Emperor Yongzheng

Chapter 129 Brother Huaishutun tastes the results and analyzes the case
Hongli and his party fought fiercely with the water thieves for a day. When it was dark, the boat docked. Everyone was exhausted and hungry.After collecting the small tribute items and going up to the embankment to take a look, I saw a large town passing through a depression. Rice was planted on the depression. It looked like it was left over from soil taken to build the embankment. Perhaps it was not here because of the inconvenience of transportation due to this large pit. Set up a ferry.Looking at the town from a distance, it is dark, with blue, white, gray and purple smoke rising from the kitchen smoke, and among the sounds of tired birds and the crows dancing.In the distance, bells rang loudly on the post road, and from time to time there could be heard from the horses' hooves the sound of handlebar shouts and the sound of whips. In the nearby rice fields, several old farmers were holding shovels in the water and dry fields, and from time to time they exchanged a few jokes with each other.Children seemed to be playing hide-and-seek in the alley in the distance, and there were bursts of chirping laughter... The few people who survived the disaster had an indescribable feeling of warmth, softness, and kindness when they first entered the place of incense in the world. .Hongli let out a sigh of relief and said as he walked: "I really feel like I'm in another world. We will stay in this town tonight. There is no need to rush on the road. Let's rest before leaving - Qin Fengwu, do you want to go again?" Divination?"

"Your Majesty knows how poor the world is. This is a joke. The Book of Changes says, 'I won't sue you if you continue to abuse me'!" Qin Fengwu said with a smile, "How can we, men, be so unlucky if we encounter dangerous things in a row in one day? The hexagram "Litigation" says, "It is good for you to see your lord, but it is bad for you to cross the river." The last sentence has already been fulfilled. The prince returned to Beijing to see the emperor, and here I have been pardoned by you. This is all "for your benefit to see your lord", right? "

Everyone said, they walked along the flat path between the rice fields and reached the main road, just a stone's throw away, and they were already entering the town.Not long after gathering here, the cattle and horse market were covered with wet livestock dung. Under the dotted "Qi Shi Feng" lamps on the street, there were sellers of fried steamed buns, wontons, dumplings, ramen noodles, shaved noodles, steamed buns, and steamed buns baked in oil. There are soup cakes, spoons and pots clashing, and there are roast chicken, braised beef and mutton soup pots, and the aroma fills the streets.This group of disheveled people passed by, attracting all kinds of looks.They ignored him, swallowed their saliva and walked slowly looking for the next place.Finally, I found a century-old "Wang Ji Inn" in the north-west part of the town, where I stopped and had food and accommodation.

After three days of rest in Suojia Town, Hongli and others were fully refreshed.Early on the fourth day, they hired mules to carry the sedan, and bought a horse for Hongli to ride on. Still looking like a merchant, they meandered northeastward via Huangling, Liuguang, and Niushitun.When passing by Liuguang, Hongli thought of Wang Laowu's family and asked about the place "Huangtai".The villagers said that Huangtai was overflowing with water in the 56th year of Kangxi's reign, but it was gone. Wang Laowu had no way of finding out. Hongli sighed and let it go.Along the way, I asked Tian Wenjing about his official reticence, and everyone had different opinions: some said he was honest, some said he was cruel; some said he loved the people, and some said he was cruel to the people. They were as divided as the official evaluation of Tian. When asked about Hongli's later I didn’t even bother to ask.It was now May, the weather was suddenly hot, the sun was blazing at noon, and there had been no rain in northern Henan for more than ten days. There were several inches of soil floating on the big driveway, and a string of white smoke was rising every time you stepped on it.Hongli first spent the summer in Shandong during the disaster relief work. He was most afraid of the heat and liked the cold. Feel comfortable on the road.Qin Fengwu was a famous scholar, funny and wise. He recited poems, joked and joked all the way. He did everything to please Hongli diligently, so he didn't feel lonely.

This day we arrived at Zhenhuji, just past Chenzhong.According to Liu Tongxun's calculations at night, if he traveled a little longer in the morning, he could walk to Huaxian County in the evening, contact the government, and then take the post directly to Baoding - he was really frightened by the danger of the Yellow River, fearing that something might happen to this stubborn prince again. .As a retinue and a minister, I can't redeem my life - but it was a clear and cloudless day, and it was already getting hot.Before the sun reached noon, it illuminated the earth white.The early corn, sorghum, soybean and red potato fields beside the road are steaming with heat. Looking from a distance, the houses and trees are trembling in the air as if they are separated by water.The leaves of the crops were curled up in the sun and drooped in the oppressive heat. Occasionally, a gust of hot wind blew by and the silence returned, making the place feel even hotter and unbearable.

"Listen, the cicadas on the trees are too lazy to crow!" Although Hongli was in the hot summer, his clothes were not messy. He wiped sweat with his hands one after another on the horse and said to Liu Tongxun who was riding a mule next to him: "Four steps ahead. There is no market town for ten miles. If someone falls down due to heat, there is no rescue center. Besides, the coachman and the mule are afraid that they will not be able to bear it - Yanqing, if you want to leave, you go first, I have to rest here." Liu Tongxun looked around. Surrounded by the green gauze tent, he licked his lips and said with a smile: "I can't stand the heat, too. Go to the small village ahead to drink some water and find a shaded place to eat and eat. Let's discuss it calmly. I'm doing this for the good of my master!" Qin Fengwu saw Qin Fengwu on the side of the road. There was a sugar cane field, and he waded over, picked up five or six sugar cane sticks, and then caught up with him. He brushed off the sugar cane leaves and handed one to Hongli. Leave it to the slaves." He handed another one to Liu Tongxun, broke off one himself, handed the other to Hongli, and sent the rest to the Wen family in the car. He grinned and gnawed on the cane top, jokingly saying: "It's so boring, let's tell a joke. The people from the north and the people from the south met in the middle. The people from the north boasted, 'It's cold over there, so cold!' Hold a small stick in one hand. As soon as the urine comes out, it will freeze. You have to knock it at any time, otherwise you will freeze. You must try licking your teeth with your tongue first, otherwise your teeth will freeze in one place! 'People from the south also blow,' It’s hot there, it’s so hot! If you put some old corn in the sun, it will be ripe in a while, and as the time goes by, the popcorn will pop. Once I drove the pigs into the city, and I didn’t dare to stop all the way. I looked for someone to drink on the way. A bowl of water, and the pigs will be roasted when they come out.'..." Hongli laughed loudly, took the cane root handed over by Liu Tongxun, chewed it, and said: "Roasting pigs is not possible, the five-faced prince-in-law Go to Turpan and spread the eggs on the stone slab when it’s hot, and they’ll be cooked into pancakes in no time.” He pointed at the corn beside the road and said with a smile, “I’ll post a couplet, and whoever comes up with it will be rewarded!—This year’s early corn is so dry. Fine browning doesn’t last long.”

Liu Tongxun was not good at this. He was thinking about a suitable resting place. Before he could answer, Qin Fengwu had already confronted him, "I'll give you a tassel later, and it'll be raining." "Quick!" Hongli said with a smile, thinking about it, and took a breath "Why do you always feel that you are wrong?" The laughter of three women came from the car. Yingying stretched out her head and said: "Fourth Master, he missed one word!" Hongli couldn't help but raise his whip and laugh, Qin Fengwu Said: "Then it will be like 'it will be better if it rains again'. If it doesn't rain, we who run underground will turn into roast pigs!"

This sentence made everyone laugh again, and they all felt that the heat was much better.Liu Tongxun pointed ahead on his horse and said: "The old locust tree at the three-way intersection ahead is so shady. Let's take a rest first and then talk about it. Can that be done?"

"It's done!" Hongli set up a pergola and took a look. He saw that the road in front of him forked in two directions, one to the northeast and one to the northwest. At the intersection of the fork, there was a huge locust tree with old roots and dense branches and leaves, covering more than an acre of land. The great shade is indeed a good place to rest.Because a horse galloped over, he flew down, unfastened the tightly fastened buttons on his neck with one hand, and waved his fan constantly with the other hand. He looked up at the dense crown of the tree. When everyone caught up, he said with a smile: "This tree is... Liu Xiu's hand is 700 years old! Look at that stone tablet. What's weird is that there isn't even a big tree for dozens of miles! If there was a tea table or a chessboard under this tree, There are sellers of melons, fruits, and drinks, and they still worry about having no business? The people here are really weird!" A mule driver lit a fire and took a long puff of dry smoke, and said: "There were many trees here in the past. Tian Zhitai had not yet come to Henan at that time. There was some yellow guy named Asilabu who was the governor of Henan. He said that there were many bandits here, so he burned them all with fire. As a result, the bandits were gone, and the Wawa River over there was also fucked. Without water, not only the bandits could not However, even good people are not good enough. This area has been relocated. The field platform is also called tree planting. Strangely enough, there are trees and there is water in the river, but it is just not as big as before. The people who come here are all newly moved households. The Yellow River washed away all the people who lived here, and they were all resettled here. The land that was said to be newly cultivated is actually the good land in the past that was left uncultivated and was reclaimed. Hey, I will never understand what the officials are thinking."

This review of Tian Wenjing still contained both praise and criticism. Hongli listened more and just smiled indifferently.When Liu Tongxun looked at the stone tablet, he only wrote "Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty planted this locust tree", but the inscription was "the second year of Hongzhi of the Ming Dynasty".Qin Fengwu hurriedly asked the mule driver: "Is there an inn nearby? Where can I take a bath? Is there a melon field?" During the chaos, a little girl came from the Gubei Road. She was only twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and blue cloth trousers. Barefooted and wearing straw sandals, he came along the road carrying an earthen pot, kicking and jumping while humming a tune.Seeing this large group of people resting under the tree, he looked at it in surprise, pointed to the east and said: "There is water for animals to drink on that side of the Wawa River. There is no bathing, there is only a few inches of water." Qin Fengwu asked: "Hey, are there any melon fields? ?”

"Yes." The girl looked at Hongli again and replied, "My father is a melon grower. Now he is hoeing and looking at melons in Gua'an. Do you want to buy it?" "Buy, buy!" Qin Fengwu beamed with joy. , "I bought it for two to three hundred kilograms. I can't eat it and carry it around!" He said and followed the girl.The girl looked back at Hongli again, as if thinking about something.Qin Fengwu just looked at Liu Tongxun with an open face. Liu Tongxun was startled for a moment before he remembered that he had no money. He took out a handful of broken silver from his sleeve and gave it to him, about five taels in size.Qin Fengwu pulled away and chased after him.

The child waded through the sorghum field and walked a bag of cigarettes before arriving at the melon field. He placed the earthen pot gently in front of the thatched hermitage and called out "Dad" several times before a strong man agreed and came out of the green gauze tent with a bag in his hand. Holding a hoe.The girl said angrily, "Don't look at the sky. It's so hot. If you hoe after noon, you'll lose half of your acre of flowers!"

"It's a drought." The strong man squatted on the ground with his shirt off, drinking mung bean soup from the can, and said quietly, "There is only three cents of water under the hoe." The girl flashed her eyes and saw Qin Fengwu approaching gradually, causing the sorghum leaves to rustle, and she hurriedly joined in. He whispered a few words into his father's ear.The strong man was startled at first, then put down the bowl and stared at it and asked, "Really? Did you see it clearly?"

"It's very similar." The girl hesitated again, "I knelt very close to him in the porridge shed, and there were a few fine pockmarks under his eyes. I was far away and couldn't see them clearly. I'll take a closer look when I get back later -" Qin Fengwu was sweating hotly as she spoke, and she stopped talking.

It turns out that this strong man is Wang Laowu, who was sent back to the province by Li Weifa.Many of the fields of those 200 people were washed away by water, and some of the land was dug up to build embankments and could no longer be planted.Just when Henan verified the number of acres of cultivated land, it was found that all the people who had cultivated land in Hua County had returned to their hometowns. The government sold the young crops in this area at a low price and rented them to these landless refugees. They paid the debts with grain in five-year periods to resettle these people.Seeing Qin Fengwu coming over and looking at the melons with his eyes, Wang Laowu stood up quickly and said with a naive smile: "The official wants to eat melons? The ones at the west end are good, and you can eat the chicken manure over there as you like!"

"I want to buy two hundred catties." Qin Fengwu picked a melon and opened it with a bang. It had green skin, red flesh and white lining. He took a bite and said, "It's so sweet - how much does it cost per catty?"

"You are from afar, it's not easy to go out," Wang Laowu said, "I will send you two hundred kilograms of melons for a sling of money, okay?" Qin Fengwu said while eating: "Okay! Let's do it. Pick, our boss is waiting for you!" Wang Laowu asked as he picked:
"What kind of business is your business?"

"Satin, porcelain."

"Getting rich—comes from the south?"

"We have a big business, and we have semicolons in the north and south."

The two of them were passing each other and talking, when there was a sudden noise, a shirtless man rushed into the field, picked up a melon, broke it open and ate it, saying: "Who cares? Everyone here is dead, the melon field is not close to the road. Planting on the side, tell me it's easy to find! - Shopkeeper Chang, call the brothers over here, there are melons here!" I heard a reply in the distance, and the sound of the crops was heard, and more than 20 people appeared, all full of melons. His body was oily and sweaty, and he paid no attention to Wang, Lao, Wu and the others. They trampled all over the ground to pick melons, biting them in their mouths and picking them in their hands. The raw melons were thrown everywhere.Wang Laowu turned pale with anger and hurriedly whispered: "Don't say anything, I didn't see you with a knife, it's a thieves!" Qin Fengwu's hand trembled, the melon fell into the field, thinking about running away through the green gauze tent.The man named Shopkeeper Chang walked over to the melon field and asked, "Hey, are you a family?"

"No." Wang Laowu protected his daughter, braided his hair and whispered in a low voice: "He is a melon buyer. The melon field is mine..."

"How far is it from Yanjin County?"

"If you want to go back to me, go seventy miles west along the official road."

"How about taking the straight road?"

"More than 40 miles, right?" Wang Laowu asked: "It would be better to walk three miles than one mile of wilderness. Who would walk through such cropland?"

Shopkeeper Chang wanted to ask more questions, but a thief pointed at Qin Fengwu and screamed: "Isn't this that bastard scholar on the Yellow River boat? This World Day is so damn small!"

"Be young!" Qin Fengwu didn't wait for Chang to wake up, picked up a ripe melon and smashed it in the face, hitting him all over the face.He was so slippery that he got into the sorghum and ran back desperately.The robbers threw melons at the guy and chased him from behind like a swarm of swarms.A strong man gestured with a knife and said to Wang Laowu: "Pick up the melons and follow me!" Wang Laowu agreed and whispered to the girl while picking up the melons: "Myolie, please find something to do with your mother!" The strong man stared outside absently and did not hear.

Hongli and the others were resting under the tree and talking, eagerly waiting for Qin Fengwu to buy melons, when they suddenly heard a loud shout in the distance.When he turned to look, Qin Fengwu jumped out of the sorghum field like a madman, his head and face were black and blue, and he opened his arms and shouted, "Copy the guy! Copy the guy! The thieves are coming -" He somersaulted and fell down from the field ridge. He turned over again, his face was covered with dirt, smelly sweat, and was now like a big painted face. He wiped it and jumped up, pointed at the green gauze tent and said: "There are many thieves! Fourth Master, let's hurry to the front village!" As he spoke, the sorghum leaves rustled. , a group of bandits with braids on their heads, holding swords and guns, were already coming down the road.Liu Tongxun counted and found that there were only more than 20 enemies. In addition to the Xing family brothers, the Wen family and two girls were highly skilled in martial arts. It was broad daylight, so they could hold on for a while. After feeling relieved, he hurriedly said: "Master, call me The Wen family's queen is cut off, and the Xing family brothers are protecting her, let's go!"

Shopkeeper Chang was not in a hurry to attack. He stood in the middle of the road, put his hand in his mouth and whistled sharply. After hearing it, there was another whistle, and a whistle came from far south of the road, and there was a faint whistling sound. The sound of crops and distant shouts.When Liu Tongxun saw that the mule drivers were all frightened, he shouted angrily: "Quick! Whoever dares to escape will be beaten to death with a big stick immediately!" At this moment, He Yanhong from the Wen family had finished preparing and got off the sedan to follow the escort.The Wen family's sword was in hand, and he shouted to the thieves in the distance: "Hey - have you heard of the Duanmu family in Shandong? Do you want to steal Mr. Duanmu's bodyguard?"

"The Duanmu family still accepts escorts? The old man has been practicing swordsmanship for 30 years?" Shopkeeper Chang laughed and said, "You are really good at scaring people! - I heard that your wife is very accurate with concealed weapons. I will take it hard with my belly full, three escorts Knock me down, let's walk the bridge and walk the road!" Yingying had already taken out the box of Go pieces and took a look at them. She felt they were too far away and looked at the Wen family's with uncertainty.However, Yan Hong secretly held the slingshot and iron balls in her hand. The Wen family touched her bun and took out a paper bag. Inside was a pile of polished iron darts with cicada wings. She said in her mouth: "You don't believe that we are the disciples of Lord Duanmu." , I’ll give you a message and you’ll understand!” The dart in his hand gently twisted, and suddenly it flew straight into the sky like a dragonfly—but it only circled and danced. Shopkeeper Chang looked at the sky intently and whispered: “Hit! " Yan Hong shot out the iron ball with a slingshot, and Na Yingying also threw it with all her strength, hitting shopkeeper Chang with a handful of black chess pieces in the chest.Shopkeeper Chang was focused on guarding against the cicada wing darts that were whirling in the air. He was struck five or six times on his belly and chest, but not even a green bump appeared.His wife's hard skills were so good that everyone was shocked.While he was talking, the cicada-wing dart had flown in front of Shopkeeper Chang again. He stretched out his hand to catch it, but saw that the dart was spinning too fast, erratic up and down like a butterfly. When he retracted it, his left thumb was tickled, and he was slightly startled. His brow was touched again, and blood suddenly oozed out. Seeing that the dart's spinning power was still strong, and it was chasing him as if it had eyes, he was so frightened that he jumped and rolled to the side. He was shocked until the dart hit the ground. Get up.

The Wen family member took out another cicada-wing dart and sneered: "Do you believe this unique hidden weapon? I'll give you another one?" Shopkeeper Chang cupped his hands and said: "Since it's Mr. Duanmu's dart, we don't want it anymore. That pretty boy in the car You have a grudge against my brothers, so you stay here and walk alone!" The Wen family said: "What you said is so beautiful, this is my bodyguard master!"

"Brother Chang," the disciple of the yellow water monster saw shopkeeper Chang's hesitation, and hurriedly came closer and said, "If you don't believe others, you still don't believe me, the iron-headed dragon? That pretty boy is really worth 50 taels of silver! If our brother Huang hadn't thought Go all alone, you have already succeeded, you can't even touch a penny! No matter how tough these women are, they can't withstand the siege of more than [-] of us. After passing this village, there is no such shop anymore!" The Wen family shouted Said: "My surname is Chang, are you Hei Wuchang from Guiding Village in Shandong? Didn't you go to celebrate the festival for Mr. Duanmu on August [-]th of the year before last? Do you want to offend everyone in the green forest for being a bodyguard? The yellow water monster is a miscellaneous water ghost. You want to Work with him?"

Hei Wuchang lowered his head and thought about it. The temptation of 50 taels of silver was too great for him.With a dark face and no words, he waved his hand and said, "Go! Kill them all and your heart will be pure!" The bandits shouted and rushed forward again.The Xing family brothers were protecting Hongli from the front, while the three Wen family members were fighting and retreating, and for a while no one could do anything to the other.While he was in a hurry, gongs were blaring loudly in the village ahead, dogs were barking, and no one could hear clearly how many people there were or what they were shouting. Liu Tongxun thought that another group of bandits were coming. When he saw a Tutu Temple on the north slope of the road, he shouted loudly. He ordered: "Everyone retreat to the Earth Temple!" This was a small temple, newly built recently. There was only one hall in the middle, which was decorated with two figures, the Earth's father-in-law and his wife. The mud paint on the pillars was not yet completely dry to the touch.In the middle of the courtyard, two large elm trees on the east and west separate the two wings in front of the main temple.Perhaps because of the scarcity of trees in this area, people specifically chose this place to build a temple.The surrounding brick walls were built not long ago, and everything was very crude and hasty.Everyone rushed in and immediately pushed Hongli into the main hall. The Xing family brothers guarded the door, and Wen family members and Yan Hongyingying guarded under the elm tree. The three of them stared at the gate and the courtyard wall.Before he could take a breath, he heard a noisy shouting and the sound of knives clashing outside.The Wen family member jumped up to the room and said happily: "Fourth Master, the loyal villagers here are fighting against the bandits!"

It turned out that Myolie Wang fled back to the village, panting and telling her mother everything that happened outside.When the woman heard that there was a benefactor who had rescued her inside, she took the iron pot and went out, knocking on it and shouting: "People from outside? Listen, the man who sent us back from Nanjing asked the bandits to surround the village. There are only about twenty of those turtle bastards, and they are all going out to fight! Who is not going to the brothel? They were raised in the brothel!" It was just after noon, and there were hundreds of men resting at home. Those who heard the suffering were benefactors and bandits. There were not many, so they immediately gathered together, sifting and beating the basin, shouting, holding shovels, axes, sickles, picks, hoes and mills in their hands, and some holding big sticks, shouting at each other to embolden themselves and swarming out of the village.Seeing a group of bandits about to attack the Tutu Temple, the two sides immediately broke into a melee. The bandits were good at fighting alone, but these peasants were so united, teacher?It would be better to be reckless, and in a hurry, he would be thrown into confusion and run away in all directions.Hei Wuchang kicked, hit and scolded the crowd before he could stabilize them.In the chaos, Wang Laowu took advantage of the situation and took out his pole to chase after him. However, he ran into the iron-mouthed dragon running towards him. Wang Laowu was beaten with the pole by Wang Laowu and was knocked on the spot for several times. He sat down on the ground and fainted.

At this time, Hongli had already left the Tutu Temple to watch the battle. He saw that although the villagers were brave, they had no leader and no military experience. He knew that as long as the bandits were reorganized, the consequences would be disastrous, so he thought about it and shouted loudly: " Xing Jianye, the four of you, come on, don’t let them breathe, don’t let anyone escape alive!”

"twitter!"

The four brothers crossed their arms and agreed to one household, and immediately took the lead and killed them.The group of bandits were still breathing, and the villagers rushed over again, howling and screaming. Five or six of them were chopped down in panic, and the rest dispersed with a blast, scattering in all directions over the crops.Liu Tongxun shouted at the side: "Folks, don't leave any trouble! Get rid of thieves, our master said, if you take one, you will be rewarded with ten acres of land!" The villagers were so excited that they immediately rushed into the green gauze tent to poor people. Chasing, the Xing brothers only stared at Hei Wuchang, sticking like plaster. They chased him wherever they went, but Hei Wuchang accidentally fell into the well!Although the other bandits were brave and brave, they had no choice but to lose their fighting spirit and the terrain was unfamiliar. They were all captured in less than half an hour. However, the iron-mouthed Jiao who was attacked by Wang Laowu and his carrying pole saw the opportunity early and escaped without a trace at some point. .Thanks to Hongli, he made a temporary arrangement and used the Tutu Temple as a prison cell. Thirty strong villagers were selected to follow Xing Jianyi to take turns guarding them. They compensated the injured people and distributed silver rewards at the official price of seven taels of silver per mu. They were very busy. Nuanshu also forgot about it, and everything was not settled until dark. At this time, Cheng Rongqing, the magistrate of Huaxian County, had arrived with his government officials.The villagers turned over two pigs and five or six sheep, bought wine and held a banquet, which was a lively event in the courtyard of Wang Laowu's family.Hongli, Liu Tongxun, and Cheng Rongqing sat at the head table, accompanied by Wang Laowu's family and Qin Fengwu, who frequently raised glasses to congratulate everyone.While the wine was intoxicating, the villagers danced with their hands and feet to describe the scene of the day, all of them with rosy faces and drunkenness. They did not go home until it was time to wake up.

Cheng Rongqing, however, was always uneasy. When he saw the people dispersed, he followed Hongli into the hall and apologized: "The land system decree has been here a long time ago. I arranged it along the official road. It was too hasty and absurd. The prince is in the realm of the slaves. There is really no excuse for something like this to happen. I am here to listen to my boss." After saying that, he knelt down.

"These are bandits from other provinces," Hongli said, "Besides, you didn't know I was on this path." Seeing Wang bringing a hot towel, Xing'er came in with hot water, and Hongli soaked his feet in the basin. Wiping his face with a hot towel, he thought about it and said: "This time the thieves suddenly attacked. This village - let's call it Huaishu Tun - the villagers of Huaishu Tun are both brave and righteous, and they rose up to kill the enemy. Only then will the bandits be defeated." The army was destroyed. This is all due to your county's ability to educate and guide the people. Therefore, the credit belongs to you." Seeing Xing'er kneeling down to wash his legs and feet, Hongli praised, "What a smart girl!" and said: " You handle this case according to this purpose, report Tian Wenjing, and as for me, don’t mention it.”

"This - how dare this slave covet God's merits -"

"That's all."

Hongli stood up, put on his shoes, waved his arms a few times, and said: "Everyone guilty will be escorted back to the county in person tomorrow morning. They will be severely interrogated!" As he said this, he walked out of the hospital, waving his fan gently. Looking at the stars in the sky, everyone had no choice but to follow step by step.

"Fourth Master," Liu Tongxun said, "We should take away the leader, Hei Wuchang."

"Huh?" Hongli raised his face, the starlight was dim, and he couldn't see his expression clearly, but he just kept silent.Qin Fengwu, who was very alert, had already guessed the meaning of Liu Tongxun's words, so he said: "This group of bandits must have some instructions to pursue the Fourth Master. Besides, it will be easier for you to deal with it yourself." He did not After saying that, Hongli had already understood and nodded: "How can this revenge be avoided? That's it. Guixian reported that a 'bandit leader with the nickname Hei Wuchang was killed for the villagers', that's it."

Only then did Cheng Rongqing understand what the prince was thinking: he did not want to publicize his death.In this way, the bandit leader was killed, all the bandits were wiped out, and everyone became a credit to the county.This was really pie from the sky; he couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Seeing Hongli waving his hands to retreat, Nuonuo retreated with the government officials.Hongli then ordered Xing Jianye, "Bring that Hei Wuchang here!" After saying this, he went back to his upper room.Seeing that the five members of Wang Laowu's family were standing with their hands down, they smiled and said, "Now that we know each other's identities, there are many signs. You are the host and we are the guests. Let's settle it."

"That's not what you mean," Mrs. Wang gathered her hands and received two blessings, and said, "Not only did you save our family, but half of the people in Huaishu Village were brought to this point by me from the shed. You are not a noble person, but we are. Where is the benefactor!" Xing'er brought a plate of peeled melons and whispered: "Please use the ones that have been soaked in the well while they are cold!"

Hongli picked up a piece and took a bite. It was refreshing and sweet. He couldn't help stroking her hair happily and said with a smile: "Good girl, it's a pity that your mother loves you too much. Otherwise, if you follow me to Beijing, you will be successful in a few years!" Mrs. Wang hurriedly said: "The devil is sending the child to the pit of fire. We Batu can't wait for a good family like me! - Chi Nizi, I have taken you in to Beijing to enjoy the blessings, why don't you kowtow quickly!" Er had already bent down and kowtowed countless times. He stood up and took away the clothes Hongli had changed.When they saw Xing Jianye coming in with a dejected Hei Wuchang, the Wang family members retreated.

"Hei Wuchang," Liu Tongxun saw Hongli winking at him, so he sat down and asked with a stern face, "Do you know what crime you have committed?"

"I know," Hei Wuchang said with a pinched neck, "The crime of decapitation. I was prepared for this day when I joined the underworld. Bah, his grandma, in 20 years-"

"Another good man, right?" Liu Tongxun said, "It's a pity that it's not just beheading. You are not killing people, but murdering people! And the person you are murdering is the fourth elder brother of the current long-lived prince, Prince Bao! You think carefully, escape Do I need to get this cut?"

Hei Wuchang opened his eyes wide and looked at Hongli in astonishment.I saw Hongli sitting cross-legged in a moon-white Ning silk gown, with a bright yellow lying dragon belt tied around his waist, decorated with a Han jade pendant musk bag, and a plain paper Xiangfei fan in his hand, shaking it slowly, A shiny and smooth braid was placed lightly on her shoulders. Her face was as white as the moon and her eyes were as bright as paint stars. She looked at herself and nodded gently. Her Tsinghua charm was majestic, and she looked like a son of a dragon or a phoenix grandson.Hei Wuchang was stunned for a long time and said: "Even if you are the emperor, I have already done it, but there is nothing you can do about it. I accept my fate!" Hongli asked coldly: "Hei Wuchang, I heard that you are famous Are you a flower-picking thief?" Hei Wuchang was so anxious that his eyes were as wide as bells, and he shouted: "Who did you listen to? Tell that bastard to stand up! I've done it for killing officials, and I've done it for robbing salt ships, but I don't Ruining women! This is a well-known leader in the underworld, otherwise I would not dare to go to the Duanmu family’s banquet! Since I was a child, my father has taught me that being a strong man is a sin of nature, and seducing a woman is a sin of his own doing. We in the underworld There are also rules and principles of the underworld. Just investigate, find them together, chop them into pieces and feed them to my dogs!"

"There is also a way for thieves, this is what Zhuangzi said. Well - the person who hides in the house is holy; entering the front is brave; leaving behind is righteous; dividing evenly is benevolence..." Hongli murmured to himself After a few words, he smiled and then suppressed his smile, "Actually, decapitation, imprisonment, and chopping into pieces are not the cruelest punishments. In the past, when Wei Zhongxian was in power, he would skin people alive at every turn - Yanqing, what do you think he did?" Liu Tongxun said while saying: Thinking about Hongli's intention, he shook his head and said: "There was a method of skinning in the Ming Dynasty. People were killed and then skinned, wiped and dried." Qin Fengwu said: "Wei Huan skinned people alive. They watered them with hot asphalt. The whole body is then hardened with cold water and peeled off piece by piece - after the skin is peeled off, the person will live for twelve hours!"

The three people deliberately exaggerated the torture. Even the Yanhong sisters in the back room were frightened and shivered in the hot weather. Hei Wuchang also turned pale and lowered his head. His legs were shaking involuntarily, but he did not speak.

"You don't want to 'bring your own evil', so you still have good roots." Hongli stared coldly at Hei Wuchang, who had been suppressed by his arrogance, "I, the Buddha, walk the path with compassion. There is no heart in this world that cannot be saved. Man. My choice of you not picking flowers can open up a way for you. In fact, Wang Chen and the bandits are just one thought away. In your prime, you have a lot of skills. I also pity you, you can't make a mistake!" These words! It is both majestic and warm, it talks about the principles of nature and the ways of the world. Liu Tongxun has countless cases in his hands and has tried many criminals. The old official is familiar with the writings and knows the laws of human nature, and he can't help but admire him.Hei Wuchang already knew that he had no physiology, but he didn't expect that Hongli would speak so lovingly. Bengjiao kowtowed and said, "Master said so, how can Hei Wuchang be ungrateful and unemotional as a human being? He is a bandit. It was also the owner who forced me to do it. In the 45th year of Kangxi's reign, there was a good harvest in Shandong. On August [-]th, the owner seized the tenants, beat my brother to death and sold my niece. In anger, I burned down Wangjiazhai and defected to Guiding Mountain Village. After three years of being a minions, I became the second-level leader. Just because the leader of the village, Wang Lun, took flowers and robbed prostitutes, we turned against each other and killed everyone before pushing me to the top spot..." He said, Touching upon the hurtful love affairs of the past years, I couldn't help but feel boiling inside, falling to the ground and wailing bitterly.Everyone was terrified by his broken gong voice.

"The Turtle Summit is more than 10,000 miles away from here, and the world is peaceful." Liu Tongxun asked softly, "How dare you go to Henan to rob tickets? You are too bold." After saying that, he peeked at Hongli. .Hei Wuchang wiped away his tears and said: "That Tiezui Jiao who ran away, his father and I were brothers when he was alive. Five days ago, he told me that there was a bodyguard who was very fat and had 50+ silver. Not to mention, the bodyguard The Lord’s enemies were willing to pay 30 pieces of silver for his head. People from all walks of life were transferred to the official roads in the north and south to wait for a piece of fat meat. Whoever robbed would get 20 yuan, and the rest of the underworld friends would get [-] yuan. I was always obsessed with my brother, and led my brothers We went down the mountain..."

"Who - who offers 50?"

"Master, I don't know."

"Ok?"

"Really!" Hei Wuchang raised his head and argued hurriedly, "Tiezuijiao said he didn't know either. He only said that the owner had a great background. Each road was presided over by a Taoist priest, and there was another who spoke with a Beijing accent and had no words. The bearded husband is called Pan Shigui, and he was fired from some noble house in Beijing. Our team is guarding Yanjin and will arrive tonight as scheduled. I really can't say anything else."

Hongli felt his heart tremble when he heard this, and he had categorically confirmed his original conjecture. He could not have imagined that the usually gentle and humble third brother would be so cruel, and would not hesitate to use gangsters to set up traffic jams along the way, hoping to put him to death. already!After thinking about it, he had an idea, and suddenly said to Hei Wuchang: "You didn't lie to me, and I won't lie to you. I can forgive you. You can leave if you want, or stay if you want."

Hei Wuchang's eyes widened.

"I think for you, it's better to stay here." Hongli's face was expressionless, "Because your crime has not been solved, the government still wants to arrest you. All your bandits have been captured, and you can't do anything back in the village. You What do you think?" "I am willing to follow you, holding whips and stirrups!" Hei Wuchang said without hesitation, "It's not that I am helpless, who would be involved in the underworld these days?" Hongli nodded and smiled, pointing at Qin Fengwu. : "He also committed a crime, and I pardoned him. It seems that I still have some merits. You killed an official and robbed someone. This is a serious crime. You have to do it in two steps. First, go to Miyun to cheat on me. Deputy housekeeper, things will be over in two years. It is not uncommon for him to change his name and join the camp. After fighting a few battles, he can earn the title of general and deputy general. Is this possible?" He understated and sketched out the story for Hei Wuchang in the second half of his life. A bright future ahead.Almost all the blood in Hei Wuchang's body rushed to his face, his heart was pounding, and he almost fainted. After a while, he kowtowed and just murmured: "You are my reborn parents..."

"I have always been on imperial missions, and I always come and go incognito - people are too familiar with my temperament." Hongli stared at the candle shadow and sighed, "This is what Qin Fengwu said, a rich man cannot sit in the hall, and a man who knows his destiny cannot stand. Under the dangerous wall, tell Cheng Rongqing that I will go with him tomorrow, and inform Li Fu to send someone to pick me up. I want to enter Beijing in glory!"

(End of this chapter)