The rogues were accustomed to eating wherever they went, so there was very little food and grass in their baggage. But for jewelry, jade, and yellow and white things, no matter how embarrassing they were, the rogues were never willing to abandon them. That's the capital they have to regroup, and it's also the purpose of the township. Compared with gold, silver, pearls and jade, grain and grass are not important, because when they are finished, everyone can go to the weak cities and the fortresses of large families to rob them. The importance of soldiers is not great, these years are full of disaster victims, as long as you have money, you are not afraid that no one will come to work as an errand and mess around.

Among all the rogue teams around Qi County, Pei Changcai's reputation for greed was the strongest. He and Shi Zihe had just broken through Changqing County, and there were a large amount of thieves who had not had time to deal with it. In the battle of Daishan, the two of them were annihilated, so this windfall fell into the hands of the soldiers of Qi County without any accident. Therefore, when the ox cart transporting the seized materials returned to Licheng, the eyes of Taishou Pei Caozhi and Zhang Xutuo of the county were always squinting happily. When the local civil officials saw the generals of the county soldiers, they became more and more polite, as if the other party would have meat on them at any time.

Li Xu was a little uncomfortable with the politeness of the civilian officials at first, but after Qin Shubao and Luo Shixin explained, they learned that the county soldiers handled the seized goods differently from the government soldiers. The generals of the government were all paid a fixed salary by the imperial court, and the ordinary soldiers were also exempt from taxes, and it was logical that their booty was usually handed over to the state treasury. Even if the court had a reward to return it, there would not be a few copper coins left on everyone's head. The supply of the county soldiers did not depend on the imperial court, and the generals' salaries and the daily needs of the soldiers had to be obtained from the local government. The more chaotic the world, the more county soldiers need to be raised, and the more sophisticated the weapons and armor they need to be equipped. Over time, the supply of materials and salaries for the county soldiers became a big hole in the local finances. In order to make up for the shortfall, and at the same time to take care of local discontent, starting from last year, the imperial court specially ordered that the baggage obtained by the bandits should be at the disposal of the counties themselves.

"Aren't the brothers' armor and weapons gone?" After listening to Qin and Pei's explanations, Li Xu also felt very happy. After two consecutive bloody battles, he has become one with the generals of the county soldiers. Especially Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin, because of the "difficult to distinguish between high and low" martial arts, they actually have a sense of sympathy for each other.

"Not enough!" Qin Shubao shook his head lightly, denying Li Xu's opinion. "Brothers who died in war need pensions, and brothers who have been wounded and disabled need money to support them for the rest of their lives. The civil officials of the Taishou Mansion and the local subordinates have all helped, and they can't let them contribute in vain! As he spoke, he sighed softly. Probably very dissatisfied with this distribution method, and at the same time feeling helpless.

The Great Sui Dynasty implemented a policy of separating civil and military affairs at the local level, and the taishou or county guards did not interfere in military affairs, and the county commanders and governors did not interfere in local government affairs. But in practice, civilian officials can always easily jam the neck of military generals. A county like Zhang Xutuo, who can not only help the civil officials, but also sacrifice his life with the soldiers, is really rare. In order to maintain this excellent situation of civil and military harmony, a large part of the military exploits and booty that the brothers exchanged for their lives were divided, which was also a sacrifice that had to be paid.

But the efforts of the generals were not without reward, and the day after the loot and prisoners were delivered to Licheng, Lord Pei Changcai wrote a letter asking for merit and sent someone to the eastern capital quickly. Before the messenger set off, the old lady deliberately showed the content to Zhang Xutuo and Li Xu, which not only described in detail the whole process of the two of them being brave and strategic, and exterminating the rogue. He also described the victory of the bandits as a "prestige of the imperial court and a shock to the bandits!" "There is a great merit for the country and the people from hardship". Ask the court to give a reward according to the law.

"Lord Taishou is polite, Zhang Mou is a martial artist, how can he de, dare to be so praised!" Zhang Xutuo put down the letter of merit and thanked Pei Caozhi.

"The kid has just arrived, and it's completely because of people, how dare he receive this miraculous feat! I also hope that Taishou will also write down the planning and scheduling of all colleagues, so as not to feel ashamed in his heart! Li Xu followed Zhang Xutuo, and also stood up from the stool and thanked Pei Caozhi.

"Their credit, the old man naturally knows in his heart. The merit of civilian officials is not in the war, but it is our top priority to make the local peace and the people have enough food and clothing. So this is a credit, the two generals should not be polite. Pei Caozhi returned the salute with a smile, very satisfied with the performance of Zhang and Li.

Since the Qin and Han dynasties, local civil officials have been appointed by the Taishou themselves in most cases. Although the Great Sui returned the right to appoint local officials above the ninth rank to the imperial court, not long after the imperial examination was held, the imperial court could not directly gather enough talents, and the policy of appointing officials was not much different from that of the previous dynasty in the actual implementation process. In most cases, local civil servants were recommended by the Taishou, and the appointment of the imperial court was just a formality.

Therefore, Pei Cao's speech alone represents the common opinion of more than 100 civil servants in the entire Qi County. Zhang Xutuo and Li Xu saw that the old lady was so righteous, but they were disrespectful, so they had to thank Taishou again for recommending him. At the same time, in order to express the strong support of the generals for the old Taishou and the civilian officials for the county soldiers, Zhang Xutuo proposed to give up half of the post-war income to make up for the losses caused by the passage of the "local" area. The old lady made a slight excuse, and also thanked the old folks on behalf of Qi County. The two sides talked very happily, and both deliberately forgot the fact that a few days ago, five generals and 20,000 men were desperately trying to help but the reinforcements were detained in the city and could not be received.

"Before General Li came, did you see the emperor?" After Pei Caozhi solved the problem of the distribution of loot, he quickly turned to the aspects related to the movements of the imperial court.

"Before the last general came to Qi County, he was personally summoned by His Majesty. The situation of that day is still vivid in my mind! Li Xu arched his hand in the direction of Luoyang and replied. Most of this sentence is false, and he has been running around for days, and what he said when he was summoned by Yang Guang at that time, Xu Zi has long remembered it clearly. But he can't tell the truth, and Pei Caozhi, the interrogator, won't be serious enough to inquire about the details of what the emperor and others are talking about.

"Your Majesty's affection for General Li is really enviable!" Pei Caozhi also arched his hand in the direction of Luoyang, complimenting. Immediately after, he asked with a smile. "The old man is thin, he hasn't seen the sky for a long time, and he doesn't know if the Holy Sacrament is healthy? Do you still work every day as you did back then? ”

His Majesty was overjoyed when he heard that Yang was disobedient. I am also happy to read the daily recital! Li Xu groaned slightly, and gave another ambiguous answer. Since Yang Guang returned from the Eastern Expedition in vain, he has been depressed. Yang Xuangan's killing only made him happy for two days, and then he was depressed again, and he didn't even bother to read it. These messages were not a secret to all the entourage, but no one could announce them on official occasions.

"Alas, being a courtier can't share your majesty's worries, it's really a shame for my generation!" Pei Caozhi shook his head and sighed. Being an official pays attention to 'listening to the strings and knowing the elegant meaning', and from Li Xu's answer, he has analyzed the real answer. After bowing his head and being silent for a while, the old lady shou continued to ask: "What about sending troops to quell the bandits in various places, since Your Majesty has sent General Li Lang to come." The Ministry of War will also make some moves in the near future, right? ”

"When His Majesty ordered the last general to come to listen to General Zhang's dispatch, he did not talk about the arrangements for sending government soldiers to quell the rebellion. Lord Pei Ju, who was in charge of the military department, went out to patrol the Western Regions at that time and did not return, and now whether he has come back or not, the last general does not know! Li Xu thought for a moment and replied.

He knew that Pei Caozhi expected the imperial court to send a large army to quickly exterminate the bandits in the counties of Henan, but judging from his short-term political experience, this wish could not be realized. In the days when Xu Zi followed the imperial court back to the south, he had never heard the imperial court say how serious the bandits in the Henan counties were. Even before crossing the Yellow River, he himself thought that the so-called bandits and gangsters were nothing more than a few thieves hiding in the mountains to rob their homes. Who would have thought that these thieves were so strong and so bold that they were no longer satisfied with robbing their homes and houses, but took the initiative to attack the county seat and county town.

"Then will Your Majesty still have to conquer Liao next year? General Li forgives the old man for being wordy, when people are old, they inevitably like to inquire about irrelevant things! The expression on Pei Caozhi's face became more and more solemn, and he asked with a hint of sighing.

"It's okay, we're chatting privately this time, and we don't have official business. So, Zhong Jian knows something, so he will say a few words casually to satisfy the curiosity of our two talkative old men! Afraid that Li Xu would be embarrassed, Zhang Xutuo preemptively played a round. Welcome to visit

"The trouble of Liaodong has always been His Majesty's heart disease. If the Liao plague is not eliminated, there will never be peace on the border of the Great Sui. Therefore, the last general thought that when the local affairs were over, the government soldiers would definitely go out of Liaodong again. It's just that what are the specific arrangements of the imperial court, the last general is soft-spoken, and I really haven't heard too many rumors! Li Xu pondered for a moment and replied around the bend.

Is the battle of Liaodong supposed to be? He still doesn't know. As a young general, he is always enthusiastic when he thinks of opening up territory for the country. But seeing those bleak scenes on the way to Qi County always made him hope that the imperial court could stop the side affairs and give the people a little time to recuperate.

It's just that some words shouldn't come from the mouth of a military general. After so many setbacks, now Xuzi has learned to protect himself and easily leave no handle to anyone. Especially if you are close to yourself and have a higher position than your boss.

"Hey, Liaodong is so far away, the old man doesn't know what a wild place it is. Hi, people are old and always have no pride! Pei Caozhi shook his head, smiled bitterly, and sighed again and again. It seems to be saying that he is old and his blood is cold. It seems to be expressing some dissatisfaction.

After sighing for a while, he asked Li Xu again if he was comfortable living in Qi County and whether he could get used to eating food. When everything was answered in the affirmative, the old lady stood up and took out a copy of the title deed from the cabinet against the wall.

"This is an empty house next to the yamen, Li Lang will come from afar to help my Qi County father. The fathers and elders have nothing to give, so I'll provide you with a small courtyard to rest in for the time being! ”

"Boss, this is unacceptable. The last general has just come, and he has not made an inch, and he really can't afford to be so loved by the elders of Qi County! Li Xu hurriedly stood up and thanked him.

After chatting with Qin Shubao and others in the past few days, he already has some understanding of the prices in Licheng. Because the surrounding counties were infested by bandits, and Duqi County was peaceful, the wealthy people of several nearby states and counties had long regarded this place as a paradise. Nowadays, the price of land in Licheng is not enough for the time being, but a house with three entrances and three exits cannot be bought without hundreds of dollars.

"Zhong Jian will take it first. The county soldiers are not as good as the government soldiers, and they will be disbanded soon after the battle, and if you don't accept them, you, a loyal and brave man, don't even have a place to live, and you will lose face in the place. If you really don't want to go, when the court summons you, then return this house to Lord Taishou! Seeing Xuzi's embarrassed appearance, Zhang Xutuo ordered with a smile.

"Then it is better to be respectful than to obey!" Li Xu bowed down again and thanked the two bosses. The moment he received the title deed, he couldn't help but show a little joy in his eyes. Ever since he left Susibu, he has been living in a fixed place. Now that I really have my own home, I'm really looking forward to seeing what it looks like right away.

After drinking tea for a while, Pei Caozhi got up to see off the guests, and at the same time ordered the chief entourage next to him to take Xuzi to "recognize the family". Under the guidance of Pei's family, Xuzi soon found his new home not far from the back street of Taishoufu. It was a courtyard covering about three acres, not too big, but very neatly organized. The main house for the master to rest, the wing room for the subordinates to live, the cross-courtyard for the guests to live, the side hall for the henchmen to live, and the facilities of the eunuchs' homes are all available. Behind the main house, there is a small garden with a small pond made of blue bricks. It was winter, and the residual lotus in the pond had long since decayed, and the black stems reflected the water waves alone, revealing a bit of desertion.

The appearance of the courtyard of the eunuch's house, Xu Zi has only one in his memory. At that time, he was in Huaiyuan County, and the mansion belonged to Tang Gong and was just a temporary residence. Xu Zi clearly remembers how envious he was when he first entered the Tang Mansion in addition to shock. Since then, while trying to gain fame, he has been looking forward to having such a courtyard as well. It doesn't need to be big, it's good to have a quarter of the temporary residence of Tang Gong. The front yard is full of flowers, and the back yard is planted with vegetables.......

Now, his dream has finally come true. I didn't feel as happy as I imagined, the yard was big enough and clean enough, but it felt like something was missing. Rewarded and sent away the servants of the Taishou family, and Xuzi lingered in his own courtyard over and over again. When the smoke rose again, he finally understood what was most lacking in the yard, or in his heart!

In the previous fantasies, there were also Tao Kuo's silk, occasionally or Wan'er. But in the courtyard in front of him, except for himself, no one in the fantasy would be able to appear.

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