The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 126 Advanced Model Old Man Wen
Before dawn, while Shi Lingyan was still sleeping soundly, Zhu Xiu slipped out of the bedroom in the dark.

Ma Qing was waiting at the entrance of the courtyard with a lantern.

"Little official~" Seeing him sneaking around, Ma Qing couldn't laugh or cry.

Zhu Xiuti put on her hakama, tied her belt, wrapped her bun, and looked back towards the bedroom with lingering fear.

"Come on, hurry up." He greeted Ma Qing, and the two of them trotted out of the house.

Shi Lingyan was accidentally injured by Wei Hu. Zhu Xiu showed great concern for her out of gratitude and guilt. Unexpectedly, this girl became more and more clingy, shouting Zhu Xiu's name with her eyes open and closed.

Especially since she listened to Liao Zhai, the little girl felt even more excited. She was timid and wanted to hear it. Last night alone, she pestered him with several ghost stories.

Zhu Xiu kept talking until his mouth went dry. As a result, he became more and more sleepy, while Shi Lingyan became more awake and energetic.

In the middle of the night, with a pair of black and shining eyes open, I was attracted by the weird and bizarre world of Liaozhai.

Zhu Xiu fell asleep several times and was woken up by Shi Lingyan. In the end, he couldn't bear it anymore and pretended to be completely asleep. Shi Lingyan twisted his waist and made no movement before completely letting him go.

Zhu Xiu bit the quilt tightly and did not dare to say a word. She felt sorry for the soft flesh on her waist. When she heard a slight snoring next to her, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and fell asleep.

Hearing the crowing of the big rooster raised in the backyard kitchen, Zhu Xiu woke up with horror. Ma Qing's code signal came from outside the house, and then she hurriedly got up.

Outside the city, a convoy of more than a dozen mule and ox carts was ready to go, and the Zhenhai Battalion soldiers were making final inspections.

After the turmoil in the county subsided, Zhu Xiu asked Guan Tieshi to secretly summon Tashandu.

The original quota of 1000 people in Tashan City only gathered more than [-] people. The few teams that did not arrive were all lurking in Zhecheng City.

Zhu Xiu further reduced the number of personnel and selected more than 200 people to be transferred to Zhenhai Camp and placed under the command of Bi Zhenhai.

The remaining members of Tashandu officially established Tashan Camp and were led by Guan Tieshi.

Tashan Camp and Zhenhai Camp do not exist in the official military establishment of the Changyi Army. They are currently regarded as private armed forces belonging to Zhu Xiu and Shi Kuangwei. All grain and military supplies are allocated from the profits of the salt factory.

The entire Zhenhai Battalion was dispatched to perform the second mission, escorting [-] kilograms of salt to Pizhou secretly to complete the previously agreed deal with the salt dealer.

The soldiers only wore weapons, bows and arrows, without armor, and looked more like a large-scale salt gang team.

Coupled with the hundreds of civilians, at first glance, they looked like a rabble.

Bi Zhenhai followed Zhu Xiu and walked to a deserted place. Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "Go early and come back early. Now Zhang Yijun is tightening his belt and counting on the money you bring back to live."

Bi Zhenhai clasped his fists and said, "Please rest assured, Young Master, this subordinate will definitely fulfill his mission!"

Zhu Xiu nodded. Bi Zhenhai was reliable and knew the salt dealers in Pizhou very well. There was nothing to worry about if he went to do the business in person.

"After this transaction, you told the Pizhou salt dealers that you heard about it from Chang'an, and told them that war may break out in Guanzhong in the next year, and the salt road may be blocked. If they need salt, they can send people in advance. Come and book.

By the way, you can publicize our refugee settlement policy again and tell the people of Pizhou that if they can’t survive in Pizhou, they can come to Jingzhou to make a living. Salt in Jingzhou is free of charge. When you come here, you can allocate land, build houses and register your household registration.”

Bi Zhenhai carefully remembered and whispered: "Thirty thousand kilograms of salt was transported to Pizhou and Anding County. There are only more than 1 kilograms of salt left. Li Shouzhen urged us to send the salt promised to the Hezhong Army as soon as possible. Even if Now that we have reopened the factory for production, we won’t be able to deliver [-] jins within half a year, what should we do?”

Zhu Xiu chuckled: "Who said we would send [-] kilograms of salt to the Hezhong Army? Besides, the [-] kilograms of grain Li Shouzhen promised has not arrived yet, so why are we in a hurry?"

Bi Zhenhai was startled and said in surprise: "Don't you plan to send salt to the army in the river?"

Zhu Xiu said hey: "Of course I have to give it away, but it's not a hundred thousand catties. Don't we still have more than ten thousand catties of salt? When the grain sent by Li Shouzhen arrives, we will take back these ten thousand catties of salt. Ten thousand catties A pound of salt is exchanged for ten thousand stones of grain, that’s a lot of money!”

Bi Zhenhai took a breath, Young Master was obviously trying to fool Li Shouzhen!

That was the military governor of Hezhong, the king of Guanzhong, who had strong soldiers and horses!

"Young Master~" Bi Zhenhai wanted to say something, but Zhu Xiu waved his hand: "Don't worry, I know it well. Li Shouzhen has more important things to do. Even if he finds out that he was deceived in the future, he will have no chance to cause trouble for us!"

Bi Zhenhai could only say: "Take care, Young Master, I will set off now!"

"Go, have a nice trip." Zhu Xiu said goodbye.

Bi Hongyu silently stepped forward and said goodbye. Zhu Xiu smiled and said, "Hongyu, you have to travel for a long time. Why don't you stay and continue working in the house?"

Bi Hongyu shook her head and said honestly: "Ms. Yan's kung fu is much better than mine. With her protection, you don't need me."

"You can't hang out with a bunch of big men all day long, right?"

Bi Hongyu was silent for a moment: "I'm used to it." She cupped her hands, got on her horse and ran towards the front of the team.

"Let's go!" Bi Zhenhai shouted, and the convoy slowly set off, heading east.

The sky was bright and Zhu Xiu watched them go far away until the winding team disappeared among the hills.

Ma Qing glanced at Zhu Xiu secretly and found that his eyes were blurred and he was in a trance.

"Has the young official taken a liking to the red jade lady?" Ma Qing snickered.

"Huh?!" Zhu Xiu was surprised and shouted angrily: "I was thinking about other things."

Ma Qing hurriedly said: "I want to remind the little official that Lady Hongyu has a dull and cold personality and is a bit older than the little official. She is not suitable to stay around to serve her."

Zhu Xiu glanced at him sideways: "Looking at this tone, you have fallen in love with her?"

Ma Qing shook his head fiercely and laughed dryly: "Young officials are joking. Lady Hongyu is a hero among women, but I can't conquer her with my meager behavior! Even Commander Bi has been rejected, let alone this villain."

Zhu Xiu smiled strangely and said, "Maybe, what if she has a unique taste and is not afraid of cold or raw food?"

Ma Qing grimaced: "That villain doesn't dare to accept it. If we have a few quarrels one day, she might pull out a knife and shout to kill!"

"You're worthless! A woman frightened you into being so virtuous! You're still the commander of the Zangfeng Camp, it's so embarrassing!" Zhu Xiu cursed, got on the donkey Hei Dan, and sauntered back to the city.

When getting on the saddle, the movements were a bit wider, and Hei Dan was a little unhappy. He shook his head, chewed on the donkey's lips, and let out a few squeaks.

Ma Qing hurriedly trotted beside him, trying to make some excuses to prove his tough attitude on the relationship between men and women.

Zhu Xiu did not return to Jiedu Mansion and rushed to Wen's house.

Wen Tai was having breakfast in his concubine's courtyard, and Zhu Xiu asked the Wen family's servant to call the old man.

Wen Tai's eldest son Wen Zhongping rushed to the front hall to receive him first. Zhu Xiu sat on the main seat and drank tea. Wen Zhongping stood beside him politely.

Zhu Xiu looked around and saw that Wen Zhongping had met him a few times. He was in his 30s, quiet and quiet, didn't talk much, had an honest face, and had been in and out of Jiedu Mansion a few times. He didn't have a high sense of presence.

After chatting for a while, Wen Tai hurried over.

"Oh, Mr. Wen is really old and strong. I'm taking the liberty to come here. I won't disturb your old age, right?" Zhu Xiu stood up and cupped his hands, teasingly said.

Wen Tai's face turned red: "Young Envoy, you are joking. I just drank some porridge in the back house and didn't do much else."

"Haha, I didn't say anything. It was Mr. Wen who misunderstood!" Wen Tai was startled and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Zhu Xiu joked a few words, stopped, stood up and said, "Please take the throne, Lord Wen?"

Wen Tai quickly gave in and said humbly: "I don't dare, I'd better ask you to sit down, young envoy!"

Zhu Xiu smiled and was not polite, still sitting high in the center of the throne, while Wen Tai sat down sideways.

As the actual person in charge of the Changyi Army Bing Fu Yin Xin, Zhu Xiu can now be regarded as the military and civilian leader of the two states of Jingyuan.

Although there is no official approval from the court, a consensus has been reached within the Changyi Army.

Successfully driving back Fengxiang's army and annihilating the Xue family, Zhu Xiu's prestige has greatly increased. Now no one dares to treat him lightly just because he is younger.

"Mr. Wen~" Zhu Xiu said slowly, before the words came out, Wen Tai's wrinkled face suddenly turned bitter.

Based on what he knew about Zhu Xiu, if he took the initiative to come to the door this time, it might not be a good thing.

"Jingzhou is going to carry out land inventory and conceal the number of tenant farmers. You know this." Zhu Xiu said with a smile.

Wen Tai nodded, feeling increasingly sad, as if he had guessed Zhu Xiu's next words.

"The Xue family has been wiped out, and now the title of the largest family in Jingzhou falls on you, the Wen family. After discussing with me, Mr. Shuai decided to start the investigation from the Wen family. You take the lead and take the initiative to report the Wen family's name." The reported number of tenant farmers, as well as the unregistered fields, will all be handed over and returned."

Old Man Wen's heart skipped a beat. He hesitated for a long time and said with a sad look on his face: "Young Envoy, this"

Zhu Xiu smiled, but his tone was unquestionable: "This matter is the focus of the future planning and development of Zhang Yijun, and no one can resist it under any excuse!"

Wen Tai said vaguely: "The Wen family is not as good as the Xue family, and they really don't have many tenants with land under their name."

Zhu Xiu frowned and was about to speak when the taciturn Wen Zhongping held up his hands and said: "The Wen family has a total of 55 hectares of land, including 25 hectares of paddy fields. There are two manors, located in the southern suburbs of the county. There are 120 reported tenant households, but the actual tenant households are [-]. . Among the farm properties, there are ten hectares of paddy fields and fifteen hectares of dry fields, which the Xue family gave to each other in the past two years to win over."

Wen Tai's old eyes widened and he glared at his son in disbelief.

Zhu Xiu smacked her lips: "88 households were concealed, which is quite a lot."

"Young Envoy~" Wen Tai wanted to explain with a sad face.

Zhu Xiu waved his hand and looked at Wen Zhongping again: "Brother Zhongping, can you guarantee that there are no flaws in what you just said?"

Wen Zhongping bowed and said in salute: "Everything is true, please make it clearer! If there are any mistakes, I am willing to take the blame!"

"Okay!" Zhu Xiu smiled, "Mr. Wen, your heir is much more open-minded than you."

Wen Tai was angry and helpless, and Wen Zhongping was very angry.

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Well, the 25 hectares of land sent by the Xue family will be turned over, and the 88 tenant farmers who concealed the report will then be separated from the Wen family and classified as independent farmers. The Wen family has concealed the number of tenant households in these years, and the land tax has been omitted. We don’t have to worry about food taxes anymore.”

Wen Tai said anxiously: "Young Envoy, this"

Zhu Xiu looked at him displeased and said in a cold voice: "Mr. Wen, I took the initiative to come to your door and sit in your home to discuss this matter with you, just to protect the face of your Wen family. If you don't agree, I will come to Jiedu tomorrow The government summoned everyone and discussed it openly."

Wen Tai's face trembled violently and he did not dare to speak.

Zhu Xiu slowed down and said: "The Wen family has thirty hectares of land and more than 100 households of tenant farmers. Even if the Wen family has two or three times more people, it will be enough. The Wen family's twisted hemp workshop has been put into operation, and the profits will be seen by the end of the year. Xue Jialiu You, Mr. Wen, can still get a share of the business, so you should calculate this account carefully, is it a loss or not? Don’t lose a lot for a small amount!"

Wen Tai's face was full of confusion.

Wen Zhongping said in a low voice: "I agree with the proposal of the young envoy."

Wen Tai was helpless and his heart was bleeding. In this era where land is above all else, no industrial business can make people feel more at ease than owning land.

"Okay! Just do as the young envoy said!" Wen Tai gritted his teeth and sighed with all his breath.

Zhu Xiu put his hands on his hands and smiled and said: "Mr. Wen really understands the righteousness. On behalf of Marshal Shijie and the soldiers and people of Zhangyi, I would like to express my gratitude to you!"

"In addition, considering that Mr. Wen is already old, it is better not to worry about it in the future. If we stabilize the position of county magistrate, we will not bother Mr. Wen to continue to hold the position."

Wen Tai was shocked and stood up. Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Don't worry, I haven't finished speaking yet. From now on, Brother Zhongping will be the Secretary-General of Zhangyi Army!"

Wen Zhongping was startled, Wen Tai was startled, and then slowly sat down again, his gray brows tightened, as if he was considering the pros and cons.

Zhu Xiu didn't speak, just drinking tea with a smile.

"The young envoy is thoughtful and considerate. From now on, the Wen family will completely rely on the young envoy!" Wen Tai let out a long sigh, and the father and son bowed in salute.

Zhu Xiu accepted it calmly, stood up and said with a smile: "It's settled, I will stay here soon. If there is anything you don't understand in the Jiaoma Workshop, just come and ask Mr. Wen. Brother Zhongping, make preparations. He will take up his post at Jiedu Mansion tomorrow. .”

The father and son accepted the order and sent Zhu Xiu off respectfully.

Back in the front hall, Wen Tai looked at the silent Wen Zhongping and couldn't help but blame him: "Dalang, why are you so anxious to expose the Wen family's family background? You easily agreed to Zhu Xiu and supported the re-measurement of the land revision of Jiedu Mansion. Household registration? This matter involves too many interests, we can definitely use it to negotiate terms with Jiedu Mansion!"

Wen Zhongping glanced at his father and said calmly: "The Xue family's lessons are not far away. Isn't my father afraid of making the same mistakes again?"

Wen Tai slapped the table and shouted: "The Xue family is too ambitious. They want to usurp power and become the leader of the Zhangyi Army! I, the Wen family, are not that ambitious. I only want to make money!"

Wen Zhongping shook his head and said: "The fields of the Xue family were confiscated this time, and the young envoy will use them to reward the meritorious soldiers. This is an act to win over people's hearts. From now on, the young envoy will take charge of the Changyi Army in place of Commander Shi Jie, and there will no longer be any Chapter [-]. There are too many fields under the Wen family's name. In the past, the Xue family was the dominant one, and the Wen family was not conspicuous. Now that the Jiedu Mansion has to re-measure the land and implement the land grant system, the Wen family is the first to bear the brunt.

If the Wen family delays the handover, it will not only offend the Jiedu Mansion, but also all the soldiers in the army.Since we have to pay it forward sooner or later, it is better to take it easy and win the favor of the young envoy and show that I, Mr. Wen, have a clear conscience. "

Wen Tai was still upset at first, but after hearing what his son said, he fell into deep thought.

After a long time, Wen Tai suddenly understood. He nodded repeatedly and said: "Yes, yes, Dalang's words are reasonable. Let me wake you up! Without the Xue family, the title of the largest family in Jingzhou falls on the Wen family, which is too conspicuous." . It doesn’t matter, just waste money and eliminate disasters. From now on, I, the Wen family, will be completely tied to the chariot of the Zhangyi Army."

A smile flashed across Wen Zhongping's lips, and he said softly: "Rather than relying on Zhangyi Army, it is better to rely on Zhu Xiu. It is because of Zhu Xiu that Zhangyi Army can be what it is today, and Shi Jieshuai can keep his position as Jiedushi!"

Wen Tai said in surprise: "You think so highly of Zhu Xiu?"

Wen Zhongping said: "This man is indeed very intelligent. The purpose of Shi Jieshuai inviting him to Jingzhou is to deal with the Xue family. But he has been holding back, seemingly passive, but in fact he is working steadily and step by step. Build the salt factory first Cut off the Xue family's financial path, implement the salt policy to gather people's hearts and win the support of the people, stifle the Xue family's power bit by bit, and wait until the time is right to actually take action.

Of course, Xue Xiuming in turn used the salt factory as bait to attract Jiao Jixun and Xu Xingsi. This move was also extremely clever.

But no one expected that Zhu Xiu would invite Li Shouzhen, the military governor of Hezhong.It is rumored that Zhu Xiu previously served under the Tianxiong Army in Hebei and had friendships with the Tianxiong Army's tooth commander and the privy envoy of the current dynasty.If the rumors are true, the Changyi Army will definitely be handed over to Zhu Xiu in the future.

In Jingzhou, he gained the trust of Commander Shi Jieshuai and had a lot of help in the court. In the future, Zhang Yijun's future is limitless. "

The more Wen Tai listened, the brighter his eyes became. He laughed a few times and his gray beard trembled: "Okay! If Dalang can see the situation so clearly, my father can trust you and hand over the Wen family to you! When you failed the imperial examination, When I became the magistrate of Yinpan County, I was bullied by Xue Xiuliang. I was idle at home for many years. As a father, I was afraid that you would never recover. Now it seems that my son is as talented as he was then!"

Wen Zhongping smiled and said: "Father is over-praised. My son said that the Xue family will not last long if they are cruel and unkind. Now that it has come true, it is also an opportunity for my son to resume his official career."

Wen Tai encouraged: "Go to Jiedu Mansion and work hard. Be careful when working under Zhu Xiu in the future. This guy is smarter than a monkey and has many evil intentions. Don't try to be clever with him. You might as well be honest and honest." Treat each other with sincerity.”

"Thank you father for reminding me. My child will remember it."

(End of this chapter)