With the end of the fourth plenary meeting, with the introduction of the work of various functional departments, all the people who crossed the public devoted themselves to their own work. For other departments, this is not the first time they have experienced such a situation, so they basically start their own work with ease, except for the situation of the newly established intelligence department. Since Zhang Xiaofei is a layman in intelligence work, Liang Ziyue's experience is basically limited to the personnel review part, and it is okay for him to be responsible for the internal anti-infiltration and anti-leakage work of the team, so there is no experience to talk about in external intelligence.

It is said that under such circumstances, the work on foreign intelligence should be carried out gradually after Zheng Zhiwei returns from Kaifeng. However, since the military department has already begun to prepare intensively to launch the first phase of the "Tempering Operation", it urgently needs information about bandits and robbers in Youzhou and even several surrounding prefectures and counties, so that the corresponding operations can be formulated accordingly. Therefore, despite the lack of professional personnel, the Ministry of Intelligence decided to send some spies to the vicinity of Liangxiang, especially in the mountainous areas to the west and north, so that they could get first-hand information as soon as possible.

The sources of these spies are mainly twofold, on the one hand, several locals developed by the former censorship department to conduct peripheral investigations. On the other hand, there are more than a dozen rangers who are drawn from the Ranger squad of the Wyvern Pioneer Battalion and are familiar with the mountainous terrain. These people, plus Qingchen who had just returned from the Jade Void Palace, totaled nearly twenty people.

Subsequently, at the suggestion of Liang Ziyue, as the most experienced "spy" of the original censorship department, Qingchen was assigned by Zhang Xiaofei as the commander-in-chief of this not professional spy team, and he assigned the specific actions of these 20 or so people.

Without delay, he divided the twenty men into three parts and went to the north, northwest, and western mountains to investigate. Among them, the one who went to the west was led by himself.

On the third day of the third month of the sixth year of the calendar, the three spy teams left the "Qingyuan" and went out of the north gate and the west gate of Liangxiang City respectively, heading towards their goals. Among them, after the group led by Qingchen left the west gate of Liangxiang, they went all the way west into the mountainous area, and traveled south along the line of Liuping Mountain, Da'an Mountain, Dafang Mountain, Baima Mountain, and Taining Mountain, until Wolf Mountain stopped and returned to Liangxiang.

It took more than 20 days to investigate Qingchen and the others, and it was already the end of March when they returned to Liangxiang. However, this kind of rushing and toiling does not feel so tired for Qingchen, who is used to traveling around. On the day he returned to the "Qing Garden", he found Liang Ziyue, and under the leadership of Liang Ziyue, he came to Wang Kunjun's study - the two rooms on the left side of the main room of the "Qing Garden". Now it has been set up as an office of the Ministry of Intelligence, which is used by Zhang Xiaofei.

After Qingchen walked into the office with Liang Ziyue, he saluted Zhang Xiaofei, who was already waiting for him inside.

Zhang Xiaofei raised her hand and said, "Virtuous nephew doesn't have to be polite, just sit down and talk." Twenty-eighth brother, you can also sit. ”

Qingchen thanked him for his seat, and after Liang Ziyue sat down in the upper position, he sat on a chair at the lower one.

At this time, I heard Zhang Xiaofei say again: "The virtuous nephew went to inquire about the news this time, and it was more than 20 days to go, and I slept in the open along the way, it was really hard for you." ”

Qingchen hurriedly replied: "The little nephew was a person who liked to wander around before he met your uncles, and he had to go to the mountains for a turn almost every once in a while, and he was already used to this kind of life, so he didn't feel hard along the way." Besides, since I have been doing things with my uncles, I have basically been going around the city, and this time I can go into the mountains to visit is what the little nephew can't ask for. ”

Zhang Xiaofei nodded after hearing this, and then asked, "What did the virtuous nephew gain from entering the mountain this time?" ”

Qingchen replied: "Back to the fifth aunt, according to the little nephew's inquiry, in the west and southwest of Liangxiang, from Liuping Mountain to Wolf Mountain, which stretches for hundreds of miles, there are more than ten bandits and grass thieves of all sizes who occupy the mountains and establish villages. Among the more than ten bandits, most of the cottages have a relatively small number, generally only one or two hundred people, and no more than three hundred people, and most of them are formed by homeless people and fugitives. Most of the minions under his jurisdiction are very weak, and if compared with the vanguard battalion rangers who went with his little nephew, I am afraid that one of our soldiers can deal with them seven or eight or even more.

Most of these small cottages usually go into the mountains to hunt or cultivate land in the mountains for a living, and only when they can't get by, they will go down the mountain to loot. However, due to their weak strength, they generally only robbed the property of those single merchants or small caravans, and did not dare to rob large caravans or enter larger villages and towns to do evil. In the opinion of the little nephew, a small cottage like this cannot meet the needs of the eleventh and twenty-sixth uncles for military training. ”,

"I often hear people say that there are many thieves in the mountains west of Youzhou, but I didn't expect them to be like this, I think it is the common people who use false rumors to say that the little thief is a big robber" Zhang Xiaofei said with some disappointment after listening to Qingchen's introduction.

"What the fifth aunt said," Qingchen echoed, "ordinary people often talk about thieves, and naturally imagine all robbers as three-headed, six-armed and strong in martial arts. However, among the more than ten cottages of all sizes explored by the little nephew, there are indeed two strong villages, and even more people than the original 'Five Tiger Villages'. ”

"If there is really a big village, you can talk about it carefully," Zhang Xiaofei said with great interest.

"Yes," Qingchen agreed, "one of these two big cottages is more than 100 miles west of Liangxiang City, and because its cottage is built on Baihua Mountain, the name of the cottage is called 'Baihua Village'." Its village owner's surname is Bai Mingfei, and there are more than 800 elite soldiers under his command, which is the largest cottage in Shili in the West Mountain, and its strength is still above the original 'Five Tiger Village'. Moreover, this white flying is decisive and ruthless, and he treats his opponents mercilessly.

It is said that he had a conflict with the 'Five Tiger Villages' for the position of the leader of the cottages in Xishan, and thus formed a deep bond. Later, in order to take revenge on the 'Five Tiger Village', he once designed to trap and kill its two owners. Although he failed to succeed due to the timely arrival of the opponent's reinforcements, he seriously injured his four leaders, and he could be regarded as having some upper hand in the battle. ”

At this time, Liang Ziyue, who was sitting on the side, interjected and asked: "Could it be that the four masters you are talking about are the Xing Bude of the original 'Five Tiger Village', Xing Boss?" ”

"Uncle Shi is right, what the little nephew said is the Xing master who has been dead for almost two years," Qingchen replied.

"So, this 'Baihua Village' and 'Five Tiger Village' can be called mortal enemies?" Liang Ziyue asked again.

"It can be said that since Xing Dangjia was injured, these two cottages have been attacking and killing each other, and there have been many casualties among each other. If it weren't for the fact that the uncles had subdued the 'Five Tiger Village' and strictly forbade the minions on the mountain to go down the mountain at will, I was afraid that this kind of mutual vendetta would continue. Moreover, as far as the little nephew knows, many minions in the 'Flying Dragon Village' are still full of hatred for the 'Hundred Flowers Village' and Bai Fei, and they can't wait to cut them with a thousand knives. ”

Liang Ziyue nodded when he heard this, and said: "This is good news, since many soldiers in the Flying Dragon Pioneer Camp hate this 'Baihua Village' to the core, then once the eleventh brother and the twenty-sixth brother decide to use the 'Baihua Village', everyone's morale will definitely be high, which will be of great benefit to the later battles." ”

Although Zhang Xiaofei does not understand military affairs, he also knows the importance of morale to the army's combat, so he also thinks deeply when he hears Liang Ziyue say this. Then, while letting Qingchen continue, she instructed the personal maid Huan Lanxiang, who was standing next to her, to invite Wang Kunjun and Zhang Weixin to come, preparing to let them know about the situation Qingchen found out in advance.

Lan Xiang agreed, and Qingchen continued: "The other of the two big villages is on the White Horse Mountain, one hundred and fifty miles southwest of Liangxiang City, because there is a purple stone river near the village, so the name of the village is called 'Zishi Village'. The owner of the village is called Shi Song, and there are more than 500 minions under his command, although the strength is not as good as the 'Baihua Village', but it is not inferior to the original 'Five Tiger Village'. In addition, this village is not far from Fanyang County, so there is an official road leading to Ulzhou under the mountain, there are many merchants who come and go to plunder, and the family background is far richer than the 'Baihua Village' and the original 'Five Tiger Village', so the soldiers in the village are much more sophisticated than the first two in terms of clothing and weapons. In the humble opinion of the little nephew, it may be more difficult to attack this village than to attack the 'Baihua Village' with more people. ”

Zhang Xiaofei and Liang Ziyue nodded again and again after hearing this, and Zhang Xiaofei even asked Qingchen to write down his judgment in the future report submitted to the committee and the Ministry of Military Affairs for the other party's reference. In this regard, Qingchen naturally nodded yes.

Just as Qingchen was about to continue, Wang Kunjun and Zhang Weixin had already followed Lan Xiang into the office. Seeing this, Qingchen hurriedly stopped talking and got up to salute the two. Zhang Xiaofei and Liang Ziyue also got up to greet the two and asked them to sit down and listen with them.

After Zhang Weixin asked Wang Kunjun and Zhang Xiaofei to sit on the upper seat together, he sat next to Liang Ziyue, and then motioned for Qingchen to continue. As for what has already been said just now, I will wait until Zuihou briefly repeats it to himself and Wang Kunjun - Qingchen will submit relevant reports later, so Wang and Zhang do not necessarily have to listen to Qingchen himself. ,

Hearing this, Qingchen continued what he had just said and said, "In addition to the dozen or so cottages that the little nephew personally investigated, the other two Tanma also found out a lot of news. According to them, there are also many bandits and robbers in the mountains in the northwest and north of Youzhou. However, similar to the way the little nephew explored, these cottages are not large in scale or strength, and there is only one that can meet the needs of the eleventh and twenty-sixth uncles, and it is far away from the good township.

This village is located in the northeast of Liangxiang two hundred and forty miles on the Yunmeng Mountain, the name of the village is called Feiyun Village. The owner of the village is called Chen Kang, and there are more than 600 minions under his command, although his number is only slightly higher than that of the 'Five Tiger Village', but his strength cannot be underestimated. Because the village is located in the north of Youdu Province, not far from the important official road leading from Nanjing Road to Zhongjing Road, the government will often send troops to suppress it in order to ensure that the road to the north is smooth. Therefore, the minions in the village have been in battle formations many times, and they have extremely rich experience in facing the enemy, and their combat power is also very strong. Moreover, since it can survive the repeated attacks of the government, it can be seen that its strength is not bad. It can be said that this 'Feiyun Village' can be regarded as the strongest one among the cottages around Youzhou. ”

"The government has repeatedly invaded and suppressed but can't be peaceful, is the minions in this 'Feiyun Village' really so strong? Is the news of Tanma sure reliable? Wang Kunjun asked again and again - because the horses sent out this time were all novices with little experience, Wang Kunjun had to ask more.

Seeing that Wang Kunjun had some doubts, Qingchen hurriedly added: "Although the little nephew did not go to the 'Feiyun Village' in person this time, with the little nephew's previous understanding of these cottages, it can be determined that there is no major mistake in the news heard by the two Tanma, and you can use this as a basis to decide a big thing." ”

Hearing Qingchen say this, Wang Kunjun was relieved. Subsequently, after listening to Qingchen briefly recount the situation of the other two cottages he had just mentioned, Wang and Zhang discussed and decided to let Qingchen hurry up and write a detailed report on the one hand, and on the other hand, immediately get in touch with Qian Yuanshan, Zeng Zhilin and others, and ask them to send representatives down the mountain to discuss the specific matters of implementing the "Tempering Action".

);