In the Blade

As a state capital, Yizhou City is much more prosperous than Yanzhou City.

After all, this is not the border of the north, so there is no need to face the Hu people directly. Moreover, the Dachen court has a strategy of reducing military equipment and recuperating. Of course, the most important reason is that the public security level of Yizhou is far better than that of the northern border.

And all this is the credit of those looters.

The looters were originally an organization that was born out of the scout team established by Dachen Taizu when he conquered the world. These smart scouts were active on the front line of the war, using various means to capture many enemy survivors and pry out important intelligence from their mouths. After the world was settled and there was no trouble, this scout team that was originally responsible for external affairs was split and separated, and was responsible for internal affairs. They used their skills of searching and arresting to maintain public security in Dachen and bring those criminals who violated the law to justice.

"So, what's going on?"

In the southwest corner of Yizhou City, in the camp of the looters, Jiang Wenyuan, the commander of the looters in charge of Yizhou, looked at the report document in his hand with a frown.

According to the content of the document, the grassland people have crossed Taiyin Mountain and joined forces with the Zhang family of the Taiyin Mountain Temple to break through Yiyang County. The whole county was in chaos. The county magistrate Hao Chong also led people to kill the rebel Zhang Qi, and finally died in battle. Everything sounded like there was no problem. It was just a normal front-line battle report, just like the battle report of Yanzhou a few days ago.

But in Jiang Wenyuan's eyes, the problem with this battle report was too big.

Before, Qi Jinshan, the commander-in-chief of Yanzhou, died on the battlefield. There was no problem with this. Although Jiang Wenyuan had never met Qi Jinshan, he had heard of this person. This person was obsessed with official career and had a hard heart. In order to fight for promotion, he might do something like fighting to the death.

But this Hao Chong...he had seen this Hao Chong.

As the magistrate of Yiyang County, Hao Chong occasionally came to Yizhou City to report on his work, so Jiang Wenyuan and Hao Chong had met several times - but in Jiang Wenyuan's eyes, Hao Chong was a man with great ambitions but little talent. He was greedy for money and lustful, especially lustful. Every time he came to Yizhou, he would definitely go looking for flowers and willows, and even called it exploring secrets and seeking seclusion.

It was just such a thing. It was okay to say that he ran away during the chaos, but he died in battle... When did this Hao Chong have such courage?

The people all ran away, but Hao Chong did not run away. This thing could actually live and die with Yiyang?

"There is a problem, a big problem."

Jiang Wenyuan frowned.

However, there was no new intelligence at the moment, and it was extremely dangerous to rashly send people to Yiyang County to inquire - and more importantly, this matter was actually not within his scope of authority.

Although it is true that the plunderers were born from the scouts in the army, after so many years, the plunderers have long been split and separated, and are only responsible for public security. Contents involving military affairs like this are under the jurisdiction of the military commander-in-chief as a military officer.

But when he thought of the military commander-in-chief of Yizhou... Jiang Wenyuan really began to worry.

The military commander-in-chief of Yizhou was originally named Qian, with a single name of Jin. And this Qian Jin Qian commander-in-chief was appointed through connections, which is an open secret in Yizhou - of course, if it was just that, it would be fine. After all, Shannan Road is not the border of the north. If a military commander-in-chief with outstanding military power is really placed here, there is no place for him to use his skills.

But now... a commander-in-chief who was appointed through connections, a commander-in-chief with sparse martial arts and not good at military affairs, what use can he have?

"Maybe it is still a little useful."

Thinking of this, Jiang Wenyuan got up and went straight to the governor's mansion.

It is indeed a little useful. Although he cannot expect this Qian commander-in-chief to lead the troops to fight, he can at least ask this commander-in-chief with many connections when the imperial army will arrive.

You have to know that although the war started very quickly, it has been going on for a while. Now Jizhou and Yanzhou have been successively broken by the grassland people, and the entire Shanbei Road is almost destroyed. Why is the court of Dachen still slowly gathering troops? Can't they be faster?

"It can't be fast. In the court, this matter is of great importance. As the saying goes, a single hair can move the whole body. What's more, the mobilization of troops is a major military and national event. The officials in the court have their own considerations. You just wait."

When Jiang Wenyuan came to the governor's mansion and talked about his doubts, this Qian Jin Qian governor answered him like this.

"So, do you have anything else to do this time?"

"I..."

Looking at the Qian governor lying on the couch in front of him, with his chest exposed, Jiang Wenyuan didn't know whether he should continue for a while.

Generally speaking, it is the most basic courtesy to wear clothes for such official business - but the current appearance of Qian governor is probably not unwilling to wear clothes, but unable to wear clothes.

As for the reason... it was because this Governor Qian was probably practicing medicine.

Like those elegant scholars in the capital of Jiankang, Governor Qian Jin was also a person who liked to talk about the mysteries. However, what Governor Qian talked about was not the mysterious theories, nor the popular Xuanpin techniques, but the gold, stone, medicine and powder, and the mysterious prescriptions.

According to some metaphysicians, since metal and stone objects can be contaminated with the evil spirit of swords and weapons after being cast into weapons, and have incredible power, then perhaps it is possible to skip the step of making weapons and grind the metal and stone into powder directly and swallow it into the stomach, which may make the human body as indestructible as the magic weapon - of course, the first batch of people who did this basically died, and they used their lives to prove that not everything can be eaten.

But there are also a few people who have taken a different approach. Although they did not replicate the original recipe due to the selection and ratio of materials, it was this wrong recipe that made them enter a mysterious state after taking it.

So, in order to pursue the mysterious and wonderful state, this gold and stone medicine powder became popular among a group of elegant people.

But Jiang Wenyuan didn't think this thing was a good thing. After all, this thing would not only make people confused and confused, but also make people feel hot and hot all over, and their blood would evaporate - just like now. If he dared to ask someone to help Governor Qian put on his clothes, the other party would probably kill him tomorrow.

So, now that Governor Qian has gone to work, is there any need to talk about this official business?

"Governor, this is the battle report of Yiyang County."

Jiang Wenyuan gritted his teeth and handed over the document in his arms.

Regardless of whether Governor Qian has gone to work or not, the war will not wait for anyone. As the governor of Yizhou, Qian Jin must know the first-hand information.

After receiving the battle report and knowing that the grassland people have entered Yizhou, Governor Qian Jin suddenly jumped up from the couch as Jiang Wenyuan expected.

"Oh! How could this happen! How could this happen!"

At this moment, Governor Qian no longer spoke in a slow and roundabout way, and only anxiety remained in his words.

"How could this happen! How could he die!"

"I don't know either."

Hearing that Governor Qian seemed to have recovered, Jiang Wenyuan continued to speak.

"You know the Yiyang County Magistrate Hao Chong, Governor. It's normal to say that he abandoned the city and fled, but it's normal to say that he died in battle..."

"Who cares about Hao Chong! I'm talking about Zhang Qi!"

Governor Qian's hands were shaking as he held the document.

"How could Zhang Qi from the Taiyin Mountain Temple die?"

"...Ah?"

Jiang Wenyuan was dumbfounded.

What...is going on? Isn't the death of County Magistrate Hao Chong the one we need to worry about right now? Although he was just a county magistrate, Hao Chong was at least an official appointed by the court. Now that he died inexplicably, shouldn't we investigate it?

Why is this Governor Qian concerned about Zhang Qi, who defected to the grassland people and betrayed Dachen?

"Nonsense, who is this Hao Chong? He is just a county magistrate. Who would know him if he left Yiyang County?"

Governor Qian trembled even more.

"But that Zhang Qi... do you know who that Zhang Qi belongs to?"

Governor Qian bowed his hands in the direction of Jiankang capital while saying this.

"That Zhang Qi once discussed Taoism with the Prime Minister!"

"...Ah?"

Jiang Wenyuan was speechless.

No matter what, he could not have imagined that Zhang Qi's background would be greater than Hao Chong, who was an official appointed by the court. You have to know that the Prime Minister is the head of all officials and a great figure who is above everyone else. How could such a high-ranking existence talk about Taoism with ordinary people?

It is obvious that although the specific reason is not clear, Zhang Qi was quietly chosen by the Prime Minister.

"Nonsense, don't you think about it, if Zhang Qi is really an ordinary person, how could he occupy the Taiyin Mountain?"

Patting his forehead, Governor Qian sat back on the couch, shaking the document in his hand.

"No, this war report is definitely wrong. Zhang Qi is the Prime Minister's man, walking on the road to heaven, how could he lower his status and secretly go to the grassland people? Fake! This war report is definitely fake! There must be something hidden in it!"

"Uh..."

Jiang Wenyuan didn't know how to respond.

He also knew that there was something wrong with this war report, but he never thought that the problem was here-but if you think about it this way, things are right.

Hao Chong, that waste, would not die in battle, and Zhang Qi would not go to the grassland people. This war report had a lot of problems from the beginning, and maybe the part about the grassland people was also very watery.

So what happened in Yiyang County?

"Investigate! Use all your available manpower! Investigate for me!"

After taking a few deep breaths, Governor Qian finally stopped trembling.

"This matter must have a result, otherwise, the person that the Prime Minister has taken a fancy to died in my Yizhou territory, how can you let me explain it? How can you let me explain it to the Prime Minister? Go and investigate! Go quickly!"

"I obey your orders."

Jiang Wenyuan stood up and left after clasping his fists to Governor Qian.

It is said that he will investigate, but how to investigate is still a mess - after all, if this battle report is true, then Yiyang County has been conquered by the grassland people. And according to the people who escaped from Yiyang County, they did see the grassland soldiers riding horses on the street.

It was a soldier instead of a scout, which means that it was the regular army of the grassland people. At least the news recorded in the document that the grassland people had conquered Yiyang County should be true.

So what about the remaining two?

Whether it was Zhang Qi or Hao Chong, the cause of their death was now untraceable. After all, the looters had long since switched to being responsible for public security. It was impossible for them to go deep into the enemy's camp to collect intelligence like their predecessors in the past. Asking them to go deep behind the enemy's lines was equivalent to sending them to die.

But the news from Yiyang County...

"Lv Marshal Jiang, I have something to ask you."

Just as Jiang Wenyuan returned to the station and pondered over what to do, the chief clerk of the governor's office came to him.

Obviously, the governor Qian Xingsan should have reached a critical moment and started to be mysterious, so he handed the affairs over to the chief clerk to handle - but the chief clerk's power was limited. If he really encountered something big, he would still have to come and discuss with the relevant personnel.

For example, a group of refugees had just arrived outside the city.

"Isn't it just a group of refugees? What's the big deal?"

Jiang Wenyuan disagreed.

After all, there is fighting in the north, so naturally some people will flee south. Although these groups of refugees are rare, they are not rare either. It is just to settle some refugees. Why should he, the leader of the plundering brigade, come forward for such a matter?

But soon, Jiang Wenyuan realized that this was indeed no small matter.

"Why are there so many?"

On the top of the city, Jiang Wenyuan was stunned by the large refugee camp outside the city.

Just looking at this huge number... the number of refugees here is probably tens of thousands!

"Are all the people from Yiyang County running here?"

"Some are from Yiyang, but more are from Yanzhou."

Beside Jiang Wenyuan, the chief clerk of the Governor's Office lowered his voice.

"They all fled all the way here, and the leader is the chief of the ordnance in Jibei, named Du Chengfeng."

"Du Chengfeng... I haven't heard of him."

As he spoke, Jiang Wenyuan frowned.

"Wait, why are there grassland people among these refugees?"

"They are said to be prisoners of war."

The chief clerk of the Governor's Office continued to explain.

"The ordnance chief named Du Chengfeng captured these grassland people alive in Yanzhou and escorted them all the way here... That's why we have to trouble Jiang Lieutenant."

"Hmm..."

Jiang Wenyuan's brows were getting tighter and tighter.

That's right. It's a big deal for grassland people to enter the city. Naturally, he, the brigade commander who is responsible for public security, needs to be asked beforehand - but that's where the problem lies. Just look at the grassland people wrestling freely in the camp below, how can they be escorted?

"Wait, which direction did they come from?"

"Yiyang County, what's wrong?"

The chief clerk of the governor's office was a little confused.

"There was a fight over there, so they fled all the way here... What, is there a problem?"

"Yes... This is a big problem."

Jiang Wenyuan's eyes were fixed on those grassland people.

He felt that he might have seen the truth.

The first update is here. I came a little late. I was a little dizzy from adjusting my schedule. I felt sleepy in the daytime. Considering my condition, the second update should be before 10 o'clock.

Ling: Thank you for your recommendation votes and monthly votes, thank you for your encouragement and support.

Thank you for Batraha's reward, it really cost me a lot.

I'm going to eat something, and then continue writing.