Section X

Going to use troops against the North? Wu Ming was a little surprised. During the period when the prime minister presided over the military, he always took the restoration of the country as his own responsibility, but he did not expect the queen mother to be especially excessive. I thought that the change of regime would have to slow down this matter, but I didn't expect her to be so urgent. Wu Ming responded: "It is the duty of a soldier to share worries for the country. Niangniang really wants to return to her homeland in the north, and she is willing to be the pioneer. ”

Speaking of this, he was a little hesitant: "It's just that this year's harvest is lacking, and if you use troops again and again, the minister is worried that the treasury will be tight." ”

The soldiers and horses did not move, and the grain and grass went first. Seven years ago, the empire marched south, and the cause of its defeat was Li Tie's coup d'état, and Sima Shang cut off the retreat of the southern expeditionary army, so that the grain and grass could not continue, and it was defeated. Don't forget the past, the teacher of the future, Wu Ming always uses soldiers, and he is especially concerned about grain and grass. This year's treasury is not abundant, he didn't know it, but Tang Xuan said goodbye to the mansion and talked about it. Although Tang Xuan is a waiter, he is the head of the household department, and he is sent to Nanyang to take over, although he has the intention of replacing Zhu Yulong, if it is not for the purpose of raising grain and grass, this move is still too big of a fuss, and the cart is turned upside down.

The Queen Mother was originally a little dark, but when she heard Wu Ming say this, her smile immediately faded, and she said coldly: "Wu Hou knows a lot. ”

Naturally, these words were not compliments, but they were suspicious of Wu Ming's motives for spying on this matter. Wu Ming was annoyed, but it was not easy to confess Tang Xuan, so he had to keep silent. Fortunately, the Queen Mother did not pursue it, and still said coldly: "This matter does not worry about Wu Hou, the palace will issue a wartime tax system, the commercial tax will be changed from the original ten taxes to five taxes, and the field tax will be increased from thirty taxes to one out of ten." In this way, it should be possible to solve the urgent need. ”

Wu Ming was shocked and said: "Niangniang, no, taxes are the foundation of a country, how can you change them casually." Once this happens, the burden on the people will increase, and accidents will easily occur. ”

The Queen Mother listened to it and continued: "The rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of the husband." The front-line soldiers shed blood and died, and the people in the rear lived a stable life. If you don't let them work hard, can't you collect more taxes and let them do more? ”

Seeing that Wu Ming was still uneasy, she waved her hand impatiently and said, "Wu Hou don't say it, I know how to be measured." Didn't you say that this is just a wartime tax system, and when the war subsides, it will be restored to its original state. ”

She said so, Wu Ming was not good at blindly persuading, so he had to keep his mouth shut. The Queen Mother glanced at Wu Ming, and suddenly smiled: "New year, new atmosphere." Wu Hou begged me for so many things, and this palace also asked for one thing, and I ask you not to refuse. ”

Wu Ming was stunned, the Queen Mother has something to ask me? He continued: "Please also ask the mother to show me, as long as the minister can do it, he will do his best to complete it." ”

"It's not necessary to try your best, this thing is actually simple, as long as you open your mouth, it is nine out of ten." She stopped selling Guanzi, clapped her hands and said, "General Yang, since you are here, it is better for you to come and talk in person." ”

As she shouted, Yang Xiong turned in from outside the door. He first saluted the Queen Mother, and then Wu Ming hugged his fists and said: "Wu Hou is good, what Niangniang said is really related to the last general, and the thing is like this......"

※※※ After the defeat of the Zhu family, there are still three families, namely the Lang family, the Liu family, and the Chu family. Lu Zhengli, the secretary of the Criminal Department, used to be the prime minister, but this person has always had an iron-faced and ruthless reputation, when the prime minister was in the past, he always loved to raise the bar with him, and now that the queen mother is in power, it is impossible to embarrass him. Wu Ming explained to him his intentions, and after checking the warrant of the Queen Mother, although Lu Zhengli still had a straight face, his tone was greatly relaxed: "Since it is ordered by the mother, the officials should obey it." ”

He turned his head to a tall and thin servant and said, "Zhan Feng, you go and bring Zhu Xiaolong up." Then the servant answered, and went inside. Wu Ming sighed a little in his heart. A few days ago, the Queen Mother was afraid of the Criminal Department like a tiger, and even Zhu Yulong didn't dare to be locked up here, so she could only be detained in Zongren Temple, but only a few days later, the Criminal Department had obeyed her orders and left Zhu Xiaolong here, and the Queen Mother was also relieved. The world is unpredictable.

Although Zhu Xiaolong has a straight personality, he looks dignified, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is rich and jade. But when he walked out of the prison of the Criminal Department with a beard, Wu Ming almost didn't know him, this person with fluffy hair like a chicken nest and a dull face and blank eyes was really Zhu Xiaolong, the champion of science and martial arts?

He looked like he was demented, and he couldn't ride a horse at all, but fortunately, Lu Zhengli was quite interested in Wu Ming and sent a carriage to see him off. When Zhu Xiaolong was sent to the carriage, he still looked at the carriage blankly and did not speak. As soon as the carriage started, he jumped up from the carriage like a spring, and rushed out with a momentum, Wu Ming was startled, and grabbed his right arm: "What are you doing?" Are you kid crazy? ”

Zhu Xiaolong struggled a few times, but Wu Ming's right hand was as straight as an iron tong, and he could break free there, he turned his head and cried at Wu Ming: "Uncle, let go of me, I am going to kill the Queen Mother, kill Zhu Yuhu, and avenge my grandfather and father." ”

Wu Ming stood up from the middle of the carriage, pinched his arm with his right hand, and pressed his shoulder with his left hand, pressing him down on the tablet. shouted: "You are like this now, there is to take revenge, and it is pure death." You are now the hope of the whole family, and you are worthy of them when you die like this?"

Hearing Wu Ming say this, as if he was caught in an invisible rope, Zhu Xiaolong was stunned for a moment, and after a while, he hugged Wu Ming's legs with his backhand and cried like a child: "Uncle, do you know? That night, it was my grandfather who ordered my acupoint and didn't let me go out to meet the enemy, I was sorry for him, I didn't deserve to be his grandson. ”

It turned out to be like this, no wonder I wish Xiaolong a life. Although the prime minister is a hero, he dotes on his grandson tightly. The Prime Minister's Mansion was besieged, and he also knew that this was the Queen Mother's desperate gamble, and it must be quite dangerous, so he naturally didn't want to wish Xiaolong to take risks.

Wu Ming sat down next to Zhu Xiaolong and said softly: "Xiaolong, hatred can blind people's eyes and not distinguish between right and wrong. The court has passed through **, as far as the country is concerned, I don't want you to seek revenge again. As far as the family is concerned, it is my father's hatred, but I have no right to stop this. But if you mess up now, I, as your uncle, must stop it. Because you are alone, let alone the Queen Mother, even if it is Zhu Yuhu, it is an insurmountable mountain. ”

Zhu Xiaolong let go of Wu Ming and sat cross-legged on the ground, not knowing if he had listened to the advice, just staring at the carriage and being speechless. The carriage rolled along, and the uncle and nephew were speechless for a while. After a long while, Zhu Xiaolong said softly: "Uncle, grandfather and father's bodies, can the Queen Mother return them?" I want to bury them and do my filial piety. ”

Wu Ming nodded and said: "The Queen Mother has said, this matter is over, and it is not appropriate to implicate you extensively, otherwise she will not let you out." ”

The so-called inappropriate implication is very widespread, not that the Queen Mother does not want to be implicated, but that she does not dare to implicate. Otherwise, with Wu Ming's relationship with Xiangfu, he should be the first to be killed. But the prime minister's foundation is in Jiangnan, and he can take over nearby, while Wu Ming's foundation is far away in China and the West, and it is already a big tail, plus He Xiaotian supports it. At this time, if you deal with him, Nanhan is so afraid that he will collapse immediately.

This kind of truth is easy to understand, although Zhu Xiaolong has a straight personality, it does not show that he is stupid, but his grandfather and father are too dazzling, and they arrange everything properly, making them too dependent on the family, which is a bit mediocre. Once a person is unwilling to think about it, his character will naturally be straightforward. Now that he has suddenly encountered a big change, he seems to be much more sensible, and he bowed his head respectfully and said, "Thank you, uncle." ”

Wu Ming met him six years ago, and he was his teacher, although there were factors that contributed to the prime minister's troubles, the most important thing was Zhu Xiaolong himself. At first, he just felt that Wu Ming's kung fu was powerful, after all, there were very few masters in the eighth stage, and with such a master, he also had a lot of face in front of his classmates.

He lowered his head and landed right on Wu Ming's waist, even if he was sitting cross-legged in the carriage, Wu Ming's waist was still straight, and his spine was as straight as a pine. A few years have passed, and the Zhu family has become a cloud, but they want to take refuge in the man in front of them. Zhu Xiaolong looked at the tall waist, and the waist pole also stood up, and he clenched his fists with both hands, getting tighter and tighter.

Father, don't worry, I'll live well. I will obey your last order and follow my uncle, even if I don't fight for the Zhu family, I will fight for the people of the world.

What Zhu Xiaolong was thinking, Wu Ming naturally didn't know, what he was thinking about now was Yang Xiong's last words. The carriage walked a little further, and Wu Ming lifted the curtain and said to the coachman, "Master, stop." ”

The coachman stopped as he said, the two jumped out of the carriage, Wu Ming took out a piece of broken silver, handed it to the coachman and said, "That's it, I'll go by myself for the rest, thank you, master." ”

The coachman was overjoyed, but he didn't expect that there would be hard money to be paid for this trip. He took the silver and went away with a thousand thanks.

Seeing that he was far away, Wu Mingcai said, "Let's go, Xiaolong, go to the camp to see General Yang." You are a martial champion, it is a pity to stay with me, first talk to General Yang for a while, adapt to the atmosphere of the barracks, and do what he thinks. ”

While the two were talking, they had arrived outside the camp, and Yang Yi had already greeted him with a group of generals, and after a salute, Yang Yi said: "My lord? What are you doing here? And what do you command? ”

Wu Ming didn't answer, but looked at the spirit beast soldier camp in a trance. Seeing that the camp on the opposite side was neat and imposing. He was a little strange: "Isn't Gao Yuan dead, why are the spirit beast soldiers unaffected?" ”

Yang Yidao: "In the morning, the Queen Mother has already issued an order to seal Cao Yuze, the former captain of the Spirit Beast Soldiers, as the new commander. ”

As soon as he said it, Wu Ming was even more puzzled: "It's Cao Yuze, isn't it Bi Lei?" ”

Bi Lei is the captain of a large team, according to common sense, after Gao Yuan's death, he should succeed the capital, but now the queen mother has sealed Cao Yuze, Wu Ming is also surprised.

Yang Yi shrugged his shoulders and said: "Bi Lei is a cronie of the tall beard, and the tall beard is a close confidant of the prime minister, because of this relationship, the queen mother naturally does not dare to use him." ”

Wu Ming let out a sigh and secretly said that this was the case. Thinking of the Dai Yu of the Military Department, as well as Lu Zhengli of the Criminal Department, and the spirit beast soldiers he met in the morning, he felt a little admiration in his heart. Although the Queen Mother is a woman, she has to say that she is not inferior to the prime minister in terms of power and scheming, and even surpasses. After this series of actions, the entire Jiangnan pattern has really changed.

Yang Yi glanced at Zhu Xiaolong behind Wu Ming, and said with some joy: "What, did the adults send me the champion of this department?" Whether it's good or not, there has been no improvement in gun skills recently, and it is better to have someone to learn from than to touch it alone. ”

Wu Mingdao: "It's easy to learn gunmanship, do you want to learn "The Twelve Essentials of the Yang Family Gun"? ”

Yang Yi's eyes lit up, but immediately dimmed: "I want to think about it, but it is Yang Xiongyang who leads the family heirloom, he doesn't speak, even if you have the original, adult, I can't steal it." ”

This kid is pedantic. Wu Ming seemed to see himself a few years ago in him, and he smiled and said: "But Yang Xiong Yang wants to be a brother with you, and it is reasonable for you to learn "The Twelve Essentials of the Yang Family Gun" again." ”

"What, what?" Yang Yi stammered a little and said, "Commander Yang is willing to marry me as a brother?" ”

Wu Ming glanced at Zhu Xiaolong and said, "Yes, you blocked the spirit beast soldiers at night, and indirectly saved Commander Yang's life, he is grateful and wants to be a brother with you, are you willing?" ”

Yang Yi stammered a little when he spoke: "Willing, willing, Humen Yang has always been my idol." To have such a brother is also my Yang Yi's blessing. ”

Looking at Yang Yi with an excited face, Wu Ming thought more. He is his own disciple and subordinate, and Yang Xiong is the right hand of the Queen Mother, if the two become brothers of the opposite sex, it is tantamount to releasing a message to everyone, that is, the Southern Han Dynasty is stable, and it can also suppress the hearts of some people.

This is the queen mother's plan, I have to agree if I agree, and it is difficult to say no if I don't agree.