My eunuch godfather

Chapter 96 Undercurrents and Rising Tides

In the kitchen, Wei Sengteng had already led several skilled men in and subdued the others.

Seeing this, the waiter's eyes were filled with despair, and he reached out and grabbed the nearest meat cleaver.

It wasn't resistance; instead, he plunged the needle directly into his own neck, and blood gushed out like a fountain!

"What a madman!"

Seeing the worker lying lifeless on the ground, Wei Sengteng frowned and asked Qin Jisheng, who had chased after him into the kitchen with a knife, "Where do these heretics hide documents and such?"

"I'll look for it..."

'

Qin Jisheng searched everywhere in the kitchen and finally found a wine jar.

Tap it a few times with your fingers; it's empty. Remove the seal wrapped in cloth and take out several bamboo tubes containing documents.

"...Master Wei, it's Long Tiandao!"

After reviewing these documents that heavily used coded language, Qin Jisheng explained to Wei Sengteng, "They are from Zhao Prefecture in Zhen Ding Prefecture. In recent years, they have also been spreading their teachings to the capital."

"Mahayana Heavenly Truth, Perfect Enlightenment, Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and now another Dragon Heaven has appeared. What kind of demons and monsters are these?"

'

Wei Sengteng frowned. He had come into contact with heretical sects in the army, and many soldiers believed in the Wuwei sect.

However, the Wuwei Sect was far less evil than these other sects. They asked Qin Jisheng, "What do you think these heretics are trying to do here?"

"I once heard a rumor that Grandma Mi of Longtiandao once received guidance from Wang Sen, the Fragrance Master."

Qin Jisheng bit his lip, pondered for a long time, and then told Wei Sengteng his guess: "There is also the Peerless Taoist of the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Sect, who obtained a precious scroll passed down by Wang Sen."

"Wang Sen...the leader of the Fragrance Cult?"

Wei Sengteng had been studying heretical doctrines for some time and had some recollection of the name, so he quickly remembered it.

He asked Qin Jisheng, "Wasn't this person already imprisoned in Yongping Prefecture because of his disciple's misbehavior?"

"If the goal is to break someone out of prison, why come here?"

After hesitating for a moment, Qin Jisheng offered Wei Sengteng a condition: "I don't understand either, but I can ask around and perhaps find out the truth."

Please, Master Wei, do not inquire of who I sought information from.

Wei Sengteng stared at Qin Jisheng for a long while before finally agreeing, "Alright, but don't forget, you are now a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

The river work camp was located at Liangshuihe New Camp, Dajiaochang, Zhangjiawan.

Zhang Kun stood on the reviewing stand and nodded to Yang Desheng beside him. Yang Desheng then gave orders to the officers of the Jia-Battalion.

"Begin the inspection."

"Battalion A, assemble!"

Upon hearing the sentry officer's order, ten squad leaders and fifty squad leaders relayed the order in turn.

The five hundred men of the Jiazi Battalion, who were resting scattered in the shade, completed their formation in front of the battalion flag held high in just a few dozen breaths.

Ordinary able-bodied men wore only a single layer of coarse hemp clothing, arm guards, and leg wraps, in addition to a two-pound iron helmet shaped like the character "勇" (yong).

Then put on a light armor weighing 12 pounds of iron, which can only protect the chest, abdomen and back.

It's essentially an enhanced version of the Japanese Okegawa Do, with eight thin iron plates fixed together with rivets, making it look like plate armor.

The head of the line above them wore another light armor weighing 16 jin (approximately 8 catties) of iron, which only protected their chest, abdomen, and back.

The enhanced version of the Japanese Buddha's Body is made from a single piece of iron plate and can barely be considered a simple plate armor.

Only higher-ranking officers, such as captains, flag bearers, and sentry officers, wore full-body armor, made of at least 34 iron.

catty.

It wasn't a dark armor like cloth armor, but rather a bright armor with fish-scale patterns, spoon-shaped patterns, waist-high patterns, and other similar designs.

Zhang Kun knew that, without cutting corners, dark armor had many advantages over light armor.

However, the Mingjia has an extremely important advantage: its shell plates are on the outside, which can reflect sunlight and firelight.

More eye-catching, more imposing, and more morale-boosting!

In addition, it is already summer now, and wearing dark armor can easily lead to heatstroke.

The main weapons were 5.58-meter-long spears, supplemented by a small number of quick-firing guns, three-eyed guns, and other matchlock guns.

The latter has a very low hit rate; it's more of a noise, but it's more effective at boosting morale and scaring the enemy.

Under the command of the sentry officer and led by the flag bearer, the A-type battalion marched to the reviewing stand and began their drill.

When the exercise ended, Zhang Kun faced the river workers recruited from Hejian and, speaking with a slight Hejian accent, said loudly: "You have been conscripted by the government to kill bandits. Even if it's windy and rainy, or you're sitting idly in the camp, you will still receive your monthly allowance!"

All these silver coins, rice, and wheat were collected by the government from the people!

Many of you at home are farmers or laborers; think about the hardships you endure while farming or working at home.

Considering how easy it is to earn money these days, and that you don't have to farm or work, all you have to do is support yourself to kill thieves!

Thieves are beasts who kill people. If you weren't at the river work camp, you might have been killed by thieves too!

Anyone who dares not kill the thieves shall return this month's grain allowance and be expelled from the river work camp!

Anyone who dares to kill a thief will be rewarded with three taels of silver! The reward will be even greater if a thief is killed! The camp will cover the cost of medicine and support for their families!

After giving him a lecture, seeing that no one was ungrateful enough to jump out and say that they dared not kill the thief.

Zhang Kun stepped down from the reviewing stand and personally distributed a waist knife to each of the strong men in the Jiazi Battalion who were guarding the river.

The scabbard was engraved with the other party's name and number, so Zhang Kun could call out the other party's name and then distribute three taels of silver as part of the expedition.

After the inspection, the Jiazi Battalion, escorted by a squad of river-protecting troops personally led by Yang Desheng, headed to the five suppression zones assigned to the Jiazi Battalion.

Inside a secluded room in a mansion, several people were discussing matters.

"News has come from the Seventeenth Prince's side that the government troops have begun to mobilize."

The speaker, with a scar on his face that looked particularly menacing in the dim candlelight, urged the crowd, "If we don't prepare to start an uprising soon, we'll be captured by the government troops..."

"An uprising!?"

A woman in her forties interrupted Scarface, saying, "Fourteenth Brother, what are you doing?"

"If we don't rebel, are we just waiting to be captured by the government troops and slaughtered like pigs and dogs?"

After retorting to the middle-aged woman, the scarred man looked at the leader sitting at the head of the table and continued to persuade him, "Brother, what's your decision?"

The leader's fingers tapped incessantly on the table, on which sat a strangely shaped statue.

Resembling both man and woman, wearing a Taoist crown and Confucian robes, and holding Buddhist prayer beads, this is the image of the Eternal Mother of Huaizhendao.

Huaizhendao is a branch of Wuweijiao (the Way of Non-Action), and has many followers in Zhangjiawan and Hexiwu.

Seeing that the leader remained silent, Scarface grew anxious. "Brother, the government troops might come knocking tomorrow..."

'

Upon hearing this, the leader gave a wry smile and said to the crowd, "Today I met an old brother I haven't seen for many years. We're here to discuss some matters, and many of you have never seen him before."

The leader got up and left the secret room. A moment later, he and his disciples brought a middle-aged man back to the secret room.

The middle-aged man had bloodstains on his wrists, indicating he had been tied up. The leader pointed at the middle-aged man and introduced him, saying, "Qin Daohua, in terms of seniority, is your fifth brother."

Turning to Qin Jisheng, he smiled and questioned, "Fifth Brother, do you still acknowledge me as your older brother? Do you still acknowledge your younger brothers and sisters?"

Qin Jisheng dragged over an empty chair and sat down, saying expressionlessly to the leader, "I am an only son with no brothers or sisters. Just call me Qin Jisheng."

"Hahaha, we are all the royal offspring of the Eternal Mother, born into this world in different orders."

The leader laughed heartily at Qin Jisheng and explained to the crowd, "Your Fifth Brother is quite something these days; he's working for the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"