At the foot of the Jinniu Ridge in Changjiang, Qiongzhou, a town with rough houses has been erected in the original barren grass and fertile fields, which looks not much different from any pioneer new city, but the circle of wooden fences on the periphery of this town, and a number of soldiers parading back and forth, show the difference of this town.

Outside a house in the town, a man in a gray and blue jacket, a half-brimmed round hat, and long riding boots, who looked like an Anglo-Chinese internal security officer, was speaking in a Beijing accent to a woman leaning against the door and bowing her head.

"What's the knot, it's gone early, bow your head to the king of heaven, say soft words, and I, Gui Zhen, can still help deliver it. It's not a good thing for the delicate big girl to be bored in this labor camp all the time......"

Ru Xi has nothing to say, everything is fate. There is not a woman in this labor camp, the king of heaven has strict rules, Lord Gui is loyal to his duties, Ru Xi is not good, but he has not encountered any bad things, this is ...... That's enough. ”

The woman was none other than Maltai Ruxi, who lowered her eyebrows and politely rejected Gui Zhen's "kindness", and Gui Zhen shook her head regretfully and left.

"The leader took care of this mother-in-law in every way, but she still didn't eat oil and salt, it was too uninteresting! Why don't you let the little ones wrap up directly at night and send them to the tube collar bed? ”

The entourage greeted them, and when they saw Gui Zhen frowning, someone flattered him.

"Confused!"

Gui Zhen kicked the man on his back.

"Don't be a vain word in front of me! The relationship between this Ru Xi and the king of heaven is not ordinary, when she was thrown to Changjiang, the escort person specifically said that the king of heaven wanted to teach her a lesson! What does this mean!? She is the forbidden belly of the king! ”

The first half of Gui Zhen's words are firm conjectures, and the second half is a leisurely yearning.

"She must have rejected the kindness of the king, and was sent here by the king, if she can be persuaded to change her mind, the king will be happy, how can my inspection period be reduced by half."

The entourage is also all banner people, and when they hear the word "inspection period", they are all overjoyed, they are all Gui Zhen's subordinates, Gui Zhen got out of this wild place earlier, and they can also return to the prosperous world together.

Changjiang County, Qiongzhou, where the place named "Shilu City" is actually full of iron mines, and Li Shi pulled tens of thousands of prisoners obtained from previous wars and tens of thousands of Guangzhou bannermen to build ports and roads, and open mines and build cities. Within half a year, a town had risen from the ground, and at the same time, a steady stream of ore was transported along the repaired cement road to the western seaport.

Li Xi did not treat the captives as coolies completely, although they were simpler, everyone still had food, drink, clothing and shelter, and did not abuse them much, and even the laborers had five dollars of silver per month. Fifty or sixty thousand men and women, only two or three hundred internal guards are in charge, and more people like Gui Zhen who have been pulled out of captives take care of themselves.

If it were an ordinary prison, it would be chaotic, but the people here have signed a contract, and they are considered to be workers of Nanyang Company. Three years for the Han people and five years for the banner people can restore their freedom. After the expiration of the period, he is willing to stay in Qiongzhou, and he still has to reclaim the land, buy money and work in a fixed mine. If you don't want to, you can also get money to return to your hometown. For this future, the captives did not want to make trouble, men built roads and mines, women washed and cooked, and this new city was finally busy and orderly.

Not everyone is disagreeable, compared with the Han people, the treatment of the banner people is inferior, and their hearts are sad, and many people have other thoughts. But this is Qiongzhou, and there is nowhere to go except for the county seat of Changjiang and the newly built Iron and Stone Port. In addition, it is Gui Zhen who is directly in charge of them, and these "flag annihilators" who were pulled out of the captives, they will have a two-year inspection period, and they will be of great use after the expiration of the period.

Martai-Ruxi has also gone through this mental journey, and now his heart is dead. Gui Zhen's misunderstanding of her, she knows it very well, and she feels that every word is like a slap in the face. She had a heart for that Li Shi, but that Li Shi never took her seriously, and she was thrown to Qiongzhou, Ru Xi felt that most of the time Li Shi didn't seriously think about how to deal with her at all, and as a result, she was taken to this Qiongzhou remote area by her subordinates on official business, and compared with the disposal regulations of the Guangzhou bannermen.

A strong sense of frustration has been pressing on her heart, just thinking that she will go on like this, Gui Zhen comes to "persuade" from time to time, more like an invisible soft whip, pumping on her heart, increasing self-pity.

"I heard that the fourteenth elder brother worshiped the general, and most of the long-lived lords liked him."

"The fourteenth elder brother led the army to the northwest, and there is no hope in the south, let's ...... Alas. ”

Ru Xi was about to go back to the house, and a group of banner men who had just gotten off the mine were talking and leaving, and Ru Xi's heart suddenly tightened.

Fourteen Elder Brother!? Northwest!?

How can the fourteenth elder brother have the experience, so calm, and so indomitable spirit of a man!? How could he be chosen as a general!?

Li Xian's wolf ambition and plot are very big, and he will never be confined to the two vast places, why ignore him, but send troops to the northwest!?

Hooray...... Why are you so stupid!?

The tide of shouts churned in the bottom of his heart, and Ru Xi's dilated pupils gradually gathered essence.

Fourth elder brother, I'm afraid that I will sink to the bottom of the sea, how can I be so loose and admit failure? No, I'm Malte-Ruxi, I want to cheer up.

Ru Xi gritted her teeth, thinking of Gui Zhen's misunderstanding before, she chuckled, this is not a starting point...... At Qingpu Wharf in Guangzhou, a long line of river boats is waiting for the dock pilot to guide them into the port. On a large passenger ship in the middle of the queue, a figure in a pale yellow shirt yawned lazily, and a picture of a begonia had just woken up from spring sleep, which attracted the passers-by on the opposite passenger ship to look sideways, as if they were demented. The little maid hurriedly covered the window of the boat, and the wail on the other side suddenly began.

"Miss, you don't want the second master to send a boat, you want to crowd on the big boat, even if the second master sends a guard, but it's so noisy, what if something happens!? What the hell are you thinking, Miss? ”

The little maid complained non-stop.

"I know very well what my uncle is thinking, maybe the ship will carry me directly into the Heavenly King's Mansion. I heard my uncle say that there are many changes in Guangdong, and I just happened to look around. ”

Duan Yuyou used the scroll as a fan and gently flicked it, it was already May, Guangdong was hot, and there was still wind on the boat, but now he stopped, and suddenly felt that the heat was unbearable.

"Why did you stop for so long!? Didn't you say that Qingpu is a big pier? ”

Duan Yuyou complained.

"The ship is on the march, and the brigade of soldiers is heading north, so they occupy the dock."

The six cars looked lively and energetic.

A narrow fast boat sailed past the two passenger ships, rushing north, on the passenger boat outside, the men who were cut off from sight reluctantly turned their heads, but the eyes of the two middle-aged people were tightly glued to the hull of the sliding boat.

"As soon as I entered Guangdong, the scenery was really different, under the rule of Li Shi, the control was strict, but all industries were prosperous, and I didn't see the devastation all over the ground."

Among the two, the merchant dressed as an older man had a wide knuckle in his hand holding a fan, and his eyes were even more intense.

"Master Li said, this Li Shi is especially heavy on industry and commerce, and the leather surface looks bright, but I don't know how much fishy it is inside."

The other person was dressed up, and his tone was quite resentful, I don't know what Li Wei said, which made him particularly disgusted with Guangdong.

"This is national politics, we don't have to investigate carefully, in short, the lives of the two of us, together with the brothers around us, are all protected by Lord Li, and Lord Li's entrustment must be done with heart."

"That's natural, since you boast of Haikou, you must do it!"

When the two whispered, the warship had passed, and the passenger ship docked at the port, but when they disembarked, they were stopped by soldiers wearing gray and black jackets, cool hats, and vests with the word "patrol" on their upper bodies.

"Where's your pigtail license?"

The soldier pointed arrogantly, the two looked at each other, suppressed their anger, and took out the "braid license" that they had done when they passed through the Taiping Pass for the soldier to check.

"You'd better tie your braids, or you'll be offended along the way."

Seeing that the two were Hunan businessmen, the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and kindly admonished.

After passing the checkpoint, the man pretending to be a businessman snorted coldly, "Just this matter, then Li Xi should be killed!" ”

The companion was speechless, and seemed to have another voice.

Late at night, two pitch-black figures were hidden in the shadows, touching towards the Tianwang Mansion surveyed by Bai Yue, flying eaves and walking walls, passing through the streets and alleys, like ghosts, and soon approached Huiai Street.

"Damn! It's all too late, why is it still so lively! ”

Then the two found that even in the middle of the night, this Huiai Street was still brightly lit and cars came and went. If the alley before, high and high, it has no effect, but this street is seven or eight zhang wide, even if the kung fu is high, or there are climbing claws, it is difficult to hide the traces.

Looking at the governor's yamen in front of them, that is, the Heavenly King's Mansion, the two of them felt even more miscalculated. The high poles standing in front of the Tianwang Mansion and on the left and right, Bai Yue didn't see the purpose, and at night he realized that it was a lamppost with a large horse lantern. I don't know what it burned, the horse's lights were blazing, reflecting the surroundings of the Heavenly King's Mansion as if it was daytime, and I wanted to rely on ordinary means to break into the Heavenly King's Mansion at night, I was afraid that it was wishful thinking.

"Phew! The thief in the house, what a daring! Hurry up and get caught, and I'll give you three points of forgiveness! ”

The two of them were pondering on the roof, and suddenly there was a shout below, only to realize that they had revealed their traces, turned around to retreat, the roof tiles sounded, and the patrol had come from several sides.

"Let's go!"

The two didn't pay attention to the patrol, and they were only disappointed that this trip was in vain. Seeing the fluttering figure, he got out of the interception of the patrol and retreated, but he didn't want those patrolmen to lift up thick iron pipes, like a fireflower, and shoot out a large cloud of things, and the smoke and dust billowed and covered the two of them in it.

"Ahem! Lime! Vile! ”

"And paprika......"

The two of them cursed angrily, and their figures staggered, but they still had the strength to keep up with the patrol who pounced on them.

"People from the rivers and lakes, highly skilled, peeping into the Heavenly King's Mansion at night!?"

Before dawn, Yu Hanyi came to the Praetorian Guard Office to listen to the urgent report of Chen Ju, the canonical history of Guangzhou County.

"My brothers were just ordinary thieves, and they were careless, but they were still escaped by those two. Xiaguan is initiating the C-level plan, and it is still necessary to be ordered by the General Office to close the city and lock the customs. ”

Yu Hanyi frowned and groaned, the characters in the rivers and lakes ...... The old saying came to my heart, the earliest in Li Zhuang first had Li Wei, then Meng Kui, and Yan Sanniang in Jiguan Mountain. But if you have some skills, it is always difficult to prevent, and the other party also snoops on the Heavenly King's Mansion, and the plan is very big.

"You don't have to lock the city, you check according to your regulations, and let me know if you find anything, don't act rashly."

After Yu Hanyi ordered Chen Ju, he recruited his own subordinates.

"Check the people who have recently entered Guangdong from Hunan, and start with the people who have newly applied for braids licenses!"

In the capital city of Chenzhou, Hunan, several horse-drawn carriages with heavy ruts entered an iron mill, and after the car stopped, a dozen or so men came down, and saw that there were still a large pile of pig iron in the carriage, which was obviously the companionship of the iron merchant.

"When will I cut this braid......"

"We are black cats, hidden in the dark, this braid is to cover up, I don't want to be a black cat, I can cut it off."

"Cut, who doesn't want to be it, our black cat, it's not an ordinary soldier, sooner or later, let those scum of the Fourth Army see how powerful we are."

The ironshop was like a secret stronghold, and when the men entered the house, they talked in a low voice.

"Shut up! When a cat's paw falls to the ground, how can there be a sound? I don't think you're up to the mark! ”

One of them entered the house and whispered.

"This mission is to capture any of those three people, and we are only the ones who did it, and there are a large number of people behind us to support our actions. In the first battle of our black cat, we have to get a full house, three don't want to, at least two! ”

The man's words were resolute, and everyone nodded intently.

(To be continued)