Thomas chose the latter, and the Russians at the beginning of the seventeenth century were still a catch-up relative to Europe, and more than twenty years of mercenary life taught Thomas many things, in addition to a broken leg and scars, how to turn an illiterate peasant into a soldier, how to arm and supply an army, how to repair weapons and tools, how to build fortifications, how to surround and attack fortified cities, how to draw a simple map of the situation, how to defend the city, how to deploy infantry, cavalry, and artillery. With the Russians, Thomas is at home to him, and sometimes he even thinks he is a Russian - except in prayer. He even began to think about whether to convert to Orthodox Christianity and become a real Russian, and with his ability, he should be able to get a real estate and become a "Mikhail", "Lomunovsky" (a common name for the Russian aristocracy) or something. When the Stroganov family extended an invitation to follow the legation, he gladly accepted. However, his task was not to do business, but to assess the actual combat effectiveness of the Ming army.

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's all!" Thomas licked his lips, he was a little thirsty after all he had just said.

"Come, drink my cup!" Liu Cheng pushed the full wine glass in front of him, Thomas glanced at Liu Cheng gratefully, and drank all the wine in the glass.

"Do you want more?" Liu Cheng asked, pushing the flask beside him.

"No, not necessarily!" Thomas shook his head: "If you drink more, it's too much!" ”

"Good!" Liu Cheng pushed the flask aside: "Now I will give you two ways: the first is to stay and serve me, where you can get money, land, official positions, etc., anyway, you will definitely get more than the Russians." “

"What about the second one?"

Liu Cheng walked to the door, pushed open the door, and pointed to the big locust tree in the yard: "Do you see that tree?" You'll be instantly hung from a tree as a spy, and your body will be quickly buried as if you never showed up! “

Thomas listened to the interpreter's words, and a wry smile appeared on his face: "It seems that this choice is very simple. “

"Yes. But isn't that a good thing? Liu Cheng laughed.

"You're saying that Lord Commander wants to summon me immediately?" Lobanov looked at the guard in front of him with surprise and delight, his skin blackened red by the sun, his broad forehead, the bridge of his nose, and his narrow eyes. Damn it! All Asians look the same! Are they all born of one mother? Lobanov cursed in his belly.

"Yes, Lord Commander ordered you to go to him immediately!" The guards kept a straight face, and Lobanov subconsciously skipped the word "order", he was tired of this half-prisoner life, although the food provided by the Ming people was very delicious, but prisoners were prisoners. He owes the body: "I'm ready, please lead the way!" ”

Lobanov got into a palanquin with five guards in the front and rear, and he noticed that these soldiers were all dressed in armor, some were armed with spears, some with arquebuses on their shoulders, and sabers hanging from their waists, and they were escorting prisoners rather than guards. This feeling made Lobanov a little unhappy, but he told himself to be patient - for the sake of money.

When Lobanov got off the palanquin. What caught his eye was a corpse, the unlucky man who was hanging from a large locust tree at the entrance of the courtyard, his hair falling down, covering his face and making it impossible to see what he looked like. His clothes were stained with blood, and suddenly Lobanov's eyelids jumped, and the corpse had a wooden prosthetic leg below the knee of the right leg.

"Mr. Lobanov, I think you need to give me an explanation!" Liu Cheng raised his head proudly. A wooden board with a stack of pieces of paper was thrown in front of Lobanov. Lobanov picked up the plank, and as soon as he saw the first page on it, his breathing became rapid. It clearly drew a structural diagram of the east gate of Ningxia Fucheng with charcoal, and also wrote down in Russian the possible firing points of firearms, the blind spots for firing, and the road map for the attack.

"My lord, I don't know anything about it!" Lobanov cursed the lame Scotsman in his belly, he was caught by these flat-faced Asians, and now the only thing he could do was to try to get rid of himself, anyway, he was finished, and he couldn't be hung from a tree to feed the crows.

"Clueless?" Liu Cheng sneered: "You said that you are a merchant and came here for trade, but the members of the caravan are collecting intelligence for the siege of the city. Now that you say you don't know anything about it, do I seem so easy to deceive? ”

As if to strengthen Liu Cheng's threat, two guards rushed in outside the door, and Lobanov could feel the smell of sweat and leather emanating from the soldiers without looking back, and he hurriedly shouted loudly: "Lord General Soldier, our Russian fortress is thousands of versts away from you, and there are countless barbarians in between, how can we attack your city?" That Thomas is a Scottish ruffian, he is not Russian at all, he never even participates in our prayers! “

"Really?" Liu Cheng made a gesture, Lobanov felt the guards behind him withdraw from the door, he breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly said loudly: "Yes, you can ask the rest of our caravan immediately, he is indeed Scotsman!" ”

"Excellent! According to the laws of our Ming Dynasty, spies are to be put to death. Liu Cheng stared into the other party's eyes: "I don't think this will affect the relationship between the two countries, right?" “

"No, no!" Lobanov hurriedly shook his head: "I apologize for this person's behavior, I hope you can forgive me!" ”

After a while, Lobanov staggered out of the yard, the body from the locust tree had been removed, he looked back at the door, two guards with spears stood in the doorway, he felt a cold patch on his back, he reached out and touched it only to find that it was all cold sweat, he took a deep breath and walked quickly outside.

Two days later, Liu Cheng signed a simple commercial treaty with the Russian envoys, which was almost a replica of the one Liu Cheng had signed with Gushi Khan, with the only difference being that the Ming side was allowed to hire soldiers in the territory of the other side. After signing the treaty, Lobanov and others quickly left Ningxia and embarked on the way home after going to the market to purchase samples of goods.

The General Army's Mansion, the signing room.

Liu Cheng was looking at a book, and there were several thick stacks on the desk in front of him, almost blocking his whole person. His eyes were a little red. This is the result of reading in a less dim light, which makes him reach out and rub it from time to time. I shouldn't have rubbed it so often, there are no eye drops in this era, but there are so many documents to be reviewed, and the time is so tight, before I go to Jingshi, I must establish an organization that can run on its own.

"My lord, this is a copy of the treaty with the Russians!" Zhao Wende handed over a document from the side, Liu Cheng took the document and put it on the desk, picked up the brush and wanted to sign his name. His heart suddenly stopped, and he pretended to be casual and asked, "Jiansheng, what do you think future generations will say about you and me in this matter a hundred years later?" ”

"Trade with those brutes?" Zhao Wende asked in surprise: "I'm afraid this kind of thing won't be mentioned in the history books." ”

"Really?" Liu Cheng said with a smile: "Will you and I be placed side by side with Qin Hui and collaborate with the enemy and betray the country?" ”

"Collaboration with the enemy and traitor? Where does this begin? Zhao Wende laughed: "We are not waiting to negotiate peace with Houjintong, these Russians are thousands of miles away, but they just want to trade with my Ming Dynasty and seek tithes. This is obviously a matter of mutual benefit! ”

While he was talking, an officer on duty came in from outside and saluted Liu Chengcha and said, "Lord Commander, there is a Hu businessman outside who asks to see you." He said he would invite you to his house! “

"Hu Shang? Going to his house? Liu Cheng waved his hand, he still had a lot of unfinished business on hand, where did he have time to see Lao Shizi Hu Shang?

The officer hesitated, but did not retreat. Boldly continued: "That Hu Shang said that if the adults went, he was willing to donate three thousand taels of silver for military salaries. ”

"What?" Liu Cheng turned his head: "Three thousand taels of silver? Did you hear it right? ”

"That's right!"

Liu Cheng looked the officer up and down, and suddenly smiled: "Okay." Earn the salary of a foot team for more than half a year for a dinner, why don't you go, you tell him, I'll be there in the evening! ”

"Yes, sir!" The officer bowed to Liu Cheng excitedly, turned around and ran outside. Looking at his back, Liu Cheng suddenly smiled and said to Zhao Wende: "I bet that this kid must have taken a lot of benefits from that Hu Shang." ”

Evening.

Sprinkled with spices and salt, the whole sheep was roasted under the charcoal fire, and one servant turned the iron chisel vigorously so that all parts of the sheep were evenly grilled, while the other kept spreading sauce and oil on it, sprinkling spices and peppers, and the color of this delicious dish gradually turned an attractive golden yellow, and from time to time dripping grease fell on the hot charcoal, making a snorting sound.

Liu Cheng leaned on a soft collapse, and the low table in front of him was filled with more than a dozen silver plates of different sizes, on which were placed all kinds of dried fruits, baked cakes with beef filling, milk custard full of raisins, grape dew, egg white soup sprinkled with honey, pilaf with a large amount of saffron, a gold cup inlaid with rubies filled with wine with honey, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old singer sitting in the corner of the room playing the pipa, Hao Shaoqi standing behind Liu Cheng, wearing iron armor, standing with a knife, and the atmosphere in the room was quite inappropriate.

"What a life of extravagance and lasciviousness the ruling class of civilized races in this era seems to have missed too much." Liu Cheng took a sip of wine with honey, and the cold liquid immediately filled his mouth, although he didn't know how to taste the quality of wine, but the innate luscious taste immediately bloomed on the tip of his tongue.

"My lord, can you still drink this wine?" A man in a white robe, with a deep facial profile and a thick beard under his chin, asked Liu Cheng with a smile.

"It's okay!" Liu Cheng tried his best to pretend to be an expert, raised the wine glass in his hand a few times, and said with a smile: "Mr. Ahmat, you didn't invite me here today just to invite me to drink this wine, right?" ”

"Where, where!" The fat on Ahmat's face trembled: "Thanks to the military might of the adults, our Yarkand people's business group in Lingzhou has not suffered losses, today please come and express the villain's intentions!" ”

"Mind?" Liu Cheng suddenly laughed: "Mr. Ahmat, dare to love this wine in your heart?" Well, I've already received your wishes, and General Ben is busy with military affairs, so I'll take my leave first! Wave the flag, go and prepare the horses! ”

"Yes, sir!" Hao Shaoqi answered and was about to go out. Ahmat hurriedly got up and stopped him, and said with a smile: "My lord, how can we only have a glass of wine if our heart for you is like the snow-capped Tianshan Mountain?" ”

"Good!" Liu Cheng stopped and said with a smile: "I'm the person who likes to know etiquette the most, since Ahmat said so, then I'll stay!" “

"Please, please, please!" Ahmat wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, asked Liu Cheng to sit down again, and said with a smile: "My lord, the mutton is ready, why don't we talk while eating?" ”

"Hmm!"

Ahmat saw Liu Cheng nodding, so he made a gesture, and the two servants hurriedly cut the back of the mutton into two pieces and sent them up, and took out a short knife with a gold handle from his waist and put it on a silver plate and presented it. ”

Liu Cheng tasted it, and sure enough, the mutton was smooth and refreshing, melted in the mouth, and was unusually delicious, he couldn't help but nod and said with a smile: "It's really good!" Seeing this, Ahmat hurriedly smiled and said, "If you like it, I have five sheep here, and I will send them to the adults together with the master of roasting sheep, and the adults can take them at any time if they want to eat them." “

"How can five be enough?" Liu Cheng said with a smile: "I have thousands of strong men under my command, how can I say that I also need five hundred?" “

"This-" This Ahmat didn't expect Liu Cheng to be so thick-skinned, and he couldn't help but be stunned for a while, and then smiled bitterly: "Five hundred are difficult to prepare in a hurry, can you give a few days?" “

"Hahaha!" Liu Cheng laughed: "Mr. Ahmat, we are joking, where do you go to find five hundred sheep in this chaos?" ”

"Yes, yes, for a while the villain really didn't know where to find five hundred sheep." Ahmat was relieved as if he had been granted amnesty.

"In that case, let it be discounted, and a sheep shall be counted at four taels of silver, and five hundred sheep shall be two thousand taels of silver. Mr. Ahmat, how about you take another two thousand taels of silver to work for the army? Although Liu Cheng still smiled at the corner of his mouth this time, his tone was by no means the joking look of Fang Cai. Ahmat was slaughtered by Liu Cheng, and he was naturally heartbroken, but remembering what he requested, he gritted his teeth and said: "Since the adult has opened his mouth, the villain naturally has no choice but to do it, please give the villain a night's time, and I will send the silver to the adult's camp tomorrow morning." (To be continued.) )

PS: Yesterday there were so few monthly passes, ask for tickets!