The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 445: Fishing with an Empty Hook, Why Bother?

The scenery of Taihu Lake is clear water and green mountains. A double-decker flower boat floats leisurely on the water. On the deck, Murong Fu is leaning on a lounge chair with a fishing rod in his hand, with a parasol shielding his face and fresh fruits and fine wine accompanying him. Wang Yuyan, Azhu, Abi, and Aqing are also by his side. There are thirty or fifty other guards and followers, but it does not seem crowded at all.

It has to be said that the development of ship technology in the Song Dynasty was extraordinary. Both sea ships and river ships had their merits. Even those who had experienced the Ming Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, and Southern Song Dynasty, who had done extensive research on ships, admired the Song Dynasty's ship navigation technology. The same was true for other disciplines.

Perhaps it was the advent of papermaking and printing, along with the aristocracy's ability to deceive the emperor, that led to a surge in cultural development, and with it, various degrees of advancement in other areas of learning. If we ignore the Song dynasty's suppression of military men, the corruption of the aristocracy that left the court unable to cover its tax revenues, and the distortion of history that misled the emperor and fooled the people, the Song dynasty's advancements in culture and craftsmanship were undoubtedly significant.

The Song Dynasty's technological advancements were unparalleled, with advances in papermaking, printing, gunpowder, and the use of the compass having a global impact. Perhaps due to the unique way the Zhao family gained power, they placed a premium on military power and were extremely wary of military figures, leading to their suppression. This led to persecution and the annual tribute paid to the enemy.

To pay tribute to the enemy, buy peace, and enjoy their own comforts, the ruling class of the Song Dynasty vigorously developed commerce and accumulated wealth. It can be said that the Northern Song Dynasty's commerce developed rapidly, especially maritime trade. Because the dynasty emphasized civil service over military affairs and promoted education, culture and art developed rapidly, with cultural masters emerging one after another. Porcelain made great strides, even developing wood-fired kiln technology that would not be surpassed by later generations.

Murong Fu was well-versed in many schools of thought and had knowledge of all walks of life. He even collected a lot of information and studied it carefully. The strength of the Murong family was inseparable from its advanced technology, and the later technology of the Yuan and Ming dynasties was his advantage.

Not to mention anything else, just the three treasures of steelmaking, artillery and cavalry have multiplied the military strength of the Yan Kingdom. Facing the elite of the Liao Kingdom, it was absolutely crushed not only because of martial arts education, but also because of equipment.

Murong Bo's 300,000-man army, aided by the Northern Frontier forces of the Song Dynasty commanded by Feng Bo'e, Cao Yi, Zhuge Yi, Bao Bu Tong, and Gong Ye Qian, and the assistance of the Three Elders of Xiaoyao and the Thirty-Six Cave Masters, was no mere coincidence. Within Liao, the Murong family already had numerous hidden agents, including Xiao Feng, a supreme master who could even sway the entire battle at a crucial moment. After all, using him to slay a general was perfectly suited.

The strategy of attacking the Liao Kingdom was of vital importance and the opportunity was fleeting. Murong Fu sent out most of his most trusted men. Except for some little girls, the men who could be used were almost used up. Not to mention Deng Baichuan (who had always followed Murong Bo to lead the foreign army), Gongye Qian, Bao Bu Tong, Feng Bo'e, even Cao Yi, Zhuge Yi and others had important tasks to do.

The thirty-six cave masters acted as surprise troops, allowing Murong Bo to capture the major cities of Liao more quickly. The three Xiaoyao elders cooperated with Murong Bo to eliminate the hidden masters in Liao to avoid uncontrollable accidents.

It could be said that the only people Murong Fu could use were his wives, concubines, maids, and a group of people from Gusu Academy. Among them, Wang Erlang and the Eight Friends of Hangu were visible figures; others could not touch them, but they could be closely monitored, making them famous figures who could not be moved rashly. Meanwhile, Madam Murong was restrained by the wealthy family through various means, and she went to the prefect's home with a grand ceremony to celebrate her mother's birthday, just like today.

On the big boat, A-Bi played the piano and A-Zhu sang loudly. Wang Yuyan smiled and put a piece of fresh fruit into Murong Fu's mouth, but he ate half and she ate the other half. A-Qing, who was holding the sword, blushed and lowered her head to "take care" of the half bucket of river fish.

At this moment, a melodious sound of a piano came from afar, faintly echoing with A-Bi's piano sound. A moment later, a solitary boat came rushing over. On it was an old man with a long beard, dressed like a scholar. He sat cross-legged in front of a table with his hands as slender as jade, and was playing the piano while shaking his head. On his left and right were two boys holding whisks and swords. They were about twenty years old. Although they were boys, they had quite extraordinary temperament. There were also two burly and strong boatmen at the stern.

Murong Fu looked around and heard a loud singing coming from another direction. The singing matched the music of the old man with a long beard, giving a feeling of searching for a soulmate in the mountains and streams. The singing was full of energy and steadily suppressed Murong Fu's voice. His internal strength was quite extraordinary.

Before the song ended, drums sounded from the other side. The roar of the drums was so heroic that an elder wearing armor and carrying a spear looked like a madman. The sound of the drums made people's blood boil. There were more than ten soldiers around him who were fully armed, with swords drawn and bows strung, and they were full of murderous aura.

When the sounds of piano, singing and drums were competing with each other, a flute sound came in at an inopportune time. The flute sound was delicate and easy-going, but it silently dissolved the hostility in the sounds of piano, singing and drums, giving people a feeling of spring breeze moistening everything silently.

On a small boat, there was a middle-aged man in a white gown, with a tall hat and a wide belt, and an extraordinary appearance. He was holding the flute with both hands and smiling. He seemed easy-going but he could easily intervene in the fight between three masters, which showed his cultivation. Standing behind him was not a servant or a maid, but a eunuch with gray hair, white face and no beard. The official uniform he wore was the best symbol of his identity.

There was no third person on the boat. The man in white and the old eunuch remained motionless, but the boat came flying like an arrow. Their internal strength was even greater than that of the other three.

"Three are top-notch, one is half a step to the top, and one is a top master. The aristocratic families really think highly of me, Murong Fu." The fishing rod in Murfu's hand moved slightly, and a faint arc appeared at the corner of his mouth: "It's hooked, it's a big fish." As soon as the words fell, the fishing rod shook slightly, and a one-foot-long fish flew up with its tail swinging, and fell into the bucket with a "splash".

Without Ah Qing's help, the hook fell off naturally and landed lightly in Murong Fu's hands. He sighed slightly and shook his head, saying, "Fishing with an empty hook, the fish is caught, what's the point of bothering?"

Although Murong Fu's voice was soft, it was able to reach the ears of the masters who were surrounding him from all sides and approaching him. His voice had a hint of soul-stirring power in it, which made the sounds of piano, drums and singing chaotic. Only the sound of the flute suddenly became louder, covering up the slight discord.

"Hahahaha, what a talented Nan Murong, a man of both civil and military talents!" The elder drummer threw the drumstick in his hand to the ground and took out a flag with a large "Lu" character on it. "You and I are on the same page, but we are just getting in the way of many people. I am also from an aristocratic family. Although I don't want to do some things, I have to do them. When we start fighting later, you don't have to hold back. This world is originally a world where the strong prey on the weak. I know your name, and I'm sure you can guess who I am. But some things are not so pleasant to talk about. You can just call me Old Lu."

“The head of the Murong family is less than 30 years old, but in just a dozen or twenty years he has developed the declining Murong family to such a level. He is capable of governing a region with his literary talent and fighting against foreign enemies with his martial arts. He is an extraordinary person who could have become a general or a prime minister. He could have been one of us, but unfortunately Gusu Academy…” The old man playing the piano sighed and waved his hand. The boy behind him automatically unfolded a flag with a big word “thank you” written on it.

"The Murong family has only one heir for five generations and has a small population. They started their careers by relying on military power and are not tolerated by the mainstream of the Song Dynasty. If they want to study hard and enter the court, it would be the best strategy. Then they can take in many wives and concubines to increase their population and become a noble family in three generations. It's a pity that Master Murong is too aggressive. In order to expand his power, he did not hesitate to open up to hundreds of schools of thought. He used Gusu Academy as a base to continuously forge ahead and cut himself off from the mainstream of the Song Dynasty. It's really a pity." The old man who sang loudly sighed, and the two followers behind him unfolded a flag with the word "king" on it.

A faint arc appeared on Murong Fu's lips. It was another enemy, and he had been entangled with him for a long time, and he was the one who caused the greatest harm to the Murong family. The old man praised him a lot in his words, but he was implicated by his family and had to become his enemy.

"I am a free and easy wanderer, indulging in the mountains and rivers and not competing with the world. However, my roots are not clear. Although I am not part of my family, there is one brother I cannot abandon. My brother has given me an order, and it is difficult for me to refuse. I thought it was just a formality, but I never thought that Young Master Murong has such strength. If I am not careful, I am afraid that the elders will return empty-handed." The man playing the flute sighed softly, hesitated for a moment, but still took out the flag in his arms, but did not unfold it but threw it aside.

Wang Yuyan glanced at him and said the word "Chen" lightly, which made the middle-aged man look surprised. Although the legitimate mistress of the Murong family was young, she was probably not an ordinary person. This operation might be a bit difficult.

"His Majesty has issued an order. Lord Murong, please accept it." The old eunuch behind the middle-aged man raised his hands high. Murong Fu was slightly startled and shook his head casually, "Are you sure you want me to receive the order here?"