The King of Xia

"Your Majesty, everything has been found out. There are a total of 16 Mongols who invaded the border this time, totaling more than 56,000." Dai Licheng's intelligence is very accurate. If he didn't want Li An to suspect him, he would have been accurate.

Five days ago, Li An asked him to inquire about the detailed information in the north. Dai Licheng just asked Fan Shan to come out and drink it once, and then all the information was clear. When he reported to Li An, he told the other party with a proud look that he had established a complete intelligence system in the seven northern states, and both Han Zhongwei's army and officials had his eyes and ears. This made Li An feel a little relieved in his frustration. Only the most loyal subordinates would do their best to do their jobs for him.

If Li An knew that Dai Licheng's intelligence system would be only Fan Shan for one day, I wonder what he would think. Because of Dai Licheng's careful work, Li An allocated 2,000 yuan of activity funds to him every month. If Li An knew, Dai Licheng would have put a lot of money in his own pocket every month. I wonder if he would be so angry that he would vomit blood.

"More than 5,600 people?" Li An was also shocked by this number. When did the Mongolians' strength become so "fragile"? They divided the 16-way troops, and almost returned in a defeat. Could it be that the army trained by Han Zhongwei was so powerful? Li An didn't believe it, and there must be another reason for this. "How are the casualties of the Mongolians?"

"It's very miserable. I heard that the Mongols' bodies were everywhere in the mountains. Looking around, there were more than 50,000 people everywhere in the north. It would be a miracle that they could go back alive." Dai Licheng sighed. He knew that the more Mongolians died, the more unhappy Li An would be. He could not express his feelings wrong.

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible. When did the troops of the Hei Shui Military Supervisor and the Xiping Military Supervisor become so powerful?" Li An murmured to himself with disbelief.

"Your Majesty, I heard that they used a very powerful firearm." Dai Licheng did not hide it. He could not hide something like this. The battlefield was so big that even if Han Zhongwei could block the news, the Mongols could not block it. Instead of hiding it from Li An now, it would be better to use it to express loyalty to him.

"Yes, why did I forget such an important thing? Han Zhongwei's grenades are very powerful, but I never thought that using grenades to deal with the Mongols would have such an effect." Li An had actually seen the power of grenades. I remember that he bought a batch for the Captaining Army two years ago, which made Li Zongshan at that time so happy that he could hardly tell the difference between the southeast, southwest and north.

"Not only are there grenades, but also mines. The power of mines is several times greater than that of grenades. Even Mongol horses will turn into piles of mines as soon as they step on landmines." Although Dai Licheng had never seen them with his own eyes, he could imagine the miserable appearance of the Mongols.

"No wonder." Li An could figure it out now. With such a powerful firearm, especially the landmine, as long as the Mongols dared to come, there would be two words: die.

But even so, Li An's fear of Han Zhongwei was increasing day by day. Even the Mongols were killed by him and fled. What other army in Daxia was his opponent? Emperor Guard? This is the most elite army in Daxia, but it is controlled by Li Wei. Now it is impossible for him to place a general in it. The garrison in the capital is also an elite army, but it is also under the control of Han Zhongwei. Only the Catching Army can compete with Han Zhongwei, but now the most sharp firearm of the Catching Army is purchased from Han Zhongwei. The Catching Army fights Han Zhongwei with everything? Could it be like the Mongols, who use human lives to fill it?

And now is not the time to calculate Han Zhongwei's strength. No matter how stupid Li An is, he can still know that Han Zhongwei has fully understood his plan. If he doesn't want to let himself be involved, and at the same time, he also gives Han Zhongwei a satisfactory explanation, Dai Licheng in front of him may have to sacrifice.

But now Dai Licheng has become his right-hand man. Not only is he the person he trusts the most, but he is also the commander of the Proton Army. He is in charge of all his private affairs. If he is eliminated now, he will not be able to find a suitable person to replace him.

What's more, Dai Licheng has now established a complete intelligence system in the north, which has been built after a long time. Even if someone changes, this intelligence system can only come back again, which is something that Li An doesn't want to see. And in his heart, he doesn't want to sacrifice Dai Licheng. He is already sorry for his uncle. Do you want to be sorry for him now?

Li An's face was unstable, and all this fell into Dai Licheng's eyes. If Dai Licheng had not learned from Fan Shan the truth that his uncle had died of a sudden illness, he would probably still be secretly happy in his heart. Maybe the emperor was having a headache about how to reward him.

But now Dai Licheng would never have such an idea. Now Han Zhongwei's momentum is at its peak, and Li An urgently needs to find an excuse to appease Han Zhongwei. Otherwise, if Han Zhongwei gets angry and fights back in anger, his throne will probably be lost. Perhaps this is the reason why he has a headache. At this time, the emperor may also have the idea of ​​letting him scapegoat, and Dai Licheng sneered in his heart.

"Commander Dai, Han Zhongwei must have known the matter in the north this time. He must be furious at this time. How can we calm his anger? I wonder if you have a good idea?" Li An felt that there was no need to make up his mind immediately. After all, Dai Licheng's status is different from the past. If he can do so, try not to sacrifice him.

Of course, if Li An knew that Dai Licheng had completely become Han Zhongwei's person, he would probably not be indecisive in this matter anymore.

"There is only one way to eliminate Han Zhongwei's anger and be promoted to the title." Dai Licheng pretended to be pondering, and then he expressed Han Zhongwei's meaning.

"Add to become a senior?" Li An asked in surprise.

"Yes, if the emperor wants to calm Han Zhongwei's anger now, he can actually be handed over as a villain. But even if he throws the villain into pieces, he may not be able to calm Han Zhongwei's anger, because killing the villain will be of no benefit to him. The emperor had a deep relationship with Han Zhongwei. Is he a person who is willing to suffer losses without taking advantage?" Dai Licheng decided to "tighten" Li An and explain his strong relationship to him. Even if he killed me, Han Zhongwei would not be satisfied.

"I have dated him many times, and every time he only takes advantage and does not suffer losses." Li An agrees deeply. For Han Zhongwei, everything is like a business in front of him. As long as the interests are right, he doesn't care whether he is being plotted by others. As long as you can give him enough and benefits after the attempted calculation.

"So as long as he is given enough benefits, perhaps Han Zhongwei will leave the blame. Of course, the premise is that the emperor must send someone to communicate with him first, and he must be satisfied." Dai Licheng said with a smile.

"No, no, Commander Dai, I will send you to the north again, so you can be my full representative." Li An had no sadness at all. As the emperor, he actually compromised in order to make his ministers forgive his recklessness. I am afraid that he is the only one in the world.

"I am willing to serve the emperor." Dai Licheng bowed and said. In fact, it doesn't matter whether he goes or not. Anyway, before returning to Zhongxing Mansion, Han Zhongwei had already told him about his conditions.

But Dai Licheng still had to go to Black City. This time he was not fighting alone. He was with him, Meng Qing, who had always followed him, and a team of protons.

Dai Licheng's trip to Black City was very smooth. As soon as he left Baima City, he was welcomed by the Kehou Guard, who had received the news. Although the Proton Army was also neatly in military shape, compared with Han Zhongwei's guards, it was less of a murderous intention. The guards had been on the battlefield, and almost all of them participated in the pursuit of the Mongols this time. The soldiers stained with blood were the real soldiers. The two teams stood together, and the discerning person could tell the level at a glance.

Dai Licheng, Meng Qing and others can be called discerning people. Dai Licheng is better. He is considered a subordinate of Han Zhongwei. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be the commander of the guard team in the future. He is sincerely happy to see the guard team majestic and murderous intent. But Meng Qing is not the case. He has been persecuted by the guard team before, and his legs tremble when he sees the guard team. Now the guard team is loaded with crossbow arrows on their backs, sabers on their waists, grenades on their chests, javelins on their horses, quiver on their right side, bright armor, and proud expressions all show that this is an elite unit with a well-trained and long-standing battle formation.

Although Han Zhongwei's escort put a lot of pressure on the Proton Army, this was just a plan for Han Zhongwei to take the lead in taking advantage of people. He served the Proton Army along the way with delicious food and drink. Because Han Zhongwei adopted the policy of bartering with the Jin and Song countries, the goods in the seven northern states are now of a wide variety and sufficient supply. Along the way, the people of the Proton Army did not think that they had reached a wilderness, but instead had a prosperous place like the capital.

There are neat official roads and rich people. Since leaving Baima City, they have never seen any food on their faces. This shows that their lives are good, at least they have no problem with having enough. And in the small town they passed by, construction sites can be seen everywhere.

The buildings in Xixia were originally made of mud and soil as the main building materials, with grass or mud on the roof, but now all buildings are built with red bricks. Although red bricks are not as particular as blue bricks, they are enough for the common people. I heard that the Marquis' Mansion is also built with red bricks. People can build houses with the same bricks as the Marquis. They don’t know how happy they are.

"Brother Dai, are those bricks?" After arriving in White Horse City, the Proton Army got on the carriage for a while. These carriages were specially made, about the same size as passenger carriages, but there were not so many seats. There were only twelve cars on each side of the train carriage, and there was a small window next to each seat, so that people on the car could see the scenery outside at any time.

"It should be that when I came here last time, I went to a brick factory where the bricks were simple and rough, but the hardness was slightly worse than that of the blue bricks, but the price was less than one-tenth of the blue bricks." Dai Licheng said that many blue bricks had to be polished after firing. If the owner belongs to a wealthy family, he still had to carve it on it. In that case, a blue brick would be more expensive than a hundred red bricks.

"The people here actually use red bricks to build houses. Doesn't the marquis care?" Meng Qing sighed. When he came last time, he only knew that he had used red bricks to lay the official road here. Unexpectedly, after the official road was repaired, he used red bricks to build houses.

"The Marquis not only doesn't care, but also strongly supports it. I heard that the Marquis would ask the government to give them red bricks to credit first, and it doesn't matter if they make money later." Dai Licheng said. Now there are no houses built with civilians in Heicheng. When he came to Heicheng last time, the entire Heicheng had almost built a house with red bricks.

"The people of the north are blessed." Meng Qing sighed.

Meng Qing is not the only one who has this idea. Almost all the people in the Proton Army have this idea. Originally, in their impression, the people in the north lived a miserable life, with their families being bare and unable to eat, but now it is clear from the expressions of happiness on their faces that their lives have changed over and over again. They can eat enough, their lives have a bright future, and people are full of energy, and they are like they have changed their bodies.

After arriving in Heicheng, Han Zhongwei did not meet them immediately. Dai Licheng also knew that it was unlikely to see Han Zhongwei for a while. He discussed with Meng Qing and asked the Proton Army to rest for a few days before talking.

The people of the Proton Army felt like they were in the most prosperous Lin'an. The streets were full of people, with two-bedroom shops lined up, and the goods were dazzling. What surprised them the most was that the things here were actually cheaper than Zhongxing Mansion, and many people bought a lot of goods to take them back by the way.

Dai Licheng also went out alone. After he made sure there was no one behind him, he arrived at the Heicheng Hotel. This is one of the most lively places in the entire Heicheng Hotel. As soon as he arrived at the Heicheng Hotel, someone immediately led him to the single-family villa in the backyard, where Han Zhongwei was already waiting for him.

There was an exquisite banquet in the room, and there was no one except Han Zhongwei. Han Zhongwei personally poured a glass of wine for Dai Licheng, and Dai Licheng was so excited that he almost knelt down on the spot. From then on, Han Zhongwei became his master, and it was a great honor to let the master brew wine for him.

The best way to repay the master is loyalty. Before Han Zhongwei could ask, Dai Licheng said everything he knew in a bamboo tube like a bean. The promotion of the title was originally Han Zhongwei's intention. Although he only had a marquis, he was actually the local emperor of the seven northern states.

But if the title can be raised again, it will be more convenient for Han Zhongwei in the future. After all, a marquis can live in his fiefdom, and the fief is not ordinary, which can already make the ministers and nobles in the court jealousy. Although they are not clear about the agreement Li An had reached with Han Zhongwei before, as soon as Li An got to power, Han Zhongwei became the biggest beneficiary. Can others guess the relationship? I am afraid that even the blind man can see it.

In order to block others' words and to be able to legitimately take the seven northern states into his pocket in the future, Han Zhongwei must have a corresponding identity. Now, relying solely on his relationship with Li An, the other party cannot give him a title. To be promoted, he has to rely on his own strength to speak.

With the private communication between Dai Licheng and Han Zhongwei, Han Zhongwei finally summoned Dai Licheng and his party three days later. Of course, this negotiation was mainly based on Dai Licheng, so he took Meng Qing alone to the Marquis' Mansion. After entering the Marquis' Mansion, Meng Qing was restricted to the first floor, and only Dai Licheng climbed to the sixth floor to negotiate with Han Zhongwei.

The two of them drank a drink on it, and the negotiation content was soon released. Li An had to give Ke Hou the title of Ke Wang, of course, not the prince but the prince. In Xixia, only the emperor's near branch could be named Prince, and the prince had reached its peak in a different surname. Originally, outsiders like Han Zhongwei could be named Duke and Marquis, which was a blessing that only took the life to cultivate. Of course, Han Zhongwei's current situation was different from them. Others were waiting for the emperor to come to the title, but he took the initiative to ask for it. If Han Zhongwei was really angry, the consequences would be very serious.

It certainly does not have much practical significance for Han Zhongwei to force a prince to be named. He also wants to directly include Heishui and Xiping into his fiefdom. His king of different surnames has Heishui. After Heicheng and Xiping, he can be regarded as worthy of his identity.

"Marty, I'm afraid Li An will find it difficult to agree to the addition of two states at once." Dai Licheng felt that it was a bit too much to say to Han Zhongwei's lion. Not to mention the prince, even the prince's fiefdom is not that big.

Heicheng is not big. Although it is considered a state, it is actually a county, and there are only three tribes below. However, Heishui is different from Xiping. Not only are there more than 20 tribes, but there are also more than 100,000 troops stationed on it. Moreover, Han Zhongwei's intention is that these troops did not lead the court's Fenglu anyway, so he might as well be considered his private army. In fact, they have become Han Zhongwei's guards, from top to bottom, from inside to outside, and completely become Han's army.

"It doesn't matter. What I want is actually mine, it's just for Li An to officially admit it. If he still wants to continue to be his Emperor Ping'an, he will agree." Han Zhongwei said. Even if Li An doesn't agree, what's wrong? Not to mention Xiping and Heishui, the other four states have become their fiefdoms. In Han Zhongwei's dictionary, it is almost impossible for him to spit out what he has done.

"Okay, I wonder if there are other conditions for the Marquis?" Dai Licheng thought it was true. Whether it was territory or army, Han Zhongwei had the final say now. Li An had no command power at all. Instead of making Han Zhongwei unhappy, it would be better to exchange it with him.

After returning to Zhongxing Mansion, Li An did not refuse Han Zhongwei's conditions, but his brows had never been relaxed during that period. No one would be happy when encountering such a thing.

But Li An finally changed Han Zhongwei's conditions, perhaps to express his existence, or to express his dissatisfaction with Han Zhongwei, he changed Han Zhongwei's desire to "King King" to "King Xia".
Chapter completed!