In the early morning, the market is bustling with people.
Sanfu Town, located at the junction of Taiming, Jiangchuan and Xinqing Prefectures, is not only an important transfer station from the south to the north entering Zhongzhou, but also a distribution center for the supplies of the three prefectures. It has been an important place for officials in all dynasties.
On this day, the people in Sanfu Town clearly felt something unusual.
At dawn, thousands of Haiji troops from Linhai Prefecture came from the south. After entering Sanfu Town, they quickly occupied the Military Town Division and surrounded the streets and alleys within a mile radius.
“It’s so lively here.”
Wen Wu looked down from the pavilion and saw that the market was extending in all directions and crowded with people. The Junzhen Division was located in the center of Sanfu Town, eight stories high. Standing on the highest floor, the entire Sanfu Town could be seen.
"Three mansions are selling land, of course." Xingmin sat in the room and moved his arms. When he was in Guangxing Mountains, the injury on his shoulder worsened again due to forceful exertion, but in view of the urgent situation at the time,
It could only be treated as an emergency. Now that he was settled, Wen Wu started treating him again, which took more than half an hour.
"You can't move this hand again within seven days. If it is cracked again, it will be disabled or disabled."
"I know, thanks."
"Are you still sending people to follow her?" Wen Wu looked down and suddenly asked. Outside the back door of the Junzhen Division, the woman was holding her child, as if she was a walking zombie.
Xingmin didn't know what he was talking about, so he came over to take a look and said: "Oh, her? I asked, the village where she was before is gone. Where can she go as a woman with a child? I asked
Lieutenant Li sent someone to watch her and gave her some money, which was enough for her to live a new life, but it would be better if she could find some relatives or something."
"You can't help me with this." Wen Wu disagreed. It's not that he was cold-blooded, but this time, more than a thousand people died in the convoy and villages. Now a large number of people are waiting outside.
In addition to the aftermath, the families of the living and the dead, as well as the losses of major trading companies, as well as the annual tribute... If one of them were given to each of them, the entire government would not have enough financial resources to cover it. The key is that the bandits are already dead.
It's all clean. The saying goes that every wrongdoer has a creditor, which is equivalent to trying to find a creditor.
"Everyone in front of me can help."
, this is not the way to go in the long run. I will ask my father for orders this time when I return to Xingxing, and formally issue an official edict to move out all the people inside, even if force is used." Xingmin pointed to the south of Sanfu Town.
"I have thought about the location just now. On that piece of land, the Finance Department will fund the construction of a residential building. If you are willing, you can move in. If you are not willing, you will be given some compensation. You can go wherever you want, as long as you don't go back."
That’s fine.”
Wen Wu's expression was ambiguous and he only asked: "Do you believe what that person said?"
"who?"
"Then who is it? Who is the one I kicked away?"
"Oh, that, ah -, I don't remember." Xingmin thought about it for a while, but didn't think of it, so he just skipped it and asked, "What about you? Do you think what he said is true or false?"
Wen Wu replied casually, "Although it is full of loopholes, it is probably about three to four points true, right? It should be."
Xingmin nodded, "I thought so too, but in fact it doesn't matter. If the banditry in Guangxing Mountains is not eliminated, the official roads will not be smooth, and the accumulated losses are also not small. It is better to solve it all at once."
"Too."
"Oh, it's easy to solve it by spending some money, but it's dead..." Xingmin had a complicated expression.
"It's not entirely your fault."
Wen Wu comforted him, but he knew in his heart that it was not easy to get rid of the shadow of this incident. If the bandits were included, this wave indirectly killed nearly two thousand people.
Xingmin said noncommittally, "Huh."
Wen Wu didn't know how to respond. He saw the Hai Zhi army below and changed the subject, "You brought these soldiers out? Not bad."
"Well, indeed." Xingmin said with a feeling: "However, despite looking at them now, in fact, most of them are fishermen in the Linhai area, and they have only been registered as military personnel in the past few years."
"oh."
Wen Wu nodded.
At this time, a shout came from outside the corridor, "Report——"
"explain."
"Returning to your lord, Lu Bing, the new Qingfu military officer, wants to see you."
"Tell him I'm recovering from my injuries and have no time." Xingmin's face darkened.
"yes!"
When someone came to take the order, 'Deng-Deng-Deng' ran downstairs again.
Wen Wu was a little curious, "How do you plan to deal with them?"
Although no one was left alive in this careful assassination operation, it is not difficult to get a clue after careful consideration. Xingmin's plan was extremely careful, and few people knew about it from the beginning. Before the attack, he left Linhai
He only stayed in Xinqing Prefecture. After the accident, Xinqing Prefecture was indifferent at first. When Linhai Prefecture sent troops to rescue, they blocked them everywhere on the grounds that they were not allowed to march across the prefecture without the permission of the military department. If Linhai Prefecture had not acted decisively in handling affairs
, broke up Hai Zhi's army into dozens of guerrillas, and forced a detour into the Guangxing Mountains. It's hard to say what the outcome will be... all the signs are basically pointing towards Xinqing Mansion, and they are unabashedly so.
Xingmin was silent for a moment, then shook his head, "Kang Huan, the head of the Xinqing Mansion, is the cultural inspector appointed by the emperor. I usually have a good relationship with him, so I plan to leave this matter to the emperor."
"Oh." Wen Wu just asked casually, so he didn't care much.
"Oh, forget it, these foreign affairs can't be dealt with at the moment, let's talk about it later." Xingmin patted him on the shoulder and said meaningfully: "Let's talk about it back to us."
"I?"
"Are you still pretending to be stupid? Okay, I'll go first. I won't lie to you, I actually knew you a long time ago." Xingmin said frankly: "Since your teacher arrived in Nanyuzhou, we have been exchanging letters, so
I already knew you not long after you became her teacher, and I already knew you would go north. I just didn’t expect to meet you here. In addition, my relationship with your teacher is better than you imagined.
, because she often went to the temple with her teacher Miao Ruoxingji to consult my mother when she was a child, so I have known her since I was 8 years old."
Wen Wu shrugged.
Seeing his expression, Xingmin smiled bitterly and said, "So, you really knew it a long time ago?"
Wen Wu smiled and no longer concealed anything, "This time when I went north, my teacher specifically told me that when I arrived in Xingdu, there were three people I could trust. The first one was her teacher, the grand sacrificial wine of the National Teacher Supervisor, and the Inner Hall
Ji, Mr. Miao Ruo, the president of the Pharmacist Association, the second is the current mother of the country, Queen Fengyi, and the third is the son of Queen Fengyi, the prince of Taidian, Xingmin..." Not only these, there are also legends among the people.
, Queen Fengyi has been in love with Qu Hong since she was a child, and even had the idea of letting Xingmin accept her into the palace...
The two looked at each other, then they both said "#" to each other, and then they laughed together again.
Wen Wu knew that the reason why Xingmin concealed the facts was largely to protect him, but he was different. In addition to being cautious, there was another reason that Xingmin didn't know. Wen Wu had been in
Qu Hong had heard about Xingmin's deeds and received comments about Xingmin as 'smart', 'friendly', 'strong' and 'upright'.
At that time, Wen Wu just rolled his eyes and sneered. Just as the common people in the world did not trust the character of the powerful class, Wen Wu simply did not believe that a person who was born as a proud son would have so many positive qualities. No, it is not limited to the powerful.
Even if you look at the whole world, it is difficult to find a 'saint' with such a bright character.
However, he really is, at least for now. Wen Wu glanced at Xingmin, and after a few days of observation, he realized that this guy might really be a 'fool'. No wonder he was squeezed out and transferred to Linhai Mansion.
The place was ruined. Wen Wu slandered him a lot. For such a majestic and upright image to appear in a prince is truly an anecdote for the ages.
Xingmin didn't know what he was thinking, and suddenly stopped smiling, "Hey, now that we've got the conversation out of the way, let's get down to business."
"Um?"
"The gunpowder you used to defeat the enemy when we were in the Guangxing Mountains..." Xingmin looked at him, his expression more serious than ever before, "Is it Danhuo?"
He was startled when he heard it.
Due to the particularity of alchemy, ordinary flames are often difficult to meet the needs of alchemy, so alchemists will look for and create a variety of flames with different characteristics as substitutes. For example, some flames have extremely high temperatures, some are not afraid of water, and some are long-lasting.
It is immortal, and some have extremely low temperatures... Special flames such as this are collectively called Dan Fire.
At the beginning of the Daxing Dynasty, the world's alchemists were killed and alchemy was banned. The reason was "Witchcraft Rebellion", but few people know that there is another important reason why alchemy was banned. Because of its specificity
, the lethality of elixir fire is often far greater than that of ordinary flames, and refining elixir fire is almost a skill that alchemists must master, so to some extent, every alchemist is a potentially dangerous element. And if elixir fire
If the production method spreads, it will be a huge hidden danger.
To this day, alchemy is still listed as a forbidden art in the Daxing Dynasty. Anyone who refines alchemy is guilty of the above three crimes, which are as serious as treason and a serious crime of confiscating the family and exterminating the clan.
Xingmin stared at him with a solemn expression.
Wen Wu looked at him for a few seconds and shook his head honestly, "No."
Xingmin's eyes narrowed, then he smiled brightly and put his arms around his shoulders, "Hey, it turns out that's not the case? I'm just saying, it scared me, it's okay if it's not, it's okay if it's not."
"Isn't that the gunpowder you gave me?"
"Really? Ah, yes, look at my head, I'm so busy that I'm dizzy." Xingmin patted his forehead and came closer, "Can you give me some adjustments later? It doesn't need to be more, ten or eight pounds is enough."
"Ten or eight pounds, do you think it's mixed with sediment? I only refined a few taels in half a month." Wen Wu rolled his eyes, "If you prepare the ingredients, I can get you a few bottles."
"Prepare, prepare, I'll prepare it for you later."
Xingmin was in a good mood and felt refreshed. After a while, as if casually, he said casually, "I want to ask you something again?"
"What?"
Wen Wu pushed his hand away and sat on the railing. Overlooking the bustling town and street, facing the warm morning sun and feeling the smell of fireworks, he relaxed for the first time in several days.
Xingmin looked at him, "Have you touched the threshold of immortality?"
Wen Wu was stunned for a moment, and then he didn't answer. He just smiled and looked at the morning sun.
Seeing this, Xingmin couldn't help but smile bitterly.