And everything he did was a double-edged sword, how much benefit he obtained, there was so much hatred he received, taking his clean-up of the military camp and the construction of Pitang in Juzhou as an example, he offended many local gentry and officials, these people will temporarily forbear when Yang He is in power, Liu Cheng will temporarily forbear, and when Yang He once he goes to work, he will definitely retaliate against Liu Cheng with a hundredfold madness. Even those gentry who profited from Liu Cheng's actions, such as Lu Boqi and Ma Ziyi, might not be on Liu Cheng's side at this time, after all, humans have a much stronger memory of hatred than kindness, and the only way to avoid this is to act before potential enemies understand the situation!

Thinking of this, Liu Cheng jumped up from the grinding platform and said loudly: "Come on, prepare the horse, I want to go to Dunzhou City!" ”

Mafu Study.

"Wu Niang, what do you think of my picture of the spring willow?" Ma Ziyi put down the brush and asked in a low voice. The sixth aunt standing behind him looked at the willow trees, yellow orioles, boats, and flowing water on the painting paper, and sighed: "The master's painting is naturally good, but it evokes the homesickness of the concubine." It turned out that this Wu Niang was taken by Ma Ziyi when she was an official in Jiangnan, and seeing the scenery of Jiangnan in the painting naturally aroused her feelings.

"It's all the old man's fault, the old man's fault!" Ma Ziyi cherished this sixth aunt very much, and gently patted the other party's soft cheek with her wrinkled right hand, and said with a smile: "Listening to what you said, I also miss the scenery of Jiangnan, so let's buy a boat and go south to visit the old people in Jiangnan after the New Year?" “

"Really?" The sixth aunt was surprised and delighted when she heard this, and asked in disbelief: "Master really wants to go to Jiangnan?" What about Madame and sisters? ”

"Just go with you, Madame's health has not been good lately, and the others are not familiar with Jiangnan." Ma Ziyi said with a smile: "Renhou will be admitted to the Jinshi next year, and I will also go to Jiangnan to visit my acquaintances in the same year, make good arrangements, and by the way, I can also see the style of Jiangnan." ”

"Thank you for your mercy!" The sixth aunt poked her head into Ma Ziyi's arms and said in a low voice: "The third son will definitely be able to become a high school leader next year." For the Ma family's glory and ancestry! ”

"I hope so!" Ma Ziyi sighed: "But if you don't have a paper in the field, how many talents are there in the world?" In addition to talent and learning, luck and chance are also extremely important. ”

While he was talking, a servant walked to the door and said in a low voice: "Master, Liu Guerrilla asked to see him, saying that there is something important to discuss." ”

"Oh, it's him!" Ma Ziyi frowned, gently pushed the sixth aunt out of her arms, and said in a deep voice to the outside world: "You invite Lord Liu to Jinglun Hall to wait." I'll be there soon! “

"Yes, sir!"

"Sir!" The sixth aunt was tidying up Ma Ziyi's somewhat wrinkled robe, and said in a low voice: "What kind of character is that Liu Guerrilla, the second son just follows him all day long, and often comes to bother you." “

"Huh!" Ma Ziyi smiled slightly: "You don't have to ask about the outside world, go pack your things first, and prepare for the trip to Jiangnan." “

"Yes, sir!" Hearing Ma Ziyi's promise, the sixth aunt smiled more and more sweetly.

pushed away the entanglement of the sixth aunt. Ma Ziyi's face immediately became solemn, and he had a hunch that Liu Cheng's visit must be a big deal, and it might even be a big trouble. After all, his son has been very close to Liu Cheng during this time, and Liu Cheng crossed Ma Rencheng this time and came directly to him, there must be something bad to say to others. While thinking about her own thoughts, Ma Ziyi came to the front of Jinglun Hall. Seeing that Liu Cheng was wearing a gray straight dress and was sitting on a chair drinking tea, he stepped forward and smiled: "Lord Liu." What a rare guest, a rare guest! “

"I've seen Mr. Ma!" Liu Cheng sang a fat promise, his eyes swept over the servant behind Ma Ziyi, and said in a low voice: "I have an important matter that I need to discuss with you today, is there a convenient place?" “

"Then go to my study and talk!"

"It's good!" Liu Cheng nodded and stood up. The two walked through the two-fold courtyard and came to the study, Ma Ziyi said to the sixth aunt: "You stand down, if I don't call you, don't come in!" ”

"Yes, sir!" The sixth aunt gave Ma Ziyi a blessing and retreated. Ma Ziyi sat down next to the main seat: "Lord Liu, please tell me something." ”

Liu Cheng looked at the painting on the bookcase and smiled slightly: "The red sleeves add fragrance to the night reading, Mr. Ma's life is very leisurely and elegant!" Speaking of this, Liu Cheng's face suddenly changed, and he said coldly: "It's just that this good day is coming to an end!" “

"Where did Lord Liu start with this?" Ma Ziyi remained silent, but she was thinking about Liu Cheng's plans in her heart.

"Mr. Ma remembers the thousands of Ding Zhuang on the construction site, if they rise up, can the old gentleman still live with the beauty in the study?"

"How many thousand Ding Ding on the construction site?" Ma Ziyi frowned: "They have work to do, food to eat, and fierce generals like Lord Liu, what are the old men afraid of?" A few months ago, my lord, you said a lot of words at the banquet, but the old man still said it in his ears, why didn't he recognize it again? “

"This time, that time!" Liu Cheng sighed: "Lord Yang is in danger now, and I can't protect myself, who can still control those Ding Zhuang?" “

"Oh?" Ma Ziyi looked at Liu Cheng's face, which didn't look like he was disguised, and then asked carefully: "The old man is willing to hear about it!" “

"Mr. Ma, that's the case!" Liu Cheng got up and walked to the door, looked around and saw that there was no one, and then closed the door, and told the other party about the things that He Ren Longhuo and Shenyikui, not getting mud and his later inferences, of course, he still omitted some of the key details. In the end, Liu Cheng sighed: "Mr. Ma, if you think about it, if Lord Yang goes to work, it will be good if I can save my own life, how can I take care of these thousands of Ding Zhuang." To put it bluntly, I'm thinking about whether to take off this fat jacket and go back to my hometown to live in seclusion. ”

"Lord Liu laughed, you are now in the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period, a good day to make contributions, how can you say such words!" When Ma Ziyi heard this, he had already guessed Liu Cheng's intentions, and he naturally wouldn't believe Liu Cheng's nonsense about returning to his hometown to live in seclusion. Ma Ziyi has been rolling in the officialdom for decades, a pair of old eyes look at people as ruthless and vicious, and have dealt with Liu Cheng several times, knowing that the other party has a strong ambition for making meritorious contributions, and it is more difficult for this kind of person to return to his hometown and live in seclusion than to kill him.

"No matter how good your deeds are, they are no better than your own life, if you die. Everything is in vain! Liu Cheng smiled, picked up a brush casually, and painted on the spring willow map: "For example, this painting is very beautiful, but if I scribble on it a few times, then I can't look at it, even if it hasn't been finished yet, instead of being scribbled by a rough person like me, it's better to put it away and put it away, don't you say?" ”

"Humph!" Ma Ziyi snorted coldly. Liu Cheng's implication is very clear: if Ma Ziyi doesn't help himself. Then he will destroy the Pitang that has not yet been repaired, and disperse those Ding Zhuang, and the land he has worked so hard to buy, the money and grain he has invested, and the bad relationship with the local gentry in order to build Pitang will all be in vain.

"Lord Liu has something to say, why bother to take this painting to get angry!" Ma Ziyi stretched out her hand and rolled up the spring willow picture and received it aside: "I even sent my son to run under you, what else are you worried about?" ”

"No way!" Liu Cheng laughed: "I am a Qiu Ba, and the art of war is about deceit, what is a mere son." If you can win the battle, your father and brother can be killed, your wife and children can be killed, and your children can be abandoned. Mr. Ma is full of poetry and books, and he won't know this kind of thing! ”

"And what do you want me to do?"

"It's very simple, I just need to be able to make a great contribution in times of chaos, and think about good generals in times of national crisis. At this juncture, as long as I have soldiers at hand, I can fight and win battles. The court will not touch me. ”

"The old man can't bend a bow and shoot arrows, and he can't wield a knife and a gun, how can he help you?" Ma Ziyi spread her hands, looking helpless.

"It is our duty to dance with knives and guns, but we don't have to bother Mr. Ma!" Liu Cheng said with a smile: "But the Ma family is the first family in the Northwest Shilin, and Mr. Ma is even more successful in Yanzhou, what do you want to do, how can you leave you?" Please also accompany Master Lu to say what you need to say. “

Compared with Ma Ziyi, Lu Boqi's spare time life is much more boring, according to the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, officials must go to their posts immediately after being appointed, and they must not stop on the way to marry a wife and take a concubine, although the discipline has long been relaxed at the end of the Ming Dynasty, but Lu Boqi knows that his background is average, and he does not want to give authority to others, he is cautious and cautious on weekdays, and he has not married a wife or concubine in the past few years in Dunzhou, and the biggest pastime is to drink a few glasses of wine and play a few games of chess with the master. Therefore, when Liu and Ma came to visit, Lu Boqi was still playing chess and drinking with his master in the study as usual, which was already a little smoky.

"Oh, Mr. Ma and Lord Liu, why are you two here?" Lu Boqi stood up and looked at the visitor a little strangely, although Liu Cheng and Ma Ziyi were very close in the matter of the Pitang Bureau, but the two did not have any contact on weekdays, and it was Ma Rencheng who was running, and the two appeared together at this time, which made Lu Boqi quite surprised.

"Old parents! Lord Liu just got a piece of news, and the northwest is afraid that there will be chaos again. The first to speak was Ma Ziyi, although he was a little dissatisfied with Liu Cheng's approach, but there was an advantage, as long as the stakes were dissected, he would not be affected by personal feelings and dislikes, and he would have something to say.

"What!" Lu Boqi's body trembled, and the few chess pieces he was holding in his right hand had fallen on the catalpa table, making a clanging sound, and the master on the side hurriedly stretched out his hand to hold it, and while holding him to sit down, he asked, "Mr. Ma, please sit down and talk in detail." ”

Ma Ziyi nodded and sat down, and Liu Cheng on the side moved a chair to the door and sat down honestly and unceremoniously, holding the handle of the knife with one hand and one leg on the table, like a janitor. Lu Boqi just wanted to open his mouth when he saw it, but he was pulled by the master on the side and endured it. Ma Ziyi on the side said that He Ren's dragon fire and Shen Yikui and Shen Yikui did not touch the mud, and sighed: "It is said that Shen Yikui and Shen Yikui were originally thieves, although they were cared for, but their subordinates blackmailed the gentry and left a lot of poison, and this time they also deserved it, but the current situation in Shaanxi is also clear compared to Lord Lu, like dry firewood all over the ground, as long as a spark falls, it is the trend of burning the plains, just by virtue of the official army, it will never be pacified in a short period of time." ”

"What Mr. Ma said is very true! It's easy to break the thief, but it's hard to destroy the thief! Lu Boqi sighed: "Now the northwest is full of hungry people, the old and weak fill in the ravines, the strong and desperate to take risks, a husband raises his arms, and the responders gather, and his illness goes deep into the stomach, which can not be solved in a hurry!" ”

"Then Lord Lu is the parent of a state, what should he do when he is in danger?" Ma Ziyi asked.

"Hey, there has been a great drought in Dunzhou for many years, and the treasury in the state is like washing, Mr. Ma, you know everything, what else can I do?" Lu Boqi sighed: "What this official can do is to call on all the gentlemen to build a regiment and train troops to protect the township." ”

"Lord Lu, it would naturally be good if it was done in previous years, but it is not feasible this year."

"Oh, Mr. Ma, please advise!"

"Old parents, there are only two ways to fight in the group training: familiar with geography, guarding the hometown, and having the same hatred for the enemy. However, now the more than 3,000 Ding Zhuang who repaired Pitang have been in this land of Dunzhou for many days, and the first move has been shared with the group training. ”

"Huh?" Lu Boqi turned his head to Liu Cheng and asked, "Lord Liu, aren't those Ding Zhuang good under you?" What's going to happen? Speaking of this, his tone suddenly became stern: "Don't you want to use these Ding Zhuang to blackmail this official again?" ”

"Which one is going to blackmail you!" Liu Cheng turned around: "As long as I am in Dunzhou for a day, I can naturally keep these Ding Zhuang good and upright, but now I can't protect myself, can I still guarantee this?" “

"Can't protect yourself? Where does this begin?" Lu Boqi was like a second monk who was confused.

"Let me ask you, He Renlong killed Shen Yikui and didn't get muddy, is there going to be chaos in the northwest again?"

"It should be good."

"Is the overall situation of the court's appeasement over? Is Lord Yang going to work? “

"This—" A bead of sweat was already oozing from Luberch's forehead.

"I have done many things to offend people, and I don't know how many people have tried to kill me. Now that Yang Zhijun has left his post, there is no one to shelter me anymore, do you think I can still sit in this position? “

"This-" Hearing this, Lu Boqi's face was already sweating, he knew that what Liu Cheng said was the truth, don't talk about others, even Ma Ziyi and himself If they didn't see the benefits that were about to arrive, they would have fallen into trouble for Liu Cheng after learning that Yang He had left his post. But it's one thing to think about it in your heart, and it's another thing to say it in front of the person concerned.

"I'm afraid that at that time, old parents, you will also make up for my back!" Liu Cheng suddenly slapped his palm on the table and shouted, "Isn't it?" (To be continued.) )

PS: It was too late when I updated yesterday, and I read the wrong chapter, so forgive me, but it shouldn't prevent you from reading the book.