Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 59: Jian Yan's Successor
Zhang Wen was very happy to hear that Lu Jin was really going to marry his sister, and as his legal wife.

Now Lu Jin is a commander in chief, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers and occupying several cities. If my sister marries him and if things really work out in the future, wouldn't my sister be the queen?
Wouldn't the son born by my sister be the crown prince? Then I would be the emperor's uncle!

How many people can resist such temptation?

After Zhang Yunxiu put away the medicine and came back, Zhang Wen was about to speak, but Zhang Yunxiu asked first.

"Brother, did you discuss this punishment with Brother Lu in advance?"

"Ah."

Zhang Wen knew that his sister was smart, and Lu Jin didn't seem to have any intention of hiding anything from her just now, so he nodded immediately, but he also quickly gave another instruction.

"It's okay as long as you know the truth about this matter. Don't ask for details, and I won't tell you. Just pretend you don't know. Zhu Shou, Brother Lu and I were the first three to know each other and joined the army together.

“Those people in Chaohu may be brothers, but how can they compare to me and Zhu Shou? You must remember that Brother Lu will not harm us.”

Zhang Yunxiu naturally understood this logic. Since her brother's punishment was agreed upon in advance, she had nothing to complain about. She nodded immediately to show that she understood.

But Zhang Wen's next words made her face blush again.

"Sister, let me tell you something. That day, my elder brother told you that he wanted you to marry elder brother Lu. It just so happened that he was not married, and you were not married either, and you two got along well. I thought this was a good idea. What do you think? I'm not kidding you, I'm serious."

Zhang Yunxiu's face turned red when she heard this, but luckily it was dark in the room and she couldn't see anything even with the oil lamp.

Thinking of Lu Jin's handsome appearance, calm manners, profound knowledge, and the fact that he is now a commander-in-chief, Zhang Yunxiu was naturally very satisfied and had long had a good impression of Lu Jin.

If it were an ordinary year, it would never be her turn as a peasant girl to marry into such a good family, let alone become the legal wife. But it was different now. The world was in chaos, rebel armies were rising up, and her elder brother was an important general under Lu Jin.

Then this marriage can be considered as a "match made in heaven", and Lu Jin is the master of the eldest brother, so marrying her will also be beneficial to the eldest brother in the future.

Whether for herself or for her elder brother, she was willing to marry.

So he said this shyly.

"Brother, our parents passed away early, and now there are only two of us in the family. They say that the eldest brother is like a father. Since you have said so, I will marry you.

"It's just that I'm the one who usually takes care of the household. If I get married, won't you be left without someone to cook and wash clothes?"

Zhang Wen was quite happy when he heard the first part, but he slapped the bed angrily after hearing the second part.

"What is your brother's current status? You can get married, but I can't get married. Is there any need for you to worry about it?"

In Chao County, in a small boat near the shore of Chaohu Lake, Liao Yongan, Liao Yongjian and Jin Chaoxing were discussing the specific plan for attacking the city, while Yu Tonghai and Zhao Zhongzhong were rowing the boat outside.

We discuss things on the boat without anyone noticing.

After receiving Lu Jin's order, Liao Yongan immediately took a boat to the east. Although Luzhou was not close to Chao County, they were connected by waterways. He could arrive there in less than an hour by boat.

Water transportation is extremely convenient, which is why Lu Jin decided to use Chao County as bait. With Chaohu, a secret transportation hub, he can quickly deploy troops without anyone noticing. As long as it is near Chaohu, he can arrive quickly.

The three of them sat in the cabin, and Jin Chaoxing immediately talked about the information he had collected.

"Since Brother Liao started the rebellion, Chao County has also changed its county magistrate. The current county magistrate in the city is named Yao Zhaoxian. I heard that he is from Shanxi. He is a die-hard second Tartar and even uses a Tartar name.

"This man has no opinion of his own. He does whatever Darughachi Subutai says. This time, he must be killed."

Upon hearing this, Liao Yongan nodded immediately.

Ethnic minorities will always be assimilated by stronger ethnic groups. The Huns in the Han Dynasty were assimilated to the Han people, and the Turks in the Tang Dynasty were assimilated to the Tang people. Now that the Mongols are in power, with the suppression of the Han people, some of the surrenderists have naturally seen a wave of Han people becoming Mongolized.

The same goes for naming.

For example, adding a Mongolian name after a Chinese surname, such as Yesen, Zhaoxian, Wanzhe, Buhua, Boyan, etc., especially in the imperial examinations of the Yuan Dynasty, such names were very common.

Changing your name will add points, so I just ask you whether you want to change it or not.

Liao Yongan was leading a city-breaking operation for the first time, so he did not dare to be careless and asked again. "If the city summons local militia to defend the city, then the new county magistrate will definitely not be able to take charge. I guess he doesn't even know the locals, and the people who do the work will have to be the chief clerks or something. Can you guarantee that you will be selected by then?"

Jin Chaoxing nodded immediately, "Yes, the county chief's surname is Qin, and his name is Qin Li. I know his brothers Qin Zhao and Qin Rong. These two brothers also like to wield swords and sticks. I have practiced with them before.

“The Qin family is a big local family, and Qin Li is the chief clerk of the county government. If he summons local militia to defend the city, he will certainly ask his brothers to recruit soldiers and bring them into the city so that he can place his own people in the city.

"I am familiar with Qin Zhao. When the two of his brothers recruit soldiers, I can gather the young and strong men in the village and sneak in. He will definitely be willing to take me with him."

Liao Yongan clapped his hands happily upon hearing this, "Okay, it's settled. Let my brother bring the navy here tomorrow to show the Tartar masters in Chao County some new knowledge!"

Just as the three were discussing how to break the city, in a large brick house outside the city, Chao County Chief Clerk Qin Li was also at home. He called his two brothers, Qin Zhao and Qin Rong, into the study.

Qin Li opened the Qin family genealogy book and saw this sentence written on the first page.

'Poetry and books are passed down from generation to generation, and swords and spears are passed down from generation to generation.'

The Qin family has had people who studied literature and martial arts for generations. Those who studied literature could become officials, those who studied martial arts could protect their families, and those who studied martial arts could join the army to kill the enemy and gain merit.

Now that the world is in chaos again, it is time for the Qin family to make a choice.

Now Lu Jin has occupied the three cities of Luzhou, Lu'an and Liangxian, and has the Chaohu navy at its side. Qin Li is not sure which city will be attacked next, but he knows that Chaoxian is the closest one.

Now Lu Jin has won battle after battle, recruited soldiers everywhere, and is at its peak. As for the Yuan Dynasty, it has not been able to wipe out Liu Futong and Zhima Li so far, so they can have even less hope on Chaohu.

Perhaps the imperial court would eventually be able to suppress the rebellion, but by the time the imperial army reached Chaohu, the Qin family would have already been crushed by the rebels.

Qin Li has to consider the present, the reality does not allow him to look so far ahead.

And are the imperial army necessarily good? When the imperial army was suppressing rebellions everywhere, it did a worse job than the rebel army.

What does it mean that bandits pass by like combs and soldiers pass by like rakes? What about killing innocent people to claim credit and plundering civilians? Do you think the Yuan army did not do enough?

Without talking about distant things, just look at what kind of person Zuo Junbi is and you will know.

In this case, what are we waiting for? Instead of waiting for Lu Jin to lead his army to attack, it is better to take Chao County and send it over, and invest with our own capital. The Qin family has both civil and military talents, soldiers, and even a daughter.

And Lu Jin now only has three cities. If we surrender now, Lu Jin can't treat them badly even if it costs a thousand gold to buy horse bones, right?
Qin Li, now 28 years old, said immediately.

"Poetry and books are passed down from generation to generation, and swords and spears are passed down from generation to generation. Now the world is in chaos, corrupt officials are rampant, treacherous officials are in power, the people are living in misery, and there are righteous armies watching covetously. It is time for my Qin family to face life and death again.

"Instead of waiting for them to come and kill us, why don't we take the initiative and join the rebels?

"I have already found out these days that the leader of the Luzhou righteous army is named Lu Jin, who seems to be the descendant of the legendary Gongshu. This man has great ambitions. After entering Luzhou, he did not commit adultery or plunder, but was frugal and loved the people. He provided relief to the common people and recruited talented and brave men. He has the appearance of a hero.

"Feidong Bao family has already surrendered and become a popular figure under Marshal Lu. If his Bao family can do it, my Qin family may be able to do it too.

"I want to start a rebellion and surrender to Marshal Lu. Let's use Chao County as a gift in exchange for my family's advancement. What do you think, brothers?"

Qin Zhao and Qin Rong looked at each other. Both of them were dressed like strong warriors and were very young. Qin Zhao was only 22 and Qin Rong was 19. Both of them had learned martial arts, but under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, they had no place to use their skills.

Of course, it is possible to raise "volunteer soldiers" to help the court suppress the rebels, but if you look at the whole world, you will know that the Yuan Dynasty is probably doomed. Why should we jump on the broken ship to patch up the holes at this time?

It is better to join new forces as soon as possible to earn a better future.

"We all listen to our brother."

"Okay, then I will suggest to the County Magistrate of Yao to recruit soldiers to defend the city tomorrow. Then I will let the two of you lead the troops in and take over the city defense. This Chao County will be ours."

Lu Jin and Liao Yongan planned to send an insider to seize Chao County, but they didn't expect that someone would get there first.

How Chao County will be taken down in the end remains to be seen.

(End of this chapter)