Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 687 Another Him
Zhao Sui was greatly surprised upon hearing this. "You're going to rebel too?"

Pei Yuan was also taken aback by Zhao Sui's reaction, "Why would I rebel?"

Zhao Sui paused for a moment, then surprisingly found it to make a lot of sense.

Frankly speaking, if a person can command both the imperial army and the rebel army, then he has no reason to rebel.

Zhao Sui, too lazy to pay any more attention to this guy, asked directly, "Where's the food?"

Pei Yuan glanced at Zhao Sui's coarse clothes a few times, then his gaze fell on the large hat that had covered his face when he came in, and then he asked, "How did you get here from Jiangxi?"

Zhao Sui wasn't embarrassed at all and frankly admitted, "I disguised myself as a coachman and followed the Ning Prince's caravan transporting local specialties."

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Then come with me. I've thought of a good place."

He got up and walked out of the hall.

Zhao Sui didn't hesitate upon hearing this and simply followed behind Pei Yuan.

He was a man who had experienced countless life-and-death situations. He had been stubbornly planning how to lead the two leaders out of Jiangxi and rebuild their strength.

As a result, Pei Yuan specially sent him a saddle made of human skin with "Zhao the Madman" tattooed on it.

That was bad enough, but along with the human skin saddle came a copy personally made by Pei Yuan of Zhao Sui's memorial to the emperor, in which he pleaded with the emperor to eliminate treacherous officials and govern the country properly.

Zhao Sui's spirits were instantly crushed.

Zhao Sui can now be described as coming and going with ease, without any worries.

Pei Yuan left the courtyard, where a group of Imperial Guards stood guard outside.

Pei Yuan said, "Everyone, disperse. I'm going to have a meal. Xiao Tong, Lu Yong, and Cen Meng will be fine with me."

The group of five left Zhihua Temple and headed straight for the most bustling areas.

Pei Yuan occasionally glanced back at Zhao Sui's expression and saw that Zhao Sui was staring blankly at the lively crowd around him.

Pei Yuan chose a spacious restaurant with many people and asked Xiao Tong to clear out a table upstairs facing the street.

Zhao Sui glanced at the lively tables of guests in the building, hesitated for a moment, and then thought of putting on his big hat to cover himself up.

He didn't want to cause trouble for Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan, who had been paying attention, reached out and pressed his hand down, saying, "No need. Zhao the Madman of Bazhou Army has already been skinned alive. Enjoy this peaceful life. Look at Sixth Brother and Seventh Brother, they live life with clarity."

Zhao Sui glanced at Pei Yuan and said, "As long as you're not afraid of being dragged down, I have nothing to be afraid of."

Pei Yuan was not afraid, of course.

This era is not like the later one, with its advanced internet for communication, where anyone could easily recognize the leader of the Bazhou bandits.

Let alone now that the rebellion in Bazhou has been quelled, even when the Bazhou army was at its most powerful, how many people had actually seen Zhao the Madman?

Moreover, even if someone has seen Zhao Fengzi in person, so much time has passed that who would dare to be certain that this somewhat dejected guy in front of them is the big boss of the Bazhou Army?

Furthermore, the imperial court has already rewarded those who have rendered meritorious service, and the emperor has also skinned Zhao the Madman alive. If he were to jump out and identify Zhao again at this time, would he be trying to challenge the post-war order after the suppression of the rebellion?

The five people went upstairs.

Pei Yuan and Zhao Sui wanted to talk, so they sat alone at a table by the window.

Xiao Tong, Lu Yong, and Cen Meng each occupied a separate table nearby.

On Cen Meng's table lay a brocade spring knife and his badge as the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

On Xiao Tong's table were also a brocade spring knife and his Jinyiwei captain's badge.

Besides these two large items, Lu Yong also had a small plaque on his desk that read, "I am the nephew of the Grand Master of Ceremonial."

Who would dare mess with this...?

The once bustling second floor soon became empty, with only a few tables located further apart remaining.

Pei Yuan had fine wine and food served, and then personally poured a cup of wine for Zhao Sui.

Zhao Sui didn't stand on ceremony and drank it all in one gulp.

Pei Yuan smiled and gestured for Zhao Sui to look outside, "Why make such a prosperous world a mess?"

"Even if my sixth and seventh brothers plundered the wealth of the people in the northern cities, it might not be as good as the comfortable life they enjoyed in Jiangxi."

Zhao Sui didn't stand on ceremony with Pei Yuan, and said sarcastically, "This is your prosperity. If the court had loosened the noose around the necks of the people back then, would there be a madman like me?"

Pei Yuan didn't mince words, "Then you still expect that idiot Zhu Houzhao to succeed?"

Zhao Sui, holding his wine glass, was somewhat surprised. He subconsciously looked around before saying, "You really dare to say that."

Pei Yuan was indeed very fair and blunt, saying, "His court has driven you all to rebellion, so what am I afraid to say?"

Zhao Sui pursed his lips and focused on eating.

Pei Yuan was patient; he didn't touch his chopsticks, but rested his arms on the table, watching Zhao Sui eat slowly.

After a while, Pei Yuan waved to Xiao Tong, indicating the cloth-wrapped object he had brought.

Xiao Tong quickly came over and handed it to Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan took the object and slowly untied it, soon revealing a slightly worn scabbard.

Then Pei Yuan gently pulled, revealing a section of its bright and chilling sharp edge.

The winter sun shone obliquely, falling on the blade, making Zhao Sui's eyes somewhat blinded.

As the leader of a large band of outlaws, he naturally had no fear of knives, and merely glanced at one casually to the side.

He said, "Not bad."

Pei Yuan shifted to the side, avoiding the light, so that Zhao Sui could see the two characters "Bazhou" clearly.

Zhao Sui found out.

He reached out and took it, and Pei Yuan handed it over.

Zhao Sui exclaimed, "So it was Seventh Brother's Bazhou Saber!"

Seeing Zhao Sui examining the knife, Pei Yuan asked, "Do you know why Seventh Brother gave me this Bazhou knife?"

Zhao Sui glanced at Pei Yuan, not afraid of offending him, and said with a smile, "Because he's blind, that's what the brothers all say."

After saying that, he put the knife back in its sheath, placed it on the table, and handed it back.

Despite his thick skin, Pei Yuan remained unfazed and said, "Then you don't understand Seventh Brother."

"He gave me this knife not only to end his dream of becoming a martial arts hero, but also because he had realized that changing the world was not something that could be achieved by constantly wielding a knife."

Zhao Sui was about to eat when he couldn't help but laugh.

He looked up at Pei Yuan and said bluntly, "He himself said that he didn't know how he was so blind as to get to know you."

Pei Yuan glanced to the side.

Xiao Tong, Lu Yong, and Cen Meng immediately and instinctively looked away. Pei Yuan promptly and decisively joined in the teasing of Liu Qi.

"From what you said, I know that Seventh Brother has become a useless cripple. If he still had any ambition, he would only be happy when he mentioned me."

"Because I was not the one who brought him the 'cause,' nor was I the one who brought him the 'effect.' I was just a passerby who happened to be passing by in his powerless struggle."

"If he had even the slightest bit of ambition left, he wouldn't have let you come to see me empty-handed."

Seeing Pei Yuan's words, Zhao Sui stopped beating around the bush.

"Don't you want to know why I crossed the river to see you?"

Pei Yuan kept quiet in time to avoid any adverse effects.

Zhao Sui frankly said, "It's mainly for the sake of those brothers crossing the river."

“Those brothers who were going to cross the river missed their homeland very much and were not used to staying in the south. Prince Ning mentioned to Sixth Brother and Seventh Brother that he wanted to send some people across the river, and Sixth Brother and Seventh Brother did not object.”

“Some brothers planned to run away after crossing the river, but we figured it wouldn’t be that easy, so we asked Prince Ning for the buyer’s name.”

"I found out it was you later."

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "They can't escape."

Since Pei Yuan was going to take these people in, he couldn't have been completely unprepared.

Besides, what difference would it make if those people ran away?

Should he return to Bazhou to see his hometown, which has been reduced to ruins in the earthquake? Or should he remain a displaced person with nowhere to go, ultimately becoming a bandit again, or flee to the mountains of Jingxiang like other displaced people?

Do these core bandits really expect to return to their hometowns and live peaceful lives?
If we can control those people when they are most impetuous and irrational at the beginning, and then take them to Bazhou to see the reality clearly, they will eventually understand that serving Pei Yuan is the best choice for the rest of their lives.

Zhao Sui did not refute Pei Yuan's confident words.

After all, they had all witnessed the methods of the person in front of them.

So Zhao Sui continued, "We don't want our brothers to have entrusted their lives to the wrong person, so we came to talk to you and see what you think."

"Your two brothers didn't want to see you, so they let me cross the river."

After saying that, Zhao Sui smiled and said, "At least I can be sure of one thing now: you didn't intend to use their lives to start a rebellion."

Pei Yuan said, "If they don't rebel, let's find them something to do."

As he spoke, he dipped his finger in the wine glass and drew a winding line on the table.

Pei Yuan pointed to a spot and said to Zhao Sui, "Two years ago, the Dalu attacked Shaanxi."

He pointed to another place, saying, "Last year, the Dalu attacked Datong."

Then, pointing downwards, he said, "I've been thinking that this year we should attack Xuanfu."

“I intend to have them do something useful for the world. If they are unlucky, they can at least enjoy the prosperity we have now, just like us.”

Pei Yuan emphasized the word "we," which corresponds to Zhao Sui's earlier statement, "This is your prosperity."

As Pei Yuan spoke, he deliberately pointed to the table full of delicacies and the bustling city outside.

Zhao Sui smiled upon hearing this, followed Pei Yuan's pointing finger to look outside, and sighed, "We share the same wealth and honor."

Pei Yuan understood what he meant. He wanted the elite of the Bazhou bandits to work for him. What Pei Yuan could promise was that these bandits could also transform into "them" who enjoyed prosperity.

Zhao Sui thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "Why is this considered bad luck?"

In Zhao Sui's mind, bad luck should be "one general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand," and Pei Yuan's success should be made possible by the blood of his brothers in Bazhou.
Pei Yuan looked at Zhao Sui and said seriously, "If we are lucky, we can not only loosen the rope around the necks of the people, but also allow more and more people to enjoy the prosperity of this world."

Zhao Sui was so impressed by Pei Yuan's heroic words that he was speechless for a long time.

Isn't this exactly what he once naively held onto?
After gaining control of a powerful army, he happily wrote a letter to the emperor.

He told the emperor that he now had the ability to restore order to the world and hoped that the emperor could cheer up and properly reorganize the court.

He was willing to offer his own head and die alongside treacherous villains as long as it made the world a better place, to demonstrate his selflessness.

"I beg Your Majesty to make a wise decision and cut off the heads of these traitors to appease the people. Then, I behead you immediately to appease them as well."

Zhao Sui had imagined that he might meet another version of himself among the vast sea of ​​people and scholars of the world.

They also schemed with all their might, with naive fantasies, and tried their best and sincerely to make the world a better place.

However, he never imagined that this person would be Pei Yuan.

From the moment this person appeared in Zhao Sui's world, he consistently made calm judgments and decisive choices, making him the most intelligent person in the world in Zhao Sui's eyes.

This man saw the human-skin saddle and his own memorial to the emperor, and painstakingly copied it down word for word, sending it all the way to Jiangxi.

He silently and scathingly mocked himself, using his worldly wisdom to despise his own naiveté.

Then he ultimately chose naivety.

Zhao Sui pursed his lips, looking at Pei Yuan with an exceptionally complicated expression.

Pei Yuan smiled at him, "Don't you believe me?" His words were full of confidence.

Zhao Sui squinted at Pei Yuan, his eyes gleaming in the slanting winter sunlight, and said with some resentment, "How the hell should I know which of your words are true and which are false?"

Although his words were angry, Pei Yuan could see a beating in that almost lifeless heart.

Pei Yuan knew the resentment the bandit leaders of Bazhou harbored towards him, so he asked again, "Do you know who I will send to lead your men after they cross the river this time?"

Zhao Sui snapped out of his daze and looked at Xiao Tong and the other two. "These guys around you?"

Pei Yuan shook his head and said three words to Zhao Sui, "Qi Yanming".

Zhao Sui's eyes widened immediately, and then he asked in a trembling voice, "Qi Yanming? He's still alive?"

Pei Yuan said, "He's still alive. When you head south, I'll let you go see him. His boat was washed ashore by the river, and since he's not a good swimmer, he almost drowned. After being captured, he gave my name to the government troops, which saved his life."

"After that, he kept doing things for me in secret."

After Pei Yuan finished speaking, he said to Zhao Sui, "I have never had any ill intentions towards you. Even if you did not cross the river to escape to Jiangxi, even if you were captured by the imperial army, as long as you mention my name, I can guarantee your survival."

"Qi Yanming is an example."

"He was a man of unparalleled bravery, a notorious bandit leader in the Bazhou army, and countless generals wanted his head. Yet, I did everything in my power to protect even such a figure."

Pei Yuan said, somewhat emotionally, "I, Pei Yuan, am not a heartless person."

Zhao Sui was of course unaware that Pei Yuan had only given Qi Yanming this way to survive. When he heard Pei Yuan say that he had truly saved Qi Yanming, he was shocked, and even some of the resentment he had harbored in the past dissipated.

The day Zhao Sui became an outlaw, he had already thought that sooner or later he might be beheaded.

There was such awareness beforehand.

Upon suddenly hearing that someone is willing to do everything in their power to save his life, any dissatisfaction is enough to be forgiven.

If Qi Yanming is really alive, wouldn't that be more convincing than anything else?
(End of this chapter)