It was late autumn at this time, and the first snow would come at any time. The stream was very cold, and many soldiers who saw the opportunity had jumped into the stream and were struggling to swim to the other side.

Kuang Zhonglei tied the sword tightly to his waist, and jumped into the cold stream under Pan Wushuang's stunned eyes.

Pan Wushuang took a deep breath, drew out his long sword, and followed suit. While there was still a chance, he had to be faster, otherwise he would become a scapegoat.

The war was advancing at a speed that exceeded Lin Zhaoqing's expectations. In less than half an hour, the battlefield began to be cleaned, and the hundreds of people who jumped into the stream to escape were simply ignored.

After everything was taken care of, he should go back to Jiande and give Sun Yu a clear answer.

As for Kuang Zhonglei and Pan Wushuang, their clothes were dripping with water, and the autumn wind was chilling them to their bones.

There were more than 300 people traveling with them, all of whom were wet. If things continued like this, they would definitely get sick.

"General Pan, it can't be done. If this continues, everyone will be doomed." Kuang Zhonglei was exhausted. He was fine when running, but once he stopped, how could he bear the cold.

From last night to now, I only had an hour's rest at noon. Pan Wushuang was okay, but Kuang Zhonglei really couldn't bear it.

Pan Wushuang looked at himself. He only had a knife in his body. Kuang Zhonglei and his personal guards were also the same. The others had nothing. If they wanted to make a fire to keep warm, they would have to find a fire seal.

"General, there seems to be a family over there!" It was now time to cook dinner. In the valley ahead, there were a few wisps of smoke rising from a place, which must be someone's family.

Kuang Zhonglei touched his shriveled belly and felt sleepy, hungry, and extremely cold.

"Let's go and have a look!" Kuang Zhonglei decided to go there to have a rest first, get some food, and dry his clothes.

As for whether Lin Zhaoqing would send someone to catch up, he wasn't worried. The bridge was destroyed, and there was nothing wrong with people like them who had nothing to do.

Shezhou has been in peace for many years. The small village in the valley can be regarded as a paradise. Except for Li Zhenghui coming to collect taxes and grains, it basically has no contact with the outside world.

A sudden influx of hundreds of soaked young men broke the tranquility of the small mountain village.

Everyone in the village came out, and the men blocked their wives and children behind them. They didn't know what these people were going to do.

"Everyone, this is..." Pan Wushuang cleared his throat and planned to use Kuang Zhonglei's name to scare people. Anyway, he dried his clothes first, had a full meal, and had a good sleep.

.

"Dear fellow villagers, we are doing business by boat on the stream. Someone tampered with the boat. We fell into the water and escaped. Now we have nothing. I would like to stay overnight in your place. Is it possible?" Kuang Zhonglei pulled me.

Pan Wushuang, a newly appointed Jiedushi envoy, isn't it shameful enough to end up in such a situation?

"I have met a few distinguished guests. We have always been hospitable to guests, but there are too many distinguished guests." An old man on crutches crossed the crowd and walked to the front and replied.

There are only about twenty households in this village, and when they come, they will basically take over the whole place. And every one of them is like a drowned rat. They are definitely not just spending the night. They also need to eat. Tonight

One meal, one meal tomorrow morning, this must not empty the village.

"Old man, we have property in Jixi County, and we will not let the village waste money in vain." Kuang Zhonglei held back the cold and shivered, but considering his reputation, he could only talk nicely.

"This..." The old man was also a little unsure. If they didn't admit it, they would suffer a huge loss.

"This is, well, my beloved thing, how about leaving it in the village?" Kuang Zhonglei was anxious to warm himself by the fire, so he simply put his long sword

Hand it forward and prepare to use it as collateral.

"No, no, I will take everyone to prepare now." The old man was startled that there were so many young and strong men, many of whom were accompanied by others, but he actually resisted and hurriedly called them back to prepare.

In just two sticks of incense, piles of bonfires were set up in the open space at the entrance of the village. Everyone gathered around the bonfire, taking off their clothes to bake.

Kuang Zhonglei and Pan Wushuang were treated even better. They were taken directly to their home by the old man and a brazier was lit in the main hall.

"Come on, please take it easy for your distinguished guests. There is too little cooking at home, so I will prepare it now." The meals originally eaten at home were served to them first, and then I went to the kitchen to cook them again.

As soon as I arrived outside the kitchen, I heard my daughter-in-law complaining to her son that this good meal not only made others cheaper, but also had to continue cooking, and I didn't know how long it would take to finish it.

"Shut up!" The old man entered the kitchen and shouted directly at the young couple.

The usually gentle old man suddenly got angry, and the young couple immediately fell silent, but their hearts were filled with anger and dissatisfaction.

"My old eyes are dim, can't you see clearly? What kind of boat racing guy is this? Look at the calluses on your hands, as well as the weapons and clothes, they are all made from the same mold. Who is this boat racing guy?

"The old man said, pointing to the soldiers warming themselves by the fire outside the kitchen window.

"Dad, what do they do?" The young couple glanced out the window and found that it was exactly what their father said.

"Nine times out of ten, they are soldiers, and looking like this means they have suffered a loss. Remember, don't offend them. No, you two are not allowed to go out of this door. You will spend the night here after eating."

The old man looked at his daughter-in-law, feeling uneasy after all. These people might be deserters who suffered a defeat. Who knows what they might do. The old man only had one idea at the moment, and just send them away quickly.

Muzhou City has gradually returned to its former prosperity, and Sun Yu has moved to the governor's office to handle daily official documents.

Sun Yu has no intention of touching Muzhou's officialdom. Everything he does now is for the sake of stability.

In Muzhou City, in the past, Tao Gui had the final say in military matters, but the governor was in charge of government affairs. Later, when the Southern Tang army attacked, Muzhou directly integrated military and political affairs, and the governor's functions were idle.

"My lord, I'm afraid it's not easy to promote it like this." Nie Maoying, the governor of Muzhou, was idle at home and was worried all day long. He thought about all kinds of situations, but he never thought that Sun Yu would come to the mansion to invite him in person.

Not long after Sun Yu entered Muzhou City, he arranged for people to go to the people to inquire. The governor Nie Maoying had a good reputation, so he might as well reuse him. It also gave the old officials of South Vietnam an attitude. He valued not only military generals with military power, but also civil servants.

What Nie Maoying holds in his hand is a governing document. Every detail in it has been implemented under Sun Yu's rule. But in his opinion, the resistance is so great that it suffocates him.

"Master Nie, every one of these policies cannot be discounted and must be implemented effectively. We serve as officials for one term and benefit a country. If we stop when there are difficulties, wouldn't we be ashamed of the people we govern?" Sun Yu certainly knew the difficulties.

, if you want to take action on those big players, there is too much involved.

"Muzhou has been decided for the first time, this..." Nie Maoying still has doubts. These big households are not at the mercy of others. They are really desperate, and there are many tricks behind them.

Most of them, as local officials, want to do good things to benefit the people, but these will inevitably touch the interests of local wealthy families.

These big families have been operating in the local area for many years and are deeply intertwined. What's more, they even organize rural warriors privately. Ordinary people fear them like tigers, and even state and county officials cannot touch them at all.

Otherwise, we will definitely not be able to collect taxes and grain, and if we cause trouble again, we will definitely pack up and leave.

"It is precisely because there are not so many connections yet, so now is a good time. Mr. Nie, after our Lord ascends the throne, although there are many vacancies in the court, it will not be possible if there are no solid political achievements. "Sun Yu knew that this matter was difficult to handle, but as long as there was enough attraction, it wouldn't be a problem.

Sun Yu never holds officials to the standards of a saint. You can have your own pursuits, but they must be within the rules.

If an official wants to seek a higher position, that is his duty. As long as you can show enough merit, he is willing to fulfill your wish. But if you want to go through evil ways, then don't blame him for being rude.

"My lord, if you want to succeed in this matter, you must first deal with the Tang family in Sui'an." Nie Maoying certainly heard what Sun Yu meant. This was an excellent opportunity. If she could win Sun Yu's favor, she would not be able to enter the center. A little effort.

He has been an official in Muzhou for many years, and he is very clear about the thorns in the counties that do not give the government face. In the past, not only did he not dare to offend, he would also send someone to the old man to celebrate his birthday or something. When people follow the etiquette, it means they can cooperate more.

The current person in charge of the Tang family in Sui'an was named Tang Yi. He had retired from the position of Shangshu of the Ministry of Household Affairs of the State of Yue. He had quite a bit of dignity in the court, and Nie Maoying did not dare to offend him at all.

This Tang family has thousands of acres of fertile land. Because it is located on the border, it is also engaged in smuggling business. It is said that Tang family has mastered a smuggling route and makes a lot of money every day.

Over the years, through marriages with each other, the Tang family has been firmly tied to several other large families in Muzhou, becoming a force that cannot be ignored in the local area.

If there are officials who try to move their interests, or mobilize the power above the court to transfer them, or have their decrees not go out, they have to surrender.

The Tang clan alone had no less than a thousand guards. Apart from the lack of iron armor, they also had no shortage of other equipment.

Such an armed force located on the border would be unable to do anything if it penetrated into the mountains.

"The Tang family in Sui'an? What a great prestige." Sun Yu sneered. Is there a family bigger than the Qian family across the country?

"My lord, the Tang family of Sui'an, although they look ostentatious, are actually very careful in their actions. There is no way to catch them and it is difficult to convict them." It's not that Nie Maoying has never thought of eradicating them, but although he is the governor, he cannot be convicted. With tangible evidence, there is absolutely nothing you can do.

"Could General Tao be involved in this?" Others don't care. If Tao Gui is involved, he must be taken out. Otherwise, if word spreads, he will never be able to escape his reputation as a man who kills donkeys.

"It shouldn't be too involved. General Tao was just training in the army before and didn't have much interaction with the local government." Tao Gui became the actual controller of Muzhou only after Lin Zhaoqing called him. He had no contact with the Tang family in Sui'an before.

"In that case, let's use this Tang family as a chicken to scare the monkeys, so as to avoid committing more crimes." Sun Yu's purpose is to let everyone live under his rules, not to kill, on the battlefield.

He had had enough of the killings.

Tang Yi is now sixty-nine, and has been in office for three years. At this age, fifty is an elder, and seventy is really rare in ancient times.

When Tang Yi was young, the Tang family was one of the rich local families, and their climb up through the imperial examinations and official positions was quite smooth. In recent years, with his help, the Tang family had successfully become the largest family in Muzhou.

Tang Yi is not the eldest son of the family. The current patriarch is Tang Yi's nephew based on seniority. He has the airs of an elder and is an official with the title of Shangshu. If everything goes well, after his death, the court will have nothing to do with it.

Give him a title like Taifu to show his dignity.
Chapter completed!