Wang Gonggong looks in good spirits, and his ruddy face hides a lot of old age spots, which shows that the food has been quite good recently, coupled with the big red python robe that represents his identity, he faintly has an empty demeanor.

"My father-in-law has been looking much better lately." Xu Liang glanced at the prince and said with a chuckle: "People say that the water and soil in the northwest do not support people, but it depends on who is right." If it's a prince, it's very different. ”

Master Xu laughed. Wang Gonggong stroked his smooth chin with one hand, and missed the delicacies in the past few days for a while, and said, "Our family came here today to discuss with Lord Xu when to send troops. The emperor's order is difficult to disobey, if we don't send troops again, I'm afraid the saint will be blamed. ”

Xu Liang listened, looked at the prince with concern, and said, "Father-in-law has come from afar, the carriage and horses are tired, do you want to rest for a few more days and recuperate?" ”

"The Emperor's Destiny Matters!" The prince arched his hand to the north, respectfully and abnormally, and said: "Our family has been out of Beijing for some days, and the thieves will be exterminated as soon as possible, and the leader of the bandits will be captured, and our family will return to Beijing as soon as possible to restore their lives." ”

Seeing this, Xu Liang looked admiring, and said with emotion: "My father-in-law is loyal and patriotic, and he always thinks about sharing worries for the emperor, which is really a model for my generation." ”

"I wonder when Lord Xu will send troops?"

Xu Liang groaned and said very seriously: "Please rest assured, the official will dispatch the generals today, and as soon as the preparations are ready, the official will go to ask the father-in-law to order troops at the school." ”

The prince got Xu Liang's pertinent promise and left satisfied.

On this day, both Xu Liang and Wang Gonggong deliberately avoided the mentions commanded by Anton's Zhongwei Ye in that banquet, as if this unpleasant banquet had never happened.

For several days in a row, the atmosphere of war readiness in Pingliang City suddenly became tense. Groups of heavily armed Liang soldiers marched through the city, and wagons loaded with grain and grass traveled between the barracks and the city gates. The door of the Pingliang armory was opened, and all the weapons and equipment inside were transferred to the Pingliang guerrilla barracks. From time to time, the neatly dressed generals of the Liang army entered the mansion for a meeting, but they left in a hurry.

From the officials of the DPRK and China, to the ordinary people, the peddlers and pawns, they all knew that the Liang army was about to prepare for the expedition.

The prince of Dongchang stood by the window, looking at the busy scene of preparing for war in the city, nodded slightly, and secretly said that although Xu Liang was a little more tempered, the shelf was a little higher. But he is still loyal to the court, and there are vague people in the court who frame Xu Liang for supporting the army and respecting himself, and what he does is not the way of the courtiers, which is really false.

The tense atmosphere lasted for four or five days, and by the sixth day there were fewer wagons carrying grain. The streets and alleys of Pingliang City are gradually returning to their usual scene.

Looks like you're ready! Wang Gonggong secretly thought to himself, ordered his Dongchang Fanzi to pack his luggage early, and was ready to leave at any time, just waiting for Xu Liang to come to the door to ask Wang Gonggong Yang to order soldiers.

Day 6. Xu Liang didn't come.

On the seventh day, Xu Liang did not come.

On the eighth day, Xu Liang still didn't come.

On the ninth day, the prince could not sit still. Anxiously rushed to Xu's mansion to ask about the situation.

In the meeting hall of the Xu Mansion, Xu Liang looked helpless and spread his hands. With a bitter face, he said: "Things are done like this, the official doesn't have the face to see your father-in-law......"

The prince was taken aback. Anxiously asked, "What?" Can't the army go out yet? ”

Xu Liang sighed deeply and said, "Even if my father-in-law doesn't come to the house today." The official also wants to explain the situation to your father-in-law. Something went wrong when preparing for war. ”

"What's the problem?"

"There is nothing wrong with bows, arrows, clothing, food, grass and horses, but the artillery battalion does not have enough gunpowder. Last month, the official applied to the court for a batch, but it has not yet arrived. Xu Liang stroked his forehead and said embarrassedly: "My father-in-law has been to Jingning City, and he should know that Jingning City is the last reliance of the thieves, and the defense must be tight, without the support of artillery, when the Liang army infantry goes to the wall with both hands, it will not be able to defeat it for ten days and half a month." ”

The prince was so anxious that he stomped his feet, slapped the outside of his thighs fiercely, and exclaimed in annoyance: "Just for the sake of gunpowder? Why didn't Lord Xu bring it up earlier! What we received was the emperor's order, and what we did was the emperor's errand. Which one who has eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard dares not to cooperate? If there is a shortage of gunpowder, you can ask the governor's palace for a batch. ”

Xu Liang said: "I asked for it, but I didn't want it." ”

"Why is that?" The prince glared and shouted.

Xu Liang was silent for a long time, hesitated for a while, looked at the prince, and finally said bitterly as if he had made up his mind: "The father-in-law doesn't know anything, and the official and his subordinate Liang Jun also look at the scenery, and in the eyes of the court, no one can afford us at all." The Governor wanted to transfer some gunpowder from the border pass to meet the emergency, but the generals at the border pass did not agree. The border generals took the important task of guarding the border, and the governor had nothing to do. ”

"Then urge the Soldiers to deliver it quickly!" The prince is fair.

"Father-in-law...... Pingliang is thousands of miles away from the capital, and the delivery from the capital comes and goes, and this month has to be consumed. Xu Liang kindly reminded.

"That'...... How can this be done? "The prince didn't have an idea for a while.

Xu Liang paid attention to the expression of the prince, and saw that his hands were folded in the wide cuffs, and his urgent expression did not seem to be fake, so he said suspiciously: "It is obviously unrealistic to transfer from the capital. However, there is a shortage of gunpowder in Pingliang, and there should still be some gunpowder in the several treasury next to it, if your father-in-law has a way to ask them for a little bit, it is enough to fight dozens or hundreds of cannons, and our battle will basically be completed. ”

Well? When Wang Gonggong heard this, his expression moved, and he suddenly realized, and met Xu Liang's eyes that seemed to be smiling and meaningful, only to know that Xu Liang had actually thought of a solution a long time ago, but he didn't want to come forward, offended his colleagues, and waited for Wang Gonggong to come out.

The prince got up suddenly, with a fierce expression, "Okay, let's go to the various mansions to have a look, and try to transfer some to the adults." Please also ask Lord Xu to prepare the whole army, and as soon as the gunpowder arrives, he will send troops immediately! ”

"It's nature! I am waiting for your good news. Xu Liang smiled and nodded.

After the prince led a few Dongchang fans away, Sima Qiudao, the owner of the artillery battalion, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stood beside Xu Liang, looked at the direction of the gate of Xu's mansion, and asked jokingly: "My lord, will it be too much for us to occupy the gunpowder of the surrounding prefectures and counties like this?" ”

Xu Liang snorted and said disdainfully: "How can it be regarded as our occupation, this is obviously the meaning of Dongchang Wang Tiqian's father-in-law, let's steal it, and don't rob it, the thing is what the prince came forward to ask for, what does it have to do with our Liang army?" ”

"What your lord says is very true." Sima Qiudao admired Xu Liang's robber Luo Ji so much that he threw himself to the ground. "There are adults to support us, who are we afraid of in this Pingliang City?"

Xu Liang chuckled for a while, secretly saying that the prestige of the East Factory, coupled with the emperor's will, the prince came forward to ask for gunpowder, who would dare not give face? Within a few days, the artillery battalion would have gunpowder in place.

"Have the nitrate mines that the officer asked the artillery battalion to find have any eyebrows recently?" Xu Liang then asked. At the beginning of October, Sun Yuanhua came to Pingliang, although he failed to bring the gunpowder of the Gunpowder Division to the Liang army, but Xu Liang took another ancient nitrate refining method from him, and ordered the artillery battalion to take the appearance drawn by Sun Yuanhua and go in all directions, looking for saltpeter generated in a specific environment.

Sima Qiudao secretly said ashamed, and respectfully bowed his hand: "Some eyebrows have been found in the mountains around Yansui, but they have not yet been determined. ”

"This matter should be hidden, and not made known to everyone." Xu Liang commanded.

"Yes, the Admiral understands." Sima Qiudao nodded and said.

To say that the face of the prince of Dongchang is good, only three days later, he found a few packets of gunpowder from the treasury of Qingyang Mansion, and the Qingyang prefect sent people to the Liang army camp.

Two days later, Gongchang Mansion also sent some.

At this point, the gunpowder has basically reached the minimum quantity required by Xu Liang.

The prince personally rushed to Xu Liang's mansion to ask when the troops would be dispatched, and he wanted to go to the infantry barracks to have a look.

Xu Liang was also very surprised by Wang Tiqian's perseverance, and also saw that the prince did not trust him enough, so he took the prince to the Pingliang guerrilla camp.

The guerrilla barracks were in order, and there were no signs of imminent battle. The prince's face became gloomy.

A group of several people walked to the center of the barracks school, only to see that on the improvised simple stage, a team of dancers were dancing, dancing beautifully, but the clothes were very decent, obviously Xu Liang's admonition to Lou Xian'er played a role.

The cheerful music was mixed with the cheers of hundreds of people in the audience from time to time.

The prince's eyes widened, how could this kind of singing and dancing look like preparing for the war? Wang Gonggong couldn't help but be shocked and angry, and screamed: "How dare you set up a stage to sing in your army?!" (To be continued......)