Chapter 442 The bad guy complains first
Chapter 442 The bad guy complains first
In July, Yingtian City was in the height of summer.
The sun is high in the sky, like a furnace of molten gold,
It poured down its blazing heat without reservation, scorching every inch of the land.
Even the cracks in the bluestone slabs seemed to be emitting wisps of hot air, and the air was distorted.
The sky was like washed blue porcelain, high and clear, but there was not a trace of cool breeze to relieve the scorching heat.
On both sides of the street, there are towering ancient trees.
It should provide a cool place.
But under the scorching sun, the leaves also looked a little wilted.
Occasionally a breeze blows, but it does not bring coolness, but instead brings a heat wave mixed with stuffiness and humidity.
The surface of the moat was shimmering with light.
However, due to the high temperature, even the water surface seemed to be covered with a layer of mist.
The willow trees by the river swayed their branches gently, creating ripples, like people who had lost the desire to live.
Jubao Gate in the south of Yingtian is still bustling with people as usual.
The pedestrians' clothes were sticking tightly to their backs, and sweat was dripping down, soaking their lapels. Even their hair was stuck together, and it was uncomfortable just to look at them.
This is especially true for the coachman waiting inside Jubao Gate.
They were either sitting or standing, but without exception, they were tortured by the scorching sun, their clothes were tightly stuck to their bodies, and sweat was like beads that had broken off the string.
It slid down his cheeks and back, soaking the back of his clothes, leaving behind dark sweat stains.
The whips and shafts in the hands became wet and rough.
They kept drinking water, their eyes showing both desire for business and helplessness towards the unbearable heat.
Occasionally, passers-by and merchants would come up to ask questions.
Their voices also became hoarse due to long hours of sun exposure.
Li Wu was at the end of the line, his clothes and even his underwear were soaked with sweat.
The hot weather made his eyes red and his vision a little blurry.
He was breathing heavily and drinking water with a gulp.
He had just completed a business deal, delivering ten boxes of melons from Zhejiang to a fruit and vegetable shop in Shangcheng.
At this moment, his mind was filled with the sweet and tempting fragrance of fruits and melons.
He hesitated in his heart, wondering whether he should buy some when he got off work, since he was very wealthy anyway.
But soon, feeling the hot weather and the difficulty in making money, he rejected this idea.
"Don't spend money recklessly, save money to drive!"
Opening a horse and carriage business has become Li Wu's obsession in recent months.
Every day when he returned home, he would check the silver and banknotes hidden in the coal pile, and his obsession continued to deepen.
But reason told him that he had no ability and didn't know how to manage it.
We have to wait for the Beijing troops to come back and for Lord Lu to come back and ask whether this deal is safe.
Li Wu was standing in line while drinking water.
With the other hand he fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan. A rickshaw driver in front of him sighed:
"It's too damn hot today. Fortunately, Master Hongwu built a shed for us, otherwise we would have died of heat."
Li Wu nodded repeatedly when he heard this.
Some time ago, after the beginning of summer,
Somehow the news of the coachman's job at the four city gates reached the ears of Master Hongwu.
Jingzhao Prefecture sent people overnight to build large enough sheds on both sides of the road so that they could rest in the cool air.
For them, this is like a rain after a long drought, and it can be said to be a life-saving grace.
Li Wu has seen many of his colleagues die from sun exposure.
While he felt sad, he also felt a little lucky that it wasn't him.
Now that we have a shed, we can wait here when there is no business.
Although it is hot, you don't have to worry about getting sunburned.
He even planned in his mind that if he could open a horse and carriage business and make money in the future,
He was also to build booths, one in the upper city, one in the middle city, and one in the lower city.
So that the driver can rest there.
It can block the sun in summer and cover with thick cotton cloth to block the wind in winter.
Thinking of this, Li Wu's eyes became a little empty and he couldn't help but chuckle.
Lao Wu, who had the best relationship with him, knew who was laughing without turning around.
He walked over and saw Li Wu as expected.
"I knew it was you, kid. Go on."
The driver, Lao Wu, threw two pieces of candy over.
Li Wu stared at it, quickly took it, and said with a smile:
"Thank you, fifth brother."
"What are you giggling about all day? How many orders have you placed today?"
"Two orders. You can only laugh because you made money." Li Wu replied with a grin.
Lao Wu sighed and shook his head slowly:
"This damn weather is so damn hot. We all earn our money through hard work. Why should we be so happy?"
Li Wu laughed and said:
“Summer and winter are hard to endure, but there are still spring and autumn, half and half.
Just like us working hard outside during the day,
When I go home at night and have a warm bed with my wife and children, it’s also half and half.”
Lao Wu was stunned, and then burst into laughter:
“Hahahahahahaha, that’s right.”
Several drivers in front also turned around and looked at Li Wu:
"Hey, you're really a talented person."
Lao Wu looked at Li Wu and smacked the candy in his mouth:
"You said we are all drivers, but I don't understand what you are talking about."
Li Wu said solemnly, "You need to study."
"Reading? I can't even write my own name, how can I read?"
Lao Wu waved his hands and spoke in a loud voice full of discouragement.
The driver beside him also laughed, but his smile was bitter.
If one can study, who would be willing to do such hard work?
Li Wu said: "Why can't we read it? Master Hongwu was a beggar before.
He can't even get enough to eat, he's worse than us.
Now, Hongwu has become the emperor.
He is proficient in reading and writing. I read the imperial edict last year.
The handwriting is very good, many scholars cannot compare with it.
Others said that Master Hongwu learned it on his own.
Since Master Hongwu could learn it, why can't we?
A few years ago, Master Hongwu also issued a booklet on calligraphy practice.
I found it at home, and now I think I can recognize about 50 or 60 characters."
As soon as these words were spoken, the team of drivers suddenly fell silent.
Lao Wu looked at him in disbelief: "Li Wu, are you serious?"
"What else? Pulling a cart can make a lot of money.
Now you and I are in good health and can earn some money.
If I get old and my legs become weak, I will have to find a way to make a living.
Once you learn to read and count, at the very least you can work as a janitor and count goods in the warehouses of the masters, and you will never starve to death.
Listening to Li Wu's talk, everyone present stopped smiling and looked at him.
Even the armored man not far away,
The sweaty armored soldiers all looked over and sized up Li Wu.
At this moment, Li Wu was like many other drivers, sweating all over and smelling of sweat.
But somehow, it was different.
When people are feeling lost in their hearts,
The sound of hurried horse hooves came from outside the Jubao Gate, quick and powerful!
The confused Jubaomen soldiers' faces changed slightly.
The heat in my body seemed to disappear in an instant, and turned into cold.
Where does the sound of horse hooves come from!
Even the gate guards hiding in the city gate rushed out and waved their hands:
"Hurry, hurry, roadblock!"
After a while of hard work, until the soldiers were all moving,
He then took out a telescope from his waist and looked towards the end of the official road.
I saw three horses galloping towards me, with clouds of dust billowing behind them.
According to his superiors, he was a soldier in the garrison, and he looked exhausted and anxious.
The general defending the city's face changed slightly and his heart skipped a beat.
There is no good news from all parties to be circulated today, so what is the purpose of this person who suddenly appears?
Could there be another rebellion somewhere?
But no matter what, guard the city gate first, and then confirm your identity!
But when the gatekeeper waited in the cool city gate,
Then they heard the three people shouting in the distance, and their voices, along with the rolling heat waves, rushed into the ears of everyone in Jubao Gate.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!
"The Beijing Army is rebelling!!"
"Duke Cao is plotting a rebellion!!"
In an instant, whether they were soldiers, civilians or merchants, their bodies stiffened for a moment and their faces showed confusion.
People who serve the emperor have a natural understanding of politics and the court structure.
It is hard to say who in this world would rebel, but among all the people in this world who would not rebel, Duke Cao would be the first to bear the brunt of it.
Now, what did they hear?
Duke Cao rebelled???
As everyone was stunned, the city gate guard suddenly realized that something was wrong.
Why are they starting to make noise about such an important matter before they even enter the city? If they were allowed to rush into the city and make a scene, wouldn't people be in a panic?
After he reacted, he let out a loud roar:
"Quick, stop them!!"
In the Five Military Governor's Office and the Military Governor's Office, General Lan Yu sat at the top. He was tall and had a flushed face.
He looked at the document in his hand, frowning.
The above shows the cities that Sichuan is going to build, as well as the progress of Sichuan's drawing of the fish scale atlas.
Either way, progress is slow.
This made him feel a little angry, and no wonder he was asked to supervise the construction of the city.
Just as he was planning how to build the city and where to find so many laborers,
When the Fish Scale Atlas is being promoted,
There were hurried footsteps coming from outside the door.
Luo Ji, assistant to the Central Military Governor's Office, walked in hurriedly.
Lan Yu's eyes narrowed and he suddenly raised his head.
"General, urgent news from Yuezhou Prefecture! Duke Cao has rebelled!"
Luo Ji's face was extremely solemn, and there was a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"what?"
Even after thirty years of fighting, Lan Yu couldn't help but be stunned when he heard the news, his face full of disbelief.
Luo Ji stepped forward quickly, took out the document in his hand, and said:
"The defenders of Yuezhou City reported that Duke Cao led 10,000 troops from Beijing into Yuezhou Prefecture.
Are they going to surround the Yuezhou government office and arrest all the officials of Yuezhou government?"
Lan Yu took the document and quickly scanned it, his eyes solemn:
"Why? There must be a reason for rebellion."
"Reporting to the General, it was not written in the urgent report.
The clerk of the Governor's Office was questioning the three soldiers who delivered the letter.
Because the matter is urgent, I will come here first to report."
Lan Yu stood up suddenly, waved his sleeves, and walked quickly from the upper part to the door.
When I walked to Luo Ji's side,
Lan Yu slapped the document into his arms and snorted coldly:
"You guys believe such absurd words? Rebellion without any reason? It would be better to say that I died suddenly last night."
Luo Ji held the documents, looked at his departing back, and hurriedly followed him.
"General, please slow down."
The news of Duke Cao's rebellion spread quickly in the capital, and all the important figures in the capital received the news.
Their reactions were similar to Lan Yu's: incredulous at first, then thoughtful.
The old military officers looked at the documents, their old faces far away, their features furrowed.
Li Jiujiang was plotting a rebellion? Did he have the guts to do that?
Everyone realized that something was fishy.
But it did not prevent some people who knew the inside story from experiencing a drastic change of heart.
What happened in Huguang was top secret, and only a few people in Beijing knew about it.
Now the news of the Beijing army's rebellion has arrived.
It goes without saying that Huguang's plan was exposed and discovered by Li Jinglong.
In this way, some are happy and some are sad.
Daming Imperial Palace, Wuying Hall!
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was overwhelmed by numerous documents and memorials as before.
There was nothing else to be seen on the large imperial desk except a vast number of memorials, and even only half of his forehead could be seen.
Not far away, Crown Prince Zhu Biao was looking about the same.
Like his father, he was overwhelmed by memorials.
The brows of both father and son were furrowed into a big "川" shape.
Even though there were thick ice blocks in the copper furnaces at the four corners of Wuying Hall, the atmosphere in the hall was still depressing.
The eunuch who was fanning the two men had sweat on his forehead.
But his movements were meticulous and he did not dare to have the slightest deviation.
It can not only make the superiors feel a chill, but also prevent the memorials from being turned over for no reason.
At this time, the eldest son of Wu Dinghou, the guard Guo Zhen, who was on duty at the door, hurried in.
He has long arms and legs like his father and a handsome face. Now he is wearing armor and looks heroic.
The footsteps attracted Zhu Yuanzhang's attention.
He sat up straight, revealing half of his face from behind the memorial.
When he saw Guo Zhen's young face, he was slightly stunned, with memories flashing in his eyes.
It was as if he had returned to the scene thirty years ago when the Guo Ying brothers were guarding the camp for him.
He rarely smiled.
"Yanding, what's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Guo Zhending was standing at the bottom, his face stern, and he said loudly:
"Your Majesty, Yuezhou Prefecture has an urgent report that Duke Cao led the Beijing troops into the city without orders, and is suspected of treason."
As soon as these words were spoken, the Wuying Hall, which had been a little hot, suddenly became extremely cold.
When the palace maids and eunuchs heard this, their pupils suddenly contracted and they quickly knelt on the ground.
Zhu Biao, who was writing furiously about the land survey in Peking, also paused.
Rich ink drops fell, and he slowly raised his head.
The gentle and warm expression like jade was gone, replaced by a cold and sharp look in the eyes.
Zhu Yuanzhang was also like this. His smile disappeared instantly. His two eyebrows, which were like dragon whiskers, slowly stood up. He spoke word by word:
"What did you say?"
The eunuch beside him shuddered and hurried forward.
He took the document from Guo Zhen's hand, checked it himself, and quickly returned.
"His Majesty."
Zhu Yuanzhang stood up suddenly, his body old but his steps hurried.
He took two quick steps, snatched the document, and quickly opened it to check.
The raised eyebrows trembled slightly, seeming to dance on the eyes.
"What bullshit."
“Send a message to the Governor’s Office to send someone to Huguang to find out what happened in Yuezhou.
Let Mao Xiang come over here too!!"
"Yes!"
Guo Zhen bowed and ran away in a hurry.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao walked over with his lips tightly pursed.
Seeing his father breathing heavily, he hurriedly helped him to breathe and helped his father sit down.
After he calmed down a bit, he asked slowly:
"Father, what happened?"
"look by youself!"
"Snapped!"
Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the document on the table, furious like an angry old dragon.
Zhu Biao took the document and took a look at it, and instantly turned into an angry little dragon.
"This is ridiculous! This is ridiculous! Ridiculous!!"
Zhu Biao paced quickly behind the imperial desk, seeing that his son was even angrier than he was.
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly laughed, his eyes gloomy:
"Biao'er, do you think Jiujiang will rebel?"
"Father, Jiujiang grew up under my watch. How could he have the guts to do that?"
"Hahahahaha."
Zhu Yuanzhang burst into laughter and slapped the armrests of the chair with his hands.
In an instant, Zhu Yuanzhang's smile faded, his eyes became cold, revealing murderous intent:
"That's right, it's not Jiujiang who is rebelling, it's the villains who are complaining first!!
In the past two months, chaos has occurred frequently in various places, and Huguang has only just started to cause chaos now, which is tolerable."
Zhu Biao's expression also turned serious:
“Father, has the sweet potato matter been leaked?
Such haste to cause trouble is like a child venting his anger."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes moved as he looked at the magnificent and ancient Wuying Hall, and his fingers lightly tapped the armrests of the chairs, making a tapping sound.
He said calmly:
"Looking at the art of war chess, if you look up, you will be able to reach the sky, and if you look down, you will be able to reach the top of a building.
My palace is full of eyes and ears.
Even if you guard against thieves for a thousand days, you can never guard against them. The successful sweet potato planting trial must have been leaked."
"That's it."
Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked solemn
At this time, Guo Zhen, who had left earlier, hurried back with an equally strange look on his face:
"Your Majesty, Jubao Gate and the Governor's Office have reported that Duke Cao has led 3,000 troops from the capital and has arrived at the city gate."
"came back?"
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows slightly, a flash of joy flashed across his eyes, and he said in a somewhat shady tone:
"Jiujiang is such a fool. Three thousand Beijing troops want to attack Jubao Gate. It's ridiculous."
As soon as these words came out, the somewhat solemn atmosphere in Wuying Hall was instantly relieved.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao shook his head and smiled helplessly.
Guo Zhen hesitated, not knowing what to say.
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang also laughed and pointed at Guo Zhen:
"Your father is lazy and lets you, his son, take over the job without even teaching you what to do?
I want to ask you, did Jiujiang attack Jubao Gate?"
"Reporting to your majesty, no, Duke Cao and others are waiting outside the city gate."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand:
"Alright, alright. Order the Jinwu vanguard to bring the rebel Li Jinglong to me. Also bring that Lu Yunyi here!"
"Yes!"
(End of this chapter)