing everyone's excitement, President Zhao Yucheng touched his beard and said,

"Everyone, you can't do too much. If General Qin comes to beg us, guarantee my wealth and life, and then hand over part of the army to my subordinates to lead the army, this is not a must. If it is not possible, but it must be written down. The IOU will still have to be repaid in the future.”

"President, what should General Qin do if he borrows too much food and it takes a long time?"

"Yes, President, what if Qin Yunjiang refuses to take the hard way?"

Someone asked the squire sitting below,

President Zhao Yucheng laughed.

"As the saying goes, if you borrow something, you must repay it. If you borrow something, you don't need to pay interest. Naturally, you need interest, and you can just use the Fucheng Yamen tax as a guarantee."

"President, since we charge interest, we have to give him favors. Drawing one out of ten will also give him face."

Vice President Cui Xuanli's appearance of avoiding the difficulty made everyone laugh.

"As for saying soft and hard, hey, he who knows the current affairs is a hero. If the city is not protected and the city is lost, the court can let him go. I have never heard of Qin Yunjiang's backing. Otherwise, he can still be a guard here. General, if you stay in a place where birds don't poop, you can stay there for more than ten years."

"What the president said is very true. I heard that General Qin has a close personal relationship with General Gu Ping of Jingnan. President, do you think so?"

Zhao Yucheng glanced at the people in the hall with a look of contempt on his face.

"Nothing to fear!"

"Yes, President!"

Only Si Boqing, who was sitting on the threshold, looked a little ugly. These people were acting so unscrupulously, and they were afraid that they would anger Qin Yunjiang. Wouldn't they force him at this time?

It seemed that he had to think of a way out, so he secretly gave his confidant a wink and sneaked out.

Suddenly, the squire who was laughing together was interrupted by the steward outside the door.

"Master, someone came from the prefect's office and asked me to go to the government office to discuss important matters. He also said that the prefect had also notified the squires in the inner city and went with them to the banquet again. He even woken up a few of them. The restaurant chef lights the fire and cooks.”

When everyone in the room heard this, they all looked at the president, Zhao Yucheng, who was sitting in the chair. The old man stroked his beard and looked pleased. Everyone looked over and said with a smile,

"Everyone, look at it. I thought I would go to bed hungry tonight, but I didn't know that the fun is yet to come. You can borrow money and food, and you must have an IOU and government tax guarantee. There is also the government army, which is the most important thing. heavy.

Otherwise, I won't borrow it. Of course, when I go there, I also want to eat and drink well. After a night of tossing and feeling hungry, of course I want to pay homage to the Five Zang Temple, haha. "

"The president is absolutely right,"

"Yes, you are worthy of being the president."

"It's time to show those Qiu Ba. The president still has the final say in Lin Yue Fucheng."

The gentry praised him for a while, making Zhao Yucheng's face glow red. He waved his hand and showed modesty.

"Everyone, let's go there quickly. We can't keep the prefect and General Qin waiting for a long time. Otherwise, it will appear that I am waiting for you, and there will be no rules and regulations."

"Yes, President."

Everyone stood up and bowed, and then walked out of the main room one by one with smiles. A few round members came to the courtyard and said,

"You see, the president is still strategizing and doing great things."

"Yes, you can turn your hands to make clouds and turn your hands to make rain. Brother, I'm a little hungry. Let's go there quickly and eat something to cushion our stomach."

"Yes, let's take a walk."

Almost all the squires and powerful people in the city were here, and then they all came to the government office in carriages. There were also many people who did not have carriages, and they also negotiated with a few people to come together in carriages.

Arriving at the government office,

The lights inside were bright, and of course it was still in the banquet hall. The original tables were not moved at all, but the food and wine were completely new, and a bowl of thick soup was specially served. After all, it was night, the sky was a bit cold, and the prefect and others had not eaten. I couldn't hold it any longer, so I set up a small table and started eating first.

"Sir, how did you talk to General Qin?"

Lu Ren, a colleague sitting next to him, asked anxiously. Li Cheng didn't know whether he was really hungry or was frightened by what happened before. He took a bowl of hot soup and drank it in one go, and then he breathed out.

"I didn't say anything, but don't say anything if you encounter anything tonight, and have a good night's rest. We may break out tomorrow. I will take out the prepared carriages and horses, take the family with me, and follow General Qin Walk."

"What, in such a hurry, shouldn't we wait for news from General Gu?"

The general judge Yang Luo asked in silence, if it was not a good thing, why did he lead his army to break through? Could it be a matter of food?

"What are you waiting for? If you wait any longer, you won't have time. You may not be able to wait until General Gu comes."

"No way, General Gu is going south no matter what he says, how could he not come,"

Lu Ren still looked puzzled. Could it be that the 30,000-strong army came here to have fun? Li Cheng shook his head, denied what they said, lowered his head and leaned over and whispered,

"This matter must not be discussed. General Qin guessed that the main force of the Taiping Religion might have gone to Fallen Leaf Valley to block General Gu, so he took this opportunity to lead the army to fight out, then raided from behind and joined General Gu. As for the city , there are not only five thousand young men, but also some strong men from the gentry, etc., who can gather ten thousand people to defend the city, and the rest will not come back after they are killed."

The two of them were shocked when they heard this. How could this happen? The number of young and strong people was not 10,000. Even if there were losses, there would be at least 8,000. There were 5,000 of those gentry, powerful and strong men guarding the courtyard, but who could mobilize them? There were many questions, and after eating a few mouthfuls, people from outside entered the house one after another. The three of them had no choice but to put down their bowls and chopsticks, stood up from the small table, and greeted them.

"Oh, come and take a look, Lord Magistrate, you guys are just cooking up a small stove and eating it before we come over. This is not the way to treat guests."

Zhao Yucheng walked in with a smile on his face and pointed at the food and wine on the small table as a joke.

Li Cheng's face fell, and he replied helplessly,

"President Zhao, you put it lightly. I have been very busy today and haven't eaten all day. I just sat down and had some food with the two adults to cushion my stomach, and you saw it. I can't explain it. Come on, come on. Sit down, General Qin will be here soon."

As he spoke, the gentry was allowed to enter the house. Everyone was polite, and then hurried in. Although the atmosphere was warm, there were only food and wine, and no dancing girls or singers, which was a bit less fun. But business was important, and everyone was there. Don't say anything, just wait in your seat.

The vice president finally took a seat at the main table and asked,

"My Lord Prefect, I don't know what General Qin means by calling us together again. Please let me know."

The prefect Li Cheng looked a little embarrassed. What should I say about this matter? He had driven people away before and called them in again. When he saw the prefect looked embarrassed, he ordered the judge Yang Luo to come to the rescue.

"Ahem, the prefect also has good intentions. You must have not eaten. You are hosting this banquet anyway. How can I let you go back hungry? Isn't it a disgrace to the prefecture? So the prefect is making up for you. .”

"Yes, that's what it means."

Lu Ren also echoed.

Only President Zhao and Cui Xuanli looked at each other, smiled, and nodded without showing off.

"The prefect still understands the rules. When you come, you are a guest. If you treat a guest to a table, there is no reason to turn the guest away without letting him eat."

"Uh, uh, yes, I failed to entertain you well. President Zhao, when you get to the county town, you have to put in a good word for Mr. Yu."

"That's natural, we are all our own people."

The more everyone talked, the closer they got, and the atmosphere became more lively.

And outside the house,

Qin Yunjiang led Lan Xiao and the 5,000 men from the old camp outside the government office. Then with a wave of his hand, the soldiers behind him began to surround the entire government office.

"Tonight, it's time to end everything. I will take care of everything."

"Why did the general say this? We follow the general voluntarily. Those squires who are worse than pigs and dogs have died long ago. Zhuang Da's family has already come over."

"Okay, today, it's up to them. Let's go in." After saying that, Qin Yunjiang got off his horse, threw away the whip, and walked into the government office with his soldiers and Lan Xiao. , still full of laughter.

The atmosphere was warm, Qin Yunjiang sneered,

"Haha, it's just like coming here to have a feast. It's better to be a full-fledged ghost before leaving."

The voice fell,

He kicked the door open and walked in. The atmosphere in the hall was still lively, but he was startled by the sound of the door being kicked. Suddenly they all looked outside the door and saw Qin Yunjiang, his soldiers and deputy general Lan Xiao heading directly to the main table. He sat down and then sat down on the main seat without giving any face to the others. Vice President Cui Xuanli had an ugly look on his face. President Zhao Yucheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said,

"Haha, it's understandable that General Qin is angry, but things still have to be done. So, let's have a glass of wine first, and then we can talk."

"Yes, yes, General Qin is here, let's have a drink!"

Cui Xuanli stood up, poured a glass of wine from the flask, and handed it to Qin Yunjiang with a smile on his face, but his face was a little unnatural.

Qin Yunjiang touched the wine cup, but did not pick it up. He just fumbled with his hands, and then looked at the room full of gentry and powerful people. Why are they so annoying?

"General, I came here today to give an explanation, not to drink. President Zhao, why was the treasury burned down? The burning was still so complete. Who do you think did it?"

The people in the room, including President Zhao and Cheng, did not expect Qin Yunjiang to ask about this matter so bluntly. Who else could it be? It was naturally the squire present. Could it be that Qin Yunjiang was here to ask questions? His face also darkened.

"What does General Qin mean? The government officials in the government treasury were not strict enough. They took away the water and burned the warehouse. That is not normal. Why do you ask? Is it possible that we should pay for this loss? What is the reason?"

"That's right. If there's a fire in General Qin's house, don't you have to ask us for compensation?"

Cui Xuanli also made a pointed statement, which shocked everyone in the hall. These words made it clear. This,

Qin Yunjiang looked at the sharp-mouthed vice-president in front of him, the threatening words still ringing in his ears, and he laughed angrily in his heart,

"Haha, Chairman Cui said it well. Since you all don't admit it, let's settle the score. The army of Lin Yue Mansion and the fields where the military households are located are now in your hands, let alone those who have taken the name. , I won’t ask for too much, I will refund the taxes and salaries for the past five years, and I will forget about it, how about that?”

As soon as he finished speaking, President Zhao, who was sitting next to him, also laughed.

"Haha, General Qin is drunk before he drinks. What evidence do you have to prove that those fields are in our hands? The treasury has been burned. As for the impostor, where are the account books?"

"I see that you haven't eaten or drunk for a long time! I'm just here, and I still have an account book in my hand. Bring the people up."

Qin Yunjiang took out an account book from his arms and slammed it on the wine table.

"Yes, General."

Lan Xiao waved his hand behind him, and soldiers brought Zhuang Da and his family in tied up. Everyone in the hall turned pale. Isn't this the president's brother-in-law? What's going on?

Zhao Yucheng looked stunned, looked at his brother-in-law in the hall, and asked with an unkind expression,

"What does General Qin mean by arresting people for no reason? Aren't you afraid of getting involved?"

"Then I don't need to worry about it, President. The account book in my hand has a complete record that Zhuang Da invaded the land of the government army and asked his servants to pretend to be soldiers and receive military pay. Every single entry is recorded on it. Here, Mr. Zhao, what do you think we should do?"

Qin Yunjiang's eyes were fixed on Zhao Yucheng at this time. Unexpectedly, Chairman Zhao Zhao Yucheng slowly picked up the wine cup to his mouth, raised his head, drank it one by one, turned his head, and looked at Qin Yunjiang with a smile, without any panic. ,

"General Qin, you have crossed the line this time. Do you know that I am a member of the family of Master Yu, the governor of the country?

You just want food and money. I and everyone here can give you these, but you need General Qin and Magistrate Li to use the city's tax revenue as a guarantee, and half of your 30,000 government troops need to be given to us and the gentry. The troops will assist the general in defending the city. What do you think?"

Zhao Yucheng also wanted to see half of the army at this time. Qin Yunjiang, the prefect Li Cheng and others all changed their expressions.

"How brave. I see that President Zhao's hand is stretched too far. I don't want this person to live anymore. Zhuangda, today is the day you die. Come on, pull him down and kill him!"

The soldiers in the hall came over, directly pushed down Zhuang Da, and dragged him down. Zhuang Da's eyes widened, and he struggled desperately, refusing to submit. Several soldiers dragged him out of the hall, and then shouted The screams stopped suddenly.

Zhao Yucheng's face was gloomy, and he stared coldly into the hall. Zhuang Dazhen was really killed, and Qin Yunjiang actually came for real.

"General Qin, I don't think you can survive. You've committed a serious crime by losing land in southern Jingnan. If you offended us, you won't even have a chance to survive."

"Ah haha, yes, I can't live. In that case, you go down and wait for me. You can go on the road together so that you can have someone to take care of you. Come on, kill them all."

Then he drew out the long knife on his body and slashed at Zhao Yucheng, Cui Xuanli and others beside him. Blood flew everywhere, and the hall screamed again and again. The soldiers rushed in and killed everyone they saw.

After a while,

The room was full of blood, and the powerful squires who came were lying in a pool of blood. The prefect and others around him were dumbfounded, and they didn't even care about the blood on their faces. The prefect Li Cheng kept repeating,

"General Qin, you have caused a big trouble, you have caused a big trouble,"

Lu Ren also trembled and said,

"It's over, I'm done waiting!"

Tong San is even more unstable.

"How to do!"

Qin Yunjiang put away the knife and wiped the blood on it.

"The world is corrupt, and the people are thieves, all because of hunger. The people are hungry, all because there is no land to cultivate. Those who win the hearts of the people win the world. Do you know what the hearts of the people are? The hearts of the people are food and a steady stream of reserve troops. This is Why did the White Lotus Sect ravage the Central Plains before, and now the Taiping Sect besieges the city? They can lose once, a hundred times, and come back again, but we, even the imperial court, cannot afford to lose even once. We will go out of the city tomorrow to face the bandits. I will lead the army to break out, life or death depends on this time."

After saying that, regardless of what others in the hall were doing, he put away the cleaned long knife, raised his foot, stepped heavily on the pool of blood, and didn't care that his boots were stained red. He led the soldiers and walked out of the Yamen, leaving behind Magistrate Li Cheng and a group of people looked at each other in confusion.

a long time,

Lu Ren looked at the dead bodies in the room, the unextinguished candles, and the untouched food and wine, and asked tremblingly,

"Sir, what should we do?"

"Yes, sir, why is General Qin so crazy? Many of those people are from the county and city, those, those..."

Tongyan Yang Luo was so frightened that he could not speak.

They are all members of the same clan or side families of high-ranking officials. Otherwise, how could they be so bold, let alone control many matters in the city? The affairs in the yamen, starting from the petty officials, are in charge of them, but the things outside are all those The powerful gentry took charge of themselves, but now they have lost their reputation. This official has reached the end.

Magistrate Li Cheng wet his hands with wine and then cleaned his face. Unfortunately, the thick smell of blood still lingered around the tip of his nose, not to mention the inhumanity in front of him.

"Everyone, this is not the time to regret and speculate. I think Qin Jingjun went to various houses to raid houses to collect food and money. Anyway, we don't worry about the food, grass and money of the soldiers guarding the city. But the most important thing is the confession. These How do people die, what do you think?”

Yang Luo and Lu Ren looked at each other, both confused. How can they say that they were killed? No, the adults shouldn't be so stupid?

"Sir, do you mean to put the blame on others?"

After Lu Ren finished speaking, he suddenly thought of the Taiping Sect outside the city, and said in unison with Yang Luo,

"Taiping Cult,"

"Yes, I will die in a fire tonight to cover up people's eyes and ears. When I break out tomorrow, the city will definitely fall. I directly insist that those people in the city were killed by the Taiping Cult. There is no evidence to prove it. This can not only save General Qin, but also allow us to make plans. It’s a way to survive, why not do it.”

Li Cheng also became ruthless. It seemed that Qin Yunjiang was ready to fight. Tonight, if he and the other three had any objections, he would probably be killed by the sword like these damned people. Fortunately, he was not stingy with him. Tomorrow is really going to go to hell. Those people from the Taiping Sect are all lunatics.

"What your Excellency said is absolutely true, but what should we do with the corpses of these people in the government office? It would be too eye-catching to transport them out."

Yang Luo looked at the room full of corpses. There were too many, and the people in the government office were unreliable.

"Hmph, what else can we do? Wasn't there a fire in the warehouse just now? The fire was not extinguished before it was put out, causing a fire and burning everyone to death."

After Li Cheng finished speaking, he threw the wine bottle on the table on the ground, and then looked at the two of them. Lu Ren knew what the prefect meant, so he also threw a bottle of wine.

Yang Luo gritted his teeth, stretched out his hand to take the candle on the table, then threw it out and poured it next to the drink. The fire started to burn. Watching the fire gradually increase, the three of them got up and walked out. Main hall, close the door.

Soon, in the dark night, the government office lit up a raging fire again,

In the outer city, on top of the city tower, Qin Yunjiang looked at the fire in the city and ordered,

"Order everyone to take a rest. Tomorrow, at the fourth watch, we will make rice. After half an hour, we will leave the city to fight!"

"Yes, General!"

(End of this chapter)