Lingzhou, Shuo Fang Jiedu Dental Department.

Wang Chongwen, who had just taken over the military and political power of Shuofang from his father, was extremely anxious at the moment. A month earlier, his father, Shuo Fang Jiedu, had suddenly sent his most trusted general, Wang Dongchuan, to take him back to Lingzhou from Chang'an. Wang Dongchuan didn't reveal any news to him along the way, just simply said that his grandmother was seriously ill and missed him.

Wang Chongwen knew that this was a lie, his father Wang Xilian had seventeen children, Wang Chongwen was the seventh, and he had three brothers and three sisters. Although he is also a descendant, in the eyes of his grandmother Tang, only his second and third brothers are considered to be the descendants of the Wang family, and the other children are no different from the dozens of godsons collected by Wang Xilian, otherwise why did he send himself to Chang'an when he was twelve years old, and he stayed for five years?

After returning to Lingzhou, Wang Dongchuan sent him directly to the heavily guarded dental office, and when he saw his father dying on the hospital bed, Wang Chongwen realized that he might not be able to return to Chang'an again in this life. Wang Xilian, who had just turned 50, accidentally fell off a horse and injured himself during a field trip, because the wound was not properly treated, and he became ill after returning to Lingzhou. When he was seriously ill, he listened to the advice of his old subordinate Xie Bozhi, the assassin of Lingzhou, and decided to hand over the military and political power of Shuofang to Wang Chongwen, the fourth son who was the least favored before.

In order to put an end to the tragedy of cannibalism after his death, Wang Xilian expelled his second, third, and sixth sons from Lingzhou before his death, and secretly executed a group of unruly arrogant generals.

With the dedicated assistance of Wang Dongchuan and Xie Bozhi, Wang Chongwen finally stood on his feet, but a severe test came unexpectedly.

"My lord, the secret envoy is here." Xie Bozhi stepped into the study with an arrow step, saw Wang Chongwen's nervous face, and comforted: "The lord doesn't have to worry, according to the answer we have agreed, if he can't make up his mind, he will delay it." This time they begged us not to be accommodating. Wang Chongwen nodded, and greeted the door in his whole robe.

Wang Dongchuan led a scribe in his thirties over. This person's name is Bo Zhongyan, who served as a Chang'an county magistrate, and was dismissed and returned to his hometown after the Manna Change, and was later recommended by Wu Chen to vote under Qiu Shiliang, and was very relied on by Qiu Shiliang.

"Here, firstly, to congratulate the young marshal on taking charge of Shuofang, and secondly, to bring a letter from Qiu Gong." Bo Zhongyan expressed his meaning directly.

Wang Chongwen was quite disgusted with the annoying etiquette in the officialdom, and he had a good impression of Bo Zhongyan's straightforwardness. He took the letter in his hand but did not rush to open it, but put the letter on the desk. This made Bo Zhongyan a little surprised, and he couldn't help but glance at the young man in front of him, who was still a student a month ago.

"Sir has come from afar, please try Shuofang's oil tea."

Wang Chongwen pointed to the bowl of hot oil tea that the attendant had just brought and said. Shuofang borders on Tibet, and although the two sides have been at war for many years, they have been in constant people-to-people exchanges, and both have been influenced by some customs of the other.

Bo Zhongyan picked up the tea bowl and took a small sip first, then took a big sip, tasted it carefully, and said with a smile: "This tea looks ugly, but it has a unique flavor when you drink it." No wonder the princess likes this bite too. ”

When Wang Chongwen heard the word "princess", his face changed slightly, and then he smiled: "If Mr. likes it, the student will prepare more for Mr. to bring." As he spoke, he gave the waiter a look. The waiter was just about to leave, but Bo Zhongyan shouted: "Slow." ”

He looked at Wang Chongwen and said, "I am entrusted by Lieutenant Qiu to ask the young marshal to send troops to fight against the rebellious Meng Bochang and Yang Hao." ”

Wang Chongwen sneered and said, "If Mr. is here with a holy decree, please announce it." ”

Bo Zhongyan sneered and shook his head.

"There is no holy decree, and we want to send troops to attack the Tiande army, but I am afraid that the name will not be right, right?" Wang Dongchuan said coldly.

"What if Lieutenant Qiu can help the young marshal fulfill a long-cherished wish?" Bo Zhongyan paused and prompted: "For example, please ask Your Majesty to marry Princess Yichun to a young marshal." ”

"Can Lieutenant Qiu really do this?" When Wang Chongwen heard this, he couldn't help but blush.

Bo Zhongyan smiled: "If there is anything that can't be done today?" ”

"Serve Mr. a cup of fragrant tea." Xie Bozhi gave Wang Chongwen a look as he spoke, and Wang Chongwen was shocked in his heart, he was too out of shape.

"Mr. must also know that in the past few years, the old general has personally led the Shuofang soldiers to fight with the Tibetan blood, and Lingzhou City has long been poor and poor, and it is overstretched.

Bo Zhongyan smiled and said: "Shuofang is the northwest gate of the Tang Dynasty, there is a lot of wind and sand, and there is little oil and water, so it is really not easy to be a family of Lord Shi." This time, the young marshal conscripted the traitors, and Qiu Gong was willing to help the army pay 500,000 taels of silver. Xie Bozhi and Wang Dongchuan couldn't help but have their eyes glow when they heard the words "500,000 taels".

Wang Chongwen said with a smile: "Thank you for your kindness, it's just that Shuofang is a border town, although there are tens of thousands of elite soldiers, they have to guard against the Tubo Koubian, but I am afraid that the students will not be able to help." ”

Bo Zhongyan said: "What the young marshal is very worried about is that if the Shuofang family is allowed to send troops to the north to quell the chaos, it will inevitably be delayed and give Tubo an opportunity to take advantage of. But if the three towns of Xia Sui, Zhenwu, and Hedong help each other, it will be easy to quell the Mengyang Rebellion. When the young marshal's army entered Fengzhou, the Tubo people were afraid that they were still in the dark. ”

Wang Dongchuan got up and said: "My lord, the last general is willing to lead Shuo Fang Jian'er to the north to quell the chaos." Wang Chongwen nodded silently.

Xie Bozhi said: "The army has not moved the grain and grass first, and the Lingzhou silver treasury is empty, I don't know when the 500,000 taels of silver promised by Qiu Gong will be cashed?" ”

"Three days later, the silver car will arrive in Lingzhou." Bo Zhongyan replied very simply, and asked Wang Chongwen rhetorically: "I don't know when the young marshal can send troops?" ”

"After three days, the 5,000 vanguard army can go north along the river, and ten days later, General Wang will personally lead the main force north to fight the thieves." Wang Chongwen also replied very simply, but he changed his words: "I hope that the enemy will not forget his promise." ”

"Bo Zhongyan is willing to stay in Shuofang as a hostage, if he can't see Her Royal Highness Princess Yichun in a month, he won't work hard for the young marshal to do it, and Zhongyan will apologize for his crimes."

"Good! Summoned the drumming to gather the generals. Wang Chongwen jumped up and shouted with a red face.

――――――

Yanzhou, Xifeng Street.

At the beginning of the lanterns, a man in a black cloak knocked on the door of Fuxiang Cloth Village.

"I'm sorry for the guest officer, the shop is closed." Xiao Er opened a door panel and said with a smile, he was about to close the door, but was held down by someone who came.

"How much does a pound of mutton cost?"

"Guest officer, you have gone to the wrong place, this is Buzhuang does not sell mutton."

"How much is a pound of beef?"

"Guest officer, you are in the wrong place, this is Buzhuang does not sell beef."

"You should sell the two together."

Xiao Er sneered, and let the future people in.

"Kill a person, do it in ten days, this is a fixed price." The visitor took out a bulging money bag and placed the gold bars on the table one by one, the gold bars were yellow and dazzling under the oil lamp. But the middle-aged man in a blue silk robe sitting opposite him didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Name? Origin? Where to stay? ”

"Meng Bochang, Thorn Horse Camp is a three-grade horizontal knife, living in Yongfeng; Yang Hao, stabbing the horse battalion from the five-grade horizontal knife, living in Yongfeng. ”

"No."

"Don't you think there's less money?" The man took out a money bag and put it on the table, and in the bag were three pearls of the night, which were worth ten times the gold on the table.

"No." The man was unmoved.

"I advise you to use dominoes to report your big boss." The man dropped the sentence and got up and left.

――――

Yuxi in the north of Luoyang, the eastern capital, is also known as the "Junzi River", and it is very interesting to talk about his origin. Most of the small river that runs through the city runs north-south, but it suddenly turns a 90-degree bend near Tongmingfang and becomes an east-west direction. If you don't change to Yuxi, you will pass through the two most prosperous markets in Luoyang, and the people in Luoyang City jokingly call Yuxi a humble gentleman, preferring to bend their waists rather than be contaminated with the smell of copper.

Tongmingfang is located on the south side of Yuxi, which is a gathering area for rich and noble families, and high-rise pavilions are hidden in a field of green trees and flowers. And the north of the river is a mixed area of peddlers and pawns, low and dilapidated houses, winding alleys, not to mention outsiders, even the old customers who have lived in Luoyang City all their lives will inevitably be dizzy and lose their path.

At dusk, a black-covered carriage entered the north gate of Tongmingfang along the riverside path on the south bank of the Yuxi River, and stopped in front of the back door of a secluded mansion. After looking around to see no one, he jumped up the stone steps and knocked on the door.

He carefully checked the briefcase sent by the young man, and after confirming that the gold paint on the seal was not damaged, he signed a monollot on the document handed by the young man.

The briefcase, tightly wrapped in oilcloth, went through a series of inspections before finally falling into the hands of a pair of warm, fair-skinned and almost perfect women.

These hands used a pair of delicate small scissors to cut the silk thread of the seal of the briefcase, untied the layers of oiled paper, and took out a stack of documents tied with red silk ropes, and the top one was stamped with a gold seal: Dominoes urgent!

The owner of these hands was not qualified to see the contents of the paper, and after she filed the document, she took out the document covered with the gold seal and got up and walked behind the brocade screen. Behind the brocade screen hung a bead curtain, and in the bead curtain sat a beautiful woman in her early thirties, who also had a pair of well-maintained Qianqian jade hands.

She was qualified to read the contents of the paper, but she was not qualified to give any answer, so she took the document and walked out of the room, and followed the flower gallery to a quiet and elegant backyard. When night came, several beautiful maids with light makeup were lighting lamps in the courtyard.

"My subordinates have something to do." The glamorous woman stood under the eaves and whispered.

"Shuyuan, come in." The answer to her was also a woman, and her voice was gentle and beautiful.

"Yes." Shuyuan answered, gently took off her shoes, lifted the beaded curtain and walked in.

A faint fragrance came to your face. In the room on the left side of the main hall, a woman in palace costume is immersed in writing a manuscript, this woman is only in her early twenties, her hair is combed in a palace bun, the bun is tied with beaded flowers, tied a light yellow tuanhua skirt, a coat with a red background and a yellow tuanhua placket with wide sleeves, her lips are crimson, her eyes are full of beauty, her face is smiling, reserved and quiet. Beside her knelt was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl in a red dress, thin and underweight, who was intently cutting candles.

"There is an urgent domino delivered from the Ming Word Gate." Shuyuan stood in front of the bookcase and said softly.

"Say what?" The woman in the palace costume still wrote her words, and she didn't lift her head.

"They asked to kill two people?" Shuyuan paused for a moment and added, "It's two people from the Assassin Horse Camp Baoli Society." ”

"Kill or not kill anyone, can't they be decided? This kind of thing should also be consulted by the first seat, which is clearly to shirk responsibility. The girl in the red dress who cut the candle suddenly interjected bitterly. Shuyuan glanced at her and didn't speak.

"You go out, we have something to say." The woman in the palace costume said softly, her head still not raised.

The girl in the red dress meekly bowed her head and slowly retreated with her back to the door.

"What do you think about this?" The woman in the palace costume took the document and glanced at it.

"What Jasmine said also makes sense, whether to kill or not, Mingmen himself can decide, why send dominoes here? The subordinates were foolish, so they simply called back and let them deal with it at their own discretion. ”

The palace girl thought for a moment and put the document on the desk, "You go back first, let me think about it first." ”

"Yes." Sookwon exited the room. Jasmine, the girl in red, who had been kicked out, walked back, still kneeling on the right side of the table, she saw that the woman in palace clothes was in a daze, so she said, "Leave the matter to me, and I'll help you do it." ”

The palace woman smiled, she stroked Jasmine's tender face and asked, "What are you going to do?" ”

"I managed to tell Xiaoyu the news and let her go to Yongfeng."

"How fast can she walk as a weak woman?"

"If there is someone in her heart, she will go quickly." Jasmine took the hand of the woman in the palace dress and put it on her face and rubbed it gently, muttering, "If it was for Sister Zichen, I would also go fast." ”