Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 172 The World Is Like This
The lobby is exceptionally bright.

Liu Taozi sat in the upper seat, and on his left and right were the governors of Sanggan, Fanzhi, Mayi, Guangning and other counties.

These ministers, who could make the upper and lower officials tremble in their local areas, were now sitting next to Liu Taozi, with flattering looks on their faces.

Their ranks are much higher than Liu Taozi's, but the ranks of civil and military officials cannot be compared.

Moreover, with what happened today, even a first-rank minister wouldn't dare to be rude to Liu Taozi, because the little old lady in Yecheng is watching! !

Yiluohao raised the wine cup in his hand and looked at everyone with a smile, "Everyone, General Liu is here today, which is really a great honor. For General Liu, how about we drink a glass first?"

Several people stood up hurriedly and said yes.

Liu Taozi looked at them indifferently. The atmosphere, which had just begun to improve, became silent because of Liu Taozi. Yiluohao looked at Liu Taozi who did not stand up, smiled awkwardly, and sat down again. The same was true for the other few people. They all didn't know what to say.

Wei Jiong looked at them and said, "General Liu, you said earlier that there was no wood for the expansion of Wuchuan. Is there enough wood now?"

Yiluohao was stunned and said quickly: "Does Wuchuan need wood? Oh, General Liu, why don't you tell me? I can still help!"

Liu Taozi then looked at him and said, "We are not short of wood right now, but we are short of people."

"Oh? Who's missing?"

“We are short of scholars.”

"Oh, a scholar?"

"No, anyone who can read and write will do."

"This is easy to handle!"

Yiluohao waved his hand and said, "I have too many clerks in various government offices. They exceed the standard. I am worried about how to reduce them. Wuchuan is short of people. Why don't I send them over?"

"General Liu has helped me a lot. I am relieved that these people have been settled!"

"Thank you, General Liu!"

Yiluohao stood up and toasted Liu Taozi.

At this moment, Liu Taozi also slowly stood up and drank it all in one gulp.

"Thank you, Lord Yilou."

Seeing this scene, the other two prefects also hurriedly said that they also had many idle officials.

The solemn and murderous atmosphere just now disappeared, and there was still no smile on Liu Taozi's face. However, she no longer had that gloomy look. Several prefects were joking, talking and laughing, and they all looked a lot more relaxed.

Liu Taozi said softly: "The Prime Minister is coming."

Everyone fell silent.

For people of their level, it is no secret what the Prime Minister is going to do and what he will do in the future.

They were also very aware that the Prime Minister was coming to the border.

But they remained silent and continued to stare at Liu Taozi, wondering what he was going to say.

Liu Taozi said, "The Prime Minister said that when he came to the frontier, he wanted to see elite frontier soldiers and wealthy counties."

"I can organize the border troops so that they do not cause trouble to the local area, and I can also train the soldiers to make them more capable of fighting, but I have no way to deal with this wealthy county."

"I didn't want to say more, but you guys were so kind, so I'll say a few words."

"The Prime Minister intends to use this opportunity to take a look at the border counties. He may send people to conduct a private investigation, reward those who have made contributions, and punish those who have committed mistakes."

"That's all, everyone."

After Liu Taozi finished speaking, he took another sip of wine.

"Farewell."

Liu Taozi stood up and left. Several prefects looked at him blankly, and Wei Jiong looked at him thoughtfully.

After he left, Yiluohao could not wait to stand up and looked at Wei Jiong, "Mr. Wei!! Did you know all along?! This Liu Taozi was sent by the Prime Minister to secretly monitor the border counties? Is that right or not?!"

"The Prime Minister wants to establish his authority, so he came to the border and defeated the enemy. This is one thing. A thorough investigation of the counties and the execution of officials who have committed crimes is another. Lord Wei! You are really! How can you be so selfish?!"

Yiluohao's face looked extremely bad.

Wei Jiong was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up, his face full of guilt, and bowed to them, "Everyone, please forgive me! Please forgive me!"

He smiled bitterly and said, "I don't have any friendship with Liu Taozi, but my family is friendly with his family. Someone from my family told me that the Prime Minister sent this person to secretly investigate various places. It's just a guess, and I dare not be sure. Besides, how can the Prime Minister's affairs be leaked? So I dare not tell you. Forgive me! Forgive me!"

Yiluohao was confused. He looked at the two people on his left and right, "Your family?"

"If I remember correctly, you are the General of the Cavalry."

Yiluohao was silent for a moment, then he collapsed to the ground and said, "It's broken."

"We have informed General Liu of everything we have done following Prince Shunyang. After the Prime Minister arrives, won't he be the first to test his sword on us?"

The other two were also very frightened.

Seeing their expressions, Wei Jiong said hurriedly, "Don't be afraid. The Prime Minister hasn't arrived yet. Didn't I participate in the process at the beginning? How dare we disobey the King of Shunyang who is doing things here? The Prime Minister must also understand this. The most important thing now is to make changes in the place before the Prime Minister arrives!"

"Change?"

"Yes, in the border counties, the people are arrogant, and there are countless people who cannot make a living without farmland. No one has dared to enter the county government for several years. The officials are almost all minions of the people, and they are partial to the people. Things have come to this point, so don't worry about offending others. Save your life first. Besides, with the support of the prime minister, what is there to be afraid of?"

"I cannot advise you on what you want to do, but when I return, I will vigorously rectify the local area, thoroughly investigate the officials, distribute farmland, and resettle the refugees."

Upon hearing this, Yiluohao nodded and said righteously, "As local officials, we should do this! We should do this!"

"Everyone! I have something urgent to do."

Several people soon dispersed.

Wei Jiong rode on a horse, led the knights, and walked on the road with a bitter face. He sometimes sighed, sometimes laughed, and sometimes was silent.

When they were leaving the city, Wei Jiong suddenly discovered that Liu Taozi was leading dozens of knights and waiting for him on the road.

Wei Jiong rode forward and the two of them walked on the road together.

"General, I have explained that for you. They all vowed to work hard to improve people's livelihood."

Wei Jiong smiled bitterly, "In this world, you have to lie to get local officials to do serious things. This is ridiculous, ridiculous."

Liu Taozi looked into the distance, "Didn't they suspect anything?"

"Suspicious? Suspicious of what? Suspicious that you tricked them into doing good things?"

"They will never understand such a reason, nor will they ever try to understand it. Who would have thought that someone would take it upon themselves to relieve the suffering of the common people?"

Liu Taozi nodded.

"Thank you, Lord Wei."

"No, you don't need to thank me. To be honest, I was born into a famous family and got an official position thanks to my ancestors, but I was muddle-headed and wasted my time. In these years, I have never done anything beneficial to the country. I had too many concerns in the past. Now I have met someone who dares to make decisions. If I hesitate any longer, I am afraid that this will be the case for my whole life."

"General, if one day in the future I am convicted for these things, could you please save me?"

Liu Taozi slowly looked towards Wei Jiong with solemn eyes.

"Must save."

Wei Jiong laughed, "Thank you, thank you, I'm not afraid anymore."

Liu Taozi led everyone back to Wuchuan.

Wuchuan is extremely lively both inside and outside.

Some laborers were working enthusiastically under the leadership of their heads of households. There was enough food at the moment. Although the amount distributed was not much, it was much better than in the past. At least there was food every day without interruption. When they were given food, they worked hard without the numbness of the past.

After surveying the surrounding area, Tian Zilie established a suitable residential area around Wuchuan and settled the people there.

They promoted a large number of civilian laborers and made them heads of ten households, heads of a hundred households, etc., organized the chaotic and disorderly civilian laborers, let them know their affiliation, and were able to better manage them.

The laborers no longer gathered in Wuchuan City, but spread out in the surrounding areas with Wuchuan as the center.

A purely military fortress became a normal city like other county towns. The troops still lived in the city, but new villages were built around the city.

This is not only the case in Wuchuan, but also in several important garrisons around it.

The defense line was also changed. While setting up the village, they also set up watchtowers and horse walls around it.

The entire border was very busy, and officials were often busy from day to night with almost no time to rest.

Liu Taozi was not very familiar with these matters, so he copied many copies of the book that Yang Yin had given him and distributed them to the military officers, asking them to understand and study them.

"Brother!!"

Yao Xiong rode up on his horse and dismounted in a hurry.

"You're finally back, brother, something big happened!" Yao Xiong's face was full of anxiety.

"Oh?"

Liu Taozi remained calm. He rode his horse towards the city, and Yao Xiong followed him. "I followed my brother's order to attack temples in various places along the border. Everything went smoothly everywhere, except for Huaishuo. Those Huaishuo people were rude to my brother and looked down on us Wuchuan soldiers!"

"Several Huaishuo knights led the Cangtou slaves to confront us, and they also wanted to protect those evil monks!"

"I fought with them, but I didn't get any advantage. Then I provoked their garrison commander. I thought he would be sensible, but he actually stood with the knights and wanted to oppose me."

Yao Xiong said angrily: "I said it was your order, and they asked to see the general. I brought them all back, including the garrison commander, the knight, and the evil monks. They are all detained in the government office now!!"

Liu Taozi looked at him again and saw the scars on Yao Xiong's face. "Were you beaten?"

Yao Xiong's face flushed, "They were the ones who launched a surprise attack. There was a Huaishuo soldier who was really good at archery. He attacked me after a disagreement. He shot off my armor with one arrow. I didn't check it and fell off my horse."

Liu Taozi didn't say anything, but just quickened his pace.

Yao Xiong just muttered in a low voice: "I was careless for a moment. These thieves are good at sneak attacks."

When they arrived at the government office, Yao Xiong hurriedly dismounted and walked forward to lead the blue lion. Liu Taozi dismounted from his warhorse. Yao Xiong handed the blue lion to a soldier beside him, and then led Liu Taozi to the side yard.

Yao Xiong kicked the door open.

"General Wu Yi has arrived! Salute quickly!"

Yao Xiong shouted, and more than ten people in the yard hurriedly stood up and bowed towards the door to greet him.

Liu Taozi then walked in and glanced at Yao Xiong, "Keep your voice down."

"only"

At this moment, Liu Datou, the commander of Huaishuo garrison, hurried forward and said, "General Dugu."

"My surname is Liu."

"General Liu, this is all a misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding!"

Liu Datou was very anxious. He pointed at the monks in the distance and said, "The people in Anfa Temple are all good people. They don't take money, they treat people's illnesses, they don't ask for rewards, they work hard and earn their living. It's impossible for them to collude with the Pseudo-Zhou, let alone rebel. General, please be clear-headed!"

Liu Taozi slowly looked at the monks in the distance.

Different from the monks Liu Taozi had seen before, these people were extremely thin and had dark skin. Although their clothes were not dirty, they were very worn and patched. Their eyes were clear, and when they noticed that Liu Taozi was looking at them, they nodded slightly.

"Anfa Temple?"

An elderly monk stepped forward and bowed to Liu Taozi, "I am Anzhi, and I am honored to meet you, General Liu."

Liu Taozi examined him, then looked at Yao Xiong, "What did you find?"

"Armor, weapons"

"to be honest."

"We found nothing. These evil monks hid very deep. The temple is very dilapidated. They also said that they would not charge for medical treatment. It is obvious that they are confusing people. I don't know what they are doing. Brother, have we seen any good monks on this journey? Aren't monks all out to kill for money?! Who knows where they hid their money. Brother, I will go again."

Liu Taozi looked at him slowly, her fierce eyes were extremely frightening. Yao Xiong closed his mouth and dared not speak.

The old monk bowed to Liu Taozi and said, "General, we are all practitioners. We practice Zen. We have never taken any money, nor have we ever killed anyone for money, nor have we ever colluded with the Zhou people."

Liu Datou also said hurriedly: "General, it is true. These masters of Anfa Temple do not accept money. They farm by themselves. If they do not have enough food, they go to the streets to beg for food, and they only ask for very little. They also treat people and never charge money. If there are people who cannot survive, they will help them."

Liu Taozi looked at the old monk, "Acetic monk? What do you practice?"

"What we cultivate is to save the people of the world."

"I don't know what the point of doing this is, but at least you have this idea. Go back."

"Thank you, General!!"

The monks all bowed, and the old monk hesitated for a moment and said, "General, I shouldn't have said too much, but you killed too many people."

"Let's go back."

Liu Taozi spoke again, interrupting the other party.

The old monk sighed, bowed to Liu Taozi, and led his disciples to leave with their heads bowed.

Liu Taozi looked at Liu Datou again, "You too, go back as soon as possible."

Yao Xiong was horrified. He pointed at one of the Huaishuo soldiers in the distance and said, "Brother, that person attacked us first. Even if they have a reason, it is considered as disobeying your military orders. How can we let him go like this?"

Liu Taozi looked at the man in the direction he pointed.

He was a masked man, and was obviously a little shorter than the other Huaishuo soldiers. Liu Taozi looked at the man and frowned.

Liu Datou quickly stood in front of the man and said, "General, I gave the orders. If you want to punish me, punish me."

Liu Taozi said, "You and him stay, the rest of you can go."

Liu Datou wanted to say something, but he just lowered his head helplessly.

Liu Taozi looked at Yao Xiong who was standing aside. Yao Xiong was very proud at the moment, as if to say, let me see how my brother will deal with you!
"And you go get the Ten Military Sticks."

"what?"

Yao Xiong was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed, "Yes."

Yao Xiong left the place dejectedly, and only these three people were left in the house.

Liu Taozi slowly walked in front of the masked knight. The masked knight was extremely uneasy and at a loss. Liu Datou came over again, "General, he didn't mean it. The master once saved his grandfather and was very kind to him. Please forgive him, please forgive him."

"What's your name?"

"Yan Heita."

The man's voice was hoarse and sounded strange.

"Take off your mask."

The man paused, hesitated, and slowly took off the mask.

Under the mask was the face of a heroic woman. She looked at Liu Taozi solemnly and saluted, "Mrs. Yan, I pay my respects to the general."

Liu Taozi looked at Liu Datou, as if wanting him to give an explanation.

Liu Datou said in a tangled manner: "General, please don't misunderstand, this is not a case of drawing a salary for nothing. Yan Niang's grandfather was very capable, but unfortunately, he was seriously injured later. If it weren't for the master's rescue, I'm afraid he would have died long ago. Her brothers died in the battle one after another, leaving only her. Her grandfather's name was on the military order this time. I tried to persuade her, but she was filial to her grandfather and insisted on taking orders on his behalf. General, I know I was wrong, and I will forgive her this time."

Liu Taozi was stunned for a moment and looked at the woman in front of her again.

"Well, except for her grandfather's name on the military books, she will be properly arranged."

Hearing this, Yan Niang saluted hurriedly, "General!! I still have many young men to support at home. If I am enlisted, my family will no longer be a military household. Please allow me to take over for a while, let my grandfather adopt a child, and then let him take over. In the previous dynasty, military households often had women take over. What's more, I have practiced riding and shooting since I was young, learned military tactics, and can use a horse lance, so I am not inferior to others!"

"Please allow me, General! I will never let you down!"

Liu Datou hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Yan Niang is really not weak. When we were fighting against the Turks before, she shot and killed the most people under my command, and she was the most meritorious."

Liu Taozi looked at her and said, "Put on the mask and follow me."

Liu Taozi led the two people out of the villa and walked all the way to the West Parade Ground, where many soldiers were training.

Liu Taozi stopped at the door and waved to Kou Liu in the distance. Kou Liu hurried over here, panting.

"Give him the bow."

Kou Liu was stunned, took off the longbow and handed it to the masked knight in front of him.

Liu Taozi pointed at the straw man in the distance and said, "Shoot its head."

Kou Liu's eyes widened. The straw man was probably more than eighty steps away from here. How could he shoot him in the head? ?

Before he could open his mouth, he heard three "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sounds breaking through the air.

Kou Liu was shocked to find that there were arrows hanging on the straw man's head in the distance.

The masked knight on the side maintained a standard shooting posture, motionless.

Kou Liu opened his mouth wide, stunned.

There was a glimmer of relief in Liu Taozi's eyes and he nodded.

"good."

"Yan Heita, would you like to be a scout for me?"

Yan Heita was overjoyed. He quickly saluted Liu Taozi and said, "Thank you, General!"

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(End of this chapter)