There is a small mountain called Huoshiyao Mountain a few miles southwest of Zhangjiakou. There is a village at the foot of the mountain that is a medium-sized market. Caravans traveling to and from Zhangjiakou sometimes stop here for cheap. After all, Zhangjiakou and Laiyuanpu The cost there is a bit high, and the place is often crowded and fully booked.
In the parlance of later generations, this is the junction of urban and rural areas. There are not many tourists on weekdays, but since yesterday afternoon, it suddenly started to be busy with traffic. Large cars and small cars stretched for several miles, looking at this place from the direction of Laiyuanbao and Zhangjiagang.
Just because I heard that someone collects contraband here.
The notice covered by the Minister of War at the pass clearly stated: Iron, metal, salt, and grain are prohibited items. As long as they are found, they will be confiscated and arrested. These days, grain and gold are expensive and there is not enough for oneself. Few people take out, but metal and Almost all merchants in Zhangjiakou have illicit sales.
As soon as the notice came out, both the shop and the gang were panicked. If it was too salty, they could sell it back or even hide it, but the ironware would make a loss if shipped back to Dabai at a vegetable price, and there was no value in hiding it, but they would be caught if they didn't take action. It's even worse if you get burned.
So when I heard that someone was buying it, I hurriedly came to sell it.
At first, some people were worried that it might be the Yamen fishing law enforcement that led them to show up. Later, they found that many people had shipped goods without incident. More and more people got the news, and there were also many scalpers pulling strings.
After all, they were dealing with contraband. After the seller sold the goods, he quickly left. He didn't want to stay here any longer, for fear of being spotted and not knowing who the goods were sold to.
There are also some who know it but dare not speak out.
Under a short tree on the hillside of Huoshiyao Mountain, Zhu Cixiang looked at the vehicles at the foot of the mountain, his brows furrowed and his face ashen. The imperial ban was like a decoration. There were so many smuggled goods, and the decay of the pass had reached a shocking level.
Two personal guards came up from below shouting: "Master, something big has happened."
Zhu Cixiang raised his eyebrows: "Is there someone making trouble down there?"
The guard shook his head: "It's not down here, it's Yuanbao Mountain outside the West Gate. Now it's going crazy outside. It's said that hundreds of people died in Yuanbao Mountain last night, most of them were Tatars..."
Zhu Cixiang was stunned. When he got up to practice boxing with Wang Zhengnan at dawn, he happened to meet Chang Yu coming back in a hurry. At that time, he just said hello and then went into the room to sleep. Afterwards, Zhu Cixiang had breakfast and came to Yuanbaoshan. Wandering here, after hearing about the Yuanbaoshan murder case, I immediately guessed that Chang Yu was responsible.
This kid is really a master who can't take any time off, no wonder he has to be followed... But killing hundreds of people in one night, just a few of them is a bit too fierce! He didn't know that Chang Yu mobilized the Jin Yiwei from the Yuanbao area to do this.
Zhu Cixi preferred such exciting things and had no intention of wandering around anymore, so he hurriedly returned to the city to listen to Chang Yu's chat with him.
Chang Yu was really tired. He went down the mountain and fought from day to dawn. After he came back, he fell asleep and worked until almost noon before he got up. When he opened the door, the wind and snow had stopped, but the sky was still gloomy. Chang Yu Benzheng and several guards built a snowman in front of the courtyard wall, which made several maids very happy. These maids were not from Chang Yu, but from the house. When they met Chang Yu, they didn't know his identity but still met him. As expected, they were rich. Even the maids know the rules.
"Master, you're finally up. The Young Master's house is waiting for you to have lunch." Lian Xin poked her head at the door of the courtyard and saw Chang Yu hurrying in. As she spoke, she helped Chang Yu straighten his clothes and hair.
In order to deceive others, the retinue called Zhu Cixiang the eldest son, Zhu Ainao the young master, and Chang Yu the eldest shopkeeper.
He turned out to be the big shopkeeper in Beijing. He was so young. The maids next to him were extremely surprised.
"Where is the eldest son?" Chang Yu asked casually.
"I went out early in the morning, but don't worry, shopkeeper, there are more than ten Wang Zhengnan's guards in the open, and there are still more than ten in secret, so there won't be any trouble... But Shi... shopkeeper Shi came at half noon. I heard that You were sleeping and then left..."
As he spoke, he went to the back hall, where he saw Princess Kunxing sitting there drinking tea from a distance. Sujing stood at the door and saw Chang Yu coming: "Why don't you invite me to do such an adventurous thing?"
"What's the matter?" Chang Yu pretended not to know, and curled his lips: "You dare to say it wasn't you over there at Yuanbaoshan Mountain."
Chang Yu rolled his eyes: "At my level, do you still need to do it yourself to kill someone?" Su Jing thought about it, yes.
"How come Miss Ninth is so obedient and didn't go out for a walk today?" There was no one else in the hall, Chang Yu stared at Princess Kunxing and chuckled.
"I was planning to go out, but someone told me that it's not peaceful outside today, so I'd better not go out." Princess Kunxing glanced at the sober person at the door, and Chang Yu said, "It's not very peaceful outside, so why not take a rest at home?" The weather is good."
"You don't know that the most beautiful scenery in winter is after this heavy snowfall..." Princess Kunxing sighed. Just as Chang Yu was about to speak, he saw Zhu Cixiang rushing in from outside: "Tell me about what happened yesterday. How many have you killed..."
"Did you kill someone last night?" Princess Kunxing was surprised.
"Who is spreading rumors? It's snowing all over the sky and I'm sick in the middle of the night. I went out to kill someone..."
Zhu Cixi couldn't finish this meal. When he first heard about it, he threw his chopsticks and jumped up and down in the lobby with his fists clenched. After calming down, he was a little worried. The leak was a bit big and it would be troublesome.
Chang Yu nodded, of course there will be trouble, but it may not be a big trouble and it won't come so quickly. It will take at least ten days and a half for the Tatars to take revenge!
It can be imagined that the intelligence base operated by the Manchus for more than ten years, the little eunuch came up with a shovel, and as long as the Tatars attacked and killed them directly and indiscriminately, regardless of whether they were careful or not, they would directly uproot the Tatar power in Yuanbaoshan.
The Tatars would naturally respond, but as he said, it would be at least ten days and a half months later, or even longer. After all, it was a long distance and winter was about to officially enter, with wind and snow blocking the road.
Before the meal was finished, someone came to report that Shi Kefa had led a group of people to Laiyuan Fort. As the Minister of the Ministry of War, he felt that Chang Yu was playing too big a game, so he thought of going to the town square to wipe the little eunuch's butt, but instead I don’t know that Chang Yu always wipes things by himself and wipes them very clean, but it’s good for Shi Kefa to come to Yuanbao. After all, the main task this time is to patrol the border and rectify military affairs. He can also increase the deterrent effect by going there.
Then Chang Yu asked Fanzi to go to Daming Bank to pay one thousand taels of silver and deliver it to an inn between Zhangjiakou and Laiyuanbao. That was actually a stronghold of Jinyiwei spies, and Zhang Yang was ostensibly the innkeeper.
Naturally, this thousand taels of silver is not for Zhang Yang, but for the Jin Yiwei who performed the mission last night. Chang Yu has never been stingy with his subordinates who work hard. Although these Jin Yiwei usually have salary silver, this time they put in the effort. Things are done beautifully, what's wrong with the reward of a few taels of silver!
After lunch, Princess Kunxing asked Chang Yu to take her out for a walk. The little eunuch who always doted on him kept shaking his head this time: It's chaotic outside and I'm too tired.
After visiting Fan Yongdou's mansion with nothing to do, Chang Yu, Wu Shu and others made tea and played chess in the hall. At dusk, a man with money came to report that Zhang Yang wanted to see him.
Chang Yu did not meet Zhang Yang at home but asked him to wait at the inn. Then Chang Yu went and Zhu Cixiang wanted to follow him. Chang Yu thought for a moment and agreed, and also deliberately asked Princess Kunxing if she was going.
"It's going to be dark soon and it's going to be freezing cold. You're sick if you go out now!" Princess Kunxing gave him a look.
