The world is like a prison, my body is holy

When Wang Wen returned to the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion in Yangzhou, the moon was already high in the sky.

The lights were still on in the main hall of the General's Mansion. As soon as Wang Wenfang landed, Xu Wu quickly came out to greet him: "Big Brother!"

Wang Wen jumped off the black Qilin and patted its round head: "Take the corpse to the mountain god temple next door."

The black Qilin grinned and rubbed its mouth against his palm. Then, with its head held high and tail swishing, it strode briskly toward the mountain god temple next door. Several demon-suppressing guards on duty saw it and rushed forward, laughing as they removed the saddle from its body: "Second Master, you've worked hard!"

"Second Master, what would you like to eat tonight?"

"At this point, don't bother with anything else. Just make a pot of noodles... seventy or eighty catties of noodles will be enough. We can't eat any more."

"Alright, you can rest now, the noodles will be here soon..."

Xu Wu stared in horror at Hei Erniu's departing figure, his throat tightening as he whispered, "Brother, who... is that corpse?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Wang Wen laughed and said, "That was just the corpse of a blacksmith."

Just as Xu Wu was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard his elder brother say again, "However, I did indeed kill Emperor Zhongdeng."

Xu Wu stared at him in astonishment, his mouth agape, his face filled with terror, his mind a complete mess and utterly at a loss for words.

Wang Wen stepped into the hall and saw several bowls and plates kept warm by inverting large bowls.

He stepped forward and wiped the bottom of the bowl, feeling that the food inside was still warm. Then he turned over the inverted bowls one by one and casually asked, "Have you eaten?"

Xu Wu followed behind him in a daze, replying irrelevantly, "Brother, did you really kill the emperor?"

Wang Wen picked up his rice bowl and said calmly, "It's fake, I was just kidding!"

Xu Wu paused for a second, then exclaimed excitedly, "I don't believe it! How could you joke about something like this with me?"

Wang Wen said irritably, "You already know, so why are you asking?"

Xu Wu was speechless, his mind a complete mess. One moment he was wondering how to settle his parents, the next he was thankful that they had stockpiled some grain this year, and then he was wondering what the country should be called if his elder brother's rebellion succeeded...

Wang Wen ate his meal in large mouthfuls, and seeing that his expression was uncertain and he remained silent for a long time, he asked vaguely, "What are you thinking about?"

Xu Wu replied instinctively, "Brother, don't speak yet. I'm thinking about how to start a rebellion..."

"Brother, how many soldiers do you think we can recruit now? I think with your reputation, you can easily gather 20,000 to 30,000 troops within a month. If we use the 2,000-plus brothers from the General's Mansion as a base, 20,000 to 30,000 troops can quickly become combat-ready!"

"We will first cut off the grain transport to the north, then send troops to resist the imperial army's suppression of the rebellion, and send troops south to take over Jiangnan. We will use Jiangnan as our rear base to fight the imperial court steadily."

"I've calculated it. There aren't many troops in Jiangnan. We only need to send a force of 10,000 to advance unimpeded. At present, most of the imperial forces are tied down in the northeast by the Prince of Qin. As long as we withstand the first wave of the imperial offensive, things will be much easier afterward..."

"If all else fails, we can join forces with the King of Qin and launch a pincer attack on the court from the north and south, dragging it out until the court is worn down... Our uprising can alleviate the pressure the court is putting on the King of Qin, and the King of Qin has no reason to refuse to join forces with us."

"Once the imperial court collapses, we should have complete control over the entire south by then."

"At that time, we will divide the country with the King of Qin, one in the south and one in the north, and then choose an opportunity to fight it out!"

"I've thought it over. In terms of martial prowess, we have a peerless warrior like you, Big Brother, who is unprecedented and can capture enemy generals and flags as easily as eating and drinking, to lead the vanguard."

"In terms of money and supplies, we have the prosperous Jiangnan region as our rear base!"

"The only weakness is in the civil service, but that's not a big deal. Jiangnan is short of all kinds of talent, but it's not short of scholars. As long as we do a good job, we won't have to worry about not having scholars come to serve us."

"If the King of Qin is sensible at that time, we can let him live a wealthy life and enjoy his old age in peace."

"If they don't know what's good for them, we can take this opportunity to wipe out the Chai family all at once, eliminating any future worries..."

He got more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes shining brighter and brighter, his thoughts flowing like a spring and his words flowing like a torrent. At the height of his enthusiasm, he slammed his hand on the tea table and shouted, "Brother, give the order! I'll go and organize the troops right now, and tomorrow we'll raise our flags and rebel against them!"

Wang Wen opened his mouth wide, staring at him blankly, while the piece of fatty meat he was holding with his chopsticks silently fell back into the bowl.

Xu Wu was taken aback by his expression and asked cautiously, "What's wrong, brother? Do you think my plan is a waste of time?"

"You bastard, you still dare to say you've never thought about these kinds of trivial things before?"

Wang Wen, shocked, burst into curses: "You've even come up with the strategies of building high walls, stockpiling grain, and delaying the proclamation of kingship for me? You bastards, you haven't even come up with my title of king yet, have you?"

Xu Wu hesitated for a second, then shook his head vigorously: "No, no, brother, believe me, I really haven't thought about this..."

But his reaction did not escape Wang Wen's eyes. He stared at the bastard in disbelief: "You hesitated? You actually hesitated!"

Xu Wu shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.

His reaction made Wang Wendu laugh in anger: "Xu Ergou, you really are my good strategist!"

He knew before that although this guy looked big and burly, he was actually the smartest among their group.

But he was shocked to realize that he had underestimated this guy's intelligence...

He was shocked to discover that as long as he followed this guy's plan step by step, even if his personal martial arts skills were weaker, he would still have a very high chance of seizing the throne.

His analysis just now, seemingly a series of swift and decisive actions, felt almost too obvious, but in reality, he had thoroughly dissected the situation and people's hearts. Even if there were some oversights, they were merely tactical issues.

In any case, given Wang Wen's vision and intellect, he couldn't find any fault with Xu Wu's overall strategy...

Damn, what a talent!

Seeing that he was so angry that he wouldn't eat, Xu Wu had no choice but to bite the bullet and say in a low voice, "Brother, I'm thinking about these things just in case."

Wang Wen: "What do you mean by 'being prepared for any eventuality'? When did I tell you I was going to rebel?"

Xu Wu gave him a surprised look: 'Don't you have any self-awareness about what you've said?'

Wang Wen, enraged, retorted, "You've been with me for so many years, can't you even tell if I'm joking or serious?"

Xu Wu said in a low voice, "Of course I can tell the difference, but with your behavior, isn't rebellion just a matter of time? Look, you've even killed the emperor now. Besides rebellion, what other path do we have to take?"

Wang Wen had nothing to say.

He reflected on his past actions and realized that ever since he became Wang Erhu, he had never cared about any explicit or implicit rules when doing things. As long as he felt he hadn't done anything wrong, he would do whatever he wanted. It was common for him to make a huge fuss over the smallest things.

From his own perspective, he didn't think he had done anything wrong. No matter what he did or what trouble he caused, he was prepared to pay the price for his actions. Even if he died on the way to cause trouble, he was willing to accept the consequences and didn't care.

However, if you look at his behavior from the perspective of his subordinates, he is indeed too impulsive and not steady enough as the leader. He gives people the feeling of a crazy man driving a broken-down car that is about to fall apart, speeding everyone along a rugged mountain road.

For any established power, the most important thing is internal stability. At the very least, the people under their command need to know what they will be doing tomorrow and the day after, instead of living in constant fear, wondering whether they will be on their way to slay demons and monsters or on their way to fight the imperial army...

From this perspective, it's understandable that Xu Wu, as his most trusted subordinate and the one who understands him best, would make the worst-case scenario plan. Thinking of this, Wang Wen put down his rice bowl and earnestly told Xu Wu, "Er Gou, I've been pondering a saying these days, and I'll tell you it today. Think about it when you have time."

Seeing that he was speaking seriously, Xu Wu's expression also became solemn: "Brother, please speak."

Wang Wen said softly, "When a hero draws his sword, another ten years of calamity befalls the common people."

Xu Wu was taken aback, and subconsciously felt that the sentence was so appropriate for the occasion!

Wang Wen patted him on the shoulder and invited him to sit down and chat slowly: "You know me, I'm just an ordinary person. I love wine, women, wealth, power, and force. I want them all."

"But beyond these worldly desires, I still want to do some things within my power that are right!"

"Take Yangzhou as an example. I think I'll go out and find a few arrogant and domineering young men and servants to beat up whenever I have free time, just to show off and have some fun."

"I also want Yangzhou to become better and better, with more and more delicious food, more and more beautiful young women, more and more beautiful scenery, and more and more harmonious neighbors..."

"I don't think there's a conflict between them."

When Xu Wu first heard this, he was completely confused and thought to himself, "What does this have to do with anything?"
But after thinking about it carefully, he suddenly felt enlightened, as if he had finally grasped a thread that connected all the haphazard and disjointed things his elder brother had done in the past.

When Gu Yue, the transport commissioner of Huainan, offended his elder brother, his brother led his troops to Chuzhou and brazenly wiped out Gu Yue's entire family, all to vent his anger and show off.

After turning back to Yangzhou, he continued to diligently manage the demonic scourge in Huainan as if nothing had happened, and ran around preparing for the establishment of the Jixia Academy... all so that the people of Huainan could return to a peaceful life as soon as possible.

This time, the emperor bullied him, so in a fit of rage he went to the capital and shot the emperor to death, just to vent his anger and show off.

Even though things had come to this point, he was unwilling to rebel because he was unwilling to drag the people of the world into a war and suffering for his own selfish reasons... even if his selfish reasons were for the country and the entire world!

After this summary, Xu Wu immediately felt it was difficult to stay calm.

He didn't know how to describe his older brother's childlike nature.

After much thought, he finally came up with a conflicting but appropriate assessment: an honest but truly wicked man!
Well, the term "real scoundrel" doesn't sound very nice...

But my own older brother didn't hide his true villainous side at all!

Having figured this out, Xu Wu also understood his elder brother's bottom line.

That is, as long as the world is not in chaos and the people can still make a living, even if he wants to be emperor, he will not try to seize it.

But if one day the world falls into chaos and the people can no longer make a living, then he might chop up anyone who dares to try and take from him.

He truly hadn't expected that his elder brother, such a domineering and fearless brute, would actually have such strong principles...

"Brother, I understand!"

Xu Wu solemnly clasped his hands in a salute. After his elder brother's words, he felt much clearer about what he could and could not do in the future.

"As long as you know."

Wang Wen nodded. He knew this guy was smart and would definitely understand his point.

Xu Wu hesitated and said, "What about the capital city..."

Wang Wen casually waved his hand: "Don't worry, I've arranged for people to clean up the mess. You're not afraid that no one will be willing to do the job of the emperor?"

Xu Wu chuckled and said, "That makes sense!"

But after a pause, he still asked again, unsure if it was really over, "So... this matter is just over like that?"

Such a momentous event as killing the emperor, and it just passed by so casually?
Can't you?
"if not?"

Wang Wenfeng smiled nonchalantly, "If he can't even handle such a small matter, what kind of emperor is he?"

"Fuck!"

Xu Wu gave him a thumbs up, completely convinced: "Awesome, brother, you're awesome!"

Wang Wen didn't finish his sentence.

But Xu Wu understood the unspoken meaning: 'If he can't do the job well, then find someone else!'

emperor?

What kind of emperor is that in the capital?
The burly man with thick eyebrows and big eyes in front of me, shoveling rice into his mouth from a huge bowl, is clearly the real emperor!
"Alright, just relax!"

Wang Wen waved his hand at him, signaling him to go back and rest: "This matter will soon be resolved, and you will know then."

Xu Wu nodded, stood up, clasped his hands, and took his leave.

Wang Wen suddenly remembered something, raised his head alertly, and looked at him with unfriendly eyes: "By the way, you didn't tell your uncle about this, did you?"

"I'm not stupid, why would I let him worry about something like this?"

Xu Wu vehemently denied it, but before Wang Wensong could catch his breath, he continued, "But as you know, brother, there are very, very few things in Yangzhou that can be kept from him..."

"Fuck!"

Wang Wen was startled. He hurriedly shoveled the last bit of food from the bottom of his bowl into his mouth, then stood up and mumbled, "I'll go hide for a bit. If your grandpa comes looking for me..."

Before he could finish speaking, a Demon-Suppressing Guard rushed in and reported, "Reporting to the General, Old Master Huang has arrived!"

Wang Wen turned his head and looked outside the hall, and saw Huang Xingde with a livid face, carrying a club as thick as a teacup in his hand, striding towards the hall.

Seeing this, Xu Wu tried hard to suppress the upturned corners of his mouth and silently stepped aside.

Wang Wen stared at Huang Xingde's gloomy old face, his scalp tingling. Even though the club in Huang Xingde's hand couldn't even scratch his oily skin, he still felt a strong sense of panic and an urge to run away.

He swallowed hard, backing away as he said, "Hey, hey, the kids' grown up, you can't use corporal punishment anymore, it can leave psychological scars..."

Huang Xingde didn't bother with any more words. He rushed forward and started beating him mercilessly with a club: "You little brat, you've really grown bold, daring to kill even the imperial envoy? What else wouldn't you dare to do? Are you planning to rebel next?"

Wang Wen, slapped so hard he ran away covering his head, cried out, "I didn't! I didn't! Don't wrong me! It was clearly that bastard Xu Ergou who wanted to rebel! He was just urging me to raise an army tomorrow, cut off the canal transport, and then conquer Jiangnan..."

Huang Xingde suddenly turned around and looked at Xu Wu, like an enraged lion looking at a smug little monkey.

Xu Wu's trembling lips froze instantly: 'Damn it, bro, you're not loyal!'

"Bang bang bang..."

"Sir, spare me! Sir, spare me! Ah, my hand is broken! My hand is broken..." (End of Chapter)