Although Wei Jing believed that the time had come, he was quite cautious as the matter was of great importance. For two consecutive nights and even during the day, he went out silently to observe.
His attitude made Shao Qing, who was already concerned, even more nervous. She didn't sleep well for two nights in a row, and waited anxiously for him to return covered in the night dew.
At nightfall on the third day, Wei Jing finally said, it's okay.
…
The Qing Zhaiwei set up their temporary camp in a valley about two miles away from the south bank of the Fenshui River.
"How's the news going?"
Inside the crude tent, a bonfire was burning in a makeshift fire pit. Han Xi, Zhang Yong and others were sitting around it. Ji Huan asked the other three.
He was just a scholar without much fighting ability, so the job of gathering information was left to Han Xi and his two men. However, this time, they were gone for a unusually long time.
With Qing Zhaiwei's ability, even if he was unfamiliar with the place and the people, things in this small place would be finished in a day or two at most. Why did it take so long?
However, the longer it lasts, the more likely it is that something is happening. Although Ji Huan's voice remained steady, he couldn't help but feel more hopeful in his heart.
"I'll go first."
Han Xi said: "It is said that this county magistrate was transferred from the Central Plains. He did not take office immediately after his arrival. Instead, he secretly took the evidence of the former county lieutenant's smuggling of official salt and sent it to Gaoling."
Chen Qi added: "It is said that the news leaked out during this period, and the county lieutenant dared to blatantly order the county soldiers to besiege the county government office, intending to put the county magistrate to death. However, County Magistrate Yang explained his crimes on the spot and ordered the county soldiers to capture the county lieutenant and his gang."
What they said sounded simple, but the information they said was extremely rich.
Since he was demoted after traveling thousands of miles, it is highly likely that he has no connections or reliable forces under his command, but the new county magistrate actually got the evidence of smuggled salt; and it will not be easy to present the charges and incite the county soldiers to revolt. Any flaw may cost him his life.
This shows that this person is indeed capable.
"Now, the county magistrate has completely taken control of Pingtao, and has even recruited more soldiers in the past few months."
Zhang Yong finally added: "This case of smuggling salt was caused by the former county lieutenant's daring collusion with the barbarians. Now the truth has come out and the barbarians have been cut off from their financial resources, so Pingtao needs to recruit more soldiers. I went to the county barracks and found that the barracks have indeed been expanded by more than double."
"Recruit more soldiers?"
Ji Huan's heart moved.
It stands to reason that there are too many capable people in the world. It is not uncommon for some people to have made a brilliant comeback like the new county magistrate of Pingtao. If there was one thing that touched many people's hearts, it was the call for additional soldiers.
He is capable, young, and knows some martial arts. All these qualities overlap with those of Your Highness. Therefore, Han Xi and the other two stayed for three days, trying their best to get as much information as possible.
The people of Pingtao naturally did not know the details, but this did not prevent them from making up a story of eliminating evil with many climaxes. Han Xi naturally would not believe the exaggerated nonsense, but it was still possible to extract key information from it and analyze it.
At present, all that can be found out in the market has been found out. If we want to go further, we can only use different means.
Ji Huan immediately asked, "What about this new county magistrate? Have you seen his true appearance?"
When it comes to the most crucial point, Han Xi and the other two looked at each other and shook their heads: "We sent several groups of brothers to keep an eye on the county government office, but unfortunately, the county magistrate did not show up."
"In that case, let's explore the county government office."
So far, the Pingtao County Magistrate is the one who best fits their guess. As soon as Ji Huan said this, everyone agreed. Zhang Yong slapped his thigh and said, "Okay, I'll go tomorrow too!"
Zhang Yong spoke out what was in Han Xi and Chen Qi's mind. From the incident to now, they have been running around for half a year. They finally met someone with greater hope and they couldn't wait to confirm it as soon as possible.
Han Xi couldn't help but get excited: "With your ability, it would be a piece of cake for you to recover and take over a few counties!"
“That’s right!”
“That’s right!”
…
Even though it was just a glimmer of hope, the four people present all made a fuss. Even someone as steady as Ji Huan stroked his long beard several times. He calmed himself down and said, "Okay, let's rest for now and go into the city tomorrow."
"good!"
The four men stood up, patted their robes, and headed out of the tent to the stream to wash.
"who?!"
Zhang Yong was the most impatient person. He lifted the fluttering curtain and stepped out first. However, he suddenly saw a black figure standing beside the tall thatched grass on the bank of the stream not far away.
He has black hair tied up, broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He is a man. He appeared silently, and even the sentries near and far could not detect his trace. Under the cold moonlight, he stood with his hands behind his back facing the stream, tall and slender, with an upright posture.
"This, this! Your Highness?!"
This figure was so familiar. He had seen it thousands of times and had wanted to see it again all the time in the past six months. When he glanced at it, Zhang Yong couldn't believe it, but ecstasy had already surged into his heart.
"I have met your Highness!"
The four battle-hardened men were at a loss as to what to do. They stared blankly with wide eyes for a moment, until Ji Huan shouted, losing his usual composure, and then they woke up from their dream.
"Your Highness, I am honored to see you!!"
With a few muffled "bang bang bang" sounds, Han Xi and others' knees fell heavily to the ground. They knelt on one knee and bowed their heads to greet them. They blinked, their eyes were moist, and some were so excited that they shed tears.
Been looking for too long. He abandoned everything and decided to follow, but discovered a spy on the way and was ambushed and captured. Putting aside all the difficulties, even though they firmly believed that Wei Jing would not die, the long period of searching without any clues or gains always made people feel anxious.
Now I finally see someone.
In a moment, the dark clouds dispersed and the bright moon appeared. How could one not be moved to tears?
Zhang Yong and Ji Huan were so excited that their voices were very loud. Hundreds of guards stationed there heard the news one after another. They were overjoyed and rushed over like a tide. They knelt down and shouted in unison: "Your Highness, we are here to see you!"
"Everyone, please stand up."
Wei Jing had turned around. He called everyone up and personally helped Ji Huan, Han Xi and the other four to their feet. He patted Zhang Yong and Chen Qi on the shoulders and said to Ji Huan, "I am very relieved that you are going south."
Yes, in addition to Han Xi leading the Qing Zhai Guards, Ji Huan came, and even the two generals Zhang Yong and Chen Qi who were promoted by him in the past also came, abandoning everything and following him.
Wei Jing looked around at everyone and said with a sigh, "I am very relieved that you are heading south!"
"We are loyal to Your Highness! We will not refuse even if it means death!"
Han Xi, Zhang Yong and others were in front, followed by the excited guards, and they all bowed down again in unison.
The sound was so loud that it startled the night birds into flying away. Wei Jing had already checked the surroundings and saw that there was no one around, so he shouted back, "Okay!"
"Everyone, please stand up quickly!"
…
The reunion after a long separation was exciting. After finally calming down a little, the guards received orders and returned to their posts. Wei Jing, surrounded by Ji Huan and others, entered the simple tent.
"My Lord!"
Everyone sat down in order of importance, and Han Xi immediately stood up to report: "The Qing Zhai Camp now has 3,112 people, divided into 12 teams. The remaining 11 teams are also disguised as merchants and are currently searching for the lord in nearby towns and villages."
The Qing Zhai Camp originally had a strength of nearly 5,000 men, but when they left the Northern Army, about 1,000 of them were eliminated. All the way south, Han Xi washed them carefully several times and washed off another five or six hundred.
Five or six hundred is already a lot, and it would be better to wash them off than to let them go. It should be noted that Qing Zhai Wei are all post-war orphans selected by Wei Jing himself. They are loyal and cannot be compared with ordinary soldiers.
I thought I had cleared the net, but unexpectedly there was still a fish like Zhang Kuo who slipped through the net and almost ruined the big thing. After escaping Prince An's encirclement, they were screened several times, and finally only these three thousand or so people were left.
Han Xi and his colleagues tried several methods, including fraud and intimidation, and finally confirmed that these 3,000 people were indeed wiped out and there were no other spies.
Han Xi and the others did not mention the hardships involved, and Wei Jing was not the type to nag about it. He simply nodded and said, "Very good, call him back first."
He mentioned a place for Qing Zhaiwei to temporarily settle down, which was near the natural granary in the western suburbs. He planned to let Qing Zhaiwei take over the granary in the future.
Han Xi wrote down everything. After the matter was finally settled, the impatient Zhang Yong asked, "My lord, how have you been doing in the past six months?"
The word "Your Highness" is not appropriate to use nowadays. He was impatient and rude, but he was always careful where necessary. Without any special instructions, he had already changed the way he addressed Wei Jing, just like Han Xi.
Zhang Yong could not help cursing, "That bastard Prince An has set up a trap in the lower reaches of the Qian River!"
Speaking of Prince An, the new emperor's confidant, Wei Jing's eyes dimmed, but his expression did not change. He concisely recounted everything that happened after he fell into the water.
He spoke only a few words in a calm and peaceful manner, without mentioning a single word about the difficulties involved, but he did say that Shao Qing was traveling with him.
"The princess is also traveling with the lord?!" Everyone was shocked to hear this.
Well, it’s not that the couple can’t be together, but as far as they know, the princess has had little contact with His Highness, and His Highness was not even in the capital during the wedding.
They were a couple who were complete strangers to each other. The situation was so dangerous that Wei Jing even jumped into the river. But he actually took his nominal wife with him? !
It was so unexpected that everyone couldn't help but show some surprise on their faces. Wei Jing recalled Shao Qing, his eyes warmed slightly, and he said slowly: "Although the princess is weak, she has helped me a lot. You should respect her as you respect me."
These words were very important. Everyone was surprised, but their expressions were solemn. They said in unison: "Your Majesty, I obey your command!"
It was already the middle of the night, and it was too late to tell the details of what had happened. Wei Jing said, "As for the rest, we can talk about it in detail after you enter Pingtao."
He ordered: "Early tomorrow morning, send someone to deliver a letter to the Pingtao County Office, and you will arrive the day after tomorrow."
…
"Husband? Are all three thousand people coming?" I'm afraid that won't work?
Tonight, Wei Jingyin just returned home at 12:00 p.m. Shao Qing went to greet him as soon as he heard the door open. It was getting late and the dew was heavy, so his clothes were a little wet. She asked him questions while undressing him.
"No, I'll ask Ji Huan to send a few dozen people." Otherwise it would be too conspicuous.
The county barracks has not yet recruited enough new soldiers, and there is a shortage of several hundred people. We can arrange for people to respond to the recruitment tomorrow. First, one or two hundred people were arranged to go in. These Qing Zhai guards would subtly influence the ordinary soldiers and gradually emerge as leaders of varying sizes, so that Wei Jing could gain more firm control over the county barracks.
The remaining three thousand or so were first hidden in the mountains and forests in the western suburbs as private soldiers and special forces.
“If there are changes in the future, I will make adjustments.”
Finally, the problem of staff shortage was completely solved. Shao Qing could not hide her joy. She touched the large white porcelain pot in the warm cage and it was still warm to the touch. She wet the handkerchief with warm water and handed it to him.
Wei Jing wiped his face and hands, squeezed her hand, and frowned: "It's cold at night, why don't you put on more clothes?"
The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching. There was a light rain in the evening and it became a little chilly at night, but Shao Qing really didn't feel cold. However, in response to his concern, she still smiled and responded: "Well, I will definitely wear it next time."
Wei Jing glanced at her, hugged her to lie on the bed, and said, "The day after tomorrow, Ji Huan and his men will be here. You don't have to worry. I told them that they should respect you as they respect me."
Shao Qing is now in the front yamen, managing affairs and work. It can be seen that she is enjoying it very much, so Wei Jing will naturally not stop her. He is very indulgent and plans to continue to indulge her in the future.
However, the world's perception of women is just like Wang Mi's. It is a woman's duty to support her husband, raise children and take care of household affairs. Shao Qing's behavior was actually very extraordinary in the eyes of people at that time.
Ji Huan and others certainly would not object to their lord's decision, but when they saw it suddenly, they would probably look sideways.
Wei Jing would never let Shao Qing down, so he specifically said this to Ji Huan and others.
Respect you as you respect me.
To be honest, Shao Qing was surprised when he first heard it. In fact, this sentence carried too much weight. All the promises made between husband and wife could not compare to it.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered the thrilling escape in the mountains and the despair and indignation when she jumped into the river. She felt a bitter feeling in her heart and her eyes were a little hot.
There is a mixture of emotions, like seeing a rainbow after a storm.
She was moved, and looked up at Wei Jing. She saw that Wei Jing had his eyes lowered and was smoothing her long black hair that was scattered on the pillow.
Shao Qing's eyebrows curved: "Husband, you are so kind."
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