Chapter Twelve Fairness and Unfairness

  Outside the west gate of Guangzhou city, a new military camp was set up. Inside the camp, large wooden houses were lined up in an orderly manner, surrounded by a circle of wooden fences with trees blocking the view from afar. However, within a few li, there were armored soldiers checking, not allowing idle people to approach.

  "Hey! Ha!" The shouts echoed through the military camp, as soldiers sweated profusely, either practicing formations or engaging in hand-to-hand combat.

  Guangzhou General Fuliang, Deputy Commander Ye Zhao, Song Yu and other three senior officials, accompanied by attendants, inspected the military camp, with their foreign instructor Peter.

  "Not bad, not bad." Fuliang smiled and turned back to Peter: "Mr. Peter, if someone disobeys military orders, you have the right to deal with them severely!"

  Following Furuya's side, the triangular-eyed interpreter translated, and Peter looked at Ye Zhaoyang with a puzzled face. He thought that training these three camps of firearms would definitely be listening to Ye Zhaoyang for everything.

  Ye Zhaoming just smiled and nodded at Peter.

  Fu Liang's hand moved too quickly, and a few days ago he vetoed Ye Zhao's proposal for the three battalions' numbering. Ye Zhao had originally wanted the three artillery battalions to ignore the distinction between Manchu and Han, and be named "Zhenwei", "Zhenwu" and "Zhenhe". But who knew that Fu Liang would smile slyly and say that they still couldn't blur the distinction between the Manchu and Green Banners, lest the Eight Banners and Green Banners' commanders have disputes in the future.

  Today, Fula not only came to inspect the military camp in person, but also brought Han Jun's deputy commander, Song Yu, making it clear that the three camps of artillery soldiers were under his command, and even if Song Yu was a deputy commander, he was still his superior.

  The firearms have not yet arrived in Guangzhou, and the training of the three battalions is just a warm-up. In addition to drilling and combat training, every day Peter would spend an hour explaining Western firearms knowledge. Each battalion has 500 men, divided into five companies, with six or seven squads in each company, and 15 men in each squad. The squad leader was called the "squad leader". Ye Zhao didn't understand military affairs, but he knew that a well-trained army relied on its most basic officers, the squad leaders. If both sides had fearless warriors, it would be difficult to win even if they wanted to. The "squad leaders" of the firearms battalion were probably equivalent to the platoon leaders in later military systems.

  The Firearm Battalion's rations and pay were the same as those of the Eight Banners troops stationed in the area, which was not much higher than that of the Green Standard Army. Therefore, whether it was selecting elite soldiers from the Green Standard Army or posting recruitment notices, many people flocked to join, without requiring much effort.

  In addition, Ye Zhao also prepared to hire some regular soldiers and laborers, mobilize civilians during wartime, and cultivate a system of logistics and supplies in peacetime.

  However, Ye Zhao did not think that although his idea was good, Fuliang's hand stretched longer and faster. At this rate of development, it is feared that by the time the firearms soldiers are trained, the true commander will have become Fuliang, while he himself will be marginalized and relegated to a role similar to that of a drill officer.

  Looking at the calm and composed white chubby walking in front of her, Ye Zhaos smile gradually faded.

  ……

  In the backyard of Taihe Hall, under a green banyan tree, Ye Zha lay on a bamboo chair, gently swaying his fan and closing his eyes to rest.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Autumn Shopkeeper coming in and out several times, seemingly wanting to say something to him, but each time shaking his head and retreating again.

  As soon as Dong Qiuzhu opened the back door of the silver shop and entered the small courtyard, Ye Zhao sat up with a smile, "Shopkeeper, is there something?"

  Qiu Zhanggui smiled awkwardly and said, "Nothing, nothing at all."

  Ye Zhao beckoned to him with a wave of his hand, saying with interest: "Come over, you come over, whatever it is just say it, I don't like beating around the bush. Come over, sit here." He pointed to the round stool beside him.

  Qiu Zhanggui walked over with a smile and sat down, seeing Ye Zhao reach out to take the teapot on the long table, he quickly reached out to grab it, "I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself."

  He poured a cup of tea, and after pondering for a moment, Autumn saw Ye Zhao staring at him. He leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice, "Master, have you ever heard of the Gongping Party?"

  Ye Zhao was taken aback: "Fairness Party? What Fairness Party?"

  Seeing Dongjia's expression didn't seem fake, Qiuzhanggui let out a sigh of relief, "That's good, that's good, since Dongjia doesn't know, it couldn't be better."

  Ye Zhaqi said: "What's going on after all? Tell me and I'll listen." Gong Ping Party? Now it's 1854, but I haven't heard of any party gangs in this era.

  Qiu Zhanggui's expression was relaxed, and he smiled, saying "I have a cousin who has been doing business in Guilin, Guangxi for many years. He came to Guangzhou the other day and said that he had joined the Gongping Party, and also tried to persuade me to join, but I flatly refused."

  Ye Zhaowu furrowed his brow and said: "This nephew of yours must not implicate you, bandits are most fond of deceiving people's hearts." Of course it was just an act.

  He nodded slightly, "I understand, but this Fair Party doesn't seem to be a group of rebels who kill officials and start riots. I've heard that many scholars and merchants from Guangxi have joined, and their influence is widespread. The Fair Party advocates for the rights and interests of scholars and merchants... they want the right to free speech, and advocate for unity and dialogue between scholars, merchants, and the government. I've also heard that in rural areas, they promote rent reduction and speak up for the poor. Most of the party members are like my cousin, ordinary merchants with no power or influence."

  Ye Zhaoye's eyes widened as he listened, the teacup in his hand was empty, but he had forgotten to refill it. How could this be? It seemed that in one of his own humorous writings, he had mentioned the possibility of establishing a political party in the current Qing dynasty, but Guangxi?

  Thinking of this, Ye Zhao was stunned again.

  "Alright, let's just say that this kind of gang activity isn't a good thing. Since the master doesn't know about it, let's just forget I ever said anything today."

  Ye Zhaowu nodded slightly, but was somewhat puzzled: "Boss, why did you suddenly think of asking me this?"

  Qiu Zhanggui felt a bit embarrassed, thought for a moment and spoke directly, "Not to deceive Dongjia, I heard from my cousin that the leader of this Gongping Party, also called the party chief, has exactly the same name as Dongjia. The party members respectfully call him Ye Wang."

  Ye Zhao's teacup fell to the ground with a loud crash, and at this moment he was convinced that it must be Su Hongniang, that little girl, who had created this absurd "Fairness Party", which was not only unreasonable but also made herself the mysterious leader. But, in today's society, the more mysterious the leader is, the more marketable they are. Who knows what other unnecessary mystical colors she has added to herself?

  Qiu Zhanggui saw Ye Zhaomo's appearance and smiled: "Master, don't be afraid. Since it has nothing to do with you, I can also put my mind at ease. Thinking that the world is so big, there are still few people with the same name and surname? It was just me being overly cautious." As he spoke, he helped Ye Zhaomo pick up the tea cup.

  It seems that the autumn shopkeeper's tone became more serious, and he leaned in closer to Ye Zhao, lowering his voice even further. "I also heard that this Ping Party has a crack troop in Wuzhou that has helped the party members get out of trouble, killing a wealthy but ruthless family. They're actually quite good to ordinary scholars and officials, but they've had conflicts with the government before. I heard that the local county government's soldiers were at a disadvantage, so they don't dare to provoke them easily anymore. And the Ping Party doesn't provoke the government either; it's all peaceful." As the conversation became more lively, the autumn shopkeeper decided to reveal his deepest secret, almost whispering in Ye Zhao's ear: "I heard that this crack troop is protected by the Holy Mother, and the Holy Mother herself has descended to be their commander. It's also said that the leader of the Ping Party, Ye Wang, is actually the reincarnation of the Demon-Slaying Great Emperor, and he and the Holy Mother are husband and wife who have come down together to save humanity." When mentioning "Ye Wang", the autumn shopkeeper paused for a moment, suddenly remembering that this Ye Wang shared the same name and surname as his master.

  Ye Zhaowas so shocked that he could put an egg in his mouth, what a mess this is, and the myth has come out, it's really the late Qing's unique gang, the propaganda to the scholars is one set, while the words to the rural people are another set, but there's no way, the people's wisdom hasn't opened up yet, especially in the countryside, these ghostly legends can deceive people's hearts.

  And then, without knowing whose name to borrow from the Guangxi gentry, he put on a militia uniform and didn't mention anything about restoring the Qing dynasty. It was actually a good idea, slowly accumulating strength, and the prospects looked bright.

  Virgin? Ye Zhao couldn't help but think of that enchanting, soft and delicate body, his heart skipped a beat. But thinking about the next time he met Su Hongniang, she might not easily let him touch her again, he felt a bit annoyed, but didn't know when he could make her truly like him.

  Autumn Shopkeeper's voice was low, almost inaudible to Ye Zhao, "However, I think this Holy Mother's arrival is suspicious. Wu Prefecture is the territory of Su Luo Cha, the number one female rebel." As soon as he mentioned Su Luo Cha, Autumn Shopkeeper suddenly stopped and felt a chill on the back of his neck. He quickly looked around, as if the red-robed woman might appear at any moment and behead him with a knife. He dared not say another word.

  Seeing the look of fear on Autumn's face, Ye Zhao couldn't help but laugh. This little girl, with a reputation in two provinces, was too famous, wasn't she?

  ……

  Qiu Zhanggui regretted it before he left, saying that his cousin was so honest and might quit when he returned to Guangxi. It seemed that he thought this Public Interest Party was a gang-like organization after all, and if the master went to the government office to report it, and the government handled it as a case, his cousin would likely be imprisoned.

  Ye Zhaoyi smiled and comforted him a few words, saying that he would definitely keep his mouth shut and pretend he hadn't heard anything. The leader of the Gongping Party had the same name and surname as himself; was he going to report it just for fun?

  Qiu Zhanggui heard this and didn't deny it, just as Rui Si happened to be panting and running over, Qiu Zhanggui then returned to the front of the silver shop.

  "Master!" Rui Si knelt down and kowtowed.

  Ye Zhaowu frowned and said: "As I said before, everything will be simple and straightforward."

  Rui Si smiled and said: "There are no outsiders here, I dare not, etiquette cannot be abandoned!"

  Ye Zhaoglu gave him a stern look, but didn't say anything else. After all these years, he had long been accustomed to living a life of luxury and extravagance.

  Rui stood up and said in a low voice, "Master, I've investigated and found that Fuliang is a lecherous scoundrel. As soon as he arrived in Guangzhou, he bought a house at Dongde Gate, and several courtesans from Guangzhou have been to his residence."

  Ye Zhaowu frowned and said: "Is that all?" Although officials are not allowed to be intimate with prostitutes, this is really not a big deal. Can you move Fuliang just because of this?

  This Guangzhou general, however, can only take advantage of his unsteadiness and find flaws in him. He never thought that he would be dealt with by himself, with thunderous means, striking the enemy off guard. Now is the best opportunity, if waiting for a longer day, he will have taken root and become even more vigilant against himself, making it even more difficult to deal with him.

  Who would have thought that I would be taking action now?

  Rui Si's eyes rolled a few times, and he said: "Master, I've bribed one of the servants of this pig-headed person. If not, it would be better to hand it over to the slave to handle." Since the master wanted to get rid of Fuliang, Rui Si was also straightforward, calling him a pig-head on the left and a turtle egg on the right.

  Ye Zhao just smiled and said: "What do you want to do?"

  Rui Si gritted her teeth and said: "In that case, let's not do things by halves. Let's give him an overdose of medicine and end his life once and for all. If it's too much, then no one can blame us."

  Ye Zhaosheng smiled and said: "Does he still use it?"

  "Look at him, so stupid. If he didn't have the Golden Stone Pill, would he still be able to play with women?" As soon as he said this, he stuck out his tongue and lightly slapped himself on the face, "I'm a fool for speaking coarsely, I'll punish myself."

  Ye Zhaowu frowned and said, "Stop pretending."

  Rui Si just smiled foolishly.

  Ye Zhaofan fanned himself with his fan and said, "You're all full of useless ideas here."

  Rui Si smiled and said, "With the master around, why would I need to use my brain? The master's ideas are upright and brilliant, so I can only come up with some mediocre and rotten ideas."

  Ye Zhao fanned herself and pondered for a moment before asking, "Was it possible to find out what treasure Song Yu had sent to Fuliang?"

  Rui Si angrily said: "No, these two scoundrels are cunning, I haven't found any clues." As he spoke, his eyes lit up and he said: "Master, but this Song Yu, a few years ago, forcibly took a commoner's daughter as his concubine and drove someone to death."

  "Driven to death?" Ye Zhao was taken aback.

  Rui Si Dao said: "Yes, I heard that the woman's husband died a terrible death, he was beaten to death by someone. Later, the woman also hanged herself in Song Yu's mansion."

  What Rui Si said was ordinary, but the shock in Ye Zhao's heart can be imagined. He had not left the capital for 20 years, and under the imperial city, even if it were a yellow belt holder who acted lawlessly, there should still be some limits. To violently rob civilians, bully and beat their husbands to death, was truly shocking to hear. What was even more astonishing was that Rui Si knew about such things, yet despite being notorious in every street and alleyway, no one had ever brought him to justice or punished him for his crimes.

  Mutern, you this Guangzhou general did a good job!

  What kind of hardships did those mandarin ducks who were forced to death suffer before their death? How did they resent the injustice of this world?

  Ye Zha picked up his teacup and sipped his tea silently.

  Rui Si's eyes were wide with fear. Although Master seemed calm and collected, he was actually even more terrifying at this moment. Rui Si tightly closed her mouth, not even daring to breathe heavily beside him.

  …………………………

  Votes...