Chapter 91

Yang Zhi was greatly startled upon hearing this, standing rooted to the spot, and exclaimed, "What do you mean, Brother?"

Wang Lun did not finish speaking, but merely nodded at Shi Qian. Seeing this, Shi Qian immediately shouted, and a dozen or so small bandits carried out eleven boxes from behind. Shi Qian then stepped forward to open each box one by one. The dazzling light emitted by the ten thousand strings of gold and pearls made Yang Zhi's tearful eyes blink continuously. Yang Zhi, seeing the genuine birthday tribute, could no longer contain his anger and rushed to the boxes, grabbing wildly. He glared at the white-robed scholar and roared, "Wang Lun! Those枣贩子 (date vendors) are all people you sent!?"

With a crack, Lu Zhishen's armrest beside him was instantly broken by his slap. Although Lin Chong and Xu Ning remained seated, they had already gripped the back of their chairs, ready to prevent Yang Zhi from suddenly attacking. The other leaders, following the three Ruan brothers, stood up and began to curse. Only Wen Huanzhang looked at Yang Zhi with interest. At this moment, Du Qian and Song Wan could no longer bear it and drew their knives, saying, "Brother, why bother with this man's life? If he wants to be a dog for Liang Zhongshu, let him be! Our stronghold doesn't need such an unrighteous person!"

Seeing that Yang Zhi's outburst had provoked the anger of everyone, Wang Lun sighed and thought to himself that despite all the experiences Yang Zhi had gone through, he still stubbornly wanted to serve the court. It seemed that a person's lifelong commitment was not so easy to change.

Wang Lun waved his hand, and everyone quieted down. He took a step forward and looked at Yang Zhi, saying calmly, "The people who robbed you at Yellow Mud Slope hate me to the bone. The leader is Chao Gai, who has a grudge against our stronghold. Do you think they are from our stronghold?"

Yang Zhi, seeing Wang Lun's gaze, initially stood firm, but after hearing his words and seeing his calm and clear eyes, he felt a sense of guilt. He instinctively lowered his head, unable to meet his gaze. The stimulation he had received in these seven or eight hours was too great, making his mind a complete mess. After a while, he said, "Then, why is the birthday tribute here?" His voice was already much weaker.

At this moment, Shi Qian stepped forward with a smug look and said, "Yang Zhi, didn't you see me when you stayed at the inn?"

Yang Zhi, seeing this person, suddenly realized and said, "How did you manage to pull off the switch without me or Chao Gai knowing?"

Shi Qian chuckled and said, "Yang Zhi, you are too confident. You dared to carry the birthday tribute with only fifteen people. Do you know how many people in the world are after this shipment? Even if Chao Gai didn't get it, do you think you could reach Tokyo safely? When you left the city, your route was already known by those with ill intentions. You were still so proud and thought you were clever! If I were you, I would have gathered a command of five hundred cavalry and asked each state and prefecture to escort you along the way. Who would dare to intercept you then?"

Yang Zhi was immediately deflated upon hearing this. Shi Qian chuckled and sat back down without saying more. At this moment, a voice sighed, "It seems that Yang Zhi is determined to follow Liang Zhongshu to the bitter end! Fine, you can take these eleven boxes of treasure, but the world is dangerous. You must be careful in the future! If anything goes wrong, I will be powerless to help!" The scholar finished speaking and left, waving his sleeve. Wen Huanzhang followed, glancing back at Yang Zhi with a deep gaze. Jiao Ting naturally did not say anything and followed the leader into the back hall.

Seeing Wang Lun leave, the others also left in twos and threes, still cursing Yang Zhi as they went. Yang Zhi, unable to stand straight, only lowered his head and remained silent. At this moment, Xu Ning stood up and said to Yang Zhi, "Thanks to you, I was brought up the mountain, and I don't blame you! But I have a word of advice for you: bowing down to that corrupt official will not end well. I know you are not convinced, thinking it's just mutual exploitation. But do you think he sees you the same way? If one day he can no longer benefit from you, think about my fate!"

Xu Ning was about to leave, but Yang Zhi quickly stepped forward to stop him, eager to explain. Xu Ning sighed, patted his shoulder, and said, "You are from a family of generals for three generations, and I am not a stone. My ancestors, though not as prominent as yours, were also royal guards. Look at me now. Brother, I have said my piece. Take care of yourself!" Xu Ning then left, leaving Yang Zhi speechless.

Just as Xu Ning left, Lu Zhishen also stood up, saying nothing and preparing to leave. Yang Zhi, weakly, called out to him, "Tixia!"

Lu Zhishen stopped but did not turn around, saying, "Don't mention that you know me in the future. It makes me uncomfortable!" He then strode out.

With everyone gone, only Lin Chong remained seated. Yang Zhi bowed to him and said, "Why don't you leave, Brother Lin? Are you waiting to see my humiliation?"

Lin Chong looked at Yang Zhi with a calm face and said, "I will stay with you until you calm down, and then I will see you off the mountain!"

Yang Zhi, moved by Xu Ning and Lu Zhishen's righteousness, felt extremely aggrieved. Hearing Lin Chong's gentle words, he suddenly felt a surge of sorrow and shouted:

"I am born low! I am born to be a dog for that corrupt official! I was loyal and diligent in the Huashi Gang, but my ship was hit by a storm! I endured for so long, and only after a general amnesty did I sell my family's property to seek a way through that corrupt official Gao Qiu, but he wouldn't even look at me! I was left with no country to return to and no home to go to. That night in Tokyo, not a single former colleague came to my aid! I, Yang Zhi, a descendant of the Golden Saber Yang Linggong, had to stand in front of the Fanlou with a sign to sell my sword! My family's heirloom sword! Lin Chong, I wasn't selling a sword; I was selling my family's century-old reputation..."

At this point, Yang Zhi could no longer hold back and began to cry loudly, his voice like a lonely soul in the wilderness or a wild wolf's howl. Lin Chong, seeing him in this state, felt deep sorrow and sighed, sitting quietly to let him vent. Yang Zhi, with a bloodshot gaze, raised his head and continued:

"Later, I met the imperial son-in-law Wang Taiwei and gave him my only sword in exchange for a future. I was extremely cautious, but even the dog official looked down on me, deducting fifty taels for travel expenses and sending me away like a beggar! Brother, I am a descendant of a national hero, a national hero! How much blood has my family shed for this court? How many lives have we lost? My grandfather died on the battlefield, for whom? But to that corrupt official, I am nothing, just a beggar!"

At this point, Yang Zhi's tears seemed to have run dry, and he could only howl like a wolf. He continued, "Even so, I still cherished that letter, traveling without delay to the Great Name Prefecture, serving Liang Zhongshu with utmost care, afraid of any negligence. But the first task he gave me was to deliver a bribe! I, Yang Zhi, a national warrior, was seen as nothing more than a lackey! If it were just that, it would be bearable, but in today's world, where is there not such corruption? So, I was grateful for his favor and was determined to deliver the birthday tribute to Cai Jing in Tokyo. But he secretly suspected me and sent an old man to monitor me on the way. I, Yang Zhi, a national warrior, was controlled by an old man! How could I face my ancestors?"

By this point, Yang Zhi seemed to have exhausted all his energy, leaning weakly against a chair, staring at the plaque on the wall that read "Acting on Heaven's Behalf." His eyes blazed with determination, and he suddenly jumped up, shouting, "Very well! Lin Chong, I hope that one day you will kill all these corrupt officials and ensure that all those with aspirations do not suffer like me!"

Without pausing, he rushed towards a stone pillar in the hall. Lin Chong, seeing this, was startled and could not get up in time to stop him. However, he reacted quickly, grabbing a chair and throwing it at Yang Zhi. The force of the throw was great, and it knocked Yang Zhi off his feet, causing him to crash into a wooden chair and break several others.

Lin Chong quickly helped him up. Yang Zhi, with his eyes tightly closed, was trembling uncontrollably, clearly in deep sorrow. He said painfully, "Lin Chong, why do you save me? Isn't it just making me suffer more?"

"Brother Yang, if everyone in the world were like you, who would support the state and save the people? Think about Brother Wang Lun; he helps his brothers with whatever he can. If he had more power, he would help the people! Look at the corrupt officials in the court, only thinking of their own survival, never doing their part. How can they respect you? You are not afraid of death, so why be afraid of living?" Lin Chong shouted at him.

Yang Zhi, as if struck by a thunderbolt, tightly grabbed Lin Chong, stood up, and clenched his fists, rushing to the eleven boxes of the birthday tribute. He punched them fiercely and screamed, "Heaven! It's not that I, Yang Zhi, am not capable, but this court cannot tolerate my capability! Today, I am at a dead end, unable to die. I will listen to Lin Chong's words and stay here to repay Wang Lun's kindness! Heaven! It's not that I, Yang Zhi, am not loyal or filial, but this corrupt heaven cannot tolerate a loyal and filial son!" (To be continued)

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PS: I have been writing from morning until now, and my head is spinning. I just finished three chapters. I will take a shower to clear my head and then continue writing. I won't sleep until I finish the fourth chapter. The deputy editor told me that many readers are supporting me in the comments, which moved her. I don't have time to read the comments now, but I want to thank everyone for your support! Thank you all!