novelhk Chapter 191 Overturning
Chapter 191 Overturning
Chapter 191 Overlapping
[Chapters 189-190 are brand new content; those who haven't read them yet can go back and check them out!]
General Chang gave the order, and the soldiers escorted the Black Wind Stronghold bandits to the execution ground in the city. Along the way, as they learned the identities of the prisoners, the people put down what they were doing and followed them to the execution ground. During this time, they threw vegetable leaves at the bandits and shouted, "These rotten people deserve to die! Heaven has finally seen the light and taken away you beasts!"
The soldiers did not stop the people's actions. Black Wind Stronghold committed numerous atrocities, not only robbing and killing wealthy merchants passing through Jibei Prefecture, but also robbing and seizing the people of Jibei Prefecture who were guarded by Black Wind Stronghold.
The people of Jibei Prefecture have long suffered under the Black Wind Village!
The bandits were led to the execution ground and made to kneel. All of the hundreds of people in Black Wind Stronghold, except for the newborn infants, had committed countless crimes with their hands stained with blood. Those sentenced to death by General Chang were all young and middle-aged men and women from the stronghold, totaling more than one hundred people. The other elderly and children had not committed any murders and could only be considered accomplices, whose death sentences were reduced to imprisonment or exile.
When the time for execution arrived, the general gave the order: "Execute!"
On the execution ground, burly men sprayed alcohol onto their cold blades, and with a swift motion, heads rolled to the ground. After a group of bandits died, the remaining bandits, staring at their deaths, could no longer maintain their composure and begged for mercy. But the executioners did not even flinch. With a downward slash, more than a hundred people were killed, their blood soaking the execution ground. Yet the people showed no fear, shouting and cheering.
With this matter settled, Zheng Hao has completed the task assigned by Emperor Jian'an, and he and Gu Lin should now set off to return to the capital with the imperial envoy.
However, the new military supervisor has not yet arrived, so Zheng Hao cannot leave Jibei Prefecture immediately.
Therefore, the imperial envoy first led a group of rebel generals back to the capital, while Zheng Hao remained in Jibei Prefecture to await the arrival of the new military supervisor.
After the Jibei Prefecture was truly calmed down, since the new prefect had not yet taken office, the affairs of the prefectural city were taken over by the sub-prefect.
Knowing that Prefect Ren had been brought down by Military Supervisor Zheng, the Vice Prefect adopted an exceptionally humble attitude in front of Zheng Hao. This Vice Prefect was not the original one; he had just been promoted from below. The previous Vice Prefect had already fallen from power along with Prefect Ren.
Of course, this was also done by Zheng Hao. He had always remembered the scene when Uncle Gu was harassed in the bustling city.
late at night.
Da Zhuo returned from outside, looking travel-worn but showing no signs of fatigue; his eyes shone like fire.
Upon entering the study, Da Zhuo addressed the young military supervisor behind the desk: "My lord, I have successfully completed my mission. I have found all the gold and treasures that Yu Feng had hidden underground in Black Wind Village."
On the night of the assassination attempt at the inn, Zheng Hao captured Liu San Niang and the others, but did not kill them immediately. Instead, he investigated all the details of Black Wind Stronghold and only sent Liu San Niang and the others to prison after entering Jibei Prefecture.
The ruthless Prefect Ren recognized Liu San Niang and, seeing that Zheng Hao's men were monitoring her and unable to rescue her, feared exposing his collusion with Yu Feng and Black Wind Village. So, he simply poisoned Liu San Niang and her group to death. Poor Liu San Niang wanted to send out a message to protect Black Wind Village before she died.
Zheng Hao looked up and asked, "Approximately how much silver?"
Da Zhuo said, "Adding everything up, a rough estimate is about 200 million taels of silver."
Faced with the sudden windfall, Zheng Hao remained calm and said in a deep voice, "Give 10% to Niu Qiang and let him secretly recruit soldiers."
Meeting his master's deep, dark eyes, Da Zhuo's heart tightened, and he replied with a start, "Yes!"
Gu Lin took a car out of the mansion and headed to the white porcelain factory. As soon as he arrived, he saw Yu Ercheng walking out and called out to him.
"Where are you going, Ercheng?"
Hearing his voice, Yu Ercheng was somewhat surprised. He turned around and said to Gu Lin, who was sitting in the carriage, "Master, I was just about to come and find you."
Before Gu Lin could ask what the other party wanted to see him about, Yu Ercheng said, "Master Ning and his craftsmen have successfully produced glass."
Upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashed across Gu Lin's face, and the gloom that had been hanging over him for the past few days vanished. He said, "Let's go, let's go take a look."
Upon entering the white porcelain factory and heading towards the porcelain kiln, Gu Lin saw Ning Fangshi holding a crystal-clear object that sparkled in the sunlight.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that this was exactly the glass he wanted!
Upon seeing him, Ning Fangshi walked over and said, "I didn't expect Ercheng to invite you over so quickly. The glasswork isn't finished yet; I was planning to invite you over in a few days."
Pointing to the flawless glass in the other person's arms, Gu Lin said, "Isn't this perfect?"
He did not see any cracks or flaws on the surface of the glass.
Ning Fangshi shook his head slightly, looked down at the glass bottle, and said with dissatisfaction, "The glass produced now is not pure enough and has not achieved the crystal clear and flawless effect you described."
With the exquisite white porcelain, as delicate as snow and as beautiful as pearls and jade, Ning Fangshi set increasingly higher standards for himself. His goal was not to achieve the highest level of craftsmanship in the world for the glass he produced, but to surpass it.
Gu Lin hadn't noticed until now, when he looked down and saw that the sunlight was strong and the light was reflected on the glass, making the surface of the glass bottle appear slightly blue.
Recalling the rare knowledge about glassmaking in his mind, Gu Lin asked, "But the raw materials are impure?"
Ning Fangshi replied, "After firing the white porcelain last time, I paid attention to the purification of the raw materials, so it shouldn't be a problem with the raw materials."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin frowned slightly in thought. Suddenly, he looked up and asked, "Is it possible that the temperature of the glass kiln is not high enough?"
Ning Fangshi's gaze immediately fell upon them.
Gu Lin said, "I remember that the ancient book that records how to fire glass emphasized that the temperature during the firing process is very important. If the temperature is not high enough, some impurities may remain in the glass."
"The fact that the glass is now bluish-green is very likely because the temperature of the glass kiln was not high enough."
Upon hearing this, Ning Fangshi frowned. He began pacing back and forth, clutching the glass bottle. Gu Lin did not interrupt his thoughts.
He was also pondering how to solve this problem.
Suddenly, a good idea flashed into Gu Lin's mind, and he asked, "Has Master Ning ever heard of a bellows?"
Snapping out of his reverie, Ning Fangshi said, "I've heard of it; it seems to be a tool used in the kitchen to increase the fire in the stove..."
Before Ning Fangshi could finish speaking, a flash of inspiration struck him. He stopped, his eyes fixed on the young man in front of him, as if he knew what the other was about to say.
Ning Fangshi murmured, "...Bellbox...Bellbox, how come I didn't think of that? Since bellows can be used to increase the flame of a stove, then by the same logic, it should also be able to increase the temperature of a glass kiln."
Seeing that the other party was gradually getting the hang of things, Gu Lin further reminded him: "The bellows in the kitchen is too rudimentary. It blows air every time it is squeezed, and it needs to re-intake air when it is released. If a double-acting bellows could be developed, the efficiency would definitely be greatly improved."
Seeing that Ning Fangshi had fallen into deep thought again, Gu Lin did not show him the drawing of the double-acting bellows. Firstly, he only had a superficial understanding of it, and secondly, he could not always feed him; he needed to give him space to think and create.
Gu Lin gave Yu Ercheng a few instructions before turning and leaving.
As soon as Gu Lin stepped out of the white porcelain factory, he saw a young man riding a fine horse coming toward him.
He looked up and asked, "How did you get here?"
Zheng Hao dismounted and approached Gu Lin, holding the reins: "I just came back from the military camp to pick up Uncle Gu."
With his eyes half-lowered, he noticed the young man in front of him looking curiously at the tall horse beside him. A thought struck him, and he asked, "Uncle Gu, would you like to try riding?"
Gu Lin was eager to try it out, but he didn't know how to ride a horse and was afraid the horse would throw him off.
"I'm with Uncle Gu, there won't be any danger." Zheng Hao's expression remained unchanged, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true intentions.
Hearing the young man's assurance, Gu Lin didn't hesitate and said, "I'll give it a try."
Stepping forward, Zheng Hao first taught Gu Lin how to mount a horse. Gu Lin listened attentively, and when the young man stopped talking, he stepped into the stirrups and mounted the horse. His movements were clumsy but agile, and he was soon sitting on the horse's back.
Although it wasn't the first time Gu Lin had ridden a horse, it was the first time he had managed to mount it himself. Gu Lin was very curious and looked around, his face and eyes full of curiosity.
"Uncle Gu, sit down." Zheng Hao reminded him. Gu Lin's vision blurred, and he saw the young military supervisor turn over and sit down behind him.
The large, warm hands that held the reins in front of him covered his back, and the young man's broad, firm chest pressed against his back. Gu Lin felt a tingling sensation run down his spine and muttered, "How am I supposed to ride like this?"
Without defending himself, and seeing that it was getting dark, Zheng Hao was worried about letting Uncle Gu ride alone.
He patiently comforted the person in front of him: "It was my fault. How about I teach Uncle Gu to ride a horse another day?"
The surrounding roads were empty, and the horse might run into people if it moved. Gu Lin didn't dare to ride alone for fear of bumping into pedestrians, so he nodded slightly to show his agreement with a reserved demeanor.
Although the White Porcelain Factory was located in the city, it was in a remote corner. In addition, Zheng Hao and Gu Lin rode back on horseback along a small road, so they did not encounter many pedestrians.
Sitting on horseback, with a cool breeze blowing, Gu Lin soon felt a bit cold.
Zheng Hao felt the person in front of him flinch. He held the reins in one hand and took out a cloak from the side of the horse with the other, draping it over Gu Lin with one hand: "Uncle Gu, bear with it for a moment, we'll be there soon."
With the cloak blocking the wind, Gu Lin felt much warmer once he put it on. His clothes, which had been letting in drafts everywhere, were now covered.
Gu Lin moved his body and suddenly felt a hard object inside his cloak. He reached in and pulled it out to find a finely crafted wooden box.
"This is······?"
Looking down at the wooden box in front of him, Gu Lin turned to ask the young man.
Upon seeing the wooden box in the young man's hand, Zheng Hao's expression changed slightly, and he tightened his grip on the reins.
Seeing the other party's reaction, Gu Lin, who was initially somewhat curious but not necessarily needed to know, now had his curiosity reach its peak. What could it be that made the other party react so strongly?
Zheng Hao noticed the young man's inquisitive expression. He knew that keeping it from him would only fuel the man's curiosity, and besides...
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly. There was nothing to hide about the contents of the box; it was just a bit of a pity to show it to someone so suddenly…
Zheng Hao said, "This was originally something I prepared to give to Uncle Gu. If Uncle Gu is curious, he can open it and take a look."
what?
Upon hearing that the item in his hand was a gift from the other party, Gu Lin's expression showed surprise, and his hands, holding the wooden box, were still somewhat at a loss.
Although he had received many gifts from Zheng Hao, those were all in the past, before the two of them had made their relationship official.
Strictly speaking, the item in his hand was the first gift Zheng Hao gave him after he expressed his feelings for him.
Gu Lin lowered his head and opened the wooden box. In the glow of the setting sun, he saw a jade pendant of Guanyin placed on a soft silk cloth inside the box.
Gu Lin looked stunned.
Amidst the rustling of the wind, the young man's chest trembled slightly as he said, "Guanyin is merciful and protects you. Uncle Gu is frail, so wearing the Guanyin jade pendant can reduce illness and eliminate pain."
Gu Lin's hand tightened around the wooden box. He lowered his eyes. The young man behind him, who had never believed in ghosts or gods, was now claiming to be protected by Guanyin and Buddha.
Not hearing a reply from the person in front of him, and thinking that Uncle Gu had always regarded him as a man and thought that he had angered the other party by giving him the Guanyin jade pendant instead of the Buddha jade pendant, Zheng Hao's heart sank slightly. He explained, "I did not mean to not give him the Buddha jade pendant. The abbot of the temple said that the Buddha jade pendant symbolizes enlightenment, wisdom and transcendence of suffering, which is not suitable for Uncle Gu's situation. The Guanyin jade pendant is more likely to protect Uncle Gu and keep him safe and healthy."
Taking out the jade pendant from the box, Gu Lin held the red string that pierced through it and asked in a low, slightly nasal voice, "When did you go to the temple?"
Zheng Hao lowered his head and saw that the young man's eyelids were half closed: "A few days ago, when Uncle Gu caught a cold due to the change in environment, I went to a temple in the suburbs to have the abbot consecrate the jade pendant."
Gu Lin knew that the cold the other party was referring to was not the time when he pretended to be sick to deceive General Yu's wife, but rather the period when he had been suffering from a serious illness for half a month after arriving in Jibei Prefecture, but had been constantly suffering from colds.
"Didn't you always say, 'The Master did not speak of ghosts and spirits'?"
Gu Lin asked, "How can you go against your own beliefs?"
As Mencius said, "The heart of compassion is the beginning of benevolence."
The Master did not speak of ghosts and spirits because the way of Heaven is far away while the way of man is near. Therefore, Confucius advocated focusing on real people and things.
However, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly. Uncle Gu had been ill for a long time and he had searched for doctors everywhere, even the imperial physicians in the palace. They all said that Uncle Gu needed to rest. Zheng Hao knew this, but he could not bear to see Uncle Gu suffer from illness again and again.
A deep voice came from behind him, and Zheng Hao said, "That's my wish."
He hopes that Uncle Gu will have many more years like this. If Uncle Gu lives to be a hundred years old and it requires the lifespan of others to be used to offset it, then so be it. He only wants Uncle Gu to enjoy the world without illness or pain.
The young man didn't say it explicitly, but Gu Lin could sense the deep affection behind it.
For the first time, he realized how important he was to Zheng Hao.
With his back to the young man, Gu Lin opened and closed his lips several times but did not speak.
After a moment, he closed his eyes slightly, his expression filled with unspeakable heartache, sorrow, and reluctance.
He said softly, "If I'm gone..."
Before Gu Lin could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the young man.
His body tensed as Zheng Haoyi grabbed him around the waist and turned him to face the young man.
Zheng Hao's face was icy cold, and his voice was deep: "Uncle Gu, I can't stand hearing such words."
Seeing the obsession and growing madness in the young man's eyes, Gu Lin felt a chill run down his spine, but insisted, "You are you. Even if I'm gone, you must live on, for me..."
Before he could finish speaking, the young man leaned over and kissed Gu Lin's opening and closing lips, forcing him to swallow his words.