In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 659 The Ten-Word Calamity of Sugar-Fire Burning the City

Inside Daning City, flames soared into the sky, whipped up by the fierce winds, shifting and changing wildly in the air.

The entire northern part of the city was bathed in a blood-red light.

On the north city wall, many soldiers stood between the battlements.

His eyes were filled with a deep sense of solemnity as he eagerly awaited news.

They didn't know what was happening there.
It's incredibly strange that a fire could start in such cold weather.

In a corner of a shack at the foot of the north wall of the city, a shack that had been dead silent suddenly became active.

Three figures emerged from within.

They were wrapped up tightly, even their faces were covered with thick mink fur.

Narisu looked around at the chaotic and disorderly environment.
Smelling the unpleasant odor in the air, a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes, and he waved his hand:

"Hurry up, hurry up, this place stinks even more than the village."

The three of them started walking along the shack area in the opposite direction from the city gate.

They soon arrived at the corner where the north and east city walls met.

Narisu looked up at the sky. The towering city walls stood tall, blocking out half the sky, and an inexplicable sense of oppression washed over him.

It was this kind of city wall that stopped the steppe people from advancing!

Without time to think too much, Narisu took out a tinderbox from his pocket.
With a strong blow, sparks suddenly burst forth.

He took two steps back and quickly waved the tinderbox towards the city wall.
Like fireflies in the dark, they are very eye-catching.

Not long after, the same light spots appeared on the city wall, drawing circles on them.

Seeing this, Narisu finally breathed a sigh of relief and gave the following instructions:

"You guys go first, but be careful the Ming people don't try anything funny!"

"Understood, Boss."

The two people beside him responded and then walked to the base of the wall to wait.

Before long, a rough, thick hemp rope hung down from the city wall.

There are knots tied tightly all over it.

Narisu nodded.
"superior."

The two grabbed the rope, one in front and one behind.
He climbed up slowly, using the angle between the east and north city walls as his feet.

As they disappeared from sight,
Narisu secretly breathed a sigh of relief; things had gone relatively smoothly.

However, after a few breaths,
Narisu raised his head and frowned. Where is he?
Soon, two more points of light appeared on the city wall and began to shake with difficulty.

Narisu breathed a sigh of relief, but he remained vigilant.

Instead, he drew a dagger from his waist.

It was held in its mouth, and it slowly climbed up.

Heavy breathing echoed in the darkness.

Narisu felt every muscle in his body was straining, which made him feel somewhat tired.

When he climbed halfway up, he glanced back casually, and the sight before him left him stunned.

what is that?
As the horizon stretched out, the dark clouds had been tinged with orange-red.

The towering flames shot straight into the sky like a tornado.

Although we hadn't gotten close, we could still faintly hear shouts coming from inside.
"on fire?"

Narisu paid no more attention and continued climbing.

As he gripped the battlements with both hands, a chill ran through him, and he couldn't help but curse:

"What are you standing there for? Pull me up!"

Soon, two strong arms grabbed his arms.

They pulled him up forcefully, completely disregarding the fact that half of his body was still outside.

The sliding of the sharp edges caused Narisu a sharp pain in her abdomen.
Even the clothes were a little wrinkled, and there were some sounds of peeling and tearing.

"What are you doing!"

This time he didn't suppress his voice, because he was furious.

The next moment, the dagger was gently removed from her mouth.

The acrid sound of his teeth grinding together left him no time to think.
A fist came straight at me and landed hard on my cheek!
With a muffled thud, a powerful force struck.
While Narisu was in a daze, he could hear the cracking sound of teeth breaking and the breaking sound of his crooked nose bone.

But long-standing warfare and instinctive reactions,

He managed to stop himself from moving.
Without any hesitation, he threw a punch back.
The force of the punches howled, seemingly vying with the cold wind blowing through the city.

A sharp, shrill laugh suddenly rang out, and a silver flash streaked across the dark night sky.

Without any hesitation, it pierced through Narisu's fist!
A muffled thud, followed by the cracking sound of bones breaking.

Narisu felt as if he were being whipped.
The intense pain made his whole body tense up instantly, and his mind went blank.

When he came to his senses, he saw a gaping hole in his arm.
A long, narrow, and sharp arrow was stuck in it, with bits of flesh and broken bone fragments still hanging from the diamond-shaped arrowhead!

It is especially noticeable in the pitch black of night.
There seems to be some lingering connection between his thoughts and feelings.

"what--"

Narisu let out a scream, his mind reeling.

Before he could react, two sharp whooshing sounds rang out again as arrows pierced his calves!

An unimaginable pressure struck him, and he stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Who, who!"

Narisu, disregarding the pain in his heart, let out a scream.

Qu Qingfeng's face appeared in his mind.
Then the faces of Hu Chongyi and Shi Yu appeared.

A series of thoughts appeared in my mind.

But he just couldn't understand who was attacking him!

"be honest!"

Just then, a young and clear voice rang out from above.

Narisu turned his body, trying to see the face of the person who had just entered.
But all that can be seen are his military boots inlaid with silver iron plates and his all-black armor!
"Who are you! Who are you!"

Narisu felt utterly hopeless almost instantly.

He knew that his years of glory and wealth would soon be gone.

He was no longer the powerful leader of Longwei Mountain, but a prisoner.

Everything happened because of a moment of greed!
But reality gave him no chance to back out.

Zhang Huai'an looked at the three people who had been pinned to the ground.

His expression was cold, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes:
"You dare to snatch food from a tiger's mouth? That's utterly absurd!"

"Let me go! I have money, I can give you money!"

Narisu still did not give up struggling, and cried out in a shrill voice.

"Kill you, and the money will still be mine!"

Zhang Huai'an's voice was cold as he waved his hand:

"Take him away and torture him severely. He must know everything about the layout of Longwei Mountain, as well as its troop strength and weaponry."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of astonishment flashed in Narisu's eyes.
Isn't it about the sugar?

Is the Commander-in-Chief going to take action against Longwei Mountain?
Narisu quickly made his decision, enduring the excruciating pain in his limbs, and struggled to shout:

"I am the head of Dragon Tail Mountain, and I can tell you everything."
"I can even lead you to attack, just spare my life!"

Zhang Huai'an stood there with his hands on his hips, and shook his head helplessly after hearing this.
"Aren't grassland bandits supposed to be arrogant people?"

How did such a spineless coward like you come from?

"May I ask which esteemed person is here in person?"
The humble man's family is quite wealthy and is willing to give it all to the master, not seeking to save his own life.
I only ask that you, sir, allow a doctor to treat me.
Otherwise, I would have lost both legs and one arm.

Narisu spoke hastily, his tone very rapid.
Her voice was still trembling, and it was clear that she was enduring the pain.

"You really are flexible and adaptable. Someone else might have actually treated you."
Who am I? I've seen plenty of people like you in the capital.

Zhang Huai'an put his hands on his hips and began to boast for a while, then waved his hand:

"Take it away quickly, don't let anyone find out."

"Yes!"

Narisu wanted to shout again,
But soon a rag was stuffed into his mouth, and he could only make muffled whimpering noises.

In the early morning, the soft, hazy sunlight filtered through the curtains and fell on the intricately carved mahogany bed.

The bloody battlefield before Lu Yunyi's eyes gradually faded away.

Then it suddenly went dark, and then a few points of light appeared.

In a daze, he opened his eyes.
I saw the neatly arranged and decorated beams above, and I also saw the antique-style bed. My senses were returning.

What she held in her right hand was not a cold, bloody longsword, but a soft, smooth little hand.
What he was holding in his left hand wasn't a hard, bloody skull, but some soft, spherical things.

With a slight exertion, a soft groan from someone still half-asleep came from beside me.
Lu Yunyi then knew what it was.
Somewhat suddenly, memories of yesterday came flooding back.

He had forgotten what time he stopped drinking yesterday.
I've also forgotten how I got home.

However, the ease and comfort he felt in his head surprised Lu Yunyi.

"It is indeed good wine from Beiping. It doesn't give you a headache or make you drunk," Lu Yunyi thought to himself.

At this moment, Liu Wanyi cautiously pushed open the door and walked in.

Upon seeing Lu Yunyi's wide eyes, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

She tiptoed closer, glanced at Deng Lingyun and Mu Chuting who were still fast asleep, let out a soft laugh, and lowered her voice:

"Husband, you're awake?"

Lu Yunyi shook his head, pulled both arms out one at a time, and used them to prop himself up to sit up.

"What time is it now?"

"It's Chen Shi (7-9 AM), it's still early, let's sleep a little longer."

Is it already Chen Shi (7-9 AM)?
Lu Yunyi was taken aback, then made a gesture to indicate that he should get up.

Before long, with Liu Wanyi's help,
He was dressed neatly and had regained his usual composure.
His eyes were bloodshot, and the bright red color was quite frightening.

Liu Wanyi pulled him to sit down in the main hall.
She peeled an egg for him, then pulled his head towards her, gently blew on it, and said in a sweet voice:

"Your eyes must be sore. Let me give you a warm compress."

Lu Yunyi sat there, eyes closed, inhaling the faint fragrance wafting towards him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Father and Mother will be arriving soon. If there's anything we need at home, go buy it as soon as possible."
I'm afraid that many shops will be closed during the Lunar New Year.

"I know, don't worry about things at home. My two younger sisters and I will take care of everything."

Husband, go to your official duties and don't worry about anything else.

Oh, by the way, when we left yesterday, Black Hawk's dad gave us a receipt, saying it was a share of the profits from the business over the past few days.

When I got back, I took a look.
"These are notes from a money exchange in Beiping, totaling 50,000 taels of silver."

"so much?"

Lu Yunyi was somewhat surprised.
It seems that speculating on real estate is still much more profitable than selling melons.

Liu Wanyi smiled:

"He was probably drunk. He said he didn't have much money left and that he would have to borrow money from banks and wealthy people when he got back to open his workshop."

They even said that wealthy people were begging him to lend them money.
But he'd been ignoring it, and now it'll come in handy.

Only then did Lu Yunyi find it reasonable.

Real estate speculation can indeed make a lot of money, but there's a limit to how much you can make.

"Keep this money for yourself."

"I'll keep it?"

Liu Wanyi pinched Lu Yunyi's cheek in surprise:
"Husband, are you not going to take charge of the household?"

"Hey~"

This situation reminded Lu Yunyi of many unpleasant memories from his childhood, and he quickly shook his head to dismiss them.

"Household expenses are high. It's not a sustainable way to spend all the money we earn; we need to save some."
From now on, you can keep all the profits from your uncle and the business.
I've been married into this family for so long, and I haven't received a single penny of salary from my husband.

"I feel a little guilty spending all of your dowry."

Liu Wanyi laughed and reached out to rub Lu Yunyi's reddened ears:

"What are you saying, my husband? My money is your money, spend it as you please."

After saying that, Liu Wanyi removed the two eggs from Lu Yunyi's eyes, brought her head closer, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and a hint of coquettishness flashed in her beautiful eyes:

"Open your eyes and look."

But Lu Yunyi remained seated, not opening his eyes for a long time.
"Hmm?" Liu Wanyi let out a soft exclamation.
The next moment, Lu Yunyi, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly began to tremble violently.
He became arrogant, his eyes widened suddenly, his features contorted, and he let out a loud roar.

"what--"

"what"

Then came another gasp, and Liu Wanyi shuddered, her head jerking back.
Immediately, the look of surprise on her face was replaced by anger, but a bright smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh dear, you always scare me."

"Hahahahaha."

Lu Yunyi was particularly delighted and burst into laughter.
"Still so timid."

After a flurry of activity, Lu Yunyi, his face flushed, rode his warhorse to the headquarters of the military commander.

The notice that was previously erected is still standing there.

However, the contents have been changed from white sugar to other things.
For example, the arrangements made by the military command during the New Year, and the things that ordinary people need to pay attention to during the New Year.
At the very top of the list is the requirement to open windows for ventilation when lighting a stove.

At this moment, some officials and commoners gathered there.
They looked at the notice and started discussing it amongst themselves.

"I heard that the warehouse in the north of the city caught fire last night, and a lot of good stuff was burned. I wonder if it will be mentioned in the notice tomorrow."

“How could you write about such an important event? You’ll definitely write about some trivial matters.”

Someone objected, but the person who spoke first seemed to think to himself as he said:

"That's not necessarily true. I've heard it from my fellow townsmen in the government office."

The notices posted at the gates of the prefectural government office and the military command post recorded many important events in the city.
"How could we not write down what happened in the city?"

The group had differing opinions and were arguing amongst themselves.

Lu Yunyi only glanced at them briefly, yet he memorized their faces.

They can clearly distinguish the distinct characteristics of grassland people and Ming people.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Lu Yunyi's lips.

Aside from differences in lifestyle and appearance,
The messages received by the Ming people and the nomadic people were clearly distinct.

People from the Ming Dynasty were mostly concerned with matters within the Great Wall, while people from the grasslands were mostly concerned with everyday family matters.

Now, through this kind of notice,

It can make people in both the north and south of the city concerned about what is happening in Daning City.
This can be considered a subtle difference that we are trying to find amidst the stark differences between the North and the South.

Once they share common thoughts and concerns, the differences between them become less significant.

In retrospect, the results are remarkable.

And Lu Yunyi secretly made a decision in his heart,

Why wasn't the news of yesterday's fire posted on the notice board beforehand, allowing people in both the south and north of the city to argue about it first?
Let's wait a couple of days until things calm down before posting the notice again, and then we'll have another argument!
After arguing back and forth, the two sides became familiar with each other.

At least we met, and I know who the person in front of me is!
With a mix of thoughts, Lu Yunyi arrived at the left wing of the back hall.

At the entrance, Assistant Commissioner Duan Zhengze, Tan Wei, and Prefect Hong Yishan were all waiting.
His expression was slightly serious.
Even the officials walking by didn't dare to breathe loudly.

Upon seeing Lu Yunyi approaching, Duan Zhengze quickly went to greet him.
"My lord, you've arrived?"
The fire in the city last night has been extinguished, and the cause of the fire has been determined. This is the official document.

As Lu Yunyi walked, he picked up the document and asked, knowing the answer already, "..."
Was it intentional or accidental?

Stepping into the military commander's office, a wave of heat hits you.

Lu Yunyi took off his hair clip and cloak and hung them aside, then sat down directly behind the table.

When he saw the table piled high with documents,
The initial excitement of arriving at the government office had subsided considerably.

Duan Zhengze then spoke:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the coroners and elders in the city have both concluded that this was a deliberate act."

"Are you so sure?" Lu Yunyi asked, leaning back in his chair.

Duan Zhengze's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and he spoke in a deep voice:
"My lord, the supplies stored in the city's warehouses yesterday were white sugar."
To the best of my knowledge, white sugar is not easy to burn, in fact, it is very difficult to burn.
Therefore, both the prefectural government and the military command made their own speculations.

This was arson deliberately set as revenge.

"Have the arsonist been found?" Lu Yunyi nodded in realization.

Tan Wei spoke, his voice deep and resonant:

"Reporting to you, sir, some traces were found at the scene."
Ultimately, it all points to the Huang and Wang families.

"Oh? How did this get involved with them again?"

Their eyes darted around, unsure how to answer.
Finally, Duan Zhengze gritted his teeth and spoke:
"Sir, items belonging to the Wang and Huang families were found at the scene."

Moreover, the white sugar in the workshop did not come from Wanshou Sugar Workshop, but from Beiping (Beijing).

Perhaps Hu Chongyi's underhanded tactics have driven someone to desperation.

Lu Yunyi chuckled softly, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth:

"Then what are we waiting for? Arrest them first, then interrogate them."

These two families are so stingy with even ten coins they give to the common people; I've finally caught them red-handed.

A glint of light flashed in Duan Zhengze's eyes. He raised his head slightly, realizing something, and quickly spoke:
"My lord, I will arrest them immediately!"

(End of this chapter)