Chapter 694: Disaster Country

Thousands of horseshoes were sensational at any time. Thousands of border troops took action immediately that day, and in a short while, they destroyed seven or eight warehouses. These warehouses had Huaizhou backgrounds, and they found many prohibited objects at once.

Even the latest artillery of the Song Dynasty had three of them.

Such a big case is naturally sensational. Even the border troops thought it was too big, so they took people overnight and captured seven or eight merchants and officials.

A large mansion in Xihe is a typical northwest brick building. In front of it is a grey brick wall with grinding bricks and a hanging mountain-style gatehouse. The two ends of the ridge are tall with simple-shaped twill kisses. Above the rafters, a row of triangular "drips" are neatly inlaid with dark red doors. Under the eaves are a dark red door. On the thick door leaf, there are a pair of brass door cymbals the size of a bowl, hanging on the door knocker. The center of the door leaf is a pair of gold-lacquered couplets engraved with double hooks: "Follow the beads and the walls, the bright moon and the breeze." Two hexagonal door hairpins extend from the door lintel, each with a word: "Bo" and "Ya". On both sides of the door are a pair of stone drums, with high thresholds connected to five-level bluestone steps.

This gate is usually closed. When the owner goes home or a guest comes to visit, he knocks on the door knocker and a doorman comes out from the southern room and opens the door to greet him.

Passing through the door opening, the door is a screen wall, tile roof and brick foundation, surrounded by brick carvings, and a flour wall in the center, with no words or paintings, like a clear moonlight. At the bottom of the screen wall, a cluster of tangled ancient vines, crooked up like a dragon, climbing up several bamboo poles, wrapping around the lush branches, green leaves are like covers, and lush can connect to the ground. Every spring and summer, purple flowers bloom in full bloom and hang down thousands of jewels.

Usually, there are few people living in this big house, and only a dozen servants come in and out. However, today, the middle door is opened, and the noble master happens to come. There is also a director who looks like an accountant. When he entered the door, he walked through a archway and a screen wall. The two of them arrived at the outer hall, one in front and one behind. The servant brought tea cups, they sipped tea, then waved their hands and sent the servant out.

The owner was a handsome middle-aged man in his thirties, especially when he glanced at the goatee's beard, it made people feel comfortable to see. He sipped tea, but his face was very bad. When he put the tea cup down, he said angrily: "How many people did you take? Why didn't you make any noise before? This Tong Guan really thought that the town belonged to him?"

The head of the official said: "Honor of the marquis calmed down. There was no news at the moment. Somehow, the Bianjun turned against him when he said he turned against him. Our people went to find Yang Yi, but Yang Yi stayed in the door. This guy ate so many benefits for us, but now he turned against him when he said he turned against him. Now all the passes are strictly investigating our goods, and we have taken so many people to delay the day. If the five tribes of Hengshan and the people from the Jin Kingdom cannot receive the goods, it will be difficult to open the joints at that time."

The man who was called the Marquis by the head sneered and said, "So you can't delay it."

The head of the matter said: "Would the Marquis want to hand over to that Tong Guan?"

The Marquis shook his head and said, "No, since Tong Guan is banned, I must think that the benefits we have given are less, and our money cannot be given in vain. Isn't Pingxi King coming in a few days? The King of Pingxi is the one who loves money. Now you raise 800,000 yuan of money to lure it out. This Marquis will visit him in person, and then there will naturally be someone to deal with that Tong Guan."

The head of the official said worriedly: "The King of Pingxi is moody..."

The marquis said, "I know this, but I have to ask Lord Li and Duke Cheng to come forward to this kind of small matter. Wouldn't it be that people underestimate it? Go and do it, what is the King of Pingxi? Don't see that he is proud of his current glory and has left the border, and he will be the world of our Huaizhou people." When he said this, his demeanor was not diminished, and he was already full of confidence in his eyes.

The King of Pingxi is indeed coming. Originally, Tong Guan wanted to kill a few people to shock him, but when he heard that he had found three cannons, he didn't dare to take action. The cannon was obviously leaked from the Ministry of Works. God knows who is involved in such a big thing? It's better to keep the person first. Anyway, Chen Ao will arrive in a blink of an eye, just follow the instructions.

However, Chen Ao's instructions cannot be left behind. Many things must be arranged, such as the food and grass supply from the captain and the horse army department must be squeezed out and misappropriated from the border troops of each department, and the reception matters must be more cautious and do not make any mistakes. The entire border town is busy, and the only way from Bianjing to Xihe must be informed of the military forts everywhere.

Although the King of Pingxi wrote to him that he should not be extravagant, it would not be possible to be extravagant, so he would naturally be more cautious in everything.

Four days later, the solar term became very strong. The cold wind was still blowing a few days ago, and now it is hot again. Fortunately, no strong wind has been blowing recently. Otherwise, the dust raised by the strong wind here will definitely make the people who are walking on the road suffer.

Chen Ao had arrived in a blink of an eye. Those who came with him were only five hundred lieutenants. As for more than 10,000 lieutenants and the guards of the Ma Junsi, they were still behind.

After all, time doesn't wait for anyone. If you bring your army horses, you'll probably not be able to get here in a month. When Chen Ao's cavalry appeared in the border town, military forts everywhere immediately sent people to report it. Tong Guan scored the time and took the generals out of the city at noon that day. After waiting for more than an hour, he saw dust and smoke rolling in the distance, and rumbling five hundred iron cavalry rushed towards Chen Ao.

Tong Guan beat the horse and welcomed Chen Ao into the city. Without time to greet him, Tong Guan waved his left and right and whispered to Chen Ao: "Prince, I have investigated some things."

Chen Ao said carelessly: "What?"

A sharp look flashed in Tong Guan's eyes: "Arson!"

No matter how calm Chen Ao was, he was really shocked when he heard these two words. Cannons are no more than crossbows and horseshoes. He thought that these Huaizhou people would just traffic in crossbows and horseshoes, but he dared to sell cannons. What's more, only the manufacturing of cannons can only be made in the north and south workshops in the capital. This north and south workshop not only has eunuchs in the palace, but also people from the Ministry of Works and Privy Council. In other words, if you want to move the cannons out, it is impossible to cover up the eyes and ears, unless these Huaizhou people have the energy to open up the Privy Council, the inner palace, and the Ministry of Works. In the inner palace, Chen Ao firmly believed that Yang Jian would not do such a thing, but although Yang Jian was a big man in the palace, there were many factions at the bottom, and it makes sense that Yang Jian could not take into account both.

It's okay for the Ministry of Works. Chen Ao was surprised that someone even participated in the Privy Council. In the Song Dynasty, Menxia Province was called the government, while the Privy Council was called the Military Office. It controls the military affairs and is on par with Menxia Province. Although the Privy Council never participates in government affairs, it is dispensable most of the time, but its ability is quite good.

Chen Ao originally wanted to ask Tong Guan to kick Li Bangyan out, but he did not know that he would lead to this.

Chen Ao sneered and said, "It's so bold!"

Tong Guan said: "Those people have also been questioned. The artillery was not sold to Xixia."

Chen Ao's face became colder and said, "You mean, they were just going to Xixia and sold it to the Jin Kingdom?"

Tong Guanhe nodded and said, "There are also their people in the Xixia side. The caravan can be unobstructed as long as they get out of the pass. Now the Jin Kingdom is frequently attacking Liao. The Liao people rely on the pass to defend the siege. The Jin people are most willing to pay silver. It is said that a cannon cannon cannons produce only hundreds of staggering coins, but it is worth at least a hundred times the value when sent to the Jin Kingdom. The Jin people have silver, and this is what they lack."

Chen Ao gasped and thought to himself that this thing is more profitable than drug trafficking. Three cannons can earn hundreds of thousands of yuan, no wonder these people took the risk.

Tong Guan continued: "In fact, these artillery are not much to the people of Huaizhou. After all, no matter how high the profit is, they cannot transport a few. The miscellaneous families guessed that they were transporting these artillery to the Jin people to make good friends with the Jurchens. After all, all countries are guarding against the Jurchens, and all things are in short supply, but there is no shortage of silver. If the joints there are also opened up, there is no need to say how many benefits there are."

Chen Ao thought about it carefully and felt that this was the case. He whispered to Tong Guan: "What's going on in Huaizhou?"

Tong Guan smiled and said, "In the border town, there is a prefect who came to plead for them. The family asked someone to block it. I guess it will take some time to get off the capital."

Chen Ao smiled faintly and said, "Let them get rid of them. All the people they caught will be killed. Let's see how they get rid of them. Eunuch Tong, are you here to kill these people or are you here to kill them?" He eagerly pressed the Shangfang sword on his waist, but stared at Tong Guan motionlessly.

It is just a matter of raising hands when Chen Ao wants to kill him. Now it depends on what Tong Guan does. If Tong Guan is willing to do it himself, it means that this person can be trusted completely in the future.

Tong Guan smiled and said carelessly: "The prince's precious body, wouldn't it be a waste to kill these pigs and dogs? The family dragged them to the Caishikou and all of them were killed. Xihe is still the place for the family, so it's time to do something to show those who are fooled by eating lard."

Tong Guan's tone was not hesitant at all. Chen Ao couldn't help but look at him with appreciation. This old fox was very good at doing things. Once he was killed, the two of them sat on the same boat and shared honor and disgrace. He had previously been quite disgusted with Tong Guan and Chen Ao, but later he went to the border town for a while and gradually looked at him a few times. Now he only has the only appreciation for him.

Chen Ao said, "This matter is left to Eunuch Tong. As for other matters, I can't get out of here now. I will come out tomorrow. When I come back, I will deal with them one by one." He gritted his teeth and said, "Whoever is involved in this matter, I will kill his whole family."

Chen Ao's words are not false words. If the horseshoe or something is at most, they will be killed to warn the monkey, but when they are caught, there will be no room for anything. The impact of the cannon in the hands of the Jin people is too great, and the harm it will have on the Song Dynasty can be imagined. To put it bluntly, one day if the Jin people destroy the Khitan and go south, the entire Song Dynasty will be filled with blood and corpses, and these merchants will have nothing to do with the people behind them.
Chapter completed!