In the shaking of the carriage and horse, Li Jianshan laboriously touched the sharp piece hidden in his shoes. However, just as Li Jianshan was about to take out the sharp piece and cut the rope, he heard a loud shout outside.

"What kind of person, the patrol battalion is routinely checking the night, stop!"

"Damn, the Heavenly Prison Courtyard dares to stop it, get out of the way."

"Since it's the Heavenly Prison Academy, please show your waist card."

"It's up to you to deserve it, get out!"

"If you don't show your waist card, how do we know that you are from the Heavenly Prison. Come on, take it down first, if it's really from the Heavenly Prison Academy, it's not too late to let it go. ”

"You dare~! Ah~ Be careful. ”

Immediately after, Li Jianshan heard the sound of swords and soldiers slashing outside. In less than twenty breaths, it was quiet outside again. Li Jianshan didn't know what was going on outside, but he heard someone get into the carriage. Li Jianshan was so nervous that he didn't dare to move, so he simply closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious.

The door opened, and a candle lit up the interior. The man holding the candle looked at Li Jianshan and stretched out his hand to pull out the linen cloth from his mouth.

"Master Li, I am here to pick you up on the orders of Uncle Zhou." The visitor whispered.

Li Jianshan was stunned for a moment, and quickly opened his eyes. The person in front of him was wearing the military uniform of the patrol guard, and Li Jianshan had never seen this person.

"You are?" Li Jianshan asked cautiously.

"Shadow Striker." As he spoke, he took out a waist card.

When Li Jianshan saw it, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. This waist card is made by the capital city, and there is a special secret mark in the lower right corner or Li Jianshan himself. There are no more than ten such waist cards in total, and Zhou Guangji carries one with him. Since it's a shadower, it's definitely your own person.

Shadow Yi did not untie him, Li Jianshan got out of the car and rode it, and quickly disappeared into the night under the protection of more than 30 people. All that was left was a dozen or so cold corpses.

After half a pillar of incense, in the Prison Courtyard, Zhang Zhao was furious. At the feet of the Son of Heaven, more than a dozen of his lieutenants were actually beheaded. The Heavenly Prison Academy is usually arrogant, and if this spreads, not only will it lose face, but I am afraid that Emperor Delong will also be angry.

"Someone come, take the warrant of Lord Ben, and immediately send someone to the four gates. From now on, it is imperative to strictly check the people entering and leaving the country, and Li Jianshan must never be allowed to leave Kyoto. Zhang Zhao roared angrily.

After the order, Zhang Zhao personally led people to the scene, even if Kyoto was turned upside down, he would find Li Jianshan.

In the dead of night, the streets of Kyoto are full of detectives from the prison temple. Even the patrol battalion was mobilized by Zhang Zhao and began to hunt down and kill the traitors who were sent to the prison and the heavenly court.

In the palace, Delong still did not sleep, and was discussing the western expedition with Xiangguo Wu Guangguang and Ma Ruzheng. Don't look at Delong's order to march west, but there are some problems that he must also be prepared for.

"Uncle, this war is not trivial, it can be said that this battle is related to the stability of my century-old foundation of the Great Xia River. Therefore, if there is any need in terms of war, my uncle will bring it up. In addition, although Duan Lang said that there were not enough soldiers and horses, his combat power was extraordinary, and his uncle must not be careless. Delon admonished.

Ma Ruzheng said solemnly, "Duan Lang does have some means, and his strong generals are gathered, and a frontal assault is very unfavorable to my court army. Fortunately, they lacked strategic space, and after only a few months of siege, the city would run out of ammunition and food. When the time comes, they will not go out of the city to fight, but can only trap themselves in the city. Your Majesty can rest assured that the military ministers will be cautious. ”

DeLong nodded, "Along with the battle in Lidu City, there are still a few things that I must arrange. Although I gathered 600,000 troops to attack, I had to defend Kyoto. In addition, the border between Nanping and Beiming should also be careful, I am afraid that they will intervene in a moment of crisis. Especially Beiming, don't forget that Tai Mingyue is the princess of Beiming. In response to these things, what is the best strategy for the two Aiqing? ”

Ma Ruzheng took the lead in saying, "What Your Majesty said is extremely true, and the minister is also trying to propose the defense of the border pass. To eradicate Duan Lang's internal worries, we must guard against the external troubles of Nanping and Beiming. On the Beiming side, the battle with Moro three years ago was already broken, and even if it sent troops, it would not take out many men. After all, with the Moro Kingdom behind Beiming, they should take care of their own safety. The minister thought that 30,000 Chen soldiers in Yushan Pass could deter the Northern Ming Dynasty. On the Nanping side, we must send a general who can deter to garrison Zhenlingguan. Mo Kun is cunning and cunning, and the only threat to Nanping is my Great Xia. They want to send troops, and they can have no worries. ”

Delong nodded and asked, "Uncle, is there a suitable candidate to guard the two border gates in the north and south?" ”

Ma Ruzheng thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, now is the time to employ people, and the minister thinks that Yan Facheng can be sent to guard the tomb pass in Xining Town." There are still 50,000 soldiers and horses there, and Yan Facheng is very familiar with the tactics of Nanping soldiers and horses. Moreover, among the Nanping army, Yan Facheng's prestige is very high. He went to guard the town and was the most suitable person. ”

Delong frowned, he had just deprived Yan Facheng of his military power, and now he was asked to guard Xining, Delong felt that something was wrong.

Wu Guangguang said, "Your Majesty, Yan Facheng is this person, although he is at fault, he is still loyal to my Great Xia. If it weren't for his loyalty, Emperor Yuning would not have handed over to him the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses guarding Kyoto. General Ma's recommendation, the old minister seconded. ”

"Okay, go back and give him some grace, and let him go to the town to guard the tomb pass in Xining. That~ Yushan Pass, which general is suitable? Delon asked.

Wu Guangguang clasped his fists and said, "The minister thinks that Lord Feng Zhun is very suitable. Although Feng Zhun is in the forbidden faction, he has been loyal to His Majesty in the past few years, and the minister feels that he can be reused. The most important thing is that he hates Duan Lang very much in his heart, and he will never secretly communicate with Duan Lang. Once the Northern Ming sent reinforcements, Feng Zhun would definitely do his best to block and outside the pass. ”

Ma Ruzheng also nodded and said, "Old General Feng is experienced and familiar with the situation of arranging troops, and if he goes to guard Yushan Pass, he will definitely get twice the result with half the effort." ”

"Okay, then let this veteran out. In the danger of the world, I should make an exception and reuse talents. ”

This time, DeLong agreed simply. Don't look at the usual gathering of military officials in the court, when encountering a national disaster, Delong found that there are few who can really be reused.

Wu Guangguang said again, "Your Majesty, defense is important, but the minister proposed to send an envoy to the two countries. Regardless of whether they have wolf ambitions or not, I will salute first and then soldiers, and take the lead in making friendly gestures. Even if these two countries really want to take advantage of the danger to send troops, at least my Great Xia occupies the moral righteousness. Even if you send troops to fight afterwards, you can have an excuse. ”

"Hmm." Delong nodded, "Quasi-play, this matter should be arranged by Lord Xiangguo." In addition, I also plan to move the position of the squire of the military department. ”

Wu Guangguang was stunned, "What, Your Majesty doesn't trust He Lianjia?" ”

Delong sighed, "Helianjia is a man of commendable loyalty, but I am still a little uneasy when I think of his connection to Lidu City. The stakes are too high for this to be missed. In the big war, logistics supplies and equipment distribution all need to be dispatched by the military department. In case of~. ”

Ma Ruzheng nodded, "Your Majesty's worries are reasonable, but I don't know Your Majesty, is there a suitable candidate?" ”

Delong shook his head, the position of the squire of the military department is extraordinary, the key is that this is the top position of a military general, even if there is a suitable minister, he cannot take over. Among the generals, capable generals above the third rank must follow the western expedition. For a while, Delong couldn't find a suitable person to replace him.

"Your Majesty, there is a candidate for the minister, who is suitable for the position of the squire of the military department." Wu Guangguang said.

"Oh? Who is Wu Aiqing referring to? ”

"Old General Chuti."

"Him?" When Delong heard this, he was a little surprised.

The candidates proposed by Wu Guangguang, like Ma Ruzheng, are all relatives of the emperor who were once born in soldiers and horses. But this Chu Ti is the uncle of the second prince Deguang. Although the grade is not low, he has been idle at home and has no real power.

Wu Guangguang hugged his fists, "Your Majesty, the minister once supported the second prince and is very familiar with General Chu. This person has a lot of wealth in his chest, and he is in charge of the military department. What's more, as Chu Ti is a relative of the emperor, there will be no problems with his loyalty. ”

DeLong hesitated, nodded and said, "Okay, then let Chu Ti go up first." He Lianjia can also be regarded as a meritorious service to me, and Liu Kangning, the head of the Internal Affairs Office, is old, so He Lianjia can take over the post of head of the Internal Affairs Office. Although his authority has declined, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is the place of my cronies, which can be regarded as a reward for his favor. ”

After the three of them finished discussing, it was already close to the time of the early dynasty. Delong simply ordered someone to serve some food, and after eating, the three of them went directly to the morning court.

In the Fancheng Mansion of the Kyoto Officials, in the courtyard behind the Sanjin, Li Jianshan is hiding here. After Li Jianshan saw Zhou Guangji last night, he was sent to Fanfu by Zhou Guangji. The minions of the Jiantian Courtyard arrested Li Jianshan in the whole city, and there was no safer place than Fan Mansion.

In the morning, Fan Cheng returned to his mansion. Seeing Fan Cheng come in, Li Jianshan hugged his fists and saluted.

"Lord Fan, what's the situation outside?" Li Jianshan asked.

"The four city gates are heavily guarded, and any carriage and horse leaving the city must be routinely inspected. However, I've figured out how to get you out of town, so don't worry. By the way, this morning, His Majesty suddenly changed the position of the squire of the military department. ”

Li Jianshan was stunned, "What, He Lianjia was taken down?" ”

Fan Cheng shook his head, "It can't be said that it was taken, but it was just a change of position." It was Chu Ti who took over the military department, I don't know if Master Li is familiar with it? ”

"Chuti?" Li Jianshan thought for a while, "When I first joined the Investigation Division, he served as the commander of the Kyoto battalion. Later, because of the internal disputes within the imperial family, Emperor Yuning reduced the emperor's relatives to idle positions. ”

"Master Li is worthy of being the person who came out of the Investigation and Defense Division, and it was this person who took over the military department. He Lianjia seemed to be implicated by Duan Lang, but fortunately, he went to the Internal Affairs Office, which showed that Emperor Delong still favored him. ”

Li Jianshan smiled bitterly, "Lao He, this person is very timid, and he is indeed not suitable to be in charge of the military department. It's okay like this, when the time comes, he will be embarrassed. ”

Fan Cheng asked worriedly, "Master Li, Duan Lang may have received news from Kyoto in time?" Emperor Delong's trick is really enough for Duan Lang to eat a pot. I guess he can't get rid of the charge of being a traitor in Great Xia. ”

Fan Chengxin said that Duan Lang couldn't really open the city gate and hand over the power of the soldiers and horses. What's more, there was no war in Landu City at all, which in itself was a crime of deception.

"Lord Fan, rest assured, Uncle Zhou should have sent the news to Lidu City early this morning. I must go back as soon as possible, since I am going to fight, I, the governor of the two cities, must not be in the city. ”

"Okay, tomorrow I will send you out of the city with the huge people in the name of seeing off the officials of the capital. Brother Jianshan, next time we meet again, I'm afraid it will be a different situation. To tell the truth, although my Lao Fan is unhappy for the Duan Lang brothers, after all, I am the minister of Great Xia. I will not help you anymore. I hope that the brothers in the capital city will understand this. Fan Cheng said embarrassedly.

"Lord Fan, no matter what time it is, you are my friend in the capital city. This will never change. Li Jianshan looked at Fan Cheng gratefully.

Fan Cheng smiled bitterly and nodded, "You rest in the mansion first, there are many things waiting for me to deal with." ”

"Lord Fan, please."

Li Jianshan sent Fan Cheng away respectfully, no matter what, it was already very risky for Fan Cheng to be able to help them in this difficult moment. If the Prison Courtyard finds out that it is a crime of collaborating with the enemy, Delong will definitely kill the killer.

The important event has been decided, and the senior officials of the prefecture who participated in the national council have also left Kyoto one after another. Early the next morning, Li Jianshan and Fan Cheng took the same car and came to Pang Gang's mansion. Li Jianshan didn't get out of the car, and after a while, Fan Cheng got back into the car. Pang Gang's car drove in front of him, and the two Kyoto officials drove to the city gate one after the other.

At the west gate of Kyoto, the prison temple has specially dispatched personnel to strictly check the sedan cars out of the city. Whether it is a peddler or a pawn or a member of the capital, one will be strictly inspected. But in the face of the car of the two six-department waiters, these government detectives have not been so bold to get on the car for inspection.

After leaving the city, Pang Gang got out of the car with Fan Cheng and greeted the hundreds of officials of the capital. But Fancheng's car still drove forward. After walking for about five miles, the car stopped. Zhou Guangji waited on the side of the road early wearing a hat, and had already prepared a carriage and horse for Li Jianshan.

Li Jianshan clasped his fists at the horseman in Fancheng and said, "Please tell Lord Fan, thank you for your great kindness." ”

"The adults take care all the way, and the little ones will return, and my adults are still waiting." The groom did not dare to stop and hurried back.

Looking at Zhou Guangji and the hidden shadows around him, Li Jianshan finally breathed a sigh of relief. This trip to Kyoto was extremely risky, and I finally left safely. Li Jianshan looked back at Kyoto with emotion, but when he left, I don't know if when he returns to Kyoto in the future, he will see each other in a cage and a prison car, or a sword and soldier.

In the capital city, Duan Lang soon received a secret report from Xiaobai. Seeing Delong's methods, Tantai Mingyue was really a little crying and laughing. It seems that Delong is forcing them to raise troops to meet each other, and he doesn't even give a suitable excuse to Lidu City.

"Yue'er, this Delong is also a little cautious. What to do, is it to meet in Kaesong, or to fight! Duan Lang threw down the secret report and looked at the bright moon of the platform easily.

"I immediately wrote a recital, saying that the soldiers and horses of the West Vietnam had been repulsed, and there was no need for Great Xia to waste money and food. With my army guarding the capital, the army of West Vietnam will not cross the city of Landu again. ”

Duan Lang smiled, "Is it useful?" ”

"Of course it didn't work, but it was a good warning to Delon not to push people too hard. If Ma Ruzheng's army continues to march westward, Fengluan Mountain is our bottom line. Once it's crossed, it's time to fight. ”

Duan Lang nodded, "Order someone to prepare, time is very favorable to us." Ma Ruzheng finished assembling his troops and horses, and it would take at least a month before and after to come to Lidu City. Use this time to prepare for anything. ”

Duan Lang stood up and looked at the hand-drawn map of Great Xia. He knew that this battle was inevitable, and since he was regarded as a thorn in his side by Delong, he would give Ma Ruzheng a dismount first.