mtl008 Chapter 68 Becoming a Master?
Chapter 68 Becoming a Master?
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The three continued westward, encountering many fleeing civilians and routed soldiers along the way. They brought the latest news: the Shandong governor's garrison and the rebel army fought a major battle at Ruanchengdian. The government troops were no match for the rebels and suffered a crushing defeat. The entire three western prefectures no longer had any troops capable of fighting to stop the rebels, and could only hope that General Sun of Dengzhou could turn the tide.
Bai Lian said to Ling Xi'er, "We must find Wang Bao as soon as possible and infiltrate the rebel army through his connections. If we rely on this good-for-nothing to take charge, the rebel army might suffer a defeat in Dengzhou, and we will miss this great opportunity."
Liu Ye understood from their words that they were trying to use the rebels' strength to fight against the imperial court, and then find a way to win them over to their own side. It has to be said that this tactic was much more effective than instigating and coercing some unarmed civilians. The rebels had actually fought in Liaodong and against the Later Jin, and their fighting strength was much stronger than the Taiping army in Shandong.
He interjected, "I don't know how you brainwash the rebels, or whether they can be used by you, but don't worry about the rebels suffering defeats. At least under Sun Yuanhua's command, the rebels will definitely not suffer defeats."
Bai Lian glanced at him with disdain and said scornfully, "Do you think you're Zhuge Liang, who knows everything from astronomy to geography? Sun Yuanhua is the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou. There are quite a few troops in Dengzhou, and they also have cannons. With the strong city and powerful cannons, the rebels will definitely not come out on top."
"You woman do have some insight, but you only see the surface. I ask you, whose men were the rebels originally under?"
From the moment they began plotting against the rebels, Bai Lian and the other members of the Bai Lian sect had gathered considerable information about them and were quite familiar with the army. Without a second thought, she said, "Isn't it Sun Yuanhua?"
"That's right. The rebels are former troops of Dongjiang Town. Because General Mao Wenlong was killed and they were dissatisfied with the new General Huang Long, they fled to Dengzhou and Laizhou to join Sun Yuanhua. Sun Yuanhua valued their experience in fighting the Tartars, their rich combat strength, and entrusted them with important responsibilities. As far as I know, the rebels were sent to Liaodong to reinforce the area. They had no intention of rebelling. They only killed and attacked the city in a fit of anger because the government refused to provide them with food and supplies along the way, leaving them hungry. Although the rebels are now causing trouble, they have not raised the banner of rebellion. As long as there is any chance, Sun Yuanhua will try to appease them and keep his official position. Therefore, there will definitely not be a major battle when the rebels arrive in Dengzhou."
Bai Lian and Ling Xi'er looked at him incredulously. Ling Xi'er then turned to her master and said, "Master, what he said seems to make some sense. Officials do indeed have these ulterior motives."
Bai Lian snorted, unwilling to admit it: "You're making things up, but the rebels have already captured so many cities and killed so many civilians and government troops. How could they possibly turn back?"
“You’re wrong again. As long as it’s not an open rebellion, and the government troops can’t defeat it, no matter how much killing and arson occurs, the court will reluctantly grant them amnesty.” Liu Ye was very qualified to say this, because he did exactly that and succeeded.
Bai Lian was repeatedly refuted by him, but she couldn't find a reason to retaliate. She flicked her sleeves, turned her face away, and ignored him.
Ling Xi'er curiously leaned closer and asked, "How do you know so much? Aren't you a businessman? By the way, we've been holding you captive for so long, and we still don't know your name."
Liu Ye smiled and said, "My name is Liu Ye. I'd also like to ask you, young lady, how did you and your master meet?"
Ling Xi'er smiled and said, "No, I lost both my parents when I was young and was raised by my uncle. I was sold to a brothel when I was fourteen. Later, my master brought me out of that place."
It turns out that the shrewd woman in private has such a tragic past. Liu Ye said, "I'm sorry, Miss Ling, I didn't know about your background, so I shouldn't have said that."
Ling Xi'er didn't take it to heart: "It's alright. I grew up without parents. Although my master is sharp-tongued, he is very good to me and even taught me kung fu. I am very content to be able to leave that place where people entertained others and made a living by selling smiles all day long and to travel around with my master, free and unrestrained."
She stared at Liu Ye and said seriously, "When I was in the brothel, I met many high-ranking officials and young masters. They all valued my appearance, but no one cared about my background. Even if they knew, they were indifferent. Perhaps in their eyes, I was just a pretty face and they didn't care about anything else. You are the first person to ask about my background and apologize to me."
Liu Ye felt a little ashamed. It wasn't that he was particularly noble; it was simply because he came from a modern society where everyone is equal, and his values were naturally more righteous and upright than those of a young master from a feudal society. He coughed and said to Ling Xi'er, "Miss Ling, don't think too highly of me. I admire your appearance just like those other people. However, I'll first consider you an equal. Everyone in the world should be equal. We are all born of parents, and no matter what profession we pursue, there is no distinction of high or low status."
Bai Lian had been facing away from them without saying a word, but upon hearing these words, she couldn't help but say "good." She turned her head and said, "All people are born equal, without any distinction of rank or status. You have never heard my White Lotus teachings, yet you understand this principle, which means you are destined to join my sect. If you are willing to convert to my White Lotus sect, I can accept you as my disciple. In terms of promoting the White Lotus teachings, you are more qualified than Xi'er."
Becoming an apprentice? Liu Ye's head was spinning. He had no desire to join a cult, nor did he want to become an apprentice.
Bai Lian didn't notice his unusual behavior and continued, "Originally, I only wanted to capture you to raise some money for the sect. But after a few days of getting to know you, I've found that you're not inherently bad, have good aptitude, and are quite insightful about the current situation. You're a promising talent. Our sect has many scoundrels who swindle and indulge in pleasure, but we lack talent like you. As I said before, if you become my disciple, I'll bring you into the sect, and we can work together to create a great cause."
Ling Xi'er looked at Liu Ye with concern and whispered to her master, "Master, don't force him. He looks like a son of a wealthy family. He's so familiar with officialdom, he might even come from an official family. If you make him join the sect, it's like rebelling against the court. Wouldn't that be cutting him off from his own family?"
Liu Ye's eyes lit up; this was indeed an excellent reason. He immediately seized the opportunity, "Fairy Maiden, I also very much wish to become your disciple, learn some kung fu, and uphold justice. However, speaking of joining your sect, yes, although my family is not a scholarly family, we have produced a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). If I weren't indifferent to fame and fortune, I would have gone to the capital to take the exams long ago. My father is extremely loyal to the court. If I were to join your sect like this, it would be unfilial to my father!" In reality, he didn't have a father after transmigrating; it was just an excuse.