Yang Ronggui is eight feet tall and has a handsome appearance. When he was young, he was a well-known handsome young man. Now that he is older and has a mustache, he looks more mature and steady. He is very good at dealing with people and his conversation is not shallow. He is completely different from the hateful person Xu Ling imagined.

However, at this time, the real Xu Ling had not yet met him.

Yang Ronggui was a man of great cunning, and rarely showed what he was thinking. However, Zheng Kun, the prefect of Yangzhou who had been serving him, could see it. After seeing off Prince Yan and his entourage, Yang Ronggui touched his mustache calmly. Although he did not look happy, Zheng Kun knew that he was in a good mood, so he stepped forward and said, "It seems that Lord Yang and His Royal Highness Prince Yan are very compatible?"

The implication is that Prince Yan probably knows how deep the officialdom is and has no intention of getting to the bottom of it. He is just taking advantage of the issue to consolidate his own power.

Yang Ronggui said with a smile, "Your Highness Prince Yan is a young man of talent. With a little training, he will have great potential in the future. Deputy Envoy Xu is a man of integrity and is a rare talent. However, I originally wanted Marquis Anding to go with them, but I didn't expect him to be so anxious about military affairs that he passed by Yangzhou Prefecture without entering and went directly to the Jiangbei camp. I was not able to meet the military god of Daliang, which is quite a pity."

Zheng Kun had been following him for a long time and was an extremely clever flatterer. He immediately thought he understood what Governor Yang meant - Prince Yan was young and inexperienced, but had great ambitions. He had revealed his true colors in just a few words and would be easy to deal with. The man named Xu was a fool who had read too much and could be ignored. The most interesting thing was that, whether out of the principle of "military generals do not interfere in internal affairs" or because Prince Yan did it deliberately, Marquis Anding had been sent away, so they could give it a try.

Yang Ronggui and Zheng Kun smiled at each other. Yang Ronggui said, "This time, rumors from the people have spread to the capital. It is reasonable for the prince to investigate. Tell your men to be ready. We are upright and have nothing to fear from investigation."

Zheng Kun smiled knowingly and said, "Yes, sir, don't worry."

After sending away the overjoyed Zheng Kun, the slight hint of joy on Yang Ronggui's face disappeared, and his eyes were filled with sinisterness.

I knew that Prince Yan was not easy to deal with, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult. If Minister Lu hadn't warned me in advance, I'm afraid I would have been fooled by him. How could Prince Yan be so fickle in the court? How could he be such a young man?

The grand plan they were secretly planning had not even been revealed to Zheng Kun, and it had been kept strictly confidential. If the King of Yan had acted swiftly and decisively as soon as he arrived, it would have been fine if he had just dealt with the matter at hand, but if he had been so aggressive as to deal with it like this... I'm afraid something bad would happen.

That needs to happen as soon as possible.

Just when Yang Ronggui and others took the "Imperial Envoy and Deputy Envoy" to visit their sparsely populated "refugee camp" in the suburbs, Chang Geng and Xu Ling disguised themselves and went around to inquire about the situation of the refugees. What puzzled Lord Xu the most was that this noble Prince Yan was like a fish in water in the market, and could chat with small vendors and all kinds of people from the world, and talk to everyone he met. With the fake Prince Yan in front to cover up their tracks, basically no one cared about them. Within a few days, Xu Ling had made several friends with the Prince Yan who could eat at other people's homes.

The things I wanted to find out gradually became clear.

"That is to say, there used to be a lot of refugee camps outside the city, but now no one knows where they have gone, right... Wang... Boss, please be careful!" While talking to the innkeeper, Xu Ling stared fearfully at King Yan next to him - this was a small tavern on the outskirts of Yangzhou. The boss was a retired bodyguard named Sun. He had a face full of flesh and a tough temper. If a customer made him unhappy, he would beat them up. Thanks to this man's ability to brew good wine and the support of many people from the martial arts world, the business could continue. Boss Sun didn't know how he got along with King Yan. At this time, the hotel was closed. King Yan was so excited that he carved a plaque for him on the spot and was hanging it on the door on a bench himself. The bench was missing a leg, and it was shaking in the air without anyone touching it.

Boss Sun laughed and said, "Your shopkeeper is very good at martial arts, so you don't need to worry about it. Why are you asking about the refugees? Now that the foreign dogs have occupied Jiangnan, there are many displaced people. It's not worth dying in one place."

Xu Ling said, "I heard that there are 100,000 refugees in Jiangbei. Our boss ordered the two of us to come and investigate along the canal, hoping to take in these refugees to build a factory for them to work. We came all the way here, but we didn't see many people. Who can we find to work?"

Boss Sun had already drunk a pound of rice wine, his face flushed and his eyes wandering. Hearing this, he looked at Xu Ling drunkenly and said with a grin showing his yellow teeth: "Why, are you trying to trick me?"

Xu Ling: “…”

Chang Geng took the hammer and nailed the steel nail into the door of the tavern with great skill. He jumped down, and the three-legged long bench remained motionless from beginning to end. He smiled and shook his head - this Lord Xu grew up reading books without paying any attention to the outside world, and then entered the court as an official and lived in the capital the whole time. How could he have ever dealt with these old men who had their heads on their belts?

Boss Sun glanced at Chang Geng and said with a big tongue: "White Dragon Fish Clothes, the shopkeeper is not simple."

Xu Ling was immediately frightened and broke out in a cold sweat, but Chang Geng took the wine pot handed over by Boss Sun without hesitation and drank half of it in one gulp: "What white dragon and black dragon? Some people will always encounter ghosts if they walk too much on the night road. I am that ghost."

Boss Sun looked at Chang Geng meaningfully for a long while, then asked with a smile, "How did the Imperial Envoy find me?"

Chang Geng's identity was exposed, but he remained calm and said, "Nothing, I just think that Boss Sun's tavern is too busy. There are only three or two tables of customers every day, but the drinks and vegetables are so busy. Can they finish them?"

Boss Sun looked up at him. There was no sign of drunkenness on his face. Instead, his eyes were clearly fierce. Xu Ling was sharp-eyed and saw a hideous-looking dagger hidden under his outer robe.

Xu Ling stood up suddenly: "Your Majesty!"

Several people who were napping, counting the bills, and waiting tables in the restaurant all stood up. Their eyes were shining, and they seemed to have weapons on their waists. They were all martial artists.

Two guards from the Black Iron Camp blocked the door on the left and right. Xu Ling subconsciously clenched his sword for self-defense.

Chang Geng gently placed the wine pot on the table, and said with a click: "On the way here, I was wondering where so many refugees could hide. The worst case scenario is that Yang Ronggui is extremely cruel and has gathered so many refugees together in the name of the epidemic and killed them all—"

Boss Sun grinned and said, "Your Highness Prince Yan really understands the minds of those dog officials under you. You are worthy of being the leader of the dog officials."

"The leader of the dog officials is my eldest brother, not me," Chang Geng said calmly, "But no matter how crazy Yang Ronggui is, he may not have that much ability. If he really forcibly drove away and killed the refugees, riots would have broken out long ago, and it would be impossible not to alarm the Jiangbei garrison."

Boss Sun glanced at him coldly, "Yang Ronghui announced that the villa for settling the refugees has been built. The villa is backed by a mountain. He wants to take these refugees to open up wasteland and cultivate the land, and slowly settle them down. He also sent people to register and issued a number plate to each refugee. They were divided into different villas based on the plate. It was clearly stated how to divide the land and how to collect rent. The refugees in groups of three or five were allowed to choose their own leaders. If they don't want to go, they can do it themselves. There will be no more porridge outside Yangzhou City. The sick people will be isolated separately and put in the villa. Doctors will give medicine. All the doctors in Yangzhou City will be there that day."

If they were people of the underworld, as long as they had some connection with the black or white world, they would have already found their way home. Most of those who became refugees were honest and poor people. Their lifelong wish was to settle down and live a good life. As long as they could survive, as long as their lives got better day by day and they had hope, they would never cause trouble.

If Yang Ronghui had suggested building a better shelter somewhere, someone would have felt something was wrong, but Yang Ronghui made it clear that he wanted them to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land, and even laid out the rules in a down-to-earth manner up front. The rent might even be a little higher than that of the landlords back then. In such a precarious situation, it was enough for these refugees to manage themselves and follow his pace in a down-to-earth manner.

Xu Ling was very confused when he heard this. He thought that Yang Ronggui was a good-for-nothing who was just sitting in his position doing nothing. His subordinates caused the epidemic, and he deceived his superiors and subordinates in order to shirk the responsibility. But after hearing this, he felt that he was quite organized - if he had done this earlier, why would there be so many refugees in Jiangbei?

Xu Ling said: "Reclaiming the wasteland is also a good idea. Since Governor Yang has taken good care of the refugees, why did he conceal the epidemic?"

Boss Sun said sarcastically, "The Imperial Envoy is paid by the emperor, but he is so carefree and innocent. I wonder where the money comes from."

Xu Ling was stunned for a while, then suddenly realized: "You mean Yang Ronggui embezzled the life-saving money allocated by the court to settle the refugees!"

As soon as Xu Ling blurted out these words, he regretted it because they sounded too unworldly. Sure enough, the next moment, King Yan and Boss Sun laughed at the same time. Xu Ling blushed and hurriedly said, "I just didn't expect Yang Ronggui to be so bold. The other side of the river is the occupied area, and it's right next to the Jiangbei camp. How dare he..."

"The Jiangbei camp cannot be moved casually," Chang Geng whispered, "If there is any change in the enemy army, no one can take responsibility. If Yang Ronggui wants to conceal it, Elder Zhong and his men may not be able to know the situation here."

Boss Sun sneered and disagreed with his explanation.

"As long as he controls the Beishang Post, he can cover the sky with one hand." Chang Geng turned to Boss Sun and said, "Since Brother Sun knows so much, he must have helped to collect refugees. Let me guess, there are many fishermen in the Liangjiang area, and there is the Sand Sea Gang behind, which is connected by land and water. I wonder which group of friends Boss Sun is?"

Xu Ling on the side didn't figure it out at first. He just felt that the three words "Shahai Gang" sounded familiar. Suddenly, he saw Boss Sun turned his head and smiled, revealing a hideous scar from his ear to his jawbone. Then he suddenly remembered that the Shahai Gang was influential throughout the Jiangnan and Fujian areas and was a big gang!

This boss Sun is not a bodyguard, he is a bandit! The restaurant is not Xinghua Village, but a restaurant that sells human meat buns!

Xu Ling suddenly became nervous, and tried to stop King Yan behind him with his weak body as a scholar: "You...you are..."

Chang Geng bowed and said, "The most chivalrous people are butchers, but there are also people with a kind heart among the outlaws. I am sorry for my disrespect."

Boss Sun glanced at the guards of the Black Iron Camp behind him and said bluntly, "King Yan, you don't have to be so polite. You came here to investigate openly and secretly, just to find out how much Yang Ronggui has embezzled, where the refugees have been harmed by him, and whether there is really an epidemic. I might as well tell you directly that those patients who were taken to the other courtyard for life-saving had just arrived at the other courtyard the day before, and each of them was given a bowl of herbal medicine to drink. As a result, a fire broke out in the village that night, and no one inside escaped. The bodies were destroyed. The others have either been detained in batches in the so-called "mountain villa", or followed our brothers and joined our gang."

Chang Geng said calmly, "It sounds like if we don't come, riots will happen sooner or later."

Boss Sun sneered, "It's enough that the officials are forcing the people to rebel. But when Yang Ronggui was killing refugees, the Jiangbei camp didn't hear any news. If the refugees rebelled, the Jiangbei camp would definitely move immediately. Even though they can't beat the corrupt officials and foreigners, they are more than enough to beat us ordinary people. There are many ways to go, but no one can survive."

Xu Ling saw the well-organized army camp in Jiangbei and witnessed the battlefields on both sides of the river. He was about to refute but Chang Geng raised his hand to stop him.

Chang Geng: "If there is really no way out, why would Brother Sun wait for us here?"

Boss Sun: "I am waiting here just to see if the imperial envoy can take care of things. If the envoy is just a bunch of snakes and rats who are just sitting there doing nothing, we can fight with our lives even if we face the artillery fire of the Beidaying Camp! I just don't know if the imperial envoy dares to come - I can't let a wolf into the gang. If you want to investigate, just take this pretty boy with me and leave those lackeys who follow you openly or secretly here."

Xu Ling: "Your Majesty, you can't do that!"

Chang Geng smiled and said, "I couldn't ask for more. Please."

Boss Sun clasped his hands and said, "Please."

After he finished speaking, he walked out first, and after a few steps he suddenly turned back to take a look at the plaque carved by His Royal Highness Prince Yan for the tavern selling human meat buns. The old bandit's expression finally moved, and he saw four words carved on it without any frills - "Eternal Justice".

If someone saw the "King of Goose" in the Governor-General's Mansion of Liangjiang at this time, he would definitely be shocked.

This "Prince Yan", who seemed so elegant in front of people, closed the door of his room and in a matter of seconds turned into a coquettish idiot.

Governor Yang was very attentive to them. The room was elegant and luxurious, with several small gold objects in purple and flowing gold. There was a person-high Atlantic mirror in the inner room, and people standing in front of the mirror could be seen in every detail. The "Goose King" who had just stood outside like a green pine tree came in with his hips twisted. His two long legs were not enough for him to twist. He came to the Western mirror and looked left and right, winking for about an incense stick of time, holding his face and looking at it no matter how hard he tried, he could not get enough.

"Xu Ling" next to him had his eyelids drooped like a wooden man. I don't know if he was numb or what, but I really couldn't bear to look at him.

"King Yan" exclaimed in admiration: "Let alone other things, I can never get enough of touching my eldest brother's face."

"Xu Ling" sneered, "Go ahead and touch me if you dare."

"This is the real thing," "King Yan" shook his head and raised his chin, "To make a fake look real - ah, tell me, why can't he make me perfect? ​​Since the Marquis has come with me, why not make one up? Why make up a lie that he went straight to Jiangbei to avoid suspicion?"

"Xu Ling" said: "I don't let you pinch it because it's for your own good. I'm afraid that you will be careless and desecrate General Gu's face, and then you will be chopped alive by the Black Iron Camp."

"Prince Yan" rolled his eyes and ignored him, concentrating on admiring his masterpiece face in the mirror. Suddenly, an accompanying guard came to report: "Your Majesty, Lord Xu, Governor Yang has an important meeting and is waiting outside."

"King Yan" and "Xu Ling" looked at each other, and "King Yan" said, "We have performed the play, and the guests and hosts have had a great time. The next step should be to drag him on the pirate ship and bribe him, right? There must be boxes of gold and silver and beauties waiting outside. Forget about the female beauties, but can the male beauties be kept? Our boss told us to preserve the physical evidence, but he didn't say what about the human witnesses."

"Xu Ling" looked back at the handsome face of King Yan with deep contours, coupled with the three words "male beauty" with drool, and suddenly felt a stomachache. But before he could make a sarcastic remark, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside. A guard outside the courtyard shouted at them to stop, but the newcomers rushed in regardless, and soon the sound of soldiers was heard.

Xu Ling's expression suddenly changed, and he whispered, "Did we reveal a flaw? Or..."

Before he finished speaking, the expression of the "King of Goose", who had a wretched look on his face just now, suddenly darkened, and his expression was exactly the same as the real one.

He took a step forward, pushed the door open, put his hands behind his back in his wide sleeves, and looked down at the armored and armed men led by Yang Ronggui who had broken into the yard.

"What does Governor Yang mean by this?" "King Yan" asked in a tone. Behind him, "Ling Xu" reached his hand to his waist imperceptibly, ready to rush out after his identity was exposed.

Unexpectedly, the murderous Yang Ronggui suddenly stepped forward, knelt on the ground with a plop, and said in a loud voice: "Your Highness, I am not doing my job well. The local gangs have rebelled and blocked the communication route from Yangzhou Prefecture to the Jiangbei camp. I have no choice but to gather the soldiers guarding the nearby cities and swear to protect Your Highness at all costs! The situation is critical, please prepare to move."

"King of Wild Goose" looked back at "Xu Ling", who shook his head imperceptibly, not realizing what Yang Ronggui was saying. "King of Wild Goose" could only make excuses temporarily, "I know about this, Governor Yang, please stand up and give us your reply..."

Yang Ronggui turned a deaf ear and continued to speak loudly: "This humble official has another thing to say. The emperor today is incompetent and the country is about to decline. There are frequent internal and external troubles. There are foreigners outside, and there are mobs rebelling inside. The army is leaderless. Yang is willing to risk the world's disapproval and follow the example of the predecessors to make His Royal Highness the emperor!"

Before he finished speaking, the team behind him split into two, and four people in the middle came out carrying a piece of clothing. "King Yan" almost popped his eyes out, it was a dragon robe that was so real that it could be mistaken for the real thing!

Yang Ronggui: "I have devoted my life to the Liang Dynasty. In this time of national crisis, I dare not keep any wealth for myself. I have no choice but to sell my family to help the country. I have already handed over my family property and my wife's dowry to the court and exchanged them for beacon tickets. I am still suspected by the tyrant. This is an injustice that will be passed down through the ages. If a wise ruler is born, I am willing to assist him with my life!"

These words sound powerful and like an impassioned speech, but they actually contain three meanings of coercion and inducement: First, I was corrupt and committed lawlessness because of your beacon tickets. I am guilty, and you, King Yan, are the instigator.

Second, the gang riot was groundless. If I said he rioted, then he did riot.

Third, whether you wear the yellow robe or "die in a refugee riot", it is up to you, Your Majesty.

When they came, King Zhen Yan only told them to delay time as much as possible and deal with the traitor named Yang, but he did not tell them that such a thing would happen!

The pair of fake imperial envoys and deputy imperial envoys were stunned for a moment.

After a while, "Xu Ling" took a deep breath and shouted, "Governor Yang, you are openly rebelling. Are you crazy? Anding Hou is in the Jiangbei camp. Do you think that all my tens of thousands of elite soldiers in Daliang are dead?"

Yang Ronggui smiled and said meaningfully: "Lord Xu, your words are serious. How dare a minister rebel? However, the emperor was killed by an assassin from Japan. The country is in danger and the prince is young. We have no choice but to resort to this last resort and ask Your Highness to ascend the throne."