Fu Song

Chapter 303 Xiao Yu's Death
Xiao Yu, the boss, would definitely be able to achieve this achievement, which Xiao Yu never thought of.

Not even in a dream.

Xiao Ding is only twenty-five years old now, and he is already the head of the army. Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there has never been such a young head of the army.

Even the old man of the Xiao family, who started out with military exploits, is no more than a mere general at this age!

Blue out of blue is better than blue!

For a long time, all Xiao Yu heard were praises, and he was very proud of it.

But gradually, this kind of praise disappeared, replaced by some strange eyes of colleagues, and even the guarded look of officials.

This, of course, comes from Xiao Ding's change.

The Western Army really didn't take much money from the court.Up to now, the official establishment of the Western Army still has only three armies.The Guangrui Army, the Dingbian Army and the Zhenrong Army were full of troops, but there were less than [-] people.

But Xiao Ding traveled across the northwest, and the number of soldiers and horses he could command and use under his command exceeded [-].

The imperial court only gave Xiao Ding the military salaries of the three armies, and Xiao Ding raised the rest by himself.

Controlling military pay and food was originally a very useful magic weapon for the imperial court to control the army below, but it failed when it came to the Western Army.

Because the imperial court has never gained real control over the northwest, especially the area north of Hengshan.

This was the case in Li Xu's era, and it is still the case in Xiao Ding's era.

But the people in these places still have to pay taxes.

Where did the tax go?
Of course it was used to raise soldiers.

The army under Xiao Ding's control is more than Li Xu's, and its strength is also stronger than Li Xu's, because compared to Li Xu's, Xiao Ding's local management is also more orderly.

More importantly, Xiao Ding defeated the Tubo tribe in the Qingtang area, completely controlled Qingtang, and continued to attack the Western Regions and other places. One after another, the Western Region cities fell under Xiao Ding's banner. The trade routes, the Western Regions trade routes, are all controlled by Xiao Ding now.

Xiao Ding built roads and canals, encouraged farming and mulberry, and a large number of party members in Hengshan were mobilized down the mountain to settle in the fertile Xingling Plain. Countless nomadic tribes of Tubo were encouraged to give up their former mobile grazing life and took up hoes. The fields were cultivated.

In Xiao Ding's words, it is to build a Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall.

Countless workshops have been set up, and countless merchants flock away. The salt produced in Yanzhou has already defeated the government-run salt on Shaanxi Road, and these northwest salt merchants are now expanding to Hedong Road, Qinfeng Road and other places. .

No one dared to do anything to them, because everyone knew that standing behind them was Xiao Ding, a giant.

Lan Sixin's contests with Xiao Ding on Shaanxi Road all ended in disastrous defeats, which made the comforter lose face on Shaanxi Road, and basically no one listened to his words.The dignified appeasement envoy is not as useful as the words of Cheng Deqian, the magistrate of Yan'an.Because Cheng Gui and Cheng Deqian are Ma Xing's old man, he can talk in front of Xiao Ding.

The name of Xiao Ding's domineering spread throughout the world.

The court could do nothing about it.

Unlike Li Xu's rebellion, generally speaking, Xiao Ding has shown his loyalty to the court.At least, Xiao Ding's malice towards the Liao people made the court more tolerant of them.

For a long time, Xiao Ding has not given up on the attack on the Liao people, and the Yeluhuan of the Liao people in Xijing Road has been suffering for a long time.Moreover, when Hebei Road was defeated, it was Xiao Ding's aggressive attack on Xijing Road, which also effectively restrained the Liao people from investing more troops in Hebei Road. and other places to mobilize more troops into Hebei.

It seems that Xiao Ding is loyal, but his domineering is also impossible for the court to tolerate for a long time.

Take him back, raise him with a high salary, and at the same time send a general who can be controlled by the court to lead the Western Army, which has become what the court wants to accomplish.

King Jing conspired against him, and Xiao Yu was involved in it, which became a good breakthrough for the court.

The name is right, and the words are right, using this excuse to recruit Xiao Ding back, let the court stand on the upper hand of morality and righteousness.

If Xiao decides not to return, the reputation of being unfaithful and unfilial can be put on his head. In this season, reputation is still very useful.

Xiao Ding came back, of course the court deserved it.

High-ranking officials with generous salaries and vain titles can be piled on Xiao Ding without any money, so as to show the imperial court's importance to Xiao Ding and the incomparable rewards.

Of course, the premise is that it is impossible for Xiao Ding to return to the Western Army again.

Whether it is the official Zhao Suo, the first assistant Xia Jie, or the privy secretary Chen Gui, they all think this is a way to get the best of both worlds.

Xiao Yu didn't know if the eldest son would come back.

To Xiao Ding's level, he is no longer a problem alone, he represents a huge interest group.Xiao Ding cares about him as an old man, but does this interest group care about him as an old man?
Now the de facto second in command of the Western Army Group, the former teacher Zhang Yuan;

Tuoba Yangwei and Nan Renzhong, former leaders of the Hengshan Party;

Xin Jian, who was squeezed out in the capital and framed to the point that he could barely survive, has now become a pivotal general of the Western Army;
There is also Tubo aristocrat Yuzang Huama;

There are also those people, big and small, who Xiao Yu doesn't even know the names of, who followed Xiao Ding to the present;
These people are the recipients of vested interests.

If Xiao Ding leaves, some of them may still be able to retain their status, but most of them will probably lose everything in front of them. How could they be reconciled?
Xiao Yu smiled wryly.

Since when did the eldest son slowly transform into what he is today?

But what made Xiao Yu even more puzzled was his youngest son, Xiao Cheng.

Outsiders don't know, but Xiao Yu is very clear that the eldest son can go to the northwest, and it was the younger son who planned from the beginning.

Ten riders pick one hundred and four armies; the frontier army round battle plan and so on are actually made by the youngest son, and his ultimate goal is to push Xiao Ding to go to the northwest.

Then the youngest son went to Hengshan to serve as an outpost for the boss. By the time Xiao Ding's army arrived at Hengshan, the Hengshan party had already been tamed by the youngest son.

With the current situation in the Northwest, it is uncertain what role the youngest son has played in it.

Looking back at Qianzhou today, one can imagine how fierce the youngest son's methods are.

For many years, the dozens of Jumi prefectures under the jurisdiction of Qianzhou have been indifferent to the imperial court, and if they do not rebel against the local officials, they will be Amitabha.But the youngest son has been there for a year, and the big stick and honey candy are two-pronged. The entire huge area under the jurisdiction of Qianzhou has become the youngest son's private land.

Outsiders naturally don't know these things, but Xiao Yu generally knows them.

Sometimes he was even terrified.

Because speaking of the power of the Xiao family, it really is quite huge.

The officials locked him here, Xiao Yu didn't care, because sooner or later he would let him out, no matter the current strength of the eldest son or the hidden strength of the younger son, the court would make the court think twice before acting.

Or after going out, I can no longer hold the position of the third envoy.

The eldest son had better not come back.

This is Xiao Yu's final conclusion.

This is not only Xiao Yu's selfishness, but also public will.

If someone else goes to the Northwest, it may not take long for the Western Army to be destroyed. When the Song Dynasty conquers the Liao Dynasty, it will have no effect at all.

"Xiao Xiang, it's time for dinner!" Hearing the enthusiastic voice from outside and the rattling sound of the iron chain on the door, Xiao Yu looked up at the small window on the wall, and it was really dark there. Before I knew it, it passed by again.

The cell door was opened, and the cell head commanded someone to lift up a food box, took out the dishes inside and put them on the table. It was said that he was in prison, but the food prepared for Xiao Yu was not bad.

"Is it the food there again today?" Xiao Yu laughed.

"The higher-ups know that Mrs. Xiao is so good, so I change the store for you every day. Today is the main store of Cao's house. Try this wine. It has a strong aroma and is delicious. How can ordinary people afford it?" The prison head said.

"Come, come, drink with me." Xiao Yu said, lifting the jug that weighed two or three catties.

The prison chief waved his hands again and again: "Xiao Xiang, the villain would not dare to drink at the same table with you, it will kill my life."

"Where does this come from? Now, I am just a first-order prisoner, and you are the one who manages me!" Xiao Yu laughed.

"Xiao Xiang was just joking, who dares to take you as a prisoner!" The jailer said with a smile: "Besides, I don't drink this wine because I am afraid that my mouth will slip! We usually drink bad wine, and we are used to it. Well, such a good wine, if you drink it well, it will be boring to drink bad wine in the future, won't it make me lose a lot of fun?"

Xiao Yu was startled, but laughed instead.It is easy to go from being frugal to being extravagant, but it is difficult to go from being extravagant to being frugal. Isn’t this what the jailer said?Or he doesn't understand the truth here, but he faithfully practices this truth in his actions.

"You're right." Xiao Yu poured himself a glass and drank it down.It is difficult to change from extravagance to frugality. The eldest son is in control of the power, and he has already tasted the taste of power. That feeling is by no means comparable to fine wine.If he really wanted to go back to Beijing, he would definitely lose all of this. To him, this would be more uncomfortable than death.

It's better not to come back!
Before he knew it, Xiao Yu drank a large jug of wine.

Although the wine in the Cao’s main shop is good, it’s not high in strength, and it’s far behind the strong wine brewed by Xiao’s own. Although this pot weighs two or three catties, it’s a normal season to get Xiao Yu drunk. It is basically impossible, but Xiao Yu was a little dizzy after drinking this pot of wine today, and after a while, he lay down on the table and fell asleep.

The head of the cell sneaked in from the door and yelled softly a few times, but Xiao Yu didn't move, and looked down again, then waved his hand, and two people dressed as jailers walked in outside.

Several people carried Xiao Yu to the bed.

Then some sacks were brought in from the outside into the cell.

He lifted a sack and placed it lightly on Xiao Yu's body.

Xiao Yu's breathing became a little heavier.

Then a second sack, a third sack.Xiao Yu's body twisted a few times, but the sack weighing hundreds of catties on his body was not something a drowsy person who was drunk with sour wine could struggle to get rid of. something else.

Time passed slowly.

When the third watch drum was sounded outside, the cell boss came in again, and Xiao Yu had been silent on the bed for a long time.

Xiao Yu died.

The sack was carried away.

A jailer stretched out his hand to untie Xiao Yu's clothes, pulled off a leather whip from his waist, and whipped Xiao Yu's body heavily with his hand.

"What is this for?" The prison chief was taken aback: "Everyone is already dead!"

The jailer smiled gloomyly, and said: "This trick is called indefensible. To make those big figures in the Song Dynasty indefensible, Xiao Ding will never believe anything they say. Xiao Yu was tortured to extract a confession in the imperial prison. And die, tell me, is this news very shocking?"

The cell leader froze and stepped aside.

Let the two jailers beat Xiao Yu's body with the leather whips in their hands, and then took out various objects from their arms, and worked on the body for a long time.

It wasn't until about three o'clock that the two of them were almost done with their work, and they dressed Xiao Yu again, and then the three of them left the prison lightly.

When the sky was just dawn, these three people rushed out of the city among the first stream of people to leave the city.

I held a small box in my arms, and there was a thick stack of banknotes in the small box. I looked back at the majestic Tokyo city, and let out a heavy breath. For the rest of my life, I will drink the wine from Cao's Zhengdian every day.

A carriage just passed by him.

A passerby seemed to bump into him inadvertently.

An extremely thin country dagger pierced through his rib lightly and deftly.

The jailer didn't fall down, he was pulled into the carriage, loaded into the carriage, and then the carriage galloped away.

Those who kill are experts.

A murder that took place on a busy road without anyone noticing.

An hour later, the cell head's body was thrown into a pit that had been dug long ago, and the pit was immediately filled up.

The prison boss still held those banknotes in his arms, and those who killed him did not take these belongings, and they were buried deep in the ground together with the prison boss.

Xia Jie walked out of the public house. He was on duty in the palace yesterday, and he continued to criticize the official documents until the early hours of the morning. Then he lay down and squinted for a while. Many people thought that being an official did his job, so naturally they just wanted to do whatever they wanted. What, in fact, this is completely wrong.

As the chief minister of a country, he is really too busy to have any personal time.It would be quite satisfying to be able to sleep for an hour or two every day, and there are always endless things waiting for him to deal with.

However, he never tires of it.

This feeling of holding power in one's hand and deciding the fate of millions of people with every word and deed is really fascinating.

The weather was fine today, and Xia Jie, who walked out of the public house, saw that the sun had jumped out from the east, shining the vast rays of light on the earth, and of course, it also fell on Xia Jie.

When a group of officials who came to work saw Xia Jie, they all stepped aside and bowed to salute.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way!" A red-robed official came running from a distance like flying. Xia Jie couldn't help being a little annoyed when he saw the man's appearance. He was at least a fifth-rank official in a red robe, but this one was disheveled Well, it's really inappropriate to wear the hat crookedly.

"Shou Fu!" The man saw Xia Jie at a glance, and without caring about any etiquette, he actually reached out and grabbed Xia Jie, and put his mouth to Xia Jie's ear.

Xia Commandment didn't explode, because at this moment, he only heard four words: "Xiao Yu is dead!"

The sky is falling.

At this moment, the bright sunlight seemed to dim.

(End of this chapter)