Chapter 71: Secret Affair
"Your Highness, would you like to listen to a piece of music played by me on the piano?"
Tianxiang Tower is the lake-facing room from last time.
Xu E is wearing a long white gauze dress, and her every move is charming.
It didn't look like he wanted to see Zhao Xu for anything. Instead, he looked like he was having a private meeting with Zhao Xu.
Zhao Xu drank the tea lightly, without any restraint, and boldly stared at Xu E's every move.
He has never had the habit of pretending to be a gentleman.
Nowadays, you should naturally appreciate the beauty, as long as you keep your true heart and don't be obsessed with sex.
During this time, he had heard about it.
A Qingguo came to Tianxiang Tower. He was extremely beautiful and had superb piano skills.
Wealthy businessmen and children of wealthy families in Yan County flocked to her, and some even came from other counties just to see her, listen to her music, and compete to be her guest.
However, so far, no one has been able to catch the beauty's eye and become a guest in the curtain.
This person is none other than Xu E.
It's just that others don't know it, but he knows it.
Xu E's identity as a shepherd was just a cover-up.
"It is said that countless talented people spend a lot of money just to sit here and listen to the girl's music, but it is not available. I am honored to be invited by the girl. Girl, please." Zhao Xu raised his hand to gesture to the piano table in front of him.
Xu E's smile faltered slightly, and then her smile became even more charming.
"How can those ordinary people compare with Your Highness? I only want to play the piano opposite Your Highness." Xu E stretched out the strings with her hand.
A sound like running water hitting rocks floated out from the fingertips.
The sound of the piano was beautiful and melodious, exactly the sound he had heard that day.
While sipping tea, Zhao Xu listened to the sound of the piano and admired the beauty, secretly thinking that this was the happiness of princes and generals.
"It has been snowing for thousands of years. I dare to ask who will take the ice wheel to fill the gaps? Blow a small amount of incense..."
The sound of the piano was slightly tilted, Xu E lightly opened her red lips, and sang in a low voice, the sound was clear and sweet.
Coupled with her beautiful face, it makes her even more captivating.
Just thinking of his identity, although Zhao Xu felt shocked, he kept his mind.
After the song ended, Xu E's eyes wandered, "Your Highness, how did you sing?"
"The person is beautiful, and the singing voice is beautiful, but the music and lyrics are a bit cliché." Zhao Xu shook his head, looking regretful.
In contemporary times, he is bombarded with all kinds of music all day long. Although the songs are beautiful, he has heard better ones.
Xu E was surprised and said: "This is the lyrics and music composed by Dou Yurao, the most talented girl in the capital, and it is sung in Jiangnan."
Zhao Xu just shook his head, "Tell me what you want to talk to me about. After all, I want you to see some really good lyrics and music."
Xu E was stunned, and then said seriously: "Your Highness is really impatient."
Standing up and looking out the window at the Golden Scale Lake, she said softly: "It is said that His Highness wants to buy a horse?"
"There is such a thing." Zhao Xu was not surprised. Yang He had probably gone to the trading house to buy from merchants.
Xu E can find out just by asking.
"Actually, Your Highness doesn't have to worry about this matter. Now there is an opportunity for Your Highness to get three thousand good horses immediately without spending a penny."
"Oh? Are you asking Miss Xu for advice?" Zhao Xu stood up and walked behind Xu E.
After closing the window, Xu E motioned Huan'er to guard the door.
He said slowly: "Your Highness, do you still remember Qingfeng Village?"
"Of course I remember." Zhao Xu's heart skipped a beat.
He is planning to wait until the armor and weapons of the royal army are in place to eradicate these evil thieves.
"On the surface, this Fengzhai is a bandit, but in fact it is a minions of the Zhang family." Xu E walked to the bed at this time and took out a map from under the shop.
"I see." Zhao Xu narrowed his eyes, wondering how the Zhang family could invite Qingfeng Village to kill him.
Xu E laid out the drawings on the table, "In addition to killing people and selling goods for the Zhang family, Qingfeng Village is also doing an extremely secretive thing, which is to smuggle weapons between Yanzhou and Beidi in exchange for war horses."
"Dasong strictly prohibits smuggling armor and weapons to Beidi. This is a capital crime." Xu Lie reminded Zhao Xu in a low voice after hearing this.
Zhao Xu nodded.
Dasong and Beidi have long since severed business ties.
However, there are still merchants among the people who travel between Yanzhou and Beidi to sell goods, and there are repeated bans.
The imperial court was helpless and had no choice but to turn a blind eye to merchants selling ordinary goods.
After all, Dasong also needs war horses. It is naturally a good thing for merchants to buy war horses from Beidi.
It's just this kind of trade, the court strictly prohibits the exchange of grain, grass and weapons.
These things will strengthen Beidi's strength.
Therefore, businessmen who violate this requirement will be caught and killed.
"I have long wanted to get rid of Qingfeng Village. In this case, there is even more reason to do it." Zhao Xu said in a deep voice.
Xu E shook her head, "Your Highness, this matter is far from that simple. Qingfeng Village is just a group of gangsters. How can there be so many weapons and armor?"
When Xu E said this, Zhao Xu actually had a vague guess in his heart.
Since Qingfeng Village is controlled by the Zhang family, I am afraid that the Zhang family will not be able to escape the involvement in this matter.
"Qingfeng Village belongs to the Zhang family, and Zhang Kang is the son-in-law of the Yuan family. This matter is very deep. The purpose of the slave family's trip to Yan County is this matter. Now we finally have some clues, but it is not yet There is no evidence in hand," Xu E said.
Pointing to a location on the map, she continued: "Three days after the Nu family finds out, Qingfeng Village will exchange war horses with Beidi merchants here. There are people from all sides. If you can get both people and the stolen goods, your Highness can not only get rid of them It is possible that the Yuan family can take advantage of the Zhang family’s troubles.”
"It is indeed a good opportunity." Zhao Xu admitted that he was moved.
Now the Zhang family of Yan County is like a pile of shit in front of him, which makes him very uncomfortable.
After all, the Zhang family still has private soldiers in their hands, and more than 100,000 people are tied to the Zhang family's farms.
Only by destroying the Zhang family can Yan County truly be his.
And once he gets hold of the Zhang family's smuggling of weapons, the Yuan family will no longer be able to protect the Zhang family.
"So, Your Highness only needs to secretly ambush here and catch them all in one fell swoop when the transaction occurs." Xu E's charming smile reappeared on her face.
Zhao Xu pondered for a while and felt that this was indeed a good opportunity.
He looked at the location on the map and read: "Qingfengkou."
Xu Lie said, "The mountain road here is narrow and the grass and trees are dense, which is indeed suitable for ambush."
"Is the information accurate?" Zhao Xu was still a little worried.
This place is indeed suitable for ambush, but it is also suitable for the enemy to ambush his people.
The terrain of Yan County, the plain in the south and the Yanshan Mountains in the north.
There is a Great Wall from Yanguan that winds along the mountain to Yan County, which has been built by successive dynasties.
Among them, Yanguan is the largest pass on this Great Wall.
In addition, there are two small passes, one in Pingjun.
The other in Shanggujun, west of Yanjun, both of which are guarded by garrisons.
It’s just that the roads at the pass are easy to travel and convenient for marching, so the garrisons need to focus on guarding.
But it’s impossible to have soldiers in every section of the Great Wall of hundreds of miles, otherwise a million troops would not be enough to deploy.
And those places without garrisons have rugged roads, and often only sporadic military forts are used for sentry.
So this is why the Northern Di cavalry finds a place in the north of Yanjun every year to destroy the city wall and enter Yanjun to plunder.
And this Qingfengkou is a road that the Northern Di often take.