Spring rain is as expensive as oil, but if you encounter such rain when you are in a hurry, it is not so comfortable.

In February, everything in Shandong is still withered, and there is little green on the ground. The spring rains for several days turned the dirt road into mud, and even the horses often slipped.

"Master Chu, you have lived in the south all the year round, and you have never seen the desolation of the north, right?"

Chu Song was originally a person with eight faces, and on the ten days he came to Shandong, he didn't have the slightest shelf of Jinyi Wei Qianhu, and he mingled with this group of straight-hearted Shandong men.

Hearing Hao Yunzhong's question, Chu Song said with a smile: "A few years ago, I went to the desert with His Royal Highness, and it can be called the real north. Shandong is a land of abundance, as long as the government is cleared, or in a few years, Shandong will be able to recover its vitality, but it is not desolate. ”

Lin San sighed and said, "This Yellow River is not quiet, it is difficult......"

Chu Song said with a smile: "Your Highness is a wise and heroic lord, and he has been planning to govern the Yellow River a few years ago. When His Royal Highness is in power, the Yellow River will be well governed after all. ”

Although Lin San wanted to say that it was not so easy, but when he thought of the unspeakable and insightful grandson he had seen in the capital, he felt that any difficulties seemed to be nothing in front of him.

Although the silky drizzle is not heavy, and they are all wearing robes, this kind of cold air that burrows into the body with the rain is very uncomfortable.

A few people rode on their horses and chatted as they walked forward, and after a while they came to a small village.

As soon as they entered the entrance of the village, two big men jumped out, they were originally aggressive, but when they saw the people on the horse, they couldn't help but be stunned. "Third sister, third brother, it's you! This is the horse of the imperial court......"

Wang Xuan smiled and said, "Ma Chong, you kid didn't recognize me?" ”

The big man named Ma Chong laughed and said, "You little monkey...... What is it called? That's right, the monkey is crowned! ”

"Ma Chong, your uncle, don't show off after reading for two years, don't think I don't know you're scolding me. Hurry up and inform the cottage, good wine and meat are served. Otherwise, my second sister doesn't know who she is going to marry......"

Ma Chong rushed to Wang Xuan's side at once, and pulled him off his horse by pulling his robe. "I warn you, your second sister is not married, you are twittering, I don't care that you are my brother-in-law, don't blame me for serving with a big fist."

Chu Song was a little stunned, Lin San said with a smile: "These two guys have been intimate since childhood, and the two families have also married, they are closer than ordinary brothers, and they like to fight and show their closeness." ”

Chu Song smiled and nodded, his eyes couldn't help but glance at Tang Sai'er, who was sitting on the horse with a smile and watching the excitement.

Even if he didn't feel it when he was in the capital, he can see it now. Although everyone is headed by Lin San, the core of these people is not Lin San, but this beautiful, low-key little lady.

He originally thought it was because of Tang Qian, but although everyone recognized Tang Qian as his master, Tang Qian was not a qualified leader except for his powerful fists and feet, and his personality was wooden.

This Third Sister Tang can become the core figure of a group of big men at the age of twenty and as a bride, naturally not as simple as she appears.

Chu Song was a little strange, he was intentionally observed, and with the reminder of His Royal Highness, he had a preconceived plan, only to find that this Third Sister Tang was not simple.

Why did His Royal Highness just glance at her and know that among the four people, it was Tang Sanjie as the leader?

His Highness is really a man of God, and no one can hide it in front of him.

Ma Chong laughed a few words with Wang Xuan, and then asked Tang Sai'er: "Third sister, let's go, let's go to the cottage ......"

Tang Sai'er said: "You go and talk to Brother Gao and let him go back to the village." It is difficult and inconvenient to get to the mountains. ”

She glanced at Lin San, and Lin San immediately introduced knowingly: "This is Lord Chu of Jinyi Wei Qianhu......"

Ma Chong was intimate with Tang Sanjie and the others, but he didn't have a good face for Chu Song, a brocade-clothed guard.

But knowing that Chu Song was a brocade guard, he naturally didn't mention the words of taking everyone to the cottage. He led a few people into the village and came to a large mansion.

Most of the farmers in the village have two mud houses, but this one has a large yard, more than a dozen houses, and a fence about two meters high.

Everyone dismounted at the door, and Lin San took out two copper coins that were fifty and handed them to Wang Xuan. "Monkey, you're here in Jieshi Village, go buy a few chickens."

Wang Xuan said with a smile: "You can buy a chicken for more than a dozen yuan, and you don't need so much." ”

Ma Chong said unhappily: "Third brother, you came to our unloading stone village, and you still want to spend money, isn't this a slap in the face of our big boss!" ”

Lin San smiled and said, "You go with the monkey, he will tell you ...... if you have something, and also, please ask Brother Gao to come back." ”

Although on the way here, Chu Song saw that there were many farmers working in the field, but judging from the withering situation of this village, Chu Song had already guessed that the bottom of this village was not so clean.

Qingzhou is mountainous here, this village is at the foot of the mountain, the main strength is probably hidden in the mountains, this village is just a façade.

Chu Song was also curious, why did His Royal Highness Taisun know that they had a lot of power in their hometown when he saw Lin San and them for the first time?

Tang Qian was arrested by the government for hard labor, and they had no choice but to go to the capital to complain.

In anyone's opinion, they are not very capable. How did His Highness know that they were hiding a great force among the lower classes of the people in their hometown?

And which family does this force belong to?

The more he came into contact, the more doubts Chu Song had.

This house is not much different from most houses in the north, and it is rare that there is a cowshed at home, apparently with a cow, which is considered a rich family.

However, Chu Song did not see a woman, nor did he see any old people and children.

As soon as he entered the hall, Chu Song saw the two portraits hanging in the main hall, and most of the doubts in his heart were solved at once. These are two very ordinary portraits, one is the Jade Emperor and the other is the Maitreya Buddha.

There are not a few people who worship the Jade Emperor, and there are not a few who worship Maitreya Buddha. But the only one who enshrines these two portraits together is the White Lotus Sect.

Chu Song remained silent, and after entering the house, he took off his coat and sat on a chair that Tang Sai'er had moved. Seven or eight people sat around the doorway, watching the drizzle outside.

Lin San opened his mouth at this time and said, "Master Chu, you must have seen some clues these days. ”

Chu Song didn't know what Lin San meant, so he deliberately pretended not to know and said, "What did Brother Lin say?" ”

Lin San smiled and said, "His Royal Highness Taisun has looked at us differently from the beginning, isn't it the credit of your Jinyi Guard?" I didn't even think that the identity I thought was secret might have been known by His Highness from the beginning. That's why he values us so much, and is willing to promise the position of lord of a city. ”

Chu Song looked at his three subordinates, they were all elites, in addition to the embroidered spring knife, there was also a short-barreled musket specially rewarded by His Royal Highness in his arms, so he was not worried about the result after lifting the table.

He smiled and said, "Jinyiwei is not omnipotent, and I didn't vaguely guess your identity until I entered this hall." ”

This time, it was Lin San and Tang Sai'er's turn to show a look of surprise. "Then why does Your Highness look at us clay legs differently?"

"Your Highness is born to know, and what you and I can do is something you and I can speculate about? However, in my opinion, I am afraid that because there is a 'Buddha Mother' in Shandong, Her Royal Highness has seen the third sister herself, so she can see it. ”

Tang Sai'er frowned, she had always thought that she had hidden it well, but she didn't expect that the loophole was actually on herself.

Since Chu Song had already guessed her identity, she said with a smile: "Since His Highness has guessed our identity, but still supports us, it means that His Highness is not going to kill our White Lotus Sect." ”

Chu Song said with a smile: "Since His Highness wants us to support you and others, naturally there is no need to worry that we will disobey His Highness's orders." However, you don't have to inch ......, Your Highness has the world in mind and regards all the people in the world as people, so we still don't want to add troubles to Your Highness, I don't know what the Buddha thinks? ”

Now that he had spread out the words, Tang Sai'er nodded and said, "This is natural. We in the White Lotus Sect are all poor people, all we ask for is a bowl of rice to eat, Your Highness can tolerate us, and we are naturally grateful. ”

Chu Song's heart also relaxed, and he said easily: "You have never been to the West, there are thousands of countries and all kinds of people in this world. In addition to us Han people, there are also black Kunlun slaves who look like ghosts, white ones who are like dead corpses, and white ghosts with golden hair and green eyes.

His Royal Highness often said: The world is big, my Ming is small, my Ming is strong, the Han people should occupy those fertile lands, occupy the richest gold mines, and let the hundred tribes be my slaves. It is not a skill to treat one's own people as slaves, but it is a skill to treat Yi people as slaves. ”

These days, when Chu Song was drunk and bored, he often talked to them about the experience of going to sea, and instilled in them some of Zhu Zhanji's mentality.

So now that he is saying this, Tang Sai'er and they did not doubt the truth of this sentence.

Lin San said with some excitement: "Learn the art of literature and martial arts, and sell it to the emperor's family." Since His Highness treats us differently, we are not wolf-hearted people. Since then, he has expanded the territory for the Ming Dynasty and defended the extreme west. ”

Chu Song nodded and said: "If you can do this, Your Highness will naturally not treat you badly, no matter weapons, military horses, and food, all will be offered." Earn a piece of wealth and bless future generations, so that this life will be in vain. ”

Lin San actually had some adventures this time, but after thinking about it these days, he still felt that since he had to contact everyone, it was impossible to hide this identity for a long time.

His Royal Highness in the capital did not deal with them, and these envoys of the Jinyi Guard came for a few days, and they did not show the slightest hostility, so he still decided to take a risk.

If you talk about it, you don't need to hide it anymore when you act and speak in the future. Moreover, if they want to attract more forces to join the team of opening up the extreme west, they also need to spread it out, and only by letting everyone know that the imperial court supports them, they will have more confidence.

After a while, Wang Xuan and Ma Chong carried a few chickens into the yard, and behind them, there was a forty-year-old woman, who was obviously pulled by them to cook.

The woman was quick with her hands and feet, and she boiled a pot of hot water in the kitchen, and Wang Xuan had killed the chickens. She threw a few chickens into a bucket of boiling water and soaked them, and in an instant they were all gone.

Lin San told Chu Song about the history of this unloading stone village, and also let Chu Song know the importance of this place.

At this time, a tall strong man of about thirty years old entered the courtyard with seven or eight young men. Although their clothes are shabby, their spirits are very good, which is quite different from ordinary villagers.

When Lin San and the others saw this person, they hurriedly got up and went out. "Brother Gao, I haven't seen you for a long time, and my brother is worried about a lot."

Chu Song also stood up, thinking that this strong man should be the tall sheep in Lin San's mouth.

Gao Yang'er smiled and hugged Lin San, but her eyes looked at Chu Song and the four of them wearing flying fish suits. "Brother Lin went to the capital, and in a blink of an eye, the corrupt officials and corrupt officials from all over Shandong were arrested in one fell swoop, and the achievements are worth a thousand years!"

"Don't dare to be, this time it's lucky, otherwise I don't know what will happen. This time, I came to find Brother Gao, and I also discussed this matter. ”

Chu Song also hugged his fist with Gao Yang'er at this time and said: "You brothers haven't seen each other for a long time, there must be a lot to say, I will cut out for a tour and enjoy the surrounding scenery." ”

Although it was still raining outside, Chu Song waved his hand, and the three subordinates also came out together.

Gao Yang'er had already heard that there were Jinyi guards who came this time, and thought that they were high up and difficult to touch, but he didn't expect that there was no shelf.

He didn't know what the reason was at this time, but he knew that the court had arrested many corrupt officials and corrupt officials, and he also knew that this time it was Jinyiwei who was in charge, and he still had a good impression of Jinyiwei.

He said to one of his men, "It's almost time to eat, you take a few adults to the cave behind the village and come back, don't go far." Ladies and gentlemen, please bear with me for the inconsiderate hospitality. ”

Chu Song, under the leadership of a young man, circled around the four places, and it took about half an hour before they saw someone calling them.

Chu Song knew that this was Lin San and they had finished talking to Gao Yang'er, and now it was his turn to play.

Dealing with these people, Chu Song is not worried.

He occupies the general trend, and the court supports him behind him, as long as they are not bent on rebellion, this is a sunny avenue for Xibo to be born.

Returning to this courtyard again, Gao Yang'er's attitude was really much closer. After inviting Chu Song to sit down, he knelt down to the south and kowtowed three times.

Then he got up and said: "Although my Gao Yang'er is only a rural villager, I also know that His Royal Highness Taisun transported grain from Nanyang and saved the lives of hundreds of people. These three prostrations are for my people who are alive, and they are also what I am willing to worship for my high sheep. ”

Chu Song invited him to sit down and said with a smile: "When I return to the capital, I will definitely tell His Highness the truth." ”

Gao Yang'er sat down, and couldn't wait to ask: "Your Highness promised, this time to go to the extreme west, open up territory for my Ming Dynasty, and seal the city and the title." It's just that I don't know if this is just for Brother Lin, or if we are all treated equally? ”

Chu Song smiled with Lin San and said, "I know that Brother Lin is carrying a map of the extreme west, so it's better to take it out and I'll explain it again." ”

Dong Yangao immediately got up and moved a table of eight immortals on the inside to the door, and several people removed the chairs and stood next to the table looking at the map.

Chu Song pointed to the northern land and said: "This northern land is sparsely populated, full of dense forests and swamps, and thousands of miles of frozen soil. It is difficult to survive there by farming, mainly by hunting and breeding, and by mining.

There is a gold mine near Tanglin City that His Royal Highness promised to Brother Lin, and on this piece of toast, which is twice as large as Daming, there is obviously more than this gold mine. All my people of the Ming Dynasty, as long as they are willing to go over and gain a firm foothold there, our court will assist in building the city and divide the local area.

If there is a mine, I need the Ming garrison, I need to contribute seventy percent of the tax, if I don't need the Ming garrison, I only need to contribute thirty percent of the tax.

There is no need to pay taxes for farming, and all the land cultivated by oneself will not be taxed by the imperial court for at least ten years, let alone service.

And the imperial court will not only open trade routes and trade with you, but also send troops to help you when you encounter a great enemy. ”

Chu Song's hand drew a line on the map and said: "There is a mountain range here, which leads from north to south, as long as a city is built along this mountain range, the imperial court will strongly support it, and all those who have the ability to build a city will be treated equally."

Further west, in the territory of the Golden Horde, there is another river, which the locals call the Volga. However, it was already the hinterland of the Golden Horde, and if anyone stationed there, even if there were mines, the imperial court would not collect a penny of taxes. ”

Gao Yang'er had obviously listened to Lin San's introduction, and asked, "The imperial court provided us with swords and guns?" ”

"Of course, the first batch is free, but if you want it later, you have to trade it in exchange. But the knives and guns sold to you by the imperial court will not be at a high price, but will only be exchanged for a flat price. ”

"I heard that the leaders of the Golden Horde are all Mengyuan people who look about the same as us, what if we win them over?"

Chu Song smiled and said: "As long as you have the ability to make them obedient, the imperial court will naturally give them knighthoods." ”

Gao Yang'er nodded, turned his head and said to Lin San: "Brother Lin, capable!" ”

Lin San said with a smile: "Naturally, he is capable, so my brother will come to find Big Brother Gao." Later, I will go to Juzhou, Jimo, Zhucheng and other places to pull Brother Yang, Brother Wang, and Brother Bai together.

You and my brother have the support of the imperial court, there are no worries, and it is not difficult to win over a team of tens of thousands of people. We first went to the extreme west to work hard for two years, and when we gained a firm foothold, we could take our family members over, and then eat meat in large pieces and drink wine in a big bowl in the extreme west, and be at ease. ”

Chu Song's heart tightened, he didn't expect that their gang of people would be so powerful, and they kept saying that they could win over tens of thousands of people!

This White Lotus Sect is really a bit unfathomable!

That's just for the average person, though. To the imperial court, these people are just grass chickens and dogs, and no matter how many people they are, they can't match the muskets of the army.

He was worried again, if he sent all these people to the extreme west, was he really not afraid that they would rebel in the future?

But thinking of Taisun, he felt that his worries were unnecessary, His Royal Highness was wise and martial, I am afraid that he had already thought of a countermeasure.

Dare to use these people and support these people, His Highness will naturally not be afraid of them rebelling.

With common interests, Gao Yang'er now has no hostility towards Chu Song. When a large pot of fried chicken was served, they began to eat the wine they had brought.

After toasting Chu Song with a glass of wine, Gao Yang'er talked about the situation in Shandong. "It's really nice for the court to catch those corrupt officials recently, but a strange thing happened in Yanzhou, I don't know if you've heard of it?"

Chu Song said with a smile: "But someone actually went to the yamen to sue the Kong family?" ”

Although Chu Song has been in Putai County a few days ago and only came to Qingzhou the day before yesterday, there are Jinyi Wei dark lines all over Shandong, and he is also very clear about the situation outside.

The navy sent Ma Dezhong back to his hometown to go to the grave, but found that his father's and mother's grave had been dug up by the Kong family.

What's even more excessive is that no one in the Kong family collected the bones, but pretended not to know and fooled the past.

And now, Ma Dezhong went directly to the Qufu County Ya to sue the Kong family.

The Confucian family is in Shandong, it is a first-class family, which official in Shandong does not worship the Confucian family?

The Qufu County Ya did not dare to take the case at all, and transferred it to the Yanzhou Prefecture Government, and the Prefecture Government did not dare to take it, so it was transferred to the Shandong Political Division.

At this time, the imperial court arrested almost all the officials in Shandong officialdom who did not receive Nanyang grain and prepared to escort them to the capital.

So this case, although it is a big trouble, is now a bit of a trend of ending without a problem.

Na Ma Dezhong was under the imperial order and could not stay in Shandong for a long time, and it is said that his ship was one of the ships that escorted Shandong officials.

But he also let go of his words, and after returning to the capital to resume his life, he will come back again to complain, just to find justice.

Gao Yang'er sighed: "That Kong family is the home of a saint, how could he do anything to forcibly occupy fertile land and dig up people's ancestral graves?" ”

Chu Song said with a smile: "A saint is a saint, but this descendant is not necessarily." I think of my Emperor Taizu, who was just a cowherd at the beginning, and now many of the ministers in the court are from poor backgrounds. And how many of those families that have been glorious in the past and the year before have survived? ”

"So, is it true that the Kong family digs people's ancestral graves?"

Looking at everyone's curious expressions, Chu Song nodded and said, "The evidence is conclusive!" Moreover, Naqufu County ordered the use of imperial court labor to dig a ditch for the Kong family, and the crime was increased by one degree, and this time he was also taken to the capital for trial. ”

Since knowing that the Kong family was involved in the conspiracy to boycott the Nanyang grain shipment, Chu Song did not have a good impression of the Kong family.

What kind of saint family is this? In order to sell the grain at a higher price, they did not allow the Nanyang grain to be transported in, ignoring the hundreds of thousands of people who did not even have food to eat.

Such people who see profit and forget righteousness are worthy of being saints.

Although the people here in Shandong have always respected the Confucian family, he is not from Shandong. Moreover, he is not one of those Confucian scholars, and he is not enough to offer the Confucian family.

However, this group of Shandong people feel unacceptable, it seems that after the saint, he should also be a saint.

Gao Yang'er sighed and said: "This is the Kong family, my Daming, and my Shandong's face!" ”

Everyone else nodded, speculating whether the court would make a big move.

Chu Song smiled, looking at what they meant, it seemed that he should be lenient and not too harsh on the Kong family.

But in Chu Song's view, the Kong family participated in the boycott of Nanyang grain, and they couldn't do well this time.