Chapter 188 Just Have Hands (6k)

Song Jiang pondered all the way, and when they reached Shouyang County, Taiyuan, to spend the night, Song Jiang pretended to be suddenly enlightened and called Lu Junyi to "share" his thoughts with him.

"Lu Tuanlian, do you think there is a possibility that the Jin prince that Minister En asked us to find is the Jin nobleman that Yang Chang killed?"

"is it possible?"

"Is it impossible?"

"I have no idea."

Lu Junyi's silly look made Song Jiang unable to follow his next words. He thought to himself that it was really difficult to be a partner with you.

The Liangshan brothers left one after another, and most of them went to Qinzhou to join Yang Chang.

Song Jiang finally seized the opportunity to attack and was unwilling to give up just like that.

As soon as the Jin army took action, the government removed Tan Zhen as a sign of goodwill.

Song Jiang concluded from this that although the court would not hand Yang Chang over to the Jin people to atone for his crime, they would certainly not dare to use him again if the matter became too serious, and there was a high probability that he would follow in the footsteps of Tan Zhen.

Yang Chang, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being impulsive. Why didn't you just not risk your life for Zhou Tong?
He has repeatedly made me feel uncomfortable and even dared to bully me.

If I don’t plot against you, who should I plot against?

Thinking of this, Song Jiang's eyes shone, and he said in a deep voice: "There are many officials in Daizhou and Xinzhou who know about this. I am worried that En Xiang is deliberately testing us. He suffered a great loss in Liangshan before, and he may want to make trouble for us."

"What can I do?"

Lu Junyi still had a confused expression.

Song Jiang was furious, and then added: "You and I can keep our mouths shut, but I'm afraid that the brothers below will spread rumors. Since the fight with Wang Qing last year, I feel that the troops are uneasy, so I will warn everyone when we return to Zhending, and you will be responsible then."

"Me? Not good."

Lu Junyi looked embarrassed and responded: "You are the backbone."

"I have said a lot of harsh words over the past year, and the court has been slow to appoint officials, so my relationship with my brothers has become distant, so I can't continue to criticize them. If this team falls apart, it will not be good for you. Help your brother."

"Ok."

Song Jiang seeks sincerity, and Lu Junyi deserves straightforwardness.

Later, when they returned to Zhending Prefecture, Song Jiang reminded them again.

Although Lu Junyi readily agreed, he was well-trained in martial arts and was used to speaking with his fists. He never talked to others, and his ability to express himself was always weak, and he often couldn't say a word after being beaten three times.

In view of this, he handed the task over to Yan Qing.

Yan Qing is a smart person and he knew that this matter was not simple as soon as he heard it.

Regarding Zhou Tong's murder, everyone knew that it was a Hu person who committed the crime, and Yang Chang ran to avenge him, so no one paid special attention to the identity of the Hu person.

If I deliberately mention this to my brothers at this time, wouldn't it be like trying to cover up the truth?

Brother Gongming wants to plot against Yang Chang? Or does he want to plot against his master?

Yan Qing and Yang Chang had worked together to capture Shi Wengong. They were friends but not close friends. No matter who Song Jiang plotted against, it would be difficult for him.

After much thought, Yan Qing came up with a clever idea. In front of Song Jiang's confidants, he reminded them not to talk nonsense as required, but he spoke in a tactful way in front of other people.

First, ask the person about his relationship with Zhou Tong, and then ask whether he remembers the cause of Zhou Tong's death. As long as the answers to the first two questions are not enthusiastic, the subsequent questions about the identity of the Jin man will not be continued.

So, among the more than sixty Liangshan brothers, except for a dozen of Song Jiang's die-hard supporters, the rest did not take this matter to heart, but it gave Song Jiang an illusion.

As the saying goes, the law does not hold everyone responsible. Since everyone knows about this, no one will be held accountable for whoever betrayed Yang Chang.

Tong Guan had left a message in Daizhou that he would summon generals from various armies to Taiyuan for consultation from time to time. The Yisheng Army stationed in Zhending Prefecture was also to attend the meeting. Its commander Ren Yuan was from Tokyo and was from the same hometown as Liangshan Army general Xu Ning.

Song Jiang instructed Xu Ning to go and make friends with him, and pretended to be drunk to pass on the message.

Xu Ning boarded Song Jiang's pirate ship, and even though he didn't want to provoke Yang Chang, he had to do as he was told.

As for Yang Chang, the person they were plotting against, there was also a helpless person on his ship, namely Ma Baoguo, who was "running his legs off".

Under the scorching sun, Ma Baoguo rushed back and forth between Tongdi and Mianshang. He was so tired that he lost a lot of weight. Finally, he heard the news that Tan Zhen was removed from office.

The person who issued the order was dismissed, and Ma Baoguo's anger subsided by a large margin. He was indignant that he was being treated like a dog by Yang Chang, and he strongly demanded that the Yisheng Army be taken to Daizhou.

At that time, Wu Song was beside Yang Chang. When he heard Ma Baoguo's "shouting", he got furious and immediately fought with him in the county government office.

Although Ma Baoguo is an imperial guard, how can he be a match for the drunk Wu Song?

He was beaten so badly that he couldn't get up from the ground. Afterwards he was placed in the home of his eldest brother-in-law Hu Cheng to recuperate. Yang Chang also brought the doctor and Wu Song to the home to apologize.

Wu Song is an expert in boxing and sumo, and he strikes with just the right amount of force, avoiding hurting Ma Baoguo's vital parts while also preventing him from getting out of bed for a short period of time.

Ma Baoguo could neither win nor leave, so he had to stay in Qinzhou to recuperate.

Once people lose their freedom, they will calm down and think.

Ma Baoguo lay in bed, often reflecting on himself.

Although Wu Song did not follow martial ethics when he was drunk, he seemed to be too loud at that time?
He was beaten by Yang Chang in the past, but now he is a completely different person and is a fifth-rank inspector.

How dare you, a low-class lieutenant, yell at a fifth-rank official? A normal person should have called him "En Xiang"!
If Wu Song doesn’t beat you, who else will he beat?
Time is the best medicine, which can resolve unsolvable conflicts.

With Tong Guan's appointment to Shanxi, most of the officials in Xinzhou and Daizhou were replaced, and Ma Baoguo's superiors were all replaced. Now he doesn't know who to report to.

Ma Baoguo's mentality became more and more relaxed, and his physical recovery was getting better and better.

By the end of September, his injuries had recovered by 80% to 90%, and he often followed Hu Cheng to the countryside to supervise the army and oversee the work and training of the "Yisheng Army".

Yang Chang took great pains to keep Ma Baoguo as a means to deal with Tong Guan.

The 10,000 Yisheng troops in Qinzhou continued to receive military pay and equipment, so it was impossible for them to never show up.

The eunuch military supervisor sent by Tan Zhen had long been thrown into the mines to work. The army needed a 'new spokesperson', and Ma Baoguo was the candidate.

In mid-November, shortly after Tong Guan moved the Xuanfu Division to Taiyuan, he summoned the commanders of the Yisheng Army from various places to meet him.

As soon as the military order arrived in Qinzhou, Yang Chang specially held a banquet at home.

When Ma Baoguo was brought to the door by Hu Cheng, he realized that it was Yang Chang who wanted to invite him for a drink. He immediately clasped his fists and said humbly: "You are too polite. Since Ma recovered from his illness, you have invited me many times in a row. I was rude at first."

"Let's not talk about unhappy things today."

Yang Chang motioned Ma Baoguo to take a seat and said with a smile: "Brother Ma has been to Qinzhou many times, but you have never been to my house, right? Today is a family dinner."

"I am an outsider."

"It's okay, I treat you as a family member, please take a seat."

“This is military rule.”

Ma Baoguo looked around hurriedly, he was worried about Wu Song.

"He is not here today, so my brother is the only one to accompany you."

"Oh"

"Come on, have a drink first."

"Yes"

The three of them sat down and ate and chatted, and the topic was basically the Qinzhou Yisheng Army.

Yang Chang laid the groundwork for a while and observed Ma Baoguo for a long time before he took out the military certificate from his arms and handed it over.

"Secretary Tong summoned the Yisheng Army commander to discuss matters, but Tan Zhen had not appointed a Qinzhou commander before, and my people were helping with the training. I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain this discussion. Brother Ma, can you serve as the commander of the Qinzhou Yisheng Army?"

"Me? No no no"

Ma Baoguo was stunned when he heard this, and immediately waved his hand and added: "I am just a small lieutenant, how can I pretend to be the commander of the Yisheng Army? Yang Guancha can go there in person, and then just explain it briefly, and let Tong Shumi send a new commander."

"I have defeated Tong Shumi before, so it is inappropriate for me to leave without permission. Besides, this Yisheng Army was born and raised in Qinzhou. They can do a lot of practical things in Qinzhou. I don't want to hand them over to strangers. They have been trained by hand, just like my own sons. Are you willing to hand your sons over to others?"

"This is different."

Although Yang Chang spoke sincerely, Ma Baoguo thought it was a fantasy.

"Qinzhou's rapid recovery is inseparable from the lenient policies of Yang Guancha and the efforts of the Yisheng Army. But this is after all state money used to defend against foreign enemies. How can you withhold it for Qinzhou's exclusive use? Isn't it using the court's money to do things for Qinzhou?"

"The money from the court comes from the local area, why can't it be fed back to the local area? Besides, there is no war at this time, so is it wrong to help build the hometown? As far as I know, there are many Yisheng troops stationed in Luzhou, Pingyang and other places."

“That’s only part of it.”

"It's all the same, Brother Ma already knows what I'm thinking, if you don't help me."

"This"

Ma Baoguo was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, I didn't ask you to tell me. Besides, although you are a little selfish, it is also for the people of Qinzhou. The court will not do anything in the end, so why push me out?
"How many years have we known each other?"

"Ok?"

"It's been eight years. The princess was still a young girl at that time."

"Don't mention the princess!"

Yang Chang talked about official business and personal matters. Ma Baoguo thought of Zhao Fujin's past and suddenly got so excited that he slammed the table and stood up. But then he realized that he had lost his composure and sat down again in a huff.

"Princess, I have done so much for you, but it's a pity"

"I know."

“Haha, not necessarily.”

Before Ma Baoguo finished speaking, Yang Chang interrupted him meaningfully: "From what you said, Brother Ma, it seems that you are very loyal to the princess?"

"It's meaningless to discuss this now. From the moment the princess went into seclusion to study Taoism, our relationship as master and servant has ended."

"Haha." Yang Chang winked at Hu Cheng.

Hu Cheng understood and left the table. Soon he brought Yang Huang out from the back house.

Yang Chang immediately picked up Yang Huang and introduced him proudly: "Brother Ma, this is my son."

"Yanei is so handsome, it's a blessing to observe"

"Who do you think he looks like, Brother Ma?"

"Need I say that? Your son naturally looks like you, but how can his features be compared to..."

Ma Baoguo turned his head and glanced at Hu Cheng, but did not dare to continue expressing his guess. He thought to himself, why is your sister and Yang Chang’s son so similar to the princess?
When Yang Chang saw that everything was almost ready, he whispered a few words to his son in his arms.

Yang Huang said "hmm" and took the flying knife handed to him by Yang Chang. He raised it to his chest and asked Ma Baoguo: "Uncle Ma, my mother asked me to ask you, do you remember this thing?"

"This is."

Ma Baoguo stood up and stretched out his hand to catch the flying knife. He looked at the inscription on the handle in disbelief. It was the familiar "Xiao Bi San". He immediately asked in shock: "Yanei, who is your mother?"

"Yun Zhao, mother told you to listen to father's instructions, otherwise Yun Lei will beat you with five whips."

"Five consecutive whips? Really."

The information Yang Huang conveyed was about his previous interesting experiences in the palace, which Zhao Fujin often made fun of. Ma Baoguo immediately realized that he was not lying, and looked at Yang Chang in surprise.

"Yang Guancha, what are you doing?"

"You were born as a palace guard, don't you know there are some things you shouldn't ask? Song Jiang fought bloody battles in various places, but he only got a fifth-rank defense envoy. With my previous meager contributions, how could I be awarded the title of observation envoy?"

"hiss"

Ma Baoguo took a deep breath and immediately understood what happened. He swallowed his saliva and echoed: "I heard that it was His Majesty who had the intention in the first half of the year. I understand!"

Before Yang Chang could open his mouth to respond, Yang Huang in his arms spoke first in a baby voice.

"What do you know?" "Yanei, no, young master."

Ma Baoguo took a step back after he finished speaking, bowed his head to the father and son of the Yang family, and said in a sonorous voice: "The country has a master. I will go through fire and water and serve you like a dog!"

"Haha, Brother Ma, you don't have to be polite. We are all brothers."

Yang Chang put his arm around Yang Huang with his left hand, smiled and walked forward to help him up with his right hand.

"I dare not overstep my authority. I will rush to Taiyuan as soon as possible to see if there is anything else you can tell me."

"My brother will go with you tomorrow. You can discuss how to deal with the questioning of Tong Shumi on the way. By the way, what about your injuries?"

"Thank you for your concern. I have recovered."

"Okay then, shall we continue?"

How could Ma Baoguo dare not obey? Then he timidly sat back on the stool, and Hu Cheng took Yang Huang back to the back house for a nap.

There were only two people left in the front hall at the time. Ma Baoguo guessed some facts, which made him feel restrained and uncomfortable.

Whenever Yang Chang raised his glass to toast him, he would stand up respectfully every time.

After finally waiting until they left, Ma Baoguo bravely asked, "Observe, the princess."

"Do your work well first, and when the time is right, you will see it naturally."

"Yes"

Ma Baoguo felt reassured and left with Hu Cheng with firm steps.

He had been living in a daze for the past few years since he was demoted from the palace to the border, until just now when the light appeared in his eyes again.

I have always wondered why Yang looked out of place. It turns out that His Majesty was secretly manipulating all this. His love for the princess has never changed, and he even staged a drama to help her escape.

With Princess Ding and her husband, life has hope again!
Yang Chang was actually worried about how loyal Ma Baoguo was.

After the tentative observation just now, he dared to give a subtle reminder, but he still had to take a certain risk, otherwise he would not let Hu Cheng go the same way.

Yang Chang was standing on the steps, lost in thought, and didn't even notice Wu Song approaching.

"I see Ma Baoguo is very excited. Did Sanlang really talk to him just now?"

"Well, it's very vague, but it also leaves room for maneuver."

"I still think it's risky, so why not follow him and kill him once and for all? Second brother will be the bad guy."

"That's not necessary. If he really goes to inform Tong Guan, we can use the slander as an excuse to rebel. Although the timing is not very good now, the soldiers and horses of Qinzhou have been trained and we should be able to hold on relying on the terrain."

Seeing Yang Chang's words were so convincing, Wu Song frowned and reminded him earnestly: "Sanlang, have you forgotten Xuan Zan's words? The Liangshan army should have come to Hebei. If you choose to rise up at this time, Tong Guan will definitely let us kill each other. They have experience in attacking Qinzhou, and it will be hard to say who will win then."

"Song Jiang."

Yang Chang pinched his chin and pondered. Some time ago, Han Tao and Xuan Zan came to surrender, and let him know the military situation in Jiangnan and the court's transfer orders. He thought that Song Jiang didn't fight Fang La, but went to be controlled by Tong Guan.

Isn't it awkward for them to meet? Why are they so random?

"Sanlang, what do you mean?"

"Forget it. I haven't said anything final. There is still room for maneuver."

"But Brother Hu went with him. What if he was detained in Taiyuan?"

"It's okay. I can bring people out from the palace. What's there to be afraid of in Taiyuan?"

“That’s true”

Wu Song thought of Yang Chang's skills, and his worries were slightly relieved.

About six or seven days later, Hu Cheng returned to Qinzhou alone. Wu Song no longer had to worry about being detained, but new problems arose.

The incident of Yang Chang killing the Hu in Daizhou was brought up during the deliberation of the Xuanfu Division. Tong Guan suspected that the Hu man was Wanyan Jiemu, the prince of the Jin Kingdom, and the Jin Kingdom wanted to exchange him for the two states of Wei and Ying.

Prince of Jin, this is a serious matter.

If not handled properly, it may intensify the conflict between the two countries.

Tong Guan ordered Hu Cheng to rush back overnight to deliver a message, asking Yang Chang to ride as fast as he could to Taiyuan to verify.

Upon hearing this, all the generals said that it was a trap and did not recommend that Yang Chang go to Taiyuan alone. Hu Sanniang and Qiu Qiongying both expressed their desire to go with him. On the contrary, Zhao Fujin had full confidence in him and believed that no one could trap her man.

Just as Wu Song analyzed, rebellion at this time might lead to self-destruction of Liangshan.

Yang Chang felt it was necessary to stabilize Tong Guan, so he handed over the military and political affairs of Qinzhou to Lin Chong and Xiao Rang, and he and Wu Song went to Taiyuan with a small entourage.

It was a warm winter that year. Although the north wind was blowing in November, there was no snow on the way to Taiyuan.

Yang Chang and his companions rode fast horses, covering a daily speed of nearly 200 miles, and arrived in Yangqu in just two and a half days.

Ma Baoguo received the news and arrived at the gate of the Xuanfu Division early to wait. When he saw the two people appear at the street corner, he trotted forward to greet them.

"Yang's observation, military control"

"Don't worry, the sky won't fall."

"I'm afraid that Secretary Tong is right and that you want to kill the prince of Jin. This matter may not end well."

"So what if it's a prince? Is it justified to cross the border and kill people?"

Yang Chang showed a disdainful expression, which made Ma Baoguo look distressed.

"The Jin people are very strong militarily, and they will gain three points even if they are right."

"Hehe, that depends on who the opponent is. Let's go!"

Yang Chang was wearing a scarlet official robe, and beside him was Wu Song, who was tall and mighty. He walked with great vigor. How could the guards at the gates dare to stop him? They were all guessing who the important person was.

The three of them arrived at the meeting room later. Tong Guan, Xin Xingzong, Ma Kuo, Ren Yuan and others had already taken their seats in the hall waiting.

The last time Tong Guan saw Yang Chang was when he was fleeing for his life near the Liangshan Lake.

At that time, the government army was defeated and fled. Tong Guan led a thousand men to cover the rear and was nearly captured at night. He saw with his own eyes that Yang Chang was like a god or demon, chopping down all the besieging cavalry.

Today, I took a closer look and found out that he was a handsome young player.

Perhaps it was because Yang Chang did not grow a beard, so judging only by appearance and figure, Tong Guan thought that Wu Song's sturdy appearance was more in line with the Yang Chang in his mind. Aren't all brave generals supposed to be born strong and powerful?
After being introduced by Ma Baoguo, Yang Chang took a seat in the main seat in the front as soon as he entered the door. In terms of official rank, he was only ranked below Tong Guan and Ma Kuo, while Wu Song stood behind him like a mountain.

Tong Guan was surprised, so he pointed at Wu Song and asked, "Yang Guan, who is standing behind you?"

"Wu Song, I am the commander of the army."

Before Yang Chang finished speaking, Ren Yuan interrupted and asked, "Is he the hero who killed the tiger on Jingyang Ridge?"

"Of course."

"Since Wu Tongzhi was able to kill a tiger with his bare hands, his martial arts must be extraordinary. Why don't you show off your skills here?" Xin Xingzong praised, but his tone was questioning.

Wu Song bowed and said, "Please forgive me, General. I just have some strength."

"Can you be a ruler just by relying on strength?"

"Prime Minister, you called me here, isn't it because of something important?"

Last year, he used Fang Shen to drag Cai Jing into the water, which was an indirect use of Xin Xingzong. He thought about being plotted against and spoke unkindly, but Yang Chang simply skipped the conversation.

Tong Guan saw what the two were thinking, so he gave Xin Xingzong a look to stop them, and at the same time signaled Ma Kuo to come and find out the situation.

Ma Kuo stood up and bowed, briefly introducing the situation of the Jin Kingdom's search for people, and then asked: "No matter what we say to the outside world, our own people must grasp the true situation. Yang Guancha, we know a little bit about your revenge for Zhou Tong. Can you describe it in detail?"

"More details? Starting from Chenghou Mountain?"

"That's the best."

"Well, this matter must start with chasing Tian Bao."

Yang Chang glanced at Ma Baoguo and immediately told him what had happened, but he did not say how the Xin and Dai officials handled the matter.

He could have told a lie, at least he could have described Jie Mu's appearance as similar to Song Jiang's.

The head of Jiemu was offered to Zhou Tong as a sacrifice. The Xinzhou garrison commander Shi Ban had also seen it at that time, but Yang Chang did not know that he had been transferred, so he answered very honestly.

When they heard that Yang Chang had killed dozens of Hu people alone, they all showed incredible expressions.

Ma Kuo had been to the Kingdom of Jin many times and had witnessed the power of the Jin warriors. He could not help but ask, "Yang Guancha, are you saying that you alone killed fifty or sixty Hu cavalrymen, including the bearded leader?"

"Is there a problem? Isn't it okay to just have hands?"

When Yang Chang answered, he deliberately stared at Xin Xingzong, as if to say, "You don't have to play tricks on me. I achieved my results through my own strength, unlike you who rely on your father's influence."

"It also."

"Yang has excellent observation and martial arts skills. I believe he has the ability."

Ma Kuo was interrupted and could not respond. The "victim" Tong Guan stood up to testify for Yang Chang and then reminded him, "The last time you went to Jinying to make contact, did Jiemu's appearance match the description you just gave?"

"The Liao and Jin people all have rough faces, and I can't be sure that it is Jiemu. I suggest not to mention this to the Jin people, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble."

"If trouble exists, it will come whether you provoke it or not"

Tong Guan pondered for a moment, then looked at Yang Chang and explained, "Guo Guan Yang, don't worry. You will have no problem killing the foreign bandits who crossed the border. But I am afraid that the Jin people will make up stories. You don't know how difficult it is to deal with Nianhan."

"Why should the Prime Minister be troubled?"

Yang Chang spread his hands, looking nonchalant, and replied: "The Jin people said that Jiemu was lost in Weizhou this year, but the enemy I encountered appeared in Xinzhou, and this was two years ago. Do you think they are the same?"

"Yes, if Nianhan forces the connection, won't that give us an excuse?"

Tong Guan lowered his head and muttered a few words, then raised his head and nodded to Yang Chang, then looked at Ren Yuan and said, "Commander Ren, don't believe everything you hear. It has made me unable to sleep and eat these days, and it has also made Yang Guancha come here day and night. This kind of thing will not happen again!"

"Yes"

After Ren Yuan clasped his fists in response, he bowed awkwardly to Yang Chang and said, "Don't blame me for observing. I also heard about it from others and I don't know how to distinguish the truth from the false."

"fine."

Yang Chang's face remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

He originally thought that it was officials from Daizhou and Xinzhou who mentioned it, but he didn't expect that it was actually the commander of the Zhending Sheng Army who reported it. The outsiders you are referring to are not the Liangshan brothers, right?

Most of the Liangshan brothers know that I avenged Zhou Tong.

The Jin people are looking for their own prince, and you immediately push me out? Is this how good brothers are used?

Yang Chang had some ideas in his mind, so he planned to come down to find Ren Yuan to ask him clearly. The most urgent matter was the Qinzhou Yisheng Army, and he was very worried that Tong Guan would come to him in person to ask for people.

Tong Guan had thought about this before. He had originally planned to let Xin Xingzong take over, but because of the "misunderstanding" with Yang Chang just now, and Ma Baoguo had explained the reason in advance, he gave a light-hearted answer.

"Observe that using the Yisheng Army to rescue the people may be suspected of 'using public resources for private purposes', but the starting point is good after all. Those 10,000 people will stay in Qinzhou for the time being, and we will send people to mobilize troops when the situation warrants."

"Thank you, Prime Minister, for your consideration of the people of Qinzhou."

Yang Chang exchanged greetings with everyone for a while, but he really didn't want to continue the hypocritical chat for long, so he resigned on the pretext of being busy with official business in Qinzhou, and Ma Kuo was ordered to see them out of the mansion.

Everyone said goodbye at the door, and Yang Chang [with eagle eyes and owl eyes] saw Ren Yuan behind them.

He wanted to arouse his interest so that he could find a place to "get acquainted" with him later, so he pointed at the stone lions at the gate and winked at Wu Song: "Second brother, look at this pair of stone lions, are they placed upside down?"

"Is it a rebellion? It seems like it really is a rebellion."

Wu Song responded without knowing the meaning, which immediately attracted Ma Kuo's attention.

He saw that the stone lion's visit was correct and was about to step forward to ask the reason when he heard Yang Chang say something crazy.

"Let's each hold one and switch them around."

(End of this chapter)