When the soldiers went to Li Xiaotong, Cui Zeng, the director of the Mating Town Inspection Department, stood anxiously outside Chifeng Fort with two followers.

They looked at the Chifeng Fort that was being built in a busy manner and the brigade of soldiers who were neatly trained in the open space not far outside the fort. The three of them looked both envious and jealous.

This Li Xiao, who was only 22 years old, has been promoted to the position of a thousand households. He has such financial resources to build such a huge castle and recruit so many military soldiers. He is really a very capable person.

Compared with the young and promising Li Xiao, Cui Zeng, who was in his fifties at that time and had gray hair and beard, couldn't help but think of his own experience, and he felt even more ashamed and hated.

Cui Zeng is the cousin of Shandong General Liu Zeqing's military advisor Li Huajing. It is precisely because of his cousin that he became the director of the Mating Town Inspection Department and has been working for five or six years.

An organization like the Inspection Department is an important grassroots unit established by the government at the township level below the county level. It is somewhat similar to today's police stations, but its power is greater than that of the police station. This Inspection Department is responsible for inspecting pedestrians, cracking down on smuggling, arresting thieves, and maintaining the safety of merchants and travelers.

In the Ming Dynasty, not all counties had set up inspections, but the establishment places were definitely important places in Guanjin, either border defense or important inland passages.

The configuration of the Mating Town Inspection Department is the same as that of other places. It is also guarded by a ninth-rank inspector. There is a patrol yamen in the town, as well as a history, a clerk and twenty inspector archers.

Cui Zeng is both incompetent and greedy. Since he served as the director of the inspection department, he never attacked the bandits all over Denglai, but he has been using power to exploit local governments and bullying and extorting business travelers. Over the past few years, he has accumulated a huge sum of money.

It’s a pity that the silver comes easily and disperse quickly.

Last year, when the Denglai army was in chaos, Cui Zeng was afraid of the rebels. He only heard that the enemy soldiers were coming, so he abandoned the ranks and fled. He did not even bring out the documents in the ranks. Later, these documents were set on fire with the entire yard. Liu Zeqing, who was the deputy general of Shandong at the time, was furious and wanted to kill Cui Zeng. Fortunately, Li Huajing persuaded Fang Zhu. In order to save his life, Cui Zeng hurriedly provided Liu Zeqing with a large amount of bribes, which saved his life.

After the Denglai Rebellion was quelled, Cui Zeng spent a lot of money to manage Liu Zeqing and Li Huajing and others before he was reappointed as the director of the Mating Town Inspection Department.

However, after this trouble, Cui Zeng spent all the money he had saved. In order to renovate the inspection office, Cui Zeng had to borrow a lot of foreign debt from the merchants, so that the inspection office could barely look like an official.

However, after this rebel rebellion, the entire Denglai area was depressed and deserted. As a township unit, Mating Town was even more deserted and had sparse business travelers. Cui Zeng's desire to use the old methods to make money again was completely disappointed.

After this month of observation, Cui Zeng, who was crazy about money, focused his eyes on Li Xiao, an outsider.

When Li Xiao first came to Shandong, Cui Zengting looked down on him. He felt that Li Xiao was just a dilapidated house who could not stay in Liaodong, so he had to live in this two-mile radius in Shandong. Cui Zeng had no interest in such a poor man.

It was not until he heard of Li Xiao’s Chifeng Castle that Cui Zeng realized that he had thought it was wrong.

Unexpectedly, I didn’t expect that Li Xiao was a real person who didn’t show his appearance. He built a fort and expanded his army. After spending a lot of money, he was actually free, which shows how much money this guy has hidden.

Cui Zeng regretted it very much and scolded himself for being too careless and too late to do it. If he had known that he had such wealth, he should have knocked Li Xiao on the bamboo pole before he had just arrived.

However, although Cui Zeng now knows that Li Xiao is rich, he does not have the courage to come to knock on Li Xiao's bamboo pole.

After all, Li Xiao has more than a thousand soldiers, and some time ago he eliminated the bandits in Squatting Quanshan, and is famous. Cui Zeng is just a small patrol inspector and has no courage to pluck the hair on the tiger.

However, letting Li Xiao, the fat sheep, gossip, is not in line with Cui Zeng's style. He knew that he could not control Li Xiao with his own strength, so he quickly reported the news that Li Xiao's army had huge wealth to his cousin Li Huajing.

Li Huajing was shocked and then told the news to General Liu Zeqing. Both of them were very angry and felt like they had been deceived by Li Xiao.

"Damn it, if I had known that Li Xiao was so rich, I should have made some money at the beginning!" Liu Zeqing was very regretful.

"Hmph! Li Xiao, this bastard, sent Wu Liang to complain and cry in front of us that day. He only used such a little money to settle down in my Shandong. But I was too kind-hearted." Li Huajing also gritted his teeth with hatred.

"What should I do? Otherwise, I might as well kill Li Xiao in one fell swoop!" Liu Zeqing's fierce eyes were staring like two bronze bells.

"Sir, don't be so anxious. We just heard the words of Inspection Cui, and then we started to mobilize the troops, but it was inappropriate." Li Huajing pondered for a moment and said slowly.

"Which according to the military advisor's intention?"

"Sir, I mean, I can send Cui Zeng to Li Xiao's army first in the name of private matters and explore the reality. If you find that he has such a huge amount of money in the army, you can try Cui Zeng and ask him to pay the expenses for the offer." A sinister smile appeared on Li Huajing's face.

"What the military advisor said is really a cumbersome thing. If we find that there is indeed a huge amount of money in Li Xiao's army, we will lead Shandong troops directly to destroy Li Xiao in one fell swoop, wouldn't it worry?" Liu Zeqing disagreed with Li Qianjing's suggestion.

"Sir, I'm doing this, I actually want to test Li Xiao's attitude. If he can come to the road to receive sacrifices by himself, why do we need to send troops? Besides, this day is still long. If Li Xiao can offer sacrifices for the first time, we can force him to offer sacrifices for the second time in the future. No matter how much money Li Xiao has, he will be squeezed out by us." Li Huajing's face was full of viciousness when he said this.

Liu Zeqing was very satisfied and smiled when he stroked his beard. Suddenly he asked again: "What if Li Xiao refused to go to the road and was tough and refused to bleed?"

Li Huajing sneered, his triangle eyes narrowed into a thin slit, and he slowly said: "Since he refuses to go to the road, sir, don't need to dispatch troops immediately. I have my own plans to let him submit!"

......

Cui Zeng stayed outside the fort for a while. While he was thinking about it, he reported that the soldiers returned and took him to see Li Xiao.

Cui Zeng left two soldiers outside the house, followed the soldiers into Li Xiao's straw-board room.

Li Xiao saw that Cui Zeng's hair and beard were all gray, with a sharp and thin face, and his eyebrows were crooked, which made people feel uncomfortable. He was wearing a ninth-grade green military officer robe made of ramie, a seahorse printed on the patch on his chest, black tiara, tied with belts on his waist, and official boots on his feet, and dressed quite formally.

In comparison, Li Xiao, wearing an ordinary light blue silk dress, would look more like an ordinary person from his appearance if he had not been his calm and steady temperament.

"The official pays homage to Lord Li." Cui Zeng blinked and knelt down to Li Xiao.

Cui Zeng, who was in his fifties, knelt down to 22-year-old Li Xiao, which made him feel quite uncomfortable. However, Cui Zeng knew how to abide by the rules of the Ming Dynasty officialdom. Although Li Xiao, a thousand households, was so young, he was a sixth-rank Shangguan, who was much higher than his last-rank military officer from the ninth-rank.

"Inspector Cui comes to my fort far away. There is no need to do this. Please get up quickly." Li Xiao smiled and helped him for a moment.

Cui Zeng took advantage of the situation and stood up. After the two of them took their seats, Li Xiao hurriedly let him see the tea.

Soon the soldiers presented tea. Li Xiao asked Cui Zeng for the word "Ask" and smiled while blowing tea foam, "But I don't know what the hell is there to do when inspector Cui comes to my Chifeng Castle?"

Cui Zeng took a sip of tea, put the teacup on the table, and smiled and said, "Mr. Li, I'm not going to visit the Three Treasures Hall for nothing. Recently, some people have reported it, which is sensational. The adults privately made private salt and colluded with those smuggling merchants. When they heard it, they suddenly realized that this matter was extraordinary. Therefore, today we had to come to the adults' house to investigate in order to find out the truth."

After Cui Zeng finished speaking, Li Xiao's face suddenly pulled down.

"Don't blame me. After hearing what the person who reported me said, the lower official was angry. The lower official scolded this person, saying that Lord Li was an open-minded person, how could he do such a stingy thing in making and selling private salt. But this person was very confident and said it was a bit slight, and the lower official was helpless. After all, if this matter was reported, it would not look good to Lord Li Zun, so he had to come to Guibao to inform Lord Li of the matter and investigate it. Please rest assured. If it was found that it was a false accusation by the villain, the lower official would be beheaded immediately, and he would be the name of Lord Li."

Cui Zeng said carefully, but Li Xiao's face became even more ugly.

"Where is this person, I can confront him in front of him." Li Xiao's face was grim and he shouted in a low voice.

Cui Zeng rolled his eyes and said hurriedly: "This person is being taken into jail by me in the inspection department. Such a villain is really hateful. He is so full of humble mouthfuls and sprays people with feces. The official dared not bring him here, but he was afraid of defiling the treasure land of the Lord. Lord Li, don't worry, let the official investigate, if there is no matter of making and selling private salt, the official can hand over this person to the Lord and deal with it with him."

Cui Zeng smiled dryly, but his eyes looked at Li Xiao, but he looked anxious.

Li Xiao glanced at Cui Zeng's slim face, and he suddenly understood the real intention of Cui Zeng coming here.

What it said about investigating and dealing with the production and sale of private salt is just an excuse. The real purpose should be to investigate Li Xiaojun's real financial resources, which is the real reason why this guy came to Chifeng Castle.

This person came suddenly, and Li Xiao could not prepare to transfer the goods in advance. If this person could understand the amount of wealth accumulated in the fort in the name of investigation, he would have trapped himself in a trap.

If you keep this handle in the hands of others, how will you explain this huge wealth and how this small family has obtained it? Wouldn't it be the only way for someone to control yesterday?

Cui Zeng looked like a smile on his face, but unexpectedly, he was a sinister and cunning person who smiled.

I just don’t know who is instructing me behind this person?

Li Xiao couldn't find the answer in his heart for a moment.

"Inspector Cui, you have been here with great intentions."

Li Xiao returned to Cui Zeng with a faint smile, then took a sip of the tea.

"Mr. Li, why do you say this? The official is just reporting to the office." Cui Zeng was stunned and hurriedly decided.

Li Xiao sneered and said slowly: "Inspector Cui, Li has never liked to go around in circles. You come today, I'm afraid there is something else to do?"

Facing Li Xiao's direct look, Cui Zeng's face changed drastically. He shouted, but he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

This Li Xiao was so vicious. How did he see that?

Cui Zeng said anxiously: "Mr. Li, there is nothing else. You are too careful. Even if you have ten more courage, you will not dare to joke with Master Li."

"What if the official doesn't let you check?"

Li Xiao said coldly with a cold face.

Cui Zeng's face turned pale: "This, Lord Li, the subordinate has a small position, but he is responsible. Lord Li, you have a lot of masters, why should you make the subordinates embarrassed?"

"No need to say anything more. I can tell the inspector Cui that our army has always been following the rules since Shandong, and there is no need to sell private salt." Li Xiao looked out the door and said calmly.

"Mr. Li, this is just a matter of no basis..." Cui Zeng's words were obviously depressed.

Li Xiao sneered and stood up. He looked Cui Zeng's panicked eyes and said calmly and clearly: "At this point, Inspection Commissioner Cui understands. I still have something to do, so I will not accompany you. Inspection Commissioner Cui, please come back. After you go back, tell you the person behind you to act openly and honestly. This way, it is despicable to make a secret plan come to explore the truth of our army!"

"you......"

Cui Zeng's face shivered, but for a moment, he couldn't say anything.

He never expected that Li Xiao would be so uncooperative. Before he could say blackmail, Li Xiao would dare to drive him away like this.

This bastard Li Xiao is so arrogant!

When he entered, Li Xiao had already strode away.

Seeing that Li Xiao had gone far, Cui Zeng pointed at Li Xiao's back with his fingers and cursed: "Li Xiao, you must toast and not eat and drink. Okay, let's ride a donkey and read the songbook and walk and see!"
Chapter completed!