At this time on the mountain, Wang Bin's eyes were full of bloodshot. When he saw Zhu Liang coming in, he immediately asked, "How is it?"
Zhu Liang shook his head. Many people were arrested, but there was no trace of the Qilin Guards at all.
Tentatively, he said, "General, maybe you are overthinking it. That person never came to Wuling Mine." When he mentioned Shen Fengming, he didn't dare to call him by his name, but used that person instead, for fear of irritating Wang Bin.
Wang Bin paused and asked, "Is there any news from Zhaoping County?"
"According to the news just received, all traces over there have been wiped out. The Qilin Guards can't find anything at all. General, don't worry."
"I asked, Shen, did that person go to Zhaoping County?" Wang Bin said angrily.
Zhu Liang was slightly stunned, then shook his head. The man did not show up in Zhaoping County.
"He must be in Wuling Mine." Wang Bin stood up and said excitedly, "He must be there, definitely."
As a result, more and more defenders came to search everywhere.
At 3 p.m., the rain stopped, but the dark clouds in the sky did not disperse, and it looked like it would rain again soon.
The old monk thanked the Jiang family again and left.
The rain really continued until the next morning. Chen was glad that she didn't make Huo La Tang yesterday, otherwise she wouldn't be able to set up the stall and all the food would have been wasted.
Jiang Yunzhu slept in for a rare time. She lay on the bed, listening to the drizzle outside the window, and thought over the plan she had thought of yesterday again. Only when she felt there were no loopholes did she get up.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, the rain stopped and everything seemed to have been washed, very fresh. She told Chen that she wanted to go out for a walk.
Chen didn't care.
Jiang Yunzhu went out and looked to the west. Sure enough, there were two steep peaks, one high and one low. The high one was straight up and down, surrounded by smooth stone walls. It was estimated that people could not climb up at all. The low one was next to it, with a slightly gentler slope.
Wuling County is full of mountains. I have never paid attention to these two mountains before, and I didn’t know there was a temple on the top of the mountain.
Jiang Yunzhu walked towards that direction.
She now walks five or six miles to the town every day. She has become so familiar with the walk that a distance of more than ten miles is nothing to her. She can reach the foot of the mountain in no time.
There is an official road here, but there are few people. Occasionally you will see one or two people, most of them are collecting firewood. There are mines on other mountains, and people are not allowed to go up the mountain. There is no one guarding Xifeng Mountain, so many people come here to collect firewood.
Jiang Yunzhu was walking up a small path up the mountain. Halfway up, she saw three people hurrying down from above.
There were two old monks, one of them was carrying a young monk on his back.
The old monk was the one she saw yesterday.
"Yuan Xing, I will take Yayoi to see a doctor later. You go to the town to see if you can get some money so that we can get medicine for him." said the old monk Yuan Jue.
"Brother, I know." The other person agreed.
Jiang Yunzhu immediately understood what had happened and looked behind the old monk. Sure enough, the little monk was only five or six years old, with a flushed red face.
"Master." She greeted the old monk.
The old monk recognized her, but he had no time to talk to her at the moment. He just asked, "Girl?"
"Let's send him to see a doctor first." Jiang Yunzhu said.
"Okay." said the old monk.
The four of them arrived at the town together, and then the old monk named Yuan Xing left, probably to beg for alms. Jiang Yunzhu followed the old monk to Guangshan Hall.
"Ten cents for the consultation." said the waiter at Guangshan Hall.
The old monk searched his sleeves for a long time and only took out six coins. "Donor, can you..."
"We at Guangshan Hall are not a charity. If everyone were like you, wouldn't we starve to death? And then who would treat you?" The clerk had just been scolded by the shopkeeper in the morning and was in a bad mood, so he said coldly.
The old monk shivered. He touched the young monk's forehead to test the temperature, and looked outside, hoping that his fellow monk would come back soon and collect enough money for medical treatment.
"I have some here," Jiang Yunzhu said, taking out four coins and placing them on the table.
The old monk looked at her and said, "Donor."
"Let's get him treated quickly." Jiang Yunzhu said.
The old monk nodded and handed the ten coins to the waiter.
The guy took the money and asked them to go to a room next door.
The old monk carried the young monk over there, and Jiang Yunzhu followed.
"You've caught a cold, and the condition is very serious. You must take medicine immediately and don't catch a cold again." The doctor said as he quickly wrote out a prescription.
The old monk is going to take the prescription.
"Master, I'll go, you take care of him." Jiang Yunzhu knew that he had no money and couldn't get the medicine even with the prescription, so she took the prescription and went outside to get the medicine.
"Thank you, benefactor. Thank you, benefactor." The old monk really didn't expect that a girl he met by chance yesterday would be willing to help him in this way.
Taking medicine to treat illness is a big problem in any era. Jiang Yunzhu spent two hundred coins on these few packets of medicine, which was almost equal to what the Jiang family earned in the morning. However, human life was at stake, and Jiang Yunzhu still had to discuss the matter with the old monk, so she didn't take it to heart.
At this time, the old monk was standing at the door carrying the young monk on his back.
Jiang Yunzhu went over and indicated that she had finished getting the medicine.
"Thank you very much, benefactor. Otherwise, the child's life might not be saved." The old monk said gratefully again.
"Master, there's no need to be so polite. Let's go back and make some medicine for him first," said Jiang Yunzhu.
The two men walked out and when they reached the town entrance, they saw Yuan Xing begging for alms there. A kind-hearted person felt sorry for him as an old monk and gave him one or two cents, but it cost a lot of money to get medicine, so this amount was not enough.
Yuan Xing was so anxious that sweat broke out on his face.
"Junior brother." The old monk called him.
"Senior Brother." Yuan woke up.
"This female donor paid for Yayoi's medical expenses and medicine." The old monk explained. He said that Jiang Yunzhu paid for it, which meant that he would pay it back to Jiang Yunzhu when he had money in the future.
"Thank you, benefactor." Yuan Xing clasped his hands together, expressing his gratitude to Jiang Yunzhu.
The four of them hurried back and soon reached the top of the mountain where three people were waiting anxiously, two old people and one child.
"Go in first." The old monk said without waiting for the three men to ask.
After entering the temple, the old monk put the young monk down. Someone took care of him, while someone took medicine to the back to boil it. Several people were busy in a group.
Jiang Yunzhu looked around.
This is a two-entry temple, not very big, with several side halls in the front. In the middle hall, there is a goddess riding a white tiger. The goddess is dressed in red fairy clothes, with a phoenix-like posture and expressive eyes.
Unfortunately, over time, the paint on the statue became very mottled, which damaged the grace of the goddess.
Is this the goddess of heaven? Jiang Yunzhu thought. She had never heard of this goddess. In ancient times, there were two goddesses with similar names to hers. One was the goddess Nüba, the daughter of the Yellow Emperor. It was said that she wore green clothes and wherever she was, a thousand miles of red land would appear.
There is also the Queen Mother of the Nine Heavens, who has a human head and a bird body, and she is a Taoist.
No one knows who this goddess is. There is no corresponding person in Buddhism. She might just be someone that the villagers built temples to worship out of gratitude for her kindness.
Behind the temple is where the monks live. It is unknown how long this temple has not been repaired. The side halls in the front have almost all collapsed, and there are also broken houses with rotten tiles at the back. It rained all night yesterday, and now there is almost no dry place in the house. The cold wind blows, making me feel cold all over.
No wonder the little monk caught a cold.
"Thank you." The old monk came over and thanked Jiang Yunzhu again. Seeing her staring at the dilapidated house, he sighed.
There were no incense offerings in the temple, and no new people came. The old ones died, but the two little ones? I don’t know if there are any kind-hearted people who want to adopt them. It’s just that they were abandoned in the first place, and they are of an awkward age, so I’m afraid it will be difficult to find a family.
Thinking of this, the old monk felt uncomfortable.
At this moment, Jiang Yunzhu asked in a gentle voice, "Master, do you want this temple to prosper again?"
The old monk couldn't believe his ears. What was she saying
Jiang Yunzhu thought the old monk was too old to hear clearly, so she asked again, "Master, do you want to make this temple prosperous again?"
Of course he wants to, the old monk dreams of it, but how can he make it prosperous
"Master, I have an idea." Jiang Yunzhu told the old monk about his plan.
The old monk was stunned. Is this possible
"Master, how will you know if you don't try?" Jiang Yunzhu said.
The old monk was still hesitant. Was he lying? Would the goddess be angry
"The goddess of heaven is spiritual and will understand the master's painstaking efforts."
The old monk looked at the dilapidated house and then at the people inside, some old and some young, who might not even be able to survive this cold winter. He sighed and thought, well, if there is a hell, let him go alone.
Jiang Yunzhu knew, however, that this was not a lie, but a life-saving mission, so she had no psychological burden at all. She told the old monk the plan in detail, gave him some silver, and the two of them went about their business.
Chen found that Jiang Yunzhu was a little abnormal recently. She had to go out every day. When she asked her what she was doing, she always had various excuses.
Fortunately, she didn't stay there for long each time, so she didn't think much about it.
The beginning of winter is coming soon, and it is time to eat dumplings.
This custom originated from Zhang Zhongjing, when dumplings were called Jiao'er. Zhang Zhongjing, a great medical scientist, found that people's ears were frozen in winter after he resigned from his official position and returned to his hometown. He then wrapped mutton and other cold-dispelling and warming foods in the skin, boiled them in water, and called it Jiao'er Soup.
Later, because dumplings were shaped like ears, people passed the saying around and it became popular: "If you don't eat dumplings on the beginning of winter, your ears will freeze off and no one will care."
Jiang Yunzhu did not deliberately promote her takeout business, but in the past few days, in addition to the long-faced soldier and the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, she still had a lot of more customers. Now the money she earned at noon every day is almost as much as what she earns from breakfast.
"Yunzhu, why don't we make dumplings and sell them instead of cooking on the day of the Beginning of Winter?" Chen said to Jiang Yunzhu while cleaning the kitchen.
"Yeah." Jiang Yunzhu was thinking about something and agreed casually.
At this time, in a camp not far away on the mountain, the guard with thick eyebrows and big eyes just came back from the market with lunch. He handed it to Yang Sheng respectfully, and then asked bravely, "Deputy Commander, what's in this lunch box? It smells so good?"
Yang Sheng was easier to talk to, so the guard asked this question. If it was Shen Fengming, he would have wanted to retreat as far away as possible.
"What's in it? Food, of course." Yang Sheng took the food box and said with a smile.
The guard twitched his lips. Of course he knew it was food, but what kind of food? Seeing that Yang Sheng was happy today, he asked again, "Can I buy one too?" Suddenly, he saw the brothers behind him winking at him, so he added, "Or buy a few more and give them some to eat, too."
In the past few days, the guards of Qilin Guard smelled the fragrance of the food and watched Yang Sheng eat happily. They also wanted to go to Jiang Yunzhu to buy some soup, buns or vegetables. Of course, they had to ask Yang Sheng's opinion.
"You want to eat too?" Yang Sheng raised his eyebrows.
The guard nodded quickly.
"With so many people buying, you're afraid that others won't find us, right?" Yang Sheng snorted. And with so many people buying, Miss Jiang must be very busy. She already has very little sleep.
What are these bastards thinking
The guards looked miserable and thought that it would not work now. Once this matter was over, they would go to that stall to buy food and the deputy commander would not be able to interfere.
Well, it should be soon. It will only take a few days. Once we confirm the list again, we should be able to arrest the person.
On the mountain, Zhu Liang came in and was shocked by Wang Bin's appearance. He looked haggard, with red eyes. He sat there with a long sword in his hand, as if he had not slept all night.
"General Wang." Zhu Liang called out urgently, why had it come to this
"Is Jiang Lu back?" Wang Bin asked.
"Jiang Lu's mother was seriously ill yesterday and she just went back for one day. How come she is back so soon?" Zhu Liang said.
Wang Bin grinned, "He can't come back."
Zhu Liang didn't understand. Suddenly, he asked in surprise, "What does the general mean?" He ran away and was caught, or
Wang Bin looked at him and said calmly, "Call all of our people here. You must have heard of Shen Bulu's name. Those who took the money will not survive."
Shen Buliu... Zhu Liang broke out in a cold sweat.
Soon, there were more than a dozen people in the room, all looking anxious. Wang Bin had been making a lot of noise these days, which made them nervous, and they couldn't eat or sleep well.
"We are in the same boat. Today I want to hear everyone's ideas." Wang Bin glanced at everyone and said.
People had different reactions. Some thought that Wang Bin was making a big deal out of nothing. They guarded the mine like an iron barrel, and even if the Qilin Guard came, they wouldn't be able to find anything.
Some people are extremely scared, after all, it concerns their lives and property.
Everyone was talking at once. Some said that they should write a letter to the Sixth Prince and ask his opinion. Some said that they should simply find a reason to shut down the mine for a while. Others suggested finding a scapegoat and handing him over when the Qilin Guards arrived.
As soon as he said this, everyone's face changed.
Scapegoat, who will be the scapegoat
After discussing for a long time, no result was reached.
After everyone left, Wang Bin stroked the knife in his hand with a calm expression on his face.
Zhu Liang felt that he was frightening, so he called him, "General Wang."
"I really regret it." This was the first thing Wang Bin said. He fought hard and made great contributions on the battlefield. He finally became the commander of an army. Who would have thought that a single misstep would lead to eternal regret.
"General Wang, things haven't reached that point yet," Zhu Liang advised.
Wang Bin shook his head. There was no chance. He could feel the knife on his neck.
Zhu Liang didn't quite believe his feeling and thought he was just scaring himself.
Wang Bin knew that there was really no chance. He had crawled out of a pile of dead bodies, and this premonition had saved his life many times before. Now it told him that he was going to die.
Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, what awaits him is a thundering blow!
He might not even have a chance to struggle and would be crushed to death like an ant.
He was unwilling to accept this! He didn't die on the battlefield, but died here.
He clenched the long sword in his hand, stood up suddenly, and exuded murderous aura.
After all, it was gained through experience gained on the battlefield.
"General Wang." Zhu Liang stuttered.
"I have an idea," said Wang Bin.
"What?" Zhu Liang asked.
"We'll fight to the death," said Wang Bin.
Zhu Liang opened his eyes wide; he didn't quite understand what he meant.
Wang Bin smiled, with the taste of blood in his mouth. He licked his lips and said, "General, you should have taken the initiative. It would have been unfair for him to die by just sitting there and waiting to die."
His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a madman.
"General Wang, what exactly..." Zhu Liang asked.
Wang Bin’s plan was very simple. He concluded that Shen Fengming and Qilin Guard were in Wuling Mine. The closest place to Wuling Mine was Changshi Village, so maybe they were hiding there.
They searched the surroundings several times and didn't find it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The Qilin Guards have the ability to do so.
Surprise attack on Changshi Village, disguised as bandits, if the Qilin Guards are there, just kill them all and put an end to it. When they are dead, the Sixth Prince will have a way to defend him. And there are many people in the court who hate Shen Fengming.
And even if the Qilin Guards were not in Changshi Village, and the people of Changshi Village were attacked by bandits, would they just watch them being killed without saving them
As long as they came out to rescue people, he would kill them all.
If the bandits still couldn't kill them, he would take the mine defenders to kill them personally, to encircle and suppress the bandits. He killed the people of Qilin Guard. Sorry, it was an accidental killing. He thought they were impersonators.
Zhu Liang was stunned when he heard this. This was not a plan that most people could come up with, but it was undeniably a good idea. However, the deaths of the people in Changshi Village were a bit unfair.
Moreover, it would be very troublesome to deal with it later. Shen Fengming, Qilin Guard, was not an ordinary person. If he really died here, the imperial court would not let it go.
“You don’t think no one will die on the battlefield, do you? Achieving the greatest victory at the lowest cost, that’s the battlefield.” Wang Bin sneered.
Of course Zhu Liang knew it, but he always felt that it had not reached that point yet.
Wang Bin felt that the time had come. Moreover, even if this plan failed, it would be better to force Shen Fengming out than for him to keep watching from the dark.
As for the dead civilians... he had seen many of them on the battlefield.
Prepare manpower and set the plan on the night of the Beginning of Winter.
The author has something to say:
The origin of dumplings comes from Baidu, and I wrote it based on my own understanding