Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 711 Who is the Young Master Upstairs?
"How dare you! I warned you out of kindness, but you still don't know what's good for you. Don't blame me for the real thing."

The monk in front of him stepped back, closed the long stick in his hand, twisted his hands, and broke it into two parts in the middle, becoming a short stick that he could hold with one hand. He was obviously much more agile.

The bald monk held the stick in both hands, shouted loudly, and rushed forward again. Unfortunately, although his moves were much faster, the stick was heavy and far less sharp than the long sword. The surrounding soldiers were proficient in combined attack skills and blocked his attacks head-on. After a few rounds, the bald monk could not hold on any longer. The wounds on his body increased. Although he was not killed, he became a burden.

He was exhausted and had no more energy. He knew that he was doomed today. He thought about his master and realized that he couldn't die yet. He sighed and suddenly threw the stick away with both hands.
"I am doomed today. Please spare my life, sir. I still have something to worry about, so I cannot die."

Looking back at the corridor, he saw that no one had come down to support him, his face darkened, and he said;

"I admit defeat. I am also a disciple of Jing'an Temple. Please show mercy, General, and spare my life."

He repeated his soft words and even exposed his family background.

He looked at Zhang Jinyu with sweat all over his forehead, a pleading look on his face, his knees softened, and he knelt down.

"You are a disciple of Jing'an Temple. You are so brave that you dare to attack and kill the soldiers. Well, I will spare your life. When I have some free time, I will ask Master Wuxin how he manages Jing'an Temple. Tie him up."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Zhang Jinyu thought about it and decided not to make a move. He was so fierce just now, but now he has given in. This coward is not simple, he can bend and stretch. After all, this man is extremely powerful and he is also the bald donkey of Jing'an Temple. His status should be a core figure.

Jing'an Temple,
Thinking back to the time when I went to burn incense a few days ago, there were still many things I hadn't figured out. Moreover, this place is the largest temple in the Central Plains and the leader of Buddhism, and Master Wuxin Chan is the abbot. These are all reasons.

With this reason, he was not afraid of Master Wuxin's lies to frame him, nor would he stand by and watch him die. He thought that in Buddhist temples, everyone said that Buddha was merciful, and he could not just watch the monk in front of him die. For a moment, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Just saying this made the monk who had just spoken and seemed a little aloof ask in confusion;

"Excuse me, General. Isn't the abbot of Jing'an Temple the abbot Xuannan? How can he be the Wuxin Chan Master? Did you say it wrong?"

The monk looked a little anxious, as if it was related to him. He struggled to get up, but just as he was about to move, he was kicked several times by the soldiers and could only kneel down and not move.

Zhang Jinyu didn't think about it, just watched the man being tied up and retorted angrily;

"What Abbot Xuannan? When I was there, Master Wuxin Chan was the abbot. So the Abbot Xuannan you mentioned must have passed away. That day, the bells of the temples in the North Mountain rang. When I was there, there was no monk in Jing'an Temple. I guess they are all in the back mountain."

"What? The abbot passed away."

The monk's eyes were full of disbelief, his eyes were red, tears were flowing, and he cried like a child, wailing.
"Master, I deserve to die for not being able to see you for the last time. Woohoo! Master, Master."

Zhang Jinyu was about to yell at him, but when he kicked him, he stopped. It seemed that this bald donkey was the disciple of the former abbot Xuannan of Jing'an Temple. His name was Wuwei, and he was indeed of the same generation as Master Wuxin. Damn, what a coincidence.

That's not right. Just now he was said to be an abandoned disciple of Jing'an Temple. Not only is he a skilled martial artist, but he is also born with supernatural powers. He should have a great reputation in the martial arts world.

The essential,

Who can hire such a master? And there are more than one.

It seems that the people upstairs are not simple. Guess who it is. However, Zhang Jinyu thought for a long time and couldn't figure out anything.
Looking at the other people who fell to the ground, although they died here, we have to admit that their skills were quite good, except for those losers at the back.

"Don't cry, bald donkey. I want to ask you who is upstairs and why you are so presumptuous. Tell me, which rich and powerful family is this person from?"

After asking the question,
He also saw several of his personal soldiers on his side, who looked listless and obviously had been seriously injured, and had internal injuries. He quickly gave orders,
"Quick, ask the store to prepare a carriage, help them up, and go back to the mansion to see Doctor Gu. Make sure you take good care of yourself and be careful on the road."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

A personal soldier who was not seriously injured took the order and left, leaving only a few people from Ningbian around, staring at the Wuwei monk.

"Your Excellency, I don't know either. But when I came to the capital, those nobles gave me a lot of money and spoke in a tough manner, claiming to be descendants of a noble family in the south. I was hungry for several days and had no choice but to follow them. I didn't dare to go to the mainland along the way, but when I was with them, I never paid for the meals I ate. It seemed that it was arranged in advance."

Zhang Jinyu was a little speechless after hearing this. He was actually a stupid monk. He didn't even ask about his origins. He just followed him as long as he could have enough food and spend some money.
They sold it for whatever amount of money they were offered.

"Bald donkey, how much silver would it cost to buy a martial artist with your skills?"

"I don't know the exact price, but those nobles gave me 10,000 taels of silver, and gave that guy 15,000 taels of silver. I don't understand why that guy gave me so much when he obviously couldn't beat me."

Monk Wuwei shook his head, not figuring out how much silver he could get from selling it. He always felt like he was losing money.

Only Zhang Jinyu and Ning Bian were a little suspicious. The children of the aristocratic families in the south were from which county in the south, or were they referring to Jiangnan? These two places were completely different, a world of difference!
"My Lord, the scope of the south is indeed too broad. Jiangnan is considered the south, and there are large counties further south. There are no specific targets for these, and there are many rich places."

After all, the southern provinces, as well as Wuhu County and Jingnan County, are all wealthy counties with more local aristocratic families. The strength of some of them is comparable to that of the aristocratic families in the south of the Yangtze River.

Although Zhang Jinyu was confused at this time, he was not thinking about these things, but those princes, or whether they were from the Nan'an County Prince's Mansion or the Lang family.

"Don't make random guesses. Just go up and meet them, and you'll know whether it's a mule or a horse. Take it out for a walk. After all, you killed someone's dog, so you have to say hello and meet the victim."

"My Lord, what you said is absolutely right. Then let's kill them?"

Ning Bian was stunned and clasped his fists in response.

"Ah? How is that possible? First courtesy, then force, or maybe first force, then courtesy? We've already fought, we need to be more civilized. Someone, pull this bald ass up and let him go first to warn those victims."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Several guards held knives and pointed them at the monk from behind, then signaled him to go up the stairs.

Wuwei was sweating profusely and his body was covered in blood. It was obvious that he had lost all his fighting power. When he heard that he was to go up first, his face turned pale. However, there was a blade behind him, so he could only walk up the stairs step by step.

After seeing people going up, Zhang Jinyu waved his hand, and the personal soldiers behind him naturally followed with loaded crossbows.

The three princes on the second floor,

They were still drinking and having fun. In the inner hall, a small opera troupe was invited from somewhere, and a girl named Lianxiang sang a melodious song from the south of the Yangtze River. It was very beautiful.

"Hey, Brother Wen, where did you invite this famous singer? He sings so well?"

Prince Chen was obviously a little surprised. Such a voice and singing style were rare, and it sounded familiar yet strange. In the northwest, there was absolutely no one with such singing skills and such a song.

"That's right, Brother Wen. Listening to this piece of music, it's not simple. If I'm guessing correctly, it's the Kunqu opera with the water-grinding accent that's popular in the south of the Yangtze River, right?"

Prince Wu touched his head and thought again and again. It was true. There were not many people who could sing this song. Now there was one for no reason. This showed the background of the Song Palace.
"Brother Hao guessed correctly. It is the ink-and-wash tune of Jiangnan Kunqu Opera. The sound of the tune is flowing and as delicate as water. It is especially rare to be sung by a woman. Tsk tsk, this prince likes it."

The Prince of Song was obviously happy. It was no small feat to show his face in front of the two of them, and he received continuous praise from the two of them.
Even Zhang Jinyu, who was on the stairs, nodded. It was indeed good. Listening to the Kunqu Opera in the Prime Minister's residence was simply a pleasure. Although he didn't quite understand it,
The guy upstairs didn't sing the song very skillfully, but he did learn it after all, which was not easy.
When they were about to go up to the second floor,
Zhang Jinyu suddenly clapped his hands and said loudly;
"Yes, it is a good piece of music. Jiangnan Kunqu Opera is a unique piece of music. Lian Yuming, the headmaster of Bailu Academy, spent a year in seclusion to create the improved Shuimoqiang Opera. It is the best of the best and is loved by the world. It is natural that the three gentlemen like it."

The sudden voice startled everyone on the second floor. The first to react were the guards. They all drew their swords and turned around, facing the staircase entrance, and shouted,
"Who is so bold as to break into this place?"

Yan Kaishan, the chief guard of Prince Song's palace, immediately shouted in alert.

"Brother Wen, it seems that the people you recruited are just so-so. They were all dealt with in just an incense stick of time." Prince Chen looked at Prince Song's livid face with a smile on his face. It was hard to tell whether he was mocking him or trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Humph, it's just some trash."

After saying that, he glared fiercely at the monk who was tied up and walked up to him. At that time, he claimed that he was invincible in the Northern School. Now, he is worse than a dog. And where is the more powerful master?

"Uh, may I ask who is coming?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right and the person coming was not easy to deal with, Wu Wang's son Zhou Lianghao quickly stood up and clasped his fists and said;
"Which general is here?"

Zhang Jinyu led his soldiers up to the second floor, forming a siege. After everyone came up, he looked at the three noblemen sitting in front of him.
They were all very young, wearing fine Shu brocade, Confucian robes tailored for their bodies, wide bands around their waists inlaid with gems, and jade pendants around their waists of mellow color and lifelike carvings, which must have been made by famous artists!
in addition,

These guards were obviously not the small soldiers and crab generals below. They looked vaguely familiar.

"My Lord, these people are all elite soldiers. The formation and position they are standing in clearly show that they are proficient in combined attack techniques."

Ning Bian, who was behind him, stared at the guards and whispered a reminder in the Marquis' ear.

Zhang Jinyu muttered in his heart, combined attack skills, Liu Chenke said that those who are proficient in combined attack skills are the four kings and eight dukes, or the princes. These young gentlemen are obviously unfamiliar, so in that case, they are the princes' people.

"Whether it's the moment or not is another matter. I have no other intention in coming here. My brothers have been injured, and I don't know which villains are behind it. Now that the Taiping Cult is wreaking havoc throughout the world, we cannot afford to be careless. Therefore, my brothers have been assassinated. So, everyone, surrender and be taken back to the government office for trial. Do you understand?"

Although the words were stern, Zhang Jinyu's face was in high spirits and his smile never faded. The three princes were frightened by what they heard and immediately accused him of the crime.

The Prince of Wu was even more puzzled, how could it be related to the Taiping Cult? No, it had nothing to do with it at all. He looked at his other two brothers, who were sitting there quietly. He simply did not answer, but sat back, waiting for his two brothers to respond.

The Prince of Song suddenly laughed out loud. The man called himself the Marquis and he was so young. He must be the Marquis Luo Yun, who was very popular in the capital. What a coincidence that they met him here. He became alert in his heart. It was hard to say whether he came here on purpose or met him by chance.

"Oh, who is this person? It turns out to be the world-famous Marquis Luo Yun. Is Marquis Luo Yun trying to take us down? You better think it over. You can't touch us."

That arrogant look showed that he deserved a beating. Zhang Jinyu was also a little surprised that he recognized him. He seemed to be a member of the imperial court. From this point of view, his guess was almost right.
"Then may I ask the three gentlemen, are you willing to tell me your names?"

"Of course I can't."

Prince Song shook his head. How could the three of them show up in the capital so blatantly? There are some things that can be done but not said.

Zhang Jinyu had already confirmed the identities of the three people. The aristocratic families had no intention of coming to the capital, as they were all preparing for the exam. The sons of the four kings and eight dukes were also impossible. The princes all had places to go, so the scope was small. Only the princes of the vassal kings had nothing to do and could only eat and wait for death. It was hard to say whether these three who came to the capital first would be arrested or not.

Zhang Jinyu was a little hesitant. The Enke exam was coming up, and it would be inappropriate to create unnecessary complications. However, since he had met the emperor, how could he return empty-handed?

"Since you won't tell me, then what are your identities? If I'm right, I don't know which prince's son you are. You didn't even say hello when you arrived in the capital. I'm afraid you really have no manners. Even if it's Prince Beijing Shui Rong or Prince Dongping Mu Shi, they wouldn't be so rude to me. Princes, what do you think?"

finished,

First bow to the three people, first the military and then the ceremony, and it is complete.
The three people sitting opposite him turned pale, blue, and then slightly red after hearing what he said. Prince Chen couldn't sit still anymore. People had guessed his identity. If he continued like this, where would his face be?

He stood up first and returned the greeting.
"Greetings to Marquis Luo Yun. I am the prince Zhou Yunfu from the Chen Wangfu in Hanzhong. This is my first time in the capital, so I may be a little unceremonious."

With him, the Prince of Wu could no longer sit still. Everyone knew the name of Marquis Luo Yun. Before coming to the capital, his father had repeatedly told him not to confront Marquis Luo Yun. This man was not only a genius in fighting, but also the commander of the princes outside the Great Wall. How could he be underestimated?

He stood up and returned the greeting respectfully.
"Greetings to Marquis Luo Yun. I am Zhou Lianghao, the prince of Jingbei Wu Palace. Please forgive me for what I did just now, Your Majesty."

The two stood up and finished talking, leaving only the sullen-faced Song King Zhou Yewen, who looked down on them. His expression changed again and again, and suddenly he laughed;
"It turns out to be Marquis Luo Yun. I was a little reckless just now. Please forgive me, sir. I am from the Song Palace in Southern Jing. If you don't mind, please take a seat."

The prince of Song invited him calmly, then suddenly thought of something and quickly scolded the people around him,

"Someone, come and change the banquet, serve the best wine and food. Why are you eating leftovers when a distinguished guest comes? You don't know how to entertain guests."

"Yes, Prince, I will change it right away."

The guards around him quickly took orders and went down to help the shopkeeper change the table of wine and food.

Zhang Jinyu was also a little confused. He was rude at first but respectful later, and what he said was sincere. These princes' sons were not simple.

"Don't bother, my three princes. Since it's a misunderstanding, it's not intentional. I have something important to attend to. If I hadn't run into trouble downstairs just now, I might not have come up. Now that I'm here, please give me an explanation on how to resolve the issues of my brothers."

Seeing that the three dared to reveal their identities, Zhang Jinyu was in a difficult position to take action. The emperor was still there, and everyone knew what the family members were doing these days. If they stuck to him, they would be hard to get rid of. Even if they saw him, they would feel a little annoying.
These words,

The three princes looked at each other. Not only was Marquis Luo Yun so disrespectful, but he also kept harping on the injured soldiers and making a fuss out of nothing. Perhaps it was a test!

resignedly,

Zhou Yewen opened his mouth.

"My Lord, don't worry. I will compensate the injured people with silver. As for the others, you can do whatever you want with them. After all, I didn't order them to bully others at will. What do you think?"

Zhang Jinyu looked up and saw that the three men were not joking. This gave both sides a way out. Giving silver was the best thing to do and would save trouble for both sides. So he asked,
"Okay, then may I ask, how much silver do you want to pay?"

"Here, ten thousand taels of silver would be nice."

Zhou Yewen found it unbelievable that a marquis would actually bargain for silver. He was really shameless. He couldn't give more, and he couldn't give less either. He just wanted to give an even number.

"Well, the prince of Song is still generous. This marquis is really impressed."

Zhang Jinyu immediately nodded in agreement and asked Ning Bian behind him to get the banknote. Prince Song had no choice but to take out the banknote from his pocket and hand it over, and also wanted to invite Marquis Luo Yun to have a drink.

I don't know,

Luo Yunhou received the silver and immediately led his men down without saying anything, taking the monk away with him.
"My princes, since you have arrived in the capital, you should report it to the palace. As for these dead bodies, let the people from Shuntian Prefecture or the Imperial City Department handle it. I advise you to take care of yourselves!"

After saying that, he led people downstairs.

first floor,
Leaving behind several corpses, still lying there, he left the tavern and took the venison with him before leaving.

"My Lord, I'm leaving now."

Ning Bian touched his arm and still felt a slight pain. The man just now was really good with a knife. I don't know what school he belonged to.

"Well, we are not leaving yet. We are waiting for the people from the Imperial City Department to report to His Majesty. Bringing the sheep back is a big deal. Besides, we have revealed our identities. People of the Royal Family are always people of the Royal Family."

A sigh,
Waving the whip in hand, the convoy continued to move forward.

Just behind,

On the second floor of the wine shop, several complicated eyes followed behind from a distance.
(End of this chapter)