It is already dark, and the Cangcheng public housing area in Jiangling City has already become sparsely populated. As the core of the entire Deposed Dragon Gang, the patrolling sergeants can still be clearly seen under the light of the brazier, and several of the rooms are even brighter. The lights are bright.
"So fast?" Xie Minghe looked at Staff Zhao who came in, obviously surprised. "What happened yesterday happened tonight?"
"It's a matter in this city. It would be ridiculous if we have to wait three to five days for this." Chen Bin, who was sitting behind the desks in the middle of the public room, responded casually, took the wooden folder that was handed to him, and took out paper records included. "Is the news confirmed?"
"I'm sure, that woman is a palace maid. She was captured when the queen went south, and then worked in the Jiyin Quilt Factory. Later, she was transferred because she was literate and could do accounting. Now she works with Leader Cao, in charge of logistics accounts, and already has a deacon. I guess... I met him when he was receiving the reward. "Zhao Dacan, who came to report, lowered his head and handed his hands in front of me. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He didn't know that these two were on top when he was drinking yesterday. , otherwise how to meet Xiao Liuwen.
"Where is that store?" Chen Bin closed the wooden folder and continued to ask.
"We are already reorganizing and checking, but I know that the store the manager mentioned is the property of Leader Xu's family..."
"Which leader Xu?" Xie Minghe was extremely surprised.
"Xu Shiying..." Staff Zhao explained carefully.
"Wasn't his house ransacked?" Xie Minghe became increasingly puzzled. Staff Officer Zhao: "...."
"What do you mean?" Xie Minghe turned to look at Chen Bin. Chen Bin didn't speak, but just gestured with his lips.
At this time, Zhao Dacan carefully explained to Xie Minghe:
"To be honest with Xie, in charge of the division, shortly after the raid, and before Xuzhou was invaded, the three chieftains Shan, Wang, and Zhai each took a portion of the land they and their clansmen had received from their military merits, plus the sublease of the farmland, In order to do the work for the workers, each family in the corner presented a small village to Leader Xu's family. The two leaders of Lu presented a small fleet of boats. Ding, Guo, Xiahou, Zhang and Liang and several leaders from surrounding Dongjun jointly gave gifts. There were three or four caravans, and there were still some treasures. The jewelry that Liu Wenwen bought this time should also be a palace item. The queen got it from the gang before, and then rewarded it to the leaders, and then it was given to Xu by someone. Leader, Leader Xu took it out and sold it in his newly opened shop..."
Xie Minghe was startled for a moment, then smiled instead: "It's the same thing everywhere. If the Xie family is ruined, I don't think I can get a fortune in Jiangdong just by going back."
"The centipede is dead but not stiff!" Chen Bin, on the other hand, said coldly, but he didn't know who he was mocking.
"Then...where is that wine shop?" Xie Minghe quickly asked.
"What kind of wine shop...?" Staff Zhao panicked. "Is this the wine shop where my subordinate had a drink with Xiao Liu Wenwen yesterday afternoon? I..."
"You don't have to worry about it." Chen Bin waved his hand and explained to Xie Minghe. "There is indeed something wrong with the wine shop... When I came to buy the foundation, I was said to be from Wuyang, but the people selling Fenjiu wine and the people transporting goods were all from Hongshan. Most access was from Qinghe North Road, where the border patrol team leader Lu We had a discussion with me from the beginning, and we all suspected it was from Wu'an."
"Really a spy?" Xie Minghe was extremely surprised, and then he immediately reacted. "You knew I was a spy and you still took me there?"
"We can't call them spies. They are just doing business normally, listening to news and reporting. Moreover, it is not easy for Wu An to talk to us about friends and foes." Chen Bin explained. "The kind of spies you think of are very few... ...Unless they are in battle, most spies are like this, and all the information they hear is public, so just keep it in your mind."
At this point, Chen Binfu looked at the stunned Staff Officer Zhao again: "Old Zhao, you just have to know what's going on in your mind. Don't scare the snake. You should go and talk about it. It's no big deal."
Kuaishan Zhao could only nod.
"Where are other places?" Xie Minghe couldn't help but keep coming.
ask. "I won't ask about Jiangdu. What about Dongdu? Where about Hejian? Are there such spies?"
"On the contrary, there are less in other places. There is none in Hejian, but there is it in Youzhou. There is none in Dongdu, but there is it in Yecheng and Jijun...especially in Yecheng.
Over there, it's similar to what you thought. "Chen Bin wants to do some popular science." But that's not what you should ask. Just know that Liu Wenwen was not hooked up by a spy. "
Xie Minghe nodded, and Zhao Dashen also wanted to leave.
"Wait a moment." Manager Xie thought of something and suddenly stepped forward and wrote a note on Chen Bin's desk, then turned around and handed it to the fast-legged Staff Officer Zhao. "I haven't received my reward yet. Thanks for your hard work, find Chief Cao for me tomorrow, get a piece of silk from him, and then give it to Xiao Liuwen, saying it is my personal gift... I am leaving tomorrow Once I'm in Xiangguo County, I don't have time to take care of it myself."
Staff Zhao was stunned for a moment, then nodded immediately and looked at Chen Bin at the same time.
"You're quite troublesome." Chen Bin waved his hand to signal the other party to leave, while scorning his old friend's behavior.
"To borrow a sentence from Zhang Sanlang, politics without human feelings cannot last long." Xie Minghe sighed. "But you, on the other hand, can't even show this posture. Can you really do anything?" "
At this time, Staff Officer Zhao had just gone out. Chen Bin naturally became irritated when he heard this: "Why are you still talking about this?"
Xie Minghe just shut up.
Just like that, the next day, it was not said that Xie Minghe went to Xiangguo County to do something, but that Zhao Dacan went to the back of Cangcheng, but did not see Cao Xi... As a rare female leader in the gang, Cao Xi was in charge of things It's very complicated, and there are always new jobs. The person in charge of distributing the fine items and gift coupons here in Cangcheng is Ji Sanniang in Cao Xi Camp. She is only on the same level as Staff Officer Zhao and is a well-known figure in Dou Lide Camp. The wife of the fighting general Xiao Gao... Zhao Dashen handed over the note and asked Ji Sanniang to get a piece of silk for Xie Minghe.
Xie Minghe was an old bachelor and was not short of money. He would eat on the porch, before the camp, or even with Chen Bin. He always kept his rewards, but Ji Sanniang was young and nimble, and asked people to collect them. , but on the one hand, I can’t help but be curious:
"This is the first time for Chief Zhao Dacan to ask for something. It's just a piece of silk... What do you want to do?"
Staff Officer Zhao looked away from a female historian who was keeping accounts at the far end of the warehouse. The pearl and golden phoenix hairpin on the latter's head was particularly conspicuous, so he also smiled and answered: "It's not for Mr. Xie's own use, but for others..." It's a coincidence that the day before yesterday, Mr. Liu Wenwen had saved a lot of gift coupons and only exchanged them for a piece of jewelry with a pearl and golden phoenix hairpin. Leader Xie happened to be passing by and saw him, so he felt that Mr. Liu Wenshi didn't know the rules.
To give this kind of gift, good ones should be made of silk and bad ones should be made of linen.
Cloth is used as a match...so I came to get a piece of silk and give it to Liu Wenwen, so as not to be laughed at by the woman when I actually go to give the gift and lose our face in the stage. "
Ji Sanniang was stunned for a moment, not knowing that Chief Xie still cared about this matter, so she just handed over the silk and sent Zhao Da Shen out. When she returned to the warehouse to settle the account, she stared at the pearl and golden phoenix hairpin that was dangling around.
By the afternoon, everyone in Cangcheng, both men and women, knew about this.
After eating on the veranda and dispersing, the whole Jiangling City will probably know about it.
Others did not mention it, except that Cao Xi, leader Cao, had been busy all day. In the afternoon, he went to Cangcheng to listen to the report and had dinner, and then returned to his residence in the west of the city. He thought that he and a hired man were the only ones at home to cook. However, unexpectedly, Dou Lide, who had been inspecting the farmland for more than ten days in a row, had returned, and several old brothers from Gaojibo had also returned together.
The age gap between the couple is slightly larger. They have been married for two or three years, and they spend less time together and more separation. It is not necessarily a deep relationship, but Cao Xi's brother Cao Chen is the backbone of the group, and when Dou Lide is away, he is basically Cao Xi struggled to maintain it together with other family members, so the group itself was still very strong, and it also played a considerable role in fixing their marriage.
In addition, as Cao Xi gradually rose to prominence in the Deposed Dragon Gang, Dou Lide was actually very supportive, unlike many people's subconscious reactions. This really made Cao Xi feel quite grateful to her husband.
She is not someone like Bai Sanniang or Ma Ping'er. She naturally possesses cultivation and charlatanism. How had she ever thought that she would have a career of her own? She feels lucky that her husband can support her, no matter what the reason is.
But now that his identity was there, Leader Cao wanted to cook, but he was stopped.
She was more or less invited to take a seat first.
However, after three rounds of drinking, these people gradually became dissolute. Cao Xi still took the opportunity to leave the table, went to the kitchen to help the cook prepare a few vegetables, and then hid in the side room early, using the skills she had learned recently. With a few words, I recorded the day's work carefully but roughly, and tried to recall what I did wrong and what I did OK.
The commotion at home lasted until the second watch, when the street drums began to play outside. Probably because they were afraid of causing trouble after drinking and annoying someone in the city, the banquet quickly dispersed.
After finally packing up their things, the couple went to bed and turned off the lights. Dou Lide did not return for many days, so they inevitably chatted some gossip, but it was mainly Chief Dou who came to ask Chief Cao about various matters here.
Of course Cao Xi didn't hide anything, so he talked about it one by one.
"Nowadays, the Deposed Dragon Gang is becoming more and more powerful everywhere. People come from everywhere to worship the mountain. The border is also honest. If the crops in the fields were not confiscated, I guess there would be hundreds of people running here.
surname. " Dou Lide listened for a while and just yawned on the couch and sighed. "Chief Zhang's power in the gang is getting bigger and bigger, and basically no one can shake it. Several leaders have set up their own platforms, and no one has seen him. How dare you disobey..."
"Who says it's not?" Cao Xi also agreed. "The uncle of the leader, Xiao Zhou, actually decided to rebel because the chief became the chief. Several other companies also had similar thoughts and felt that
Only when the chief becomes chief can the Deposed Dragon Gang be stable, and the war in Xuzhou will have to be put behind them. "
"Chief Xiao Zhou..." Dou Lide sighed quietly. "I just realized that he is a Nanchen general. His father is dead and he still has an uncle. With such a background, he actually followed Chief Zhang to rebel alone that day. Did he actually believe that only Chief Zhang can avenge him?"
"That's hard to say. Back then, his uncle didn't dare to rebel. Only Chief Zhang dared to rebel. Naturally, he had to follow Chief Zhang."
"It makes sense." Dou Lide paused for a moment in response, but then continued. "I have been investigating the farming affairs in the north these days, and I have had more contact with Xu Shiying, who is in charge of the northern defense line. In the past, I just met him face to face and didn't think anything of it. Now I feel that this person is really a great person, both in literary and military skills. Okay, my cultivation is also very good, I think I will almost become an elixir..."
"There are too many capable people in the gang." Cao Xi sighed sincerely. "Not to mention King Xiongtian and Bai Sanniang, isn't the leader single powerful? A person like this, before he rebelled, was a mafia tycoon, and when he rebelled, he became a big boss. But when he saw us, a group of orphans and widows, he could still behave like that... and he was also very capable in fighting. "
"That's not what I meant." Dou Lide explained after listening patiently. "I want to say that for such a powerful person as Xu Shiying, Chief Zhang ransacked his home and raped his boss, but he still remained honest. He worked hard in the first battle in Xuzhou and worked hard to build defense in Hebei. , organize the troops... Recently, Chief Zhang asked him to create a document system for the matching of practitioners and officers in each battalion, as well as the practitioners and officers directly under Chief Zhang. He also did it in an orderly manner and asked me to sign it. I said we would release it together after the New Year... You think, how come Chief Zhang is so able to win people? I used to think that it was because of his benevolence and righteousness that he was more benevolent and righteous than me. But in the case of Xu Shiying, how could he be so benevolent and righteous? Explanation? I'm afraid he is really a bit intimidating and fearful, just like a wolf and a sheep... But if so, where is Chief Zhang's authority? How does it make people like Xu Shiying so intimidated? I have never been Figure it out."
Cao Xi listened carefully, and after a while, she asked seriously: "Isn't your husband afraid of Chief Zhang?"
Dou Lide was stunned on the spot, but he immediately reacted: "Madam, are you afraid of Chief Zhang?"
"I'm still quite scared." Cao Xi replied in a low voice. "How to say?"
"It means...that is to say, Chief Zhang has too many ideas." "If you have many ideas, you can say he is smart. Do you have to be afraid of this?"
"That's not what I mean." Cao Xi slowly explained.
Come. "That is to say, Chief Zhang's ideas are different from what we usually use, but they all work; and they are not one idea or two ideas, but a bunch of ideas; not just such miscellaneous small ideas, but what else Such major themes as the new law and the new military system; what’s more terrible is,
These ideas are in series, not individual... It is as if a person has a whole world in his mind, but this world is still different from the world he is used to. Logically speaking, at this time, he should It was just that he was thinking wildly, but before his eyes he managed to influence people and things from more than a dozen counties to his idea, and it seemed that it would work... Isn't this scary enough? The Supreme Immortal is nothing more than that. "
Dou Lide thought for a while and remained silent for a while. He muttered half a day later: "Don't you still mean that you have great ability? I really can't think clearly, just think it is what those people said, it was taught by Black Emperor. "
Cao Xi wanted to continue saying that the Black Emperor's rules were in the North, and they were not like this... But after thinking about it, she still didn't speak.
Instead, he talked about an interesting thing he encountered in Cangcheng today, that is, Xiao Liuwen from Jiyin spent all his money to buy a pearl and golden phoenix hairpin.
Leader Xie saw it and disliked him for not knowing how to carry a piece of cloth. As a result, before the silk was changed, the golden phoenix hairpin was worn on his head.
Cao Xi said happily. Dou Lide listened vaguely, but he was obviously not interested in the matter. He soon became tired and just said casually:
"Manager Xie has done a lot of credit for going to Jiangdu this time. He will be the big leader when the next decision is made... Leaders Xu Shiying and Xiao Zhou also made a lot of contributions in Xuzhou. I wonder if they will get it." When it comes to the big boss, both of them have something to say."
Cao Xi had no choice but to respond in vain, looking a little sleepy.
However, just when the couple was about to fall asleep, Dou Lide suddenly got excited and sat up on the spot: "Then what...where is my wife now?"
"I'm... working as a border patrol under Chief Lu." Cao Xi didn't know why, so she quickly answered. "She begged the chief many times and finally found a suitable place. After two years, she turned eighteen. , you can accumulate qualifications and join the army directly... She is very familiar with the terrain around Qinghe, and her cultivation level is also fast, so it doesn't matter."
"I know, I know, I'm not worried about this..." Dou Lide responded quickly, but carefully lay down and asked. "Tell me, with so many marriages happening recently, shouldn't it be time for us to find a husband for our little girl?"
Cao Xi was stunned for a moment and then laughed dryly: "That's what I said, but it's really hard for me to interrupt in this matter...Who does your husband like?"
"To tell you the truth, when I first met the person, I thought that maybe I could be Chief Zhang's concubine." Dou Lide said seriously.
"Don't be joking..."
"Just thinking about it, I turned off early when I saw Bai Sanniang.
. "Doulide continued. "But aren't we talking about Leader Xiao Zhou and Xu Shiying this time? They are both young and not married, so they are both suitable."
"That's true." Mrs. Cao thought about it for a while, but she felt it was weird because she instinctively realized that her husband's "suitability" may not be what she thought. "How to say it specifically?"
"After all, Xu Shiying is an old member of the gang when he founded the gang. He has no qualifications or ability. Not to mention that the position of the big leader will come back sooner or later. Even now, he is actually responsible for the important task on his own." Dou Lide analyzed carefully. "And he also has I am related by marriage to King Xiongtian, and he is also the leader among the leaders of Dongjun... If I can get married to him, the benefits will not be too many. I felt it when I went to Henan this time. What I can do in Hebei can be done over there. I can't do it because the people in Henan don't recognize me. "
"But......"
"I know, I know, it's just too utilitarian." Doulide continued seriously. "It's so obvious, anyone can think of it. Therefore, even if the chief wants to unite the north and the south, he may not agree with me, the leader of Hebei, marrying such a key figure. It may lead to beatings, and the gains outweigh the losses... From this point of view, Chief Xiao Zhou is suitable. Many, he is the chief's confidant, and behind him there is also a faint faction of Dongdu Fulongwei and Jingantai. Bai Sanniang, Wang Zhen, Prefect Qian, Chief Lu, including Xie Fen, can all talk about it, not to mention He also had a close uncle who divided the three states. "
Cao Xi felt helpless. Her husband was her Achilles heel. She did everything she could to manage her power and strengthen her own.
gang convenience
It's to support myself to do things, I'm afraid it's the same purpose, rather than just like my brother, I just see myself doing things happily and showing off, so I support it.
As soon as she thought about this, she simply reminded: "Husband, are you sure that whoever you ask my wife to marry can be her? I can't control her, and you can't control her. If you make her anxious, she can still find someone to marry you." The chief is calling the shots and the commotion is going on. Leaders Xiao Zhou and Xu, don’t they all have to avoid it?
When Dou Lide heard this, he only froze on the couch for a while. Finally he was discouraged, but he was unwilling to give in: "In a few days, find an opportunity and have someone send a letter to ask her! Can she find someone better than Xu Shiying and Zhou Xingfan?" Isn’t there a good place to go?”
After saying that, he turned over in bed, yawned and fell asleep.
Mrs. Cao was left alone, listening to the sound of crickets coming from nowhere outside the window, feeling inexplicably sleepless.
