Yijun County is thin and long, more than two miles from north to south, and the narrowest point from east to west is only 300 steps. This is a small county town sandwiched in a ravine, with a population of 7,000 and a garrison of 300.
The county magistrate Cao Guiyuan was dragged in and thrown to the ground. Both of his legs were broken with sticks.
Someone lifted his bun and asked him to watch his concubine being torn off her clothes by three or five strong men. The scholar cursed loudly, pointed at a person who came over and shouted: "Wei Yuan, you are a wolf-hearted beast, rebel. The traitor will die a good death!"
"Don't scream, it's still early." Wei Yuan wore a military uniform turned inside out. One sleeve had no arm guard, and the open cuff revealed the red color inside.
"Where are you going? It's just to make them happy. When the Young Master is messing with your two girls later, you can still beg for mercy." He squatted down with a playful smile:
"Of course, if the Young Heavenly Master is not interested in rewarding them to the younger ones, then I will be very considerate, don't worry!" Several rebels around laughed.
"Huh, Wei Yuan, remember what I said. You have an old lady above you and a wife and children below you. You are so wicked that when the nine tribes are exterminated, none of them will survive!"
Wei Yuan lowered his face and gritted his teeth for a long time. Cao Zhixian's words struck a chord in his heart, and he suddenly stared:
"Grandma, I wanted you to live one more day, but you are seeking death!" He stretched out his hand and thrust the knife into the magistrate's mouth. Blood immediately flowed all over the floor.
"Oh, you're a coward. The good green brick floor is all dirty. Later, the men will have to carry water to wash the floor. Drag it out quickly!" someone shouted.
Wei Yuan reached out and picked up Cao Zhixian's collar and dragged him out. The Zhixian's head hung softly, leaving long traces of blood and saliva. Wei Yuan threw him by the well, cut off his head with a wave of his sword, grabbed his bun and made an arc, and threw it on top of a straw shed.
The most magnificent courtyard in the county is on the hillside behind the county school, and there are three twelve-hole cave dwellings up the hill. There were five or six excited men sitting in the top hole. Their eyes were bright and their faces were red as if they had been drinking.
Sitting on the kang under the window was a tall, steady, strong man, wearing a linen hood, with a dull face and a short beard. He was talking to them with his hands crossed and his legs crossed, looking majestic.
"The county seat has been captured. How is it? As I said, it's easy to fight, right? Don't be afraid. If you are afraid, Buddha will not like it and will not bless you. Not being afraid only shows that you persist in your beliefs and are consistent. Understand?" Everyone started talking. Call it yes.
"Master Shaotian is personally in charge, what else do you have to fear?" A dark-faced man beat his chest loudly: "Hei Lao San has already said, just rush in, why are you hesitating?"
Then he looked at the tall man flatteringly: "Arch mage, tell me where to attack the next city? One on each forehead will be the vanguard!"
"Well, if you are like Third Brother Hei, our big things will be successful sooner, and the Paradise will come sooner." After the Archmage finished speaking, he made a gesture to attract everyone's attention, and then said:
"Capturing this county is a test. We want to see how the Luochuan army reacts. If he dares not come out, we will attack the cities one by one. If he comes out, we can advance and defend the Luohe River and make a camp step by step. When retreating, we can enter Yuhua Mountain to preserve our strength. .
So Brother Hei, please lead a thousand people towards Huangling and send people to inquire about the movements of the Luochuan army. Send people to report at any time! The rest left a thousand men to defend the south and north gates and suppress the city.
Stop all the fun and get down to business. Another thousand people seized the time to collect livestock and vehicles, and emptied the storehouses of food and weapons for me!
Do you understand? Once you understand, go to work. You two will guard the city gate and no one will be allowed to come in and out at will...! "
After the arrangements were made, everyone grabbed their weapons and walked out of the cave. The Archmage walked to another door, nodded to the guard, opened the door and went in.
There was a young man with a bald head sitting cross-legged on the kang in the inner room. He was reading a scroll in his hand. When he came in, he sighed: "The Great Master is finally back. I'm so bored in this room!"
"What are Baorui looking at?" The Archmage sat across from him with a smile: "The county has been completely controlled. There are hundreds of officers and soldiers. Anyway, the rest have fled.
Cao Zhi County was also arrested, etc.
Later I will ask someone to send his daughters over to serve you. Everything went as smoothly as we expected, now let's see Luo Chuan's reaction. "
"Searching for a city is different from usual. The imperial court will soon target us." Master Shaotian frowned and said, "I'm still worried that they will send a large army to suppress us. It's okay for us to attack a county town with just a few people, but it will be difficult to face a large army! "
"It's great that Baorui thinks so!" The Archmage looked very satisfied: "You must know that not everyone has this insight. This is your talent, given by the Buddha!"
Shaotianshi waved his hands and smiled: "I always felt that the emperor sent Li Sanlang to Shaanxi without any good intentions. He said that it was to rectify the currency, and he sent Li Dan, who came back from Liaodong, for a matter that could be done by a doctor from the Ministry of Finance. He couldn't. Don’t let people think too much.”
"Li Dan is not that scary." The archmage sneered: "I asked Lord Shangshu, and he said that during the entire campaign, Li Dan was only on the battlefield for half a month, and spent the rest of the time training troops in the rear areas of Liaoyang!
He is just a favorite, relying on the power and prestige given by the emperor. How much real ability can he have? Baorui doesn't need to take him too seriously. "
"Despite this, we still can't be careless." Master Shaotian's face darkened: "My father was too careless, and as a result he was coaxed into losing his life by the government. This revenge must be avenged!
But before that, I was still very curious about Li Dan. I heard that how much younger was he than me? "
"Yes, he is exactly two years younger than the current emperor."
"There must be something special about him being able to sit in a high position." Master Shaotian closed the book and placed it on the bed: "Just in time, he is going to Xi'an and I want to leave Tongguan. Hmph, do you think it is possible... Two strangers meet by chance on the road?"
"Isn't this... too dangerous?" The Archmage glanced at the other side in surprise.
"It is said that wealth can only be found in danger. Don't worry," Master Shaotian raised the corner of his mouth: "We are traveling monks. As long as we didn't break the law, how could he be suspicious of this, and how could he know it was me?" After finishing speaking, Glancing at the Archmage.
"Uh..., okay, I'll make the arrangements!" The Archmage nodded in agreement. Master Shaotian recited the Buddha's name, smiled, picked up the "Yijun County Chronicle" on the table, and turned to the front page. Upon seeing this, the Archmage bowed slightly, got down on the kang and retreated.
Concerned about the situation in Shaanxi, Li Dan greeted the emperor and set off secretly.
Everyone in the convoy was on horseback, and they also brought 20 spare empty horses. There were also four four-horse carriages accompanying them. One was for Li Dan's family, and the other was for Wu Mao and Xingwu (who was called to replace the consort Wei Shaolong as the accompanying physician). ), Wen Zhou, who served as vice president of Liaoning Bank, and Jiao Tong, who served as housekeeper.
The third car is for five technical backbones transferred from Liaoning Bank, and the fourth car is for the adopted son Li Cunshi, Wu and the maids and nuns (A Ying has a royal title).
Li Dan, who was accompanying him, took Yang Yi and Wu Ji and Tan Zhong Xiao, who rushed to the capital in a hurry, and his younger brother Li Jin (who had already been selected as a scholar. When he heard that the third brother was going to Xi'an and married Meng'er, he strongly requested to accompany him), and also Li Qin, Du Shiji and Du Jing (Du Jing) also accompanied him.
In addition to the Winged Dragon Guards, there happened to be two cavalry platoons to protect Huang'er and her son and the guard company that accompanied Li Dan back to Beijing. As for the Biao Battalion, they had to go up the Shuo River to Hanzhong and into Shaanxi, and they would definitely have to catch up from behind. .
Before leaving, Li Dan had two secret talks with the emperor. The first was about the Zodiac, and the second was when Li Dan comprehensively elaborated on his plans and strategies for going to Shaanxi.
So the emperor issued an order to appoint Li Dan as: imperial envoy to Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border, direct bachelor of Tiren Pavilion, Zhongshu Zuo Langzhong, and Zhongshu Langzhong; right army officer of the Governor's Office of the Fifth Army; right deputy chief minister of Shaanxi Province; power household Secretary of the Department of Treasures and Banknotes.
In such a long list, the word Quan is equivalent to authorization, and the word Xing is equivalent to agency. The highest civilian agent, the fourth-rank agent, participates in politics, while the military agent has the same power as the second-rank general, who can command the armies of Gansu, Shaanxi, and Ningxia border areas during wartime.
The cabinet was somewhat reluctant to agree to this appointment. The main resistance came from the chief minister, Han Wei. But the emperor threatened him. If the local situation worsened and riots broke out, how could he fight back without the troops?
Gu Lin knew about the Zodiac Sect, but the emperor would not let him publicly say that he agreed with the emperor's reasons, so Han Wei lost his temper and had to give in. After going to court, he hurriedly went to Zheng Shou to tell him the news.
Who knew that Zheng Shou didn't care?
: "So what? There is the Zodiac inside, and there are Ye'erqiang and Tubo outside. I don't believe what tricks he, a yellow-mouthed kid, can do." After he finished speaking, he smiled and persuaded Han Wei to rest assured:
"Xi'an garrison general Lu Chengyuan is the son of Lu Xie, our fellow Xiangfan criminal doctor, and my niece-in-law.
Besides, those people from the Zodiac Sect are not vegetarians. They must have arrangements in the army. Don't worry, whether they succeed or not, it's enough for that person to have a drink with Li Sanlang! "
"If you can really prevent Li Sanlang from coming back, that's all. I'm afraid you won't succeed!" Han Wei reminded.
"Master Chief Assistant is afraid? Do you really want him not to come back?" Zheng Shou laughed, clapped his hands and said:.
"But this Li Sanlang is really capable. It's a pity that he is that person's helper. Otherwise, I really want to conquer him and promote him. What a pity, this person can't be used by me in the end!"
"Have you ever thought about using him?" Han Wei was surprised: "How could someone who was kind to him turn around and follow you?"
"I just gave up recently." Zheng Shou sighed: "It turned out that I had been holding on to hope, but it's a pity that the bright moon shines on the ditch." He shook his head mockingly: "That one is already a headache. With Li Sanlang's help, I'm afraid we can't Lake will never have a chance!"
"unless……?"
"Hmph, unless the one from Changyi takes this position!"
"What, do you want to leave the prince there to guard the mausoleum forever?"
"Wouldn't it be great for him to be the Supreme Emperor? It's enough for his son to take over the throne. Otherwise, what will happen to Changyi? Is he willing to wait for another ten or twenty years?" Zheng Shou said angrily. Jianhan Wei frowned and explained:
"Besides, it's not like you don't know the prince's temper. Do you think we'd be more comfortable with him up there, or the one from Changyi?" Han Wei sat down in the chair a little discouraged, and Zheng Shou patted the armrest:
"Isn't this the end? Fuchang City comes up and governs it. We have the final say in the court. The old prince will be happy to be the Supreme Emperor. This plan is the most ideal and everyone is happy!"
Tongguan, Fengling Ferry. Facing the turbulent Yellow River, Li Dan's heart surged. So this is the famous Fenglingdu?
He carefully observed the surrounding terrain. Aying and Cunshi (Li Danyizi, Lou Shiming's son), accompanied by their maid and nanny, were pointing on the other side. Coming from the south, she saw the majestic mountains and rivers of the North for the first time.
They came via the road from Feng to Luoyang, traveling around mountains and rivers, singing and dancing.
The kings of Zhou, Wei, and Han all welcomed him warmly, and for no other reason than to inquire about the bank and what good deals they could invest in.
It is said that this person came to Shaanxi to rectify the currency and industrial and commercial order, and everyone smelled the smell of copper here.
The excellent performance of Liaoning Bank after last year's settlement and the huge profits made by 13 princes in Jiangxi and Hunan were revealed intentionally or unintentionally, which made various royal family members excited. "Royal Bank", naturally the royal family will be given priority to buy shares!
As soon as Li Dan arrived in Shaanzhou, he was stopped by Hanwang Dianbu who came in a hurry and chatted for an hour.
Before entering Tongguan, this "road show" already left him with a huge sum of more than 600,000 taels in his hands, not including the promises of the businessmen who provided him with food, accommodation, and entertainment along the way.
No, someone just came to report that envoys from King Han and Duke Rui were already "waiting for your arrival" in Huayin County.
It was true that the king was not allowed to have private dealings with courtiers, but when his retainers came out to discuss business, it did not involve military or political affairs, which made the censors unable to speak.
What's more, Li Dan's plan to raise funds for the bank is public. The emperor may allow it, and there is nothing wrong with people's open dealings in accordance with orders.
"Maozhi, do you think we can achieve the goal of raising one million yuan before we arrive in Xi'an?" Li Dan asked optimistically.
Wu Mao laughed: "With your charisma, Zedong, I think it's very possible!
We haven't received the funds from those businessmen yet. I have done some rough statistics, and if all of them were accepted, there should be around 1.3 million by now! It seems that everyone is very optimistic about your coming to Shaanxi and they are flocking to you. "
"The more people trust me, the heavier my burden becomes." Li Dan stood facing the Yellow River with his hands behind his hands: "Following our team are the merchants and wealthy people who entered Xi'an.
There are almost a thousand people in the family's team, right? I don’t know how many people are waiting for me in Xi’an City! "
"You told me to spread this news to the princes. I was worried that they would hesitate and wait and see. I didn't expect everyone to be so active. It's a good start. It depends on how hard we work." Wu Mao walked to him:
"But the situation is also very complicated. The Luochuan army lost two battles and lost Huangling. Now it is impossible to hold on. The new Wu Zhengzi seems to want to fight!
He is trying to intimidate you. I suggest strengthening the defenses of Luochuan, Yichuan, Huanglong, Baishui, and Tongchuan. First, let them confine themselves to a certain area, and then organize all the officers and troops to attack.
In the past, they were a religion, so there was no reason to suppress them. Now they jump out to attack the county town and kill the county officials. That is just right for encirclement and suppression. The further step is to declare them as a cult! "
"What is wrong is what is wrong, let's see how long they can take it. Let the people see their faces clearly." Li Dan thought for a while and said, "We must master the tools of public opinion and do a good job in publicity to the people."
Wu Mao didn't understand what a "public opinion tool" was, so he heard the voice of Yang Wu (Yang Xing) behind him whisper: "Old Cao, those two monks are suspicious."
"Huh?" Cao Jun probably observed it for a moment, then took two steps closer and whispered: "Sir, there are two guys to the west who look like Yellow Sect monks. They always glance at you. Do you want us to drive them away? "
"You are not a vegetarian with a self-made fire gun in your waist. He is still far away, and you don't know whether he is kind or malicious. Why are you so nervous?" Li Dan had already caught a glimpse of the two monks, an old man and a young man:
"It doesn't matter, we are all wearing soft armor, don't worry. If the two of them approach and take the initiative to talk to you, don't stop them, and let me take a closer look whether they are humans or monsters!" As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that the two men were indeed talking to him. Coming this way.
