In a blink of an eye, it is the twenty-seventh day of the lunar month, and the New Year is about to be.

On this day, Li Yan was in the barracks, and a soldier came to report that the Wang steward of the Wangfu Grange was here and was waiting outside the camp gate. And the few big carts and things brought are still waiting to be inspected outside the city gate.

Li Yan thought about it for a while and felt that Steward Wang was here to have a relationship with him. After all, several county towns have been breached now, especially the news just came today, Li Zicheng conquered Yiyang and Yongning (Luoning), not only killed more than 100 officials and gentry, but also executed the king of Wan'an County. The killing of a county king should be the reason for the panic in the palace.

"Let him in." Li Yan commanded.

After waiting for a while, Steward Wang and a few followers were brought in. After he saw Li Yan, he arched his hand and said, "Li Shoubei, it's time to pay tribute to General Li's early years." ”

Although Li Yan was sitting, he also arched his hand and said: "Thank you for managing Wang, and Li also gave Steward Wang an early year." ”

Steward Wang said with a smile: "General Li is polite, I came this time to deliver New Year's goods to General Li." ”

"How good is this," Li Yan said, "Li doesn't dare to grab things from the prince." ”

Steward Wang hurriedly persuaded: "Although General Li accepts it, these things are all sent to the general by the order of the prince." As he spoke, he waved his hand to his attendant and ordered, "Give the gift list to General Li for a look." ”

Sun Sifu stepped forward and took the red gift slip to Li Yan. Li Yan didn't even look at it, and said with a smile: "Then thank you for the prince's kindness." ”

Steward Wang nodded and smiled, took a wooden box from the hand of his attendant, and wanted to hand it over to Li Yan in person, but was taken by Sun Sifu. Steward Wang smiled awkwardly, pointed to the box, and said, "This is the prince's consolation to the general." In the past year, the general has thwarted several attacks by thieves and protected the territory and the people. Oh, no, it was to protect the property of the palace from infringement, so the prince specially prepared these rewards for General Li. ”

Li Yanxin said: "It seems that this Wang steward is still very cautious, and he doesn't leave any handle for others." ”

If Steward Wang doesn't change his mind when he says 'protect the territory and the people', as long as it is reported to the emperor, the punishment will definitely come down. This word is not something that the palace can say, and once the palace reveals its political ambitions, it will become the first target of the emperor's attack. After all, theoretically speaking, the princes have the legal right to inherit the Ming Dynasty.

Sun Sifu opened the box, and after finding that there was no problem, he put it in front of Li Yan. Li Yan glanced inside and found that it was gold, pearls, jade or something. Although there are not many things, the value should not be low.

"Thank you for the trump card." Li Yan clenched his fists and said: "Since Steward Wang handed over the field endowment to Li, then Li will naturally protect the safety of the field managed by Steward Wang." ”

Steward Wang nodded with a smile and said, "With a person like General Li who values faith and righteousness, I am also relieved." At the gate of the city there were also fifty stones of grain, two deer, ten sheep, and forty chickens and ducks, all of which were to comfort the soldiers. There are also two good horses for the general, please don't dislike General Li. ”

Li Yan arched his hand and said: "The soldiers under the command of Li Mou have thanked the prince for his love." ”

Steward Wang's task has been completed, and he will not stay long, so he gets up and says goodbye and leaves. As long as the goodwill is expressed clearly, there is no need to show it too obviously, otherwise you will be ripped off.

Li Yan got up and gave him his hand.

Kaifeng City, Zhou Wangfu.

"Father," the prince said dissatisfiedly, "The New Year's gift of the Qixian Grange is only eighty percent of the previous year, and they have a bumper harvest this year, and they have not been damaged by the homeless, so it should be more." ”

"You should know why." King Zhou held the hand stove, sat on the recliner and said with squinted eyes.

Shizi nodded and said, "Yes, it was the child who knew the reason and came to tell his father." That Li Yan is just a garrison, and with two or three thousand people in his hands, it's worth us to give him so many things? We're not having a good time right now. You want to marry a military general, this military general in Kaifeng Mansion, you will give out 200,000 taels of silver this year. If the income of the grange is not guaranteed, the government will be in a deficit. ”

King Zhou said with some dissatisfaction: "Stupid! Didn't you hear yesterday's news? The thieves all killed Zhu Caijin (the golden word is light, the king of Wan'an). Can money be compared to life? ”

"Can that be the same?" Shizi said unconvinced: "He is in Yongning, but we are in Kaifeng." Our city here is high and deep, and there are many defenders. Moreover, we have already shown mercy to the guards of the generals, even if the thieves attack, they will definitely not be able to attack. Besides, this is the provincial government, the generals from all over the country, and the imperial court governors, who can afford to lose Kaifeng? Isn't it time to desperately rescue? Which thief can stand off the siege of the official army? ”

King Zhou opened his eyes, looked at Shizi for a while, and said, "I only know one, but I don't know the other!" According to the news, the thieves have gathered hundreds of thousands, and they can't be defended if they want to. And the official army, not to mention the rest, Chen Yongfu took 5,000 elites to Guide Mansion to suppress thieves, as soon as he left on the front foot, the back foot returned to Defu and there was chaos again. And Li Yan can keep all the thieves out of Qixian, and the gap between them is clear at a glance. ”

"He is only 3,000 people, and excluding those who want to guard Qi County, there are only one or two thousand who can move. But what you give will catch up with what you gave to Chen Yongfu. Shizi still said with some incomprehension.

King Zhou said lightly: "There are not many soldiers. As long as there is such an elite army that dares to fight and can fight, the whole battle situation will be very different. You know all day long that you care about those yellow and white things, what's the point?! Mo Xuefu King, he was the emperor who couldn't do it, so he used those gold and silver to vent the depression in his heart. What do you have to be depressed about, when you attack the seal, all the hidden gold in our treasury is yours. ”

The prince quickly knelt down, kowtowed, and said, "My father is in good health and can enjoy a thousand years of happiness." ”

King Zhou waved his hand and commanded: "Get up, don't make these false things." Immortality, starting from Qin Shi Huang, has been looking for it for more than a thousand years, which emperor has found it? You go back and read more books, military books and history books. Don't just stare at the books anymore! ”

The prince got up and arched his hand, "Yes, the child must follow the teachings of his father." ”

"Go ahead, I'm going to rest for a while." King Zhou waved his hand and said. After that, he sat down on the recliner and dozed off with the stove.

"Yes, the child is gone." Shizi bowed down and agreed, and then quietly withdrew.

King Zhou squinted his eyes and looked at the back of the prince, a little helpless, but he could only sigh silently in his heart. This son has been a son for more than 20 years, and he may be aggrieved, in short, he likes silver money more and more. But there is one good thing, that is, there is filial piety, in a family like them, what is more important than filial piety?