Putting away the token and removing the mandala, Zhao Xiao said to Lieutenant Zhang: "It seems that the group of rat demons is no longer nearby, only a little wandering outside, and it is not a climate. ”

"Then I don't know what the Immortal Chief plans to do?" Lieutenant Zhang asked.

"Now that I know where the rat demon is, of course I won't sit idly by, and I'm ready to leave for Xinglong County now." Zhao Xiao said.

Lieutenant Zhang said: "I wonder if the villain can accompany him? ”

Zhao Huang pondered, he actually knew about the secret correspondence between Lieutenant Zhang and Monk Chiyundu, but he didn't break it, but pretended to be puzzled: "Doesn't Lieutenant Zhang have anything else to do in the village?" ”

"If you can witness the rat demon being subdued by the immortal chief, the villagers in the village can also rest assured." Lieutenant Zhang had no choice but to come up with a reason.

"That's right, the villages around you were the first to be invaded by demons." Zhao Xiao nodded: "That's okay, Lieutenant Zhang will come with me and be a witness." ”

Without delay, Zhao Huang immediately let his soldiers set off after descending the mountain, and Lieutenant Zhang took a few villagers with him to follow Zhao Huang to Xinglong County.

Similar to Qiaozhang Village, Xinglong County was set up by Huaxu State to settle a large number of overseas Chinese refugees since the Five Kingdoms War. Zhao Xiao was too lazy to waste his lips and tongue, and directly revealed his identity outside the county seat, and the local county magistrate hurriedly welcomed Zhao Xiao and everyone into after hearing the news.

"I don't know what kind of business the Marquis of Zhenming is here? But if there is an order, the subordinate will definitely serve wholeheartedly. In the government office, the county magistrate presented Zhao Xiao to the throne and asked respectfully.

"Now that the two countries are facing each other, the situation is unusual, and there are even more demons and fools, and this official is ordered to search for all the demons inside and outside Pujia Pass." Zhao Xiao said: "So far, I want to ask if there have been any demons and disasters in your county recently?" ”

The county commander replied with a smile: "The lord of the country, the sage, the people of Xinglong County are harmonious, and there are no disasters and ominous things." ”

"Oh?" Zhao Xiao raised his eyebrows, before he entered the city, he had secretly summoned the soldiers and horses of the altar, and asked them to investigate the situation inside and outside Xinglong County, so he said: "I hope that the Xinglong County Decree will understand, if it is found that there are demons and evil disasters in your county, you will be guilty of dereliction of duty." If you don't report it, it's an even more crime. ”

The county commander immediately broke out in a cold sweat, his face turned pale, he waved his hand to retreat from the other Cao officials, and said in a low voice: "It's the lower official who is stupid, and there will be a thousand taels of silver to be sent to the post house later, and the Marquis of Zhenming will be invited to laugh." ”

Zhao Xiao's face did not change, he didn't expect that he would ask a few words, and the other party thought that he was taking the opportunity to ask for bribes.

"The Xinglong County Order is really generous!" Zhao Xiao laughed: "One thousand taels of silver will be sent, it seems that your county is prosperous, far beyond the official's expectations." ”

"Ashamed, ashamed!" The county magistrate smiled and said: "The lower officials are just doing chores for the capital Zhongqinggui." ”

There is a needle hidden in these words, which clearly implies that he has another backer in Dongshengdu, and a thousand taels of silver is considered to be a face for Marquis Zhenming, and I hope he will not gain an inch.

Of course, Zhao Huang heard the meaning of the words, so he took the opportunity to ask: "Zhao is curious, what kind of chores can make Xinglong County Order get such a huge profit?" Can you make a point? ”

The county magistrate wiped his sweat, he thought that Zhao Xiao felt that one thousand taels of silver was not enough, so he had to explain: "The Marquis of Zhenming should know that Xinglong County is located in a remote area, and it only relies on the tax of acres of land, and the local officials and officials have incomplete rice and silver, so they can only find another way." There are several small roads in the local mountains, which can accommodate cars and horses to travel to and from Jiuli and sell goods. ”

Zhao Xiao covered his anger with a smile, and the Zheng family of Jiujiang was convicted of selling grain, rice, cloth and silk to Jiuli Kingdom. Now that the Zheng family has been overthrown, the business of this border smuggler has not been cut off at all, and this Xinglong county magistrate has also made a lot of money.

"But in this situation, is the business still done?" Zhao Xiao asked.

The county magistrate thought that Zhao Xiao was interested in getting involved, and showed a somewhat weird smile: "There are many tribes in Jiuli Country, and they are not monolithic, and the tribes near the border have always been willing to exchange markets with us.

After they get the goods, they sell them to other tribes and make more profits! Moreover, there was a great drought in Jiuli last year, and the price of grain and rice there was one price a day, so that some of the grain and grass of the soldiers and horses of Jiuli Country depended on us! ”

Zhao Xiao tapped his knee's fingers to stop his movements and asked, "In addition to your county, is there anyone else in nearby counties who does this business?" ”

"Absolutely!" The county order came to be interested: "Marquis Zhenming doesn't know, Pujiaguan is close to the county, and the one who makes this business the biggest and most prosperous is that Gao Pinggong!" ”

Zhao Huang was stunned: "But isn't Gao Pinggong the guard of Pujiaguan?" ”

"That's right! Only with this identity can we control the exchanges with Jiuli Kingdom. The county commander said with a smile: "Xia Guan heard that at present, Wu Kui Jun has taken over Pujia Pass, and there is a way to come to Zhenming Hou, so Xia Guan doesn't have to show off." ”

Only then did Zhao Huang understand why in the hands of Gao Pinggong, the armament of Pujiaguan was so lax, and he himself lived in such luxury. Now it seems that it is not just the expulsion and plundering of the local soldiers and civilians, but the border military town as a cornucopia of its own windfall.

In fact, there is nothing wrong with the mutual market at the border gates. Huaxu has a system of rules and regulations in China, stating which things cannot be sold in other countries, and there are corresponding prohibitions in Jiuli.

But often the more it is eliminated, the more people take risks. For example, Boss Wu, who was a smuggler of dragon blood lipids, couldn't have done it because he was connected with the people of Jiuli Kingdom near Xinglong County and got the dragon blood lipids.

Similarly, there are many ministers and nobles in Huaxu who make profits from this, and they simply collude with county officials. Among them, Gao Pinggong was the most rampant, and directly operated the border military town as a private industry.

Zhao Xiao pinched his eyebrows, he had the experience of Dongshengdu, he already had a general understanding of these things, and he would not lose his temper on the spot.

And looking at the rhetoric of this Xinglong County Order, people obviously regard this kind of thing as taking advantage of the position of local magistrate and making profits from smugglers in Jiuli Country as ordinary. Gao Pinggong did this, and the officials of the neighboring counties naturally followed suit.

This kind of thing is really not something that Zhao Xiao can change if he is not used to seeing it alone, and now he is not so naïve.

But this will not change Zhao Xiao's opinion of Gao Pinggong, obviously as a member of the country's patriarch, and sitting in such a critical place as Pujiaguan, it is okay for smugglers to make profits, but he should not let the armaments be wasted to this point, this is the biggest mistake!

Now outside the Chen Bing Pass of Jiuli Kingdom, General Wei and Zhao Xiao are busy cleaning up this mess for Gao Pinggong, and there will inevitably be resentment in their hearts.

"This official came this time, not only to hunt down evil spirits." Zhao Xiao said: "Presumably, the Xinglong County Order has received the order from the imperial court to recruit soldiers and raise money and grain, I don't know how it is done now?" ”

When the county magistrate heard this, he immediately showed a look of embarrassment and said, "Marquis Zhenming, can you give the lower officials a few days of grace?" ”

"How?" Zhao Huang asked: "These two things are difficult to do?" The recruitment of soldiers can be slowed down a little, and General Wei in front is in urgent need of money and food. ”

"Marquis Zhenming may have heard that the surrounding counties have always had Chiyun Chaos Party lurking, hiding in the countryside and markets, and inciting the people to fight against the government. Whether it is collecting taxes or levying conscription, it is particularly difficult. The county magistrate sighed and said: "And the more remote the village, the more the Diao people are often able to gather people to resist adversity. Unless ......"

"Unless what?" Zhao Xiao was not angry about the prevarication of the county order, perhaps he had expected it a long time ago.

"Marquis Zhenming might as well go to General Wei and send more troops and horses to come, and those Diao people will definitely obey when they see the power of the imperial court." The county magistrate said: "If there are one or two thieves and rebellious people, they can also be killed on the spot." ”

Zhao Xiao smiled and said nothing, this Xinglong county commander had a good calculation. With the help of Chiyundu, he was perfunctory to the orders of the court, and when someone from above urged, he pushed the responsibility to the other party, so that the court could face the anger of the people, so that he could hide aside and protect himself.

"Okay." Zhao Xiao was indeed secretly angry in his heart, but he didn't attack on the spot, and dusted his sleeves lightly and said: "I can go to the letter to transfer troops here, but the Xinglong County Order must also do something." At present, there is an urgent need for money and food, so you might as well borrow from a large local household first. ”

Gu Jing

"This ......" county order is uncertain.

Zhao Xiao got up and said: "Xinglong County ordered that you should not forget, when the soldiers and horses come later, Zhao will directly borrow money and grain from the local big households, and it is okay." After I leave with the troops, Xinglong County will ask you to find a way to repay it. ”

Since this county magistrate wants to do things perfunctorily, Zhao Xiao might as well make a strong dragon to suppress the head snake.

After returning to the post house, Zhao Xiao immediately repaired a letter and asked his soldiers to send it to General Wei quickly. As soon as the letter was sent here, several messengers carried the box to Zhao Xiao, and after opening it, it was not Tianxia silver cake inside, but official silver that had been melted and inscribed, and it was neatly arranged.

After those officials left, He Dangguan couldn't help but squat in front of the box and stare at it for a long time, and sighed: "How much is this county order a year?" I vaguely remember that all the grain, rice, and cloth were folded into silver taels, which was just over a hundred taels, right? ”

Zhao Xiao sneered: "I urged him to collect money and food, and shirked it in every possible way." opened a few threats, and was immediately regarded as a bribe. ”

Zhao Xiao was still pondering, and he heard the voice of the soldiers and horses of the altar in his ears: "Altar master, we have found the lair of the rat demon." ”

"Oh? Where are the nests located? Zhao Xiao asked intently.

"Just under Xinglong County, there are many entrances, but they are protected by magic, if we rush deeper, I am afraid that we will disturb the demons inside."

Zhao Xiao pondered: "You guard several entrances first, don't expose your traces. ”

"Yes!" The soldiers and horses replied, "But in addition to the entrance to the well and canal, there seems to be another place in the city where the rat demon can enter and exit, and that is a shrine. ”

"Shrine? Which deity is it? Zhao Xiao was suspicious.

"Fortune and Treasure Treasure Thousand Golden Immortals."

"What kind of honorific name is this?" Zhao Xiao laughed out loud, and then asked, "Is there a true charm of God in the shrine?" ”

"There is an enchantment around the shrine, and we can't see what's going on inside."

Zhao Huang was silent, he could actually vaguely guess that this golden immortal was not a righteous god, and planned to find out.

But just as he was about to leave, Zhao Xiao retracted his steps and said to He Dangguan: "Are there prostitutes in this city?" ”

He Dangguan was stunned in place, and he didn't know what to say for a while: "There should be one......

"Go, whether it's prostitutes, dancers, singers, recruit three or five." Zhao Xiao said: "In addition, some wine and food will be arranged, and I will set up a banquet in the post house tonight for fun." ”

He Dangguan has been following Zhao Huang for a while, and he knows very well that this Deacon Zhao is definitely not a person who is greedy for pleasure, and he is quite able to endure hardship and boredom. He looked left and right and asked in a low voice, "What are Deacon Zhao's arrangements?" ”

"Yes, but keep quiet." Zhao Xiao took out some gold and silver from his bamboo basket: "You go and do it." ”

He Dangguan didn't take it, pointed to the box of silver on the ground and said, "Deacon Zhao doesn't need to pay for it himself, didn't the local county order send a big box?" ”

Zhao Xiao shook his head and said, "Don't touch this box of official silver, I'm going to use it as a game." ”

……

"Is the news true?"

In the government office, when the county magistrate heard the report of the errand officer, he couldn't help asking: "That Marquis Zhenming really recruited singers and dancers to the post house?" ”

"It's true!" The messenger replied: "The villain saw those singers and dancers go to the post house with his own eyes, and the Marquis of Zhenming himself came out in person, and directly hugged left and right, talked and laughed and entered the inside. ”

The county commander said with a smile: "I heard before that this Zhenming Marquis is diligent and pragmatic, and when I see it today, it turns out that he is just a greedy and lustful person!" ”

"Even so, don't take this person lightly."

Seeing a roe deer-headed man walk out of the back hall, the county commander waved his hand to let the errand retire, and asked, "Does the god know about this person?" ”

"The name of Zhao Huang has long been heard of in this seat." The rat-eyed man twisted his slender beard: "He became famous in Dongshengdu, the reason was that a group of Jiuli State spies failed to assassinate him, but he was wiped out, and then the ghost market near Dongshengdu was implicated and was destroyed and bulldozed by the imperial court." There is a familiar colleague in this seat who escaped in a thrilling way, and the news about Zhao Huang has already spread all over the mountains and wilderness of Huaxu Kingdom. ”

The county commander said cautiously: "Divine Venerable, Zhao Huang is said to be quite trusted by the lord of the country, it is best not to rashly trouble him, otherwise it will be greatly implicated." ”

"This seat is naturally clear." The rat-eyed man was about to say more, when he suddenly saw the candle flame in the room beating inexplicably, he immediately became vigilant, and his body quickly rushed out of the window, looking around, his nose twitching.

"What's going on?" The prefectural magistrate caught up and asked.

"I noticed a hint of magic qi, and I suspect that someone is spying on you and me." The rat-eyed man searched for a long time, but found nothing.

The county commander was surprised: "Could it be Zhao Xiao?" ”

The rat-eyed man did not answer immediately, but closed his eyes and pinched the trick, and after a moment said, "It doesn't seem to be." I sent my eyes and ears to the post house, and found that the sound of singing and dancing was endless, and Zhao Xiao was still clapping his hands. ”

"So what should I do next?" The prefectural order asked.

"You gave Zhao Xiao a thousand taels of silver before?" The rat-eyed man asked, "And it's still the public bank of the government treasury, aren't you afraid of accidents?" ”

The county magistrate said calmly: "I have a sum of money that is still circulating outside, in order to deal with Zhao Xiao, I can only transfer it from the treasury, and the money will be settled when I come back later." ”

"It's a pity that I was forced away by the Chiyundu gang, if it was usual, I would still be able to master a road to the Jiuli Kingdom, why worry about the lack of wealth?" The rat-eyed man snorted coldly.

"This gang of chaotic parties has brought disaster to the country and the people, offended the gods, and cut off people's financial routes, which is really hateful!" The county commander said: "It seems that I have to spend a little more tongue to let that Zhao Xiao lead the troops later and directly slaughter the villages that hide the rebellious party." If he refuses to do it, I will go back to the book and impeach him for the suspicion of indulging the party! ”

"Okay, that's the right way!" The rat-eyed man nodded in approval.

The two of them talked happily on the ground, but they did not notice that there was a black paper crane among the roof tiles, which blended into the night and was silent.