Ignoring ravines, small rivers, broken bridges, and raids, a huge formation of 100,000 troops began to form a formation north of Hangzhou from late at night on the 17th.

At noon on 18 May, the advance of the army arrived at the city of Hangzhou.

Wang Yu took an army of 70,000 and 50,000 people one step behind, divided a small force, and cleaned up the small camp of the Fangla army.

Han Shizhong led an army of 30,000 to capture the rice market outside the northwest gate of Hangzhou as a garrison. The vanguard army then moved on to guard the West Lake west of Hangzhou, as well as the hills further west.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, He Conglong led nearly 10,000 troops out of the city to raid. Han Shizhong set up a formation along the river and repelled it.

Under the fatigue of the Great Zhou army, he actually let Fang Lajun take some advantage. The morale of the Fangla army at the head of the city was greatly boosted, and they shouted and cheered for themselves, giving themselves courage.

At the end of the day, Han Shizhong saw Li Xiang who had fled here in the courtyard of a three-entry mansion that had been cleaned up.

Han Shizhong first narrowed his eyes and scared Li Xiang and said:

"If you really dare to come to Benjiang, aren't you kid worried that Lao Tzu will hand you over to the giant gentry in Jiangnan? They hinted that the price given to Lao Tzu was not low, not only would they help redeem Hongyu, but they would also donate millions of military salaries! ”

Li Xiang licked his face and said, "Since my nephew recognized my uncle, of course I could trust my uncle's character, so I came after receiving the letter." I didn't expect my nephew's head to be so valuable, so my uncle might as well think about it carefully, and it would be best to raise the price again. ”

Han Shizhong was stunned for a moment, and Mr. Zi'an, who was sorting out the copywriting next to him, couldn't help laughing.

A few simple stews, half a roast lamb. The banquet looked shabby, but only a very small number of people could enjoy it on the Jiangnan front, where supplies were scarce.

"You kid is so hard-mouthed! Do you know that Lord Yu and I, why do you want to protect you two sons-in-law? Han Shizhong took a big bite while asking Li Xiang, who had taken off his paper armor and was wearing a narrow military robe.

Of course, Li Xiang couldn't admit it, saying that he had received an urgent report that the people on Jingnan Road were out of control, and confirmed that several Zai Zhi and Yu Yunwen and other senior officials would definitely protect their sons and daughters-in-law at this time, and said with a surprised expression:

"Uncle, please."

Mr. Zi'an, who was chewing slowly, raised his head slightly and glanced at Li Xiang with deep meaning.

Han Shizhong took the wine bowl that Li Xiang saluted with both hands with satisfaction, drank it all, touched his beard and said:

"In order to exterminate the Yongle puppet dynasty as soon as possible, the court not only drew troops from all over the country, but also strictly demanded that two taxes be levied in advance."

"Shhhh Suizhou officials and some people colluded to encroach on the fields, and many people starved to death in the green and yellow seasons, so the six kings and the seven gathered the crowd. ”

"Zaoyang has fallen, and Tangzhou is about to be lost. Nanyang and Xiangyang are in an emergency, and if the Xinye County in the middle falls, the Xiangyang passage will be dangerous. It's an eventful season, and the people in Jiangnan will also make trouble! ”

Li Xiang was sure in his heart. In order to stabilize the military morale of the soldiers on the Jiangnan battlefield, the court officials, the officials of the Jingnan Road and Yu Yunwen and others decided to send a part of the forces back to help, and Liu Chengdong, who was squeezed out by the Jiangnan forces, was undoubtedly the best candidate.

Suddenly remembering something, Han Shizhong looked at Mr. Zi'an and said, "By the way, aren't you curious why those people in Jiangnan have to kill them all?" Don't ask Mr. Zi'an to explain a thing or two to you. ”

Li Xiang sat precariously, saluted with his hands crossed, and asked Mr. Zi'an to give advice.

Mr. Zi'an had a good impression of Li Xiang, took a sip of the wine glass, stroked his beard and said:

"You have saved countless people in Jiangnan, and those people in Jiangnan have also been offended enough by you. But after all, you are leaving, and according to common sense, people in Jiangnan should not be killed. ”

"It wasn't until not long ago, under the advice of Lord Yu, that I understood why those people wanted to kill them......"

After a trance, Li Xiang completely understood the thinking of the industrial and commercial forces in Jiangnan.

After the war, a new round of land annexation was about to begin, and large areas of workshops, mines, tea plantations, porcelain kilns, lacquer gardens and others took over. The essence of Jiangnan East Road, the benefits are tens of millions, and the local forces in Jiangnan certainly don't want outsiders to get a piece of the pie.

If you want to kill the chicken to show the monkey and drive the outsiders away as soon as possible, Liu Chengdong and Weng and his son-in-law are the best breakthrough. One is a martial artist, and the other has the identity of a foreign merchant, and the amount is just right.

Li Xiang frowned, shook his head and said, "Hangzhou City hasn't started a war yet, don't you think it's too early?" Then Han Shizhong clenched his fists and signaled that he did not expect the defeat of the country.

Mr. Zi'an took a sip of porridge, "Who said it wasn't?" It's simply incredible, the land south of the Yangtze River is full of culture, but the rich gentry and wealthy businessmen are really small. ”

"If it weren't for the fact that the number of people who were accumulating copper coins and making friends, and even throwing out some properties to sell, it would be really difficult to understand the calculations of those people."

Li Xiang and Mr. Zi'an fell silent, but Han Shizhong was ensuring his nutrition. He nibbled on a lamb chop, drank a large bowl of wine, picked up chopsticks and said:

"Lord Yu is very difficult. With 20,000 people, he was nailed to the south bank of the Qiantang River to contain the forces of the Yongle puppet dynasty. ”

"I have to deal with hundreds of official documents every day, and I have to work hard to fight the war against the Yongle puppet dynasty, and I have to find ways to ensure money, food and materials."

"Ahem, boy. In order to protect your two sons-in-law, Lord Yu refused to mention the military expenditure of 3 million yuan, and the other envoys were very dissatisfied. ”

"Lord Yu personally wrote a letter, asking you to come up with five million yuan of military expenses with other merchants before boarding the ship and leaving, at least have a settlement. You kid look at it, hahaha! ”

Han Shizhong gloated, and then strode out to work. Deploying troops, building defense lines, building siege ordnance, and inspecting grain and grass all require Han Shizhong to take responsibility.

Mr. Zi'an rinsed his mouth, and when he came back, he saw Li Xiang's complicated expression, so he put the towel on the wooden shelf, picked up the teacup, and comforted: "Five million guan is too much, and foreign merchants are definitely not willing to pay more." But you have Lord Yu's approval, as long as you ......"

Li Xiang came back to his senses, shook his head and said:

"Sir, I misunderstood. Five million is a trivial matter, and I'm actually thinking, uh, what happened to Jingnan Road. ”

Mr. Zi'an almost couldn't hold the teacup steadily. He thought that Li Xiang was infected with the wind and cold, and he was talking nonsense. Five million guan, not five hundred, how can it be so easy to take it out!

Seeing Mr. Zi'an staring at him dumbfounded, Li Xiang explained with a wry smile:

"Lord Yu is from a high vantage point, and he knows very well what will happen if he accepts a large donation from a local family in Jiangnan. These people have such strong energy, and if they dare to act without scruples for their own selfish interests when the war is urgent, they will definitely make up for it in the small people, and even raise prices again. ”

"At that time, the small people will suffer even more, and the government and the army will have to spend a lot of money to buy the same materials, and in the final analysis, the Jiangnan forces will make it. Some people donate one copper coin, and they will definitely have to recover two or three copper coins, and it will cause a lot of trouble for the government to pay, which is terrible! ”

"The most profitable business in Jiangnan, such as reselling grain, smuggling coarse salt, secretly trading antique calligraphy and paintings, and even trading with the Yongle puppet dynasty, is the most profitable livelihood."

"Lord Yu's real intention is to let me come forward and fight with the Jiangnan people, and take out part of the income to supplement the army's money and food."

The favor of the doctor is really difficult to repay.

Yu Yunwen took advantage of the situation and forcibly gave Li Xiang a favor. Li Xiang wanted to use all his resources to completely offend the gentry and businessmen in Jiangnan to death.

At that time, Yu Yunwen not only obtained a large amount of military spending, but also won the hearts of a large number of foreign merchants. can also mediate and ease his relationship with the Jiangnan gentry.

The hatred is naturally borne by Li Xiang. Li Xiang and Liu Chengdong were ordered to return to Jingnan Road, and in the eyes of ordinary people, it was a manifestation of desertion and escape.

Mr. Zi'an was shocked again. He really didn't expect that Li Xiang could think so deeply. He patted Li Xiang on the shoulder as a sign of encouragement, and went to count the materials and settle the accounts with the clerks in the army.

Li Xiang was distracted before, mainly in confusion.

The Great Zhou government provoked a great rebellion, and the Yongle puppet dynasty was no better, and it was always the small people who suffered. After repeated vacillations, Li Xiang still had a certain sympathy for the Fang La regime, and made a shocking decision under anger, but now he hesitated.

The industrial and commercial forces in Jiangnan made him very disgusting, and some officials, generals and gentry in the Great Zhou Dynasty made him even more disgusting. But there are Han Shizhong, Zhang Tianlei and others in the Great Zhou who care about him for various reasons, and Yu Yunwen and others who can hold on to the middle, is his approach appropriate?

Half an hour passed.

Li Xiang began to assume. If he hadn't escaped decisively and was caught, if the secret of Mingyuezhuang was completely exposed, would anyone in Da Zhou save him? Not a single one!

The founding generals have still been suppressed, the Yang family will be wiped out, and Di Qing's promotion to privy envoy will still be looked down upon by civil officials, this is the truth of the Great Zhou!

I actually relaxed my vigilance against the scholars? Li Xiang shuddered, watched several soldiers light lanterns, and stepped out of the threshold to look at the east.

Da Zhou is like a patient who has the disease of wealth. The scholars control everything, the people's livelihood is divided, and the external weakness does not know what will happen.

Since sooner or later he will not be allowed to be in Da Zhou, wouldn't it be good to encourage Fang La to go out and explore the way to see where the fundamental problem of Da Zhou is and where the solution is?

In any case, as long as fewer people can die, Li Xiang feels that he is not a great evil in the world. He was determined to take a gamble and vent his anger for months.

What do posterity say? Let them go!

At the moment, Fang Weiliang took the three personal guards who were most favored by Li Xiang, and carried the overseas information provided by Zhang Yongnian and others, and pressed Xu Bai to a Fangla military camp.

The torches were "crackling" and burning, and Fang Weiliang waved the white flag, trembling and waiting to be surrounded.

After the strange birdsong, the sound of squirming footsteps sounded.

Dozens of fierce soldiers of the Fang La Army surrounded Fang Weiliang and the others. After the body search, several torches approached Xu Bai, who was sealed.

"It's General Xu Bai!"

A pro-military junior colonel beside Fang La confirmed Xu Bai's identity and made a gesture.

Fang Weiliang was honest, stuffed into the cloth in his mouth, and then tied up. Then it was dark, but his head was covered by a black cloth.

The three village owners and guards who followed Fang Weiliang on a top-secret mission didn't want to be humiliated, so they were beaten to death, and one of them was directly knocked unconscious.

At the same time, a place in the highlands west of Yuhang City.

Ding Shihang, Da Niu, and Zhang Yongnian, who had just returned from overseas, looked constipated, and watched hundreds of black-clothed and masked men happily carry away tens of thousands of catties of salt, as well as dozens of boxes of finished medicines.

Liu Chengdong and Li Xiang, the gossip about this Weng son-in-law has spread all over Jiangnan. The latest news came that Weng and his son-in-law will return to Jiangnan.

Some people celebrate with their crowns, some people are still insufficient, and some people are terrified.

Somewhere in the mountains in the south of the Yangtze River, there is a bamboo forest by the flowing water painting bridge. The old man in the silk robe, who knew the destiny of heaven, fed a few pieces of paper to a goat and skillfully chopped the bamboo.

"It's really a coincidence on Jingnan Road...... Li Xiang and Weng's son-in-law are quite clever. ”

"Say hello to Huang Jushi and Dr. Cai, let's go to Mingyue Gathering too."

"Lord Yu's temper is still so ...... released the news, before the dust settles in Hangzhou, act more restrained, otherwise you will suffer a big loss. ”

The few middle-aged people who came to ask for ideas didn't dare to come out, and they didn't dare to ask if they didn't understand. Seeing that the prince of the Wang family had the intention of sending off guests, several people respectfully saluted and retreated, and there was a jingle ring.

Huang Jushi refers to Huang Liren. Scholars and doctors like to give each other nicknames, and many people are called all kinds of laymen.

Naturally, Dr. Cai refers to Cai Quan. Cai Quanding worried that he had no ministry at home, so he had to be commensurate with a loose official.

In a short time, the bamboo case was ready, and the goat's blood was sprinkled into the stream......