From the Ming Dynasty, we will conquer the world

Chapter 2: Kill one if you kill one, kill two if you kill two

This sudden change made the other four yamen runners terrified.

The bailiffs never expected that this handsome young man, who looked gentle and refined, could act so fiercely and decisively. If there was a disagreement, he would take action immediately without any nonsense.

Even when facing people from the government, he dared to attack them violently and beat them without mercy, as if these yamen runners who represented the authority of the court were no different from stray dogs on the roadside in his eyes.

No one expected that the yellow-faced man, who was considered a top-notch fighter in all the Hangzhou government offices, couldn't even survive a single move from Xu Xing!
How could a peasant boxer who opened a martial arts school in the countryside be so ruthless?
But in the eyes of the yellow-faced man, Xu Xing's methods were not hard, but smart.

So high that there is no limit!
Such boxing skills are even comparable to those famous boxers in Hangzhou who are well-known in the Zhejiang martial arts world!

These masters who have truly achieved something in martial arts and are proficient in fighting techniques are all experienced people, and there are absolutely no unknown people.

But the yellow-faced man had never heard of the name of Xianchao Pavilion, let alone Xu Xing.

Such a strong man did not go to Hangzhou to make a name for himself with his real abilities and seek a life of wealth and glory. Instead, he hid his identity, hid in the countryside, and ran a martial arts school. He must have other reasons and big ambitions.

Could this person... really be a spy for the Japanese pirates?!

The yellow-faced man suddenly thought of the scene of capturing Qi Dazhu before.

Although the tall and strong man argued with reason, he did not dare to take action in the end and was still tortured and taken away by the officers.

It's funny to say, it was because of this honest man that the yellow-faced man determined that the Xianchaoguan, which could teach such a disciple, would never have anything to do with the Japanese pirates, which was why he was so arrogant.

But when he realized that Xu Xing might be a real Japanese pirate, his domineering attitude immediately disappeared and turned into uncontrollable panic and fear.

The yellow-faced man finally came to his senses. Just as he raised his head, he saw that the owner of the martial arts school had squatted in front of him and brushed the dust off his shoes.

The other four yamen runners had all fallen to the ground, and their lives or deaths were unknown.

Looking at the yellow-faced man with a look of panic, Xu Xing shook his head.

His tone was calm, but his eyes were frighteningly cold.

"They always use the name of the Japanese pirates to kill people, huh.

If it weren't for you, how could Zhu Tiandu gather so many people and make such a big noise at sea?"

From the yellow-faced man's tone, one could tell that even if this man was not a pirate, he was a tyrant who despised the law and treated the government as nothing. No one dared to answer him.

"Tell me about it again."

The words were simple, yet they carried an unquestionable dominance.

The yellow-faced man had no doubt and would immediately demand the money as soon as he said a word of nonsense.

Under such heavy pressure, how could he dare to hide anything? He immediately spilled the beans from a bamboo tube and confessed everything he knew.

The facts were almost the same as Xu Xing had expected.

In recent days, the higher-ups have repeatedly urged the progress of "converting rice to mulberry", and the patience of Hangzhou prefect Ma Ningyuan has reached its limit.

He decided to go all out and simply transferred a group of troops from the Taizhou camp to trample on the rice fields and force the rice farmers to plant mulberry seedlings instead.

Even with Xu Xing's "experience", he couldn't help but be shocked.

The Taizhou camp was the bridgehead for resisting the Japanese pirates. How could the prefect of Hangzhou mobilize them to trample on the fields of rice farmers?

You know, even to this day, Prince Baolong and his thirty-six ship owners are still eyeing the opposite shore covetously and invading the border from time to time.

The Taizhou camp already shoulders a heavy coastal defense mission. By withdrawing soldiers like this, aren't they really afraid of pirates taking advantage of the situation and invading?

Xu Xing couldn't help but sneer.

"Using government troops to deal with the people, hey, what a good prefect of Hangzhou. With Qi Yuanjing's temper, can he allow you to do this?"

Yuanjing is the courtesy name of Qi Jiguang, the general of Taizhou.

Although Xu Xing had never met him, he had heard from his uncle that he was a man of upright character and strict in military discipline.

How could such a person mobilize troops for this reason?
Although the yellow-faced man lowered his head and did not dare to look directly at Xu Xing's expression, he also felt a terrifying murderous intent suddenly enveloping him, and cold sweat immediately wet his back.

"Ma Ningyuan used his connections at the provincial level to get the transfer order directly from the ministry, without going through General Qi's hands."

Seeing that Xu Xing didn't say anything, the yellow-faced man didn't dare to delay and continued talking.

Although Qi Dazhu was a mulberry farmer, he was known for his kindness and was not used to such things. He immediately became furious and led a group of young and strong men to block the government troops.

Fortunately, Taizhou General Qi Yuanjing arrived in time and took away the cavalry, thus avoiding a fierce conflict.

Even so, the leader Qi Dazhu was accused of "collaborating with the Japanese" and was taken to Hangzhou Prison.

Nowadays, pirates are rampant in the southeast, and collusion with the Japanese is the most serious crime among serious crimes. Once it is confirmed, it is common to execute them on the spot.

When Xu Xing heard that Qi Dazhu had not even resisted, but just surrendered and allowed the bailiffs to take him to Hangzhou Jail, he knew what was going on.

This honest disciple must have seen Qi Yuanjing taking away the government troops and felt that the situation was improving, so he did not want to cause more trouble and involve Xianchao Pavilion.

He couldn't help but shake his head.

This disciple is good in every way except that he is too naive. Even at this time, he still has fantasies.

You still have to let it out and see more of the world.

In the end, the yellow-faced man was so scared that he revealed all of Zheng Michang and He Maocai's plans for Xianchaoguan, and also revealed that Qi Dazhu was now being held in the prison of the Neisi Yamen.

Xu Xing's eyes were deep and he had already memorized the names of these two people.

He also couldn't help but sigh that Zheng Michang went to great lengths to deal with a small mulberry farmer and tried to make sure that not a single mistake was leaked. He was truly a capable person and worthy of being a third-rank official.

However, after hearing the whole story, Xu Xing felt a little relieved.

The reason why Zheng Michang and others resorted to so many means was that they were afraid of being caught by Hu Zongxian, Qi Yuanjing and others. This shows that the Zhejiang government was not monolithic and unshakable.

However, let's deal with these things after rescuing Dazhu.

Xu Xing stood up, looked down at the yellow-faced man, and recalled with nostalgia:
"I have seen many people like you who are wearing dog skins but do not treat people as human beings when I was practicing martial arts in the north. I have also killed many of them."

Xu Xing said this lightly, as if killing officials was a heinous act, but for him, it was just a pastime after dinner, without any other meaning.

"After I came back, my master found out and asked me only one question: Can we kill them all?"

The yellow-faced man almost burst into tears after hearing this. He said nothing, but just shook his head desperately.

When Xu Xing thought of his master's appearance, he couldn't help but smile from the bottom of his heart.

But in the eyes of the yellow-faced man, this smile is ten, a hundred, or even a thousand times more terrifying than any angry expression!
“If one has no beginning or end in life, he is not a gentleman. So, even to this day, I still have the same answer.”

Xu Xing said softly:
"If you kill one, it counts as one, if you kill two, it counts as two."

Because he had died once, Xu Xing, the time traveler, might be the person in this world who can best appreciate the precious value of life.

But unfortunately, there are always some people in the world who not only do not cherish their own lives, but also wantonly destroy the lives of others.

For such people, Xu Xing has only one word.

--kill!

As soon as he thought of it, the fist came. The yellow-faced man's eyes opened wide, and before he could even let out a scream, it broke into short whimpers in his throat. He fell on his back and died.

After beating to death these accomplices, Xu Xing carried their bodies to the weed-covered flat ground in front of the martial arts hall and buried them hastily.

After dealing with these things, he returned to the inner room, took out a long cloth bag, put it on his back, and went out.

After taking two steps, Xu Xing felt a little confused. He was afraid that he would never have a stable life again. He would live a life of wandering around the world and having no fixed place to live, just like when he was young and walked north to practice martial arts.

But even though he had realized it, he did not feel lonely or confused at all. Instead, he felt restless and eager to try.

Xu Xing couldn't help but laugh at himself.

As expected, the desire for adventure and challenge is my nature, Xu Tafa, which is engraved in my bones!
Inside the Hangzhou government office, Zhejiang Governor Zheng Michang and Provincial Surveillance Commissioner He Maocai were sitting around an octagonal table with a piece of letter on it.

The two of them looked at the letter with heavy expressions and were speechless.

This letter came from the capital, asking Zheng and He to take advantage of the Dragon Boat Festival flood season to open the sluice gates of the Xin'an River and flood the farmland in nine counties.

After the matter is accomplished, large mulberry farmers will take the opportunity to purchase the affected land and immediately plant mulberry seedlings in order to complete the conversion from rice to mulberry as soon as possible.

The letter did not contain much content, but every word was powerful, which made the two local officials feel awed and speechless for a long time.

Although they knew that the young minister was always swift and decisive in his actions, Zheng and He still could not have imagined that he would come up with the idea of ​​destroying the dike and flooding the fields.

That’s nine counties!
He Maocai turned his head to look at Zheng Michang. He was an experienced criminal lawyer with decades of experience. He always spoke with a threat and was extremely majestic. Often, a cough could scare people into silence. But at this moment, his voice became erratic and he seemed a little guilty.

"Mr. Zheng...are you really going to do this?"

Zheng Michang stared at the letter with a deep look in his eyes. He did not directly answer He Maocai's question, but said word by word:
"This is a letter written by the young minister himself. Given his temper, what else can you and I do?"

Speaking of the young cabinet minister who could make the situation change in the court, even He Maocai, who was a third-rank provincial inspector with the power of life and death over a province, could not help but change color.

He was silent for a long time, then the ruthlessness in his bones surged up, and he slammed the table hard, saying angrily:
"Damn it, let's do it!"

Zheng Michang sighed, then said in a serious tone:
"Fortunately, the young minister has also arranged some personnel. If we do what we should do, everything will be fine."

He Maocai frowned and couldn't help but said:

"Leaving this matter to a killer organization in the underworld, isn't it..."

Although Heishi has a great reputation in the underworld and has assassinated officials many times, in He Maocai's view, they are just a group of underworld warriors who are not willing to stand in the light of day.

Compared with the violent organization of Southeast Pirates who have risen up in rebellion, it is still far behind.

Just looking at their leader, he was not even included in the "Wuzhilu", which shows how bad his quality is.

Zheng Michang glanced at him and said angrily:

"Have you forgotten what I just said? Let's just do our own thing. Since the young minister has chosen this 'Black Stone' to do the job, there must be a reason for it.

Destroying the dikes and flooding the fields is not an easy task. It is much more covert to have a few experts do it than to mobilize a large army."

Seeing that He Maocai was still hesitant, Zheng Michang waved at him again. He Maocai understood and leaned over to hear Zheng Michang whisper:

"I heard that 'Black Stone' has a background in the palace."

Zheng Michang paused and pointed to the sky with one hand. He Maocai's face froze and the worry in his heart immediately disappeared.

They all knew that replacing rice with mulberry was essentially a plan that the Grand Councillors and Junior Councillors came up with in order to raise money for His Majesty. Since they had the support of the palace, what was there to be afraid of?
It's just nine counties, but in the emperor's mind, he has the whole country under his control!

In this case, the reason why Heishi was not included in "Wuzhilu" is obvious.

Thinking of this, He Maocai was shocked and didn't dare to ask any more questions. He just couldn't help but sigh secretly.

They already have the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but they still keep a Black Stone in the underworld.

Your Majesty's behavior is really...

After finishing the business, Zheng Michang thought of something else and asked casually:

"Has the leader of the rioters that Ma Ningyuan sent over been dealt with?"

He Maocai thought for a while before realizing who Zheng Michang was referring to. He waved his hand and said nonchalantly:

"Zhao Si and his men should be on their way back. We'll just have to put that country boxer in jail and force them to sign the agreement."

Zheng Michang thought about it and shook his head again:
"It's still not safe. You know Hu Butang. His subordinate Xu Wei is also a meticulous person.

At this critical juncture, we cannot make any mistakes that would give them leverage."

He Maocai also frowned. He pondered for a moment, and suddenly an idea came to his mind. He said:
"Do you still remember the Japanese pirates we captured a few months ago?

Otherwise, we can get a few Japanese pirates, hide them in that dilapidated martial arts hall, and then arrange people to capture them on the spot in full view of everyone, so that all the villagers can see.

This would not only deter the rioters, but also use them as witnesses to prove that these two people were indeed Japanese pirates' spies.

By then, we will have both witnesses and evidence, and it will be an ironclad case. I’m afraid that Minister Hu will be speechless.”

Zheng Michang narrowed his eyes, hummed slowly, and asked again:
"Do you have a way to make those Japanese pirates obey you?"

He Maocai smiled proudly:
"I have been an expert in criminal law for more than ten years. These things are no problem for me."

Zheng Michang nodded and asked no more questions.

Although the life and death of two people were decided in just a few words, He Maocai actually didn't take it to heart at all.

After all, he was just dealing with a local mulberry farmer and a country boxer.

If it wasn't at this critical moment, why would a third-rank official like him have to ask about such a trivial matter?
After briefly putting an end to this matter, He Maocai returned to the main business and gave Zheng Michang a suggestion:
"My problem is easy to handle, but on your side, you still need to communicate with Shen Yishi and Ma Ningyuan."

Shen Yishi was the most wealthy merchant in Jiangnan who supplied silk exclusively to the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. He was extremely wealthy and had immense wealth.

Zheng Michang and others were counting on him to purchase the affected fields as soon as possible and arrange the planting of mulberry seedlings after the dikes were destroyed and the fields were flooded, so naturally they had to communicate with him in advance.

Although Hangzhou prefect Ma Ningyuan was also a fellow of Zheng and He, he had a close friendship with Zhejiang Governor-General Hu Zongxian. If they wanted to conceal the destruction of dikes and flooding of fields from Hu Zongxian, they had to greet Ma Ningyuan first.

If nothing can be done, the only option is to keep the Hangzhou prefect under surveillance.

"Then do it."

Zheng Michang straightened his sleeves and stood up.

"I'll send someone to invite Ma Ningyuan and ask him to meet at Shen Yishi's place in the evening. Go to the prison first and deal with the pirates, then come back to us.

There is no time to lose, let’s work out a charter tonight.”

He Maocai looked at him, nodded heavily, and walked out of the door in a resolute manner, heading straight for the Hangzhou prison.

At this time, night gradually fell, and a figure carrying a long package on his back walked out of the woods beside the official road.

Xu Xing looked at the city wall with a sharp gaze, an inexplicable color dancing in his eyes.

Because of the turmoil at sea, the city of Hangzhou was heavily guarded at night. Several soldiers holding lanterns walked back and forth under the city wall in the dim light of fire, their eyes constantly scanning the area, appearing extremely vigilant.

Behind them was a city wall that was two or three feet high. There were arrow towers on the wall, and they were all armed. A few months ago, a group of refugees tried to climb into the city, but they were shot to pieces on the spot.

However, these obstacles could not stop Xu Xing.

Seeing the figures of the soldiers guarding the city, he walked slowly with his back arched, like a big soft cat, taking soft steps, his whole body immersed in the night, and quietly penetrated.

After avoiding the sight of the defenders, he walked slowly to the base of the city wall, holding a long package in his left hand, making a claw with his right hand, stepping lightly on the wall with his feet, exerting strength on his legs, and suddenly jumping up several feet high.

At this moment, he used the tail end of the package to lightly tap the city wall, using the force to climb over the top of the wall, then pressed his back against the wall, moving his muscles, and landed almost silently.

The whole set of movements was completed in one go, and it only took three or four breaths until it landed.

Xu Xing had previously learned from the yellow-faced man the specific location where Qi Dazhu was imprisoned, so after landing, he rushed there quickly.

(End of this chapter)