Wang Fen took Xu You, Zhou Jing, Tao Gao and other cronies from the Assassin Mansion out of the city to greet Li Hong. Everyone stood in the bitter cold wind, waiting patiently and chatting at the same time.

"My lord, after the amnesty decree of the Son of Heaven was issued, some of the wealthy families of Wei County and Bohai County who were arrested and imprisoned ran up and down Jizhou, demanding that we release them immediately, how do you think this matter will be handled?" Zhou Jing asked, "If we keep procrastinating, over time, I'm afraid there will be problems." ”

Zhou Jing is a scholar from Peiguo, Yuzhou, in his forties, short and fat. In the past, he taught in his hometown county official school, so that he could avenge grievances for others, and he was quite chivalrous.

"I can't put it." "It's good for us to keep these rich people in prison. As long as these rich people are still alive, the children of their clan will not dare to mess around, and they will be very considerate. What will they do once they are released? Wang Fen looked at them and sneered, "They will find a way to retaliate against us and bring us unexpected dangers, so don't let any of them go." As for the reason why you can't put it, you can make up one at random and prevaricate for the time being. ”

"My lord, some bureaucrats in the Assassin's Mansion and various prefectures and counties are very dissatisfied with our arbitrary increase in taxes, and they are quite complaining, ......you see," Tao Gao hesitated for a moment, and then said, "These people have different political views from us, and it is very difficult to pull them over, and it is very difficult to do." ”

"I know." Wang Fen shook his head and said with a smile, "There are many such people, like the state government engaged in Yuan Hong, the trial and others secretly wrote to the imperial court, intending to impeach me, fortunately, the bus Sima in the capital, and Shangshutai have our people, otherwise things will be in trouble." ”

(Bus Sima was subordinate to Wei Wei, a bureaucrat of the southern army in the capital, and was in charge of the southern gate of the imperial palace.) The so-called bus refers to the official office of the bus Sima Office. The bureaucrats of all the prefectures and counties in the world reported to the Son of Heaven and sent the documents to the public office, and then they passed them on to the Shangshutai and other officials. The bus Sima was also specifically responsible for the work of the imperial court to recruit celebrities. ）

"These people don't distinguish between black and white, right and wrong are reversed, and the books are read in vain, so it's best to kill them." Xu Yu said disdainfully, "It's a disaster to keep it after all." ”

"That's for later." Wang Fen said with a smile, "In the future, they may change their minds and support the new emperor." ”

"So how do you fix it now?" Zhou Jing asked, "Don't underestimate these people, if our affairs are discovered by them and reported by them, then the matter will be out of control." Do you remember when Tang Zhou reported the Yellow Turban Rebellion? ”

In that year, there was a Sima Tang Zhou in the Yellow Turban Army who reported to the imperial court and exposed Zhang Jiao's preparation for rebellion. As a result, Zhang Jiao was wanted, and the Yellow Turban Marshal **** Yi, who was in charge of the Luoyang area, was arrested and cracked, and at the same time, more than 1,000 high-ranking Yellow Turban disciples inside and outside the palace were arrested and killed, which made the Yellow Turban Army's plan to occupy Luoyang completely unsuccessful. If it weren't for Tang Zhou's betrayal, Luoyang might have been occupied overnight by the Yellow Turban Army led by **** Yi, then, this is not the case today.

Wang Fen sighed quietly and whispered: "I have also considered this matter, and I plan to use the opportunity of spring ploughing to send these people to the townships in various places to supervise spring ploughing, so as not to get in the way of them staying in the government office." ”

As a few people were talking, they saw several attendants who had gone to inquire about the situation near the Zhangshui River galloping on horseback.

"My lord, Master Li has gone to the barracks."

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The military camp is located in Xiangyu Mountain, which is five miles away from Yecheng, and at the foot of the mountain is the Zhangshui River.

Presiding over the military camp was Zhang Xiao by Wu Meng of the Assassin Mansion. When he heard that Li Hong had led his troops directly to the barracks, he was startled, and hurriedly took Sima Lin Xun, Liao Lei, Ding Bo, and Panta out of the camp to greet him. Li Hong was very polite to them and got off the horse early to exchange greetings. Everyone introduced each other and exchanged pleasantries.

Zhang Xiao is very young, in his twenties, he looks handsome and elegant, he is neither humble nor arrogant, polite, and very steady.

The four military horses are even younger. Lin Xun is very good, he is tall and strong, he doesn't speak much, and he looks calm and resolute. Hearing that he was from Jiangzhou, Yizhou, Li Hong hurriedly called Tang Yun over. Li Hong said, the two of you are fellow countrymen, you have to have a good chat. Liao Lei's expression is Yulong, tall and heroic, full of arrogance, there is a strong murderous aura hidden between his eyebrows, he is very cold to Li Hong, just bowed slightly, and then he has been standing behind Zhang Xiao, looking at Li Hong coldly from time to time. Yan Liang and Zhao Yun noticed his abnormality one after another, and they were secretly vigilant in their hearts. Ding Bozi Longyou, who looks white and clean, has a round face, speaks slowly and logically, and he laughs before he speaks, giving people the impression of being very friendly. Panta is a very stout man, but his voice is very light and thin, and his voice is slightly sharp, if you don't see him in person, just listening to the voice, it is difficult to imagine that he is a mighty man.

Li Hong deliberately took Panta's hand and asked a little about recruitment and training, and then he smiled at Zhang Xiao and said, "Bo Chou, I want to go to the camp now to see the soldiers, what do you think?" ”

Zhang Xiao's face showed a panicked look, he hesitated slightly, and said, "My lord has been tired all the way, why don't you take a rest first?" ”

"No, let's go check it out." Li Hong said: "Your Majesty's safety in Jizhou during this period of time depends on these 20,000 people. Let's go. ”

Li Hong walked around the camp and was very angry. The soldiers were poorly armoured and ragged, and many wore shabby, thin linen robes, not even cotton clothes for the winter. He saw a veteran in his forties standing barefoot on the ground. Li Hong didn't say a word, took off his combat boots and handed them to the veteran. The old soldier was dark and thin, and his expression was excited, and he knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, where did he dare to take it. Li Hong shook his head, squatted beside him, and asked with a pleasant face, "What's your name?" ”

"The villain is called Big Black." The veteran replied with sincere trepidation.

Li Hong smiled, patted him on the shoulder and said, "My name is Li Hong, and I will give you these boots and shoes." Then he pulled Da Hei to his feet, pointed to the boots on the ground, and said, "Do you want me to put them on for you?" ”

Da Hei was startled, and he was about to kneel down again, so he grabbed Li Hong.

"Either you put it on yourself, or I'll put it on for you." Li Hong smiled, "You don't have shoes to wear, that's our fault, and of course it's us who will be punished." ”

When had Dahei and the soldiers in the tent seen such a thing, they had never even heard of it, and everyone stood in trepidation, their faces turned white with fright, and they didn't know what to do, but the gratitude in their eyes was obvious. Except for their loved ones, who cares so much about those who have a life like a mustard?

Zhang Xiao, Lin Xun and the others looked at each other in a panic, and they were at a loss for a while, not knowing how to respond.

Li Hong squatted down again, lifted Da Hei's dirty leg with one hand, and picked up his boots with the other hand and put them on his feet. Da Hei didn't dare to refuse too much, so he could only let Li Hong put on his combat boots, he was so excited that he burst into tears, and he couldn't say a word.

Li Wei looked at Li Hong with admiration, then took off the thick robe on his body and handed it to Li Hong, who had just stood up. In his opinion, if Li Hong was not wearing heavy armor and it was inconvenient to take it off, he would even take off his own clothes and give them to the ordinary soldier in front of him. Li Hong didn't even thank you, grabbed the robe, draped it on Da Hei's shoulders, and said with a smile: "Da Hei, you can also wear this clothes, and only when you wear them warmly can you fight." ”

He immediately said to the other soldiers in the military tent: "Everyone rest assured, this time I have brought 200 million yuan of military funds, and your military salary, clothes, and equipment will all be distributed immediately. ”

"Thank you, sir." The soldiers were moved to their knees and chanted.

Li Hong glared fiercely at Zhang Xiao, Lin Xun and the others who were standing nearby, and said loudly, "Take me to see what the soldiers are eating." ”

With bare feet, he turned and strode out of the tent.

As soon as a large group of officers stepped out of the tent, Dahei was surrounded by surprised soldiers. They surrounded Dahei, talking non-stop, and they were all very excited.

"Who is he?" Da Hei asked, "Who is Li Hong?" ”

"He's a leopard." A soldier laughed, "He's the leopard you shout every day to kill to avenge Zhang Dashuai." ”

Da Hei hugged the robe and was stunned.

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Wang Fen looked at Li Hong's bare feet that were black and black, and secretly screamed in her heart. This barbarian is not only good at fighting, but also very scheming. Walking around the barracks with his bare feet will buy the hearts of many ordinary soldiers. Wang Fen regretted it very much, he knew that this had happened, and he would have to run to the Zhangshui River to take him directly into the city no matter what.

Li Hong scolded Wang Fen.

"The military funds for recruiting soldiers have been allocated to Jizhou Mansion a year ago, why don't the soldiers have winter clothes until now? Still drinking gruel every day? Li Hong calmed down a little and asked, "Lord Wang, you should always have an explanation, right?" Where did the money go? You won't be corrupted, will you? ”

Wang Fen and the accompanying bureaucrats of the Assassin's Mansion had ghosts in their hearts, and when they heard this, they were all frightened. Li Hong's bloody corruption in Xiliang last year was too frightening, and it would be a lie to say that he was not afraid at all. Now that this barbarian has the Son of Heaven behind him, I am afraid that he will be even more bold and even more lawless.

Wang Fen immediately explained to Li Hong that in order to be in a hurry, he embezzled all the money to repair the temple of the Son of Heaven and build a temporary palace. Then he invited Li Hong into the city to pick up Li Hong and his party. Li Hong said with a smile: "Lord Wang should receive the holy decree first." ”

The meaning of the Son of Heaven was very simple, ordering Wang Fen to hand over the new army in Jizhou to Li Hong, and the army and the protection of the Son of Heaven's safety were all handed over to Li Hong, and Wang Fen only needed to do other things well. Li Hong wanted to control the army, and Wang Fen was already mentally prepared, so he didn't care, but Li Hong's next words shocked him.

"I'm going to pay a portion of my pay to the soldiers." Li Hong smiled, "What does Lord Wang think?" ”

"My lord, my 20,000 troops are under your dispatch, but this army is the army of Jizhou, and it is better for the Jizhou government to handle the military salary." Wang Fen thought for a while, and said euphemistically, "When and when the army in Jizhou will pay military salaries, it should be uniformly allocated and controlled by the Jizhou government, as if it should not be ...... by adults."

He didn't continue, but the meaning was still obvious, you Li Hong is a general who protects Qiang, and it has nothing to do with my Jizhou Mansion, why are you pointing fingers here, overstepping your authority, and doing something overstepping your authority?

Of course, Li Hong understood what Wang Fen meant, he frowned slightly, and said in a cold voice: "You wrote to Your Majesty, saying that the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army stationed in Montenegro kept going down the mountain to harass the county, and Jizhou was not safe, but now that you handed over such an army to me, how can I ensure the safety of the Son of Heaven?" ”

Wang Fen smiled slightly and said, "The adults are telling jokes." Hundreds of thousands of troops of ant thieves were swept away by adults, how could the tens of thousands of little thieves in Montenegro be difficult for adults? Then his face straightened, and he said solemnly, "My lord loves soldiers like sons, and this official admires them very much." Some time ago, because he was too busy with official business, this official ignored these things. The officer promised that as soon as the military funds were in hand, he would immediately start to solve all the problems of the troops, and that he would definitely hand over a neat and well-groomed contingent with strong morale to the adults, and that he would not delay his major affairs. ”

Li Hong glanced at him and said with a smile: "Since Lord Wang said so, then let it be." ”

Wang Fen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then invited Li Hong to the city again to rest, but Li Hong refused. Yuan Shu on the side spoke, he didn't want to stay in the barracks, he tried his best to encourage Li Hong to enter the city. Li Hong had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

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The bitter chief was not tall, dark and thin, with large, bright eyes. His real name is Ma Kuo, and he turned out to be a country tycoon, obsessed with Taiping Dao, and a loyal believer in Zhang Jiao. The bitter chief is his Dharma name in Taiping Road. After the defeat of the Yellow Turban Army, he led the remnants to flee into Montenegro to gather strength while waiting for the opportunity to make a comeback. This time, at the invitation of Xiangkai, he personally went down the mountain to preside over the plan to kidnap the Son of Heaven.

After listening to Xiangkai's intention, he smiled and said, "The master is too worried. Although I have the heart to take revenge, I also know that things have priorities, and I will not spoil the master's major event for the sake of the Yellow Turban Army's selfishness. It's just that we've been in Yecheng for almost a month, and we haven't seen the military pay and equipment that the master promised us. He glanced at Xiangkai and asked solemnly, "Master, is it that Lord Wang doesn't trust us?" If we don't equip us, with our current strength, we won't be able to defeat even the three thousand black panthers of the leopard. ”

Xiangkai smiled and said, "Bitter chieftain, how can we not trust you?" You came to Yecheng with your troops, we are all taking huge risks, at this time, the most important thing for us is to trust each other, otherwise, how can the great cause be completed? ”

The bitter chief shook his head and smiled bitterly: "The leopard's troops have been stationed in the camp, once they see the flaws, we will be the fate of the whole army, at this time you are still talking to me about the nonsense of mutual trust, master, you are joking with my 20,000 soldiers." ”

Xiangkai said indifferently: "I have my own measure, don't worry." The leopard is in a hurry, and he will leave Wei County for Anping in the next two days, so don't worry about the safety of the troops. Also, I have already sent someone to Montenegro for the money you received. ”

"Thank you, Master." The bitter chief said, "Are Bai Shuai and Yu Shuai's troops ready?" ”

"It's all ready, you can go down the mountain at any time to attack Hanoi County and threaten Luoyang." Xiang Kai said, "The troops of Zhang Yan, Zhang Dashuai and Yang Feng Xiaoshuai are also ready to attack Jinyang, and the more troublesome one is An Dingshuai's side." ”

"Things in Youzhou are troublesome?"

"An Dingshuai has a big mind." Xiang Kai sighed, "He still wants to follow the path of his master, the great sage and good teacher Zhang Jiao." He sent someone to ask me for money, and he also talked nonsense in the letter, saying that I supported the king of Hefei as the emperor, in fact, I was digging my own grave, and he said that after I succeeded, I could count with my fingers and calculate how many days I had to live. This bastard is getting more and more disrespectful, and I think he wants to be the emperor himself. ”

The bitter chief said: "The master is right, that's what Anding Shuai thinks. I remember that when An Dingshuai went to Montenegro last year, he said this, he said that the Great Han Kingdom was finished, and he wanted to rebuild the world and set up another Ming Jun, and he said that he would fulfill this last wish for the ancestors. I think he had a good idea. ”

"This method has already been tried by his master Zhang Jiao, how strong the Yellow Turban Army was back then, you don't know, but what is the result? How could the 400-year-old foundation of the Great Han Kingdom be overthrown overnight? If you want to save the people of the world from fire and water, you still have to rely on the big tree of the Great Han Kingdom, first eradicate the evil spirits, and then re-implement the way of Huang Lao in the Great Han Kingdom, and govern the country with a quiet and inactive approach to governing the country according to law, which is the right way. ”

Xiang Kai stroked his long beard and said with emotion: "In addition to the violent and bloody methods of the great sage and good teacher, in addition to causing millions of innocent people to die in the scourge of war, what did he bring to the people of the world? I hope that An Dingshuai can be sober up and stop going astray and harming others and the world. ”

The bitter chief bowed down and said: "The master is merciful, and all he thinks about in his heart is the safety and suffering of the people in the world, which is admirable. The bitter chief is willing to listen to the master's drive, and take the master's horse as the leader. ”

"Okay, okay." Xiang Kai smiled, "You have to firmly control your subordinates, don't rush to take revenge, lest you startle the snake and ruin the big thing." Think about it, if we kidnap the Son of Heaven, for his own life and that of his mother, can he not listen to us? The Son of Heaven has listened to us, so what else can Li Hong do? Isn't he just a sick cat? At that time, he will have to die as much as you want, and how can he resist? The car cracks, Ling Chi, it's all up to you. ”

Bitter chieftain rejoices.

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