Chapter 108: Righteous Yang Did Not Like to Leave a Grudge Overnight
Chapter 108: Righteous Yang Did Not Like to Leave a Grudge Overnight
Righteous Yang, who was seriously injured by an assassin attack, caused a huge uproar in the Kong family.
Kong Yinzhi was almost in tears.
Not to mention he knew the real purpose of Yang Xin and his group’s visit; at this critical juncture, this incident could easily arouse Wanli’s suspicion. Moreover, Yang Xin’s special status in Wanli’s mind was troublesome…
He was the emergency responder on the Liaodong battlefield!
Righteous Yang, who had been invincible on the Liaodong battlefield, was shot with a black arrow in Qufu, especially on Nishan Mountain sealed by the Kong family. No matter how you calculated it, all the responsibility lay with the Kong family, with no way to shift the blame. And there was even an assassin hidden within the Kong family’s restricted area. Though, in Xu Xianchun’s words, it became a thief with unclear motives. Taking it further, the Kong family even had the suspicion of raising death warriors. That Nishan Mountain was sealed by the Kong family, not allowing anyone to climb casually. Yet, your Kong family trained death warriors there, and now, in a fit of anger, you sent them to assassinate the imperial envoy.
This was like wanting to rebel!
The Imperial Guard’s mouths were the best at framing others like this.
In short, by the time Righteous Yang woke up, the number of his silver notes had doubled twice, and Xu Xianchun and Liu Shimin’s gains also skyrocketed. Yet, even so, Righteous Yang did not dare to stay any longer. As soon as his wounds were bandaged, he insisted on leaving.
He absolutely did not dare to stay at the Kong Mansion anymore.
Poor Kong Yinzhi had no choice but to secretly give him another box of jewelry.
“Take these back for Huang Ying!”
Once out of Qufu, Yang Xin had just reached Ningyang when he jumped out of the comfortable carriage the Kong family arranged for his recovery, as if rising from the dead. He handed his jewelry box and silver notes to Xu Xianchun.
“Where are you going?”
Liu Shimin asked in surprise.
“To get revenge, of course. Righteous Yang does not like to leave a grudge overnight!”
Yang Xin said with a fierce smile.
“Where will you find those people?”
Xu Xianchun asked doubtfully.
Yang Xin casually took out the remaining silver notes from his chest.
“I don’t believe that scattering two thousand taels of silver won’t lead me to an Incense-Smelling Sect hideout. Since the Incense-Smelling Sect is rampant in this area, there must be many believers among the people. I don’t believe all those believers are so loyal to their leader that they can resist silver.
Some of them will surely be tempted by the silver and come forward to betray their leader.
I don’t need to bother searching for the one who fled, nor do I need to find the mastermind. Since they are from the Incense-Smelling Sect, I’ll find their followers, locate one of their hideouts, and kill a bunch. Last time, they only succeeded because they ambushed me. In a real fight, are they stronger than the Jiannu? Then I’ll just keep killing. I’ll stop temporarily only when they can’t take it anymore and actively bring the one who fled to me and hand over the mastermind.
But first, I need to borrow an Imperial Guard pass; otherwise, after killing people, I won’t be able to handle the local authorities.”
he said.
Of course, that was a lie.
Why would he need to search so hard?
Since it was the Incense-Smelling Sect, it was easy—directly raid their headquarters. The overall leader of the Incense-Smelling Sect in this area was Xu Hongru. He was originally from Juye County Town and later moved to Yuncheng. Moreover, he would start an uprising two years later in the area around Xu Family Village, bordering Yuncheng and Juye. The first place he captured was Liangjialou. In other words, his headquarters must be around there. Just go to Yuncheng and look for these place names. Furthermore, judging by the speed of his uprising’s development, most of that area had already joined the Incense-Smelling Sect—if not eighty percent, at least fifty percent. By quietly observing where gatherings were held, that would be it, and then directly attack.
The rest would be settled with force.
Just kill a few followers, send out word, and they would come to me themselves.
As for whether to kill Xu Hongru or not, that depended. If possible, just kill him. Otherwise, two years later, the Great Ming would have to face three battlefields: fighting the Jiannu outside the pass, fighting She Chongming in the southwest, and fighting the Incense-Smelling Sect that cuts off the Grand Canal here. Preventing one in advance would undoubtedly be best. Don’t think the Incense-Smelling Sect was any good. The Wang family of the sect collaborated with the Jiannu. Later, after the Jiannu entered the pass, the Wang family remained entrenched in Shifokou because they led Incense-Smelling Sect followers to join the Jiannu.
Wang Sen’s grandson, Wang Ke, was a Regional Military Commander of the Jiannu’s Green Standard Army. He was assassinated when Wu Sangui started his uprising. Wang Sen also received a posthumous title from the Jiannu.
Only by then, the Wang family had already cleaned up their past.
By that time, they were no longer in league with the common Incense-Smelling Sect followers.
Their purge during the Jiaqing era was just the inevitable end for such families.
Xu Xianchun, of course, did not know this. He immediately took off his own pass and tossed it to him.
This was an ivory pass.
The ivory pass of an Imperial Guard Assistant Commander.
It was carved with his official title and serial number. With this, even if Yang Xin killed a few Incense-Smelling Sect followers—who were already strictly prohibited by the court—or even if he actually killed some innocent people, local officials would not dare to arrest him. An Imperial Guard Assistant Commander was a fourth-rank official, while the County Magistrate of Yuncheng was only a seventh-rank.
But according to rules, this could not be lent out.
Anyone who dared lend their pass to another would be considered equally guilty as the borrower.
But Yang Xin was different.
Xu Xianchun knew very well that even if Wanli found out about this, it would be fine. With the hundred thousand taels of silver they were transporting back in their carriage, Wanli would be in a good mood. Why would he care about such a small matter? Besides, Yang Xin going to kill Incense-Smelling Sect followers was doing proper work for Wanli.
“Your injuries…”
Liu Shimin hesitated.
Because Yang Xin had already pulled out the bandage from his collar like a tough woman.
“Tell His Majesty that I might even bring back the head of the Incense-Smelling Sect leader along the way!”
Yang Xin said.
After saying this, he threw the bandage on the ground, then urged his horse westward. Xu Xianchun and the other watched his back, exchanged glances, then continued on their way. Yang Xin, galloping at full speed, arrived in Wenshang by noon, then headed south to Jining City…
“Make me a set of clothes like this!”
He slapped a drawing onto the counter of a tailor shop.
“Customer, what is this?”
The shopkeeper looked at the drawing, confused.
The style in the drawing was actually a set of autumn underwear.
It even had a front opening!
“Use the strongest silk, layer it repeatedly, and rivet it tight. The thickness after riveting must be at least two fen. The clothing size can be a bit loose. Also, add some long, strip-like pockets on the chest and back, made from the strongest cloth. There must be a hood at the back, also made of layered silk, thickened to at least three fen. The size must ensure that when the front strings are tied, only my face is exposed. Money is not a problem, but the materials must be genuine. If there is any cheating, I will kill your entire family. Also, it must be fast. I want to see this set of clothes tomorrow.”
Yang Xin said.
“Sir, rest assured, I will work myself to death to make sure it’s done!”
The shopkeeper said with a beaming smile.
If he didn’t cut corners on such clothes, he would have lived in vain.
“Come here!”
Yang Xin smiled and beckoned him.
The shopkeeper quickly leaned over…
“Do you recognize this?”
Yang Xin lifted his outer leather jacket, revealing the Flying Fish Robe inside.
The shopkeeper nodded fearfully.
“Then do you recognize this?”
Yang Xin dangled Xu Xianchun’s ivory pass before him.
The seven embossed characters for ‘Imperial Guard Assistant Commander’ seemed to claw fiercely as they swayed. The shopkeeper’s legs gave way, and he fell to his knees.
“Don’t cut corners. I wasn’t joking when I said I would kill your entire family!”
Yang Xin said very seriously.
“Quick, prepare food and wine for this master! Everyone, put down your work! Gather all those who can move!”
The shopkeeper turned and shouted hoarsely.
The making of this silk armor was handed over to him.
Two fen thick, meaning about six millimeters of layered silk. Making it a bit loose would basically not hinder movement, yet it would be enough to block stray arrows and crossbow shots from a distance. At the ambush range from yesterday, even if a crossbow bolt pierced through, it wouldn’t go deep; the tough silk would wrap around the arrowhead. Then, add forged steel plates in key areas. Five-millimeter-thick forged steel plates plus the layered silk inside—not even crossbow bolts, but even matchlock guns couldn’t penetrate. Such a set of armor could serve as everyday protection, as he couldn’t wear full armor every day. And in the future, there would likely be no shortage of attempts to shoot him with black arrows or black guns.
The head protection was also sufficient.
Three fen, meaning nearly one centimeter of layered silk.
That stuff might not even be penetrated by a modern handgun.
Of course, if he went to a real battlefield, he would wear proper armor.
In the end, not having adequate protection was absolutely not acceptable. Although his wound healing ability was fast, it wasn’t to the point of fully recovering right after a fight.
In fact, the wound on his arm took two full days to completely heal.
After scaring the tailor shop owner, Yang Xin went to order bulletproof plates. This was simple: find a blacksmith shop, have them use the best Su Steel, and directly forge rectangular steel plates, with the thickness limited to two fen. The thickest breastplate of a cavalry soldier was about that, and theirs was made of wrought iron. Su Steel was actually real steel. This material, produced by combining pig iron and wrought iron, was the pinnacle of the co-fusion steelmaking method.
Thus, the bulletproof plates were settled.
The last remaining item was weapons…
“Sir, a friend of mine has a batch of excellent Japanese Sabres.”
The tailor shop owner said carefully.
“Japanese Sabres are sharp, but they break easily!”
Yang Xin said, holding a teacup.
A little beauty maid behind him was massaging his shoulders. After Yang Xin confirmed he would pay, the tailor shop owner had already treated him like a living ancestor. The Flying Fish Robe wasn’t scary; he did business by the Grand Canal and had seen not just Flying Fish Robes but even Python Robes. It wasn’t like no one dared to fake them.
But the ivory pass of an Imperial Guard Assistant Commander was truly frightening.
No one forged that.
Not because they didn’t dare, but because it was useless. Forging a Flying Fish Robe could allow you to show off; forging an Imperial Guard Assistant Commander pass wasn’t showing off—it was suicide.
And it meant suicide for the whole family.
“Then it’s hard to get good weapons on short notice. Maybe you could check with the military equipment office.”
The shopkeeper said.
He had been wondering why this guy didn’t seek help from the authorities.
There were not only stationed troops here but also two full garrisons: Jining Garrison and Linqing Garrison (the latter also stationed in Jining City). Nearby, Yanzhou City also had Rencheng Garrison, originally the Prince of Lu’s guards.
“The junk military equipment from Jining Garrison? Are you trying to get me killed?”
Yang Xin said speechlessly.
“Uh, I wouldn’t dare!”
The shopkeeper said quickly.
“Can ironwood be bought in the city?”
Yang Xin asked.
“Yes, in Jining City, whatever wood you want to buy, you can find.”
The shopkeeper said with some pride.
“Make me an ironwood staff, with a round ball at both ends. I want to learn from Zhao Kuangyin: a staff as tall as me, to beat… well, I won’t say the rest!”
Yang Xin said.