"When the Cao family was planning for the two Sichuan, Suizhou was intended to contain Jinghu and separate Huaixi, Nanyang and Hanzhong," Ma Zhen followed Chen Hansan to go around all these years, with a broad vision, and he was not Tu Xiucai who had never been out of the prefecture and county at the beginning, although a remark was submitted in the letter handed by Jiangzhou, but he stood under the hall and talked eloquently, and his demeanor seemed to be his own insight, "Things have changed, the situation is changing at any time, and the Cao family's roots in western Qin have been attacked by the Northern Yan army, and the fatigue has been presented." At this time, the Cao family was forced to bow their heads, approached Jiang Ning's canonization, and re-became Jiang Ning's courtiers. Now there are Hu Wenmu, Liang Chengchong, and Dong Yuan, Ma Zhen dared to ask Luo Shuai, if the Cao family loses Guanshan, will the Cao family hope that Suizhou will fall into the hands of Luo Shuai, or in the hands of Hu Wenmu, or in the hands of Dong Yuan and Liang Chengchong? ”

Ma Zhen hit the nail on the head, and Luo Xiancheng nodded slightly, admitting that he was reasonable.

The forces around Suizhou, although they are all systematic, but they are still mainly based on Jiangning, and Suizhou is crowded in it, which is an alternative - Emperor Yongxing was also an official Xu Jue on Suizhou's side at the beginning, but there is a lesson from Liu An'er's past, and the attitude of Jinghu officials towards Changle Army has always been arrogant, and there is a great controversy about recruiting Changle Army internally, so where does Luo Xiancheng dare to accept Zhao'an?

In these years, Luo Xiancheng just shrank to Suizhou and Xiangyang, in order to be at peace with the surrounding domains.

However, in the first two years, they were able to get along peacefully, not because the soldiers of Suizhou were strong and strong, but because the Cao family sent troops to invade eastern Sichuan.

After the Cao family occupied eastern Sichuan, Jinghu mainly concentrated its troops on the western front in order to prevent the Cao family's soldiers and horses from going down the Three Gorges; The other is that before the Cao family digests the two rivers, they need Luo Xiancheng to occupy Suizhou and Xiangyang as a buffer between them and Jiangning.

The situation has changed dramatically.

Although the Cao family won a great victory in Qingyang, the fact that the hometown gave the Beiyan Iron Cavalry a direct entry and stabbed into the old nest made people worry about whether the Cao family could keep the Guanzhong area. Once the Cao family can't keep Guanzhong, they can only retreat to Hanzhong and Liangchuan, and who will occupy Xiangyang and Suizhou next to Hanzhong at any time, and give it to a force that may fall to Beiyan at any time?

Since Jiangning really acquiesced in the fact that the Cao family occupied Liangchuan and Hanzhong, and joined Cao to resist Yan, the positions of the feudal domains against Xiangyang and Suizhou would be consistent.

"Suizhou soldiers are strong and strong, there are 200,000 soldiers and horses, if anyone has bad intentions for Suizhou, he will come!" Wang Xiang sat aside and sneered, "Could it be that Liang Chengchong led a mere 20,000 soldiers and horses to fight Suizhou, and my family still has to beg Han Sanye to save him?" ”

Wang Xiang is a rare scholar in the Changle Army, and Luo Xiancheng is a fellow villager, and he has been lifted, but he has no money to live in the doorway, and he has not been able to step into the official career. After Luo Xiancheng officially raised the matter, he sent someone to tie up Wang Xiang and his family, and used his family to coerce him into joining the gang.

After Wang Xiang joined the gang, he took care of military affairs for Luo Xiancheng, and his influence in the Changle Army was actually deeper than Zhong Rong.

Chen Hansan sat on the case, squinting at Wang Xiang. Although Wang Xiang looked at him through the crack in the door, he was not angry!

Ma Zhen said: "An Shuai transferred to Huaisi, combined with the Red Jacket Army, with three or four hundred thousand soldiers and horses, what will be the final consequences?" ”

"Ma Ye is embarrassed to mention this stubble, if it weren't for your family's work, how could the red-jacketed girl surrender to the East China Sea Fox?" The king, on the contrary, sneered.

At the mention of this stubble, Chen Hansan couldn't help but blacken his face, and Luo Xiancheng scolded Wang Xiang: "How many years have passed, and it's really disappointing to submit this stubble!" ”

"Wang Xiang lost his words, Han Sanye don't be surprised......" Wang Xiang hugged his fists towards Chen Hansan and apologized.

Chen Hansan could only pretend to be generous, and said bitterly: "An Shuai was blinded by lard paste at that time, and he wanted to recruit An, and he also secretly discussed with Huaidong to borrow my Chen Hansan's head as a head; And my subordinate son Lang was under the knife of the old thief Yue, and the old thief Yue forced me to sing a duet with Huaidong, and used An Shuai's head as an add-on, Brother Wang Xiang said, what should I do at that time? ”

Who can know the inside story of the change in Xuzhou? But Liu An'er was killed by Chen Hansan, which will not be fake.

Wang Xiang just reminded Luo Xiancheng not to forget this, so he didn't care what Chen Hansan said?

Chen Hansan hugged his fists towards Luo Xiancheng and said: "Han San knows that he has done something stupid, which makes his brothers in the past cold, Han San can't borrow a soldier, and he doesn't blame others!" If Suizhou is in trouble in the future, the small enemy can be blocked by Suizhou, if the big enemy is very sharp, please send someone to tell him. Even though Han San served in Jiangzhou, the three thousand men under his command still listened to Han San's call, and then Luo Shuai could see Han San's sincerity! Standing up, he was going to make the final resignation, and when he said sincerely, his eyes were full of tears, as if the Xuzhou incident had really made him feel wronged.

Chen Hansan was indignant and wanted to leave, but Ma Zhen refused to give up the last trace of effort: "Yue Lengqiu's soldiers and horses crossed the Jiangbei according to Yicheng, and in a few days they will enter Huangmei and Qichun in the west, and Huaidong will send troops from western Zhejiang to fight Shangrao, and Jiangzhou soldiers and horses can only transfer reinforcements to the south, at that time, Chizhou and Jinghu will be freed up, and the first one will unite Nanyang and Huaixi to fight Suizhou......" Seeing Luo Xiancheng's face impassive, Ma Zhen said hatefully, "It is said that Luo Shuai is the most clear-sighted among the marshals, but I didn't expect this to be a nonsense." Throw up your sleeves and stand up, and follow Chen Hansan to leave.

"Hahaha," Luo Xiancheng laughed, the fat on his face was trembling, and said, "Ma Ye scolded well, but my eyes are blind or clear, and it depends on how the three Han brothers behave in the future?" ”

Seeing that Luo Xiancheng changed his tone, Chen Hansan said happily: "From now on, I will serve Luo Shuai as my father and brother, if he violates this oath in the future...... he took out an arrow from the decorative quiver hanging on the pillar of the temple and broke it off, "If he violates this oath in the future, he should be such an arrow, and he will never be reborn!" ”

"What are you doing with these poisonous oaths, I'm just joking," Luo Xiancheng propped up his fat body, motioned for Chen Hansan to sit down and speak, and said, "This king pondered, the surrounding domains and Jiangning will not see me well, and Qichun and other places are better for their own brothers than Jinghu and Chizhou to occupy." You go to Qichun, so that Han Lao is blind and listen to your orders from now on, in addition, you can draw 5,000 athletes from Suizhou to go to Qichun with you, and the future life, death, glory, and wealth will be arranged by you; As for grain and grass, Suizhou is also short of it, so I can only lend you two thousand carts - these days, Han San and Ma Ye have said bad things about Jiangzhou, and presumably Jiangzhou will not be stingy......"

Chen Hansan had long guessed that it was impossible for Luo Xiancheng to completely give up control over Qichun and other places, and Han Lao blindly and the other big Kou were really implicated in following the state. In order to get 5,000 soldiers and 2,000 carts of grain and grass in Suizhou, Chen Hansan had to agree with Luo Xiancheng to pierce the nail of Han Lao's blind into the depths of Qichun.

"It's all up to my brother's arrangement." recognized his father and brother, and Chen Hansan affectionately called him "brother".

The king wanted to speak, Luo Xiancheng waved his hand and said, "I have made up my mind, so I will do it." ”

**************

The deliberations were frustrated, and Wang Xiang was still indignant when he returned to his residence, but although Luo Xiancheng was slow to make up his mind, it was not something that others could change after making up his mind - although Wang was dissatisfied with Suizhou's loan of military rations to Chen Hansan, he was also very helpless.

At this time, the family came in to report: "Master Zhou has arrived in Suizhou!" ”

"Oh," Wang Xiang was already very depressed, and when he heard that the old man had come to Suizhou, he immediately cheered up a little, and instructed his family, "Go and invite Zhou Bin to the mansion and prepare a table of banquets......"

The Changle army steals with the state, and although the state is rich in products, salt and iron are still in short supply. Although the surrounding forces imposed a severe blockade on Suizhou, it was profitable, and the merchants dared to risk cutting off their heads to enter Suizhou to trade with Changle Army.

Zhou Bin is a private businessman who has entered Suizhou frequently in the past two years - Wang Xiang's youngest son had a hot summer last year, and he couldn't seek medical treatment, so a small coffin was arranged in the house. Zhou Bin offered the miraculous medicine A Furong, and saved his life with one dose.

After chatting, Wang Xiang learned that Zhou Bin was actually a fellow villager in Shangzhou, and he became more and more affectionate.

Zhou Bin claimed to be a traveling merchant in Shangzhou when he was a teenager, and later smuggled salt in Weiyang and Jiangning as a business, and injured one eye during the fight, so he escaped with his life; Wang Xiang sent people to Weiyang and Jiangning to inquire about the news, and there was indeed such a number one person, salt and iron were gone, and he was convinced of Zhou Bin since then - for more than a year, Zhou Bin has brought many important materials to Suizhou many times to make profits, and Wang Xiang invited him to the house every time to get together.

After an hour of incense, the family led Zhou Bin in.

Zhou Bin looked shriveled and shriveled, his left eye was white, and there was a small scar from the eyelid, which did not look vicious, if he hadn't changed into a silk shirt on his body, he would have looked like an honest businessman who had been harmed by the soldiers, and he didn't think that he was a private tyrant who ate the rivers and lakes and led a dozen outlaws to go south and north.

"You're worried about Lord Lao again," Zhou Bin walked into the hall and said, "Is the little boy's body still a tiger?" Thinking about the last time Lord Wang said that the little boy should be at the age of learning knives, blind man, I found a good thing from Luzhou this time, Lord Wang, you have a look first...... "Tell the entourage to carry a big box in, and on the top is a treasure knife with a handle inlaid with silk and jade."

Wang Xiang Xiwen was born, after many years of bandits, he also likes knives and guns, at first glance this knife is extremely extraordinary, hold down the machine and pull out the three-inch blade, the cold mangs penetrate the bones, and praised: "Good knife!" It's just that you can tell Zhou Ye every time you break the bank. ”

"What are these," Zhou Bin squinted his eyes and smiled, more like a harmless old peasant, and said, "Emperor Yongxing fled to live in the nest, there are many good things scattered among the people, and I went late to get the blind man, and I didn't get many good things." However, the blind man asked for gold and silver, these fun and useful things, and brought them to everyone to ask for a favor, but in fact it didn't cost much......"

Wang Xiang laughed and said, "Then I will accept it politely." "Tell the family to prepare for the feast.

Sitting at the table, Zhou Bin asked: "I heard Lao Yi say that Lord Wang was sullen when he came back from today's deliberations, could it be that Chen Hansan and Luo Shuai borrowed troops to do it?" ”

Wang Xiang suddenly became alert, his eyes fixed on Zhou Bin, and asked, "How do you know about this?" ”

Chen Hansan has done so many evil things, and Huaixi and Jiangning have formed an insoluble mortal enmity, Suizhou doesn't want to turn his face with Jiangning, so Chen Hansan and Ma Zhen's affairs in Suizhou are strictly confidential, Zhou Bin just entered Suizhou and knew that Chen Hansan borrowed the matter of becoming a soldier, so how can Wang Xiang not be suspicious?

Zhou Bin was not flustered, and said with a smile: "Lord Wang, what a secret do you think this is?" Blind, I came out to run the rivers and lakes, and it was not okay if I was not well-informed; Besides, Chen Hansan wants to go south to occupy Qichun, iron, salt, mules and horses, and medicinal materials, in addition to following the state to borrow, where else can he get it? ”

Wang Xiang was relieved when he thought about it, Chen Hansan had been entrenched in Huaishan for more than a year, and he would go to Zhanqichun and other places next, so he would naturally have to deal with Zhou Bin, a bold and reckless private tyrant, because he was too sensitive.

As soon as Zhou Bin explained this, Wang Xiang dispelled his suspicions and said to him: "If Luo Shuai doesn't listen to persuasion today, he will suffer from it one day!" No matter how high Chen Hansan is, I suggest that Zhou Ye should also be less wet. ”

Zhou Bin said: "Lord Wang's concern is indeed reasonable, the private tyrants who often walk around in the Huai Mountains often have inexplicable mouths, and I can't afford to mess with Chen Hansan's side - besides, I'm also old, and I'll seal the knife to support the elderly when I go back this time, and I won't do this knife licking blood business......"

"How? As soon as you stop it, Master Zhou, Suizhou's salt will be shortened by two percent! Wang Xiang asked in surprise, "If Jiangning investigates tightly, Zhou Ye can move his family to Suizhou, I will recommend Zhou Ye to be the salt supervisor in front ......of Luo Shuai, and the money and profits will be calculated according to the past, and the matter of running feet can be handed over to others."

Zhou Bin shook his head: "I've been walking around Weiyang, Jiangning, and Luzhou these days, and this rumor has changed a little, has Lord Wang noticed it?" ”

"Aware of what?" Wang Xiang didn't know what Zhou Bin meant by suddenly mentioning this stubble?

"How long does Lord Wang think the luxury family can hold out in Jiangxi?" Zhou Bin opened his mouth and asked.

"Is Master Zhou worried that the war will soon reach Suizhou?" Wang asked on the contrary, and comforted him again, "Zhou Ye don't have to worry about this, Suizhou's soldiers are strong and strong, even if Jiangning will pacify Jiangxi in the future, Suizhou can only be recruited......"

"Listening to the news, Luzhou is also going to form a joint defense, and Jingzhou, Jiangxia and Hanzhong will soon have moves," Zhou Bin said, "There is also news that the new privy envoy of Jiangning has asked Huaixi, Nanyang, Jinghu and Hanzhong to draw 10,000 elites to approach Suizhou and Xiangyang." On the surface, it is to prepare for the autumn to fight in western Zhejiang, and to prevent any action on the side of Suizhou, but once this net is tightened, it will not be relaxed again," Zhou Bin said, "Liu An'er was so majestic in Xuzhou back then, didn't he be strangled and strangled to death?" Not only do I want to retreat from the blind people, but other private businessmen will also make other plans. It's just that if others don't come, they won't come, and they will never say it in advance, blind man, I am so taken care of by Lord Wang, if I don't say it, I can't help my conscience! ”

Wang Xiang knew that what Zhou Bin said was reasonable, Liu An'er said that he was betraying Chen Hansan, but in the final analysis, he stayed in Xuzhou for too long, and the retreat from the north and south was sealed by Huaidong and the Liang family, who occupied Shandong at that time, and was forced to accept Zhao'an, so he asked Chen Hansan to kill him with a trick when he was careless?

Suizhou claims to have 200,000 soldiers, but the soldiers and generals cannot be compared with the heyday of the Huangjue army - it is precisely because of this that Wang Xiangcai increasingly opposes and supports Chen Hansan's foothold in Qichun. Suizhou really can't bear it, and there is still a way to accept Zhao'an. If Chen Hansan was supported to gain a foothold in Qichun, it would inevitably increase Jiangning and Huaixi's bad feelings towards Suizhou, and they were even more worried that Chen Hansan would repeat Xuzhou's old schemes.

It has also been friends for a long time, and he is not so wary of Zhou Bin, and Zhou Bin has made up his mind to stop doing it, and he does not agree to stay in Suizhou as an official, so Wang Xiang has something to say, sighed, and said: "Alas, I also want to persuade Luo Shuai to find a way back for the future, but Changle Jun has such blood on his hands, even if he accepts Zhao'an now, he will inevitably be cleaned in the future." Isn't the lesson of Liu An'er and Chen Hansan enough? ”

"Now in Jiangning is the Chongguo Gong, that is, the red jacket girls are married to Chongguo Gong as concubines, according to the blind man, Chongguo Gong can be trusted...... Zhou Bin said.

"Master Zhou, you are also confused," Wang Xiang shook his head and laughed, "Master Zhou, you look at Suizhou before and after, where can it be connected to Chongguo Gong's territory?" If Suizhou really wants to invest in Huaidong, Jinghu, Huaixi, Hanzhong, and Nanyang, isn't it iron-hearted to fight Suizhou, and divide Suizhou's territory first? If he only nominally received an official from Jiangning and made good friends with Huaidong, how much difference could it be from now? ”

"Could it be that Luo Shuai and Lord Wang are waiting for the people from the north to come over?" Zhou Bin asked in a low voice.

"Phew, Master Zhou, don't look down on me!" Wang Xiang said angrily.

"......" Zhou Bin smiled and said: "These things are not blind, I am talking alone, before the war in Xuzhou, the matter of Yan envoy entering Suizhou should really be hidden from others......"

"That's purely Zhong Rong's mess, and Luo Shuai is only a little hesitant," Wang Xiang argued, "When the Yan envoy came, I told Luo Shuai, who is not good, he will go to Hu Gou?" Zhong Rong has eaten human flesh, and his evil deeds are too deep, and he knows that no one will spare him if he votes for Jiang Ning, so he wants to vote for Hu Gou! ”

"It's not just General Zhong," Zhou Bin said quietly, "People like Wei Zhang, Ma Kuixiong and others all want to vote for the north to eat fragrant and spicy food." Of course, if you don't do it for yourself, the heavens and the earth will be destroyed, even if you have such a mind, even Lord Wang, there is nothing to be embarrassed to say! ”

Wang Xiang glared at Zhou Bin, angry and clumsy, and waved his hand to the door: "I have been friends with Zhou Ye for a long time, every time I drink for pleasure, there are many bitter joys, if Zhou Ye still wants to insult each other with words today, then the past friendship will be forgotten." ”

"Don't worry about Lord Wang," Zhou Bin said with a smile, "I have to ask Lord Wang, if the Yan soldiers call, Luo Shuai and General Zhong will all surrender, I'm afraid that Lord Wang will not be able to help himself!" ”

"These old men have no credit and hard work in front of Luo Shuai, and it is not a problem to ask for a free body in the end." Wang Xiang said.

"Then Lord Wang is really willing to watch Hu Gou's iron hooves ravage this great country?" Zhou Bin asked.

Wang Xiang realized that Zhou Bin's tone had changed abruptly, looked at Zhou Bin in a daze, pressed the edge of the table and asked, "Did I look away at Zhou Ye?" ”

Zhou Bin's previous identity was a private tyrant, and he only came and went to seek wealth, commenting that all forces were transcendent and did not have a preset position, but his "Hu Dog" exposed his position, which was completely different from him in the past.

Zhou Bin was not panicked, put down the wine cup in his hand, and looked at the king: "What does Lord Wang think?" ”

The private lords who come and go to Suizhou, some of them are secret agents who infiltrate other forces to find out the news, Wang Xiang also understands it in his heart, but he can't prohibit it, otherwise Suizhou will cut off the source of salt and iron, and the problem will be more troublesome - it's just that he didn't think that Zhou Bin would also be the eyeliner of one of the forces before that.

It can only be said that Zhou Bin covered it up quite well, and the amount of smuggled salt in was quite large, and it did solve the problem of using part of the salt in Suizhou. Like Jinghu and Huaixi, it is impossible to tolerate such a large amount of illegal salt flowing into Suizhou. Of course, Zhou Bin also concealed it deeply, and Wang Xiang sent someone to find out his roots, but no suspicious points were found.

Wang Xiang closed his eyes and thought for a moment, there were only two possibilities, one was that Zhou Bin was hiding very deeply, and the other was that Zhou Bin had only recently been bribed and sent by other forces to be a lobbyist......

"Zhou Ye has probed Wang Mou clearly, if you have anything to say, you might as well say it directly." Wang Xiang said in a cold tone, since he has been deceived by Zhou Bin, his past friendship is just a joke.

"Chongguo Gong called the blind man to greet Lord Wang." Zhou Bin said.

"What's the proof?" Wang Xiang asked, there are too many things to deceive, Wang Xiang doesn't dare to listen to Zhou Bin's words, if there is something wrong with his words, it will be a disaster to kill Luo Xiancheng's ears.

"Chongguo Gong will cross the river to Yijiang this afternoon, and want to come to Suizhou's eyeliner in Juchao, and news will come two days later," Zhou Bin said, "Then we will know whether it is true or false." ”

Wang Xiang is right to think about it, how could other people's eyeliner know Lin Bin's itinerary in advance?

"Then I don't know how Zhou Ye is commensurate in Huaidong?" Wang Xiang asked.

"My colleagues in the Privy Council's Military Intelligence Department all call me Zhou Blind, so few people know Zhou Bin's name." Zhou Bin said.

Wang Xiang said: "Luo Shuai has already made up his mind about borrowing military rations to Chen Hansan, if I can't persuade him to change, apart from this, what else can Zhou Ye teach me?" ”

"Lord Wang, blind man, I have been hiding from you for so long, and I have no choice but to do it; If I hadn't known Lord Wang's temperament, my lord would not have allowed me to reveal my identity to Lord Wang this time," Zhou Bin said, "There is also a consensus in the Privy Council that Lord Wang and Luo Xiancheng and Zhong Rong are not on the same path, and Congkou was also tied up at the beginning. Even after the queen of Kou, Lord Wang still has a clear conscience, and in everything he does, he strongly advises Luo Xiancheng to settle down and not to disturb the people. Suizhou has been able to recover some vitality today, most of which is due to you, Lord Wang, and these are in the eyes of my lord. Lord Wang, there is really no need for you to follow them all the way to the dark, and in the end, you will harm your descendants! ”

"I'm just a literary thief, I don't have the power to bind the chicken, and I don't have half of the soldiers who can fight, I can't help myself, what can I do?" Wang Xiang smiled bitterly.