Xu Xian couldn't help but secretly get angry after hearing this. These people were simply extorting money. Jiubao suddenly came over and whispered in his ear: "Don't be upset, general manager. This is the custom in the feudal town. The general manager can just reward them casually."

"Oh, how much will it cost?"

"Well, thirty or fifty cents will be enough."

Xu Xian nodded and loudly said to everyone: "When I first arrived at Henghai Navy, each of me gave fifty coins to each of the brothers as a meeting gift. The money is not much, but it is Xu's kindness. I hope all brothers will accept it."

His voice was not loud but he quickly suppressed the noise around him. The soldiers of the Henghai Navy were silent and looked at Xu Xian with disbelief.

What's wrong? Is it too little? Just when Xu Xian was puzzled, a roar of mountains and tsunamis erupted around him. Hu Dapeng grinned and said: "The manager is really generous. Everyone expected you to give a reward of three to five cents."

I'm satisfied, I've never been rewarded with fifty cents..." Before he finished speaking, the commander-in-chief's eyes turned red, "It's the general manager who has treated us as individuals all these years!"

Xu Xian invited the commander-in-chief of the Hengjun Navy to the military office and listened to him tell about the misfortunes of the Hengjun Navy and the hardships of the soldiers. He even started to cry when he got to the bitter point.

"Since the day it was established as a town, Henghai Haijun has been sandwiched between the three powerful vassals of Lulong, Weibo, and Pinglu, and has been bullied. They often come to our town of Henghai to plunder and report to the court.

No one cared about it, and instead he was reprimanded by the court..."

Xu Xian said in disbelief: "That means he has been bullied since the Tang Dynasty."

"No! It has been more than a hundred years. Later, the world was in chaos, and life became even more miserable. All the people in Henghai Town ran away, and the Jiedushi only cared about making money and didn't care about the lives of the soldiers.

Gradually, the young and strong soldiers also went to steal other military towns to find a way to survive..."

The military men in Xu Xian's impression have always been arrogant and cruel. This is the first time he heard about a hard-working man like Heng Haijun, "Jiedu Envoy dares to default on your salary, why don't you drive him away..."

Hu Dapeng lamented, "Speaking of which, we ourselves are useless. We can't defeat Jiedushi's backyard soldiers. We can't blame anyone for being bullied."

This tone does not sound like a soldier in troubled times. It is more like saying that he is an old farmer who is used to being bullied by tax collectors. This Henghai navy is worse than Xu Xian thought. It is not because of poverty. Without bloodiness and bravery, what else can they be expected to fight?

War, no matter how cruel it is, has no value in winning over.

But looking at their ragged clothes, they were really pitiful. Xu Xian had someone advance two months' salary for each of them. After all, Chen Yuan left a lot of money, and Xu Xian was generous to others.

He also ordered Hu Dapeng to select more than a thousand strong soldiers for training, but the ones he sent were all half-grown men, and the older ones were old men in their fifties, except for those in their twenties and thirties. He still had the nerve to say this

It is the last hope of the Henghai Navy.

Jiubao personally served as the instructor and trained for more than ten days. Xu Xian could only see that they showed quite strong fighting power when eating. The dry and skinny boy could actually eat three bowls of yellow rice in one go.

He is so proficient in using bowls and chopsticks, so why can’t he understand the command “bowl, chopsticks, bowl”?

Seeing the disheartened look on Xu Xian's face, Jiubao came up and advised him, "Don't worry, manager. The Red Scarves were just like them when they started to form an army. As long as they have enough food and clothing and training, they will be an elite force in two years."

"

"It's just that I can't stay here for two years. If I go back and change military governors, I might be back to my original shape. All the hard work I put in here will be wasted."

"Manager! It's not good!" Hu Dapeng ran to Xu Xian anxiously and said: "The people of Liao are here to beat the autumn wind again."

Xu Xian couldn't help being shocked when he heard this, "Liao people! How many people and horses! Heng Haijun is so poor that they still come to thresh grass and grain!"

Hu Dapeng touched his nose and said, "It's not about hunting grass and valleys, it's about catching the autumn wind."

Xu Xian frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Just...asking for money." Hu Dapeng explained: "Since Chen Linggong took office, people from the Liao State have come to Henghai Town to fight the autumn wind every year. It does not harm the people to ask for some money from the military government and then leave."

"What's the difference between this and robbery? Why not drive them out!"

"We couldn't defeat them, and Chen Linggong didn't even call for a report. He gave them one or two thousand guan to get rid of them."

Xu Xian sneered, "No wonder Heng Haijun can live in such a stable life despite having so few troops. This peaceful life was actually sold to the enemy for money. It's really ridiculous."

Hu Dapeng nodded repeatedly, "It's indeed ridiculous, but this has been the case for the past few years. Now he has entered the city and is confronting the general manager's backyard soldiers."

When Xu Xian heard this, he couldn't help but get angry, not because of those Liao people but because of Heng Haijun's soldiers, "Is the gate of Cangzhou City made of paper? How could you let each other enter the city!"

With the wind blowing at his feet, he quickly ran to the gate of the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion. As expected, he saw Dakui confronting hundreds of people. However, the opponent was not the Khitan in Kundi coat that Xu Xian had expected, but all Han Chinese, even with soldiers.

The blade armors are all the same as those of the Zhou army, and they are mostly soldiers and horses from Youzhou.

When Dakui saw Xu Xian, he said loudly: "Manager, you are back. These Liao dogs dared to cross the border and barge into the city. They are really bullying people. We are just waiting for your order and we will fight them."

These bitches."

Xu Xian, who was expressionless, scolded Da Kui: "The only thing left in my mind is fighting and killing. You can even afford to fight lightly."

Xu Xian turned around and immediately put on a charming smile, "May I ask who is the Shangguan from the Liao Kingdom?"

Hu Dapeng, who was standing next to him, almost ducked when he saw this. Xu Xian, who had been filled with indignation just now, was surprised to see such an expression. After all, it was a young man who was careless, and it was normal for him to be afraid.

A man stood across from him. He was tall and tall. He was in his forties. He held a riding crop in his hand and looked Xu Xian up and down. "Are you the new military commander of Heng Haijun? You are so young!" He looked at Xu Xian.

Hu Dapeng said: "Commander Hu has not recommended me to him yet."

"This is the training envoy of the Jizhou regiment, surnamed Yuan Tao Hongyi!" Hu Dapeng raised his hands to the other party and asked, "Why did Yuan Shouchuo come in person this time?"

"I heard that the newly appointed Heng Haijun Jiedushi is spending a lot of money. How could I not come to visit him in person? Does Mr. Xu plan to receive guests here?"

A small regiment commander dared to be so arrogant. Xu Xian's stomach almost exploded with anger. He suppressed the anger in his heart and said in a good voice: "Well, Yuan Jushou, please come and sit in the military office."

Xu Xian led him into the military office, and the two of them sat down separately. Yuan Hongyan put down his riding whip and cupped his hands and said, "I heard that the general manager has been promoted here, and Yuan is here to congratulate me."

"Yuan Jushou is here to make the Hengjun fleet shine! What are you doing in a daze? Why don't you serve tea!" Ignoring the contempt of the people around him, Xu Xian exchanged pleasantries with the other party and used flattery, without a single word of flattery.

Jiedushi makes people behave in a manner that they should have.

The other party was probably disgusted by what he heard. Yuan Hongyan said bluntly: "Manager Xu wants Henghai Town to be stable and peaceful, so he must understand the rules."

"Of course I understand. Go to the back office quickly and get two thousand guan to load the car, and let Yuan Zhuoshou take it with him when he leaves."

Yuan Hongyan immediately shouted: "Manager Xu, today I am here in person, will you just use this money to send me away?"

Hu Dapeng asked: "It has always been this price when Chen Linggong was here."

"Humph... Chen Yuan has left. As far as I know, he left a lot of money to Mr. Xu. I won't be greedy for more than half, and I will give him another five thousand guan every year from now on."

Hu Dapeng said: "Yuan Zhuoshou, the people in Henghai Town are small and poor, but they don't have so much money. Please show mercy."

Yuan Hongyan ignored him and only said to Xu Xian: "General Manager Xu has been in office for many days. You must have an idea of ​​what the Henghai navy is like.

These useless old and weak people cannot bear a single blow from Yuan! Manager Xu is young and has a bright future. If he loses the city and land because of a little money, wouldn't it be a small loss but a big loss! Without the emperor's trust, how will he rise to the top in the future?"

Dakui was furious and drew his knife and shouted: "Who are you trying to scare? If you have the guts, let's fight."

"Take this ignorant guy out and beat him with a hundred military sticks!"

The scolding Dakui was pulled out, and Xu Xiancai said to Yuan Hongyi: "My subordinates are so reckless and ignorant that the captor is laughing at me, so just do as the captor said, and I will ask someone to give away 20,000 yuan of money."

Yuan Hongyi didn't seem to expect Xu Xian to laugh so loudly and said: "Those who know the current affairs are heroes. Manager Xu is such a happy person! I have made this friend of yours, Yuan!"

Xu Xian immediately asked someone to buy food and wine, and greeted Yuan Hongyi and his subordinates. The two of them called themselves brothers at the wine table and were very affectionate. However, Yuan Hongyi was not a drinker, so he only drank two bowls and then lay on the table without moving.

When he woke up again, he had been tied up. Dakui poured a basin of cold water on him to wake him up, grabbed his collar and slapped him more than a dozen times. Yuan Hongyan, whose cheeks were red and swollen from the slaps, cursed: "You surnamed Xu

Dare you to trick me!"

Xu Xian took a mouthful of vegetables and threw it into his mouth, "What you said makes no sense. As a general of the Liao Kingdom, you trespassed into the Zhou Kingdom's territory. I didn't come up to kill you with a knife. I even invited you to the military office. I already

It’s a huge humiliation, why don’t I dare to trick you!”

"I have tens of thousands of elite soldiers and horses in Youzhou. If you dare to touch a hair of mine, there will be no grass growing in Henghai Town!"

"You are not afraid of the wind blowing your tongue. You can use the elite soldiers and horses of Youzhou. If you can mobilize thousands of soldiers from Jizhou, you are considered powerful. If what I expected is true, you can extort money from Cangzhou."

You are the only one who makes the decision, otherwise who will share the one or two thousand guan each year? I have to say you are quite courageous."

Xu Xian came up to him with a drink and said, "You think I am a timid person like Chen Yuan. He just gave you the money without saying a word and didn't even ask where I came from."

As expected, Yuan Hongyan's face changed color when he heard this, but he still did not show weakness, "I advise you to release me as soon as possible! If I die, you will be in big trouble if the two countries fight."

"Dakui, please pour some cold water on him to wake him up. Not to mention that you are a small group, even I, as the governor of a town, cannot guarantee that the emperor will go to war for me. You think of yourself as the prince of Liao!

"

Everyone laughed when they heard the words. Yuan Hongyan couldn't help but flushed when he heard the words. He was really bluffing just now. How could the emperor who was far away in Beijing know who he was? What's more, the Liao Kingdom was currently in civil strife and it was impossible to start a war with the Zhou Kingdom.

"Kill if you want, scrape if you want, don't even think about humiliating me!"

Xu Xian chuckled and said, "Whatever I do to you by killing you won't bring you even a single copper coin."

"Then...what do you want?"

"Spit it out after you eat mine. You are the training envoy of the Jizhou regiment and you must have some wealth. If you give me one hundred thousand guan, I will let you go!"

Yuan Hongyan shook his head repeatedly and said: "I'm just a small regiment trainer. How can I have so much money? I extort some money from Henghai Navy every year and spend it all with my brothers."

Xu Xian scratched his scalp and said, "You have made it difficult for me. You have not told me how to let you go. I have never done business at a loss. It seems that I can only vent my anger by killing you."

The Muggle immediately echoed: "Off his head!" As he said that, he stuck out his tongue and licked around the mouth, with an extremely ferocious look on his face.

"If you want to kill me, be quick!" Yuan Hongyan said, closing his eyes and looking like he would kill me at the slightest sign of his neck.

"The family really has no money? Not even 5,000 yuan?"

Yuan Hongyan said simply: "No!"

"How did you become an official? I spent all my wine in vain, and the Muggles took him out and chopped him up!"

The Muggle couldn't wait to grab his collar and drag him out. Xu Xian suddenly had an idea in his mind and stopped the Muggle and ordered everyone to go out. Only Xu Xian and Yuan Hongyan were left in the lobby.

Xu Xian drew a knife and cut off the rope on Yuan Hongyan's body, pressed him on a chair and poured him a bowl of wine. Yuan Hongyan sneered: "The wine is drugged, do you want my death to be easier?"
To be continued...