I became a saint by picking up corpses in Water Margin

Chapter 378: Betrayal
On the day Yang Chang sent Su Yuanjing away, he took Ruan Xiaoqi to Weizhou.

The three Ruan brothers were born in the navy. Although they are now strong men on horseback, especially Ruan Xiaoqi who inherited Qin Ming's ability and has fought back and forth with Lin Chong, their main naval business cannot be neglected.

In the past few years, the Nguyen brothers have followed Yang Chang to fight in various places. Due to the narrow rivers in various places, it is not suitable to build large warships, so the main task of the navy is to transport food, and they occasionally participate in wars as infantry.

This time, Yang Changxian asked Ruan Xiaowu to go south to deploy defenses along the Yellow River and build his own warships. Ruan Xiaoqi came to act as his deputy.

According to Yang Chang's strategic plan, after Hedong was stabilized, he would first take Hebei, then take Guanzhong, then go south to clean up the mess, and finally go north to destroy Jin.

Except for Guanzhong where it is difficult to ship in large ships, Hebei, Henan, Jingzhou, Shandong, Jiangnan and other places are full of places where naval forces are used, so it is necessary to prepare in advance.

The two men arrived at the government seat Ji County, and were welcomed into the city by Wen Huanzhang, Ruan Xiaowu and others, and entered the office of Song Jiang's Recruiting Envoy.

As soon as Yang Chang took Song Jiang's position as commander, Sun Xin and his wife brought Li Yun and Zhu Fu, master and apprentice, to meet him.

Li Yun and Zhu Fu had just stood at the bottom of the stairs when they all suddenly bowed their heads in unison.

Yang Chang hurriedly stood up to help him, and said politely: "We were brothers before, but there is no need to be like this when we meet now. From now on, we should still call each other brothers. Hurry up and get up."

"You are the King of Jin, how dare we do this? We should kneel down and pay our respects."

When Zhu Fu said this, his master Li Yun, who was helped up by Yang Chang, felt his legs go weak and he knelt down again.

However, Yang Chang's hands were like iron. Li Yun wanted to kneel but couldn't, so he saluted in a half-squatting position and said, "Prince Jin, Zhu Fu is right. Song Jiang is only the Grand Marshal. We have to do this occasionally. You are of noble status now. It is against the rules not to kneel."

"What's the broken rule?"

Yang Chang blocked Li Yun with one hand, and at the same time bent down and used his right hand to help Zhu Fu up. His slight lift was so powerful that the two men could not kneel down anymore.
"If I say you don't want to kneel, then don't kneel. I don't believe that here. If you don't believe me, ask them when they have ever knelt to me. We are all brothers."

"Just stand there and relax. I'm always approachable. I'm not like Hei Sanlang who puts on airs. It's time for me to turn from darkness to light."

Hearing Ruan Xiaoqi calling him brother, Li Yun and Zhu Fu looked at each other.

It seems to be saying: The King of Jin seems to be telling no lies, what the hell were we following before?

After Zhu Fu stood still, he clasped his fists towards Yang Chang and said solemnly, "Prince Jin is a true hero. We were blind before and followed Song Jiang to oppose you. Especially my brother Zhu Gui, who sneaked into Luzhou and caused trouble. I apologize to you."

"It's over. I didn't take it to heart. I'm sorry about your brother's matter. I didn't expect Song Jiang to be so cruel."

"Song Jiang? Humph."

After hearing what Yang Chang said, Zhu Fu had no more good words for Song Jiang. He immediately cursed, "How many brothers have been killed indirectly just to get a high position? It's not an exaggeration to call him a beast."

"Yes." Li Yun also chimed in: "When Lu Chengxuan was framed, we should have followed him, and Zhu Gui might not have died."

"it's useless.

Zhu Fuzhi shook his head, "Brother was coerced by Duan Jingzhu and had already secretly surrendered to Song Jiang. This might be his fate."

Seeing this, Ruan Xiaoqi also came to comfort him: "It's good that you can think positively. Xu Ning, the murderer who shot Zhu Gui with an arrow, has been captured and taken to Yangqu. You can go back to Taiyuan with your brother and kill the enemy with my brother and Liu Tang."

"Okay, thank you."

"Speaking of the murderer Xu Ning, I really didn't expect that he was also the one who killed Chao Tianwang, or it was Song Jiang who secretly instructed us. Where were our eyes back then? Weren't they in their eye sockets? How could we not see that Song Jiang was a villain?"

After hearing Li Yun's sigh, Ruan Xiaoqi suddenly thought of something.

He looked at Ruan Xiaowu and said excitedly: "Brother, do you still remember that before Chao Tianwang passed away, he proposed that King Jin should be the leader of the stronghold? He might know that Song Jiang wanted to harm him. We were so stupid at that time."

"It's all in the past. Now that the truth has been revealed, we can comfort King Chao and work hard with King Jin."

"Um"

The Ruan brothers sang the same tune, and Yang Chang took advantage of their conversation to ask Mrs. Gu: "Have you spread the news about the cause of King Chao's death to Xiangzhou?"

"some."

Mrs. Gu nodded and said, "When we captured Weizhou, we deliberately released some prisoners, but it seems to have little effect."

"The world has changed drastically. We have changed from Liangshan bandits to people with official positions. Who would hold on to us? Even Song Jiang betrayed his country, so what's the big deal about betraying his brothers?"

Yang Chang shook his head calmly, and suddenly became serious again, "By the way, have the families of the two of them, as well as Dong Ping, Suo Chao and others, been picked up from Yingtian?"

"They have all been picked up, but it will be difficult to pick up more later. The rest of the Liangshan family members are under control, and it is difficult for the sparrows to approach them."

"Let's talk about it later. Just like the sick Guan Suo and Yang Xiong, some people don't care about Yingtian's family. Speaking of Yang Xiong, Shi Xiu still tried to persuade him. I will go back to Yangqu tomorrow. You and your wife will stay in Weizhou temporarily. On the one hand, you can monitor the soldiers and horses of Xiangzhou, and on the other hand, you can develop a few brothers."

"Okay, my people have already gone to Xiangzhou, it should have some effect."

As soon as Mrs. Gu finished her words, Yang Chang hurriedly called her back and reminded her, "By the way, people like Bai Sheng and Duan Jingzhu should stop wasting their breath. There is no place for them here."

"We save it."

"in addition."

Yang Chang looked at Wen Huanzhang, then glanced at the others present, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Mr. Wen will also come back with me. Huai and Wei states will be temporarily under the control of Lin Chong. You must follow his arrangements."

"Yes."

Everyone said in unison.

Two days ago in Huaizhou, Su Yuanjing reminded Yang Chang that his title of king would inspire the military and civilians.

The common people may be simply happy, but officials at all levels have unique expectations, especially those generals who have fought bravely and are waiting to be rewarded for their merits, so Yang Chang wants to take Wen Huanzhang away.

Appointing officials is an art.

Random blocking can easily lead to trouble, and we need think tanks to provide advice and suggestions.

After Yang Chang'an settled the military and political affairs of Huai and Wei states, he set out with Li Yun, Zhu Fu and others, heading north through Baixing in Wei state, and taking a shortcut back to Taiyuan from Lingchuan in Ze state.

Several generals were left behind to perform their respective duties, some in charge of military affairs and some in charge of people's livelihood, while Sun Xin and his wife disguised themselves and sneaked into the neighboring Wei County and Liyang. On the one hand, they eliminated the spies sent by Wu Yong, and on the other hand, they tried to persuade Shi Xiu and others to rebel.

Around mid-June, Zhao Gou's various northern expeditionary armies gathered near Liangshan. According to the advice of the Privy Council, they prepared to cross the Yellow River from Cangzhou in the lower reaches, and then take Hejian, Baozhou and other places.

Of course, everything happens for a reason.

They did not dare to take the land route, that is, the route outside Taihang Mountain that the Jin army would take when they went south and returned north, for fear of alarming Yang Chang and fearing that he would hinder the Northern Expedition.

The Eastern Court could also think of the same strategy that the Western Court could think of, simply to avoid Yang Chang.

As a result, all the navy under Song Jiang were requisitioned by the court, which made Wu Yong uneasy.

Without the support of the navy, retreat would be risky.

There are only 20,000 people in Xiangzhou, even if half of them are new recruits, they are Song Jiang's last resort. Wu Yong promised to keep them.

As long as Yang Chang attacked from both the north and the south, this army would soon be destroyed. So in order to have a safe retreat, the new deputy commander of the imperial camp made preparations after the navy was transferred away.

In addition to sending out spies, he also transferred the main force of Xiangzhou to Yonghe Town near Damingfu, under the pretext of training troops, but in fact it was a preparation for escape. Once Yang Chang attacked from the north and south, Wu Yong led his troops across the river from Damingfu, which was Zhao Gou's birthplace and had troops stationed on both sides.

Of course, the conditions in Yonghe Town were relatively difficult. Except for Hu Yanzhuo, Hua Rong, and Mu Chun who followed the army, the rest of the people stayed in Anyang, the provincial capital.

Wu Yong's major transfer this time gave Gu Dasao's sparrows an opportunity to successfully enter the city and contact Shi Xiu.

Shi Xiu was originally Song Jiang's close confidant, but after Yang Xiong was captured in Luzhou, he discovered that someone was monitoring him.

Spying on him? You're kidding.

The caution in the workaholic's character comes entirely from his sensitivity to the environment. It is a unique skill he has developed with an inferiority complex.

As an expert in lurking and tracking, how could Shi Xiu not know if someone was sneaking around him?
Shi Xiu knew that he was under surveillance during his time in Luzhou, but he did not take it to heart. After all, Yang Xiong had written him a letter persuading him to surrender, and his two defeats were accidental, so he remained loyal to Song Jiang.

However, after arriving in Xiangzhou, the surveillance around him not only did not decrease, but even increased compared to Luzhou.

At that moment, doubts arose in his mind.

Is it Wu Yong who acted on his own, or is Brother Gongming still worried about me?
Shi Xiu was originally prepared to open his heart to Song Jiang in person, but unfortunately Song Jiang was in a hurry to respond to the emperor, so the matter was left unresolved, and Wu Yong continued to monitor him.

The heart is like a stone and can be warmed, and like a stone it can also be cooled.

Moreover, loyalty has a price and needs to be guaranteed by continuous benefits. Only a very small number of strong-willed people can remain loyal to someone until death.

This is the case with Shi Xiu. Poverty and suffering made him lose his dignity. Song Jiang not only gave him respect, but also gave him status and wealth.

Which of the brothers who stayed in Xiangzhou was not experienced in the martial arts world? Who didn't see that Wu Yong was on guard against Shi Xiu? So the dignity that Song Jiang had given him was now torn apart by the observers.

Defection is like cheating, and it comes at multiple costs, including reputation.

Even though Shi Xiu's dignity was torn away, he still lied to himself.

This was just Wu Yong's personal will, perhaps a continuation of the order given in Luzhou, but Brother Gongming left in a hurry and did not allow him to lift his surveillance.

When my brother returns from Yingtian Prefecture, I will just need to express my loyalty to him in person, and the current predicament will be solved.

However, not long after Song Jiang arrived in Yingtian, the court granted Wu Yong real power, as if he wanted to replace Song Jiang.

The messenger frankly said that Song Jiang was sent to Jiangnan to recruit Fang La. Isn't this the job of a civil official? What is the real power of a military general like my brother doing?
While Shi Xiu was daydreaming, Sun Xin and his wife sent sparrows to Xiangzhou to start spreading rumors.

The families of the Liangshan generals in Xiangzhou mysteriously left, the families of the Liangshan generals in Yingtianfu were controlled by the government, Song Jiang was stripped of his military power and banished to Jiangnan, and the court wanted to appoint a new commander
Even Wu Yong was unsure about the truth and falsehood of the news. He even sent people to Yingtian Prefecture to verify the situation. The sensitive Shi Xiu was unable to tell the difference.

No one can save his dignity, and even the wealth given by the court cannot be kept. What future does he have in Xiangzhou?
When he was hesitant, Gu Dasao's sparrow came to his door and said that Yang Chang sincerely accepted him. Yang Xiong and Shi Qian both hoped that he would turn from evil to good.

Thinking that Shi Qian and Gu Dasao were both highly valued, couldn't he make a name for himself with his own abilities? The key point was that Yang Chang had a promising future, and if he joined now, he could still help him conquer the world. If he waited any longer, there would not be many opportunities left.

After hearing this, Shi Xiu made up his mind and began to prepare to leave secretly.

And Ma Que's suggestion that he should recruit more people to rebel coincided with Shi Xiu's idea.

If you bring a few more people with you, you will be taken seriously rather than going there empty-handed. This is what is called a letter of surrender.

At that time, Zhang Shun and Meng Kang led the navy away, Hua Rong and Hu Yanzhuo went out to Yonghe Town to train troops. Except for the injured Zhang Qing, Huang Xin and Guo Sheng, only Du Qian, Bai Sheng, Duan Jingzhu and Wu Yong were left in Anyang.

Yang Chang specifically mentioned that Bai Sheng and Duan Jingzhu were not wanted, so the only person who could be persuaded to rebel was the veteran Du Qian. However, based on Shi Xiu's interactions with him over the years, he found that Du Qian was a person who just went with the flow.

When Lin Chong and Wang Lun fought and pushed Chao Gai to be the leader, Du Qian said nothing; when Chao Gai died and pushed Song Jiang to be the leader, Du Qian said nothing; when Duan Jingzhu and Bai Sheng betrayed Lu Junyi, Du Qian still said nothing
How can someone like you change?

Shi Xiu was worried that his rebellion would fail and he might be exposed, so he set his sights on the wounded.

Among the three wounded soldiers in Anyang, Huang Xin was Song Jiang's confidant, and Yang Chang also killed his master Qin Ming with his own hands. He was the first to be eliminated by Shi Xiu.

Zhang Qing came to the mountain relatively late. Although he was loved and valued by Song Jiang, neither he nor Dong Ping were his absolute confidants and could be developed.

Shi Xiu felt that since he himself could be shaken, Guo Sheng might not be loyal to him, so he might as well give it a try.

Once the target was determined, Shi Xiu began to test it.

First look at the injury, then talk about the big things.

If it takes a long time to recover, it will be difficult to get out if there is someone holding you back.

Shi Xiu first went to see Guo Sheng, but it turned out that his injury would take at least a hundred days to recover, so he simply did not talk about it further, thinking that if Zhang Qing was the same, he would have to go to Yang Chang empty-handed.

I met Guo Sheng in the morning, and in the afternoon I brought seasonal fruits to Zhang Qing's residence.

At that time, Zhang Qing was recuperating at home. He was wearing thin linen trousers on his lower body and taking a nap on the mat with his upper body naked.

Shi Xiu gently called the servant away, stood in front of the door and observed for half an hour. He saw Zhang Qing turned over three times, two of which pressed on his injured leg, but he did not react at all.

Is his leg injury healed?
Why didn't he explain to Wu Yong? He could go to Yonghe Town to train troops after he recovered from his injury. Did he have other ideas?

Thinking of this, Shi Xiu tiptoed forward and tried to pat the wound.

"I'm taking a nap, don't disturb me!"

"General Zhang, you feel so comfortable."

"Ok?"

Zhang Qing woke up with a start and sat up suddenly. Seeing that it was Shi Xiu, he asked curiously, "When did you come, brother? You scared me."

"I just arrived too. I brought you some fruit to cool you down."

After Shi Xiu dealt with it briefly, he pointed in front of Zhang Qing and reminded him: "Hey, your left hand is pressing on your injured leg. Has your leg injury healed?"

"what?"

Zhang Qing was stunned and explained hurriedly: "I just woke up, a little numb, covering the pain, hiss."

"I see. Is your right leg numb? Let me rub it for you."

"No, don't bother me, brother."

"You're welcome."

Shi Xiu started without hesitation, rubbing Zhang Qing's leg for a few times. Seeing Zhang Qing's reaction, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, I remembered it wrongly. This is your injured leg. You didn't cry out in pain just now. It seems that you have recovered."

"Uh"

Zhang Qing shook his head and thought to himself, I was so sleepy that I forgot which leg was injured. Then he said awkwardly, "Maybe it got better today. I didn't have time to tell everyone. Brother is really my lucky star."

"Do you really think I'm a lucky star? Then I'll take you to enjoy happiness, how about that?"

"install?"

(End of this chapter)