The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

The wailing sound of the horn echoed sadly over the city of Nanyang!

The ruins of the Bell and Drum Tower have been cleared and turned into a huge execution platform.

Because there were too many people to be killed, and all the people in the city had to come to watch the execution, the area from the main road intersection to the execution platform was densely packed with soldiers from the Rui Shi Camp.

In the warm spring sunshine, armor, swords, guns and muskets flashed brightly, filled with murderous intent, and an atmosphere of tension and terror was created.

Ordinary people arrived one after another, and walked to the open space in front of the execution platform with gloomy faces and stood there. Countless pairs of eyes were filled with hostility as they looked at the soldiers of the Rui Shi Battalion who were maintaining order, and at the Nanyang Prefecture's prefect, Jia Yun, and the White Tiger Hall Master who were supervising the execution.

After experiencing the assassination, the soldiers of the Ruishi Battalion became more nervous and pointed their spears and muskets at the people watching the execution.

Jia Yun and Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, looked at each other, walked forward, and announced to the common people in the audience what kind of crimes the sons, husbands, and brothers of the people who were about to be beheaded had committed in Xiaogan that had angered God and the people.

As the crimes were announced one by one, the faces of the people in the audience changed. The reason they hated the court was because Wang Ziteng allowed his subordinates to burn, kill, loot and rape women. They did not expect that the people who followed the White Lotus Sect to Hubei would commit the same crimes, and were even more vicious and heinous than Wang Ziteng's troops.

Silence, deathly silence.

Jia Yun was delighted. Just as Li Hu said, the vast majority of ordinary people were simple, kind and sensible.

Thinking of this, Jia Yun told everyone the consequences of assassinating an imperial official.

There was an immediate commotion.

Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, stepped forward, glanced at the onlookers, and shouted loudly: "Silence!"

It soon became quiet.

Jia Yun paused, and then released his ultimate move: if anyone reported one White Lotus remnant, he would be rewarded with one acre of land, and if anyone reported ten White Lotus remnants, he would be rewarded with an additional ten taels of silver. Cooperation was also allowed with no upper limit.

The silence lasted only a moment, and then there was a loud bang, and the commotion started again. If they were just one family reporting, they would still be afraid of retaliation, but if everyone reported together, then what would they be afraid of?

Jia Yun secretly admired Li Hu. Although this general was born a military man, his ability to control people's hearts was unmatched by ordinary people.

As for the land to be rewarded to the common people, most of the gentry and wealthy families in Nanyang Prefecture had been killed, and some of the land was ownerless.

At this time, Li Hu's personal guard came over and said to Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall: "General Bai, the commander-in-chief wants you to come over."

Bai Wu responded loudly, "Yes." Then he walked towards the government office with his personal soldiers.

More than a hundred soldiers with swords in their arms stood solemnly in front of the government office. Each of them was wearing a helmet and armor, looking extremely powerful.

Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, handed over his sword and walked in with his personal guards.

Before entering the main hall, the White Tiger Hall Master was stunned.

There was a bald-headed member of the White Lotus sect kneeling in the lobby. When he saw him come in, he gave him a strange smile.

The main seat was empty, and there was no sign of Li Hu.

The White Tiger Hall Master was stunned for a moment, but still walked in.

The guard standing solemnly by the back hall door came over and said to the White Tiger Hall Master, "Raise your hands."

The White Tiger Hall Master was slightly stunned, but still raised his hand.

The guard searched him very skillfully, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong with him, he said, "Go in."

The White Tiger Hall Master nodded and walked towards the back hall.

Behind him, the White Lotus sect member shouted, "White Tiger, you traitor!"

The White Tiger Hall Master paused, his face changed drastically, and then he turned to the White Lotus Sect member, and was horrified: He actually recognized him! How could it be possible? !
The White Lotus sect member wanted to say something, but the guard spoke up: "You want to be beaten?"

The White Lotus sect member quickly shut his mouth and just looked at Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, with eyes full of pride and pleasure of revenge.

The guard said to the White Tiger Hall Master, "Go in." The White Tiger Hall Master's eyes flickered. Outside the hall were all Li Hu's guards, and the same must be true in the back hall. If they started fighting, they would die. If they went in, there might be a glimmer of hope. Yes, since Li Hu sent someone to invite him in, it meant that he didn't have to kill him!

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and walked into the back hall.

As he stepped through the door, White Tiger Hall Master Bai Wu was stunned again.

There were no soldiers with guns and swords as imagined, only Li Hu sitting there quietly, writing something with a pen.

Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, looked around and his eyes fell on the curtain leading to the second hall. His warrior's intuition told him that there was someone behind the curtain.

At this moment, the door curtain was lifted, and Wang Daniu walked in with a bowl of medicine in his hand. He glanced at him, walked in front of Li Hu, and said softly, "Marshal, take the medicine."

Li Hu said "hmm", put down his pen, took the medicine bowl and drank it in one gulp, handed the empty bowl to Wang Daniu, picked up the pen and started writing again without even looking at Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall.

Wang Daniu walked out with the empty bowl.

Only Li Hu and the White Tiger Hall Master who was still standing there in a daze were left here.

It took a while for the White Tiger Hall Master to come back to his senses. He walked to a distance of about five steps from Li Hu and knelt down.

It was quiet, surprisingly quiet, so quiet that Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, felt uneasy. He glanced at Li Hu secretly, observing his reaction.

Finally, Li Hu put down his pen.

The White Tiger Hall Master asked tentatively, "Marshal."

Li Hu didn't look up, but just responded habitually: "Yeah." He spread out the blank chapter and started writing quickly.

The White Tiger Hall Master didn't dare to say anything and just knelt there quietly.

There was a sound of footsteps, and Wang Yaozu walked in from the front hall. He glanced at the White Tiger Hall Master who was kneeling there, walked to Li Hu, and said softly, "General, we have checked it out. These remnants of the Green Dragon Hall had been hiding in temples in Luoyang and Kaifeng. I heard that the people of Nanyang Prefecture hated the court, so they wanted to come here to recruit believers. As for the killing of the new Nanyang prefect, according to them, it was the new Nanyang prefect who was unlucky. He ran into them and killed him."

Li Hu didn't raise his head: "It has nothing to do with the local monks?"

"It doesn't matter." Wang Yaozu answered affirmatively.

Li Hu was silent for a moment, then asked, "How much land does the local temple have?"

Wang Yaozu: "I heard from the prefectural chancellor that nearly 25% of the farmland in Nanyang Prefecture is in the name of various temples, and these temples took in hundreds of White Lotus followers who had become monks after the war. They said that if they put down their butcher knives, they would become Buddhas instantly. These people have cut off the cause and effect of the secular world."

A cold light flashed in Li Hu's eyes. He was not a bloodthirsty person. He heard that these bald men were the remnants of the Qinglong Hall, so he gave up the idea of ​​killing all the monks. He didn't expect these bald thieves to be so bold and reckless. Bullshit "put down the butcher knife and become a Buddha on the spot". If that was true, why would these remnants of the Qinglong Hall appear here? !
In addition, these temples occupied a large amount of land and wealth, but did not have to pay taxes. They took so many benefits from the court, but they did not help the court during the White Lotus Rebellion. They accepted money and food offerings from the people, but they did not provide porridge or food.

Bai Wu, the head of the White Tiger Hall, sensed Li Hu's murderous intention and immediately realized that his chance had come. The state religion of Dashun was Taoism, but its influence was far less than that of Buddhism. Buddhist monks had a certain say in the court through close contacts with the royal family and nobles. If Li Hu personally ordered the slaughter of monks, it would definitely cause a strong backlash from Buddhism.

Now that his identity has been exposed, he can only cut off his tail to survive and surrender to Li Hu, becoming the knife in his hand.

Thinking of this, Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, said loudly: "Marshal, I am willing to share your worries and be the knife in your hand to cut off all the thorns on the road ahead for you!" As he said that, he kowtowed three times heavily.

Li Hu looked at him quietly.

Wang Yaozu smiled secretly, he was a smart man.

After a moment of silence, Li Hu spoke: "Are you okay?"

The White Tiger Hall Master raised his head and said, "I was ordered to hunt down the remnants of the Azure Dragon Hall. I discovered that the temple not only harbored the White Lotus Sect rebels, but also secretly did evil things and imprisoned many women. This matter will definitely not involve the Marshal!"

Li Hu looked at him, closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair: "You can deal with the monk outside together."

monk?

The White Tiger Hall Master understood. He was so excited that he tried his best to control his slightly trembling hands. He couldn't help but bow his head and said in a trembling voice: "From now on, my life will belong to the Marshal." (End of this chapter)