Zhao Dangshi didn't know much about the Tusi in the southwest, and the only one he dealt with was the group of native soldiers under Luo Shangwen at the beginning. He was deeply impressed by his fierce and fearless fighting style.

Wu Mingfeng went to Shizhouwei in his early years and knew a little about the customs there. Zhao Dangshi heard him say it, and thought secretly: "Didn't you show your feet somewhere and be caught by the natives?" "The information brought back by the remaining nineteen people at night is not particularly noteworthy, and the Zhao camp has not moved for the time being, and continues to be stationed in Dazhou and other places.

The day before Little Chinese New Year's Eve, the man returned, and Zhao Dangshi saw him alone and asked about the reason for his late return. According to the man's confession, he was investigated by Shizhou Wei for several days, and the day before leaving, he rested in the tea shed next to the road, but he was not cautious and was arrested. Speaking of which, he kowtowed to the ground and pleaded guilty, and there was a bang. Zhao Dangshi forgave him. Although he is the elite of the army in the past 20 nights, he has never done this kind of thing before, and some mistakes are inevitable. On the contrary, this man's truth is worthy of recognition, after all, as a secret service, loyalty is paramount.

The man continued: "The villain later learned that the tea shed was the secret stake of the Zhonglu Qin clan, which was responsible for investigating and collecting news. And the one who caught the villain was Qin Qixun's eldest son and current consolation envoy Qin Jinxiao. ”

"Qin Jinxiao?" Zhao Dangshi searched in his mind for a while, but he didn't have any impression of him, but the name "Qin Qixun" was slightly heard.

"How can you come back when you've been caught?"

When the man heard him ask this, he suddenly bowed down again, Zhao Dangshi was wondering, but he heard: "It is a loss to command Hongfu Qitian and sound shock Chuandong, so that the villain can pick up a life!" ”

"Oh? What do you mean by that? ”

"That Qin Qixun guessed the origin of the villain, and knew that I Zhao Ying was powerful and commanded wise and powerful, so he untied the rope with his own hands, and borrowed a horse for the villain, so that the villain could come back to see the commander."

"Well, then, he will have something for you to pass on to me."

"All command the magic tricks. That Qin Qixun asked the villain to bring you the thirteen words "Four days after the New Year, Zhongnan Juyun Temple". The man came back all the way, for fear of forgetting, and after repeated recitation, the melon was ripe, and even the number of words was counted.

"Four days after the New Year, Chungnam Juyun Temple will talk about ......," Zhao Dangshi muttered to himself.

The man's other belongings were confiscated by the Qin family, and there was no more information to give, so Zhao Dangshi sent him down and pondered the meaning of his words alone in the room.

I talked to myself a few times, the latter sentence was easy to understand, and the previous sentence was still awkward. He couldn't think of a reason, so he asked people to call Wu Mingfeng.

Wu Mingfeng deserves to have a "talent for tour guides", and he understands it when he hears it. He explained: "The local customs of Shizhou Wei are different from those of my Han family, and the Chinese New Year's Eve is celebrated one day earlier to 'celebrate the New Year'. The subordinates of Juyun Temple have also been there, in the south of Chungju Weinan, the incense is endless, the first one to blow Wan Guangzhen Zen Master is a monk who has attained the Tao, there are many believers in various states and counties near and far, and there is no shortage of official eunuchs. Look at what he meant, he invited the commander to meet at Juyun Temple on the third day of the first month. After speaking, he added with a smile, "He is considerate, and he is afraid that he will delay the command of Chinese New Year's Eve." ”

The two talked for a while, and Zhao Dangshi fell into deep thought. Wu Mingfeng saw that he didn't speak, and knew that he had nothing to do with himself, so he bowed down and retreated, and then Hou Dagui and Xu Hui were found together.

Hou and Xu Zi were promoted to the position of president of Qian, and they were not free for a moment in the past few days, and they were so busy that they were suddenly summoned and thought that Zhao Dangshi was going to inspect military affairs, and they came over on the road and hastily typed the draft, but when they met, they were dumbfounded, and they put aside all the military affairs - listening to what Zhao Dangshi said, he actually wanted to go to the meeting alone!

"Think twice, please all conductors. Although the Qin family has been obedient to my Han family for a long time, it is difficult to change the brute habits after all, and everything cannot be handled by common sense. If you believe it, you will be harmed. As Hou Dagui spoke, he felt that both temples were almost oozing sweat. He has been following Zhao Dangshi for a long time, although he knows that this commander is always bold, but he can't imagine that he is so bold. At present, the good development momentum of Zhao Ying is not easy to come by, and it must not be abandoned because of Zhao Dangshi's mistakes.

"Our army and the Qin family have no intersection, and it makes no sense for him to suddenly come to invite. And as a Ming army, it is even more inseparable from my Zhao battalion, and he will never have good intentions when he sets up this meeting. Xu Hui also had a negative attitude, and it was rare that he and Hou Dagui still had the same opinion.

Zhao Dangshi has always valued their opinions, and the room was quiet for a while.

After a long time, he said slowly: "Do you two know the relationship between the Zhonglu Qin clan and the Shi Yan Ma clan? ”

"Huh?" Hou Dagui and Xu Hui glanced at each other, their faces full of doubts, they are not from Sichuan, even if they know some of the deeds of the Qin family and the Ma family, but they don't have an in-depth understanding, "I don't know." ”

Zhao Dangshi said: "I chatted with Wu Mingfeng just now, according to him, Zhonglu Qin's clan and Shi Yanma's clan have always had a feud. ”

"So what?" Hou Dagui's second monk was confused. is talking about Qin's family, why is it inexplicably involved in Ma's again?

Xu Hui lowered his eyebrows, suddenly thought of something, raised his head and said, "Isn't it ......"

His words were picked up by Zhao Dangshi: "Although the loyal road is small, Buddhism is prevalent. Qin Qixun has a lot of Buddhist temples under his rule, why did he invite me to Juyun Temple to talk about it, don't you two think there is any deep meaning? ”

Juyun Temple is located in the south of Chungju Wei, and it is also more than 100 miles away from Chungro Xuanwei Division. Even if there is a great Zen master inside, it doesn't matter if the two sides meet. Qin Qixun's arrangement is really strange.

However, Hou Dagui is also a smart person, and with a little dialing, he contacted Shi Yan Ma's and suddenly became enlightened: "I see." Juyun Temple is close to Shi Yan, if Qin Qixun leads a large group of people into the country, not to mention the Zhongzhou Tan family, Shi Qi Ma will definitely be alarmed, and a careless accident may cause a disaster of swords, Shi Qi soldiers are strong, the world knows, Qin Qixun will not be big enough to take the initiative to provoke them no matter what. ”

Zhao Dangshi nodded and said, "Exactly." Wu Mingfeng worked in Chongqing Prefecture in his early years, was familiar with the local situation, and would not talk nonsense. It is said that Shi Yan's predecessor Xuanfu made Ma Qiancheng, and he had invaded Zhonglu more than once during his tenure, and such things are not far away, and you can find out if you ask a few natives. After a pause, he continued, "From this point of view, Qin Qixun's meaning could not be clearer, I am afraid that I will refuse to go to the appointment because I am in danger, so he will also put himself in the same situation, so as to equal the two sides and dispel my concerns." If I don't go, I'll be cowardly. ”

"From this point of view, this surnamed Qin still has some sincerity?" Hou Dagui pursed his lips, "The old saying goes, 'Nothing to do is to be courteous or a thief', although my Zhao battalion soldiers are strong, they have not hit him Zhonglu, since he has nothing bad but he has a fart to 'narrate', it sounds good, in fact, it is just a show of weakness in advance so that our subordinates can be merciful when we pass by!" After saying that, he sneered contemptuously a few times.

"I don't think so." Xu Hui looked at Zhao Dangshi with a serious face, "Shizhou Weizhong, Zhonglu Qin's family is the leader of the toast." If his family can sit big, it must not be a weak generation. I also heard that Qin Qixun and his father Qin Yinhua had made war exploits in the Extravagant Rebellion, and they were born to fight, and they also had a hard bone. He came to invite our camp in advance before it arrived, which reflected the importance that the Qin family attached to our camp. ”

Hou Dagui "hummed" twice, as if he was very disdainful of Xu Hui's assertion: "My Zhao Ying's name is Zhenchuan Province, as small as a village, as large as a state, which one doesn't tremble when I hear it?" The fact that the Qin family was able to get married in advance shows that they have vision, which is also the reason why their family has survived so far. ”

At this point in the conversation, it is obvious that Hou and Xu have changed from not supporting going to appointments at the beginning to leaning towards appointments. But there is still a crux of the problem: what does Qin want to do?

ruled out the possibility of the Hongmen banquet, and the only thing Zhao Dangshi could think of was one point - the Qin family wanted to cooperate.

It sounds ridiculous, but it's not impossible. Yes, Zhao Ying is a rogue and Qin is an official army, this natural gap is insurmountable, however, the current situation is a little delicate. Although the Qin clan is called an official army, its autonomy is very great, and the imperial court can only restrain them. Moreover, the Tusi in eastern Sichuan, except for one or two who are loyal to the imperial court such as Shi Yan Ma, most of them are called official soldiers, but they are actually official thieves. They only look at the development and interests of their own people, and go out to plunder neighboring states and counties, rob money and people. The murdered prefectures and counties are jealous of the title of "official army", and they are fierce and abnormal, and their views on them are no different from those of the rogues. The imperial court was happy to see them attacking each other and fighting each other, and they didn't care much about it, and they came and went, resulting in today's situation of Tusi Dominance. Zhonglu Qin's clan is the best of these toasts.

First, Zhonglu is the strongest in the Tusi, secondly, the three generations of the ancestors and grandchildren of the Qin family are not mediocre and weak, and third, there are precedents for the annexation and invasion of the surrounding areas. Knowing the meaning of the comer, you can prepare early and prescribe the right medicine.

Thinking along this line of thought, Zhao Dangshi felt more and more that this matter was promising. He is having a headache for the next development direction, and if Zhonglu Qin can help, it will definitely be a big help. Not only him, but Hou Dagui and Xu Hui also saw the opportunity. It's just that I'm not afraid of 10,000, I'm afraid of what happens, no matter how big the interests are, Zhao Dangshi is the master of the two camps in the end, and it is too risky to break the covenant alone. No matter how capable Hou and Xu are, this will make them leave Zhao Dangshi, and they can't make any splashes.

"Or, let your subordinates command the line for Dudu." Xu Hui was still worried, so he took the initiative to propose.

"The commander of the capital is the lord of the whole army, and he must not be moved lightly. My subordinates are also willing to go. "How could Hou Dagui let Xu Hui behave alone, and hurriedly petitioned.

"No!" Zhao Dangshi waved his hand and flatly refused, "Qin's father and son, Tusi Xiaoxiong." He invited me with sincerity, and if I did not go myself, he would hate my contempt, and it would be better not to go. After a pause, he saw that the two people on the other side were silent, and then said, "The Qin family took the initiative to come, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." They see me as foreign aid, and do I see it as a way out? Truth be told, we need them more than they need us! ”

"The commander is right, it's just ......"

"I've made up my mind, Juyun Temple for a while, I'll go in person." Zhao Dangshi didn't give them a chance to persuade, "Except for that, I only take the night and don't accept the fine ride, that's all." In my absence, the two of you will consult and decide everything in the camp. ”

"I have made up my mind" is a common phrase used by Zhao Dangshi, and as soon as this statement comes out, everyone knows that his mind is firm, and it is useless to persuade him. Hou and Xu looked at each other for a moment, bowed their heads and said, "They all listen to the command." ”

The three of them discussed until dusk in the house, and in addition to the general arrangement, they also went through all kinds of emergency measures when Zhao Dangshi was away, and dispersed after making sure that they were safe. Hou and Xu went away with their own concerns, and Zhao Dangshi had no time to rest, so he sent someone to call Zhou Wenhe, the general manager of the night.

Zhou Wenhe is an old man in the army, and he followed Zhao Dangshi's old brother before entering Sichuan, and more specifically, he was among the people who followed him left and right in Jinlingchuan. Because of his qualifications, ability, and calm personality, Zhao Dangshi did not choose anyone else, but let him be the head of the night.

The scale of the night is still small, and the chief is not more than a hundred. If Zhou Wenhe doesn't come, he can make a fortune like Guo Hutou. But he did not hesitate and decisively accepted the appointment of the night without collecting 100 generals. On the one hand, this is because of the repayment of Zhao Dangshi's kindness, and on the other hand, there are also reasons for his long-term vision. Although he is silent, but the city government is deep, knowing that this special service organization is currently being created, although it is inconspicuous, but it will be reused in time, rather than competing with Hou Dagui, Guo Hutou and others, it is better to find another way and find another path of development.

After Zhao Dangshi told him about his plan to go to Juyun Temple, he felt a burst of ecstasy in his heart. This time the guard, only the night is not closed, and he is the leader, as long as he can ensure that Zhao Dangshi comes and goes thoroughly, he will have to make a great achievement, and his status in Zhao Dangshi's heart will definitely rise. He is an ambitious man, and at the same time he is good at judging the situation, as long as there is an opportunity to perform, he will not let go.

Of course, in front of Zhao Dangshi, he didn't show half of his joy, and he still looked unfazed. After Zhao Dangshi discussed a few key points with him clearly, he asked him to go back and prepare.

After doing this, Zhao Dangshi was able to relax. At this time, it was already unitary time, and it was already past the meal. The guard brought the meal, and he ate two bites, but he had no appetite. I simply put down the dishes and chopsticks and went out for a walk.

It is true that as he speculated, it is extremely likely that Qin will seek cooperation, but the world is impermanent, and everything is still unknown until there is face-to-face confirmation. Hou Dagui and Xu Hui can see the danger of this trip, as the parties concerned, how can Zhao Dangshi not know? To tell the truth, he was more apprehensive than anyone else.

Once a person is in a high position, he has more things to consider. If he were still a small hundred, he would not have any hesitation in front of him, and Hou and Xu would not oppose fiercely at first. Although everyone has their own ideas, in the final analysis, it is only due to one reason - Zhao Ying is not what it used to be.

This is not to say that Zhao Ying has become a climate now, but that everyone, as a veteran, has watched Zhao Ying grow from scratch and from childhood to adulthood step by step. Because it was fought by oneself with one knife and one gun, it was especially cherished; Because he was full of hope for Zhao Ying's future, he was cautious in his every move. Zhao Ying, named Zhao Dangshi's battalion head, in essence, has been regarded by the vast majority of military generals as their home.