Chapter 25

"Could it be that the people from Xixia planned it?"

"It's not. Two years ago, Xixia invaded the Quye River and defeated our army. However, the year before last, the Khitan married a princess to the son of Tubo's Gensiro, Dongzhan. Xixia sent troops to Qingtang City but suffered a major defeat. Tubo took the opportunity to raid Xixia's territory."

"Last year, the powerful minister of Xixia killed the close ministers of the young emperor, Gao Huaizheng and Mao Weichang. The young emperor tried to stop it, but Weizang Epon ignored him and still killed the two. Weizang Epon then forced the young emperor to marry his daughter as the empress. However, the young emperor did not like the young Weizang, and instead flirted with Weizang Epon's daughter-in-law, Liang Shi. Xixia is currently troubled internally, so they dare to raid across the border but not to invade."

"Who told you this?" Zhu Qing asked curiously. He had heard about it before, including Li Liangzu's marriage to Weizang. But he had not heard about the young emperor flirting with Liang Shi.

"The whole city of Yanzhou is talking about it. Haven't you heard?"

Zhu Qing shook his head.

Wang Ju thought, it seems I shouldn't speak recklessly. After all, these are two different countries, and information isn't that well-informed.

He immediately changed the topic: "Apart from the Black Bee Bandits, it can't be anyone else's arrangement. What do they want to do?"

Zhu Qing was also at a loss.

To attract so many people, the gold and silver scattered on this mountain path are real!

"The imperial examination system is too one-sided."

Regardless of their intentions, the bandit Song Ji is a talent.

But because the country uses the imperial examination system, people skilled in strategy cannot be heavily used, like Zhang Yuan. Even if Zhao Pu were in this era, he would also be miserable. Governing the world with half of the Analects of Confucius? He would be laughed to death by Han Qi!

Not only Zhao Pu, but also strategists like Zhang Liang and Chen Ping would not be heavily used. However, the country precisely needs such talents in diplomacy and military affairs.

Let alone generals. Even if Song had generals like Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and Li Jing, would they be useful in the Song Dynasty?

However, it's not that the Song Dynasty is bad. There were uprisings and bandits, but compared to other dynasties, it was always a stable era.

Right and wrong, light and heavy, Wang Ju couldn't figure it out.

"Let's do this, Manager Zhu. Have your subordinates go back and inform the boss to investigate the specific intelligence on Yu Feng and the others."

Wang Ju couldn't figure it out, but he felt a vague unease.

The next day, something happened.

Countless people were searching for treasure in this mountain area, and it even alarmed the Xixia people on the other side of the Zangdi River. Some Xixia people also came over to join in the fun, along with officials and soldiers. However, the officials in Baoan City were skeptical about the matter and sent people to investigate, not to search for treasure, but to look for clues about Yu Feng and the others.

But this area was a true border region, and the border was not strictly defined. Sometimes it was controlled by Xixia, sometimes by the Song Dynasty. When the war stopped, it became idle land.

Therefore, when the Xixia people came, the soldiers in Baoan City were helpless.

However, Shao Liangzuo was not a good official, and the Song Dynasty officials had already developed a deep hatred internally and were weak and slow externally. With the Xixia people coming to join in the fun and causing such a commotion, the officials, though investigating, reacted very slowly.

A few mountain people accidentally pulled aside a pile of vines and discovered a cave behind them, whether dug by humans or natural, but inside were boxes of goods.

They all went crazy.

Finding gold and silver in the mountains from time to time, the news spread that the Black Bee Bandits had hidden several million strings of coins somewhere.

Several million strings of coins! Even if all the private goods in Yanzhou over the past few years were robbed, it might not amount to several million strings of coins. But the mountain people were ignorant and didn't know if it was true or not.

A few people tried to cover the vines again, but others saw and rushed into the cave. A huge conflict immediately erupted, and the officials and soldiers from Baoan City couldn't stop it.

In the end, the goods in the cave were divided, and more than a dozen people died.

It was wealth, but not treasure, mostly blue salt, and a small amount of fur and medicine.

However, this attracted even more people to join the treasure hunt. But this time, people had already died, which was different from before.

"Many more people will die," Zhu Qing said, lying on the mountaintop and looking down.

This was a fight between two groups of barbarians, especially fierce, using knives, spears, arrows, and clubs.

Actually, the most stable time in Yanzhou was during Li Shibin's rule. He was a member of the Dangxiang Si family. Because the Si family was close to the Central Plains, they accumulated a lot of wealth through trade with the Han people, gradually becoming the dominant force in Yanzhou.

As for changing their surname to Li, this was the result of the interaction between the barbarians and the Han people. Originally, the barbarian surnames were very strange, like wild chickens, tigers, guests, and oxen, but now most had changed to Han surnames like Li and Wang. Even the large clan of the Huanying Muyan had gradually become the Mu surname.

With one clan dominant and supported by the Song Dynasty, Li Shibin controlled the thirty-six strongholds of Jinming, which were thirty-six large tribes. That was the most stable time in Yanzhou.

Without the Si family's control, and in this idle border region, who was afraid of whom!

Shouts of killing and cries of pain echoed, and in a blink, more than a dozen barbarians fell.

"Big trouble is coming," Zhu Qing said again.

Not only him, but Cheng Kan also knew big trouble was coming.

Zhu Qing and Wang Ju were lying on the mountaintop looking down when Gu Sier from the village said, "The soldiers are here."

The leader was an official in purple robes.

In Yanzhou, only one person could wear purple robes: Cheng Kan. Behind him were several officials and two battalions of soldiers.

"Cheng Gong should have come earlier."

"Even if he came, it might not be useful. This is a border region, and the wealth has blinded everyone's minds. It's also the slack season for farming, and the villages have plenty of idle able-bodied men. Can Cheng Gong drive the people out of such a vast mountain area? Impossible, the conflicts will continue."

Fortunately, the barbarians traditionally respected the nobility, meaning they respected people of high status or noble birth. For example, when Liu E exiled Ding Wei to Lingnan, the tribal chiefs there, upon hearing that the famous Minister Ding was coming, all went to visit him. For example, the rise of the Tuoba Li family...

Seeing Cheng Gong arrive, the two groups of barbarians stopped.

Cheng Kan scolded them a few times, and the two tribes each carried away their dead or injured, leaving with resentment.

However, it was clear that Cheng Kan was also troubled, standing there at a loss.

...

"Cheng Gong has been troubled by you," Zhu Huan joked.

He brought the intelligence on Yu Feng and the others, collected in great detail, even the age and place of origin of the ten leaders (small team leaders).

"There was no choice. If I had run that day, I was young and would definitely have been caught. Should I let them kill me?"

"Sigh, the imperial army..."

"It's not the worst. Look at what the imperial army does when they enter Bashu to suppress rebellions," Wang Ju said.

Zhu Huan was speechless.

I am rich, and you are poor, but how can you be more open-minded about these dark and unfair phenomena?

However, neither of them mentioned the Black Bee Bandits' intentions.

Song Ji told Xiang Yu that Meng Dutou was their sworn brother and they wanted to avenge him. But even if he wasn't a sworn brother, because of the counterattack by the Zhu family and Wang family village, they were forced to this point. Could they not seek revenge?

This was not even considered.

A nonexistent treasure, everyone came, and there was some wealth on the way, leading to fights and disputes. With existing conflicts and feuds among the tribes, if someone secretly incited them, and without the strong control of Li Shibin, Yanzhou to the north would immediately fall into chaos.

Once the tribes were tense and large-scale confrontations and conflicts occurred, it might give Xixia an opportunity. Even if Xixia was trapped in internal strife and did not invade, it would still shock the court. At that time, would Cheng Kan have the energy to catch the Black Bee Bandits?

But in this chaotic situation, the Black Bee Bandits, who were extremely familiar with the terrain, would be like fish in water. They could advance, retreat, stay, rob, and kill.

A very clever move.

However, this would be even more disadvantageous to the Wang family village and the Zhu family.

Once the chaos spread to the Wang family village, with so many people and mouths, the truth would eventually be revealed. At that time, their fate would be even worse than the Black Bee Bandits.

After making a joke, Zhu Huan was also at a loss, and after a long time, he said, "There are capable people."

"Such a miserable border!" Wang Ju said angrily, even using Mandarin.