Qingzhou trip

If Xie Penglai hadn't supported the border town after the war by himself, Shahai would have become a ruined site in the wilderness and weeds.The magistrate of Shahai believes that even if the soldiers are gone, the business road cannot be interrupted.If you plan carefully, you need to pay less business tax, so many merchants from Beixia and this dynasty will come to Shahai to stock up on goods even if they change roads for two more days.

With business, there will be a steady stream of people, and there will be wealth flowing in and out.As long as the people in Shahai work hard, they can have a bowl of food to eat, so many members of the Baosheng Army did not flee to their original places after the defeat, but stayed in Shahai to make a living. Hungry.

Mr. Liao, the escort officer sent by the third department, was worried that the small warehouse in Shahai would not be able to accommodate so many people and goods.After October 26 and [-] bolts of silk entered the gate of Shahai City, he breathed a sigh of relief.When I visited this place on the city tower, I said that it is no wonder that His Royal Highness King Jin is stationed in the sand sea. Shang Guang glanced at the silent transporter Zou Shiyan, "What does Master Zou think?"

Zou Shiyan, who wrote to Beijing to file a complaint, took a soft nail, and Ni Lin, who hinted at her superiors not to look for King Jin, picked on her in a small way and was unhappy.He was full of enthusiasm, but he was reprimanded for his actions, and he was already uncomfortable.At this moment, he was forced by King Jin to ask about his impression of Sha Hai. He couldn't say anything bad, otherwise he would be at odds with Yan Feng, the envoy of Chengxuan of the third division.And I can't say yes easily, because it's slapping my own mouth.

The corners of King Jin's mouth could not hide his complacency, and he looked at Zou Shiyan politely with his amazingly bright eyes, "Master Zou has been taking over the transfer envoy of this route for a while, do you know the tax and money in Shahai? How is it compared to Yanzhou?"

"Yanzhou has a tax of 30 yuan a year, and Shahai... is comparable to Yanzhou." Zou Shiyan didn't want to admit it anymore, but he remembered the real figure.

"That's right. Sure enough, he is a top-three talented person. He has only been in the Northwest for a few days, and his family has been thoroughly considered." Although Zhao Yifang was praising Zou Shiyan, it sounded like he was sneaking around before teasing him. Spy on the magistrate of Shahai County and then participate in the complaint.

The north wind blew Zhao Yifang's cloak, she put it away after she satirized this sentence, and looked at Shahai's auxiliary city for a moment.

"It is indeed a good idea for Shahai to place Beixia merchants in the auxiliary city, so as to prevent people of unknown origin from sneaking into the city and causing trouble." Master Liao praised the auxiliary city, "I heard that some time ago Has the city been on fire?" He was also cautious in handling things, and had inquired a lot before coming.

"The flames and candles in the academy burned down several houses." Zhao Yifang lightly overshadowed the complicated facts under the fire, "Before the New Year coins entered the city, everyone who entered and exited the sand sea was checked and recorded. After entering the city, a curfew was imposed and patrols were made day and night. Don't be lazy." She tightened her cloak and looked at the two officials with a smile, "You can't miss the errands of the two of you, but also the errands of the king, right?"

"Your Highness is sitting in town, you can't smash it." Master Liao laughed, and suddenly he saw a thin and slender figure on the city wall in front of him, "Is that—Xie Penglai, Magistrate of Shahai County?"

I saw Xie Penglai carefully leading the guarding Qianhu to check the gaps or cracks one by one on the three-foot-high city wall, and told Qianhu to send more guards before taking a pen to quickly write down the location on the paper.She didn't notice the eyes of those who were talking about her in the distance and Zhao Yifang softened instantly.

"Is this also under the jurisdiction of the county magistrate?" Lord Liao asked.

"The strength of the Shahai Navy withered, and many generals died in that battle. The remaining ones don't understand military politics, and Xie County Magistrate has served in the Baosheng Army and knows the key points of defense." Zhao Yifang suddenly wanted to throw down the two people beside him. A civil official, and Xie Penglai were talking on the top of the tower.

After Li Mo brought back Xie Penglai's promise on that trip, she was inexplicably determined, but the two of them were busy with the handover of old coins and had no time to gossip about family affairs or talk about history. "This king is still busy with other things, how about letting Chang Shi Limei from my mansion accompany you to go shopping in the city?"

Li Mo naturally knew what King Jin was thinking, and half coaxed and half lured the idlers down the tower.Zhao Yifang lightened all over, took off her cloak and quickly followed Xie Penglai.

"This is the place where the Baosheng Army's fork pole arrived when Beixia turned to attack a few years ago. This is the two-way interface of the city wall, and it is the most vulnerable to attack..." Xie Penglai was talking, when suddenly his back felt warm and heavy. His cloak was draped over his shoulders.She saw that it was King Jin who was about to take it off, but Zhao Yifang patted his arm and pushed her away, "Continue talking, my lord, listen."

Xie Penglai was stunned for a moment, then nodded and continued, "If they are horse thieves, they may use wooden ropes or flying hooks. Most of them will operate in the dark of night, so these two city walls need to be chopped with torches and fire. rest."

Another half an hour had passed by the time she had finished explaining everything.After the others walked away, Xie Penglai took off the cloak and held it in both hands and handed it to King Jin, "Your Majesty is really warm, Your Highness, don't freeze to death."

Zhao Yifang curled her lips, "You tie it for me." Her nose and cheeks flushed red from the cold were like wintersweet in the snow, she raised her head and fixed her eyes, and the childlike look of anger emerged again.

Shahai County Magistrate said in a low voice, "I've offended you" and tied it back for her. King Jin looked up at her face, "Are you afraid of horse thieves attacking at night?"

Xie Penglai nodded solemnly, with a solemn expression, but his hand movements were clumsy. He didn't know whether it was because he was frozen or he was afraid of King Jin.After finally tying the knot, Xie Penglai took half a step back, "Okay."

"When I was in Beijing, I heard that horse thieves were rampant in the Northwest Commercial Road, and most of the fortresses were bandits and half soldiers. According to Master Xie, what kind of horse thieves would dare to come to the sand sea to make New Year's coins?" King Jin had a naive face, and deliberately approached Xie Penglai stood still.

"Before His Highness took office as the appeasement envoy of the three states, he specially took Xie to visit many border villages. I am afraid that he not only inspected politics, religion, the four people, but also horse thieves and bandits." They walked all the way for a few days, and Xie Penglai roughly guessed Jin Jin. Wang's intention was to write down the detailed location of the fortress wherever he went, and he had already drawn a map in private.

Zhao Yifang shot her a look, "Among the horse thieves are people from Northern Xia, Hua Dynasty, Tibetans, Uighurs, and Western Regions. Who is most likely to come?"

"It's possible for anyone to come." Xie Penglai said seriously, "Since they have made an idea of ​​the old coins in Shahai City, they are all gangsters in the dark." Seeing that Zhao Yifang was obviously dissatisfied with her prevarication, she smiled slightly, "But thank you A certain guess, the Li Jiyan tribe in Beixia is the most likely."

Zhao Yifang twitched her eyebrows when she heard the name, "You recognize this person? Why do you think this person is the most courageous?"

"The lower officials joined the Baosheng Army in the early years, and even the soldiers went out of the city many times to look for thieves. It was because of the order of General Bai Zhi to keep the trade roads around Shahai safe." Xie Penglai and most of the main horse thief leaders met face to face. , but never met Li Jiyan.The biggest horse thief leader in Northern Xia, Li Jiyan, was born in the royal family. After dissatisfied with the peace talks between Northern Xia and the southern court, he led his troops away and lived in the fort.This person is bold and crazy, and he can't look down on small troubles. In the past few years, he has harassed and robbed border counties and counties many times.

"This person regards himself as orthodox in the Northern Xia Dynasty, and he does not want to fall into the trap of ordinary horse thieves. In recent years, through marriages with many people from the fortress, his power has grown stronger. Moreover, his rule is organized according to the army. During the fierce battle between Shengjun and Beixia, he actually led his troops to make trouble. Therefore, he would play the idea of ​​Suibi openly." Xie Penglai's eyes flashed sharply, "Or, before Suibi came to Shahai, he Thinking about it here."

Hearing about Li Jiyan, King Jin felt envious, "He wanted to be the emperor, but he didn't want to seek peace with us. He ran outside and became a king of the mountain who slapped tiger skins. The clan feared him, and the Northern Xia people Those who are seeking war here admire him, and we can’t underestimate him.” After speaking, he let out a sigh of envy, “He also married a bunch of wives, and the clan can’t care about him.”

Xie Penglai felt flustered when he heard this, "But this is an enemy everywhere."

"So what?" King Jin folded his arms to resist the cold wind, "Even if he stayed in Xiajing, he was still suffering from splints everywhere. In that battle, Beixia won miserably, and his vitality was severely injured. The main peace is no less than us."

Xie Penglai looked at the prince beside him who was excluded because of the main battle, "Why is your highness the main battle?" King Jin's eldest brother, Ying Wang Haojing, was known as "Suan Ni" in his early years, and King Jin who was active and leading the battle was crowned by others. In the name of "Jiazi".

The old men in Beijing have calculated that even if they pay New Year's coins every year, it is only one state's income in the treasury.Why not do it in exchange for peace on the border?Besides, what the two kings of the first dynasty failed to do, they were defeated again and again. Who else can fight today?

King Jin covered his nose and held back his yawn, "Thank you, there are not many annual coins, but they are used to raise soldiers for the peace and security of the border. The world's taxes, five out of six are used to support these soldiers who don't fight. What is this for? Let half of them go to Nanshan, disarm and return to the fields. The common people's taxes can be halved, and the court's expenses will be lenient." There are still deep reasons, but since he said five points to Xie Penglai, King Jin pouted his lips, "Why does this king have to tell you?"

Xie Penglai rubbed his hands and laughed, "Then Xie——make a bold guess or two, and please forgive me if your words are rude."

King Jin turned his head to look at the Ye Qiang River in the distance, "So what if you don't forgive me? Why don't you say it?" Then squeezed closer to Xie Penglai, King Jin whispered, "Why is it so cold?"

Xie Penglai's hand was accidentally touched by her, and when the backs of the two equally cold hands touched lightly, a burst of heat burst out.King Jin's hand left immediately, "I don't want to listen to your guess. It won't help if you guess wrong, and it won't change my mind if you guess right. Thank you, Master—" She looked sideways at Shahai County Magistrate, "Xie Penglai , What does the person you like look like? What kind of temper? I want to hear this."

The dignified and sharp Jin Wang is like a young daughter who has just begun to fall in love. She looked at Xie Penglai timidly, but her strong temper made her turn her eyes away immediately.The haughty and cramped eyes swept into Xie Penglai's heart along with the north wind - it was a sincere coercion, but also an apprehensive temptation.Xie Penglai was full of emotions, and had to spit out the truth, "She rescued me more than ten years ago. She knew how to fight on horseback and loved to eat snacks. She doesn't have a good temper, but she is very kind."

Zhao Yifang's eyes blinked suddenly, and after being flushed, she took a deep breath, "What else? Where is that man now?"

"Maybe I was wandering outside, but I just refused to stay in the sea of ​​sand." Xie Penglai's eyes showed a touch of helplessness, "I...I didn't tell anyone, and that person... didn't know." Zhao Yifang suddenly grabbed the palm of his hand, " In other words, you have nothing to do with that person." She happily grasped Xie Penglai's hand, squeezed it tightly and then released it, squeezed it tightly again and then shook it off.

After turning around involuntarily, King Jin stepped down the tower faster, and whispered to himself softly, "It's strange if you can succeed, it hasn't happened for more than ten years." She beckoned to Xie Penglai, "Master Xie, come down quickly, you want to come down?" Accompany me back to the mansion." Zhao Yifang smiled, raised her head and shoulders, "This is official business!"

Xie Penglai walked slowly, his brows that were often slightly frowned were also locked at this moment.But when she saw Zhao Yifang's smile from the bottom of her heart, she couldn't help letting go of her guard and smiled brightly, "Xie obeys."

Regarding Lu Jinhua's melancholy, on the contrary, she has long been used to tucking it into the corner of her heart.And years of affection finally confided to others, after the suffocated forbearance turned into a faint throbbing, a strange and rare joy poured into the limbs.

Zhao Yifang turned her head to watch Xie Penglai, who was following her two steps behind, and suddenly caught a glimpse of the aftertaste of her smile.