The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 227 I have severed my relationship with Liu Ze
With a bang, the coarse porcelain tea bowl fell heavily on the wooden table.

"Did you see it clearly? Is it Shen Lian? Which way did they leave?!"

The dark red setting sun shone into the messy thatched hut, and a group of refugees were kneeling on the ground.

The guy with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks was pinned to the ground by two guards, with the tip of a knife pressed against the back of his head.

The fleeing refugees were frightened by the murderous aura of the officials and stayed away from the straw hut.

"Master... Master, I don't know Master Shen. I only heard the customer say that they wanted to go to Henan to sell medicinal herbs, and also said they were going to Tianjin Canal. I really don't know..."

"roll!"

Tian Ergeng kicked him over. At this time, a guard found a waist badge from the thatched hut and handed it respectfully to the captain.

Captain Tian snatched the badge and looked at it carefully. On the badge were written the words "Shen Lian, a centurion of the Northern Pacification Office."

"What's this?!"

The fellow who had just escaped was caught again and quickly replied:
"Master, this is what that gentleman left behind. He repeatedly told me that with this card, the postmen who come to drink tea in the future will not dare to not pay. I know nothing about it..."

"Great! Shen Lian is so capable of so bewitching people that he even bribed the lowly people!"

"Master, spare my life. I'm just a herbal tea vendor..."

Tian Ergeng waved his hand and said angrily:

"You are Shen Lian's accomplice, behead him!"

Two burly foreign soldiers grabbed the servant without saying a word and dragged him away like a corpse. Under the gaze of a group of refugees, they swung their embroidered spring swords fiercely.

"Leave a few people behind to burn down this straw hut, and kill all these untouchables. I think they are all Shen Lian's accomplices! Just now, someone dared to speak for Shen Lian! He said Shen Lian was a good person!"

A team of soldiers from the Pacification Office raised torches and threw them at the roofs of the thatched huts. Soon, fires broke out along the post road. While setting the fire, the soldiers brandished their embroidered spring swords and killed the refugees who had no time to escape.

Tian Ergeng looked at the world engulfed in fire and blood and nodded with satisfaction.

He mounted his horse and said to the guards and soldiers from the Military Affairs Department in front of him:

"The Emperor has decreed that whoever kills Shen Lian will be rewarded with 5,000 taels of silver and promoted to a thousand households. Whoever kills Pei Dahu, Lin Yu, and Wu Xiao will be rewarded with 3,000 taels of silver and promoted to a hundred households!"

"Shen Lian's badge is here. It seems he really has been here! They were riding in a carriage and just passed by here at noon. They can't have gone far! Everyone, please be alert. Divide into two teams and follow me eastward into Tianjin. Then, go to Henan and pursue them along the official road. Be careful to check the refugees on the road. Those untouchables must have encountered Shen Lian. The factory manager will be here soon with a large group of people. If you can't kill Shen Lian, you will all be imprisoned. If you encounter anyone suspicious, kill them without mercy! Do you understand?"

"Clear!"

~~~~
Shen Lian knocked on the door of Yang Mansion. When the servant opened the door, he quickly glanced at the three people and his eyes fell on Lin Yu. Shen Lian looked up at the giant and said awkwardly:
"Brother Lin, I'm sorry. I can't find any clothes that fit, so I have to make do with what I have."

Lin Yu nodded without comment.

After spending a few days together, Shen Lian already knew Lin Yu's temper. Shen Lian had heard from Wu Xiao that Brother Lin and he were from the same hometown, both from eastern Zhejiang.

In his early years, Lin Yu had a fight with a playboy from the same hometown and accidentally knocked the man unconscious. The Lin family was afraid of getting into trouble, and the imperial court was recruiting soldiers in Yiwu at that time, so the clan members sent him to the Qi Family Army.

By chance, Lin Yu followed Qi Jin to reinforce Shenyang. In the bloody battle of Hunhe River, the Zhejiang soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Lin Yu witnessed the tragic deaths of his brothers one by one, and finally he was the only one left. After coming down from the battlefield, he became silent.

"Brother Lin's brute force is no less than that of the Vajra Arhat."

Shen Lian exclaimed in admiration.

Looking at the three people before him, Pei Dahu was skilled in both offense and defense, Wu Xiao was skilled in archery and horsemanship, and Lin Yu was strong enough to lift a tripod. It was clear that there were many talented people under Ping Liaohou's command.

There were sounds of footsteps and yawns coming from the courtyard. Shen Lian whispered to the three people:

"It's still unclear whether Yang Hao is a friend or foe, so we're just trying to pass him off as a real one. When we meet him later, we'll have to make it short and see if he can help us. Our enemies are chasing us, so we'll head to Zhangjiawan Wharf as soon as we're done."

All three of them were wearing Feiyu suits, conical hats on their heads, and holding embroidered spring swords, dressed like Jinyiwei.

Generally speaking, the appearance of the Imperial Guards at an official's residence at this time was a prelude to tragedy for the official. Even if the official's property was not confiscated and his family was not exterminated, he would still be severely extorted and persecuted until he died.

The door creaked and opened a crack from the inside.

Several lanterns emitted faint light, illuminating the stone lion next to Shen Lian through the crack in the door.

Several men who looked like servants yawned and said impatiently.

"What's going on? Get lost! If you dare to knock on the door again, I'll chop off your fingers! Boss Wei, there are so many beggars in Tianjin these days."

Shen Lian took a step forward and took out the Embroidered Spring Sword that had killed countless people.

The lantern light reflected on the blade, emitting a cold gleam. One of the servants cried out in surprise:

"Jinyiwei?"

The lanterns were all shone towards this side, illuminating the flying fish suits on the three people.

The head servant who called out the Jinyiwei gave another order:

"Close the door quickly."

Shen Lian yelled.

"Open the door!"

Lin Yu's beast-like body slammed into the door. Several servants were trying to close the door bolt, but as soon as their hands touched it, they felt their knuckles go numb and their bodies were blown away more than ten feet.

The three of them rushed into the yard. The servants on the opposite side didn't understand what was going on for a while. The head servant was about to step forward to argue, but Wu Xiao kicked him. Head Wei couldn't dodge in time and was kicked out, hitting the person behind him heavily.

"Kill them!"

The servants were furious and were about to rush forward with their swords drawn. Shen Lian took out a sign from his waist and stood at the dark gate of the courtyard, shouting:
"Shen Lian, a captain from the Northern Pacification Division, has been ordered to investigate a case involving only Yang Hao. Brothers, I see you look kind, so I'm going to show you a way out. Should we go in and interrogate you, or should we let those hundred or so evil spirits behind us charge in? They have firearms in their hands."

Wei Tou'er had followed Yang Hao for many years, traveling extensively across the country. He was also a seasoned veteran, and he didn't fall for Shen Lian's tricks at all. He angrily said to the three of them:

"What Jinyiwei? My master is an official appointed by the imperial court. In the 46th year of Wanli, he was the governor of Liaodong. He killed tens of thousands of Jiannu in Sarhu and killed Amin, the leader of the Bordered Blue Banner! Where did you guys get this idea? You are so bold that you dare to pretend to be Jinyiwei with a tattered badge and come to our Yang Mansion to ask for trouble? Don't you even ask who I, Wei Yidao, am? I am the best martial artist in Tianjin! If you are Jinyiwei, I am the governor of Tianjin! Catch them all and send them to Lu Tongzhi after dawn. First, pick out their intestines and then charge them with collaborating with the Japanese. Damn it, how dare you disturb me while I am drinking? It's really..."

Wei Yidao was still chattering when Shen Lian rushed forward, grabbed his shoulders tightly with a double claw of a yellow oriole, and then threw him over his shoulders with movements as smooth as flowing water.

The head servant fell heavily to the ground and suddenly became quiet.

Lin Yu's beast-like body lay before him, Wu Xiao stretched out his bow, Shen Lian brushed the dust off his shoulders, and said to the servants:
"Can we go see Master Yang now?"

~~~~~
Yang Jinglie was in good spirits and looked much better than when he was in Kaiyuan.

Old Yang has gained weight, walks with more energy, and talks without panting. It seems that he has lived a comfortable life in Tianjin in the past two years.

It was certainly not a good thing when the Jinyiwei officers came to the door in the middle of the night. However, this civil servant, who had served as the Shandong Coast Defense Commissioner and the Liaodong Governor, was experienced and did not seem to be panicked at all.

He first sent his trusted servants to block the door to delay time, and then began to rummage through the drawers in the house, calmly taking out the silver and documents that had been prepared long ago.

In the dim candlelight, Yang Hao held up several documents with the official seal of Tianjin, glanced at the pile of silver beside him, and said to Shen Lian and others:
"Ladies and gentlemen, please be patient and take a seat first. Third Wei, please do not be rude and serve tea to us!"

Wei Laosan reluctantly called the maid to come forward and serve tea to the three of them.

Yang Hao smiled and narrowed his eyes, like the Maitreya Buddha in the temple, and said calmly:

"My Lords, please allow me to report that I am serving as the Coast Guard of Tianjin, guarding the capital with trepidation. My unfilial daughter, Yang Qing'er, has been disobedient and headstrong since childhood. She refuses to follow her proper ways and insists on marrying that traitor. Despite all my attempts to persuade her, she refuses. Therefore, last year, in the first year of the Taichang reign, I filed a complaint with the Tianjin Governor, accusing her of rebellion. I have removed her from the household register and have removed her from my household. She lives in Liaodong, while I remain in Tianjin, guarding the Emperor. This woman has no dealings with me and has not interfered with me. I am also concerned that they might cause trouble and bring trouble to the country, so I have provided this written complaint to you, which I have kept for your record. Here is the written complaint, please review it."

"This five thousand taels of silver is the betrothal gift from Liu Ze for Yang Qing'er's wedding. It's all here, untouched. Please take it back to the capital for inspection. As you can see, I have no connection with Liu Ze. I'm an honest official, and I don't have any extra money at home. Tianjin is a hodgepodge of people. If my standard-bearers surround us after daybreak, it's easy for them to accidentally injure you. So, take the silver and return quickly to report."

(End of this chapter)