The most romantic little emperor

Su Meng always had a smile on his face, an arc that was both cunning and cruel, as if nothing in the world could shake the indifference and madness in his heart.

He chuckled and said casually, "Father, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I don't like killing people, I just like the thrill of killing people. That kind of boiling blood and overflowing passion can really arouse the blood in my heart and remind me that I was once a general."

He paused, a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes, and continued: "Moreover, this matter is of great importance. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be disastrous. We must be careful and not let any disturbance leak out. Otherwise, once the secret is exposed, our Su family's years of hard work will be wasted."

Su Zhengfang listened to his son's words, and he couldn't help but feel helpless and worried. He knew that his son's character was deeply rooted and it was almost impossible to change it. He sighed softly, shook his head, and said nothing more. However, his heart was full of worries and uneasiness about the future.

"Father, in recent days, the little emperor has been secretly investigating the Grand Canal case, and his tentacles have quietly extended to the Xuanwu Guards. My uncle is already in a panic and has sent people to inquire about it. How should we respond next?" Su Meng said softly.

Su Zhengfang frowned upon hearing this. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Send someone to inform your uncle immediately to tell him to cut off all contact with the Grand Canal case. It must be done cleanly and without leaving any trace. If the situation is not good, you can sacrifice the pawns to save the chariot and throw out a few scapegoats to take the blame. Remember, the Xuanwu Guard is our support and there must be no mistakes. Otherwise, we will lose the capital to compete with the little emperor."

After saying that, he remembered something and continued to ask, "Did your eldest brother reply? Is the progress going smoothly?"

Su Meng's mouth curled up slightly, and he let out a chuckle. He said to Su Zhengfang who was sitting opposite him, "Father, I was just about to tell you about this. My eldest brother sent a letter today. The situation over there is going smoothly. He has wiped out several horse bandit gangs and has subdued those people."

"In addition, he has already had contact with Gao Gongxiang. I have to say that this traitor is really quite extraordinary."

Su Zhengfang was immediately interested when he heard this. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Oh? What is so special about Gao Gongxiang that makes him different from ordinary people? Please tell me in detail so that I can hear it."

Su Meng nodded, took a deep breath, organized his words, and then slowly said, "Gao Gongxiang, whose original name was Gao Yuan, was from Pingyang, Hedong. He was originally a well-read scholar, but later his parents died, and his family became extremely poor, and he almost starved to death."

"Although he is the leader of the rebels, he is quite strategic and courageous in his actions, unlike the average ruffian. The reason why he had such an experience can be traced back to the beginning of last year."

"Because of the pressure of life, Gao Gongxiang gathered a group of villagers who could not make a living, about 30 or 40 strong young men. Then, under the instigation of Gao Gongxiang, they killed a local wealthy businessman who bullied the people and robbed a lot of silver and property to make a fortune."

"However, this man was not a greedy person, and he did not keep the money and grain for himself. Instead, he distributed the stolen money and grain to the local villagers, allowing them to temporarily alleviate their living difficulties. This move quickly won the trust and respect of the villagers, and his prestige was established."

"As time went by, more and more people turned to him in search of a way to survive. He gradually grew stronger and became a force that could not be ignored."

"Gao Yingxiang was a very cunning and strategic man. Later, he took some of these people and sneaked into those rich villages and towns in the name of merchants. On the surface, they were doing business, but secretly they bribed a group of tenant farmers and fanned the flames everywhere, provoking conflicts between tenant farmers and landlords."

"When the time was right, Gao Yingxiang stood up, denounced the landlords' exploitation and oppression, and incited the tenants to kill the landlords and divide the land. As a result, the tenants got the land and benefited, while he and his brothers took the landlords' money and grain and used it to develop their own power."

"Later, Gao Yingxiang became more and more daring. He was no longer satisfied with small fights in villages, but set his sights on more prosperous towns. At first, they just sneaked into the city and plundered the wealth and food of the wealthy merchants. After robbing the money and food, they hid in the mountains."

"The government has launched many raids but failed to catch him. This has only encouraged his arrogance. His reputation in the local area has become increasingly famous. Because he has saved many lives, he is called the reincarnation of the 'living Bodhisattva' by the locals."

Su Meng paused, took a sip of tea, and continued, "This year, the Hedong region suffered a rare drought, and the fields were barren. The wealthy merchants, gentry, and landlords saw the situation and raised prices. Food prices soared to the point where there was no market for them. Food became more scarce than silver."

"People couldn't afford to buy food and had to go hungry. There were hungry refugees everywhere. In such a difficult situation, a large number of villagers from the poorest villages fled to beg, and gradually a wave of refugees formed."

"Later, the refugee tide intensified and eventually formed a huge army of refugees. In order to survive, they ate everything they could. They ate Guanyin soil, exchanged their children for food, and sold their wives and daughters. These cases were common and not uncommon."

"In this chaotic time, the traitor Gao Gongxiang saw an opportunity. He generously distributed the food he had robbed to the hungry and cold refugees, thereby winning their trust and support. He then led the people to fight against the local tyrants and divide up the land. His influence gradually grew, and in less than two months, he expanded his influence to the county town."

"Later, he led these refugees to attack the county, slaughtered local officials, and opened the granaries to release grain. His righteous act quickly won the enthusiastic support of the grassroots people. With this strong public opinion, they quickly swept through three or four county towns in the Hedong area and coerced tens of thousands of people, leading to the current situation."

"Of course, this is not his most powerful method. According to the people sent back by my eldest brother, Gao Gongxiang is not only very courageous and led the people to occupy the county, but what is even more shocking is that he dared to release prisoners privately and use them for his own purposes. Gao Gongxiang handles affairs very methodically. He is a scholar himself and is good at agitating people. He has gathered many local scholars, given them official positions, and managed the county he conquered."