Li Jing once said at the Heavenly Wolf Festival Hall that someone plays a hero because he is cowardly. Someone plays the role of a benevolent man because he is vicious. Someone plays a murderer because he has a strong desire to hurt others. And people deceive because they are born to lie.

"A little!" Yang Lao Wu said.

Under the flickering light, the faces of several people softened.

An oil lamp, like a bean flame, jumped and illuminated the room. Except for Kong Ergou, for others, the danger has already gone.

The dice stopped in the broken bowl with the missing side, revealing a red dot on it. The contrast between the snow-white dice and the broken bowl and the dirty table top.

"A little!" Yang Lao Wu, who was missing a front tooth, smiled with a leaky tone, "Who is it?" ”

"It's me." Kong Ergou, who was dressed in a black robe covered with oil stains and as hard as a cowhide armor, whispered. "This is what I threw it."

"Then pay for it!" Yang Lao Wu smiled, "Remember, plus the ones you lost just now, you already owe 10,000 dollars." ”

Kong Ergou felt chills all over his body.

The arrow tower is three zhang high, and there is only a low wooden wall less than the height of the chest. If it's summer, it's cool to stand on it, but on a night like this, it only feels cold and windy. There are almost no corners on the arrow tower to avoid the cold wind, and in the second half of the night, even the hands and feet will be frozen unconscious.

However, Kong Ergou grew up in the mountains outside Daibei Sai, and he has long been accustomed to the cold wind. Now, what creeps him out is fear.

"Still playing? I'm going back to sleep when I'm not playing. Zhao Dayou said. He is a tall man. Guy with a loud voice. The bulging head has a bunch of greasy hair. His face was small, and his eyes were sunken due to lack of sleep. His mouth was open, and a hint of jerky hung from his bulging lower lip. On the battlefield, this is a terrifying fellow, always carrying two large plate axes, like a humanoid meat grinder, and his favorite thing to do is to split the enemy in half. Now he is a team leader of Li Sizhao's new Black Crow Army.

Yang Lao Wu, who is missing a tooth, is Li Cunzhang's pro-military captain, and he is also a ruthless character. is best at bows and arrows, especially cold arrows, and because he has a sister who is Li Cunzhang's fifth wife, he is also Li Cunzhang's confidant. His eyes were gloomy like a poisonous snake, and he turned to look at Zhao Dayou, who was a head taller than him.

"I'm standing guard for the second watch." Zhao Dayou was a little uneasy by Yang Lao Wu, and explained in a low voice, "I plan to sleep for a while." ”

"Then let's get here today." Yang Lao Wu said, "Everyone settles the account. ”

Zhao Dayou and Liu Xiaodao stood up, but Kong Ergou sat there with a pale face.

"Two dogs. You don't have no money to give, do you? Yang Lao Wu's face was gloomy, and he said to Kong Ergou in a low voice. You are the commander of the rampaging capital by the side of the county king. If you tell me that you have no money to give, the brothers will not believe me. ”

"I've been a little bad lately, and I've been losing for a few days in a row. Fifth brother, see if you can give a grace period of two or three days, I will definitely raise the money. Kong Ergou begged.

10,000 yuan is not a small amount of money for a first-class officer. But if it was only 10,000 yuan, Kong Ergou would not be so embarrassed. The key is that these days he gambled with Yang Lao Wu and them, and his luck was very good at first, and he won money in a row, but then he lost in a row. By tonight, he had already owed Yang Lao Wu more than 100 yuan and more than 100,000 yuan. For Kong Ergou, who was evacuated from Yizhou in embarrassment not long ago, he couldn't come up with such a sum of money at all.

"Ergou, you said the same last time, and you said the same last time. At first, when you have good luck, you should accept it as soon as you see it. Now I have bad luck, but I have to keep gambling, and now the more I owe money, the more I owe it, and it's always bad to owe money and not pay it back. Besides, the money I borrowed from you is not actually all mine, but mainly the money of Deputy Envoy Li. His money is not owed for a long time. ”

"Fifth brother, you help again, three days, no, two days. Give me two more days, and I'll be sure to raise the money to pay it back. Kong Ergou said a little anxiously, he knew who Deputy Envoy Li was talking about, that was Yang Laowu's brother-in-law, General Li Cunzhang, the deputy envoy of the Datong Army. That is the second person in the army after Li Siyuan, and his money is not easy to owe.

Yang Lao Wu glanced at Zhao Dayou and asked them to leave.

Zhao Dayou and Liu Xiaodao got up to leave, and when they went out, someone was tripped up, and there was a low cursing sound.

After the footsteps outside were far away, Yang Lao Wu got up and walked to Kong Ergou and sat down, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Brother, you said the same thing last time." Actually, even if I give you another ten days, you won't be able to scrape together a hundred dollars to pay me back. You say, right? ”

"Fifth brother, give me two more days, and I will definitely get the money."

"The opportunity was given to you, but you wasted it." Yang Lao Wu sneered.

Kong Ergou's face was dripping with sweat, and he knew that if one was not good today, he might not be able to get out of this door.

"Fifth brother, as long as you give me another chance, let me do whatever I can for you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely take it seriously, be a cow or a horse, kill people and set fires, it's okay, it's all right." Kong Ergou was desperate and swore by a gambling curse.

Yang Lao Wu returned to his seat, took out a dagger, and slowly trimmed his nails.

Until Kong Ergou and the others were about to collapse in their hearts, Yang Lao Wu finally finished repairing his slender fingernails. Raising his head, he said, "If that's the case, I'd like to give you another chance." If you are willing to do this for me, after the deed is completed, not only will the hundred yuan you owe me be forgiven, but I will also be able to give you a wealth and wealth, money, beauties, and officials, all the same. What do you think? ”

Kong Ergou doesn't believe in pie in the sky, and this kind of good thing often means greater danger. But he had no choice now, so he had to grit his teeth and say: "Fifth brother, but there is a dispatch, and he will never give up." ”

"Hey, take it easy, it's not a terrible thing. Although it is a bit risky, the rewards will only be greater. Will the fifth brother still harm you? Yang Lao Wu smiled and said, "Come here." I'll talk to you about it carefully. ”

After a long time. Kong Ergou came out of the house in a chaotic mood. The six gods did not guard, and they went back in despair.

"He agreed?" Zhao Dayou and Liu Xiaodao, who had already left, got into the house from behind, and there were several other people together, all of whom were now team-level officers in the Datong Army, and there were all battalions.

Yang Lao Wu nodded and smiled: "He has no choice, what's more, I did show him a clear path and wanted to give him a fortune." ”

"Is he reliable? He's an old man who runs amok. has been following Li Sizhao, and he used to be Li Sizhao's personal guard. Liu Xiaodao asked.

"He didn't know much. But the knife is right, just in case, you keep an eye on him, and if he makes a rash move, kill him directly. Yang Lao Wu made a palm slashing motion.

Yanjing.

Next to the newly built Qinwang Mansion in the north of Yanjing City, the area is very large, a few points larger than the inner city of Yanjing, which is equivalent to half of Yanjing City. This Qin Wangfu is said to be a royal palace, but it is actually a palace complex. The planning is completely in accordance with the pattern and scale of Chang'an Palace. The whole palace complex is divided into five parts. They are the offices of the provincial cabinets and courtyards that are connected to the northern city of Yanjing. There are also the left and right acropolis on the east and west sides, where there are two large camps of the guards. There are three guards stationed in the guards, the pro-army and the pro-Yixun. Then to the north is the inner courtyard, the front half of which is Li Jing's study, conference room, conference hall and other office places. The second half is the dormitory area, where many wives and children live.

This time Zhang Chengan came, it was obvious that Li Yi wanted to appease Li Jing, so as to ease the relationship with Li Jing, and hoped to use Li Jing's prestige to fight the next battle to exterminate Huangchao. For this reason, before Zhang Chengan came, he was specially received by the Son of Heaven, and the Son of Heaven said a lot of good things about Li Jing and asked him to tell Li Jing.

Of course, in addition to verbal awards, Li Jing also received a lot of rewards without surprise.

However, as early as the last time Huang Chao killed Guanzhong, the Son of Heaven had already added a large number of official titles in order to obtain Li Jing's continued loyalty. After that reward, Li Jing was already the highest king of the King of Qin, and the Wu San rank had already risen to the position of the first-rank hussar general. In addition, the medal has also arrived at the top of the Shangzhu country, in addition to General Zuo Xiaowei, Tongping Zhangshi, Shangshu Ling, Zhongshu Ling, Shizhong, Taishi, Taifu, Taibao and a series of special titles, and fake Huang Yue, envoys, and the military of the Metropolitan Governor. Awarded the generalissimo of the world's soldiers and horses, and the commander-in-chief controlled the soldiers and horses of all towns in the world. He also served as the secretary of the Northeast Province, and concurrently led the seven provinces of Andong Province, Liaodong Province, Liaoning West Province, North Parallel Province, Rehe Province, Hebei Province, and Shandong Province.

It can be said that Li Jing has already reached the point where there is no seal.

Official positions, titles, honors, ranks, and even honors have all been capped. There is even a special title of imperial uncle.

If you want to seal it again, the only thing left is to add nine tin, Xu Jian will go to the temple, and you won't participate. However, if it is really time to give such glory, the Son of Heaven will not be far away.

Therefore, now the Son of Heaven loves and fears Li Jing. He not only needs Li Jing to maintain the current weak situation of the Li Tang court, but he also has to be worried about whether the powerful Qin clan will directly throw off the court and start a new business on his own.

But since it's reassuring, it can't just be a few words of verbal praise.

The imperial court can't come up with money now, so in the edict sent by the Son of Heaven, there is no will to promote Li Jing. However, Li Jing was specially given an additional 100,000 households, 3,000 households were sealed, and 15,000 households were sealed. In addition, 10,000 hectares of Yongye fields were given to Liaodong.

In addition, since Li Jing has no seal, then seal his wife and son. In addition, after the last time Li Jing's eldest son was named the king of Lanling County, Li Jing's remaining twenty-one sons were named county princes, and even the twenty-second son who was born and still in infancy also got a Pyongyang county princess. Li Jing's eighteen daughters were also named county lords. Li Jing's other wives were all named Mrs. Guo. Li Jingzu has three generations, and they all gave the king knighthood and the rank of general.

These things are really powerful, and they don't need a penny from the imperial court, but they let everyone in the world see the Son of Heaven's great favor for Li Jing.

Li Jing did not add another seal to Li Jing, but he gave him a heavy title of wife and shadow, and in addition, he also wantonly sealed the soldiers of the Qin Domain.

Last time, Li Jing asked the imperial court for the title of the soldiers of the Qin Domain, and awarded a bunch of titles such as the Duke of the Four Kingdoms, the Duke of the Nine Counties, and the Marquis of the Thirty-six Kingdoms. This time, Li Yi took the initiative to issue an order to reward the soldiers of the Qin Domain, and basically, all officers above the battalion level in the Qin army were rewarded. Everyone reached the Rank and Order of Merit one or two levels above the normal level first. In addition, it turned out that the official positions of Zhu Wenwu were originally appointed by Li Jing himself. Now, Li Yi has decreed that these official positions are officially conferred on them.

Even the always precious title, Li Yi didn't want money.

Under Li Jing, the king, Cui Yunqing and other nine people were newly crowned as county kings, and eighteen princes, thirty-six county dukes, seventy-two marquises, one hundred and eight county marquises, and three hundred and sixty county marquises. There are countless uncles, sons, and men left.

This knighthood completely broke the previous system. The titles range from king, county king, state prince, county prince, county prince, county prince, county marquis, county marquis to the founding uncle, the founding son, and the founding man, and recognized the knighthood and knighthood established by the Qin domain, and added the knighthood and samurai title, a total of fifteen knighthoods. The eighth rank of the prince and marquis is the noble, the third class of the earl, the son and the male are the lords, and the four lords, knights, knights and warriors are the knights.

The fifteenth-class new title system, the Son of Heaven suddenly gave the Qin Fan more than 3,000 knights.

Moreover, in this new title system, in addition to being knighted, Li Yi not only has no fiefs and food estates, but also has no Yulu at all. It is all empty titles, and the fiefdoms, food estates, and Yulu that are needed must be completely solved by Li Jing himself.

In general, Li Yi gave Li Jing his wife and son, and posthumously presented it to his ancestors, which is a great honor and favor, and it is also a catch. But conferring a large number of official positions at once, and sealing countless knighthoods among the soldiers of the Qin Domain, this was completely a temptation by Li Yi, or a trouble for Li Jing. And this is not just to make trouble for Li Jing, but also to hide the temptation of the Son of Heaven to the Qin Domain, and the attraction of the Qin Domain's civil and military affairs!

The emperor wanted to increase the influence of the imperial court in the Qin domain and increase the influence of the Son of Heaven. This kind of indiscriminate sealing and rewarding did cause Li Jing a lot of trouble, and he disrupted the normal order of Qin Domain's rewards. For this reason, Li Jing couldn't refuse, otherwise, it would make these subordinates who had just been promoted to the rank of lord unhappy.

Li Yi wrote a letter casually, but the countless expenses increased after being promoted to the rank of knight had to be paid by Li Jing alone. Moreover, the excessively high official system will bring more troubles.

Li Jing looked at the Ming Huang python robe and jade belt golden crown given by the Son of Heaven, and his face showed a trace of annoyance.

The emperor is playing with fire! (To be continued......)