Cao Song raised his arms and shouted.

In an instant, the fire was blazing into the sky, and the shouts of killing were deafening.

These members of the White Lotus Sect are not affiliated with each other, and they come from all over the world. It can be said that they have all three religions and nine streams.

When such a group of so-called "elites" encounter a surprise attack from the government and army, their first reaction is to fly away when the disaster strikes.

"The wind is tight, pull!"

One member of the White Lotus cult ran away, and soon after, the rest of the people also ran away. They did not run in one direction, but tried to break out in all directions to get the best chance of survival.

Cao Song looked at the fleeing bandits with a sinister smile on his lips.

"Want to escape? Haha chase!"

He waved his hand, and the communication fireworks beside him soared into the sky. The ambushes who had been ambushing around them all appeared in an instant after receiving the signal, chasing from behind and surrounding them from the front.

Following the commander's cold and biting orders, the soldiers raised their swords and guns and charged towards the enemy.

"puff!"

The muffled sound of the sharp spear tip piercing the flesh was particularly clear in this silent night. Amidst the rush of blood, screams and wails were immediately mixed together, making it look a bit sad and penetrating in the dark night sky.

However, this is just the beginning.

"kill!"

In the dark woods, with the sound of a series of heavy footsteps hitting the ground, countless officers and soldiers wearing armor emerged from this direction. They waved their weapons to kill and roared at the same time.

"The Ming army is mighty!"

Accompanied by bursts of roars, this group of officers and soldiers was like a torrent, instantly engulfing the White Lotus sect members.

"Ah~save me~"

The shrill screams came one after another from both sides of the barrier lake.

"puff!"

A cold light flashed across, Xu Jingchang held a spear and easily penetrated the chest of a White Lotus thief.

"Plop!"

The white lotus thief's eyes widened and he fell into a pool of blood. He twitched twice and then lost his breath.

The soldiers beside him crossed over and continued to move forward to cover up the killing, but Xu Jingchang was holding his spear and retching uncontrollably.

Zhu Yong looked on with cold eyes, his face as calm as water. Although Zhu Yong was young, he had gone to the battlefield with his father Zhu Neng. Compared with the two men Zhang Anshi and Xu Jingchang, he had more battlefield fighting experience and a colder heart.

Zhu Yong knew that this group of thieves would soon be slaughtered. The national master's plan was very successful. For these thieves, death was a kind of relief, but for those who had not yet died, despair and fear had just begun.

In fact, it is true.

Seeing their fleeing companions dying one after another, those thieves who remained in place due to various factors such as silt and dam obstacles became even more panicked. They tried to find a way out, but unfortunately it had no effect at all. They solved the problem of the surrounding enemies. The army quickly surrounded and killed him.

——————

Ye Zongxing, who was also surrounded by officers and soldiers, was currently under the high embankment of the barrier lake, with countless tons of floods above his head. If he looked up from a distance, it would even make people feel that these floods would collapse the lake at any time. The embankment tilted down, grinding everything into powder.

However, what frightened Ye Zongxing even more at this moment was not the barrier lake, but the White Lotus cultist in front of him!

I saw this man actually took out the fire stick and blew it hard, and the flames suddenly shot up. He looked at the burning thing in his hand, with an excited and excited smile on his face: "Yes, this is the smell! "

After saying that, he brought the smoke from the burning fire to his nose and sniffed deeply, as if he was tasting the most wonderful smell in the world.

Ye Zongxing saw the other party's actions and then looked at the large packages of gunpowder placed in front of him. How could he still not know what the other party wanted to do?

Seeing that there was no hope of breaking out of the encirclement, this White Lotus cultist actually wanted to ignite gunpowder and die together!

Ye Zongxing was a poor scholar with a shovel in his hand. Naturally, he did not have the courage to rush forward and fight for his life at the first moment. He just shouted loudly: "Stop!"

"Haha, what? Are you scared? Don't be nervous! It will be fine soon. After this thing explodes, we can go to the vacuum hometown! Hahaha..."

After hearing Ye Zongxing's words, the other party not only did not stop, but put the fire stick in his hand close to the ignition rope of the gunpowder bag. It is a primitive fine hemp rope, a technology that has been available since the Song Dynasty.

The flames licked the fine hemp rope, making a beeping sound, and sparks shot out.

"madman!"

Ye Zongxing was almost scared out of his wits. Seeing that he could not stop the opponent verbally, Ye Zongxing could no longer care about anything else. He stepped forward and waved the shovel desperately to knock down the opponent, but he heard the roar of the wind.

"Duang~"

Ye Zongxing was hit directly in the face with a stick by this White Lotus cultist. He instantly became dizzy. Piles of gold stars appeared in front of his eyes. He instantly lost weight and fell into the mud. He turned around after a long while. But God comes.

But even so, Ye Zongxing still grabbed the shovel in his hand and refused to let go.

Because he understands that once he gives up the weapon in his hand, not only will he die, but there is also a very small but not impossible event that the barrier lake will collapse prematurely!

After days of heavy rains, the water level in the Dahuangpu Barrier Lake has risen very high, and the possibility of collapsing the lake embankment has greatly increased. At this time, no one knows whether these large packages of gunpowder will be the final step in the collapse of the lake embankment. .

Ye Zongxing's eyes turned red when he saw this situation. He struggled to get up and launched a fatal blow at the opponent.

Unfortunately, he still couldn't do what he wanted. His body didn't obey his orders at all. He could only lie there and watch the other person continue to enjoy there and do something creepy - light a fire! ! !

This White Lotus cultist seems to particularly like lighting fires. Whenever the flames rise, he can't wait to get up to them and take a deep breath, as if he is intoxicated and enjoying the food.

Two large bags of gunpowder were ignited by him. Just as he squatted down to light the third bag, Ye Zongxing used all his strength to finally get up, took two wobbly steps, and picked up the shovel in his hand. .

"boom!"

The moves were simple and unpretentious, like an old farmer slapping melons, but the White Lotus cultist's forehead was sunken.

The two large bags of gunpowder and igniting hemp ropes on the ground were still burning rapidly. Ye Zongxing couldn't care less. With the last bit of reason and strength, he kicked his legs directly, covered them with his body, and then fainted.

——————

Only half the tea time has passed.

The entire lake embankment was quiet again, except for the faint smell of blood.

These White Lotus cult members were either shot directly with crossbows, chopped over with machetes, or even had their heads smashed by Jin Guduo. The entire area around the barrier lake was filled with corpses and remains, each with a bloody mass. The corpses were intertwined, making this place look like Shura purgatory.

Anyone who participates in rebellion will die.

When Cao Song dismounted and walked here, everything had returned to calm.

With such a cruel heart, he could naturally stand on the sidelines without even taking a second look at the stumbling object he stepped on. He knew very well that in this situation, there was no psychological burden to kill everyone, and the only way to do it was like... An executioner is as cold-blooded as an executioner.

This is the battlefield, full of blood and cruelty.

"call--"

After exhaling a breath of turbid air, Cao Song squinted his eyes slightly and looked down the other side of the embankment of the barrier lake. There were also many White Lotus cultists who had been strangled.

Looking at the messy scene in front of him, there was pride and joy that could not be hidden between his brows.

There is no suspense about the outcome of this small-scale battle!

Cao Song was in a happy mood, and he turned to look at the Jin Yiwei beside him.

"Go and inform the Imperial Master that we have won the battle and ask him to sleep peacefully!"

"yes!"

The subordinate turned and left, and Cao Song continued to patrol the battlefield.

At this moment, there was a noise in the distance.

"what's the situation?"

Soon, the fire flickered, and Cao Song hurried over with the soldiers leading the way.

Arriving at Ye Zongxing's location, Cao Song suddenly showed surprise on his face when he saw this.

There are several white lotus thieves who have been chopped down under the lake embankment, but these are not the important point. What is important is that there is a white lotus thieves at the end whose head was knocked flat with a shovel, while another man dressed as a civilian man covered it with his body. Two fuses and half-burnt gunpowder packets were found.

This man's clothes were in tatters, and he was covered in wounds. His abdomen was burned, and half of his face was blurred by the blood dripping from the wounds. Even his facial features could not be seen clearly.

Cao Song frowned, subconsciously feeling that something was wrong.

"I think I've seen this man somewhere before? Get some water."

Soon, a soldier next to him handed over the water bag he carried with him. Cao Song sprinkled it on the man's face to wash away the blood and dirt. Only then did he realize that this man was Ye Zongxing, the scholar he had met several times with the Imperial Master!

what happened?

Why did Ye Zongxing appear here? And he still looked so miserable. Could it be that Ye Zongxing was also a member of the White Lotus Sect? But this makes no sense. He obviously used his body to prevent the ignition of the powder package.

Could it be that.

He thought of some possibility.

I heard him shout suddenly: "Come here, I will carry this man back to the camp and send the best doctor to treat him!"

Soon, the soldiers sent Ye Xiucai to the camp on the east bank of the river embankment.

During this period, Cao Song ordered all the White Lotus thieves who participated in tonight's operation, who were still breathing, to have their heads cut off to count for military merit!

Late at night.

Inside the camp, the lights were bright.

Jiang Xinghuo was sitting behind the desk, and the book in front of him was still the "Taihu Lake Hydrology".

There were many people outside, and Wang Bin guarded the tent door. After talking, he confiscated the weapons as usual and let in a person.

"Master Imperial Master."

A deep voice sounded, and Cao Song opened the curtain and entered the tent, kneeling respectfully in front of Jiang Xinghuo.

"How did things go?"

"In compliance with the order of the Imperial Master, all the White Lotus Sect thieves who sneaked into the civilian team and tried to dig up the barrier lake at night have been killed without leaving a single one behind."

"Um."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded, kept writing, and continued to ask: "What about the White Lotus Sect around Shanghai County, and even the entire Songjiang Prefecture?"

"They were basically uprooted. The strongholds of the White Lotus Sect generally resisted fiercely. Many of them occupied Wubao or Zhuangzi. However, our army was fully prepared and the losses were not heavy. We only suffered dozens of casualties."

Cao Song asked again: "Sir, the masters of the Bailian Church in the two counties of Songjiang Prefecture have been arrested. Wang Yihan, the branch master of Shanghai County, has been beheaded. The master of Songjiang County is being escorted here by Monk Huikong and the monks. What should we do with the remaining White Lotus Cult thieves on the road?"

"Now that the leader of the White Lotus Sect has been captured, the others must be dealt with severely and severely."

Jiang Xinghuo put down his pen, rubbed his brows tiredly, and said: "Give me the order. At noon tomorrow, all captured White Lotus Cult thieves will be beheaded on top of the county city to sacrifice flags to warm up the lake bombing. People like to see this."

"yes!"

Cao Song agreed and immediately planned to retreat.

However, after hesitating for a moment, Cao Song opened his mouth to tell Jiang Xinghuo about Ye Zongxing.

Jiang Xinghuo frowned when he heard this, stood up and said:

"Take me to see it."

In the military doctor's tent, Ye Zongxing had his wounds bandaged and was lying on the bed grinning in pain.

The area where his abdomen had been burned had just been disinfected with high alcohol to prevent subsequent infection. The idea that Jiang Xinghuo had originally proposed at the banquet, after a period of practice in Songjiang Prefecture, received widespread support from military doctors. Good reviews.

"Don't worry, Imperial Master, it's just a scratch."

The medical officer in front of him was wearing two medals, one was a bronze medal obtained by participating in the Battle of Baigouhe and defeating Li Jinglong's army, and the other was a silver medal from the Battle of Lingbi.

Obviously, they have been on the battlefield before. In the eyes of such people, as long as they are alive, it is no big deal. As for concussion and bloody abdomen, it is really no different from scratching the skin on their fingers.

"How did you get involved in the White Lotus Sect's actions?"

Jiang Xinghuo sat beside Ye Zongxing's bed and asked directly.

For his current status, there is really no need to hide his thoughts or make insinuations.

Ye Zongxing explained everything he saw and participated in tonight.

"What reward do you want? Tell me, as long as it is not excessive, I can give it to you. This is what you deserve. Indeed, I did not expect that the followers of the White Lotus Sect lurking in the ranks of civilians could actually obtain gunpowder. If these days If the gunpowder package explodes, it may be nothing, it may be something, or it may even be a major event like the sky collapsing, no one can say for sure.”

Ye Zongxing thought for a moment, and finally shook his head and said: "I don't want a reward."

"Then what do you want?" Jiang Xinghuo asked, looking at the dark and thin scholar.

Ye Zongxing struggled to get up from the bed, but was pushed back by Jiang Xinghuo.

"I want the Imperial Master to teach me the art of gunpowder blasting."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded slightly and said:

"Can."

This was not over yet. Jiang Xinghuo looked at Ye Zongxing with interest and asked again: "What were you thinking at the time?"

Ye Zongxing scratched his hair covered with mud, smiled shyly, and said: "At that time, I thought that if I wanted to blow up this barrier lake, I would have to blow it up myself. How could I get the turn of this group of people who don't know how to blow it up? The White Lotus thieves who know water conservancy? If they blow up the barrier lake, I will be at a huge loss, so I will gather my strength and pounce on it."

——————

The next day, in Shanghai County.

A father and daughter walked down from the pier. The old father was already old and walking with a cane was a little shaky, but the daughter was a middle-aged beautiful woman, wearing a long skirt, with black hair shawl, and rather hooked eyes. people.

But at this moment, her face was full of worry, her lips were pursed tightly, and when she looked at the old man beside her, her eyes were filled with deep distress, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red, as if she was about to shed tears.

Behind the father and daughter, there are more than a dozen people dressed in various styles. Although they have different clothes, when they look at the father and daughter in front of them, if you look closely, you will find that there is something hidden deep in the pupils. Vaguely awed.

These people are obviously extremely well trained and play different roles. They naturally form a mobile protection network and follow the progress of the father and daughter.

While passing by a street vendor, the beautiful woman spoke.

"Dad, you said you are not in good health, how could you run away?"

The beautiful woman's voice is gentle and her speaking speed is very slow. It is a standard Wu Nong soft language, which makes people clearly feel the care and love in it.

"Don't worry, there are many good doctors in the county. When I find a suitable doctor, I will definitely cure your disease."

"Silly boy, how could I not know my physical condition? It's better to save some money and just come here to join in the fun and relax." The old man said with a smile.

"Hmm..." The beautiful woman responded softly and did not continue to dissuade her father.

The vendors on the street corner glanced at them and continued to eat with less skillful techniques, no longer paying attention.

Out of Jin Yiwei's sight, the two of them wandered around in the alleys of the city. Soon, they came to a dead end where sewage flowed across the street. From time to time, fat rats would run past and disappear in a "swish". No trace.

At the end of the dead end, there was a dilapidated wooden door with several incomplete pieces of cloth hanging on it. On the cloth, it was written in ink: Those who seek medical advice should stop!

After seeing this piece of cloth, the old man looked slightly condensed, stopped and looked forward.

"Dad, let's go back." Seeing the old man stop moving forward, the beautiful woman quickly reminded him.

"Oh... forget it, go back!" Hearing his daughter's urging, the old man sighed and finally shook his head.

However, just when the two of them turned around and were about to leave——

Squeak!

The dilapidated wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and a man peered out. After confirming that there was no one around, he led the two people in and closed the door again.

"See the leader! See the saint!"

As soon as they stepped into the house, respectful voices came from one after another, and more than ten White Lotus cultists were seen saluting the father and daughter.

It turns out that the beautiful woman is the saint Tang Yin of the White Lotus Sect, and the old man is Bailian Yu, the leader of the White Lotus Sect.

The two of them are really talented and brave people. They knew clearly that the common people in the entire Shanghai County would climb to the top of the city to watch the imperial army explode the lake. There must be soldiers and horses gathering in the city, but they still dared to come to the imperial army at this time. under his nose.

However, no matter how worried she was, the saint did not dare to show any emotion at this time, and even restrained her breathing to avoid disturbing the old man.

With the help of Tang Yin, Tian Tianyu slowly sat down on the chair, and then waved to the incense master of the remaining secret organization of the White Lotus Sect here, motioning for him to come closer.

Dressed like a wandering doctor, the incense owner walked up to Bai Tianyu, his eyebrows lowered and he looked like a docile little sheep.

"Tell me about it."

"Reporting to the leader, National Master Jiang Xinghuo has posted notices throughout the city. Today, most of the people will go to the top of the city to witness the explosion of the lake."

"I didn't let you talk nonsense!"

The leader of the White Lotus Sect was a little impatient, with deep ravines on his wrinkled face.

"How's the Minato matter going?"

The incense owner didn't dare to say anything and said quickly.

"The captain guarding the water gate is one of ours. He is a believer who has been a believer for many years and is willing to help us. His family has been transferred in advance."

"Ahem."

The leader of the White Lotus Sect covered his mouth and coughed for a long time, then raised his head and waved quietly.

Everyone dispersed knowingly.

And there was a hint of pride in Bai Tianyu's cloudy eyes.

"Jiang Xinghuo, today I want to see how clever you are but you are misled by your cleverness!"

——————

The city was crowded with people.

The rain has stopped today and the weather has cleared up a little. When the dark clouds disperse, the sun falls from the clouds and shines on every corner of the land.

People in the market crowded together and watched this rare excitement. Women held their children tightly to prevent them from being abducted.

There are vendors with a keen sense of business who have long occupied a position next to the city tower, setting up stalls to sell the fresh goods they have brought.

In order to earn a few more pennies, some people, regardless of their own safety, squeezed to the front and used the space they occupied to sell "scalper tickets" for the best viewing positions.

And most of them are ordinary people in the city. They don't care about the war in Jiangnan. Even because they are the buds of the early "citizen" class, their industries and livelihoods are in the city. Will even the land of their relatives in the countryside outside be used? There are people who don't even care and are gloating about others' misfortunes.

They just hope that their lives can be safe and sound, and they can watch the excitement. After the excitement is over, it is best for the court to put down the rebellion, lift the curfew, and return to their own rhythm of life.

Some scholars were still discussing the Feng Shui pattern in the "Book of Changes", while others were talking about the big mess caused by the Uragami followers yesterday.

However, they were generally calm.

After all, strictly speaking, it's none of their business.

"Oh, look over there, is that..."

Following the guidance of the voice, everyone looked over -

I saw several carriages parked on the street, surrounded by a dark group of guards.

Immediately afterwards, the curtain of one of the carriages slowly lifted, revealing a figure.

Jiang Xinghuo was wearing the purple robe given to him by Emperor Yongle today. His hair was tied high on his head, and he exuded nobility.

He frowned slightly, as if he was a little sad, but remained silent.

Then, surrounded by everyone, he climbed to the top of the city.

Naturally, there is a place reserved for the Imperial Master and others at the top of the city.

"National Master, do you want to start?"

As the highest local official, Huang Ziwei was naturally responsible for the entire affairs related to the bombing of the lake to watch the ceremony.

"Start." Jiang Xinghuo nodded.

The first thing is, of course, to kill people and sacrifice the flag.

At the top of the city, there were neatly kneeling rows of members of the White Lotus Temple who had been confessed by Wang Yihan, the leader of the White Lotus Church. They were suddenly attacked by Jiang Xinghuo's army and were arrested and brought to justice in almost half a day.

After pulling out the flags stuck on the backs of their heads, the executioner rubbed his palms and sprayed wine on the knife edge.

"Kill!" Following the order, the executioner waved the big knife in his hand.

"Ah..." The screams echoed through the night sky.

Blood splattered everywhere, and the hot heads turned into different kinds of catkins in the cool breeze after the cold rain, and scattered in the moat.

Jiang Xinghuo stood on the city tower, overlooking the believers below who had not yet been beheaded and were kneeling in a pool of blood, wailing and begging for mercy. His expression showed a hint of boredom, and his right eye socket began to beat uncontrollably.

After a few breaths, all the White Lotus Sect thieves were executed. The executioner was dragged up to the top of the city in a hanging basket, and was immediately welcomed by the people.

The executioner, with a loud voice, wiped the blood-stained knife on the cakes handed over by the people, and walked away with a smile.

Looking at the crowd where the atmosphere was gradually boiling, Jiang Xinghuo's eyelids beat more and more violently.

"It's all been calculated before, and there won't be any mistakes."

Song Li next to him comforted him.

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and said to Huikong: "I'm a little uneasy. Please go and check the city one last time. Now Hecheng is dispatched to prevent trouble."

Huikong took the order and left, and Jiang Xinghuo personally lit the communication fireworks placed in front of him.

"-Whoosh--bang!"

The fireworks bloomed, which was particularly dazzling at this time.

On the embankment of the barrier lake more than ten miles away, Sun Kun, the director of the Ministry of Industry, as the highest person in charge, also issued an order.

Ye Xiucai's dream came true, and he personally lit the main fuse.

A large number of fuses strung with equidistantly distributed gunpowder packets began to burn.

They mounted their horses and began to run desperately toward the reserved passages on both sides.

They must run at least two miles before the fuse burns out.

"Crash..."

After a long time, an explosion sounded, and the entire barrier lake embankment seemed to be shaken.

With the violent explosion of gunpowder, the embankment of the barrier lake began to tremble, and countless stones were thrown into the tidal flats. In an instant, mud waves splashed and overturned the reeds on the shore.

People for several miles near the lake embankment were hiding in their homes, looking in panic at the movements in the area that was simply invisible to the naked eye.

"Boom!"

A sudden huge explosion resounded throughout the world.

On the surface of the lake, ripples appeared.

Immediately afterwards, white air pillars rose into the sky, like small mushroom clouds.

Under the destruction of this terrifying power, the lake embankment collapsed instantly.

The water level of the barrier lake rose sharply, and the surrounding area was soon submerged.

After the barrier lake embankment collapsed, all the rocks piled on both sides of the river bed fell down.

In an instant, the originally gentle river suddenly became turbulent.

And as the sound of the lake embankment exploding sounded, the entire city watching the ceremony also fell into silence.

Then, it was quickly replaced by a burst of noise.

"what is that?"

"coming!"

"finally reached!"

"Look!"

Following a commotion in the crowd, people looked up and looked into the distance, only to see a rolling narrow black line suddenly appear on the distant skyline.

This long and narrow black line rolled along the embankments on both sides of the bank with unparalleled momentum.

In an instant, Dahuangpu and Shanghai Pu were connected!

PS: [Important reminder (there is no charge for this content)] Chapters 316 to 356 are about the rectification of officialdom and the suppression of rebellions in Jiangnan. They do not contain any theoretical knowledge. They are all practical content. If you are not interested, you can jump directly to Chapter 366. "Class" will contain theoretical knowledge content from now on.

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