Chapter 757 Map

The city garrison of Shengle City was named Hu, Hu Huai. He was a Yan man who started as a military clerk in his early years, and later was promoted to work under a Yamen in Yanjing. After that, as the Yan Kingdom attacked the Qian and Jin Kingdoms, he was dispatched as an armaments officer to escort supplies to the front lines.

With good luck, he led a group of laborers to disarm a routed Wenren family army, captured a Wenren family son alive, and was rewarded with promotion. After several major battles, he also made a lot of meritorious service, especially in the second Wangjiang battle led by Prince Jingnan, where he, as the representative of the Yan army's logistics, cooperated tacitly with Xu Youdao and others to maintain the stability of the logistics.

And when Lord Zheng was promoted to the General Soldier of Xuehai Pass, Hu Huai inherited the title of Shengle General and took over Shengle City.

The Yan Kingdom is not like the Qian Kingdom; the distinction between civil and military officials is not obvious in the Yan Kingdom. It is very common to change from a civil official to a military general or from a military general to a civil official. Xu Wenzu was originally a civil official who became the General Soldier of Nanwang City.

When he learned that he was going to Shengle City to take office, replacing Lord Zheng, Hu Huai was really overjoyed.

At that time, the Jin region had just been occupied, and the Yan Kingdom's court had a huge burden, so it became a de facto era of "encircling land" for the various warlords in the Jin region. Whoever had good territory, whoever had rich territory, whoever had the best life.

And Lord Zheng's reputation for being good at governing the region was established in Shengle City.

At that time, Shengle City had workshops, industries, merchant caravans coming and going, and goods circulating. It was connected to the products of the Tianduan Mountains in the north, and it could be described as booming.

Hu Huai originally thought that his luck was really good, and that he could pick up a ready-made peach.

But when he led his troops to Shengle City,

His eyeballs almost popped out!

Damn it,

It was one thing for nine out of ten people in the city to be gone, but the villages in the surrounding area were basically devoid of life;

Even,

Even the gate of Shengle City had been dismantled and transported away!

So, for a long time afterward, Hu Huai hated Zheng Fan to the core. Since ancient times, he had never seen such a "scorched earth" policy.

But with Zheng Fan's step-by-step promotion, the increasing power, and rising prestige, he was now truly at his zenith.

The resentment in Hu Huai's heart had long since vanished. He often regarded himself as Zheng Houye's successor. During festivals, Hu Huai would entrust someone to send gifts to the Pingxi Marquis's residence.

Si Niang was responsible for the Pingxi Marquis's residence's reciprocity. She did not neglect this Shengle General who had "joined her sect," and always returned the gift.

In addition, his location was indeed good. If the Marquis's residence planned to revolt one day, Shengle City would be an excellent support position. Therefore, this General Hu was added to the gift list of the Marquis's residence.

The Marquis's residence would send gifts for General Hu's birthday, his mother's birthday, and when his wives and concubines had children.

Occasionally, there would be a "personally written" letter from Zheng Houye to General Hu, extending the sincerest greetings.

But when Zheng Houye was in Shangchuan County, he asked: Who is the current garrison general of Shengle City?

When a force develops to a certain extent, it will naturally attract the surrounding small forces to come and rely on it, forming a network of relationships between them.

Zheng Houye was either out fighting or practicing his saber and needles at home,

Naturally, he didn't have time to do these things, but his subordinates would naturally help him share the burden.

That's why the new Emperor would communicate with Zheng Fan so early, and would rather hand over the nail of Yuduan City in eastern Jin to Zheng Fan in exchange for Zheng Fan's silence west of Wangjiang.

Hu Huai was just one of them. What about the other warlords in Jin?

Let's not talk about Li Fusheng. How many of the military leaders stationed in various places under Li Fusheng thought that they had a袍泽之情 (pao ze zhi qing, camaraderie) with the Marquis of Pingxi and had a close relationship with him now?

However,

General Hu Huai has really been a little uneasy these days.

First, a woman came to the Pingxi Marquis's residence, and as soon as she arrived, she asked him to send troops to help her capture the various forces involved in the population trade near Shengle City.

When Zheng Fan went to Xuehai Pass, he moved all the family property of Shengle City away. Hu Huai naturally did not have that kind of management ability, but he retained one business, which was the trafficking of wild people slaves.

It was precisely by relying on this business as a pillar that Hu Huai was able to afford to raise troops in Shengle City and barely make a living.

Now, after such a large number of people were arrested, how could this business be done?

However, what Hu Huai knew even better was that this woman now represented the will of the Pingxi Marquis's residence, and he did not dare to offend her.

Not only that, but now that the new Emperor had ascended the throne, the former Six Lord Party had become the Emperor's Party, and the Marquis of Pingxi's status had been further elevated. If he offended the Pingxi Marquis's residence, they wouldn't even need to play tricks. With a simple memorial, he, the Shengle General, would have to move his nest.

Rather than that, it would be better to wholeheartedly hug the Marquis's residence's thigh. To this end, Hu Huai personally took the woman's orders and led his troops into the Tianduan Mountains in winter to讨伐 (tao fa, suppress) a熟 (shu, civilized) wild people tribe.

And today, a blind man entered Shengle City surrounded by a group of Flying Fish Uniform guards.

...

"Did you find it?" The blind man asked Si Niang as soon as he saw her.

"I found the receiver, but the ones who are really trafficking people in are a熟 (shu, civilized) wild people tribe in the Tianduan Mountains."

The black industrial chain had already formed long ago.

Wild people slaves were a good business, especially in the current environment. Due to the war in the previous years, the population of Jin had sharply decreased. When the situation stabilized and needed to be restored and developed, the problem of labor shortage was very serious, thus further stimulating the demand for wild people slaves.

On the wild people's side, although the people of Zhuxia all called them wild people, in fact, they themselves did not consider themselves to be a race. In particular, the熟 (shu, civilized) wild people tribes considered themselves to be more Jin people, and were not on the same path as those uncivilized people.

Therefore, when the slave trade rose, the熟 (shu, civilized) wild people tribes began to be responsible for attacking and capturing those raw wild people tribes, and then selling them to the Jin people.

The Little Monk Liaofan was captured by a熟 (shu, civilized) wild people tribe and trafficked into Shengle City along with other wild people slaves.

Then, after several turnovers, he was sold to the Red Tent in Shangchuan County as a reserve相公 (xiang gong, young male prostitute).

"Mm."

The blind man nodded and sat down.

"Have you seen that little monk?" Si Niang asked.

"I've seen him, but, in fact, it's all in this picture."

The blind man took out the picture that Zheng Fan had drawn and unfolded it;

"I met the Lord on the road when I set off, and the Lord gave me this picture. I did some treatment and guidance to that little monk in Shangchuan County, but it was just to make the picture on this picture a little more detailed."

"I thought you had already gotten the time, place, and people from that little monk's mind."

In fact, as long as the location information was found, troops could be sent from Xuehai Pass.

The blind man shook his head and said:

"I checked, even if that little monk ate some black grass, causing some problems with his spirit, and may have been frightened, causing cognitive impairment, schizophrenia, etc., these can all be cured.

"Even, if you're not worried about turning him into a complete idiot, you can directly search his soul.

"But the problem is, it's useless to do so."

The blind man reached out and poked his temple,

"The Lord believes that the little monk has a problem with his spirit, but in fact, he has suffered a mental impact."

"Impact?"

"Yes, it's a sweep of spiritual power, not stimulation, it's like the kind of method I like to use."

"Understood."

"Mm, that's right, in fact, a person's spirit is the same as a person's body. Small injuries can slowly recover, but if you cut off your foot or cut off your hand, can it grow back?

"Similarly;

"That little monk's memory is not about forgetting and not being able to remember, but about a part of it being destroyed. His spirit has been traumatized, and I can't restore him, even I at my peak, don't have this ability.

"It's like the top surgeon, at most they can give you a limb replacement, a limb extension, or, a prosthetic limb, but it's impossible to create one out of thin air and complete the original one for you."

"Who do you think caused this damage to him?"

"Probably, it's in the picture."

"Was it deliberately done to him?"

"It shouldn't be. It's meaningless to deliberately attack a little monk. It's like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, just for fun?

"I think this should be a group-based spiritual rendering. It's not brainwashing, it's not fanaticism, and it's not皈依 (gui yi, conversion), but using spiritual power to directly try to infiltrate and control.

"People with firm will are often more resistant, but at the same time, they will be more severely damaged.

"I contacted this little monk and his master before, and his master once proudly said to me that this child has慧根 (hui gen, wisdom root).

"This is not the kind of polite remark you say when you're begging for alms, such as this female benefactor, you have a relationship with my Buddha.

"To be precise, his master believes that this child is the reincarnation of his sect's祖师 (zu shi, founder of a religion or sect). Regardless of whether this is true or false, it can at least explain one point: this child has a firm Buddhist heart.

"So, when an outsider attempts to forcibly change his faith in a spiritual way, his own firm Buddhist heart will form an extremely strong rejection."

"And then?"

"Then there will probably be two things that happen. One, is what you see now, his brain is damaged, and he has a mental disability.

"The second point is that he may have been able to break free while others were being controlled.

"This can explain how he escaped."

The blind man gestured a few times on the coffee table,

"Others may have been assimilated, and have an extremely strong centripetal force, or even... faith, towards something, some existence.

"Under this premise, they will naturally not be strictly guarded, because the羁縻 (ji mi, to bind) of spiritual will is often more reliable and more difficult to break than real chains.

"He is an exception, which is why he, who has no skills, was able to escape from there."

"What about his master?"

"His master obviously doesn't have as firm a Buddhist heart as he does, haha, that's normal."

"In other words, the existence under the ice in the extreme north of the snowy plains has spiritual power?"

Si Niang pointed to the figure under the ice in the painting and said.

"It doesn't have to be him. Among Tiantian's pets, if that fox had a higher level of cultivation, it could actually do it. People, if they have this kind of talent, can also do it with a little training.

"Don't those炼气士 (lian qi shi, Qi Refiners) who specialize in this path have spells to suppress people's minds?

"The West should also have mental-type magicians.

"To put it more simply, the Star辰 (chen, celestial bodies) Guides of the Wild People, the祭祀 (ji si, priests) of the Barbarians, those who make a living from this, the truly profound existences, must also have this kind of method."

"The Lord values this matter very much," Si Niang said.

"I know, the Lord talked to me for a while when I came. I agree with the Lord's opinion. After confirming the location, we'll take action. Regardless of whether that prophecy is true or false, or whether a blind cat has run into a dead mouse.

"Since it has become the pea under our mattress, it must be taken out.

"By the way, the Lord said this analogy, haha, our Lord is becoming more and more like a princess."

Speaking of this,

The blind man patted his forehead again and said:

"I forgot to tell you, the Lord and the Sword Saint were attacked on the Wangjiang River on their way back."

"Attacked?"

"Mm, two Jianghu people and one炼气士 (lian qi shi, Qi Refiner), but it was a false alarm."

At this moment,

Someone came in to report:

"My lords, our General is back."

General Hu, who had征 (zheng, expedition) to the Tianduan Mountains, had returned in triumph.

Because it was a forced attack, some troops were lost.

General Hu himself was also stabbed in the shoulder and was bandaged.

Although the blind man "saw at a glance" that there was no wound at the bandaged area, he still asked General Hu with great enthusiasm and made various promises on behalf of Zheng Houye.

General Hu patted his chest and said that this was nothing, and that he was willing to die for the Marquis, and then added going through fire and water and so on.

The blind man patiently accompanied Hu Huai to finish the play.

Yes,

Although Ji Chengjue had become the Yan Emperor,

The blind man had never given up preparing for the rebellion in the future.

The weather is unpredictable, and people have good and bad luck. Don't look at how good the Lord and the new Emperor are now, like honey in oil, who knows what will happen in the future?

He, the blind man, taught him to like eating Sachima;

In the future, when the Lord has children, he can teach them again.

Thinking about it,

The Lord and Si Niang's children,

In front of a group of Demon King uncles,

Yelling for the Dragon Throne,

Tsk tsk,

Dare these uncles not be honored and help?

As for how children can be born, we'll find a way slowly. A pear tree can still压海棠 (ya hai tang, a flower), there's plenty of time.

Hu Huai was satisfied, and also comfortable. From then on, he felt that he had really become a member of the Marquis's residence;

What's pitiful is that he didn't know that the Marquis of Pingxi didn't even remember his name.

The prisoners began to be interrogated. Because they were熟 (shu, civilized) wild people, many of them could speak Xia language, so interrogation was convenient.

The blind man and Si Niang focused on the captured items.

Si Niang had said before that they didn't need gold, silver, and valuables, so what was left were items with text and utensils that were not used in daily life.

"I don't think we should have too much hope," Si Niang said.

The blind man shook his head and said, "There will always be hope, look..."

From the captured items,

The blind man picked up a袈裟 (jia sha, kasaya, a Buddhist monastic robe).

It was used to wrap a piece of jade. The jade was directly discarded by the blind man, and the袈裟 (jia sha, kasaya, a Buddhist monastic robe) was laid flat.

Si Niang walked over,

On the袈裟 (jia sha, kasaya, a Buddhist monastic robe),

A map was drawn, the map was a bit scribbled and very simple.

I don't know if it was drawn by the Little Monk Liaofan or his master.

"Look, you have to believe in hope."

The blind man smiled,

This map is not accurate, but it has already pointed out a direction. The snowfield is vast and boundless, and the extreme north is actually very large. Without this map, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack, but with this map, it would be like catching a live fish in a fish pond.

"Okay, we can go back," the blind man said.

"What about after we go back?" Si Niang asked.

"According to the Lord's meaning, send troops immediately!"