turmoil

It was the evening three days later when Zhuo Jiusi woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he felt a splitting headache and could barely tell where the person was.But when he saw the layout of the room clearly and remembered what happened before he passed out, his face suddenly changed.

Lieutenant Zhuo got up abruptly, the wound was excruciatingly painful, but he didn't care much, put on his outer clothes and rushed out, as soon as he opened the door, he collided with a man who was walking in.

"Be careful!" The man hurriedly supported the medicine bowl on the tray, and seeing Zhuo Jiusi staggering, he even gave him a hand, "It's not easy to get your life back, don't be so quick Lost again."

The poison on Zhuo Jiusi's body hadn't been cleaned off yet, and he broke out in a cold sweat every time he moved.He knew that now was not a good time to show off, so he followed the man back to the room and sat down on the arhat couch in front of the window.

He looked at the man in front of him whose position was unclear, and remembered the conversation before he fell into a coma. Just as he was about to speak, the man put a bowl of hot soup in front of him: "Drink it!"

Zhuo Jiusi had drank a lot of bitter medicines in his life, but he had never smelled such a ecstasy. He couldn't help holding his breath, hesitantly said: "This... what?"

The man grinned, maybe Zhuo Jiu was thinking too much, and he always felt that there was something white in his smile: "Do you really want to know?"

Zhuo Jiusi suddenly had a bad premonition.

The man said leisurely: "It's too late to ask now... You have been in a coma for three days, and you have been drinking all this. If there is any problem, you will be poisoned to death. This is a good thing to relieve the remaining poison on your body. If General Zhuo really wants to I know, I will copy the prescription to you after your remaining poison is gone, but now... you'd better not ask so many questions."

What he said was well-founded, and his expression was very calm, leaving no room for doubt.Zhuo Jiusi nodded subconsciously at first, and in the middle of nodding, he suddenly realized something was wrong: "You...what did you call me? How do you know..."

Ding Ru'an clicked his tongue and tossed something to him, Zhuo Jiusi hurriedly caught it, only to see that it was a plain silver waist plate the size of a palm, with chi and tiger patterns carved on it, and a letter written in 籀 script on his head. "Zhuo" word.

"I've been working in the north for so many years, so I'm a little discerning. If I'm not mistaken, this is the waist card of the Northwest Camp. It can use the tiger pattern... Tsk tsk, the level is not low, at least above the rank of general!" Ding Ru'an winked at him, "If I remember correctly, the deputy general next to Marquis Dingbian seems to be named Zhuo, am I right, General Zhuo?"

Zhuo Jiusi looked at him vigilantly. Although Ding Ru'an looked frank and friendly, Zhuo Jiusi had to be more cautious—his hole cards had already been drawn almost by the opponent, but he didn't know who this young man surnamed Ding was. How many ways, in the enemy's camp, there are many crises, he can't help being careless.

"I can recognize the waist badge of the Northwest Camp, and I know a lot about the senior generals of our army. It seems that this gentleman is not an easy person." Zhuo Jiusi subconsciously touched his waist with one hand, but it was empty. Only then did I remember that I was only wearing a jacket, and my weapon and saber had long been removed, "Who the hell are you?"

Ding Ru'an smiled calmly: "My surname is Ding, and my cursive character is Ru'an. I am originally from Shaanxi. Because of my family's decline, my sister and I came here to open a medical clinic to ask for food."

Zhuo Jiusi didn't believe it at all: "How can a doctor know everything about the Northwest camp?"

Ding Ru'an pondered for a while, if he didn't know the truth, this person would have to chatter endlessly.It didn't matter to him, but if he procrastinated, the medicine was cold, and the woman surnamed Wang would have to scold him.

Thinking of this, Ding Ru'an blinked, and said meaningfully: "No way, who will let me be your food and clothing parents? If you don't know the details of the Northwest Camp, how do you know how much food to send?"

Zhuo Jiusi couldn't help but change his expression: "You, you mean..."

The days of the Northwest Camp have been difficult in recent years. The imperial court excused disasters in many places and insufficient food, and the military pay was delayed as long as it could, and many of the sent goods were moldy.If the Marquis of Dingbian went back to Beijing to ask for it in person, the old fox in the court could restrain himself a bit, but the northern border was not peaceful, and Huihe also followed suit, so where did Yang Fan have the energy to go back to Beijing to argue?

He really had no choice but to start the idea of ​​smuggling the black market. Every year, he was honored by traders in the Central Plains, allowing them to leave the customs privately and trade in the west side of the market. The condition was that a considerable part of the transaction proceeds would be exchanged for grain and sent to the northwest big camp.

Only then did they barely fill in the hole of insufficient military pay.

At the beginning, business was not going well, and everyone in Northwest Daying, including Marquis Dingbian, had to tighten their belts.In the past two years, things have gotten better. Out of nowhere, a passer-by God of Wealth appeared, and through the hands of smugglers, he sold a large amount of food and salaries to the Northwest Camp.

The northwest garrison was overjoyed, but Yang Fan, who knew the inside story, murmured.There is a saying that there is nothing to be courteous, if it is not a crime, it is a thief. Although the person who sent the food has good intentions, but he does not know the details of this force, the Marquis of Dingbian always sleeps and eats, lest there is some conspiracy hidden in it that he does not know .

This time he sent Zhuo Jiusi to pretend to be a caravan and infiltrate Gaochang City. Apart from inquiring about Huihe's movements, he also wanted to take the opportunity to find out the ins and outs of this force.Unexpectedly, when Zhuo Jiusi entered Gaochang City, he bumped into the Beile people. He wanted to follow the clues to find out the intentions of the Beile people, but unexpectedly, his whereabouts were exposed halfway, and he was reversed by someone, almost capsized in the gutter.

Thinking of the ups and downs and the missing brothers so far, Zhuo Jiusi's face was slightly condensed, and when he looked up at Ding Ru'an, he already took some scrutiny: "Mr. Ding said that in the past two years, the food and grass in my Northwest Camp have all been lost. Did you send it?"

Ding Ru'an thought for a while, but he denied it flatly: "To be precise, I didn't send it to you. I'm just a servant. It's my master who really takes care of it."

Zhuo Jiusi presses on step by step: "Who is the Lingzhu? There is no reason, why do you want to help?"

Ding Ru'an's smile faded, he picked up the teapot on the desk, and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

Zhuo Jiusi looked at his expression, keenly caught a trace of coldness: "What? Brother, I think I'm asking the wrong question?"

Ding Ru'an put down the tea bowl and said with a "snap": "General Zhuo, as I said, I am a citizen of Zhongyuan... As a son and daughter of the Han Dynasty, isn't it natural to help the army resist foreign captives? Or does the general think that if the Beile army kills Entering the customs, can we still be alone?"

His tone was flat, but his words were sharp, Zhuo Jiusi was immediately speechless.

This Mr. Ding looked like he was talking and laughing, but his temper was a little unpredictable. Zhuo Jiusi didn't say a word right. Seeing his face turn cold, he couldn't help but feel apologetic.He wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but he couldn't think of something to say. He was scratching his ears and cheeks when he heard the door creaking, and someone walked in.

The person who came was a woman with delicate features and well-organized manners, and her family seemed to have some roots.When Ding Ru'an saw her, his face changed suddenly, and he said with a sneer, "Why, the door is closed so early today?"

Wang Xuan was expressionless, and raised her hand to slap him on the head: "Why did I tell you? He just got rid of the poison, and his body is still weak. Don't bother him if you have nothing to do. You can just cook, right? "

Ding Ru'an: "..."

Zhuo Jiusi: "..."

Ding Ruan lost his temper when Wang Xuan got in the way, and returned to the subject: "General Zhuo must have guessed that the two of us opened this medical clinic just as a cover on the surface. Business. I just didn’t expect that I would meet the general by mistake, it seems that the business of this medical center has come to an end.”

Zhuo Jiusi didn't understand, so he said, "Why did Mr. Ding say that?"

"General Zhuo doesn't know something. In the past few days, the Huihe people have suddenly strengthened their defenses. No matter where they come from, they must strictly search when entering and leaving the city," Ding Ru'an said, "Just yesterday alone, my sister encountered several rounds of searches. The fight is in the name of catching thieves, what is the real intention... General Zhuo must be clearer than us."

Of course Zhuo Jiusi knew that most of these people came for him.Not only was he clear, but he also thought about it deeply: These people made it clear that they could not get through the battle with him, and most of them were ordered by the second prince of Huihe, Teller, but the old king of Huihe was still there, and there was another prince in the royal court. The prince dares to be so blatant... The only explanation is that the old Huihe king's health is indeed deteriorating, and the second prince's faction has already taken the initiative in this battle for the reserve.

This is extremely bad news for Yin, Zhuo Jiusi wanted to get up immediately: "No, I must leave the city as soon as possible!"

Before the words finished, a slender hand pushed his shoulder and pushed him back.

"Which city are you leaving?" Wang Xuan pulled her hair and said angrily, "Right now, the gates of the city are densely packed, as if passing through a sieve, waiting to catch you...Leaving the city now? What's the difference between a sheep entering a tiger's mouth! Auntie, it's hard work Get your little life back, if you dare to lose it!"

Zhuo Jiusi slammed the back of his head against the wall, his eyes went dark, and he was speechless for a while.

Ding Ru'an knew why Zhuo Jiusi was in a hurry. He was here to find out about Huihe's movements. Now that he got the exact letter, he wanted to notify Marquis Dingbian immediately.

"General Zhuo, don't be impatient. Although we can't leave the city for the time being, it's not like there is no turning point," Ding Ru'an said, "Just wait for two or three days, at most three days, and we will find a solution."

Zhuo Jiusi didn't know what kind of medicine Ding Ru'an sold in the gourd, but the current situation was unclear, and he really had no better way than to wait for the opportunity.This wait lasted for three full days. In the early morning three days later, Zhuo Jiusi finally understood what Ding Ruan called "the timing". Floating here, it seems to be spices imported from the Western Regions.

Zhuo Jiusi pushed open the window, listening to the unusual bustle on the street, he vaguely guessed something.

"Hearing this movement, it seems that a distinguished guest has entered the city?" He pondered for a moment, and asked tentatively, "It is not an ordinary caravan that can put up such a big battle...Could it be that an envoy from some country came to visit King Huihe?" ?”

Ding Ru'an gave him a thumbs up.

Speaking of which, this person was indeed a distinguished guest, Zhuo Jiusi looked out through the crack of the door, and saw groups of soldiers in bright armor, with heavy boxes on the carriages, the wood alone was extremely valuable.The most eye-catching is the beautiful Orchid in a light gauze, twisting her waist like a willow in the wind, holding a flower basket in her hand, and throwing flower petals as she walks.There is a white elephant in the middle, and a half-foot-high pedestal is erected on the back of the elephant. In the pedestal sits a beautiful woman in a splendid attire.

Zhuo Jiusi followed the Marquis of Dingbian to travel north and south, and he was well-informed, but he was still shocked by such a battle, and it took him a long time to find his voice: "This... this is not an ordinary envoy, which one could it be? your princess?"

Ding Ru'an chuckled: "General Zhuo has vision! This is not an ordinary person. She is the beloved daughter of the King of Persia. Her name is Susan or Susan... She is a well-known beauty in Persia. The King of Persia is not small this time, not only I sent out my daughter and brought so much dowry, did you see that box? Either spices or gems, if you send it back to the Central Plains, I don’t know how much money you can earn!”

Zhuo Jiusi: "..."

The first half was pretty normal, but money was lost in the latter part.

Zhuo Jiusi only thought that the King of Persia was planning to marry Huihe, and only after listening to Ding Ru'an's explanation did he understand that the Persian princess was prepared for the Emperor of Yin, but she was passing through Huihe, and by the way, she made friends with King Huihe.Perhaps even the Persians themselves did not expect that the timing was so small, just at the critical moment of Huihe's change of dynasty, and one foot stepped into the muddy water.

But for Zhuo Jiusi, this is great news.

Two days later in the evening, Zhuo Jiusi, who had not recovered from his injuries, changed his outfit, put on a leather cap common to locals, and followed Ding Ruan out the door.

The two of them walked for a quarter of an hour in the cramped alleys, and somehow turned to the back door of a business.The store looks small from the outside, but when you enter, there is a hidden world. The more you go inside, the bigger the place is. As soon as you enter the back hall, you can hear the voices of people inside, and an indescribable smell rushes out, making people frown.

Zhuo Jiusi covered his nose, only felt that the wind was full of strong incense and the unique smell of barbarians, the two mixed together, the effect could be called ecstasy.He followed Ding Ru'an and sat down in an inconspicuous corner in the back hall. Immediately, the beautiful Hu Nu Yin Yin stepped forward and said something in the local language.

Zhuo Jiusi traveled all over the world, and he was also proficient in Huihe language. He understood what the two said in detail as if they were ordering food, but he didn't understand.I saw that Hu girl Yiyi saluted and retreated meekly. After a while, a barbarian waiter brought dishes and fine wine.

Zhuo Jiusi leaned forward and said in a low voice, "What's going on here?"

Ding Ru'an poured a glass of wine, and also replied in a low voice: "It's an old rule every year... when the glaciers thaw, Hu merchants from various countries in the Western Regions gather in Gaochang City to have a "God of Wealth Competition". Put all the good things together, see who is valuable and who is valuable, and then everyone will give a price together, and the one who bids the highest will be the leader of this year's chamber of commerce."

The more Zhuo Jiusi listened, the more curious he became, he couldn't help asking: "Is there a leader?"

Ding Ruyun nodded and said: "That's not right! There are not only the leaders, but also the chamber of commerce, set rules for everything, and clearly mark the price... Otherwise, if everyone gets together, you won't accept me, I won't accept you, and then fight, how good is that? "

Zhuo Jiusi vaguely realized something: "What good is the leader...?"

Ding Ru'an patted his thigh: "There are so many benefits! Anyone who wants to get a share of the business road in the Western Regions has to join the chamber of commerce. Under the name of the chamber of commerce, whether traveling or doing business, it will be much smoother. As for The leader is the person who gives orders in the chamber of commerce, as long as he speaks—what goods he wants, at what price, and what ratio to distribute, the others have to follow suit.”

He paused, winked at Zhuo Jiusi and said, "Otherwise... General Zhuo thinks, how did General Zhuo get all the food and salaries for the Northwest camp all these years?"

Zhuo Jiusi suddenly realized.