Long before the emperor called Fu Tingzhou and Guo Xun into the palace, Lu Heng was secretly brought to the emperor by the eunuch. The emperor threw the reward and battle report to Lu Heng and said, "It seems that this group of people thinks that I am very foolish."
Lu Heng quickly read the good news, and said with reserve: "The situation of the battle was really taken by Zhao Shilang. It seems that someone in the Southeast officialdom is really hiding something."
The emperor hadn't been so angry for a long time. He paced after the imperial case, and finally, as if he had decided something, he said, "We must kill the chickens to warn the monkeys."
Long-term battles are the most taboo in fighting, especially to encircle and suppress Japanese pirates, which requires inter-provincial deployment of troops, dispatching navy, and burning money every day. The emperor ruled Japanese pirates because pirates colluded with foreigners and committed crimes along the coast. It has evolved from petty theft to equipping firearms to confront the imperial army.
The emperor had expected this battle to be resolved quickly, but he did not expect it to drag on for so long. The emperor's treasury has been very empty since he ascended the throne. Over the years, he has managed to recover some money by looting corrupt officials and clearing land.
This battle cannot be dragged on any longer. If it continues, the national treasury will be exhausted, and Daming will not be able to function if it encounters some natural and man-made disasters. In this way, the control of Japanese pirates will outweigh the gains.
Lu Heng stood quietly in the smoke-filled palace, waiting for the emperor to give his final order. The emperor thought about it for a long time and said, "The battle between the Japanese pirates cannot be delayed. I ordered you to take two thousand Jinyiwei guards and secretly go to the south of the Yangtze River to find out the rebellion of the Japanese pirates in Zhejiang and Fujian. When necessary, assist the governor to quell the chaos."
Lu Heng cupped his hands and agreed firmly and calmly: "Yes."
The same thing, said by different people is completely different. Zhao Wenhua belonged to Yan Wei, Zhang Jin belonged to bureaucrats in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and Fu Tingzhou belonged to honorable people. They were the mouthpieces of their respective interest groups. No one could believe the emperor. At this time, he could only believe in Lu Heng.
No one knew that the emperor had secretly summoned Lu Heng, and then Fu Tingzhou entered the palace and served as the governor of Japan in danger. When Lu Heng heard the leadership selection, he secretly sighed that the emperor deserved to be the emperor. And Lu Heng and Fu Tingzhou have a grudge, so don't worry about them cooperating with each other, holding military power, and in turn fooling the emperor.
The emperor effortlessly solved the two hidden dangers of safety and authenticity at the same time. In the aspect of the emperor's mind, the emperor is more and more at ease.
When Fu Tingzhou was busy in the capital and preparing to go on an expedition, Lu Heng had already quietly counted his manpower, and left the capital with two thousand elite guards in Jinyi, starting from Tongzhou and heading south by water.
Their line is a secret operation, and they cannot alert the officials along the way. If two thousand strong men set out together, wouldn't they be beating gongs and drums to tell others that they are the imperial army? So Lu Heng re-formed the formation, let Jin Yiwei break into pieces, and under the leadership of the squad leader, disguised himself as the three religions and nine leaders, and secretly went south.
The manpower can be divided, but the weapons of 2,000 people cannot always be divided, and it will be troublesome once the wind is revealed. Lu Heng thought about it and thought about his wife.
Therefore, Wang Yanqing was also taken on the road by Lu Heng, and with the help of Wang Yanqing's identity as a woman, Lu Heng personally led a hundred people to disguise as a party to send his relatives. Dowry boxes can help them hide weapons and evade interrogation by officials along the way. For these benefits, Lu Heng had to aggrieve himself and return to the unmarried person.
The ship had set sail, like an ordinary passenger ship, without anyone noticing. The waterway is no better than the mountain road. After watching it for a long time, the scenery is very boring. The time on the road is long, and Lu Heng can only find his "sister" to relieve his boredom.
The doors and windows of the largest and most luxurious cabin at the rear of the ship were closed, and the patrols outside the cabin were strict, but the guards who came and went were very careful and did not dare to look around. Lu Heng walked all the way, and his entourage saluted him neatly when they saw him, and respectfully shouted "Hello, young master". Lu Heng nodded to them and calmly pushed open the hatch.
When the maids inside saw Lu Heng coming, they all saluted, "Young Master."
Lu Heng held the folding fan, tapped lightly in the palm of his hand, and said, "It's alright here, you all retreat."
None of the maids showed any strange expressions, and they retreated in an orderly manner after promising to do so. After the cabin door was closed again, Lu Heng put away the folding fan and walked leisurely behind the screen.
"Sister, I've come to see you for my brother. Why, I'm about to get married, so I'm not welcome to be my brother?"
Wang Yanqing was leaning against the bed reading a book, and when he heard what he said, he gave him an angry look: "Brother, men and women are not seated at the age of seven, we are all so old, it's not right for you to come alone in my boudoir."
Lu Heng opened the curtain with a folding fan, and saw Wang Yanqing leaning on the bed, the silver-red soft gauze gown more and more outlines her graceful figure, and under the translucent single gauze, a white main waist could be vaguely seen.
Her main waist is a tube top style, because it is tightly wrapped, there are soft ravines on the top, and a slender and flexible waist is exposed on the bottom.
Lu Heng sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes kept looking at her snow chest and belly, which made people wonder if what he said had a brain: "It doesn't matter, we brothers and sisters depend on each other for life, and we don't pay attention to these customs. You forgot, When you were a child, you were afraid of thunder, and you all got into my quilt directly."
Unable to bear it any longer, Wang Yanqing raised his eyes and glared at him: "You have no end."
Lu Heng leaned over to look at the book in Wang Yanqing's hand and asked, "What is my sister reading, is it more important than my brother?"
Knowing that she couldn't read the remaining pages, Wang Yanqing closed the book as he wished, and patted his arm with the book in a fit of anger. Lu Heng took advantage of the situation and held Wang Yanqing's soft hand. Wang Yanqing disliked him for being rash and pulled his hand hard. The person who was usually untouchable was now like a piece of paper, and she was directly dragged down by her.
Lu Heng fell on top of Wang Yanqing, his arms wrapped around his long-cherished slender waist and snow shoulders as if he had self-consciousness. Wang Yanqing's lower back seemed to be burnt by the temperature of his palm. She quickly pushed Lu Heng's chest with both hands and said in a low voice, "You forgot, you are my brother now, and you are here to marry him."
"Yeah." Lu Heng's eyes were calm and innocent, with a thin smile in them, "Since my sister has another man, don't you care about your brother?"
Wang Yanqing was annoyed: "How can there be any other man?"
"That's the best." Lu Heng took advantage of the opportunity to peck her on the neck and said, "I raised you since I was a child, why should I give you to another man? We brothers and sisters should be close and intimate for a lifetime."
Wang Yanqing looked at him speechlessly. She understood, no wonder she was tricked by Lu Heng when she lost her memory. When he tricked her into being her second brother, he acted like this
Wang Yanqing and the others are brothers and sisters of a wealthy businessman. Their surname is Zhou. The younger sister has arranged a baby kiss since she was a child, and now she is going to her fiance's house to get married. Lu Heng also arranged for them such scenes as their biological mother died early, their father was busy with business, and only their siblings depended on each other. Wang Yanqing originally thought that Lu Heng deliberately made his identity meticulous to prevent investigations on the road, but now it seems that he may like it himself.
Wang Yanqing deliberately provoked him and said, "Brother, you forgot, I have a fiancé who is married by my fingertips."
Wang Yanqing admitted that she was intentional, who made Lu Heng act so engrossed. Unexpectedly, Lu Heng squinted his eyes and became really angry.
He looked at Wang Yanqing with a smile, and stretched out his hand to pull the tie on the front of her dress: "Yes, my sister is engaged. The family values your marriage very much. Before leaving, my father asked me to hand you over to my brother-in-law. Important task, how can I be lazy for my brother, I will check it for my brother-in-law."
"You're crazy!" Wang Yanqing found that Lu Heng's actions didn't look like a joke, so he didn't care about being shy, and hurriedly stopped his hand, "This is on the boat, there are people outside!"
The patrols outside are all Jin Yiwei. Lu Heng is so bold to do such a thing in front of his subordinates
Lu Heng grabbed Wang Yanqing's waist and held her directly on his lap: "Sister, why are you panicking, don't we often do this at home?"
Wang Yanqing almost fainted, if the Zhou family really had such a pair of children, he would have to be mad. Wang Yanqing glared at him with gritted teeth: "Don't you know what's on the boat, do you still have the mind to make a fool of yourself here? Be careful of being ambushed."
"I know." Lu Heng said, his hands moving faster, "So let's fight quickly."
Lu Heng has been busy ordering troops and transporting weapons these days, and has not been intimate with Qingqing for a long time. Now that the ship has just set off, it is actually the safest time, but he can't relax at night.
Wang Yanqing already felt that Lu Heng was serious, to this extent Lu Heng had never given up, she gave up, she just hoped that Lu Heng's words would be counted and the battle would be resolved quickly.
The deck was full of foreign men. Wang Yanqing, as the eldest lady who was nominally to be married, was inconvenient to show her face, so she could only stay in the cabin as much as possible. The weather in June was already very hot, and they were on the water again, and the cabin was extremely hot, so Wang Yanqing only wore a thin layer of gauze.
Now that Lu Heng was cheaper, he sat on the edge of the bed, put his hand into her gauze and pinched her waist. The wide horse-faced skirts are stacked on his legs, and only the fish and lotus flowers on the skirt can be seen.
The fish in the pattern seemed to be swimming, and Wang Yanqing quickly sweated. She thought that there were all Jin Yiwei outside, and she pursed her lips the whole time, for fear that someone would hear any unusual movement.
Lu Heng stroked her slender back lightly, rubbing his fingers on a pale white scar. When he first looked at those materials, he only felt that this woman was so committed to Fu Tingzhou that she would not hesitate to get hurt in order to follow Fu Tingzhou. Now that the person was in his arms, he felt that these scars were unsightly.
After so many years, there are still traces. How much pain did she have when she was injured? Otherwise, why would he be left with a dark wound at the age of sixteen or seventeen
Lu Heng asked coldly, "Does it hurt?"
Wang Yanqing is biting her lip to endure, she is thinking that it is not the first time for the two of them, why does it hurt? Only then did she realize that he was asking about the scar on her back.
Wang Yanqing shook his head while adjusting his breathing. It's already a trace of the past, except when she takes a bath, she doesn't feel good-looking, and the rest of the time has no effect on her.
Lu Heng suddenly deepened, and Wang Yanqing almost screamed out unprepared. She quickly bit her lip and looked at him hatefully. Lu Heng looked at her and smiled, and Wang Yanqing could vaguely see some malice in those sparkling, tender and affectionate eyes.
Wang Yanqing's hunch was not wrong, Lu Heng changed his attitude from the past, and became especially... bad. The more Wang Yanqing bit her lip, the more he wanted to force her to speak: "Why endure it?"
Wang Yanqing heard the neat and powerful footsteps outside, and could hardly wait to bite him. She leaned on his shoulders, clutching his clothes tightly, breathing hard, her voice trembling. Lu Heng looked at her misty and enduring cute eyes, thinking that contradictions are the most attractive, such a cold charm is enough to drive any man crazy.
Unfortunately, there is not enough time today. Another day, he must force her to speak.
·
They disguised as a wedding boat along the way, and they stopped and went, and they were fairly stable. Wang Yanqing had never been to the south before. She was worried that she would get seasick after getting on the boat, but she didn't expect to respond at all, except to deal with an unfilial person who came to visit her sister's boudoir at night from time to time.
In the evening, when there were few people on the river, Wang Yanqing would also put on a curtain and go to the deck to relax. Sometimes Lu Heng accompanies her, but after all, Lu Heng is a person with public duties, and most of the time he can't make it, so Wang Yanqing takes her maid for a walk.
The Jinyiwei on board knew that this was the Duchess' wife, so they didn't dare to stop him and let Wang Yanqing act. But Wang Yanqing was very aware of the importance, and usually only went to the stern to blow the air, and would not be near the place where the "dowry" was placed.
Lu Heng believed in Wang Yanqing very much in this regard and did not restrict her movements, but after the ship passed Xuzhou, the patrol on the ship was obviously tight, and Wang Yanqing understood that she would enter Nanzhili next, which is a place frequented by Japanese pirates, and she also decreased. When walking, try to stay in the cabin as much as possible.
The further south you go, the hotter and hotter the weather is. It's June, and Lu Heng is afraid that Wang Yanqing will make him suffocated, so he made a special trip to find her in the evening: "Sister, the water on the river is light and foggy today, and there is a beautiful sunset. What do you want? Don't accompany your brother to see?"
When Wang Yanqing heard it, she asked in surprise, "Now?"
"Yes." Lu Heng took her hand and said, "The news came back yesterday that 1,000 Jinyiwei have arrived in Nanzhili, and there is a special team escorting our ship on the shore. You don't have to be so nervous, it's okay to go out to relax. Don't want the Japanese pirates to not see, and make my wife sick first, that's all thanks to me."
Wang Yanqing was quietly relieved when she heard that someone was following them on the shore. However, she raised her eyes, and the end of her eyes showed a trace of seductiveness, like a hook, she said with a half-smile, "Now you're not a big brother again?"
Lu Heng smiled and clenched her slender hand tightly, as if she had just remembered, and said, "I almost forgot, my sister is not my wife yet."
Staying in the cabin all day, Wang Yanqing really wanted to go outside to get some air. With Lu Heng present, Wang Yanqing felt relieved and said, "Wait a moment, I'll change my clothes."
She was wearing a thin translucent gauze in the cabin, and she definitely couldn't wear it when she went out. Wang Yanqing's original intention was to ask Lu Heng to wait outside, but Lu Heng said boldly, as if he didn't understand people's words, "I'll help my sister change. When I was a child, my sister's clothes were all made by me for you."
Wang Yanqing shoved him angrily and stared at him, "Don't make trouble."
Lu Heng blinked and smiled: "I'm talking about helping you get your clothes. Where did my sister go?"
Wang Yanqing felt that sooner or later she would be pissed to death by Lu Heng.
In the end, Wang Yanqing changed her clothes behind the screen, and Lu Heng stood outside the screen and helped her hand over her clothes. In fact, handing over the clothes is a part that Lu Heng forced to add. With such a big screen, can't you wear a dress
Standing behind the misty and rainy screen, Lu Heng had a good look at the slender and hazy curve of the valley behind the misty rain. Qingqing may not know that, compared to seeing it directly, it is the most attractive when it is looming and half-covered.
Wang Yanqing changed into a Begonia red Song brocade gown and a goose yellow pleated skirt at the waist. Jiangnan is hot and humid, and even the wind is stuffy, so you can only wear Song Jin, which is light, delicate, firm and soft. Wang Yanqing was forced by her status to return to the time when she was just married, and she had to wear bright red clothes every day.
After Wang Yanqing was ready, Lu Heng helped her put on the curtain, and the two walked to the deck together. Seeing Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing, the people outside lowered their eyes and called out "Master" and "Miss" skillfully.
The sunset tonight is really beautiful. The sky seems to have knocked over a plate of dye, and it is burning enthusiastically. Even the river surface is reflected in the aftermath of the fire, the orange, gold, and red are unpredictable.
Jiang Feng came and blew Wang Yanqing's veil. She pressed the brim of her hat and asked, "Any plans for the next step?"
This was on the river, and when he looked up and saw no ships, Wang Yanqing dared to speak freely. Lu Heng helped her block the wind and waves on the river and said, "Go to Suzhou first and investigate the death of Zhu Wan."
Zhu Wan's death is a knot in the emperor's heart, and finding out the cause of Zhu Wan's death is not only an explanation for the loyal minister Liangjiang, but also a focal point to cut into the chaos in Jiangnan's officialdom.
Wang Yanqing nodded. Zhu Wan was from Suzhou. After he "killed himself in fear of sin", the old servants collected the bones and sent them back to their hometown for burial. Suzhou happened to be along the canal, so they disembarked to investigate the case, and also offered a stick of incense to Zhu Wan.
Wang Yanqing thought of the things on the ship, and hurriedly asked: "I am afraid that Zhu Wan's death cannot be investigated in a day or two. What about the... dowry on the ship?"
They disembarked, who will take care of the boxes? Lu Heng held on to the fence, facing the vast Changfeng, and said lightly: "It can only be docked on the shore."
Thinking of the scene, Wang Yanqing couldn't help lowering his voice: "There are a lot of things on the ship. If someone is watching, someone robs the ship while you are not there, or simply pirates come, what should I do?"
Although Wang Yanqing hadn't seen her dowry box, but judging from the weight, there should be firearms in it. In a war on water, whether there is firearm suppression is a decisive advantage. Emperor Hongwu was able to win the battle at Poyang Lake back then, and it was with firearms.
The emperor really trusted Lu Heng. On this trip, Lu Heng went to the south of the Yangtze River and brought not only the elites of Jinyiwei, but also the most sophisticated firearms of the Shenji Camp. If these weapons fell into the hands of pirates, it would be troublesome.
Lu Heng tapped the mast rhythmically with his fingers, raised his eyebrows and smiled when he heard Wang Yanqing's words, lowered his eyes and said, "Sister, you can hope I order it."
After entering Nanzhili, the water surface became wider and there were more ships. Looking around, the river is full of mast shadows, thousands of sails compete, hundreds of boats compete for the flow, and it is very lively.
They traveled down the river by boat, feeling like a thousand miles in a day, and soon, Suzhou arrived. Wang Yanqing's husband's family is set up in Hangzhou, but the escort team first entered Jiangnan, and the journey was exhausted. In order to meet his future in-laws in a decent way, he should also buy some Jiangnan fashion and soft goods for his daughter by the way, so the rich businessman decided to live in Suzhou temporarily. After a few days, I will go to Hangzhou after resting.
Their boat was docked at the dock, and Lu Heng, as a good brother who sent his relatives thousands of miles away, personally accompanied his sister to marry and went to the city to make purchases.
This is Wang Yanqing's first visit to Jiangnan. She looked at the lively scene that was completely different from the capital, but felt that her eyes were not enough: "This is Suzhou?"
"Yeah." Lu Heng said, "Sister, let's find where we are today."
Wang Yanqing nodded and agreed, followed Lu Heng all the way, looking at the stalls on both sides curiously. Lu Heng noticed that she glanced at a place several times. He followed his line of sight and found that it was a stall selling candy.
Lu Heng laughed, suddenly turned around and walked towards the hawker. Guo Tao was wondering why the governor suddenly left, and then saw Lu Heng come back with a rabbit candy man, lifted the curtain of his wife, and handed it to her mouth.
Guo Tao: "..."
A few of them turned their eyes away tacitly and patiently, and walked towards the agreed place with their necks stuck. Rao is that they sealed themselves into a piece of wood, and they can still hear the intermittent dialogue behind.
"Sugar man is something only children eat, and I don't like it."
"Aren't you just a child?"
Guo Tao's scalp was numb in front of him.
In the end, they settled on an inn, Lu Heng went to the counter to make a reservation, and the guard escorted the young lady upstairs. The business in the inn was booming and bustling. Wang Yanqing bit the rabbit's ear and walked from the door to the stairs across the curtain fence, passing many faces as if watching flowers.
The clerk in the hall graciously brought dishes to the table, a group of merchants sat at the table drinking, and two people dressed as scholars came down the stairs, speaking authentic Nanjing dialect. The world seemed to slow down before her eyes, and she passed through the faces of these people, deciphering their thoughts like a god.
The running boy's right hand was subconsciously attached to his side, and when someone bumped into him, although he smiled flatteringly, his pupils involuntarily enlarged. The businessman at the table seemed to be drinking and chatting, but his eyebrows were lowered, and his attention was clearly and secretly concentrated. The two scholars didn't seem to have any flaws, but their mouths had calluses. Looking at the position of the cocoon, it doesn't look like holding a pen.
Wang Yanqing didn't seem to know, she still took the candy and went upstairs, like a naive young lady, waiting for her brother to take care of everything.
It was already afternoon when they arrived in Suzhou, and not long after they settled down, it became dark. Wang Yanqing had been drifting on the boat for a long time, and when she landed today, the first thing she did was order the shop assistant to bring her water. Wang Yanqing took a comfortable bath and changed into loose middle clothes. She wiped her hair in front of the mirror. As soon as the door opened and closed, someone came in.
Wang Yanqing put the handkerchief aside, picked up the comb to take care of her hair, and said without turning her head, "Brother, I'm about to be married now, you should be more careful."
Lu Heng walked up to her, skillfully took the wooden comb from her hand, and held up her long hair that was smooth and black like a waterfall: "Sister, why are you being so polite today. We don't always live the days of offering marriage on the surface and secretly having fun. ?"
The author says:
Unknown old father of the Zhou family: You unfilial son!