The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 048 Becoming sworn brothers

Zhao Sheng warmly welcomed Zhou Lun, and after exchanging pleasantries, invited them into the city.

Zhou Lun did not refuse and followed Zhao Sheng into Qingjian City.

As they entered the city, Zhou Lun carefully observed the city and its surroundings.

To his surprise, Zhao Sheng's uprising in Qingjian had only been going on for a few days, yet the situation in the city was already quite good.

The city showed no signs of chaos or the ravages of war, and the people maintained their usual order. When Zhou Lun's rebel army entered the city, the people showed no panic whatsoever, at most merely observing the army with curious eyes.

"Brother Zhao is truly talented!" Zhou Lun exclaimed with genuine admiration.

Within just a few days of Zhao Sheng's uprising, he had stabilized Qingjian, bringing order to the entire city and ensuring that the lives of the people were largely unaffected. Moreover, Zhao Sheng's subordinates were disciplined and orderly, and along the way, no one was seen abusing their status as rebels to bully the people.

"I'm so ashamed..."

Zhao Sheng waved his hand and laughed, "I'm just copying what others have said, a poor imitation. If I hadn't learned of Brother Zhou's righteous deeds in Bao'an, Qingjian wouldn't be in this state. After we took Qingjian, I followed Brother Zhou's example and posted a public notice to reassure the people, held a public trial for several corrupt officials in the county government, and then opened the granaries to distribute grain. That's how we brought peace to the city and gained the trust of the people."

Zhao Sheng's words surprised Zhou Lun. He never expected that he would have a part in this.

After making careful inquiries, Zhou Lun finally understood why Zhao Sheng knew about him and how his nickname "Shocking Sky" had spread.

It turned out that news of the uprising in Bao'an County by Li Wanqing, Zhou Lun, and others had already reached Qingjian more than a month ago. Although Zhao Sheng was a scholar, he paid particular attention to such matters and inquired about many details of the Bao'an uprising from various sources.

To outsiders, the most famous figure in the Bao'an Uprising was undoubtedly Li Wanqing, the leader of the "Shock-Stopping Heaven" uprising. However, Zhao Sheng deduced from fragmented information that the one who truly helped the uprising succeed, restored order to Bao'an in a short time, and enabled the rebels to firmly control the county was not Li Wanqing, but Zhou Lun, who was known as "Shock-Stopping Heaven."

As a scholar, Zhao Sheng's judgments and thought processes naturally differed from those of ordinary people. He saw problems more deeply and analyzed them more thoroughly.

Therefore, Zhao Sheng developed a strong interest in Zhou Lun at that time.

In his view, Zhou Lun's actions were far more than just an ordinary rebellion. The extent to which he could devise such arrangements and methods, and his far-sighted vision, were beyond the reach of ordinary peasants.

Zhao Sheng was well-versed in poetry and literature and had also studied history. Throughout history, there have been countless rebels, but very few have actually succeeded.

Some people rose up with great momentum and became famous throughout the world in a very short time; some were powerful and their forces were unstoppable in their conquests; and some were ruthless killers who led their troops to sweep across the Central Plains...

But regardless of the type, most of them are just short-lived successes. Those who truly have the last laugh are often not these people, but rather those who have foresight, plan ahead from the beginning, and have an excellent reputation. They are the ones with the best chance of success.

Although these were merely rumors, and Zhao Sheng hadn't yet met Zhou Lun in person, his actions in Bao'an County alone convinced him that Zhou Lun was no ordinary man. In his view, whatever Zhou Lun's motives, his responses and arrangements were impeccable. He himself would likely have done the same.

Of course, Zhao Sheng never imagined he would later start a rebellion, much less that he would transform from a scholar into a rebel leader. At that time, he was still diligently studying, preparing for the imperial examinations the following year.

After hearing Zhao Sheng's explanation, Zhou Lun suddenly understood why Zhao Sheng had been so enthusiastic upon seeing him. He never expected that Zhao Sheng would replicate his actions in Bao'an County exactly the same in Qingjian, resulting in the current state of Qingjian.

"Brother Zhou, you speak with remarkable refinement. Have you ever been to school?"

Perhaps it was because he already had a good impression of Zhou Lun, and after meeting him today, Zhao Sheng felt even closer to Zhou Lun, who, despite his tall stature, was unlike ordinary people and possessed an air of scholarly refinement, and whose speech was not vulgar.

As the two walked and talked, Zhao Sheng couldn't help but ask Zhou Lun this question.

Zhou Lun laughed and said that although he had read books, he could not be called a scholar and could not compare with a traditional scholar like Zhao Sheng. He only knew a little about the Four Books and Five Classics, and usually read more miscellaneous books—such as history books, military strategy books, and even other random books. He had read quite a lot of them.

Hearing Zhou Lun's reply, Zhao Sheng burst into laughter, saying that he was merely a student who hadn't even passed the county-level exam, and in truth, he couldn't be considered a true scholar. As for history books and military strategy, he quite enjoyed them, and sometimes when he got tired of reading, he would pick one up and flip through it to refresh his mind. Zhou Lun's interests were quite similar to his own, which pleased him greatly.

They chatted casually along the way, and their relationship quickly grew closer.

They all felt a sense of kinship. By the time they arrived at the county government office, Zhao Sheng had already come to regard Zhou Lun as a friend and even proposed that the two become sworn brothers.

Zhou Lun agreed to Zhao Sheng's suggestion without hesitation.

Becoming sworn brothers would do him no harm whatsoever. Besides, Zhao Sheng is currently the leader of the rebel army in Qingjian, with nearly three thousand men under his command, a force to be reckoned with. Why wouldn't he be happy to have such a sworn brother?

Moreover, Zhou Lun had always been wary of Gao Yingxiang. These past few days he'd been busy recruiting soldiers and training them. Although he'd promised Liu Zhe to visit Gao Yingxiang more often, Zhou Lun knew it was merely a temporary measure. In his heart, the true leader was definitely not Gao Yingxiang, but Li Wanqing.

Currently, both Gao Yingxiang and Wang Er are quite powerful within the rebel army. The former is even a major leader, while Li Wanqing's forces are relatively weaker in comparison. To better establish themselves within the rebel army, besides cultivating a closer relationship with Gao Yingxiang and engaging in feigned compliance, it is also essential to gather more allies and strengthen their own forces.

Zhao Sheng's suggestion was exactly what Zhou Lun wanted to hear. Moreover, he had a very good impression of Zhao Sheng. A rebel leader who rose up as a scholar naturally evoked more sympathy in Zhou Lun than someone like Wang Er. The two talked very happily, forming a very good impression of each other, and the idea of ​​becoming sworn brothers was exactly what they wanted.

And so, Zhou Lun readily agreed. Zhao Sheng was equally straightforward, and immediately pulled Zhou Lun into the county government hall to swear brotherhood.

They were of similar age, and Zhao Sheng, who was two years older, naturally became the elder brother, while Zhou Lun became the younger brother.

"I also have a sworn brother, the leader Li Wanqing, who is known as the one who can shoot down the heavens. Why don't I join my brother in becoming sworn brothers today?"

"Why not!" Zhao Sheng laughed and readily agreed.

Zhao Sheng certainly knew Li Wanqing's name; She Tatian was a very famous figure in the rebel army. Since he knew Zhou Lun, how could he not have heard of She Tatian? Moreover, in Zhao Sheng's view, someone so highly praised and respected by Zhou Lun was certainly no ordinary person. Why would he refuse such an opportunity to become sworn brothers?

And so, before Li Wanqing even arrived in Qingjian, he unknowingly gained a second brother, while his original second brother, Zhou Lun, became his third brother.

They offered incense before the portrait of Yue Fei, chopped off a chicken's head, and drank blood wine, thus establishing their brotherhood. After exchanging bows, the two rose, took each other's hands, and burst into laughter.