I don't know if I don't ask, and I'm shocked when I ask.

Xue Shao guessed correctly, Niu Ben really became a deserter, and without asking anyone's consent, he fled back to Luoyang from Shuofang without permission.

This must be dealt with in accordance with military law, and it is definitely a capital offense.

But since the matter has fallen into the hands of Xue Shao, as long as he takes a little thought, he can avoid the great crime of Niu Ben, so this problem is not a big deal. Xue Shao wanted to tie him up, mainly to scare him.

What really surprised Xue Shao was the current situation of Xiazhou and Shuofang's army - Niu Ben was dissatisfied with this status quo, so he became a deserter in anger.

After Xue Shao left the Shuofang army for a period of time, the Turks were afraid of the courage and majesty of the Shuofang army, and did not dare to covet the northwest land of Fengzhou and Xiazhou in the Tang Dynasty. This made Shuo Fangjun, who was accustomed to surviving in a high-pressure environment, relax Douran.

This relaxation can go wrong.

As Xue Shao advocated the development of the Yinchuan Plain, the reclamation of a large area of military tun stimulated economic domestic demand, and Shangfu soon became active. Countless business opportunities and wealth gathered in Yinchuan from all directions, and soon created a large number of wealthy businessmen and local tyrants. The most typical representative is the military businessman who is directly under the Xiazhou Governor's Mansion and has Xue Shao's support behind the scenes, the Red Leaf Chamber of Commerce.

Humanity is a man who dies for money, and birds die for food, and many idle generals in the Shuofang army can't covet that big piece of fat in Yinchuan?

As a result, the conflict of interests between you and me is inevitable.

Xue Shao learned about this layer very early, and he was really angry at that time. But he was just angry, because the situation was not out of control at that time, and as long as the generals did not miss their military duties, the problem of greedy for a little money was not too big.

But this time, the news that Niu Ben brought back really made Xue Shao "angry".

Things have to start with the new governor of Xiazhou, "Wan Essential Oil" Wei Zhiqi, after taking office.

Wan essential oil was the nickname that Xue Shao gave Wei to the price in private, and it turned out that it was really appropriate. This guy has neither the style of a real general, nor the civil and administrative skills of a capable minister. After arriving in the new place of Xiazhou, Wei Zhiwei was isolated and helpless, and the only thing he could rely on was the "Shang Fang Sword" granted to him by the imperial court - the official position.

In order to subdue the people's hearts as soon as possible and secure his position, Wei Zhiwei relied on his position to play the intrigue and deceit of officialdom, and launched a vigorous power struggle within the Xiazhou Governor's Mansion and the Shuofang Army.

Wei Zhiwei knew that military generals like Xue Chuyu, Guo Yuanzhen and Zhang Renyuan, as well as civil officials like Liu Youqiu and Su Weiwei, were Xue Shao's ironclad henchmen, and he couldn't easily subdue them. So he turned his attention to other people, such as Ashina Zhongjie, the old department of the Anxi Tiger Division, and his two good brothers, Dugu Zhizhi and Sha Zha Zhongyi, as well as the grassroots officials in some prefectures and counties under the Xia Prefecture Governor's Office.

Wei has no ability to treat other things, and after all these years in the center of the imperial court, he has learned "political struggle" well. After his unremitting efforts, he finally succeeded in putting the two most important adjutants of the original Xiazhou Governor's Mansion, Changshi Liu Youqiu and Sima Suwei into the air. The officials below are now reporting their work, and they are all going directly to Wei Zhihui himself, who has bypassed Liu and Su.

On the side of the army, Wei Zhiwei handed over all the logistics of the Shuofang Army to Ashina Zhongjie, including the major project developed by the Yinchuan Juntun. Ashina Zhongjie is now only responsible for Wei Zhiyuan.

In this way, Wei Zhiwei grasped the most important economic power in Xiazhou and Shuofang, which was equivalent to choking the lives of everyone in the Governor's Mansion and the army. Even Guo Yuanzhen and Xue Chuyu trained in Fengzhou and wanted to recruit a little meat, so they had to send people to the Xiazhou Governor's Mansion to find Wei Zhi's price approval, and only after getting the approval could they go to Ashina Zhongjie to get the supplies. Of course, Wei Zhiwei will not be able to use people like Xue Chuyu and Guo Yuanzhen, who are the most authoritative in Shuofang's army, if they don't subdue the two of them, how can they show their official authority, and how can they sit firmly in their positions?

Although Wei Zhihua would not refuse to grant supplies (which would give someone a handle to count him for dereliction of duty), it was not uncommon for them to delay their logistical requests for a month or two without replying. So when the supplies of Xue Chuyu, Guo Yuanzhen and others arrived, the soldiers on the front line were already yellow and thin because of lack of nutrition. Naturally, there have long been complaints in the army, and the harmony and unity of the past will no longer be restored.

Niu Ben just couldn't stand this, so he ran in a rage. In his words, "The brothers worked hard in Toyosu every day, and they didn't have enough to eat. The miscellaneous pieces surnamed Wei accompany the governor's mansion every day with those state officials and county orders, big fish, big meat, and girls. He obviously has food in his hands, but he refuses to allocate it to us happily; He has a lot of copper coins stuffed into the belly pockets of his mothers, and he never adds an extra winter coat or two to us—who the fuck wants to work for him tired, hungry and cold? Let's stop it! ”

"Are there a lot of deserters?" Xue Shao asked.

Niu Ben's arms were tied behind his back, and the big head was struggling, "Many, many!" -- I took a hundred and ten brothers who fled from Toyosu with me, and each of them rode out on a horse. When they arrived in Jingzhou, they sold their horses and replaced them with coils and went home! ”

"You still have the face to say? You stupid pig, you're so tired! Xue Shao scolded angrily, as a general, he actually took the initiative to become a deserter, and also took the war horses in the army...... This is an absolute capital offense!

"The brothers can't do it anymore!" Niu Ben shouted, "I'm here to ask for death in Luoyang, if you want to kill me, kill me, don't do the things of the brothers!" ”

"You came to me to ask for death?" Xue Shao's brows furrowed.

"Hmm!" Niu Ben nodded seriously, very sincerely, "I know that deserters have to die, but I don't want to escape." But the brothers did not want to continue in the army, and they were afraid that the deserters would be killed. That's why I took this head - resentful of me, if you want to kill, kill me! ”

"Idiot!" Xue Shao was angry, "Is the army run by your family?" Can you have the final say on military sanctions? - Deserters are punished with death if they are treated equally, and no matter how wide your shoulders are, you can't carry them for others! ”

"Huh?" Niu Ben was shocked, "Didn't I kill so many brothers?" ”

"What do you say?" Xue Shao grimaced.

Niu Ben was stunned for a long time, and suddenly cried loudly, and his head banged against the floor.

Duan Feng, who had been watching from the sidelines, desperately pulled Niu Ben and said cautiously, "Xue Yuma, originally I, an outsider, shouldn't have intervened, but I think ...... Things can't all be blamed on the Niu Ben brothers. ”

Xue Shao didn't know that this was the army's version of the "official coercion and civil rebellion" incident, of course, Niu Ben couldn't be blamed alone. Seeing Niu Ben, a tower-like man, crying like a child, he couldn't bear it in his own heart, so he said, "Don't howl! ”

"Alas!" Niu Ben responded, just like an electric switch, he stopped crying in an instant, and looked at Xue Shao with tears streaming down his face.

"What am I doing here?" Xue Shao was really angry and funny, "You military attache will definitely not be able to do it anymore, whether you can keep your head or not depends on your luck!" ”

"Young marshal, don't worry if I want this head." Niu Ben hurriedly said, "I really can't get used to the birdman surnamed Wei." You have to take care of it, if he continues to toss like this, tens of thousands of brothers in Shuo Fangjun will have to die at his hands! ”

Xue Shao nodded, and the words of the old man and the rough cow ran straight to the core of the problem. The 100 or so deserters are really just a trivial matter compared to the life and death of tens of thousands of soldiers and the national defense and security of Shuofang.

"Niu Ben, you go to wash up and have a full meal and rest. For the time being, they will be placed in my house, and they are not allowed to go anywhere. Xue Shao turned to Duan Feng and said, "General Duan, what is the matter with coming to me?" ”

Duan Feng hugged his fist and said, "I have already resigned from the ranks, not a general." ”

"Oh?" Xue Shao was shocked.

Duan Feng sighed, "Old General Wang is all ranked, what kind of general should I be?" ”

"Then why did you come to me?" Xue Shao asked.

Duan Feng said: "General Wang received an order from the imperial court to return to the court to report on his work, and when he left, his old man suddenly said to me that if there was bad news about him from the capital, he would let me resign as a general and come to Luoyang to find the young marshal." I don't know why his old man asked me to come to the young marshal's office...... Anyway, this was what his old man told me, so I did it. ”

Xue Shao blinked, "How is your personal relationship with Old General Wang?" ”

"Better than father and son!" Duan Feng's expression suddenly became very solemn, "The young marshal doesn't know, my Duan family has been operating the green forest Xiangma in the area of Helan Mountain for three generations, specializing in the tea and horse business between the grassland and the Central Plains, and occasionally robbing some past Hu merchants. At the age of 20, I took over my father's position and became a caravan leader. Ten years ago, General Wang Lao was ordered to wipe out the horse gang, and I lost to him in a complete defeat. But he didn't kill me, and he took me as his pawn. ”

"I see." Xue Shao nodded, thinking: After Wang Fangyi left, the Anxi Tiger Division will inevitably experience a change of commander, and the ordinary generals can at least find a way to continue to survive. But Duan Feng is different from the other generals of the Anxi Tiger Division, he has a background in the green forest and ringing horses - Wang Fangyi asked Duan Feng to resign from his official position and come to me, hoping that I can shelter Duan Feng from now on!

Duan Feng was surprised, "Young Marshal, what is the purpose of General Wang's move?" ”

"Don't ask." Xue Shao smiled and said, "You can settle down in my mansion with the Niu Ben brothers for the time being." When I have the chance, I will take you to meet General Wang. But you have to promise me that you can't run to him without permission. Otherwise, you might hurt him. ”

Duan Feng was stunned for a moment, and agreed, "Okay!" ”

"You two go!" Xue Shao said, "Wash clean, eat and drink enough, and nourish your spirit." ”

"Yes!"

Niu Ben and Duan Feng agreed together, and the two left together. When they went out, the two walked side by side and couldn't get out at the door, so they staggered back and forth laughing together before they could go out.

Xue Shao shook his head and smiled, thinking that this pair of tiger and lion generals would not be able to continue to mix in the army, and I am afraid that they would have to eat with me in the future. Duan Feng's situation is a little better, Niu Ben committed a capital crime as a deserter, I have to find a way to go around first.