Hearing that the person who commanded the army was Liu Qi, Li Bangyan was relieved in his heart, and said calmly: "The prefect Zeng is relieved, since His Majesty has entrusted him with a heavy responsibility, this official will do his best to live up to the trust!" ”

Wu Min and Bai Shizhong have already figured out the joints at this moment.

After glancing at Liu Xi, the look of fear in his eyes also dissipated most of it.

However, Zeng Nan was still kept in the dark, and when he saw Li Bangyan behaving like this, he admired: "Li Yuan is really a pillar of the country." ”

In the past, I had only heard that this prodigal prime minister was just a sycophant and a slapper, but I never thought that he would have such a responsibility.

Sure enough, the rumors are wrong.

Li Bangyan laughed and beckoned, "Come on, come on, continue to drink and feast." ”

The meal doesn't end until late at night.

Following.

Li Bangyan slept until three poles above the sun, peeled off the warm fragrant nephrite wrapped around his body, and washed and changed his clothes under the service of the maidservant.

When they came to the lobby of the Guanyi, Bai Shizhong and several people were already waiting there.

Li Bangyan sat down with a golden knife and asked, "Are the thieves from Qingzhou coming?" ”

Zeng Nan replied: "The spies just came to report, and the thieves are twenty miles away. ”

"Hmm!"

Li Bangyan nodded and ordered: "Come on, call Liu Xi!" ”

After a short time, Liu Xi walked into the lobby.

After going to the banquet last night, he tossed and turned after returning and didn't sleep all night.

His younger brother and uncle turned out to be thieves, which made him unacceptable for a while.

The most important thing is, will the official family blame them for this?

didn't sleep all night, which made Liu Xi's face a little haggard, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Li Bangyan was concerned: "General Liu didn't sleep well last night?" ”

"Thank you for your kindness, I ...... I have a problem with choosing a bed. ”

Liu Xi squeezed out a smile and casually arranged a reason to prevaricate.

"The thieves in Qingzhou are coming to attack Jiyin, less than twenty miles away, and the official has a letter, which is annoying General Liu to hand over to the anti-thief Liu Qi."

Li Bangyan didn't break it, took out a letter from his sleeve pocket and handed it over.

"The subordinate officer receives the order!"

Liu Xi took the letter with a complicated expression.

……

Liu Qi sat upright on the horse, and his slightly immature cheeks already had some majesty.

Now, there are still ten days left before the January period, and only Xingren Mansion and Yingtian Mansion are left on the entire Jingxi Road in Beijing.

On the side of Yingtianfu, Nie Dong attacked, and he was in charge of Xingren Mansion.

As long as these two prefectures are taken, the entire Jingxi and West Roads will fall into the hands of the county magistrate.

"Report!"

"The gate of Jiyin County was opened, and a team of cavalry went out of the city and came along the official road."

Hearing the scout's report, Liu Qi asked, "How much cavalry?" ”

The scout replied, "Less than a hundred." ”

Less than 100 people?

Liu Qi thought for a moment and ordered, "Let them come!" ”

Thundered!

Not long after, there was a sound of horses' hooves galloping in the distance, and more than 100 armored cavalry appeared at the end of the official road.

"Stop coming!"

About a mile away from the army, several scouts stopped in front of the official road.

Liu Xi restrained the war horse, and said with a complicated expression: "Tell your general, just say that Liu Xi wants to see him!" ”

"You wait here, don't break into the military formation, otherwise the crossbow won't be long!"

After a warning from one of the scouts, he mounted his horse and galloped towards the army.

All the way to the Chinese army, Liu Qi was found, and the scout reported: "Dutong, Liu Xi asks to see!" ”

"Who?"

Liu Qi was stunned for a moment, only thinking that he had misheard.

This reaction startled the scout, thinking that he had misremembered his name.

After thinking about it carefully, he replied, "Uh...... The man said that Liu Xi asked to see him. ”

After coming back to his senses, Liu Qi asked, "Which Liu, which tin?" ”

"This ...... How do you know? ”

The scout wants to cry without tears, isn't this fucking embarrassing for him?

Liu Qi also realized that he was asking a little stupid, and waved his hand and said, "Let him come over!" ”

"Order!"

The scouts were pardoned, and hurried away.

Riding his horse in front of the Japanese cavalry, he shouted to Liu Xi: "Dutong will let you pass, only one person!" ”

"You wait here."

Turning his head and explaining, Liu Xi set up his horse along the official road and went straight to the army.

The Japanese cavalry behind him couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

They are just shelf goods, they look good-looking, but how dare they go into battle to kill the enemy, and at this moment, they are so frightened that their legs and stomachs are weak.

Following the scout to the Chinese army, dozens of steps away, Liu Xi saw Liu Qi in the crowd at a glance.

It's really Liu Qi's outfit is too sassy, wearing a black light armor painted with gold tiger stripes, and a pure white cloak behind him.

"Brother Zhu?"

After getting closer, Liu Xi shouted, a little uncertain.

After all, he hadn't seen Liu Qi for three or four years, and this time was the time when Liu Qi had changed the most, so he could only vaguely recognize some of his former foundations from between the other party's eyebrows.

It's a big brother!

Originally, when he saw his eldest brother, Liu Qi was a little panicked, but the other party's voice made him unhappy.

I saw him pursed his lips and scolded: "Mo Tao is almost, the army must be called a position, and I will be called the commander!" ”

This is Brother Zhu!

The corners of Liu Xi's eyes twitched, and he gritted his teeth and said, "I've seen Liu Dutong!" ”

"Hmm!"

Liu Qi nodded with satisfaction and asked, "What is the so-called matter of asking to see Bendutong?" ”

Since he was a child, Liu Zhongwu has been entangled in military affairs and is often away from home.

Liu Xi, the eldest brother, has not educated him less.

Now that he has the opportunity, he naturally wants to shake his majesty.

Liu Xi's teeth itched, and he took out a letter from his arms and handed it over: "The Great Song Dynasty Shangshu Zuo Cheng Li Xianggong has a letter and handed it to Liu Dutong. ”

As soon as he heard that it was Li Bangyan's letter, Liu Qi knew it in his heart, and after taking the letter and opening it, it was really about the peace talks.

Taking advantage of this time, Liu Xi looked at Liu Qi.

The last time we met, the other party was only twelve years old, and he had a male duck voice.

I haven't seen him for a few years, but he has grown so burly and strong, his facial features have also grown, and there is a faint majesty between his eyebrows.

Brother Zhu has grown up!

Putting down the letter in his hand, Liu Qi said in a deep voice: "If I want to take a temporary truce, it is okay, but Jiyin County needs to pay 50,000 stone grain and grass." As for the matter of peace talks, Bendu can't do anything, and he needs to report to the county magistrate, you go back and tell Li Bangyan and let him wait for a few days! ”

"Okay, I'll report it."

Although Liu Xi had a lot of things to talk about with this younger brother in his heart, he also knew that now was not the time to catch up, so he turned around and left.

Seeing the eldest brother leaving, Liu Qi's face was solemn, and he instructed the military scribe to take a pen and paper, quickly write down a letter, seal it with a bamboo tube, and hand it over to the scout: "Hurry up and send this secret letter to the county magistrate!" ”

"Order!"

The scout replied solemnly.

After a short time, a group of scouts rushed out of the army and soon disappeared at the end of the official road.

The county magistrate had already told him not to agree immediately, and to continue to give the pressure that should be given.

Only by making the Zhao Song Emperor, including the courtiers, completely panic, can greater interests be sought at the negotiating table.

Thinking of this, Liu Qi waved his hand: "Command the front army, and rush to Jiyin County." ”

Boom Boom!

As the herald army passed down the military order, the stagnant front army set off again, rapidly approaching Jiyin County.

……

However, it was said that after Liu Xi led the cavalry all the way back to Jiyin County, he went straight to Guanyi and explained Liu Qi's conditions.

"Fifty thousand stone grain and grass?"

Hearing this condition, Zeng Mao exclaimed.

When the 100,000 Western Army pacified the rebels last year, a batch of grain and grass had been requisitioned from all over Shandong, and now in the granary of Xingren Mansion, not to mention 50,000 stones, there are no 5,000 stones.

Wu Min snorted coldly: "Hmph! It's really a lion's mouth! ”

"Peace talks, mainly in one word."

Li Bangyan smiled slightly, and said unhurriedly: "The top priority at the moment is to let the Qingzhou thieves stop their troops first. ”

"Li Xiang's words are reasonable."

Bai Shizhong nodded in agreement.

Li Bangyan asked: "Zeng Governor's Mansion, how much grain and grass is there in the granary of the county town?" ”

Zeng Nan replied truthfully: "More than 1,300 stones." ”

"If you want to make a procrastination trick, it's better to send a thousand stone of grain to the Qingzhou thief army first, and the rest is slowly being discussed, what do you think?" Li Bangyan said and looked at Wu Min and the others.

After pondering for a moment, Wu Min and the three nodded in agreement.

What Zhao Song lacks most now is time, and it can be delayed for one more day.

If it can be dragged until the 30,000 western troops led by the seed master to Xingren Mansion, it will be the best, and when the peace talks are held, they will be more confident.

While everyone was deliberating, a soldier trotted into the hall with a panicked look.

"Your ministers are not good, the anti-thief front army is coming straight to the county town, and it is less than fifteen miles away from the county town."

This news made everyone's expressions change greatly.

Li Bangyan turned his head to look at Liu Xi and asked, "General Liu, why didn't the thieves quit?" ”

"This ...... The lower officials don't know. ”

Liu Xi was also stunned, how could Brother Zhu not play cards according to the rules.

Li Bangyan didn't dare to say anything serious, and now Liu Xi was their gold medal for avoiding death, so he had to order: "Quick, if you go again, you will say that 50,000 stones is too much, and we can only get 20,000 stones." ”

"The subordinate officer receives the order!"

Liu Xi led the cavalry out of the city again.

Not long after, he bumped into the front army of the Qingzhou Army.

The front army of 8,000 men marched in a neat pace, and the momentum was terrifying.

After the scouts stopped the other cavalrymen, they let Liu Xi rush to the Chinese army on horseback.

Seeing Liu Qi again, Liu Xi asked, "Zhu ...... Liu Dutong, didn't you say to strike the army? ”

"When did Pontus say he was going to strike his troops?"

Liu Qi glanced at him and asked rhetorically.

This underbeaten appearance made Liu Xiqi's teeth itch again.

Suppressing the anger in his heart, he defended: "When the negotiation was just now, you clearly said that you would pay 50,000 stone of grain and grass to stop the army. ”

Liu Qi raised his eyebrows and said, "Where are the 50,000 stone grains and grass?" ”

"This ......"

Liu Xi's tone froze.

"When you gather 50,000 stone of grain to send to our army, the capital will stop the army."

Liu Qi said and ordered: "If you pass the order, you must rush to Jiyin County before the time." ”

"You ......"

For a while, Liu Xi only felt that the younger brother in front of him was so unfamiliar.

Suppressing the surging thoughts in his heart, Liu Xi said: "Fifty thousand stones is too much, and we can only get twenty thousand stones." ”

Liu Qi said: "Although you are my eldest brother, now you and I are our own masters." No wonder Bendu is not emotional, 50,000 stones of grain and grass, not a single stone can be missing, otherwise as soon as the army arrives, it will definitely set foot in Jiyin County. ”

Tzu is not in charge of the army.

Since he was entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the county magistrate, how could he let the county magistrate down.

"I can't be the master, you wait."

Liu Xi is just a microphone, where can he be the master, after dropping this sentence, he left in a hurry.

Rushing all the way back to the county town, Liu Xi said Liu Qi's words as they were.

Such a tough attitude suddenly made Li Bangyan and others panic.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Bangyan responded: "Fifty thousand stones is fifty thousand stones, and you tell Liu Qi that the granary in the city is only 1,300 stones, and he needs to transfer grain from Kaifeng Mansion and let him stay for a while." ”

No matter what, we have to let the Qingzhou thieves stop the war first, otherwise Xingren Mansion will be lost, and it will be completely over.

It's just 50,000 stones of grain and grass, and if you give it, you will give it, even if Your Majesty knows, you won't say anything.

Is there a shortage of food in the Great Song Dynasty?

There is no shortage.

Since the introduction of Champa rice, grain production has doubled.

It is only the people at the bottom who lack food.

As everyone knows, there are more than 100 granaries in Tokyo City alone, and nearly 18 million stone of grain has been hoarded, which is enough to supply the people of the whole capital for three years.

What is 50,000 stone in comparison!

……

"Li Xianggong promised you, but there is not much grain and grass in the county town, so you can only pay 1,000 stone first, and the remaining 49,000 stone needs to be transferred from Kaifeng Mansion."

Seeing that the other party agreed so happily, Liu Qi regretted it a little in his heart.

Damn it, it's going to be less!

If I knew this, I should have asked for 100,000 stones.

With Li Bangyan's timid and mouse-like virtue, it is estimated that he will also respond to it.

It's just that it's too late to change his tune now, so he has to say in a deep voice: "Pontus only gives you five days to requisition grain and grass, and when the time comes, the grain and grass are not ready, immediately attack the city!" ”

Li Bangyan and others wanted to drag it, but he didn't give it a chance to drag it at all.

The county magistrate is right, the pressure should be given!

(End of chapter)