Qin Mubai called Yuwen Hongtai in and said to him: "Heizi, it's time for His Highness to go to the Governor's Mansion. You should go too. There should be a good banquet waiting for you. Tell Your Highness that I won't be here today." I'm going to the Governor's Mansion. I'll meet him after I finish my business. By the way, help me call Pang Fei and his party and ask him to send a few people to hire a carriage and find a quiet place in the city. Residence, please invite the best doctor in the city.”
Yuwen Hongtai listened attentively, clasped his fingers to write down, and grinned after listening: "Brother Qin... I can't remember so many things at once!"
Qin Mubai and Chen Yan were both amused.
"Then just go and call Pang Fei!"
"Oh, then I'm going." Yuwen Hongtai laughed innocently, looked up and down at Chen Yan curiously, and wondered, "Brother Qin, this is your friend, why have I never seen him before? Really? Poor, why did you become like this?"
"Stop talking nonsense and go!"
Yuwen Hongtai left in a hurry, and Chen Yan smiled and said: "This big black man is really a straightforward and interesting person. Mu Bai, why did you leave Baiqi again and be transferred to Xiangzhou?"
"This is a long story. Let's talk about it in detail later when we have time!" Qin Mubai called the jailer to remove Chen Yan's shackles and handcuffs, saying that he wanted to take the person away.
The cell leader was in trouble and timidly murmured: "The general wants to take away the prisoner, and the villain will never dare to stop him. But... The king's law is strict, and the villain is also responsible. If the superior officer asks, what should the villain do? answer?"
"Then do you want me to create a certificate for you?" Qin Mubai sneered.
"Uh... I don't dare! It's just that, with a written note, I can reply to the superior. General, please understand the villain's difficulties." The prison head cautiously and flatteringly raised his hands and smiled.
"Face, reach over here." Qin Mubai hooked his fingers at him, reached into his arms and took out his official seal, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The cell leader's face twitched a few times. He didn't know what Qin Mubai was going to do, but he didn't dare to resist, so he had no choice but to stick his head out and face him sideways.
With a "pop" sound, Qin Mubai stamped his official seal heavily on the cell leader's face, and laughed loudly, "Okay, as long as you don't wash your face, no one will make things difficult for you. In this land of Xiangzhou, No one except His Highness King Wu dares to make irresponsible remarks to this general. If you insist on asking for a letter, I have no choice but to do as you wish."
The prison head grinned in pain and annoyance, not daring to say another word, and withdrew in disgrace.
Chen Yan shook her head and smiled, and said, "I haven't seen you for a few days. Your ability to show off your authority has improved a lot. What's the matter? Is it because you became the emperor's son-in-law that your arrogance has increased?"
"Haha, your ability to make fun of people is getting better day by day!" Qin Mubai smiled, "Don't listen to that black man's nonsense, I haven't become a prince consort yet!"
Chen Yan smiled and said, "Unexpectedly, you ended up getting together with that little princess. Where is your Mei Niang?"
Qin Mubai smiled self-deprecatingly: "This is a long story. Why doesn't your injury hurt at all? Are you still in the mood to chat with me?"
"I'm used to traveling around the world, so this little injury is nothing." Chen Yan looked slightly coquettish, but her face was still as pale as paper.
Qin Mubai knew that she was insisting on her words. After a while, Pang Fei finally arrived with thirty accompanying Baiqi soldiers. Although Yuwen Hongtai is familiar with him, he is a bit rough in doing things and he is from Prince Wu's palace, so it is difficult to handle him. Pang Ji is clever and smart, and Qin Mubai always likes him the most when doing things.
So he ordered some trivial matters, and soon Pang Fei took care of them one by one. After a while, Qin and Chen got on a carriage, escorted by a group of hundreds of cavalry soldiers, and left the prison, arriving at a secluded inn in the south of Xiangyang City. The doctor was also invited and immediately began to treat Chen Yan's illness.
Fortunately, Chen Yan did not suffer any fatal injuries. She just suffered from excessive bleeding and was somewhat deficient in energy and blood. She could recover within a few days of conditioning. It's just that the flesh wound on the body is a bit troublesome. Even if the wound is carefully cleaned and the doctor claims to be a healing elixir, there is no guarantee that there will be no scars in the future.
Fortunately, those scars were not on her face, otherwise Chen Yan might not be able to accept this fact.
While the doctor was prescribing medicine to wash the wounds in the inner room, Qin Mubai was in the next room, writing quickly with an oil lamp, and wrote three letters.
One letter was written to Cheng Huaibi, the deputy envoy of Baiqi, asking him to help him prepare a first-class petition for Baiqi military membership. Of course, it was for Chen Yan. Baiqi broke away from the Tang Dynasty's six-rate and twelve-guard regular army, and was officially affiliated with the Ministry of War, but the actual personnel deployment was controlled by itself. Although Qin Mubai has temporarily left his post, he is still a cavalry inspector, and it is not a problem to recruit an ordinary pawn on his own. In this way, Chen Yan's official status and her status as the 'Hundred Cavalry Secret Envoy' will become an established fact.
The second letter was written to my mother and little sister, of course to report that they were safe. Naturally, the letter also mentioned the two elder brothers and Wu Meiniang, so Shuang'er would naturally talk to them.
The third letter was written to Princess Gaoyang. That girl, I'm afraid she'll be anxious waiting for news about her.
Then Qin Mubai called Pang Fei in and told him: "There are three letters here. You must submit them to Guan Yi immediately and send them to Chang'an."
"Yes, mentor." Pang Fei responded without saying a word and said, "When will mentor plan to go to the military camp? We were at the Governor's Mansion just now, and all the generals and subordinates from the military mansion have also arrived. They are probably still waiting for mentor there now. !”
Qin Mubai was silent for a moment and said: "It doesn't matter if they let them know for a day or two. But go and call two people for questioning. One is Zhou Laojiu, the chief arrester of the county government, and the other is the left officer of the military government." Camp Lieutenant Zhao Chong, please remember not to alert others and call them separately."
"yes!"
"Go and do things, thank you for your hard work!"
After finishing these dishes, Qin Mubai breathed a sigh of relief, and there was a growl in his stomach. He called the waiter to order food and asked him to bring it to the room to eat.
After a few hours, the doctor finished treating Chen Yan's wounds, left the medical patch and left. Chen Yan took a bath and changed clothes in her room for a long time. After the food was delivered, Qin Mubai knocked on her door.
"come in!"
Qin Mubai and the waiter walked in together and saw that Chen Yan had a completely new look. After washing away the dirt and changing her clothes, Chen Yan's face was still pale and weak, but her natural beauty was glowing again.
"Are you feeling better? You must be hungry, let's have something to eat together." Qin Mubai stepped forward to give her a hand, but Chen Yan avoided it with a smile, sat down on her own, and then faced her She looked directly at him with a smile, but said nothing.
"Why are you looking at me like this?" Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing.
"It's nothing." Chen Yan smiled slightly, "I just feel... a bit like a dream. I was in hell just now, but now I feel like I'm in heaven. This time, you are my savior, I owe you."
"No need to be so exaggerated, right?" Qin Mubai laughed and picked up the chopsticks, "Come on, eat quickly! I've only been in prison for one day and I'm so hungry. You must be even hungrier than me!"
"of course?"
"Then what are you waiting for? Eat it! Eat it all!"
…
Half an hour later, Qin Mubai accompanied Chen Yan and walked slowly in the backyard patio of the inn. Chen Yan took deep breaths from time to time, enjoying the fresh air almost greedily.
"I thought about something you once said. If you haven't lost something, you won't realize how important and beautiful it is." Chen Yan sighed with emotion, "After being locked up in the cell for more than ten days, now I understand The preciousness of freedom!”
Qin Mubai chuckled and said, "Speaking of which, I haven't heard from you since I said goodbye to you in Jishan that day. I even thought you would go to Chang'an, but I didn't expect you to go south."
"I also thought about going to Chang'an, but then... I gave it up." Chen Yan smiled and stopped talking at the right time.
"That's alright. It's not necessarily a bad thing to meet again in Xiangzhou like this." Qin Mubai laughed and said, "By the way, I did something without your consent. I hope you don't mind."
"What's the matter?"
"That's right, I went to apply for military registration for you." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "If nothing happens, it won't take long for you to become a hundred knights."
"What?" Chen Yan was startled at first, and then smiled sweetly, "Aren't you too funny! Have you ever seen a female Baiqi? A female police officer, a female officer, a female soldier, a female general?"
"No." Qin Mubai curled his lips indifferently, "But the female Baiqi... I said you can have this, then you must have it."
"Haha, you are so funny!" Chen Yan was amused, "Only you can do such ridiculous things. How can women be used among the royal guards?"
Qin Mubai raised his eyebrows: "There is no military order for Baiqi that stipulates that women are not allowed to be used. In fact, Baiqi has been working in the harem all year round, so it is quite good to recruit some female soldiers. It's just that you, Chen, are available in the world. A woman with Yan's skills is one of a kind! - Haha, don't worry, it's just a military registration, just like me, the inspector, it's just a title, it won't really let you work in the palace. ”
"In that case, wouldn't it mean that I changed from a thief to a soldier?" Chen Yan said with a smile.
"Who said you are a thief?" Qin Mubai also smiled, "Don't forget that Princess Gaoyang wanted to be your master and learn martial arts from you! Maybe one day you will become her master, then But your status is doubled in an instant. A mere hundred knights is nothing, even if I give you a Wu Sanguan who is a fifth-grade guerrilla general to do it, it doesn’t matter!”
"Haha, I'm kidding." Chen Yan shook her head and smiled, "I have never thought about climbing a dragon and a phoenix. Mu Bai, I know you are doing your best for me, but... I really don't want to have anything to do with imperial officials, officialdom, and yamen. ”
"I know." Qin Mubai nodded, "To put it bluntly, this military registration file is just a piece of paper, used to confuse the public. It is just for my own convenience. You don't have to take it seriously."
"okay… "
The night was getting late and Chen Yan was weak and exhausted, so Qin Mubai asked her to go back to her room to rest early. A few hours later, Pang Fei called Zhou Laojiu, the chief yamen officer, and they met in Qin Mubai's room.
Zhou Laojiu already knew Qin Mubai's identity, so when they met, he knelt down and kept apologizing.
"Forget it, get up! Those who don't know are not guilty, I don't blame you." Qin Mubai stood up and looked at the tea and gave him a seat, which made Zhou Laojiu feel flattered and trembled slightly.
People like yamen agents do not have official credentials or titles, and they do not even have a fixed salary. They are only privately employed by yamen at all levels and live off the rewards from the yamen. To put it bluntly, they are serving the bureaucracy. Temporary workers. When someone like Zhou Laojiu faces Qin Mubai, he is like a temporary urban management worker facing the commander of the provincial military region. It would be strange if he is not sincere and frightened.
"Zhou Laojiu, I have a few questions to ask you. Will you answer me truthfully?" Qin Mubai said calmly.
"General, may I ask, this villain will tell you everything he knows!" Zhou Laojiu stood up in a hurry, nervously bending down and holding his fists.
"Don't be nervous, just sit and talk." Qin Mubai said with a smile, relaxed and casual, "I see that you are a somewhat smart and understanding person, so I came to ask you questions. If you can answer well, I will help. The benefits of my work are yours; if you don’t answer well or you deceive me..."
"The villain will never dare to deceive the general!" Zhou Laojiu became nervous and hurriedly knelt down.
Qin Mubai raised the corner of his mouth and smiled to himself, tapped the table with his knuckles, and said: "Very good, I'm very satisfied with your attitude. Although you have offended me before, I don't care about you." . Now get up and answer me a few questions."
"I obey, villain!"
"The first question: What kind of people are the water ghosts in Xihe Cao? Who is their leader and where is their stronghold?" Qin Mubai asked.
Zhou Laojiu replied seriously: "The water ghosts in Xihe Cao refer to a group of green forest strongmen and idle men and rogues on the other side of the eight ghosts crossing the river. They usually hide in the water alleys and forests, or hide in the counties and villages. They rarely appeared in groups openly and acted very secretly. Their base was Xihecao, a swamp across the river. The government and the military had sent people to suppress it several times. The river is lined with reeds, making it impossible to identify the path. Secondly, these people are very good at water and can stay hidden in the water for a long time even in the cold winter. It is said that it is extremely difficult to hunt down the leader. His surname is Song, and he is known as the 'Song Cao Lord', but not many people know who he is."
Qin Mubai nodded and asked: "Then these water ghosts have robbed the official salt and official food. There must be a way out. Is it possible that they all keep it for themselves? How do they sell it?"
"This... I don't know very well." Zhou Laojiu shook his head, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "But I guess that this Lord of Song Cao may have a very close relationship with the salt lords in Xiangzhou!"
"How many salt lords are there in Xiangzhou?" Qin Mubai asked, "Have they formed a tight organization?"
"Organization... I've never heard of this." Zhou Laojiu shook his head, "The wharf in Xiangzhou transfers official salt to various states and counties in Jiangnan Province and Lingnan Province, so private salt is also very popular. Various kinds of salt are common in the local area. The salt lords who sell private salt on horseback and carry loads are never short of arrests. The salt they sell is half the price of official salt, so many people buy private salt, and they are repeatedly banned. "
"There's no reason..." Qin Mubai frowned in confusion, "How can such a large amount of salt and grain be sold by a single gang of salt lords?"
"This... I'm not too sure about this." Zhou Laojiu shook his head.
Qin Mubai pondered in silence for a moment and nodded: "Are you interested in doing things for me in the future?"
"If the general is punished, the villain will go through fire and water!" Zhou Laojiu said loudly and excitedly.
Qin Mubai nodded with a smile: "Very good. You can rest assured that this general is a servant of the imperial court. He will do everything above board. He will never commit any crime and will not let you take many risks. If you If you do it well, I will ensure that you clear your background as a government official and join the army to eat military rations."
"Thank you, general!" Zhou Laojiu was overjoyed and fell down again.
Being a yamen official is not a glamorous job. It has always been associated with low social status and even discrimination. The laws of the Tang Dynasty even explicitly stipulated that yamen servants and their descendants who were three generations or younger were not allowed to participate in the imperial examination or become general officers. Qin Mubai ensured that Zhou Laojiu join the army to "eat military rations", which meant that he would be given a small officer to do it - for Zhou Laojiu, this was like a salty fish to turn over and honor his ancestors!
"You go back first. Don't tell anyone what happened today. From now on, you should pay attention to everything related to the water ghost. I will send someone to contact you from time to time." Qin Mubai said.
"Yes. I say goodbye..." Zhou Laojiu carefully stepped out. As soon as he got out of the door, he couldn't hide his ecstatic expression and ran away.
Qin Mubai stayed alone in the room and meditated, thinking: The water ghosts live in no fixed place, and if they rashly send troops to encircle and suppress them, they will probably just fetch water from bamboo baskets. If you want to wipe out this group of people, you have to start from the core point - the so-called core point is that they have obtained so much official grain and official salt, how to sell the goods
"Official food? Official salt!" Qin Mubai's heart suddenly lit up, "Could it be...that's it?!"