Chapter 177 Hidden Mission (6k)

"This is."

"Don't just stand there, we'll talk about it at the table later."

"Oh"

Seeing Ruan Xiaoqi standing still, Lin Chong, who was usually calm and reserved, walked up to him enthusiastically and pulled him into the house.

The two were both leaders during Chao Gai's era. If they wanted to help Yang Chang start an uprising in Qinzhou now, it would be far from enough to rely on the few people they had now. Naturally, they had to win over old brothers like the three Ruan brothers as soon as possible.

Everyone walked back into the hall, chatting and laughing. Originally, except for Yang Jian, the two tables were just full.

Normally, Ruan Xiaoqi would have to add more tables, but Yang Chang asked people to put two square tables together, so that it would be more lively with ten people squeezed together.

Yang Chang became the governor of Qinzhou. Hu Sanniang sent Zhu Tong to bring Yang De and his family to enjoy a good life. Yang Jian finally didn't have to follow his parents to farm the land.

He had previously learned how to read from Xiao Rang, and how to behave with others from Song Qing. After arriving in Qinzhou, he finally found a place where he could put his skills to good use.

Yang Chang was short of staff at the time, so he asked Yang Jian to be his secretary.

Among the ten people at the table, Yang Jian was the youngest and of lower seniority, but he was tactful and took the initiative to open the cup for everyone.

Taking the opportunity of pouring wine, Lin Chong told Zhu Tong about moving his family to Yuncheng.

Ruan Xiaoqi didn't comment after hearing this. She thought to herself, since this is what Hu Sanniang wants, does she want to completely cut ties with Liangshan? How should she ask to stay?

While frowning in deep thought, Yang Chang raised his wine bowl and pushed it forward, asking first: "It's been only half a month since we last met in Tokyo. Brother Xiaoqi came to Qinzhou this time. Is it for personal or official business?"

"Oh, what official business can I have? If there is any official business, it must be Dai Zong."

Ruan Xiaoqi smiled, raised the bowl and drank it all in one gulp, then continued to add: "The army recently moved to Chenqiaoyi to rest, I had nothing to do and came to Qinzhou to see an old friend, just to see"

"Oh, that's fine."

Yang Chang never liked to force things, so since Ruan Xiaoqi didn't say anything, he didn't ask any further questions.

Lin Chong was quick to sense something was wrong and immediately asked, "I heard that you won a great victory in Huaixi and everyone must have received rewards when you returned to the capital. I wonder what official position the court gave you?"

"What official position? Haha."

Ruan Xiaoqi put down his wine bowl and smiled bitterly, shaking his head and mockingly said: "Except for the two vanguards, we only got a military rank, that is, the general and deputy general without rank."

"what?"

"Can't you?"

"How can it be"

Everyone was shocked after hearing this and couldn't believe that the court was so perfunctory.

Yang Chang captured a few rebels and brought them to Beijing, and was then appointed as the Surveillance Commissioner of Qinzhou by the emperor. Compared with Wang Qing, Fang Shen's crimes are like an ant compared to an elephant.

Ruan Xiaoqi's expression did not sound like he was lying. Yang Chang remembered that in the original novel, the Liangshan Army only conferred official titles after defeating Fang La, so he was calmer than others, but he also wanted to know the official positions of Song Jiang and Lu Junyi.

"What positions were the two pioneers given?"

"Don't be afraid of Brother Yang laughing at you. Song Gongming was awarded the title of Baoyi Lang and Yihui Xiaowei, and Lu Junyi was awarded the title of Chengjie Lang and Yihui Fuwei. Compared with you, there is a huge gap between them."

"Uh-huh"

Yang Chang smiled awkwardly, thinking to himself, my buddy, this inspector was specially approved by the emperor, so why should Song Jiang be on par with me?

Seeing that everyone had strange expressions, Yang Chang took the initiative to make jokes to ease the awkwardness.

"It was written in the book that Song Gongming's nickname was Hu Baoyi. It was destined that he would be named Baoyi Lang. It was reasonable and reasonable."

"Brother Yang thinks it's reasonable, but he wants to be the governor, how can he look down on this small official?"

"Jiedushi?"

When Ruan Xiaoqi said this, even Sun An couldn't help but question: "How dare Song Xianfeng think so?"

"How could it be false? The old emperor left a message in the brothel, saying that whoever can help him wipe out Fang La in Jiangnan will be rewarded with the title of Jiedushi. Song Jiang was extremely excited when he heard this. At this time, he was training his troops in Chenqiaoyi under the scorching sun."

"This..." Sun An was speechless after hearing this.

Lin Chong took over the conversation, stroking his beard and asking, "After you defeated Tian Hu and Wang Qing, you accumulated merits before you were awarded this small official position. After defeating Fang La, you can be promoted to a second-rank Jiedushi?"

"As the brother is willing to believe, what can we do, but..."

Ruan Xiaoqi changed the subject and added, "Because the reward was too low, Song Gongming appealed to the emperor through General Su. The emperor then ordered Tong Guan to retire in Beijing on the grounds that he obstructed the reward of meritorious officials. This was an explanation to us."

"and then?"

"And then what? That's all. What follows is the expedition against Fang La."

"hiss"

Lin Chong took a deep breath, shook his head and sighed, "Even if Tong Guan is ordered to retire, the beneficiaries will be other high-ranking officials in the court, and the people of Liangshan will still not gain any real benefits. How could Song Gongming agree to fight Fang La?"

"Even with this, he's still afraid that his opportunity will be taken away from him."

Ruan Xiaoqi smiled bitterly and continued to mutter: "The court let Cai You take over the Privy Council, and let Tan Zhen serve as the envoy of Hedong and Hebei to replace Tong Guan to hand over the states in front of the mountains and behind the mountains to the Jin people. The Northern Expedition Army should not go south in a short time. Song Jiang was relieved when he heard the news." (Behind the mountains refers to the area of ​​Yanjing and Yunzhong, with Taihang Mountain as the boundary)
When Lin Chong heard the news about the Northern Expedition, he immediately looked at Wu Song with a nervous expression.

The imperial court has deployed heavy troops in the north, so what they do in Qinzhou is dangerous. Fortunately, Yang Chang is now in charge of both military and political affairs, so he may have to be more careful in his actions in the future.

At this time, Sun An expressed his feelings: "Fang La is making quite a fuss, not much less than Wang Qingying. Previously, when the Song vanguard conquered Huaixi, almost all the generals in Hebei were annihilated, and many of the Liangshan brothers were also injured. If the Jiedushi promised to conquer Jiangnan again, I don't know how many of them would not be able to come back."

"Well, who says it's not true? It's fate."

"otherwise!"

Yang Chang recalled the plot of the original novel. Among the three Ruan brothers, only Xiaoqi was left alive. He had a good relationship with them. He couldn't bear to see the three brothers go to Jiangnan to die, so he interrupted them excitedly.

"General Sun An is right. If you three brothers are not here for fame and fortune, this trip to the south of the Yangtze River will surely be dangerous. You might as well quit the army and retire to the rivers and lakes."

"Are you willing to take me in?"

"Yes."

The way Ruan Xiaoqi tilted his head and asked back suddenly reminded Yang Chang of the dialogue between Liu Piaopiao and Yin Tianchou in The King of Comedy.

Is it okay not to go to work?

If I don’t go, will you support me?

I will support you.

Yin Tianchou's problem is that he has no money, and Yang Chang's problem is that the Jin Kingdom will invade. Since Qinzhou will fall to another country sooner or later, it will not last long even if the Ruan brothers are summoned.

At this time, Yang Chang did not know that Wu Song and Lin Chong were already preparing for the uprising. They had selected and counted militiamen from various places, and some of them had received short-term training during the time he was away.

Just like Yin Tianchou promised Liu Piaopiao, Yang Chang agreed to Ruan Xiaoqi without hesitation.

The invasion of the Jin Dynasty was a later story. He would feel guilty if the three Ruan brothers died in Jiangnan.

In fact, many of the Liangshan brothers at Chenqiaoyi were as helpless as Liu Piaopiao. They all relied on working hard to please the court in order to get ashore. Their "madam" was Song Jiang.

In the play, Liu Piaopiao still goes to work, but Ruan Xiaoqi really wants to stay in Qinzhou.

He immediately took the wine jar from Yang Jian, stood up and said to Yang Chang and the others: "Brother Yang is now a fifth-rank inspector. I took your words seriously. I will borrow this jar of wine to pay my respects to you today."

"We are all brothers, don't be so formal."

Yang Chang hurriedly stood up to block him and said sternly, "I settled my fifth uncle in Shijie Village. He has been taken care of by the Ruan family for more than two years. I didn't say anything rude. Seventh brother is scolding me!"

"Hehe." Ruan Xiaoqi smiled at everyone and said, "Brother Yang is now the Observer, so I have to be cautious."

"You're talking nonsense again. Brother Qi is already drunk before he even drinks. Sit down and drink slowly."

As Yang Chang spoke, he motioned to Yang Jian to help Ruan Xiaoqi sit down, and then reminded him: "Since Brother Qi is interested in coming to Qinzhou, go back and call Brother Two and Brother Five, and move all the family members from Shijie Village here."

"Haha."

Ruan Xiaoqi held the table and said with a smile: "We brothers have been wanting to leave for a long time. This time, my fifth brother and I went out on the pretext of visiting relatives. I came to Qinzhou to ask Brother Yang about his feelings, while my fifth brother went back to Shijie Village to visit relatives. I will go to find him tomorrow, and then go back to Chenqiao Inn to ask my second brother to leave."

Lin Chong frowned after hearing this and enthusiastically gave him some advice: "If you three brothers all leave, I'm afraid Song Jiang won't let you go. Try to be decisive when the time comes, just like I did at the beginning. If you are soft-hearted, you will not be able to leave."

"Gongsun Yiqing can leave, why would he stop us brothers? He makes me angry."

"Brother Xiaoqi."

Yang Chang interrupted Ruan Xiaoqi and reminded him earnestly: "As the saying goes, 'leave a way for others so that we can meet again in the future'. Since you are leaving, don't embarrass others. When you go back to Chenqiaoyi to pick up people, it is best to use the excuse that your parents have strictly summoned you brothers to return to your hometown to fulfill your filial piety. Song Gongming is known as the Filial Piety Black Sanlang. He can't find a reason to keep you and won't embarrass you in front of others. Remember not to act rashly."

"okay."

Ruan Xiaoqi responded solemnly.

Thinking of Song Jiang's boasting, and the many vicious schemes he and Wu Yong used to keep people, he asked Yang Chang in return that he was upright and capable in his dealings, and that his awe-inspiring power was accepted by people without him getting angry.

Heisaburo, your tricks are no longer effective.

Old friends met again, drank and talked happily until dusk.

Except Wu Song who stayed, the rest of them left. Among them, Lin Chong was able to control himself from getting drunk, so he took Ruan Xiaoqi home to rest.

Yang Chang escorted everyone out of the mansion, and when he returned to the hall, he saw the mess of cups and plates, and couldn't help but sigh to himself. "We still have to fight Fang La, and I don't know how many will be left."

"Is Fang La that strong? Why does Sanlang look so worried?"

Wu Song appeared quietly, and Yang Chang turned around and shook his head and said, "Fang La swept across the southeast, occupied eleven states and twenty-five counties, and had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command. That's why he dared to usurp the throne and claim to be a king. He is an opponent that cannot be underestimated."

"There are so many soldiers?" Wu Song repeated thoughtfully, and then said comfortingly: "In fact, how much is left is not a big deal to us. The Ruan brothers are close to Sanlang, so it's a good thing for them to stay in Qinzhou to help."

"Oh, second brother, the Ruan brothers are good at naval warfare, but Qinzhou does not have and is not suitable for naval forces. What should I do with them?"

"Hmm? Sanlang is now the governor of Qinzhou, you can just form your own navy."

Yang Chang sincerely wanted to seek advice, but Wu Song's answer at this time sounded perfunctory to him.

Second brother drank too much?
Yang Chang was stunned at first, then added: "Why should I form a navy? Qinzhou doesn't even have any big rivers."

"Just because Qinzhou doesn't need navy doesn't mean other places can't use it. Sanlang, don't just focus on Qinzhou."

Before Wu Song finished speaking, Yang Chang felt something was wrong the more he listened, and he interrupted him: "Are you drunk? I am the governor of Qinzhou, where else should I be looking at if not Qinzhou? What did you mean, second brother?"

"Me? Drunk? Hahaha."

Wu Song raised his head and laughed, then he put his arm around Yang Chang's shoulders and said meaningfully: "Sanlang has a lot of hidden intentions, I already know it, we don't need to hide it, I will definitely help you with all my strength!"

"What? What gully?"

Seeing Yang Chang's confused look, Wu Song gently reminded him, "Sanlang, don't hide anything. Instructor Lin has already explained everything in detail. We are preparing for something big."

Hearing the word "big event", Yang Chang felt something was wrong. He asked and found out that Lin Chong had misunderstood, and Wu Song and he hit it off. While Yang Chang was away, the two had counted tens of thousands of soldiers in Qinzhou and planned to train them during the slack season.

It was clearly midsummer, but Yang Chang suddenly felt chilly on his back and thought to himself, are you going to give me more clothes?
This plot is very familiar to me.

Zhao Fujin has unlocked the Qi Refining Realm, Gongsun Sheng has also resigned and returned to the mountains, so cultivating immortals can now be put on the agenda.

Yang Chang planned to meet Qiao Daoqing and go to Jizhou to find Luo Zhenren to become his disciple, but you want me to wear the yellow robe? Isn't this asking me to pursue a lower goal?
Seeing that Yang Chang did not respond, Wu Song frowned and asked hurriedly, "What's wrong with Sanlang? Did Master Lin and I do something wrong?"

"Uh"

Yang Chang smiled awkwardly, nodded and said affirmatively: "You are doing the right thing, but you should be more subtle and don't learn from Fang Shen."

"Don't worry, Sanlang. We will all follow your orders. Tian Hu, Wang Qing, and Fang La, which one of them didn't have hundreds of thousands of soldiers to become king? Fortunately, the court has appointed you as an inspector. It is reasonable and legal for you to manage the army and prepare food in Qinzhou in the future."

"Yes, yes, don't be anxious."

Wu Song spoke very convincingly, and Yang Chang hurriedly nodded in agreement.

It was not that he changed his mind about rebelling, but he felt that troubled times were coming soon and controlling an army was a way to survive.

Qinzhou is surrounded by mountains on three sides, east, west and north, which is equivalent to a replica of Daliangshan. Wu Song, Lin Chong, Zhu Tong, Sun An and others can use the terrain advantage to defend the state. If they and their families succeed in cultivating immortals, they may be able to use their magical powers to provide help.

Even if I can't say I can change the dynasty, at least I have no problem surviving in troubled times.

Yang Chang killed Wanyan Jiemu with his own hands. Although he felt personally that the Jin people were very strong, they were not so strong that they could not be defeated.

He encouraged Wu Song in the front hall, then strode to the back house to see his wife and children.

Although Zhao Fujin was brought back to Qinzhou, her identity as a princess could not be made public, otherwise it would be tantamount to declaring Yang Chang's rebellion.

Yang Chang usually works in the provincial government office, and only his confidants come to see him at his private residence. Zhao Fujin has Hu and Qiu to protect him, so his safety at home is guaranteed.

Wu Song understood the interests involved, so he took the initiative to move to the front yard of Yang's mansion. On the one hand, he wanted to live closer to Yang Chang, and on the other hand, he wanted to help guard and look after him.

The Yang Mansion was rebuilt from the General Administration Office, and its predecessor was the residence of Wu Li's uncle.

When the city was breached by the Liangshan army, Qiu Qiongying had lived in the Prince's Uncle's Mansion before, so she was temporarily used as the headquarters of Yang Chang, and in the end it escaped being burned down.

In the backyard area of ​​the mansion, there are three large main rooms, two large rooms in the east and west wing rooms, four small side rooms, and a small garden.

Before Zhao Fujin came to Qinzhou, the three main rooms on the north side were not fully occupied.

Taking into account the princess's noble status, Hu Sanniang moved to the east and west wing rooms with Qiu Qiongying in advance so that the three of them could have independent areas. Living farther away could also reduce conflicts and frictions.

She learned martial arts from Qiuchou Qiongying, and whenever she felt unhappy, they would practice sparring with each other, which could both vent her emotions and stretch her muscles, but this trick could not be used against Zhao Fujin.

Yang Chang did not agree with Hu Sanniang's arrangement and forced her to stay in the main house on the north side, and let Zhao Fujin and Yang Huang live in the west wing.

During the two or three days since they returned to Qinzhou, Hu Sanniang and Qiu Qiongying did not go out because they brought Yang Huang back. They stayed in the back house to accompany Zhao Fujin to get familiar with him and deepen their impression of little Yang Huang.

The sun sets and dusk falls.

When Yang Chang walked into the back house, he saw that there was no light in the east and west wing rooms, and only the main room on the north side had lights on.

Well, you guys are really good at chatting and don’t leave until dark.

It's really a drama with three women, and adding one more can make a mahjong game.

Thinking of this, Yang Chang suddenly stopped in place, with many projects popping up in his mind.

There were few entertainment options in this era. Except for big cities like Bianliang and Damingfu, people in small places usually had to go to bed early after dark. Both those with wives and those without were troubled.

Can we start playing those card games that are suitable for all ages in the future? Let the people around us and the common people have fun in their spare time and add fun to the boring life.

With these thoughts in mind, Yang Chang walked lightly into the main door, and was immediately greeted by the sounds of girls.

"Official?"

"Officer."

"Yang Lang."

"You are all here."

Yang Chang sat down at the empty seat, looked around, and then asked, "Where did Huang'er go?"

"Here."

Zhao Fujin pointed to the bed at the back and pursed his lips to answer, "He played crazy all day again. He kept blinking during dinner. My eldest sister carried him to the bed to sleep."

"This boy"

Yang Chang laughed and shook his head, then looked at Qiu Qiongying and asked, "Are you the one who took him out to play again?"

"My elder sister and I have been with her for a while. Huang'er just told us today that the princess actually knows magic. But she is unwilling to show it to us. Sir, please try to persuade her."

"Don't call me princess, my magic is really not that good."

"Show off your skills. We are not strangers anyway."

"Oh."

Although Zhao Fujin was familiar with the two girls, she knew how to hide her abilities after living in the palace for so long. If Yang Huang hadn't let the cat out of the bag today, she would never show off her abilities in front of others.

Now having received Yang Chang's instructions, she immediately stood up and stepped back a few steps, silently chanting spells.

In an instant, she appeared wearing a golden phoenix crown, a bridal robe, and armor, and holding a three-foot golden sword in her hand, like a goddess descending to the earth.

“So cool.”

"Great!"

Hu Sanniang and Qiu Qiongying were marveling at the sight when the brilliance on Zhao Fujin's body suddenly disappeared. She stroked her hair and said with an awkward smile, "I am not proficient in magic yet. I can only maintain it for a short while."

"Officer."

Qiu Qiongying stopped Yang Chang and pointed at Zhao Fujin and asked, "Sir, what's the use of Second Sister's magic? It's just for show, or..."

"Of course it is useful. The wizard who taught her the magical power only taught her the basics. I estimate that after she has mastered it, the golden armor can resist attacks, and the golden sword can be used to fly and hurt people."

After listening to Yang Chang's description, Qiu Qiongying felt that this spell was very familiar. After a while, she slammed the table and said, "Isn't this similar to Ma Ling's gold brick spell?"

"Really? That seems to make sense."

Yang Chang nodded and pretended to wake up. In fact, he was just acting. Then he continued the topic and muttered, "I heard that Ma Ling and Master Qiao were coming to Qinzhou. I was just thinking of finding him to give some advice to the princess, but Sun An couldn't find him after searching for two days."

"It seems they went somewhere else first. They just arrived in Tongdi this afternoon. How could you not know about it?"

Qiu Qiongying was surprised when she heard this. Yang Changxian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized something. He shook his head and said with a smile, "Ye Qing left the table in the middle of the meal. We thought he couldn't handle the alcohol, but it turns out he went to meet an old friend. Sun An and Master Qiao are from the same hometown, but they didn't know about this?"

"Qiao Daoqing is anxious to see his mother, so Ma Ling must have come to find him."

"possible."

Yang Chang nodded in affirmation and planned to ask Sun An to come tomorrow morning and then host a banquet at his house.

He was not afraid of charging into battle, nor was he afraid of anyone plotting intrigues. He was just afraid that his women would fight with each other, and it would not be appropriate to help anyone at that time.

After two days of secret observation and chatting with the three girls, I can feel that they get along harmoniously. At least there are no conflicts at this stage. I finally feel relieved.

The guy looked left and right, and his eyes finally fell on Hu Sanniang.

"We have been back in Qinzhou for three days. Have the three ladies discussed it? Should we arrange them in order, or divide them into upper, middle and lower thirty?"

"Oh, not yet."

Hu Sanniang rolled her eyes at him, stood up and helped Zhao Fujin up, saying earnestly: "Second sister has been waiting for you for several years, you should spend the next few nights with her."

"Me again? This is inappropriate."

Although Zhao Fujin wanted it very much, he had to pretend to be embarrassed.

Before Yang Chang could interrupt, Hu Sanniang pushed Zhao Fujin to his side and said with a smile, "Second sister, don't be so reserved. Third sister and I are taking a few days off, so she will stay with me tonight."

"That Huanger"

"Don't worry, second sister. Third sister and I will treat her as our own and take good care of her at night. You and your husband... cough cough"

When Zhao Fujin heard this, her pretty face turned red.

Hu Sanniang and Qiu Qiongying asked their husbands to help take care of their children. Zhao Fujin lamented that where could such good sisters be found? At least they could not exist in the imperial palace.

Insects chirp in the summer night, and the mandarin ducks embrace each other in the West Wing.

Zhao Fujin was free from all restraints and was able to let go, while Yang Changle was immersed in it and couldn't extricate herself.

This guy could see at night and his hearing was excellent due to hunting. When he heard the sound of footsteps outside the window, he immediately guessed that it was Qiu Qiongying.

Little girl, you are a habitual eavesdropper!

Qiu Qiongying listened for a long time before she tiptoed back to the main room and shared with Hu Sanniang with great joy: "Sister, it turns out that the princess looks serious, and she is the same when serving the master, but she is not as good as you..."

"Asking for a beating, is there anyone who praises others like this?"

Hu Sanniang rolled her eyes at Qiu Qiongying, thinking that this girl was the youngest after all, was bold in doing things and had a playful heart. When she thought about herself and Zhao Fujin, who were still unmarried at their age and didn't know what it was like to be a woman.

"The princess is stunningly beautiful. Your Excellency has praised her before. You should have a sense of crisis."

"I'm not afraid. My second sister is so delicate, how can she stand the torture from the master? We have different martial arts skills, but my sister needs to teach me more, we are in the same group."

"You"

Hu Sanniang was speechless, but she agreed in her heart.

How can women have absolute friends? Generally, four best friends have three groups.

There are three women in Yang Chang's family. Each of them is a beauty and none of them is easy to deal with, but they are still in the honeymoon period.

After a night, everything was calm.

Not long after daybreak, Lin Chong brought Ruan Xiaoqi to say goodbye.

He hurried back to Yuncheng to move his family and to Chenqiaoyi to pick up Ruan Xiaoer.

In addition, Ruan Xiaoqi also has hidden tasks.

Last night, Lin Chong stayed up all night with him, praising Yang Chang in every aspect, and suggested that Ruan Xiaoqi talk to Liu Tang on the way, so that the old brothers from Chao Gai's era could come to Qinzhou for a reunion.

As for Du Qian, Song Wan and Bai Sheng, none of them were considered by Lin Chong.

The first two were early veterans of Liangshan and neither of them had any extraordinary abilities. Bai Sheng had a stain of betraying his eldest brother. They could not accomplish anything great in Qinzhou and it would be difficult for Yang Chang to arrange for them.

(End of this chapter)