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The head constable of Kaifeng gave an order and then began inquiring about Li Kui from the surrounding populace.
Some of the dissatisfied people, with cold faces, angrily said: "Two days ago, the Jurchens beat three Song people to death in public on the arena. Why didn't you do anything about it?"
"Now, that dark-faced strongman only retaliated in kind and killed a Jurchen man, yet you are all so anxious. Is that Jurchen man your father?"
"You just don't understand,"
A bystander echoed this sentiment.
“Those Jurchen statues were the esteemed guests of treacherous officials like Cai Jing and Tong Guan, and were naturally extremely valuable in the eyes of the Kaifeng Prefecture.”
"The lives of the Jurchens are precious, while the lives of the Song people are cheap. If a Song person is killed, no one cares, but if a Jurchen is killed, the whole government will mobilize to apprehend the criminal."
"Is this what they mean by 'If you can't deal with the Jurchens, you can at least deal with me'?"
"If Judge Bao were alive today, seeing Kaifeng Prefecture in such a state, he would probably be furious!"
......
The ridicule from the common people immediately alarmed the officials of Kaifeng Prefecture.
Their faces all turned pale.
Those who still had a conscience immediately quit.
Those seasoned veterans, on the other hand, were just going through the motions.
Even the head constable of Kaifeng Prefecture was secretly cursing the newly arrived prefect.
They only know how to fawn over Cai Jing and Tong Guan, but they have no understanding of the lives and sentiments of ordinary people, especially fishermen.
The pursuit of Li Kui could only be left as a makeshift solution.
......
Ruan Xiaowu and the others naturally knew nothing of this.
After leaving the north gate, the group hurried towards the passenger ship at the dock.
The Ruan brothers were surprised to see that the scholar had come with them.
But considering that this person was clearly an acquaintance of Yan Qing,
The two of them didn't say anything more.
When the group reached the middle of the journey,
However, they happened to run into Zhao Yuan, Jiao Ting, and Zhang Shun, who were on their way to the city to find them.
After the Ruan brothers briefly recounted the events at the arena,
Zhao Yuan immediately praised, "Tie Niu, you did very well this time!"
"Hehe, I knew it! My brother would definitely praise me!"
Li Kui looked at the Ruan brothers with a smug expression.
"But it's Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother who are always worrying about this and that."
"Winning the contest and upholding the prestige of our Han people, that was indeed a commendable achievement,"
(After receiving the money) Zhao Yuan chuckled, then suddenly straightened his face and said,
"But you've forgotten that when we parted ways in the city, you promised me that you would listen to others in everything and never make decisions on your own!"
"I was just too angry at the time, but..."
Li Kui scratched his head: "I heard from the people around here that the Jurchens were showing off on the stage and actually killed three heroes who came up to challenge them!"
“I remembered that my brother used to say that the Jurchens would definitely go south and bully the Han people. I couldn’t stand it, so I ran up there.”
"If you want to punish me, I'll accept it all!"
Seeing that Li Kui had admitted his mistake, the scholar, fearing that Zhao Yuan would truly punish him, quickly tried to persuade him on his behalf.
"This brave man had a pure heart. Although he recklessly stepped onto the stage and even killed the Jurchen man, all of this was because the Jurchen man was arrogant and domineering in the first place!"
"I implore Chief Zhao to show mercy and spare his punishment."
Chapter 264 Wen Huanzhang
Zhao Yuan looked at the scholar who had spoken.
He had a thin face and a slender figure. Although his long robe was old, it still gave him a unique air of elegance.
"May I ask who you are, sir...?"
"Chief Zhao, this is Professor Wen Huanzhang,"
Yan Qing quickly introduced, "Professor Wen lives in Anren Village outside Tokyo. He is well-versed in strategy and military tactics, and has many dealings with important officials in the court, who treat him as an honored guest."
"When Xiao Ke's elder brother went to Bianliang to participate in the martial arts examination, he met Professor Wen. The two became close friends."
Wen Huanzhang?
Zhao Yuan was slightly taken aback, then quickly cupped his hands and said...
"So it's Professor Wen. I've long admired your reputation, but I never expected to meet you here today."
"Oh? Chief Zhao, you reside on Liangshan Mountain, and you've even heard of my name?"
Wen Huanzhang waved his hand dismissively, his face clearly showing disbelief.
"Professor Wen, do you still remember Xu Jing, the four-legged snake? He was an acquaintance of yours more than ten years ago when he was performing street tricks."
Zhao Yuan explained, "This man is now the military governor of Shangdang. He tells everyone he meets that you, Professor Wen, have the talent of Sun Tzu and the wisdom of Zhuge Liang. I heard about you when I passed through Shangdang before."
"It turns out to be him!"
Wen Huanzhang suddenly realized something, slapped his forehead, and then let out a long sigh.
"It's true what they say, friends made in poverty and hardship don't forget each other! I've lived outside the capital for over a decade, making countless friends among court officials, yet not one of them was truly sincere. But this old friend still remembers me!"
Upon hearing Huanzhang's words of reflection, Zhao Yuan recalled the original plot of the Water Margin world.
One could sense the loneliness in his words.
This person possesses great talent and learning, yet he has never been valued by anyone throughout his life.
He wasn't originally from Tokyo; he had wandered the streets in his youth.
It was only in the last ten years or so that, for the sake of his official career, he had been living outside the capital city of Tokyo and had frequent interactions with court officials.
Unfortunately, his great talent and learning made him the target of jealousy.
Respect in person, suppress behind the scenes
Therefore, more than ten years have passed, and Wen Huanzhang is still a commoner in obscurity.
Later, when Gao Qiu launched his attack on Liangshan Marsh...
Xu Jing, the military governor of Shangdang, recommended this old friend to Gao Qiu.
Unfortunately, this man was a virtuous gentleman, and Gao Qiu did not value him; his repeated suggestions were all rejected.
After Gao Qiu's defeat, Wen Huanzhang was disheartened. After helping Liangshan to accept the imperial pardon, he returned to his secluded life in the mountains.
Zhao Yuan invited, "Professor Wen is a close friend of Brother Xu, and therefore also a friend of mine. Please come aboard the passenger ship and have a couple of drinks, how about it?"
Wen Huanzhang did not refuse and nodded.
They walked towards the dock together with Zhao Yuan and the others.
......
On the passenger ship at the dock,
The soldiers set out a table of food and wine.
Zhao Yuan, Yan Qing, and Wen Huanzhang sat at the table.
After several rounds of drinks,
Yan Qing, his eyes red, holding his wine cup, suddenly said,
"Chief, before my brother submitted his memorial to the Emperor, he left a message with Professor Wen, asking him to pass it on to me."
"Oh? I wonder what message Brother Xu left behind?" Zhao Yuan asked.
Yan Qing sighed, wiped his reddened eyes, and remained silent.
Seeing this, Wen Huanzhang had no choice but to say...
"Brother Xu asked me to tell this Brother Yanqing that this petition will surely lead to imprisonment, and if he is unfortunate, his life may be in danger. If he is killed, I hope that Brother Yanqing can take good care of his elderly mother at home."
These words immediately silenced Zhao Yuan.
The three remained silent for a moment.
Zhao Yuan sighed, "Brother Xu clearly wants to use his own life to make the court officials understand that the Jurchens are tigers and wolves, and that the so-called alliance with the Jurchens to attack Liao is nothing but asking a tiger for its skin."
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't warned Brother Xu about the dangers of the Jurchens, he wouldn't have suffered this calamity."
"How can this be blamed on the chieftain?"
Yan Qing shook his head and said, "Xiao Ke's elder brother is of noble character and stubborn personality. Even without the Jurchen incident, he would have offended important officials in the court sooner or later because of other things."
"I've heard Brother Xu mention this before. His knowledge of the Jurchens came from a friend. I never imagined that person would be Chief Zhao?"
Wen Huanzhang sighed, "Chief Zhao occupies Liangshan, acts on behalf of Heaven, and stands up for the people. I heard that the plague in Shandong was gradually brought under control, all thanks to the power of Liangshan."
"Chief Zhao was able to foresee the harm the Jin people would cause. With such insight and the Liangshan army, I wonder if you would be willing to accept amnesty? Although I have not yet entered officialdom, I know some people in the court and may be able to lend you a hand."
No sooner had Wen Huanzhang finished speaking than Zhao Yuan chuckled.
"Accept amnesty? Surrender to the imperial court, and then, like Brother Xu, offer your neck for execution?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Huanzhang immediately understood.
Someone like Zhao Yuan, who could see the Jurchens' interests clearly, how could he not know the corruption within the court?
Some people knowingly participate in such activities for fame and fortune.
Some, however, want to change the world and completely transform this corrupt world.
Zhao Yuan undoubtedly belongs to the latter category.
Seeing that Wen Huanzhang remained silent,
Zhao Yuan, on the contrary, advised, "As the saying goes, a tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives. Professor Wen, have you never thought about moving to a different place for yourself?"
"Is the chieftain trying to recruit me?" Wen Huanzhang was both amused and exasperated.
"Professor Wen is a man of great learning and talent. Is he really content to stay outside Tokyo and waste his life?"
Zhao Yuan shook his head and said, "Even if you really enter officialdom in the future, Professor Wen, do you think you will collude with those treacherous officials, or will you, like Brother Xu, get yourself imprisoned in just a few days?"
"this......"
Wen Huanzhang pondered for a moment, but did not reply.
In fact, how could a smart man like him not know the consequences of entering officialdom?
There's an old saying: "Mastering both literary and martial arts is the path to serving the emperor."
Wen Huanzhang was a scholar who, from a young age, was taught to be loyal to the emperor, serve his country, and bring honor to his ancestors.
Unfortunately, he failed the imperial examinations and could only live in a small rural village.
He used his talent and learning to gain favor with officials in the court, hoping that one day he could be recommended by them.
This can be considered a kind of confusion in his mind.
Now that Zhao Yuan had pointed it out, Wen Huanzhang was taken aback.
Thinking back on all those years of hard work, it seems like I've been doing nothing of value.
With that sudden loss of energy and spirit, he looked much older than before.
"I'll deal with my matter later,"
Wen Huanzhang said with a sigh, "The most important thing now is to save Brother Xu's life."
Chapter 265 The Prison
"Chief, Professor Wen has put in a great deal of effort these past few days to rescue Brother Xiao Ke,"
Yan Qing said, "These past few days, Professor Wen has asked some reasonable court officials to help him, and he has also found some storytellers among the common people to tell stories about the brutality of the Liao people."