Chapter 28: Killing invisible

Last year, Qi County suffered a severe drought and hunger people were everywhere. In addition, the imperial court recruited 600,000 people to transport grain to Liaodong, which made the people resentful, Zouping.

The county government was smashed and the official warehouse was robbed. Although Zhang Xutuo killed one to warn hundreds of people and shocked the hungry people to rob grain, Zhang Xutuo also knew that the people of Qi County had been forced to a desperate situation and would not give them a way out, and more than 100,000 people would go up the mountain to become bandits. (")

Therefore, despite the opposition of the officials, Zhang Xutuo resolutely decided to open a warehouse to provide disaster relief without authorization, which gave the hungry people who were about to explode in full swing. The angry public resentment gradually subsided. Afterwards, Zhang Xutuo was not punished, but Emperor Yang Guang of Sui specially praised him. It was Zhang Xutuo's demonstration effect that caused officials in the disaster area to open warehouses to provide disaster relief one after another, and the people at the bottom survived the most difficult winter of the sixth year.

Yang Yuanqing's inspection this time was actually a general liquidation of the opening of warehouses and disaster relief last year. If there were no corruption or illegal things, then the matter would be over.

As for why we check Qi County first, the usual understanding is that Qi County is the first to open a warehouse to provide disaster relief, so we naturally come to check Qi County for the first stop.

After Yang Yuanqing introduced the situation, Zhang Xutuo said frankly: "All the disaster relief books are complete, and it is clear that I, Zhang Xutuo, did not greedy for a bully of food. Yuanqing, even if you investigate it selflessly, even if other problems are found, I will accept the punishment calmly."

Originally, Zhang Xutuo's attitude became serious and the light atmosphere disappeared. Everyone was silent, and even Luo Shixin dared not say anything.

Seeing that Yang Zhiji was cold, he quickly laughed dryly and said, "Don't talk about business at the banquet, let's continue to talk about Pu Tao wine. Brother Yang, I wonder which one do you think is better than Dali Pu Tao wine or Gaochang Pu Tao wine?"

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After drinking the welcoming wine, Yang Yuanqing and Zhang Xutuo were alone in the county yamen. Yang Yuanqing then said openly: "Before I left, the emperor specially drew two lines for me. The upper limit was 500 stones of grain. Any officials who were found to have greed for more than 500 stones will be impeached and executed. Those who were less than 500 stones but more than 100 stones must be made a list for the emperor. If it is less than 100 stones, they can be let go. But in fact, we are mainly focusing on checking accounts. As long as the accounts are clear and the procedures are complete, they can basically be let go. So even if the master has some small problems, I will not pursue them. Please rest assured. "

Zhang Xutuo's face sank and said, "I've said it just now. I'm clean and innocent. Do you still have any doubts about what I said?"

Yang Yuanqing smiled bitterly and said, "There is no word "innocence" in the eyes of the censor. If the problem cannot be found, it is that the censor is incompetent. The emperor will not accept such an investigation report. Moreover, you are my master. If you say you are innocent, then someone will definitely come to investigate. If you are a straight censor, maybe he can report it truthfully, but if you are a censor who is good at catering to the will of the saint, even if the master has no problems, he will create problems. The problem will be serious at that time. Does Master understand what I mean?"

Zhang Xutuo said coldly: "You mean to ask me to find some questions for you, right!"

Zhang Xutuo's tone was very cold and a hint of disappointment. He felt that his apprentice had changed a little and became very powerful, just like an old fried dough stick who had been immersed in the officialdom for decades, no longer had the integrity and strength he was when he was a teenager.

Zhang Xutuo stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, staring at the distant sky. After a while, he asked, "If the second censor fabricated a fake certificate that was not good for me, will it affect you?"

Yang Yuanqing could feel the slight dissatisfaction of Zhang Xutuo with him, and he also knew why this dissatisfaction was? But Yang Yuanqing was also helpless. The murderous intent of the official battle was hidden. If he was not careful, he would die at the hands of his political opponents.

In fact, Yang Guang was just talking specifically about the boundaries of investigating and handling the case, at least to investigate whom first and then whom. Yang Guang did not say, but the imperial edict said that Qi County was first investigated, and the imperial edict was drafted by Yu Shiji. He suspected that this was Yu Shiji's deliberate arrangement, and the purpose was to put the investigation of Qi County first, which would remind Yang Guang of his relationship with Zhang Xutuo.

Then Yu Shiji could use the issue to play, and then sent the censor to use his move to deal with Zhang Yiyun to deal with Zhang Xutuo. Finally, he found out that Zhang Xutuo was guilty. In the end, he impeached himself for the crime of sheltering. Yang Yuanqing had been fighting in the officialdom for many years, and he could sensitively detect this invisible method of killing people. (　　　)

But Yang Yuanqing also knows his master very well. If he is also implicated, he will definitely do things against his will, and then he will be resentful for the rest of his life.

Yang Yuanqing was silent for a while before saying, "I am afraid that my master will suffer a great crime."

Zhang Xutuo sneered, "If it's for this, it doesn't matter. Let them investigate. If they make a fuss and frame me out of nothing, then I will fight against the emperor. If the emperor believes in slander and must kill me, then I can only accept my fate. In short, I would rather die than admit that I am corrupt and rob the people of the people."

Yang Yuanqing sighed in his heart. If the master was really innocent, the last pillar of the Great Sui Dynasty would be gone. He felt that he could no longer talk to Zhang Xutuo, so he changed the subject and laughed: "Tell me about the rebels! Didn't the master say that he would be ready to get rid of Wang Bo and Meng Rang before Xia Seong? Is there a plan?"

Speaking of rehabilitation, Zhang Xutuo immediately became energetic. He also smiled and said, "Of course I have a plan. It can be said that I caught Wang Bo and Meng Rang's door. Their food can no longer be sustained. Tonight, I will lead my army to sweep Changbai Mountain."

That night, Zhang Xutuo left 500 people to defend the city, and he personally led 4,000 county soldiers to Changbai Mountain to suppress the bandits.

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Changbai Mountain is located at the junction of the four counties. The main ridges are in Zhangqiu. The mountains are steep and ridges are stretched for hundreds of miles. They are known as the "Primary Mountain of Mount Tai". They are famous because of the often lingering white clouds on the top of the mountain. Because the mountains are high, the forests are dense, and the ravines are crisscrossing, and millions of soldiers can be hidden. Therefore, Zhang Xutuo led his troops to encircle Wang Bo several times but failed.

After more than a year of development, Wang Bo's army has reached more than 34,000. Although he was defeated by robbing horses in Zhua County and destroyed more than 4,000 people, Wang Bo still has nearly 30,000 troops.

In addition to Wang Bo's one branch, there are more than a dozen small bandits, that is, dozens and hundreds of people. They have already become bandits in Changbai Mountain before Wang Bo. They are veritable bandits, but the harm is not great. At most, they can rob passers-by merchants or harass villages and towns near Changbai Mountain.

But at the beginning of this year, another powerful rebel appeared in Changbai Mountain, with nearly 10,000 people. The leader of the thief was named Meng Rang. He was a general with both civil and military skills. He was originally under Zhang Xutuo and served as the chief clerk. He resolutely rebelled because he hated Yang Guang's campaign against Goryeo. The slogan he put forward was that he would rather die at home than go to Liaodong to perish, which also attracted a large number of strong men and brave men who were evading military service, so that his strength could grow rapidly and he became the second mountain god in Changbai Mountain.

Wang Bo and Meng Rang were originally two troops of their own, but after Wang Bo defeated Zhua County, he immediately visited Meng Rang. After some hard persuasion, Meng Rang finally agreed to Wang Bo's request. The two armies merged. Wang Bo called himself the General of the Cavalry, while Meng Rang was called the champion general, and the two commanded 40,000 troops.

The merger of the two armies was forced to do so. Both sides were facing severe food problems and had to feed more than 40,000 people. They needed a large amount of food every day. Almost all the gentry of Qi County fled into the city, and the countryside was desolate. Before summer grain was planted, they had nowhere to rob.

After joining forces, their strength grew stronger and they began to consider looting the county town. Only by looting the county town can they gain something and support their 40,000 subordinates.

However, when considering the specific plan, the two had differences. Wang Bo advocated starting from a small county with weak troops, plundering it for a long time before returning to the mountain, while Meng Rang wanted to occupy the big city, separatist the side, cultivate internal affairs, strengthen his strength, and confront the Sui Dynasty.

The two discussed for two days without any results. Early that morning, Meng Rang hurried to the conference hall. Meng Rang was about 35 or 36 years old, ten years younger than Wang Bo, and tall and burly. He came from an official family. His father was the prefect of Pingyuan in Northern Qi. After the Northern Qi was destroyed, he lived in seclusion at home and taught his son to study and practice martial arts.

At the age of twenty, Meng Rang grew up and went out to travel around the world. Later, he was introduced to be the master of Qi County and County. He did this for ten years. Although he was a minor official, he was in love with the world. This time, the Emperor of Sui attacked Goryeo, which led to the rise of thieves from Shandong. Meng Rang thought that the opportunity had come and resolutely raised his troops to rebel.

As governments in various places opened warehouses to provide disaster relief, the people's desire to rebel was greatly reduced. Meng Rang realized that he had not grasped the opportunity and raised his troops too early, but now he had no choice but to follow the more prestigious Wang Bo for the time being and wait for the opportunity.

"Brother, why did you ask me for so early?" Meng Rang walked into the lobby and said with a smile.

Their soldiers' barracks were all built with thatched huts as tents, and the only brick and stone building was a mountain god temple. The mountain god's mud body had been cleared out, and the main hall became their meeting hall.

Wang Bo sighed, "Brother, there are two things to tell you. The first thing is that our food is only enough to support you for two days."

Meng Rang was stunned, "Don't we still have wheat fields at the foot of the mountain?"

Wang Bo smiled bitterly and said, "This is the second thing I want to tell you. Zhang Xutuo led the main force to encircle us. The wheat that was about to mature was taken away by them."

"What!"

Meng Rang clenched his fists, and his eyes were so angry that he was so angry that he was so angry that he had worked hard to plant the hundreds of acres of wheat fields at the foot of the mountain. He was about to mature, but he was destroyed by Zhang Xutuo.

"Didn't my brother have a spy in Licheng County? Why didn't I get the news in advance?"

"Zhang Xutuo left the city overnight, and it was too late when the spy got the news."

Wang Bo slowly gritted his teeth and said, "There are only 4,500 soldiers in Licheng County, and Zhang Xutuo brought 4,000 people here. Licheng County must be empty. It is better for us to counterattack Licheng County. Even if we cannot capture the city, we can still collect all the tens of thousands of acres of wheat outside the city."

"But I'm worried that this is Zhang Xutuo's plan to lure troops."

"Can you be sure it was his plan?"

Meng Rang shook his head, "I'm just worried!"

Wang Bo sighed slightly, "I know there will be danger, but we only have two days of food. What do you think we will do?"

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Chapter completed!