Chu Huanxin was also taken aback, and asked urgently, "What is it?" ”

Dong Shizhen had already taken a scroll and opened it on the table, Chu Huan only glanced at it, and recognized that this was the map of Xiguan Dao, and the state capitals and counties of the four states of Xiguan Dao were all on it.

"My lord, this is it." Dong Shizhen pointed to the map and said: "In Yuezhou, there is a village under the jurisdiction of Xiquan County, called Niulan Village. ”

Chu Huan's expression was grim and asked, "Do you know who did it?" ”

"When the people from the county yamen arrived, the fire in Niulan Village had not been extinguished, and there were corpses everywhere." Dong Shizhen sighed: "There is no trace of the bandits, only corpses all over the ground, men, women and children, there is not a single one left...... That scene is really miserable......! ”

"Bandits commit murder and indiscriminate killing of innocents, and the local people don't even know who the murderer is?" Chu Huan clenched his fists and said, "Aren't there any clues?" ”

"But it left clues." Dong Shizhen hurriedly said: "I saw a lot of horseshoe prints at the scene, and I can guess that the gang of bandits who committed the murder should be a gang of horse bandits, they came and went quickly, and they ...... quickly!" After a pause, he said: "There are many gangsters in Xiguan Road, but most of them are rabble, and there are not many horse bandits who can be equipped with horses to commit murders. ”

Chu Huan looked at Dong Shizhen and didn't speak, Dong Shizhen understood what Chu Huan meant, and said, "If nothing else, it should be the people in the clouds." ”

"Wind in the clouds?" Chu Huanqi said: "What does this mean?" ”

"Yunlifeng is a bandit who suddenly appeared not long ago, there are three or four hundred of them, and they are all in Xiguan, the number is not large, but they are ruthless." Dong Shizhen explained: "This group of people are equipped with horses, and they have repeatedly committed murder, as far as the lower officials know, their leaders are wearing bronze masks, and no one can see his true face, and the bandits who follow him are also veiled when they commit murder, and they come and go like ......the wind!" He clenched his fists and said: "It is precisely because they come and go without a trace, and they can't find their traces at all, so they are called the wind in the clouds, which means that like the wind in the clouds, no one can catch it...... The leader is called the Brasm-Faced Man. This time, Niulan Village was slaughtered, and according to the horseshoe prints left at the scene, the ten most likely perpetrators were the wind in the clouds. ”

Chu Huan sneered: "What an arrogant name, it's still ...... in the clouds!" He frowned and asked, "Lord Dong, how many bandits are there in this Xiguan?" ”

"I'm afraid it's more than adults think." Dong Shizhen smiled bitterly: "There are restless rogues in almost every county in Xiguan, it's just a matter of how many people there are, and there are more than a dozen ......!" ”

"I heard that the strongest bandit in Xiguan is Huluzhai?" Chu Huan suddenly raised his eyebrows and said, "Lord Dong has naturally heard of Hulu Village? ”

Dong Shizhen hurriedly said: "My lord is wise, Huluzhai is already the biggest tumor in Xiguan, and it is a disaster, and the disaster is not shallow." ”

"I heard that there are many people in Huluzhai, relying on the geographical advantages, and they don't even pay attention to the officers and soldiers." Chu Huan stared at Dong Shizhen and asked, Chu Huan went to the post, he was assassinated by a group of assassins in Yan Pingshan, but those assassins were divided into two ways, and the people and horses along the way were the people of Hulu Village, according to Chu Huan's understanding, Hulu Village is located in Hulu Mountain, at the junction of Yuezhou and Tianshan Dao Shazhou, Hulu Mountain stretches for hundreds of miles, the mountains are surrounded by arches, and the terrain is complex.

Dong Shizhen nodded and said: "The bandit leader of Hulu Village is called General Qiu, that is a demon who kills people without blinking, his Hulu Village, thousands of people have gathered, robbing houses, many rogues are going to him in the past, and the power is growing stronger, if this tumor is not removed as soon as possible, the consequences are unimaginable......!" ”

"It is only natural for officers and soldiers to suppress bandits." Chu Huan said: "Lord Dong, this governor really wants to know, before this governor took office, how did you suppress bandits here?" As far as the governor knows, after the retreat of the Xiliang people, the imperial court still sent a batch of ordnance, grain and grass from the pass, before the old general Yu left, the formation of the Pingxi Army, is to suppress the bandits, restore the law and order of Xiguan, how so long has passed, the security of Xiguan is still so bad, what's more, knowing that there is a gourd village this tumor, the Pingxi Army is stationed in the city, no one moves. Seeing that Dong Shizhen was still standing, he motioned for Dong Shizhen to sit down and speak first.

After Dong Shizhen sat down, he explained: "My lord, in fact, the Dongfang General also hates the gourd village, the Dongfang general twice sent troops to the gourd village, but General Qiu's men and horses can't hold out, the terrain of this gourd village is too harsh, easy to defend and difficult to attack, General Qiu is specially sent people to set up a barrier trap in the gourd mountain, he has thousands of men and horses, divided into several camps, and guards in a dangerous place, the Dongfang general led the army to attack twice, but it was in vain, but it was a loss of many soldiers and ......!" ”

"If you can't attack twice, let Huluzhai harm one side?" Chu Huan sighed: "Lord Dong, you are the governor of Yuezhou, the parent official of a state, Yuezhou is your jurisdiction, you can't let such a big tumor exist in Yuezhou, right?" You and General Dongfang are fighting one by one, could it be that the two of you join forces, and you are helpless against Huluzhai? ”

"General Dongfang is thinking about it day and night, and he is thinking about the strategy of attacking Huluzhai." Dong Shizhen said: "However, this Niulan Village tragedy has a huge impact. There are still many people in Xiguan who have not returned to their hometowns, and the people who have returned to their hometowns also want to rebuild their homes and live and work in peace and contentment...... Your Excellency, you have to come up with a way to reassure the people! ”

Chu Huan groaned slightly, and the grandson outside the gate of the mansion was empty, and asked him to ask Dongfang Xin.

Chu Huan only has two hundred guards, and the military power is in the hands of Dongfang, and the matter of suppressing bandits, whether Chu Huan is reluctant or not, needs to discuss with Dongfang Xin.

Dongfang Xin came happily this time, dressed in military uniform, and arrived at the Governor's Mansion, without waiting for Chu Huan to speak, he had already said: "The matter of Niulan Village, the last general has already received the news, what is the Governor going to do?" ”

Chu Huan said with a smile: "General Dongfang holds the power of the army, and the Pingxi Army belongs to the General Dongfang, this Pingxi Army is the establishment of General Yu, just to ensure the security of Xiguan, this governor wants to ask General Dongfang, what is the general going to do about the tragedy in Niulan Village?" ”

Dongfang Xin sat on the chair and said expressionlessly: "According to my meaning, it is natural to suppress the bandits, and kill the arrogance of those gangsters, no matter which way the rogues in Niulan Village are doing, all the rogues must be killed." ”

"General Dongfang said it very well." Chu Huan said: "In that case, I don't know where the general is going to start?" This governor just talked to Dong Zhizhou, in this Yuezhou, there are several bandits, not to mention that there are several gangsters, and the forces are not weak, and the general wants to suppress bandits, there should always be a plan in his heart, right? ”

"It is natural for adults to want soldiers to suppress bandits." Dongfang Xin looked at Chu Huan with an unchanged expression, "Draw the knife and work hard with the rogue, this is the internal business of being a soldier, but are you ready to send money and food to the army?" Adults should know that if the three armies have not moved, the grain and grass will go first, and if there is not enough food and grass, how can the bandits be suppressed? And the rules of sending troops, adults should know a little bit, mobilize soldiers and horses, that is to spend money, first to pay the brothers a settling-in allowance, no one can guarantee that they can come back alive, do not leave some settling-in money for their families, who will go desperately? In addition, there are pensions and bounties after the suppression of bandits, I wonder if the adults are ready? ”

Chu Huan touched his chin, his face did not change, and asked, "Pension?" Bounty? Settling-in fee? ”

Dongfang Xin nodded and said: "Exactly, this all needs silver, originally there was no need for the last general to remind this matter, the last general led the troops to fight, to shed blood and worked hard, the matter of money and food was originally handled by adults." The last general was just worried that the adults had not brought troops before, and did not know about sending troops, and when they came back, they reached out to the adults to ask for silver and rewards, and if the adults couldn't take it out, the soldiers would not agree, and if something happened, the consequences would be unimaginable......! ”

Dong Shizhen had already explained on the side: "My lord, pensions and bounties, needless to say, the soldiers shed blood and worked hard, if they died in battle, they should not be compensated, if they were meritorious, they should not be rewarded, these two items are not small expenses, and they must be prepared." As for the settlement fee, in fact, this is also forced by the environment, there was no such thing in the past, but the situation in Xiguan, different places, Pingxi Army, many of them are natives of Xiguan, their families are in Xiguan, poor and have no food, many families rely on someone in the family to be a soldier, and live on that little ration and military salary...... Therefore, after General Dongfang took office, he led his troops to suppress bandits for the first time, and the soldiers asked for a settling-in allowance, otherwise they refused to send troops...... At that time, more than a dozen people were beheaded, and there was almost a mutiny, but later Governor Zhu personally came forward to comfort the soldiers and set up the rule that the troops should be paid first...... ”

Chu Huan understood and asked: "In other words, the Pingxi Army under the command of General Dongfang will only suppress bandits if he takes the silver, otherwise he will not obey the military order?" ”

"Adults don't have to say it so badly." Dongfang Xin leaned back in his chair, "They are all old and young, the emperor is not hungry soldiers, everyone can't eat, who will work hard?" In the final analysis, being a soldier is of course loyal to the country, but also to fill the belly, the adult is the governor of Xiguan, and the soldiers of the three armies point to the adult to give food, if the adult is not fed, will they be hungry to go into battle to kill the enemy? The last general doesn't matter, but the officers and soldiers of the three armies don't agree. ”

Chu Huan sneered, turned his eyes to Dong Shizhen, and asked, "The first few times I sent troops to suppress bandits, did you go down with money from the Household Division?" ”

"Nope." Dong Shizhen shook his head and said with a wry smile: "This household department is now in vain, destitute, the imperial court has not allocated any money for a long time, and the household department is empty, where can the silver be allocated." Bandits were rampant before, and it would not be possible if they were not suppressed, and the lower officials had no choice but to discuss with the gentry in the city, and let them donate some silver taels, and the bandits were also to ensure the safety of one party, and they gave out some silver, which was understandable. ”

A strange smile appeared on the corner of Dongfang Xin's mouth, and he got up and said: "Now that the Governor is in Xiguan, the last general thinks that those gentry should not save the face of the adults...... As long as the first batch of settling-in allowances is issued, the last general will guarantee to send troops immediately, and will never return to the division ...... without exterminating a few bandits! He arched his hand very casually, "The last general will retire first, waiting for the good news of the adults." Without waiting for Chu Huan to say more, he turned around and left.