When Lu Zuo heard Pang Gu say that someone was following him, he actually knew it, but he still glanced outside the house uneasily.
Pang Gu knew what Brother Lu was up to, so he smiled and said, "Brother Lu, there's no need to look at it. I've left those few behind before they even reached Xining Street!"
"It's good to be more cautious in everything. They probably already know who you are." Lu Zuo thought, "But you can't go to my house for the time being. I'll find another place for you to stay after a while. "
When Lu Zuo and Yin Ji returned home, the night was already deep. Although there were a lot of people on Xining Street at this time, it was much less than at night. As soon as the master and apprentice returned to the mansion, they saw candle shadows shaking in the wing from a distance, and a black figure flashing back and forth on the window lattice. Lu Zuo pointed and smiled: "Oh, I almost forgot to retreat!"
Yin Ji also raised his head and glanced at the wing room, "Why is the Second Master still in our room so late?"
Lu Zuo didn't answer, but quickened his pace, strode to the door, and then pushed the door open directly. It was Chen Tuizhi who came towards him. When he saw his senior brother coming back, he stepped forward as if he had found a treasure. He cupped his fists and saluted, saying: "Senior brother, let me have a good time looking for it!"
"Did something happen?" Lu Zuo had an ominous premonition, and there was a faint feeling between his eyebrows that something must have happened.
Chen Tuizhi also seemed a little nervous. He stood on tiptoe and looked outside the courtyard door behind Lu Zuo. After making sure that no one was there, he closed the door, bolted it tightly, and made a gesture of invitation, " Let’s talk first!”
As Lu Zuo entered the house, he blew out the lantern in his hand, then handed it to Yin Ji and put it aside, "Why are you so sneaky at home?"
After Chen Tuizhi pulled Lu Zuo to sit down, he whispered a few words into his senior brother's ear. Lu Zuo's expression gradually changed. After hearing this, he shouted in panic, "Seriously?"
"Seriously!" Chen Tuizhi replied decisively.
After Yin Ji put the lantern on the shelf, he saw that his master looked wrong, so he stepped forward and asked the master eagerly, "Master, what happened?" Seeing that the master's face was as heavy as water and there was no response, he asked Chen Tuizhi again , "What happened?"
Before Chen Tuizhi could answer Yin Ji, Lu Zuo asked solemnly: "What conditions does the other party want now?"
"They said it must be 100,000 taels of silver and 150,000 bolts of silk. They call it the expense of supporting the army."
"This is really too much!" Lu Zuo was furious and shouted, "I can't give it to you!"
Chen Tuizhi looked quite embarrassed, "But if not, the other side will withdraw their troops!"
Yin Ji seemed to understand the meaning at this time. This should be related to the master's master. They seemed to have some connection with the Great Fan Kingdom. Could it be that the master was a masterpiece of the Great Fan Kingdom?
When Lu Zuo heard what Chen Tuizhi said, he began to close his eyes and think deeply. How could the country of Fan threaten him at this juncture?
"Master!" Yin Ji couldn't help asking anymore, "Are you talking about the affairs of the Tibetan Kingdom? Are they going to withdraw their troops? Then can we not go to the border to fight?" Yin Ji was a little excited. If If we really want to withdraw our troops, then Master won't have to go all the way over there, and Master can also have a good rest.
Chen Tuizhi pulled Yin Ji and made a silence gesture, indicating that he should not disturb Lu Zuo's thinking. Yin Ji was a little impatient, and was very dissatisfied when he saw their attitude towards Tibet's withdrawal. If the master really had contact with Tibet, he would not agree to it. This is a foreign country! So he gritted his teeth and said, "Master, do you have anything to do with Fan Bing? Is it someone else's trick?"
"What's the matter with you little brat?" Chen Tuizhi was also annoyed by Yin Ji's series of questions, "Don't make trouble here unreasonably!"
"The soldiers are about to retreat. Why do you look like this? Shouldn't you be happy?" Yin Ji said angrily, "Look, you just wanted to bribe the enemy to continue occupying Shanzhou!"
Chen Tuizhi glanced at Yin Ji seriously and said coldly: "It's not as simple as you think."
Lu Zuo, who was bowing his head in thought, seemed to be awakened by Yin Ji's words. After a long time, he smiled slyly, raised his head and said, "Don't worry, they won't retreat!"
Chen Tuizhi asked in surprise: "Why do you see it?"
Yin Ji asked in confusion: "What happened to Master?"
Lu Zuo patted Yin Ji on the shoulder, then sat down and said with a loving smile: "It doesn't hurt to tell you now."
Yin Ji also pulled out a stool and sat down, waiting with great anticipation for the master to tell the truth.
"The Great Fan Kingdom and the Qita Kingdom are going to jointly annex several major states and counties in the border areas. In fact, we have known about it for a long time!"
"Uh? How do you know? Do you really know the future?"
Lu Zuo shook his head, "Wherever you can predict the unknown, you rely on various information channels, some clues, and speculations to achieve what you call a 'foreseeing the unknown.' As early as the year before last, when I was still in my hometown in Shanzhou, there were people under my command. Tell us every move of the Great Fan Kingdom."
"Oh?" Yin Ji asked curiously and surprised, "What actions did they make that made you expect, Master, that they would attack our country?"
"Of course they purchased a large number of horses from the Qita Kingdom, built a large number of weapons, and also dispatched Xiruozandra, the son of Xilingzan, to patrol the border. If there is no other intention, why would it be so."
"But you just said that they are threatening you and saying that they will withdraw if you don't come up with silver or something. Why did they say that?"
Lu Zuo chuckled and said, "Ji'er, do you think that becoming a teacher will mean that you are a craftsman of the Great Fan Kingdom?"
Yin Ji stared at the master with wide eyes without comment. Lu Zuo continued: "Actually, just when Da Fan wanted to send troops, we had already gone to see the leader of Da Fan!"
"How is it possible?" Yin Ji questioned, "Although Tibet is not as fertile and wild as our Central Plains, I have heard that their country is not small. How can their king meet you?"
After hearing this, Chen Tuizhi laughed, patted his chest and said, "Of course it's because of me!" Lu Zuo gave him a contemptuous look, and Chen Tuizhi changed his words in embarrassment, "Of course it's because of my adoptive father and master. reason."
"Why?"
Chen Tuizhi said: "I am the leader of the Seven Provinces Green Forest Alliance, and my master and adoptive father are well-known figures in Shanzhou. If they want to break through Shanzhou, they may be able to defeat the Shanzhou defenders, but if we Combining internal and external forces, even if the Tibetan army cannot be defeated, it is still easy to defend Shanzhou."
Yin Ji looked at Chen Tuizhi in confusion, "But how come Shanzhou was still lost later? Even Lanzhou was almost defeated at that time, wasn't it?"
