Chapter 268 Theft of jade seal with twists and turns
How long will it take? Are you alone and on your way? Facing the wind, looking at the sky in the evening, looking at the blood-red sunset, Tai Shici thought leisurely. At that moment, his thoughts were as elegant and warm as the burning red clouds: in the past, he was inevitably lonely when he was on his way alone. Now his heart is full of missing and longing for a better future. There are beautiful ideals ahead, and there are hardships around. Whether it's a rich ideal or a realistic backbone, after years of struggle, I finally have a fast territory, a well-deed territory...
Through the remote mountains and forests, Taishi Ci also saw sporadic living points. Although the living environment is bad, these people live a quiet and natural life: their faces are calm and their faces show indisputable thoughts.
Passing by the once prosperous city, Tai Shici could not see any signs of prosperity: the people who survived there looked nervous. Even on the grand occasion of weddings and funerals, people were numb. People are living in shock, and numbness also says that they are willing to continue to survive...
Entering the territory belonging to Yuanshu Group, in the village, in the market town, in the city, Taishici saw adults and children starving to death from time to time. Especially in a village, Tai Shici actually saw a family's chimney smoking. He hid in the dark to observe this strange scene. As a result, he saw a steaming pot. The lid was suddenly turned over, and a child's body sat in it... In order to survive, the family actually ate his own child!
"White bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no chicken crow for thousands of miles". This scene must have touched Cao Cao's heart and let him feel it... Taishi Ci set himself to feel Cao Cao's state of mind. At this time, Cao Cao's power was still limited to the boundary of Guzhou, but his beautiful literature was famous all over the world.
Close to Yuan Shu's nest - Huainan City, Tai Shici had to admit that Yuan Shu really had a way. He controlled his territory extremely tightly, and even the people who wanted to escape could not leave his hometown for half a step. Under Yuan Shu's high-pressure policy of "scraping oil in the belly of flies and claping meat on the legs of mosquitoes", people were hungry to farm, and merchants opened shops to do business with one meal a day.
This situation has brought a very profitable business to Taishi Ci's dark forces, the Ma Gang and the Dart Bureau. The property accumulated by the rich clans here for several generations has almost fallen into the hands of the Ma Gang and the Dart Bureau. The materials provided by the Ma Gang and the Dart Bureau are daily necessities, the cost is low, and the profit is huge profit. This is called disaster money!
Money is a good thing. It can make enemies shake hands and make the family turn against each other. Winding profits are even better. General profits can make people relaxed and comfortable. 50% of profits can make people take some risks and play the edge of morality and law. 100% profits can make people violate the law and go against the wind. With 200 percent profit, then people can trample on the law and morality and act crazily. It's...
As far as Tai Shici knew, Bai Lichuan, the chief elder of the Evil Spirit Religion, also had a large number of industries in the Huainan territory. Now Yuan Shu has ascended to the throne, and those industries have been confiscation to Yuan Shu. Therefore, not to mention morality, that is, from the perspective of self-interest, there is also an irreconcilable contradiction between Taishici and Yuan Shu.
Battle cloud: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles. Guo Jia's handbook summary: A battle often plays a decisive role in determining the results. According to the detailed report of Taishi Ci's side inserted in Yuan Shao Group: Yuan Shu's claim to be emperor, from the perspective of the Huainan boundary, in addition to the loyal support of Yuan Shu's confidant civilian generals, from the top to the top officials to the people, they all hate Yuan Shao's behavior; from the outside, Yuan Shu's crazy ascending to the throne and claiming the throne was resisted by the vast majority of warlords. = System and opposition. In the past six months, it has been either the harassment of Cao Cao's army in Qingzhou or the invasion of Sun Quan in Yangzhou. Liu Biao in Jingzhou has been staring at it. Recently, Liu Bei, who is close to Xiaopei in Xuzhou, often "visits" Yuan Shu, which makes Yuan Shu unbearable.
Even if there are not many generals under his command and not many soldiers, Yuan Shu still has some support. According to the secret report, there is a strange man and a dead wood Taoist priest who helped Yuan Shu make a large amount of explosives. Why did the dead wood Taoist priest with unique skills help Yuan Shu? Because the family of the dead wood Taoist priest was beheaded by Emperor Han Ling as a heresy, he narrowly survived his name and buried his surname. In his thoughts: whoever opposes the Liu Dynasty, he will help. Yuan Shu dared to oppose Liu's imperial dynasty, and he naturally helped Yuan Shu.
Of course, the explosives he made are limited in power and does not do much damage to super generals, but it can still kill ordinary soldiers.
With explosives, Yuan Shu can maintain the status quo under the disadvantage of being embattled on all sides. Tai Shici, who is familiar with books, has actually been exposed to the power of explosives. (In those years, he fought with Japanese pirates at sea and saw rockets that can explode). Of course, he knows how to make explosives: it is to crush saltpeter and sulfur into powder, then with charcoal, compress and shape them, and use twists as an introduction.
Han Dynasty people can make fireworks, and of course some people can make explosives. However, in the era of cold weapons, they pay attention to the bravery of generals. The two sides are used to fighting against each other by the main general first, so as to improve morale. They think that the use of explosives is a bad behavior. In the mainstream war, they disdain to use explosives. If explosives are used, the people will think that the monarch of that party will lose the hearts of the people by any means to achieve his goal.
This is similar to Western habits. Even if there are muskets, duels still use swords, and rarely use muskets with higher damage efficiency.
In the evening of this day, Taishici sneaked into Huainan City and moved into Linfeng Restaurant. Linfeng Restaurant was originally the industry of Bailichuan, the chief elder of the Evil Spirit Sect. Now it belongs to Yuan Shu, but there is a shortage of restaurant management talents in Yuan Shu's hands, so the original team of the restaurant is still unchanged. In short, the restaurant is Yuan Shu's, and the people are Bailichuan's. It belongs to Bailichuan, and it belongs to Taishici at this time. Because Tai Shici's finger carries the supreme token of the evil spirit religion - the skull ring.
Therefore, when the shopkeeper of Linfeng Restaurant saw the skeleton ring of Taishici's thumb, he knew who was in front of him. This person is his own big boss. Therefore, the best Tianzi room and the best wine and dishes in the restaurant are all matched by Taishi Ci. When the shopkeeper's maid came to accompany the wine, she was euphemistically rejected by Tai Shici. There are still jade people at home who haven't eaten for several years. How dare Tai Shici fight wild?
Towards the evening, Gan Ning also sneaked into Huainan City. According to the previous agreement, Gan Ning also came to Linfeng Restaurant, so Taishici and Gan Ning met smoothly at Linfeng Restaurant! When Tai Shici learned that Gan Ning had obtained a large amount of resources and wealth from Zhang Zhao and Han, he was also extremely happy. In any case, their strategy to deal with the old clan forces in Jiangdong has begun to bear fruit, and those old clan forces have been led by their noses...
The minds of the Ma Gang, the Dart Bureau and the Salt Gang that took root in Huainan knew Tai Shici and Gan Ning Jun Lin Shouchun one after another, and they were eager to try one by one in the dark. These people have participated in the secret operation of capturing Jiangxia City. They think that Taishici and Gan Ning are going to occupy Huainan. Why don't they expect it?
However, Tai Shici and Gan Ning informed them through special channels respectively that they came to Huainan this time to do small things and did not take any big actions. Everyone should be a little restless and take good rest. In this way, these minds are a little disappointed. However, the mysterious boss Junlin Huainan is so close to them that they are still quite excited, just like the Spring Festival. So much so that when they did **, their brave and long-lasting performance made women mistakenly think that they ate **...
In order to keep it secret and explore where Yuan Shu hid the jade seal, Tai Shici and Gan Ning could only explore it. The goal is very clear, and Yuxi must be by Yuan Shu's side. During the day, the two of them stepped on the plate in a sedan chair to observe the specific situation of Yuan Shu's palace. Late at night, the two took action and went straight to Yuan Shu's palace in night clothes.
Although both of them have made a living as robbers and have fought against officials and rich clans, the theft is indeed the first time for them. Although it was the first time, their performance was indeed like a veteran. In Tai Shici's words: robbers are theft in broad daylight; thefts are sneaky-robs... The two are essentially the same: they turn other people's money and treasures into their own by special means...
With the shocking body skills, Tai Shici and Gan Ning successfully reached the palace where Yuan Shu lived. The size of Yuanshu Palace is naturally not as large as that of Liu's Luoyang and Chang'an, but at this time, it is certain that the palace where Yuanshu lives is much stronger than today's Emperor Xian.
Hidden on the beams on the window, across the window, the two listened to what Yuan Shu was doing at this time. Sleeping, definitely not. Yuan Shuzheng and the queen have a tacit and intense exercise, hehe, **. After the movement stopped, the queen asked worriedly, "Your Majesty, since Dong Zhuoyu's party was driven out of Chang'an and the yellow scarf rebels were eliminated, the world has been a little too stable in the past few years... Your Majesty, what if your majesty's brother Yuan Shao and Cao Cao and other forces unite against us?" At this time, the queen who lived deep in the palace did not know that Yuan Shu at this time was already in danger.
"Oh, please be relieved. At the beginning, when I ascended the throne and became emperor, Yuan Shao joined forces with the villains all over the world to fight for thieves. Wasn't it thunder and rain? How can I not know who they are one by one? Yuan Shu gasped and said. Even in happy moments, Yuan Shu still fulfills the responsibility that a man should have: not pass on negative things to women...
"Well, your majesty is still a man who dares to be..." The queen said with infinite reverence.
After that, the two fell asleep peacefully. After a team of patrol guards passed by, Gan Ning pried open the window with internal strength, and then he and Tai Shici turned over the window and entered Yuan Shu's room. However, they entered three secret rooms one after another, struggling and moving, and did not see where the jade seal was. Is it that Yuan Shu also has a master to help, and the jade seal is isolated and hidden by some secret method? The two looked at each other and thought suspiciously.
In the end, the two of them could only take advantage of the fun and return. In the next few days, the two almost explored the palace and didn't even let go of the toilet. In the end, they did not find any trace of Yuxi.
They have been busy for a few days, and Taishi Ci and Gan Ning are not impatient. After all, they are also rewarding: after a few days of running around, they already know the pattern of the whole Huainan City.
On this day, Taishi Ci and Gan Ning received a secret report that Liu Bei, the royal clan, was leading the army to fight against Yuan Shu again. In order to observe the martial arts skills of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Tai Shici and Gan Ning temporarily changed their minds and went to Xiao County, where the Second Army was fighting. The two of them hurried all the way, leisurely and leisurely.
In the upper section of the Vortex River, a tributary of the Huai River, Taishi Ci and Gan Ning found that the business of the horse head here was particularly good. Good business: first, there are many customers in the past, and second, the price is surprisingly expensive. Like the two of them, it takes one person or two pieces of gold to cross the river. One or two pieces of gold is enough for a rich family of five for a month. If there is no gold, replace it with valuables. The secular five-baht money doesn't work well here.
Why can past guests accept such blatant exploitation? There are two reasons. First, this is the area under the jurisdiction of Yuan Shu's uncle Feng Guang. Feng Guanggui is the emperor's uncle, and he is also the peak of the intermediate fierce general. He pulls his hair from the guests who cross the river. Who dares not to obey? Second, Woyang City is a newly built city. The city is flourished because of the newly built roads. The newly built official road takes a straight line from Huainan to Luoyang. Therefore, it originally took 20 days to travel from Huainan to Luoyang, but now it only takes 10 days. Save half of your time...
Although it is expensive to cross the river, guests can still accept the travel expenses saved along the way, the time saved, and the smooth safety of the road. During the period of chaos, guests who can go out will naturally not care about gold. In the Three Kingdoms era, everything was lacking. It is also difficult to buy materials with gold. The era of the Three Kingdoms was very chaotic. If you can exchange gold for safety, you still care so much about it. Isn't it that you can't get along with yourself?!
There are two kinds of ferries, one is dedicated to ferry people, and the other is special to ferry heavy materials. Guests like Taishici and Gan Ning who bring horses were arranged by the officers and soldiers on a big boat to ferry supplies. Along the way, the two of them rarely saw guests crossing the river. Almost all of them were teams transporting supplies... The wharf of the ferry was very crowded, and the line of ships was lined up in a long line. At a glance, Tai Shici and Gan Ning were in the middle of the long queue.
In the sight of the two, in the front team, dozens of people were guarding 20 carriages. The supplies on the carriage were covered with oilcloth. The leader is a man who is nearly 30 years old. He has a beautiful face and a slender figure. According to the two people's visual inspection, this person's martial arts cultivation is also the peak of the intermediate fierce general. After they paid the required gold, the officers and soldiers who guarded the ferry got their carriages on board.
When Tai Shici saw these people, he was confused: Now his darts and Ma Gang are everywhere. Why doesn't such a big caravan have his escort? ......
"Oh, in charge, your carriage is too heavy. What are you pulling? Isn't it the materials embargoed by the government?!" The general guarding the dock suddenly turned around and roared at the leader of the caravan. According to the experience of the general, a big ship can carry at least eight carriages. Now that only four are on board, the endurance of the big ship is saturated.
"Ha ha, official, the carriage is pulled by sundries such as cloth and rouge, and there are absolutely no materials embargoed by the government! Official, how much do you bother..." The beautiful man took two steps forward and secretly gave the general a handful of gold.
"Well, I will see that you are also good businessmen, and I won't charge you more freight..." The general loaded the gold and said with satisfaction.
"Ha ha, thank you, sir!" The beautiful man thanked him repeatedly.
When the last four carriages were uploaded, a group of cavalry rushed from the official road. Before the dust brought by the horses fell, the general who took care of the ferry had already knelt down nervously and respectfully. Other officers and soldiers lay on the ground.
When the person came, he threw down his saddle and got off the horse, and the general shouted with fear, "I respectfully welcome my uncle!"
The person who came was Feng Guang, Yuan Shu's child uncle. He was nearly 40 years old and had a fierce appearance. With a heavy "humm" in his nose, he raised his eyes and looked at the boat.
"General Zhu, what's pulling on the boat? Why is the water so deep?" Feng Guang said and walked to the ship. At this time, the general and the leader of the caravan suddenly became nervous.
"I reported to my uncle, according to the leader of the caravan, the carriage was full of cloth, rouge and other sundries..." The general got up and followed Feng Guang, and responded uneasily.
"Oh, is it?" There was a sneer at the corners of Feng Guang's mouth. He walked near the carriage, pulled out his knife and cut it into the oilcloth. When the beautiful man over there saw such a scene, he made a firm look. After hinting that his men also got on the boat, he shouted to Feng Guang, "Your excellency, in fact, there are some sundries in the carriage..."
Unexpectedly, Feng Guang didn't pay attention to him at all. He picked up the cloth and brocade boxes with a knife. Finally, the fine iron ingots arranged neatly at the bottom were exposed to the sun.
These fine iron ingots are embargoed materials in the place under the jurisdiction of Yuan Shu. Feng Guang looked at the metal-glossed fine iron ingots and grinned: Finally, he found the conclusive evidence that the caravan smively transported the embargoed goods to the government.
"Hey hey, the person in charge, don't tell me that these iron ingots are used to make agricultural tools..." Feng Guang turned his face and said fiercely to the beautiful man, "Who the hell are you?"
"Your Excellency, I am..." The beautiful man pulled out a cold dagger from his sleeve and quickly stabbed Feng Guang. Seeing that the matter was exposed, the rest of the caravan also took out hidden weapons and rushed to the nearby officers and soldiers. For a moment, the sound of shouting and the sound of weapons hitting filled the dock. Ordinary people saw the occurrence of the military disaster and ran away one by one. Only Tai Shici and Gan Ning stayed in place and watched the sudden battle coldly.
Feng Guangyan looked at the sudden dagger, quickly pulled out the knife and easily opened it, and then he attacked the beautiful man with all his strength. General Zhu cooperated with Feng Guang's siege and waited for the opportunity to draw cold men to the beautiful man. In this way, the beautiful man could only attack less and defend more. He was at a disadvantage and dangerous.
Originally, the number of people in the caravan was less than that of the officers and soldiers, and everyone's strength was similar, and the officers and soldiers were in armor. Before the officers and soldiers on the other side rushed over, most of the people in the caravan had lost.
Seeing the other party forming an encirclement, the people of the caravan were about to die with strategic materials. The beautiful man ignored the wounds on his body. He stared at the supplies in the carriage and shouted sadly, "Am I, Li Dian, going to die here..."