It turned out that in order to prevent Huangchao from crossing the river to the north, the imperial court had to transfer some elites from the Dengfeng garrison besieging Shaolin Temple to move Bianzhou, Songzhou, Suzhou, Sizhou and other places along the Bianshui and Huai River, and selected capable cadres to supervise the army and go to these places, urging the military towns to be ready to advance eastward at any time to snipe the Huangchao rebels to the Central Plains.

After Li Xiuyun received the will of the imperial court, he summoned Liu Jingren, Yun Feiyang, Zhou Chen, Ou Yangguang, Huifeng and other generals to discuss. Liu Jingren suggested that some talented and experienced generals who were loyal to the imperial court should be sent to each prefecture as a supervisor. Li Xiuyun nodded in agreement, and immediately appointed several generals with outstanding military achievements as the supervisors of each town. When these generals heard that they were going to be transferred and promoted, they were all happy. Only the supervisor of the Xuanwu Army in Songzhou no one dared to go, and it turned out that the Xuanwu Army's festival envoy had never been appointed by the imperial court, but was privately supported by the soldiers, and the replacement was frequent. Qin Zongquan, the commander of the army, was originally a general of Xuzhou, and he instigated the sergeants to rebel and expelled the previous Jiedu envoy Xue Neng, and Tang Ting had to turn a blind eye and appoint him as the queen of the Xuanwu Army in order to restrain the army's heart.

Just when Li Xiuyun was embarrassed, Ou Yangguang Mao beside her recommended herself: "Princess, it is the time for the court to employ people, although the subordinates are not talented, they are willing to go to Songzhou to repay the princess for her kindness to her subordinates!"

Li Xiuyun listened to Ou Yangguang's words, and was noncommittal, thinking: This Ou Yangguang was originally the deputy gang leader of the Tiger Gang, and he had the habit of rivers and lakes, and he had no talent to govern the army, so he was not the best candidate. But at present, the war is urgent, and there is no one to stand in the way, it is rare for Ou Yangguang to come forward, and it can't chill his loyalty, so he has to send him to Songzhou as a supervisor.

How do you know that Ou Yangguang has other plans in his heart, he defected to the imperial court, he wanted to rely on his good martial arts and be a high-ranking official, but the princess is full of capable people, even if he is better than his later Huifeng in martial arts, he will not lose to him, plus he captured Xu Zhi in Ziyun Gorge, and he lost face in front of the princess and the generals. Coming forward this time, you can not only be promoted to make a fortune, but also show your loyalty to the princess, leaving this depressed place, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone.

Li Xiuyun smiled and expressed her expectations for the loyalty of the supervising armies from all walks of life, and before leaving, she emphasized to the supervising armies: "The generals have a heavy responsibility for this trip, and if the local generals can obey the orders of the imperial court and resist the thieves with one heart and one mind, it is better to say; ”

The supervisors nodded at Li Xiuyun, and promised in unison: "Please rest assured, Your Royal Highness the Princess, your subordinates will definitely live up to the ardent expectations of the imperial court." ”

Besides, Qin Zongquan occupied Songzhou, the center of shipping, and wanted to make a fortune by plundering merchant ships in the Tongji River, but he never expected that the imperial court would send a supervisor to urge him to train soldiers and prepare military salaries. Just when he was depressed, how did he know that this Ou Yangguang and his own smell were similar, and the two discussed in the name of the imperial court to increase taxes to the states and counties under their rule, apportionment of forced labor, and collection of treasures, where can they still take care of the life and death of the people and the safety of the society?

After Father Song finished speaking, he kept shaking his head and sighing, and said hatefully: "Since this Qin Zongquan became the festival envoy of Songzhou, the people of fish and meat, and the scourge of the township, he was as greedy as a wolf, and now there is an even more greedy embarrassment, how will the people of Songzhou live?"

Zhou Yuanzhi praised: "Dad is so old, and he is still so deaf and clear-sighted, he knows so much news about the imperial court. By the way, Dad, since you know that there is collusion and embarrassment in the yamen of Songzhou, you have brought so many villagers to find them to reason and settle grievances, isn't it boring to be self-deprecating?"

Father Song said with a smile: "Don't hide it from a few heroes, Xiao Lao'er often walks between Luoyang and Songzhou, and these gossip news is also passed on by people in the market." This time, the old man led the villagers to Songzhou to beat the drum and voice their grievances, for another thing! This matter is a long story!", he sighed after speaking.

Xu Zhi saw that it was getting late, and persuaded: "Dad, let's find an inn first, stay for one night, and then find a corrupt official to judge tomorrow, how about it?"

Father Song shook his head at Xu Zhi and smiled awkwardly: "We also want to live in the hotel, but the villagers are in rags and can't eat enough, where can they get the money to live in the hotel?", after speaking, he was ready to let the villagers who accompanied him find a place to shelter from the wind and sleep overnight.

Xu Zhi stepped in to stop it, and opened his bag again, seeing that all the coils he was carrying had been used up, he had to ask Zhou Yuanzhi beside him for help with embarrassed eyes.

Zhou Yuanzhi saw Xu Zhi unpacking his bags, and naturally understood his intentions, and saw those people with children and daughters, trembling in the cold wind, very pitiful, secretly called Pang Xun, and asked softly: "Gang Master Pang, how many coils do you have on you?"

Pang Xun saw Zhou Yuanzhi asking for money, and replied cheerfully: "Princess, don't worry, our spear door family is all there, are you afraid that you won't have money?"

Zhou Yuanzhi said with a smile: "It's rare for the big gang leader to be so generous, I will borrow one hundred taels of silver from the Pang gang leader today to help these hungry people! Let them have food and the children have a place to sleep!"

Pang Xun saw that Zhou Yuanzhi was compassionate, so he had to do so and took a hundred taels of silver and handed it to Zhou Yuanzhi. Zhou Yuanzhi secretly handed the silver to Xu Zhi again, Xu Zhi was very grateful to Zhou Yuanzhi for her kindness, nodded and smiled at her, and handed the silver two to Father Song, and persuaded: "Don't hide it from Dad, we are also merchants who travel all over the world, and we will know some fists and kicks since childhood.

Father Song hurriedly excused himself and said: "The hero saved our children, and the villagers still have nothing to repay? How can I still ask for your gifts, wouldn't I be ashamed of the old man?"

Zhou Yuanzhi also persuaded: "Dad, everyone is out and about, this mountain is high and the water is long, who has no temporary difficulties, everyone should help each other when they go out, and please don't shirk Dad and the villagers!"

Seeing the sincerity on Xu Zhi and Zhou Yuanzhi's faces, Father Song knew that if he repeatedly resigned, he would look down on his friends, so he had to take it with trembling hands, and said with tears in his eyes: "Two heroes, it is better for the little old man to be respectful than to obey his fate, I thank you for dozens of villagers!", After speaking, he called the villagers and distributed the silver in his hands to them. Those villagers took the silver taels in one hand, bowed heavily to Xu and Zhou, and then went to the street to buy some coarse cakes to satisfy their hunger.

Xu Zhi helped Father Song into a Yuelai Inn, and when the guy saw a group of guests outside the door, he hurriedly greeted him with a smile. Pang Xun asked the shopkeeper for two exquisite upper rooms and arranged for Zhou Yuanzhi, Qiu Yue and Xu Zhi to live, and he and Father Song shared an ordinary room, so that several subordinates could squeeze a room.

Xu Zhi, Zhou Yuanzhi and Qiu Yue had dinner and came to Pang Xun's room to see Father Song and Pang Xun chatting. When Father Song saw Xu and Zhou walking into the room, he quickly stood up and asked, "It's strange that the little old man is confused, and now I don't know what the benefactors call him?"

Pang Xun replied: "This is my master Xu Gongzi, Miss Zhou! This is the girl of Qiuyue! I am their slave Pang Qilang!"

Father Song bowed again and thanked him again. Xu Zhi hurriedly stretched out his hand to support him, and said with a smile: "Daddy doesn't have to make a big gift, Yuan Zhi and I came over just to talk to Daddy!"

Father Song listened, stood up again, and asked Xu and Erren to sit down. Xu and Zhou had a polite conversation with Father Song before sitting down. Father Song asked, "Gongzi Xu and Miss Zhou are handsome and extraordinary, aren't they from our Central Plains?"

Zhou Yuanzhi said with a smile: "Dad is really good eyesight, Brother Xu and I were born in the south of the Yangtze River, and we are not as heroic as you Central Plains people!"

Father Song smiled bitterly: "Hey, it is said that the Central Plains is the middle of the world, a place of ointment. Now the people of the Central Plains are suffering from famine every year, re-endowed every year, ten rooms and nine empty, and the young and strong have fled to the south of the Yangtze River, leaving only us, the old, weak, sick, and half-dead, staying at home!"

Xu Zhi comforted: "Dad doesn't have to be depressed, God has the virtue of a good life, and he will definitely be able to bless all living beings in this world!"

Zhou Yuanzhi saw Xu Zhi blurt out such a sentence, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu, you are full of Amitabha Buddha, you really should be a monk!"

Qiu Yue interjected: "Miss, you are duplicitous, right? Xu Gongzi is an all-round talent in civil and military affairs, if you really become a monk, how can you give it up, Miss?"

Zhou Yuanzhi's face was full of shyness, and she said angrily: "Qiu Yue, it's really a mouthful! Miss Ben won't allow you to speak from now on!", Qiu Yue listened, nodded silently, and didn't dare to open her mouth to speak again.

Xu Zhi saw that Zhou Yuanzhi deliberately made an angry expression on his face, but he was secretly happy in his heart, and said with a smile: "Yuanzhi, Qiuyue didn't say the wrong thing again! How can you make him not speak, wouldn't that be suffocating her!"

Zhou Yuanzhi smiled and said, "Okay, Brother Xu, you actually helped her speak, if you annoy Miss Ben, you will also be punished for not talking!", Xu Zhi also deliberately made a closed posture.

Seeing the three of them laughing at each other, Father Song also laughed and said, "If the three of you don't speak, won't you let the old man sing a one-man show alone?"

Zhou Yuanzhi suddenly smiled: "Okay, okay, don't pretend." For Daddy's sake, you are allowed to talk, but you can't make fun of Miss Ben anymore!"

Xu Zhi said to Daddy Song: "Daddy, don't laugh, we were having fun just now!"

Father Song nodded, expressing understanding: "You young people should smile more! Our Lord Qin from Songzhou also likes to laugh, but he is a smiling tiger!"

Pang Xun couldn't help asking, "Dad, how do you say this?"

Father Song said with a smile: "This Lord Qin was born as a tooth general, with a humble status, relying on a smiling face to please his boss, all the way was smooth, step by step, and he actually became the deputy general of Songzhou." This Lord Qin is very ambitious, he is not willing to be a deputy general for a lifetime, so he started to replace the main general. This Lord Qin is very good at disguise, he smiled in front of the main general, regarded him as his biological parents, but behind his back he instigated the soldiers to rebel and expelled the commander of Songzhou, he turned into the commander of Songzhou, and even the court was afraid of him. ”

Zhou Yuanzhi sneered: "This Qin Dashuai is really a person who hides a knife in his smile, and the people of Songzhou are going to suffer!"

Father Song replied: "What Miss Zhou said is that since this Qin marshal took charge of the military affairs of Songzhou, he not only levied and extorted money from the people under his rule, but also robbed the property of merchants who came and went on the canal, killed people and sold goods, and did all kinds of evil! Later, the Yellow King's righteous army attacked Songzhou, and this Qin marshal saw that the righteous army was strong and did not dare to defend it, so he had to secretly surrender to the Yellow King, and the Yellow King also appointed him as the envoy of the loyal military army to guard Songzhou. Later, King Huang led the righteous army to leave Songzhou and move to the Central Plains, and the Qin marshal immediately announced that he would abandon the darkness and join the Ming, and then sat on the imperial court's loyal military envoy. ”

Xu Zhi asked: "Since this Qin Dashuai is so capricious and hides a knife in his smile, why does Dad take the villagers to beat the drum to him and complain?"

Father Song smiled helplessly: "This matter still has to start with the new prison army in our Song Prefecture, this Ouyang Supervisor Army knows where I learned that we have a tomb of King Yan of Song in Songzhou, and there was a general named Ma Shumou when Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was ordered to open the river, and when it was excavated to our Song Prefecture, the people at that time raised a large amount of gold and silver for Ma Shumou in order to avoid the destruction of the tomb of King Yan, and persuaded him to bypass the excavated canal in Songzhou City, so as not to destroy the royal spirit of Songzhou. Uncle Ma got a bribe, so he had to bypass Songzhou with the canal!"

Pang Xun suddenly realized: "What Dad said is that it is no wonder that the canal is straight in other places, but it has made a big bend in your Songzhou!"

Father Song continued: "Yes, the old man is also convinced of this story. However, this Ouyang Prison Army tried to covet the treasures in the tomb several times, but was stopped by the local people. He was annoyed and angry, and deliberately reversed black and white and said: The local people deliberately made up something that the ghost of the Song King should not be desecrated and not allowed to be approached by outsiders in order to obtain the treasure in the tomb of King Yan. He is now the overseer of the imperial court, and he has the responsibility to protect the treasure of the tomb from being destroyed and embezzled by the local people. He swore to heaven that he would not only rebuild the tomb of the Yan King, but also that all the greedy people near the tomb would be condemned and executed!"

Zhou Yuanzhi sighed: "This Ouyang Prison Army is also too insidious and vicious, and it is simply a collusion with that Qin Dashuai, a raccoon dog! Daddy knows that the villagers can't reclaim this grievance, so why do you want to go to Qin Dashuai's mansion?"

Father Song smiled helplessly: "The old man also just heard the news, the prince of the imperial court is going to inspect the defense from Bianzhou to Chuzhou, and we will arrive in Songzhou in the next few days, we will wait in the city first, ready to intercept the princess's Luan driver, and sue the emperor!"

Xu Zhi heard this and muttered, "Isn't she in Dengfeng? Why did she come to Songzhou?"

Zhou Yuanzhi saw that Xu Zhi had words in his mouth, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu, you won't be worried about the little princess of the court again, right?"

Xu Zhi saw that Zhou Yuanzhi was a little displeased, and hurriedly comforted: "Yuanzhi, eldest brother is the only one in his heart, where can there be room for others? But Princess Xiuyun of this court is very scheming, and she will definitely be the fierce rival of the Yellow King in the future!"

Pang Xun couldn't help but replied: "Brother Xu, Miss Zhou, the princess of the imperial court does not have three heads and six arms, since the ancient soldiers have come to block, and the water has come to cover the earth, we don't have to be afraid of her!

Father Song learned from Xu Zhi's words that he knew and had some relationship with the princess of the imperial court, and begged: "Since Gongzi Xu and that Princess Xiuyun know each other, why not help the old man see the princess, it is much better than the villagers rashly going to Qin Shuai's Mansion to beat the drum and voice their grievances?"

Xu Zhi saw Father Song's pleading face, and he couldn't bear it in his heart, and he wanted to agree to him several times, but he was afraid that Zhou Yuanzhi would suspect that he and Li Xiuyun were too close, so he pretended to think about it and didn't talk to him for a long time.

Zhou Yuanzhi saw Xu Zhi's thoughts, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu, since you and the princess of the court are old acquaintances, why don't you two see each other, talk about the past, and reminisce about the past, so as to avenge the grievances of the villagers!"

Xu Zhi didn't know if Zhou Yuanzhi's words were true or false, so he had to say tentatively: "Yuanzhi, I don't know the princess of the imperial court well, I've only met a few times, and even if she comes to Songzhou, she will definitely live in the palace, how can we see her easily?"

Zhou Yuanzhi said with a smile: "Brother Xu, as long as this princess of the imperial court really comes to Songzhou, we will try to meet her for the sake of the villagers." ”

Xu Zhi knew that Zhou Yuanzhi was concerned about the safety of the people, and hurriedly agreed: "Okay, Yuanzhi, I will listen to you!"

Seeing that Xu and Zhou had promised to avenge their grievances for the villagers, Father Song even thanked them. Xu and Zhou hurriedly stopped him and said, "Seeing that the road is uneven, pulling out a knife to help is what we people in the rivers and lakes should do!"

Xu Zhi estimated that Li Xiuyun would come to Songzhou in the next few days, and he advised Father Song to lead the villagers to wait patiently in the city for a few days, and not to go to the Marshal's Mansion to complain, just as soon as Li Xiuyun arrived in Songzhou, he would sue the villagers for the emperor. Father Song agreed repeatedly.

In the early morning of the next day, Xu Zhi, Zhou Yuanzhi, and Pang Xun just walked out of the Yuelai Inn, and saw the gongs and drums on the street in front of them, crowded with the crowd to see the excitement, the two squeezed into the crowd, only to see a group of officials holding avoidant, quiet number plates, sounding gongs, opening the road in front, and in the middle of the cluster a yellow, eight-person carrying phoenix, on the left and right sides of the phoenix is two generals riding war horses and wearing battle robes, one is the tiger general Zhou Chen of the imperial court, and the other is the pioneer Zhonglang general Huifeng, they are followed by a group of soldiers holding spears and spears.

Zhou Yuanzhi almost screamed in surprise when she saw Zhou Chen and Huifeng passing by side of her, Xu Zhi hurriedly covered her mouth and said softly: "Yuanzhi, this must be the honor guard of the princess Li Xiuyun of the imperial court, we try to follow them secretly, we can inquire about some military secrets of the imperial court for the righteous army, and if we can see Li Xiuyun, we can avenge the people of Songzhou!"

Zhou Yuanzhi nodded, and watched Li Xiuyun's sedan chair gradually move away. Fang Cai followed Xu Zhi, squeezed into the crowd to watch the excitement, followed the team of honor guards, and walked slowly.