Suqian.

Riding on the horse, Xia Gui looked at the people around him with a triumphant face, and those people were standing on both sides of the road one by one, looking at the general who walked into Suzhou in official robes with a trembling face.

At the end of the road, there is an official.

The official's face was vegetable, and the wide vermilion official robe did not hide his thin body, and even the few gentry who followed closely around him also had the same sad faces, and their eyes were full of fear.

Seeing Xia Gui coming to him, the leading official didn't know whether it was because he was scared or hungry and had no strength, so he knelt directly on the ground with a "poof".

Xia Gui's eyebrows jumped, and he felt a little funny: "This adult, what do you mean by this?"

"I'm ——, me-" The official was probably too scared, and after shouting several times, he organized his words: "I am Zhang Mo, the governor of Suzhou, and I am really honored to meet the general today, and it is really an honor and an honor." The sound of breathing heavily, it seemed that just a few words had exhausted Wu Mu's strength.

"Oh, it turned out to be Suqian Zhizhou!"

Xia Gui raised his chin slightly, looked at Zhang Mo condescendingly, and asked, "It's just an official in Suzhou, are you alone?"

"This!"

Zhang Mo was taken aback, and immediately smiled bitterly: "It's not a secret." When I heard that Shangbang was coming with an army, all the officials in the city fled, and I was the only one left. ”

Thinking of the original scene, his face was even darker, even though he was quite indignant about this matter, but he was helpless.

Ants are still stealing life.

Facing Xia Gui who came with a large army, it was not Zhang Hongfan and Boyan who had tens of thousands of Mongolian iron horses, nor Xiao Feng, who could lead the crowd in Qianmo with the strength of one person, for Xia Gui, who had absolute power, he could only choose to give in.

"Hmph, these guys, don't they think we're jackals, tigers and leopards? They escaped so quickly!"

Xia Gui snorted lightly, as if full of disdain, and then said: "But since you are willing to stay, you are not a parent official who loves the people." In that case, you might as well throw yourself into my heavenly empire. At least, it won't make you so down!"

Glancing at Zhang Mo up and down, Xia Gui did not hide his disdain at all: "It's just that you are dressed, what is going on?"

Although the hair was covered with a locust hairpin, it was full of grease and had obviously not been washed for a long time; although the face had just been washed with water, the cheeks were full of beards, and it looked messy; although the official robe on the body was quite clean, it was white and there were some patches nailed to it, and it was obvious that it had been worn for some time.

This is a common thing for northern officials, but for Xia Gui, it may not be the case.

He has been in Jiangnan for a long time, and he has always liked a delicate life, and the dignitaries and nobles he has interacted with are all famous for luxury, so he is naturally a little unhappy with Wang Mu's dress.

Zhang Mo was stunned, and then said with a wry smile: "General Qiyu, the city is withering, the people are poor and weak, and I can only do this in desperation." If there is anything that offends the general, please don't blame it. Speaking of this, his stomach rumbled again, and his face turned red, Zhang Mo felt extremely embarrassed, so he had to hold his stomach and reply: "To be honest, I haven't eaten rice for three days." ”

"If you love the people, what is your sin?"

Xia Gui smiled, waved his hand to the soldiers behind him, but said, "And since you are under my heavenly empire today, why do you have to starve?"

I only heard the sound of the horsewhip, accompanied by the sound of ruts, dozens of carriages were pushed in front of everyone's eyes, bags of rice bags full of grain were heavy, and the carriage made a creaking sound, which seemed to be almost unable to support it.

Seeing these grains, Zhang Mo's eyes widened, staring at the rice bag, and from that mouth he seemed to be able to see the crystal grains of rice.

"This, this is ......"

The voice in his stomach became more and more intense, Zhang Mo reluctantly swallowed the saliva in his mouth, and then raised his head to look at Xia Gui, not figuring out what Xia Gui meant.

Even the gentry behind him, as well as the people standing next to him, all set their eyes on the grain, as if they were afraid that the grain would run away, and did not move for a moment.

"This is the food that the official family asked me to give you, and it can be regarded as a gift from Raul and others to my heavenly empire. ”

Xia Gui smiled, feeling even more confident.

Naturally, he also made this trip with orders, the purpose of which was to recruit Mongol officials along the route, so that these places that had once belonged to the Mongols could be brought back under the control of the Song dynasty.

Obviously, food is the best weapon!

Hearing this, Zhang Mo was completely stunned.

"Are you saying that this food was given to me?"

"Of course, and at the price, you have to be a citizen of my Celestial Empire, you know?"

Although it was threatening, Zhang Mo didn't care, and replied again and again: "That's nature, that's nature! As long as we can have these grains, then we can last until autumn." And after the autumn harvest, we won't have to starve. ”

Xia Gui said with a smile: "In that case, you might as well accept this batch of grain first, so that you can eat a full meal." The soldiers behind him heard it, and even though a small tent was set up next to it, a small pavilion was temporarily seen as a place for food distribution.

When the people saw this, they were overjoyed, and they took rice bags from their homes and began to take rice from here to live.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Mo smiled reluctantly, but he felt that his eyes were dark, but he was hungry for too long, and fainted directly. The soldiers hurriedly stepped forward, helped him up, and sent him into the palace.

When he was lying on the bed, Zhang Mo opened his eyes suddenly, but asked the official beside him, "Then Xia Gui, where is he now?"

"Lord Qiyu. After the general Naxia ordered his soldiers to build the rice shop, he went to the city wall with his army and prepared to take over our city defense. The official hurried back.

Zhang Mo breathed a sigh of relief, his brows furrowed slightly, and he immediately ordered: "Since he has left, it will be fine." If you don't hurry up and bring over the millet porridge that has already been stewed, I'll starve to death. You know, I've been hungry for three days to fool him. ”

"Lord Zhizhou. The millet porridge you want, I'll bring it to you here!" The servant hurriedly got up and walked towards the kitchen.

Seeing this official leave, Zhang Mo looked at the official robe on his body, revealing a little disgust, and quickly took it off, but revealed the silk long sleeves he was wearing inside, and a picture of birds and birds was outlined with gold wire, which was obviously not an ordinary color.

Holding the shabby official robe in his hand, Zhang Mo was about to throw it away, but then he thought about it and put it at the head of the bed, and said to himself: "Let's keep it first." After all, if you don't fool that guy, how can you get so much food?"

Soon, the official also came to the bedroom with a bowl of rice porridge.

Swallowing this bowl of hot rice porridge into his stomach, Zhang Mo recovered and patted his face, and then he spat out and smiled: "Fortunately, that Xia Gui didn't suspect it, otherwise I would have been in trouble." But since he's here, he has to spy on the enemy. After all, the army of the Song Dynasty will come over anytime and anywhere, and I have to be prepared, don't I?"

was about to get up, but Zhang Mo frowned and looked at the official robe, and only sighed after a long time.

"Forget it. Let's put this thing on. After all, they all started to pretend, how can they make the other party suspicious?"

Putting on the official robe, Zhang Mo walked out of the wing room and directly found Xia Gui. At this moment, the sky has darkened, and a bright moon in the distance has hung in the sky, and the white moonlight is sprinkled into the courtyard, but it is a little quiet.

Before walking to Xia Gui, Zhang Mo felt a little nervous, and was relieved to see that the other party did not have any suspicions.

Zhang Mo bowed his knees and complained: "Fortunately, there is a general to rescue me today, otherwise I would have starved to death in Suzhou." ”

"Alas!"

Xia Gui hurriedly helped Zhang Mo up and comforted: "This is just a gesture, why take it so seriously? It's just that I heard what you said before, it seems that you have gone through a famine?"

Because of years of reclamation, climate, and water conservancy, the grain output in the north has not been as good as that in the south, which Xia Gui also knows, but no matter how lacking it is, it will not even be able to support himself.

This made Xia Gui curious.

Zhang Mo was secretly happy in his heart, and secretly said that the other party really asked about it, so he said his previous statement: "Alas, it's not because of the Red Phoenix Army?"

"Red Phoenix Army?"

His heart tightened, and Xia Gui showed a little vigilance.

Zhang Mo didn't notice it, and continued to complain: "You also know that just the year before last, the Red Phoenix Army launched a northern expedition against Mongolia. It's good that they don't move, but this move immediately involves the entire Central Plains. In order for the khan to be able to fight against the Red Phoenix Army, the entire Central Plains was forced to pay twice as much grain as before. ”

Speaking of this, his face was even more disgusted, and he continued: "Alas. You also know that after years of war, agriculture has long been abandoned, and although spring ploughing is barely organized, it is only a little more savings. As a result, because of the Northern Expedition, all the grain was collected. I had no choice but to rely on the weeds to satisfy my hunger. ”

Probably when he was excited, Zhang Mo's eyes were already filled with countless tears, and he actually cried directly.

"Fortunately, the general arrived, and I was lucky enough to survive the famine!"

Just looking at his current performance, he is completely an honest and honest good official, and no one will suspect that he is a corrupt official.

"It's nature. After all, the Red Phoenix Army is just a woman in charge of the army, and she actually wants to starve and starve for the sake of her own greed and harm all living beings in the world?

Xia Gui was surrounded by Zhang Mo, and he also began to blame the Red Phoenix Army for all this.

After all, as far as the Song Dynasty is concerned, there are many slanders against the outliers like the Red Phoenix Army, just like Dong Huai, Li Tingzhi and others who have praised the Red Phoenix Army, they have long been excluded and cannot gain a foothold in the court at all.

Zhang Mo nodded again and again, and said angrily: "That's right." If it weren't for this Red Phoenix Army, how would we be like this?"

"It seems that the Red Phoenix Army is here, and it is not very popular. Xia Gui was secretly happy in his heart and secretly happy.

After all, the Chifeng Army was born in the north, and during the Long March before, it also attacked the local tyrants and inferior gentry several times, and even relied on the support of the Quanzhen Sect to spread widely in the Central Plains, which can be said to be famous.

Before he arrived before, he was afraid that these people would remember the kindness of the Red Phoenix Army, but when he saw Zhang Mo like this today, he felt at ease.

Zhang Mo asked again: "It's just a general, please forgive me for being presumptuous, but I don't know when your army will be able to arrive in Suzhou?"

"Oh, what's wrong with you, asking about this all of a sudden?" Xia Gui smiled, but with a bit of playfulness, he glanced at Zhang Mo.

"Oops. Did he doubt me?"

Zhang Mo was shocked, and couldn't help but get nervous, and immediately laughed: "It's nothing." It's just a little scared. After all, Zhang Hongfan, Boyan and others are currently in Jinan, if they get the news, they are afraid that they will lead the troops to attack, and when the time comes, I am afraid that you and I will not be able to resist at all. ”

"That's true! Your suspicions do have some merit. ”

Xia Gui replied.

He is the vanguard, and the number of soldiers is nearly 10,000 at best, and attacking a city like Suzhou with no defensive strength is naturally easy to capture, but if it is a head-on confrontation with the main Mongol force, it is equivalent to looking for death.

"But don't worry, I believe that the commander of our army will take this into account, and if the main force of the enemy is dispatched at that time, he will definitely take action in person to block the other party. You don't have to worry about that. Xia Gui replied vaguely.

Although he likes luxury, after all, he is still from the military, and he has always understood the importance of intelligence or something, so it is naturally impossible to tell Zhang Mo directly, even if the other party has already joined the Song Dynasty at this moment.

After all, in this world, there are a lot of things about double agents.

For this person who took refuge, of course, Xia Gui also had to guard against it, so as not to leak the secrets of the army.

When Zhang Mo saw the other party's answer, he also understood that if he wanted to understand the main actions of the Song army through Xia Gui, it would be completely wishful thinking, so he had to give up his plan.

"Even so, thank you for the great help of the general, otherwise how can I support the whole city until now?"

"It's nature. Xia Gui smiled, and then seemed to remember something, but said: "By the way, before I came, I used to catch a few perch in the nearby Yellow River, and they looked very delicious. Since you're here, why don't you join me in enjoying it?"

"If you want to talk about this sea bass, but I have a unique one in Suqian, and only the fattest one caught in early spring. After all, it had just passed the cold winter at that time, and its meat was quite delicious, and only a good cook could make it into fish and vinegar from Shaoxing, then you could taste its fatness——"

Zhang Mo's eyebrows fluttered for a while, and he said directly, but when he was halfway through speaking, he saw Xia Gui looking at him expectantly, and he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

"Why didn't you say it?" Xia Gui's eyebrows moved slightly, and he asked directly.

Zhang Mo sneered: "It's nothing." Actually, I've only heard about this sea bass, and I don't know exactly how to do it. ”

"Alas, I thought Master Zhang was also gluttonous, but I didn't expect that I just heard about it, but it disappointed me a lot. Xia Gui shook his head, but he stood up directly, and said, "Since this is the case, it is better to find the cook yourself." He didn't say goodbye to Xia Gui, so he left directly from here, leaving Xia Gui standing alone in a daze, not knowing what to do!