"According to the rumors of merchants in the northern states, the Khitan lord Yelu Deguang is deploying troops and horses, preparing to go south to Youzhou, Yunzhou and other places to plunder, the defenders of the border counties are fluctuating, and the envoys of the border towns have asked the imperial court to send reinforcements......"

"The sage instructed the minister to choose someone who could be the commander to guard the east of the river to prevent the Khitan army from running rampant......"

"The ministers of the court and the central government discussed that most of them thought that the post of envoy of the Hedong Jiedu should be held by Shi Jingjiao, and the sage did not have any objection to this!"

At the beginning of September, in the Dengzhou Mansion, Cui Qianwu, the commander of the Beizhen Fusi, and Bai Jixun, the commander of the Zhenfu Division, brought three pieces of the latest information from Luoyang, and Li Congyan's face was very solemn after reading it.

"What should come is coming!"

The situation that Li Congyan didn't want to see happened anyway, Shi Jingjiao began to develop gradually, and at this time his brows were tightly knit and he groaned, and asked, "How many teams of people are there in Luoyang now?" ”

Cui Qianwu forked his hand and said: "Your Excellency, there are four teams of people in Luoyang to inquire about intelligence. ”

Li Congyan thought for a moment and said: "Ten teams of people and horses will be transferred from the Pinglu Jiedu envoy, three teams will go to Luoyang, and seven teams will go to Hedong to collect information about Shi Jingjiao's movements!" ”

"Whoa!"

However, Bai Jixun and Cui Qianwu were a little puzzled, why Li Congyan always attached so much importance to this Shi Jingjiao, even if Shi Jingzhen really served as the envoy of the Hedong Festival, he was only one of the many envoys of the Festival, nothing special.

Li Congyan listened to the doubts of the two and said: "Because this person is a disaster, and it is a great disaster!" ”

"Woe?"

Bai Jixun and Cui Qianwu looked at each other, although the two were still very confused in their hearts, but in the face of Li Congyan's affirmation, they no longer said anything, but immediately took the order.

Subsequently, Li Congyan ordered someone to take a detailed map of the Hedong area.

"Lord, where did this map come from?"

In this day and age, maps are very abstract, and even some landmarks are very different from reality.

However, Li Congyan's map is relatively accurate, and in the eyes of Bai Jixun and Cui Qianwu, this map is more regular, and they can't help but be surprised, so they asked.

Li Congyan was still staring at the map and studying something, and said without looking back: "This is what I drew with reference to the map collected by the Fusi of Beizhen, and I improved it myself." When I'm done with it, I'll give it to you to collect. ”

"Whoa!"

Bai Jixun said with a smile: "I really didn't expect the Lord to know how to be a good person, it's really right to come today, the two of us have also picked up the treasure." ”

Cui Qianwu said with a smile: "That's natural, the Lord is rare in the world!" ”

"Alright, let's get down to business."

Li Congyan smiled and waved his hand to sit down for the two of them, and then asked, "How long will it take for the manpower deployment of the Beizhen Fusi to be completed?" ”

Cui Qianwu said: "Enlighten the Lord, if all the arrangements are in place according to the Lord's requirements, it will take at least fifteen days. ”

"Good! I'll give you fifteen days, and you can't be any more slow. ”

"Whoa!"

Bai Jixun asked: "I see that the Lord has been staring at the map for a long time, what is the Lord looking at?" ”

"Look at Hedong!"

Li Congyan pointed to the location of Hedong Town on the map and said: "From Luoyang to Hedong, Shi Jingjiao must first thank him in Luoyang, and then set off from Luoyang to rush to Hedong Town to take up his post. According to the approximate date on the intelligence, Shi Jingjiao will be able to rush to Hedong Town in a few days. ”

Bai Jixun frowned slightly, and said, "What does the lord mean, secretly get rid of Shi Jingjiao?" ”

"That's right!"

At this time, Bai Jixun and Cui Qianwu were taken aback when they heard Li Congyan's thoughts: What did this Shi Jingyan do, or what he was going to do, was known by Li Congyan, why did Li Congyan have such a big killing intent towards Shi Jingyan?

"Lord, this ......"

Li Congyan asked, "What's the matter, can't the killer division of the Beizhen Fusi still be used?" ”

Bai Jixun gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, as long as the Lord gives an order, the brothers of the Killer Division can die for the Lord at any time!" It's just that Shi Jingjiao is the envoy of Hedong Town canonized by the imperial court after all, and now he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary, and there is no real threat to our Dengzhou, if he is assassinated at this time, his subordinates are worried that it will bring trouble to our Dengzhou. ”

At this time, Li Congyan calmed down and thought for a while, and then sighed, the killing intent in his heart was still not reduced at all, but how to convince these two subordinates?

"I can't say that I foresaw that Shi Jingjiao would betray the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in the future and would defect to the Khitans as traitors, right? I guess no one will believe it when I say it at this time. ”

After thinking for a while, Li Congyan shook his head and said, "Forget it!" Beizhen Fusi is still mainly surveillance, I want to know all the information about Shi Jingjiao in Hedong Town! ”

"Whoa! The subordinates immediately went to implement it. ”

Taiyuan Province.

Outside the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion in Hedong Town is a long and prosperous street, and the merchants in the city at this time are no longer confined to a certain place, but have begun to gradually spread to all parts of the city.

This not only shows that commerce began to develop greatly at this time, but also shows that the control of the Later Tang Dynasty over the local government began to decline sharply.

At this time, on this street, the wine shops, workshops, and restaurants are very lively, and the pedestrians come and go, all of which show the prosperity of Taiyuan Mansion.

On the diagonal opposite the mansion of the Jiedu Embassy in Hedong Town, it is a three-storey wine shop, at this time it is noon, and the wine shop is already full of wine customers, so it is not lively.

"Come on! A jar of two-pot head wine produced in Dengzhou, one roast mutton, one carp, stewed vegetables, and one Hu cake! ”

The shopkeeper put the wine and meat on the table, and the two businessmen sat down by the window and began to eat and drink. The two of them drank a glass of spirits, and a breath of wine exhaled instantly, and they suddenly screamed comfortably.

"This wine is really strong, after drinking these two pots, other wines can't enter the mouth, no matter how good the wine is!"

An elderly businessman glanced out the window, only to see the side door of the Jiedu Mansion in Hedong Town slowly open, and a man with a scarf walked out, and then walked into the crowd with his head down and left.

"Don't drink it, the target is out!"

Another young businessman hurriedly put down the wine glass in his hand, turned around and disappeared from the wine shop.

The rest of the elderly businessman did not move, but still stared at the door of the Jiedu Envoy's mansion, watching intently, drinking wine and eating food from time to time, and sitting in this wine shop for a whole day.

In the afternoon, the young businessman rushed back panting, and as soon as he sat down, he picked up a large piece of roast mutton and chewed it: "This dish is cold, why don't you order a few more?" ”

"It's good to eat some, don't pick and choose."

After the old merchant finished speaking, he looked around, and saw that no one was paying attention to this side, so he asked in a low voice, "How?" Did the man who came out of the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion keep up? ”

The young merchant nodded and said, "Keep up, guess what?" That person turned out to be a Khitan! ”

"Khitans? How can it be! ”

The old merchant frowned and asked, "Are you sure?" This matter is not trivial, the envoy of Hedong Jiedu actually has dealings with the Khitans! ”

"Of course I'm sure!"

The young merchant said in a low voice: "I followed the man all the way out of the city, next to the official road in the north of the city, the man took off his scarf and itched, the top of his head was bare, only two handfuls of hair on the back of his head, which were clearly Khitan hairstyles!" ”

"There's a problem, there's a big problem!"

The old merchant drank the wine in his cup, and then said, "Let's go, we have to send the news out immediately, and there can be no delay for a moment!" ”

After speaking, the old businessman turned around and left.

"Hey!"

The young businessman hurriedly ate two bites of food and chased after him: "You wait for me for a while!" ”

The two walked down the street for a while, and met a man who was setting up a stall at a remote street corner.

The old merchant stepped forward to talk, and the young merchant pretended to pass by and wandered around, observing the situation around him.

"Is it in stock?"

"Yes! A new article that arrived only today. ”

"Where's the delivery?"

"Far away."

"Where?"

"Khitan!"

The man who set up the stall suddenly narrowed his eyes and whispered, "This is big business!" Is there a manifest? ”

The old merchant stretched out his hand and gestured on the merchant's palm. After a while, the old merchant Jabi stood up after drawing and asked, "These are the goods, can you write them down?" ”

The stall man nodded and said, "I've written it all down!" The shipment was too big, so I immediately went back to prepare the money. ”

"Okay, I'm tired!"

After the two finished speaking, the old merchant and the young merchant left.

The man who set up the stall waited for a while, and saw that no one was passing by, so he packed up his things and left. I saw the man put his things in the package and carry them with him, and went all the way west along the alley next to him, and he came to the vicinity of the west gate of Taiyuan Mansion.

"Where's this little brother?"

A woman dressed up in a bewitching costume blocked the way of the stall man, and said with a smile on her eyebrows: "The little brother is so handsome, why don't you laugh with the little woman, and it will not be in vain?" ”

The stall brother said with a smile: "Don't blame the girl, Xiao Ke has just taken over a big business, and is about to go back to prepare to buy, please let me go!" ”

"Oops!"

The woman leaned forward as she spoke, took the right hand of the stall man into her arms, and said, "What a big business does the little brother have, don't forget the little woman if you make money!" ”

The two of them tugged while talking, and after a while, the woman finally let go: "Hmph! I've never seen such an incomprehensible man as you! ”

After speaking, the woman walked away without looking back, and several passers-by laughed when they saw this, and the man who set up the stall turned red and hurriedly lowered his head and walked away.

A moment later, the charming woman just now appeared in the woods outside the West Gate, and at this time she had changed her clothes, and her face was no longer charming, replaced by a look of indifference and heroism.

A man came over with a war horse and asked in a low voice, "Why is it so urgent, it's too dangerous in the daytime, so you can't wait until the evening to connect?" ”

The woman said in a low voice: "The situation is urgent, this is the information sent by the uncle and nephew of the businessman Jia Lao Zhang in the city, red level three!" ”

This woman and the rest of the people are all officials and errands of the Beizhen Fusi in Hedong Town, and they are subordinate to the Beizhen Fusi Investigation Division.

At this time, the information collected by the North Town Fusi was divided into three levels: white, blue, and red, and each level was divided into three levels, with the white level being the lowest and the red level being the highest. Generally speaking, ordinary routine information, or information of little value, is white and has some value, but information that has little impact or controllable impact is blue.

And those that are enough to affect the current situation, or the consequences of the development of events are immeasurable, such information is the red level!

When the man heard this, he immediately changed color, took a small sachet handed over by the woman, and said in a low voice: "I will return to Dengzhou immediately and report this matter to Si Cheng and the commander!" ”

After speaking, the man turned over and got on the horse, and when he left, he did not forget to instruct: "You and Lao Zhang and the others must be careful, and they must pay attention to safety!" ”

The woman crossed her hands and said, "Oh! Be careful on the road! ”

Seven days later, Li Congyan received information from Beizhen Fusi: Shi Jingjiao began to contact the Khitans, the specific content is unknown, but it is very likely that he is seeking foreign aid!

"This scourge is hateful and cannot be killed immediately!"