stubborn thief

Chapter 430
In the yamen of the general office in Lanzhou, the general Shi Xiang sat in the hall with six gods and no master.

As it got closer to the twelfth lunar month, the generals of the Lanzhou camp felt very puzzled when they saw Shi Xiang.

Although their participating generals are really short of money and contacts, they are also hereditary officers of Lintao Guard, so they are indeed capable people.

There are many Li family members in Lintao Guard. Most of the successive commanders were named Zhao, and their ancestors were Huichuanbo. The teacher's surname is not big, but it is not small. Master Fu.

Moreover, the hereditary commander may not have any real ability, but the hereditary commander in charge of military discipline and training for generations is a position that requires extra hard work, and it is difficult to have an idiot.

The commander is a fool, and the commander is in charge of military discipline and training, and the commander is a fool, then it will be over.

The biggest impression that Shi Xiang gave to his subordinates was that this person was very courageous. Even in the tense environment of the confrontation between the two sides at the mouth of Chenbing River in the Marshal's Mansion this autumn, Shi Xiang looked calm and composed as usual.

Only in the past few days, day after day, Shi Xiang's nervousness has become more and more serious, and everyone can see that the general has something on his mind, and it must be a big one.

When asked by his subordinates, Shi Xiang didn't say anything.

He couldn't say it, because his anxiety stemmed from his inability to attend the Grand Marshal's wedding.

He spent 3000 taels of silver to buy the official, not just to be dispatched by a general in Lanzhou, he wanted the future.

What is the future? Just like Zhao An, the ancestor of the Zhao family, the hereditary commander of the Lintao Guard. The Zhao family was originally Li Siqi's favorite general. An was also fined and sent to Ganzhou to serve as an army.

The Zhao family has been entrenched in Hexi for generations. They have been fond of raising horses since the Song Dynasty. There have always been more than a thousand big horses in the family. The family used to select five best horses every year to pay tribute to the imperial court.

Even Zhao An, who was in charge of the army, insisted on paying five good horses to the imperial court every year until Jingnan. He won the favor of Emperor Chengzu and awarded hundreds of households in Lintao. .

In 49 years, he transformed from a convict into the army to the honor of the Earl.

The entrepreneurial wisdom of the predecessors has already been placed in front of Shi Xiang. The opportunity to change the dynasty is rare, but if you meet him and catch him, you can make the family prosperous for a hundred years.

Mencius said it well, only a wise man can make a small matter great.

To make a living on this one-third of an acre of land in the northwest, what could be more important than giving gifts in person on the day of the Grand Marshal's wedding?

No more.

Ceremony is not important, it is only a manifestation of ability, whether there is or not, it is related to the heart, and the heart is very important.

Then the problem arises, now that the emperor's eyeliner Cao Huachun has entered the new city, Shi Xiang cannot go to the new city to give gifts in person, isn't this worth his anxiety?

Seeing that the wedding date is approaching, Shi Xiang is anxious like ants on a hot pan.

At this moment, his subordinates reported to him: "Something happened to the general, Xi'an was attacked, and more than ten thousand thieves bombarded Xi'an Mansion with the Chuangzi flag high!"

Shi Xiang was startled at first, but then beamed with joy, isn't it because someone gave me a small pillow when I was sleepy?

He inquired about the situation in detail, and after inquiring about the affairs of Xi'an Mansion, he completely relaxed his mind.

Shi Xiang has been to the city of Xi'an, and ten thousand people are nothing to that great city. The city was rebuilt on the basis of the old imperial city of the Sui and Tang Dynasties during the Hongwu period. Three feet wide, 27 miles around the city, rammed earth and bricks, 980 crenels on the city wall, 98 enemy towers, and a wide moat.

Compared with Xi'an Fucheng, Lanzhou is not a big city.

For this kind of city wall as thick as a mountain, let alone a thousand-jin heavy artillery, even if one hundred ten-thousand-jin heavy cannons are lined up, and twenty or thirty-kilo cannons are fired for one day and one night, and 30 catties of gunpowder are thrown down, It can't knock down the city.

It doesn't matter whether you bring guns or not, or how many guns you bring, only food, how much food you bring, and how many soldiers you bring.

Fighting this kind of city depends on the general trend, human life and people's hearts.

Pull out all mobile heavy army groups around Xi'an Mansion, wipe out all rebel forces outside the city, have a huge amount of food and grass consumed by the garrison army, surround the city until the hearts of the people collapse and surrender, or use human lives to fill up all obstacles.

At present, these conditions are not met by the intruders.

Therefore, Shi Xiang judged that the thieves besieged Xi'an mansion because drunkards did not want to drink. Most of them intended to plunder the grain and grass in Guanzhong. Lanzhou will not be affected by it for the time being, so he pretended to be surprised: "It's broken, Eunuch Cao Still in Hehuang!"

Shi Xiang patted his thigh and said: "Prepare the horse, prepare the horse quickly!"

In the afternoon of the same day, the Lanzhou general left his post without permission, galloped across the Yellow River into the valley, led his cronies and brought gifts, and galloped all the way to the new city under the guidance of the Hehuang Dongguan defenders.

Arriving in the new city, it happened to be the first day of the twelfth lunar month, and the Marshal’s Mansion began to set up banquets to entertain guests and relatives from today. The guests who came.

The gift-giving carriages were crowded in the street, the concierge who announced the good news was hoarse, and guests dressed in flying fish bullfighting suits, official robes, Tibetan robes and Mongolian robes walked through the market, creating a bustling scene.

Suddenly, there was an announcement from outside the door: "Ming Lanzhou Counselor Shi Xiang, congratulations to Generalissimo on his wedding, gift list... four big fireworks."

The diners who announced the good news were all dumbfounded, and the guests also stopped their cups and threw their chopsticks, and looked at the door dumbfounded.

This man is so brave, he dared to report the name of the Great Ming general, not to mention that half of the courtyard was full of rebel generals, Cao Huachun's gang of Jinyi Fanzi and the eunuch Wu were right next door.

What's more, the gift list is even more outrageous. Although the visitor is a guest, the students of Xincheng College do have two hundred copper coins to congratulate them, but what are four big fireworks?
It's better not to sign up, just come in and have a meal.

Cao Huachun, who was eating next door, was dumbfounded when he heard this.

Liu Chengzong is still kind. Although he used to coerce Cao Huachun to Xining as a hostage in the past, it was because it was useful to coerce him; Cao Huachun and the accompanying Jinyi Fanzi and Wu eunuchs were eating in the Yamen.

Cao Huachun was also very happy at first, but when he heard the official name announced by the loud voice next door, he ran out anyway.

Soon, the guard saw a whoosh, and a big red mouse with a three-mountain cap on his back and a flying fish suit on his hem, rushed out of the yamen of the handsome mansion like the wind, and ran straight to the courtyard full of banquets.

Cao Huachun wanted to see, where did this general from Lanzhou come from, he dared to leave his post without permission, and ran to Xincheng to congratulate Liu Chengzong, this general is finally at the end of his career!
Before he reached the door, he heard the commotion in the courtyard again. When he went in, he found that people didn't take Shi Xiang seriously anymore, because Liu Chengyun left the banquet to welcome the general from Lanzhou.

"Let us guys see who is the division general from Lanzhou!"

Cao Huachun was so angry that even Cheng Yun, who was pulling Shi Xiang to his seat, froze for a moment.

Cheng Yun couldn't be dealt with anymore, he was also wondering, didn't Shi Xiang know that Cao Huachun was here?Knowing that he dared to come, why?
Just about to help him block a few sentences, Shi Xiang patted his hand, gave him a reassuring look, turned his head and bowed down and said: "Eunuch Cao, I am here to protect you! Please take a step to speak."

Cao Huachun was suffocated with anger, so he suppressed his anger and walked out. Cheng Yun looked at the backs of the two who left side by side, and then turned his head to look at Liu Shizi, who was seated above, and saw the second brother looking out with a relaxed expression. , nodded slightly, then turned around and pulled Cao Yao to talk to Yang Dingrui, and he followed out.

As soon as he followed out, Shi Xiang pulled Cao Huachun to stand outside the courtyard, saying: "Grandpa Cao, there is another big disturbance in Guanzhong. There is a bandit claiming to be the king of Chuang, who is so powerful that he raised the rebellious flag and surrounded the Xi'an mansion!"

"The lowly position is because I was worried about your safety, so I left my post and risked my life to enter Hehuang, father-in-law, if the Hehuang rebel army hears about it and moves to take Guanxi and Guanzhong together, I am afraid that father-in-law's life will be lost... Come back to Lanzhou with me? "

Cao Huachun was taken aback by Shi Xiang. He also knew what Xi'an Fucheng looked like, but Shi Xiang didn't tell him all the information, only said that the momentum was huge, and this matter became very serious to him.

A city as big as Xi'an Prefecture has been besieged, how bad is it?
Even making Cao Huachun's anger disappear, he looked at Shi Xiang with a little gratitude: "It's still the master who is brave and resourceful. We men remember your love, but we can't go back without authorization. We have received the emperor's order. , I have to step on it."

Shi Xiang didn't speak, just pursed his lips tightly, looked at Cao Huachun with respectful eyes, and clasped his fists heavily.

Everything was developing according to his ideas, until a person came out from behind Shi Xiang, and Cheng Yun patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "What did the general, the general, say, mysterious...I heard that there are rebels fighting in Guanzhong? "

Cao Huachun regained his composure and said with a smile: "The three generals don't need to worry too much, it's just some unruly people making trouble."

Chengyun laughed unfathomably, clapped his hands and said: "Since it's all right, Mr. Cao will go back to drink the bar. The general is here, or should he go?"

These words were heard in Shi Xiang's ears, it was a pun, and the question was frightening.

Fortunately, Cao Huachun didn't give him a difficult chance, and said with a smile: "Since the division and generals are here, then we men won't hide in the house. With such a happy event, we should go and have a drink with the Generalissimo."

Cheng Yun didn't say any more, he took the two of them back to the banquet, ordered someone to add chairs for Cao Huachun and Shi Xiang, sat down, met Liu Shizi's questioning eyes, and said with a smile: "The general said that there is something wrong. The thieves attacked Guanzhong, but Mr. Cao said it was nothing more than a group of unruly people making trouble."

He deliberately bit the word 'troublemaker' very heavily in his words.

In Liu Chengyun's eyes, there may be troublemakers in this world, but he has never seen them.

What's more, the people who appeared in Guanzhong at this moment, the group of generals sitting in the courtyard counted as one, and everyone knew it was Gao Yingxiang.

Liu Chengzong raised his head and said with a smile: "That's no ordinary troublemaker!"

But Cao Huachun didn't know that it was Gao Yingxiang, so he could only force himself to be calm, trying to give Emperor Chongzhen a face: "The generalissimo is joking, what else can be so unusual about the troublesome people?"

Liu Chengzong asked: "Master Cao has seen it, what kind of troublemaker is it?"

"I have seen."

Cao Huachun spoke convincingly, and even had a bit of hatred: "When I was young, I ate, drank, prostituted and gambled, and when I grew up, I didn't do my job properly. I was opportunistic in middle age, and when I was old, I was very vicious. If I don't want to be ambitious, I blame others. ...I have seen too many people like Wei Zhongxian."

Cao Huachun had a grudge against Wei Zhongxian, a big grudge, and Wei Zhongxian was the model of a troublemaker in his mind.

He was sent to the palace by his family when he was twelve or thirteen years old, and he has always been trusted under Wang An's name. He is a friend of Wei Chao, who is also under Wang An's name.

Later, Wei Zhongxian also entered the palace, and won the trust of Wei Chao by fawning over the little eunuch. Wei Chao recommended Wei Zhongxian to Wang An many times, and the result... Wei Chao, who recommended him many times, was sent to Fengyang by Wei Zhongxian; Wang An who trusted him , was imprisoned by Wei Zhongxian to starve to death, after three days of starvation, he found that he was not dead, so he directly killed him with a knife.

And Cao Huachun himself was also implicated, and he was sent to Nanjing to be punished. If Wei Zhongxian hadn't gained power, there would have been too many people to punish him in the past one or two years, and Cao Huachun probably would have died.

Liu Chengzong never thought that Wei Zhongxian was referring to the unscrupulous people, so he didn't know how to respond, so he could only ask: "They raised troops because of hunger and cold, how can they be called unscrupulous people?"

"The commander-in-chief has been in Qinghai for a long time, so he doesn't know anything. If the drought in northern Shaanxi is severe, we wouldn't say that."

Cao Huachun said convincingly: "This year, the drought in Shaanxi has been eased, and the people have managed to recuperate, but they have raised troops and caused chaos, harming others and themselves. Isn't this a troublemaker? What is it?"

Liu Chengzong smiled disdainfully, then shook his head, sighed and said: "I'm afraid it's not that I don't know something, but that you have lived in the deep palace for a long time, Mr. Cao, and you have also contracted the problem of blindness and deafness... Good, but there is a plague of locusts, and the people's harvests are all destroyed!"

Cao Huachun had been pretending to be calm all the time, but he was not calm at all, he was in a panic, otherwise he would never have brought up the word "unreasonable people" in front of Liu Chengzong.

It's just that as the emperor's envoy, he must represent the emperor's face, although he himself can't tell whether this envoy is an internal envoy or an external envoy.

Until now, when Liu Chengzong said something that he didn't know, he finally couldn't pretend to be calm anymore, and said in surprise: "This, the Generalissimo is serious?"

"Didn't you meet me when you came here?"

Cao Huachun blinked. He didn't set off until November, and the locusts had already froze to death. He didn't know it happened. He just shook his head and said to himself, "Why didn't anyone report it?"

He is not calm, Liu Chengzong is at ease.

He spread his hands and said: "Master Cao now knows why there are so many unscrupulous people? Take a look in Hehuang to see if there are any unscrupulous people you mentioned. Let me tell you, yes, this is the reason why I have never been married."

"My sergeants live in the simple grounds outside the city and practice every day. They are not troublemakers. My herdsmen live on the ground and raise livestock. They are not troublemakers. My people live in dilapidated loess thatched houses. Hard work, they are not troublemakers, who is Hehuang's troublemakers?"

Cao Huachun looked puzzled, but he saw Liu Chengzong pointing his hand at himself: "Build a city, live in a mansion, shake your head every day and don't do your job properly, I, I am a troublemaker in Hehuang, fortunately, I am the only troublemaker in Hehuang .”

"But in the world, are the feudal princes who occupy all over the world, are they thugs? Are the emperor in the Forbidden City and the people around him who are not productive? There are so many thugs in this world, Mr. Cao, tell me How can I let good people live?"

　good evening!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)