readx; More than an hour later, Li Qing'an's army finished lunch and prepared to set off, this time Mingzhu said goodbye to the dilapidated carriage and sat in Li Qing'an's ultra-luxurious carriage pulled by twenty-four horses like two small rooms. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

"Please come in!" Li Qingan smiled and pulled the carriage away.

Mingzhu's face was a little red, and so many soldiers next to her were looking at her! She bit her lip lightly, if she had been in the past, she would have been smug in and unceremonious, but today her mood has changed a little, and she is a little shy in her heart, as if she is going to get on a sedan chair, shyness, expectation, and worry are intertwined in her heart, and finally she still mustered up the courage to pull up the hem of her skirt and quickly get into Li Qing'an's carriage.

The carriage is very spacious, one zhang wide, three zhang long, the four walls are cork, covered with thick carpets, the carriage is divided into two rooms, the front one is Li Qing'an's office, the back one is the bedroom, the carriage is brightly lit, and it feels very comfortable.

"I want a room inside, you're outside!"

As soon as Mingzhu got in the car, they began to separate, but Li Qingan said with a smile: "The carriage only takes three miles, and it gets on the boat when it goes out of the city, and the boat is more spacious and comfortable." ”

"Oh!"

Mingzhu ran all the way, feeling very tired, found Li Qing'an, she had a sense of security, the tense nerves relaxed all of a sudden, so sleepy that her eyes were almost open, she wanted to take a nap, but she was about to get on the boat, she had to endure the sleepiness and sat down by the window.

As soon as she turned around, she saw Li Qingan pouring tea for her, she hurriedly got up, "Big brother, I'll come!" ”

Unknowingly, she has changed her name to Li Qing'an, just like the picturesque, calling Li Qing'an her eldest brother, deep down in her heart, she actually dislikes calling Li Qing'an her brother-in-law the most, which means that she will always be a vassal of her sister, which means that she will always be a wife and sister.

She was about to get up and pour tea, just as the carriage started, and the body shook, and she fell down again, "Ouch! ”

"Be careful!"

Li Qingan put a cup of herbal tea in front of her and said with a smile: "Take a sip of tea and rest, get on the boat and go to sleep." ”

Mingzhu picked up the teacup and smiled sweetly, "Big brother, I will do things like pouring tea in the future, and I can also help you sort out the paperwork, my handwriting is no worse than my sister's." ”

"Okay! When I'm away from home, I'm worried that there is no one to serve. ”

Li Qingan lay down comfortably on the other side of the small table, stretched his waist, squinted his eyes and smiled at her: "Mingzhu, beat my legs for me first!" ”

"you, I'm not your maid."

Mingzhu also lay down in anger, but as soon as she lay down, she felt that something was wrong, she sat up again, and moved Li Qingan's leg over angrily, "You made me beat it, it was uncomfortable, don't blame me." ”

"Okay! I don't blame you, just be light, don't think it's a drum. ”

Mingzhu gently pounded his legs for him, at this time she also had a trace of tenderness in her heart, she remembered that when she fell into the water, Li Qingan gave her mouth-to-mouth gas, her face slowly turned red, and she secretly glanced at Li Qingan, but saw him staring at herself with blazing eyes, her heart jumped suddenly, she couldn't help but be ashamed, hurriedly pushed Li Qingan's legs, turned her back, "I won't beat it, you.... You're peeking at people! ”

"No! I'm thinking about things! Come on, give the big brother another beat, you're very comfortable. ”

Mingzhu heard that he didn't call himself brother-in-law, but called himself the eldest brother like a picturesque couple, and a trace of sweetness swelled in her heart, and she no longer spoke, but gently and carefully beat his legs.....

The carriage shook rhythmically, Mingzhu leaned against the wall of the car, the thumping of her legs became slower and slower, her eyelids were fighting up and down, but Li Qingan did not alarm her, his heart was full of love and pity for Mingzhu at this time, she was twenty-one years old, and she still refused to marry, how could he not understand this infatuation, and now she came all the way to find him..... Alas! When he calms down, it's time for him to talk to Mingyue.

Mingzhu had fallen asleep leaning against the wall of the car, Li Qingan didn't alarm her, quietly withdrew his legs, got up and was about to help her lie down, the body suddenly shook, Mingzhu woke up suddenly, she found that she was asleep, couldn't help but smile, sat up and asked, "Big brother, where is it?" ”

Li Qingan looked outside through the car window, "I've arrived at the dock and I'm going to get off." ”

The carriage stopped, and the soldiers said outside: "General, you have arrived at the dock." ”

Li Qingan got out of the carriage, and he stretched out his hand to Mingzhu, "Come down!" Get to the boat and rest again. ”

Mingzhu pulled the skirt with one hand, and stepped out of the carriage with Li Qing'an's arm with the other, the river breeze blew on her face, and the sparkling Huai River suddenly appeared in front of her, making her feel refreshed, in the distance, the long fleet of boats had been moored on the shore, and on the other side of the wharf, more than a dozen huge ferries were carrying Li Qing'an's cavalry across the river.

Li Qingan pointed to a three-story boat at the front and said with a smile: "That's our ship, you get on the ship first, and I'll arrange for the army to come over." ”

Mingzhu nodded, followed the two pro-soldiers towards the big boat, and watched her get on the boat, Li Qingan turned around and asked Han Jin who had just arrived, "How is the situation of the investigation?" ”

"General, it can be described in four words: appalling!"

Han Jin said angrily: "The imperial court stipulates that the field endowment is two liters per mu, but here it is four liters per mu, which is doubled, and the household tax has also been changed from two per year to three hundred per year, and the extra taxes and fees are called counterinsurgency military expenses, and it is said that they are transported to the imperial court as military expenses to pacify An Lushan and the Southern Tang Dynasty, as well as fish taxes, road and bridge fees, transportation and dredging fees, salt taxes, and tea taxes, these have long been there, from the state to the county, and even to every official is rotten, so the people will be so happy when they hear about the fall of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Because they thought that they would not have to pay war taxes. ”

Li Qing'an nodded, and Cui Ning told him about the same, but not as detailed as Han Jin's investigation.

Li Qingan looked at the wharf, there was no official in Sizhou to see them off, it was enough to see their weakness, he sneered, "I know about this matter, let's go to Yangzhou first, then look at other states and counties, and then settle the general account together!" ”

Half an hour later, Li Qing'an's fleet left the Huai River wharf and continued along the Cao River in the direction of Yangzhou.

When the news of Li Qing'an's fleet leaving Linhuai County came, the Sizhou officials all celebrated with their hands, they were lucky, Li Qing'an's low profile made the people of Sizhou almost not know that he was coming, so that there was no large-scale kneeling and shouting injustice, so that they escaped by luck.

As soon as Li Qing'an's fleet left, the county commander Wang Jiaju hurried to the state office, and he was also excited.

"Envoy!" He tripped over as he ran into the Taishou room and almost fell.

"Wang County Order!"

Taishou Zhou Bingyi was a little dissatisfied with Wang Jiaju's gaffe, "What are you doing in such a hurry?" ”

"Envoy, Li Qing'an is gone!" Wang Jiaju couldn't hold back the excitement on his face.

"I know, but are you going to get carried away like that?"

Wang Jiaju couldn't help but be taken aback when he saw Taishou's heavy expression, "Envoy, what's wrong." ”

Zhou Bingyi touched his round belly, sighed and said, "Although he didn't find anything, our good days should come to an end." ”

"Taishou means that we are going to stop collecting taxes?"

Zhou Bingyi nodded, "Li Qing'an went down Jiangnan twice in half a year, which is enough to see his attention to Jiangnan, the first time was because King Wu's secession ended, he needed to appease Jiangnan, so he didn't make any moves, and now he has controlled Jiangnan, the Southern Tang Dynasty has fallen again, he has no worries, and now he goes down to Jiangnan again, even if it's just an inspection, it also shows that he attaches great importance to Jiangnan, Wang County Order, since the Southern Tang Dynasty has fallen, we can use this opportunity to stop, we have earned enough over the years, don't plant it again, understand?" ”

"But ....."

Wang Jiaju wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Zhou Bingyi, he glanced at Wang Jiaju coldly, "There is nothing but, I already have a word in advance, if you refuse to let go, it is you who are unlucky in the end, Wang County Order, in fact, many things are done by you, I just neglected to overlook, don't you don't know what to do!" ”

Zhou Bingyi's tone was extremely cold, as if he had pushed Wang Jiaju into the bottomless ice cave, and he didn't know how he got home, he was repeating Zhou Bingyi's words over and over again in his mind, "Wang County Order, in fact, many things are done by you, I just neglected it!" ’

Obviously, the original idea was that he Zhou Bingyi decided, but now he wants to push it all on his head, Wang Jiaju feels that the sky is about to fall.

lived in the back house of the county office, and when he came back from the state office, he did not go to the county office, but went home directly in despair.

Wang Jiaju is more than 40 years old this year, he is not from the class, but from the county government to get promoted, and step by step to Linhuai County order, the Tang Dynasty officials generally have three categories, one is the class, through the imperial examination, this kind of roots are red, often can be high-ranking officials, followed by the door shade, the door shade is a system, easy to produce the second generation of officials, but the system is very strict, what position, how many places have strict standards, the army is staring at it! No one dares to fake.

The second is to enter the official with officials, that is, the officials below the ninth grade are promoted, and enter the officialdom, mainly concentrated in the county government, this way of entering the official is the most difficult of the three officials, not only need the background, but also need capital, Wang Jiaju was originally a rich child, a relative in the capital Yang Guozhong Mansion to do things.

In order to become an official, the Wang family got the title of the master book through the relationship of this relative, and then worked hard in the officialdom step by step, for this reason, their family has almost exhausted the family wealth, and he has done the county order step by step, since he has the power in his hands, he must get back all the lost family wealth.

In just a few years, Wang Jiaju has made tens of thousands of dollars through taxes and fees under various names, but it is only to recover the cost of his consumption, not to mention making money.

Now Zhou Bingyi wants him to stop, and not only stops, but also let him take full responsibility, Wang Jiaju only feels haggard, and when he gets home, he locks himself in the study.

"Master, what's wrong with you?"

Wang Jiaju's wife found that her husband's face was pale, and thought that she was tired from busy official business, so she hurriedly poured him a cup of ginseng tea and put it on the table.

"Master, either you go to sleep!"

"Madam, I'm afraid my life won't be saved." Wang Jiaju slowly closed his eyes, as if he saw that he was escorted to the execution ground and beheaded.

"Master, what are you talking about?"

Mrs. County Ling panicked, thinking that her husband was talking nonsense, "I'll go see a doctor!" ”

"Madame!"

Wang Jiaju stopped her, "Don't go to the doctor, I'm fine." ”

Mrs. Zhang, the county commander's surname, is Wang Jiaju's cousin, and she is also a woman from a large family, and she can calm down at night when she encounters something.

"Tell me, sir, what happened? Let you lose your soul like this. ”

"It's the taxes and fees in the past few years, Li Qingan is here today, although he has left, it is likely that there will be a royal history to investigate the case." Speaking of Yushi to investigate the case, Wang Jiaju had a convulsion all over his body.

"But...... This is not your business alone, Sizhou has a share from top to bottom, didn't you say that Zhou Bingyi is more greedy than you? ”

"But the problem now is that Zhou Bingyi said that I was the mastermind of all this, he just neglected, and all the responsibility is on me, and it has nothing to do with him."

Speaking of this, Wang Jiaju was a little angry, he remembered clearly, on the third day of the first lunar month three years ago, it was this Zhou Bingyi who called himself to his house, coerced and lured, forced himself to comply, and according to the implementation of the plan he proposed, now he doesn't admit it.

"Master, you have to think of a way! Otherwise, go find someone, find your backstage. ”

"Backstage!" Wang Jiaju sneered, "My backstage is Yang Guozhong, where can I find him now." ”

After a pause, he said again: "Besides, this time it was Li Qingan who went down to Jiangnan in person, even if I have a backstage, but who dares to help me at this time, isn't it looking for death?" ”

Women are often more ruthless than men at critical times, Mrs. Zhang suddenly stood up and said resolutely: "Master, or you will strike first and report Zhou Bingyi first!" ”

"But I don't have any evidence."

"Master, I remember that you didn't have the tax increase order signed by Zhou Bingyi himself? This is the best proof of this. ”

Wang Jiaju's eyes lit up, he also remembered, and hurriedly stood up, "Let me find it first, where did I put it?" ”

Wang Jiaju rummaged through the cabinets and found it, and he finally found the tax increase order in the corner of a box that was already a little yellow, and he carefully spread the decree on the table, this is the original, Zhou Bingyi's signature on it is still very clear, and his seal.

"Now, I see how he shirks his responsibility!" Wang Jiaju gritted his teeth for a while.

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The waterway from Linhuai County to Yangzhou is not a straight line, but it is necessary to walk more than 300 miles eastward along the Huai River to reach Shanyang County in Chuzhou, which is the area of today's Huai'an, and then turn into the Cao River from there, all the way south.

Along the way, Mingzhu was in high spirits, just like a swallow out of the cage, laughter always echoed on the boat, even Li Qing'an's personal soldiers were infected by her cheerfulness, and everyone's mood became relaxed.

In the afternoon of that day, Li Qing'an's fleet arrived in Gaoyou County, and Li Qing'an sat in the cabin studying the map, and in the past two days, he had less and less time on deck, and more and more information was sent from all over the country, and the atmosphere seemed to have become a little tense.

Even Mingzhu sensed the tension, she stopped laughing, walked much lighter, and more often read a book in her cabin.

Mingzhu's cabin is located on the third floor of the ship, spacious and bright, Mingzhu has kept it spotlessly clean, and her Aimei Tian's surname has made her specially hang a few paintings on the bulkhead of the ship.

The boat had already passed Gaoyou County, but it did not stop but continued to move forward, but the speed slowed down slowly, Mingzhu was comfortably half-lying in the cabin reading at this time, but she seemed a little absent-minded, her ears were pricked up, she could clearly hear the footsteps of Li Qing'an pacing back and forth in the cabin next door, Li Qing'an seemed to be thinking about something.

Several times Mingzhu wanted to go over to sort out the paperwork for Li Qing'an, but Li Qing'an politely rejected her, saying that she wanted to think about things quietly alone, which made Mingzhu feel a little disappointed, but in addition to being disappointed, she felt a little proud, indicating that Li Qing'an cared about her, so she couldn't calm down in the cabin, she comforted herself like this, and she always likes to think about things on the good side.

She was awakened from a dreamy state by the sound of horses' hooves, and she had lived in Anthy for a while, and had come to know a little about horses, and she could tell that it was not the hooves of dozens of horses, but the hooves of thousands of horses.

It was extremely rare for such a dense herd of horses to appear in the Jiangnan region, Mingzhu immediately stood up, looked at the shore through the cabin window, and she saw that more than a thousand cavalry were speeding towards the southeast, and their ships were slowly approaching the shore.

Mingzhu was a little stunned, she froze for a moment, turned around and ran next door.

Li Qing'an also stood in front of the window and stared at the arrival of the cavalry in the distance, the arrival of the cavalry was in his plan, Li Qing'an immediately simply packed up a few papers, at this time, the door opened, and Mingzhu walked in from outside.

"Big brother, why is the ship docking?"

When she saw Li Qing'an packing up the paperwork, she couldn't help but be stunned, and only after a while did she ask suspiciously, "Big brother, where are you going?" ”

"Mingzhu, I forgot to tell you, I'm going to leave for a while, and then I'll go to Yangzhou."

"You're gone, so... So what do I do? ”

Li Qingan stepped forward with a smile and patted her pretty face gently, "You continue to take the boat to Yangzhou, and some of my personal soldiers will follow, and the local officials will treat you like a princess, and you will wait for me in Yangzhou." ”

"I don't, I'm going to follow you, I'm going to ride a horse too!"

"You can't go, no non-military is allowed to enter the place where I go, this is a first-class military discipline, even I can't violate it, and besides, aren't you going to Dayun Temple to make a vow? Then by the way, I asked for a sign. ”

Mingzhu is not a brutal girl, although she is extremely reluctant, but she also knows that she must not be able to follow, Li Qingan is not the same, she is still a little unwilling in her heart, she always wants to get something back for herself, she can't let Li Qingan go in vain.

She thought for a while, and suddenly pursed her lips and smiled, "Then you promise me one condition, I won't go with you." ”

Li Qingan also liked her little surname and liked her cuteness, so he smiled and said, "Say it!" Let me go up to the sky to pick the stars, or go down to the sea to catch the moon? ”

"Not at all! People want to wait for you to come back and go to Dayun Temple to make a vow. ”

Originally, going to Dayun Temple to repay her vows was just an excuse she made up, but now she really wants to go, she looked at Li Qingan with anticipation on her face, hoping that he would happily agree to her request.

Li Qingan happily agreed, "Okay! I'll be with you when I come back. ”

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(To be continued)