I'm watching the gate in the jail

In the small yard, Gao Hui sat on a bench, held up a kitchen knife, split a piece of wood the size of a bowl into four pieces, and threw it on the firewood pile beside him.

He looked up, and saw Qiu Zijin staring at the fattest hen with glowing eyes beside the chicken coop on one side, and touched the non-existent saliva around his mouth.

Gao Hui was a little confused. Didn't he agree to catch "Yijianmei"?

Just now that guy was kicked until he vomited blood.

How come it took only a short while to hold a birthday banquet for his "godmother"?

He looked at the hatchet that "Yijianmei" gave himself just now.The other party brazenly instructed him to split all the wood in the yard to make firewood, and to cook for a while.

As for Mr. Wan, he really washed his hands and went into the kitchen. It seems that he really wants to hold some kind of "birthday banquet", which is simply inexplicable...

"Gao Hui, what flavor of chicken do you like to eat?"

Qiu Zijin turned around and asked excitedly, "Braised? Steamed? Roasted chicken? I heard Master Wan said that there is a kind of 'Sand Ginger Chicken' in Guangdong and Guangxi. The meat is tender, juicy and delicious. What do you think he will cook today? Plant it for us to eat?"

"I have no idea……"

Gao Hui picked up a piece of firewood beside him and bowed his head to work.

He really doesn't know what these adults think.One moment they were still shouting and shouting, and the next moment they could drink and eat together, as if nothing had happened.

Forget it, anyway, no matter where you are, you can only follow the adults to do things, and you can do whatever they say you want to do.

At the foot of the mountain is a green vegetable field, and the spring breeze blows the green sea, bringing a burst of warm fragrance. Yang Xiuxian folded his arms around his chest and looked at the "one cut plum" Mei Qianzhang who was carrying baskets of vegetables under the field ridge.

"My lord, can you pick vegetables?"

Crouching on the ground, Mei Qianzhang raised the wide brim of the bamboo hat and called out to Yang Xiuxian.

Yang Xiuxian raised his head and looked at the green hills in the distance, without even looking at him.

"My lord, villains are born with an ability - they can smell the 'smell' of people. Just because of the different 'smells', I can recognize different types of people, know what they do, and what future they have. .Do you believe it or not?"

Seeing that he didn't believe it at all, Mei Qianzhang smiled indifferently, "Master Yang, you look like an 'official'. Not only that, you have a murderous aura on you, and the smell of blood is strong... I can smell it. There should be a lot of lives saved in the hands of adults. Is the villain's guess right?"

Yang Xiuxian snorted as an answer.

"That scholar surnamed Qiu is a little stupid. However, the smell of books all over his body still has a sour smell of pedantry. Fortunately, he is not strong, and he doesn't have the smell of winter. Well, a 'scholar' should be an official. "

Maybe because Qiu Zijin saved his life just now, Mei Qianzhang has a good impression of him.

"That big man who doesn't speak is boring...you're stupid, he looks poor. At most, he can only be used as a cow or a horse, a 'pawn'."

Tear off two pieces of the skin of a cabbage and throw it into the basket, Mei Qianzhang paused, "It's that 'Master Wan'..."

He turned up the volume on purpose.

Sure enough, Yang Xiuxian turned his head and asked in a low voice, "What about 'Master Wan'?"

"Master Wan... I can see it."

Mei Qianzhang took two steps back, showing an extremely cheap smile.

"Master Wan has many flavors."

Yang Xiuxian raised his eyebrows.

"There is a good smell of vegetables, the smell of snacks, and the smell of low-level soldiers. There is also... a greasy smell of common people."

Mei Qianzhang tilted her head in frustration, "That's why I wasn't on guard against him from the beginning. No matter how you look at him, he doesn't look like an official. He doesn't even have the arrogance of 'Ya Nei'. Hey, you Let me know, what kind of official are you adults?"

Seeing Yang Xiuxian's snort, Mei Qianzhang smiled cheaply.

"I also saw an interesting thing."

he whispered.

"I'm afraid you have 'unreasonable thoughts' towards him."

When she fell on the vegetable field with her neck stuck, Mei Qianzhang still maintained a smirk.

"The way you hugged him just now, that stupid big man couldn't see it, but I could see it clearly...ah!"

Dou Da's fist struck down.

In the kitchen, Wanda opened the cabinet doors and jars one by one, looked at all kinds of dried abalone, shark's fin, fish maw, and various dried mushrooms in the sealed jars, and took a breath in amazement.

This "one cut plum" probably emptied out a whole seafood shop.

When I opened the cupboard again, I was immediately dazzled again.

Not to mention all kinds of dining bowls carved with dragons and painted phoenixes.

Just the chopsticks cage on the shelf of the cupboard. The chopsticks that Wanda can recognize include Xiaoxiang bamboo chopsticks, red sandalwood chopsticks, ivory chopsticks, and even wooden chopsticks wrapped in gold and silver.

These chopsticks are the same as the furniture outside, they are clasped into a handful regardless of high or low, and they are just thrown on the chopstick cage so casually that people don't know what to say.

But fortunately, although the things in this kitchen are expensive, this "one cut plum" has not frantically made the kitchen shine like the hall outside.

Wanda was already ready to see a golden stove and a silver pot when she entered the door just now.

But fortunately, the stove is still an earthen stove, and the pot is also an iron pot... It's just the first time I saw the Stove King and Grandma Stove King enshrining pure gold on the stove.

Although the Imperial Dining Room is not capable of doing this...

Wanda scooped a spoonful of water from the water tank, rinsed the pot, and thought about what to cook for a while.

"Yijianmei" has already made an appointment with them just now.Today is his godmother's 55th birthday. He prepared for a year before and stole so many things just to make plans for today.

After today, Wanda and the others can do whatever they want with him.Whether it was taken to Guangxi, or sent to the county government to surrender, or killed on the spot, he had nothing to say.

When he said this, he swore to the sky and spoke with certainty, and he was not the kind of slicker who wanted to sneak away with his hands back, which made Wanda feel relieved.

But the most important thing is that it doesn't matter whether he really surrendered or pretended to surrender.As long as Yang Xiuxian and Gao Hui are by his side, even if he is Monkey King, he still cannot escape from Wuzhi Mountain of Tathagata Buddha.

What's more, Aunt Lan, an old woman, is much easier to deal with than Mei Qianzhang.Now that she knows that he is pure and filial, she won't just watch the godmother suffer and die for him, so she can temporarily hold him in her hands.

Wanda did the math and drew up a menu.

Since it's a birthday celebration, let's make a birthday peach first, and have all other chicken, duck and fish meat, as well as these abalone belly wings, matsutake mushrooms...how about making a "Buddha jumping over the wall"?

He opened the door, intending to ask Gao Hui to come in to help with the meeting, but he met Mrs. Lan who was about to come in.

"Damn... Godmother? What are you doing?"

Mrs. Lan had a bad expression on her face. After she came in, she closed the kitchen door, then turned around and knelt down in front of Wanda.

Wanda took a step back and hurriedly reached out to help.

"My lord, Mrs. Lan, the housewife, please greet your lord."

Lady Lan sang obeisance, followed by her body bowing down deeply.

"You... know our identities?"

Wanda was a little dissatisfied.

Annoyed that "Yijianmei" just swore never to reveal the official status of their group, how could he turn around and leak the news in front of his godmother.

It seems that there is still a lack of punches, and Gao Hui should be given two more punches.

"It's not what the kid said, but the old man guessed it himself."

This Aunt Lan is also a powerful character, she can see what Wanda is thinking at a glance.

"My lord, don't look at the old man's current appearance. When the old man was young, he was a famous leader in the Guilin Mansion. He has also seen countless dignitaries."

Speaking of the scenery when she was young, Mrs. Lan was quite proud, "My godson thought he could hide it from me. May I ask which hotel shopkeeper can bring two such skilled guards and a scholar to go around? If If my guess is correct, your Excellency should be the governor, or the inspector, right? Those should be your guards and books, is my guess right?"

Wanda thinks that your guess is too correct, but I am not the governor, but the "book" you think is.

Those two were not guards, they were Jin Yiwei who killed people without batting an eyelid.

But he couldn't say that to the old lady.

He had no choice but to smile vaguely, bent down, and insisted on helping her up before speaking.

"My lord, I have a merciless request, and I hope my lord can agree."

This old lady is worthy of being the godmother of "Yijianmei", she is very brown candy, no matter how hard she sticks to the ground, she refuses to get up.

Not only that, but he also hugged Wanda's calf, and forced him to act like a rascal.

"If you don't agree, I won't get up."

"Hey, if you have something to say, it's not a place to talk seriously. Let go of your old man."

Whether Wanda's "last life" or this life, she has never been able to do anything about this kind of middle-aged and elderly women. She couldn't break her feet several times, and she was sweating profusely.

At this moment, Mei Qianzhang walked into the kitchen with a small pannier on her back and a "green egg" repaired by Yang Xiuxian on her eyes.

Seeing Aunt Lan kneeling on the ground hugging Wanda's leg, crying and crying, she rushed over and yelled at Wanda, "What did you do to my godmother?"

Wanda was very aggrieved by his yelling, thinking that it must be your old lady playing hooligans to me!

"Stinky boy, how did you talk to adults!"

When Mrs. Lan saw that her godson was so disrespectful to "officials", she didn't need Yang Xiuxian to do anything.

She got up abruptly, and hit Mei Qianzhang on the forehead twice.

In such a small place as the kitchen, there was an echo.

Then Mrs. Lan didn't say anything, pulled Mei Qianzhang to kneel on the ground together, pressed the back of his head forcibly, and kowtowed three times as if sticking a candle in Wanda's direction.

"My lord, my son is ignorant, and my mother will pay him for it."

Saying that, she let go of the back of Mei Qianzhang's head, put her hand in and bowed again.

Not to mention Wanda, even Yang Xiuxian, Qiu Zijin and Gao Hui who were standing at the door watching the excitement were stunned by Mrs. Lan's "show operation".

You are the number one tiger mother in the Ming Dynasty!

Mei Qianzhang had already been severely beaten by Yang Xiuxian at the foot of the mountain before, and now he was forced to kowtow by his godmother, she was so dizzy that she couldn't find Bei.

He could only lie on the dirty mud floor in the kitchen resentfully, looking up at his godmother halfway up.

Lady Lan let go of Mei Qianzhang, pulled out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, stuck it on her cheek, twisted her waist which was no longer slender, and threw herself on Mei Qianzhang's body.

"My son, listen to my mother's persuasion. From now on, follow the adults to do things with peace of mind. It's better than being a thief and being a strong beam. Don't talk about gaining a future, at least you don't have to run around day and night."

Hearing what she said, Mei Qianzhang immediately looked up at Wanda, who also gave him a puzzled look.

"My lord! Accept my son, I kowtow to you."

After throwing Mei Qianzhang here, Lan Niangzi twisted her waist and pulled up Wanda's trouser leg with a thunderous force.

Wanda didn't check any of them, and she pulled down the whole pair of pants.

Yang Xiuxian even stopped breathing.

Wanda was so frightened that she covered her crotch with one hand and slipped her waistband with the other. No matter what the old woman said, she just nodded and said yes.

Grandma, if you have something to say, let go of my pants first.

Seeing that he agreed, Lady Lan let go of her hands, shook the dust off her skirt, and stood up slowly.Don't forget to give her a hand as a son.

Everyone was amazed.

What a blue lady, with such scheming and means, she really came from the head of the line.She can only be the godson of a thief for a few blocks!

Put the steamed huge birthday peaches, roasted crucian carp, simple version of Buddha jumping over the wall, stir-fried hen, Xiangqin pork bait and fried lotus root on the table one by one. Lady Lan kowtowed.

Although only a few of them were present at the birthday banquet, Lan Niangzi still dressed up grandly according to the old habits of her youth.

A full set of emerald emerald and golden gemstones, a big jacket with a double-breasted skirt full of blessings and longevity, and a horse-faced skirt with golden and white silk and water ripples.

Although the makeup on Lan Niangzi's face is a bit more colorful and vulgar, and the makeup on her face is a bit outdated, it fits the resplendent but nondescript living room as a whole.

"The bun on her head must have belonged to a concubine of a county magistrate under the Xunzhou Mansion..."

Wanda leaned close to Yang Xiuxian's ear and whispered, "There is also the silk and satin on her body, which should have been lost by the silk merchant in Guilin Mansion."

"Look at this tablecloth..."

Yang Xiuxian tugged at the red brocade cloth spread on the table of the Eight Immortals inlaid with ebony and mother-of-pearl, "It should be the Nanjing flower cloth that was lost on our boat."

Good guy, this "one-cut plum" stole all over Huguang, just to save up all these colorful and good things, and give his godmother a birthday...

I don't know whether to call him a "thief" or praise him a "filial son".

"This aunt Lan is quite careless. She knows where these things come from, but she still feels at ease..."

Qiu Zijin stared at the Buddha Jumping Wall on the table that had been cooking all day, and said in a low voice.

"Half of the ingredients on this table are stolen goods. The other half was bought with the money he stole. They are all stolen goods. Don't eat them for a while. If you smell them, they will be regarded as 'sold goods' for the thief."

Wanda said deliberately.

"Hey, that's not what I meant... okay, if you don't eat, don't eat."

Qiu Zijin considered the relationship between "desire for appetite" and "literary integrity", and suddenly became "sluggish".

He took out a handkerchief, covered his mouth and nose, and tied a knot at the back of his head, preparing to "not smell" completely.Then he folded his arms sullenly, really wanting to give up this mouth-watering delicacy.

Wanda was used to his usually greedy demeanor, and seeing his "awe-inspiring" appearance, he was not used to it for a while.

"This face was originally my mother's favorite thing when she was young. It was with my godmother until a few years ago. Later, it was cheated away and left in the hands of the concubine of the county government. I will take it back now. Give it back to my mother, why not?"

Mei Qianzhang kowtowed, and sat back beside Mrs. Lan. Seeing Qiu Zijin's appearance, she said sarcastically, "My 'Yijianmei' has always taken ill-gotten gains. Look at me as a 'thief', I think You officials are the 'national thieves'."

Mrs. Lan was happy to receive the filial piety from her godson, but when she heard that Mei Qianzhang was being rude, she immediately punched her again without even thinking about it.

"Mother, I'm not wrong! They are nobles from the capital. They grew up in the pile of brocades. They were born with a golden spoon in their mouths. They know the sufferings of the world."

Mei Qianzhang held her head and said resolutely.

"That county lord is not a good official at all. Guangxi has been in turmoil for years, and there have been several floods in recent years. Not only did the lord not distribute the rice grains sent by the court to the common people, but he also cooperated with the local grain merchants to sit on the ground and raise the price. .Sell the government’s disaster relief rice and grain to the common people at a high price, and make huge profits.”

"Xiao Qian! Shut up!"

The blue lady stomped her feet.

"Let him speak."

Wanda stretched out her hand to stop Lan Niangzi's raised arm.

He wanted to hear how these officials from Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan acted like a "national thief".

"The concubine whose hair was cut by me is already the old man's fourth concubine. He came to Xunzhou and served as an official for three years. He patronized the search for people's fat and anointment, and did nothing good. The little wives are one after another. Welcome in."

Mei Qianzhang reached out, took the jug and wine cup on one side, poured herself a full glass, and gulped it down.

"I not only cut that concubine's hair, I also shaved that master's beard."

He smiled wickedly.

"I put the old man's beard and the woman's hair in the box where the county magistrate's seal is stored. I sealed it intact. I just want to tell that evil official that I can take your woman today with a 'one cut plum'. cut off your hair, and tomorrow I can take your head in a dream!"

"If you serve as an official, if you don't benefit one party, you only want to seize land and enjoy the wealth and gentleness of the country. What kind of official should you be? This kind of person is not a 'national thief'?"

Speaking of the origin, Mei Qianzhang slammed the table down heavily.

"well said!"

Hearing what he said, Qiu Zijin got hotheaded, pulled off the handkerchief on the bottom, and applauded him loudly.

"childish……"

Yang Xiuxian snorted coldly and turned his head to the side.

He thought that if he frightened the county magistrate, he would put his tail between his legs and behave obediently?

It's not how to search, how to search, or even become more severe, to make up for all the losses.

"There are also those few rich merchants and silk merchants."

After drinking a few glasses of good wine and tasting a few pieces of meat and vegetables, Mei Qianzhang's face was already flushed.I don't know if it's because of excitement, or flushing from drinking too much wine.

Before looking at the other side, Qiu Zijin, who kept saying "literary spirit", although he still had no bones to eat meat, he was already drunk and rolled with Mei Qianzhang.

"Hey... my lord, sit down slowly, let the old man go to the back to let off the smell of alcohol, and make another pot of hangover soup."

Seeing that she was like this, Mrs. Lan couldn't stop herself.He simply got up, went to the room, took off his head jewelry, changed into ordinary clothes, and went to the kitchen to make soup.

Gao Hui was alert at the moment, and followed into the kitchen, apparently to help, but actually to monitor.

"Those rich businessmen, eunuchs colluding with the court... Yes, I'm talking about the eunuch Huang. It's called 'defense', and it should protect one side. In fact, it's colluding with local officials and merchants to harm the people in the name of buying tributes." , search for people's fat and people's ointment."

Mei Qianzhang patted her chest drunkenly, "Did I steal their money and brocades and distribute them to the people—this is called 'take from the people, use for the people'—am I doing something wrong?"

"Well……"

Qiu Zijin hugged the jug, wanted to say "yes", but felt that something was wrong.

He opened and closed his mouth, looked pitifully at the delicious dishes on the table, and regretted the "rhetoric words" just now.

"That's why you steal other people's silk and satin to make clothes for your godmother?"

Wanda sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

Stealing is stealing. When others do something wrong, you rob them of their property under the banner of "chivalry" and distribute it to the common people. It is considered venting your anger and atoning for your sins?

When Wanda was in school, he liked to read martial arts novels the most. He never let go of Jin Yong, Gu Long Liang Yusheng, or Huanzhu landlord Wen Ruian.

I also once admired the chivalrous men in it, thinking that they killed corrupt officials, exterminated dogs and thieves, enjoyed their grievances and enmity, and yearned for their "jianghu" life.

But since he entered the Jinyiwei Yamen and handled many cases solidly, he gradually understood what it means to "offend the ban with martial arts".

If everyone takes their own set of so-called "justice" and "axioms" as the code of action, then where there is still a government, where there is still a need for the law.

Isn't the world really in chaos?

"Huh... your government is protected by officials and officials. Apart from other things, I have stipulated that as long as the people sue the officials, regardless of the reason, they will be hit with fifty killing sticks first. If the fifty sticks go down, their lives will be beaten. Dare to sue?"

Seeing Wanda's disapproving look, Mei Qianzhang patted the table again angrily, "Even if it's just a daily teller. Don't you understand the principle of 'the eight-character yamen opens to the south, and you don't come in if you have a reason or money'? Ordinary people, where do you come from?" It’s another government servant, another book, another prison boss, and another policeman. Before the certificate is handed in, the money has already been spent.”

Hearing this, Wanda couldn't refute it.

Not to mention ordinary yamen, Jinyiwei yamen is the same.

The salary is too little, the corruption is excessive, and the procedures are numerous.

Except for the inefficiency of Jinyiwei, everything can be touched.

He can only control himself from fishing, but he can't speak to others.

"Does your lord know that Guangxi does not produce silk? But why does the imperial court apportion the share of tribute and satin to Guilin Mansion every year?"

Mei Qianzhang tilted her head and smiled, "Do you know what will happen if you can't pay the tribute regularly? You know that eunuchs like Huang Ren are rich and unkind, not only will they buy the chieftain of the courier and desperately search for the so-called Treasures', 'Auspiciousness'. Would you even sell military information to them in exchange for benefits?"

"what?"

Hearing this, Wanda finally couldn't bear it any longer. He grabbed "Yijianmei" by the neckline and asked sharply, "What did you mean just now? Explain clearly!"

"Do you really think that the 'information' you saw in Beijing is real 'information'?"

Mei Qianzhang spat on the ground and said sarcastically, "Fart. Those are all compiled to deceive people. If you really march and deploy according to these information, it will be strange to win."

"Then how do you know?"

Wanda asked.

"Hehe, young master, I am black and white. I don't know anyone. There are many heroes and heroes who are my friends."

Mei Qianzhang really drank too much and started talking incoherently.

"Fishers, hunters, loan sharks, pawnshops... courthouses for prostitutes, escorts and bandits. Except for the Jade Emperor and Yama of the Ten Palaces, I have no relationship with your grandfather. It is the old emperor in the Forbidden City." Son……"

"Shut up!"

Fearing that what this guy said would tarnish the emperor, Yang Xiuxian patted the table heavily with a "pong", making the bowls, chopsticks and plates jingle loudly.

Qiu Zijin, who was lying on the table so drunk, raised his head in bewilderment, took a look, and seeing Mei Qian's drunken eyes, he deliberately moved the stool towards him, and pushed his arm, "Hey , don't sleep, keep talking. I'm listening...don't sleep..."

Before the words fell, he fell asleep again.

Seeing these two drunk and unconscious guys, Wanda looked at Yang Xiuxian helplessly.

"What did he mean by what he said just now? 'Sell out military information', 'compile intelligence', are they all true?"

"Our ancestors ruled that our Jinyiwei cannot directly participate in the war. Only the Dongchang and the eunuchs who supervise the army can understand many military situations..."

Although Jin Yiwei is the emperor's personal servant, he is still a soldier.The emperors of the Ming Dynasty have always trusted eunuchs more than soldiers.

After all, only soldiers can rebel, and eunuchs are nothing without the emperor.

Back then, Cao Jixiang and Wang Zhen were all in the hands of the powerful Dongchang.But his life and death are nothing more than a word from the emperor, and he doesn't even have the desire to resist.

Yang Xiuxian naturally knew the weight of this sentence.

Throughout last year, he was on the front line of Datangxia, Guangxi, inquiring about the military situation. He was born and died several times, just to know the distribution of the various villages on the mountain, the composition of the personnel, and the movement of the organization... For this reason, countless people in Jinyiwei and the regiment camp sacrificed their lives. spies.

If they take advantage of the information obtained by their lives, it becomes a so-called "trade" between the middle and high-level military and the local rebels...

So how innocent were the soldiers who died, how innocent were the civilians affected by the flames of war, and how innocent were the young men who were transferred by the court to pay extra taxes in order to suppress the rebellion again and again!

"What this person said may not be drunk..."

Yang Xiuxian pondered, "It seems that this is the focus of our trip to Guangxi."

Looking at the messy cups and plates on this table, Wanda nodded heavily.

On this side, Wanda and his party gradually cleared the fog under the chaotic chaos, and found out the reason why the rebellion has not been smooth for years.

On the other hand, in mid-to-late April, Zhu Jianshen ordered the establishment of the Guangdong-Guangdong military center in the Nanjing Military Department in Yingtianfu.Start to prepare for the mobilization of soldiers and horses, raising food and military pay.

At this moment, a letter of "Counting Rebellion Strategies" written by Qiu Jun, edited by the Imperial Academy, based on the intelligence of the Guangxi garrison, eunuchs and eunuchs over the years, was submitted to Zhu Jianshen's imperial case by Li Xian, Li Ge, the capital. forward.

The outline of this strategy letter is generally four words - encircle but not attack.

It is pointed out that the main reason why Guangxi has suffered successive years of wars and failed to suppress the rebellion is that the imperial troops are not adapted to the local climate.In addition, the terrain there is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, no matter how many soldiers are sent, it will not help.

It is not as good as the troops from Guangdong and Guangxi working together to drive the bandit leader into the cliff of Dateng Gorge.Cut off rebel supplies.Surround him for three to five years, and trap the rebels to death in the mountains. When their morale drops, send troops to wipe them out in one fell swoop, and you will win a big victory!

After reading this "Fanglue" by Zhu Jianshen, he felt that it was well-founded and deeply agreed.He asked Eunuch Huai En to call Wang Hong, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, into the palace to discuss.Wang Shangshu also felt that this could be used as a general strategy for this campaign.

At the court meeting the next day, Zhu Jianshen distributed the paper and ordered it to be sent to the Nanjing Military Headquarters for the senior generals of the army to check.

Chief General Zhao Fu, General Soldier Ou Xin, Commander and others read it, and combined with the information collected by the local garrison over the years, they felt that this "Fanglue" was indeed reasonable and a good plan.

Only one person, after reading "Fang Lue", slapped it on the case table, and refuted it loudly in front of the chief general and others, "It's a bunch of nonsense!"

This person is the president of the army who was born in Hanlin, and now the censor of the capital of Youqian. He once followed Wanda to Yu Qian's Temple and worshiped Yu Qian's general - Han Yong.