xymnovel Chapter 25 Being a bandit is acceptable, but rebelling is not.
Chapter 25 Being a bandit is acceptable, but rebelling is not.
The people were immediately shocked and knelt down to kowtow.
He cried out, "Gods, spare my life! Gods, spare my life!"
Zheng Ke'er was also visibly distressed and at a loss for what to do.
In their eyes, the young man was about to hit Wang Lun with a hoe when suddenly a thunderbolt struck, knocking him unconscious.
If Wang Lun isn't a god, then what is he?
Gongsun Sheng was about to step forward to explain when Wang Lun waved his hand, cleared his throat, and said, "Don't panic, everyone. I'm not some kind of deity. I'm Wang Lun from Liangshan. Just like you all, I don't have three heads and six arms, nor do I have an extra head. The only difference is..."
His gaze swept over the crowd, and his voice boomed: "I am the chosen one!"
Ah!
The people were stunned, their mouths agape. The chosen one... the emperor?
Is he going to rebel?
Being a bandit is acceptable, but rebelling is not!
The people looked at each other in bewilderment, and some even glared at Zheng Ke'er, thinking that this girl had clearly said that she could get a full meal here, so why was she planning to rebel?
Everyone knows that rebelling will cost you your head.
When bandits were involved, the imperial court would usually only kill the bandit leader; the ordinary henchmen would not be prosecuted.
Gongsun Sheng quickly whispered, "Brother, be careful what you say."
Wang Lun was taken aback: "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
I just wanted to use your Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Orthodox Method to show off a bit, but I ended up doing it wrong?
"The chosen one is a metaphor for the emperor. Brother, you're a bandit, not a rebel. If this gets out, the court will immediately send 100,000 troops to the border." Gongsun Sheng was quite helpless. This Wang Lun often seemed very smart, but at other times he also seemed... not stupid, but he didn't seem like a person of this era.
Wang Lun suddenly realized, and after a moment's thought, he explained, "This... everyone has misunderstood. When I said 'the chosen one,' I didn't mean the emperor, but rather that I have great fortune... I'm a very lucky person, extremely lucky."
He was halfway through his sentence when he realized that he couldn't even use the word "luck," as luck usually refers to the fate of the nation. To say that one has luck was tantamount to rebellion.
The people then realized that he had excellent luck. So what? There were plenty of lucky people. Wang Lun was just a little luckier. That didn't matter.
Wang Lun breathed a sigh of relief. It was a close call; he almost got mistaken for someone planning a rebellion. He didn't have the strength to do so now, and the consequences would be unimaginable if the imperial army were to invade.
It almost turned into "the late emperor died before completing his great undertaking".
He immediately instructed Gongsun Sheng to arrange boats to take the group of people up the mountain.
They not only had a large number of people, but also various oxcarts, handcarts, kitchen utensils, and farm tools.
What pleased Wang Lun even more was that, at a rough glance, there were about three hundred people in this group, with at least seventy or eighty able-bodied men. Once these seventy or eighty men joined the Flying Tiger Army, they would be considered his own elite troops.
Zheng Ke'er stood beside Wang Lun as if seeking credit: "Chief, there are only so many people in our village. Everyone's land has been swindled away by those rich landlords. Our annual harvest is not enough to eat. So when I went to persuade them, everyone heard about the heroes of Liangshan from Jizhou, so they were all willing to come with me."
Wang Lun patted her head and smiled, "Very good, you handled this matter beautifully."
This girl used to be sallow and thin, and dressed in rags. But since she joined Liangshan, she has been dressed and fed well, and now she looks quite beautiful.
Wang Lun withdrew his gaze from her, thinking to himself that as the leader of a stronghold, he could not have an ambiguous relationship with a maid, lest he be ridiculed by his subordinates.
Besides, the Song princess is waiting for him.
Princess Deqing, Zhao Yupan, possessed both the beauty of a woman and the spirit of a man, which was excellent.
He touched the half of a jade ring hanging at his waist. What was this? Was it a token of love between Zhao Yupan and himself?
But the other party was a princess of the great Song Dynasty, while he was a bandit.
Don't think about things that bother you, because thinking about them will only make you more upset.
Wang Lun then carried his fishing rod, rowed a boat on the lake, and fished with peace of mind, giving off a somewhat hermit-like air.
Zheng Ke'er held an umbrella behind him, nervously watching the water.
Before long, Wang Lun pulled hard, and before Zheng Ke'er could react, a fish was pulled out of the water. It was a plump grass carp, weighing about three pounds, with a light golden-yellow belly, due to the excellent water quality.
Before long, Wang Lun's fish basket was full, weighing at least ten pounds, which was enough for them to eat. He then slowly rowed his fancy boat back home.
When he returned to his residence, Lin Chong, Lu Zhishen, and Yang Zhi were already sitting at the door drinking tea.
Wang Lun lifted the fish basket in his hand and said with a smile, "You're in for a treat."
He instructed Zheng Ke'er and Zhao Si to assist him, while he himself would serve as the head chef.
Everything was ready. I heated the oil in the pot, then added a few slices of cured pork to render the fat. I added boiling water to the pot, and even before adding the fish, the soup itself was already fragrant.
Once the fish was cooked, Lu Zhishen was about to rush over and take it out when Wang Lun hurriedly called out, "Wait!"
Lu Zhishen put down the fish in his hand, looking bewildered, and asked in surprise, "Can't we eat it now?"
Wang Lun sprinkled chopped green onions and minced garlic on the fish, then poured hot oil over it, creating a sizzling sound and making the aroma even stronger.
Everyone's taste buds were whetted, and before Wang Lun could even speak, they had already started eating with lightning speed.
Zhao Si eagerly brought over the wine. Wang Lun ate a piece of fish, took a sip of wine, and nodded with satisfaction. It was a pity that chili peppers didn't exist in the Song Dynasty; they were only introduced to China in the Ming Dynasty, so the flavor was slightly lacking.
The wine was a bit lacking in flavor, and Wang Lun thought he must brew a batch of wine as soon as possible so that he could amaze everyone.
Let the heroes of Water Margin drink modern liquor; the alcohol content doesn't need to be too high, fifty degrees will suffice.
Wang Lun thought smugly to himself, "If Lu Zhishen still dares to drink from that jar, I'll call myself Lu Lun. If Wu Song can still drink eighteen bowls, I'll call myself Wu Lun."
All the heroes were sweating profusely as they ate, while Zhao Si and Zheng Ke'er also ate from a small bowl on the side.
Wang Lun, Lu Zhishen, and the others did not distinguish between high and low status, and all strongly requested that Zhao Si and Zheng Ke'er sit down and eat together.
Unfortunately, the two firmly disagreed, claiming that they felt pressured to sit at the same table as the leaders.
Wang Lun glanced at the fierce-looking Lu Zhishen, then at the blue-faced beast Yang Zhi, and understood their thoughts.
As we were eating and drinking, the sunset came on, and the scenery was extremely beautiful.
"Brother!" Gongsun Sheng rushed over.
Wang Lun smiled: "What, you can smell the aroma of the fish I cooked too?"
Gongsun Sheng rushed to the front of the crowd and said hurriedly, "It's terrible! King Chao is surrounded!"
What!
Wang Lun was shocked and jumped to his feet: "What happened?"
"Chao Tianwang discovered that Master Du of Jizhou had a manor outside the city, so he took two hundred men there. Little did they know there was an ambush, and they suffered heavy losses. When they tried to retreat, their retreat was cut off by the Jizhou government troops, and they had no choice but to flee into Xiaojinshan. Master Du's men and the government troops joined forces and surrounded him. It is estimated that... he will not survive tonight," Gongsun Sheng said briefly.
Wang Lun slammed his fist on the table: "How could King Chao be so careless, only bringing two hundred men?"
Gongsun Sheng pleaded, "Brother, please save King Chao's life!"
Wang Lun immediately replied, "Of course we must save them."
He glanced around and said, "Yang Zhi, you lead two hundred cavalrymen to set off first. Zhishen, you and I will lead three hundred infantrymen to follow behind."
He then looked at Lin Chong and said, "Instructor Lin, immediately muster the remaining troops and attack Jizhou under cover of night. Just make a show of force, the bigger the show, the better."
"Gongsun, you are to guard Liangshan. No one other than us is allowed to enter or leave."