PDLP Chapter 156 How can one word describe this? (1)
Chapter 156 How can one word describe this? (1)
Lu Changqing didn't have much saltpeter on hand, which she bought from the town's medical clinic. In fact, the method of refining saltpeter is very simple, and the raw materials are also very easy to find, but she doesn't have so many people now, and it is too difficult to produce and refine saltpeter on a large scale.
Just when Lu Changqing was thinking that it was time to go down the mountain to ask the county magistrate for money to start an uprising, she didn't expect that the county magistrate had the same idea as her and sent two constables up the mountain to deliver a message.
Qin Luan was teaching everyone literacy in the hall, Lu Changqing was cooking for everyone in the kitchen, and the little scout soldier Xiaoxue flew in from outside, flapping her wings.
"Changqing, there are two men, one tall and one fat, knocking on the door. Do you want to go out and take a look?"
Lu Changqing pulled the firewood out of the stove hole, leaving some charcoal in the stove to continue burning. He stood up, brushed the ashes off his apron, and walked out of the temple with Xiaoxue.
Qin Luan and the others also heard it, and when they saw Lu Changqing coming over, they asked her what was going on outside.
Lu Changqing said someone was coming, and asked everyone to pick up their weapons and go outside to take a look.
As soon as the door opened, the first thing Lu Changqing saw was a row of dazzling white teeth.
When the fat man saw that it was Lu Changqing who opened the door, he frowned in confusion, "Why haven't I seen you before?"
Lu Changqing turned his eyes away from the other party's eye-catching front teeth and looked at the two men's clothes. "I just went up the mountain not long ago, and I often heard the three heads mention the two officials."
Facing the dusty Lu Changqing, the fat man was very impatient, "Why are you alone? Where are Qian San and the others?"
"I went down the mountain with my brothers this morning and haven't come back yet. I wonder what you want to talk to our boss about today?"
"How can a woman have so much to say!" The fat man pushed Lu Changqing unhappily, but failed to move him forward, and his face looked very unhappy.
Lu Changqing pushed the two doors back, leaving a path open. "It's getting late. The three masters should be back soon. How about you two gentlemen come in and have a seat first?"
The fat man looked at the wisps of smoke coming out from behind the house, patted his round belly, and said reluctantly, "Okay, then I'll take Brother Li in and wait."
Lu Changqing stepped back sideways and made a gesture of invitation to the two of them.
The fat man led the so-called Brother Li into the temple one after another, still chattering, "Qian San is so careless that he didn't even leave a few men on the mountain to watch you. He wasn't afraid that you would run away."
The door closed behind him. Seeing that Lu Changqing didn't answer, the fat man turned around to look at her, which scared him.
A dozen women stood in a row behind them, holding knives, without saying a word and with expressionless faces.
The fat man and the thin man took two steps back and drew their swords from their waists. They took a defensive posture and questioned everyone fiercely, "You, you, you...what do you want to do! We are officials appointed by the court. Do you know how serious a crime it is to harm an official appointed by the court?"
Luo Huan spat on the ground, "How dare a lousy constable call himself an official appointed by the imperial court? How shameless!"
The two fat men stood back to back with knives in their hands, looking at the women who surrounded them. Their palms were sweating and their calves were shaking.
"Don't mess around. If the county magistrate finds out that we didn't return on time, you will be in big trouble."
"It doesn't matter. We are planning to go find him." Lu Changqing leaned against the door and ordered everyone: "Go!"
After burying the two men, everyone finished their meal together. Lu Changqing went to the warehouse to count the belongings, put all the things into the space, and told everyone to prepare to go down the mountain.
Everyone agreed to meet at the government office, and Lu Changqing rode ahead on horseback.
When they arrived in the town, Lu Changqing found the inn he had stayed at before and handed the horse to the waiter, giving him a few copper coins to ask him to help watch over it.
A man named You was lying on the couch, listening to some music, drinking some wine and enjoying his life, when suddenly a young man with a knife rushed out from outside and chopped at his head.
You reacted quickly. He grabbed the maid who was massaging his shoulders and threw her towards Lu Changqing. He rolled up from the couch and ran for his life while shouting "Help" outside the house.
Lu Changqing grabbed the maid who was thrown dizzy with one hand, turned around and chased after the dog official named You with a knife in hand, and kicked him to the ground.
Lu Changqing quickly stepped forward and put the knife against You’s neck.
"What...what do you want to do?" asked the man surnamed You in horror.
"Didn't you, Lord Qingtian, ask someone to invite me here?" Lu Changqing's eyes were cold.
You's eyes involuntarily glanced at his neck and he swallowed hard. Although his heart was filled with fear, he still tried to remain calm and squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying. He stammered, "I... I don't even know you, girl. What... what should I do with you?"
"Didn't you send someone to look for Qian San? Now that land is under my control."
"It turned out to be the Queen! I, You, really didn't recognize you. If I had known that it was you, the Queen, who was visiting, I would have made an open bed to welcome you."
"That's not necessary. I came to your house only to borrow something from you."
When You heard that the person was only here to borrow something, he couldn't help but feel relieved. "What does the Queen want to borrow?"
Lu Changqing raised the knife in his hand and smiled at You, "Your head!"
The knife fell and blood gushed out.
A burst of firecrackers rang out from the county government office, followed by the sound of gongs ringing continuously from all over the streets.
The people in the town were attracted by the sound of the gong and walked out of their homes to look in the direction where the sound came from. Those who were even more curious followed the sound of the gong all the way to the gate of the county government office.
The entrance to the yamen was packed with people, and everyone was looking at the women holding gongs standing at the entrance in confusion.
Some people were puzzled. Normally, common people would be driven away if they passed by this road, but why were there no officers standing guard at the gate of the yamen today?
The crowd was clamoring, and just as everyone was confused, the door of the government office slowly opened from the inside, and Lu Changqing walked out covered in blood, dragging the dog official's body.
The brave ones took a few steps forward, and when they saw the dead body at Lu Changqing's feet, they were shocked and shouted in panic, "It's Magistrate You!"
The crowd became noisy again. Some were so scared that they ran home, some knelt down and kowtowed to Lu Changqing, and some ran out of the crowd to tell others that the dog official was dead...
Looking at the chaotic crowd, Luo Huan banged the gong in his hand and said, "Everyone, calm down. Our boss has something to say."
The crowd soon quieted down. Lu Changqing looked at the people who were blocking the road, strode forward, cleared his throat and shouted:
"My fellow villagers, the emperor of the imperial court is incompetent, causing the government to be corrupt and the people to suffer. The officials of the prefecture are even more cruel, oppressing the people and even colluding with the bandits in the mountains to oppress us together!
These corrupt officials have made up all sorts of excuses to exploit us in various ways! They borrow grain today, borrow money tomorrow, and write thick stacks of IOUs, but they don't say when they will be returned. The court is completely leaving us no way out!
"Fellow villagers, are we just going to swallow our anger and accept everything? Are we born to be oppressed and exploited?"
The crowd became noisy again, and someone was brave enough to say, "What can we do if we don't swallow our anger? Are we going to rebel? Rebellion is a grave crime that will bring disaster to our family and the entire clan. It doesn't matter if we live or die, but are we going to send our family to die?"
Lu Changqing looked at the man who was speaking. He was wearing patches and looked skinny. It was obvious that he had not lived a good life.
Lu Changqing asked: "You care so much about your family, so may I ask how your family is doing now? Can everyone in the family have enough food to eat? Can everyone have clean clothes to cover their bodies?"
The man replied: "How can we pursue so many things in this world? Isn't it enough to just stay alive?"