Hu Xiaotian said: "I was forced to fight back in self-defense. In fact, my situation is more difficult than ever before. Outsiders only see my superficial beauty, who knows how hard I actually work!"
Fan Zong laughed happily and said: "Master Hu has now conquered Dongluocang, which is one of the seven major granaries in Dayong." The implication is, don't cry poor with me, everyone is understanding.
Hu Xiaotian felt that Fan Zongxi still had something to say, so he smiled and said: "Brother Zongxi doesn't understand the specific situation here. Others thought that I captured Dongluo Cang and wiped out all the grain and grass inside. However, during the attack, Dayong
On the other hand, they set fire to the grain and grass warehouse, and most of the grain and grass in the Dongluo warehouse were burned. Although we tried our best to save it, what we rescued was only a drop in the bucket, a drop in the ocean." Having a premonition that Fan Zongxi might want to ask for grain for the imperial court, Hu Xiaotian gave the boy's words in advance.
Blocked.
Fan Zongxi took a breath and looked a little regretful: "How could this happen? Mr. Hu, to be honest, there is one more thing that needs to be conveyed to the Za family. Kangdu is in short supply of food and grass. The emperor wants Mr. Hu to allocate 100,000 shi of food to the capital.
Emergency.”
Hu Xiaotian cursed in his heart, Long Xuanen, Long Xuanen, you are really a lion with a big mouth, one mouth is worth one hundred thousand stones, one stone is one hundred and twenty kilograms, one hundred thousand stones is twelve million kilograms, where can I give it to you?
Get so much food? Not to mention that I don’t have it. Even if I have it, I can’t give it to you. I have worked so hard to get the food, so why should I give it to you?
Hu Xiaotian said: "The emperor really said that?"
Fan Zongxi nodded: "It's absolutely true!" Of course he wouldn't dare to lie about such a big thing. From what Hu Xiaotian said just now, Fan Zongxi has realized that he will never agree to the emperor's request easily. It seems that this time he
You may have to return empty-handed.
Hu Xiaotian said: "There is definitely no one hundred thousand stones, but now that the emperor has spoken, how can I, as a minister, not share his worries? Brother Zong Xi, do you think this is a good idea? What was seized in Dongluocang recently?"
The calculation of money and food has not yet been completed, so I will ask people to step up the calculation. No matter how much it is, half will be allocated to the emperor."
Fan Zongxi knew in his heart that it was just an excuse, but the initiative was in Hu Xiaotian's hands, and he was just the one responsible for delivering the message. Even if Hu Xiaotian didn't give him a grain of rice, he still had no choice. He heard that Hu Xiaotian promised to give half of the grain to the capital, Fan Zongxi
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as my trip here was more or less in vain. I could go back and report to the emperor.
After Hu Xiaotian learned the purpose of Fan Zongxi's visit, he didn't pay much attention to him. He asked Li Mingcheng to arrange for Fan Zongxi to rest, and asked Gao Yuan to invite Yu Tianxing and Zhan Peng back.
When Zhan Peng heard that the imperial court sent people to ask for food, he couldn't help but feel a little indignant. He said angrily: "When Dayong's army came, they didn't show up. Now that they have robbed Dongluo Cang, they are all rushing to ask for food. How about my lord?"
It was easy to achieve today's victory. Do we have to give away the hard-earned food and grass?"
Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "It's hard for the emperor to open his mouth. He owes the Yongjiang Navy the food and salary, but now he reaches out to us to ask for it back. The first time he opens his mouth is one hundred thousand dan."
Yu Tianxing was stunned when he heard this number: "One hundred thousand stones?"
Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "It's enough for fifty thousand people to comfortably feed for a year."
Yu Tianxing said: "Master, are you planning to agree to the emperor's request?"
Hu Xiaotian said: "Fan Zongxi did not bring an imperial edict, but only the emperor's oral edict. Oral edicts do not count at all. The emperor must not agree with the two battles we fought, but he was beyond his reach and did not dare to surrender.
It's my fault, so he did this. It's more important to let Fan Zongxi come here as a test. If he asks me for food, if I give it to him, I may be able to get a short period of peace. If I don't give it, maybe he will think again.
What kind of crazy idea do you have to deal with us?"
Zhan Peng said: "In fact, with the current situation of the imperial court, even if you want to deal with the lord, you are powerless." After occupying Dongluocang and obtaining sufficient food and grass, Hu Xiaotian's soldiers also gained confidence.
Yu Tianxing said: "You can't say that. Dayong sent envoys today to prove that they are not eager to launch the third battle immediately. They want to resolve the current crisis through negotiations. I heard that the Black Hu people are intensifying their troops in their northern Xinjiang."
, there is a strong tendency to prepare to march south next spring. I think it is for this reason that they have given up the idea of retaliating immediately. The Lord should first find out the purpose of Dayong’s special envoy’s trip, and then think about how to deal with it. Although the imperial court asked
The request is inexhaustible, but we cannot openly break up for the time being, as my lord’s current strength cannot cope with the situation of being attacked from both sides.”
Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "I am also worried about this matter. Just because Dayong is not eager to retaliate does not mean that they have accepted the reality of failure. The threat of the Black Hu people in the north is one reason. The new king of Dayong has taken power and is not yet stable.
An important factor. These two defeats most likely caused him a crisis of trust in Dayong. Xue Daohong should have realized this, so he temporarily put aside the idea of revenge and stabilized his own rule first."
Yu Tianxing said: "This is good news for my lord."
Hu Xiaotian narrowed his eyes and said: "I always feel that something is wrong. The first is to attack the enemy with troops, and the second is to attack the enemy. Maybe Xue Daohong finally realized the correct strategy. The purpose of the eldest princess Xue Lingjun's mission is to stabilize me. You say,
Will he have other means?"
Yu Tianxing said: "No matter what means he has, the lord must complete the recruitment before spring and then take the next step. As long as the southern line of Yongjiang River is firmly in his hands, there is no need to be afraid of any conspiracy. But these 100,000 stones of food are really
Too many, what do you plan to do, my lord? Should you agree or refuse?"
Hu Xiaotian said: "Now is not the time to fall out with the court. Of course you have to give, but you can't give so much."
"How much?"
Hu Xiaotian said: "I have to think about it carefully."
Yu Tianxing said: "Actually, no matter how much you give, if we give it here, we can send people over there to snatch it back halfway!" This sentence exactly touched Hu Xiaotian's heart. A faint smile appeared on the corner of Hu Xiaotian's lips, pointing at Yu Tianxing and said
: "Tianxing, Tianxing, you are starting to learn bad things!"
Yu Tianxing chuckled and said: "Those who are close to Zhu are red, and you will learn some skills by following the Lord."
After Xue Lingjun took a bath, he sat in front of the window, fixing his makeup in the mirror. The door was lightly knocked. After getting the answer, Jianping walked in from the outside, closed the door, came behind Xue Lingjun, and helped her comb her hair.
Black hair like a waterfall.
Xue Lingjun said: "How?"
Jianping said: "The reason why Hu Xiaotian was able to win consecutive battles was all because he acquired a new military advisor, Yu Tianxing. Yu Tianxing was commanding these two battles."
Xue Lingjun said: "I already know about this matter. I am asking you if you have found out everything about Yu Tianxing?"
Jianping said: "Yu Tianxing was originally from Tianbo City, Dakang. Because of the famine in his hometown, he fled north with his fellow villagers. When he came to Dongliang County, he was discovered by Hu Xiaotian. Hu Xiaotian appreciated his talent and entrusted him with the task.
Yu Tianxing did not disappoint him. He knew everything about astronomy, geography, and military formations. He was indeed a generational wizard from Jingbangwei Kingdom. By the way, he has two older brothers who are already in
I went to Dayong to do business a few years ago, and now I have settled in Yongdu."
Xue Lingjun sighed quietly and said: "I have long advised the emperor to take advantage of the famine in Dakang to recruit talented people from all over the world, but the emperor just refused to listen. If Dayong is willing to relax the entry conditions, courtesy and virtuous corporal, these remaining stars will
You should be working for us!"
Jianping said: "I didn't expect that Hu Xiaotian has a good taste!"
Xue Lingjun's expression suddenly turned cold: "You bitch! Did you call Hu Xiaotian's name too?"
Jianping was so frightened that she hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Highness, this servant has spoken out of ignorance. Your Highness, please forgive me! Your Highness, please forgive me!"
Xue Lingjun sneered and said: "Don't think that I dote on you just because I dote on you. Now that I saw Hu Xiaotian, I forgot my identity in joy and flirted with him a lot."
Jian Ping was so frightened that she fell to the ground and trembled: "Your Highness, the eldest princess, Jian Ping will do what you want. I will never dare to make decisions without authorization, let alone do anything disrespectful to Your Highness."
Xue Lingjun laughed, still admiring his own makeup in the bronze mirror, and said softly: "What are you afraid of, girl? If you didn't do anything wrong and you were so scared, just get up and help me tidy up my appearance.
We have a banquet to attend later."
Jian Ping secretly sighed in her heart. The eldest princess was so suspicious. She had been with her since she was a child. Unexpectedly, she still didn't trust him. She went to the side to wash her hands, then returned to Xue Lingjun to help her comb her hair.
, with a trembling heart, he secretly thought that it would be better to say less, as he would offend Xue Lingjun somewhere, and he was aware of her methods. Xue Lingjun has always been an unkind person.
Xue Lingjun said: "These are the only things you investigated?"
Jianping said: "The investigation is ongoing. Don't worry, eldest princess, I will investigate everything as soon as possible."
Xue Lingjun opened the jewelry box and selected it for a long time before picking out a jade hairpin. Jianping helped her insert it. Xue Lingjun looked at himself in the mirror and said softly: "What do you think of my outfit today?"
"Your Highness the Princess is naturally beautiful and has unparalleled beauty."
Xue Lingjun sighed and said: "It's a pity that beauty ages easily, but beauties have a bad life." Suddenly he took off the jade hairpin again, and the bun he had just tied fell down like a waterfall. Jianping had been working in vain for a long time, but she heard Xue Lingjun say
: "When I replied to him, I told him that I was not feeling well and would not go to the banquet tonight."
Xue Lingjun let go of Hu Xiaotian at the last moment, but Hu Xiaotian didn't care about it. Anyway, he didn't have to worry about having no guests. If you, Xue Lingjun, didn't come, and Fan Zongxi, the young eunuch of the Royal Horse Prison, the emperor's imperial envoy would have to give me face no matter what.
