Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 337: Jinyang Strange Stories
Jinyang, an unknown village.

A horse-drawn carriage drove slowly over and stopped at the entrance of the village.

The soldier driving the carriage looked to the side and saw another person coming out. He nodded at him, then pulled open the curtain and roughly dragged two people out of the carriage.

Those are two little girls.

They were very young, and the soldier had no mercy at all. He just grabbed their braids and pulled them down. The two of them sobbed in pain. The soldier led them to the door like leading sheep and then let go of their hands.

The two of them hurriedly took a few steps away, holding each other's hands, and looked around in horror.

In front of them was a rough village gate, surrounded by wooden fences. The gate looked very shabby, and so did the wooden fences around it, which were of different heights and even had gaps in some places.

At this moment, there was a person standing in front of them.

The man was fat and round, dressed in merchant's clothes, with an ambiguous smile on his face.

He nodded to the soldier, and then looked at the two girls in front of him.

"Come with me."

When the two girls saw his appearance, they immediately began to tremble with fear. They immediately remembered the horror stories their parents told them: don't go out to play, otherwise the merchants will sell them.

The two of them cried even louder.

Shang Jia frowned, and the soldier grabbed them again and dragged them all the way to the door. Shang Jia took over and brought the two in.

The soldier just stood at the door and didn't go in. He stared at them with a stern look.

"Don't cry or scream. Otherwise, I will send you to the door now, and those two soldiers will eat you."

"From now on, you are my daughters and the waitresses of the restaurant. You are responsible for shouting and serving the guests in the restaurant."

“You have to say this to anyone you meet, otherwise you will be escorted to the door.”

The merchant said lightly.

The older sister immediately shut her mouth, looked at her younger sister, and gently comforted her.

The merchant was a little surprised, so he simply let them go, letting them follow him and continue walking forward.

There are many depressions on this road, and the feces of different creatures are placed randomly on both sides, emitting a foul smell.

There are many dilapidated houses on both sides of the road.

These houses are either wooden or thatched.

The doors of these houses were all open.

They could see many different people sitting inside. Some were pounding rice with sweat on their foreheads. Some were feeding their dogs repeatedly until the dogs could hardly eat anymore. Some were chatting with their wives, their bodies numb and stiff.

There are also many people on the road.

There were hawkers carrying loads of goods and hawking their wares everywhere, and in the distance one could even see a few farmers working in the fields, their movements equally stiff and their faces filled with fear.

There were obviously a lot of people on the road, but the two little girls didn't know who to ask for help.

My sister looked around, her eyes full of astonishment.

At this moment, several officials came towards them, led by a minor official, followed by two soldiers.

There wasn't even a trace of fear on the merchant's face as he just walked past the other person.

At this moment, the elder sister suddenly reached out and grabbed the clerk.

"Shang Li!"

The clerk stopped and looked down at her.

The two soldiers also looked at her, the merchants looked at her, the farmers in the distance looked at her, and the hawkers passing by also looked at her. Almost at the same time, everyone put down what they were doing and looked at her.

The little girl was suddenly horrified. She looked at the merchant. There was no worry on his face, and his eyes were full of indifference.

She was disappointed. "It's meal time now. You can go to my restaurant to eat before your inspection. The food in my restaurant is the most delicious."

The official pulled her hand away unhappily and looked at the merchant, "Discipline him well!"

"Yes, yes."

The merchant smiled and nodded, and turning the corner, he could see an ordinary restaurant.

The merchant led them inside.

There were still a few customers in the restaurant. These diners didn't have any food in front of them, but they just sat there and didn't go anywhere.

The merchant turned into a shop owner, greeted them with a smile, and then asked the two sisters to stay busy while he went into the inner room.

The two sisters stood in the lobby, looking at the diners, and then looked at each other blankly.

They don't know what to do either.

What we experienced today was truly horrific.

After waiting for a long time, someone suddenly started calling in the kitchen. My sister plucked up her courage and walked into the kitchen. A man who looked like a cook pointed at the food in front of him.

The sister took the food and went out.

Holding the food in her hand, she gently asked which distinguished guest ordered it.

But none of them answered. She hesitated for a moment and could only put it in front of the diner closest to her.

When she got closer, she saw the traces of tears on the diner's face. He looked at the food in front of him, his whole body began to tremble, his throat shook, he slowly picked up the chopsticks and started eating, but tears fell again.

They stayed here all day, and so did the diners.

The meals were ready from time to time, and they would take them out to the diners, while the younger sister would wipe the tables and chairs.

These diners keep eating and will eat as long as the food is served.

Both sisters were stunned.

The sky gradually darkened, but the people in front of him showed no intention of leaving.

No one told them what to do.

When it was almost dark, a figure finally broke the eerie atmosphere in the restaurant.

He was a little boy, about the same age as the two sisters, but his clothes were even more ragged and he was covered in mud and was extremely dirty. He was holding a broken bowl in his hand and looking at the two sisters pitifully.

"Please, have mercy on me and give me something to eat."

The two sisters looked at each other. The elder sister looked at the diners' bulging stomachs and the unfinished food in front of them, and hesitated.

The next moment, the shop owner, who had not appeared for a long time, suddenly jumped out, and no one knew where he came from.

He pointed at the little beggar in front of him and shouted rudely: "Is this the place you should be? You are ruining my business, get out! Get out!"

Tears flashed in the little beggar's eyes, "I haven't eaten anything for a day."

“Get out! Get out now!!”

The little beggar turned away in dejection. The merchant watched him leave before turning back and going back inside.

My sister secretly came to the diner and took a cake, but the diner pretended not to see anything.

My sister looked around and then walked out quickly.

"Hey!"

"you!"

The little beggar had just reached the street corner when he heard someone calling and suddenly stopped.

He turned around and looked at the sister.

The little girl handed the cake in her hand to the other person and said, "Take it and eat it secretly."

The beggar's face changed. He looked up and down at the little girl in front of him and thought for a moment, "Why did you give me the cake?"

"You didn't eat, didn't you? I took this out secretly. No one saw it, so you can eat it without worry."

The little beggar pondered again, then nodded with an excited look, "Thank you!"

He picked up the bread, sat aside, and began to devour it.

He ate very quickly and finished the pancake in a moment.

The little girl was stunned for a moment, "Are you not full? Do you want me to bring you some more?"

"Okay, okay!"

The little beggar stood at the door on tiptoe, looking inside, and the little girl began to secretly take the cakes.

The diners had no reaction to this.

When the little girl brought the cake to the little beggar, the little beggar just stared at the diners in the house.

"You ate in front of them, why didn't they resist?"

"Why?"

"I didn't know this place was so weird." "Weird?"

A strange smile slowly appeared on the little beggar's face, and his white teeth did not match his dirty appearance at all.

Suddenly a scream was heard in the lobby. The girl was frightened and she quickly turned around to look.

I saw that the diners had already fallen to the ground. Several masked men in black clothes and holding weapons were standing beside them. I didn't know when they appeared.

"Puch~~"

The little beggar got down from the carriage.

There were many men in black standing around, all with their heads bowed, kneeling respectfully.

He took off his clothes in front of everyone, and asked someone to bring water to wash away the filth on his body. Then, he finally revealed his original face.

Emperor Gao Wei.

Someone wearing armor came up to him, and several people put armor on the emperor and brought a war horse to him.

Gao Wei rode his war horse, walked through the village and entered the next gate.

The scene inside the gate was truly shocking.

There are many miniature cities in the distance. These cities are all built solidly, and many flags can be seen from afar.

On both sides of the roads leading to these cities stood many armored soldiers, cavalry, and everything else, totaling five or six hundred people.

When they saw Gao Wei, they all bowed their heads in greeting.

"General!!"

Gao Wei smiled and nodded, then looked into the distance.

The city in front of him had only one gate at the front and back, and the city tower was built very high.

There is also a plaque hanging on the tower, indicating the identity of the city.

Above the city wall, the word "Shuozhou" was written in large letters.

Gao Wei drew his sword and pointed it at the city in front of him, "Charge!"

The soldiers followed him and began to charge. They rushed all the way to the city gate and saw many troops on the city wall. These soldiers all had loose hair and looked extremely vicious. They held bows and crossbows and aimed at Gao Wei outside the city.

Gao Wei stopped and looked around, "Who is the commander of this city?!"

"Reply General! It's the thief general Yao Xiong!"

"very good!!"

"Follow me to capture the city and capture Yao Xiong alive!!"

"only!!"

"Siege the city!!"

Gao Wei roared loudly, and the soldiers on both sides rushed forward holding ladders. The defenders on the city wall were very surprised at this moment, as if they were suppressed by the momentum of the army. They could only hold bows and crossbows without arrows and shout randomly, trying to make the enemy stop by shouting.

When Gao Wei saw his soldiers setting up the ladders, he personally led the charge.

Under the close protection of several personal soldiers, Gao Wei rushed to the top of the city wall. The enemies fled in all directions, but Gao Wei drew his sword and slashed wildly. Several enemies who did not have time to escape died in his hands. The personal soldiers around him all paused.

"Where is Yao Xiong?! Come and fight me to the death!!"

Gao Wei roared angrily, and saw a burly man being pushed out by several armored soldiers.

The man was wearing armor crookedly, with a terrified look on his face. He held a wooden stick in his hand and walked forward tremblingly. Looking at the emperor in front of him, he swallowed and looked around in horror.

The soldiers nodded at him.

He then slowly stepped forward, "Yao Xiong is here! You, you thief, thief general, prepare to die!"

He raised the stick and hit Gao Wei. Gao Wei quickly raised the sword in his hand to block it. The stick landed lightly on the sword, but Gao Wei easily blocked it and took a step forward, ready to stab the sword into his chest. Yao Xiong dropped the stick and quickly knelt on the ground, "Please spare me! General, please spare me! I was confused for a moment and followed Liu the thief to do these things. I am willing to surrender! Please spare me, General!"

Listening to the other party's repeated shouts, Gao Wei hesitated for a moment, then looked around, "What do you think?"

"Since Yao Xiong has turned from evil to good, why don't you accept him as your own and let him make up for his mistakes!"

"Well said, you are my vanguard now! Follow me and attack together!"

"Thank you, General! Thank you, General!"

Yao Xiong felt relieved and hurried to Gao Wei, bowing his head.

After Gao Wei captured this city, he led his troops to attack the remaining cities. After conquering Shuozhou, Yanzhou, Youzhou and other cities, capturing generals such as Kou Liu, Zhang Heizu, Bao Xian, and killing Gao Changgong, Hulugu and others, Gao Wei finally reached the last level.

That’s right, Pingcheng.

Inside Pingcheng, everyone was in panic and chaos. A soldier was kneeling on the city wall, crying miserably.

"forgive me!"

"I still have family. Your Majesty will definitely kill people."

"I don't want to be Liu Taozi, I don't want to be Liu Taozi!"

"Before the draw, everyone agreed that if you die, we will take good care of your family. How can we regret it?!"

While they were still negotiating, Gao Wei had already launched an attack.

The man had no choice but to passively let his colleagues put armor on him, smear mud on his face, and make him look ugly.

The man put on ugly makeup and walked to the city wall trembling.

Soon, Gao Wei appeared in front of him.

Gao Wei looked at Liu Taozi in front of him angrily, and he did not hide his murderous intent at all. He didn't even say a few words, but picked up his sword and attacked Liu Taozi.

Liu Taozi hurriedly blocked and took several blows from the opponent, but was constantly pressed by Gao Wei and forced into a corner.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

Gao Wei was furious when he heard Liu Taozi's words. He pointed at the other party and cursed: "You disloyal and treacherous minister! You publicly executed my brother, which made me lose face. You also forced me to Jinyang and made me the magistrate of Jinyang. If I don't kill you, how can I vent my anger?!"

He ignored the other party's pleas for mercy and stepped forward with a sword, killing Liu Taozi on the spot.

The soldiers on the city wall looked at each other numbly, but were unwilling to speak, while the soldiers who followed Gao Wei could only shout "Long live the emperor".

Gao Wei threw his head back and laughed.

Jinyang, Prince Pingyang's Palace.

"This guy is crazy! Completely crazy!"

"Uncle! Haven't you seen it clearly?!"

Gao Yanzong looked at Gao Yan in front of him angrily, his fists clenched, and he was on the verge of losing control.

Gao Yan just sat calmly in the seat. Compared with when he just went to Jinyang, he looked much older and his whole temperament had changed drastically.

Most of his hair was gray, his eyes were dull, and his whole body looked lifeless, as if he was seriously ill.

Facing the furious King Ande, Gao Yan was somewhat speechless. In the past, he could still think of some ways to exonerate the emperor, but now, what the emperor did was really indescribable and was really getting more and more outrageous.

"This kid really doesn't know how to live or die. Today he took away several of my soldiers and never came out again!"

"He also sent people to arrest people on the road, and the whole city was in a panic."

"As for the rewards, look at Jinyang now, there are kings everywhere. He makes everyone he sees a king. There was a musician who played a song for him and was crowned king by him! King, be equal to me!!"

Gao Yanzong said angrily: "He is still building a lot in the palace. I don't know what he is building, and I don't want to know!"

"I wanted to leave with my brother, but he asked me to come and protect my uncle. I promised him that I would do this, so I stayed by my uncle's side. I also endured the child's absurd behavior, but now, I really can't stand it anymore."

"Uncle, today, either you leave with me, or I will leave by myself!"

Gao Yan finally reacted. He raised his head and looked at Gao Yanzong.

"Are we going to just watch the Great Qi perish?"

"Uncle, don't look at me like that."

"Da Qi perished a long time ago. It perished when Emperor Xiao Zhao passed away."

Gao Yanzong's eyes were cold. "Too many people in Jinyang are dissatisfied with Gao Wei. Even the old nobles in the city are hesitant about this matter. If it weren't for my brother's harshness towards them, I'm afraid they would have kidnapped the emperor and surrendered to my brother."

"Originally, Jinyang's food and grass could have been used for several years."

"But after this guy arrived, he held banquets all day long, banquets for thousands of people, banquets for tens of thousands of people, and all kinds of rewards. He did whatever he wanted. Now, there is not enough food to eat."

"What will happen to Jinyang's tens of thousands of troops without food and fodder?"

"The next step is to start robbing the people. Once they have robbed all of them, they will start eating people. After they have eaten everyone, they will eat Gao Wei last."

"Things have come to this point. There is really no possibility and no difference. Although I am a member of the royal family, seeing the world become what it is now, I really have nothing to miss. There are also many members of the royal family who follow the general and serve him. The general has never treated them unfairly and pays special attention to them. Let's go and don't stay here."

"Uncle, let's set off tonight."

(End of this chapter)