lcionline Chapter 71 Children's Tricks
Chapter 71 Children's Tricks
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Wang Zheng listened blankly to Sun Yuanhua's analysis of his fate, a wave of bitterness welling up in his heart. He and Sun Yuanhua were not only good friends but also fellow believers. He really did not want to see his friend fall into misfortune, but now the situation might even make it difficult to save Sun Yuanhua's life.
Sun Yuanhua continued, “The Wen faction in the court is all waiting for me to fall, but I’m determined to fight for it.”
"Oh?" Wang Zheng was a little surprised.
Sun Yuanhua said, "Kong Youde's actions were nothing more than looting, which I believe can still be salvaged. This army is the essence of Dengzhou and Laizhou, and I should do my utmost to preserve a fighting force for the court. I cannot care about personal gains or losses."
Wang Zheng was not a fool. He knew that Sun Yuanhua still held a sliver of hope. He hoped to pacify this rebellious army, reduce his own guilt, and avoid implicating Zhou Yanru. If Zhou Yanru was alright, he could protect Sun Yuanhua and ensure his safe retreat.
Wang Zheng, however, was relatively clear-headed. He said to Sun Yuanhua with concern, "Chuyang, Li Jiucheng has always disdained to abide by the law, and Kong Youde appears to be honest and kind, but in reality, he is just as unruly. If we try to appease these two, how can we know if they are sincere? Even if we do, it is hard to guarantee that they will not rebel in the future. If chaos breaks out in Dengzhou, the crime will be far greater than today."
Sun Yuanhua stared at him and said, "Kong and Li are both Liao people. It is only right for Liao people to guard Liao territory. This time, their troops caused chaos. They must have been confused for a moment. They have been able to fight the Jurchens with Mao Wenlong in Dongjiang Town for many years. They should still have some loyalty and righteousness."
"but……"
"You don't need to say anything more. I will write a letter immediately. Send someone to deliver it to Kong Youde, explaining my intention to pacify them and hoping that the two of them will realize their mistakes and return to the right path."
Wang Zheng hesitated, thinking that this might be the last hope to save Sun Yuanhua, and finally nodded. At this moment, footsteps sounded at the door, and a servant came in to report: "Sir, there is news from Pi Island."
Sun Yuanhua stood up and asked anxiously, "How is it?"
"Pi Island managed to send out a boat, saying that Shang Kexi from Guanglu Island had secretly landed and, together with his deputy Shen Shikui, launched a surprise attack on the rebel army. They had captured and killed Geng Zhongyu and others, and rescued Huang Long, the general of Dongjiang Town. However, General Huang's ears and nose were gouged out by the soldiers, and one of his legs was broken. Nevertheless, the island is now at peace."
"Good!" Sun Yuanhua shouted, standing up and pacing excitedly. The Dongjiang faction in Shandong and Pi Island were echoing each other, and for a time there was a great danger of sweeping across the entire Shandong and overthrowing Dongjiang Town. Now that Pi Island has been pacified, his guilt is lessened.
After a long pause, he stopped and instructed, "Now that Pi Island is pacified, I will immediately ride to the capital to inform the Grand Secretary. At present, only the rebel army remains. The biggest concern in the capital is that the rebel army will enter Zhili. I will implement a policy of pacification, first ordering them to return east, away from Zhili and the wealthy prefectures and counties of Jinan. This should give the Grand Secretary room to maneuver. Pass on my order that the prefectures and counties along the way must not attack the Kong tribe and let them come to Dengzhou."
Bai Lian led Liu Ye and Ling Xi'er from Huang County straight to Laizhou. In order to take a shortcut, they did not follow the official roads of the prefecture and county, but instead chose remote and secluded paths.
Unexpectedly, the situation changed again. Sun Yuanhua, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, wanted to appease the rebels and ordered the prefectures and counties along the way to give up resistance. The rebels headed straight for Dengzhou, having already crossed Laizhou and entered Dengzhou. The three of them traveled day and night along back roads and miraculously passed by the rebels.
The three had no choice but to turn back. However, this news made Bai Lian trust Liu Ye's judgment even more; his assessment was indeed accurate. Since the rebels started their uprising in Wuqiao, the land they passed through had been almost entirely deserted. Such atrocities were being ignored, and they were being offered amnesty without hesitation. It seemed that officials would do anything to protect their positions.
The mountains south of Dengzhou are continuous, the closest to the city being Mount Mishen, also known as Wenfeng. It consists of a series of large and small ridges, with the highest point less than 200 meters above sea level. The Mi River, which runs through Dengzhou from southeast to northwest, originates here. To its east is Mount Kuishan, and further south are a series of mountain ranges including Mount Ma, Mount Niu, Mount Shu, Mount Chi, and Wanghai Ridge, forming a natural barrier in the south of Dengzhou.
Upon returning east and reaching Dengzhou territory, the rebel army encamped on Mishan Mountain, blocking the road to Qixia. They also diverted some troops to Wolonggang in the southeast and Shimenshan in the southwest, blocking the roads to Ninghaizhou and Huangxian respectively. The prefectural city was essentially isolated, its land routes to other areas completely cut off. Sun Yuanhua, who had strongly advocated for appeasement, now regretted not having kept the rebels outside Huangxian before discussing pacification. Now, with the rebels at the city gates, the initiative had fallen into their hands.
Bai Lian learned through the sect's information channels that Wang Bao had followed the rebel army eastward and was now recruiting followers in a village called Lizhuang at the foot of Mishen Mountain. She then led the two of them to Lizhuang.
Upon entering Lizhuang, the three found that every household in the village had its doors tightly shut, and many doors were covered with yellow talismans with incomprehensible runes, but the people were nowhere to be seen. They finally managed to find an elderly villager to ask, and learned that a powerful sorcerer had come to the village and was performing a ritual, with most of the villagers gathered there.
Liu Ye was a little confused. Wasn't the White Lotus Sect founded by a monk in history? How come it involved talismans and altars? These were tricks of Taoist priests. He asked the White Lotus Sect, puzzled.
Bai Lian sighed: "The White Lotus Sect was originally named the White Lotus School, founded by the Southern Song Dynasty monk Mao Ziyuan from Shaoxing. It has some connection with Buddhism. However, during the Yuan Dynasty, it was deeply influenced by Taoism. Therefore, some White Lotus Sect followers burn incense and worship Buddha, while others worship the Three Pure Ones. Wang Bao was originally a Taoist priest. After infiltrating the White Lotus Sect, he still used the same tricks he used to play in the martial arts world to deceive his followers."
So that's how it is. The three followed the trail to the place where the ritual was performed. It was a shrine, which was not only full of people, but also covered with people on the walls and tree branches, making it extremely lively.
To get into the ancestral hall, the three of them expended considerable effort. Liu Ye led the way, with Bai Lian and her disciples following behind. Liu Ye was more robust than most people in this timeline, and he forcefully pushed his way through. Some of the villagers who were displeased by being pushed aside immediately fell silent upon seeing that the man was a head taller than them.
Once you reach the very front, the situation ahead is laid out before you. A fascinating scene is unfolding: a middle-aged man with a three-pronged beard, dressed in a Taoist robe, rolls up his sleeves and reaches out towards a large iron pot in front of him, as if to scoop something up—the pot is filled with oil, which is already boiling and bubbling.
Everyone knows the consequences of putting your hand into a boiling pot of oil. The surrounding villagers held their breath, staring wide-eyed at this astonishing scene. Even Bai Lian and her disciples were mesmerized; though they were skilled in martial arts and could disarm blades with their bare hands, they couldn't possibly plunge their hands into a pot of boiling oil.
Liu Ye laughed when he saw this; these were just child's tricks.