From the Ming Dynasty, we will conquer the world

Chapter 15 Rushing to Taizhou, the Storm is Coming (6300)

Xu Xing frowned and said:
"But didn't Wang Yangming announce to the world during that battle that Yao Lianzhou would not obey even if he died, and that he had destroyed the blood sutra? With his status, why would he lie for Yao Lianzhou?"

Shen Yishi smiled and said:

"Wudang is the state religion of this dynasty, how could it easily rebel? Isn't it because Emperor Zhengde has an inappropriate desire for it?
After all, Wang Shouren was a reasonable man. He knew he was in the wrong, so he would not speak out some things.

What's more, the remains of Bodhidharma alone have caused countless disturbances in the martial arts world. If the news of Sanfeng Blood Sutra spreads, how turbulent will the world be?
So, he chose to help Yao Lianzhou fulfill his last wish.

In fact, as early as when Yao Lianzhou participated in the Ning Wang Rebellion, he had already handed over the Sanfeng Blood Sutra to the Wudang orphans.

And this rare item was obtained by my father from an old man by chance."

Looking at Xu Xing's surprised expression, Shen Yishi just sighed:
"It was a year of great disaster. This man said he wanted to use his fists to get a job as a guard in my house. My father saw that he was old and had a child, so he couldn't bear it and gave him two buckets of rice.

The man gave my father the two blood scriptures as a reward and told me this story.

My father thought it was just a joke and didn't take it seriously, but I took it to heart.

After searching everywhere, we found out that this is the legendary lost nerve. "

When Xu Xing heard this, he couldn't help but sigh:
"No matter how valuable a treasure is, it is not as precious as life. He should understand that if he has no chance to practice alchemy, this so-called immortal treasure is no different from waste paper.

That being said, this person was able to give up his blood meridian so decisively, which shows his character. He really has the demeanor of a Wudang Taoist priest. "

After saying this, Xu Xing suddenly remembered something and asked again:

"It is well known that the old emperor likes Taoism. Anyway, this thing will be of little use if it is left in your hands. Why not offer it directly to him and seek wealth and glory?"

Shen Yishi laughed loudly and shook his head:
"In business, timing is the most important thing. If the timing is wrong, a product worth 10 cents can only be sold for 5 or 6 cents, or even 3 or 4 cents. If the timing is right, even a product worth 1 cent can be sold for 10 cents.

I kept the Blood Sutra in my hand just to wait for the right time. If the time is right, these two broken books will not only make money, but may even save my life."

Hearing this, Xu Xing immediately realized that Shen Yishi had originally planned to leave the two blood scriptures to the woman and submit them to the court in times of crisis to save her life.

After understanding this, Xu Xing's desire immediately faded. Although he also wanted to see this kind of magic treasure, he really didn't want to force others to do so.

What's more, now that Xu Xing has the stone mirror in his hand, this blood sutra may not be that important to him.

Thinking of this, Xu Xing stood up, held Shen Yishi's hand, returned the blood scripture, and said seriously:

"Boss Shen has a plan, so why ruin the opportunity? Why not keep it? Besides..."

Xu Xing raised his eyebrows and said calmly but firmly:

"Even without this blood sutra, I may still be able to achieve the path of human immortality."

This was the first time that Shen Yishi saw the pride and confidence that a young master should have in Xu Xing. This kind of high-spirited and enterprising spirit was truly fascinating.

After a brief silence, Shen Yishi smiled bitterly and said:
“Tafa, don’t get me wrong, I gave you these two blood scriptures for my own plans.

Although Emperor Jiajing of this dynasty seemed obsessed with seeking immortality and enlightenment, he was actually a very pragmatic person.

Otherwise, he would not have done something like changing rice to mulberry.

It is still unknown how much this blood scripture is worth in his eyes and how much silver it is worth.

But you are more trustworthy than him, so I feel at ease leaving it to you.

And, like you said..."

At this point, Shen Yishi's eyes became sharp. He chuckled and said firmly:
"You, Xu Tafa, have your own rules, and I, Shen Yishi, have my own rules.

Although Mr. Shen is not talented, he has never owed debts in his business life.

Since you have agreed to my request, please accept these two blood scriptures."

Xu Xing looked at Shen Yishi's resolute face, said nothing, nodded heavily, and took the two scriptures he took out from his sleeve.

Shen Yishi stood up, bowed solemnly to Xu Xing, clasped his fists and saluted.

After doing all this, he said:
"Tafa, my business won't be posted right now. You can go do what you want to do first. If there is any need, I will have someone contact you."

Xu Xing only said four words.

"On call."

The matter was settled, and Shen Yishi didn't waste any words. He turned around and left, pushing the door open.

After leaving behind all his treasures and followers, he set out on the journey alone, but his steps were brisk, as if he had thrown off some burden, and he looked more relaxed and at ease.

Xu Xing stared at his departing back for a long time before he sighed:
"What a strange man."

After expressing his feelings, Xu Xing was not in a hurry to study the two blood scriptures, but pushed open the door and walked towards the martial arts field.

Shen Yishi's attitude made Xu Xing realize that the change in the southeast was indeed imminent.

Even a mere businessman can smell such an atmosphere, so how can those big figures who are at the center of the storm not feel it?

They will take action no matter what.

Thinking of this, Xu Xing suddenly felt his muscles and bones itching. He came to the martial arts field and waved to Qi Dazhu.

Qi Dazhu put away his fists, ran over quickly, wiped the sweat off his face, and asked in confusion:
"Master, what's wrong?"

Xu Xing ordered:
"Pack your things and ask these brothers how many of them are willing to go with us. If they are willing to go, we can go together. If they don't want to take risks anymore, we can give them severance pay and part ways amicably."

Qi Dazhu knew that this master of the hall was a person who would either keep silent or make a big splash when he did, so he asked excitedly:

"Master, where are we going?"

Xu Xing wrote lightly:
"Go to Taizhou and kill the Japanese pirates."

He turned his head and looked into the distance, as if he had crossed hundreds of miles and saw the scenery of Taizhou.

Taizhou.

Thick, cold iron clouds gathered on the sky, condensing like a towering city or a majestic mountain. Thunder roared, and the colors of blue and white mixed together, spanning the sky and the earth.

This heavy rain has lasted for four days.

During these four days, correspondence between various places was extremely poor, and the government offices could only continuously send more people to restore communications with the coastal cities as soon as possible.

Therefore, people kept coming in with urgent reports, and clerks kept coming out and rushing to various places in a hurry.

In this bustling and busy atmosphere, there is no chaos, but only order.

Because their backbone, the Governor of Zhejiang Hu Zongxian, was personally in charge of a major case in the detention room, reading various urgent reports.

At this moment, a thin scribe stepped over the threshold and entered the signing room with wet footprints.

He was wearing a coarse cloth gown with his chest bare, his hair tied up but not wearing a hairpin, his face was gaunt and he looked wild and unruly, which was totally out of place in this strict government office.

But this man had a smooth journey along the way. Officers and soldiers along the way saluted him one after another, and the scholars just nodded slightly and responded briefly.

After entering the signing room and looking at Hu Zongxian's solemn face, he walked to the desk and asked loudly:
"I just came back and heard that Ma Ningyuan transferred troops from the Taizhou camp to Chun'an and Jiande, or did Qi Yuanjing personally take action to bring the troops back?

Who signed the transfer order for him? Hu Ruzhen, you don't care about this matter?"

The scholar looked like a scholar, but his tone and airs were frightening.

Even when facing Hu Zongxian, the Governor-General of Zhejiang who was regarded as the pillar of the southeast by the government and the public, he spoke bluntly.

Hu Zongxian was not angry. He just put away the urgent report in his hand and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, the scholar slapped his palm on the table with a "pa" sound. He stared into Hu Zongxian's eyes and continued:

"If you don't care about this matter, then are you still going to do 'converting rice into mulberry'?"

Hu Zongxian raised his head, put down the document in his hand, and sighed:

"Master Wen, why do we have to be so polite to each other? If you have something to say, just say it."

This thin scholar was Hu Zongxian's most trusted aide, Xu Wei.

Xu Wei went on talking.

"If you don't want to do this, you have to show your attitude. If you continue to try to smooth things over, the situation in the southeast will be overturned in a matter of days."

Hu Zongxian frowned, his mind racing, and suddenly he remembered something.
"Has something happened at Xiangshan?!"

Xu Wei sneered.

"Internal troubles will inevitably lead to external troubles."

He took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Hu Zongxian.

"According to an informant, Zhu Polong is gathering forces in the country of Wa Nu and has ordered the thirty-six ship owners to gather. I'm afraid he has also heard about the widespread discontent in the southeast and is preparing to take advantage of the situation."

Hu Zongxian took the letter, scanned it quickly, and couldn't help but repeat what Xu Wei had just said:
"Internal troubles will inevitably lead to external troubles."

Xu Wei nodded and said in a deep voice:

"Zhu Polong is a master of boxing who roams the seas, and he has a group of Japanese warriors and swordsmen to help him. If he is determined to fight, Qi Yuanjing will not have enough troops and may not be able to defend the seaport."

Xu Wei raised his head, looked at Hu Zongxian steadily, and said word by word:
"I know you want to delay 'converting rice to mulberry' and do it slowly, but now there is no time and no room.

If this incident arouses public indignation at this time..."

Hu Zongxian understood and said with emotion:
"The consequences could be disastrous."

"Unthinkable?!"

Xu Wei shook his head and sneered:

"What's 'unthinkable'?

It was nothing more than the collapse of the overall situation in Zhejiang, the complete destruction of the coastal border defenses, and the southeast becoming a hunting ground for Zhu Tiandu to take whatever he wanted and plunder at will. It was nothing more than another Ning Wang Rebellion.

He has already claimed to be a descendant of Emperor Jianwen, so is there any need to guess what he wants to do?"

Xu Wei pointed at Hu Zongxian, then at himself:
"You, Hu Ruzhen, can die for your country at most, but I, Xu Wenchang, am just a commoner. If I follow the enemy, will Zhu Tiandu refuse?"

Xu Wei paused and continued:

"By then, you won't have to be caught between the Qingliu and Yan party, and you won't have to endure the bullying from both sides. You can also win a good reputation after your death, and you will feel relieved."

When Hu Zongxian heard Xu Wei's light-hearted "nothing more", his brows furrowed, but when he heard "at most", he laughed:
"With your talent and reputation, if you really join the bandits, Zhu Tiandu will definitely treat you as a distinguished guest.

If that day comes, you can come to my grave, toast me a glass of wine, and complete our friendship."

As he spoke, Hu Zongxian stood up, but Xu Wei shook his head again:

"I'm afraid there won't be such an opportunity anymore."

Hu Zongxian asked curiously, "Why, do you also want to die with me for the country?"

Xu Wei said sternly: "With your status as Hu Ruzhen, if you fall into Zhu Tiandu's hands, you will be torn to pieces and have no place to be buried. Where can you find a grave?"

Hu Zongxian was stunned and burst into laughter.

"Since Wenzhang can still laugh and talk, I feel relieved. If you have any good ideas, please speak frankly."

Xu Wei also stopped joking and said solemnly:

"To resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the internal situation. At this critical juncture, we must gather our strength and must not stir up public anger or cause civil unrest. The 'rice-to-mulberry' campaign must be stopped immediately."

Hu Zongxian's thin and haggard face showed a resolute look, and he said firmly:
"Okay, let's do it." Although he knew that stopping the 'conversion of rice to mulberry' would be against the emperor's will, he still did not hesitate when it came time to make the decision.

Xu Wei added:

"Zhu Tiandu has many great boxers under his command, all of whom can tear tigers and leopards apart alive and are faster than galloping horses. Zhu Polong is even a master of boxing that can lock vitality and harmonize the five internal organs.

It was okay before when it was just a stalemate, but if we want to have a real fight, we will have to ask for some help.

It would be best if he was at the Grandmaster level, or at the top level as well."

Hu Zongxian said worriedly:

"Although Zhejiang is a place with a strong martial arts culture and many boxers, it is not easy to find such a person."

But Hu Zongxian soon reacted.

Xu Wenchang never talks nonsense. Since he has raised the question, he must have a suitable candidate. Now that he is acting like this, I am afraid that person has other requests.

After thinking it through, Hu Zongxian shook his head:

"Wen Chang, if you know a boxing master, you may as well introduce him to me. I will do my best to satisfy him no matter what he wants."

Xu Wei said bluntly:
"I have a nephew who, although not yet a master, is also a great boxer who has reached the fourth level of perfection. He may be able to help."

"Your nephew...?"

Even though he trusted Xu Wei very much, Hu Zongxian couldn't help but feel it was ridiculous.

"You are only thirty years old, and your nephew must be just a young man. A great boxer in his twenties? Why have I never heard of him?"

Hu Zongxian's eyes were full of suspicion. As the governor of Zhejiang, he naturally had to deal with the martial arts community and had heard a lot about those famous boxers in the area.

But even though he went through the list he knew by heart in his mind, he couldn't find a single person who matched the name.

Xu Wei smiled slightly:
"My nephew learned northern boxing. He started practicing boxing at the age of four and traveled far away at the age of thirteen. He went to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Hebei and Shandong in the north and fought hard on foot. He also practiced boxing outside the Great Wall for several years and fought face to face with the Mongolian Tartars."

Xu Wei said this lightly, but Hu Zongxian's eyes changed.

Although he was a Jinshi, he was actually a man of both civil and military talents. He was very familiar with the history of the martial arts and naturally understood that these places were places where martial arts were prevalent and full of masters.

As for the Mongols outside the northwest, they cast a shadow over the entire Ming Dynasty.

But Xu Wei's nephew, after defeating the northern martial arts, was able to go deep into the Mongolian lair to practice boxing and fight with this group of Tartars?

The last person in this dynasty who fought alone in the northern martial arts world and went deep into the frontier to practice boxing was the current emperor's close friend, Lord Lu Binglu, the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army Commandery and the most powerful official in the country.

After the Renyin Palace Coup that year, Emperor Jiajing wanted to find out the truth about the martial arts world, find out the martial arts masters in various places, and recompile Emperor Zhengde's "Wuzhilu".

The person who was in charge of investigating the northern martial arts, or in other words, the person who was in charge of challenging the northern martial arts, was Lu Bing, who had just turned thirty.

In the 29th year of the Jiajing reign, during the Gengxu Rebellion, Altan Khan threatened the capital, and it was this Lord Lu who stepped forward and turned the tide.

It was he who single-handedly suppressed the turmoil in the city, rode out of the city alone, and disturbed the Mongolian main camp, which gave tens of thousands of refugees outside the city the opportunity to seek refuge in the city.

Because of his meritorious service in saving the emperor many times, the martial arts community respectfully called him "Qingtian Baojia".

According to Xu Wei, wouldn't his nephew be the next "Qingtian Baojia" Lu Wenming?

Hu Zongxian suddenly thought of a young man who had been making a lot of noise in the north a few years ago. He seemed to be called "the second Lu Qingtian"?
He slapped the table and said suddenly:
"So, that northerner Tu Xu Qingdao is your nephew?"

Xu Wei said nothing, but just smiled proudly, feeling indescribably proud.

Hu Zongxian couldn't help but ask:

"Your nephew has such great boxing skills, why didn't you tell me earlier? Isn't it a pity that such a talented person can't contribute to the country?"

After saying that, he rubbed his hands again, looking excited.

"Wen Chang, you really gave me a surprise."

The whole Zhejiang area knew that Hu Butang was a serious person who never smiled. Only in front of Xu Wei, the old man, would he show his emotions so naturally.

Xu Wei spread his hands and said calmly:

"He is a naturally free-spirited person who cannot stand the rules of officialdom. If he really joins the army, he will definitely cause a big trouble.

However, given his personality, if there was going to be a major war in Taizhou, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to sit still."

"Where is he?"

"I'm in Chun'an."

Hu Zongxian nodded, waved his hand vigorously, and ordered:

"In that case, go down and prepare. Inform all prefects that there will be a major war in the southeast, and temporarily suspend the matter of 'changing rice to mulberry' and focus on preparing for war.

If the court has any punishment, I, the Governor-General of Zhejiang, will shoulder it."

After saying all this, Hu Zongxian sighed again and said with emotion:
"Fortunately, it was only a Zhu Polong who came."

Xu Wei said seriously:

"Over the years, all matters of the Thirty-Six Ships have been managed by Zhu Polong. He is definitely not an ordinary person and should not be underestimated."

Hu Zongxian waved his hand and smiled:
“Of course I understand this, but compared to Zhu Tiandu, his skills are still a little shallow.

If it weren't for the fact that Lord Baolong has been staying at home for the past few years due to his injuries, I'm afraid our Taizhou camp would have collapsed long ago."

Xu Wei finally nodded and said in agreement:

“That’s true, but we have to be prepared.

After all, with Zhu Tiandu's temperament, if he was really seriously injured and dying, he would have come out to stir up trouble and turn the world upside down.

Since he is willing to lie dormant, it means his injuries are not too serious and he still has a chance to recover."

Hu Zongxian nodded heavily.

At this moment, a loud shout came from outside the door:
"Here is a letter from Master Xu Wei, the Master of Literature!"

As soon as Xu Wei heard the word "letter from home", he felt something was wrong.

He knew that with Xu Xing's personality, he would never take the initiative to send him a letter unless it was a very important matter, so he immediately asked someone to bring the letter to him.

After opening the envelope, Xu Wei took a quick look and frowned. The more he looked, the weirder his expression became. In the end, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Hu Zongxian was surprised:
"Wen Chang, what happened?"

Xu Wei turned around and said slowly in an ambiguous tone:

“There is good news and bad news.

The good news is that our troubles have been solved.”

Before Hu Zongxian had time to smile, he heard Xu Wei's next words.

"The bad news is that Zheng Michang and He Maocai are both dead."

Hu Zongxian stood up suddenly.

"Huh?! Zhu Tiandu personally took action and assassinated them?"

Xu Wei said vaguely:
“It’s not Zhu Tiandu, it’s Yue Daohai’s apprentice.

Three days ago, he rushed into Hangzhou City, robbed the prison of the Neisi Yamen, released the wronged people, and then rushed to Shen Yishi's house and killed He Maocai and Zheng Michang.

After killing the people, he took the people away from Hangzhou and fled into the mountains.

Hu Zongxian's thinking was so sharp that he immediately grasped the key point of Xu Wei's words.

"Why are Zheng Michang and He Maocai in Shen Yishi's house?"

Xu Wei looked around, moved closer to Hu Zongxian, and whispered:
"It is said that the young minister has sent them a letter, asking them to destroy the Xin'an River embankment and flood the nine counties. Then Shen Yishi can take the opportunity to buy up the good farmland at a low price and start planting mulberry seedlings directly."

Hu Zongxian was furious when he heard this. He slammed the table and shouted:
"Bastard!"

Xu Wei shrank his head somewhat guiltily and said nothing, but Hu Zongxian was in no mood to observe his own staff, so he gave the order:

"Quickly send Tan Lun from Prince Yu's Mansion to Hangzhou to assist Ma Ningyuan and prevent him from causing any trouble. Also send someone to find Qi Jiguang and ask him to step up defenses."

After everyone left, Hu Zongxian raised his head and looked at Xu Wei deeply.

"Tell me, how come such a big thing ended up in your letter?"

Xu Wei answered the question irrelevantly:

"Ruzhen, Zheng and He dared to do this, it is not a pity that they should die. The current plan is to quickly seize Zhejiang and even the entire southeast before Yan Song sends people to hinder us, so as to facilitate the integration of forces."

After saying this, he sighed again:
"It's a good plan to cut the Gordian knot and use a small point to break the surface, and to pry open the entire southeast situation.

Hu Zongxian tasted the flavor and his eyes became sharp.

"Wen Chang, you arranged all this?"

Xu Wei raised his head, looked him in the eye without giving in, and said in a resolute voice:

"Although I have not made any arrangements, I am willing to take on this responsibility. Now that the pirate incident is over, I, Xu Wenchang, will have no objection to any decision you, Hu Ruzhen, make.

At this time, you are still considering Yan Song's kindness and the emperor's opinion. Can you take care of it? ! "

Hu Zongxian stood there in a daze, but Xu Wei had already walked away.

As soon as he went out, he saw the messenger getting on his horse and preparing to rush to Xiangshan Haikou to deliver a letter to Qi Jiguang, so he instructed:
"When we got to Xiangshan, we told Qi Jiguang that the constraints in the southeast had been removed and there was no need to worry about anything.

As long as he holds out for a few more days, the Ministry will be able to spare some time and mobilize more troops to aid Xiangshan."

The messenger nodded heavily and galloped away in the rain.

-

In a small courtyard in Xiangshan City.

A man who looked to be about forty years old, with a white face and no beard, a strong physique, and only wearing a cloth shirt, was stroking his chin and observing the courtyard.

There was no floor in the yard, but the soil was extremely hard. Even when it rained heavily, not a drop of mud or water splashed on the ground. It looked as if it was made of cast iron.

This is a strange phenomenon created by someone practicing martial arts here.

The stone wall of the courtyard is peeling off and is covered with deep marks, as if it was cut by a knife or an axe. The stripes are clustered together to form eight bizarre statues of different shapes.

Although these eight statues have only vague outlines, they still have an indescribable strong oppressive force.

Suddenly, the gate of the courtyard was opened and a general in full armor walked in.

There was a huge red tassel on his helmet, and his red and black cloak was dancing wildly in the wind. It was Qi Jiguang, the general of Taizhou.

When Qi Jiguang saw the man, he couldn't help but exclaimed:
"Left Commander? Why are you here?"

Lu Bing turned around and smiled at Qi Jiguang:

"Yuan Jing, how are you?"

　A long chapter of 6,300 words, thank you all for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)