Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

Inside Bianjing city, fully armed soldiers from the Imperial City Guard and the Capital Garrison hurried about, arresting people throughout the city.

"His Majesty has decreed! Anyone who resists shall be killed without exception!"

"Stop! What are you running for? If you run again, I won't be polite!"

"Trying to run? Fire!"

……

Since becoming the capital of the Zhao Song Dynasty, Bianjing had not experienced such turmoil for over a hundred years. The usually bustling streets were now not only deserted but also in a terrible state of disarray.

Yesterday, the Imperial City Guard and the Beijing Garrison began arresting people. In just one night, more than fifty people were beheaded in the street, several mansions were confiscated, and groups of people were taken to prison.

Screams, curses, cries, fighting, the sound of doors being broken down, pleas for mercy... the sounds never stopped all night long. Ordinary people could only keep their doors tightly shut and hide in their homes, determined not to show their faces.

The noise outside kept seeping into the cracks in the door, and the thin door panel became the only lifeline for the people.

In one family home, the family members huddled together tightly. The child was at the very back, the mother was in the middle, and the father was at the very front, holding the family knife, his eyes fixed on the door. In their minds, as long as their door didn't break, they would be safe.

The night passed in fear and trepidation. It was only at cockcrow the next day that things calmed down a bit. This was not because all the people who needed to be arrested had been arrested, but because the soldiers of the Imperial City Guard needed to take turns resting.

Some brave folks secretly opened their doors a crack and peeked out. They saw that the streets were full of traces of a chase, and there were many corpses on the ground. Officials were cleaning up the bodies and washing away the bloodstains.

"What are you looking at?! Don't go out and wander around the streets these next few days if you don't have anything to do!"

Upon seeing someone dare to stick their head out, the soldiers immediately barked menacingly at them.

It's not entirely their fault; they did hunt all night, and many people are still reeling from those images.

The people, intimidated by this, dared not say anything more and quickly returned to their homes, locking the doors tightly.

As for the shops on the street, they dare not open their doors now. Opening their doors at this time would be tantamount to courting death. If they were accused of being accomplices, they would be finished!

However, not all shops are closed. For example, the Cai family's shops are doing just fine.

No one would be so foolish as to investigate Cai Jing's businesses.

Besides these, some shops that had a good relationship with Cai Jing remained open, including Wanbaolou.

“Cai Jing is truly enraged this time. It is said that when the emperor is angry, millions will die. Although Cai Jing is a false emperor, killing hundreds or thousands of people is still no problem.”

Lehe stood quietly by the window on the top floor of Wanbaolou, looking at the current situation of the entire Bianjing city.

When he opened Wanbaolou in Bianjing, he had already taken care of all the top figures in the city, and the Cai family was no exception.

Moreover, Cai Jing loved listening to music, and when he was in high spirits, he would even sing a piece himself. Le He would always cooperate with Cai Jing to let him enjoy himself, so the Cai family also took care of Wanbaolou's business, which made their position very stable and also gave Le He more opportunities to make connections with the upper class in Bianjing.

After Cai Jing rebelled, he made a special trip to Wanbaolou to listen to music. He asked Yue He to sing several pieces for him. After the performance, Cai Jing commented that Yue He's skills had improved and that he could truly be the leading figure in the Peking Opera world today.

Lehe naturally dared not accept this title, but Cai Jing had drunk too much that day and sang his heart out. He insisted on leaving his calligraphy, and Lehe could not stop him. Thus, Wanbaolou had a plaque with a handwritten inscription by Cai Jing, the founding emperor of the Great Lai Kingdom—"The Leader of the Pear Garden"!

Because of this plaque, the Imperial City Guards don't even bother to check it when they pass by.

The Master of Wanbao Pavilion is someone who can sing songs with the current emperor; they're not that foolish!

"We told you to leave then, but you didn't. Now you can't leave even if you want to."

Le said to the person behind him.

“Commander Yue, I, Du Fei, am not that afraid of death. Besides, I am from Bianjing. If I can die here, it can be considered as returning to my roots.”

Du Fei, the former Bianjing hoodlum who impersonated "Gao Kan," went straight into Wanbaolou after leaving the Cai residence.

Firstly, it's safe here, and secondly, he's disguised as Gao Kan. All he needs to do is destroy the human skin mask to reveal his true face, and then "Gao Kan" will naturally cease to exist.

When Cai Jing initially tried to have Gao Kan arrested, he did visit Wanbaolou, but he failed to recognize Du Fei, who was mixed in with the general workers. Later, when Gao Kan came to Wanbaolou to inscribe a poem, Du Fei was right next to Cai Jing, but again, due to the darkness of the lamplight, Cai Jing, being above him, did not notice him.

"After Cai Jing rebelled, you have completed your mission as Gao Kan. Why don't you return to the mountain to receive your reward? Instead, you're risking your life with me. Aren't you afraid of dying a gruesome death?"

"Commander Yue, you are just like Commander Shi in my family. Although you speak harshly, you are soft-hearted."

Du Fei smiled, moved a chair for Le He, and then dragged one over and sat down himself.

"If I leave, Commander Yue will truly be isolated and helpless in Bianjing. Since Cai Jing came to power, he has sifted through the entire city of Bianjing several times, and even several of our Skynet's secret networks have been destroyed!"

“I’m from Bianjing. I know every street in Bianjing by heart. With me here, I can at least guarantee that I can take Commander Yue out with me when the time comes.”

"But Commander Yue, why don't you leave?"

Under Shi Qian's tutelage and after undergoing the baptism of the mission of impersonating Gao Kan, Du Fei is now a very qualified intelligence soldier.

“I can’t leave, especially now, when Cai Jing’s suspicions must be at their peak. If I leave, Cai Jing will definitely know that Wanbaolou has problems, and all our efforts over the years will have been in vain.”

Lehe understood that he could not leave.

"Besides, I believe in my brother. Soon our Dayi army will be at the city gates, and I will personally go to welcome the army."

"Commander Yue, you are a star descended to earth, and you are not afraid of death, so what is there to fear about my worthless life, Du Fei?"

Du Fei grinned and said with a smile:

"In the first half of my life, I was both an idle loafer and a carefree playboy. I enjoyed everything I was supposed to, so I have no regrets in this life."

"If I can accompany Commander Yue to accomplish something great in Bianjing, then my life will have been worthwhile!"

"Respect, Da Yi!"

Lehe looked at Du Fei, poured him a glass of wine, and then raised it.

"Respect, Da Yi!"

Du Fei took the glass of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp!

……

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

At this moment, in the back alley of Wanbaolou, a figure with his head tightly wrapped in coarse cloth was moving quickly. He kept looking back as if someone was chasing him.

"Where are they? Which way did they run off to?"

On the main street outside, a man who looked like a general was asking his men if they had seen anyone.

"General, it looks like they ran into these alleys!"

"Chase him! This Li Gang is a serious criminal! We absolutely cannot let him escape! And try to capture him alive!"

……