Chapter 596: Being Underestimated Although it is already late autumn, the weather in Huangyang Road is much warmer than that in the northwest, and much warmer than that in Chang'an City. Although it is not as good as Jiangnan and the southwest of Sui Dynasty, it does not make people feel cold at all. If we were in Fangu, it would already be snowy this month. In the past few months, the Black Flag Army has been continuously attacking, gradually taking most of Huang Yangdao into his arms. Tian Xin, who looked after Luo Yao's home, seemed to have become blind and deaf, and he had no idea about the expansion of the Black Flag Army. In response, if the Black Flag Army takes a step forward, he will take a step back. Chen Bishan and Cui Zhongzhen were ordered to lead more than 40,000 troops to advance eastward and cut off the connection between Xinkoucang and Xinyang City, but even so, not a single soldier came out of Xinyang City. Perhaps Tian Xin knew that with his current strength, there was no way he could compete head-on with the Black Flag Army. If there was no problem in defending the city, but if he went out to fight in the city, he would be quite afraid of the Black Flag Army's tens of thousands of elite cavalry. Military reports from the front kept coming back to Zhuque Mountain, and Fang Jie became more and more convinced that Luo Yao had changed his original intention. At the beginning, he did have the intention of fighting for hegemony in the Central Plains, but now he only looks at the great city called Chang'an. In the meeting hall, Fang Jie stood in front of the huge map and looked at the marked situation intently. The newly promoted civil servant Dugu Wenxiu walked in with a thick stack of copywriting and said respectfully: "I have seen the general." Dugu Wenxiu was from a famous family, and the Dugu family was also a first-class wealthy family in the Sui Dynasty. If it weren't for the emperor's big move in Chang'an City, there would still be many people from the Dugu family serving as officials in the court. Speaking of which, he and Dugujing, the former Minister of Rites of the Sui Dynasty, were cousins, but he was born as a concubine, so his status was far less noble than Dugujing. When Huai Qiu Gong was seriously ill, Dugu Jing temporarily took over the post of Minister of Rites. He could have taken another step forward, but this man was also a strange person. After hearing that Hua Qiu Gong had recovered, he immediately resigned. The emperor agreed that he should resign from the post of Minister of Rites, but instead he was granted the title of Minister of Officials, which gave him greater power. Later, he was deposed by the emperor because of his involvement in Prince Yi's case. However, according to analysis, the emperor dismissed him from office and drove Luo Weiran and others out of Chang'an City for the same reason. The emperor wanted to rectify the Chang'an courtiers. In order to protect these important ministers who were indispensable to the Sui Dynasty, and to avoid being implicated, he sent them out of Chang'an City first. Later, it was said that this great talent, who was particularly valued by the emperor, was depressed at home after being dismissed from office. He fell ill for a long time and died without treatment. But Fang Jie also knew that Dugujing¡¯s death was definitely not due to any serious illness. In fact, the emperor's thoughts were not hidden from those people. He dismissed several courtiers he valued and sent them out of Chang'an. Those people behind the scenes may have guessed the emperor's arrangement very early, just like Huai Qiugong died of depression in his hometown in Jiangnan. , they were actually controlled by those people secretly after they returned home. Huai Qiugong died of grief and anger, obviously out of despair. Dugujing said he died of illness, but nine times out of ten he was killed by someone. Su Chongli was still alive, but the Su family mansion was surrounded by five hundred elite soldiers sent by Pang Ba. The Su family was not even allowed to come in and out freely. Even if Su Chongli saw the right opportunity and wanted to return to Chang'an City, he would not have a chance. It is said that Pang Ba invited Su Chongli to serve as an official under his account more than once, but Su Chongli refused to submit. He was probably about to die. "What's the matter?" Fang Jie asked, taking the hot tea that Mu San handed him. Mu San immediately exited the meeting hall and stayed far away. Fang Jie took one look at the little eunuch and couldn't help but praise him for being very discerning. "General, these are the statistics of autumn grain harvests in various places." Dugu Wenxiu lowered his hands and said: "Because the Shannan farmland is still opening up wasteland on a large scale and planting while doing so, the autumn grain harvest is not large. It is estimated that a good harvest will have to wait until next year. During the summer grain harvest, the harvests in all counties were pretty good. There were several large rivers crisscrossing Huangyang Road, so it was never a place that relied on rainwater. The harvest was similar every year, but the grain harvest in Huangyang Road was the same as last year. They were all looted by Luo Yao, so they are in a bit of trouble." "It's enough to know the number." Fang Jie waved his hand and said, "Since I have already given the order, I will not take any grain from the people this year, so I can't go back on my word." " I understand." Dugu Wenxiu put aside the brochures from various places, took out another one and handed it to Fang Jie: "This is a document sent by Governor Sun. Please take it from the general." After looking through it, I found that Sun Kaidao was indeed a decisive character. In the past more than a month of patrolling outside, he had beheaded seven local officials. The people below had already nicknamed him Sun Guillotine. "How many barren fields have been opened in Shannan?" Fang Jie asked while flipping through the pages. "It's no less than 250,000 acres." Dugu Wenxiu replied: "In the past few months, more and more recruits have come to join us. The qualified ones have been sent to the south of the mountain to open up wasteland and train troops. The progress is very fast." " "Yeah." "Dugu" Fang Jie glanced at Dugu Wenxiu and asked, "I want to ask you something." "General, please tell me everything I know." "What I want to ask is the people at the Tonggu Academy. Are there people from your Dugu family among those people?" Dugu Wenxiu's expression obviously changed, and then he nodded: "I don't know much about this matter. Although I am a member of the Dugu family, I am a concubine. Therefore, there are not many things that can be touched. Most of the affairs in the family are controlled by the direct relatives. The best we can do is to live in chaos by dividing some of the family property. However, I heard my mother once mentioned it by chance, saying that the chief steward of the Dugu family would do it every year. Go to Jiangnan at least once." Fang Jie nodded: "If that's the case, why would Dugu Jing be forced to death?" Dugu Wenxiu was silent for a while and said, "The general also knows that there is nothing wrong with Dugu's family. They are all very consistent Moreover, they don't just prepare for everything. Dugu Jing is too loyal to the emperor, so" Fang Jie hummed and said, "This sentence is quite pertinent So, you are also Dugu. Another choice for home, right? " Upon hearing this, Dugu Wenxiu's face suddenly changed, and the hands holding the books trembled, and the books almost fell to the ground. He raised his head to glance at Fang Jie and then quickly lowered his head, not daring to look directly. ¡¡ ¡¡ ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± Fang Jie smiled and said: ¡°You should know that I have always been informal in employing people. Even if you are a person sent by the Dugu family, you have real talent and learning, so I will use you without fail. "I am from a poor family and don't know much about the affairs of a famous family. I am only asking you out of curiosity." Dugu Wenxiu stood frozen for a moment, put down the book in his hand, lifted his robe and knelt down: "The general said. That's right, I was indeed arranged by the elders in my family to join the general. I first relied on Mr. Sun's connections and asked Mr. Sun to introduce him. "" Sun Kaidao took your money, right?" Fang Jie said calmly. "Yes" Dugu Wenxiu said: "It's just that my subordinates don't know how much money Mr. Sun spends on taking care of the family." Fang Jie smiled: "You don't seem to be a scheming person. The Dugu family sent you, most likely It's because they look down on me and think that I'm not good enough to appoint outstanding people from the Dugu family to assist me. However, I know that most of the outstanding people are from common people." Fang Jie thought of Li Xiaozong. "Although I am a member of the Dugu family, my life with my mother has been quite poor since I was a child. If my cousin Dugujing hadn't provided me with a lot of help, my life would not have been as good as that of ordinary people." Dugu Wenxiu said: "This subordinate has concealed these things. "Please punish me, General." "Why should I punish you?" Fang Jie smiled and waved his hand: "Get up, I just said that I know you are a person sent by the Dugu family, but I still want to use you. Moreover, I will reuse you based on your talents rather than your background and your purpose. As long as you work steadily, I will pretend that I don¡¯t know about this matter.¡± Dugu Wenxiu kowtowed heavily: ¡°Subordinate. Thank you, General." "You have a good temper, which matches your name." Fang Jie said: "I have sent someone to pick up your mother. The only one the Dugu family can threaten you is her. The people sent me news yesterday that they have entered Huangyang Road, and they are planning to reach Zhuque Mountain in twenty days. I ordered people to build a small courtyard at the foot of the mountain with beautiful scenery, and you and your mother will live there. . When the old lady arrives, I will give you ten days to stay with her and get familiar with the life here." "General" Dugu Wenxiu, who just stood up, knelt down again and kowtowed heavily: "The kindness of the general. , I will never forget it!¡± ¡°It is precisely because I know you are such a person that I treat you with sincerity.¡± Fang Jie smiled and said, ¡°A month ago, Pei Song, the copywriter in Tuntian, because of I had my head chopped off for being negligent. Twenty days ago, Bo Liu Shouren, the grain owner of the camp, was beheaded by me for stealing money and grain. Half a month ago, I was beheading Yuan Wenmao, a pen clerk in the army, for being drunk and misbehaving. Formerly, I ordered Tian Yi, who joined the army, to be beaten with thirty military sticks because he couldn't do anything at all. After carrying him back for three days, he died. " Fang Jie counted with his fingers: "Everyone who sent me here, I will. I'll accept them all without rejecting them, but that doesn't mean I'm a fool.??I will stay, but if you don't do anything for me, you will be killed. You are different from them. If you do your job well, I will treat you well. " "Subordinates remember this! " Dugu Wenxiu hit the bottom with his head and did not dare to get up. " The camp has just been established and everything is waiting for success. I am short of talents. " Fang Jie walked over and leaned over to help Dugu Wenxiu up: "I don't care what the background of the person who comes to seek refuge with me is, whether he is from a famous family or a poor family, as long as he has real talent and learning, I will stay. However, I stay here just to kill those who are truly talented and knowledgeable but have an impure mind In the past few days, you have been the only one who has worked conscientiously since arriving at the camp, and you have never inquired into the privacy of the camp, but I know that sooner or later you will You will do this because your mother is still at home. " "Since I value you, I am naturally reluctant to kill you. If I watch you take the same path as those guys whose heads I chopped off, I can't bear it. That's why I sent people to find a way to steal your mother out of Dugu's house. I worked hard, but I just didn't want you to go the wrong way. " "Subordinate" Dugu Wenjing's shoulders couldn't help shaking, and she choked and couldn't speak. "Don't think too much, stay in the camp and do your job well." Not only are my men short of generals who are good at conquering and fighting, but they are also short of literati. Do whatever you need to do after you go back. Also don't mention Mr. Sun's collection of your money. " Dugu Wenjing nodded quickly: "I remember it. " "Go ahead" Fang Jie waved his hand: "After your mother arrives, I will entrust you with an important errand. " Mountain Pavilion Wu Daodao squinted his eyes after drinking a glass of wine and said: "Jue Xiao, have you become more murderous recently? Keeping those people sent by aristocratic families may not be a bad thing. " Fang Jie smiled: "Kill some and keep some, so that those people can be more at ease. If I just pretend that I don't know anything, they will think that I am too thoughtful and they will be more wary of me. I killed some little people who were insignificant to them, but they looked down upon me because of my moody behavior and thought I was just a reckless man. " He drank all the wine in the glass: "Now, I need to be looked down upon. " Wu Yiyi laughed loudly, raised his glass and said: "Just because of this sentence, I need to be looked down upon, so drink a big glass! ¡± PS: This volume will end in about ten chapters, and the sun has set in the Sui Dynasty. A new volume has a new beginning, but what I want to do now is to use the person I thought about a long time ago as this volume. At the end, I tried my best to write it well. This volume is barely qualified. It corresponds to the name of this volume, Dusk. PS2: I want a monthly pass!