Isn’t it true that your relationship with Huziqi and Tumut has always been very good? When Tumut came to invade Datong, didn't you receive any news in advance? "Li Huaixin frowned deeply and his tone was bad.
Based on the Tiger Character Banner's relationship on the grassland, he did not believe that the Tiger Character Banner had not received any news about the invasion of the Northern Captives.
Shopkeeper Li hesitated for a moment, feeling that if he didn't say anything, Li Huaixin might not be able to explain the past, so he said: "To be honest with you, Sir, there are three main forces in Tumote that are the strongest. King Shunyi of Qingcheng, King of Banshengcheng Su Nang, as well as Namur from the Ulut tribe, the commander of the northern army outside the city now should be Su Nang."
Having said this, he stopped and looked at Li Huaixin.
Li Huaixin put one hand on the handle of the knife and said nothing, just looking at Shopkeeper Li.
Shopkeeper Li continued: "Su Nang has been targeting our Tiger Banner. Since Na Mu'er died, he has become even more blatant. Half a month ago, he sent a cavalry to rob our convoy. Unexpectedly, Now he has led his troops to invade Datong."
"So this northern army outside the city was attracted by your Tiger Flag?" Li Shuheng said in a deep voice.
Shopkeeper Li said with a wry smile: "Master General, you are joking."
Although he knew in his heart that the army of Beibei soldiers outside the city came for their tiger-shaped flag, he could never admit it in front of Li Huaixin.
Li Huaixin snorted coldly and said, "I hope they didn't invade the border because of your tiger-shaped flag, otherwise I won't be able to protect you."
At this time, the officials of Xinpingbao came to the city wall.
Xinping Fort is a border fort, with General Li Huaixin sitting in command. There are also several low-ranking officials in the fort. Although they are civil servants, they are low-ranking miscellaneous officials. Compare.
Among them, an eighth-grade official in the Qing Military Department said: "Your Tiger Character Banner has always had a good relationship with Tumote. Why don't you talk to Shopkeeper Li and the Beilu outside the city to see what their requirements are? It’s enough to satisfy everyone.”
The smuggling of the Tiger Flag and the grassland is no longer a secret in Border Town. The civil and military officials in the Border Town will get some benefits from it, so they all acquiesce in the existence of this kind of smuggling.
Shopkeeper Li said with a bitter look on his face: "My lord, what you are saying is embarrassing the common people. If the Beilu outside the city really came with Su Nang, how could the common people still be alive after leaving the city."
"The invasion of the Northern Barbarians is nothing more than seeking wealth. Your Tiger Character Banner is rich and powerful. Prepare more gold and silver benefits for these Northern Barbarians. I think they will take the initiative to retreat." As he said that, the official from the Qing Military Department looked at Li Shopkeeper.
Shopkeeper Li looked bitter and said: "How can ordinary people take the initiative in this kind of thing? Besides, the Northern prisoners are greedy. Even if they are given some benefits, they may not retreat. On the contrary, they want to get greater benefits."
He is just the storekeeper of the store arranged by Tiger Character Banner in Xinpingbao. He does not know much about the attitude of the senior management of Tiger Character Banner towards Beilu, but he knows that their Tiger Character Banner has fought against Su Nang several times on the grassland. , if Hu Ziqi was really willing to share the benefits with Su Nang, he would have done it long ago and wouldn't wait until now.
Tiger Flag is not an ordinary business in Datong. It has the support of the governor and the commander-in-chief. When the officials of the Qing Military Department saw that shopkeeper Li did not agree with his approach, they did not say anything.
It was getting dark, and the Beibei camped outside Xinping Fort, setting up piles of bonfires and making no move to attack the city.
But if the Beibei troops did not retreat for a day, the officials in Xinping Fort would not dare to relax. No one could guarantee whether the Beibei forces would suddenly attack Xinping Fort or bypass Xinping Fort and enter the hinterland of Datong.
The sky was completely dark, and several hanging baskets were slowly lowered on the wall of Xinpingbao, and several people were sent away from the city to Datong to report the news.
Li Huaixin returned to the General's Mansion in the middle of the night, but he didn't sleep all night. He was worried and worried that the Beibei would suddenly attack the city. It wasn't until dawn that he fell asleep in a daze.
After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, he felt someone pushing him. He opened his eyes a crack and saw his own soldiers standing aside.
"Sir, Beilu shot some letters in with arrows." The soldier saw Li Huaixin open his eyes and hurriedly handed over several envelopes in his hand.
Li Huaixin sat up from the bed, reached for the envelope, took out an envelope from inside, took out the letter paper, and read it in front of his eyes.
After reading it, he suddenly changed. The hand holding the letter slammed heavily on the edge of the bed, and the letter in his hand also fell to the ground.
"Sir, what happened?" the soldier asked cautiously, while bending down to pick up the letter on the ground.
Li Huaixin said with a cold expression: "Do you know why the Northern army outside the city came to invade Datong?"
"My subordinates guess that life on the grassland is unbearable, and the northern captives want to come to Datong to plunder." The soldier said.
Li Huaixin shook his head, raised his finger and pointed at the letter in the hands of the soldiers and said: "The Beilu outside the city were provoked by the Tiger Character Banner. They defrauded the herdsmen of their wealth on the grassland, and this provoked the Beilu's revenge."
"Sir, I'm afraid this is an excuse made up by the Beilu." The soldier frowned and said, "The Tiger Flag has always been in contact with various grassland ministries. Even if it deceives the herdsmen, the Beilu can solve the problem on the grassland without leading the army. Ming Dynasty, my subordinates thought that the herdsmen’s matter was just an excuse for the Northern invaders to invade.”
Li Huaixin glanced at the soldier and said: "You don't think this general knows that this is just an excuse for the Beibei to send troops, but since we have this excuse, if our Ming Dynasty does not want to go to war with the Beibei, we must give the Beibei an explanation. "
"Your Majesty, do you mean to hand over the tiger-shaped flag to Beilu?" the soldier said tentatively.
Li Huaixin nodded and said: "My Ming Dynasty has been losing ground in the battlefields of Liaodong and Houjin. We have lost most of Liaodong. The imperial court is definitely not willing to start a war with the Northern Barbarians again. We can use a tiger-character flag to get the Northern Barbarians to retreat. I believe it." The imperial court is absolutely willing to make this deal.”
"Sir, do you want my subordinates to arrest the people of Tiger Flag in Xinpingbao now and seal their shops?" the soldier asked.
Li Huaixin thought for a while, shook his head, and said: "Don't take action yet. The tiger-character flag today is not the tiger-character flag when I was still in Lingqiu. They have the support of the governor and the general soldier behind them, but there is no governor and the general soldier." Order, it’s not good for me to take action first.”
The soldier nodded.
In his heart, he was unwilling to take action against the people of Tiger Character Banner. It was not that he felt that Tiger Character Flag would be sacrificed by the court and pitied them, but because Tiger Character Flag was different from ordinary businesses. It would eat people when provoked, especially if it was clever. That Liu Heng from Qiu is even more of a man-eating tiger.
Li Huaixin sat on the bed for a while and said to his own soldier: "Take this letter to the General Military Mansion and hand it to the General Military Mansion yourself."
"Yes, I will definitely deliver the letter." The soldier agreed, turned around and walked out.
Li Huaixin said from behind: "Don't go through the city gate, use the hanging basket to get out of the city."
After the soldier left the room, he picked up several other letters and read them. When he found that the contents were the same, he threw them on the bed.
After a while, he stood up from the bed, walked around the room a few times, and suddenly shouted outside: "Here comes someone!"
The door of the room was pushed open, and the soldiers outside the door walked in, saluted, and said: "Sir!"
Li Huaixin picked up a letter on the bed and handed it to the soldier. At the same time, he said: "Take this letter and go to Tiger Flag's store in Xinpingbao and give the letter to their shopkeeper Li."
"Yes." The soldier took the letter and left the room.
