Catching Monsters

Chapter 257: You dog slave, kneel down!

"Eunuch Liu, a great war is about to begin. If the Ministry of Revenue does this, what will happen if the 150,000-strong army runs out of food?" Xu Xiaogang asked with a serious face.

Liu Muyun said with a smile: "I will report the Ministry of Revenue's problems to His Majesty and ask His Majesty to investigate them strictly. We can't just act out of anger..."

You know, a lot of this withheld food and fodder went into Liu Muyun’s pocket.

It is true that a war is about to break out, but all the bad debts of the Ministry of Revenue will have to be settled through this war.

Officials from top to bottom, all of them want to make a fortune.

As for the upcoming battle mentioned by Xu Xiaogang, Liu Muyun was not worried. You know, Jianchi Pass has been as solid as a rock for so many years.

How could it be breached?
Xu Xiaogang's face darkened. If it were Xu Dingwu, this group of people would never dare to be so arrogant when his father was still alive.

Do you think you are easy to bully because you are young?
Liu Muyun was holding the receipt in his hand, and he was already a little impatient. He said, "Since the Duke of Zhenguo doesn't want this batch of grain, come and send it back. We can send it back after a while."

"Wait, I'll sign." Xu Xiaogang gritted his teeth. Of the 30,000 dan of grain, perhaps only 10,000 dan could be eaten.

But he had no choice.

Let's get the ten thousand first.

Seeing Xu Xiaogang signed the receipt, Liu Muyun smiled and said, "Duke Zhenguo, don't worry too much. I've heard that Jianchi Pass is impregnable."

"We are really short of food. Let the soldiers in Mushan City starve for a while until the soldiers in Jianchi Pass are full."

"Anyway, these barbarians can't defeat us."

Xu Xiaogang took a deep breath and said, "General Liu doesn't know how to fight a war."

"I don't know how to fight, but I know how to be hungry." Liu Muyun said with a smile: "When I was a child, before I was castrated, I starved for three whole days, and I survived it."

Xu Xiaogang's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth and said to Jiang Yubo, "Uncle Jiang, keep a close eye on it. All the grain must be stored and sealed."

"Yes." Although there was some anger in Jiang Yubo's eyes, he did not dare to lose his temper.

Liu Muyun came here on behalf of His Majesty and is the imperial envoy to the front line.

Xu Xiaogang quickly brought Liu Muyun to a mansion next to the general's mansion.

Liu Muyun brought 40 to 50 servants with him on this trip. He looked at the mansion in front of him and was very satisfied. He smiled and said, "Duke, according to the order of His Majesty, all military deployments and transfers must be approved by me."

"Of course, I don't know much about military affairs, so you are the main person in charge. But, the military seal must be handed over to me, and I will give the seal."

Hearing this, Xu Xiaogang patiently persuaded him, "Eunuch Liu, you should just take a good rest in the mansion. You don't have to worry about the military seal."

How could they dispatch troops in such an urgent military situation without asking the eunuch for help?

If this is the case, there is no way to fight this war.

"Duke, you have to think about it carefully, Your Majesty..."

"Your Majesty, did you really say that you want to give me the military seal?" Xu Xiaogang retorted, "I will write a letter to your Majesty right away. As long as your Majesty replies and confirms that you will be given the military seal, I will do it right away."

Upon hearing this, Liu Muyun frowned and said with an awkward smile: "Forget it, forget it, Duke, you are so busy, you don't have to write to His Majesty..."

After saying this, a hint of displeasure flashed across Liu Muyun's eyes.

Of course, Xiao Yuzheng never told him to take over the military seal. He just asked him to keep a close eye on the army, and if Xu Xiaogang had any intention of rebellion, he should find a way to stop it.

On the way here, Liu Muyun thought carefully and felt that it would be safer to take charge of the military seal.

Otherwise, everyone from top to bottom is Xu Xiaogang's cronies. If Xu Xiaogang wants to rebel, what role can he, a military supervisor, play?

"Eunuch Liu, have a good rest. You can go for a walk around Mushan City if you have nothing to do." After Xu Xiaogang said this, he turned around and left with a sullen face.

Seeing Xu Xiaogang walking away, Liu Muyun looked unhappy. The eunuch following him couldn't help but said, "Eunuch, Xu Xiaogang has a bad temper. You are an imperial envoy sent by His Majesty. According to the rules, he has to host a banquet tonight to entertain the imperial envoy."

"From the look of him, I'm afraid he's a little dissatisfied with you."

Listening to the eunuch's words, Liu Muyun snorted coldly and said, "Notify the Ministry of Revenue to deduct another 10% from the next batch of grain and grass. I'll see if Xu Xiaogang will come to beg me."

After saying this, he waved his hand, turned around and walked into the mansion.

Of course Xu Xiaogang didn't have time to invite him to dinner. After returning to the general's mansion, he looked at the map of the surrounding area, trying to guess where the flaw of Jianchi Pass that his father mentioned was.

There are high mountains on both sides of Jianchi Pass. The nearest one is seventy miles to the west. There is a dangerous place, but it is guarded by Weiwu Hou, so there is no need to worry for the time being.

Two hundred miles to the east is a swamp basin that the Hu cavalry cannot easily pass through.

Could it be that there is something wrong with these mountains?
"Is there a passage that can lead me here?"

Thinking of this, Xu Xiaogang sighed and looked grim.

At this time, Jiang Yun and Linglong were resting in a yard.

"Are we going back to the capital directly?" Jiang Yun asked Linglong while sitting in the yard.

Linglong glanced at Jiang Yun and asked slowly, "What's the matter? Do you still want to stay and help? A battle between two armies is no joke, especially the God-killing Crossbow in the army."

"Even a third-rank expert wouldn't dare charge into the army so easily..."

Jiang Yun shook his head. He was just a little worried about Xu Xiaogang's safety. The sky was gradually getting dark, and soon Xu Xiaogang sent someone to come and ask the two of them to have dinner.

When they came to the living room, Jiang Yun and Linglong also saw Heng Tianxiao and Shen Jingyu. Xu Xiaogang was sitting at the table and said with a smile: "The food rations in the army are limited. I considered that they might have no place to eat, so I called them together."

"Sit down first."

The food on the table was not very rich, just a few plates of vegetables and some rice.

After sitting down, Xu Xiaogang did not talk about military affairs. Instead, he looked at Heng Tianxiao and Shen Jingyu and asked with a smile: "You two came from Beihu, so you should know Beihu very well, right?"

"General, I know, I know." Shen Jingyu was very kind-hearted.

Just now he and Heng Tianxiao took a walk around Mushan City. Even though Mushan City was only a frontier military city, it could not be compared with prosperous big cities like the capital.

But it has already opened Shen Jingyu's eyes.

He was looking forward to going to the legendary capital city with Heng Tianxiao after the war was over.

Heng Tianxiao frowned slightly, appearing a little alert.

Xu Xiaogang raised his hand and said, "Mr. Heng, don't be too vigilant. I have never been to Beihu. I am just a little curious..."

Afterwards, Shen Jingyu chattered on and on about the many deeds of the Northern Hu.

Of course, as a slave child, what he knew was of no real help to the battles on the front lines.

Heng Tianxiao was eating in silence, and his eating style was quite wolfish. Combined with the way he was dressed, he looked like a beggar.

Just then, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived.

Liu Muyun.

Liu Muyun walked in with a servant, his hands behind his back and a faint smile on his face.

"Hey, is the Duke having dinner?"

"It's like this. I just walked around the city wall and found that many soldiers were lazy and sitting on the ground to rest. This is not okay. They have to be majestic and stand tall. Only in this way can they show the military appearance of the Zhenchi Army."

Hearing this, Xu Xiaogang frowned and explained: "Eunuch Liu, I ordered the soldiers below to eat less every day to avoid wasting food..."

"Uh." Liu Muyun heard this and said with his hands behind his back: "Also, I saw a lot of crossbows on the city wall. In my opinion, some of the crossbows need to be moved a few meters to the side, closer to the city gate..."

"In addition, we need to dig some moats and traps outside the city gates to prevent the barbarian army from attacking."

Heng Tianxiao, who was sitting at the dinner table, picked up the rice grains at the corner of his mouth and ate them. Then he said, "Moat and trap? The purpose of this city is to attract the Hu army to besiege it."

"If it is built in an impregnable way, the Hu army will have no hope of conquering it."

"Perhaps the Hu cavalry will make up their minds to go directly south without caring about supplies."

"When the time comes, a large number of cavalry will go south, burning, killing and looting, using war to support war. Even if Mushan City cuts off the rear supply, they will probably be able to kill and loot for a while."

When Liu Muyun heard this, he was stunned. Looking at Heng Tianxiao, who was dressed like a beggar, he frowned and said, "Where did you come from, beggar? Can you fight?"

Xu Xiaogang was a little surprised after hearing what Heng Tianxiao said: "You can fight?"

"I led troops for a period of time." After Heng Tianxiao said this, he continued to eat.

Xu Xiaogang then said to Liu Muyun: "Eunuch Liu, you should take a good rest. You don't have to worry about military affairs."

Upon hearing this, Liu Muyun frowned and said in a deep voice: "Duke Zhenguo, I was sent by His Majesty, so why can't I worry about it? In my opinion, we have to dig a moat. The Hu people are all cavalry. If we dig a river, they will be completely helpless."

"What's this beggar's name?"

"Heng Tianxiao." Heng Tianxiao said calmly, then frowned.

"Someone, drag this man out. He is spreading rumors and misleading people." Liu Muyun shouted loudly.

There were many soldiers standing in the four corners of the living room. When they heard Liu Muyun's words, they looked at each other.

Liu Muyun's heart sank, and he snorted coldly and said, "I am the eunuch sent by His Majesty the Emperor to supervise the army and the imperial envoy."

"The Imperial Envoy is away, and what I say is the will of His Majesty."

“Who dares not to listen?”

"Someone, take him down and throw him out."

Xu Xiaogang frowned and watched this guy doing whatever he wanted, but he was helpless. Soon, two soldiers came forward helplessly, grabbed Heng Tianxiao and were about to throw him out.

Jiang Yun frowned. Such an imperial eunuch was in Mushan City...

This is not good news...

"stop."

A delicate voice was heard in the house.

"What do you do?" Linglong stared at Liu Muyun and scolded.

Liu Muyun was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that this little girl would dare to talk back to him, the imperial envoy.

He was just about to speak when Linglong came up to him and slapped him in the face: "Get down on your knees, you little dog slave!"

(End of this chapter)