Chapter 754: Padi Tu and Zheng Gouzi
Luo Xi had long heard that Shi Jian’s private army was sustained by the money his "uncle," Shi Laosi, made from publishing books. At the time, he and Yansui Governor Chen Qiyu had even remarked with a mix of awe and astonishment at the notion of someone earning a fortune by writing books.
He never expected to encounter Shi Laosi’s true boss right here in Xi'an.
Luo Xi stared intently at Li Daoxuan’s face, examining it closely. Suddenly, a wave of realization washed over him. "Ah? You! You're the person whose likeness is embroidered on the chests of Shi Jian’s soldiers!"
No wonder the face felt so familiar!
It turned out Shi Jian’s entire army had this man’s portrait embroidered on their uniforms.
He hadn't understood what the portrait meant before, but now he did. This was the grand boss of the publishing house. Shi Laosi had grown wealthy thanks to this boss, and out of gratitude, he'd had his benefactor’s face embroidered onto the soldiers' uniforms.
It was a constant reminder to the soldiers of who their patron was.
Luo Xi instantly became so overwhelmed that tears welled up in his eyes. With a swift movement, he embraced Li Daoxuan's leg. "Esteemed Sir, please save my Luo family!"
"Alright, alright, stand up!" Li Daoxuan said. "No need to rush home yet. The rebel army won't arrive that quickly. Wait here in Xi'an; Shi Jian's men will be here soon."
Li Daoxuan replied, "My surname is Li. Everyone calls me Master Li."
—
Meanwhile, Shi Jian also received an official appointment, promoting him to Brigade General!
Emperor Zhu Youjian was incredibly generous to civil and military officials who performed meritorious service in suppressing bandits. In earlier years, Hong Chengchou had leaped directly from Grain Intendant to Yansui Governor for his achievements against rebels.
Now, Shi Jian was experiencing a similar meteoric rise.
Zhu Youjian dismissed Brigade General Luo Xi and, as a matter of course, promoted Shi Jian to Brigade General. He also provided him with a lengthy list of rebel names. (For those who've forgotten, please refer to Chapter 742).
Zhu Youjian instructed him earnestly, "These rebels have crossed the river from northwestern Shanxi and returned to Shaanxi. I entrust them to you, my beloved Shi. Eliminate them all, and I promise you will be amply rewarded."
After reading it, Shi Jian couldn't help but smile wryly.
Just then, the Heavenly Lord, who had been standing by the Dragon Gate Ferry, once again lowered his hand and descended from the mountaintop.
Shi Jian quickly responded, "Greetings, Heavenly Lord! What are your commands?"
Li Daoxuan then explained about the Rebel King advancing towards the four-province border, and how Luo Xi's name could be used to deploy the Gao Family Village Militia there.
Shi Jian asked, "If I, your humble general, go to Shanyang County, what about Northern Shaanxi?"
"Divide your forces," Li Daoxuan instructed. "You go to Northern Shaanxi to deal with the rebels who crossed the river. Have Zheng Gouzi lead a detachment to Shanyang County."
Shi Jian and Zheng Gouzi replied, "As you command."
The two quickly set to work, assigning soldiers.
Shi Jian led seven hundred veterans and one thousand three hundred recruits to Northern Shaanxi.
Zheng Gouzi, in turn, led seven hundred veterans and one thousand three hundred recruits to Shanyang County.
Fortunately, the recent screenings of movies had been quite effective, with many young men from Gao Family Village eagerly signing up for military service. Their troop numbers were no longer so strained. Otherwise, dividing the forces would have been difficult, and they might even have needed reinforcements from Shanxi.
Zheng Gouzi, leading two thousand men, rode the train, enjoying hot pot and singing songs, arriving in Xi'an in no time at all.
As soon as he disembarked, he saw a familiar old friend waiting for him on the platform.
Zheng Gouzi exclaimed, delighted, "Padi Tu!"
Padi Tu burst into laughter. "Doggy!"
They rushed towards each other, then with a "thud," simultaneously punched each other in the stomach. Both hunched their backs in pain, curling up on the ground like cooked shrimp, groaning for a good while.
Once the pain subsided, they picked themselves up, laughing heartily. "Old friend, long time no see!"
Padi Tu said, "I heard you're leading troops to Shanyang to fight the rebels."
Zheng Gouzi replied, "That's right!"
Padi Tu chuckled. "Hehehe, the Heavenly Lord has graciously permitted me to go along, which is why I'm waiting for you here. With this Padi Tu joining, we can stand against 100,000 enemy troops, hahahaha!"
Zheng Gouzi was thrilled, but what he said was, "With you along, our army's combat strength will be reduced by 100,000 men!"
The two burst into laughter again.
Zheng Gouzi asked, "If you leave, who will manage the businesses here in Xi'an?"
Padi Tu answered, "Of course, Mr. Wang’s adopted son, Wang Tang, will take care of it! That kid is getting more and more capable these days. Honestly, all I do here is cause trouble; Wang Tang does everything else."
Zheng Gouzi laughed. "True. You're an uneducated illiterate who knows nothing. I never understood why the Heavenly Lord put you in charge of Xi'an's businesses."
Padi Tu guffawed. "That’s because this Padi Tu is a great hero, you understand? With sleeves clean as the wind, I can walk through a garden of desires and emerge unstained. This Padi Tu can ward off all evil influences from Xi'an City..."
Zheng Gouzi scoffed, "All you ever do is talk big."
While the two joked, Wang Tang, who had accompanied Padi Tu, thought to himself: Padi Tu isn't just boasting this time; he truly can resist all evil influences. If Padi Tu hadn't taught me a lesson back then, I might have already fallen into bribery and corruption.
Wang Tang clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards them. "Padi Tu, Uncle Doggy, I wish you both a smooth journey and swift victory. You can safely leave Xi'an Prefecture to me."
Zheng Gouzi frowned. "Damn it, there's a problem with that title. How did I suddenly drop a generation below Padi Tu? He's a 'Master,' and I'm an 'Uncle'?"
Wang Tang explained, "The 'Master' in Padi Tu's name is just part of it, not a generational rank. Even the Heavenly Lord occasionally calls him Padi Tu."
Zheng Gouzi nervously wiped his brow. "No way. From now on, you'll call me Master Doggy."
Wang Tang laughed. "Alright, alright, Master Padi Tu, Master Doggy, rest assured and go forth."
The two old friends were truly delighted to see each other. With arms around each other's shoulders, they walked out of the train station, where others were coming to greet them: Wu Shen, Shi Kefa, and Luo Xi.
Luo Xi, who knew Zheng Gouzi, was overjoyed to see him. "Brother Zheng, I'm so glad you're finally here!"
Zheng Gouzi replied, "Ah, Brigade General Luo."
Luo Xi looked embarrassed. "Don't call me Brigade General anymore. I've been dismissed from office and am now just a commoner. Just call me Brother Luo."
Zheng Gouzi explained, "General Shi bears imperial orders to repel the rebels in Northern Shaanxi, so he dispatched me to assist you, Brother Luo."
Luo Xi nodded. "I understand. He can't move freely without a Ministry of War transfer order. He can only send his private soldiers to help me."
At this, Luo Xi lowered his voice. "Brother Zheng, how many men have you brought to help? A thousand? Five hundred? Oh, please don't tell me it's only two or three hundred?"
Zheng Gouzi smiled. "Look at the train behind me; men are disembarking now."
Luo Xi turned his head and saw soldiers streaming out of every car of the train. All were armed with Flintlock Rifles, and their numbers... filled the entire train...
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