We agreed that you, a weak strategist, would fight against three heroes by yourself?

He has long seen through the nature of the struggle for power. Not only will he not rack his brains like other Confucian scholars to think about how to restore the Confucian way, he will also not be like other nobles who desperately want to strengthen their clans and clans.

Having seen through everything, the only thing he wants now is peace.

But in troubled times, peace in the world is hard to find, but personal peace is very simple, just don't fight for it.

It's just that... even in the peaceful years of the world, few people can do it without fighting, let alone in today's troubled times?

Xi Zhicai shook his head helplessly, and then sighed heavily, as if he wanted to let out all the suffocation trapped in his body.

To be honest, Xi Yu back then was actually a person who didn't like to compete.

However, the name of the person and the shadow of the tree make him want to be quiet but the wind does not stop...

Seven days, although not long, is not short either. It is enough for Xi Zhicai to screen all the people who have lived in Chang'an City for more than three years.

Combined with the results of the previous investigation, this is really... you won't know if you don't check, but you will be shocked if you check.

Although there were many suspicious people who had little contact with him, they had basically heard each other's names.

Just like the rice merchant Yin Hao who ran to the government office a few days ago and cried, and the big agricultural code, agricultural officials, and military supplies warehouse guards...

If it weren't for the evidence in hand, even Xi Zhicai wouldn't be able to believe that there were so many black knights ambushed in Chang'an City.

The main reason is that these suspicious people were too calm when faced with the soldiers' interrogation and questioning. They seemed not to worry at all that their answers would cause any bad results or reveal any flaws.

Faced with such a long list, Xi Zhicai had to hesitate.

Until the time he agreed with Cao Pi to open the city gate in the evening, he didn't think about what to do next.

"As expected of a black knight, it's really... so terrifying!"

He sat in front of the paperwork and read over and over again the collected information, his expression particularly ugly.

Outside the house, several soldiers in Cao's camp were waiting for him to give the order to open the city gate and pursue the black knight. But unfortunately, it was almost dark when they waited, and there was no movement from the other side.

"Sir? I wonder...can we set off now?"

Quiet!

Still as quiet as ever.

Xi Zhicai naturally heard the sound outside the door, but he really didn't know what to do.

If we talk about arresting, then given the current official positions of these suspects, most of the low-level officials in Chang'an City will be able to make the jail a bustling place once they are all arrested.

But if we don’t catch him...it doesn’t seem realistic.

After all, in just seven days of intensive search, the assassination never ended.

Not only that, the people who suffered were all insignificant ordinary officials as before.

At the same time, the rumors never stopped.

Time passed quietly and unknowingly. During these seven days of rigorous searches, the people in Chang'an City once again became a mess.

As the rumors intensified, everyone became more and more uneasy and had trouble sleeping and eating.

This also allowed Xi Zhicai to basically confirm his judgment. Regardless of whether they were scholars, peasants, industrialists, or merchants, high or low, those black knights had already planned to lurk here. What's more, they had already become a very important presence in a certain aspect.

I'm afraid... they had already guessed... today would happen!

It has to be said that the person who can take this step is really far-sighted and makes him feel ashamed.

After all, for now, whether to arrest these black knights or not... is a difficult question for him.

No way, there are at least a hundred black knights lurking here. Apart from merchants and common people like Yin Hao, there are also many who also occupy important positions in the military and internal affairs. How can I possibly arrest them all? Uproot?

In that case, I am afraid that the chaos in the entire Chang'an City will reach an unprecedented and unattainable height!

Because in a short period of time, there simply won't be that many people to take over their positions, let alone anyone who can do better than them and be more suitable for these positions.

"Alas! To arrest... or not to arrest?"

Black Riders, when did these Black Riders lurk in?

It would be great if he could be instigated to rebel. If such knowledge and ability can be used by the Lord, no matter whether it is gold, silver, wealth, or military and political affairs, the current Wei Dynasty will be able to reach a higher level!

It's a pity... They are Yu Yu's people, they are black knights, there is absolutely no such possibility...

squeak!

The door was suddenly opened, and Cao Zhang walked in eagerly. As the third son, he had been fond of practicing martial arts since he was a child. Now he has achieved some success and has great prestige in the army due to his immense strength.

Of course, the more important thing is that he is now the general of the Wei Dynasty. Xi Zhicai did not dare to show any slightness and hurriedly stood up and saluted.

"Third Young Master is well!"

"Your Majesty, what should we do next? I have ordered people to open the four city gates and let the people out. At the same time, I have arranged for secret sentries to keep an eye on them. If there is no big problem, I will be able to catch them all and eliminate the current civil strife. .”

Cao Zhang was in the military camp. Along with Kong Wu, he was also a simple-minded and hot-tempered person. However, no matter how reckless he was, he never neglected etiquette.

I have to say that Mrs. Bian really paid attention to her teachings on these children and was not biased in the slightest.

Xi Zhicai looked at him, his thoughts changed, and he couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. Since he couldn't decide this matter, he should let others decide it.

Judging from Cao Zhang's posture, he must be determined to capture those black knights.

If that's the case, then just catch it. It's already happened anyway, and there's no point in getting too hung up on it.

Maybe, when those people are captured and tortured, we can learn some real skills from them.

"Then please general, please come with me to arrest them. I think they will not escape to the west, so we only need to guard the east, north, and south gates. This is the list. I hope the general will catch them all!"

After saying that, Xi Zhicai handed out the bamboo slips that were almost knocked out of his eyes.

"By the way, General, don't forget to let people in the city continue to search. As long as we can catch a few of them, we can probably pry out the identity information of more people. Remember, we have to catch at least about ten people! "

"Don't worry about this!"

Cao Zhang took the bamboo slips and spoke with a hint of gritted teeth.

During this time, the anger in his heart never subsided.

A group of shady bastards who only wanted to kill people, but they dared to spread rumors and make people in the city panic. It was really annoying!

After receiving the order, he led his troops directly from Chang'an and pursued them in three directions: east, north and south. Finally, three days later, he saw a group of people walking together on the official road.

When the other party heard the movement, they also stopped, turned around, and waited for the other party's arrival.

Seeing this scene, Cao Zhang was in a daze.

what's the situation?

Not only did this group of people not escape and go their separate ways, they even saw someone standing silently behind them with a smile on their faces.

Of course, despite some doubts, he has not forgotten the purpose of his trip, let alone the mess that the group of people in front of him has made Chang'an City into!

Seeing that they were wearing brocade clothes, armor, or official robes, Cao Zhang was furious.

These people are leaders in all aspects and professions in Chang'an City.

The one on the left with a wristband is a military lieutenant colonel, the ones behind him holding books in their hands are agricultural officials, and there is even one who is leaning on a carriage and drinking tea calmly,... ···Yin Hao?

This man was very familiar to Cao Zhang. He had just been in and out of the government office a few days ago, asked for a lot of money and left.

Of course, on weekdays, he would also enter the Prime Minister's Mansion from time to time to report on people's livelihood and business conditions, and from time to time he would also propose some feasible plans for business expansion or economic development.

If it weren't for the fact that Chang'an, Xuchang, and Yecheng were not surrounded by large areas of farmland, which made it difficult for grain merchants to operate, the strategies he proposed would not have been shelved until now.

Speaking of which, the business strategies he once mentioned included many suggestions similar to the development strategies of Qingxu Commercial Bank. However, since the people had no money, he had nothing to do. He had hesitated to open a bank before. .

"Yin Hao, you bastard!"

The furious Cao Zhang shouted and immediately led his troops to surround him. Although he was very annoyed, he knew exactly what to do.

Xi Zhicai said that he would have to capture ten of them at least, and now it would be best to capture them all.

On the other side, seeing that they were about to be surrounded, Yin Hao slowly put down the tea cup in his hand, lightly clicked the frame, and then the group of people ran with all their strength in the direction that had not yet been surrounded, like arrows leaving the string.

Seeing this scene, Cao Zhang basically came to the conclusion that the man behind the assassination of officials and spreading rumors in Chang'an City was Yin Hao!

"Yin Hao, you can't escape!"

Even though they were driving a carriage, the speed at which this group of people fled was still surprising.

Not only did he run out of the encirclement in the blink of an eye, but he also ran all the way from the official road into the trail in the woods.

Cao Zhang's speed was not too slow, and he ran with the others behind him.

It was cold winter, and the surrounding area had already been covered with heavy snow, but both sides suddenly ran out of the "dust" in the sky.

But when Cao Zhang chased him all the way into the woods, there was no trace of the other party's hundreds or ten people——

wrong!

There was an abandoned carriage in front of him, but there was no horse.

This group of people ran away quite quickly, but in the blink of an eye they didn't see anyone. Not only did they disappear, but the carriage was completely unloaded.

Seeing the target disappearing into the woods, Cao Zhang was even more angry. However, although he acted recklessly and only relied on his passion, he was not a stupid and ignorant person. He still knew the principle of staying out of the woods.

What's more, now that we are in the mountains and forests, we need to be more careful.

Soon, he made up his mind and left the forest. Instead, he asked everyone to circle the forest and search it over and over again.

The result was not suspicious at all, but he did not dare to go deeper. In desperation, Cao Zhang had no choice but to send a small number of dead soldiers to investigate in different directions.

Even if they can't escape if they go in, they can still provide themselves with some valuable information.

At least we can determine the specific location where Yin Hao and his group are hiding, right?

"After you enter, you will be divided into multiple teams. Once you find the other party's traces, immediately send a message to report!"

"promise!"

There were fifty riders in total, and they scattered as soon as they entered the forest.

Cao Zhang led his army and waited quietly outside.

Soon, a stick of incense passed, and the cavalrymen who went to investigate the news came back one after another with strange expressions.

"General Qi, there are no traces of the enemy in this forest. I think they must have fled far away."

"Yes, General, we have searched all the possible ambush places in the forest, and we haven't found anything suspicious."

Several leading knights reported the situation, and they were actually very puzzled.

Not long after entering the forest, I discovered that the forest was not as deep as it seemed from the outside, and there was just a valley behind it, nothing special about it.

After listening to what everyone said, Cao Zhang knew that he had been deceived. There was no way to hide anyone in this forest.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and the top layer of white snow that had just fallen to the ground drifted to one side like dust. A thought flashed through his mind, which suddenly reminded him that the north wind was blowing today!

The wind is blowing northwest, and the location of this forest happens to be northwest!

Although it is difficult to start a fire in the cold winter and covered with heavy snow, what if fuel is used?

Although the trees today are covered with heavy snow, their internal moisture is far less than in midsummer. If they are intentional, the fire and the north wind will definitely burn down the place.

Therefore, even based on this, that group of people did not dare to hide here.

After understanding this, Cao Zhang basically made a rough judgment. Yin Hao's group must not be ordinary people. They must have been in the army for a long time and they all have rich experience on the battlefield. The presence.

Because it is completely impossible for ordinary businessmen or Confucian scholars to have such a flexible mind and clear thinking.

"General, why don't we chase along the road? We can also send messages to various passes along the way, asking them to cooperate with us and conduct a strict search. With their cooperation, it will be difficult for the enemy to escape in a short time!"

Seeing Cao Zhang's face getting darker and darker, a young general stepped forward boldly and expressed his thoughts nervously.

Cao Zhang glanced at him, gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, then let's chase! I don't believe they can really escape!"

The ruthless Cao Zhang immediately led the crowd to continue the chase along the road they had taken previously.

However, he didn't know that the other party had already received the order and was waiting for him quietly.

Xuzhou, Xiapi.

When Xi Yu planned to bring Liu Xie back, he had already thought of building a palace specifically for him in Xiapi.

Of course, due to limited time and some other factors, the scale of this palace is not very grand.

It's not that Xiyu doesn't have money, it's just that he doesn't want to.

There's just one person left and right, so why live in such a big place?

Of course, the rest of the palace is average in scale, but the Taiyuan Hall is quite large.

This place was specially built by him to facilitate his affairs with Liu Xie.

Of course, this is just talk. After Liu Xie comes, there will be no need for any discussion. After all, he has been "captive" for so many years and what he knows is extremely limited.

In addition, everything arranged by Xi Yu and even his thoughts are different from those of the native ancient Liu Xie, so there is nothing that can be discussed together on major military and political matters.

The reason why Xi Yu built this place was just to give Liu Xie some rights to know.

Of course, Liu Xie only has a little right to know——

No! As long as he is allowed to move around the inner city of Xiapi at will and meet with officials, there will still be no big problem.

As for the power in his hands and even the staffing, he did not intend to give half a cent to the other party.

All this will be understood when Liu Xie comes.

Now that the palace has been completed, Xiyu, who had nothing to do for the time being, wandered over to Jia Xu.

At this moment, the two of them were competing with each other on the chessboard.

Speaking of chess, Jia Xu is still a disciple of Xi Yu. He handed over a lot of his opponent's moves in the beginning, and now the two of them can be regarded as equals in chess. They are evenly matched... a bad chess basket!

"Oh! No, I won't go here, wait for a while!"

"No, how come this still destroys the chess piece?"

Jia Xu stared at Xi Yu with a pair of cloudy eyes, and the beard at the corner of his mouth was curled up, which was quite joyful.

Speaking of which, his chess skills were better than Xi Yu's, but he was burdened by his opponent and couldn't display the slightest bit of his strength.

However, these two people said this, but they did not mean it too seriously.

The reason we met today was just to talk, and we didn’t put much thought into playing chess.

"My lord, I have something unclear, please clarify it!"

"Old man?"

Regarding Jia Xu's sudden title, Xi Yu was a little confused: "When did you start calling yourself that?"

"well!"

Jia Xu shook his head helplessly and sighed: "Last June, the old man reached his 60th year. What can we call him an old man if not an old man?"

"On the contrary, my master has become more and more energetic in recent years. A few years have passed and he doesn't seem to be aging at all. On the contrary, he looks much younger."

What he said was not flattery, but something he felt for a moment.

After all, Xi Yu seems to have really not aged over the years. On the contrary, he feels like he is getting younger with each passing year.

Maybe it's because he has always maintained the mentality of a young man.

"Come on, tell me, what do you want to ask?"

"The black knights lurking in Chang'an City have been activated. Does it mean that your secret chess is about to take a clear path? And those black knights who are in the enemy's hinterland, do they have any chance of escaping back to the front line? Given the current situation, what do you have? deploy?"

As he spoke, Jia Xu took his "car" one step forward and placed it directly next to Xi Yu's "horse".

According to the general idea of ​​​​playing chess, his dispatch of this "rook" will definitely attract the opponent's full pursuit.

"Run away? Why run away?"

Xi Yu did not answer directly, but said something specious.

Then, it only took him a few breaths to force the opponent's "car" back, and at the same time push his own "car" forward, and the two "cars" did it simultaneously!

With this simple move, Jia Xu's chariots, horses, artillery, and elephant soldiers on the opposite side of the Chu River and Han Dynasty were completely killed.