Kunlun one millet

Chapter 126

Putting away the tokens and withdrawing from the mandala, Zhao Mi said to Zhang Liwei: "It seems that the group of rat monsters are no longer around, only a few are wandering outside, which is not a good thing."

"Then I don't know what the Immortal Elder plans to do?" Zhang Liwei asked.

"Now that I know where the Rat Demon is, of course I won't sit idly by, and I'm ready to leave for Xinglong County now," said Zhao Mi.

Zhang Liwei said: "I don't know if the villain can accompany you?"

Zhao Mi seemed to be in deep thought. He actually already knew about Zhang Liwei's secret relationship with Chi Yundu monk, but he didn't point it out. Instead, he pretended to be puzzled: "Is Zhang Liwei not doing anything else in the village?"

"If we can witness that the mouse demon was subdued by the fairy chief, the folks in the village can feel at ease." Zhang Liwei had no choice but to come up with a random reason.

"That's right, the villages around you were the first to be invaded by evil spirits." Zhao Mi nodded: "That's all right, Zhang Liwei will come with me and be a witness."

Without delay, Zhao Mi sent his soldiers to leave immediately after going down the mountain, while Zhang Liwei took several villagers with him and followed Zhao Mi to Xinglong County.

Similar to Qiaozhang Village, Xinglong County was established by Huaxu Kingdom to accommodate a large number of overseas Chinese refugees since the Five Kingdoms War.Zhao Mi didn't bother to waste his words, and directly revealed his identity outside the county seat. After hearing the news, the local county magistrate hurriedly welcomed Zhao Mi and everyone in.

"I don't know what the Marquis Zhenming is doing here? But I have an order, and I will serve you wholeheartedly." In the government office, the county magistrate placed Zhao Mi on the seat and asked respectfully.

"Now that the two countries are facing each other, the situation is unusual, and there are even more monsters moving around. I have been ordered to hunt down all monsters inside and outside Jianjia Pass, which is ominous." Zhao Shu said: "The inspection is here, and I want to ask if there have been any monsters in your county recently. A catastrophe?"

The county magistrate smiled and replied: "The lord of the country is sage, and all the ministers are sages. The people of Xinglong County are happy and happy, and there is no disaster or ominous thing."

"Oh?" Zhao Mi raised his eyebrows. Before he entered the city, he had secretly summoned soldiers and horses from the altar to investigate the situation inside and outside Xinglong County. You will be charged with the crime of negligence if there are evil spirits and disasters. If you know about it and don’t report it, it will be an even worse crime."

The county magistrate immediately broke out in cold sweat and his face turned pale. He waved his hands away and said in a low voice, "It's the officials who are stupid. I will send a thousand taels of silver to the post later. Please accept it with a smile."

Zhao Mi didn't change his face. He didn't expect that when he asked a few words, the other party thought he was taking the opportunity to ask for bribes.

"The magistrate of Xinglong County is really generous!" Zhao Mi laughed: "One thousand taels of silver can be given as a gift. It seems that your county is prosperous and prosperous, far exceeding my expectations."

"Ashamed, ashamed!" The county magistrate smiled and said: "The lower officials are just doing chores for the nobles in the capital."

This remark is hidden in the needle, clearly implying that he has another backer in Dongshengdu, and the one thousand taels of silver is considered as a face for Zhenminghou, and I hope he will not push forward.

Of course Zhao Mi heard the meaning of the words, so he took the opportunity to ask: "Zhao is curious, what kind of chores can make Xinglong County Magistrate so profitable? Can you tell me a little bit?"

The county magistrate wiped his sweat. He thought that Zhao Shu felt that one thousand taels of silver was not enough, so he had to explain: "The Marquis of Zhenming should know that Xinglong County is located in a remote area, and it only depends on the land for taxes. It is not complete, so we can only find another way. There are a few small roads in the local mountains, which can accommodate carriages and horses to travel to Jiuli Kingdom and sell goods."

Zhao Mi concealed his anger with a smile. The Zheng family of Jiujiang was convicted for selling grain, rice, cloth and silk to Jiuli State.Now that the Zheng family has been overthrown, the border smuggler business has not stopped at all, and the county magistrate of Xinglong has also made a lot of money from this.

"But in this situation, is the business still possible?" Zhao Mi asked.

The county magistrate thought that Zhao Mi wanted to get involved, so he showed a strange smile: "Jiuli has many tribes, and it is not monolithic. The tribes near the border have always been willing to trade with us.

After they get the goods, they resell them to other tribes and make more profits!Moreover, there was a severe drought in Jiuli State last year, and the price of grain and rice there was the same every day, so that part of the food and grass for soldiers and horses in Jiuli State depended on us! "

Zhao Mi tapped his knee to stop, and asked, "Apart from your county, is there anyone in the nearby counties doing this business?"

"Of course!" The county magistrate became interested: "Marquis Zhenming doesn't know something. Jianjiaguan is close to the county. The one who makes this business the largest and most prosperous is that Lord Gao Ping!"

Zhao Mi was taken aback: "But isn't Lord Gao Ping the guard of Jianjia Pass?"

"That's right! Only with this status can we control the relationship with Jiuli Kingdom." The county magistrate smiled and said, "I heard that Wu Kui's army has taken over Jianjia Pass. If you want to come to Zhenminghou, there is a way. There is no need to show off."

Only then did Zhao Mi understand why Jianjiaguan's military equipment had been so slack under Gao Pinggong's hands, while his own living was so luxurious.Now it seems that it is not just about expelling and plundering the local soldiers and civilians, but treating the border military town as a cornucopia for making a fortune.

In fact, there is nothing wrong with border crossings.There are laws and regulations in Huaxu's country, which state that what can't be sold to other countries, and there are corresponding prohibitions in Jiuli's country.

But often the more you try to prevent it, the more people will take the risk.For example, Boss Wu, who smuggled Longxuezhi back then, might have connected with people from Jiuli Kingdom near Xinglong County and got Longxuezhi.

Similarly, there are many nobles and dignitaries in Huaxu's country who take advantage of this to make profits, and they simply collude with county magistrates.Among them, Gao Pinggong was the most rampant, directly operating the border military town as a private property.

Zhao Mi pinched his brows, he had the experience of Dongshengdu, he already had a general understanding of these things, and he didn't lose his composure on the spot.

And judging from the words of the magistrate of Xinglong County, he obviously regarded it as normal to use the position of magistrate to make profits with smugglers in Jiuli country.Duke Gao Ping did this, and officials of all sizes in neighboring counties and counties naturally followed suit.

This kind of thing really cannot be changed by Zhao Mi alone, and he is not so naive now.

But this will not change Zhao Mi's opinion of Gao Pinggong. As the clan lord of the country, and he sits in such a critical place as Jianjiaguan, it's nothing more than a private dealer for profit, but he shouldn't let the military equipment go to this point. This is the biggest wrong!

Now outside the Chen Bing Pass of Jiuli Kingdom, General Wei and Zhao Mi are busy cleaning up the mess for Gao Pinggong, and there will inevitably be resentment in their hearts.

"My official came this time not only to hunt down evil spirits." Zhao Shu said again: "Presumably the magistrate of Xinglong County has received orders from the imperial court to recruit soldiers and raise money and food. I wonder how things are going now?"

Hearing this, the county magistrate immediately showed embarrassment, and said, "Marquis Zhenming, can you give me a few days' grace?"

"What's the matter?" Zhao Mi asked, "These two things are difficult to deal with? The recruitment of soldiers can be slowed down a bit. General Wei is in urgent need of money and food."

"The Marquis of Zhenming may have heard that there have always been Chiyun rebels lurking in the surrounding counties and counties, hiding in the countryside and the market, and instigating unruly people to fight against the government. Whether it is collecting taxes or collecting corvees, it is particularly difficult." The county magistrate sighed. : "And the more remote the village, the more unruly people are often able to gather a crowd to resist. It is difficult to do anything with the officials and servants alone. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Zhao Mi was not angry at the county magistrate's prevarication, perhaps he had expected it.

"The Marquis of Zhenming might as well go to General Wei and send more troops to come. Those unruly people will definitely obey when they see the power of the imperial court's heavenly soldiers." Kill."

Zhao Mi smiled and said nothing, the county magistrate of Xinglong had a good plan.I used Chi Yun to do everything, and I was perfunctory about the court's orders. When the superiors urged me, I shifted the responsibility to the other party, let the court face the anger of the public, so that I could hide aside and protect myself wisely.

"Okay." Zhao Mi was really sullen in his heart, but he didn't explode on the spot. He lightly brushed off his sleeves and said, "I can send a letter to send troops here, but Xinglong County Magistrate has to do something. Right now, money and food are urgently needed, so why not Borrow from big local households first.”

"This..." The county magistrate hesitated.

Zhao Mi stood up and said, "Don't forget the magistrate of Xinglong County. When the soldiers and horses arrive later, it's okay for Zhao to directly borrow money and food like a local big family. After I lead the troops to leave, you will be the magistrate of Xinglong County." Let’s find a way to repay it.”

Since the county magistrate wants to be perfunctory, Zhao Mi might as well use a strong dragon to suppress the local snake.

After returning to the posthouse, Zhao Mi immediately wrote a letter and asked his soldiers to send it to General Wei.As soon as the letter was delivered here, a few servants brought the box to Zhao Mi. After opening it, the inside was not Tianxia silver cake, but the official silver that had been cast and inscribed, neatly arranged.

After those yamen servants left, He Dangguan couldn't help squatting in front of the box and staring at it for a long time, sighing: "How much is this county magistrate's annual salary? I vaguely remember that all the grain, rice, cloth and silk were folded into taels of silver, which was more than a hundred dollars." Two?"

Zhao Mi sneered: "I urged him to collect the money and food, but I tried every means to evade it. If I threatened a few words, it was immediately treated as a bribe."

Zhao Mi was still in deep thought when he heard voice transmission from soldiers and horses in the altar: "Altar Master, we have found the rat demon's lair."

"Oh? Where is the lair located?" Zhao Mi asked intently.

"It's just underground in Xinglong County. There are many entrances, but they are protected by magic. If we rush in deep, I'm afraid we will disturb the evil spirits inside."

Zhao Mi thought about it and said, "You should guard several entrances first, so as not to show your signs."

"Of order!" The soldiers and horses of the Lutan replied, "But apart from entrances like wells and canals, there seems to be another place in the city where the rat demon can enter and exit, and that is a shrine."

"Shrine? Which god is it?" Zhao Mi wondered secretly.

"A great fairy who attracts wealth and wealth."

"What kind of title is this?" Zhao Mi laughed out loud, and then asked: "Is there a spirit of spirit in the shrine?"

"There is an enchantment around the shrine, and we can't see what's going on inside."

Zhao Mi remained silent, he could vaguely guess that this Qianjin Daxian was not some righteous god, and planned to find out.

But just as he was about to leave, Zhao Mi stepped back and said to He Dangguan, "Are there any prostitutes in this city?"

He Dangguan was stunned, not knowing what to say: "It should be..."

"Go, whether it's prostitutes, dancers or singers, recruit three or five." Zhao Mi said, "I'll also arrange some wine and food. Tonight, I'll have a banquet in the posthouse for fun."

He Dangguan has been following Zhao Mi for a while, and he knows very well that this Deacon Zhao is definitely not a person who seeks pleasure, and is quite able to endure hardship and boredom.He looked left and right, and asked in a low voice, "Does Deacon Zhao have any plans?"

"Yes, but don't say anything." Zhao Mi took out some gold and silver from his bamboo box: "Go and do it."

He Dangguan didn't take it, he pointed to the box of silver on the ground and said, "Deacon Zhao doesn't need to pay for it himself, didn't the local county magistrate send a big box?"

But Zhao Mi shook his head and said, "Don't touch this box of official silver, I'm going to use it as a game."

……

"The news is true?"

In the government office, the county magistrate heard the report from the servant and couldn't help asking: "Is that Marquis Zhenming really recruiting singers and dancers to the post house?"

"It's true!" The guard replied: "The villain saw those singers and dancers go to the post house with his own eyes. Zhenminghou himself came out, hugged left and right, talked and laughed, and went inside."

The county magistrate smiled and said, "I heard before that this Marquis of Zhenming is diligent and pragmatic. When I saw him today, he turned out to be just a money-grubbing and lustful person!"

"Even so, don't underestimate this person."

Seeing a man with a roe-headed mouse come out of the back hall, the county magistrate waved the guards to leave and asked, "The god knows this person?"

"I have heard the name of Zhao Shu for a long time." The mouse-eyed man twisted his slender beard, "He became famous in Dongshengdu because a group of spies from Jiuli Kingdom failed to assassinate him, but he caught them all in one go. The ghost market near Shengdu was implicated because of this, and was destroyed and leveled by the imperial court. One of my acquaintances escaped in a dangerous manner, and the news about Zhao Mi has already spread throughout the mountains and plains of Huaxu country."

The county magistrate said cautiously: "Master, it is said that Zhao Mi is quite trusted by the ruler of the country, it is best not to trouble him rashly, otherwise the entanglement will be huge."

"This seat is naturally clear." The mouse-eyed man was about to say more, when he suddenly saw the candles in the room beating inexplicably, he immediately became vigilant, and he jumped out of the window very quickly, looking around, his nose twitched.

"What happened?" the county magistrate caught up and asked.

"I noticed a trace of magical energy, and suspected that someone was watching you and me." The mouse-eyed man searched for a long time, but found nothing.

The county magistrate wondered, "Could it be Zhao Mi?"

The mouse-eyed man didn't answer immediately, but closed his eyes and made a gesture, and said after a while: "It seems not. The eyes and ears I sent to the post house found that there was a lot of singing and dancing inside, so Zhao Mi was still applauding."

"Then what should I do next?" the magistrate asked.

"You gave Zhao Mi a thousand taels of silver before?" the mouse-eyed man asked, "And it's the public bank of the treasury, so you're not afraid of accidents?"

The county magistrate said calmly: "I have a sum of money that is still in circulation outside. In order to deal with Zhao Mi, I can only transfer it from the treasury. When the money comes back later, the account can be settled."

"It's a pity that I was forced to leave by Chiyundu's gang. If it was normal, I could still control a road to Jiuli Kingdom. Why worry about not having enough money?" The mouse-eyed man snorted coldly.

"This gang of rebellious parties has harmed the country and the people, offended the gods, and ruined people's wealth. It is really hateful!" The county magistrate said, "It seems that I have to spend a little more time talking, let Zhao Mi lead the army later, and directly kill the hidden rebellious party. His village was slaughtered. If he refuses to do it, I will write a letter in reverse, impeaching him for being suspected of indulging and disrupting the party!"

"Okay, okay, this is the right way!" The mouse-eyed man nodded in praise.

The two on the ground chatted happily, but they didn't notice a black paper crane among the roof tiles, blending into the night without making a sound.

(End of this chapter)