In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 737 Long Confined in a Cage, Now Returning to Nature

The Northern Camp of Beiping (Beijing) housed a thousand soldiers from the Tianjin Garrison who were resting and recuperating there.

Lu Yunyi also moved here from Qingping Escort Agency and lived in the barracks of the Right Guard of Yanshan.

That afternoon, the two heirs of the Prince of Yan's mansion entered the army camp and began preparing for their field training exercises.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi sat quietly in an inconspicuous tent, reading the message sent by the Prince of Yan's residence.
The record contains what appears to be Tang Xingbang's whereabouts.

However, as one book after another was read,

Lu Yunyi's face grew increasingly gloomy.
There was too much unfiltered information, a chaotic mess that overwhelmed him.

At this moment, a middle-aged man in his thirties strode in.
He was tall with dark skin, and his two long, narrow arms were particularly striking.

He was Tan Yuan, the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the Right Guard of Yanshan, who had just succeeded his father.
They were also ordered by the Prince's Mansion to cooperate with Lu Yunyi.

As soon as Tan Yuan entered, he strode to the desk and said with great enthusiasm:
"Lord Lu, take a look at this, we've made progress."

Lu Yunyi took the document handed to him and opened it with some surprise.

It was discovered that Tang Xingbang had left through the south gate on the very day he entered the city.

The time of departure from the city is clearly recorded on it.

"gone?"

Lu Yunyi's brows furrowed instantly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

In his estimation, Tang Xingbang should have stayed safely in the capital and sent the message out.
Why did he leave in such a hurry? Did he know the exact route for the goods?

Lu Yunyi fell into deep thought, and after a moment he made a decision:
"Send this message to General Huang and ask him to send someone to pursue them."

"Yes!"

Tan Yuan quickly turned around and left.

Silence fell inside the military tent.

Lu Yunyi didn't look at the documents again, but leaned back in his chair and pondered quietly.

The goods departed a few days earlier than Tang Xingbang's.
If Tang Xingbang had rushed after them without any other support, he would have been unable to stop the goods.

A dark glint flashed across Lu Yunyi's eyes.

Tang Xingbang left Daning City alone.
However, once they arrived in Beiping, their journey south would inevitably garner support from some people.
Even some powerful figures will stop at nothing to obstruct it.

Just as Lu Yunyi was lost in thought, light footsteps sounded outside the military tent.

Strangely, the footsteps stopped at the door, as if they were hesitating.
"Who?"

It wasn't until Lu Yunyi asked that Zhu Gaoxu poked his head in, looking rather timid.
He looked somewhat apprehensive, holding a document in his hand.

He paced into the military tent and stammered as he spoke:
"It's a letter from my mother, she asked me to give it to you."

Seeing Zhu Gaoxu's sturdy build, Lu Yunyi felt much more at ease.
Regardless, judging from so many years of attempts, the course of history will not change; only the minor details will change.

"Bring it here."

Lu Yunyi took the letter, quickly opened it, and glanced at it briefly.

His brows furrowed instantly, and an aura of power emanated from him.

"The whereabouts of Qu Jiarui, the Right Provincial Governor, are suspicious. There are unidentified people living in his house, who are suspected to be Tang Xingbang, the Vice Commander of the Da Ning Central Guard."

Just that one sentence brought Lu Yunyi back to his senses.

Compared to Tang Xingbang leaving the capital early, he was more willing to believe the letter in front of him.

Moreover, Qu Jiarui had every reason to help Tang Xingbang.

Lu Yunyi frowned slightly, sniffed the air, and took a deep sniff.
There was a strange, pervasive smell of feces in the air.
His gaze shifted, finally settling on Zhu Gaoxu, and he asked in a deep voice:

"Did you pee your pants in fear?"

Zhu Gaochi, who had been idling around, suddenly raised his head, his voice rising sharply:

"how is this possible?"

He then pointed to the letter in Lu Yunyi's hand:

"It smells like a letter."

"The Prince's residence also runs a night soil business?"

Zhu Gaoxu frowned, and said with a hint of disdain:
"My uncle spent his days indulging in pleasure and doing nothing, so my mother found him a stable way to make money."

Lu Yunyi suddenly smiled, quickly realizing the reason behind it.

I have ever grown to admire the intelligence gathering methods of such important figures.

He set the letter aside and looked at Zhu Gaoxu:
"I misunderstood you. How are you staying in the military tent?"

Zhu Gaoxu's hands clenched together, revealing a hint of embarrassment, and he said with a stiff neck:

"The bed is a little uncomfortable."

"only these?"

"Everything else is fine."

Lu Yunyi glanced at him with some admiration:
"He is indeed a promising candidate for military service."

When I first joined the army, I tossed and turned in my tent, unable to fall asleep, feeling that something was wrong with everything.

"And for someone born into a royal family to be able to adapt to military life is already quite remarkable."

Zhu Gaochi raised an eyebrow upon receiving the praise.
He was overjoyed, and a smile appeared on his hardened face.

He now knows who the person in front of him is.
The boy's arrogance kept him indifferent, but he couldn't help but admire him.

"Alright, go back and rest early. I still have things to take care of."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhu Gaoxu's eyes.
He turned to leave, but slowed his pace at the entrance of the military tent, turned back, and tentatively asked:

"Lord Lu, will you mobilize troops in the city?"

Lu Yunyi was taken aback, looked up and saw the longing in his eyes, then smiled and shook his head:
"Second Prince, you must remember this."
At any time, resorting to force is the worst possible option.

As the saying goes, the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances.

If something can be resolved without weapons, it should be done, even if there are some costs.
Because no matter the cost, it will be less than the cost of going to war.

A hint of doubt flashed in Zhu Gaoxu's eyes.
He is too old to understand such things, but he keeps them in mind.

"Thank you, Lord Lu. I will remember this."

"Go ahead. Once you're done with this busy period, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. I'll answer them to the best of my ability."

Zhu Gaoxu's eyes suddenly lit up:
"Okay, I'm leaving."

He left, gesturing and dancing with joy, his whole being radiating happiness.

It seems that at this time, he was only a ten-year-old child.

Not far from the military tent, Zhu Gaochi, who was anxiously waiting, saw him rush out and quickly stepped forward, asking in a low voice:

"How's it going? Has the letter been delivered?"

"Of course, with me personally involved, how could I possibly fail?"

Zhu Gaoxu pounded his chest loudly, his face full of arrogance.

After speaking, he glanced at his elder brother with a hint of disdain:

"Boss, you should do these things yourself. Don't expect me to do everything."

Zhu Gaochi glanced at him:
"You're not happy? Then I'll deliver it myself from now on."
"From now on, whatever special skills you have, Lord Lu, you should teach them to me!"

Having said that, Zhu Gaochi swayed his slightly overweight body and walked away quickly.

Zhu Gaoxu's eyes darted around, and he quickly chased after them, a fawning smile on his face:

"Oh, you are the eldest brother, I should handle such a small matter, so there's no need to trouble you, elder brother."

Zhu Gaochi, moving forward in the dim light, chuckled softly and gave Zhu Gaoxu a defiant look, as if to say:
"You think you can fight me?"

The night grew deeper, but fortunately, there were no clouds in Beijing tonight.
A bright jade disc hangs in the sky, casting down silvery-white light that illuminates the entire earth.

As always, the entire inner city of Beiping was shrouded in darkness, with only a few scattered lights flickering.
At the night markets on the east and west sides,

The colorful lanterns added a touch of elegance to the majestic city of Beiping.

Dongchang Street was where officials in Beiping (Beijing) lived.

The streets were paved with bluestone slabs and swept spotlessly clean.

The moonlight shone down, like a layer of fine salt.

In the pale moonlight, the faint glow of lanterns from the gates of various mansions could be seen.

Some of these lanterns were dim, while others were bright.
This is the unspoken rule in officialdom, where officials are ranked according to their rank.

The Qu residence at No. 2 Dongchang Street benefited from Qu Jiarui's position as Right Provincial Governor.
The lanterns in front of the door were particularly bright, illuminating almost half of the street in front of the door, leaving only a sliver of darkness under the trees opposite.

A gentle breeze stirred, causing the neatly arranged trees to sway.

Moonlight filtered through the leaves, faintly illuminating the shadows moving beneath the trees.
As the breeze grew stronger, the lanterns began to sway slightly, revealing more than ten dark figures beneath the trees. They were agile, dressed in black, with their faces covered by black cloths, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes that were fixed on the vermilion gate of the Qu residence.

The lantern swayed precariously, and when the light returned...
The figure vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there.

next moment,
With a "whoosh," silver light surged in from both sides, instantly extinguishing the candlelight inside the lantern.

Two soft "clang" sounds

Two throwing knives were driven hard into the door panel, plunging the entire entrance of the Qu family mansion into darkness!

A sudden burst of light footsteps erupted.

Under the hazy moonlight, figures rushed toward the gate.

Hearing the commotion, the gatekeeper of the Qu residence pushed open a side door to see what had happened.

But when he pushed open the door, the darkness before him made his heart skip a beat, and a bad premonition arose.

Before he could react, a figure pounced on him like a cheetah.
He used his palm as a knife and slashed fiercely at the gatekeeper's shoulder.

With a muffled thud, the gatekeeper's eyes rolled back instantly, his body went limp, and he fell backward.

A figure caught the gatekeeper, helping him to fall slowly.

No sound was made during this process.

He turned and waved his hand, and several figures behind him drew long swords and swarmed in like locusts.
After quickly dealing with the two guards,

They rushed along the base of the wall towards the backyard.

In less than fifteen minutes, the man in black had dealt with all the guards in the mansion.
They firmly guarded the main house and the side rooms.

A tall figure appeared in front of the main house door.
He drew a dagger from his waist, inserted it through the crack in the door, and slowly moved the latch.

In less than five breaths, the door was opened by a gentle breeze, making a creaking sound.

Qu Jiarui, who was sleeping soundly with his beautiful concubine in his arms, suddenly opened his eyes.

He's been having trouble sleeping lately because he's been preoccupied with worries.

As soon as the sound rang out, he woke up and sat up abruptly!
The sudden darkness before his eyes almost stopped his heart, and a figure appeared in the room!

"what"

He opened his mouth wide, his whole body tensed instantly, and cold sweat poured out.

"who are you?"

The moment the sound was heard, a sharp longsword was drawn from its sheath and placed against his neck.

"Silence!"

Qu Jiarui held his breath and glanced at the long sword, feeling a chilling aura emanating from it.

At this moment, the beautiful concubine beside him woke up, opened her eyes groggily, and mumbled:

"Master, why are you up?"

The next moment, she saw the dark figure standing in the room through the window lattice, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

"what!!"

Before the piercing shout could even sound,
Qu Jiarui immediately covered her mouth, his breathing heavy:

"Shut up, don't say a word!"

Qu Jiarui glanced at the figure and asked:

"Who are you? What do you want to do?"

"Lord Qu just needs to wait here obediently."

The voice was hoarse and cold, and as he spoke, he moved his long sword forward.
He pressed against Qu Jiarui's neck, making him hold his breath!

He didn't speak again, and neither did the man in black.
Time passed slowly, and soon half an hour had gone by.

A dark figure rushed in, approached the man in black, and whispered a few words.

The man in black nodded slightly, then looked at Qu Jiarui and asked:
Where did Tang Xingbang go after leaving the mansion?

Qu Jiarui's pupils suddenly contracted, and his body tensed up instantly!
However, things quickly returned to normal.

But this subtle change did not escape the notice of the man in black before him, who chuckled softly:
There are thirteen tables in the third room of the west wing.

There were also some unprocessed documents inside, containing records of people entering and leaving the city.

Qu Jiarui's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and a wave of regret washed over him.
Why weren't these documents properly stored away immediately?

Then, the next sentence from the person in front of him made his expression change drastically.

"Where did Tang Xingbang plan to mobilize troops to stage a rebellion after he left?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"It seems you, Lord Qu, are determined to suffer the consequences of your actions."
Tang Xingbang is now plotting a rebellion. Whether he succeeds or not, you, Lord Qu, cannot escape responsibility.

Now that I've told you what happened, I'll pretend I never came tonight.

"Who is Tang Xingbang? What does his rebellion have to do with me?"

Qu Jiarui was covered in sweat, and a sense of relief welled up inside him.
Fortunately, Tang Xingbang left in the afternoon, otherwise he would have been caught red-handed.

"Lord Qu, if you do not confess honestly, the military commander will come to confiscate your property tomorrow."

What your son did in Daning, to put it mildly, was defying his superiors; to put it more seriously, it was treason.

What exactly the crime is, depends on Lord Qu's choice.

Qu Jiarui's pupils swayed violently, and his whole body trembled like a leaf.
But a huge weight was lifted from his heart, and he even secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The long sword that had been hanging overhead was finally about to fall.
After a long silence, Qu Jiarui regained his usual composure and said in a deep voice:
"I said Qingfeng would handle it leniently?"

"Release them once this is over."

As for Lord Qu...
He can no longer hold the position of Provincial Governor; he should go home and enjoy his retirement. That would be a dignified end.

"How can I trust you?" Qu Jiarui asked.

"Believe it or not, at worst we'll arrest Lord Qu and torture him severely tomorrow."

"I am a second-rank official of the imperial court!"

"They're plotting a rebellion, and they still care about rules? That's absurd."

Qu Jiarui's spirits, which had just been lifted, instantly drooped, his eyelids drooped, and he looked as if he had aged ten years.

After a long silence, he said softly:

"He followed the Fallen Flower Merchant Guild, and the troops they needed to mobilize should be from Henan province."

"Which one?"

"I don't know, but he once said it was a city through which the canal flows."

He added that if they could arrive as quickly as possible, they could intercept both the land and sea routes!

The cities of Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng instantly flashed through the black-clad man's mind.

The names of various garrisons and military headquarters also emerged.

Unfortunately, because the Yellow River flows through Henan Province,

The garrison system was almost the most extensive in the interior of the Ming Dynasty.

There were more than a dozen garrisons, as well as guards of the vassal kings and military settlements.
The man in black thought carefully for a long time, but still couldn't find a suitable garrison.

The man in black sheathed his long sword and said in a deep voice:

"Lord Qu, we have not been here today, and everything will remain the same tomorrow."

If someone contacts you to plot a rebellion, you can write a letter and send it to the paving stones next to the gate of No. 6 Anmin Lane.

Meanwhile, we will monitor and track Lord Qu's movements.
If you do anything that is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, don't blame the court for being ruthless.

After saying that, without waiting for Qu Jiarui's reply,

The man in black then pulled away his long knife, quickly retreated, left the house, and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

With a loud "bang," the two were completely awakened.

The beautiful concubine looked at Qu Jiarui tremblingly, her voice shaking:

"What exactly happened, sir? Who are they?"

Qu Jiarui was soaked in cold sweat.
The white shirt clung to his body.

But his expression relaxed a little.

He pulled his beautiful concubine into his arms, gently patted her back, and whispered:
"It's better to leave this officialdom."

"We'll go back to our hometown and live the life of wealthy old men, without having to scheme and fight anymore."

(End of this chapter)