Great Master of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 25: Chapter 25
On the second day, Zuo Ming brought a group of soldiers to the mine where the accident happened.

The mine was extremely remote, and several hills had to be crossed. It was already noon when Zuo ordered them to arrive.

Under the September sun, the road was somewhat dry, but Zuo Ming did not find any ruts for heavy vehicles.Although it may be washed away by rain, it is not without any traces. The road is as flat as if it has been crushed, and it does not look like it has been transported by mines.

But if the mines have not been transported, where are those mines?

Thinking about it, Zuo Ming's eyes fell on the entrance of the mine that had been covered by a pile of rocks.Those stones did not seem to have fallen from the collapse of the mountain at all, because according to the theory of gravity and inertia, it is impossible for all those stones to accumulate at the entrance of the cave without a single stone scattered around.

"You guys come over and help, see if you can remove those stones."

Wanting to see the situation in the mine, Zuo Ming waved to the sergeant next to him.

"My lord, it's getting late today, I think it's better to come tomorrow with all the manpower!"

"That's right! There are so many stones, we are only five people, and we can't finish moving tomorrow! Besides, it may be dark on the way back, and it's not convenient to walk this mountain road at night."

All the sergeants spoke with embarrassment on their faces.

They had come to this barren mountain for no reason at first, and they felt that Zuo Ming was full, but now they were asked to move so many stones, and they naturally refused.

Zuo Ming can be regarded as a good person. Although the sergeants did not dare to disrespect him, they couldn't hide their dissatisfaction.

There's no way, it's not his person after all, it's already giving him a lot of face to accompany him to walk such a long mountain road, and what they said is not unreasonable, so many stones, it is impossible to move them in one day.

In desperation, Zuo Ming nodded, "Okay then! Let's go back today and see if we can ask General Niu for a few more people tomorrow."

Seeing Zuo Ming nodding, everyone was overjoyed, but they all made up their minds, no matter what, they would find a way to quit this job tomorrow.

After returning to the camp, Zuo Ming was also very tired. He was about to rest after washing his feet, but suddenly a sergeant broke in without even giving a notification.

"My lord! It's bad! Those two Liao people suddenly choked to death when they were having dinner tonight!"

The sergeant looked terrified.Today, Zuo Ming made an extra confession, and he couldn't let those two people have anything to do, but now those two people are dead, and he can't escape being involved in this matter no matter what.

At first he was taken aback for a moment, then Zuo Ming suddenly stood up, ran to his side without even wearing shoes, and grabbed his collar, "You said they died? Or did they choke to death?"

He was really angry and confused now.What made him angry was that someone dared to kill people in the barracks. Although they killed two captives, this was not unusual.What puzzled him was that the sergeant actually told him that the two of them choked to death. He would definitely not lie about such a thing, because once he saw the corpse, it would be clear at a glance whether he choked to death.

- But how is it possible?

Even for a person who has been hungry for more than ten days, it is not easy to choke himself to death!Not to mention choking two people to death!

"My lord, I really choked to death. The military doctor checked it, and there was no trauma or signs of struggle."

Swallowing with difficulty, the sergeant stammered.

"Take me to see the corpse!"

His face was extremely gloomy, Zuo Ming let go of his hand as he spoke, and pushed him away.

Knowing that Zuo Ming was already angry, the sergeant didn't dare to delay, so he staggered and stood firm, and then walked towards the prison camp with Zuo Ming.

The so-called prisoner camps were actually nothing more than wooden cages made of tree trunks as thick as bowls. Inside were all Liao people, male and female, old and young.However, everyone's condition is extremely miserable. Some female officials are disheveled, and they are obviously often raped.

In fact, Zuo Ming knew something about this kind of thing, and Niu Jinda turned a blind eye to it. After all, they were all his soldiers, and he couldn't treat them badly.

When Zuo Ming arrived, Niu Jinda and governor Chen Zhenghong had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing Zuo Ming coming, Chen Zhenghong only smiled slightly and saluted him, while Niu Jinda spoke directly.

"Master Zuo is here. You may not believe it, but this is the first time that Niu has seen someone choke to death! And there are two of them, which is really strange."

Niu Jinda obviously didn't take the deaths of these two people seriously, and his tone was full of casualness.

However, after hearing this, Zuo Ming's expression turned colder, "Master Niu really believes that they choked to death?"

"The military doctor has already checked, there is no trauma, and there is no sign of struggle." At this time, Chen Zhenghong, who was originally silent, spoke.

It was fine if he didn't speak, but when he spoke, Zuo Ming looked at him with a ferocious look like a wild beast.

Being watched by Zuo Ming, Chen Zhenghong couldn't help his heart skip a beat even though he had seen many storms and waves.

Fortunately, after giving him a fierce look, Zuo Ming immediately turned around and came to the two corpses, and fell silent.

"Master Zuo! Chen knows that you are in a bad mood. After all, these two people seem to be very important to you. However, because of the death of the two bureaucrats, I am afraid that it is not appropriate to vent your anger on the subordinate officials! We are in the same court. Officials, mutual assistance and mutual benefit is the kingly way. That kind of lonely minister can't go far."

Seeing that Zuo Ming fell silent looking at the two corpses, Chen Zhenghong showed a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his mouth.

"That's right! Master Zuo, you are angry in your heart, and you say it's the totality of everyone's totality, why bother to vent your anger on Master Chen?"

Zuo Ming just gave Chen Zhenghong a fierce look, and Niu Jinda naturally saw it, and immediately persuaded him with a little dissatisfaction.

In Niu Jinda's eyes, Chen Zhenghong was one of his own, and he naturally had to protect him.

Zuo Ming still didn't speak, but he squatted down slowly, and then punched the young Liao man in the throat.

Suddenly, a large lump of white sticky substance overflowed from his mouth.Zuo Ming recognizes this thing, and it is the glutinous rice balls of later generations.But didn't this thing only exist in the Song Dynasty?At least since arriving in the Tang Dynasty, he has not seen anyone who has eaten glutinous rice balls.

In addition to glutinous rice balls, Zuo Ming also smelled a smell of wine.

Needless to say, the two were first drunk and then fed glutinous rice balls.

Knowing the cause of death, Zuo Ming turned to the trembling sergeant again, "How long have you been away?"

Seeing Zuo Ming, he could tell at a glance that he had left, the sergeant immediately turned pale, "Half an hour"

The sergeant dared not lie because there was no need to lie now.He definitely didn't feed the glutinous rice balls. If he hadn't left, how did the glutinous rice balls get into the throats of those two people.

"You bastard! You actually left your post without authorization! Someone, drag me down and beat me with a hundred army sticks!"

At this moment, Niu Jinda also found out that something was wrong, and his sergeant actually left his post without permission. Of course, he was furious, and immediately ordered him to be dragged away regardless of how much he begged for mercy.

One hundred military sticks, the sergeant might not survive, but Zuo Ming didn't say a single word from the beginning to the end.

Niu Jinda is very strange today.Before he finished his question, Niu Jinda ordered the man to be dragged down, and he was still executed immediately.According to various circumstances, it seems that Niu Jinda has also been involved.

This is not a good signal.

His biggest reliance now is the [-] army. If even Niu Jinda can't rely on him, he will be in a very dangerous situation.

Turning around and taking a deep look at Niu Jinda, Zuo Ming suddenly smiled, "General Niu, why did you get so angry? It's just that two Liao people died, so it's fine to hit him with twenty or thirty sticks, but a hundred sticks is enough. kill people."

Zuo Ming's sudden change of character stunned both Niu Jinda and Chen Zhenghong.But immediately, Niu Jinda shook his head, and said solemnly, "Lord Zuo has a kind heart, and Niu admires it! But what the army pays attention to is the order and prohibition. Disobeying the order and leaving the post without authorization is not a trivial matter, and it cannot be forgiven lightly!"

It seemed that Niu Jinda was determined to kill people and silence him, Zuo Ming's smile also slowly subsided.

"General Niu is rigorous in running the army, he is really a role model for our army! This matter, Zuo will definitely tell His Majesty, and I think His Majesty will be very happy if he knows about Lord Niu's mighty military power."

When Zuo Ming mentioned the emperor, Niu Jinda opened his eyes slightly, but then resumed his solemn look, "Master Zuo is too famous! Niu is just a duty, and His Majesty knows it well. There is no need to tell his old man about such trivial matters." gone."

Speaking of "knowledge", Niu Jinda emphasized his tone, and Zuo Ming frowned after hearing this.

Did His Majesty acquiesce in this matter?

impossible!
First surprised, then Zuo Ming decisively ruled out this possibility.What Niu Jinda said was definitely not what Li Shimin had in mind, so there is only one possibility!

——Niu Jinda took advantage of the Chen family!To settle this matter!
After figuring out the key point, Zuo Ming suddenly sneered in his heart.Niu Jinda is really not a good bird to waste the lives of three people for his own selfishness.

"What General Niu said is that it is indeed the job of a general to be strict in governing the army! Presumably, His Majesty also knows that General Niu is strict in governing the army, so he entrusted the task of countering the rebellion to the general! It is Zuo Menglang! Let's let it go ! After walking for a day, Zuo is also a little tired! Let’s take my leave first.”

Zuo Ming said this bluntly. Niu Jinda and Chen Zhenghong looked at each other with smiles, and then graciously sent Zuo Ming back to the big tent.

But after Zuo Ming left, Niu Jinda said coldly to Chen Zhenghong, "Chen Shishi, I don't care what the hell your Chen family and Zuo Ming are up to! This is the barracks of our Lingnan Garrison after all. Please don’t make any claims.”

The "this kind of thing" that Niu Jinda said was naturally the killing of captives without authorization.

"General Niu, please forgive me. I actually don't want to! It's just a good fight to quell the chaos, but Mr. Zuo insisted on holding on to my Chen family. We have no choice! The Chen family must be responsible, but even His Majesty has not pursued it, and I don't know what happened to Mr. Zuo, but he insisted on investigating."

Chen Zhenghong complained with a wry smile, but told his "secret" very frankly.

"Hmph! Those sour scholars are like this. They think they have seen everything clearly, and they show their abilities there. They treat others as fools! If you put down the chaos, you can put down the chaos. There is nothing to investigate! Don't bother with him, what's going on here Your Majesty knows something more or less, isn’t it just that some Liao people died while mining copper? What’s the big deal! If those Liao people don’t do mining, why do they ask Han people to do it? It’s just inexplicable.”

When Chen Zhenghong was able to confess to himself, Niu Jinda naturally nodded in satisfaction, and then said coldly while looking in the direction of Zuo Ming's camp.Although the relationship with Zuo Ming has eased somewhat these days, he still feels uncomfortable with Zuo Ming.

"Your Majesty can be considerate of my Chen family. It is naturally my Chen family's fortune! It's just that the copper mines are now buried under the mountain, and they won't be able to be transported out in a short time. I am ashamed of your Majesty!"

After hearing this, an imperceptible smile formed on the corner of Chen Zhenghong's mouth, and then said with a shameful expression.

"It's okay! Anyway, those mines won't grow legs and run away! When the rebellion is quelled, I will give you all those captives! Aren't they afraid of mining? I will let them dig until they die!"

Waving his hand, Niu Jinda said calmly.

"Then Chen will first thank General Niu for his kindness on behalf of the Chen family!"

With a flash of expression, Chen Zhenghong smiled even more happily
(End of this chapter)