"Come here, master, help me wash and press, my neck is as hard as iron!"

"Yes, sir!" The man answered, came to the barrel, picked up a pig hair brush to clean up Liu Cheng's body, as the dirt and dander were wiped off, the water in the barrel became muddy, after changing the water twice, the man asked Liu Cheng to climb out of the bucket, lie on a bench, take out a spatula, carefully shave off the long body hair for Liu Cheng, and began to massage Liu Cheng. Pen ~ fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info muscles that were tense because of fatigue gradually became elastic under those powerful hands, Liu Cheng only felt a pleasant numbness penetrating his bone marrow, and couldn't help moaning comfortably. Hao Shaoqi on the side was startled: "My lord, what's wrong with you, are you okay?" ”

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm comfortable! Hey, don't stop, keep going! Liu Cheng waved his hand and motioned to the man to continue: "You press it well, use a lot of strength, I can eat hard, and I will reward you later!" ”

"Thank you, sir!" The man breathed a sigh of relief, and added a little strength to his hand: "My lord, what do you think of this strength?" ”

"Yes, exactly!" Liu Cheng patted the wooden stool twice and asked casually, "Don't you have a local accent?" ”

"The adults have good ears, the villain is from Yangzhou, and he is here to beg for a living!" The man spoke in his mouth, but his hands didn't stop, and after pressing Liu Cheng's shoulder, he took out a set of small knives and carefully trimmed the dead skin on his toenails and soles for Liu Cheng.

"Oh, the three knives in Yangzhou are really not ordinary!"

"Your Excellency, have you heard of that too?" The man was stunned for a moment, and then his tone became excited. Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, because Yangzhou has become the gathering place of Huaiyang salt merchants, the commodity economy has developed, and the civil society has begun to take shape, and there has been a comfortable living environment. Most of the locals are engaged in cooks (kitchen knives), pedicures and shavers, and many salt merchants also bring these three knives to various places, so there are also three knives in Yangzhou.

"That's natural, you and I are also walking together!" Liu Cheng enjoyed it and said with a smile: "You are a pedicure knife, I am a murderer knife, you are more beneficial to the world than me." ”

"My lord is laughing!" Although the man didn't know Liu Cheng's true identity, he also knew that he was either rich or expensive when he looked at his style, and said with a wry smile: "I am a hard-working person who can mix a belly with his craftsmanship is blessed by the Bodhisattva, where do I dare to compare with adults, hey, don't hide it from adults, this month, adults are still the villain's first deal, if it continues like this, the villain will have to starve to death." ”

"Could it be because of the broken edge of the Tartar?"

"Not bad!" The man nodded: "It's not just the reason for breaking the border, Datong is an important town on the nine sides, and it is also common for Tartars to enter the Kou." Listening to the older generation, it would be better if the Tartars broke the border. ”

"Why do you say that?"

"My lord, think about it, if the Tartars enter the Kou, then where else is safer than this Datong in these hundreds of miles? The poor are just that, the big families either set up a village to defend themselves, or they bring floating wealth to the city of Datong Mansion to avoid it, anyway, the land and houses can't be snatched away, they want to eat, drink, wash and play, and the small ones can also earn some subsistence money! ”

"That's right!" Liu Cheng laughed: "The small chaos lives in the city, the big chaos lives in the countryside, after all, the Tartars break the border and leave, which can only be regarded as a small chaos." So why do you think business is getting so bad now? ”

"The little one thought about it, and felt that the world's wealth had changed, and he didn't leave Datong!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Liu Cheng sat up from the wooden bench and looked the pedicure master up and down, only to see that he was about in his early twenties, thin and small, and his appearance was not amazing, but his eyes were quite bright, and he couldn't help but be a little curious.

"Tell me how this fortune has changed, and if it is reasonable, I will reward you with five taels of silver!"

"Thank you, sir!" The man listened to Liu Cheng's promise, and couldn't help but be surprised and happy, in previous years, it was a good year, and he worked hard for a month, removing food, clothing, and accommodation, and it would be good to have three or four dollars of silver left, and five taels of silver was equivalent to his hard work for a year. He hurriedly cheered up and replied cautiously: "My lord, in the eyes of the villain, the wealth of the world is like the big river, and places like Jingshi and Yangzhou are the places where the wealth gathers; The backwoods are arid. The villain will not farm and there is no field to plant, can know how to mix some food with a pair of hands, in the past, this Datong was a place for groceries inside and outside the mouth, merchants from all over the world gathered, although the villain's craftsmanship is ordinary, it is not difficult to mix a belly. But in the past few years, the wealth has been transferred to the side of Shaanxi Chaoyi, and the market in Datong is naturally depressed. ”

"Chaoyi?" Liu Cheng couldn't help but be slightly taken aback, since he sent troops to Ningxia, he had actually left there for almost two years, and the changes during that time could only be understood through the accounts sent, but at this time, he heard it from the pedicure master who gave a bathhouse, and couldn't help but become more and more curious: "That Chaoyi is so far away from Datong, how can it affect here?" ”

"Your Excellency, you don't know anything!" The man sighed: "This Datong is located on the border, it is a bitter cold place, why was it so rich before?" It is nothing more than two reasons: first, there are many troops stationed here, and they want to eat and use, so naturally there are merchants to come; Second, there is a mutual market with Tartar here, leather, sinew, livestock, and war horses are all in short supply in the mainland, and naturally there are merchants who come to buy them; But since the prosperity of that Chaoyi, there are also things such as leather, tendons, livestock, and war horses, and there are many more things that Datong does not have, and that Chaoyi is on the edge of the Yellow River, and the water and land transportation is much more convenient than that of Datong, and they are not worried about the invasion of Tartars, so the merchants naturally go there, and the wealth goes there, and Datong is naturally not as good as day by day. ”

"There is some truth in what you said, since this Datong has been depressed, then why don't you move to Chaoyi? Could it be that there is a family drag, and it is difficult to move? ”

"The adults laughed, the villain can't even support himself, where did he come from?" The man smiled bitterly: "I also want to go to Chaoyi, but I don't even have half a penny around my waist, how can I get on the road?" ”

Hearing this, Liu Cheng had already made up his mind in his heart: "What's your name?" ”

"The villain's surname is Wang Tongchun!"

"Wang Tongchun? Good! Liu Cheng nodded, and his face became serious: "This official is Liu Cheng, the chief soldier of Ningxia, and he happens to lack a personal servant by his side, I see that you are still clever in doing things, I don't know if you are willing to follow me in the future?" ”

Listening to Liu Cheng's words, Wang Tongchun stood there, his eyes wide, as if he was stunned. Seeing this, Liu Cheng smiled and said: "If you don't want to, just let me not say it, wave the flag, and when this master goes out, you give him the reward!" ”

"Yes, sir!" Although Hao Shaoqi wondered why Liu Cheng wanted to recruit this pedicure master, he still habitually nodded yes, that Wang Tongchun seemed to be awakened, fell to the ground and kowtowed again and again: "My lord, no, master, Fang is the villain who is overjoyed, the villain is a thousand willing, ten thousand willing!" ”

"Oh, it's best if you want to!" Liu Cheng was secretly happy when he saw this, as his career became bigger and bigger, there was more and more need for all kinds of talents around him, although Wang Tongchun was just a pedicure master, but from his words, it can be seen that he is very careful in observing affairs, and he is diligent in thinking, and can analyze the real reasons behind it from some subtle appearances, which is a valuable ability. Put it by your side and train it for a year or two, maybe it will come in handy, even if it doesn't work, at least it's good to have a masseur.

"In that case, you can help me press my back again, I've been on the horse these days morning and night, but I'm tired!" Liu Cheng lay down on the bench again, Wang Tongchun answered, since he was already Liu Cheng's servant, he became more and more careful in his hands, so that he could do his best to wait for Liu Cheng comfortably. Just as Liu Cheng was enjoying himself, there was a sudden sound of talking outside, Hao Shaoqi snorted coldly, walked out, returned to the house after a while, and whispered to Liu Cheng: "My lord, Mr. Xu Hecheng is outside." ”

"Big brother?" Liu Cheng was stunned when he heard this, he has been fighting in the east and west over the years, rising step by step, and his brother-in-law's business is getting bigger and bigger, especially with Zhunger Khan, Gushi Khan, Tibet and the Russians.

"Please ask Mr. Xu to go to my residence for a while, I'll be there soon!" Liu Cheng immediately sat up from the bench, this righteous brother reached out to help when he had just crossed, asking for money to give money, asking people to give people, even siblings may not be comparable, others are just fine, he can't wait slowly.

"Yes, sir!" Hao Shaoqi answered, and went out to spread the word. Wang Tongchun waited for Liu Cheng to change into clean clothes, and then led Liu Cheng to his residence. Liu Cheng pushed open the door and said with a smile: "It's really a coincidence, how did you meet the eldest brother here today!" While speaking, Liu Cheng had already grabbed Xu Hecheng's side, and stretched out his hand to support the other party who was about to bow down: "Big brother, why be polite, you are so angry!" ”

Compared with two years ago, Xu Hecheng's face has a lot of wind and frost, and there are more white hairs on his temples, but the faint depression between his eyebrows in the past is gone, and there is a lot of self-satisfaction. He saw that Liu Cheng was very sincere, and he didn't bow anymore, and said with a smile: "It's okay, anyway, this is a private bottom, and it is just you and my brothers, but it won't hurt your prestige!" ”

"What's majestic?" Liu Cheng shook his head and smiled: "If it weren't for my brother's righteous stretch out his hand, I would have been a dry bone on the side of the road, where can I have today?" It's just a matter of playing tricks on others, what else is there to play in front of you, big brother. ”

"You can't say that, Jiren has his own heavenly blessing, virtuous brother, you are the stars of heaven and earth, and you have your own blessings, even without me, there are others who reach out to help!" Xu Hecheng stroked his beard under his chin and said with a smile: "It's a coincidence, I have an important matter to go to Datong this time, but I don't want to meet you by chance, brother, but I can go to Ningxia one less time." ”

"What do you mean by that?"

"That's what happened!" Xu Hecheng smiled, and explained in a low voice, it turned out that Cao Wenzhao begged Yang Sichang to buy three hundred sets of iron leaf armor from Chaoyi last time, and Yang Sichang gave Cao Wenzhao the official document stamped with his official seal in order to lower the price. It happened that Xu Hecheng was taking stock of the business in Chaoyi at that time, and he wanted to find a way to see Yang Sichang, so he took this matter on himself, in addition to escorting this batch of armor, he also prepared a hundred war horses from his own pocket as an additive, but he didn't want to meet Liu Cheng here.

"Oh, what does the eldest brother ask Governor Yang to see if the younger brother can say something?"

"There are no big things, it's all trivial business matters, you are doing big things, don't bother you!" Xu Hecheng's face showed a twisted expression, obviously he didn't want Liu Cheng to know. Although Liu Cheng was a little strange in his heart, who could not have a little secret, so he would not ask any more.

"In that case, then I won't ask any questions! But big brother, you remember, if you need a little brother, don't be embarrassed. ”

"I remember!" Hearing Liu Cheng's words, Xu Hecheng's eyes couldn't help but redden, he hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Speaking of which, I have one thing, I don't know if you can agree, Brother Xian." ”

"What's the matter?"

"The last time I went to Batur Khan, he told me privately that he wanted to ask me to be his Bijachi, in charge of the coinage!"

"Bijachi? Coins? Since becoming Jinong, Liu Cheng has also spent a lot of time on the culture and bureaucracy of the Mongols, Bijachi is the Mongolian word for the order official, the main clerical affairs, because of the charge of the documents for the Son of Heaven, so that he can participate in secrets, the power is increasing, and later developed into the early Zhongshu Province, becoming synonymous with high-ranking civil officials, unlike other officials, usually Bijachi is held by non-Mongols, to ensure that it will not be influenced by other Mongol nobles, to ensure absolute personal loyalty to the Great Khan. Batur asked Xu Hecheng to be his own Bijachi and take charge of the coinage, apparently in order to grasp this matter in his own hands.

"Not bad! Let's start with your firearms. ”

"My firearms?" Liu Cheng was stunned for a moment: "What does this have to do with my firearms?" I don't just want gold and silver for trade, but I also accept other things? ”

"Huh!" Xu Hecheng laughed dryly: "You don't know, you sold so many firearms to the Great Khan, those Tartars can almost walk and ride horses, bend bows when they can eat, and grazing and hunting are rehearsals and battles." Therefore, there is no need to pay to raise soldiers on weekdays, even if it is the personal guard of the Great Khan, it is only a reward of some food, horses, and weapons. But this firearm is different from the bow and arrow, and if you want to fight accurately, you need to practice more on weekdays, but you need gunpowder and lead, and unlike bows and arrows, you can make your own guns. If you want to train to become an army, you have to concentrate on training on weekdays, but if this is the case, you have to pay the soldiers, otherwise people practice shooting every day, what do you do to support your family? (To be continued.) )