On the morning of the fourth day of May, the rain had stopped for a day. At this time, Zhu Tongjing, the master of Southern Qi, was in a small town less than twenty miles away from the grain fleet, waiting for the road to clear and then heading north.

Zhu Tongjing got up early in the morning and came out to look at the weather outside, and finally felt refreshed. The purpose of his going north this time was not to escort grain and grass, there would be other people in charge of the grain and grass, and the purpose of his trip north was not to go to Jiangdu, but to go to Luoyang.

Being duplicitous is what Zhu Tongjing will do, and what he holds in his hand is the letter sent by the Qi Dynasty to Luoyang to congratulate the new emperor of Luoyang on his accession to the throne. Two months in advance, Nanqi's letter had been sent to Luoyang, congratulating Yang Yu on his ascension to the throne in advance, but the letter was very secret, that is, even the Eastern Palace's mansion was not clear, and Yang Yu was not in a hurry to announce it to the world. This time, Yang Yu took the national letter to Luoyang, just to make things firm.

As an envoy of a country, Zhu Tongjing is very clear about his current position, and the people of the Southern Qi Dynasty just want to watch the fire from the other side to see the Wei Dynasty's own internal fighting. As for whether Jiangdu wins or Luoyang wins, the Qi Dynasty must be on guard, and the Qi Dynasty cannot deal with itself after one side gains power, and the best way is to repair both sides. On the one hand, it lent grain to Jiangdu, and on the other hand, it got closer to Luoyang.

"Master Zhu, the water level on the river has dropped today, and it's time to continue escorting grain and grass north. Do you ......"

This time, the official sent by the Empress Dowager of Southern Qi to escort grain and grass was an official in his fifties who liked to flatter, named Han Xi. Zhu Tongjing doesn't like such a person very much, it is precisely because Han Xi can speak that he will be reused in the imperial court, not because this Han Xi has any ability.

This time, Han Xi came to do such a big thing as escorting grain and grass. Zhu Tongjing believes that if Han Xi is not as good as this, he will mess things up, and he will only offend Jiangdu's side when the time comes.

"Isn't it up to you Han Zuocheng to be responsible for the matter of escorting grain and grass? The official has other matters, so he will not accompany Han Zuocheng to Jiangdu. Zhu Tongjing said coldly.

Zuo Cheng, in the Qi Dynasty, originally meant Zuo Cheng Prime Minister. Under the right Cheng, it can be said that he is a powerful figure at the secondary and auxiliary level among the hundred officials, and he can call for wind and rain in the court.

But now in the Qi Dynasty, Xie Rumo, as the right man, has already monopolized power. Empress Dowager He of Southern Qi in order to balance Xie Rumo's power. Zuo Cheng has been set up continuously, so that there are now more than a dozen Zuo Cheng in Jinling City. If there are more left, there will be more power. In Jinling, being a Zuo Cheng does not mean that he has a high position. It can only mean that he is a close confidant of the Queen Mother. That's all.

"Didn't Master Zhu go to Jiangdu? Is that? ”

Han Xi was a little puzzled. Originally, he thought that Zhu Tongjing had been ordered by the Queen Mother to go to Jiangdu with the fleet escorting grain and grass, and there should be no accident to go to Jiangdu, but now Zhu Tongjing said that there was something else. Now the war is urgent. When an envoy enters the territory of an enemy country, it is not for the purpose of sending an envoy, and he really can't think of any other purpose.

"What the Queen Mother ordered, but Han Zuocheng can ask?" Zhu Tongjing said aggressively.

Han Xi saw Zhu Tongjing's expression like this, he knew each other very well, and didn't ask any more. His name Zuo Cheng is higher than the position of the master, but everyone knows that among the officials in Jinling who can compete with Xie Rumo now, Zhu Tongjing is the biggest. The Queen Mother's party almost all looked to Zhu Tong as the head of the horse.

Who is the first horse and who is the second horse, Han Xi can still tell the difference.

"Han Zuocheng has nothing else to do, he can escort the grain and grass on the road." Zhu Tongjing said, "Say goodbye today, and see you in Jinling in the future." ”

"Master Zhu is polite."

Han Xi was about to personally send Zhu Tongjing out, but saw the guards running in in a hurry, as if something had happened.

"What's the matter, there are no rules!" Han Xi stepped forward to stop the guard at the moment, he was very flattering, in his opinion, this Zhu Tongjing is also a person worthy of stammering, even if he said bad things about Zhu Tongjing in front of the Queen Mother behind his back, he still had to show goodwill. At this time, he acted as Zhu Tongjing's "personal guard", and did not allow reckless guards to approach Zhu Tongjing.

"Master Zhu, it's not good." The guards were stopped by Han Xi, and they didn't dare to bump into the red man in front of the queen mother, panting and nervous, "Last night, the soldiers and horses of the King of the North attacked the camp of Jiangdu who came to protect the grain and horses, and I heard that the camp of Jiangdu soldiers and horses was burned to the sky, and the soldiers and horses were defeated. ”

"Ahh When Han Xi heard this, he shouted, hurriedly turned to look at Zhu Tongjing, and said, "Master Zhu, how is this good?" The Northern King's army was victorious, and that ...... We are also dangerous...... Do you hurry up and turn the bow of the ship and escort the grain back? ”

Zhu Tongjing said with a dark face: "The things that the Queen Mother confessed have not been completed, how can I go back?" ”

"Yes, yes." Han Xi also wiped his cold sweat and said, "If you go to Jiangdu now, you will inevitably be robbed of food by the Beiwang army, and go back...... Can't go back? Master Zhu, you can give your subordinates some guidance. ”

At a critical time, Han Xi couldn't care about his identity as Zuo Cheng, and asked Zhu Tongjing for advice in a low voice.

"Let Jiangdu go to the local area first, transport the grain to the city, you stay here first, and I will go north." Zhu Tongjing seemed to be in a hurry and wanted to leave.

"Master Zhu...... Now that the north is not very peaceful, you still have to go to ...... Whence? Han Xi was also confused at this time. They have all learned that now the 8,000 soldiers and horses sent by Jiangdu to meet are almost "wiped out", and now the road from here to Jiangdu must be blocked by the Beiwang army.

"How can I not do what the Queen Mother confessed?"

Zhu Tongjing thought to himself, after all, I went to Luoyang, and Luoyang had already repaired the book in advance, and expressed his willingness to reconcile with Nanqi. He went over like this, even if he was captured by the Northern King Army, it should be fine.

Zhu Tongjing left in a hurry and headed north with less than a hundred attendants. Han Xi sent Zhu Tongjing out of the city, thinking to himself, if this Zhu Tongjing died, I don't know who would take his place, and he had to show himself in front of the Queen Mother.

Han Xi was about to go to the yamen of the county seat to find the local officials of Jiangdu, and asked him to find someone to unload the grain and transport it to the city, but when he arrived at the yamen, he saw a woman coming over. Han Xi was stunned for a moment, he was a "man in the flowers", the woman in front of him seemed to be a small jasper, but she gave people a very shrewd and capable feeling, as if she should be in charge of the shop, she was the "boss lady".

"This young lady, what are you doing when you come to the government?" Han Xi took the initiative to come forward to say hello.

As he spoke, before Han Xi could approach the woman, he was stopped by a group of big men in civilian clothes.

"Presumptuous!" Han Xi said angrily, "You people still dare to be wild in front of this official? ”

The woman glanced at Han Xi with slanted eyes, and walked towards the yamen with a disdainful expression. Han Xi made a big fuss, it was boring, if this was in the city where he used to be a taishou in Nanqi, who would dare to be rude to him like this, he would have to exterminate that person.

I'd like to show you what I do! Han Xi thought to himself, and when he went, he told the local county magistrate to see if he could do anything.

Just as he was about to walk forward, he saw that the local county magistrate had hurriedly greeted him in an official uniform. Han Xi tidied up his clothes and prepared to give this county official a good show of the prestige of the "Shangguo" envoy. But he didn't expect that the county official, who was still respectful to him yesterday, went out of the yamen today, didn't even pay attention to him, and kept making accusations to the woman, as if he was saying something like slack.

"Hey!" Han Xi thought to himself, is this an evil spirit? A county official is so respectful to a woman who seems to be from an ordinary family?

Based on Han Xi's experience, a woman from a large family, even if she is just the shopkeeper of an ordinary store, goes out in a small sedan chair as if the woman in the boudoir is unsightly. But this woman, in addition to bringing some entourage, did not even take a sedan chair when she went out, which shows that she is not a god and demon dignitary.

"County Lieutenant Li, I haven't seen you for a day, it's really like three autumns!" Han Xi thought that the county official hadn't seen him, so he personally stepped forward to greet him.

County Lieutenant Li explained a few words to the woman next to him, and at this time, the woman looked at Han Xi again, and Han Xi was also a little proud. The woman was finally looking at him.

"You are the Qi people's food messenger Han Xi?" The woman asked directly.

Han Xi was stunned for a moment, what kind of greeting is this. In Southern Qi, even Xie Rumo would call him "Han Zuocheng" when he saw him, and when he arrived in the land of Jiangdu, an ordinary woman would dare to call him by his name?

"You!" Han Xi didn't even know how to respond.

I want to be angry, remembering that this is the boundary of Jiangdu, and the county officials are all obedient to this woman, could it be that the hundreds of people who are responsible for escorting grain and grass outside the city are transferred into the city, in order to vent this breath?

"Bold woman, dare to call us Han Zuocheng's name?" Fortunately, at this time, the entourage behind Han Xi relieved Han Xi and cheered.

This sentence also made Han Xi very satisfied, and he said in his heart that this attendant can speak, so he will go back and promote it well.

The woman glanced at Han Xi with slanted eyes and said, "Han Zuocheng, forgive me, the little woman is slacking." As he spoke, he bowed, as if he was very impatient.

Han Xi smiled and said, "Those who don't know are not to blame. ”

was about to continue to carry forward his "demeanor", but he heard the woman say: "Han Zuocheng can go home now." The Dongwang Mansion has sent people to take over the grain, this is the acceptance order issued by the Dongwang, and Han Zuocheng can take it back to pay the errand. ”

As she spoke, the woman took out an official letter from her arms and asked the attendant next to her to hand it over.

Han Xi took the official letter, opened it and saw that it was indeed a receipt certificate issued by King Dong. With this thing, whether the grain and grass were robbed later has nothing to do with the Nanqi people, and his task can be regarded as complete.

"This ......" Han Xi was completely confused, now it's not that Jiangdu's soldiers and horses suffered heavy losses yesterday, how could such a woman come out to receive food, and she was so domineering and rude?

Rao is Han Xi has been rolling in officialdom for decades, and he is puzzled for a while, and he doesn't know how to deal with it.

The woman said again: "It's better for Han Zuocheng to leave quickly, the cavalry of the Northern Wangfu will be killed at any time, and you Qi people may not be able to leave at that time." ”

Han Xi smiled bitterly on his face, if someone else said this, he would still be very convinced, but now that it came from a woman's mouth, he was a little unconvinced.

But at this moment, he stepped forward and saluted the woman: "Steward Lin, there is a letter from the East King, please accept ......" (to be continued......