More than a month.
With the efforts of Xu Mu and Jia Zhou, the thirteen counties of Shuzhou began to slowly restore people's livelihood. There were more and more restaurants, inns, martial arts shops, and various businesses in the city.
The flower ladies of the Qing Dynasty stood on the balcony waving handkerchiefs. Even in autumn, they still brought spring to the earth.
"The Sichuan rice outside the city has a few ears this year. According to the Lord's wishes, the farmers have been asked to dig streams to divert water, and then accumulate manure into canals for integrated irrigation. Large-scale plowing is being promoted. As for the selection of improved varieties of southern rice, We also selected many experienced farmers to start preparations.”
Jia Zhou paused and his expression became a little strange.
"I just discovered now that my lord seems to have some expertise in farming and mulberry matters."
"I know a little bit." Xu Mu laughed.
Jia Zhou nodded and did not continue to ask. He knew that his lord always had many strange thoughts in his mind.
"The tiger barbarians proposed by my lord do have some truth. As soon as the autumn harvest arrives, the tiger barbarians will come out from the south to plunder rice."
"Yu Wen, I have asked him to lead the army into the border county." Xu Mu frowned. Again, the tiger barbarians are an extremely restless factor in Shuzhou.
But now, there is still a war in Liangzhou, which is close to Shu. It is said that Dong Wen, who was born in the first dynasty, became more and more courageous as he fought. He annexed the 100,000 allied troops from two states. He was defeated in several battles and retreated. He was already suing for peace.
"As soon as autumn passes, winter is about to begin." Jia Zhou sighed, "In this chaotic world, after winter comes, there will be a brief period of peace."
Throughout the ages, wars in winter have rarely been chosen. Unless it is said that the strategic goal is too important and one has to take risks.
Shuzhou's military strength is not small, but there are so many places to be garrisoned that the amount of troops it can mobilize has somewhat declined.
"My lord's plan is to mobilize troops to destroy the tiger barbarians at the beginning of winter, while the world is stopping the war."
"Wen Long, that's true."
Although Xu Mu has become the king of the thirteen counties of Shuzhou, he is still surrounded by dangers. Xu Mu didn't think that Dong Wen, the former little crybaby, could be an old friend because a single move could affect his whole body.
"To block the autumn raids, after winter, wild beasts are dormant in the mountains and forests. Coupled with the cold weather, the tiger barbarians will definitely have insufficient food."
It just so happens that during this period, Chen Datie's iron workshop can also make more thick armor for repeated crossbows.
"No one in the world would have thought that when the war ends in winter, the Lord will lead his troops into the Southern Forest. This is a good move."
In this way, not only will the military fronts of various forces be staggered, but it will also allow the entire Shuzhou to relax for a while.
The original plan with Jia Zhou was to fight steadily, slowly accumulate food and cast weapons through the thirteen counties of Shuzhou, and once the army left Shu, they would compete in the thirty states in the world.
This troubled world has completely collapsed, and the small court in Cangzhou is completely helpless. There will probably be more and more troubled heroes like Dong Wen.
"By the way, Wenlong, is there any news from Chenjiaqiao?"
Jia Zhou shook his head, "There is something fishy going on. Logically speaking, the information should have been sent back long ago. As for Ye Xiao, I have already thought of a way and sent more people in to investigate."
Hearing this sentence, Xu Mu's expression suddenly became solemn.
…
"No one will be spared." Chen Lu's face suddenly became extremely fierce as he whipped with two tiger heads hanging down.
In front of him, seven or eight black-clad corpses lay. Every one of them had their heads smashed by him, their brains splattered out, and they were so dead that they could no longer die.
Behind Chen Lu, a man in a black robe wearing a mask had extremely sharp eyes.
The black-robed man raised his hand, and another black-robed figure next to him, with a light skill and quick sword, swept out like the wind, completely piercing the chest of a young Night Owl Hall Master who was fighting.
Just after killing one person, he pushed forward with a quick sword in black clothes, stepped on the reeds and wormwood with his feet, and used his strength to cut forward.
Just as the Night Owl Death Warrior was about to turn around, his head was sliced off in the blink of an eye.
…
Chen Jiaqiao stood in the forest with cold eyes. He took off his umbrella and sword and stood on tiptoe to get out.
"Mr. Chen, retreat." Cao Hong stopped in front of him in shock.
Chen Jiaqiao closed his eyes in silence. Vaguely, the appearance of Ye Xiao's reunion at that time still emerged. Nearly a thousand people were in front of him, shouting with him and worshiping toward the west.
"I would like to be the Lord's eyes and ears."
But in front of him, these people who were willing to be the eyes and ears fell in front of him one by one.
"Mr. Chen, after entering the forest, you should be able to avoid it. If I wait to die here, my lord who is far away in Shuzhou will have his ears and eyes trapped."
"Let's go." Chen Jiaqiao gritted his teeth, put away his umbrella and sword, and took the twenty or so people around him to hide in the old forest south of Cangzhou.
In the open space in front of the mountain forest, Chen Lu raised his whip and smashed the skull of a dead Night Owl warrior who was still coughing up blood.
"Kill slowly and leave someone alive." A man in black robe slowly approached, and the black-robed Kuai Jian coldly returned with his sword behind his back and stood on the side again.
"Night Owl." The black robe said in a cold tone, "Poison Owl has a plan and fights again and again. I admire him a little."
"Military advisor, these people must be collecting information about Cangzhou's military strength." Chen Lu said with a smile.
"No, Cangzhou's military strength is almost on the table. What Thief Xu wants is actually another piece of information."
"What information."
The black robe did not answer, standing in the wind with his hands folded.
"Chen Lu, go back to the Cangzhou camp and tell Zhang Shun to mobilize five thousand troops into the forest to kill the remnants of the Night Owls."
"Do you want to inform His Majesty?"
"No, if there is an opportunity to perform meritorious service, the Zhang family will naturally rush for it. Your Majesty, I will personally enter the palace when the time comes."
Chen Lu hesitated, nodded and walked back.
It was approaching dusk.
In the mountains and forests south of Cangzhou, as the last ray of glow disappeared, the whole world suddenly darkened.
"Mr. Chen, I'm afraid that a large army will enter the forest."
Chen Jiaqiao stopped and did not answer. He reached into his arms and touched a bloody letter. The letter is not an anti-poem written by him.
It was a secret report that a Night Owl warrior rushed back to the camp before he died and personally handed it to him.
"Mr. Chen, don't be sad. Back then, the Marquis raised nine thousand dead soldiers in the Tiger Hall. Every time he took on an important task, we were still willing to die."
"That's not what I meant." Chen Jiaqiao said in a deep voice, "The military advisor has guessed that the black robe in the palace is not the world's military advisor."
"The Master of the World is dead."
"Mr. Chen, who is that?"
"Unknown identity. Even the Dog Emperor has never known his identity. At the end of every month, he will suddenly leave the palace with the swordsmen around him. No one knows where he went."
"He likes to eat lotus cakes, is good at touching horse bones, and has a hoarse voice."
"This is the content of the letter. It's a pity that after finally ambush in the Cangzhou Imperial Palace, the secret that was dormant was gone all of a sudden."
"Cao Hong, remember this news. You and I will take ten people each and go in two directions. Whoever is alive will find a way to bring the news back to Chengdu. My lord and the military advisor are great talents in the world, so they may be able to guess it."
Under the darkness, more than 20 people were divided into two teams.
When parting, there was no pretentious farewell and cherishment.
More than twenty heroes stood in the cool breeze, raised their hands and clasped their fists, and spoke resolutely and carefully.
"May the Lord have his eyes and ears!"
