While negotiating peace with the termites, the King of Termites mobilized the soldiers and horses of Shitan City to march towards the southwest of the termites, determined to take back the land in the southwest. He appointed Yun Yi as his general and led an army of 800,000 people to march towards the southwest of the termites. There are a large number of troops stationed outside the city.
Outside the city in the southwest region, the termite army was dispatched in large numbers and began to train for wartime needs.
The Ant King listened to Little Yi's advice and appointed Fierce Ant as his general. He led an army of 400,000 to garrison in the southwest region, and then another 600,000 troops, adding up to a million troops. The city of Southwest Region was built on the mountain. The terrain here was dangerous. It is very difficult to conquer between them.
Regarding the termite king sending troops to the southwest region, the prime minister has been kept in the dark. Shitan City was empty, with no soldiers to defend it.
As soon as this news came, the Prime Minister's Country Ant just learned about it, and he immediately left the Prime Minister's Mansion and entered the palace to meet the Termite King.
At this time, the Termite King was hiding in the deep palace, admiring Mei Ji's dancing, which made him mesmerized. When the envoy Jia Yi returned to the termite clan, he searched for beautiful women everywhere and offered them to the termite king for his enjoyment, thereby pleasing the termite king.
The termite king liked it very much and hid it in his harem. The Prime Minister stood outside the palace gate and was stopped by several eunuchs, saying:
"Prime Minister, Big Ant. Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so it's not convenient for you to see Big Ant." Prime Minister Guo Ant scolded the Prime Minister sharply and said:
"The important military affairs have been delayed. Can you take the responsibility?" After saying this, he pushed away the eunuchs and broke into the harem, saying:
"Your Majesty." The termite king saw the Prime Minister's ants entering the palace and said:
"The Prime Minister will also have such a leisurely mood, please sit down." These dancers danced around the Prime Minister, and their fragrance overflowed.
The Prime Minister was unmoved, still stood where he was, saluted and asked:
"Your Majesty, what kind of insect did these dancers come from?" The termite king looked at these graceful dancers, then faced the Prime Minister, and said with a smile:
"What? The Prime Minister is also interested in these dancing girls. The Prime Minister can choose the one he likes. If he likes it, he can give it to the Prime Minister as his wife. How about it?" said the Prime Minister:
"Absurd, these dancers must have been presented by Jia Yi." The Termite King nodded and said:
"It was presented to me by Gu's godson Jia Yi. It is quite filial and knows Gu's preferences..." The Termite King was busy explaining, but the Prime Minister Guo Yi simply couldn't listen to any of the Termite King's explanations and said:
"Please, Your Majesty, get rid of these dancers." This move of the Prime Minister Country Ant clearly did not take into account the face of the Termite King, which made the Termite King look embarrassed and said:
"You all please step aside." After the dance, they all saluted the termite king and said:
"Your Majesty, the slaves and maids have to leave." The dancers retreated very unwillingly. The prime minister ant faced them, then faced the termite king, and said:
"Your Majesty, please kill these flattering ministers like Jia Yi as soon as possible. In the future, they will harm the country, the people, and the emperor!" Prime Minister Guo Yi had repeatedly advised the termite king to kill Jia Yan, and he began to feel disgusted. ,road:
"Isn't Jia Yi recommended by the Prime Minister? Why do you advise me to kill him?" Jia Yi replied:
"Jia Yi has a talent for business, and I want to use it to envoy the termites to reach a peace agreement and set up a discussion forum at the border to benefit our termites. However, this insect is extremely greedy. I want to wait for it to fatten up before killing it. If the assets are confiscated and the treasury is filled, then killing the ants will win the hearts of the people and replenish the treasury. Now I see that the king attaches great importance to it, which is not good for the country. We should kill it as soon as possible to eliminate future troubles." The Termite King stood up and said:
"Jia Yan is Gu's godson, and he has not violated any national laws. Is there anything else going on with the Prime Minister? If nothing happens, just step back." Prime Minister Guo Yan said:
"Will your Majesty mobilize the army from Shitan City out of the Southwest Region?" the Termite King said:
"Gu Yuyi wants to take back the Southwest Territory. The terrain in the Southwest Territory is dangerous and easy to defend. It is also the southwest barrier of our termite tribe. It can prevent the ant tribe's army from marching southwest and entering our termite tribe's capital. If the southwest barrier is lost, the ant tribe's army will be destroyed. But with the vastness of the plains, there is no place for the termites to defend. I have no troops to mobilize, and I can only mobilize the 800,000 troops from Shitan City." After hearing this, Xiangguo Guoyan added:
"If the ants send heavy troops to defend themselves, what will happen to the king?" This question stopped the termite king, who said firmly:
"You have your own plans in your heart. Don't try to persuade the Prime Minister." The Prime Minister nodded and said:
"After the battle of Qingshui River, our termite tribe lost 1.8 million troops. Currently, we can only rely on Shitan City's 800,000 troops. If the ant tribe's army attacks through the southwest region and enters our capital, Duyou, we still have Shitan City. The troops in Tancheng can be adjusted, but they are really weak. We concentrated our troops in the deep alleys and ambush at points. There are many streets in the capital, and there are many houses and pavilions. No matter how many enemy troops are introduced into the deep alleys, Because the troops are surrounded by houses or pavilions, which makes the road narrow, it is difficult for the enemy to deploy their formation. They can only advance slowly in a long snake lengthwise, so that the head and tail cannot see each other. Our army highlights the head-to-tail attack and cuts off the middle road. Procrastination will also drag the powerful enemy to death. Street fighting takes the longest time, and it is easy to change if it is delayed. Huge financial resources are invested, thereby depleting the enemy's granary and causing the enemy's internal chaos. Our army can take advantage of the chaos to attack. Attack it and take back the Southwest Territory. Your Majesty, if you secretly mobilize the new forces in Shitan City, Shitan City will be empty. If the ant army invades from Shitan City. If your Majesty wants to mobilize the army in the Southwest Territory, at that time The army in the southwest region has been held back by the enemy, and the capital has no troops to defend it. What should the king do?" The termite king still said the same thing:
"You have your own plans in your heart, don't try to persuade the Prime Minister." Jia Yi's mission to the Ant tribe this time can be said to have achieved great success, and he was named a border merchant and tax official.
At this time, Jia Yi is different from the past, and it can be said that he has a great reputation. It may be its revenge by buying private houses and monopolizing the market, with prices based on the opinions of one family.
Once upon a time, the wealthy merchants in the west of the city ruined their homes and destroyed their homes. Through the monopoly of the market, these merchants went bankrupt overnight. Some had no choice but to take poison and committed suicide at home; some joined the Jiayi Trading Company to seek business. The only way out is to send heavy gifts to each other, to support one's own small family and at the same time to feed the big mouth above. If this continues, it will only squeeze the people, prices will rise, making the people's livelihood difficult, and there will be no way to survive.
Who gives this Jia Yan the right? Jia Yi alleviates the temporary difficulties of the people by issuing bonds and encourages the people to buy its products. The huge debt it owes is compounded with interest, making the poor poorer and the rich richer.
Some people who had no means of livelihood went to business firms to work long-term jobs in order to pay off their huge debts.
At this time, the people's lives were like pigs and dogs, being beaten and insulted by their rich men at will. Many long-term workers were beaten to death by these rich men, and the people in the country were in dire straits.
When Jia Yi arrived at Yichun Tower, he was accompanied by many servants, and his momentum was still the same as before. The old woman rushed out to greet her and said with a smile:
"Master Jia, come to my Yichun Tower and ask that girl to serve you." A servant stood up and shouted:
"Go and bring Chuntao out." Chuntao, the old woman was silent for a long time, and called upstairs:
"Girls, come down quickly to pick up the guests." The girls upstairs responded and came downstairs one after another, saluting:
"Master Jia." The old lady introduced, saying:
"Master Jia, they are all spring peaches. I wonder which one I want to serve Master Jia?" Jia Yi said:
"What I want is the little girl who keeps the firewood shed. Her name is Chuntao." The old woman was stunned. She couldn't answer for a while. She squeaked and didn't know what to say.
Jia Yan said sharply:
"I will give you half an hour. You must find Chuntao within half an hour, otherwise I will seal off your Yichun Tower." At this time, Ding Buhai stepped down and bowed, saying:
"Master Jia, you are a little girl, why should Master Jia be angry? Isn't it hurting the harmony?" Jia ant doesn't care what it says, it just wants Chuntao.
Ding Buhe faced the old woman and said angrily:
"You can't find a little girl like Chuntao in such a big yard, go find her quickly!" The old lady pulled Ding Busha away, put it close to its ear and whistled:
"Boss, you should know that this little girl let Master Jia go. You punished her by depriving her of food for a day and locked her in a woodshed. She sent a strong man to torture her every day and said harsh words to her. If it lasts for three days, Before they could find Jia Yi, they sent her to pick up customers and become a low-level prostitute. Who knew that this little girl had a stubborn personality and couldn't bear the torture and died in the woodshed, and now her body is still in the dry well." Ding Buhao said. :
"Now Master Jia wants the spring peaches, how can we hand over the spring peaches?" the old woman said:
"Isn't it just a little girl? Boss, you used to be the housekeeper of Jia's house. Master Jia will always give you this face." Ding Buhui turned around and walked up, facing Jia Yi and said respectfully:
"Master Jia, this little girl ran away. I wanted her to pick up guests. Master Jia, let the other girls serve you." After hearing this, Jia Yi became angrier and got up and said:
"She is my only goddaughter, Jia Yi. How dare you let my daughter receive guests?" He pointed at Ding Buyai and said fiercely:
"Ding Buhai, Ding Buhai, you are so brave." Ding Buhai immediately knelt down and said:
"Master, I know I was wrong. I know I was wrong." He kowtowed again and again, begging Jia Yan to forgive his sins.
Jia Yan faced the servant behind and said:
"Go to the backyard and search, we must find my daughter." The servant rushed into the backyard and searched, not letting go of every room, searching carefully, and finally found Chuntao's body in the dry well, fished it out, and came forward Hall, knelt down and said:
"Master, we found the body of a little girl in the dry well in the backyard, and it has been fished out now." Jia Yi was startled and said:
"Quick, quick, take me to the backyard, my daughter." Servant Chong faced the subordinates behind him and said:
"Take the master to the backyard." Jia Yan walked quickly towards the backyard. He accidentally fell down and was picked up by the servant. Jia Yan pushed Pu Chong back and said:
"I can walk by myself without your help." When I walked in and looked at the cold body, I was stunned. The servant stepped forward to dissuade him and said:
"Master, the body has been soaked in the smelly water for many days and has rotted into a state of disgrace. Master, there is no need to go and see it." Jia Yi shouted angrily:
"You bastard, it's my daughter, is it okay to see it for the last time?" He rushed forward, froze, looked at the body, knelt down and shouted:
"Daughter." He picked up the remaining branches on the corpse and wiped the thick water from its rotting face. When he examined its body, he saw traces of being whipped. He couldn't help but shed tears and said:
"Daughter! You have been very kind to me. Now that I am rich, I will redeem you from Yichun Tower today. I will pamper you and let you live a worry-free life. When you grow up, I will marry you into the termite clan. The most talented insect, in front of the king, recommends your husband to be a high official, so that you can enjoy endless glory and wealth, who knows?" Tears fell again, hitting its rotten face, and said:
"You have been tortured like a non-Chong in Yichun Tower, you have suffered. My only daughter, you left me, Ling Chong seems sad!"
