Chapter 40: Iron Horn Gang and White Lotus Sect
"Lord Lu, it's time to set off."
Zhao Wumian explained the situation outside the cell, opened the cell door, and asked Lu Chang to come out.
Lu Chang, wearing prison uniform, was silent for a while, then he sighed and said, "That's it!"
The emperor was determined to remove the Secretariat and abolish the Prime Minister. In order to shut him up, he allowed him to return to his hometown to retire as a first-rank official. The Minister of Revenue was a second-rank official, and if he had not left in an inglorious manner, this would have been a great honor.
Lu Chang shook his head and sighed repeatedly, then walked out of the prison.
"The carriage and horses are ready."
Zhao Wumian said, "Please get in the car. There are gold, silver, and other valuables, as well as some clothes to change into."
"it is good……"
Lu Chang felt somewhat disheartened.
Starting from Guan Zhong, the first prime minister with real power in the Spring and Autumn Period, to Shang Yang of Qin, Xiao He of Han... the imperial power and the power of the prime minister have always complemented each other.
If there is no restraint from the power of the prime minister, the imperial power will inevitably become dominant, and there will be a situation of one person ruling alone. If there is a wise monarch who employs virtuous ministers, the world will be peaceful. If there is a foolish monarch who abandons virtuous ministers, the world will decline and perish!
He really didn't want to see the prosperous Ming Dynasty end like this.
But now, there's no point in saying anything.
The current emperor is one of the rare wise and virtuous rulers in history, but he also has the flaw of being stubborn and suspicious.
In order to consolidate the imperial power, he acted on his own and did not allow his subjects to say anything. It's a pity.
Seeing him like this, Zhao Wumian said, "Lord Lu, when you are in a position, you should make decisions. When you are not in a position, you should not make decisions. When you were the Minister of Finance, you gave honest advice and fulfilled your duties. Now you are no longer the Minister of Finance, and you are about to return to your hometown to spend your remaining years. Why bother yourself with troubles?"
"..."
Lu Chang was stunned, then smiled bitterly and said, "That's true. You are..."
Zhao Wumian clasped his fists and said, "I am Zhao Wumian, a member of the Jinyiwei of the Pacification Division."
"It turns out to be you."
Lu Chang nodded. He had an impression of Zhao Wumian.
This man had fought with the Huaixi nobles several times and was not afraid of power. As a Jinyiwei, he had extraordinary knowledge. He once helped Shen Weiyang to come up with his second couplet. Now it seems that he is a sensible person, which is rare.
The Pacification Division is the knife in the emperor's hand. If the person holding the knife is such a person, it would be a great blessing.
Indeed, things have come to this point, there is no point in thinking about it anymore.
"Let's go."
Lu Chang took a deep breath and took a step forward.
Zhao Wumian led the way in front, and when he went out, his face had changed.
The two got on the car from the back door. There were rewards and old things from the Lu family in the car. The interior was spacious and covered with animal skins, making it very comfortable.
Lu Chang felt quite comforted. Although the emperor refused to accept advice, he knew that he was loyal. Otherwise, there would not be such a large carriage and such a comfortable environment.
"drive!"
Zhao Wumian pulled the reins and the carriage started off.
"Lü Gong, do you still need to say goodbye to your old friends in the capital?"
"No need."
Lu Chang sighed, "I only have two close friends. One is the Grand Secretary and the Prince's Guardian Song Lian, and the other is the Earl of Sincerity Liu Bowen. Song Lian retired in the tenth year of Hongwu, and Liu Bowen also retired more than a month ago. As for other old friends, it would only make me sad if I saw them. Let's just go."
When Lu Chang said this, he glanced at Zhao Wumian and asked, "Do you know Wei Yang?"
"Yes."
Zhao Wumian said, "If Lu Gong wants to see her, I will send a message immediately."
"never mind."
Lu Chang shook his head and smiled: "This girl has great magical powers. It will be easy for her to see me. I am wearing prison clothes now. It will be sad for her to see me. I'd better wait for her at home."
"Alright."
Zhao Wumian nodded and drove the carriage secretly out of the capital from Qingliang Gate.
There are no bandit problems in Yingtian Prefecture and Fengyang Prefecture around the capital, so you can travel slowly and safely.
Lu Chang was an upright official. In his spare time, he loved playing chess and collecting antiques. It happened that Zhao Wumian also knew chess and could even play blind chess. Lu Chang had nothing to do, so he dragged Zhao Wumian to play chess. Zhao Wumian was also free, so he secretly practiced his Qi while dealing with the old man. The two became more and more familiar with each other and moved further and further away from Beijing.
As Lu Chang got closer to home, he no longer thought about state affairs, and gradually relaxed his mind and returned to his true nature.
A few days later, the two men left Fengyang Prefecture and arrived in Guide Prefecture, where the bandit problem began to increase.
At this time, Lu Chang had already changed out of his prisoner uniform and put on soft cotton clothes. Zhao Wumian also took off his general flag officer uniform and put on a black silk suit. The two looked like a grandfather and grandson going out for a trip.
Such a large carriage, decorated in such a luxurious manner, naturally attracted attention.
"Bah!"
Suddenly, two big men, one tall and one short, jumped out onto the official road, each holding a machete. A group of people rushed out from the surroundings, all wearing khaki clothes and with red bandages on their right hands.
"I opened this road, I planted this tree."
Zhao Wumian sat on the shaft of the cart and said leisurely, "If you want to pass through here, you have to leave money for passage."
"..."
The two leading bandits were about to speak, but they were stunned when they heard these two sentences.
The shorter one said, "Second brother, his words are more fluent than ours!"
The tall man's face darkened: "Shut up!"
Zhao Wumian and Lu Chang couldn't help laughing.
Zhao Wumian took out the document from the Ministry of War, checked the surrounding mountains, and said, "The Iron Horn Gang of Iron Horn Peak in Mangdang Mountain has occupied the former Yuanbing Village and caused trouble for the area. The leader is Shen Gang, an abandoned disciple of the Northern Heavenly Sword Sect. He practices the sect's unique sword techniques "Overlord Armor" and "Overlord Sword". He is thirty-five years old this year and has reached the seventh level of the second realm..."
The two bandits were shocked and stared at him in astonishment: "You, what are you doing..."
The minions around were also startled and looked at each other in confusion.
"The second in command, Wu Lie, is a disciple of Pengjiazhai in Yunzhou. He practices the 'Five Tigers Breaking Gate Sword Technique', also known as the 'Soul Breaking Sword'. He is at the second level, fourth stage."
Zhao Wumian continued to read: "The third master, Ma Tianxiong, is a disciple of Henan Liefeng Hall. He practices the "Wild Wind Sword Technique" and "Wild Wind Palm Technique". He is known as the 'Life-Chasing Sword'. He is at the second level and third stage..."
Zhao Wumian looked up and looked at the two with interest: "So, you are Wu Lie, and you are Ma Tianxiong?"
"Formation!"
The tall Wu Lie roared loudly, and the surrounding minions immediately dispersed into three layers inside and outside, and began to move quickly according to their positions. All their energy locked onto the carriage, ready for battle, as if facing a powerful enemy!
"Military battle formation."
Zhao Wumian raised his eyebrows and smiled, then jumped off the carriage: "No wonder the government can't do anything to you, you are quite capable."
"kill!"
At Wu Lie's command, all the bandits rushed forward.
"Use heaven and earth as your army, and start the battle!"
Zhao Wumian stepped on the ground, and a huge Bagua Tai Chi diagram appeared under his feet, radiating out to a radius of ten feet.
Everyone in the formation felt the terrifying pressure coming from all directions, from the sky and from the ground.
It was as if the surrounding heaven and earth, and all natural phenomena, had transformed into an invisible force, pressing down on them like a mountain!
Everyone groaned and froze in place. The pressure on their bodies grew greater and greater, and the suction from the ground became stronger and stronger. Their realms were low, and they couldn't even move their legs in the face of this force. They couldn't even lift their heads, and it forced them to their knees and lies down!
Wu Lie and Ma Tianxiong were about to attack with knives when they noticed something strange happening on the battlefield. They were horrified and quickly retreated.
not good!
This person is a warlock!
"The sky and the earth are dark yellow, Qiankun transforms into qi, the five elements rotate, the tide of the wood sea!" Zhao Wumian pinched the seal with his hands, and transformed the qi in the sky, the qi underground, and even all the power of the five elements in the formation into the wood element. Thick vines broke out of the ground and coiled around their throats like poisonous snakes!
Dozens of minions were unable to move and could only watch the vines coming towards them. Their faces changed instantly, and they were horrified!
Vines entangled their necks.
Zhao Wumian's hand seal changed.
The vines suddenly tightened.
click!
click!
click!
All you can hear is the crisp sound of popping beans.
All the minions in the formation had their cervical vertebrae broken and died with their eyes open!
Lu Chang sighed secretly.
"Quickly retreat!!"
Outside the formation, Wu Lie and Ma Tianxiong were both terrified!
In just a moment, the brothers who were full of energy just now all turned into corpses!
The two were so frightened that they turned around and tried to run, but before they could take a step, two hands were placed on their shoulders.
The enormous force directly crushed their shoulder blades!
The two screamed and struggled desperately, but the two hands were like two iron clamps and did not move at all. Then the terrifying suction came, and the two immediately felt the rapid loss of their Qi! Not only the Qi, but also their own blood and Qi strength. As one grew, the other grew. The suction became stronger and stronger, but their strength became less and less, and soon they became soft like a pool of mud.
"Who...are...you..."
The two hands loosened their grip, and the two men fell to the ground, dying, unable to speak clearly.
"Zhao Wumian."
Zhao Wumian casually sent out two Yangwu sword energies, piercing through the eyebrows of the two men.
The two men tilted their heads and stopped breathing.
Zhao Wumian turned around and said, "Lü Gong, there is still a bandit leader on the mountain. I'll be back soon."
Lu Chang nodded: "Go ahead."
Zhao Wumian disappeared in a flash.
Lu Chang sighed as he looked at the dead bodies all over the ground.
Although he was a scholar, he had also experienced war and seen dead people.
These bandits robbed and murdered civilians, and it’s fine if they die, but the reason is one thing and seeing it with your own eyes is another. It’s like the saying “A gentleman stays away from the kitchen”: A gentleman, when seeing animals alive, cannot bear to see them die; when hearing their cries, cannot bear to eat their flesh.
Meat is for eating, but it is always unbearable to see it being slaughtered.
The evil ones must be killed, but witnessing them with your own eyes still brings up a lot of emotions.
After these days of contact, Lu Chang knew Zhao Wumian's character. If it were him, these people would never die so beautifully, at least they would not be strangled to death - the vines formed by the power of the wood element could directly pierce their throats, and then there would surely be a river of blood.
He is already thinking about himself.
Lu Chang sighed: "The country has just been established, and we really need drastic measures..."
According to his opinion, not everyone should be sentenced to death. They can work together with the government to punish them according to the law.
But what Zhao Wumian did could not be said to be wrong. Guide Prefecture had sent troops to attack several times before, but all failed, and the government troops suffered heavy casualties. Even just for the sake of those who died, they should be made to pay with their lives.
Lu Chang simply lowered the curtains and pretended not to see anything.
Zhao Wumian came back soon. His clothes were clean and there was no sign of fighting, but there was some sweat on his forehead. His realm was raised to the second and third level, and he had an extra bag on his back.
"End?"
"It's over."
Zhao Wumian put the bag in the car, and all the muscles in his body began to tremble slightly.
He breathed in and out, slowly eliminating the aftereffects, while driving. He casually opened the bag, and suddenly a dazzling golden light appeared.
Lu Chang's eyes twitched, and he saw a slender sword inside, with the words "Cicada Wing" engraved on the scabbard, as well as two secret books, three thousand taels of silver notes, a dozen ingots of gold, a few pieces of jade, and an atlas.
"..."
A second-rank official in the Ming Dynasty had a monthly salary of 61 dan and an annual salary of 732 dan, equivalent to 366 taels of silver.
This guy got eight or nine years' salary of a second-rank official after killing the first group of bandits...
"Is the emperor punishing you or rewarding you?"
Lu Chang looked at these things, feeling a bit amused and helpless: "Besides the King of Backers, there are two more. You got so much in this trip. I'm afraid you can buy a big house when you return."
"You can't count it that way."
Zhao Wumian raised his whip and said with a smile, "One yellow-grade medium-grade red ginseng costs one thousand taels of silver. Even if you bring back ten thousand taels, you can't buy any good medicine. This is a life-threatening job. There are many Jinyiwei in the Zhenfu Division, and many die outside every year. Take the King of Backer Mountain for example. At least one thousand households, four hundred households, and more than thirty general flags died on Yunmeng Mountain to get such detailed intelligence today. Those people can't get a penny."
"That's right..."
Lu Chang sighed: "After going through mountains of swords and seas of fire, these material possessions really don't mean much."
"I heard that Lu Gong is quite knowledgeable about bronze, stone and antiques. Could you help me take a look at what this is?"
Zhao Wumian unfolded the album and saw a huge painting that was ten feet long and two feet wide.
The things painted on it are a mess, there are evil spirits, Buddhas, and many animals. All kinds of patterns are mixed together into one picture, which makes people dizzy.
Lu Chang was indeed a university scholar. He understood it at a glance and stroked his beard and said, "This is the 'Selected Buddhas from the Four Lands and Three Views' painted by Mao Ziyuan, the founder of the White Lotus Sect. It should be a copy... The Buddha statues and Buddha lands in the White Lotus Sect are painted on it. Buddha lands are where the Buddha lives. This is the human world, this is the animal world, the heaven world, the Asura world, the voice-hearer world..."
"The White Lotus Sect again?"
After listening to this, Zhao Wumian frowned and asked, "Why are there so many White Lotus Sect members?"
"The Ming King has been born."
Lu Chang said: "The first person who stood up to resist the tyranny of the previous Yuan Dynasty was the White Lotus Sect leader Han Shantong. 'Three thousand tiger soldiers, straight to the land of Youyan; the dragon flew to the sky, reopening the sky of the Song Dynasty'. Han Shantong used this as a battle flag, claiming to be the eighth-generation grandson of Song Huizong, and launched an uprising in the name of restoring the Song Dynasty, which led to the formation of the Red Turban Army.
After Han Shantong was killed by a general of the Yuan court, his subordinate Liu Futong supported the "Little Ming King" Han Lin'er to become emperor and founded the Song Dynasty, starting a vigorous anti-Yuan war. The current emperor also served as prime minister and marshal in the Han Song court, but when the world was pacified, the Han Song emperor and White Lotus leader Han Lin'er was killed in the Yangtze River..."
Lu Chang shook his head and there was no need to say anything else.
Zhao Wumian also understood.
Zhu secretly developed his own power under the Han Song court. When the name of the court was no longer useful, he immediately killed Han Lin'er, established the Yuan Dynasty, and turned around to label the White Lotus Sect as a cult. He suppressed it in various ways. No wonder they were causing trouble everywhere.
It is considered as turning against someone.
The rebels in the world are dissatisfied with the imperial court, so they always need a pretext, and the best one is to avenge Emperor Han Song and the leader of the White Lotus Sect, Han Liner.
There might be former members of the White Lotus Sect among these bandits.
"If you don't know your own limitations, you're courting death."
Zhao Wumian sneered.
Lu Chang said solemnly: "Don't underestimate them. I practice qigong and sword only to cultivate my mind and cultivate my character. I am not a martial artist, but I have heard some secrets from others. The White Lotus Sect was founded only more than 200 years ago, but it originated from the Lotus Sect, and the Lotus Sect has a long history.
In the past, Chen Youliang was able to compete with the emperor because he was supported by the White Lotus Sect and possessed the relics of the fourth ancestor of the Lotus Sect, the great monk Fazhao, and obtained his cultivation and Buddhist magical powers. However, he also rebelled against the White Lotus and set up his own sect, but was ultimately defeated by the emperor's secret martial arts...
The White Lotus Sect has been suppressed repeatedly, its teachings are increasingly cruel, its followers are vicious, and they are not afraid of death or injury. I heard that they also use drugs to stimulate body functions. It is already a complete "evil sect"... In short, you should pay more attention and be careful. "
"Ah."
Zhao Wumian nodded and looked at the picture: "I really want to see their magical skills and secrets. I hope Wang Xi can also do it. Then I can disguise myself as a member of the White Lotus Sect, sneak into the sect, kill their people, and take their treasures!"
Lu Chang: “…”
It seems like I'm worrying too much.
(End of this chapter)
