Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

A low discussion suddenly broke out at the table. Some people were so excited that their eyes were red, while others were still curled up in the corner biting their lips and saying nothing. Seeing this, Ouyang Lun ordered people to bring a few jars of fine wine and personally poured wine for the old men: "Come, drink first! We will talk about it in detail tomorrow. For example, is the granary of the Xiangwang Mansion suddenly full of armor? For example, are the blacksmith shops in Changsha City making spears recently?"

As the night deepened, the candlelight in Zuixianlou burned brighter and brighter. Ouyang Lun leaned back in his chair, listening to the voices of people around him, tapping the table with his fingertips, and a thoughtful light flashed in his eyes. The accountant was recording rapidly, and the parchment was gradually filled with words such as "recruiting soldiers", "hoarding food", and "heavy taxes". The moonlight outside the window cut across the paper diagonally, making the handwriting particularly eye-catching.

We walked and stopped like this for a whole month before we reached the border of Huguang.

At this time, the atmosphere in the Prince of Xiang's territory was completely different. Outside Changsha City, military camps were lined up with flags flying. Prince of Xiang Zhu Bo, dressed in military uniform, was inspecting the troops in the parade ground.

"Your Highness," Chief Clerk Zhou Ji came hurriedly, "The spies reported that Ouyang Lun's team is less than a hundred miles away from Changsha!"

Upon hearing that Ouyang Lun was coming, Prince of Xiang Zhu Bo first showed joy, and immediately prepared his horse to go out of the city to welcome him.

Seeing this, Chief Clerk Zhou Ji hurried forward to stop him and said, "Your Highness, please do not be impulsive! Ouyang Lun is leading a large army to Changsha at this time. He must be following the imperial order. I am afraid he is here to punish you!"

Zhu Bo was panicked when he heard this, but soon he calmed down and said, "Although what you said makes sense, I have been learning from my brother-in-law since I was young, and he is very close to me. Moreover, my brother-in-law has always acted unconventionally. If I can be honest with him in person, maybe I can persuade him to lend us a hand. If we have the help of my brother-in-law, we will be able to accomplish our great cause."

Zhou Ji's face was as gloomy as iron, and there was an unbreakable vigilance between his brows.

"Your Highness, please think twice." His voice was filled with unquestionable toughness. "Ouyang Lun is a treacherous man. There is no guarantee that he will not harm you." Seeing that Zhu Bai was still about to step forward, he suddenly took a step sideways, and the collision of armor made a crisp metallic sound. "At least Rong Mo will set up defenses on the city wall."

"My brother-in-law will not harm me."

Just as Zhu Bai was about to speak, Zhou Ji waved his hand to call for his personal soldiers.

Ten archers climbed up the battlements silently. The subtle sound of the iron bowstring being tightened was particularly clear in the silence, and the arrows glowed coldly in the setting sun.

"General Zhou, why do you have to do this?" Before Zhu Bo finished speaking, Zhou Ji had already knelt on one knee and clasped his fists: "If anything happens to the prince, I will be blamed for it." When he looked up, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, "If I see Ouyang Lun make any move, I will immediately order the arrows to be shot - even if I have to be cut into pieces afterwards."

Zhu Bo finally sighed, his fists in his brocade robe sleeves tightened and loosened, and he glanced at Zhou Ji's tense face, and finally nodded heavily, "Zhou Ji, you can prepare, but without my order, you must not take action!!"

Thirty miles outside Changsha City, Ouyang Lun's convoy was moving slowly.

"Sir, the scouts ahead reported that the gates of Changsha are closed and archers can be vaguely seen ambushing on the city walls." The deputy general looked solemn and whispered, "Should we send scouts to find out the truth first?"

Ouyang Lun was lying on the couch in the gilded carriage, holding a bunch of grapes in his hand. Hearing this, he waved his hand lazily: "Why are you in such a hurry? Let the brothers cook first and talk about it after they are full."

The deputy general was anxious: "Son-in-law! If the King of Xiang really has rebellious intentions, we may be ambushed if we approach rashly!"

Ouyang Lun lifted the car curtain, squinted his eyes and looked at Changsha City in the distance, with a playful smile on his lips: "A secret plot? Just relying on that kid Zhu Bo?" He threw a grape seed casually, "He wet his pants when he was a child, and I changed his pants for him. How dare he shoot an arrow at me?"

Lieutenant General: "."

"Besides," Ouyang Lun pointed to the 100 carriages full of silver behind him, "We are here to deliver money, not to fight. What are we afraid of?"

"But."

"Don't say buts," Ouyang Lun yawned, "Pass the order down, all troops slow down, raise the flags of 'Nanyang Commercial Bank', let the people on the city see clearly - we are here to do business!"

The deputy general had no choice but to do as he was told.

So, this huge team slowly approached Changsha city at a pace almost like a walk.

"Your Majesty, if you go any further you'll be within the range of arrows!" the personal soldier reminded nervously.

Ouyang Lun didn't care at all. Instead, he asked the driver to drive the carriage to the front, and he stood on the shaft and shouted towards the top of the city:

"Zhu Bai! Why are you hiding on the city wall? Your brother-in-law has come all the way to see you, and you don't even open the city gate?"

The voice was loud and resonant, echoing up and down the city walls.

The defenders on the city looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.

Zhou Ji's face turned pale, and he whispered, "Your Majesty, this is a trick to provoke the enemy. Don't fall for it!"

Zhu Bo could no longer hold back, and quickly walked to the battlement, shouting, "Brother-in-law! Is it really you?"

When Ouyang Lun saw Zhu Bo show up, he laughed out loud: "Nonsense! Apart from me, who else can be so generous and bring so much money to see you?"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him immediately lifted the oilcloth on the silver cart, and the white silver sparkled in the sun.

"Did you see that? One million taels of silver!" Ouyang Lun put his hands on his waist and said proudly, "Aren't you short of military pay? Your brother-in-law has sent you money!"

Zhu Bo was stunned.

Zhou Ji's face suddenly changed, and he said sternly: "Your Majesty, be careful, there is a trap!"

But Zhu Bo didn't care about that anymore and shouted excitedly: "Open the city gate! Let my brother-in-law in!"

Zhou Ji said anxiously: "Your Majesty! What if Ouyang Lun has an ambush?"

Zhu Bo glared at him and said, "If my brother-in-law really wanted to deal with me, why did he come here in person? And why did he bring so much silver?"

Zhou Ji wanted to persuade him again, but Zhu Bo had already given the order: "Open the city gate! Welcome the prince consort into the city!"

"Your Majesty!"

“This is a military order!”

Zhou Ji gritted his teeth and had to retreat, but secretly signaled to his guards, whispering: "Archers, don't retreat. If Ouyang Lun makes any unusual moves, shoot him immediately!"

——Squeak——

The heavy city gate slowly opened.

Seeing this, Ouyang Lun grinned, jumped off the carriage, and patted the deputy general on the shoulder: "Did you see? What did I say?"

The deputy general wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said: "The prince consort is very smart."

Ouyang Lun laughed loudly and walked towards the city gate with a swagger, waving at the city wall as he walked: "Zhu Bai! Why don't you come down to pick me up?"

Zhu Bo couldn't wait to rush down the city wall and come out to greet them in person.

“Brother-in-law!”

"Bad boy!"

The two met at the city gate. Ouyang Lun put his arm around Zhu Bo's shoulders and said with a smile, "Okay, you've grown taller and stronger, but you've become a little bolder. You even dare to rebel?" Zhu Bo's expression froze and he whispered, "Brother-in-law, I..."

Ouyang Lun waved his hand and said, "Okay, let's go in first. I'm exhausted from this journey."

As he said that, he turned around and shouted to his team, "What are you all standing there for? Go into the city! Remember, don't scare the people. Give money to those who deserve it, and give meals to those who deserve it!"

"Yes! Prince Consort!"

In this way, Ouyang Lun brought his "caravan" and swaggered into Changsha City.

Zhou Ji stood on the city wall, staring at Ouyang Lun's back, his fists clenched so hard that they made a clattering sound.

"Ouyang Lun, what on earth do you want to do?"

Ouyang Lun's three hundred personal soldiers escorted thirty silver carriages and headed straight for the Xiang Prince's military camp outside Changsha City.

"Thank you for your hard work, soldiers!" The leading captain of the guards jumped onto the grain cart and shouted loudly, "The prince consort sympathizes with you and has ordered us to deliver 100,000 taels of silver. Each of you will receive 5 taels first, and the rest will be distributed after the rebellion is quelled!"

The military camp was in an uproar in an instant.

"Five taels?!" An old soldier's eyes widened. "The Prince of Xiang only issued one tael of silver last month, and he said the court withheld money."

The captain of the guards grinned and said, "The Prince Consort said that as long as you stay calm and don't get involved in things you shouldn't be involved in, your salary will be doubled in the future!"

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. Some of them murmured, "Didn't the imperial court say they wanted to wipe us out? Why are they still giving us silver?"

"Stupid!" Another soldier kicked him. "The Prince Consort is the brother-in-law of the Prince of Xiang. It's obvious that he is here to settle things. Whoever rebels will die!"

In the corner of the military camp, several of the King of Xiang's confidants turned pale and hurried to report to Zhou Ji.

At the same time, on the most prosperous street in Changsha City, Ouyang Lun's accountants booked the entire "Zuixianlou" and set up more than a dozen large pots in front of the door. The aroma of stewed meat filled half of the city.

"Fellow villagers!" the accountant shouted while beating the gong, "The Prince Consort is treating us! There will be plenty of wine and meat, and you can get two taels of silver after you finish eating!"

At first, the people did not dare to approach until a very hungry beggar plucked up the courage to grab a piece of meat, ate it up voraciously, and actually received silver. The crowd suddenly became excited.

"Your Highness is so kind!" an old man wiped his tears, "Last month, the Prince of Xiang's Mansion forcibly requisitioned my family's granary, saying it was for war preparations."

"Preparing for war?" The accountant's ears pricked up and he immediately handed over a glass of wine. "Father, can you tell me more?"

Soon, as the people drank and chatted in Zuixianlou, they all exposed the harsh policies of the King of Xiang, the forced conscription of men, the private casting of weapons, etc. The accountants were busy recording, and they were more and more happy to distribute money.

Zhu Bai personally led Ouyang Lun into the mansion, smiling all the way, as if he had returned to the days when he was a teenager and played around with his brother-in-law.

"Come on! Prepare the banquet!" Zhu Bo waved his hand, "Bring out all the good wine from the cellar. I want to drink with my brother-in-law today!"

The maids filed in, and the table was soon filled with delicacies. Zhu Bo personally filled a glass of wine for Ouyang Lun, with a tentative look in his eyes: "Brother-in-law, you are not here to take me back to the capital, are you?"

Ouyang Lun was just putting a piece of braised pork into his mouth when he heard this and burst out laughing: "Catch you? How can I catch you? How many people do you have? How many people do I have?" He pointed out the window, "You have 50,000 troops outside the city, and I only brought a few hundred people, and they are all here to give out money. I want to catch you for my head?"

Zhu Bo's expression eased a little, but he was still worried: "What about the court?"

"The imperial court?" Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes and took a sip of wine. "I am indeed here on orders, but why should I care about that?" He moved closer to Zhu Bo and lowered his voice. "To tell you the truth, I am here to eat and drink at the public expense! And by the way, to see what trouble you are causing!"

Zhu Bo finally breathed a sigh of relief and was about to raise his glass when suddenly -

"boom!"

The hall door was suddenly pushed open, and Zhou Ji strode in, his face gloomy as iron: "Your Highness, your Highness is very cunning! As soon as he arrived, he sent people to the military camp to distribute salaries, and then went to the market to buy the hearts of the people. Is he trying to undermine the foundation of our army?"

Ouyang Lun slowly put down his chopsticks without even raising his eyelids: "General Zhou, what you said makes me feel sorry for the hard work of the soldiers and pay them out of my own pocket. How can that be considered as undermining the morale of the army?" He sneered, "Does General Zhou think that the soldiers of the King of Xiang should fight on an empty stomach?"

"You—" Zhou Ji was speechless and asked, "What about the market? The prince consort sent people to spread rumors and slander the reputation of the King of Xiang. What is his intention?"

"Rumors?" Ouyang Lun raised his eyebrows. "What the people said is true." He suddenly pulled out a stack of confessions from his sleeve. "Would you like to see it? Forcibly collecting grain taxes, privately forging weapons, and forcibly conscripting men. Which one of them is unfair to you?"

Zhu Bo's face suddenly changed: "Brother-in-law, these..."

Ouyang Lun patted his hands: "Don't worry, I don't plan to report these." He glanced at Zhou Ji, "As long as certain people don't force me."

Zhou Ji's eyes flashed coldly, and he suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Ouyang Lun: "The prince consort is eloquent, but I don't believe it!" He shouted sternly, "Come here! Search his carriage!"

"Zhou Ji!" Zhu Bai stood up suddenly, "How dare you!"

Ouyang Lun laughed and opened his arms: "Search! Search whatever you want!" He winked at Zhou Ji, "But I suggest you take a look at this first--"

He pulled out a gold token from his pocket and threw it on the table with a "clatter".

——The four big words "As if I were here in person" are clearly visible!
Zhou Ji froze instantly, and the tip of his sword trembled slightly.

Ouyang Lun lazily leaned back in his chair: "Now, are you still searching?"

Zhu Bo hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "General Zhou is also thinking about the overall situation, brother-in-law, please don't blame me."

"I understand, I understand." Ouyang Lun waved his hand and suddenly lowered his voice, "But General Zhou, I have a piece of advice for you -" His eyes suddenly sharpened, "You secretly colluded and embezzled, did you really think no one knew about it?"

Zhou Ji's pupils suddenly shrank, and the hand holding the sword trembled violently!
Zhu Bo looked at Zhou Ji in shock: "What?!"

Ouyang Lun had already resumed his playful attitude, raised his glass and said, "Come on, drink! Twelve brother, tell me, has anyone been instigating you to rebel recently?"

The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting uncertain shadows on the expressions of the three people.

After three rounds of drinks, Ouyang Lun leaned on the cushion, tapping the wine glass with his fingertips, making a crisp sound.

"My twelfth brother," he looked at Zhu Bo with a half-smile, "Brother-in-law, I really can't understand why you, a prince, suddenly want to rebel?"

Zhu Bo's face froze, and he glanced at Zhou Ji subconsciously: "This..."

"What?" Ouyang Lun raised his eyebrows, "Is someone holding a knife to your neck to force you to rebel?" He suddenly turned to Zhou Ji, "General Zhou, what do you think?"

The wine glass in Zhou Ji's hand cracked with a "click" sound: "You are wrong, Prince Consort! The King of Xiang is the descendant of Taizu, how could he be coerced by others?" (End of this chapter)