Worried that someone would follow him, Qin Shi and his entourage did not return directly to Shiguantun, but from the swampy area outside Qingfeng Valley, they detoured to the Gobi Desert to Bailong Lake, and they really met a spy along the way, and he solved it with one shot.

Next, in the early hours of the morning, I went out of the Gobi Desert, met a few Tartar rangers, and after being knocked off the horse far away by two shotguns, the hunter team that had picked up the booty turned around and went into the Gobi Desert again.

Qin Shishi, who was uncertain, kept figuring out the mentality of the stalker, and after wandering in the Gobi Desert for two days, he finally decided that he had no tail and began to turn around; If he hadn't had the compass in his hand that hundreds of households had bought at a great price, he would have been in the Gobi a long time ago.

With the support of the water umbrella and the abundant food brought, although it was quite far from the water source, the horse team still walked directly across the Gobi, and after marching diagonally to the west for more than 300 miles, on the fourth day, the herald heard the message that the scout team sent by Bailonghu was waiting not far in front of them.

Huang Hanxiang, who was summoned by Shiguantun, sent three scout teams five days ago, each with heralds, to lurk in the place where Qin Shi and their return must pass, and successfully connected the concubines of the hundred households to the mountain.

In the valley under the mountain in the east of Bailong Lake, more than a dozen thunderbolts were buried around the mountain road, and the Tartars did not dare to go up the mountain easily, even Huang Hanxiang and they could only fetch water halfway up the mountain, and it was safe to go down the mountain or take the secret road behind the mountain.

After resting for the night in a camp where there were obvious Tartars wandering, and after another day of bumpy mountain roads, Tian Xiuxiu and the maid Xiaoju, after entering the mountain, changed into two docile mules and horses, and followed the winding forest path, and when it was getting dark, they came to a forest in front of a cliff.

The sergeant with a gun took away the horses, and Tian Xiuxiu, who looked around, found that there were several grass houses in this large flat woodland, and there was a row of low-colored semicircular "small houses" on the high ground next to it, and the sergeants came and went from time to time.

These sergeants wearing mandarin duck battle jackets have a clear division of labor, and Tian Xiuxiu can't see the light and dark whistles, but they are all neat and tidy, with a yellow leather box hanging on the cow belt around their waists, and a bulging leather bag; Some sergeants had Qin stone-like, revolver fire/guns stuck in their waists.

Although the sergeants did not have chain mail, iron mesh skirts and net pants below the waist, and no iron mesh boots to wear, the spiritual head Tian Xiuxiu had only seen it in Shiguantun, and compared with those thousands of guards in Gansu Town, it was already on par.

Huang Hanxiang and these officers did not have mountain armor, and they were dressed almost the same as ordinary sergeants, even carrying fires/guns on their backs, but this did not prevent them from respecting them in the eyes of sergeants.

Flag officers and scouts, Xiao Ye are basically equipped with revolvers/guns, and the heralds are only equipped with short/guns, and the sergeants who went out on missions are back, and the short fires/guns are to be handed in.

A large clearing had been leveled under the cliff, and a semi-rigid rope ladder made of planks hung down from a cave in the middle of the cliff. Further east, at the corners of the mountains and cliffs, heavy objects continued to fall from the mountains, making a loud and clear sound.

Huang Hanxiang, Yu Shan, Du Ding, Duan Datou, and the miscellaneous steward Xu Wangliang waited outside the woods early, and when they saw Tian Xiuxiu coming from afar, they hurriedly stepped forward to give a salute, "I have seen the third lady under my post,"

When he arrived here, even Qin Shishi couldn't be called Miss Tian, and he had to change his name to "Third Lady," which also indicated that Tian Xiuxiu had arrived at the jurisdiction of Shiguantun Baihu, and everything was safe.

Although she was mentally prepared, Tian Xiuxiu saw a group of old men giving her a salute for the first time, and hurriedly blushed and leaned over to return the blessing, "Everyone, the little woman is presumptuous," Fortunately, she is also well-informed, and they are all officers under Xiao Ye, but there is no mistake.

"Third lady, there is an order from 100 households, in the future, Bailonghu will be managed by you, and the military affairs will be handled by your own subordinates," took out a letter from his arms, and Huang Hanxiang handed it over with both hands, "This is sent by 100 households five days ago, please take a look at it,"

Xiao Ju stepped forward, looked at Huang Hanxiang with a curious expression, took the letter, and put it in his arms; Subsequently, with the help of three selected female handymen, Tian Xiuxiu tied a rope around her waist, climbed the rope ladder slowly, and staggered for a long time, and finally entered the huge cave.

The first time she climbed such a high rope ladder, Xiao Ju, like Tian Xiuxiu, was also scared half to death, but finally climbed into the cave under the escort of the upper and lower female miscellaneous servants.

These three female handymen will be Tian Xiuxiu's servants in Bailong Lake in the future, and they will be responsible for taking care of her, mainly doing some rough work.

Most of the sergeants and miscellaneous servants had moved out of this cave, which was more than thirty feet round, and the ground was filled with rocks, which had been cleaned and formed into several square low walls, which divided the area; Leaning against the westernmost part of the cave is the ammunition depot and grain depot, which are guarded by sergeants day and night.

There were several dead wind lanterns hanging in the cave, and under the dim light, Tian Xiuxiu walked through the empty cave under the guidance of the maid and came to the exit.

"Ah," Outside the cave, from behind the two sergeants on guard, he saw the narrow ridge path, and the deep mountain streams on both sides, and even Tian Xiuxiu, who was quite bold, couldn't help but cry out.

"Third lady, it's okay, after this ridge, behind the opposite mountain bag, there is a big lake, but the water can't be drunk," the stout maid beside her, smiling kindly, slowly walked across the ridge with Tian Xiuxiu in her arms.

Xiao Ju who followed behind, although there were also people holding it, her face was as pale as a blank piece of paper, and her body trembled violently.

Standing limply on the mountain bag, the misty lake in front of him, a few busy and unhurried teams, and a dozen carriages constantly pulled the cartloads of stones down the edge of the cliff like flowing water, and tumbled down.

"Third lady, the villain Xu Wangliang is the steward of the miscellaneous servants here," Xu Wangliang, who had not said a word, stood three steps behind him and said respectfully, "We currently have two hundred and three miscellaneous servants in Bailong Lake, and the roster will be presented by the villain in the evening,"

Unlike those handymen who wore green cloth shirts and trousers, long green cloth handkerchiefs, wide brims of their tops, and straw shoes, Xu Wangliang was wearing a purple short coat, wide black pants, an eight-petal black silk cloth hat, and a pair of cowhide boots under his feet, looking very energetic.

There were still a few chief flag officers staring at the mountain, and Xu Wangliang's palms were wet, for fear that he would say the wrong thing.

"Well, Steward Xu is right," looking at the scene in front of him with some shock, Tian Xiuxiu looked back in a condensed voice, and looked at the steward with a pointed chin kindly, "I don't know what the people here are doing?" Please tell me more about it,"

Although in Shiguantun, she handed herself over to Xiao Ye out of her desire for the interests of the family, but after being stained with a hundred days of husband and wife, she knew what it was, and once she had leisure all day long, she couldn't help but think about the hundred households who were as strong as cattle.

Now it's okay, everyone has run to the mountains on this grassland, not to mention the way to retreat, the big family has the reputation of the big family, if she goes back, I'm afraid she will only be imprisoned, and even be ......

A trace of ambiguity flashed in her mind for a moment, and Tian Xiuxiu clenched her fists, no longer thinking about the terrible consequences.

"Hehe, it's such a third lady, Shiguantun Mill needs the stone here, and there is a good saltpeter on the other side of Hubo here, so Lord Baihu sent these people to deliver these things back to Shiguantun every ten years," Xu Wangliang, who didn't know the inside story, saw that everyone was calling Mrs., so he simply said the details here.

"There are now two hundred and three miscellaneous servants here, two hundred sergeants, defending the Tartars under the mountain, as long as it is not a Tartar with more than five hundred people, it is not a problem at all," Xu Wangliang, who was chattering, knew that he would be the direct subordinate of the third lady in the future, and naturally had a lot of questions about Tian Xiuxiu.

As long as it's not about military affairs, he said it. There were still 200 soldiers in the Galen tribe, as well as those armed Tartar slaves, so Xu Wangliang didn't dare to say more.

The sergeants under Huang Hanxiang, plus the Tartar soldiers of the Galen tribe, if he fought hard, he could take out nearly 500 people in one go, but that was the worst result.

Xu Wangliang, who was talking with his mouth in his mouth, pointed to a tent in the distance, and proudly talked about his achievements, but he didn't see that Tian Xiuxiu's peach blossom eyes gradually lost focus, and in their place, they were incredibly shocked.

Yes, who would have thought that Shiguantun, which has no grain fields, would gather more than 400 people on the mountains of the grassland, most of whom are still young and middle-aged, and among them, the number of trained sergeants has also reached 200.

The two hundred firemen/gunners on the mountain, although they are not good at horseback, but they are already usable soldiers to guard the top of the mountain against the Tartars.

It was clear in front of me that every sergeant was cleanly dressed, with iron helmets and mandarin duck battle jackets, leather boots, and some simple leather armor, all carrying a black and faint fire/gun, and his face was not the usual earthy gray, but ruddy complexion; What does this portend, Tian Xiuxiu is a woman, and she also knows the price paid by Xiao Ye during the period.

Of course, in order to welcome the third lady to Bailong Lake, the sergeant here changed into clean clothes under Huang Hanxiang's strict order, which Xiao Ye did not expect.

Xiao Ye was in Shiguantun, there were only fifty armed sergeants, and there were only eighty people with personal guards, and the rest of the craftsmen, old people and children were simply ordinary officers who were not well guarded; Unexpectedly, he still had such a hole card in his hand.

The mood of defeat along the way gradually became active, and what Tian Xiuxiu was afraid of was that Xiao Ye guarded the stone mountain, and in the end nothing was accomplished.

Tian Xiuxiu, who had a soothing face, learned that the sergeants here were mainly defending against the attack of the Tartars under the mountain, and she couldn't help but frown together. It seems that Xiao Ye secretly supernumered the sergeant and guarded the Bailong Lake here for his mill.

Why do you need the raw materials here in the mill, the shrewd Tian Xiuxiu is too lazy to guess, her own people are here, and there will be a day when she will understand, if Xiao Ye doesn't tell her, then there is no need to ask.

"Two hundred people were picked out from the miscellaneous servants a while ago, and they became fire/spearmen, half a day to practice fire/guns, crossbows, and half a day of work, and there will be a big competition at the end of each month, and the top ten people can enter Huang Zongqi's hundred-man team," Xu Wangliang said enviously, and heard someone behind him snort dissatisfiedly, and hurriedly looked up at the sky, "Third lady, it's not early, you better go to the camp to rest first,"

On the shore of a flat lake north of Bailong Lake, next to the steep mountain wall, there are five umbrellas lined up, next to which are female miscellaneous servants guarding a dozen wooden barrels with lids, and a few sergeants standing guard nearby; This is not only the upwind outlet on the top of the mountain, but also the focus of Huang Hanxiang's attention, the water collection point.

Every day, more than a dozen buckets of more than 500 catties of clean water can be collected here, plus the water from the stream on the mountainside, it is enough for everyone on the mountain to eat and drink; Now that the third lady of the hundred households is here, it won't be long before the water umbrella will definitely increase.

Not far from the catchment point, a thick cowhide tent was erected, and next to it were two "squad barracks," which were used for the maids to rest.

The tent where the miscellaneous servants rested was on the south bank, next to the camp of the sergeants, and on weekdays, they were not allowed to approach the water collection point without permission, and it happened that Tian Xiuxiu's tent was built here.

When she came to the tent where she would live in the future, Tian Xiuxiu thanked Huang Hanxiang and them, and took the maid into the cowhide tent.

After eating some hot broth and washing their feet with hot water, Tian Xiuxiu and Xiaoju lay on the thick felt blanket of the tent and fell asleep deeply. After seven or eight days of traveling, they were already exhausted.

Gansu Town, in an inconspicuous courtyard in the west of the city, there is no sign at the door, and there is no man with a handle on the gate, but on the road in front of the door, the people who pass here, whether it is a soldier in a robe, or a civilian with a variegated collar, or even a sergeant in the government, as if hiding from the plague god, hurriedly avoided this courtyard.

Jinyiwei Gansu Town, 100 households, is located in this courtyard; The gate enters, there is an ear room on the left hand, and the corridor on the right hand goes to the backyard stables and dungeons, and the front is not a large courtyard, and there is a row of wooden shelves in the corner, on which are placed pointed iron spears, large knives and halberds, and there are several stone locks on the ground.

There were a few brocade-clothed flag guards standing in the courtyard, one by one, silent, and the captains behind them also shrank their heads, their hands pressed to their waists to embroider spring knives, and their eyes stared at the green bricks under their feet.

In the hall opposite, the wide long coat with a straight green cloth, wearing a square scarf on his head, and a feminine face of the hundred households Fang Shanshui, sat on the chair, facing the test hundred households and the general flag kneeling on the ground, sneering again and again.

"Brother Gou, you have done a very bad job in this matter, you can even lose people, I really disappointed my brother," seemed to be laughing at the good water, the voice was not loud, and there was no roar, but this faint complaint made the three people on the ground sweat profusely.

Fang Shanshui, whose name is very kind, has a white and clean face, always looks like a smile, his eyes are narrowed into a line when he laughs, and he wears a square scarf and a shirt on weekdays, dressed as a literati; But those who are familiar with his details all secretly call him a gelding, and those who are good at bringing down opponents and sending them to the underworld are simply the masters who eat people and do not spit out bones.

If Fang Baihu had anger on his face and scolded a few times, it meant that he was not very angry, and if he spoke more kindly with a smile on his face, then something bad was about to happen.

"My lord, Lord Baihu, sent by his subordinates, but Zhang Ermu, who is known as a Baili Fox, has the ability to follow, but he is the top in the Baihu Institute, and now he hasn't come back, maybe there is a bump in the middle of the road," Gou Liangchen, who was kneeling on the ground, pounded his head like a green onion, and said loudly. The beads of sweat rolling down his face smashed on the green bricks in front of him, and he didn't dare to raise his hand to wipe them off.

The two chief flag officers behind him didn't dare to come out, lying there motionless.

"Hmph, now the whole city knows that the night attack on the Tian family's compound is flying on the grass, you know no, you call my brother how do I go to meet people, I can't be sure now, the owner of the family is even hanging red," stretching out his dry fingers, Fang Shanshui slapped his cheek, "Brother, I have no face,"

Since receiving the secret report from Sun Dezhang and Jiang Cheng, the officials of Gravel Castle, Fang Shanshui has been keenly aware that those seven-trick objects from the northwest, as well as yellow plaster, as long as they are well managed, will definitely be a step up the ladder by himself, or even several steps.

More than a dozen clever wrestlers dispatched by his subordinates, plus a batch of external dark piles, he was quite cautious and sent out in batches, and finally planted nails in the gravel fort and the workshop in the mountain behind Shiguantun, and now the disc report sent to Jingshi on the desk has not yet been written.

You must know that although the three merchants of Wang, Tian, and Huang can only wear silk cloth clothes outside, the forces behind them, even the Qianhu Jin of Taiyuan Mansion are not willing to offend easily, let alone a hundred households of six products. Coupled with the fact that he had already smelled the smell and extended his network into the other five major businesses in Gansu Town, although Fang Shanshui was jealous of the benefits of those goods, it was a headache to think about it.

It is simple to copy the shops of the Persians, and it can be done with a dozen horsemen, but it angered these merchants, and then the supply of goods was cut off, and it is estimated that in the mass graves outside the city, they don't even have a place, and they will definitely be frustrated.

The aftermath of Liu Jin's case is still there, and he Fang Shanshui doesn't want to follow in his footsteps, he was slashed by his master more than 3,000 times, and he can still drink a bowl of porridge miserably in the middle. Such a major event has to be gradual and gradual, and it is his own net worth that is lost if he is impatient.

The officialdom in the northwest is like a quagmire, and the shopping mall is even more life-and-death, so Fang Shanshui has to act cautiously.

However, if he informed the Persians about the affairs of several imperial stores in Taiyuan Prefecture, it would be difficult for him to even have the opportunity to drink soup, and he would not be able to do the good thing of giving meat to others.

Don't look at the three subordinate officers lying on the ground, they are honest on the surface and loyal in their mouths, but if they do something bad, they will immediately become three mad dogs, and if they don't tear themselves apart, how can they get into power.

Looking at the flying fish suit on the hanger next to him, Fang Shanshui sighed secretly, when he can put on the python suit, it depends on how this matter goes. Let the Persian willingly hand over the goods to the imperial court and to the royal treasury, the stumbling block is not the merchants, but the backers behind the merchants, and what he has to do is quite tricky.

"The thieves who attacked the Tian family's compound at night were dealt with carefully and ruthlessly, but judging from the on-site report, it seems that it is not a force, maybe there is infighting?" Rubbing the stubble on his chin, Fang Shanshui thought for a while, and waited until Gou Liangchen's knees were numb, and then he commanded slowly.

"Investigate the inside of the Tian family, find out if there is any internal response, Zhang Ermu will come to see the official as soon as he returns,"

"The gravel fort and the Shiguantun workshop should be strictly monitored, and try to find out the residence of the Persians on the grassland, it should be within a thousand miles," I have to say that Fang Shanshui's intelligence analysis is still quite strong, just by virtue of the time period when Huang Hanxiang and they went back and forth in Haixi Village, counting the speed of the horse and the rest time, they can guess the distance to the target.

But he didn't expect that Huang Hanxiang had a shimmer mirror in his hand, and he could hurry at night, and Haixi Village was more than a thousand miles away from Shiguantun, which made him rarely guess wrong.

"Give you another month to thoroughly find out their transactions, and it's best to get in touch with that Persian," compared to his own future, what the Tian family wants to do, what is flying on the grass, Fang Shanshui, who knows that he is in a hurry, still doesn't look into his eyes.

Big and important cases, that's what you say, and you have to provide evidence and clues from the local government, so if you're in a bad mood, you can put aside the investigation first.

"Zhang Li follows up on the Tian family's case, Liu Qi is in the city to deal with daily affairs, Brother Gou, you will hang the Persian shop, and report to the official at any time if there is a situation,"

"As for the hundred households Ximen Xiao Ye, a hereditary military household, the courage of blood and energy, it is worth sending people, just send a letter to Sun Dezhang to keep an eye on the point, a reckless man who can beat Tartars, do you understand?" Regarding Shi Guantun's private assignment of a sergeant as a bodyguard, Fang Shanshui plans to turn a blind eye and live a mouthful of food, this matter can be anywhere, big or small, write it down first.

"I know a hundred households," the three officers who were still kneeling on the ground, forcibly endured the numbness in their knees, replied with a bang, and leaned down.

Shiguantun is barren and wasteland, and there is no place to grow grain, and the Tartars are also eyeing it, so it is not a place to be guarded. Ignoring the subordinates who withdrew, Fang Shanshui leaned back in his chair, secretly trolling.

Bailonghu, after Tian Xiuxiu rested for two days, she officially took over everything on the mountain, except for the military affairs managed by Huang Hanxiang, she already had the roster of 200 miscellaneous soldiers in her hands.

The grain book was thin, and the grain, green salt, silk cloth, and the number of cattle and sheep belonging to the tribe under the mountain were handed over to Tian Xiuxiu's small table.

Although Xu Wangliang has changed from a big boss to a deputy chief manager, this big steward is a woman from a hundred households, if he can serve the third lady well, then the future will be much easier than that of the big boss.

According to her own model of running in the family, Tian Xiuxiu, under the recommendation of Xu Wangliang, assigned six deacons, one of whom was a female exile, to manage those female miscellaneous servants.

The deacons each manage a team, ranging in number from more than 30 people, who are responsible to Xu Wangliang, but they can also go directly to the third lady if they have important matters; And Xu Wangliang is only responsible to the third lady, reporting food consumption, the output of each team, and so on every day.

The half-day work of the two hundred fire/gunners is managed by their own flag officer, and Tian Xiuxiu can't interfere.

In order to facilitate the safety of Tian Xiuxiu, Huang Hanxiang specially looked for Xu Wangliang and selected five stout mothers-in-law from the female miscellaneous servants, and under the guidance of the sergeant, practiced the use of revolver fire/gun as the third lady's escort on the mountain.

The difference between the treatment of sergeants and miscellaneous servants on the mountain can be seen from the food and clothing, not to mention that the monthly salary of the sergeant is quite good in the eyes of ordinary civilians. After getting along for a long time, the miscellaneous servants are all moved, and now the enrollment quota of ten fire/spearmen per month is simply a head-breaking grab.

Commoners in the interior can live a year with two yuan a year, and some people have only seen copper coins and never seen silver in their lives, and now they have the opportunity to be a sergeant and get two taels of silver a month.

Three days later, the Qin stone team returned to Shiguantun with more than 20 pack horses, carrying saltpeter and stones.