In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 620 Heavy Snowfall: A Perfect Time to Close the Door and Beat the Dog

Shen Shi Chu, which is around 3 PM.

Outside, snow was still falling heavily, but inside the government office it was warm and cozy.

Lu Yunyi, dressed in casual clothes, sat behind his desk, quietly reviewing the accounts and documents from the past few years.

Although I had seen many similar documents in the capital, none were as detailed as those in the military headquarters.

Moreover, many of these documents were revised and edited by Kuang Xiaofei.
It takes some thought to distinguish between the genuine and the fake.

This made it quite difficult for Lu Yunyi to see.
In addition, the air inside the room was stuffy and hot, and his face gradually turned red.

I noticed my face was burning.
Lu Yunyi put down the document in his hand and gently touched his face.

He then stood up and walked around the room to relieve the discomfort caused by sitting for a long time.

Although he was only in his twenties

But in the capital, I had seen far too many officials in their forties whose health was failing.

They either have back pain, leg pain, or buttock pain.

This made Lu Yunyi realize early on that it's important to start taking care of one's health early.
Never sit still for extended periods of time.

Just as he was stretching, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Lord Lu, are you there?"

Lu Yunyi turned around and saw a figure reflected on the door, then said:
"Come in."

The door opened, and a howling wind rushed in instantly.

Lu Yunyi raised his head slightly and found the cold wind somewhat comfortable.

Through the crack in the door, you could see snow falling heavily outside, and a thin mist filled the air.

Tan Wei closed the door and stood in the room, looking at Lu Yunyi with some curiosity.

"My lord, what is this?"

"Yes, sitting for long periods is bad for your health. I'll stretch a bit."

General Tan, is there anything I can help you with?

Tan Wei's expression turned serious. He took out a document from his pocket and took a step forward.

"My lord, this is the information I have just gathered."

I believe this matter is of great importance, and I urge you to take a look.

"Oh?"

Lu Yunyi narrowed his eyes slightly, stepped forward, and took the document.

"General Tan, you've worked hard. Please sit down and warm yourself up."

"Yes, thank you sir."

The days in northern Xinjiang always seem exceptionally short.

Before the military commander could even leave his post, it had already gotten dark.

The heavy snowfall during the day gradually turned into light snow.

The snow fell in a flurry, and it's unclear how long it will continue.

The entire city of Daning was covered in a blanket of white snow.

Because officials regularly cleaned the area, there wasn't much snow accumulation.

But the snow on the street was already above ankle-deep, making a crunching sound when you stepped on it.

At the entrance of the government office in Daning City,
Some carriages had already arrived ahead of time, ready to take the officials home after get off work.

The Provincial Administration Commission had not yet been established in Daming.

However, whether it is the management of the city, the affairs of the surrounding farmland, or various political matters, someone needs to handle them.

Thus, the Daning City Government Office came into being.

It is a subordinate agency of the Commandery.
The officials inside were actually doing the work of the Provincial Administration Commission.

The reason they chose to serve as officials here is...
They were eagerly awaiting the day when the Provincial Administration Commission would be established.

At that time, they will be able to rise rapidly in rank and become high-ranking officials in the provinces of the Ming Dynasty.

However, as the officials left the government office,
Seeing the snow-covered landscape before me, my resolve weakened somewhat.

Daning is different from Yunnan.
Even during the Yuan Dynasty, this place was a desolate and uninhabited area.

Yunnan was able to quickly establish a province and set up three administrative offices, something that Daning could hardly achieve.

With a series of sighs, the carriage slowly drove away from the government office.

The wheels crunched over the snow.

The ruts crisscrossed, stretching into the distance.

In a private house not far from the government office.

Urigen stood quietly in front of the bed, staring intently at the government office not far away through the crack in the window.

His eyes were sunken, and a hint of cold killing intent emanated from them.

Behind him, a dozen or so people sat around the stove.
He stretched out his palms to warm them by the fire, trying to dispel the chill and stiffness in his body.

Beside them lay the curved knives commonly used by the people of the grasslands.

There were still some water stains on the knife, which seemed to be freshly melted snow.

Urigen turned around and gave the order:

"It's getting dark soon, everyone get ready, we'll move out after we finish eating."

"Yes!"

Two hours later, at the beginning of Hai hour.

The entire city of Daning was plunged into darkness.
The moon in the sky was also obscured by dark clouds and disappeared from view.

The gale, carrying the dark clouds, howled.

Even Urigen, who has lived in this icy and snowy land for many years,

Seeing this scene, I couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness.

A sense of emptiness, loneliness, and indifference began to grow within him.

This left many people inside with complicated expressions.

As people of the grasslands, they love spring and summer.
Because it represents boundless grasslands and lush vegetation.

However, in this land, long and cold winters are the norm.

Urgen put on his clothes and felt hat, picked up a scimitar from the doorway, turned to face the crowd behind him, and looked serious.

"Listen up, everyone. This operation is about our food and ironware."

I hope everyone will pull themselves together and kill those who deserve to die.

After rushing in, kill those who should be killed and take those who should be taken.
But in any case, they must evacuate within fifteen minutes.

The commander's office is just across the street; they can get there in fifteen minutes.

If anyone is greedy for war or money, don't blame me for being ruthless.

have you understood? "

"Understood!" the group responded in hushed tones.

Urigen nodded slightly, lowered the bolt, and quietly pushed the door open a crack.

The sound of howling wind immediately came in, and it was pitch black outside.

"Set off."

The door was wide open. Urgen pulled down the two ear flaps of his felt hat to cover his ears, and strode quickly toward the government office through the thick snow.

In such snowy weather
Within half a quarter of an hour, all the footprints would be covered by the heavy snow.

Urgen took the lead and quickly arrived at the entrance of the government office.

He knocked gently on the door.

Tap rhythmically to make the sounds "dong dong" "dong dong dong" "dong".

A moment later, the sound of the bolt turning could be heard.

The originally tightly closed, tall, and dark door slowly opened.

A face was revealed, completely covered up except for its two eyes.

After that man saw Urgen...

He raised an eyebrow slightly and forcefully pulled open the door.

Urgen felt immediately at ease.
Looking at the open gates of the government office, he let out a long sigh.

His breath, illuminated by the darkness and candlelight, formed a cloud of white mist that stood out conspicuously.

"Are you Peng Zhe?"

The person who opened the door was taken aback, then nodded vigorously and said in a low voice:

"Hurry up and go in, don't dawdle."

"Yes," Urgen nodded.

"No need to close the gate. There are only twenty guards; we can handle it quickly."

After speaking, Urgen turned around and looked at the crowd behind him, waving his hand forcefully:

"Charge in and kill Kuang Xiaofei!"

A series of slightly chaotic footsteps sounded.
More than a hundred people, their eyes gleaming with greed, swarmed in.

Looking at the classically decorated and obviously expensive furnishings inside the government office,

They couldn't help but keep swallowing their saliva.

He wondered how much wealth was hidden here.

After everyone rushed in, Urgen was about to take a step to follow,
But then "Peng Zhe" slammed the door shut.

Urgen turned around, frowned, and asked:
Why are you closing the door?

Peng Zhe ignored him and simply slammed the door shut.

With a muffled thud, the door slammed shut.

The howling cold wind outside disappeared instantly, and the surroundings became quiet.

At this moment, "Peng Zhe" slowly turned around, quietly looked at Wu Rigen, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Of course, it's about closing the door and beating the dog."

"Beating a dog? Where's the dog?"

Urigen, holding a long sword, stood there stunned, asking with a puzzled look on his face.

Peng Zhe didn't answer, but silently picked up a dark object from the doorway.

He then took out a tinderbox from his pocket.

With a gentle blow, the tinderbox lit up.

He brought the tinderbox close to the dark object, as if he had lit something.

Only then did Urgen realize what was happening, and his eyes widened in fury:

You're calling me a dog?

Urgen stormed over angrily, his steps heavy and forceful.

But soon, he saw the black object in "Peng Zhe's" hand begin to smoke.

He stared at it for a while, then his pupils suddenly contracted.

If I remember correctly, this long, tubular object is a Ming dynasty firearm! "What do you want to do!"

"Beat the dog!"

Peng Zhe spoke calmly, taking a few steps forward.
He pointed the dark muzzle of the musket at Urigen's face.

"do not move!"

Urgen hesitated for a moment, and in that instant, blinding flames and deafening explosions engulfed his face.

"Oh!"

Blood splattered everywhere, and Urgen's face instantly became a bloody mess, with half of his head gone.

He stood with his feet apart, holding a long sword in his hand.

Judging from his posture, he was clearly a brave soldier.

Unfortunately, he didn't even have a chance to draw his knife.

He fell straight backward.

Another loud "bang" was heard, stirring up a cloud of snow mist.

There was a "click" sound,
A bloody object fell from the sky and landed beside him.

Peng Zhe slowly walked over, glanced down, and
He let out a soft "Oops" and muttered under his breath:

"This skull is so flimsy."

After muttering to himself, he took out a whistle from his pocket, put it to his lips, and blew it hard.

The piercing whistle quickly spread throughout the entire government office.
This surprised the grassland people who were just about to rob them.

What happened?
Immediately afterwards, the previously tightly closed gates of the government office burst open, revealing the dark muzzles of guns inside.

"shoot--"

With a shout, gunshots rang out.
After the gunshot, blood splattered, and people fell to the ground.

"There's an ambush! There's an ambush!!"

Panic-filled shouts rang out instantly.

Everyone ran towards the gate like headless flies.

However, what followed was the rhythmic sound of crossbows being nocked.

More than twenty figures emerged from the walls of the government office.
They pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Whoosh-"

The sound of crossbow bolts slicing through the air was barely audible in the wind and snow.
But to these grassland people, it sounded like the tolling of a hell bell.

In the prison, Kuang Xiaofei was strapped to a rack.

Staring blankly at the grassland people ahead, one after another, falling one after another.

His pupils contracted slightly, and his whole body felt cold.

As the last blast of the musket fell silent,

The area outside the prison was littered with corpses.
Limbs and severed arms were scattered everywhere, and the once white snow was stained red with blood.

Lu Yunyi was sitting not far from Kuang Xiaofei. He stood up and waved.

"Clean up the scene and take Kuang Xiaofei back to his cell."

"Yes!"

Not long after, Kuang Xiaofei returned to the cell he once considered a prison, and warmth enveloped him once more.

The long-lost warmth gradually brought him back to consciousness.
My body began to tremble involuntarily.

Lu Yunyi remained seated outside the cell, draped in a fox fur coat and holding a cup of hot tea.

"Kuang Xiaofei, even though you're already in jail, there are still people who don't want to let you go."

So, what are your thoughts now?

Kuang Xiaofei shuddered, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"I...I've rendered outstanding service! How could he, sir, treat me like this?!"

"Alas, it's too late to say all this now."

From the day you went to prison, you lost your usefulness to some people.

It's to be expected that they'll send someone to kill you now.

Okay, now tell me if there's anything else you haven't told me.

Explain things clearly.
I can decide to let you stay in this cell a few more days. It's warm and safe here.
"Oh, and I can also arrange for your family to come and see you. How about that?"

"I'll talk, I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!!"

Kuang Xiaofei let out a wail, so frightened that he lost control of his bladder and bowels.

Lu Yunyi stood up, a relaxed expression on his face, and waved.

“Write down everything he says, and then have him sign and put his fingerprint on it.”

"Yes!"

After saying that, Lu Yunyi stepped out of the prison.

The entire government office was in a state of chaos, with the corpses and belongings of the nomadic people scattered everywhere.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood, which seemed particularly strong on this cold winter day.

Lu Yunyi walked along, observing his surroundings, and finally arrived at the gate.

He saw Basong holding a musket, watching the gate warily.

They also saw the tall corpse not far behind Basong.

"Basong, how's the situation?"

Basong did not turn around, but carefully backed away, keeping the muzzle of his musket pointed at the gate.

He only spoke slowly when he stepped back to stand next to Lu Yunyi.

"Sir, the people of the grasslands are not as smart as us Siamese. This man is very capable, but he is too stupid."

"Hahaha."

Lu Yunyi laughed, looked at the musket in Basong's hand, and reminded him:
Never underestimate your opponent; he's not stupid, he just hasn't kept up with the times.

How is this improved musket? Is it easy to use?

Basong took these words to heart and quickly replied.

"Sir, it's very good, but this musket is too cold. If you don't wear gloves, your hands will stick to it."

As he spoke, he waved his peeling hand.

"The weather in northern Xinjiang is like this, and the muskets still need further improvement."

Lu Yunyi smiled and gently pressed down on the musket in Basong's hand.

"The battle is over, we can rest now."

Basong, however, remained staring at the gate and said:
"My lord, General Liu told me..."
A qualified soldier must be ready for combat at all times and must never let their guard down.

Lu Yunyi laughed after hearing this:
"That's right. Since you've taken this to heart, then think about it carefully and study it well."

"If you can return to Siam someday, you might even become a great general."

Basong's lips were dry, his throat moved, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

General? Can I do it?

The next morning, the sun rose as usual.

The heavy snowfall has gradually stopped.
But snowflakes were still falling from the sky, and the sky remained overcast.

Many clerks and officials in the government office were surprised to find this after they arrived at work.

The government office was unusually clean today.

The thick snow had been cleared away, leaving only a thin layer of snow that had fallen that morning.

"Old He, you're really diligent today."

A middle-aged official walked into the government office and gave a thumbs-up to the gatekeeper, Old He.

Old He felt uneasy, and his expression became somewhat unnatural.
But he didn't say anything, he just smiled and nodded.

"I slept too soundly yesterday. Who helped clean up? Did the Prefect arrange for someone to do it in advance?"

"Old He, you're doing great today!"

Soon, Prefect Hong Yishan walked in, laughing loudly.

He was tall and strong, and originally came from a military background.

Old He was stunned, but he still nodded with an awkward smile and accepted the praise.

But one question lingered in his mind:
"If it wasn't arranged by the Prefect, then who did the cleaning? Could it be haunted?"

In the Walnut House on Wenchang Street,

Mi Bin slowly awoke from the embrace of two grassland women.

Feeling the warmth of the blankets, he felt very satisfied and stretched out a long yawn.

The two women beside him slowly woke up and, still sleepy, snuggled into Mi Bin's arms.

"Sir, sleep a little longer."

"Okay, okay, I'll sleep a little longer."

Mi Bin muttered to himself and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, a cold voice came from inside the room:

"Still sleeping?"

Mi Bin suddenly opened his eyes, hurriedly sat up, and looked to the side.

Duan Zhengze sat to the side with an icy expression.

"Why are you here?"

"Me? If I hadn't come, you probably wouldn't even know your head had been chopped off!"

Duan Zhengze's voice was filled with coldness.

Mi Bin was stunned. He didn't care about his bare upper body and quickly sat up, raising his hand to slap the woman next to him hard.

"Get up, get up! Get out of here! Get out!"

Two tall grassland women hurriedly walked out.

Mi Bin looked at Duan Zhengze, his face full of doubt, and asked:
"What happened?"

Duan Zhengze took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
"Where is Urgen? Did he take any action last night?"

Why is everything normal at the government office today? And Kuang Xiaofei is still alive!

"what?"

Mi Bin looked bewildered.
"That's not right. They arrived yesterday afternoon and should have moved out after dark."

"Where are the others!"

Duan Zhengze's expression was solemn. "We've been in Daning for so many years, and everyone says that Wurigen is a fool. But now we're the ones who've become the fools!"

"You mean he took the grain and ironware and ran away?"

Mi Bin understood what Duan Zhengze meant and quickly shook his head.

"Impossible. The Three Guards of Duoyan are in dire need of food. They would never do something so short-sighted as to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Duan Zhengze gritted his teeth, and the veins on his forehead bulged:
"Then get up right now!! Go find someone!!!"

(End of this chapter)