Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 360 I Don’t Want to Play with You Anymore
Pei Yuan looked at Lu Ting with approval, "Brother Lu has a careful mind and considers things thoroughly. He knows everything about the operation of the Ming Dynasty court. I admire him very much."

Lu Ting was very happy.

Getting the affirmation from Brother Pei made him feel sweeter than eating honey.

What does this mean?
This shows that he can finally keep up with Pei Yuan's ideas and pace, and can even express different opinions.

He has grown up.

Lu Ting had just puffed up his chest with pride when he heard Pei Yuan say sincerely, "People like me don't need to think so much. Because Li Shishi, who took over the affairs of the Censorate, is now my man."

Lu Ting was almost blown to pieces by Pei Yuanxiu's attack.

You fucking horse.

I won't play with you anymore.

It took Lu Ting a long time to calm down.

Then he stopped pretending and directly pointed out the key point, "Brother, I also know that you have great powers. I just want to know, who are you helping this time?"

Pei Yuan still maintained his previous sincerity, "I just said that I don't like fighting in my life, but I like to resolve conflicts. Maintaining the current situation is nothing more than a fisherman gaining from the quarrel between the snipe and the clam."

Pei Yuan spread his hands and said helplessly, "But I don't know the other people who benefited from it."

"Such a great achievement is right before our eyes. The post-war political landscape is determined by a single thought. Rather than letting someone unknown gain the benefits, it is better for us to divide the benefits in advance before the situation collapses."

Pei Yuan looked at Lu Ting and said meaningfully, "Eunuch Lu doesn't want to be like Gu Dayong, working hard but getting nothing in return."

When Lu Ting heard Pei Yuan mention Gu Dayong, his eyes narrowed slightly.

He replaced Gu Dayong to take the position, so of course he knew how the process of taking the position happened.

The assault at Xiaohekou outside Xuzhou City had been planned by the man in front of him a long time ago.

Even when the Bazhou rebels had not yet moved south and Lu Ting was just doing an idle job in Nanzhi, Pei Yuan had planned all of that.

What if...

If Gu Dayong can reach a tacit understanding with the person in front of him before that, then what else does he have to do?

The Bazhou rebellion might have been put down several months ago!
And now.

The current situation is very similar to that time.

Once the Bazhou bandits sail south from Tuanfeng Town, will another "Lu Ting" appear and reap the credit?
By then, would I be like Gu Dayong, dismissed from my post in a miserable way and have to return to Beijing to be questioned?

Thinking of this, Lu Ting felt a little chilly.

Besides that, he felt a little heartbroken when he looked at Pei Yuan.

My brother and I are very close, and he thinks about me.

He couldn't help but ask, "Did you also advise Gu Dayong in the same way during the battle at Xiaohekou?"

Pei Yuan was stunned for a moment, then rejected it outright, "How is that possible?"

Then he said frankly, "How can the relationship between you and me be compared to that of Gu Dayong? If it weren't for the division of this interest, which involved Brother Lu, why would I have to travel day and night to rush here from the capital."

Lu Ting felt slightly relieved after hearing this and patted Pei Yuan's shoulder vigorously.

Pei Yuan's eyes also turned red.

The main thing is..., if it involves other people, no one will pay attention to me even if I come.

Pei Yuan took advantage of the situation and said, "The current situation is still under my control for the time being, and I can still seek the greatest benefit for Brother Lu. If I let it go and let this matter deteriorate, I am afraid that Brother Lu will end up with nothing."

Speaking of business, Lu Ting also became serious, "Brother, can you really be sure that the Censorate will not pay any attention to this matter?"

Pei Yuan patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry. For such a big thing as annihilating the rebels in Bazhou, the Chief Censor Li Shishi will definitely come in person. I can guarantee that even if you give him a few dogs, he will bite them to death. These are Liu Liu, Liu Qi and others."

Lu Ting breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's not the case."

"As for the Bazhou Army..." Lu Ting paused, not knowing how to bring up the matter.

He was already very sure that Pei Yuan must have some connection with the Bazhou Army, otherwise he would not have dared to say that the situation was still under his control.

As for why the rebel leaders of Bazhou might obey the orders of this captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it is not surprising at all.

Unexpectedly, Pei Yuan said to Lu Ting, "You are the eunuch in charge of military affairs, and I am the commander of the imperial guards. If we go to contact the rebels with our identities, what if the news leaks out? What if the rebels take advantage of the opportunity and threaten us in turn?"

Lu Ting was a little confused by Pei Yuan.

No, isn't this what you meant?

Pei Yuan said to Lu Ting, "What we want to do is to use the smallest cost to gain the greatest benefit."

"The escape of the Bazhou rebel leader is inevitable, but this matter cannot be led by us."

"Brother Lu, you don't have to do anything. You just need to launch an attack on the remnants of the Bazhou army immediately after the main force of the Bazhou bandits escape. Find the bandit leaders among the bandit troops!"

"Then, Brother Lu can decisively announce that this chaos has been completely quelled, ending this matter that has troubled the court for nearly two years."

Lu Ting immediately understood what Pei Yuan meant. A light bulb suddenly lit up in his mind and he blurted out, "You mean, you want me to take credit for it?"

Pei Yuan said to him calmly, "Collaborating with the enemy or taking credit for something? You can choose for yourself."

Pei Yuan patiently persuaded him, "Brother Lu doesn't even need to show up in person at that time. He only needs to hint to some specific military officers, and they will naturally bring the heads of the bandit leaders to Brother Lu."

Lu Ting's mind raced as he slowly sorted out Pei Yuan's thoughts.

It seems that this matter is not as difficult as I thought!

If it comes to colluding with bandits, no one would dare to get involved, but if they claim credit, and claim the great credit of suppressing the rebellion in Bazhou, those military officers would be very worried.

In this way, the Bazhou Army disappeared from the paper just like the "Qi Yanming" at the beginning.

They could then naturally return to the court and be rewarded according to their merits.

Lu Ting thought for a while and felt that it was not safe enough, so he hinted to Pei Yuan, "I am afraid that those Bazhou thieves are ignorant and will ruin our plan. Why don't we find a reliable person to communicate with and ask them what conditions they have?"

——Stop pretending, give me the truth.

Pei Yuan saw this and said to Lu Ting without hesitation, "Brother Lu, don't worry. They will probably never show up again in the future. Even if they show up again many years later, things will have changed and they will not be able to do anything about it."

Liu Liu, Liu Qi and the others are now being hated by everyone and have nowhere to go. Joining the King of Ning is their best option.

Prince Ning had been planning for a rebellion for many years, but unfortunately he never understood why so many important officials of the court supported him.

Not only did he not continue on the path of being a "virtuous king", but he also colluded with bandits and pirates, and was eventually targeted by the imperial court, and he was not ready yet.

People like Liu Liu and Liu Qi are in the hands of Prince Ning, so naturally Prince Ning will restrain them.

"As for the conditions." Pei Yuan said calmly, "It's not up to them to propose the conditions. Instead, they have to accept whatever I give them."

Lu Ting felt relieved, but he was also a little suspicious. Could this guy be targeting me?

Lu Ting was silent for a moment, his eyes moved a few times, and finally he sighed, "Then let's do as Brother Pei said."

Pei Yuan heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that he had convinced Lu Ting.

The key to this matter lies in the imperial army. As for Liu Liu, Liu Qi and others, they should be content as long as they have a way to survive and can lick their wounds in King Ning's territory.

If they were ignorant, Pei Yuan could also organize those generals who took credit for their achievements, pick out a small group of elite soldiers, and hunt them down to death.

Who cares who they are by then?

Pei Yuan thought of the incident of taking credit for something, and said to Lu Ting, "By the way, Eunuch Lu, show me the list of your generals."

Although Lu Ting felt it was a little strange, he didn't say much. He flipped through the books for a while, took out a book and gave it to Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan picked out a few names based on his rough impression.

Then he said to Lu Ting, "If there is a way, involve these people. They have a promising future. Let's send them up a level so that we can have something to hold against them."

Lu Ting glanced at Pei Yuan, then looked at the names and said, "Okay."

Pei Yuan felt that he had said too much, so he quickly took back his words and said seriously, "The emperor is a martial artist today, so it won't hurt to make some connections. I'm doing this for your own good."

Lu Ting smiled and said, "Okay."

Lu Ting asked again, "Do you have any specific plans? I see that you are exhausted and tired. If there is nothing important, go and have a good rest first."

Pei Yuan said to Lu Ting clearly, "I need your troops to stay here until the first of April."

Lu Ting frowned, "Why does it take so long?"

Pei Yuan asked, "Are you in trouble?"

Lu Ting replied, "If an army of 200,000 people stays in one place, it will attract a lot of attention. The Ministry of War has been keeping an eye on the movements on the front line, and I also need a clear excuse to convince the generals."

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and said, "The Bazhou Army will not move during these days. They should stay where they are until April 1st. You can tell everyone that you have received a secret report that the Bazhou Army is preparing for a decisive battle, and have your men be ready for battle."

"It just so happens that I have to have an excuse for my appearance here this time, so as to avoid leaving any traces. Just say... I got the information from the Nanjing Jinyiwei."

When Lu Ting heard that the Bazhou Army would also stay where they were and wait until April 1st, he couldn't help but laugh.

Without the instructions of a mastermind behind the scenes, would those bandits dare to stay still and wait for twenty days? However, he could not figure out Pei Yuan's intention of asking both sides to stop.

Pei Yuan finished explaining some trivial matters and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, it depends on King Ning’s reaction.

Unfortunately, no matter what Prince Ning decides, the Bazhou Army that dominates the north will be completely wiped out by Pei Yuan.

Lu Ting asked the conscripted laborers to clear out a campsite for Pei Yuan and his subordinates and to set up their military tents.

Pei Yuan persisted for a while, but became so tired that he led his men back to the tent to rest.

Pei Yuan slept until noon the next day when he woke up.

But I still feel very tired.

Pei Yuan guessed that it was because he slept with his clothes on and wrapped in a blanket.

Although I wasn't sleepy anymore after sleeping all night, my body still felt lazy and weak.

Pei Yuan felt hungry, so he quickly tidied his clothes and left the tent.

Perhaps because he heard that Pei Yuan had woken up, Lu Ting came over quickly and took Pei Yuan out for another drink and banquet.

During the banquet, everyone toasted each other and the atmosphere was much more enthusiastic than yesterday.

This time, Pei Yuan also saw Jiang Bin, and with Lu Ting's introduction, he got to know several other people, all of whom were on the list that Pei Yuan gave to Lu Ting.

Jiang Bin's life was very heroic.

When he was fighting on the Huai River, he was shot by three arrows, one of which hit him right in the face, with the arrowhead sticking out of his ear.

Jiang Bin drew out his sword and fought again, unstoppable.

Pei Yuanduo looked at the man twice, but had no intention of making close friends with him.

This person will be the most controversial figure in the next few years. Pei Yuan does not want to have too much involvement with him. It is much more convenient to let Lu Ting do things.

During the meal, Pei Yuan also told Lu Ting that he wanted to leave.

Lu Ting was shocked when he heard this, and quickly asked in a low voice, "How can you leave when you are about to do something big?"

Pei Yuan answered truthfully, "I came here secretly this time, so I can't delay too long. Besides, I have to take a concubine in the capital in a few days, so I am eager to go home."

Lu Ting felt a little regretful after hearing this, "I see. It's a pity that I am leading the army outside and cannot attend your wedding banquet."

As he spoke, he remembered something and asked, "I heard someone say that you've always been thinking about your Han Qianhu?"

Pei Yuan was shocked when he heard this. "Did the news reach you?"

What do these eunuchs usually gossip about?
Thinking of Captain Han, Pei Yuan felt a little uneasy.

Damn, my letter should have reached Han Qianhu by now...

She won't come and beat me to death.

Captain Pei, who had just easily put out a war that had been burning for more than a year, suddenly became a little cowardly.

Lu Ting recalled that when he sent people to Nanjing Jinyiwei to retrieve Pei Yuan's files, hundreds of people were killed. He once again felt a desire to find talent, and sincerely advised, "Captain Han is not someone you can easily mess with. Why don't you also enter the palace? As long as I become the seal holder of the Silijian, I will definitely let you write."

Pei Yuan said this was not necessary.

After the banquet, Pei Yuan did not stay. He took his men to say goodbye to Lu Ting and went to a nearby county town to rest.

Pei Yuan found a good hotel, took a comfortable shower, and then had a good sleep in bed. Only then did he finally recover his strength.

Early the next morning, Pei Yuan went straight back to Beijing.

The situation on the Bazhou Army's side is very complicated. Once a few bandit leaders prepare to escape, they will inevitably make a certain degree of cuts.

The maximum number of people who could go with them was three to five thousand.

It is unknown how the rest of the people will react.

Even if Pei Yuan believed in his influence on Liu Liu, Liu Qi and others, he would not dare to gamble at this time.

Whatever the outcome on their end, they'll just have to accept their fate.

(End of this chapter)