"Two million, delivered tomorrow at this time. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo”

In just ten words, that's all there is to the letter.

He didn't say that he would pay for his life, nor did he threaten that if he dared not agree, or if he promised but didn't pay enough money, or if he was late, the pirates would slaughter the city in retaliation.

But everything speaks for itself.

The shorter the letter, the more it shows the confidence, toughness, and ruthlessness of the pirate's heart.

Shi Fu Lian couldn't help but smile, but he couldn't help but smile, but he could not die if he paid money.

He didn't expect his army and the nearly 100,000 adventurers and residents in the city who came to Cangzhou City to pan for gold composed of villains, criminals, and even hidden criminals, murderers, gangsters, etc., to join forces to resist the pirate attack. Although most of these people are strong, fierce and ruthless villains, they are not short of weapons.

With the city gate missing, the passage into the city was wide open, and he lost the support of the fortified city, and he had no confidence to fight against the stronger and more arrogant pirates who could defeat the Liaokou.

All he wanted was to keep him from dying.

What is money?

As long as he can live, he will still be an official of the Great Song Dynasty, the son of the founding father, who is naturally superior, and he has the power in his hands, and there is always a way to get back the lost money.

The only thing that worries me is that the amount of money is too large.

The pirates obviously didn't know that today's Cangzhou City was no longer the rich and famous Fucheng that had just passed, and they thought that Fucheng was rich before they opened their mouths to be two million.

The pirates did not directly use troops to loot Cangzhou City as they did for those cities in the south, as long as they had money, they did not rob people and did not kill people, perhaps it was the idea of shearing sheep.....

Shi Fu Lian's mind was full of thoughts, and a lot of chaotic thoughts popped up in an instant.

He cautiously peered out of the city, and saw that the pirates had turned their horses back to the camp not far away, and did not bother to wait for an answer from the city.

There were no more deadly arrows and no terrible explosions, and he breathed a sigh of relief and dared to stand up.

The pirates were apparently emboldened and were not afraid that the city would not meet the demands. If the city dares to resist stubbornly, then attack directly and plunder the desired wealth with your own hands.

With the current situation in Fucheng, it is not easy to scrape together the ransom. And the pirates are pressed for time. There can be no delay.

He strode towards the city, but habitually instructed the generals on duty in Dongcheng, who were lucky not to die under the arrows, to keep an eye on the enemy and guard the city, and the guards couldn't help but roll their eyes when they heard this, meaning that they were all like this and kept a fart, but they didn't care about playing power and shaking their prestige like in the past, and they didn't care about the life and death of the arrow's cronies and sycophant generals, and hurriedly rode a horse to Zheng Juzhong to discuss countermeasures.

It is more honorable to ride with people. Riding a horse does not show the power and majesty of a man.

The rulers of the world have somehow fallen in love with the sedan chair that sits on people. However, the Han rulers, who believed in Confucian morality and the Buddha of compassion, were even more enthusiastic about this.

It's a huge irony.

But Dr. Zheng Juzhong did not sit in a sedan chair unusually, and hurried to check what was going on on horseback.

Can the city be saved?

Keep a fart. Hurry up and redeem your life.

Shi Fulian complained in his heart, he couldn't say that, so he silently gave the blackmail letter to Zheng Juzhong.

Zheng Juzhong read the letter in a hurry, and Shi Fulian's reaction was different, first frowning with joy and then frowning.

You can redeem your life with money, and you don't have to die if you have a chance. This guy turned his mind and felt sorry for the money.

If the pirates ask for 180,000 yuan, they take the opportunity to scratch the people and merchants in the city, and give it, maybe there will be a lot of money. But so much money.......

If all the money and property that were scavenged by unscrupulous means, or even directly murdered and robbed by wealthy merchants, were all posted to pirates, wouldn't this trip to be an official in rich Cangzhou be in vain?

Zheng Juzhong was reluctant to accompany the money, seeing that the pirates wanted money and not human lives, he had a fluke in his heart, and immediately had other ideas, so he snorted angrily, and shook the hand holding the letter very imposingly on the horse and scolded: "What a strong and greedy thief!" What is this Cangzhou City? When I approached the army of Wanbian City, it was all decoration? ”

Another official took the letter and looked at it, first stunned, and then sneered: "Two million? What a big appetite! ”

When the frightened officials heard this, they immediately understood that the pirate wanted money and did not want to die, and the stinky temper of the daring man and the scholar returned, and they all sarcastically scolded the damned thief.

They are highly educated, have a lot of swearing, and are so vicious that they don't even greet the female relatives of the pirates, or even swear words.

The official who raised the punishment yamen did not forget the explosion he heard, and hurriedly asked again: "Can the city be defended?" ”

Shi Fulian looked at this group of scholars, and noticed the disheveled and disheveled appearance from the well-dressed appearance, smelled the smell of wine and fat powder that was particularly strong in the heat, looked at the flushed faces and drunken eyes that were still confused after being frightened, and knew in his heart that these people must have gathered together before, and the shameless deeds that the doctor boasted of being the most fond of doing.

These scholars have always looked down on military attachés, and even more despised him for such honors. He also looked down on these self-righteous scholars who could only talk about it.

When has it been since these people have not forgotten to put on the hypocritical and arrogant face of the scholar?

Look at the way you didn't even sit in a sedan chair and rushed to check the situation, who was scared to death just now? Who is riding a horse ready to run away at any time?

As soon as I heard that money could be exchanged for life, I had a chance to live, and I trembled again. Are you rushing to sing on the spot?

He had the intention of taunting and scaring these scholars, wanting to see these people change their faces and show their frightened and ugly expressions, so he deliberately said in a particularly heavy tone: "The city gate is broken. Pirates can come in at any time. These robbers are more ferocious than the Liao Kou, and they kill people on the fly, but they don't have any worries about the Liao army killing our Great Song Dynasty officials, and the pirates have always been unscrupulous and enthusiastic. ”

"Huh?"

Zheng Juzhong was shocked and asked one after another: "How can you say that it is broken?" ”

"Break it, plug it quickly, ......."

Shi Fu Lian looked at these civil officials who lost the arrogance of the scholars in an instant, and showed their mouths like cannons, and resented in his heart: "You still dare to ask me if I can't block the city gate, is it a general?" ”

He looked coldly at the one who shouted the most fiercely, and he didn't bother to call the official title according to the rules of officialdom, and said directly: "This lord is so courageous, he is worthy of being a scholar who does not hesitate to sacrifice his life to serve the country, and he is qualified to pose in front of the young general." I don't deserve to be a general. If you are not afraid of death, then please take it upon yourself to lead your hands and lead your hands to block the city gate with a strange explosion that is many times more powerful than the gunpowder of our Great Song Dynasty, I don't know how many times? ”

Seeing that the official was so ridiculed that he stared at him like a wolf, he sneered: "Hehe, the pirate's skill is enough to open the mountain and crack the rock." The bolts are also more terrible than ours. What are you staring at me for? Hurry up and subdue the explosion, block the city gate and protect the city from being blown down? ”

"The pirates have sent people to keep an eye on the city gates, waiting for a brave and capable man like you to surrender. The uniform exploded, and my Shi Fu Lian will not be an official from now on, and I am willing to be a cow and a horse for your slave. The people of this city will also be grateful to you and admire you, and they can't say that the court's reward will promote you to a big official, and you can still leave a name in history. It's a rare opportunity. You've got to hurry. ”

The official's face couldn't be hung up, and he didn't dare to be angry to block the city gate, so he quickly pretended to be angry, and scolded with his halberd finger: "You, you, Shi Fu Lian, you are a general who is responsible for defending the city?" ”

After Shi Fulian was the founding honor, he relied on the trust of his ancestor Emperor Mengyin, and he didn't need to look at the face of the scholar doctor, he was pointed at in public, he knew that he was a mediocre talent, but he also relied on his natural identity advantage to be faced, and he felt aggrieved by being forced into this virtue by Liao Kou and pirates, so he was angry and said coldly: "You said it wrong." When war comes, it is not only the generals who are responsible for defending the city. A civil official like you, who usually does not practice his words, also has the responsibility to protect the city. When necessary, it is also necessary to go into battle to kill the enemy, and it is also necessary to obey the control of military law. ”

He pressed his sword and pointed at his hand, and shouted, "Put down your dog's paws." ”

"Otherwise, don't blame me for chopping off your claws first according to the wartime military law, and teach you how to respect the general in charge of the soldiers and horses of your own house."

The official's eyes were red when he saw Shi Fulian's annoyance, for fear that this noble gentleman would find an excuse to really draw his sword to retaliate and shrink, but he couldn't get off the stage.

Zheng Juzhong realized the crisis, and didn't have the heart to listen to the civil and military quarrels and infighting, so he waved his hand and interrupted: "The top priority is to quickly discuss a countermeasure. Let's go back home. ”

In this way, the man was given steps, and the hand he pointed to was taken away.

Shi Fu Lian didn't go.

This guy is cunning, and he must know that he will listen to Zheng Juzhong's share of the money, but he doesn't want to be stupidly forced to take more money by these black-eyed scholars.

Zheng Juzhong was unwilling to let him go, and hurriedly greeted.

However, Shi Fulian left without looking back on the grounds that he was not allowed to leave the city defense at this time.

was so angry that Zheng Juzhong and the civil official secretly scolded this guy for being shameless and cunning, but he was helpless.

Usually, military generals can be suppressed by civilian force, but at this time, the soldiers listen to the generals, and the civilian officials can't be tough on the military attachés.

In case this guy is black-hearted, he leads the army to kill the civil officials and subordinates to ensure that no one can report it afterwards, and then raids the house, sends the money to the pirates to save their lives, and afterwards says that the city is broken, and the civil officials have no ability to kill the siege and all the people are suffering, so as to play the emperor, this reason is very strong, very credible, and can get away with the crime. That death is called a black injustice.

Although this possibility is very small. But the sinister scholars, who have never been afraid to touch people's hearts with the greatest malice, have to guard against it.

Zheng Juzhong was reluctant to make money, so he was lucky, and he had other thoughts, what good results could he discuss with civil officials who were also thinking about it?

They wanted to go out of the city to negotiate with the pirates and reduce the ransom as much as possible, and no one wanted to risk their lives in front of the murderous pirates, so they hit the old convict who was not a gang.

Lao Tong is old, these days the health is not well, Li Zhi is sick and resting at home, the status in the city is high, the power position is only under the prefect, but there are checks and balances in all aspects of politics, military and justice, the prefect's heavy power, the Song Dynasty's intertwined officialdom structure is to prevent someone from taking power and rebelling, the identity and power of the officials are not enough, and they cannot force Lao Tong to judge his head like other officials, Zheng Juzhong can only deign to come to the door in person to try to euphemistically persecute and persuade for his own interests.

The prefect visited him for the first time. Lao Tongju warmly received Zheng Juzhong, his face was not very good, and he sat on the chair and quietly listened to Zheng Juzhong's lips and tongue talk about righteousness and the overall situation........

Zheng Juzhong talked for a long time, but when he saw that Lao Tongju was always indifferent, he was anxious, the weather was hot, his mouth was dry, and he kept drinking tea.

He had never drunk this tea before, but it was so sweet and delicious, and he didn't know if it was due to the weather or the psychological effect, so he loved it more and more.

After a shell of tea was drunk by Zheng Juzhong, Lao Tongju looked at the boss with a smile, a hint of mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth, and asked lightly: "I wonder how much silver the lord is going to take out for the old man to deal with the pirates?" ”

Zheng Juzhong was embarrassed for a while when he heard this, but he stretched out a finger and said without blushing: "Boss, you also know that our Fucheng is not as good as before, and we can only take out 100,000 yuan in a hurry." The money was still made up by the old man and the adults who moved out of their own homes and scraped together. ”

As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed: "Alas! Pirates are unstoppable. The national crisis is at the head. To save the people of Cangzhou City from suffering. This official and all of you can only give up your small family for everyone. The boss doesn't have to pay. Your identity is enough, you are old and tall, you are old Cangzhou, you are familiar with the changes in Cangzhou, you can represent Cangzhou, and the pirates are easy to be convinced. This is also your duty in times of crisis, my lord. ”

He coaxed and coaxed.

Lao Tong juggled a few times and said, "You and I are both understanding people." The prefect doesn't have to say anything about righteousness and duty. ”

"One hundred thousand?"

"Two million pirates. You asked the old man to take a small amount of money, this is to let the old man try the knife and die. ”

As he spoke, he sneered disdainfully, didn't even look at Zheng Juzhong, flicked his sleeves and went directly into the back hall, making Zheng Juzhong Liang embarrassed and angry at that time.

As an official specially set up by the imperial court to check and balance the top leaders at the local and regional levels, Lao Tongju's duty is to sing against the prefect, and he is not afraid of Zheng Juzhong's anger and revenge.

No matter how bold these officials in Cangzhou City are, they will never dare to join forces to kill the magistrate without permission, and at most try to remove the official and remove the thorn in the eye.

Don't look at Zheng Juzhong as a second-grade high-ranking official, Cangzhou Tongju is only a fifth-grade official, and the level is very different, but the general sentence is relative to the prefect, and the old man is qualified to throw Zheng Juzhong's face.

You can't force it. Zheng Juzhong could only leave with hatred.

He will not give up, and he and his colleagues scolded the old man for not knowing how to raise his name, and he wanted to take revenge, but at present, he could only discuss the forced dispatch of a clever petty official to come forward.

That petty official is also a greedy and afraid of death, and he has done a lot of bad things that have lost his conscience, and he has come to Cangzhou to reap the benefits on behalf of a certain second-class magnates, and there are also backers who can't resist the persecution of the officials.

He could only be bold and lucky, and went out of the city to the pirate camp with the 100,000 pieces of gold and silver jewelry that he had pretended to have made up with great difficulty.

But he didn't expect that

The pirate checked the money delivered in front of the camp gate, and accepted the money, but he did not give him a chance to speak, but pulled him directly to the front of the city and cut off his head with a knife against the city gate.

The excuses he had been taught by Zheng Juzhong in advance and carefully woven were useless.

What Zhao Gonglian transferred to Qingzhou, and the rich merchants of Cangzhou City also followed. What Cangzhao business is not good now, and even Cangzhou is no longer prosperous and rich........

These reasons for trying to redeem one's life with less money have never been spoken. No one cares about the reason, only whether the money is enough for two million.

They were scared by the guy who forced them to escort the money, but no one rewarded them.

The pirate officer guarding the camp gate shouted: "Go back and tell the dog officers that if you want money or your life, weigh it clearly." Obsolete does not wait. Get out—"

It's worth it to roll and pick up a life. Crawled back to Fucheng Jiaocha.