Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 233 He is the thief army!

Chengan.

The smoke from cooking slowly rose and the city gradually woke up.

With a rustling sound, the courtyard gate was opened and a man walked out carrying farm tools, followed by his eldest son. The woman followed him all the way to the door, shouting something.

The vendors gathered at the alley entrance early, pushing their carts and shouting along the way, "Collect the slag bucket~~"

At the East Gate, a caravan was heading towards the West Market, with packhorses carrying goods, moving slowly forward. Occasionally, a woman came forward to ask for the price, but the merchants just shook their heads and pointed to the West Market in the distance, which had not yet opened.

The sound of dogs barking came from the yard. Several half-grown children were running wildly along the alley, followed by an equally half-grown puppy. The children were screaming and running very fast.

A few old people stuck their heads out, looked at this scene and laughed.

Outside the west city gate.

There were long queues of people entering and leaving the city.

Lu Qubing was dressed neatly and stood at the intersection, watching the people entering and leaving the city gate with a smile.

He was dressed in ordinary clothes, without any official uniform, and had no followers. The gatekeeper looked in his direction several times, but Lu Qubing ignored him.

"Does your Excellency need to wait to enter the city?"

There was a businessman with a thick beard, a strange appearance, brown hair and blue eyes. He was looking at Lu Qubing who was standing on the side of the road doing nothing, and suddenly asked.

Lu Qubing looked at him and was stunned for a moment. This man looked somewhat similar to Yao Xiong.

"I'm waiting for someone here."

"Oh, I see. My Lord, please eat some fruit. It's so hot."

"Thank you, thank you. No need. Where did you get this from?"

"It's shipped from Xuzhou. It's ripened earlier there. It's shipped to Ye, Cheng'an, and Linzhang. Only these places can afford it."

The businessman was talkative, and Lu Qubing was also talkative, so the two of them started chatting.

As they were chatting, the ground began to tremble slightly. The two stopped talking and looked into the distance.

Dust billows.

Lu Qubing looked at the city gate officer in the distance and signaled to him.

He looked at the merchant again and said, "Go through another city gate. It's better to hide for the next few days. You can go to Huainan to trade. Maybe it will be more peaceful there."

After he finished speaking, he left this place and headed towards the official road.

The merchants looked at him in surprise, while the city gate officials quickly began to disperse the crowd, and even they themselves began to flee.

Knights from all over the mountains appeared on the road.

These knights wore masks, and each of them rode multiple horses. They were able to maintain their formation while galloping, and they rushed towards Cheng'an City like a strong wind.

Baibao.

Lu Qubing stood at the front of the official road, took off the official seal from his waist and held it high.

The speed of the knights' charge gradually slowed down, and the commander rushed out from among them. The knights were so majestic, but the commander was a mess.

There was something wrong with the commander's armor. It was neither light nor heavy. The man did not cover his face with a mask. His riding skills were not very good and he looked shaky.

He came in front of Lu Qubing like this, and Lu Qubing even heard him let out a long sigh. The commander got off his horse and took a few deep breaths.

Several servants came forward and stood on his left and right.

The man walked up to Lu Qubing with difficulty, his expression complicated.

"Lu Jun."

Lu Qubing looked at him, also somewhat surprised, "Mr. Hu?"

Lu Qubing knew the commander of Baibao standing in front of him. His name was Hu Changhong, and he was Lu Qubing's classmate at the Imperial College.

"How did you become the commander of Baibao?"

Lu Qubing was very surprised, but Hu Changhong smiled bitterly, "Mr. Lu, now is not the time to ask about this, right?"

"Just curious, isn't it always Mengjiang who is in charge?"

Hu Changhong scratched his head helplessly, "I'm just a temporary commander. However, my Zhending Hu family, starting from our ancestor Hu Zun, has been a fierce general for generations. Why can't we lead the elite cavalry? But you, Lord Lu, why did you rebel?"

"You have become the Cheng'an magistrate at the age of less than 30, a fifth-rank official. I wonder how many people envy you. Why did you rebel?"

"I have never rebelled. I just mistook the angel for a spy of the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty. I surrender. Please take me to Yecheng. I want to see His Majesty. I have something to say to him."

"Don't worry about that. Killing an angel will shock the government and the public. You can't help it even if you don't want to."

Lu Qubing added: "I just hope the knights don't enter the city. The officials and their followers in the city have all fled, leaving only the common people. If the knights enter the city, it will definitely cause chaos."

Hu Changhong pursed his lips and looked at Cheng An in the distance. "It's not that I don't care about our old relationship, but it's really hard to disobey the imperial order. I want to arrest those who participated in the rebellion, including those who are close to you, Zhangjiacun..."

"I have driven away even the scattered officials, so why would I keep them?"

"If Mr. Hu wants to go, send someone to check Zhangjia Village."

"At this moment, I'm afraid we are almost in Shuozhou. If Mr. Hu wants to make a contribution, he might as well go to Shuozhou and ask General Anxi for the person."

Hu Changhong ignored him and ordered his men to take him into the prison van while he led his troops to capture him.

Lu Qubing did not lie to him. The people that the court had asked him to capture were now nowhere to be found. Some had escaped, some had run away.

Hu Changhong had no intention of giving chase. Catching the culprit would be enough to get his job done.

Hu Changhong escorted Lu Qubing back to Yecheng. As they walked along the road, there were green trees on both sides and the official road was flat and wide. The knights did not say a word, as if they were not living people. Each of them wore a cold mask. Hu Changhong had never even seen them eat or drink. As the commander, he was sometimes quite afraid of these people.

Hu Changhong rode his horse to Lu Qubing's side unknowingly.

"Your Majesty has ascended the throne. The Hu family will rise from now on. Congratulations."

Hu Changhong looked at Lu Qubing standing aside and did not respond. He just sighed and said, "Mr. Lu is still the same as always."

"When you were in the Imperial College, you were the best at studying classics, and everyone thought you would achieve great things. But you ended up arguing with the chief priest over a trivial matter and left in disgrace."

"Your family tried to get you a place in the army, but you fell out with your superiors again and were dismissed."

"You were promoted to the position of Imperial Censor earlier. We envied you again and thought you had a promising future. But you kept impeaching people. You even dared to impeach the King of Pengcheng, and you were exiled again."

"Cheng'an Ling, the next step is to be exiled as the governor of a large province. When the governor of a large province returns to the court, he will be given the title of Yitong and will sit alone for three days. But you are like this again."

“Why not cherish it?”

Lu Qubing laughed and said, "Because that's my nature. I don't learn from my mistakes and I keep making them over and over again. Naturally, I can't rise to the top like my classmates."

"Lord Lu, please don't laugh at me. I am just following orders. I have no ill will towards you."

"I'm not mocking you, I just feel that it's a shame to my famous ancestors to join He Shikai in seeking high office and high salary."

Hu Changhong's face flushed, "Mr. Lu! Please don't slander me! Who defected to He Shikai?!"

"When did I ever say it was you?"

Lu Qubing still looked smiling. Hu Changhong was angry for a long time, but he had nothing to say. He whispered, "I don't like He Shikai. Not only me, but my eldest brother doesn't like him either. Every time he comes home, he curses at He Shikai."

"You have no idea how evil this man is. He dared to swallow up half of the reward that His Majesty gave my family!"

"It's just that my sister likes him very much. What else can we do?"

Lu Qubing looked at him, then looked into the distance, "It's strange to say, the queen usually likes such a pampered traitor, but the consequence of doing so is often to harm her family. This has been the case for generations, but no one has a long memory. Everyone is like me, making mistakes again and again, and there is no place to bury my body. You have studied history with me in the past, what do you think?"

Hu Changhong's face changed and he was suddenly speechless.

"I am not plotting a rebellion. He is the one who is colluding with Shi Kai and the Pseudo-Zhou and wants to rebel."

"what?!"

Hu Changhong's eyes widened. Lu Qubing said slowly, "Huo Lüguang is no longer favored, so you are temporarily in charge of the Baibao. If He Shikai is not valued, then the three positions of the Shizhong belong to all seven of you brothers, right?"

"When doing things, don't just focus on the small profits in front of you."

After Lu Qubing finished speaking, he closed his eyes and rested.

Hu Changhong couldn't sit still any longer. "How is this conspiracy? How is this collusion?!"

"Please explain clearly!!"

"Please don't be silent!!"

"You usually talk so much, why do you keep silent when it matters most?!"

Imperial Palace. Gao Zhan sat on the upper seat, his face gloomy, his eyes sharp, and he was extremely angry.

Several important ministers sat on both sides, all silent.

He Shikai frowned, feeling that something was wrong.

He knew that Lu Qubing was a tough guy and not the kind of person who was afraid of death. If this guy was brought to the court and interrogated by the emperor, who knew what he would say.

But what Lu Qubing did this time was too serious, almost like a slap in the face of Gao Zhan. The emperor was unwilling to give up easily and insisted on arresting him for interrogation.

He Shihua bribed the main general with money, hoping to let Lu Qubing die in the battle. However, when the troops were about to set off, the emperor suddenly replaced them and let the useless Hou Qi Hu Changhong lead the troops.

He Shikai had no friendship with the other party, so even if he wanted to establish a temporary rapport, it would be too late.

In addition, this temporary substitution made He Shikai immediately alert.

His Majesty the Emperor is not a stupid and incompetent person. He Shikai knows him very well. Most of the time, he is just too lazy to think and too lazy to do things. This does not mean that he is stupid and incurable. Perhaps he has realized something.

He Shikai didn't dare to act recklessly anymore.

But he was not afraid. Everything he did was done at the suggestion of the emperor. If he had to take the blame, then he would take it. However, there might be some problems with those two alchemists.

However, this is not a big deal. Anyway, I am just using them temporarily to deal with Liu Taozi. After dealing with Liu Taozi, I can deal with them and make them my own credit.

Several important ministers sitting in front of Gao Zhan looked at each other, their expressions becoming increasingly complicated.

The hall was quiet and silent.

This kind of atmosphere makes people feel very uncomfortable. They feel numb all over and dare not move.

I don't know how long it was before a warrior finally walked in and broke the silence. Some of them wiped their sweat, some changed their sitting position and adjusted themselves quietly.

The warrior came in and bowed to Gao Zhan, who ordered the criminal to be escorted in.

Soon, Hu Changhong appeared at the entrance of the hall with Lu Qubing.

Outside the hall, one could vaguely see blood, and the roads in the city were also covered with blood.

Lu Qubing was tied up and brought in front of Gao Zhan, where he was pinned to the ground.

Gao Zhan stared with his eyes wide open, looking at the vicious man in front of him, with a look as if he wanted to bite him into pieces and eat him.

"Your Highness, I, Lu Qubing, pay my respects to your Majesty!!"

When Gao Zhan heard this, he immediately burst into laughter, and his laughter was quite crazy.

"You attacked and killed angels, and brought chaos to the capital, but why are you so timid in front of me? Why don't you scold me a few times?!"

Lu Qubing raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, it was not me who killed the angel, but He Shikai!"

"It is not me who is causing chaos in the capital, but Your Majesty!"

Gao Zhan's scalp was numb and his whole body was about to explode. He jumped up suddenly, "Be beaten to death! No!! Be torn into pieces by five horses!!"

Lu Qubing showed no fear, he continued: "Your Majesty, the one who wielded the knife was Heba Cheng, the Minister of Five Armies."

Gao Zhan signaled the soldiers to stop and turned his head to look at Heba Ren standing beside him.

Heba Ren's eyes widened. "Nonsense! Nonsense! Your Majesty!"

He Shikai also hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this man is talking nonsense. I don't know what unjustifiable words he will say later. It is best to kill him directly."

Gao Zhan narrowed his eyes, his anger gradually dissipated, and he sat down again, "Where is Heba Cheng?"

Heba Ren was a little flustered. He looked at He Shikai, who quickly looked at the warriors in the distance and said, "Someone, go get Heba Cheng!"

"What are you still lying about?!"

"He is neither in Yecheng nor in Cheng'an. I'm afraid he has already arrived in Dingzhou."

Lu Qubing said seriously: "This matter is not treason, but silencing."

He Shikai quickly looked at the emperor and blinked. Gao Zhan also realized something, but he didn't care. "Murder him?"

The important officials perked up at this moment, frowned and looked at Lu Qubing.

Seeing the appearance of the important official, Gao Zhan instantly changed his mind and said, "This is a serious matter. He Shikai, take the man down for interrogation."

"Your Majesty! Why do you need to take him out for interrogation?!"

Gao Rui slowly stood up and looked at He Shikai. He said, "Lu Qubing just said that He Shikai wanted to silence him. If that's the case, how can we hand him over to He Shikai?"

Gao Rui looked at Lu Qubing and said, "Tell me, why did he want to silence me?"

Gao Zhan's eyes changed when he looked at Gao Rui.

"I don't think it's necessary."

"His Majesty!!"

Another person flashed out. This person looked quite similar to Gao Zhan, but was much taller than Gao Zhan. He was burly, not much different from Liu Taozi, with sharp eyes. He looked at He Shikai unhappily, then looked at Gao Rui, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "I think we should let him know that attacking and killing angels is not a trivial matter."

This person's name is Gao Xiaoyu.

He was the eldest son of Emperor Wenxiang Gao Cheng, and the elder brother of Gao Changgong and Gao Yanzong.

He is the same age as Gao Zhan and they grew up together. Their relationship as uncle and nephew is deeper than that of brothers. Gao Zhan loves him very much. On Gao Zhan's way to power, Gao Xiaoyu helped him many times and he is a real confidant.

He was handsome, strong and sturdy, humble and generous to others, with an amazing memory. He could read ten lines at a glance, and after playing chess, he could re-play the game in the original order. But his hobbies were like his father's: he loved luxury, women, and fun, and he would indulge himself madly from time to time.

Gao Zhan frowned, looking a little unhappy.

Gao Rui and Gao Xiaoyu were both my most resolute supporters in the past. Why have they changed their attitudes now and are against me in everything? ?
And the same goes for Gao Guiyan.

How come these people have changed so much?!
After these two people spoke, Gao Zhan looked at Lu Qubing with a stern face. Lu Qubing got the chance and said, "Your Majesty, not long ago, Heba Cheng sent someone to find me and said that he accidentally heard He Shikai and the Fifth Army Minister Cui Ang conspiring to secretly replace the money and food supplies sent to the front line and enrich themselves."

"He wanted me to find a way to gather some food. If the money and food were really replaced, it could be sent to the border a second time to prevent the border soldiers from suffering a defeat due to the problem of money and food."

"The next day, Heba Cheng fled to Cheng'an and said that He Shikai had sent someone to kill him."

"We were discussing countermeasures and thinking about how to report to His Majesty when an angel came and said that he was under the order of He Shikai and wanted to kill us to silence us. I had no choice but to fight back!"

He Shikai's face was calm. Even when the matter was pointed out to him in person, he did not panic at all.

The matter of replacing money and grain was originally agreed upon between him and the emperor.

Gao Zhan was shocked, and then very angry, "Nonsense! He Shikai has been by my side these days, how could he have the opportunity to do so many things?!"

"Your Majesty, many people must have seen He Shikai go to the Five Arms Minister's Mansion and even sent people to Heba Cheng's Mansion. We can find out by calling them over and asking them."

After hearing this, Gao Rui couldn't bear it anymore.

Gao Rui had been at the border for many years. He had saved many civilians and done many good things. The people at the border loved him very much, and he also had a special feeling for the border.

Even without talking about the personal grudge with He Shikai, just the thing that He Shikai was about to do this time was enough for Gao Rui to endure.

After Gao Zhan ascended the throne, He Shikai's constant instigation made the relationship between Gao Zhan and Gao Rui increasingly worse. Now Gao Rui had to write a letter in advance if he wanted to see the emperor before he had a chance to meet him, which made Gao Rui extremely angry.

And at this moment, the battle is going on at the front line, and he still wants to withhold money and food? ! Is he still a human being? !
Gao Rui pointed at He Shikai and angrily cursed: "You damned bastard, do you want to destroy my Great Qi?!"

"Someone is coming!!"

"Wait a minute."

Gao Zhan interrupted him and said coldly, "You don't have to give orders. It's clear that Lu Qubing framed him and wanted to disrupt the government. Come on, drag Lu Qubing out and beat him to death."

Lu Qubing smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's not just that."

"Heba Cheng sent someone to the county government office, but was stopped by the county official and questioned about the situation. Later, Heba Cheng's confidants were attacked in Cheng'an. I sent someone to check and found that the weapons of the Zhou people were used by the bandit army."

"I sent someone to investigate and found that the old official in the county government was most likely a spy of the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty, and he had already run away, and the daughter at home was also missing. As soon as they left Cheng'an, He Shikai immediately knew that someone had leaked his plan, and began to kill him. I want to know, Your Majesty, when did he find out? How did he find out? When did he write a letter saying that I was involved in Gao Guiyan's rebellion?"

"Did he choose the person who would read the imperial edict?"

"During these days, have an old man and a woman visited He Shikai's residence?!"

"My army is fighting the Zhou people at the front line, but at this time, He Shikai is withholding food and fodder for the front line, and even has thieves tipping off and scurrying for him."

"Your Majesty, He Shikai"

“He is the farmer!!”

"The leader of Qingdu Yin'er's thief army!"

"He has long since surrendered to Wei Xiaokuan. He collected intelligence for the Pseudo-Zhou and helped the Pseudo-Zhou to kill people, alienate the emperor and his ministers, and cause sabotage. Your Majesty, please send someone to search his mansion immediately!!"

(End of this chapter)