The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 564: Cutting Wood into Weapons
"My three generals, here are three thousand taels of gold, sixty thousand taels of silver, and two carts of antique calligraphy and paintings. Divide them among yourselves. A small token of appreciation is not enough to show respect. Duke Cheng only wants three of you. Do not go further south. Stay in Xiangyang for a few days. Once the rebellion of the refugees in Junzhou has subsided, he will personally go to Shenyang to apologize to the Emperor."

"Apologize? That's not up to you. We've been ordered to come here to escort Duke Cheng back for questioning."

"The waters of Tianxin City are very deep. I think it's best for the three of you not to wade into this muddy water, for your own sake."

North of Xiangyang City, Dahuang Posthouse.

It was a dark night. The steward of Duke Cheng, an old servant with buck teeth, who had arrived early from Junzhou in the south, led a team of fully armed Korean servants and blocked Pei Dahu, Lin Yu, Wu Xiao and others outside the inn, preventing them from changing horses and continuing to advance south.

The soldiers and the postmaster in the Dahuang Posthouse had long disappeared, and Wu Xiao accidentally found a few bloodstains in the corner of the wall.

Duke Chengguo sent his steward to deliver a generous gift, which included five carriages full of gold, silver, and jewelry, as well as some calligraphy, paintings, and precious jade that were looted from somewhere unknown.

Although the Imperial Guards were fully prepared, they hadn't expected Jin Dajiu to resort to such tactics. Judging from the situation, it was practically a rebellion.

The three men looked at each other. There were at least eighty Korean servants inside and outside the post station, including quite a few cavalrymen. If a real fight broke out, they would not have any advantage.

"Where is Commander Qin now? Did he send troops to suppress the uprising?" Wu Xiao asked tentatively.

The North Korean butler snorted and didn't reply.

"Duke Cheng, is he still in Junzhou?"

"I have no further comment on this! Three of you, take your gold, silver, and jewelry and leave quickly."

Looking around, Dahuangyi was surrounded by Koreans. Amid the shouts of people and the neighing of horses, one could occasionally hear the clinking sound of armor.

Wu Xiao whispered to Pei Dahu, "It seems that the uncle of the emperor is really going to rebel."

Pei Dahu still couldn't believe what he saw. Jin Dajiu, who was second only to the emperor, was actually going to rebel and openly challenge the imperial court. Who gave him such courage?

Based on his understanding of the retired emperor, he knew that the emperor's uncle would be scolded at most and would not be executed if he was captured and brought back to Shenyang. He might even be demoted to a commoner and live a comfortable life for the rest of his life. The retired emperor would not send him to the Liaodong coal mine to dig coal.

But now, Jin Dajiu didn't know what rumors he had heard, but he reacted so strongly.

More than ten years ago, this ordinary Korean angel, relying on his sister's relationship, suddenly became a relative of the Great Qi Emperor, and he was able to call the wind and rain at will. As the uncle of the Great Qi Emperor, he was extremely powerful and was surrounded by countless Korean servants.

These Korean prisoners, who were supposed to work hard in mines across Da Qi, were kept by Jin Dajiu in the name of personal soldiers, medical officers, musicians, etc., becoming his think tanks and giving him advice.

"Did you kill the people at the post station?"

The bucktoothed butler smiled awkwardly, as if he hadn't heard Wu Xiao's words, and continued to talk to himself:
"Duke Chengguo spared your lives out of consideration for your assistance to the Empress Dowager Cisheng. If you wish to live, do not proceed forward. Duke Chengguo will explain the Junzhou matter to the Retired Emperor. Doesn't the Retired Emperor appreciate auspicious signs? Duke Chengguo has plenty of them."

"You guys want to rebel! What if I have to go to Junzhou?!"

Wu Xiao drew his sword as he spoke. Before the other party could react, the cold and sharp blade was already on the butler's neck in a flash.

Wu Xiao's eyes widened in anger. He grabbed the butler in front of him, pressed the blade firmly against his neck, stared at his trembling buck teeth and roared:

"Damn it! This is Xiangyang, not Korea, it's the territory of Da Qi. You guys are so bold as to dare to go against the court! Duke Chengguo must go to Shenyang!" Click, click.

Suddenly, there was a dense sound of swords being drawn all around, occasionally the sound of bowstrings being pulled. The Korean servants surrounding him rushed forward and yelled at Wu Xiao to put down his weapons.

Wu Xiao's breathing was tense and rapid, his heart almost jumping out of his throat. While adjusting his breathing, he put the blade against the butler's neck and angrily said to him:

"Tell them to back off! Let us leave this place, or I'll skin you alive!"

The housekeeper was not afraid of the threat, but said nonchalantly: "General Wu, do you know that there is a place in Korea called Xiangyang? This Xiangyang has now become that Xiangyang. If you don't accept my toast, you will be punished!"

Now, Duke Chengguo became the king of Xiangyang. Taking advantage of the brief vacuum of imperial power, the power of this relative of the emperor grew by leaps and bounds.

The steward of Duke Chengguo was still struggling. He pointed at the servants surrounding him and said to Wu Xiao and the other two:
"Without Duke Cheng, there would be no us. In our eyes, there is only the Prince of Xiangyang, not the Supreme Emperor! The several waves of envoys we sent earlier were all willing to cooperate with Duke Cheng and make money together. Who are you, and why are you so aggressive?"

"Aggressive?" Pei Dahu raised his hand and slapped Bucktooth on the head.

"I'm only here to take someone back to Shenyang for questioning. How can I be so aggressive? Do you really think Junzhou is your world?"

"The refugees in Junzhou are rioting, and the workers are maliciously demanding their wages. Tianxin City will never be built! Liu Zhaosun is finished! Do you want to be buried with him? Let me go, and Duke Chengguo can take you to the Southern Ming Dynasty and seek refuge with Emperor Hongguang, where you can enjoy endless wealth and glory!"

"What did you say?" Wu Xiao was a little unbelievable.

"Don't ask questions you already know," the Korean housekeeper said indignantly. "The retired emperor is aggressively pursuing military expansion. Great Qi is deteriorating by the day. There are wars between the north and the south, year after year. And yet he's talking about building a new capital? He's exploiting the people, doing everything he can to keep them alive. Rumors are spreading that Great Qi is doomed. Why would you want to perish with Liu Zhaosun? Go to the Southern Ming, there's still a chance of survival."

Wu Xiao looked at the unprepossessing Korean servant in front of him, and the way his teeth moved while he cursed, and suddenly a fire of karma rose in his heart. His blood boiled, and without caring about the long knife, he pulled hard, and the servant's head rolled to the ground.

Pei Dahu kicked over the large wooden box piled in front of the three people. With a clanging sound, golden gold bars and shiny silver ingots rolled out of the box and fell to the ground.

Lin Yu overturned the wooden table full of dishes, picked up the giant mace leaning against the corner, roared like a beast at a group of short Korean slaves, and smashed the surrounding enemies without saying a word.

The remaining few guards of the Imperial Guard also raised their muskets and crossbows and fired intensively at the surroundings. One guard aimed the fire starter at the grenade fuse, lit it, and threw it to the place where gunpowder was stored in the post station.

~~~~
Violent explosions occurred one after another, and rolling heat waves swept across the body.

These generals of the Imperial Guard have always been loyal to Emperor Wu Ding.

This loyalty, in addition to the fact that they have gained enough benefits in the empire, is also related to their beliefs.

Pei Dahu firmly believes that the Great Qi mentioned by Emperor Wuding will eventually be built.

But now there are more and more enemies.

"Junzhou, is there really a rebellion?"

(End of this chapter)