From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 582

The sound of gunfire shook the sky. The 500-man musket team, each holding a flintlock rifle, fired six muskets in a row. The dense firepower directly defeated the Yangzhou garrison camp.

It was not until this time that the roar sounded. The 500 soldiers raised their swords and started a hand-to-hand fight. The garrison camp, which suffered heavy casualties, had lost its spirit and had no power to resist. It fled in a panic.

"Clean up the mess! Try to catch them alive! Don't let the leader go!"

Dong Yu roared and called on his men to clean up the blood of the bodies around the mansion and take control of all the prisoners.

Then he strode into the mansion, saw Zhou Yuan, and knelt on the ground: "Your subordinate greets the commander!"

"The rebel army of the Yangzhou garrison camp has been defeated. We are capturing the remnants. Please give us instructions, commander."

Zhou Yuan couldn't help laughing and said: "You, boy, have led these 500 people in a very good manner. Your skills have improved a lot!"

Dong Yu smiled and said: "It's all the cultivation of the adults!"

After the assassination of the emperor, Dong Yu has been working under Li He, and followed Zhou Yuan to Shanhaiguan to fight against the barbarians.

After the battle of Shanhaiguan, Zhou Yuan directly transferred him to Jinling and asked him to be on standby at all times.

He has a special identity and is Zhou Yuan's confidant, but he has never been exposed. Most opponents can only find out Gao Biao at most, but not Dong Yu, so Dong Yu took on this core task.

In a relatively short period of time, he can let his subordinates learn the use of the mother-and-child flintlock gun and understand the new combat mode. This is indeed a skill.

Zhou Yuan said, "Has Lei Qiang been caught? As the garrison commander of Yangzhou, he is extremely important."

Dong Yu hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sir, he can't run away."

Zhou Yuan then looked at Yue Lingkang and said with a smile, "Sir, the prefect, what other means do you have!"

Yue Lingkang was already ashen, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "At dawn, the army will besiege the city. The remaining people in the Yangzhou garrison camp can't resist at all. You, Zhou Yuan, can only survive for a few more hours."

Zhou Yuan said, "Well said, now come with me to meet your parents who provide you with food and clothing. None of the people from the six major families have escaped."

Hearing this, Yue Lingkang was stunned again. The six major families also suffered? How could it be so fast!

He didn't have time to think about it. The guards tied him up and threw him on the horse.

Yue Lingkang couldn't help but yelled: "Zhou Yuan! You can't win! Let me go, everything can be discussed!"

"You can't defend the army now. If you retreat now, there is still room for negotiation."

Zhou Yuan spread his hands and said, "He has a beautiful idea."

Li Yu'an said, "I'll let Chu Feifan and others destroy the other gangs in Yangzhou City, including the River Gang. Otherwise, these scumbags will do bad things at the critical moment, which will be enough to give people a headache."

Zhou Yuan turned around and said, "Sister Virgin Mary is getting more and more powerful. She thinks very carefully!"

Li Yu'an rolled her eyes at him and didn't bother to pay attention to him.

Chu Feifan and others filed out and began to clean up the scumbags in Yangzhou City.

At this moment, Guan Caixi suddenly said, "Why don't you retreat? You have obviously destroyed the eight major families."

After saying this, everyone present was silent.

Zhao Cheng coughed dryly and said, "Ziyi, I'll follow Yue Lingkang to see those family members and say hello."

Li Yu'an said, "Let's go to the door to see Xiaoying. The little girl is worrying."

For a while, only a few people from the martial arts world were still around the yard, protecting the safety of the place.

I don't know when the moon came out.

The world was silent, and it seemed that people's heartbeats could be heard clearly.

Zhou Yuan then slowly looked at Guan Caixi and squinted his eyes and said, "What did you say?"

Guan Caixi lowered her head and said, "You and your sister both have great ambitions. You want to build ships, make firearms, and revitalize Dajin."

"You patrol salt, reform, stabilize people's livelihood, and consolidate the foundation of taxation..."

"The eight major families are destroyed, and no one will hinder your steps. You have achieved your goals."

"Isn't that enough?"

Zhou Yuan said, "If I understand correctly, you want me to stop investigating."

Guan Caixi was very unconfident and didn't even dare to look at it. Looking at Zhou Yuan, he just whispered: "What's the benefit of investigating further? Since the goal has been achieved, why make such a tragic scene, killing officials and causing bloodshed, making the court unstable? This is not what you and your sister want to see, right?"

Zhou Yuan laughed and squinted: "Who told you that our goal has been achieved?"

"In the case of illegal salt, the salt merchants are just swords, just executors, just running dogs. The real mastermind has not been dug out yet."

"If we don't kill them one by one, within ten years, a new batch of salt merchants will rise again, and illegal salt will gradually become rampant again."

"Then everything we have done now, isn't it all in vain?"

Guan Caixi said: "With you here, they dare not commit the crime again."

Zhou Yuan looked at her coldly, his eyes became sharper, forcing Guan Caixi to tremble.

Zhou Yuan said: "You are pleading for the Guan family, you are pleading for your father!"

"Well..."

Guan Caixi said: "I... I don't want my family to be broken up..."

Zhou Yuan said directly: "But your father has caused countless families to be broken up!"

"You want me not to kill him and forgive him, why don't you ask the people of the world whether they forgive him? Go and ask those blind people in Yanzhou who can't afford salt! Go to the brothel and ask how many women were sold by their parents because of poverty!"

"I went to Jiangnan to raise money! To pave the way for reform by destroying salt merchants! To consolidate the tax foundation of Dajin and wait for revitalization."

"These are all purposes! But there are more important purposes! "

"To uphold justice! For justice!"

He looked at Guan Caixi and said in a serious tone: "You keep saying that you are the leader of the martial arts world. You hate evil, help the weak and fight against the strong. You can't stand injustice!"

"But what is happening in front of you is the most unfair thing in the world!"

"But you have changed. Because of your father and your family, you have lost your sense of justice."

Guan Caixi's tears came out. She sobbed softly and dared not answer.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath and said: "No one can escape punishment. Someone must pay the price for the sufferings that the people of Dajin have endured for decades."

"Your sister is a saint. She knows very well that if you want to revitalize Dajin, you must first establish the majesty of the court and make the court an authority of justice and light, rather than a backer of corrupt officials and wealthy landlords."

"The culprit, if you don't kill him, it will not be enough to appease the people's anger! If you don't kill him, it will not be enough to correct people's hearts! "

Guan Caixi squatted on the ground, covering her face and crying.

She shouted: "Don't say it anymore! Don't say it anymore!"

"I understand! I understand everything!"

"Yeah, damn it! He deserves to die! He deserves to be cut into pieces! But he is my father!"

She looked up at Zhou Yuan, her face full of tears, and tremblingly said: "What can I do? My sister handed me over to you and asked you to take me south to witness an unchangeable tragic ending..."

"I can't do anything, I am nothing, I am noble, but I am so humble..."

"Zhou Yuan, do you understand me? Do you understand my pain? "

Zhou Yuan did not speak.

He understood Guan Caixi's pain. In his opinion, she was just a slightly arrogant and unruly girl, but she was kind-hearted. She never used her power to oppress others, never acted arrogantly, and never looked down on people of lower status than her.

She was on good terms with Jianghu Cao Mang, and she was sworn sisters with Cai Ni. She was just living the life she liked.

She was innocent and compassionate.

She was not guilty.

But the situation was like this.

In the chaotic world and cruel struggle, she didn't think anything was wrong when she stayed out of it.

But when she was involved, the role she played seemed pitiful and ridiculous.

So Zhou Yuan didn't dare to answer her question. Zhou Yuan couldn't say from a high position that incompetence was wrong at certain times.

He just helped Guan Caixi up and said softly: "Destiny is like this. It will not give you perfect things, let alone give perfect things to anyone. ”

“Your sister is perfect in both appearance and wisdom, but fate left her with a broken country, for which she had to work hard and devote endless efforts.”

“Fate gave me the opportunity to live again, but also made me born in such an era, forcing me to risk my life and make choices again and again. If I make a mistake once, I may lose everything.”

“Fate gave you favorable conditions and noble status, but it will not give you a perfect life.”

“Not only you, but also many more people.”

“For example, Qinshui, Yunxian, Jianjia and Qu Ling, they all broke free from their shackles by themselves…”

“Where are your shackles and how do you break free? No one can tell you. Only you can find the answer yourself.”

Speaking of this, Zhou Yuan smiled and said, “Caixi, whether you are satisfied with the trip to the south or not, it will end tonight. "

"You are free now. You can choose to go south, or return to the capital, or continue to roam the world and be the leader of the martial arts world..."

"This is your own business."