"I thought, since it is a big plan, it must have a name." Jia Zhou put down the tea cup and raised his eyes.
"My lord, I poured three cups of tea for me. Let's call it a tea ceremony."
Xu Mu was startled. He originally thought that Jia Zhou was going to say something about his domineering aura, but he didn't expect it to be so simple and unpretentious.
"What a great way to serve tea." Xu Mu smiled.
"If my lord is free, you can go to several major counties in Linjiang to visit. This is my lord's first battle in Shu, so you need to be careful."
"In fact, there are further strategies, such as taking ten years to recuperate, and crossing the river to rule... However, I seem to be sleepy again now."
"Wenlong, please go to bed."
When Xu Mu got up, he just stretched out his hand and found that Jia Zhou was already leaning on the back of the chair and fell asleep again.
Silently, he picked up the quilt and covered it again. Then he stepped carefully and walked out of the house.
Chen Sheng, who was outside, saw Xu Mu walking out and hurriedly raised the lantern high.
"Master, I remembered something."
"Why."
"When the military advisor led us to attack the city, there was an old scholar who was on the run. He called him Poisonous Eagle."
"Poison osprey?"
The osprey is a kind of sacred bird in ancient books. When it sees it, there will be war. Poisonous owl, poisonous owl, I think back to the beginning... The first fire of the rebel uprising was indeed lit by Jia Zhou.
However, Xu Mu didn't care about this. Without war, there would be no peace in this world riddled with holes.
"The military advisor used the tactic of throwing fire at the enemy, and coordinated the inside and outside, and they just captured Fufeng City, but it seemed that many people were burned to death, and there were charred corpses everywhere."
"What, Brother Sheng is scared?"
Chen Sheng shook his head calmly, "No, I admire my boss and the military advisor very much."
Xu Mu nodded.
In war, people will die. He had already understood the rationale behind the fights.
…
"Xu Lang is leaving the city again." Li Dawan puffed up his face. After a while, he turned red again. He leaned his head and spoke in a trembling voice, "Xu Lang... my menstruation will be over in the next two days. .”
Xu Mu was startled, "Li Dawan, you are a lady after all."
"Ten babies, but not a single one! Otherwise, I will ask Xi Niang to prepare wolfberry and silver carp soup."
"Very good……"
Xu Mu rubbed his forehead and persuaded Li Dawan to leave.
On the contrary, Jiang Caiwei stood aside, silent and silent. She only prepared dry food and water, and even several porcelain bottles of golden sore medicine.
"I'll be back soon."
Jiang Caiwei raised her face, smiled and nodded. But as soon as the sound of horse hooves stopped, he immediately lowered his head and his eyes turned red.
"My boss, my wife seems to be crying." Chen Jiaqiao interrupted while running.
"Brother Chen, you don't understand love." Wei Feng, who was standing side by side, smiled and took the lead.
"You understand?"
"If I am correct, Hong Cui from the eighth aunt's house in Zhuangzi will marry me next month." Wei Feng turned around proudly.
"The two of us have been in love for a long time, and lovers will eventually get married."
Chen Jiaqiao gritted his teeth and was too lazy to listen anymore. He raised the reins and whipped the horse under his crotch to scream in agony.
Xu Mu was speechless. It seems that many interesting things happened to Zhuangzi during his absence.
"Longbow, take a few riders to investigate first."
Since Zhou Zun wanted to mine ocher, the task of detecting the sentry had to fall to Gong Gou.
"Longbow, your waist is getting straighter and straighter."
Gong Gou paused, his face flushed. He wanted to say something flattering, but couldn't, so he had to give Xu Mu a heavy fist.
"Go, my brother."
The bow dog leaned on the horse's back, raised the reins, and ran to a distance with a few riders in an instant.
Xu Mu turned his gaze sideways and looked around at the surrounding scenery. This time, it was not to attack the city, but to go to the counties and counties in the Linjiang area to make inquiries first. He only brought less than a hundred people with him, pretending to be out-of-state merchants buying horses.
Of course, he didn't have to go there in person. But whether it was Jia Zhou or himself, he would definitely think about what he saw with his own eyes and then make arrangements.
The official road on the border of Shu was in disrepair for a long time, but when spring came again, green weeds paved it with colorful flowers.
…
"Master, it's no problem." Gongou led the people back, his voice relaxed.
In this long day, I only rested for two hours in the middle, and spent the rest of the day rushing on.
Stopping his horse, Xu Mu raised his head slightly, and as far as he could see, at the end of the official road, there was a vast river, like a winding snake, parading among the high mountains.
"Xiangjiang."
Xu Mu exhaled. The only two major rivers in the Great Epoch, the Ji River nurtured the prosperity of the inner city, while the Xiangjiang River, due to the collapse of the world... raised 80,000 water thieves.
The surface of the river is not very turbulent, probably because the river section is stable. Rows of awnings can be seen in the distance, floating on the river, forming a picture against the color of the spring landscape.
A county near the river took a large open space as a river port. The scattered civilian laborers were carrying a few sacks and moving with difficulty with their bodies hanging down.
The boatman's chant suddenly started, and the twisted hemp rope was knotted and hooped on the shoulders by dozens of boatmen. Their faces turned red, their bare feet splashed river sand, and they dragged the huge boat to the shore.
"Didn't you say that Jiang bandits are causing trouble?" Wei Feng frowned.
"Those who rob homes and homes are small bandits, and those who exploit people's lives are big bandits. There is nothing wrong with that." Xu Mu said calmly.
In fact, this is no different from those rebels who took over the counties and wanted to be a peaceful emperor.
"Longgong, what county is this?"
"My boss, this is Bailu County, which is a large county near the river bank. There are about ten thousand water bandits occupying it, and the water fortress is too deep to be detected."
"What about entering the city?"
"It's no problem to enter the city...but you have to pay a bond tax. I heard that a head costs two taels of silver."
"Guaranteed tax?" Xu Mu was stunned. What kind of gangsters are they? They are just a bunch of scoundrels.
"There was a horse market in the city some time ago, but the guarantee tax was too high. As time went by, no one came."
"Longbow, where's the silver from crossing the river?"
"Those river bandits crossed the iron rope, and one mile of waterway cost ten taels of silver."
"I'm really impressed."
Xu Mu sneered on his face. It’s not just river bandits who take advantage of the people.
"Master, do you want to enter the city?" Wei Feng turned around.
It was getting dark. If you didn't go into the city, you could only stay outside and make a bonfire.
"Of course I want to come in." Xu Mu lowered his voice. This round, we are here to get information.
Furthermore, his current appearance is already disguised.
"Wei Feng, take eighty people and wait for me outside the city."
"So, my boss has to bring twenty-three people, and Brother Tiger estimates that he will have to pay double, that is, nearly five hundred taels?" Wei Feng looked up in horror.
"Wei Feng, that's a good calculation, but don't forget it next time." Xu Mu got off his horse, his face suddenly solemn.
"Give him the money, and I'll snatch it back before it's warm enough!"
