Xue Huai'an and Chu Huan both dismounted, Xue Huai'an stepped forward and said with a smile: "Governor Zhu is entangled in official business, how can you personally come out to greet him." ”

Zhu Lingyue said with a smile: "Lord Ministry, you're polite. This trip to Xiliang, the mountains are high and the water is dangerous, nine deaths and one life, do not hide it from Xue Butang, and the lower officials and old generals have always been worried about you. After receiving the report, you returned safely, we were relieved, and estimated that you should arrive at this time, and the lower officials came to greet you. ”

Xue Huai'an nodded with a smile and asked, "Is the old general good?" ”

Zhu Lingyue's expression was gloomy, he sighed, and said softly: "The old general was overworked, he fainted again two days ago, and he just woke up last night......!" His expression looked quite solemn, Xue Huai'an and Chu Huan saw it, their hearts were heavy, and they knew that Yu Buqu's physical condition must be extremely poor.

"It's getting dark, Lord Ministry, Lord Chu, oh, and General Xuanyuan, everyone is in the city, and when I learned that the mission was rushing back, Xia Guan has already prepared a reception banquet." Zhu Lingyue said with a smile: "The situation in the northwest, all of you adults are also clear, this banquet is very simple, it is not comparable to the capital, you adults don't want to laugh when you look back." ”

Xue Huai'an said: "Governor Zhu said with a smile, when it is difficult, this official is not a person who is greedy for good food, Governor Zhu is busy with official business, and it is better not to hold this banquet." ”

"That's not going to happen." Zhu Lingyue's smile was very kind, "Although the old general is not in good health, he has repeatedly explained to his subordinates, and when the lord of the ministry leads the mission back, even if it is to smash me to sell iron, he must hold a reception banquet and wash the dust on the road of the mission." ”

Xue Huai'an said with a smile: "This is disrespectful, it is better to be respectful, but this banquet is still simpler." ”

Zhu Lingyue raised his hand and said, "My lord, please!" ”

Waiting for Xue Huai'an to get on the horse, Zhu Lingyue said: "Lord Ministry, the Xifeng Tower where the reception banquet is set up in the city, and the gentry who came from all over the country are just waiting there now." ”

Xue Huai'an said: "Let's go and see the old general first!" ”

"It's in time, it's in time!" Zhu Lingyue said with a smile, and immediately got on the horse, followed Xue Huai'an's side, looked at Chu Huan a few times, and said with a smile: "I have long heard of the name of Deputy Envoy Xue, and when I saw it today, it was really a hero out of a young man!" ”

Chu Huan shook his head and said with a smile: "Lord Governor has a good reputation, thanks to the love of the Holy Lord, and the experience of following Lord Xue is really the Grace of the Holy One!" ”

Zhu Lingyue bowed his head and said: "The Holy Heaven is graced, and the four seas are receiving." ”

"Lord Zhu, on the way this official came, I met the Northwest Army, and I heard that the situation in the Northwest is not very good now!" Xue Huai'an asked as he walked: "Those ordinary people, really don't want peace?" ”

Zhu Lingyue smiled bitterly: "It's hard to say." In fact, in the opinion of the lower officials, it is hateful for the homeless people to become bandits, but it is not that they are willing to become bandits. ”

"Oh?" Xue Huai'an frowned and said, "What do you say about Lord Zhu?" ”

"Adults don't know that the Northwest has been fighting for more than a year, and the extent of the lack of materials is really unimaginable. Our Daqin, the northwest is not a place to produce grain, the northwest three provinces produce minerals, but the grain is not much, the three provinces add up to the grain every year, not even enough to feed the population of the northwest three provinces, but also to buy a large amount of grain from the customs. Zhu Lingyue said with a solemn expression: "The three provinces in the northwest, especially the highest grain production in Xiguan Road, in order to be able to supply the grain and grass of the Northwest Army, the granary in the northwest is also mainly concentrated in Xiguan Road, but who would have thought that General Feng was suddenly killed, and the Xiliang people took advantage of the weakness to enter, and their advance was far beyond our expectations, and a large number of materials in the northwest all fell into the hands of the Xiliang people......!" He shook his head and sighed: "Since then, the food in the northwest has become the biggest problem, not to mention the common people, that is, those soldiers who are desperate on the battlefield, that is also the ration is not guaranteed, they are all supported by a breath." ”

Xue Huai'an bowed slightly.

In fact, many people only know that the Northwest Army has been defeated in successive battles, lost cities and lost land, and many people have to take the opportunity to criticize the Northwest Army and reprimand the Northwest Army for being invincible and claiming to be the most warlike army in Great Qin.

What's more, it is bluntly said that the Northwest Army generals have no commander's talent, and they have no ability to fight, they are all a group of wine bags and rice bags, and the imperial court spends a lot of money every year to support the Northwest Army, but the war is fragile.

But few people think about why this is the case.

Feng Hanxiao was killed, this is equivalent to a person who was suddenly cut off his head, Feng Hanxiao's influence in the Northwest Army is not trivial, his murder is not only a blow to the Northwest Army in the command system, but also a spiritual blow to the Northwest Army should not be underestimated.

Without a commander-in-chief, the command system was disordered, the morale of the officers and men was frustrated, the spiritual leader was lost, and even the cohesion of the Northwest Army collapsed.

Moreover, the sudden attack of the Western Liang Iron Cavalry had no warning in advance, and it was impossible for the Northwest Army to make timely adjustments and reactions under the condition that the command system was disordered, and in the face of a huge cavalry corps commanded by a famous general of the first rank of the Western Liang, from the very beginning, it was destined that the Northwest Army would never be an opponent.

As Zhu Lingyue said, the Northwest Army can resist stubbornly with perseverance in a short period of time, but in the case of logistics that cannot be supplied in time, it is undoubtedly a fool's dream to block the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, which can fight well.

"Although the imperial court sent supplies to this side, not only was the quantity far from what was needed, but the arrival time was also very untimely." Zhu Lingyue sighed: "Even if this is the case, it can't arrive in time, but if the supplies can be continuously supplied, the northwest may not become what it is now, but ...... Hebei Qingtian King was in turmoil, Jianghuai Tianmen Road was in turmoil, and it was impossible for the imperial court to put all the materials in the northwest. The common people in the northwest were killed countless by the Xiliang people, but there were not a few who died of starvation, and they were ...... hungry everywhere! ”

Xue Huai'an frowned and said, "What does Lord Zhu mean is that the northwest refugees are in turmoil because of lack of food and clothing?" ”

"That's the main reason. The common people have no food, and they can't wait to starve to death, and there are some ill-intentioned people who incite them, and those people know something, and some people fan the flames, so they are used by others and cause chaos everywhere......! Zhu Lingyue rode on the horse, the sun was setting, but his expression looked extremely worried: "The northwest can't continue to be chaotic, let alone let those people with ulterior motives mess with the northwest." ”

Xue Huai'an sighed: "The old general is not in good health, and this northwest now has to rely on Lord Zhu for more support." ”

"Don't dare." Zhu Lingyue hurriedly said: "This time I was just waiting for the old general to send him, so the lower official came to Beiyuan City." ”

"By the way, how is the situation of Jianghuai Tianmen Dao?" Xue Huai'an asked: "Before leaving, the imperial court sent troops to Jianghuai, has it been pacified now?" ”

Xue Huai'an is full of confidence in the pacification of Tianmendao, the empire was born in iron and fire, and since the founding of the country, there is no shortage of leaky fish in those small countries that have been exterminated, and they often cause turmoil, but they are all quickly pacified.

Although the momentum of the Tianmen Dao chaos this time is not small, in Xue Huai'an's opinion, it will be pacified soon, as before.

It's better that he doesn't ask, this question, Zhu Lingyue's expression becomes more solemn, Xue Huai'an looked at his face, understood a little, and frowned: "Could it be ...... The gang of bandits has not been pacified? ”

"The Lord of the Ministry doesn't know that Tianmen Dao is not only not calm, but the situation is becoming more and more serious." Zhu Lingyue said slowly: "Just a month ago, Xia Guan received the news that the demon of Tianmen pretended not to be low, lured the enemy deeper, and pierced a big hole, the official army was defeated, countless soldiers and horses were lost, and Liu Shengkui, the governor of Jianghuai, was stabbed to death!" ”

"What?" Xue Huai'an's expression changed greatly, and even Chu Huan and Xuanyuan Shengcai on the side were also stunned.

Zhu Lingyue said solemnly: "The news has been confirmed, and Liu Shengkui, the governor of Jianghuai Province, was indeed stabbed to death. ”

"A dignified governor, assassinated and killed?" Xue Huaian was shocked: "Are the people around him all eating white rice?" ”

The sixteen provinces of the empire, each of which is a local official, naturally have special protection around them, if you want to assassinate the governor, it is not easy to say, not only must you have a first-class assassin, but also have a careful plan, otherwise it is difficult to get close to the assassination.

"The assassin was caught red-handed, and he was actually a concubine next to Liu Shengkui." Zhu Lingyue sighed: "Governor Liu likes Fengyue, this matter is also known to everyone, that concubine was originally a singer, and by chance he was seen by him and admitted to the mansion, it was a few years ago...... After interrogation, it turned out that the concubine was originally a person from the secret path of Tianmen Dao, and when Governor Liu saw her, it was also a trap carefully designed by the demon of Tianmen...... The Heavenly Gate Demon had already planted an assassin years ago. ”

"They...... How ruthless is it? ”

"Governor Liu fell asleep in the middle of the night, and his head was cut off." Zhu Lingyue smiled bitterly: "When the assassin wanted to escape, he happened to be discovered, and the assassin wanted to commit suicide at that time, but fortunately, Governor Liu also had a master by his side, and captured the assassin alive, and the assassin also hid poison in his mouth, and wanted to bite the poison and commit suicide, but fortunately, the people around Governor Liu beware of the assassin's move, so she did not succeed and was captured alive." Later, it was the Divine Guards who personally interrogated him and obtained a confession from the Assassin's mouth. ”

Xue Huai'an was frightened, he also happened to marry a concubine last year, and when he heard that Liu Shengkui, the governor of Jianghuai, had his head cut off by the concubine next to him while sleeping, Xue Huai'an felt a little cold in his neck.

Chu Huan couldn't help but ask, "What does the Governor mean by the secret way?" ”

Zhu Lingyue said: "I also recently learned that I only knew that Tianmen Dao was good at demon law, but this time I learned that they are not a rabble, they are well-organized, Tianmen Dao is divided into six paths, this dark path is one of the six paths, and the people of the dark path do the assassination and killing." ”

"I see."

Xue Huai'an asked urgently, "Then what is the situation now?" ”

"Tianmen Dao has gained power in Jianghuai Dao, and there is also a rebellion of Tianmen demons in Donghai Dao, and the two large areas are now in the hands of Tianmen demons." Zhu Lingyue's expression was grim: "Tianmen Dao not only bewitches the people, but even the army has many defections into Tianmen Dao, the southeast region is already very peaceful, the energy of the imperial court has now been put in the southeast, and General Lei Guheng Lei also rushed to the southeast a month ago." ”

"General Lei is out of Beijing?"

"Exactly." Zhu Lingyue bowed his head and said: "General Lei mobilized the guards of the army, and also transferred the left and right Wuwei armies from the Twelve Guards Army and the left and right Qilin Guards and the four David armies to the southeast. ”

Xue Huai'an's expression was slightly soothing: "Since General Lei personally went out, the Tianmen demons will not be rampant for long. ”

"The Tianmen demons are from Jianghuai, and the foundation is also in the southeast region, but it is said that the other provinces also have the Tianmen demons flowing and bewitching, and the imperial court has passed down the will of the saints, and all the provinces must strictly search the Tianmen demons, but those who catch the Tianmen demons will be immediately beheaded." Zhu Lingyue's face was originally very handsome, but at this time, his eyes were full of cold light: "As far as the lower officials know, there are also traces of the Tianmen demons in the northwest, and now the northwest is unstable, and the displaced people are in turmoil, and the lower officials are afraid that there is a shadow of the Tianmen demons behind them, and the officials will not allow the Tianmen demons to make waves in the northwest." ”

"Who is responsible for guarding the capital now?"

"Right Tun Wei Yongwu General Chi Gongdu!" Zhu Lingyue replied, he had already entered the city at this moment, "Lord Ministry, do you want to arrange for the princess to rest first?" ”

"Princess?" Xue Huai'an was stunned.

Zhu Lingyue looked back at the pair of sisters not far behind him, "But I don't know which one is Princess Xiliang?" Lord Ministry, could it be that the two princesses were brought back from Xiliang? ”

He was the princess who married Sister Janice as a mission.