The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 353 You are a Shatuo

The sky gradually brightened and the sun rose.

The chilly spring air had finally faded a lot, and the willow trees on both sides of the Bian River swayed in the morning breeze, bringing the city of Bianjing back into a peaceful and tranquil mood.

The riot at night the day before seemed to have been completely covered up.

Although officials from Kaifeng Prefecture were shouting along the streets early in the night, most of the residents of Bianjing remained cautious and stayed indoors. However, those who had no firewood or rice at home and were on the verge of having to cook had no choice but to go out and make a living.

But to everyone's surprise, yet also to be expected, there actually were officials and runners from Kaifeng Prefecture, led by the neighborhood head, going door to door in the neighborhood, leaving rice for the elderly and the poor at home, and some elderly widows and widowers could even receive between ten and thirty coins.

"Kaifeng Prefecture Notice."

Some officials took paste and notices and posted notices along the street, shouting: "According to the decree of King Song and General Tiance, all Daliang citizens, children under the age of six, can receive ten coins a month at night without going to the government office with a receipt. In addition, the elderly over sixty years old can receive thirty coins a month with a receipt...

By order of King Song and General Tiance..."

If the distribution of money and grain in Kaifeng Prefecture was enough to alarm people, then once this notice was posted along the streets, all the residents in the city were attracted and they all opened their doors and crowded to see it. Those with children and elderly people at home just stared and counted on their fingers. Those who met the requirements were immediately excited and shook their wives or husbands, almost crying.

"Prince Song is so kind..."

On the street, Zang He, the former magistrate of Chenliu County and then the deputy minister of the Ministry of Works, was sitting in a simple carriage, stroking his beard and sighing. He said to Ba Ge, who was also in a carriage opposite him: "The move by the King of Song will surely lead to a great increase in the population of the country..."

Bago ignored her. After she escaped from Zhu Yougui's hands yesterday, the evil spirit in her body had been driven away by Zhong Xiaokui, but she still felt quite uncomfortable, as if she had a serious illness. Her cold appearance seemed a little weaker.

Ever since Xiao Yan killed Zhu Yougui on the spot when he tried to escape, she has had no chance to see Xiao Yan again. What's more troublesome is that because most of the officials in the Ministry of Works used to belong to the Ghost King's party, they were directly purged by Xiao Yan yesterday. Not only the Ministry of Works, but also the officials of the six ministries, big and small, who were involved with the Ghost King's party, all had officials of varying sizes who were temporarily laid off and investigated.

Although Zang He was recently promoted from Chenliu to Beijing, the Ministry of Works had completely stopped operating and he could only stay at home idle.

Bago originally thought that the mission would be put on hold, but today he suddenly heard that King Song had summoned Zang He and wanted to see her, the girl who was held hostage by Zhu Yougui at the time.

No matter what, she had to accept the invitation even if she had to bite the bullet, not to mention that Baguo had no reason to refuse. When they were besieging Zhu Yougui, Zang He was clever and blurted out that Baguo's hostage incident was attributed to Xiao Yan, and then Baguo was rescued by Xiao Yan. It seemed that she should thank the most powerful King Song in the Central Plains, of course, provided that she had the opportunity.

She was just thinking about what to say when she met Xiao Yan later, and then she opened the curtain and looked at the people of Bianjing rushing outside. She totally couldn't understand why Xiao Yan was wasting money and food on these ordinary people.

Zang He, who was nominally her uncle, wanted to negotiate for a while and at the same time wanted to exchange a pair of prepared speeches with Baguo, but seeing that this noble man from Taiyuan looked like he was thinking a lot, he had to hold back.

Bago asked the maid beside him to hold up the curtains of the carriage. All the way across Longjin Bridge from the south of the city, he could see that most of the restaurants and hotels were open in accordance with the Kaifeng Prefecture's order. Although they were a little scared and only opened a corner, perhaps because they saw that the streets were peaceful and there were no soldiers looting as they had imagined, they opened all the doors with peace of mind.

There were still many woodcutters and villagers from the vicinity of Bianjing carrying firewood and selling them on the streets. They seemed unaware that there had been a turmoil in Bianjing City. At the same time, it also indicated that the city gates on all four sides were open as usual.

The usually bustling theaters and brothels were also open, but looked very deserted. Some of the morning pancake and noodle shops were open, and there were also twos and threes of diners inside, but on the black wooden sign at the counter, the words "No talk of court affairs" were written in prominent chalk.

"It is forbidden to talk about court affairs..." Bago raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is this also an order from the government?"

Zang He also looked outside, then shook his head. "I'm afraid not. There are hundreds of thousands of citizens in Bianjing, and they are under the emperor's feet. Anything that happens outside the palace will spread quickly throughout the streets. It's impossible to ban it completely. I'm afraid it's just that the merchants don't dare to cause trouble at this critical moment. Last night, Kaifeng Prefecture issued a strict order that all stores must not close without reason. This is good for the people, but the merchants probably don't think so."

As he spoke, he counted on his fingers and explained to Bago: "Han Yanhui, the prefect of Kaifeng, is the first aide to King Song. Isn't Kaifeng Prefecture's order the same as Tiance Prefecture's order?

Now everyone knows that the King of Song has summoned the troops from Hebei to enter the city, and that the tens of thousands of corvée soldiers who are sent to support the king have to be reorganized into a new army. The imperial guards outside the city also need to be rewarded and won over. Everything costs money, and it is a big expense. According to the normal practice of the military in the country, shouldn't they plunder the people to fill the military needs? It is normal for the merchants to be afraid."

Bago looked indifferent. In today's world, the army comes first in everything. When there is no food, the people are the food. So what does it matter if you plunder some property? She just asked curiously, "Will Xiao Yan do this?"

Zang He's face suddenly changed, and he quickly made a gesture to keep quiet. Then he subconsciously looked around outside the curtain, and then he said in a low voice with a bitter face: "My dear, in Bian Jing, how can we dare to call you these two words directly..."

Bago smiled coldly, but he rarely cared about it.

Now everyone knows that King Song wants to use his old bad guys to integrate the Xuanming Sect, the Imperial City Bureau and even the Jinwu Guard to form his minions. Although it is still just a rumor, no one knows what the so-called "Night No Collector" looks like and when it will be used.

It's normal for Zang He to be afraid of this organization that is directly under Xiao Yan's command.

Fortunately, there were no pedestrians around the carriage. Zang He breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled bitterly and said, "The King of Song has always been famous for his wealth in the Central Plains. No one knows how much money he has accumulated in just two years. Since he has distributed money and grain to let the people appreciate the King of Song's kindness, he should not do anything that would damage his reputation again."

Bago sneered in his heart, what is the use of fame in such troubled times?

The King of Jin had been waging war in Hedong for more than a decade, and he had no good reputation in the Three Jins, but what did it matter? Didn't they just let the tribes in Yinshan serve the King of Jin obediently, and Hedong was regarded as the number one enemy by Daliang?

Zhu Wen ruled the Central Plains for decades, and the taxes under his rule were the lowest among all the princes. With such a good reputation as a wise ruler, didn't Xiao Yan still retaliate and seize power from him?

These days, it all depends on whether the knife handle is hard enough.

Although Zang He could see the disdain in Bago's eyes, he did not dare to say anything. He could only sigh in his heart that the woman was narrow-minded and had little knowledge.

After crossing the Longjin Bridge, the carriage turned to the east of the north city. The buildings in this area were incomparable to the residential areas in the south city. Those who lived here were either rich or noble, all of them were noble families of Daliang. The streets were wide and the alleys were deep, and there were many wealthy families. It was usually the quietest place in the city.

But when Chama Neibago and his men looked out, they saw that the four doors of the mansions of these noble families were wide open, and teams of soldiers wearing "Guide Army" badges were coming in and out, carrying out boxes of all sizes filled with treasures and utensils.

There were many eunuch-looking men walking around among the boxes, counting them.

There are some supervisors around these piles of boxes, but it is worth mentioning that these people are all dressed in black evil-repelling flower skirts, wearing the same round-top straight-footed hats, copper-buckled belts, and standard soap-patterned boots. This outfit alone is already very intimidating.

Moreover, there were only a few supervisors, but their imposing manner made the eunuchs who were counting the treasures tremble with fear. They looked so serious that they wished they could count out more treasures from the boxes of all sizes.

But after just a quick look in the carriage, Bago saw a supervisor with his back to the street, who suddenly turned around and looked back casually, holding the Tang sword at his waist.

Facing that pair of cold eyes, Bago silently lowered the car curtain.

Zang He was so frightened that his back was hairy. He just said in a very low voice with a pale face: "These people, could it be that they were not taken in that night..."

Bago did not respond, she just looked serious. The sharpness of these Ye Bushu was probably far greater than the elite disciples of Tongwenguan. At least, this was true for the people she saw now. She would not be wrong in her judgment.

If all the Ye Bushu after being integrated are like this, then it is definitely not what King Jin wants to see. The previous Xuanming Sect was just a mob, and even the State of Jin could not infiltrate it. But this time, after being reorganized by King Song, I am afraid that the situation will be overturned.

There were many noble families whose property was confiscated, and even quite a few military families. The doors of their mansions were wide open everywhere, and groups of servants were dismissed. Many concubines, children and relatives who were usually raised in those wealthy families were seen being driven out crying, carrying large and small bags on their backs, and then watching their mansions being sealed off.

"According to rumors..."

Even in the carriage, Zang He still covered his mouth and whispered, "These are the nobles in the Ghost King's party who are deeply involved with the Imperial Guards. The King of Song pardoned the crimes of the Ghost King's party that day, but the thorough investigation in the court and the country in the past two days has turned out to be the corrupt officials of the Ghost King's party over the years. Some military generals who were too closely involved with the Ghost King were also dismissed. It is said that the King of Song wants to take this opportunity to summon Hebei scholars into the court, and the officials who have been squeezed out and suppressed by the Ghost King in recent years will also be re-employed..."

"What will happen to these people?" Bago asked, "Behead them or exile them?"

Zang He stroked his beard and frowned, saying, "It seems that they will be sent to Qi and Lu to cultivate land... It is said that a group of them will also be exiled to Liaodong to mine..."

Baguo looked at the impoverished children of nobles crying and had a cold face. Could these noble families, who had always lived a life of luxury, also go to farm and mine?
The carriage only drove for a while before stopping. The coachman in front leaned in and said, "Sir, Miss Liu, we can't go any further. We need to get off the carriage and walk."

Bago was surprised for a moment, thinking that King Song Xiao Yan did not allow carriages to pass in front of his mansion. However, after getting off the carriage, he realized that this was not the case. It was just as the coachman said, and the carriage could not pass.

It was only about two quarters of an hour in the morning, and the sun was just rising. However, in front of the mansion with the plaque "Prince Song's Palace" hanging on it, there were countless horse reins tied to the hitching posts, and countless carriages parked in front of the screen wall.

The officials who came here early to see the marquis were so crowded that the corridors were completely unable to accommodate them. Only those officials in purple and red robes were qualified to wait in the hall. A long line of officials in green robes stood outside waiting. No one dared to complain about the cold morning and left early. As the saying goes, the carriages and horses gathered, and the officials and officials surged like a stream of carp crossing the river.

Bago had no doubt that the most powerful officials in the entire Bian Jing had gathered outside the Prince Song's Palace waiting to be summoned.

Although Zang He next to him was a Yuanwailang of the sixth rank, he was just a small official among them. At this time and in this situation, the Ghost King was probably not as powerful as him even when he was at his most powerful. The four words "power over the court and the country" seemed to be concretely demonstrated at this moment.

"Why are there so many people?" Bago asked with a frown.

Zang He coughed dryly, covered his mouth and whispered: "Tian Ce Mansion has its own officials. What kind of assignment can the court give compared to serving in Tian Ce Mansion? Even if King Song does not summon the ministers, no one will be stupid enough not to come to pay homage. Whether they want to keep their power or want to go further, the only one who can decide this matter is King Song..."

As he spoke, he saw that there was no one around for the time being, so he explained in a lower voice: "Whether the King of Song sees you is one thing, and whether the ministers below have submitted their letters is another. If you are lucky enough to be summoned by the King of Song, then you will definitely be promoted to the top."

Ba Ge had a cold face and just mocked expressionlessly: "You Han people are really the best at this."

Zang He smiled awkwardly, but of course he couldn't help feeling contempt in his heart.

"Do we have to wait in line too?" Bago pointed at the long team of green-robed men. There were also many officials in red robes waiting outside the door. They all looked energetic and chatted and laughed with the people around them from time to time. But anyone with a discerning eye could see that these guys were just staring at the armored soldiers and attendants at the gate of the palace, fearing that they would miss any movement than others.

Zang He said embarrassedly, "Although it is the King of Song who summoned you, given the current situation, I'm afraid you will have to endure it for a while... In this way, I will go and queue up, and you can wait for news in the carriage."

Bago was a little annoyed. She didn't even care about the task anymore. She just wanted to have a chance to meet Xiao Yan as soon as possible so that she could take the opportunity to get closer to them. Otherwise, if she continued like this, she was afraid that even if she died in Central Plains, King Jin would not call her back.

Zang He did not dare to say much, but just bowed humbly to the front of the palace and handed his name card to the Tiance Mansion's official outside the palace.

"Are you Zang He, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works?" The official who was not sure where he came from but was able to work in the Tiance Palace frowned after reading the name card and asked, "Why are you so late?"

Zang He's face turned frightened. He had rushed here at dawn and thought it was still early. But when he saw many purple-robed officials already waiting here, he was actually a little flustered. But then he thought that he was just an insignificant person and would not be given any special care, so he did not tell Bago about his concerns. He did not expect that he would be questioned like this.

Fortunately, he was quick-witted and said, "I heard that the king had summoned me, so I specially performed the rituals of bathing and burning incense before leaving. That's why I was late..."

"That's all." The official waved his hand and summoned a soldier to bring Zang He into the palace. He said, "Your nephew Liu Ming is also wanted by the king."

Zang He hurriedly asked an attendant to invite Bago to come in. After following the soldier into the magnificent and luxurious palace, he was surprised to find that he was sweating on his back.

At this moment, he also noticed that the long queue behind him suddenly began to whisper to each other, and even a few purple-robed officials in the corridor poked their heads out and squinted at him.

Zang He straightened his back again, feeling somewhat complacent.

Ba Ge followed Zang He according to the Han ladies' etiquette. After noticing the latter's attitude, she could not help but sneer.

After passing through numerous corridors and entering two ceremonial doors, it took nearly half a quarter of an hour to reach an outer study.

When they arrived here, the armored soldiers went in first, and then an armored soldier and a girl wearing a green skirt and jacket with patterns of flowers that could ward off evil spirits came in at the same time to search Zang He and Ba Ge respectively.

Bago's face was calm. She knew the seriousness of the situation and naturally would not carry weapons or poisons on her. Moreover, she doubted whether she could pose any threat to the King of Song with her martial arts skills.

After the two men were searched, they waited in the inn for a while until a thin scholar in a purple robe came out of the study, and then someone came to call Ba Ge and the other man.

The thin scholar did not look at Ba Ge, but only looked up and down at Zang He. The latter looked humble, bowed slightly and saluted with his hands crossed: "Your humble servant greets Prefect Han."

Bago's face darkened. He didn't expect that such a thin scholar was actually Xiao Yan's top aide.

Han Yanhui didn't say much, and even nodded to Zang He in a friendly manner before he was escorted out by two soldiers.

At this time, Bago and the other two were finally about to go in. Zang He felt a little stiff all over. Bago had despised the latter before, but at this moment he found that his heartbeat was also speeding up. He couldn't help but let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief before entering the study.

After entering, he saw a figure in purple robes. Zang He immediately prostrated himself on the ground, with his butt raised high: "I am Zang He, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works, and I pay my respects to the king!"

Bago was not as nervous as this guy. He even took a quick look at Xiao Yan before paying his respects. However, he found that the King of Song was only wearing a purple robe and a jade belt around his waist, sitting there and looking at him as well.

However, he was full of heroic spirit, like the rising sun. Although he did not say anything, his invisible and colorless power seemed to be leaking out, making people dare not look directly at him. He was far from being comparable to an ordinary purple-robed official.

"I, the humble girl Liu Ming, pay my respects to the king."

Xiao Yan held a cup of hot tea and did not ask the two to stand up. He just squinted at Bago.

This girl is indeed quite pretty and has a lot of brains. Under normal circumstances, you can't tell anything from her outfit, but when she prostrates herself, her neckline allows Xiao Yan to vaguely see a hint of her deep white cleavage. Her slender figure is revealed as she moves, giving the illusion that she is very resilient.

He then said, "I don't have much time left for you, so I'll make it short."

Zang He responded hastily, and said, "Thanks to the king's kindness the other day, this niece of mine was able to..."

"This Madam Liu Mingliu..." Xiao Yan interrupted Zang He without waiting for him to finish his words, "Does your ancestry have blood from another clan?"

Zang He fell silent for a moment, feeling a little nervous.

Baguo looked calm and said, "Your Majesty, my mother is from Mobei. I came to live with my aunt and uncle because my father was carrying goods with my mother to Mobei for business and was worried about me..."

"This is consistent with the intelligence." Xiao Yan smiled and pointed to a document on the table.

Baguo spoke fluent Chinese. After hearing this, she was not nervous at all. Instead, she looked up at Xiao Yan with a little shyness and pretended to be bold, saying, "I admire the king, and I like the king's talent even more. When I was in Chenliu, I heard that the king, who was still the Marquis of Guanjun, was going to attend the banquet, so I bravely asked my uncle to let me dance for the king. When I first saw the king, I was shocked by his beauty. Now I see that the king has achieved great things..."

Xiao Yan put down his teacup and laughed, "Then why were you held hostage by Zhu Yougui the day before yesterday?"

"After my uncle moved to the capital, he took my aunt and I and lived in the south of the city. At that time, the rebel army entered from the Nanxun Gate. I was at home and heard that the rebel army wanted to murder the king. I was extremely anxious and ignored my uncle's advice to go find the king to tell him about this. Unexpectedly, on the way..."

Bago was about to cry, and bowed down beautifully: "If it weren't for the king, I would have become a withered bone in the hands of the Hades... The king's kindness, I have no way to repay it in this life. If the king doesn't mind, I only ask to serve the king for the rest of my life."

Zang He was very excited, and he bowed down to express his gratitude without any flaws. He also said, "Although Ming'er is my niece, I have raised her like my own daughter for many years. Ming'er has admired the king for a long time. After receiving the favor this time, she has devoted her heart to the king. I am very humbled, and I am willing to use my official position to ask the king to fulfill Ming'er's infatuation."

Xiao Yan just smiled faintly and said with emotion: "Zang He, with your talent, it's really a waste of your talent to be appointed as a mere deputy minister of the Ministry of Works."

Zang He raised his head humbly, with an excited look on his face: "I am not worthy of your praise, Your Majesty..."

Xiao Yan smiled, picked up the document on the table, and said, "You were born as a Jinshi in the former Tang Dynasty, and you have been promoted to the rank of county magistrate for decades. The same was true after Daliang replaced the Tang Dynasty. You have worked diligently for decades without making any mistakes. If this is not great talent, what is it?"

Zang He came to his senses a little, smiled awkwardly, and just as he was about to speak, he heard Xiao Yan laugh and said, "As for this Madam Liu, I believe in your devotion. But I was not the king in Chenliu at that time. Could I have attracted Madam Liu to risk her life in the midst of thousands of chaotic troops to come to me to report the news?"

Bago clutched the corner of his clothes tightly, tears already streaming down his face, sobbing: "Since the king does not want to keep me by your side, why do you have to mock me? I am grateful..."

"You are a Shatuo, right?"

Xiao Yan suddenly smiled and interrupted, "Before, in addition to Jin, I also suspected Shu, Chu, and even Wu. But this kind of thing really needs to be verified in person. I wonder if the King of Jin sent such a beauty to me. Is he trying to kill me or ask for something else from me?"

Baguo suddenly stopped crying, while Zang He just froze.

(End of this chapter)