Chapter 109 Benefiting from the South

Xiaoci smiled embarrassedly, "Why are you standing outside and can't go in?"

Lu Zisong nodded and arched his hand and said, "I'm going in now. Little porcelain girl, how can Lu Zisong thank you for your great kindness?"

"What a great kindness, it was my wife who asked me to pick up your father!" Xiaoci shook her head and said, "I want to thank you, Mrs. Xie. Why do you thank me? And my father and I have been waiting for you for a long time. If you don't go in to meet, we will be annoyed!"

Lu Zisong heard that he bowed his hand again and bowed again. He didn't say much. He went into the big tent. The joy in the tent was lingering in the first seat. And an old woman on the right side of the next head looked at Lu Zisong with a smile. Lu Zisong saw the old woman. She was dressed in plain clothes, and her hair was mostly white. He couldn't help choked and cried "Mother!" He knelt down on his knees and burst into tears, but he couldn't say a word.

The old woman trembled and left her seat and reached out to help Lu Zis Song, "Good boy, get up quickly. I'm satisfied that I can see you again!"

Huanying also slowly left his seat, walked down and said to Lu's mother, "You mother and son are easy to talk about. I won't get in it. The old lady, you don't have to be polite. In my barracks, everything is like being in my own home, whatever you want."

"Oh!" Lu's mother wiped her tears and apologized, "Look at my Song'er. I really don't understand any rules. When I get into the account, I don't see the military commander, but I only know how to kneel!"

Huan Ying smiled. Lu Zisong suddenly woke up when he heard the words. He quickly turned around and saluted Huan Ying, "The last general is reckless, no wonder, madam!"

"All's it!" Huanxuan breathed a long breath and said with a smile, "General Lu, I said I would give you a surprise. Now the surprise is brought to you. Please treat your old mother well. Over the years, she has been alone and has suffered a lot, you know!"

"Yes, the last general will obey your wife's order!" Lu Zisang stood up and held his mother's arms. "Mother, you must be exhausted all the way here!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, thanks to the little porcelain girl driving all the way and taking good care of me. My mother didn't suffer much, but the little porcelain girl..."

Huanxuan walked out of the tent. Seeing that Xiaoci was still listening to the conversation inside at the tent door, he took Xiaoci's hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work this time. Let's go. Let's go somewhere else and let their mother and son get together."

Xiaoci nodded and walked down the valley with Huanying, "I don't work hard, madam, it's you, you work hard!" Why do I feel that my wife's mental state is not good? If she is ill, don't force her to support her!"

"I'm fine," Huanxuan said with a faint smile, "I just don't know why. I always feel a little restless. Don't worry about me!" By the way, this trip to the south must have been familiar with you. You have gained a lot of knowledge. What benefits do you have? Tell me?

Xiaoci smiled and pointed to a few ping stones down the slope and said, "That's natural. I have a lot of stories to tell my wife. Let's sit over there and talk slowly."

The two sat down, looked at Xiaoci carefully, and sighed, "Shibye-bye should treat each other with new eyes for three days, Xiaoci, it seems that you are in a very good mood this trip, much more cheerful than before."

Xiaoci smiled shyly and said, "I have been in the palace since I was a child. What the people I heard are nothing more than intrigues in the palace. Even if I come to Weijun, I always seem to be a superfluous person beside my wife and Wei Wang. But this time, all the way south, I suddenly found that the earth is vast and the vastness of everything. It is far beyond the imagination of the maidservant. The customs and people's livelihood everywhere have really opened the eyes of the maidservant. Madam, was the maidservant too lonely and ignorant in the bottom of the well before?

Huan ling was happy. Seeing that Xiaoci was shy, he was inevitably suspicious, so he moved and said, "I'm afraid it's not just the customs and people's livelihood, right? I guess I must get along well with Lu's mother, right? What did she say to you? Did she mention Lu Zisang's marriage?

"Oh, madam, where are you!" Xiaoci denied it and pretended to twist herself shyly, but her panic and shyness just made Huanying understand the clue. A stone in her heart fell to the ground a little, so she decided not to ask again, so as not to embarrass Xiao Ci. Some things are the best. What's more, the feelings between the two people should not be interfered by others. Explore.

Huan ling smiled and changed his words, "Okay, okay, I asked what I shouldn't ask. I won't tease you anymore. Let's get back to the point. Before I leave, I will write a book and tell you to pay attention to the situation along the road. What do you find?"

"Uh-huh!" Xiaoci turned her face and said with a serious look, "The lady asked the maidservant to go to Lu Zisong's hometown to pick up Lu's mother. On the way, she passed through the eleven counties in three prefectures, and more than half of them were in the territory of the king of Wu. The maidservant found that the territory of Wu County was really rich, and the farming, mulberry weaving, fishing, forestry, mining and livestock were prosperous. Whether it was housing or dressing up. The overall level is definitely not comparable to that of Wei County, and the bustling market, even a small state and county, can be as prosperous as the prosperity of Wei County, but on a smaller scale. However, I also ask the locals everywhere. The real situation I know and the surface prosperity I see are a little different.

"Oh? Tell me about it?" Huanxuan listened carefully to Xiaoci's description.

"Well, when the King of Wu entered Wu County four or five years ago, he added a lot of tax names to the territory of Wu County, and the amount of conscription also increased year by year. However, because the territory of Wu County was originally the world's granary, not only the grain is abundant, but also some other aquatic real estates are rich in resources and diverse categories, so the people can still Can afford it. However, in the past year or two, the situation has been getting worse and worse. Especially after the uprising of the King of Wu, the people of Wu County have become more and more overwhelmed. Not only do they have to pay all kinds of strange taxes, but young men over the age of 16 in the family have to be recruited into the army. In addition, all the rich and powerful who have supported the uprising of the soldiers of the King of Wu have to With the acquiescence of the king of Wu, they wantonly annex the land. Those who can't afford to pay taxes, or those who don't have a middle-aged man recruit at home will be forced to mortgage the land and property, and therefore become the hired farmers of the rich and powerful. Imagine that not only the land is gone, but also their own lives are not guaranteed. They have worked hard for a year for others. Can you work without complaining?"

He nodded happily, "I had expected that the King of Wu mainly relied on those rich gentry to contribute military contributions, which is the same as the method I suggested to King Wei. It can be taxed and exploit the military service is harsh, which will certainly arouse people's resentment, and the merger of the rich gentry is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst."

After stopping, Huanying asked again, "Although Lu Zisong's hometown is not a territory of Wujun, it is very close. What's the situation there?"

"The maidservant felt that the state and county were fine, and the villagers were basically self-sufficient, but the Lu family had only widows, so life was particularly difficult," Xiaoci replied, "But the maidservant felt a little strange. King Wu attacked the city all the way north and plundered the land, but why didn't he swallow the states and counties south of Wu County, just like General Lu's hometown. It is only a few mountains away from Wu County, and the mountain road of more than 60 or 70 miles is just around. If you want to take it for yourself, isn't it easy to get it?

Huanying thought for a moment, "There are two possibilities. One is that the king of Wu thinks that those prefectures and counties will become the vassals of Wu county sooner or later, within the control of Wu County, so he is not in a hurry to seize it. In addition, the king of Wu's troops and resources are also a little tight, so he mainly takes the capital first. To target, when he occupies the capital and sits in the dragon position, he will naturally mobilized his troops and clean up all the states and counties that refuse to surrender to him.

Xiaoci nodded slightly, "Well, that's the reason, madam. Do you want to know what these are for? Will it be helpful to the Lord?"

Huanxuan smiled and said, "It's not good now. In short, you know that you can fight a hundred battles. Thank you for your hard work, Xiaoci!"

"Don't say such words, madam," Xiaoci pouted. "I should run errands for my wife. What's the hard work?"

"Okay, let's not talk about it. I'll ask you to add more dishes in the evening to pick up the wind and dust for you and Lu's mother, okay?" Huan ling lovingly took Xiao Ci's hand.

"It's almost the same!" Xiaoci smiled, thought about it, and then said to Huanying, "Yes, there is one more thing. Just think of it as an anecdote from the streets. As for the credibility of the maidservant, it's hard to say."

"Oh? What's the funny thing?" Huanxuan raised his eyebrows, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"In the territory of Wu County, the maidservant heard rumors on the street that it was Xu Zhao, the counselor of the King of Wu. He was not only young, capable and knowledgeable, but also had another special ability, that is, he was good at changing appearance. I heard that he once became the King of Wu and visited the counties and government in Wu County. No one in more than 40 prefectures and counties in Wu County could tell the truth. False."

"Is that right?" Huanying said doubtfully, "The ordinary change of appearance is just a disguise. Although it can confuse the public, it is inevitable to show flaws in front of acquaintances. Thinking that Wu Wangzhi County for four or five years, the officials and subordinates under his jurisdiction have been familiar with him for a long time. No matter how capable Xu Zhao is, how can he achieve all the large and small officials in more than 40 prefectures and counties? Is there really such a powerful skill in this world to mess with the truth?

"I don't know this maidservant, but that's how they spread it!" Xiaoci said, "Is it that he is similar to the King of Wu?"

Huanying was silent. After a while, he said, "Then Xu Zhao pretended to be the king of Wu and went to the county government to cheat. Didn't the king of Wu annoy him?"

"It seems not. It seems that the king of Wu tacitly allowed him to walk around and try its changeable effect." Xiaoci held Huanying with her backhand and said, "Madam, is the one in the capital palace really Ning Tanger?"

Huanxuan looked up at Xiaoci, "What, have you heard about it?"

"It was the Lord who turned the letter and asked me if I was familiar with the Weier girl, because the Weier girl also came out of Yongsheng Lane, but the maidservant left Yongsheng Lane early in the morning and went to Caiying Hall to serve the Empress Li at that time. There are so many palace people in Yongsheng Lane, and I can't remember."

"Yes, the palace people and hermiters in the palace, it is estimated that even if they have the most extensive contacts, they may not be able to recognize everything if they stay in the palace for a lifetime!" Huanxuan sighed and said, "Xu Zhao will change his face, which may have something to do with Ning Tang'er in the palace, but whether Ning Tang'er is true or not remains to be verified. If Ning Tang'er is not in the palace, then she..."

"Will she be in trouble?" The small porcelain mouth is fast, and the interface is connected.

Huanying was silent again for a long time, and then slowly shook his head, "I don't think so, as long as Lou Xun is still alive."