Blazing An is the most mysterious person in Guangzhou City. It is so mysterious that many people in the military commander's mansion do not know his existence, and even less know about the court. Now, when the Taiping Army is senior, many people habitually miss Zhang An and do not take him seriously. But in fact, Zhang An is a brother from Daqiaoshan, just like them. Although he is not led by troops and is not as glorious as Ge Yi and others, he is in charge of the Military Information Department, the most important department of the Taiping Army.

The Military Intelligence Department is an institution directly under the command of the General Office of Zhou Shixiang. Even the Military Intelligence Department has no jurisdiction. The Ming Dynasty War Department located next to the cabinet has never heard of the existence of this institution. The Military Intelligence Department, as the name suggests, is an institution responsible for military intelligence collection. With the Taiping Army in Guangdong and Guangxi and Huguang, the scope of activities of the Military Intelligence Department has become wider and wider, and it can attract more intelligence officers to be recruited. The activities in the Qing-occupied area have also received secret support from many local gentry. Unlike at first, many intelligence officers were sacrificed by local gentry.

At present, the intelligence officers of the Military Intelligence Department have been densely spread all over the country, and Beijing has also set up lines. Even among the prisoners who went to Ningguta outside the pass, there were also people from the Military Intelligence Department. In the Annan, the Zheng family, the Ruan family and the Mo family all had people from the Military Intelligence Department to be active, and people from the Military Intelligence Department in the Qing military camps in various places often appeared. As for friendly troops, such as the Zhongzhen Camp, the Zheng army under the Yanping vassal state, the Military Intelligence Department also quietly extended its tentacles.

While the intelligence work was going smoothly, the Military Intelligence Department was like a gold-swalking beast, devouring little financial resources in Guangdong. However, even if the finances were difficult or tense, Zhou Shixiang gave instructions to Duke Xiang of Song, who was in charge of Guangdong's finance, to give priority to the needs of the Military Intelligence Department. With Zhou Shixiang's strong support, people often appeared in various places who carried silver notes and even went to the Qing army generals or officials' offices with gold and silver bags. Of course, these people's unified appearance to the outside world are merchants, or scholars who are eager to make progress.

The importance of intelligence allowed Zhou Shixiang to know the world without leaving Guangzhou. Zhang An made great efforts to achieve the growth and maturity of the Military Intelligence Department. It is hard to say that Zhou Shixiang had a keen eye to recognize people back then, because when the Military Intelligence Department was established, there was really no suitable candidate. Zhang An, who was able to speak and read, was driven to the shelves by Zhou Shixiang, but it turned out to be impressive.

Now, in addition to collecting military intelligence and bribing Qing generals and officials, Zhou Shixiang has assigned another task to Zhang An, but this task is a bit ruthless, which is to monitor the six cabinet ministries and even the governor's palace. As before, Zhang An took the task without saying a word, and then made a secret arrangement silently. If everything did not happen, everything would be exactly there.

Under the guidance of Xiang Rong, the manager of the Military Commander's Office, Zhang An met Zhou Shixiang. He looked a little fatter than before and was quite rich. Lin Wan'er, who was having dinner with Zhou Shixiang, saw this and got up obediently and withdrew.

Zhou Shixiang and Zhang An nodded, and Xiang Rong also retreated tactfully. Zhou Shixiang pointed to the huge map on the wall and said three words to Zhang An, "Good job."

This map covers eight provinces south of the Yangtze River. The map was drawn in detail, with official roads, waterways, water and land, and the terrain of the mountain and mausoleums clearly marked. In order to draw this map, the military headquarters sent no less than a hundred staff officers to follow the military intelligence department to the Qing occupied area. In order to ensure the safety of these surveying and mapping personnel, the Military Intelligence Department made great efforts and sacrificed dozens of people for this.

"This is what my subordinates do."

Zhang An was still a little restrained in front of Zhou Shixiang as before. Zhou Shixiang asked him to sit, but he refused to sit and just wanted to stand.

"Master General, Zhang Xiaoqi and the others ignored Eunuch Pan's words. They will go to the old mansion of Master Guo. Judging from the situation, they are afraid that they will make a big deal." Speaking of this, Zhang An hesitated, "Do you send someone to arrest them?"

"What are you trying to catch them?"

Zhou Shixiang smiled and waved his hand, "Give them another warning, I am limited in patience, don't really think that I am a toothless tiger."

Zhang An asked carefully: "What should the Grand Marshal do with his subordinates?"

Zhou Shixiang thought about it and said casually: "The scholar met a soldier, it's hard to explain it."

Most of Guo Zhiqi's family members died at the hands of the Qing army, and the rest were also killed in the shipwreck in the eighth year of Yongli. Now the Prime Minister is withered, so he pushed the mansion arranged by Zhou Shixiang and insisted on finding a yard that looked pretty good in the place just inside the cabinet. However, the Prime Minister can choose at will, but he can't recommend the treatment he deserves.

According to regulations, Guangzhou Prefecture assigned more than a dozen servants to the Chief Auxiliary's Mansion, and also selected 50 soldiers as the guards and guards of the Chief Auxiliary. Guo Zhiqi, a fellow villager in his hometown in Chaozhou, heard that he was the Chief Auxiliary, and recently many people came to surrender. For the sake of the villagers, the Chief Auxiliary took a few people and gave them some silver to go home.

After Zhang Xiaoqi and the others came out of the Censorate, they headed straight to Guo Zhiqi's mansion. On the way, a group of soldiers rushed over, which scared Zhang Xiaoqi and the others to surprise, thinking that Zhou Shi had arrested people. But when they saw the Taiping Army soldiers just asked them to stop, but did not come up to tie up people, they couldn't help but feel a little strange. They were relieved. No matter what, the officials present were all appointed by the court, all of whom were above four. As long as these soldiers were not sent by Zhou Shixiang to arrest them, they were not afraid. Even if they were sent by Zhou Shixiang to arrest people, they were not afraid.

This is the benefit of the system. As long as Zhou Shixiang is the Duke of Guangdong in the Ming Dynasty one day, as long as his tiger and wolf army is the official army of the Ming Dynasty one day, then these Ming officials who are also the Tang Dynasty’s regime will not worry that they will die in a bad way. Even if Zhou Shixiang is really annoyed them, at least, he will always have to explain to His Highness the King of Tang in terms of face that he cannot arrest so many officials if he wants to arrest them or kill them if he wants to.

Zhang Xiaoqi turned his face and shouted angrily to the team of soldiers, "What are you going to do? Have you not seen me be an imperial official?"

"What's wrong with the imperial officials?"

The leader of the Taiping Army Baihu stepped forward with a smile, waved his hand and shouted: "Search!" The subordinates immediately rushed towards the officials like wolves and tigers.

"Bastard, I am a court official, you dare..."

Before Zhang Xiao finished speaking, he was surrounded by soldiers. Guo Tianxu, who came with him, saw that there were guards in front of Guo's mansion, called for help. He did not expect the guards on duty to turn a deaf ear to them, but instead looked at them gloatingly. A team of Guangzhou Prefecture officers who came over on the road saw him, and they did not dare to come here to do so. The officers and soldiers did not dare to take care of him. No ordinary people dared to come over, and they all ran far away.

How could a group of scholars be the opponents of the big and thick soldiers? Three or four to one, and soon controlled them. However, the Taiping soldiers did not let Zhang Xiaoqi and the others suffer. They searched one by one and searched for them for a while and had nothing. Then the team leader nodded and walked to Zhang Xiaoqi, made a series of them, and smiled apologized: "Several adults, how many offends..." After a pause, he made an invitation, "Several adults, please!"

"You are indifferent to the king's laws, and you dare to humiliate the imperial officials in public!"

Zhang Xiaoqi's eyes were full of anger. What happened just now was more shocking than Pan Yinglong's ecstasy temple's courage to interfere in politics. He never expected that the Taiping Army would dare to humiliate himself so much in broad daylight at the door of the cabinet chief's house. The other officials were also full of righteous indignation and glared at the Baihus of the Taiping Army and his subordinates.

The hundred households said seriously: "Don't say that, but recently a Tartar spy sneaked in the city. It is said that someone in the court had an affair with the Qing Gou, so Bei Zhi was ordered to search. I believe that my general was about to fight the Northern Expedition. If someone in the court had an affair with the Qing Gou and leaked our military information, it would be a huge disaster. So in case of precautions, Bei Zhi acted on the idea of ​​not missing a thousand mistakes and not missing one person. If there was any offense, please forgive me!"

The sentence "I would rather search for one thousand mistakes, and I would never miss one person" made Zhang Xiaoqi and the others stunned. Everyone had only one thought in their minds: This Taiping Army is too domineering and too domineering!

The hundred households bowed and bowed again, waved their hands and took the people away. After Zhang Xiaoqi was stunned for a long time, he blushed and said to everyone: "I remember this humiliation, everyone will definitely settle the accounts in the future!

After arriving at Guo’s mansion with anger, Zhang Xiaoqi told the doorman about his purpose. After a while, the doorman came over and said, “George, please invite a few adults in.”

Um?

Zhang Xiaoqi was stunned: So smooth?

But I was always good to see that I was willing to see it, so I hurriedly pulled Wang Wanda, Ma Anmin and the others into the Guo Mansion. After arriving at the living room, I saw Guo Zhiqi sitting upright with tea.

Seeing Guo Zhiqi's appearance, Zhang Xiao was angry and cursed, and rushed forward and said, "Grade Master, the country is to support scholars to uphold righteousness! Zhou Shixiang wants to revise the iron case of imperial decree. Even if he does not destroy the Qing Dynasty in the future, what is the difference between the destruction of righteousness and the destruction of the country?"

Guo Zhiqi sighed. He had known that Zhou Shixiang instructed Ding Zhixiang to rehabilitate Shaowu, and also that Zhang Xiaoqiu and others were instructing Lianchengbian behind the scenes, but he really did not want to get involved because the important matter that the court is busy with is the Northern Expedition, rather than just quarreling with the title of dead. Besides, Shaowu is the brother of the King of Tang after all. It seems unreasonable that this younger brother will not rehabilitate his brother.

"Since His Highness, the king of Tang, has the precedent of Longwu, it is not necessary to postpone the title."

Guo Zhiqi stood up and persuaded Zhang Xiaoqi and others to put the overall situation first and not to cause trouble again. Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaoqi and others did not listen to the advice at all. Instead, they said that the court is now controlled by Zhou Shixiang. Not only did the military orders come from Zhou Shixiang's military commander's office, but the salary of the six ministries and large yamen in the cabinet must also be led by the military commander's office. The prefectures and counties in Guangdong and Guangxi are only subject to the orders of the military commander's office. The court's establishment is like a joke. Since the establishment of the six ministries, there is no official business to do. All officials of all sizes just click Mao in the hall every day. What kind of tradition does this become? Did the court listen to Zhou Shixiang or His Highness the King of Tang?

Zhang Xiaoqi used agitating in his words, trying to anger Guo Zhiqi with this, but he didn't expect that after hearing this, Guo Zhiqi was indifferent. He only chuckled and signaled Zhang Xiaoqi and the others to sit down and talk. Then he slowly said: "I am old and do not care about serving the country, but if the Duke of Guangdong does not listen, where will the Duke and the Duke general?"

When Zhang Xiaoqi heard this, he became anxious. Guo Zhiqi was obviously standing by and not being excited by himself. In his emotions, he couldn't help but stand up and said angrily: "As the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty and the head of all officials, the power of the court fell on him, Zhou Shixiang, and he watched Zhou Shixiang go to overturn the imperial decree case. After the rebellion case is overturned, the emperor has nothing to do with the King of Tang, and Guangdong and Guangxi have nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty. By then, Zhou Shixiang really wants to learn from Sun Kewang, and everything is the fault of the public!"

Zhang Xiaoqi's words were too hurtful. No matter how kind Guo Zhiqi was, he could not help but get angry. Huo stood up and stared at Zhang Xiaoqi and said angrily: "How could there be a cabinet in your eyes? How could I have been the assistant of me? How could I care about my Ming Dynasty? Things in the world are light and slow. You are trying your best to serve in order to fight the Northern Expedition and restore the country, but you are so petty, connecting with all officials and doing arbitrary. What are your worries about! If you put all officials in a dangerous place because of what you did, I can still save you. If I fail, then who can save you?"

Loyals who are full of benevolence, righteousness and morality, you are finished! Those in troubled times must be me! "The Strategy of Powerful Ministers" (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!