Chapter 2: The Self-Cultivation of a Thief

The moment General Er Zhu Yinge said those words, Hou Jing realized he had brought upon himself a great disaster!

This was the Emperor's wife!

The key thing was, she also had an extremely wealthy father!

General Er Zhu Rong's great name was known to everyone in this northwestern Jin!

Three hundred li of Xiurong's plains once were the northern realm's fertile land; one morning the war plague rose from the Six Garrisons, and General Er Zhu made a killing that left folk in a rage, hey~~~

This children's song sung throughout Taiping Stockade had already sunk deep into people's hearts; even three-year-old children knew it, and from childhood they set themselves a great ambition—to rob the bastard for a haul.

The familiar melody echoed in Hou Jing's mind, but was quickly driven away by reason.

Now was not the time to think about this.

He turned his head and looked at the author of this children's song, and saw that after an initial moment of hesitation, a faint smile had appeared on his face.

General Er Zhu Yinge had been feeling smug, but seeing the smile on Li Shuang's face, she grew uneasy inside.

"Please escort the young Lady General Er Zhu back inside!"

Everyone watched as Li Shuang led General Er Zhu Yinge into the room, and the great door shut tight.

Outside the room, the crowd looked upon this scene and could not help but admire it from the bottom of their hearts, instantly feeling a sense of gazing up at a lofty mountain.

Hou Jing clapped and cheered even louder, calling out.

"Our chieftain truly can do what no other man can do, his heroic spirit soars to the heavens, even the Emperor's wife he… my admiration for the chieftain is like the surging river waters, endless and unceasing, and like the Yellow River overflowing, once it starts it cannot be stopped."

Inside the room.

The moment General Er Zhu Yinge entered the room, she spotted an especially large and especially soft bed, and immediately became especially nervous.

She darted into a corner, pulled a dagger from her sleeve, and pointed it at Li Shuang.

"You… you stay back!"

Li Shuang looked at the trembling General Er Zhu Yinge, poured himself a cup of water, took a sip, then said unhurriedly:

"You didn't pull the dagger out of its sheath!"

General Er Zhu Yinge froze for a beat, then swiftly drew the sheath.

The cold blade reflected in her face, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

General Er Zhu Yinge repeated herself once more.

"Stay back, or I'll do anything!"

Li Shuang remained perfectly composed.

"What is it you want to do?"

General Er Zhu Yinge pointed the dagger at her own neck, her voice and expression both fierce.

"If you dare come closer, I'll drive this dagger into my own neck; all you'll get is a corpse."

Li Shuang nearly spat out his mouthful of water.

"You threaten me with your own life—do you think I care?"

Hearing Li Shuang say this, General Er Zhu Yinge felt he had a point, and her grip unconsciously loosened a little.

"There are plenty of vagrants in these mountains who've never laid eyes on a woman their whole lives; let alone a woman, even a corpse… they really would do anything, you know!"

As General Er Zhu Rong's eldest daughter, she was admittedly skilled with bow and horse, but she had been doted on since childhood—where had she ever seen such a scene?

Hearing Li Shuang's description, her mental defenses collapsed in an instant.

General Er Zhu Yinge went limp on the ground and suddenly burst into tears.

Li Shuang watched quietly, without stepping forward to comfort her; only when General Er Zhu Yinge had cried nearly enough did he speak lightly.

"Once you're done crying, let's get down to business—write a letter to your father, tell him to come collect you."

General Er Zhu Yinge, crying until her eyes were misty, suddenly understood, and wiped her tears.

"You just want me to write a ransom letter?"

"Not a ransom letter—we're not bandits. Just let your father know we've taken good care of you; surely he ought to send some compensation money?"

General Er Zhu Yinge listened, and felt something strange stirring inside.

"My father is General Er Zhu Rong—do you dare ask him for money?"

"I am a man of principle; I won't treat anyone differently just because of their special status. Even if Yuan Xu himself came from Luoyang, he'd still have to pay!"

An hour later, the great door slowly opened.

Hou Jing and the others saw Li Shuang step out, and eagerly crowded over.

"Chieftain's methods are truly brilliant! We heard everything outside—that young lady was crying terribly!"

Brilliant your uncle. Li Shuang looked at this kid Hou Jing, and for no reason at all a surge of anger rose up inside him.

"Come with me!"

Night!

Before the Hall of Gathering Righteousness!

Li Shuang, robed, sat in the great seat at the head of the hall; inside the hall now remained only one person.

Hou Jing was so sleepy he could barely stand; he had been dragged here by Li Shuang and made to stand as punishment for several hours.

"A storm is brewing!"

Li Shuang's sudden remark startled the drowsy Hou Jing.

"Now that we've kidnapped General Er Zhu Rong's daughter, I'm afraid he won't let this rest easily!"

"Chieftain, even Li Chong couldn't do anything to you—what's a mere General Er Zhu Rong?"

"Li Chong was a dragon crossing the river; General Er Zhu Rong is a local snake. A river-crossing dragon is easy to deal with, but a local snake is a tough one to shake off. I have three strategies—upper, middle, and lower—which one do you want to hear?"

Sure enough, the big one was coming, wasn't it?

Hou Jing swallowed hard. Every time Li Shuang brought out his upper, middle, and lower strategies, he knew someone was about to have bad luck.

He glanced around, saw the empty Gathering Righteousness Hall, and his heart grew ice-cold.

"The upper strategy!"

"I shall pass the position of leader of the Taiping Stronghold to you!"

Hou Jing was stunned.

How could he have caused such a huge disaster and still be promoted?

Then he thought again and realized something was wrong.

"Then what will you do as the leader?"

"I will naturally step down, wait for General Er Zhu Rong to arrive with his seventeen hundred heavy cavalry, cut off your head, and then return you and General Er Zhu Yinge to him."

Seeing Li Shuang's half-smiling, half-mocking expression, Hou Jing felt great fear and hurriedly asked.

"Then what is the middle strategy?"

"You take General Er Zhu Yinge back to Southern Xiurong, and then let General Er Zhu Rong cut off your head."

At this moment, Hou Jing was already somewhat panicked, his voice trembling.

"Then what is the lower strategy?"

"I will directly cut off your head, and then have someone return you and General Er Zhu Yinge."

What upper, middle, and lower strategies? They all mean my death!

"Leader, just cut me down with one stroke!"

"We are righteous soldiers, not bandits; everything we do must follow proper procedure."

Hou Jing immediately knelt down, hugged Li Shuang's legs, and wailed.

"Leader, let's drop this act. Just say it straight: what do you want me to do? Through mountains of blades or seas of fire, I, Little Hou, will not refuse even if I die ten thousand times!"

"Wan Jing, you have great awareness!"

Saying this, Li Shuang snapped his fingers, and the axe-wielding soldiers hidden around the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness withdrew.

Only after the figures outside the window disappeared did Hou Jing finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"We are old acquaintances, so let's skip all that. I have a letter here; take three horses and deliver this letter to Southern Xiurong within one day, handing it to General Er Zhu Rong."

"One day? But we are two hundred li away from Southern Xiurong!"

Li Shuang patted Hou Jing's cheek, smiling.

"Back then, when Cao Cao chased Liu Bei at Changban Slope, he covered three hundred li in a single day and night. What, is your will to survive now not as fervent as Cao Cao's will to chase Liu Bei?"

"Yes! I have it!"

Hou Jing promised, took the letter, and ran out with his long and short legs, taking three steps in two.

Li Shuang yawned.

"Being a bandit leader... ah, no, a righteous army leader, is not easy!"