From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Zhou Yuan and Zhuang Sizhu led a large group of people out of Lingyin Temple and got on the carriage again.

Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, the full moon is hanging high, the night sky is clear, and the cool breeze is caressing.

Things have reached the most critical moment. Every action will affect the overall situation, so whether to advance or retreat has become a difficult choice.

"What should we do?"

Zhuang Sizhu frowned and said in a deep voice: "Zhou Yuan, are we going to the gambling house now? But there are dozens of gambling houses in the south of the city, and it is not easy to check!"

"And once we take action, it will inevitably arouse the other party's vigilance, and it is likely to alert the enemy."

Zhou Yuan shook his head and was silent for a long time.

He thought about a lot of things, and finally said slowly: "What is Zhuang Sizhu's name?"

Zhuang Sizhu was stunned, and doubts emerged on her face, and her curved eyebrows trembled.

Then, she said in a deep voice: "Zhuang Xuansu."

Zhou Yuan nodded and said: "Very good."

This is a tacit understanding, a tacit understanding of the relationship between the primary and the secondary.

If the other party still refuses to reveal his real name, it means that there is no need to continue the cooperation, and Zhou Yuan can just take away Lu Hanxing's evidence.

But if the other party says it, it means that he has recognized Zhou Yuan and is willing to let Zhou Yuan take the lead in this matter.

After getting the answer, Zhou Yuan said: "Zhuang Xuansu, a very nice name, simple and elegant, dignified and with a Taoist charm."

"You have met the Holy King, what do you think of the Holy King?"

Zhuang Xuansu said seriously: "You can't discuss the Holy King in private, this is disrespectful. But since you asked, I will answer you that the Holy King is a rare wise king. He shocked the court with his own strength and supported the Great Jin Dynasty."

Zhou Yuan said: "How does the Holy King deal with the northern barbarians, the Central Plains bandits, the southern chieftains, and the refugees caused by natural disasters?"

Zhuang Xuansu sighed and shook his head: "Again, the same words, struggling to support, but there is no other way. The treasury is an empty shell, and the Holy King has All the money in the treasury has been taken out to pacify the Central Plains and eliminate the bandits. "

"But you know the effect, there is almost no progress."

"Natural disasters are frequent, there are millions of refugees, and we dare not increase taxes."

Zhou Yuan said lightly: "What if Zhejiang falls?"

Zhuang Xuansu's face changed, and then he whispered: "Without money, the court has no soldiers, and can only use soldiers to exploit the people, and the country is basically lost half."

Zhou Yuan said in a deep voice: "Master Zhuang is your majesty's confidant, you should know your majesty's arrangements for Zhejiang, right?"

Zhuang Xuansu's face was very ugly, and he gritted his teeth and said: "To be honest, it is difficult for your majesty to make arrangements. This time the opponent is too It is powerful. If it really raises the banner of orthodoxy, with 130,000 troops, 8,000 garrisons, and other miscellaneous troops, there will be a total of about 150,000 troops. "

"At that time, your majesty can only suppress it with the troops of Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, and Fujian provinces. The soldiers in Henan dare not move."

Zhou Yuan said: "But the treasury has no money."

Zhuang Xuansu nodded and said: "Seize the militia and increase taxes."

Zhou Yuan smiled and said: "Then the country of Dajin will really be gone, at least the south is gone."

Zhuang Xuansu said loudly: "What can we do! The previous emperor was incompetent and extravagant, leaving your majesty with a mess."

Zhou Yuan said: "This time You have full authority to handle Zhejiang's major events?"

Zhuang Xuansu said in a deep voice: "Not full authority, but also has the responsibility of overall planning."

"Listen to me."

Zhou Yuan looked at him and said calmly: "Listen to me, I can keep Zhejiang, you can't, you don't have my ability."

Zhuang Xuansu couldn't help but sneer: "Such a big thing, listen to you, a centurion?"

Zhou Yuan said: "In an emergency, I think I have the ability to turn the tide. Do you think you can do it?"

"You yourself think you can't do it. Your only way is to believe me. At least I gave you confidence in these things before, didn't I?"

Zhuang Xuansu remained silent.

Zhou Yuan continued, "Back to the point, there are dozens of casinos in the south of Lin'an Prefecture, but the most popular one is the gambling house for riches."

"I have personally investigated there. To be honest, the luxury inside is jaw-dropping."

"They make huge profits through gambling, kidnapping and trafficking girls, providing illegal services, maiming children to beg... and other channels."

"Gambling houses are the largest source of income for the rebels, and they are also an important bargaining chip for them to deceive the soldiers."

"Once we attack, we can catch the other side off guard, but it will also inevitably accelerate the process of rebellion."

"I can judge that if we act tonight, the other side will act tomorrow."

"Within two days, Lin'an Prefecture will fall."

"Within ten days, Zhejiang will no longer exist."

"Within half a month, the two rivers will overturn."

Zhuang Xuansu's face was already pale, and he couldn't say a word.

Zhou Yuan continued, "But if we don't take action to capture the key figures, the other side will be more impeccable, and then everything will be too late."

Zhuang Xuansu said:"Can we capture the key person in tonight's operation? If we really capture the key person, Liangjiang will be lost, what can we do?"

Zhou Yuan said: "I have my own methods."

He looked at Zhuang Xuansu's fair and indifferent face, smiled softly, and said: "You have no choice, you can only trust me."

Zhuang Xuansu grabbed Zhou Yuan's wrist.

She is a very skilled martial artist, and her strength is not small. Her face is serious, but there is a pleading look in her eyes: "If you can quell the rebellion in Jiangnan, His Majesty will definitely give you a title! Zhou Yuan, you must do it!"

Zhou Yuan glanced at her and said in a deep voice: "After the carriage enters the city, you hide in the alley in the south of the city and don't move. I will sneak in first to find clues."

"I will light a fire to show you when I find the clues, and you will act immediately."

"If I haven't given a signal by dawn, you will withdraw immediately and wait for me to contact you."

Zhuang Xuansu nodded and said: "Okay, there's more!"

Zhou Yuan said: "Immediately send a martial arts master to Jinyiwei and take my token to see Gao Biao."

"Prepare paper and pen for me. I want to write a letter and send it together."

Zhuang Xuansu stamped her feet anxiously and said, "Who brings paper and pen when going on a mission? I can only send you a smart person to help you pass the message."

Zhou Yuan said, "Okay! Send a smart person to Jinyiwei to meet Gao Biao with the martial arts masters to pass the message."

"The message is: Thunder in the sky to frighten the people, rain on the earth to nourish all things."

Zhuang Xuansu didn't understand what he meant. She looked at Zhou Yuan deeply and said, "Although I don't like your arrogant temperament, I hope you succeed. Zhou Yuan, the majesty is really about to collapse. She needs a real helper."

After saying that, she rushed down the carriage and went to find someone to arrange it.

Until this moment, Zhou Yuan pulled his hand out of his sleeve, and his palm was already full of sweat.

He didn't really have any confidence, but things had come to this point, so he had to go all out.

If you live, you will be successful and famous, and if you die, you will be a handful of yellow earth.

The world is already so rotten, there is no middle way, we can only be ruthless, decisive and swift.

Just like a patient who is terminally ill, mild medicine is no longer effective.

The only way is to scrape the bone to heal the wound!