"Report!"
A crisp report brought Ji Hongchang back to his senses. Although he knew that someone was approaching, because there were several masters guarding him, Ji Hongchang did not worry about his own safety.
What's more, Ji Hongchang himself has a heavy responsibility. On that day, he was assisted by Guishou Shiwu in Prince Xing's Mansion. Although people like Ji Hongchang would never expose themselves, so they have no reputation in the world. But his skill has already reached the innate state.
He turned his head and saw a woman in smart clothes standing next to him, and couldn't help but have a smile in his eyes.
"I wonder what good news our famous Snow Wolf Captain has brought back today, a big surprise for a certain family!" Looking at this woman with a pointed chin and big eyes, Ji Hongchang actually felt relieved.
The snow wolf is a creature that lives in the northern grasslands. This animal likes to move alone and will only move together when encountering natural enemies.
There are not many of them, but they are extremely tolerant!
A woman is called a snow wolf! Naturally, she has a rare side.
That's because she is a rare woman under Ji Hongchang, and she is a famous spy in Ji Hongchang's northern team. As an outstanding spy, she rarely returned to Ji Hongchang on her own initiative. She controls a small portion of Ji Hongchang's intelligence spying missions, and has a team of one hundred people.
It was a special operations women's cavalry team composed entirely of women and recognized by themselves.
They can mount the horse to fight against the enemy, dismount the horse and wear makeup to spy on military intelligence. They can become invisible in various industries and have various identities. It can be said that all of them are people with stories, and now they are the proud helpers of Ji Hongchang.
Of course, the most important thing is that this Snow Wolf, who seems to be in his early twenties, is actually a graduate of the Dongguan Military Academy of Prince Xing's Mansion and an important member of the Secret Party in the North and Central Plains.
Many people had reservations about Emperor Liu Jixing allowing women to enter the military academy. But now in Lingnan Xingwang's Mansion, no one will openly oppose the emperor's decision. Although many of the emperor's achievements and measures are still unknown, they have already had many effects, which can be seen by all.
A woman who can work with a group of outstanding men, graduate with high scores on the same platform and tasks, and who has personally been awarded a medal by the emperor is far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Although she is dressed in a smart outfit, she still retains a touch of gentleness. But if ordinary people were confused by the tenderness in the corners of her eyes, they might not even know how they died. She is not heartless, but she definitely has calm judgment and decision-making.
"According to the accurate news from comrades, there are movements in the state capitals near Hejian Prefecture today, and they will definitely meet with Guo Rong! In addition, there is indeed good news. Liaocheng (Linqing) Prefecture is now under the control of all parties , Just wait for the general's order to act!" Xue Lang's face was a little excited and looked red.
"This is really good news!" Ji Hong smiled a little, and his thin face became a little more angry. He glanced at the weeds in the distance, but he no longer had any nostalgia.
He led Snow Wolf and jumped down from the side of the roof. This was the main room of the largest courtyard. Without any pause, he walked straight into the door made of raw branches that had not been planed or cut.
The room looked very simple, with only two rows of simple wooden benches on both sides. They were obviously used for sitting at gatherings. It can be imagined that there must be many people gathering here.
There is a simple table in the middle of the room. It is a wooden table made of tree branches. The table uses a large flat stone as the top. It looks a bit strange and novel. At this time, there was a thin piece of parchment paper on the table, which was a clear map nearby.
Ji Hongchang looked at the parchment. The eye-catching symbol on it was Liaocheng Mansion, which was on the edge of the Grand Canal and was also the most important hub of the Grand Canal. Now that it has been circled, it looks particularly eye-catching and dazzling.
"The Great Zhou Dynasty gathered for the Northern Expedition. What is strange is that the Khitan side did not make a strong response this time. Although they have gathered troops, they have no intention of going to war with Guo Rong. Since Shi Jingtang, the people of Yanyun Prefectures have been Returning is an important reason. The Khitan's ambiguous actions this time have also made everyone in the various states feel in danger! They surrender to Guo Rong. There is no way and it will only be a matter of time!" He stared at the sheepskin map closely. , a look of determination on his thin face.
"Then should my subordinates inform the comrades at various passes?" Xue Lang said cautiously.
"No need for now! Waqiao Pass must be very lively now! The intelligence accurately shows that Guo Rong really has too much to take care of himself now! The current complicated situation is mainly because we were not able to intervene at the beginning. However, comrades need to pay attention at all times. Now Waqiao Pass A certain family needs information every half a day, no matter how much it costs!" Ji Hongchang's face gradually became serious again, and he looked at Xue Lang beside him.
"We fought a beautiful battle in Liaocheng Prefecture, which means that we can control the canal. From then on, we have controlled the throat of the Grand Canal!" Ji Hongchang looked confident, his eyebrows relaxed a little, and he looked at Xuelang quietly. He said: "Contact the comrades at sea immediately. A certain family wants to get a share of the best fresh soup on Zhou's northern expedition!"
"My subordinates understand! But there is one more thing that needs to be reported this time!" Xue Lang looked at Ji Hongchang with a cautious expression, and then said: "This time, the generals of the Great Zhou Waterway, and the information reported by organizations from various places showed that all It’s Zhao Kuangyin’s people who have been deployed along the waterways, and my subordinates saw that all the generals in the water villages along the way were replaced by his people!”
Ji Hongchang looked at Xuelang in shock, but his heart was in turmoil, and he couldn't help but think of Emperor Liu Jixing's secret instructions when he arrived.
It turned out that although Liu Jixing knew the direction of history, he never dared to mention it to others. Thinking that Zhao Kuangyin could ascend the throne in a short period of time, he must have prepared in the army in advance. So this time Ji Hongchang returned to Prince Xing's Mansion to report on his duties, and his last instruction was to keep an eye on Zhao Kuangyin.
Ji Hongchang had already established a foothold in the northern part of the Central Plains and established this well-hidden base. Naturally, he had to understand the officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so he would not let Zhao Kuangyin go. Although Zhao Kuangyin was already a stronghold at this time, in Ji Hongchang's heart he was still not worthy of mention.
Emperor Liu Jixing specifically proposed it and invited a master to get close to Zhao Kuangyin and personally tell Ji Hongchang, who was in charge of intelligence in the North Central Plains, so that Ji Hongchang had to be cautious.
Back in the North, Ji Hongchang personally sent people to investigate Zhao Kuangyin. As expected, the result shocked Ji Hongchang.
He couldn't help but admire Emperor Liu Jixing's unique vision, and he was even more impressed. What was shocking at this time was that he would never tell anyone his plan, but he didn't expect that the keen Snow Wolf would discover these details.
I couldn't help but look at this girl with admiration.
"Our task now is arduous. As for Zhao Kuangyin, he may belong to a relatively senior member of the Shen family! Snow Wolf can send people to infiltrate various water villages, but we must not scare the snake! He is now driving at Waqiao Pass with the Holy Spirit. Doing this Maybe he wanted to imitate his seniors in the army and leave his own chess pieces in the army." Ji Hongchang did not tell the truth to Xue Lang at the critical moment.
"Send the order! Tomorrow both inside and outside the city will respond! A certain family will really take over this water city and let us have a fixed base in the Central Plains Prefecture!" Ji Hongchang looked confident at this moment, looking out of the house, as if watching Something like that.
Guo Rong is now gaining momentum in the Great Zhou Kingdom. Although Emperor Liu Jixing told himself that Guo Rong would not survive June or July, the spies and secret party members around Ji Hongchang did not receive the slightest news that Guo Rong was unwell.
At this time, taking the initiative to establish an open base in the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire of the puppet Northern Han and Khitan incidents and putting oneself to death in the Central Plains.
Once the order was given, there was no turning back. Ji Hongchang couldn't help but clench his hands into fists, and his thin face looked even more determined.
! ! !
A plate of crispy peanuts, sprinkled with a touch of salt!
The peanuts that had just come out of the pot were still a little warm, but they also exuded an alluring fragrance.
The peanuts are fried to perfection, crispy, crispy and tender, making people greedy and drooling just by looking at them.
Zhou Yulou proudly picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, and felt reluctant to part with it when he saw the crispy peanuts.
But when I smell the fragrance of the little peanuts, I can't wait. When I put it into my mouth, I slowly savored the crispy taste, and I couldn't help but let out a proud sigh. It was indeed such an intoxicating taste.
Even though it was just the taste of the wine in this small dish, it was these intoxicating aromas that he had not tasted for several years.
It’s not that Zhou Yulou doesn’t have money!
Up to now, I am still alone, and my daily income can be said to have little money to spend.
He is a person who knows how to enjoy, and he is not very poor, but he never wastes.
There are two meat dishes and one green vegetable on the table!
Meat dishes are the restaurant's most popular signatures, such as haggis stir-fried with horse celery seeds and cold lamb tripe with aftertaste. Green vegetables are the common stir-fried gourd gourd.
For ordinary people, the charm of these three dishes is obviously more attractive than this plate of peanuts. It is not difficult for Zhou Yulou to eat these three dishes in this small town. But now Zhou Yulou is far more interested in this plate of peanuts than these dishes.
It's not that he doesn't like eating vegetables, these dishes are indeed very tempting, but everyone's preferences are different, and their feelings about food are also different. Nowadays, the appeal of this small plate of peanuts is undoubtedly much greater.
Zhou Yulou likes to drink. With or without friends, he will take a few sips of wine.
He can drink alone, he feels it is a kind of enjoyment, and he would rather drink wine without eating. But he would never get drunk. Of course, this does not mean that he is a strong drinker, but that he knows how to control his desires.
If a person can't even basically control his own desires, wouldn't it be difficult to do many things well?
After all, this world has too much power and is too big! As an ordinary person, it is naturally difficult to resist these temptations. In this small place, it can be said that Zhou Yulou is not an ordinary person!
Zhou Yulou doesn't know what others think, but Zhou Yulou's own habit is that he must drink, but he can't let himself get drunk! Because he is not an ordinary citizen, he has responsibilities.
Zhou Yulou is not a big shot, he is even somewhat unknown in this small town, but he is definitely not the kind of person that anyone can look down upon.
Catch!
In a city, or even a small town, he is not a big shot! But it does seem to be more conspicuous than ordinary people. Zhou Yulou is a policeman!
Everyone understands the responsibilities of an agent!
But there are county magistrates and arresters, so it’s not the arresters’ turn to worry about many things!
It's rare for a big event to happen in a small town in a few years. Usually it's nothing more than the family's petty theft. With the help of the police, most people can basically handle it easily.
Of course, the difference between Zhou Yulou and others is that he became a policeman at the age of fifteen. He went through the Later Jin Dynasty, the Later Han Dynasty, and now the Great Zhou Dynasty. Some people jokingly call him a famous policeman in the Three Kingdoms.
Zhou Yulou doesn't care about others' ridicule, but he is still a little satisfied with his career as a police officer!
Acheng!
A very small place! It's so small that it's no more than three miles across!
It is famous that day because it is located on the edge of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal! This place is rich in lake fish and aquatic products, and because it is next to the canal, there is no shortage of food.
It is still famous today because Daqing Lake has a radius of three hundred miles, and now only this isolated city still exists.
The canal becomes a canal and the canal fails! The canal brings happiness to the people around it, but it also brings disaster!
With the continuous changes of dynasties, the towns around the canal were almost wiped out by the powerful warlords.
Daqing Lake is a freshwater lake that is a branch of the canal, with a surface area of three hundred miles. The surrounding fishing villages and towns have become the unfortunate victims of various disasters!
With abundant supplies and convenient transportation, these places became hot spots for warlords to conquer. People fled here one after another and moved away from the water town where they had lived for generations. The once bustling banks of the canal are now deserted places.
Acheng can be preserved, firstly, because it is close to Daqing Lake, and there is a dock facing the water; secondly, it is partly surrounded by hundreds of miles of flat land, with only one mountain as a backing; thirdly, it has been here since the late Tang Dynasty. A small city with stone walls was built.
After successive renovations and expansions by city lords, it has become a city that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The surrounding towns, large and small, disappeared into thin air, but Acheng was lucky enough to survive. Even after all the wars, it is still well preserved.
In the hands of the Zhou Dynasty, the city lord Reid was appreciated by the emperor Guo Wei because he took the initiative to join the court and was once promoted to the governor of Liaocheng. Although Red is no longer in Acheng, most of his former family members and relatives still live here.
With the Lei family in charge of Acheng, there will naturally be a lot more protection!
Because he no longer has many worries and his daily work is extremely leisurely, Zhou Yulou usually has a lot more time. And this time is wasted, at least that's what Zhou Yulou thinks.
Whenever at this time, Zhou Yulou would quietly find a place to drink a glass or two of wine to pass the time.
Qinghu Restaurant, with a simple and straightforward name, relies on the barrier of Qinghu Lake, but it is also one of the two best restaurants in Acheng.
Zhou Yulou usually likes to drink here, not only because the restaurant is next to Qinghu Lake, not only because the boss has been here for decades, but also because the boss Wei Jian is from Zhou Yulou friend.
When it comes to drinking, Zhou Yulou likes to be free and enjoy quietly. My favorite food to accompany wine is peanuts!
Qinghulou always has peanuts, which is the specialty of Qinghulou that day. Although Wei Jian rarely cooks, this peanut must have been made by himself. He said whether the food is good or not depends on these little details.
Many people appreciated Wei Jian's statement, and most of the guests who came were regular customers. But then, I don’t know when, there was no more peanuts to sell!
Zhou Yulou sighed with emotion, so he naturally knew the reason. The Grand Canal was blocked, and the Great Zhou Dynasty established a water village in Qinghu Lake, Acheng, strictly controlling and restricting the operation of merchant ships. It doesn't mean that you can buy things if you have money. All materials entering the canal must be inspected by the navy of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Many big businesses suffered losses and had no way to complain, so they abandoned the once prosperous Grand Canal. In just a few years, the once prosperous Grand Canal has become desolate. Not only is there no human habitation and fishing for hundreds of miles, but even the river is overgrown with wild reeds.
After a long and sad time, some people in the government naturally felt that it was overkill and sent people to the banks of the Grand Canal to encourage the people to continue production. Nowadays, there are still not many changes on the river banks, but the supplies in Acheng have become richer.
However, many supplies are still not available. After all, many things are missing and cannot be prepared in a day or two. Even in the restaurants in Acheng nowadays, few sell peanuts!
After finally getting the news, Wei Jian obtained a batch of supplies through many connections. Today, the restaurant actually has peanuts, which is the best news for Zhou Yulou, so he decided to treat his five internal organs temple.
Nowadays, all parts of the Central Plains are desolate, displaced, and people lack food and clothing. If you can still eat leisurely and sleep well, you should feel happy.
Because there are often no people anywhere for hundreds of miles, and naturally no one grows crops. Many towns that used to have few people have become wilderness. The plant foods that we relied on for survival in the past have long disappeared. Even if someone planted them, they would only grow the main food crops on their own land.
How many people will grow things like peanuts? Although peanuts are a treasure, they cannot be eaten as food. Of course, if someone were to plant them, even the peanut seedlings would probably be gone before the harvest came.
Nowadays, people are so hungry that they even eat dirt, let alone these edible things. How many old, weak, sick and disabled people starve to death in the Central Plains?
In the main vassal towns and places in the Central Plains, these crops are rarely available, let alone sold in restaurants.
The things we have now were all trafficked from the Jiangnan area through painstaking efforts. Although Wei Jian is just a restaurant owner, he still has some connections and connections since he grew up in Acheng.
Although the separatist forces in various places refused to give in to their territory and fortresses, each of them was still very tolerant of merchants traveling to and from various places. The world has only heard that Gao Laizi, the native emperor of Jiangling, and his family were masters of plucking feathers from flying geese.
It is said that when Emperor Guo Rong of the Zhou Dynasty was still in power in the Later Jin Dynasty, he followed the Jie Di family, now an official of the Jingluo Tax Academy, and went to the north and south of the Yangtze River to do business.
Later, Emperor Guo Wei was extremely shameless towards Gao Laizi's family. However, after Guo Rong became the emperor himself, he was extremely tolerant of Jiangling, who was a buffer between several major forces.
After all, without the circulation of materials for any force, even if you have countless gold, silver and jewelry, you can't eat them as food, and you will have to wait for death in the end. Just like the Great Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains who fought for years, and there was a shortage of food and supplies in various places, they would spend a lot of money to buy tea and food from Jiangnan, and even various things necessary for daily life.
In this era, the identity of a businessman is actually the most popular. Just like the wine mixed with water in front of me, it was transported from the south of the Yangtze River with great hardships, and the restaurant mixed at least two-thirds of the water into it. The customers didn't complain at all. Everyone knew that this wine was hard-earned.
Don't blame restaurants, and don't blame businesses. It's the same everywhere in the Central Plains. If you want to drink and can afford it, just drink freely and don't blame or blame! Otherwise you won’t even be able to smell the alcohol.
For people who can’t even afford food, this wine is obviously a problem! Not to mention being able to enter a restaurant for a meal.
"Master Zhou, are you okay!" There was a clear voice, and he looked up and saw a familiar face.
Zhou Yulou was already a little drunk, but he was still very sober. He immediately looked up when he heard the sound.
A young man wearing Shu brocade was standing in front of the table with his fists clasped. He had a mustache and looked at Zhou Yulou with a smile. He was not Lei Qingfeng, the seventeenth master of the Lei family in Acheng.
Zhou Yulou had several banquets with him and met him at a government gathering. Later, he helped him with a small matter. From then on, the two became acquainted and gradually became friends.
This man is the nephew of Liaocheng Governor Shi Leid. Now he serves as a general in Daqing Lake Water Village. He is also considered a relatively capable son of this generation of the Lei family. Although he was a member of the official family, he still relied on the power and prestige of his family. Zhou Yulou has always looked down on the children of these aristocratic families, but fortunately, this Lei Qingfeng does not seem to be a dandy.
He cupped his fists and invited Lei Qingfeng to take a seat. Zhou Yulou inadvertently showed a drunken smile on his face and glanced at the counter, where Wei Jian's concubine Song Sanniang was sitting.
It's not that Zhou Yulou had any idea of this young lady, it was actually that this young lady was usually a little distant. Although she knew that Wei Jian and he were friends, she was always worried about him leaving due to drunkenness and owing money to the restaurant.
"What brought the Seventeenth Young Master back? Aren't the patrols on the lake busy now? I heard that wolves are making a lot of noise around the lake! Even in Liaocheng, the county magistrate went there and said that there are wolves. There are traces!" Zhou Yulou inadvertently held the horizontal knife at his waist with his left hand. This is one of the characteristics of a police officer, and it is also a sign of goodwill when someone nods to him when Zhou Yulou is walking on the street.
The clever waiter knew someone from the Lei family, and he didn't care about Zhou Yulou, a regular customer who often did credit. After all, the boss knew Zhou Yulou. When he saw the young master of the Lei family coming up, he couldn't help but be very impressed. A pair of bowls and chopsticks came up.
Lei Qingfeng glanced around casually. Zhou Yulou seemed not to notice, but when his eyelids trembled, he could already see Lei Qingfeng's movements.
But Zhou Yulou's smiling face did not change at all. He pretended not to know, but the glint in his eyes dimmed.
"A certain talented person came back to Acheng specially this time, but he came back to ask Master Zhou for something!" Lei Qingfeng looked at Zhou Yulou quietly and bowed his hands.
