Huzi hurried back to Zhou Yamen. Seeing that the master was not here, he could only report to Master Yang and Master Hu, who was lying on the couch while recovering from his injuries and reading official documents.

Like Xu Ying, the two masters were most worried about the Taiping bandits, and the most uneasy one was Han Xiufeng, the only one who could delay the bandits. When they learned that Han Xiufeng did not come to the Yamen in time to meet a scholar at this critical moment,

The two of them suddenly became suspicious and immediately sent someone to find out who the scholar was.

The city of Taizhou is not big, and these days, in order to prevent spies, they not only clean up the guards and check the overnight stay, but also send more than a hundred government officials to check and watch for suspicious people inside and outside the city. It didn't take long to find out.

Master Yang never expected that the Yizhen Wu family would come to Taizhou and even rent a house next to the state government office. He never expected that Han Xiufeng, a fellow state official with a donation background, would actually meet Wu Wenrong, the governor of Huguang, and the Sichuan Salt Tea Ceremony.

Wu Wenxi was also involved, so he couldn't help but turn around and smile bitterly: "Brother Hu, I finally understand why Han dares to hit you."

Hu Yaobai also didn't expect that Han Xiufeng had such a big background and such a deep background. He said with a bitter face: "I really don't complain about this slap in the face."

Huzi was equally uneasy, and said with a sad face: "Mr. Yang, Mr. Hu, and Mr. Han have a relationship with Yizhen's Wu family. In fact, many people in the Yamen know about it, but we never thought of asking."

"How many people know about it?"

"Master Zhang knows it, and so do the clerks in Jiufang and those groups of government officials."

"How did they know?" Master Yang asked subconsciously.

"Years ago, Mr. Han came to Taizhou to take office. The official documents from the Taizhou Yamen arrived early, but Mr. Han didn't arrive. Later, I found out that he went to Yizhen first to meet with the two elders of the Wu family. It seemed that he was in New Year.

The former Yizhen County magistrate who was dismissed from his post accompanied him."

"How did he, a Sichuanese, get involved with the Yizhen Wu family?" Master Yang murmured.

"I have inquired about it. Mr. Han worked as the director of the Chongqing Guild Hall in the capital before he came to Jiangsu. When he and I were in the capital, we also lived in a guild hall, but we lived in the Huguang Guild Hall. Although the director of the guild hall, Jiang, was not an official, he

He can speak better than ordinary officials in the capital." Huzi paused and then said, "Mr. Han has been the director of the Chongqing Guild Hall, so he must know many grown-ups like Director Jiang of our Huguang Guild Hall."

Hu Yaobai came to his senses and couldn't help but raised his head and said, "Brother Yang, isn't Wu Daotai an official in Sichuan? It's only normal to say that he recognizes Wu Daotai."

"Not everyone can be the director of the guild hall. If you guessed it right, the Wu family of Yizhen, Yang Wending, and Qi Suzao are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm afraid he has more dignitaries in the capital than Dong Weng's classmates in the same year.

many."

"This is not the same thing, Huzi, hurry up and report it to the master."

"I'm leaving. What should I do if Mr. Han comes over later?"

"You are not the only one in the yamen. Go and report it quickly. We are here."

"Oh, little one, let's go right here."

…

As soon as Hu Zi's front legs left, Han Xiufeng's rear legs arrived.

Master Yang, who usually lived in seclusion, went out to greet him in person. After spending nearly a stick of incense in the second hall, he accompanied Han Xiufeng to Wanghai Tower in the southeast corner of the city.

Wanghai Tower is the tallest building in the city. It is said that it was first built in the second year of Shaoding in the Southern Song Dynasty. However, it was not called Wanghai Tower at that time, but called Haiyang Tower. Lu You, Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Yue Fei, Kong Shangren and other sages have visited here, and it is praised as

It is the "No. 1 Tower in Jianghuai". Like the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuchang, it has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. Most of them were destroyed by war and were built in the prosperous times.

From the early construction in the Song Dynasty to the reconstruction in the Ming Dynasty, many people have not been able to explain the specific changes of Wanghai Tower. They only know that Bao Long, the former governor of Mingzhou, rebuilt Wanghai Tower and named it Wanghai Tower. It was rebuilt during the Kangxi period and renamed Jinghai Tower. During the Jiaqing period, it was demolished due to serious damage.

It was rebuilt and renamed Mingfeng Tower. Although it was renamed several times, people still used to call it "Wanghai Tower".

Han Xiufeng has passed by several times, but this is his first time here.

Accompanied by Mr. Yang, I climbed up the stairs and looked at the poems and essays on the wall left by literati from all dynasties who came to this building. Unknowingly, I climbed upstairs and saw Xu Ying standing with a beautiful spy tube (

Monocular telescope) distant view.

"Xiufeng pays homage to Mr. Xu!"

"Brother Zhixing, there is no need to be polite." Xu Ying put down the spy tube and looked down at the boats carrying defense materials on the moat and the young men who were repairing the city wall. He asked: "Brother Zhixing, if you give me another one, Xu Ying

Yue is ready, can this city be defended?"

Han Xiufeng held on to the wooden railing and muttered: "How many thieves are there going to be seen?"

"What if four or five thousand come?"

"The city is surrounded by two rivers. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. And with Mr. Xu in charge, the city can still be defended even if there are seven or eight thousand thieves, not to mention four or five thousand."

"What if it's ten thousand?" Xu Ying turned around and asked.

Han Xiufeng asked, "Do the thieves have that many soldiers?"

"If the thieves want to invade Taizhou, they must first occupy Yangzhou. Logically speaking, the thieves can't divide that many soldiers, but don't forget why the thieves are getting bigger and bigger, and there are more and more people! As far as I know, every time they go to

The people will be held hostage. Although Wuchang has been recovered, what was recovered is the

It’s an empty city. Almost all the people in the city have been lured to Jiangsu.” Xu Ying took a deep breath, clenched his fists and said, “To be honest, I’m not afraid of anything. I’m just afraid of thieves and bandits kidnapping the people of Yangzhou, and I’m afraid of those unscrupulous people.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble or even become a thief!”

"The local people are simple and honest, so even if there are some unscrupulous people, there shouldn't be many."

"That's because the thieves didn't come," Xu Ying's face changed, and he said coldly: "In troubled times, heavy codes are used. Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this juncture will be punished when it is necessary. You must not be merciful!"

What could Han Xiufeng say when he met a lunatic like him? He could only say perfunctorily: "Yes, what Mr. Xu said is absolutely true."

"But Brother Han doesn't need to worry about suppressing the local area. I only need to help Xu and help the people of Taizhou to delay the bandits for a month. After one month, I can act accordingly. At that time, I can come back to defend the city with Xu, or you can stay in the city.

External harassment.”

Acting with cameras, you can also harass outside the city...

How could Han Xiufeng not hear the implication of Xu Ying's words? It was not easy for him to say these words, even though the prerequisite was to intercept the bandit for a month. Just when he didn't know how to answer, Xu Ying suddenly changed the subject:

"Wu Zhongtang and Wu Daotai's cousin Wu Wenming came to Taizhou?"

Han Xiufeng thought that he was really well-informed and said bluntly: "Come here, not only Wu Wenming is here, but also almost all the women and nephews from several rooms of the Wu family are here. They rented in Song and Dance Lane, with Zhouya Back Garden

Only separated by a wall."

"I didn't expect Brother Han to have friendship with the Wu family."

"When Xiaguan was in the capital, Wu Daotai paid special attention to Xiaguan. Now that Xiaguan has come to Yangzhou Mansion to take up his post, he naturally has to pay homage to the two clan elders."

Xu Ying nodded slightly, then thought about it and asked: "The two elders of the Wu family are here too?"

"No, Wu Wenming said that the two ancestors were worried that thieves would destroy the Wu family's ancestral hall and dig up the Wu family's ancestral graves, so they were unwilling to come to Taizhou to avoid trouble no matter how much they tried to persuade them. However, the lower official would never stand by and watch the two ancestors fall into the trap of thieves.

I am planning to go to Yizhen to kidnap the two ancestors out of danger. I want to see if I can contact Yang Yiguo, the governor of Yan, and invite him and his local warriors to guard Liao with Xiaguan.

Jiagou."

Looking at Xu Ying's thoughtful look, Han Xiufeng continued: "Mr. Xu, even if you don't ask, I still want to report to you about the Wu family and help Wu Wenming find a job to help with camp affairs. He plans to go with

The lower officials went together to intercept the bandits, and the Wu family had already made preparations. Not only did they gather two hundred young men, they also sent people to Shanghai County in the first month to purchase more than thirty shotguns."

"This is a good thing. Isn't it just an errand to help with business affairs? Mr. Yang, could you please draw up a document?"

"As commanded."

Han Xiufeng knew that he was asking for it, so he looked back at Master Yang and said: "Mr. Xu, you can't give up the Wu family and the shotgun, but you can't give it for free. Even if you ask for it, they won't give it to you for free, so I want it."

Let’s go to Yizhen first to fight with the bandits and give an explanation to the Wu family.”

Thinking that it would be impossible for the Wu family to abandon their home and property and evacuate to the east bank of Liaojiagou, Xu Ying muttered: "You can go, but you can't miss important events."

"Mr. Xu, you can rest assured that your subordinates have a sense of discretion."

"Just be measured," Xu Ying nodded, and raised the spy tube in front of Han Xiufeng: "Whether Taizhou can be defended or not depends entirely on me. Apart from the dozen or so small cannons, this spy tube is the only one who can hold it.
Chapter completed!