Seeing that the other party didn't speak, Lai Heng continued: "Don't be afraid of your jokes, Master Hou, although we are water bandits, we can't see the situation clearly." ”

"In the past, the imperial court was busy fighting barbarians, and it didn't look down on our little fight in Dongting Lake. But now it's different, it's been stable for a few years, and the court can free up its hands to exterminate us at any time. So in the past two years, we have been trying to find a clear way for a long time. ”

"But you can also see it, it's not that we don't want to, we want to live, everyone wants to live, it's that some people don't want us to submit."

Oh?

Li Junxian was surprised: "Could it be the official of this Jingxiang area...... Want to raise your own respect? ”

To constancy default.

Fang Er was puzzled: "Brother Xiao, what is the self-respect of raising a Kou?" Isn't it Jingxiang's official who sends money to the Dongting water bandits? Feed them alive, and then support themselves? ”

"But that's not right, what the military advisor said just now is that Jingxiang Shui Shi also wants to destroy the Dongting water bandits and earn military merits, it shouldn't be like this."

Xiao Rui's eyes were sharp, and his murderous aura flashed, "Hmph, it's not strange!" The imperial court has always attached great importance to the northern army, and war horses and armor are the first, so the Tang Navy Division is like dispensable, at most in charge of the transportation and suppression of bandits. The financial resources of the imperial court invested ninety percent in the army, and the grandmother on the side of the sailor did not love the uncle, and the money that could be distributed was not even ten percent. ”

"The attitude of the imperial court is to maintain the status quo and be self-sufficient, after all, it seems that there is no need for sailors to fight. Unlike the former Emperor Daye of the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty did not have a plan to conquer Goguryeo. ”

"Therefore, the sailors envy the exploits and income of the army generals and soldiers. Every year, in the name of suppressing bandits, he reached out to the imperial court to ask for military expenses, and also falsely reported his military exploits to get rewards. ”

"The meaning of raising the bandits is to keep all the bandits under their rule in captivity, not to kill, not to suppress, and not to let the growth get out of control. On the grounds that the bandits under his rule were serious, he constantly reached out to the court to ask for money, food, soldiers and horses, etc., and took the opportunity to strengthen himself. ”

Fang Er pulled a long tone, "Oh...... So that's the case, so to put it this way, these people are not only bad, but also quite smart. ”

Burst......

Li Junxian said with a smile: "Bad people have always been smart people, and those who are not too smart can't be bad people." ”

"Why? Do bad guys still pick people? Fang Er was puzzled.

"That's because people who are not very smart, even if they do bad things, will be found and punished as soon as possible, and they will not last long. Bad people who can be evil for a long time are smart people. ”

After thinking about it, Fang Er nodded approvingly: "This is what Brother Xiao said - cunning villains!" ”

Burst......

Xiao Rui: I didn't, I didn't say it......

Fang Er said angrily: "Brother Xiao, then should we clean up this group of people?" ”

Li Junxian gave Fang Er a look, meaning that you don't talk nonsense, you have to listen to Master Hou. How can this kind of military aircraft major event of the imperial court be hasty? It's always inappropriate to listen to the words of the Dongting bandits.

Lai Heng also knew this, and hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Master Hou, we have no intention of suing for revenge. We just want to follow the Hou Ye to the court. When Princess Changle passed by last year, we had this idea, but unfortunately the princess and King Jiangxia had something to do, so we had to put it on hold. ”

Li Junxian was puzzled and said: "Come to the military division, the Hou Ye has promised you, as long as you put down your weapons and return to your home for the people, no one dares to pursue it anymore, even if the Jingxiang Water Division is dissatisfied, they will not dare not give Hou Ye face." ”

"Why do you insist on following Hou Ye? You must know that although Hou Ye is the champion Hou, he is not qualified to recruit a team of tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, which is a blessing in disguise for Hou Ye. ”

Lai Heng smiled bitterly: "It's not a secret, the ordinary brothers below are not counted, but our group of people in the village have been fighting and killing for many years, and the ability to fish and farm has long been unfamiliar. ”

Speaking of this, Lai Heng said sincerely to Xiao Rui: "If the Hou Ye does not give up, the five thousand descendants of the Dongting Water Village are willing to follow the Hou Ye to fight in the Quartet, protect the family and defend the country, and unswervingly to the death." ”

On the surface, he was silent, but in fact, Xiao Rui was already smiling in his heart.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Rui finally nodded: "It's okay, you can't watch a bunch of big talents being buried." Wait for a while, and when Ben Hou returns from this trip south, I will find a proper place for you. ”

"Benhou said before that he would never go to the battlefield again, so if you return to the imperial court, you must listen to the dispatch and appointment of the imperial court, not follow Benhou as a protector."

Lai Heng nodded heavily, thanking him a thousand times, "Thank you for your great grace!" ”

Now I can finally give an account to the brothers.

……

On the way south from Yueyang Tower two days later, Fang Er asked the puzzle in his heart, "Brother Xiao, why didn't you directly incorporate them?" Instead, let them wait a few months? We don't seem to be in much of a hurry to go south. If it drags on like this for a few months, it is impossible to say that the Jingxiang Water Master will attack Dongting again and have to die. ”

Xiao Rui smiled: "Bereavement, it seems that you really like this group of people?" Speak for them? ”

Fang Er scratched his head and smiled: "I feel that they are bold and interesting, not bad people." ”

Xiao Rui nodded: "Whether it's a bad person or not, you still need to send someone to verify." When we met on the riverbank, you competed with each other, and I fell in love with Lai Heng, a natural water general. I didn't expect him to give me such a big surprise, this Dongting water bandit is a ready-made water master left by God to Datang. A little polishing is a sharp weapon. ”

"It's just a few days together, and I feel that they also have the intention of being obedient, so I just took a pinch or two by the way, waiting for them to beg me."

"You know, I took the initiative to seek talents, and they took the initiative to seek officials, but there are two different results."

Fang Er shook his head to indicate that he couldn't understand it.

Xiao Rui didn't explain, but Li Junxian secretly admired, saying that he almost ruined the big thing of the Hou Ye, and he really couldn't talk too much in the future, just concentrate on being a guard.

"Give them a few months, first, to send someone to investigate whether the Dongting water bandits have any bad deeds, and secondly, to touch the Jingxiang water master who raises self-respect, to see if they are rotten or not? We can't just listen to one side of the story, the court needs to be cautious in employing people. ”

"This third, the Lai brothers, I have a lot of use, and I haven't figured out where to put it yet, so I'll arrange it for a few months."

"Alas...... It's a pity, I love you as a landlubber, and you don't have water sex, otherwise let you lead this group of people to set up a new water division, tsk, that combat effectiveness must be good. ”

Fang Er didn't have the slightest pity, but hurriedly waved his hand and refused, "I don't want to lead the troops outside, I like to follow Brother Xiao, I will be a good escort for you in this life, and practice the martial arts you taught me, I don't want to be the first and second in the world, I want to try to be the third in the world." ”

Yes? Third in the world?

Li Junxian and Xiao Rui were stunned for a moment at the same time, they didn't expect that a simple-minded big man would have such an ambition?

Xiao Rui stroked his palm and praised: "Okay, since the virtuous brother doesn't dislike being wronged by his brother, then the brother won't hide his selfishness, the martial arts on my body, as long as you learn, all of them will be handed over to you, don't say anything about the third in the world, your talent is not bad, concentrate on practicing martial arts, and the first in the world will be yours in the future." ”

Fang Er waved his hand and refused: "Don't be the first, hehe, just the third." Brother Xiao, is there any way for me to find more people to fight with? This is the competition in Dongting Water Village, and I feel better than my own hard work for half a year. ”

Xiao Rui sneered: "Do you think the master is a cabbage? Where did I find you so much at once? After all, the Dongting water bandits were accidental. Unless you give up your status as a military general and devote yourself to the green forest for a period of time, there is really no good way. ”

Fang Er is not disappointed.

Li Junxian next to him comforted: "Don't be discouraged, it won't be peaceful on the way, if you encounter any bandits, bandits, etc., you will be trained in." Although there may not be any masters, if you can progress from one against a hundred to one against a thousand, your martial arts can still go to the next level. ”

It's true? Fang Er's eyes lit up, and he immediately got out of the carriage, stood on the roof of the car and looked around, trying to find out if there were any bandits or something nearby.