Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 322 Night Banquet
In Xiangyang City, in December, the weather had turned completely cold. At dusk, it suddenly began to rain in the city. The cold wind mixed with the drizzle made the streets in the city seem even more deserted.

The cold rain was falling in the city, but the Tianbao Tower was warm at this time.
In the private room of Tianbao Tower, the table was already filled with dishes, including three-sided plates, meat with sand filling, steamed lake fish, braised river shrimp, Yicheng's dried bamboo shoots and duck, Huangzhou's Dongpo pork, and a variety of dishes that made people salivate.

In the private room, Yang Kuang, the prefect of Xiangyang, Li Shifa, the prosecutor, Wang Guangtai, the deputy general of the left camp of Xiangyang, Wang Chang, the newly appointed deputy general of the right camp of Xiangyang, Yang Wenfu, Qi Shangyou and others were all sitting around the table.

The officials were toasting each other in a lively atmosphere. After three rounds of drinking, the officials of Xiangyang Prefecture also gathered in their own places.

The prefect Yang Kuang, Li Shifa and other civil officials were each hugging the singing girl and chatting with the moon. The military officials Wang Guangtai and Yang Wenfu were also gathered together, chatting in low voices.
At this time, both sides had drunk wine. The soldiers in the army were always big drinkers. Several military officials also had slightly red faces. Yang Wenfu looked at Wang Guangtai, who was beside him and looked generous, and suddenly said:

"I have just arrived in Xiangyang, and I am flattered to have General Wang come to welcome me personally. I will drink this cup first, brother Wang, please feel free to do as you please. I hope you will take care of me in Xiangyang from now on."

Yang Wenfu picked up the wine bowl on the table and drank it all. Then he suddenly took out an envelope from his sleeve.

"This time I came to Xiangyang, and the governor ordered me to bring General Wang's transfer order with me."

"This document should be handed over to Brother Wang when I go to the yamen tomorrow, but fortunately Brother Wang came to welcome me today, so I will hand it over to Brother Wang together, and save him from this tedious process."

"When I was in Anlu, I heard that General Wang would be promoted to General of Jingmen soon. General Wang's family has three generals, which is really the envy of others."

According to the information in Wang Guangen's letter, Wang Guangen was still appointed as the general of Xiangyang and stayed in Xiangyang. Wang Guangtai was promoted to the general of Jingmen and Wang Chang was promoted to the general of Qianjiang.
If this arrangement is really made, with the three brothers of the Wang family as the three generals, they can really be called a powerful and prestigious person in Hubei Province.

Wang Guangtai smiled when he heard this and said

"I dare not. It is all the grace of the court. We can only work hard to repay the court's kindness."

Everyone in the room was talking to themselves when the door of the private room suddenly opened. The cold wind outside blew into the room, bringing in a little cold rain, and the stuffy air in the room was instantly swept away.
A servant in black clothes walked into the room with a charcoal basket covered with a red cloth.

Wang Chang, who had been silent, looked at the red cloth on the charcoal cage and sat up straight with a stern look on his face.

Wang Guangtai, who was chatting with Yang Wenfu, suddenly turned around and glanced at Wang Chang beside him with a cold expression on his face.

Wang Chang saw Wang Guangtai's expression and fell silent again. He sat back in his chair with an expressionless face.

The servant added more charcoal to the charcoal stove and soon left the room, closing the door again.
Wang Guangtai turned around with a smile on his face, took the document from Yang Wenfu, but did not look at it. He put it directly on the seat next to him, and then said

"Thank you, Brother Yang. You have come from afar, but it is too late today."

"Xiangyang is a place of beautiful mountains and rivers. The scenery of Lumen Temple and White Horse Spring is beautiful and there are many things to see. Tomorrow I will take Brother Yang on a tour, which will be regarded as a courtesy to the host."

Yang Wenfu heard this, his eyes flickered slightly, and he said

"I had a great chat with Brother Wang today. We really hit it off right away. I am also willing to travel with Brother Wang and see the scenery of Xiangyang."

"It's just that the pseudo-Ming in Jingzhou is attacking the city very urgently. Before leaving, Pan Futai had explained that Brother Wang should rush to Anlu as soon as possible to discuss sending troops to rescue."

"I will be working in Xiangyang from now on. There is a long time to come, so there is no need to rush now."

Wang Guangtai smiled when he heard this and replied:

"In that case, I won't force you. Although this is our first meeting, I feel like we're old friends. In that case, I have something to ask for your help."

"Brother Wang, please tell me what you want. As long as I can do it, I will never refuse."

Wang Guangtai looked at Yang Wenfu, who looked generous, and suddenly spoke softly.

"May I ask Brother Yang, is my brother Wang Guangen alive or dead now?"

Yang Wenfu's expression suddenly froze, and the wine glass in his hand stopped in mid-air, but Yang Wenfu quickly reacted, put down the wine glass in his hand, and said with a puzzled look on his face

"Brother Wang, what do you mean by this? I am confused. General Wang is currently in Anlu discussing the rescue of Jingzhou with Governor Pan. How can there be any talk of life and death?"

"It seems that General Yang no longer wants to be my friend."

Wang Guangtai sighed, drank the wine in the bowl, and then suddenly threw the bowl to the ground.
The wine bowl fell to the ground and shattered with a loud bang. Then there was a loud bang at the door.

More than a dozen soldiers in iron armor suddenly rushed into the room, holding sharp blades, and instantly surrounded everyone at the wine table.

Wang Chang, who had been silent, suddenly looked cold and stood up and walked to the window.
Wang Chang opened the wooden window of the private room, took the whistle arrow handed to him by the soldier, raised his hand and shot it into the air

The black iron arrow shot into the rain, making a sharp whistle, and then there was a panic shouting and killing from downstairs. The shouting and killing only lasted for a moment, and soon disappeared again.
"Brother, I'm going first."

Wang Chang dropped his bow and arrow, and without even looking at the people in the field, he said something to Wang Guangtai, and then led two soldiers straight out the door.
The doors and windows of the private room were wide open, and the cold wind and rain poured into the room from the window, blowing the candlelight in the room to a dim light. Yang Kuang, the prefect of Xiangyang, slumped on the ground with a look of panic on his face, and said:

"General Wang, what's going on? What do you mean?"

Wang Guangtai looked at the confused officials on the island, his face calm. Before going to the banquet tonight, he knew that the officials in Xiangyang Prefecture should not know about the Yunyang incident.

This afternoon, Wang Guangtai proposed to Yang Kuang and others that the army should hold a banquet to welcome Yang Wenfu, on the grounds that Yang Wenfu was a military officer in the army.
Yang Kuang agreed to this without any hesitation. If Yang Kuang knew about Yunyang's incident, he would never change the venue of the banquet so easily.

It was natural that Yang Kuang didn't know about this. Wang Guangtai and his three brothers had been in Xiangyang for a long time, and there were many people in Xiangyang. Once Xiangyang was informed of the capture of the Wang brothers, the news would most likely be leaked, allowing Wang Guangtai and his brothers to notice it in advance.

Instead of doing this, it would be better to disguise it as a normal personnel transfer, so that Yang Kuang and others would be kept in the dark, which would make Wang Guangtai and his brothers let down their guard.
At this time, all the Xiangyang officials in the hall had been tied to the ground, leaving only Wang Guangtai sitting at the table. Two guards escorted Yang Wenfu to the front. Wang Guangtai looked at Yang Wenfu, whose robes were disheveled, and said softly, "General Yang, I will ask again, is my brother Wang Guangen alive or dead now?"

"General Wang, I really don't know what you mean. General Wang is now in Anlu Prefecture with Governor Pan to plan the rescue of Jingzhou. The court is now waiting for the Xiangyang army to rescue Jingzhou. How could it be..."

Wang Guangtai looked at Yang Wenfu who was in panic in front of him and sighed.

"It seems that General Yang is still unwilling to be Wang's friend"

As soon as Wang Guangtai finished speaking, his face turned cold. Wang Guangtai directly pressed Yang Wenfu's palm on the table, and suddenly a dagger came out of his hand.

A flash of cold light flashed across the table, and a finger was cut off immediately. Fresh red blood gushed out from the palm, instantly dyeing the table red.
Yang Wenfu screamed, his eyes instantly filled with bloodshot, veins popped out on his forehead, and he struggled continuously, but was held down firmly by the two soldiers beside him.
Wang Guangtai looked at Yang Wenfu who was struggling in front of him, with a ferocious look on his face, and said again

"I want to ask you, is my brother Wang Guangen alive or dead now?"

Yang Wenfu's forehead was covered with sweat, and the panic on his face had completely disappeared. A trace of fear flashed in Yang Wenfu's eyes, but his face was still fierce. He stared at Wang Guangen in front of him and said in a cold voice

"Wang Guangtai has now been taken to Wuchang. If you don't want him to die, you should confess your guilt to the court as soon as possible."

"Since the imperial court has already discovered your rebellion, they have already made arrangements. If you gather your troops and resist stubbornly now, you will only seek your own death."

"Wang Guangtai, it's not too late for you to stop now. As long as you are willing to apologize to the court, this matter will at most implicate you and your three brothers. If the court army attacks the city, all members of your Wang family will be implicated."

Wang Guangtai's face darkened instantly when he heard this.

Yang Wenfu was still threatening, but Wang Guangtai was no longer in the mood to listen to him. He called Li Shiying over and said

"Take them away, don't hold back, and find out the situation with Anlu and Big Brother as soon as possible."

Li Shiying responded, and then took the soldiers to take the Xiangyang officials away.

When Yang Kuang, the prefect of Xiangyang, and others saw that the soldiers were about to take them away, they were terrified and wanted to plead with Wang Guangtai.
But Wang Guangtai had no time to care about them at this time. All the officials were taken out of the room, and soon Wang Guangtai was the only one left in the room.

The table was a bloody mess. Wang Guangtai sat at the table with a gloomy look on his face.
If Wang Guangen was still in Anlu, he could try to lead his elite cavalry to launch a surprise attack and see if he could break into the city unexpectedly and rescue Wang Guangen.

But now Wang Guangen has been escorted to Wuchang, so Wang Guangtai and others have no chance of being rescued.
The doors and windows of the private room were wide open, and cold wind blew into the room, blowing the curtains into the air. However, Wang Guangtai seemed unaware of it, and just sat at the table, frowning and thinking.
After an unknown amount of time, a black-clad guard hurried into the room. This person was the guard Wang Guangtai had sent to Nanzhang.

The guard bowed to Wang Guangtai, and then reported in a low voice. After Wang Guangtai heard the guard's report, his expression became extremely ugly.
"What did that person say?"

"The attendant said that he would report the matter to Lord Gao immediately, and Lord Gao would go to Xiangyang as soon as possible. I also mentioned that Xiangyang was in a critical situation at the moment, but the man remained unmoved and only said that he would inform Lord Gao as soon as possible. I requested many times but was not allowed to see Lord Gao, so I had to ask someone to stay in Nanzhang and return to report first."

"Fuck"

Wang Guangtai shouted angrily and slammed his palm on the table, making a loud bang.

The guards beside him trembled as they looked at the angry Wang Guangtai, with a look of fear on their faces.
But soon Wang Guangtai regained his composure. He waved to his guards, who immediately left the room as if they had been pardoned.

Wang Guangtai dismissed his guards and sat in silence in the room again. The cold wind in the room was bone-chilling. Wang Guangtai looked at the dark night outside the room, and a sense of powerlessness rose in his heart.
But he knew that he must not show any sign of fatigue at this moment. The soldiers outside the door and the generals in the army were all watching him. If he panicked, the Wang family would be completely finished.

Wang Guangtai sat in the room woodenly. After a while, there was another sound of footsteps outside the door. Li Shiying walked into the room and said respectfully:

"General, I have already inquired clearly. This is the note found on the second thief Yang Wenfu."

Wang Guangtai had a calm expression on his face as he listened to Li Shiying's report on the interrogation.
The documents on the table were spread out. These two documents were the appointment documents of Yang Wenfu and the other two. On Yang Wenfu's document, the words "General of Xiangyang" were clearly written.

With Li Shiying's report, the whole incident began to become clear, and the results of the interrogation were almost consistent with Wang Guangen's speculation.

Li Zhigang, governor of Yunxiang, discovered that Gao Doushu was secretly transporting food to the Ming army under the name of Wang Guangen. After Pan Shiliang found out about this, he summoned Wang Guangen to Anlu in the name of a meeting and set up a trap to arrest him.
Gao Doushu later escaped. In order to prevent the Wang brothers from taking risks, he used the same old trick again. He wanted to lure the Wang brothers out of Xiangyang in the name of promotion, and then use Yang Wenfu to completely recruit the Xiangyang army.

Li Shiying's interrogation did yield some good news. Yang Wenfu's previous statement that the court was well prepared was completely a false threat.
The incident happened suddenly, and the governor thought his plan was perfect, so he did not mobilize troops to Xiangyang at this time.
Li Shiying had just finished his report when Wang Chang returned to the hall. He was wearing a suit of armor. The silver armor was soaked by the rain, and bloodstains could still be seen between the armor leaves.

Wang Chang took off his helmet and said coldly
"Second brother, all the 500 Green Camp soldiers brought by Yang Wenfu have been killed."

Wang Guangtai just nodded slightly after hearing this, and then looked at Li Shiying in the room and said

"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Li. I have contacted Gao Xiantai. At this time, the Governor of Jingzhou has already known the news of our rebellion. Gao Xiantai is rushing to Xiangyang and will enter the city soon to take charge of the situation."

"At this time, the turmoil in the city is still unsettled. I still need to stay in the city. Brother Li, please take care of the military. You must make it clear to the brothers in the camp that we have returned to the Ming Dynasty. We must not let any chaos occur in the camp."

Li Shiying's expression relaxed when he heard this, and he said

"General, rest assured. The soldiers in the army have long been dissatisfied with the haircut. The general ordered us to return to the Ming Dynasty. Now that Gao Xiantai has returned to take charge of the situation, no one in the army should object."

"But this matter is too sudden. After the general has pacified the city, he must go to the army with Gao Xiantai as soon as possible. This way, he can comfort the soldiers as soon as possible."

"Of course. After dealing with the Tartar officials in the city, I will invite Gao Xiantai to come to the camp to announce the imperial decree and take us back to the court."

"Then I will go now."

Li Shiying bowed to Wang Guangtai above him, and then hurriedly left the room. After Li Shiying left, only Wang Guangtai and Wang Chang were left in the room.
(End of this chapter)