The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 052 Incense

"Brother Li! Brother Zhou!"

To Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun's surprise, when they arrived at their destination, Gao Yingxiang personally greeted them at the door.

This surprised them greatly, considering that Gao Yingxiang was a high-ranking leader of the rebel army. Although Li Wanqing held a significant position within the rebel army, Gao Yingxiang's position had become increasingly secure with the successive additions of Wang Er and Zhao Sheng, while Li Wanqing was merely on par with Wang and Zhao. As for Zhou Lun, he was even less significant; he was Li Wanqing's subordinate and could only be considered a mid-level member of the rebel army.

The two exchanged glances subconsciously. Why was Gao Yingxiang being so polite today and had specially invited them?

Gao Yingxiang stepped forward with a smile, took Li Wanqing's hand, and warmly invited Zhou Lun into the courtyard. His current temporary residence was the mansion of a wealthy local family. When the rebel army arrived, the wealthy family "voluntarily offered" it up, and Gao Yingxiang moved in with his men.

"King Chuang, did you invite us here today for the matter of heading north?" Once inside the courtyard, Li Wanqing couldn't help but ask.

"Haha, there's no rush to head north. We're not far from Fugu now. I've already sent someone to the north to contact Chief Wang. It'll be safer to set off after we get the news. I invited you two brothers here today to have some drinks," Gao Yingxiang said to Li Wanqing with a smile.

Li Wanqing was stunned upon hearing this, and Zhou Lun, who was standing next to him, was also full of doubts.

Drinking? Why would Gao Yingxiang suddenly invite them over for drinks? It's not a holiday or anything, what's going on here?

Moreover, after entering the courtyard, Zhou Lun discovered that there were no other outsiders.

Wang Er was absent, and Zhao Sheng was also absent. Of the three leaders, Gao Yingxiang only invited Li Wanqing, and even specifically called him along. What exactly was this Gao Chuangwang up to?

Could it be that Gao Yingxiang has set up a trap today to deal with me and Li Wanqing?

Zhou Lun couldn't help but think about it, but upon closer examination, he realized it was impossible.

Gao Yingxiang had absolutely no need to do this! The rebel army had just begun to gain some influence, and Li Wanqing had always respected Gao Yingxiang. As for Zhou Lun, his relationship with Gao Yingxiang was also superficially quite good. Especially along the journey from Anding to Qingjian, and then continuing north, Zhou Lun remembered Liu Zhe's words and frequently sought opportunities to get closer to Gao Yingxiang. Since he knew Gao Yingxiang intended to win him over, he had to react in some way; otherwise, remaining indifferent and offending the other party would be counterproductive.

Just as the two were wondering what was going on, Gao Yingxiang led them into the house.

There was a table and a few chairs in the room.

After inviting Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun to sit down, Gao Yingxiang clapped his hands and had the food and wine that had been prepared brought out.

When the wine and dishes were served, Zhou Lun noticed that the person serving them was not one of Gao Yingxiang's subordinates, but a dignified young woman.

The woman was young, appearing to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. She had delicate features, was not short, and had a graceful and poised demeanor. After serving the food and wine, she picked up the wine pot and poured wine for Gao Yingxiang, Li Wanqing, and Zhou Lun, then gave a graceful bow and withdrew.

"Come, come, let me toast you two brothers first!" Gao Yingxiang picked up the wine cup in front of him and said to Zhou Lun and the others with a big smile. Then he raised his hand and drank the wine in the cup in one gulp, and then showed them the bottom of the cup.

Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun dared not be negligent, especially since Gao Yingxiang had taken the initiative to drink first. How could they remain unmoved? They immediately said, "You're too kind, King Chuang," and then picked up their own wine cups and drank the wine in their cups as well.

As soon as he put down his wine cup, Gao Yingxiang eagerly picked up the wine pot and poured wine for the two of them. Li Wanqing couldn't stop him in time and could only smile wryly as Gao Yingxiang poured him more wine.

"King Chuang, what's going on today...?" Li Wanqing couldn't help but ask again. He felt a little uneasy about being invited to drink for no reason.

Gao Yingxiang shook his head with a smile, pointed at Li Wanqing and said, "You, you, a dignified archer, how can you act like a woman? This is not like the old friends I know! Don't worry, today is not some trap, I sincerely invite you to drink. Since Bao'an went north, we have been marching and fighting all the way, and we have not had a moment's rest. It is rare to be here to rest and recuperate, and since we have some free time, I took this opportunity to have a banquet so that you and I, brothers, can get closer, drink and reminisce."

Li Wanqing felt a little embarrassed after Gao Yingxiang said that. He hadn't expected Gao Yingxiang to be so direct, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Gao Yingxiang reached out and patted Li Wanqing on the shoulder, his expression sincere: "Brother, it was quite many years ago when we first met. Back then, I was selling horses to make a living, while you were just a farmer."

As he spoke, Gao Yingxiang's expression was filled with reminiscence. He said that back then, the harvest from farming was simply not enough to support his family, so he could only risk selling horses to earn some money.

When Gao Yingxiang first started trading horses, he was unfamiliar with the routes and had no reputation. On his way back from the Northwest, he encountered a group of bandits. Although Gao Yingxiang was skilled in martial arts, he was no match for the enemy's numbers. Just when it seemed that Gao Yingxiang was about to be in trouble, Li Wanqing, who was hunting in the mountains, happened to be there.

Seeing injustice, he drew his sword to help. Relying on his bow and arrows and his sharpshooting skills, Li Wanqing forced the group to retreat, rescued Gao Yingxiang from their clutches, and also saved the horses he had brought.

This is how the two met. Gao Yingxiang was very grateful for Li Wanqing's act of kindness, but Li Wanqing smiled and refused the gift, saying that it was just a small favor and there was no need to thank him. Anyone else would have done the same. Since he had met him, it was fate.

It must be said that Li Wanqing's benevolence moved Gao Yingxiang, and he greatly admired Li Wanqing's character, thus becoming friends with him. Although they didn't meet often afterward, Gao Yingxiang would always visit Li Wanqing whenever he passed through Bao'an County while trading horses. After several visits, they gradually became acquainted.

As time passed, no one expected that the horse traders and ordinary farmers of yesteryear would now embark on the path of rebellion and uprising, and all of them would become leaders of the rebel army.

At this point, Gao Yingxiang was filled with emotion. The things in this world are truly unpredictable. If it were a few years ago, how could they have foreseen today?

"When I started the uprising in Anzhai, you started the uprising in Bao'an. It was truly an arrangement of Heaven. Moreover, if it weren't for you taking the initiative to send me the message, I would have been unable to take Anzhai and would have been in a dilemma. It was thanks to you that you invited me to join forces in Bao'an and then provided me with food and supplies that my troops were able to maintain their morale."

With that, Gao Yingxiang raised his wine cup and sincerely said to Li Wanqing, "Without you, brother, how could our righteous army be where it is today? If I were to ask which of the leaders in the righteous army has helped me, Gao Yingxiang, the most, it would undoubtedly be you, Li Wanqing! Today, I, Gao Yingxiang, sincerely invite you to drink with me. If I have ever treated you unfairly, please do not hold it against me..."

After saying that, Gao Yingxiang raised his hand and drank the cup.

Listening to Gao Yingxiang's heartfelt words and sincere attitude, Li Wanqing was also deeply moved.

As for Gao Yingxiang's claim of "feeling guilty," Li Wanqing didn't care at all. He was a kind-hearted man and could understand Gao Yingxiang's predicament as a leader. The rebel army was growing larger and larger, and besides Gao Yingxiang, there were three other leaders of similar status to him.

Gao Yingxiang, as the overall commander of the rebel army, could not afford to neglect one aspect for another. Moreover, aside from his initial schemes, Gao Yingxiang had not done anything to wrong himself along the way, so how could he have suffered any loss?

After drinking the wine with Gao Yingxiang, Li Wanqing smiled and said, "King Chuang is benevolent and righteous. The rebel army's current achievements are all thanks to him. As his subordinate, I only did what I was supposed to do. As for anything else, there's nothing more to say. Since we decided to unite, we should naturally respect King Chuang as our leader, and brothers should work together to resist the imperial court."

"Good! Well said!"

Gao Yingxiang clapped his hands in praise, expressing even greater admiration for Li Wanqing's magnanimity and character. Taking this opportunity, he continued speaking, reminiscing about the past, sharing his views on the current situation, and outlining the rebel army's plans for a northward march. After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation became more relaxed, and both Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun also relaxed considerably.

"By the way, brother, you're not young anymore, are you? Still not married?" After drinking another glass of wine, Gao Yingxiang suddenly asked Li Wanqing this question.

Li Wanqing was taken aback, then smiled bitterly and said, "Indeed, I'm not young anymore, and I should have been married long ago. But as you know, King Chuang, my parents passed away a few years ago, and during the mourning period, the marriage was delayed. I originally planned to consider this matter after the mourning period, but later... who could have imagined that I would be involved in a rebellion?"

He shook his head: "Right now, we've built up a team, and we're doing business that involves risking our lives. Our future is uncertain, and who can predict what will happen in the future? I don't want to think about marriage for now. I can consider it later if there's an opportunity..."

"How can this be?" Gao Yingxiang frowned and said, "As the saying goes, of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants. Brother, you are not young anymore. Besides, even if you don't marry, you should at least leave behind a heir!"

"This matter is not urgent...not urgent..." Li Wanqing waved his hands repeatedly.

To be honest, he hadn't really considered this matter. Moreover, he was different from Gao Yingxiang. Gao Yingxiang had a wife, Bao, who served in the army, though she rarely saw outsiders. Furthermore, Gao Yingxiang not only had a legal wife but also two concubines. However, Gao Yingxiang had no children, the reason for which remained unknown to outsiders.

Li Wanqing was not a lecherous man, nor was he interested in matters of love. Moreover, as he had just said, he was originally a farmer who, by a twist of fate, embarked on the path of rebellion. Now, as the leader of the rebel army, he faced the challenge of its survival and development.

He himself didn't know what the future held. Perhaps one day the imperial army would attack, and he would be no match for them, dying on the battlefield. In such a precarious situation, how could he possibly care about romantic love? He had never even considered marrying and having children.

Furthermore, although there is a saying in China that there are three unfilial acts, the greatest of which is having no offspring, we should not forget that Li Wanqing also has a clan.

The villagers of Liwang Village were all resettled in advance in the Grand Canyon. When they were resettled, Li Wanqing had given instructions to the elders of the clan. It would be best if they could make a name for themselves outside; if they eventually disappeared, having some members of the clan remaining in the Grand Canyon would preserve the Li family bloodline.

One solution is for the clan elders to decide which suitable member to adopt and carry on the family line for Li Wanqing. This includes not only Li Wanqing, but also Li Shoutian, Wang Tieniu, and others who are traveling with the group; Li Wanqing had already made arrangements for this.

Hearing Li Wanqing's explanation, Gao Yingxiang expressed his understanding. Since Li Wanqing had this idea and arrangement, he would not try to persuade him any further.

However, Gao Yingxiang changed the subject and mentioned Zhou Lun, who hadn't spoken until now, asking him with a smile if he had such a plan, which caught Zhou Lun off guard.