After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

"Because you don't look like a good person either." Pei Jiaoran blinked lightly.

Li Xiujing raised his eyebrows after listening to her words. Suddenly he looked at her seriously, "In that case. Qingjia, can I ask for payment from you?"

Xin Lie's eyes are getting closer and closer. Pei Jiaoran turned his head to avoid it, and wanted to get up and leave, but was grabbed by the wrist by someone who stepped over the desk. He leaned closer to her, his back slightly arched, burning with passion and desire. The cross arm blocked her way and kissed her cool forehead.

The wetness fell on Pei Jiaoran's lips, the tips of their noses touched, and their breaths became entangled. He abandoned his reason and greedily devoured her. It seemed that she wanted to use her lonely and deep feelings to dissolve the snow-covered wasteland condensed between her brows.

She curled her lips and smiled, then suddenly put her arms around Li Xiujing's neck. Then she stretched out her hand to explore his Adam's apple, feeling it twitching slightly under her fingertips, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

"Xuan Yin, aren't you going to take off your armor?" Pei Jiaoran's voice was low and hoarse, and his chest was heaving. "This pressure makes me almost breathless. It's very uncomfortable."

The word "uncomfortable" was deliberately emphasized, and Li Xiujing raised his eyes to look at her. He just met a pair of foggy beady eyes.

In just a moment of confusion, Pei Jiaoran got the strength from nowhere and pushed him to the ground. She leaned forward and kissed his Adam's apple, just a light touch before leaving for half a moment. But the tip of her nose still gently rubbed the skin on his neck, as if it was done deliberately.

Her hands moved to the belt around his waist and untied it.

"Qingjia!" Li Xiujing called with a frown.

"Erlang, haven't you been looking forward to this?" Pei Jiaoran smiled, and her cold lips swept to the corners of his eyes and temples, and finally bit his earlobe gently, "But you forgot that this is Zhongshu's public house in another province. It’s my territory.”

After that, Pei Jiaoran turned over and lay on his back. Put your hands behind your head.

Turning his head to glance at Pei Jiaoran, who had a heartless look on his face, Li Xiujing took a deep breath. Silently he picked up the belt from the ground and tied it.

"A few days ago, there were thieves in Wannian County. The county officials were having trouble catching the thieves, so Lieutenant Tian asked Zuo Shence, a man who is good at riding and shooting, to go catch the thieves. As a result, he wounded twenty people and only wounded one person with a knife." Li Xiujing sneered, "After that, two hundred more people were sent, but in the end only one person's body was recovered."

Narrowing her deep eyes, Pei Jiaoran smiled, "Are you trying to say that Zuo Jun may have colluded with the thieves?" She frowned and thought for a while, then continued: "Collusion inside and outside. Just sacrifice a few insignificant people, You can get military rewards to embezzle the imperial court's financial resources. The left army has about 62,400 people, and the right army has 46,524 people. When your Majesty just came to the throne, he pulled 3 million bolts of silk from the inner treasury. It is used for military rewards. I have calculated this account before, and it is roughly ten horses per person. In addition, the Shence Army has many names that can be used to make money."

Her voice was smooth and soft, as if she was talking about something insignificant. Although the supply of the Shence Army was three times that of other armies, this could not satisfy their greed.

Because of their privileges, they increased their income by exchanging power, accepting donations, and even levying taxes without authorization, specializing in the sale of distilled yeast, setting up official stores to appraise wine, valuing clothes and providing food, and plundering the wealth of hundreds of officials to increase their income.

"Jia Wen, Zuo Shence's yamen general, is a clansman of Jia Gonglu. Now he is in charge of the Zuo Army's returns. In his hands, the Zuo Army's returns are as high as 150,000." Li Xiujing said in a deep voice. .

"Are you interested in the Huiyi in Zuo Shencejun's hands?" Pei Jiaoran frowned, "The Huiyi is worth a fortune. Its existence has reduced the pressure on the imperial court's finances, so we can only change it but not get rid of it."

She had previously investigated Shence Army's income and expenditure on Huiyi. In addition to increasing the army's food and ordnance to improve the treatment of the Shence Army, the other part may be pocketed by lieutenants and generals. But from all aspects, the existence of Huiyi is not entirely a bad thing, and it may even be beneficial.

Li Xiujing nodded, "I know. But the military resources of Shence's expedition need to consume a lot of money and food to support. If we can control the trade between the two armies, it can at least alleviate a lot of pressure on Zuozang."

"Let me think about it. After the training is over, I will find a way to recommend a suitable person to Lieutenant Liu."

Although Hui Yi is not a good thing, and the exploitation of the people is serious, if it can be taken away from the left army, Hui Yi's power can be taken away. She is still willing to be a villain.

"I heard that many scholars from the three towns of Heshuo came to Chang'an this time to participate in the education system. This may be a good start, indicating that the scholars from the three towns of Heshuo intend to return to the embrace of the imperial court." Seeing Pei Jiaoran's agreement, Li Xiujing Change the topic and continue asking.

Hearing this, Pei Jiaoran nodded.

Not only were many of the scholars who came to participate in the system training this time, they were from Heshuo, but most of them came from the three towns that had strong military and self-respect. So she was worried whether this was a conspiracy by the three towns.

"On the surface, this is indeed a good thing." Pei Jiaoran said with worry in his eyes and a serious tone, "But from the perspective of the situation, this is not entirely a good thing."

The battles between Guanlong, Shandong, and Jiangzuo have accompanied the dynasty from the beginning of the founding of the country to the present. Although there were changes in regional disputes between old and new families, the struggle between scholars and common people never receded. The fight between Jia and Wang came from this.

Jiedu envoys of Wei Bo, Chengde and Lulong towns who had rebelled against the imperial court for many years. It is really unbelievable that so many scholars were sent to Chang'an at the same time to participate in the manufacturing industry.

If the candidates in the three towns of Heshuo are popular, the placement issue alone will be enough to cause difficulties for the court. What's more important is that the wealthy and common people in Guanlong, Jiangzuo and Shandong must be taken into account.

"Are you worried that the three towns want to take the opportunity to insert their people into the court, monitor every move of the court, and secretly erode the power of the court?" Li Xiujing glanced at her and continued: "It is indeed possible. But The exams are about to start, and there is nothing else you and I can do. Be careful when planning and evaluating exams, and don’t make them too unhappy."

"Then what if the three towns rebel on this grounds? They have never been peaceful in these years." Pei Jiaoran raised his hands to cover his eyes as he spoke in a tired tone, "It would be a big expense to mobilize soldiers from other vassal towns to attack them. Can the court really afford this expense now?"

When the Shence Army goes out for conquests and when foreign vassals send troops, food and supplies are a big expense. She does not believe that the court can afford this expenditure with its current ability.

Listening to her tired tone, Li Xiujing said nothing. He knew where her worries were coming from. The center's endless struggle for profit caused the dynasty under their feet to collapse. If they can't find a way to cut off those nets, then they may capsize here.

"So if I can hold the return in my hands, your pressure will be much less."

Li Xiujing turned his head and looked to his side, feeling that his deep pupils seemed to be a fire hidden deep in the cold wilderness. Pei Jiaoran smiled, but when she spoke, the wind and snow swallowed up all the life around her in an instant, "I hope you and I can get what we want."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.

After glancing at Pei Jiaoran, Li Xiujing picked up the food box and continued to leave through the window.