Li Xin stayed in the southwest, staying for more than three months, and the time had entered the autumn of the ninth year of Taikang, during this time, the imperial court issued three holy decrees to summon him back to Beijing, but they were all rejected by the Marquis of Jing'an on the excuse that he could not get out.

In the past three months, Li Xin has not been idle, with him in the southwest, the forces in the southwest can reach a relatively balanced state, in three months, the remnants of the Pingnan Army slowly incorporated into the Hanzhou Army, but among the remnants of these Pingnan Army, a small half of them are unwilling to continue to serve in the army, and only more than 30,000 people have been incorporated into the Hanzhou Army.

Although this is not a good thing, but it is not a bad thing, if it is really 50,000 Pingnan Army merged into the Hanzhou Army, it is easy to distinguish between the host and the guest, and now the Pingnan Army is relatively inferior in numbers, but it is easier to incorporate some.

Originally, the merger of two armies who were not familiar with each other was a difficult and easy process to break out into conflict, and if Li Xin was not in the southwest, this process might be full of contradictions, and it would even be impossible to continue, but with Li Xin, a person who lived in the town on both sides, although the process was inevitably bumpy and bumpy, it was generally smooth.

Now, the Pingnan Army has been initially merged into the Hanzhou Army, and the next step is a long run-in process.

The process could take a year, it could take two or three years, or a battle shoulder to shoulder, but all in all, it's just a matter of time.

In other words, today's Hanzhou Army is no longer the inferior militia where farmers in the fields raised hoes, but a large-scale army with 80,000 people!

You must know that the border army guarding one side like the Zhenbei Army or the Chongjia Army is only 100,000 people, and the establishment of the Pingnan Army in the past was 100,000 people, but now the strength of the Hanzhou Army is very close to a group army!

Moreover, there are "professional soldiers" of the Pingnan Army to join the Hanzhou Army, and after the successful run-in, the combat effectiveness of this originally not very professional army can be further improved.

In the past three months, most of the officials in the southwestern state capitals have basically agreed with the status of the southwestern Shu royal palace, and the "southwest has become a country of its own" in Li Xin's plan has gradually taken shape.

This is a place called a vassal country, which is actually a kingdom, and as long as you give the southwest another two or three years, you can really become an independent country.

In the "Li Garden" of Jincheng, the autumn mood is getting stronger, and the leaves of many trees in the garden are either yellow or red, and this garden that was renamed "Li Garden" because of Li Xin is slowly dressed in autumn.

Because the weather was getting colder, Li Xin added a thick coat and no longer sat under the gazebo in the backyard, but in the main hall, drinking tea with his eyes closed.

Mu Ying sat at the bottom of him, her face solemn.

"Master Hou, the Pingnan Army has been basically merged into the Hanzhou Army, the number of people I have counted, a total of 81,600 people, and now according to the orders of Lord Hou, it is divided into three parts, one is in Hanzhou, temporarily led by my father, one is in Jincheng, I am carrying, and one is temporarily in Ningzhou, led by Li Shuo."

He bowed his head and said, "Master Hou, I discussed with Mr. You'an a few days ago, whether to recruit some more soldiers and make up for 100,000 people..."

"Mr. You'an said that in the fertile soil of the southwest, it is not a problem to feed 100,000 people, mainly depending on what you mean, Master Hou."

Li Xin was drinking tea, and when he heard this, he glanced at this guy.

"What are you doing in such a hurry to conscript? It will take you two or three years to digest the Pingnan Army, and although it will become an army in these two or three years, it may not be able to have combat power. ”

"It's better to wait until these remnants of the Pingnan Army are completely digested, so that they can really become soldiers under your command, and then consider expanding the scale."

Mu Ying bowed her head slightly, and said in a deep voice: "My subordinates understand." ”

Li Xin said calmly: "Uncle Mu is watching over there in Hanzhou, Uncle Mu is old, you need more snacks." ”

Mu Qing is over sixty years old, although he was born in Jiangmen, but he has not actually led soldiers in his life, Li Xin is worried that Hanzhou will be handed over to him, and after a while, he will not be with him, but will be transferred to others.

Mu Ying bowed her head and said: "I just wanted to tell Hou Ye about this matter, when the Hanzhou Army was divided into three, I said that Li Shuo would lead one, my Mu family would lead one, and the other should be led by Hou Ye." ”

Li Xin got up, patted Mu Ying's shoulder, and said with a smile: "Li Shuo is leading the troops in Ningzhou, the Mu family is leading the troops in Hanzhou, this part of Jincheng is mine, didn't I entrust Brother Mu to help me carry it?" ”

Mu Ying was about to open his mouth to say something, but before he could say anything, Li Xin shook his head slightly as if he had guessed his thoughts: "You are you, the Mu family is the Mu family, you and I brothers, you don't have to see outside." ”

Mu Ying took a deep breath and got up and bowed deeply to Li Xin.

"Since Master Hou believes in me, I will definitely do what Master Hou explains."

Li Xin pulled his sleeve and sat down, and said with a smile: "No need to be so serious, sit down and talk." ”

The two of them sat in the room, discussing some details about the reorganization of the army, as well as the problems of the southwestern state capitals, about half an hour or so, there was a rush of footsteps outside the door, and after a while, Zhao Jia, dressed in white, hurriedly walked in, holding a letter in his hand.

Chen Sixteen followed behind him, but he didn't follow up, stopped at the door, and stood quietly at the door.

Zhao Jia walked up to Li Xin, gasping for breath, he handed the letter to Li Xin, and he couldn't breathe when he spoke.

"Master Hou, the capital ...... Letters..."

Li Xin took the letter in his hand and said with a smile: "What is it that makes Brother You'an so anxious?" ”

Zhao Jia originally looked calm, even when he came to the southwest, he resigned and left Liyang.

This is the first time Li Xin has seen him so gaffe.

After Zhao Jia took a few breaths, his breath finally evened out a little, and he pointed to the envelope of a letter, his voice trembling.

"It's a private message, I didn't read it, but it's ...... on the envelope"

Li Xin was originally opening the letter, and he didn't pay much attention to the envelope, but when he heard this, he turned over the envelope and looked at it, and the words on the envelope were not very good-looking, and many strokes had been distorted.

First four words.

"Chang'an personally opened."

The inscription in the lower right corner of the four big characters is a few small characters.

"Jinling Ji Wen."

Li Xin's face also froze.

This is the name of the Son of Heaven.

The name of the Son of Heaven with the surname seems unlucky at first glance, but the name of the royal children has always been particular, for example, the eldest prince Ji Yu, the name is taken from the ancient sages, and the word "Wen" of the Son of Heaven comes from the sentence "Wen Wenshi Gentleman", which has a provenance.

No one dared to say this name for ten years, and no one even dared to write it.

Since the Son of Heaven ascended the throne, no one in the world dares to mention this name, and it is impossible for anyone to dare to take this name.

In the capital, except for the Son of Heaven himself, no one dared to write like this.

Li Xin took a deep breath and carefully distinguished, his voice low.

"It's the handwriting of the Son of Heaven."

Mu Ying and Zhao Jia glanced at each other, both with complicated expressions.

Originally, the letter written by the Son of Heaven must have been to kneel, but now, the two of them are actually chaotic ministers and thieves, and they are not suitable for kneeling.

Li Xin had some bad premonitions, and he waved his hand.

"Stay out of the way."

Zhao Jia and Mu Ying nodded at Li Xin and retreated.

The Marquis of Jing'an's breathing was a little short.

With a slightly trembling hand, he opened the letter.

There was no letterhead, no payment, only eight words.

"I'm going to die."

That's the first sentence.

"Are you going back to Beijing?"

Because the strokes are not strong enough, these eight characters are crooked, and even staggered, which is very unaesthetic.

However, after Li Xin saw these eight words, he was stunned as if he had been struck by thunder.

In this moment, his mind went blank.