The troops who followed Xue Kui had dispersed. Tan Ma and the imperial guards placed their war horses and stood outside the garrison.
Chu Qing, Fu San, Chang Xian, Tao Weiran, Tong Gui, Xiao Yi, as well as Cuiyu and others who were silent and just observing along the way, entered the main hall, where the ground was full of gravel.
Chu Qing sat in the main seat and watched Xue Kui, who was in the fifth rank, busy making tea, closing the windows, and wiping the desk.
Without words or a flattering smile, Xue Kui showed his humility with actions.
When the tea was served, Chu Qing blew the tea leaves and spoke softly.
"In the future, I will take care of the food and fodder for the border army."
Xue Kui, who was closing the door, paused for a moment and continued busy with his work. He did not come back until a gap was left in the doors on both sides and covered with gauze.
Facing Chu Qing and lowering his head, Xue Kui gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Chu Qing put down the teacup: "Why, don't you agree?"
"I will be brave enough to ask Mr. Chu how long I want to stay at the border."
"Why do you ask?"
"If Mr. Chu stays for three to five years, then the food and grass matters will naturally be under Mr. Chu's control."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tong Gui slapped the table: "Bold!"
Changxian shook his head at Tong Gui, and Chu Qing asked with a smile: "You mean, I can't do this job in a short time?"
"That's not what I meant by the general. It's just that border crossings have their own rules."
"You set the rules?"
"Decided by the border."
"Who is the border gate?"
"The border officer is the one who makes everyone obey the rules."
"Can I change this rule?"
"Changing the rules means changing the border." Xue Kui raised his head: "If you can change the border, sir, you are the rule. If you can't change it, you have to abide by the rules."
This time even Changxian couldn't stand listening anymore and sneered again and again: "Did you know that in the capital, not to mention the fifth-grade generals, even the lieutenants, ministers, and Master Chu have captured dozens of them!"
"You're talking about Beijing." Xue Kui said with a normal look on his face: "This is the border pass."
Chu Qing's face was full of curiosity: "You mean, I can't kill you?"
"You can kill, kill at will, kill the last general, the border is still the border, the rules are still the rules."
"Then how do I change the border?"
"I'm sorry to say it bluntly, but you can't change it."
Chu Qing was not angry and was very interested: "Well, tell me how you did the job of transferring food and grass from Jinge Town. If I can't do it, keep going."
"Fifteen days later, there will be a large amount of grain and grass in the pass, reaching Jinge, including ten loads of rice. The last general will ask for three loads."
Chu Qing suddenly stood up: "You fucking want to die?"
Fu San had already drawn his waist knife, and Tong Gui also stood up.
Xue Kui still showed no fear on his face: "You can come up to 20% at most."
"How much I can ask for is my own business." Chu Qing came to Xue Kui: "But you can only ask for 30%, which is enough for me to kill you."
Xue Kui was much closer to Chu Qing. He raised his head and a hint of sarcasm flashed across his face: "How much do you think Mr. Chu should pay?"
"Originally, the imperial court thought that Liang Rong was about to start a war, so it urgently allocated food and grass, and asked soldiers, guards, auxiliaries and young men from all over the country to transport food and grass. How dare you cheat on such a big matter!"
"Ten loads of grain and grass, the auxiliary soldiers eat along the way, accounting for 30%, losses, accounting for 10%, and the final part will account for 30%, isn't it?"
Chu Qing snapped his fingers, and Fu San came behind Xue Kui and kicked him out, causing Xue Kui to kneel to the ground.
"Eating, 30%, loss, 10%, a total of 40%, minus the 30% you can ask for, there is still 30% left. Where did it go? Did you eat it?"
Chu Qing knelt down and stretched out his hand, and Fu San handed over the short sword Qianji.
"One hundred thousand soldiers at the border are short of 30% of their food and grass. Xue Kui, if I kill you, it will not be because you are greedy for 30% of the money, but because you are too crazy. In front of me, you dare to say that you can only It’s going to be 30%.”
Looking at the flashing dagger Qianji, Xue Kui shook his head: "Thirty percent, the border army, I still have to be grateful to my subordinates."
"Are you... suffering from any terminal illness?" Chu Qing was no longer angry, and was extremely curious: "You are so anxious to die?"
"I don't want to die."
"If you don't want to die, only 30%?"
"If you want to die, you get 60%."
"Who asked you to die?"
"Xunyang Road, border army."
"Who is Xunyang talking about?"
"Enemy."
"Who is from the border army?"
"All frontier troops."
Chu Qing frowned and said, "Why did the enemy kill you? Why did the border army kill you?"
"The enemy gave the general 60% today, and will kill me tomorrow. The border army got 60% today, but will kill me tomorrow if he doesn't even get 30%."
Everyone looked at each other, Chu Qing looked out the door, and Fu San shouted: "Wang Tongtong."
Wang Tongtong ran in quickly, and Chu Qing uttered two words: "Enemy."
"The enemy family, the head of the family, Qiu Haocun, was the former right minister of the Ministry of Industry. He retired and returned to his hometown seven years ago. His disciples and former officials are all over Xunyang Road. Qiu Zhi, the son of Qiu Haocun, is appointed as the magistrate of Tongcheng, Xunyang Road."
Chu Qing looked down at Xue Kui: "You mean, the enemy will withhold 30% of the grain and grass sent to the border?"
"yes."
"The enemy will withhold 30% of the food and grass shipped by the imperial court to the border troops to resist Liang Rong?"
"If Liangrong fights, the lower officials will ask for 60%. If they don't fight, 30% will be charged."
"Last question, are you a good person?"
"no."
"Should he be killed?"
"It shouldn't be."
Chu Qing turned around, walked back to the stool, sat down, and said again: "Should I be killed?"
"answer."
"Give me a reason not to kill you."
"My lord, it will take three years to adapt to the rules of the border. During these three years, you will be in charge of the dispatch of food, grass and weapons. If it is more than three years, you can now kill the generals. If it is less than three years, you can't kill me."
After going around in a circle, we finally returned to the original question, how long will Chu Qing stay.
Chu Qing said that he wanted to seize power and seize Xue Kui's right to transport grain and grass. This was justified because there was an imperial edict.
Xue Kui did not say whether he could do it or not, but asked Chu Qing how long he would stay, thus eliciting the rules of the border and the enemies of Xunyang Road.
Chu Qing was not a fool, and no one was a fool. They all understood what Xue Kui meant.
Xue Kui has an old relationship with his enemy, or has cooperated for many years, so if he can ask for 30%, even if it is 30%, the border army will be grateful.
If Chu Qing goes to ask for it, he can only ask for 20%. If he stays for three years and adapts to the rules here, he will ask for 30%. His enemies can give him face.
As for Xue Kui, he could ask for 60%, which is a lot of rice per load, but he would have to die because he would have to break up with his enemies.
If he breaks his skin, his enemies will kill him.
Not only his enemies would kill him, but also the generals of the border army would kill him, because if he broke his skin, Xue Kui would not be able to come back even once in the future.
"To adapt to the rules, you have to bend down. I am not a person who likes to bend down, let alone a person who likes to bend down to aristocratic families."
Chu Qing took out the imperial edict from his arms: "Can you not bend down for this?"
"Okay, but how about some food and grass?"
Chu Qing slapped the dagger Qianji on the table: "With this, can I get food and grass without bending down?"
"Yes, but you can only do it once."
"Then how can I not bend down and have to get food every time?"
"Change the rules at the border."
"How to change."
"You can't change it."
"Oh." Chu Qing snapped his fingers again: "Take him out and give him a good beating."
Tong Gui was waiting for these words and rushed forward with Fu San.
