Han official!

Chapter 140
The village official was hit in the throat by an arrow. The villagers above Yanmen became agitated and hid behind the parapets to avoid Wei Guang's amazing archery skills, which made sure every arrow hit the throat.

The inner wall above Yanmen was built with battlements in the style of a small city barrier at the frontier. A continuous concave and convex low wall was built on the edge of the top of the rammed earth wall, like a railing to protect the residents on the top of the wall.

The residents inside the inner wall were afraid of Wei Guang's eight-stone bow and dared not show their heads. They hid behind the parapets holding Tao Yuan.

The villagers did not dare to stand on the wall and throw the ointment in their hands at Guo Jie at any time, thus avoiding getting the ointment on their bodies.

"bass!"

Guo Jie took a bean-shaped lamp and threw it hard. The lamp flew through the air and landed at the gate of Yama, instantly starting a big fire.

The raging fire quickly spread throughout the entire Yanmen Gate and began to burn the heavy elm gate.

Zhao Tuo stretched out the sleeve of his black robe and wiped away a tear. Seeing the burning Yama Gate below, his face suddenly changed and he no longer cared about the grief of losing his son.

He shouted, "My two sons, get some stone mortars and pestles and block the gate behind Yanmen. Don't let Guo Jie and his men get in. Also, tell Tian Dian, who's besieging the warehouse, to stop worrying about Chong Huangrou's status as a marquis and just throw torches at the warehouse and burn it down."

Zhao Tuo stared at Guo Jie, his face filled with hatred. "Today, I will fight him to the death. He won't be able to take a single grain of corn with him. I will burn all the corn and money in the warehouse with my own hands!"

The tragic death of the village official completely enraged Zhao Tuo. Li Tian, who was treated with courtesy by the Right Secretary of the Interior, was actually harassed by a small county Gongcao.

It was not known whether Gongcao Guo Jie had gone mad or wanted to become a bandit. Today, he robbed Wushili and immediately fled with his men, becoming a prisoner who died in Jingchu.

Killing people in public!
Zhao Tuo's cousin Zhao Tingchang and his son Lili died successively at the hands of Guo Jie, and Zhao Tuo lost two of his closest relatives.

Zhao Tuo has completely lost his mind.

It was not enough to delay until the powerful people arrived with thousands of people. They even burned down the granaries with their own hands and destroyed the property accumulated by the host Zhao family over the years.

Wei Guang knew that his sister-in-law was relying on the family property of Wushili to buy a title to atone for his sins. If all the corn in the warehouse was burned down, he would get nothing from this trip.

It is already August now, and it is almost time for Sang Hongyang to move to Maoling next year as he said.

Only a few months left.

The warehouse in Wushili must be saved.

"A mediocre dog!"

Wei Guang was furious: "If anyone dares to approach the barn, I will burn down a granary in the barn and shoot through the heads of your entire family!"

His threats were of no use. A member of the Zhao clan, wearing a thin gauze jacket and trousers, hurried towards the warehouse that Tian Dian was besieging.

Even Mang Tong began to feel anxious.

"Don't worry."

Guo Jie, however, remained calm. "In the past, I might have been anxious. Have you forgotten that there's still someone missing? Given Chong Huangrou's swordsmanship, if he didn't catch Zhao Tuo in the guest room, he must have gone to the warehouse."

Wei Guang and Mang Tong's expressions relaxed.

As long as Chong Huang Rou is here, there is no need to worry about the warehouse being burned down, and no one can break through Chong Huang Rou's swordsmanship.

A huge fire was burning at Yanmen. The villagers who brought stone mortars and pestles did not dare to get close to the fire in the face of the waves of flames.

Seeing that Yanmen was unable to stop the enemy, Zhao Tuo's face darkened. "Zhao Meng! Immediately find the young and strong men in our clan who have just completed military service and returned from the frontier. Give them the sharpest spears and the strongest shields. Form a battle formation and kill the enemy!"

His face was grim. "Tell the young men among the Five Scholars, whoever kills Guo Jie and several of his men, I will personally help him buy a title to atone for his sins. In addition, I will reward you with ten looms, and I will also reward you with twenty looms."

When Guo Jie heard about the reward of ten looms, his face changed slightly.

Zhao Tuo took advantage of Zhao Shiyuan's demand for rent collection to do business in bad cloth, and the coarse linen could be exchanged for cloth money.

The loom is no longer a loom.

It became a money printing machine.

Ten looms are like ten printing presses.

The temptation is too great.

Zhao Meng was the eldest son of a concubine. When his father was thirteen or fourteen years old and had not yet married, his father had an affair with a slave and had the son who later became his concubine.

His abilities far surpassed Zhao Tuo's, but he was born into a poor family, being a bastard son of a slave.

For so many years, he could only work as a clerk in the county temple, but Zhao Tuo gradually became a county official.

When Zhao Shiyuan heard about the reward of twenty looms, he did not feel any joy, but only an indescribable sense of frustration and anger.

Zhao Tuo owned hundreds of looms.

But he only gave Zhao Shiyuan twenty looms.

Or a reward.

As if he had done a good deed.

Zhao Shiyuan was shouting in anger and unwillingness in his heart.

He is the eldest son.

Everything that belongs to the host Zhao family should belong to him!

"All young and strong men, immediately form a formation behind Yanmen."

Mayor Zhao brought hundreds of clansmen and stood behind Yanmen where the fire was gradually dying down. Seeing these young and middle-aged clansmen, he felt indescribable resentment in his heart.

Zhao Tuo said that he was trying to stop Guo Jie, but in fact he was trying to drive away the wolf and devour the tiger, and weaken the power of Zhao Shiyuan in the host Zhao family.

Because these young and strong tribesmen who returned from military service at the frontier were all Zhao Shiyuan's men, and they were also the tribesmen he had been trying to win over.

As long as an adult man reaches the age of 23, he must participate in two years of military service. The age of military service is usually 23, sometimes 17, and sometimes 20.

In short, adult men are required to serve two years of national service throughout their lives.

Everyone is treated equally, including the prime minister's son, who still needs to serve in the military.

In addition to two years of military service, each person has to guard the border for three months each year. Those who do not serve have to pay 300 yuan, which is called "guogeng".

The people of the host Zhao family who supported Zhao Shiyuan were all poor people. They could not afford the three hundred yuan a month and nine hundred yuan for three months, so they could only go to the border to guard.

The people of the host Zhao family who supported Zhao Tuo were different. They were all direct descendants who owned slaves, maids, and carriages. They could afford the annual watch money of 900 yuan, so they did not have to go to the border to eat sand and spend their days visiting prostitutes and drinking.

Guarding the frontier also has its benefits. The clansmen gathered around Zhao Shiyuan are brave and good at fighting, and are also the most ferocious group of the host Zhao family.

This aroused Zhao Tuo's suspicion.

It was just right for Guo Jie to break into Wushili to kill someone with a borrowed knife and weaken the power of Zhao Shiyuan.

How could Zhao Shiyuan be willing to accept this!

"Mr. Guo!"

Su Jian's face suddenly changed. Knowing some inside information about the host Zhao family, he clenched his two-foot sword. Even with his courage, he felt deeply afraid.

Su Jian said solemnly, "Mr. Zhao has hundreds of his clansmen around him. They can't afford the night watch, so they go to the border on time every year to guard it. This group of people is very fierce and should not be underestimated!"

Guo Jie's heart trembled as he looked at the young and strong tribesmen quickly forming a battle formation on the rammed earth road, armed with spears and large shields, and knew that he had encountered a truly troublesome enemy. These young and strong tribesmen were obviously regular troops.

Facing the knights raised by the powerful and the regular army are two completely different things. The regular army has strong combat effectiveness.

Wei Guang and Mang Tong also smelled the scent of beacon fire from the young and strong tribesmen. Their faces darkened and they looked at the burned-out Yanmen Gate without rushing in impulsively.

Guo Jie was not a reckless man, but an extremely intelligent political elite. In officialdom, he was very good at leveraging the power of others, dividing his enemies, and overcoming governance difficulties one by one.

If there is a way to divide the five warriors in front of us.

Before the powerful people come with thousands of people, they can capture the two key figures, Zhao Tuo and Zhao Shiyuan, and take over Wushili in one fell swoop.

"Su Jian."

Guo Jie asked, "Have there been any disagreements between the brothers Zhao Tuo and Zhao Shiyuan over the years? Have they had any serious, almost irreconcilable disagreements?"

In order to fight for the demolition compensation, several brothers of an ordinary demolition household fought each other until they were bleeding and even murdered each other.

When Guo Jie was working at the grassroots level in his early years, he encountered this kind of situation many times. He mediated many times, but in the end, the case still ended up in court.

What's more, a powerful family like the host Zhao family would be a landlord owning hundreds of houses in later generations.

There was a quarrel between brothers.

Very normal.

Now that the father, who controlled the real estate for the previous generation, has passed away, there will definitely be a fierce battle among the brothers for hundreds of properties.

"Brothers are at odds."

Su Jian frowned and said, "Zhao Shiyuan is the eldest son of a concubine. He and the eldest son, Zhao Tuo, have always been at odds with each other, and there is a hidden rift between them. The hundreds of young and strong people behind Yanmen are the people who gathered around Zhao Shiyuan."

"Pooh!"

Wei Guang spat on the ground and cursed, "That idiot Zhao Tuo is plotting to destroy both sides. I won't fall for his schemes. Can you think of a way to get Zhao Tuo and Zhao Shiyuan to fight?"

Guo Jie looked at Su Jian standing beside him, wanting to know more about the host Zhao family.

“Maybe it’s possible.”

Su Jian just said it was feasible, but quickly shook his head: "Zhao Tuo's wife, Madam Zhao, was his second wife a few years ago. Madam Zhao has always wanted her son to take over the Litian position, but Zhao Tuo has always refused."

He suddenly lowered his voice and said, "The second wife, Madam Zhao, was actually the nephew of Zhao Shiyuan (sister-in-law). After Zhao Shiyuan's wife passed away, he planned to marry her. But Zhao Tuo coveted her beauty and snatched her away."

Revenge for taking away my sister-in-law.

Don't share it!

Guo Jie nodded slightly, having found a way to divide Zhao Tuo and Zhao Shiyuan.

Everything depends on Mrs. Zhao.

Mrs. Zhao lived in a large courtyard of twenty houses in the southwest corner of Yanmen, covering an area of 600 square meters. There were many vegetable plots in the courtyard, and some irises were planted at the door of the small hall next to the house.

A gust of wind blew through the windows, and the small hall was filled with the fragrance of orchids and a pleasant woman's scent.

On the couch in the chapel lay a plump and graceful woman. Although she was over forty years old, she was full of plump charm.

"Lord An Guo."

Madam Zhao rested one of her legs on Anguo Shaoji's body, her messy hairpin and bun resting on his chest. She said softly, "You said there was a way for my son to take over the throne. What is that method?"

She said shyly, "I will be yours from now on. You can't break your promise and not help my son manage Wushili. Besides, when my son becomes a farmer, not only will I have no worries for the rest of my life, but you will also be able to live a life of luxury. Then, when you and I get married in Wushili, no one will gossip about us."

Mrs. Zhao raised her fair face and looked at An Guo Shao Ji's handsome face. The more she looked, the more obsessed she became.

She never thought that although Mrs. Zhao was already old and ugly, there would be a day when she would find a man she loved so much that she couldn't help herself.

After she had sex with An Guo Shao Ji, she witnessed An Guo Shao Ji's sexual skills and became deeply attracted to him and could no longer leave him.

"You are humiliating me."

An Guo Shaoji looked at Madam Zhao, who was full of love, and said in a deliberately annoyed tone, "I am with you because of love, how could I care about money! I am attracted to you as a person, never your money."

Not because of money?
Mrs. Zhao looked at him blankly.

For a moment, I couldn't help but be stunned.

"An Guojun"

Mrs. Zhao's eyes were filled with tears. She stroked Anguo Shaoji's handsome face with her delicate hands and said infatuatedly, "I never want to be separated from you for the rest of my life. When my son takes charge of Wushili, I will go to Chang'an with you to spend the rest of my life."

"Madam! Madam!"

At this time, a maid rushed into the hall and saw the skirts and underwear thrown all over the floor. Her pretty face turned red and she retreated in panic and stood under the eaves waiting.

"What's so impatient?"

Mrs. Zhao was not afraid of being caught by the maid. This maid was her private servant and would not tell anyone about her secret meeting with a strange man. "I have told you many times not to be impatient. When my son takes charge of Wushili, how can I be confident in marrying you off to him as a concubine?"

She was too concerned about the safety of Anguo Shaoji and wanted to prevent him from being killed by Zhao Tuo, so she promised him a great benefit.

The maid was stunned at first.

Soon his face was full of ecstasy again.

The lady actually arranged for her to be the gentleman's concubine.

There are more than a dozen maids around Mrs. Zhao, all of whom want to be the gentleman's concubine and transform from a slave into a half-female ruler.

The servant hurriedly said, "Something terrible has happened! The master has had a conflict with Gong Cao Guo Jie. The hero, who is said to have killed a tiger, has killed Zhao Tingzhang and the village official."

"what!"

Mrs. Zhao's pretty face was filled with joy. She put on a skirt and hurried to the door of the hall without wearing any underwear.

She stared at the maid at the door and said ecstatically, "Are you serious? Zhao Tuo's eldest son, the village official, was killed by Guo Jie? Did you see it with your own eyes, or did you hear it from someone else? You can't just talk about such things."

The servant said with certainty, "The village official was shot in front of many people. It can't be false."

"color!"

Anguo Shaoji clapped his hands and walked out of the hall with a smile: "This is the opportunity I was talking about. Madam is the nephew of Zhao Shiyuan. It was Zhao Tuo who stole her away from her. Zhao Shiyuan hated Zhao Tuo to death."

He seemed to be smiling, but he was extremely nervous in his heart, fearing that Guo Jie would die under the swords of the host Zhao family.

An Guo Shao Ji pretended to be calm on the surface, but his voice was still a little anxious. "Go to Yanmen immediately and take the opportunity to sow discord between Zhao Shiyuan and Zhao Tuo. Use Zhao Shiyuan to kill Zhao Tuo. Then, my lady will be the only female ruler among the Five Scholars, and you will have the final say in everything."

Mrs. Zhao was very happy.

She was short-sighted and would not think about what to do if Zhao Shiyuan replaced her. Her mind was full of the scene of her holding the power of the Wushili.

Mrs. Zhao smiled and said, "Good, I will do as Lord An Guojun said."

(End of this chapter)