Gaoyou was the former residence of Lu Yong.
Zhu Li was discussing the next plan with Yang Zaixing, Yan Keqiu and Chen Gong when suddenly a man in black appeared in the mansion. He was very agile and entered the mansion without making any noise.
However, as soon as he entered the mansion, he was noticed by Zhu Li and Yang Zaixing. Without waiting for Zhu Li's orders, Yang Zaixing immediately picked up his sword and rushed out. When Zhu Li, Yan Keqiu and Chen Gong walked out of the hall, Yang Zaixing and the man in black had already been fighting.
The man was dressed in black and had a ghost mask on his face. He was moving around in a very strange and underworld way.
With a standard Tang sword in his hand, he wielded it like a streak of silk, so sharp that even water could not penetrate it. Even with Yang Zaixing's skills, he did not gain the slightest advantage at this moment. The two sides fought evenly matched.
Seeing the familiar ghost face, Zhu Li felt relieved even though he didn't know who the person was. He suddenly said, "Stop, we are one of you."
The two of them looked at each other and stopped their actions. When the man in black saw Zhu Li, he quickly took off his mask, bowed, and said in surprise: "General, you are really okay. That's great. I am Jing Ming, and I greet you, General."
Seeing that man, Zhu Li was also very surprised: "Jing Ming, how did you become a ghost warrior?"
This person was none other than Jing Ming, the filial man who had been saved by Zhu Li in Yiting City and who cut off his own flesh to feed his mother.
When Zhu Li asked, Jing Ming smiled innocently and said embarrassedly: "General Zhou had tested my martial arts early on. He said that my talents could not be fully utilized on the battlefield. As soon as he returned to Shuozhou, he recommended me to Mr. Guo. So, I became a ghost warrior."
"So that's how it is." Zhu Li suddenly realized. When he saw Jing Ming take action just now, he knew why Zhou Dewei did this.
After talking about his own affairs, Jing Ming spoke again: "Mr. Guo is very worried about the general. After seeing the letter brought by General Yue Pengju, he immediately sent his subordinates to support the general."
"Well, so you're not the only one coming?" Zhu Li asked curiously.
Seeing the inquiry, Jing Ming did not dare to neglect it and said quickly: "Yes, General, we are divided into three groups. One group goes south to Xichuan. Sir heard that the general might go west, so he sent a group of people to sneak into Sichuan and Shu to provide support; the other group rushed to Xu and Yang with great fanfare and was active in the coastal areas, trying to confuse the enemy and provide cover for the general."
"I have been hiding my tracks all the way and sneaked into Yangzhou, trying to find the general. I vowed to stay by his side till death. Fortunately, I am lucky to meet the general here." Jing Ming looked very excited and frankly explained the whole story of his trip.
As soon as Zhu Li heard this, he understood Guo Qizuo's intention. He was filled with emotion and looked at Jing Ming and said, "How many people have you brought along? Can you contact them?"
"Reporting to the general, there are a total of fifty-three people in the team, including my subordinates. I am the team leader, and there are two deputies, and five fire ghost warriors. If the general gives any orders, they can be dispatched immediately." Jing Ming looked at Zhu Li and said confidently.
In Jing Ming's eyes, Zhu Li is not only his benefactor but also his good master. Although he did not participate in the bloody battle of Wei Bridge, he would get excited and indignant whenever he heard his comrades mention it.
It is precisely because of the bloody battle at Wei Bridge and Zhu Li's desperate performance that the Shuozhou army now has an extremely strong cohesion.
Although the ghost warrior is a secret guard, once he receives Guo Qizuo's request
Everyone was scrambling to get the news that elite troops were to be selected to go south to support Zhu Li. Jing Ming only got the job after several battles, luckily defeating dozens of Ghost Warriors captains.
Yan Keqiu looked at Jing Ming, this big man with clear eyes and a square face, and his heartfelt respect for Zhu Li, made him feel deeply moved.
How a general treats his subordinates will determine their loyalty. Apart from Yang Zaixing and Chen Gong, this was the first time that Yan Keqiu met Zhu Li's soldiers. He was amazed by Jing Ming's attitude of being ready to die for the general at any time and anywhere.
Willing to risk their lives and striving to be the best, this was an attitude he had never seen in the Yangzhou army before, and it made him more confident in his choice.
"General, now we have the manpower, and we can do some of the things in the plan." After staring at Jing Ming in a daze for a while, Yan Keqiu suddenly had an idea and immediately whispered to Zhu Li.
Zhu Li looked at him suspiciously, but ignored him for the time being. He said to Jing Ming, "It's good that you're here. It's just that you came at an unfortunate time. The situation is a bit bad now. Let the brothers hide well. Safety is the most important thing."
"Yes." Jing Ming's eyes moved as if there was an inexplicable gratitude in them when he heard it, and he immediately agreed without hesitation.
"Zaixing, accompany Jing Ming to walk around the mansion and introduce the current situation to him so that he can understand the situation as soon as possible." Zhu Li turned to look at Yang Zaixing and instructed seriously.
"Yes, don't worry, your Excellency. I will definitely entertain brother Jing Ming well." Yang Zaixing didn't expect that someone so good at fighting would come. Naturally, he was very happy and quickly made the promise.
Looking at Yang Zaixing's unsatisfied expression, Zhu Li knew what the other party was up to. However, as military generals, competing with each other could promote their improvement, so he didn't want to care.
Turning around, Zhu Li looked at Yan Keqiu and said softly, "What can we do now? Mr. Mo Fei, do you want to get a piece of the pie in the turmoil in Yangzhou?"
"The general is wise. He wants to get a piece of the pie. Otherwise, it will just benefit those warriors." Yan Keqiu said frankly.
Zhu Li looked at him suspiciously and walked into the living room first.
Yan Keqiu followed closely behind and came to the hall. After the two sat down one after another, Yan Keqiu bowed and said, "Last time, I suggested that the general force Bi Shiduo to rebel. Once the rebellion succeeds, Yangzhou will inevitably change its master. However, these warriors are not good masters of Yangzhou. If the wealth that Gao Pian has plundered for several years falls into their hands, it will be a waste of God's gift."
Zhu Li nodded after hearing this and asked in confusion: "I wonder if you have any good ideas?"
"General, if Bi Shiduo succeeds in his rebellion, given their character, they will definitely not return power to Gao Pian."
"Moreover, these warriors are not good at governing a place. If we allow them to do whatever they want, the people of Yangzhou will be plunged into dire straits." Yan Keqiu was full of worries. After all, he was half a Yangzhou person. If possible, who wouldn't want to help his hometown? Now that the opportunity was in front of him, he naturally didn't want to let it go. He continued: "Looking at the whole Yangzhou, only two people can keep Yangzhou stable."
"Well, which two people are you talking about, sir?"
"One of them is Liang Zun. Liang Zun fought for Gao Pian in many battles and made great achievements. In the hearts of the people of Yangzhou and in the eyes of the military guards, he was qualified for the task."
"Moreover, Liang Zun is not just a military man. He has wise officials such as Han Zhong to assist him. He is the best candidate to govern the local area and control Yangzhou. The only drawback is that he is a barbarian from the Western Rong. I don't know if he will care about the people of the Central Plains." Yan Keqiu frowned slightly and explained seriously.
After hearing this, Zhu Li looked serious and seemed to be considering it.
"The second person is Yang Xingmi. Yang Xingmi is a talented person. He has managed Luzhou in an orderly manner, which shows that he is extraordinary. However, he is a newcomer in the army after all. If he is allowed to control Yangzhou, the people will be fine. However, there will definitely be many people in the army who do not obey him. If a riot breaks out due to disobedience, Yangzhou will still suffer from the disaster of war."
Zhu Li frowned upon hearing this and blurted out, "Since both of them have their own strengths and weaknesses, what do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Keqiu said solemnly, "It all depends on how Liang Zun behaves in this incident."
"What do you mean?"
“If Liang Zun rushed to support Gao Pian when Bi Shiduo’s troops besieged Jiangdu, it means that this person is too loyal but does not understand the greater good and cannot be used; if he rushed to support Bi Shiduo and forced Lu Yongzhi to kill, it means that this person puts the greater good first and can be used. It may not be a bad idea to let him control Yangzhou.” Yan Keqiu spoke eloquently and powerfully.
When Zhu Li heard this, he suddenly thought of Liang Zun in history. It seemed that this guy had never moved from beginning to end, so he asked curiously: "What if Liang Zun did not care about it from beginning to end?"
Zhu Li's question made Yan Keqiu stunned for a moment, then he laughed out loud: "Haha, General, he has already let it go, so what hope can we have on him? Naturally, there is no need to consider him anymore."
Zhu Li nodded and continued to ask, "If Liang Zun is not able to do it, do you plan to help Yang Xingmi take the position?"
"The general is wise, but it may not be easy for Yang Xingmi to get promoted." Yan Keqiu said a little worriedly.
"Are you worried that he can't control the local commanders?"
Yan Keqiu nodded and said helplessly: "Yang Xingmi has the appearance of a hero, but after all, his foundation is too shallow, his popularity is not enough, and his military power is not prominent. How can he win the support of the people?"
"So what do you want?"
Yan Keqiu did not answer this question immediately. Instead, he pondered for a while and said carefully, "To be on the safe side, I may have to trouble you to go there."
"If the Yangzhou issue can be resolved, I don't mind taking a trip there. Just tell me what you think." Zhu Li promised immediately.
Yan Keqiu saw Zhu Li's agreement and said hurriedly: "General, you can help Bi Shiduo take Jiangdu and see how all parties react. If Liang Zun rushes to help Bi Shiduo and forces Lu Yongzhi to be killed, we naturally don't need to worry about the follow-up and can directly support Liang Zun to take the position; if not, the general might as well take the opportunity to eliminate the people who pose the greatest threat, such as Qin Yan, Dong Jin, Gao Zhi and others."
“Are these all destabilizing factors?”
"Exactly."
"Then why are you so sure that Qin Yan will go on an expedition to Jiangdu? He is living a free and easy life in Xuanzhou, so why would he want to get involved in this mess?" Zhu Li was puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Yan Keqiu said calmly, "General, is there anything to be gained in Xuanzhou now? Qin Yan has already plundered most of it. If he wants to continue to roam freely, he will definitely choose other looting targets. This is one reason. Secondly, Jiangdu City is high up and has many soldiers. It will definitely not be easy to capture it with Bi Shiduo's only 10,000 or 20,000 troops. I'm sure that Bi Shiduo has already secretly contacted Qin Yan and asked him to come to support him."