Torrential rain poured down aimlessly from high in the dark sky.
Standing at the open window, Zhang Xiu stared blankly ahead. What happened today really surprised him. I thought he was just a corrupt official, but I didn't expect him to be Cao Wei's hidden guard.
In order to regain the land, some of the nobles in Dajing were willing to risk being killed by the nine tribes and become Cao Wei's lackeys. Thinking about it carefully makes people feel scared. If it were during the war, there would be many such nobles. If a few of them come, Dajing's empire may be shaken.
However, in order to obtain Cao Wei's purpose in Luoyang, Zhang Xiu decided to keep Pan Xing.
In order to satisfy these nobles, the most profitable items such as silk, salt, grain, tea, etc. were handed over to the management of large noble families. Under such circumstances, there are still people who are not satisfied. It is really greedy.
There was a hint of cold murderous intent in Zhang Xiu's eyes.
If I hadn't figured out Cao Wei's conspiracy, I would have killed a rebellious person like Pan Xing to wipe out the nine tribes!
"emperor!"
It was very humid outside, so Sun Shangxiang came over and put a windbreaker on him. The rain continued and the atmosphere was dull. She stood beside him: "My eldest brother once said that running a big country is like cooking small dishes. I have just established Dajing, so we need to do it step by step. Your Majesty does not need to worry."
"Um!"
Zhang Xiu nodded, turned to look at Sun Shangxiang's breathtaking face, smiled wisely, hugged her into his arms, and gently hugged her slender waist.
…
Early next morning.
The showers have begun to subside, and the sun has been eagerly struggling out from the horizon, penetrating the clouds and shining on the earth, sweeping away the dampness and coldness of the night.
Chen Wu had been waiting outside for a long time.
"Come in!" Zhang Xiu put on his clothes, rinsed his mouth, then pointed to the chair opposite and said, "After a hard night's work, let's sit down and have some breakfast first."
Chen Wu knew that Zhang Xiu was kind to his subordinates and would give him meals whenever he encountered them.
He kowtowed first, sat down across from him thoughtfully, ate a little casually and said, "Your Majesty, Pan Xing has already explained everything."
"He has some conscience," Zhang Xiu nodded, "Tell me what conspiracy Cao Wei wants to create in Luoyang."
Chen Wu said: "Your Majesty, the only hidden guards in Luoyang are Pan Xing and his family. They were arranged by Xun You long before we captured Luoyang in order to prepare for the war the following year."
"The year after tomorrow?"
Zhang Xiu was surprised for a moment, then smiled with relief, "It seems that Cao Cao and I really have a good understanding! What I think is what he thinks. Well... what preparations has he made?"
Chen Wu: "Using the name of the county magistrate, I secretly raised a thousand dead soldiers. After receiving Cao Wei's order, I went to Hulao Pass, and the internal and external forces jointly attacked Hulao Pass and allowed the Wei army to enter the pass."
Zhang Xiu nodded: "Bring Pan Xing in."
Chen Wu immediately got up and went out. After a while, he brought in Pan Xing who was in chains.
"Pan Xing, the guilty minister, comes to see the emperor!" With the sound of iron ropes, Pan Xing respectfully knelt at Zhang Xiu's feet with his shackles on.
"Pan Xing, let me ask you, how do you contact Cao Wei?" Zhang Xiu said, "Hulao Pass is controlled by our army, and you need my customs clearance documents to enter and exit. I'm afraid you don't have it."
Pan Xing: "We have a single line of communication. We don't need to go out of the customs. We go to the Yellow River at a fixed time every month and send people down by boat. There will be people there to receive the secret messages."
"Did you write the letter?" Zhang Xiu slowly looked at Pan Xing.
"yes."
"Pan Xing, are you willing to repent and serve me and the country of Dajing?" It seems that it must be Pan Xing's handwriting to make this line continuous. Zhang Xiu wants to use Pan Xing to pull off a trick.
"The Emperor's grace is so great that if I don't kill the ministers, I will save the lives of the whole family. How dare I ask him again!" Pan Xing didn't expect that if he didn't kill his family, he didn't expect that he could still keep his family's status as a major grain store and salt merchant. , which moved him deeply and at the same time he was impressed by Zhang Xiu's broad mind. He lowered his head and said: "I am willing to go through fire and water to serve the emperor!"
"You can only correct your mistakes, but you can never do good!"
Zhang Xiu stood up and went over to help Pan Xing stand up, "I believe in your repentance. You will still be responsible for the county magistrate of Panjiacheng, but you must remember that there are two mistakes. I will see how you behave in the future! Chen Wu , took the shackles off Pan Zhixian."
"Here!"
Chen Wu immediately removed the shackles on Pan Xing.
"Besides asking you to keep troops and horses ready to cooperate internally and externally, is there anything else that Cao Wei has to do?" In the battle the following year, Cao Wei must have a plan to advance westward, but what exactly it was, Zhang Xiu wanted to know.
Pan Xing smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, my status in the hidden guards is too low, and the distance is too great. It is difficult to know the inside information. However, the last news that came mentioned Bingzhou."
"Bingzhou?"
Zhang Xiu pondered and looked into the distance outside the door, thinking carefully.
Could it be that Cao Wei's key attack direction was Bingzhou? Bingzhou is blocked by the Taihang Mountains. Although there are eight passes through Taihang, these eight passes are heavily defended. It is impossible to attack in a short time. Unless there are hidden guards like Pan Xing in Bingzhou?
But Bingzhou had not passed through the hands of Cao Wei, so it was very difficult to arrange such a noble family.
Moreover, the implementation of the national policy in Bingzhou was very smooth, and the high officials did a very good job there, without causing any resistance from the nobles who shared the same hatred. It was almost impossible for the nobles to risk genocide and join forces with Cao Wei, who is next door to the Taihang Mountains.
"Well, the clue you provided is very important," Zhang Xiu said. "Continue to maintain normal contact with Cao Wei's hidden guards and pass the news from Cao Wei to me. Come on down!"
"Here!"
Pan Xing knelt down respectfully.
"Oh, by the way!" As soon as Pan Xing walked to the door, Zhang Xiu suddenly said, "Pan Xing, did your son buy an artist named Li Xiuju?"
Pan Xing's face instantly turned pale, and he hurriedly turned around and knelt down: "I am not strict in discipline! Please punish me!"
Zhang Xiu smiled and said: "Dajing's civil law prohibits human trafficking, but you bought this artist before. I will not punish you. However, how much did you buy this Li Xiuju? I will give her the original price." you."
Pan Xing was so frightened that he broke into sweat, and then he took a breath: "The emperor has betrayed his ministers. This artist originally belonged to a wealthy family in Luoyang. During the drought, the family was robbed by bandits. The whole family died, and she was the only one who survived by performing. , and then she was bought by Quanzi. She is a strong woman, and if the emperor wants it, I am willing to donate it to the emperor."
"It's not that I'm interested in him, it's the guards around me." Zhang Xiu was afraid that he would misunderstand, "Besides, I don't need to contribute. The emperor of the Jing Dynasty has money in his inner treasury every month, so I will use mine." Money to buy it.”
Pan Xing looked at Zhang Xiu blankly.
Unexpectedly, the majestic Emperor Dajing could not use the money in the treasury, and officials like them received salaries.
After thinking for a while, he said, "One hundred taels of silver."
Zhang Xiu spit out the tea he just drank, "How much?"
Pan Xing hurriedly lowered his head, thinking that one hundred taels was not a lot!
I heard Zhang Xiu say: "My inner treasury only has fifty taels of silver for a month, but you spent a hundred taels on an artist!" Then he felt a little out of control, gritted his teeth and said with some distress, "One hundred taels." Two is one hundred taels.”
Pan Xing felt a little weird.
