In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 629 South of the City, North of the City, Two Worlds

As evening approached, the commander held a gathering that, while not grand, was still quite substantial.

The banquet featured both wine and meat.
Among them, the most eye-catching food is the sweet potato.

Some nomads and nobles in the city received invitations.

The cooks of the vanguard scouts used all their skills to prepare sweet potatoes in various creative ways.

Fried, roasted, stir-fried, braised, quick-fried, cooked, stewed, simmered, roasted, pan-fried.

The method of preparation is unusual, but the main ingredient is only sweet potato.
The same ingredients, cooked using different methods, can produce so many different flavors.

This amazed many people.

Among them, roasted sweet potatoes are undoubtedly the most popular.

A group of people gathered around the stove.
Immersed in the unfamiliar, faintly sweet fragrance in the air, I was completely captivated.

When you see the sweet potatoes taken out of the oven, the parts closest to the flames have been roasted black.
When a thick, syrup-like substance oozed out, everyone held their breath.

Twelve sweet potatoes were roasted in one oven because there were many people.
The baker broke open the sweet potatoes one by one, and steam wafted out.

The golden-yellow potato flesh was presented to everyone, greatly stimulating the appetite of many.
The cook was holding a roasted sweet potato.
I was also greatly impressed by the sight of the potato flesh connected like silk threads.

This scene is far more shocking than cutting a sweet potato with a knife.

In this joyful atmosphere, the guests enjoyed their meal and drinks to their hearts' content.
Each with their own thoughts, they left the restaurant arranged by the commander.

Outside, the wind was biting cold, and light snow was falling.

One carriage after another swayed and drifted away, leaving clear ruts on the ground.

General Tuoluhucha'er sat in the carriage, his eyes slightly closed, feeling the swaying of the carriage, his mind filled with many thoughts.

Despite drinking quite a bit of alcohol at the banquet,
Many people thought he was drunk.

But he was not actually drunk; his mind was perfectly clear.

It was only because of the alcohol that all sorts of thoughts came to mind.
Many possibilities that I had never thought of before also came to mind.

Before long, the swaying carriage stopped in front of a house, and the driver's voice came from outside.

"Sir, here we are."

"Um"

This mansion is located at No. 11 Anhe Street, the busiest street in the north of the city.

It was a house that Duoyanwei purchased in Daning City.

On the one hand, it was used as an office and a place to liaise with the commander.

On the other hand, people from the Duoyan Guard could also stay here when they came to Daning City.

Tuoluhuchar stepped down from the carriage, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Seeing the bright lights and bustling activity outside the alley, I felt a little dazed for a moment.

"Perhaps, living in this city isn't so bad."

At least it's not as desolate as it was in the tribe.

Tuoluhuchar did not enter immediately.
Instead, he slowly walked to the entrance of the alley and stood there quietly watching Anhe Street.

Not far away, the sign for Kang Le Lou stands prominently.

The place was dimly lit, and you could faintly hear laughter and shouting coming from inside the building; it was quite lively.

Further away, there were brothels.

Some grassland people who came from Kang Le Street would go there to seek pleasure.

Tuoluhuchaer saw three steppe people staggering out of the restaurant.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps when he fell to the ground with a thud.

They struggled for a moment, then fell silent as if they had fallen into a deep sleep.

A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Sleeping outside in this weather, you'll freeze to death before tomorrow morning.

But at that moment, the madam standing outside the brothel not far away quickly called out.

A dozen burly men rushed out of the brothel and hurriedly dragged the three men back inside.

Tuoluhuchar's brows relaxed slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
At this moment, the coachman who was standing nearby also saw this scene and stepped forward respectfully.

"Sir, in the past, no one would intervene in such situations."
At most, they would report to the patrolling city defense troops, leaving their fate to chance.

But a few days ago, the commander issued a strict order.
They requested that nearby shops offer assistance to the intoxicated person, at least providing them with shelter.

Those who fail to provide assistance in a life-threatening situation will be severely punished by the Commander-in-Chief.

"Why go through all this trouble?" Tuoluhuchaer asked in a deep voice, his eyes filled with doubt.

As a native of the grasslands, he firmly believed that everyone has their own destiny.

If I were to die out there, then it would be my destiny.

After all, in the tribe,
Every winter, many people lose their lives due to similar circumstances.

After waiting for a long time, there was still no reply from the driver.

Tuoluhuchaer looked back, his eyes turning cold.

"Is there anything you can't say?"

The driver hesitated, but under Toruhuchar's increasingly cold gaze,

He stammered out the truth,

"My lord, in the area where the Ming people live in the south of the city, very few people freeze to death."

But in the north of the city, people were freezing to death almost every day.

"why?"

Tuoluhuchaer's gaze grew increasingly cold.

"My lord, the merchants of the Ming Dynasty will save people, while the merchants of the north of the city have always stood by and done nothing."

As a result, people caused trouble at the prefectural government office and the military command every day.
The commander then issued the decree, which, it is said, was personally issued by Lord Lu.
Merchants in both the north and south of the city were ordered to provide medical assistance to pedestrians who collapsed at night.

Upon hearing this, Torukchar understood.

The people of the Ming Dynasty in the south were relatively united; upon seeing someone fall to the ground,

Even if they are unwilling, they will still step in to help, so that no one freezes to death in vain.

But the people of the northern grasslands are used to this kind of thing from childhood, so they often ignore it.

Thinking of this, Toruhuchar sighed softly.

Although the nobles of the grasslands were imitating the Ming people everywhere, learning everything about clothing, food, housing and transportation.

But there's always a sense of absurdity in that it's similar in form but not in spirit.

The reason may lie in the lack of something intrinsic.

The same was true at the banquet today.

Even if those wealthy and powerful people really wanted to eat sweet potatoes, they wouldn't scramble to buy them.

These former officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, however, frequently resorted to violence and verbal abuse, creating a great commotion.
Tuoluhuchaer wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

He sighed softly to himself and said in a deep voice:
"Let's go back."

Before long, Tuoluhuchaer returned to the mansion and sat down in the study.

A fireplace had been lit in the study, and the warmth began to spread, slowly dispelling the chill in the room.

The waiter brought over a cup of hot tea and said in a low voice.

"Sir, shall we call Manager Mi here? He has been waiting for a long time."

"Okay, call him over."

Tuoluhuchaer said calmly,
He then took out the note he had received that day from his pocket, opened it, and quietly looked at the line of small print on it.

The note listed the major events that had recently occurred in the commandery, and it was more than a dozen lines long.

The more Tuoluhuchaer looked, the more serious his expression became.
The hand holding the note was clenched tightly, and seemed to be trembling slightly.

After an unknown amount of time, faint footsteps were heard outside the door.
He forced himself to calm down and put the note away.

"squeak--"

With a soft sound, the door was slowly pushed open.

Mi Chen, who was not tall and had a slightly hunched posture, slowly walked in.

He saw Torukhchar sitting behind the desk.

She sighed softly, then silently sat down to the side.

The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became heavy.

Tuoluhuchaer didn't urge him, but just quietly looked at Michen, waiting for him to explain.

After a long while, Mi Chen slowly said:
"A few days ago, the commander discovered more than a hundred headless corpses in the north of the city."

Using this as a pretext, they mobilized troops into the city and took the opportunity to reclaim the farmland and land they had been seizing from us.
After that, we were no longer able to provide food for the Doyan Three Guards.

Of course, if the adults are willing to pay a high price,
We can purchase them in Beiping and then transport them to Duoyan Sanwei.

"Just because some land was reclaimed, it's already too late to supply food?"

Tuoluhuchaer's lips twitched slightly, and his gaze grew increasingly cold.

"Not just some, but many. So many that they have severely damaged our vitality."

Some people are cowardly; they've handed over all the money they've earned over the years, just to save their lives.

"Does Lu Yunyi dare to openly seize by trickery and coercion? Does he dare to kill people in public?"

Mi Chen raised his head, a mocking smile playing on his lips, and looked indifferently at Tuoluhuchaer:
"My lord, the soldiers have already assembled in the city, and the city defense forces have also sealed off the four city gates."

Whether he dares or not, I don't know.
But I know I dare not resist.” Torukcha fell silent.

As a grassland person
He had participated in numerous raids and knew all too well that money was worthless in the face of swords.

Whether they are wealthy people with a fortune or beggars on the street, it's all just a matter of one cut.

Moreover, people tend to become more timid the wealthier they are.

It would be strange if these people dared to resist.

"Where is my cousin? He came with people to buy grain and ironware, how did he disappear?"

"Torhuchar asked in a deep voice."

Mi Chen's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice:
"The more than one hundred corpses found in the north of the city belonged to Urgen and his group."

As for the grain and ironware, their whereabouts are unknown.

It might have been confiscated by the military command, or it might have fallen into Lu Yunyi's hands.

Torhuchar clenched his fist tightly.

His whole body began to tremble slightly, and the anger in his eyes was almost bursting out:
"Why do people die? Why did Lu Yunyi take action?"

Mi Chen looked somewhat embarrassed and hesitated for a long time before speaking.

"My younger brother, Mi Bin, conspired with Wu Rigen to cut off some leads in order to restrain Lu Yunyi's actions."

But the operation failed, and the men died.
At first, we thought Urgen had left with the provisions and ironware, and we also suspected that the operation had failed.

But we weren't able to confirm it until the body was discovered.

Tuoluhuchaer suddenly fell silent, his eyelids lowered, and he seemed to be thinking about something.

After a while, he slightly raised his head and looked at Mi Chen:

"Are you just going to give up like this? You're not planning to fight back?"

Mi Chen's expression was complicated, and his eyes were slightly closed.

"If I were to just accept defeat like this, I wouldn't have come today."

“Tell me your plan. If it’s feasible, I’ll help you,” Toruhuchar said softly.

"How about we create some chaos from within and without?"

Tuoluhuchaer's brows suddenly furrowed, and he stared at Mi Chen with some surprise:

"You've always been extremely cautious about these kinds of things, why are you bringing it up now?"

Do you really think Lu Yunyi is easier to deal with than Zhou Xing?

Mi Chen's heart tightened, and his breathing became slightly rapid:

"If we want to cause trouble, we must act quickly while his foundation is unstable."

Otherwise, let him stay for a few more months.

Plant sweet potatoes and other crops; then it'll be harder for them to cause trouble.

Moreover, I can't think of any other good solutions right now.

Tuoluhuchaer continued to scrutinize Mi Chen and asked in a deep voice.

"Where's Mi Bin? Why are you here today?"

“Mi Bin is still being held in the Dusi Yamen (military command office), he can’t come.”

Mi Chen's voice was calm, but Tuoluhuchaer suddenly sensed a hint of danger.

He considered himself to have exceptional military talent.

He secured his position as the head of the Doyan tribe in his early twenties.

Although he was defeated by the vanguard scouts, he never doubted his own abilities.

At that moment, he felt as if he had been led into a trap.

After a pause, Tuoluhuchaer said in a deep voice:
"Do you want to save him?"

"Of course we should save him. Among the family members, only Mi Bin has any potential and can shoulder heavy responsibilities."

"If he were truly cut in half at the waist, the Mi family would decline," Mi Chen said truthfully.

Regarding Mi Chen's honesty,
Tuoluhuchaer was somewhat dazed, unsure whether it was true or false.

Is this person in front of me trying to lure the enemy in?

Thinking of the note I had just received,

After thinking for a long time, Tuoluhuchaer decided not to take the risk and to observe the situation first.

"I understand, you go back first.

This is a serious matter; I need to discuss it with others.

Mi Chen sat there, silent.
After a moment of silence, Mi Chen slowly stood up.

"Please hurry, sir. If you have no intention of taking action, I will use my own methods to rescue the person."

After saying that, Mi Chen walked out of the room.

As the door closed, Toruhuchar's brow furrowed instantly.

He didn't believe Mi Chen had such courage, nor did he trust the powerful and influential people in the city.

He understood the character of these people.
They will never fight back unless they are in dire straits.

Now Lu Yunyi has confiscated their land.
Although they lost face, they continued their revelry and their extravagant lifestyle remained completely unaffected.

Even Tuoluhuchaer himself didn't believe that he would risk his life against Lu Yunyi at this time.

After a while, the door slowly opened.

A middle-aged man walked in, his face grave and somewhat anxious.

"My lord, how is it? Where did Urigen go?"

Tuoluhuchaer looked up at the middle-aged man, who was Luchaer, the elder brother of Urigen, and had some prestige in the Doyan tribe.

"He's dead."

"Torhuchar said softly."

"what?"

Luchar's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes widened, and he let out a gasp, instantly turning into a gritted-teeth expression:

"Sir, how did you die?"

"I don't know, but he and a hundred of his men are dead."

Luchar swayed slightly, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
"My younger brother, whom I raised with all my might, is dead just like that? Why?"

"Sir, who did this? I want revenge!"

Tuoluhuchar glanced at him indifferently and sighed deeply:

"Don't be impulsive. He brought this on himself, so he has no one else to blame."

Luchar'er's eyes widened as he stared intently at Tuoluhuchar:
"What does the Marshal mean by that? Does it mean that Urgen died in vain?"

Tuoluhuchar felt inexplicably tired and shook his head:

"His death wasn't in vain; Mi Bin was also implicated in this matter."
Mi Chen came by earlier; he wants to join forces with us.

But I want to observe further and consider it more.

"marshal!"

Luchar let out a gasp.

Why not join forces?

They wield considerable power within Daning City; finding the murderer and seeking revenge would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?

Tuoluhucha waved his hand:
"Things aren't as simple as you think; we don't know who did it."

Do you think these weaklings would dare to turn against the Commander?

Luchar frowned:
"Marshal, what do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is, if these people wanted to turn against us, why didn't they do it sooner?"
When the commander wanted the land, he didn't turn against us. Now that we've handed over the land and the silver, why is he turning against us?

How can you do things this way?
And then there's Mi Chen, always a nice guy who never offends anyone.
To put it bluntly, neither you nor I dare to offend him, so how could he dare to offend Lu Yunyi?
I feel his arrival today is a trap; we can't rush into cooperation.

"Contact several companies and see how things go; don't put all your eggs in one basket."

Tuoluhucha's voice echoed rapidly in the room.
This made Luchar feel even more absurd.

But the news of his brother's death made him unable to calm down, so he took a deep breath.

"Is the master afraid?"

Tuoluhuchaer's breath hitched; he knew that further conversation with him was pointless.

He offered no explanation, simply saying:

How do you like today's sweet potatoes?
If it can really yield five shi per mu, even three shi would be better.

That was a divine blessing, enough to feed many people in the tribe.

If we had this kind of thing in our hands, it would be of great help to our future plans.

The tribesmen no longer had to fight and kill each other for food.

Luchar stood at the lower end, the candlelight dim enough not to illuminate his entire face.

A slight chill in the air caused his face to flicker between light and shadow.
He said quietly:
"My lord, what if one were born without experiencing battle?"

Will those children still have their wildness? Will they still become brave warriors? Will they still be called children of the sun?

(End of this chapter)