Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 117 Xiangji Temple Plaque: Whoever loses is a traitor!

Since Ah Ji gained sentience and became a monster, he has not only become increasingly intelligent, but his size has also expanded considerably, with a wingspan exceeding twelve feet.

It also awakened the [Demon Power], a standard feature of demons.

Each type of monster's special abilities are born from its unique racial talents, which are equivalent to the special skills of human officials, yet each is different.

Perhaps because of his nickname "Pirate Bird," Bald Eagle Aji's awakened demonic power is "to take from the needy to give to the needy."

By defeating other opponents, one has the opportunity to seize the essence, energy, spirit, racial talents, and even supernatural abilities of the weak to replenish oneself and make one stronger.

This big bird spends all day outside mingling with other chickens and birds, and has won countless fights. At the very least, it has become increasingly proficient in foreign languages.

Its cry, once uttered, was more imposing than the call of a bald eagle, even if a real red-tailed buzzard were to arrive.

"Wow—!"

The ship will take a bird's-eye view of the entire Zhenhaiwei directly administered city, which is the Zhenhaiwei Commandery, which is above the four major thousand-household offices, and transmit what it sees and hears back to the [Babao] in real time.

The city wall was only about six li in circumference, slightly larger than the scale of a thousand-household garrison. Inside the city were government offices, military camps, granaries, drill grounds, temples, and other buildings.

It has four gates: east, west, south, and north. Each gate is equipped with a barbican and a watchtower. The south gate faces the sea and is a water gate.

There were 12 beacon towers and 9 forts, including Zhenhaijiao Fort and Yuzaiwei Fort, which tightly controlled the waterway at the mouth of the Kowloon River.

Looking at its geographical location, it's clear that the reason why Hong Kong has become a world trade center in recent years is inseparable from the benefits provided by the officials and generals of the Commandery.

Now that the imperial court has sent people to settle in and reached an agreement with the Shanhai Society, it can be said that their source of income has been completely cut off.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents; one can imagine how furious and enraged these people must be.

“Xiao Chengzi, that commander Xing Baichuan won’t personally cause you trouble; he’s already sent a trusted confidant to attack you.”

I had Shan Hai Hui investigate the confidants who were with him that day.

Cai Rong, 32 years old, is from Xiangzhou Prefecture. He is a hereditary commander of a thousand households and also a sixth-rank official in the local government, known as a needle and pen craftsman.

Although he was stripped of his real power during the military reform, he remained in Zhenhaiwei as Xing Baichuan's personal guard.

According to the general's orders, he would lead men out to sea to patrol every day, but they would not go more than forty li, because they were afraid of actually encountering Japanese pirates.

The patrol route is fixed; we just need to wait and see. Sending Ah-Ji over is an extra layer of insurance, in case we sink the wrong ship.

Looking at the clear view of the city, A-Xiao gave Wang Cheng a reminder.

"Understood. We're not like we were when the country was first founded. We all know how much power a commander of a guard can have."

With only a little over a thousand men left in the entire garrison, it was already quite an achievement for him to be able to order one or two trusted confidants of the middle-ranking rank to do some dirty work.

If Cai Rong is eliminated, he can still send out equally capable people to continue causing trouble. The first person to be uneasy will be the Governor of Minzhou.

Huh? Has the imperial court sent reinforcements to Zhenhaiwei again?

How could it be a dog?

Suddenly, Ah Ji in the sky noticed a large black dog lying lazily in the sun not far from the Commander's Office.

A group of weary-looking centurions approached it with eager obsequious smiles, bowing respectfully and saying:

"Dog Thousand Households".

But the big dog ignored them completely, turned its head away, and continued sunbathing.

The officers looked at each other awkwardly, then glanced at the soldiers on the street who were pointing and whispering about them. Somewhat embarrassed, they bowed again and called out, "Dog Commander."

The big dog flicked its tail but still ignored them.

Just then, another large black dog sunbathing on the opposite street corner suddenly raised its paw, beckoning them over, and lazily said:

"Woof! Your dog is right here, what kind of eyesight do you have?"
No wonder they can't even tell the difference between real and fake Japanese.

A group of centurions rushed over, not daring to show the slightest dissatisfaction. Some fanned the dog, others picked lice, making sure the big dog was comfortable.

"Great Dog of the Thousand Households, you flatter me, you flatter me. You don't like wearing official robes and blend in with the masses. We servants are too blind to recognize your majesty."

Since you have come all the way from the capital to take over our Lu'ao Thousand-Household Garrison, we have prepared a fine feast at Jufenglou to welcome you.

"Practice makes perfect, and next time you'll surely witness the might of a thousand-man commander."

The head of the centurions cautiously asked for instructions.

They had originally planned to use a pleasure boat on the Jiulong River, but after specifically gathering information about this powerful warlord from the capital, they changed the location at the last minute.

In this world, it's not uncommon for monsters to serve as officials in the imperial court, especially since this big black dog clearly has a remarkable background.

As we all know, every dog, except stray dogs, has an owner.

And its owner was none other than the late emperor!

Born in the famous "Leopard House", he obtained a divine essence from Emperor Qin Shi Huang of Han and unintentionally transformed into a monster, becoming a loyal royal dog.

However, he has a very bad personality and somehow learned the methods of the "Second Cobbler," focusing on studying the "Animal Creation Technique" and the "Brocade Robe Technique."

Jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards—nothing could resist—and wreaked havoc on the former emperor's Tiger City, Elephant House, Leopard House, Pigeon House, Deer Farm, and Eagle House.

In stark contrast to Ah Ji, who thought he was a chicken, he thought he was Tai Ritian, who dared to criticize everything and everyone.

Once, the most notorious flower thief in Zhili, known as "One Flower," was caught, and he used his position to skin off a handsome human skin.

Then we went to drink with prostitutes.

Finally, his own master, who was fond of philandering, removed the bell from his head on the grounds that it was disrupting the morals of the capital.

These centurions knew they absolutely couldn't accidentally flatter Ma Huanxi, so they immediately changed their strategy. Dog Qianhu stood up, rummaged through his fur, pulled out a roll of human skin, draped it over himself, and transformed into a handsome young man with peach blossom eyes.

He is nearly 70% at the level of Wang Chengbenxiang.

He waved to a eunuch surrounded by followers on the road.
"Old Park, want to come grab a couple of drinks with us?"

When the eunuch saw it, he immediately stopped and bowed.
"Since Commander Gou has extended an invitation, I shall gladly accept."

The presence of a eunuch in such a place speaks volumes about his identity: he is a military supervisor, serving as an inner court official to ensure the emperor's absolute control over the army.

It can supervise generals to prevent them from becoming too powerful, and it is also responsible for auditing military affairs, reviewing merits and demerits, rewards and punishments, and allocating food and supplies.

They could even participate in decision-making, and some military supervisors could directly intervene in combat deployments, placing them above the generals. The most typical example was the idol of all eunuchs, the eunuch Sanbao who led the fleet on seven voyages to the Western Ocean.

Dog Commander put his arm around his shoulder and said familiarly:

"Old Park, we're all bastards. Why distinguish between you and me? Let's go."

"Dog Lord, I think the Zhenhai Guard is full of good-for-nothings, not a single one of them is worth looking at. I heard that the Lu family boy went to Baoshan Police Station, I'll call him up for some fun another day."

The nation is facing difficulties; if we don't share the burdens of our masters, who else can we rely on?"

"Dog Qianhu is right."

The two groups met up and left.

Watching their retreating figures, a general standing by the roadside, also dressed in the robes of a chiliarch and with a scorpion tattooed on his neck, raised his head, his face filled with resentment and jealousy:

"Bah! Eunuchs who fawn over the emperor!"

Even a eunuch without testicles can become a guest of honor of the commander and wield unparalleled power in Zhenhaiwei. Even a dog without testicles can ride on our heads and defecate and urinate.

It's because they have connections!
There's also Wang Fugui, who was originally a penniless, impoverished centurion. But after he latched onto the Lu family's coattails, he rose to prominence overnight. How did he do it?
He must have betrayed the Lu family!
Yes, that must be it.

Clearly, in the eyes of Cai Rong, a sixth-rank "needle and pen craftsman," his frustration and lack of success were all due to the fault of others.

"You just wait, sooner or later we'll be the ones calling the shots in this East China Sea!"

In the early years, the gentry in the southeast dared to defy the central government in collecting taxes, and even organized a miners' riot that resulted in the death of a eunuch from the Imperial Horse Administration who was carrying out imperial orders, but in the end, nothing happened to them.

As long as they hide among the common people, concealing themselves as "commoners" and avoiding direct confrontation with imperial power, they have nothing to fear.

Stomping his feet angrily, he walked toward the warship at the South Gate Wharf. Several of his men, dressed in loose uniforms and exuding a bandit-like air, hurriedly came to greet him.

"Chieftain, the commander said that the supervising officer is in place and that we should go and get some 'military merits' these next few days to make a good impression."

"Are we going to go and behead those small coastal groups of Tanka people again this time?"

Cai Rong frowned:
"What are you saying?"

We always search for the strongholds of the Japanese pirates, and the heads we bring back are those of real Japanese pirates killed by our brothers in bloody battles!

"Yes, yes, Lord Qianhu is right."

The subordinate who had said the wrong thing quickly slapped himself in the face.

However, after leaving port, the somewhat old 400-ton warship headed towards a coastal bay where Tanka people often stopped to rest and recuperate.

The root of all this is the imperial court's "first merit system," which offers high rewards, with 50 taels of silver for each real Japanese head!
After the discipline of the garrison troops deteriorated.

The massacre of innocent civilians, especially coastal fishermen, merchants, and refugees, and the subsequent reporting of their heads as those of Japanese pirates or other dangerous criminals to gain credit, was almost an open secret.

Several years ago, someone reported to the court: "At that time, government troops dared not fight when they encountered Japanese pirates, and killed civilians to comply with orders. The officials could not distinguish the truth, and the Japanese pirate problem was getting worse every day."

The "Qiantai Wozuan" records: "When encountering Japanese pirates, they dare not advance, but when encountering civilians, they bravely kill them."

Among those who committed blood debts were the officers and soldiers of Zhenhaiwei.

If they're facing a tough opponent, they'll be very timid, even cautious; but when they bully ordinary people, they suddenly become very bold.

The duality of courage only collapses into one form when the object is clearly defined.

This proactive maneuvering stems from two factors: firstly, a reluctance to relinquish power, and secondly, a fear that having power taken away by others would expose the evil deeds committed in the past.

Why did the "Yu Long Qi Hu" (a military unit) earn such a formidable reputation? Because they were not only skilled fighters, but also disciplined and truly risked their lives to do practical things for the people along the coast.

As they gradually moved away from Zhenhaiwei, the dozens of men on the ship began sharpening their knives and loading ammunition into their muskets.

Cai Rong then took out an old plaque from his waist pouch. It was covered with knife marks, arrow holes, and indelible black and red bloodstains.

Three dim gold characters are inscribed above: Xiangji Temple!

【Fu Ying Town Object: Xiangji Temple Plaque (Treasure of the Prefecture), anchoring the historical event of the Battle of Xiangji Temple, where 150,000 Tang troops faced off against 100,000 An Lushan rebel troops.

Effect: Whoever loses becomes a rebel!

It was precisely because of this treasure that the people in the Zhenhaiwei Commandery were able to kill innocent people and claim credit for their crimes without ever being discovered.

Because all those they killed were identified by the officials as real rebels and bandits!
Cai Rong stroked the plaque, his eyes gradually turning sinister:
"Only three more days until my good days begin."

Wang Fugui, oh Wang Fugui, you never expected this, did you?

If you lose, not only will you be crippled by me, but you will also inadvertently reveal your true identity as a 'traitor,' be captured on the spot and imprisoned, and never be able to rise again!
You might feel innocent, but blame yourself for not understanding the rules of officialdom. We're all covered in mud, and you're the only one who's high and mighty? Bah!

Suddenly, a chorus of exclamations came from outside:
Why did fog suddenly roll in at sea?

"Oh no, it's a pirate ship! A Western-style pirate ship is coming!"

Then
boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
(End of this chapter)