Wanjin Lady

Wei Zheng held a white handkerchief in his hand and kept wiping the bloody sword.

His fingers were long and strong, wiping it clean bit by bit.

Looking at the corpses of bandits scattered all over the ground, Yao Shizhen felt that the murderous aura of his disciple was becoming stronger and stronger.

"You caused a big fuss some time ago. Even in the remote countryside, I heard that you were killing people in Bingzhou. You killed so many wealthy people that they were like..."

Wei Zheng smiled, his face cold, "If you don't kill them, you won't be able to scare them; if you don't fear them, you won't be able to deter them."

Yao Shizhen's eyelids twitched. "Is smuggling in Bingzhou... really a rampant problem?"

"Money moves people's hearts. I charge in the front, killing the Japanese, while they trade with them in the back, shipping salt, iron, cloth, and even weapons over there, gradually feeding our enemies and allowing them to slaughter the people along the coast. Exporting Chinese products to foreign countries, exchanging goods, the profit can be tenfold."

"Teacher, there's a village called Tangjia Town southeast of Bingzhou. The original inhabitants were killed five years ago. Those Japanese, disguised as citizens of Dachen, moved freely within Dachen territory, gathering information, bribing and co-opting officials, and slowly infiltrating. They've become allies with the local wealthy families, killing Chen civilians, looting their money, and injuring their officers and soldiers."

Wei Zheng's eyes were dark, and sparks "popped" as if they were exploding deep in his eyes.

"Your Majesty sent me here to pacify the coastal areas. Naturally, I must kill all the Japanese and make them dare not attack again before I can return to Kyoto."

"It's a pity that too few were killed. We only killed a few who were on the surface, which was just scratching the surface. The wealthy families in the Tianshui area were deeply involved with the Japanese because of their smuggling business. Some even helped cover up their escape."

Wei Zheng wiped his sword dry. The cold moonlight fell on the sword edge, and a cold light flashed across the mountains.

"If we really want to quell this turmoil, we have no choice but to uproot the entire Bingzhou!"

Yao Shizhen's heart started pounding when he heard this.

He knew that the coastal areas had always been in turmoil. Six years ago, the Japanese pirates landed in Yun County in large numbers. This group of pirates consisted of only two or three hundred people, but they burned, killed, and looted along the way. They went straight through the prefectures and counties and headed inland. They were unstoppable all the way and no county or state could stop them.

Before leaving, the Japanese left behind some arrogant words, saying that among the tens of millions of people in the Chen Dynasty, not a single one was a man.

In this way, the Japanese people escaped unscathed.

His Majesty was furious and completely cut off maritime trade with the Japanese. At the same time, he sent troops out to sea to wipe out the Japanese. However, the soldiers of the Great Chen Dynasty were not familiar with the water and were tied down by the Japanese at sea. Although they eventually killed all the Japanese in the coastal villages, they paid a huge price.

In short... kill one thousand enemies... and destroy eight hundred of your own.

In recent years, the wind has tightened, and the big players have not openly touched the maritime business, but the profits are huge and people's hearts are hard to satisfy, so there are always people who take risks. Wei Zheng is grasping this line.

Yao Shizhen's mouth was dry for a moment. "Smuggling has far-reaching implications. I'm afraid it's going to be difficult to handle."

Not to mention that the Tianshui area is wealthy. This year, when the famine hit, countless fishermen rebelled or simply surrendered to the Japanese. The Tianshui area has deep roots and there are many powerful people in the court.

In the Bingzhou area of ​​Tianshui Prefecture, the Japanese attacked and invaded the coastline in front, and the wealthy families colluded with smuggling in the back, continuously supplying nutrients for money.

Wei Zheng's journey was fraught with peril, like walking on thin ice. Yao Shizhen licked his dry lower lip, feeling the sky growing increasingly dark. "His Majesty... ultimately doesn't trust the Wei family."

The man smiled happily, not knowing whether it was a mockery or submission. "Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all the grace of the king."

Yao Shizhen sighed, his tone like a whine, and only repeated this sentence: "Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all the grace of the king."

Lowering his eyes, Yao Shizhen saw the scar on Wei Zheng's hand. The scar was deep in the base of his palm and was several inches long. "This is—"

Wei Zheng smiled and turned his wrist. "Maybe he was injured somewhere. Soldiers are bound to face hidden dangers."

After saying that, the man's eyes darkened.

Wei Zheng had never been a talkative person, but upon meeting Yao Shizhen, he confided a few words. "Teacher, last year, I marched alone deep into Bozhou... I was assassinated... and lost my memory. When I woke up, I was among farmers in the snowy forests of Cangshan Mountain. From July to December, that short six months... I had no memory at all, and even lost the sachet my mother had sewed for me."

Yao Shizhen's expression froze. "A relic left behind by the Duke's wife?"

He remembered that Wei Zheng was not like other men who wore jade pendants. Instead, he only liked to carry a sachet embroidered with orchids. It was sewn by Wei Zheng's mother before the "Kyoto Rebellion".

After the Duke's wife's tragic death, Wei Zheng carried the sachet with him and never left it.

Yao Shizhen frowned, "You really can't remember anything at all?"

"I only remember that someone attacked me from behind..." Wei Zheng smiled bitterly. He put his sword into the scabbard and looked at the light and shadow of the carriage shining through the tent in the distance. He had good hearing and could naturally hear the painful muffled sound of the woman in the carriage.

"Later, I asked a doctor to see me. He said that the severe trauma to the back of my head, coupled with the near-frozen-to-death experience in the snow and ice, had given me a migraine, and I was constantly having headaches. It was normal for me to have lost my memory. I could only wait for the gradual recovery. Maybe one day I'd suddenly remember it."

Yao Shizhen comforted him, "Don't worry, it's just the sachet you lost... you can find it slowly."

"This is the only way for now." Wei Zheng heard screams rising higher and higher from the other side. He had been in the army for many years and had heard the screams of the enemy before, but none of them were like the pain of a woman giving birth. He looked in the direction of the carriage and asked, "Teacher... why did you think of taking in an adopted daughter?"

Yao Shizhen sighed, "It's just a coincidence. This girl is just what I like, she's very likable. Your master's wife always regretted not having a daughter when she was young. Now that both of her children are away from home, she... can't help but feel lonely. Adopting Wen Wan as my adopted daughter and having a girl by my side can make up for some of her regrets."

Wei Zheng said no more.

"Unfortunately, Wen Wan's father went to Bozhou to attend the Green Plum Wine Festival, but he got into a murder case and has been sentenced to death. This girl was as anxious as an ant on the hot pot. Despite being pregnant, she insisted on going to Bozhou to save her father."

At this time, Wei Zheng slowly replied, "I have dealt with Yan Zhizhou of Bozhou several times..."

"I also know Yan Shouli. He's a man who understands the doctrine of the mean. He's been in office for many years, and I've never heard of him offending anyone. He's a very capable person. Logically, this case shouldn't have been judged so hastily."

"That's fine. I'm also going to Bozhou to investigate the smuggling case. I received a tip a while ago that a major smuggler might be hiding in Bozhou City. I'll escort you there when the time comes. As for Junior Sister Wen's father, if he's truly wrongly accused, I'll do my best to get him out of prison."

Yao Shizhen sighed, "I know you've always been cold on the outside but warm on the inside. But you have your own difficulties; there's no need to make things too difficult for you." (End of Chapter)