Suizhou County, Ye House.

"Master, we can't agree to the suggestions of the Yuan family (Yuan Keli, Yuan Shu)." The steward said: "That Li Yan is the murderer who killed our uncle!" ”

Master Ye sat down and said, "Are you sure?" ”

"Eighty percent is him." The housekeeper said, "That day, we asked my uncle to intercept the grain that was sold, and my uncle was killed." And the person who escaped also said that it was the death hand of the person who escorted the grain cart in the direction of Qixian to his uncle. ”

Master Ye said angrily: "That's because you yourself are too greedy and take it upon yourself to rob the grain!" ”

"The villain is confused, the villain is confused." The steward quickly knelt down and admitted his mistake.

"This year, it was not easy for Hou Gongzi to come forward and move Zuo Dashuai's generals. is just one step away, and he can be sent to take down Li Yan's house, but he just encountered a thief. Gao Yuanheng is a victorious general, when has he ever lost a war with a thief? But this time, it was a defeat and death. Now Li Yan is getting bigger and bigger, and he has to protect the safety of Suizhou, it's really providence! Master Ye ignored the kneeling steward and said to himself.

The steward looked up at Master Ye and didn't see any anger, so he proposed: "Or, tell Master Benzun (Ye Tinggui) that Master Benzun is a Beijing official and a servant, not to mention a garrison, even a guerrilla and a general, and it is also an excerpt." ”

"You think everyone is like you and only knows money?!" Master Ye scolded: "What they want is to leave a name in history!" What you have done may make your family kill their relatives with righteousness, which just fulfills his long-cherished wish! ”

This Master Ye is just a side branch of the Ye family in the Guide Mansion, and he is just donating a prisoner. His family doesn't have much ability, but they have 4,000 acres of farmland outside Suizhou City, relying on the relationship between their own branch and the Suizhou government, and paying less taxes.

Since last year, grain has been sold at sky-high prices, and it has really made a lot of money. But since the thieves invaded the country this year, everything has gone terribly bad. The grain outside the city was not harvested, and in order to allow the troops in the city to hold the county seat, he also paid a lot of food, which was almost cut down from him.

Although Master Ye was angry, the steward still said, "That can't agree with the Yuan family's idea." If Li Yan is asked to guard Suizhou, then at least he must be given the title of guerrilla. In that case, it will be even more difficult to avenge my uncle in the future. ”

The others didn't nod either. Master Ye said: "Let's wait and see Jingying, there is news that it will be there soon." With Li Yan's disturbance, the nearby thieves will stop for at least a few days, just enough to make Jingying come over without any accidents. This Li Yan also did a good thing. ”

The steward was still kneeling on the ground, and answered: "I'm afraid that like Chen Yongfu, I will fight a few battles and drive the thieves away." When they were gone, the thieves continued to plunder. The new prefect Su Jing is also a no-brainer, thinking about forming a township soldier all day long, if the township soldiers can beat the thieves, can the current thieves still have such a big momentum? ”

Master Ye said with a smile: "It was Gonggong Liu who led the troops here, and he was connected with several people." Even if it is for the sake of old friends, they will not let the thieves continue to harm and return to virtue. ”

"I hope so." The steward said in a low voice: "If the chaos continues, there will be not enough food in the house." ”

Master Ye seemed to hear it, and he ordered: "From now on, don't sell the grain anymore, and don't sell it for any money!" We must live ourselves, and we will not be able to earn enough money. ”

"The villain knows about it, and stops immediately." The steward nodded in agreement.

"Hurry up!" Master Ye ordered: "Give me an inventory of the stored grain, and report it to me tonight!" ”

The steward kowtowed and said, "Yes, the villain will go." He stood up, rubbed his aching knee, and limped out.

Qi County, barracks.

After Li Yan returned to Mengzhuang with the troops, he rested for one night, and went back with Li Mu and the troops the next day. Huang Desheng went to restore the iron ore and continued mining.

Among the thieves who returned to Germany, it was rumored that Li Yan's combat power was strong, and his reputation was even greater than that of Gao Yuanheng - Gao Chuangzi before. This time, the thieves were in Suizhou, with a total of more than 800 casualties and two dead leaders, almost making the three bandits disappear.

In order to excuse their fiasco and make their own reputation less affected, the thieves who fled back continued to exaggerate the combat strength of Li Yan's troops. It is said that Li Yan's troops have fifty or sixty cannons, which can hit two miles away, and the cannonballs hit like hailstones, and even the copper-headed iron arms are either killed or wounded. These rumors made the thieves consciously leave the western part of Suizhou and stay away from Li Yan's sphere of influence.

"What's going on these days?" Li Yan asked Li Zhong.

Li Zhong replied: "We don't have any situation here. However, it is rumored that in the area of Henan Mansion and Nanyang Mansion in the west, there seems to be a rampant bandit. The guerrilla Gao Qian led the troops outside, the people had no food, and there were many thieves, so the situation there seemed to be very bad. ”

Li Yan said: "Henan Mansion, Nanyang Mansion, it's still far from here." Let them make trouble, it should take some time to get to us. ”

"I'm afraid that there won't be enough troops, so the governor asked us to send troops to help in the war." Li Zhong said worriedly. Although they were village soldiers, there was an old calendar before, and village soldiers were filled into soldiers, and they were used as soldiers for a long time. Just like the salary, the holy decree said that it would only be collected for one year, but now it has become customized, and the credibility of the imperial court has basically been lost.

Li Yan smiled: "Let's not go, it's over." At that time, can they still deal with us first? And Luoyang is blessed with a king, it is the emperor's uncle, and he should first exterminate the thieves there. ”

Li Mu also nodded and said: "What the fourth brother said is right, let alone a thief, how many people can there be in the official army?" At most, it is more than 10,000 people, as long as they come to fight us, we will still lead them to attack the city, and then fight out, and make sure that we will cripple them in a battle! ”

"Let's step up military training," Li Yan said, "and strive to have more than 4,000 troops before chaos breaks out." ”

"It's good that the cannons can be brought out," Li Mu said longingly: "There is a row of cannons in the front row, as long as two rounds are fired, no matter how many people there are, they will have to break up." ”

Li Zhong shook his head and said: "It's just a trial production now, even if it can be done, it's just one door." If you want to wait for reconstruction, you will have to wait until this time next year. ”

Li Mu hurriedly said: "Fourth brother, this is not good, this time I have to build more." Who knows what will happen in a year's time, but it won't work if there are fewer guns. ”

"Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand." Li Yan explained: "I said that it was a trial production, but if I got too much, once there was a problem, the loss would be great." But you don't have to worry, although there are no cannons, the tiger squat cannon will get twenty first, and there should be no problem in fighting the thieves. ”

Li Mu said helplessly: "That thing, it's not as powerful as a bomb." That is, it can hit farther. ”

Li Yan ordered: "Okay, you go and rest." Tomorrow everyone will do their duty and step up their training. ”

...