Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 216: Going to quarrel

Wu Dun was conquered, at least on the surface. Now he began to excitedly complain to Zhao Yifu about Lu Zhao and tell him how hard it was for him to live under Lu Zhao's rule.

Zhao Yifu didn't care about such words. He just recorded everything he said, as if he was preparing to submit a memorial.

Wu Dun became quiet as he spoke, and a feeling of fear slowly crept up his back and into his mind. Finally, his IQ returned and he realized a problem: this was just something he talked about, and Zhao Yifu was writing the memorial in his name... Then if this memorial went to the court, wouldn't he be responsible for the contents of the memorial?
No……

Wu Dun was scared and knew he had to be responsible for what he said!
He is now completely afraid of those scholars who hold a pen in their hands and suddenly want to write or draw.

He said, "My Lord, could I please repeat it?"

Zhao Yifu waved his hand and said, "It's okay, you're right."

As he spoke, he rolled up the paper and pulled him, saying, "Come on, let's go outside the tent to meet the warriors of the Manshan Camp. Don't let them worry."

Zhao Yifu dragged Fatty Wu outside. Wu Dunkong was so big, but in Zhao Yifu's hands he was like a fat baby, and could only be manipulated at will.

At this time, Wu Dun's back was still soaked with cold sweat, because he realized that his life was not safe at all and was still controlled by others.

When they arrived outside the tent, the Zhao family members surrounded the tent and even Wu Dun's personal soldiers could not enter. The soldiers in the camp gathered around curiously. Some of them were simply watching the fun, while others were worried about their own future.

Zhao Yifu said in a loud voice: "Brothers, the camp is running out of food!"

Wu Dun looked at Zhao Yifu in horror. "Is it okay to say this to his face? It won't cause an uprising, right?"
Just as the commotion was about to break out, Zhao Yifu added, "Because the warehouses in Manshan County are empty, not only will we be out of food, but we may not even be able to pay your military salaries this season!"

The noise was even louder now, and there was even the sound of weapons being thrown to the ground.

Zhao Yifu said seriously, "I want to ask Commander Wu, where did all the grain and silver in Manshan County go?"

"He said he was afraid of being plundered by the Liao Kingdom, so he took them to Zhangkou. But when the Liao Kingdom retreated, he wasn't able to bring them back..."

The soldiers calmed down all of a sudden. They looked at each other and their voices became much quieter, as if Lu Zhao was a very scary person in their hearts.

Zhao Yifu didn't mind seeing this. He said, "Since I, Zhao Yifu, am the commander of the Manshan Camp, I have the obligation to fight for what my brothers deserve."

"Who among you is willing to go with me to ask for money and food for our brothers?"

Zhao Yifu's tone was calm, but for some reason his voice carried a strong persuasive power.

This is the ability of his Yang Shen, or it can be said that every Yang Shen-level cultivator has a similar ability.

Because their minds are so strong, their words and actions can easily influence others.

However, he did not deliberately exaggerate this impact, so everyone was still hesitant for a while.

Someone suddenly stood up and said, "Since the master has made the decision, why should we hesitate?"

"I am Zhu Fei, a humble man, and I will follow your lead!"

When Zhao Yifu heard the voice, he looked over in surprise and found that the man wearing ordinary light armor was the first person he had "fooled" in his early years.

He walked forward and said, "Zhu Fei? I remember you, go..."

"Yes, you sold your property and came to the border... This is the border."

His mood suddenly improved a lot.

He recognized this Zhu Fei, the ruffian in Moyang City back then, known as 'Zhu Bancheng'.

But after Zhao Yifu gave him a painting, he decided to become the hero in the painting.

Zhao Yifu suddenly raised his voice and asked, "Zhu Fei, do you still have the heroic spirit you had back then?"

Zhu Fei was shocked. His soul, which had been devastated by reality, suddenly healed, and then he had an epiphany as if he had suddenly been enlightened.

He fell to his knees with a loud thud, sobbing, "Sir, I'm not a hero, but I still want to try again!"

Zhao Yifu reached out and patted his shoulder and said, "Okay, let's try again."

Squeezing his shoulders, he said seriously, "If we want to march north, we in Daxu need more heroes."

Zhu Fei froze for a moment, and then his pupils quickly focused, as if he had finally seen a clear goal in his life.

Zhao Yifu pulled him up and said, "Get up. The most important thing now is to go and get the brothers' wages. This is a matter of great importance to everyone."

Zhu Fei immediately wiped his face and said, "Yes, sir... sir!"

Zhao Yifu smiled and shook his head and said, "I like you to call me sir."

Zhu Fei couldn't help but laugh.

Then he shouted, "Brothers, what are you waiting for? The master is willing to stand up for us. This is such a great thing. What is there to hesitate about?"

He tried hard to encourage people he was familiar with, which made the soldiers, who were already somewhat tempted, finally willing to follow Zhao Yi Fu.

Zhao Yifu nodded with satisfaction, then walked in front with the Zhao family members, walked out of the military camp and headed south to Zhangkou.

He was openly preparing to cause trouble, and it was going to be a big one!
At this time, Zhu Fei was talking with the soldiers in the crowd, constantly describing Zhao Yifu's character and deeds, so that everyone could stabilize their mentality and strengthen their will.

Wu Dun, the commander, wiped the sweat from his forehead and approached Zhao Yifu, saying, "Lord County Master, is this... is this really okay?"

Zhao Yifu glanced at him and said, "What are you afraid of? Now that you're on my side, your future is limitless."

Wu Dun was confused and still didn't believe it.

Zhao Yifu said, "If you followed Lu Zhao, you could only bully others in the southwest of Beijing. But now you follow me... As long as you don't embarrass me, there's no place in the world you can't go."

Zhao Xiangyu also came over and said, "Jun Xin, your words are really good. You have convinced so many people."

Zhao Yifu smiled and said, "Originally, I thought there would be only about a hundred people at most. At worst, we could just take twenty of our clansmen and give it a try."

"I didn't expect that they all came after being persuaded by Zhu Fei."

Zhao Xiangyu nodded upon hearing this and said, "This man is also a treasure. He is able to unite the ordinary soldiers at the bottom. He is born with the talent to be a general."

Zhao Yifu said, "He used to be just a knight-errant in Moyang City. After coming to his senses, he gave away all his wealth and joined the border guards, hoping to become a hero of Daxu."

"Now, I'm willing to give him the chance to be a hero."

Zhao Xiangyu calmed herself down, looked at Zhao Yifu and said, "Jun Xin, I find that you are really different."

Zhao Yifu asked, "Why is it different?"

Zhao Xiangyu said: "To be exact, it is you who has made everyone around you different!"

Zhao Yifu said with a smile: "Where did this come from?"

Zhao Xiangyu said, "If it weren't for you, I would probably have been stuck in the underworld for the rest of my life. I don't know whether I would have been a chivalrous woman or a demon woman..."

"Not to mention my father, he died in the water fort a long time ago. How could he become the defender of Xiangyang like he is now, let alone defeat the 300,000-strong army of Liao State and become famous."

"Even your father and the entire Shenhe Villa would have been completely ruined by now if it weren't for your efforts and efforts. How could it be so prosperous now?"

"Even Sister Qingzhao is like this. She was once a young lady waiting to be married, but now she has become a wise and brave female general who can withstand the attack of the Liao army... Even Lord Zhou is like this. He was once a good academic official, but at your instigation, he became a famous minister who now sits in Xiangyang and awaits the Northern Expedition."

Zhao Yifu felt something was wrong, but when he heard Zhao Xiangyu talk about it from this angle, it seemed to be the case.

But what Zhao Xiangyu said next made Zhao Yifu laugh and cry.

She suddenly pointed at the innocent Wu Dun and said, "And this fat guy, if he hadn't met you, he would have been a mean-spirited person who exploited the people and fawned over his superiors. But now you've forced him to become a famous general in the Northern Expedition."

Wu Dun was stunned and quickly waved his hands, saying, "No, no, I don't deserve to be called a famous general in the Northern Expedition. I don't deserve it!"

Zhao Yifu laughed dumbly upon hearing this: "Alright, let's stop talking about this and think about how to get the military pay from Lu Zhao."

Zhao Xiangyu asked in surprise, "Are you really going to ask for military pay?"

Zhao Yifu said, "Of course. Can I just chop him down?"

Zhao Xiangyu said, "It's not impossible. After all, it's more efficient to just chop someone up."

Zhao Yifu said, "But that's against the rules. He's also a Jinshi. Our dynasty has never had a scholar-official executed. I'm afraid our emperor wouldn't be willing to set such a precedent."

Zhao Xiangyu said, "But this man is so evil!"

Zhao Yifu said, "So we have to give him a hard time, make him anxious and restless, and make him unable to sit still or sleep."

Zhao Xiangyu immediately asked curiously, "Tell me quickly, what bad ideas do you have?"

What is a bad idea?
Turning around, he saw Wu Dun pricking up his ears, looking curious. Zhao Yifu smiled to himself, knowing that the fat man was still looking for an opportunity to turn against him.

So he simply said, "Let me tell you something... Do you remember when Lu Zhao sent people to take the prisoners?"

Zhao Xiangyu immediately said, "How could I forget this? I was so angry at the time, and you and Mr. Zhou actually agreed to this. It's really puzzling."

Zhao Yifu said, "Then I'll let you know the reason now."

Wu Dun leaned closer, wanting to hear more clearly.

Zhao Yifu laughed heartily and said, "Commander Wu, if you want to listen, then listen openly. I can also tell you about this matter."

Wu Dun gave a wry smile, but still swayed his broad body from side to side and came closer, pretending to listen to the teachings.

Zhao Yifu said, "As you know, there is a big fish among the captives this time."

Zhao Xiangyu immediately said, "Of course I know. My father captured Shi Youzhao, the Liao Kingdom's military marshal, alive."

Zhao Yifu said, "But you don't know that Shi Youzhao took poison before he was captured. He died of the poison after chatting with me and Master Zhou for a while."

Wu Dun: “!!!!”

Zhao Xiangyu: “!!!”

Both of them showed expressions of disbelief. They really had never expected such a thing to happen.

Zhao Xiangyu said, "That's not right. I saw him in the prisoner escort the other day. He was clearly walking south on his own!"

Zhao Yifu said, "That's because I didn't want him to die at that time. So even if the poison had already taken over his heart, he had to stay alive for a while."

Zhao Xiangyu was shocked when she heard this, but then she understood.

Because she had always known that Zhao Yifu was an outsider...but before that, she had not had a clear understanding of the concept of "outsiders". It was not until this moment that she understood what "outsiders" meant.

Those are people who go beyond the rules, and these rules may also include "birth, old age, sickness and death".

But Wu Dun didn't understand. He asked, "Could it be that the county lady is also a master of the medical field?"

Zhao Yifu laughed and said, "No, it doesn't count."

"But all you need to know is that Shi Youzhao is dead now."

He, 'Xiao Dongyue', said that this person is dead.

Wu Dun's eyes suddenly went blank. He seemed to see the chaos and turmoil in Zhangkou City at that moment.

The victory report had been delivered to the imperial court, and the offering of captives should have greatly consolidated Lu Zhao's position.

But now, the most important prisoner is dead, and the prisoner surrender ceremony has become a joke. Lu Zhao, who snatched the prisoner from Zhou Su, has also immediately become a joke!
This incident caused...

Wu Dun's eyes immediately became clear. He had realized that the Manshan County Magistrate in front of him, who was always dressed in a Confucian robe, was definitely a ruthless and all-powerful character. At least at this stage, he should not have any ill intentions.

"The county lord is in control of the situation. This time, we're going to make sure that old thief Lu Zhao gets nothing out of this!"

Zhao Yifu nodded with satisfaction.

Looking at Zhu Fei, who was constantly comforting the soldiers and rallying morale in the crowd, he already had some thoughts in his mind.

The Manshan Camp was only two days' journey from Zhangkou. After they had marched for two days and finished their last rations, they arrived just outside Zhangkou City.

At this time, everyone's will was very firm.

Under Zhao Yifu's repeated indoctrination, everyone has come to believe that it was Lu Zhao who owed them money and must pay it back!
Another thing is that the army really has no food. If we don’t get any benefits this time, I’m afraid some people will starve to death!
So, this time the Manshan Camp was united as one.

They arrived at the foot of Zhangkou City, but had naturally been discovered by scouts long before that. At this time, the gates of Zhangkou City were already closed.

On the city wall, a skinny man in civil servant attire stood there, gazing coldly at the Manshan Camp below the city.

This is Lu Zhao.

He was once the most praised "scholar-general" in the Great Xu Dynasty, and is now a cancer in the southwest of Beijing.

At this time, someone beside Lu Zhao shouted loudly: "Who is under the city, and why are the troops gathered under the city?!"

Zhao Yifu walked forward carelessly and shouted at the top of his voice: "Zhao Yifu, the Magistrate of Manshan County, greets the General!"

His voice was so loud that not only the soldiers around him could hear it clearly, but even the soldiers on the city walls and half of the people in Zhangkou City could hear it clearly.

When arguing, you have to speak louder. Zhao Yifu felt that he had already won.

Na Lu Zhao snorted coldly, turned around and said something softly.

The loud-mouthed soldier beside him immediately shouted, "How bold, Magistrate Zhao! Are you planning to rebel?"

This man also has a loud voice, but unfortunately it pales in comparison to Zhao Yifu.

He laughed heartily, and his loud voice rang out again: "I have brought people here this time because the army is short of food and can't even pay the brothers' wages. I have brought people here to collect our share."

"The Great Xu court gave my Manshan Camp a monthly salary of 1,000 wen. My Lord, you haven't forgotten that, have you?"

"Yes, Commander Wu of the Manshan Camp reported that the regular pay he receives from Zhangkou is never enough, so he has to reduce the wages for his brothers. Now it's difficult to even pay 300 coins per month... Sir, is there a bad person around you?"

"Also, Commander Wu said he moved all of Manshan County's warehouses to Zhangkou. I understand that this was to prevent looting by the Liao people, but now that the fighting has subsided, could you please return the money and grain to Manshan County? My Manshan Camp and the people of Manshan County are depending on this..."

Zhao Yifu's loud voice completely suppressed the whole audience. He stood outside the city and shouted at the top of his voice, shouting out every single thing, and making Lu Zhao lose face.

He wanted to argue, but there was no way... because Zhao Yifu's voice was too loud, and he suppressed all the noise in a shameless way.

He even started a 'loop playback', telling over and over again how miserable his people were, and by the way, he also made public all the dirty things that were happening in Zhangkou.

On the surface, this didn't say that Lu Zhao was wrong, but in fact, they had already torn their relationship apart.

Lu Zhao was so angry that his face turned pale. The other party didn't let him speak at all.

He immediately gave the order: "Open the city gates, send out the troops, and make him shut up!"

However, no one responded.

Lu Zhao broke out in a cold sweat, thinking that all his men had betrayed him.

As a result, he noticed the confused looks on everyone's faces, and quickly shouted again loudly.

The generals in front of him finally reacted.

It seemed that all they could hear was Zhao Yifu's loud chattering, and they didn't hear clearly what Lu Zhao said.

Lu Zhao, who had shouted with great effort, also began to breathe heavily.

He really didn't expect that he would encounter such a thing.

Shi Youzhao's death had already made him extremely anxious, and he began to think about how to protect himself.

As a result, he encountered such a loud and reckless guy... To be honest, when Zhao Yifu really came over with such a reckless look, he found that he really had no good way to deal with it.

At least there is no way to deal with this situation now.

The purpose of sending people out of the city was not to fight, but to see if they could scare people away.

As long as these people go back now, he will have plenty of ways to make Zhao Yi Fu uncomfortable in the future, or even make Zhao Yi Fu completely unable to speak.

That's what he thought.

So the person who led the men out of the city this time was Lu Zhao's favorite general, General Dingyuan Luo Yan, who was known as the bravest general in the southwest of Beijing.

Luo Yan was dressed in black armor and holding a seven-foot-long spear. He was tall and brave, and indeed looked like a fierce general in the army.

He rode a majestic black horse, and as he galloped there seemed to be the sound of tigers, leopards and thunder. What a brave general he was.

Zhao Yifu was stunned for a moment. He suddenly turned to look at Zhao Xiangyu and asked, "Sister, what do you think of this person, no matter how brilliant he is compared to her?"

Zhao Xiangyu said without hesitation: "He looks a little too old."

Well, this guy looks a little too old.

(End of this chapter)