"Second brother, the mastermind behind this incident should be the county official's brother-in-law." Zhang Mutou said, "It's impossible for the county official not to know. ”

Second Brother Zhang's brain was flexible, and he thought of the key: "No wonder the official came to arrest people without listening to you, it was the county official who instructed him?" But why did he let you go again, and didn't embarrass you? ”

Second Brother Zhang was puzzled.

Zhang Mutou took out the jade pendant and handed it to Second Brother Zhang, Second Brother Zhang took it and looked at it, and his eyes widened in surprise: "Four-clawed jade pendant?" You, where did you get it from? ”

Zhang Mutou: "It was given to me by the fourth prince of the dynasty." Didn't I go out some time ago? I happened to meet the injured Four Princes, and I saved the Four Princes. The fourth prince gave me this jade pendant and promised me a condition. ”

Second Brother Zhang admired his younger brother so much: "Wood, you are worthy of being a person favored by the gods, and you can actually know the prince!" ”

Zhang Mutou smiled: "It's just a coincidence." If it weren't for the martyrdom of the four princes, we ordinary people would want to see the prince, but it would be more difficult than ascending to the sky. ”

Second Brother Zhang nodded approvingly: "This time I'm really lucky." The county official just saw Yu Pei and was scared, so he didn't let you go, but fortunately he sent you back, right? ”

Zhang Mutou nodded: "I did use the four princes to scare the county officials." ”

Second Brother Zhang slapped his thigh and said happily: "Haha, that's great." With the signboard of the Four Princes, see who will calculate our old Zhang family and cake shop in the future. ”

Zhang Mutou sighed and said: "The mountain is high and the emperor is far away, the signboard of the four princes may not always be easy to use, especially now that the battle for the throne is in full swing, if it is not the four princes who take the throne in the end, then the county officials will no longer have to sell the face of the four princes, and will continue to target and frame our cake shop." ”

Second Brother Zhang put away his smile when he heard this, and said worriedly: "Ah, what can I do then?" ”

Zhang Mutou: "I want to go to Beijing and find a backer who won't fall." ”

Second Brother Zhang: "I'll go with you." ”

Zhang Mutou shook his head and said, "Second brother, you stay at home to take care of your father." ”

Second Brother Zhang said: "No, I will enter Beijing with you, you are too dangerous alone, I don't worry." ”

Zhang Mutou said: "Second brother, I am young, and the rest of the people don't take me seriously, I am safer." If you go with me, it will not be safe. ”

"This ......" Second Brother Zhang knew that Zhang Mutou's words were very reasonable, Zhang Mutou was young and small, even if those dignitaries were dissatisfied, they would not be too embarrassed for a child. However, this is Zhang Mutou's advantage and his disadvantage, and the dignitaries will not listen to children, Zhang Mutou wants to find a backer, but he is afraid that it will be difficult. Unless he takes advantage of the relationship between the four princes, but will the four princes make such good use of it?

"Second brother, your studies are important. Next year, you will have to take the children's exam, and you must not delay time for other things. If I can't find a backer in the capital, our family will rely on you. As long as you gain fame, others will have to care about your fame even if they want to calculate us. Zhang Mutou said to Second Brother Zhang with a serious expression, "Second brother, in the future, I will be in business, you will be in politics, and the two of us will help each other to make the old Zhang family better and better!" ”

Second Brother Zhang listened with enthusiasm and said: "I will definitely work hard to study for the exam, get fame, support you, and make the old Zhang family better and better." ”

Zhang Mutou smiled: "I believe in you, second brother!" ”

Second Brother Zhang also smiled and said to Zhang Mutou: "After you arrive in the capital, you have to be careful in everything, and if you can't do anything, come back quickly." By the way, it's not very safe on the way to Beijing, do you want to find a dart game and let someone escort you to Beijing? ”

Zhang Mutou felt troublesome: "No need, right?" ”

"It's better to find two dart board escorts, or I won't let you leave." Second Brother Zhang is resolute.

"Uh...... All right. Zhang Mutou compromised. Anyway, the cake shop made a lot of money, and in addition to the cost of Dao Jingcheng, it was more than enough to hire two bodyguards.

The two brothers discussed how to tell Zhang's father and Zhang Niang about Zhang Mutou's entry into Beijing, and Zhang Mutou was afraid that the two would object.

"As long as you take out the name of the gods, my father and mother will not object."

Zhang Mutou: "Uh......"

"I saw Big Brother in the crowd today." Zhang Mutou sighed.

Second Brother Zhang was stunned, and then annoyed: "Seeing my father and mother being bullied, I don't want to come out, is this a son?" I won't recognize this kind of big brother again. ”

Zhang Mutou: "I won't either." But my sister-in-law's temper, I'm afraid that when she sees that our cake shop is getting better and better, she will pick up her eldest brother to rob the store. ”

Second Brother Zhang snorted coldly: "With me, I will never let them succeed." Moreover, don't underestimate your father, they have seen through the eldest brother and sister-in-law, and your mother may be soft-hearted, but your father will never let them get involved in the cake shop. ”

"Then I'll be relieved." Zhang Mutou said, "Alas, if the eldest brother hadn't married the eldest sister-in-law, he wouldn't have become what he is now, right?" ”

Second Brother Zhang: "It's hard to say! ”

Although Zhang Dad and Zhang Niang were worried that it would not be safe for Zhang Mutou to go to Beijing alone, Zhang Mutou threw out the name of "fairy", and they no longer stopped it, but like Zhang Erge, they were very concerned about Zhang Mutou's safety along the way, and personally went to the dart bureau to find two honest and reliable and good dart masters to escort Zhang Mutou to Beijing.

Half a month later, Zhang Mutou said goodbye to his father and second brother and set off for the capital.

After going to Beijing, Zhang Mutou found the four princes with a jade pendant. Because of the grace of saving his life, the fourth prince was good to Zhang Mutou, but he didn't attach much importance to him, after all, he was still a child.

"I heard you have something important to ask me for?" The fourth prince asked Zhang Mutou. After Zhang Mutou came to take refuge in him, he casually asked you to arrange for Zhang Mutou to stay, and he didn't see him. After all, Zhang Mutou is just a small commoner, even if he is a life-saving grace, he is not something that Zhang Mutou can see if he wants to, not to mention that now that the situation is changing, it has reached a critical time, how can he have so much time to see children. However, when he heard that the people around him reported that the child had been going to see him, and that there was something important to report, the fourth prince thought about the child's life-saving grace and decided to take the time to see the child.

"Yes, Your Highness." Zhang Mutou was a little nervous when he saw the fourth prince, after all, this was a real nobleman, and that extravagance reminded him of the days when he was on an errand in the palace in his previous life, and his attitude couldn't help but become respectful and humble, and his actions were very measured.

The fourth prince narrowed his eyes, this kid is quite caring, and he has learned the court etiquette so standard in such a short time, not bad!

"What's the matter?" The fourth prince asked.

Zhang Mutou knelt on the ground and replied to the four princes as he did when he was a eunuch in his previous life: "Your Highness, when the slaves and small people entered Beijing, they encountered a strange thing on the outskirts of Beijing, and they felt that this thing was very strange, and they should tell Your Highness, maybe they will help Your Highness again." ”

"Huh? What's the weird way? You elaborate. Because of Zhang Mutou's attitude, the fourth prince had a little more patience to listen to him.

Zhang Mutou said: "When Xiaomin passed through a village twenty miles away on the outskirts of Beijing, because it was getting late, he stayed in the village for the night. Early the next morning, I happened to meet someone who came to the village to buy vegetables, chickens, ducks and other ingredients. The amount of ingredients is very large, according to the estimates of slaves and small people, these ingredients are enough for five or six thousand people to chew. ”

"Five or six thousand?" The Fourth Prince's eyes widened suddenly. Where in the capital do so many people gather to eat? Naturally, it's a barracks. But in the military camps near the outskirts of Beijing, there are fixed channels for the supply of ingredients, and they will never go to the mountain villages to buy them, so what are these five or six thousand people doing?

The fourth prince hurriedly asked, "Have you asked clearly, who purchased these ingredients?" Where to send to? ”

Zhang Mutou said: "The villagers don't know who purchased it, they only know that those who purchase it will transport the ingredients to the mountain every time, and it should be someone in the mountain." ”

After hearing this, the four princes finally decided. Private soldiers! There is a private soldier raised by someone in the mountains!

"Someone." The fourth prince shouted, "Invite General Situ here." ”

After a cup of tea, an imposing young general walked into the study of the four princes. Zhang Mutou looked at it intently, this general was very fresh, and he had never seen him in his previous life. Is it because the fourth prince died prematurely, and the general was also attacked by the second prince and died.

"Situ Junyuan has seen His Highness." Young people report their names.

When Zhang Mutou heard this, he remembered that this was General Situ who guarded the southwest! General Situ has been staying in the south and rarely returns to the capital, so naturally he has not seen him.

"Junyuan, there is a situation, His Royal Highness wants you to go to the mountains on the outskirts of Beijing to investigate whether there are private soldiers stationed in it, and find out who their master is." The four princes gave direct orders straight to the point.

"Private soldiers?" Situ Junyuan was stunned for a moment, "How could His Royal Highness know that there are private soldiers in the mountains?" ”

It stands to reason that if someone has a private soldier, won't he cover it up tightly? How could it be discovered by the Four Highnesses? He is the most useful of the four highnesses' subordinates, and he doesn't know this news, where did the four highnesses get this news? Could it be that the Fourth Highness has cultivated other forces?

The Fourth Highness seemed to know what Situ Junyuan was thinking, and pointed to Zhang Mu to explain his doubts, so as not to affect the trust between the master and servant: "This matter was discovered by Zhang Dexing." On his way to Beijing, he occasionally found someone buying a large number of ingredients, and he thought it was okay, so he told His Highness. His Royal Highness thought about it, and the most likely thing was that someone raised a private soldier in the mountains. ”

Situ Junyuan glanced at Zhang Mu and responded, "My subordinates will go to investigate immediately." ”

After speaking, he quickly left the study and immediately arranged for the investigation. At this moment, this matter is very important, and a group of five or six thousand private soldiers is likely to have a very big impact on the situation in the capital.

"If a private soldier is really found in the mountain, you will be the first to take the credit." The fourth prince said to Zhang Mutou, "When the time comes, His Royal Highness will reward you heavily." ”

"Thank you, Your Highness, Xiaomin is just lucky, and he deserves a heavy reward from His Highness." Zhang Mutou said busily.

"It should not be up to His Highness to have the final say. But your luck is really good, and you deserve the word 'lucky star'. ”