I wish you all a happy new year, a healthy new year, all the best, and happiness!

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Chu Huan sighed: "Whether Yu Unyielding's death has anything to do with Zhu Lingyue or not, it can only be an unsolved case, with Zhu Lingyue's person, doing such a thing will naturally not leave the slightest trace." After a pause, he sneered: "Maybe the doctor who treated Yu Buqu's body has died and has no place to be buried." ”

Pei Ji asked, "Second brother, do you understand what I said?" ”

Chu Huan bowed his head slightly, and said, "Big brother is saying that Zhu Lingyue is deeply rooted in the northwest, and my situation is not optimistic. ”

"I want to tell you that your biggest enemy is not those bandits, the real enemy is Zhu Lingyue." Pei Ji said slowly: "Zhu Lingyue is ambitious, and his ambitions are not small, of course he is not allowed to have forces opposing him in the northwest. ”

Chu Huan sighed: "But since I stepped into the northwest, it seems that everything is against him, and his henchman loves Dongfang Xin, I'm afraid his heart wants to put me to death and hurry up." ”

"Your emperor sent you to Xiguan, of course, not on a temporary basis." Pei Jihan said with a smile: "The envoy to Xiliang has made the second brother famous, killing General Mu in Taiyuan and smashing the conspiracy of Tianmen Dao in Taiyuan also proves the talent of the second brother, the second brother is unyielding, which may be what the emperor appreciates the most." At first glance, it seems that there are not many candidates to come to Xiguan to take up their posts, but if you think about it, I am afraid that there are not many people. ”

Chu Huan smiled: "The little brother is not unyielding, but his knees are a little stiffer." ”

"Officials who are upright and courageous are already rare." Pei Ji sighed lightly: "After mixing in the officialdom for a long time, he has a bureaucratic habit, but the second brother has not been in the officialdom for a long time, and he has not been dyed by the big dye vat." Second brother, if they come to Xiguan as other officials, do you think they have the courage to go toe-to-toe with the Zhu Party? Either they were forced by the prestige of the Zhu Party and became their people, or they were bought by them and obeyed their orders...... The emperor sent you here just because the emperor could see that the second brother was arrogant and would never succumb to Zhu Lingyue's forces. ”

Chu Huan said thoughtfully: "Big brother is saying that the Holy Lord sent me here after careful consideration, and his purpose was to make me and Zhu Lingyue opposed?" ”

"That's exactly what it means." Pei Jidao: "I just said that the northwest is a mountain, and there is only Zhu Lingyue on the mountain, a tiger, which poses a great threat to the imperial court, and the imperial court can't take action to deal with Zhu Lingyue now, but it can't let Zhu Lingyue sit big in the northwest, if Zhu Lingyue really completely controls the three northwest roads, the consequences will be unimaginable." ”

Chu Huan picked up the wine cup, toasted Pei Ji, and said, "The imperial court is afraid that Zhu Lingyue will sit big, so it sent me to disrupt the situation?" ”

"It's a clever word for spoiler." Pei Ji said with a smile: "In my opinion, the relationship between the second brother and the seven surnames of Xiguan may not be unknown to the emperor...... Perhaps the emperor has long known that the second brother has crossed paths with the seven surnames of Xiguan, which is one of the reasons why the emperor sent you here. ”

"The divine clothes and guards are pervasive, I really don't know what else in this world the emperor doesn't know."

"Use Xiguan to restrain Zhu Lingyue, of course the governor of Xiguan can't be from the northwest, the northwest is Zhu Lingyue's sphere of influence, if a local official in the northwest serves as the governor, it is easy to be co-opted by the Zhu party." Pei Ji said softly: "But when foreign officials come to Xiguan to serve, they are not familiar with the place, and it is easier for them to be played by Zhu Dang in the palm of their hands, but the second brother has the support of local gentry like Xiguan Qi, so he has a natural connection, which is equivalent to having a foundation, compared with other officials, he has already occupied a favorable geographical position." ”

"Although there is the support of the seven surnames of Xiguan, it is still a world of difference compared to Zhu Lingyue's power." Chu Huan frowned and said: "Not to mention that Xiguan is now poor and white, the military and political power of Xiguan, the younger brother can't hold it in his hand now, there are Dongfang Xin in military affairs, and Dong Shizhen in government affairs, these two people are embarrassed, and with these two people in the constraints, everything will be very troublesome in the future." ”

"The emperor really wants you to come to Xiguan to stir up trouble." Pei Ji said: "With Zhu Lingyue's current strength, it is not enough to argue with the imperial court, unless the imperial court is too urgent, otherwise Zhu Lingyue will not dare to act rashly before he controls the three northwest roads." The emperor used the second brother to stir up trouble in Xiguan first, as long as Xiguan could not be controlled by Zhu Lingyue, Zhu Lingyue would not dare to act rashly, although he would do something in secret, but on the bright side, he did not dare to directly meddle in the affairs of Xiguan, and could only use Dongfang Xin and Dong Shizhen to make it difficult with the second brother...... Perhaps the emperor was very confident in the second brother, and felt that the second brother was enough to fight with Dongfang Xin and Dong Shizhen, and with the second brother in Xiguan, the Zhu Party would not be able to control Xiguan, so Zhu Lingyue's goal of trying to control the northwest would be difficult to achieve. ”

Chu Huan just listened carefully, and Pei Ji continued: "As long as the second brother holds up in Xiguan and has a little foundation, he can not only prevent the Zhu Party from controlling Xiguan, but also give the Zhu Party another blow." ”

"Another layer of blows?"

"Second brother, don't forget, there are three roads in the northwest, in addition to Xiguan and Tianshan, there are also Beishan." Pei Ji said slowly: "Xiao Huanzhang, the governor of Beishan, is not a fuel-efficient lamp. Before the second brother came to the northwest, Zhu Lingyue was powerful, Xiao Huanzhang did not dare to oppose Zhu Lingyue, knowing that Zhu Lingyue had inserted many henchmen into the North Mountain Road, but he did not dare to stop it...... You said that this Xiao Huanzhang was willing to be at the mercy of Zhu Lingyue? ”

"Xiao Huanzhang, I've met him once, and it's really not an ordinary person." Chu Huan said.

"In my opinion, when the second brother came to the northwest, Xiao Huanzhang was only very happy." Pei Ji said: "Previously, Zhu Lingyue took Xiao Huanzhang as his opponent, pressing step by step, and the forces infiltrated Beishan, thinking that Xiao Huanzhang was also miserable, but with his power, it was not enough to confront Zhu Lingyue, so he could only be slaughtered, but when the second brother came to the northwest, Zhu Lingyue's eyes moved from Xiao Huanzhang to the second brother, Xiao Huanzhang was able to breathe a sigh of relief, do you say Xiao Huanzhang can be happy?" ”

"Xiao Huanzhang can endure it, such a person is already very terrifying." Chu Huan said.

Pei Ji drank with a glass and put down the wine glass, "Now Xiao Huanzhang can sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, if the second brother has a firm foothold in Xiguan, then Xiao Huanzhang will definitely get close to the second brother, Beishan and Xitong will work together to balance Zhu Lingyue, in this way, there will be a stalemate in the northwest, in fact, this is what Xiao Huanzhang wants to see, and it is what the emperor wants to see the most." ”

"The imperial court is now unable to free up its hands to deal with Zhu Lingyue, if there is a stalemate in the three northwestern provinces, Zhu Lingyue will not be able to grow quickly, and it will buy time for the imperial court." Chu Huan is also a smart person, and he wants to understand his secret, "As long as the imperial court can exterminate the Heavenly Gate Dao, then if it turns its hand, it will immediately clean up Zhu Lingyue." ”

"Not bad." Pei Ji nodded and said: "This is the emperor's plan, using the second brother to stabilize in Xiguan, Beishan Xiao Huanzhang approaching, and the two Dao joining forces to balance Zhu Lingyue, which is the best result for the emperor." ”

"And what's the worst outcome?"

"The second brother can't gain a foothold in Xiguan, the Zhu Party controls Xiguan, Xiao Huanzhang sees that the second brother is powerless to fight, so he can only bow to Zhu Lingyue, Zhu Lingyue grows quickly and sits in the northwest." Pei Ji said slowly: "This is the result that Zhu Lingyue wants to see the most, and it is also the result that the emperor is most unwilling to see. ”

After Pei Ji's words, Chu Huan finally understood the importance of himself in the northwest, the emperor sent himself to the northwest, which was actually a big gamble, and the success or failure all depended on Chu Huan's ability.

Chu Huan smiled bitterly and said, "The eldest brother's words made the younger brother suddenly ......!" ”

"So if you want to stop Zhu Lingyue from controlling the northwest, the second brother is the most important link, and he must be able to stabilize Xiguan." Pei Ji's expression grimened, "The second brother is not without a chance, at least on the surface, Zhu Lingyue does not dare to directly intervene in the affairs of Xiguan, although he is ambitious, but the wolf's ambition does not dare to put it on the table, but there is no doubt that he is also making a big gamble, he knows better than anyone else, if he can't control the northwest before the court calms down Tianmendao, then the court will inevitably turn back and clean him up, so for him, it must be hoped that Tianmendao will support as long as possible, and at the same time, he will do his best, Do everything you can to force the second brother out of the northwest. ”

Chu Huan pondered for a moment, and finally asked, "Big brother, what should I do if I want to gain a foothold in Xiguan?" ”

"Your biggest enemy in the northwest is Zhu Lingyue, but the most urgent thing to solve at the moment is Dongfang Xin and Dong Shizhen." Pei Ji said slowly: "These two people exist, no matter what the second brother does, he will have a hard time...... In addition, the second brother must use all the forces that can be used in Xiguan to quickly develop his own power, and in troubled times, everything depends on fists. ”

"Fist?"

"To put it bluntly, it's silver and knives." Pei Ji Zhengse said: "The second brother is talented and intelligent, and he came up with the method of making salt from cold stones, as long as he manages it well, he can solve the problem of silver, this is the lifeblood of the second brother, and he must do his best to maintain it, the second brother said today that he wants to build a new salt bureau, that is a clever strategy, the new salt must be in the hands of the second brother, and Zhu must not be allowed to ...... it!" ”

"And what ...... knives?"

"Army." Pei Ji said slowly: "In the final analysis, the purpose of the silver is for the knife, with the knife, you can protect yourself and kill the enemy, the second brother now only has two hundred guards, although they are all elite soldiers who are brave and good at fighting, but it is far from enough, you must have an elite division, completely obey your orders, in this way, you have the ability to stabilize Xiguan and go toe-for-tat with Zhu Lingyue." ”

Chu Huan immediately understood, "Big brother is saying that he wants to build an army?" ”

"You are the Governor of Xiguan, and the Governor's Praetorian Guard is indispensable." Pei Ji said: "The previous Xiguan Governor's Praetorian Guard has long ceased to exist, the soldiers of the Praetorian Guard are either killed in battle, or flee, and the rest have already been organized into other legions. ”