Chapter 212 Slave Storm

"I know what's going on?" Zhang Huan sneered slightly. Of course he knew that Pei Jun's spy in Fengxiang came to find him. According to Pei Jun's plan, he wanted to occupy Fengxiang, but the division was not good, and it was not good to rely on his two thousand cavalry alone. It required a lot of preparations in the middle, but Zhang Huan only had one or two days.

Although he had no intention of occupying Fengxiang, he still had to make an explanation for Pei Jun. On his way to set off, he had sent a quick horse to order the 20,000 troops from Longxi County and Kaiyang County to prepare. In this way, even if he could not take Fengxiang, it was not his reason.

Zhang Huan pondered for a moment, then said to Hu Yong: "It's very urgent. I will slowly tell my husband on the way, and now I'll ask him to change his clothes first."

As he said that, he winked at the personal soldiers on both sides. The personal soldiers understood and invited Hu Yong down. Zhang Huan was the only one left in the room. He closed the door and turned around and walked towards the inner room.

This VIP room is usually decorated in the living room and living room, but the dormitory is completely different: the room is filled with the fragrance of gardenia, a pair of red candles are lit up vigorously, the ground is covered with thick Persian carpets, the walls are decorated with tassels of big food, a bed carved with mahogany is covered with thick clusters of new bedding, and the lilac curtain is dragged down from the roof, filled with a romantic mood.

Cui Ning had already fallen asleep. Her face was flushed and her breathing was a little rapid. Zhang Huan was shocked and hurriedly reached out and touched her forehead. When she started, she became hot. Cui Ning seemed to be sick.

Zhang Huan looked at her in a daze, feeling full of guilt. It was his responsibility. She ran all the way, her father was seriously ill, and Cui Ning suffered both physical and physical fatigue, but she had never complained to herself, just followed silently. Now she finally fell ill, but she didn't even have a maid to serve.

Zhang Huan hurriedly poured a cup of hot water and whispered softly in her ear, "Ning'er! Ning'er!" Cui Ning slowly opened his eyes, "Oh!" He said, and hurriedly sat up, "Why am I asleep?"

Zhang Huan held her down, and Cui Ning felt a severe pain in her head, and her whole body was sore and weak. She had to lie down again, "Huanlang, I seem to be sick."

"Yes! I didn't think about you, and I was tired of following me." Zhang Huan sat beside her, held her hand, and comforted her with a smile: "Lying down, I'll take care of you!"

Seeing that her beloved was considerate, Cui Ning felt grateful in her heart. She nodded gently and closed her eyes again. After a while, she slowly opened her eyes and said, "Huanlang, go and do it! It doesn't matter."

"I'm really fine now, so you can sleep with peace of mind! I will stay by your side." Zhang Huan gently brushed away the hair on her forehead, kissed her face, and whispered: "I'm asking someone to go to the doctor now, you can lie down for a while."

After saying that, Zhang Huan tucked her quilt and walked out of the room quickly. He walked into the yard. Hu Yong had already changed into a new suit and dozens of personal soldiers were ready to go. Zhang Huan stepped forward and said to Hu Yong: "I will leave this matter to you. Go and tell the person you come. I am still waiting for news from Kaiyang County. Once the deployment is completed, I will send someone to notify him immediately."

Hu Yong was appointed as Zhang Huan's counselor for less than an hour and was ordered to act, but he did not postpone it. He smiled at the sky and followed the soldiers. Zhang Huan looked at his back and walked away, then called Lin Jiuhan, and whispered to him: "Send someone to stare at the people from Fengxiang, don't alert the snake, listen to my orders."

Lin Jiuhan received the order and immediately arranged personnel. Zhang Huan immediately called several more personal soldiers and ordered them to quickly hire a doctor. After confirming that all the arrangements were not missed, he returned to the inner room.

The light in the inner room was soft, but Cui Ning's face had turned pale from redness, and cold sweat began to appear on her forehead. She closed her eyes tightly, her lips were bloodless, and she was moving slightly, as if she was muttering something.

Zhang Huan was anxious. He rushed to the door and visited around anxiously. He helped Cui Ning up and fed her water. I don’t know how long it took, but the doctor finally arrived.

He took Cui Ning's pulse, prescribed medicine, and told Zhang Huan that this was caused by excessive fatigue and he had to rest for a few days and could not be affected anymore. After taking the medicine, Cui Ning quickly fell asleep. Zhang Huan called a floor beside Cui Ning's bed. It was late at night. He listened to his lover's even breathing and his heart was filled with tranquility and peace. He thought of Pei Ying and his son in Jincheng County, and fell asleep unknowingly.

The next morning, Cui Ning's condition improved slightly, so Zhang Huan decided to rest for another two days in Guo County. The army also took one day off to let the soldiers go to the city to shop and have dinner. Zhang Huan took Cui Ning to the county town to buy maids.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month of the New Year, Guoxian County is as lively as other places in the Tang Dynasty. The streets are crowded with people and shops are dazzling. Practitioners carry loads and walk through the streets and alleys. Carriages carrying carts are speeding past, and groups of children are running and playing in the streets and alleys. From time to time, groups of soldiers pass by the corners.

There is a street called Sibei Street in the west of Guo County. It used to be a place where the Uighurs gathered. After several changes, most of the Uighurs returned to the north of the Mohe, and it became a place where merchants, hawkers and other fish and dragons were mixed. Now it is a well-known "people market" in Fengxiang County, which is the slave market for human trafficking. For many years, business has been booming here, and all kinds of people are sold here, either young and beautiful women, strong men, blue-eyed and yellow-haired Western Regions, short and strong Uighurs and tall Qiang people, and many destitute families betray maids and servants here.

However, since this year, the business here has become much hotter. On the one hand, land annexation has become more serious, and many self-cultivated farmers have gone bankrupt and forced to sell themselves as slaves. On the other hand, the war in Shu caused a large number of people to escape from Shu. Many people were controlled by human traffickers and were auctioned nearby in Hanzhong, Fengxiang and other places. Guo County has been a place where Fengxiang has flourished trade since ancient times, and it has become one of the hot spots for slave transactions in Shu.

Slave acquisition has always been a stubborn disease of the Tang Dynasty, and it has not been changed since the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. The laws of the Tang Dynasty also have obvious protection for the interests of slave owners.

Zhang Huan rode on the horse, close to the car window, with nearly a hundred cavalry guards and sanitation on both sides, while Cui Ning leaned in the carriage and looked at the slaves to be sold on the street through the corner of the car window. She turned out to have two close-fitting twin sisters and maids. Because she and Zhang Huan went to Hexi a year ago, the twin sisters changed to serve Cui Yuan Changsun Cui Yao. Later, Pei Ying from Hexi gave her a maid, but she was too old. Before Cui Ning returned to Chang'an, she gave her some money and let her go home to get married.

Sibei Street is about two miles long. The road was originally very wide, but now it is set up a greenhouse on both sides of the road that is invisible, which makes the road very narrow. There are crowds of people along the way, and shouting one after another. Various slaves are standing on the wooden platform in the greenhouse. Most of them are thin clothes and trembling in the cold wind. Zhang Huan and his group are obviously here to buy slaves. They walked all over the ground and shouting louder.

"Master, please buy me!" Some slaves were forced to kneel on the street to attract customers, and many young women even wore transparent gauze skirts to seduce the buyer, but their voices were trembling with coldness. "Master, I am willing to do anything. As long as I have ten coins of money, I can serve you tonight."

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Cui Ning was the first time to come to the market. When she saw the slaves in a miserable situation, she couldn't bear it, so she said to Zhang Huan through the window: "Huanlang, I don't want to see it anymore, let's go back! The maid will ask her subordinates to buy it."

Zhang Huan nodded and turned around. He saw many tall and strong young men among the slaves, and the prices were very cheap. They could buy one person in less than ten cents of money, and there were many young and beautiful women. He had a long time ago. When he returned to the intersection, he waved to Lin Jiuhan, took out a gold medal and handed it to him and whispered: "You go back to the military camp immediately and bring a thousand soldiers to come. Just say that you are catching deserters and bring all the slaves on this street to the military camp. Let me deal with it. Those slave traders dare to resist, tell your brothers that they can beat them up, regardless of whether they are killed or injured."

Lin Jiuhan understood the lord's meaning, so he nodded and rushed out of the city with more than a dozen brothers. Zhang Huan turned around and glanced coldly at the once prosperous "people city" of Guo County, and rode his horse to guard Cui Ning back to the inn.

About half an hour later, more than a thousand cavalry rushed into the county town with murderous intent. The dust rolled and the sound of hooves was like thunder. The streets were suddenly in chaos. The people stumbled and called their children and mothers, and they were in chaos. Many shop owners even thought it was the army washing the city. They were so scared that they didn't even have time to close the store doors, so they fled. Every household closed its doors, and in a moment, the streets became deserted.

Only some soldiers wandering on the street recognized them as their companions, and they gave up their vacation and followed them. Soon, the brigade of cavalry rushed to Sibei Street in Xixi, and they divided into two parts and blocked both ends of the street.

At this time, everyone on Sibei Street was shocked. Those who bought people, sell people, and those who were waiting to be sold were not sure what happened. Several soldiers rushed in and shouted: "There are deserters of the Hexi Army among the slaves. The army must identify them one by one. All slaves are not allowed to trade. Those who violate the order will be executed for the crime of rebels!"

The entire Sibei Street suddenly exploded, roaring, cursing, and making a mess. Many buyers who had already paid asked for money from the slave owners, but the slave owners were indignant and everyone spontaneously organized and negotiated with the army.

Lin Jiuhan rode his horse into the street. Several of the largest slave owners saw that he was the leader of the army and surrounded him. One of them angrily said, "We slaves are all obtained from Shu, how could there be deserters of the Hexi army? You are too unreasonable."

The other man pointed at his hundreds of female slaves and said, "Since you are catching deserters, it's natural that these women have nothing to do with them. Can you allow me to take them away?"

Everyone said something, and I said something, and they all scolded the army for being arrogant. At this time, an old man with a greasy face stepped forward and bowed and smiled, "Since the general is easy to investigate deserters! Why don't I come up with an idea."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a crisp sound of "bang". Lin Jiuhan whipped his face hard, and blood splattered everywhere. Lin Jiuhan drew out his knife and pointed at him coldly and said, "You're a big deal, I want to give me some advice."

He shook his sword and said to these slave owners: "If I count to three, those who dare to stop me will kill me!"

"One!" He shouted loudly, and several slave owners stepped forward to help the old man up, all glaring at him, not scared by him.

"Two!" Lin Jiuhan's voice began to become cold, and one person shouted in a straight voice: "The Tang Dynasty law protects our interests. Does your army want to bully people with power?"

"Three!" A word suddenly burst out from Lin Jiuhan's straight lips, "Kill!"

Dozens of soldiers around him urged him to come forward, swung his sword and slashed five or six slave owners in a row, wailing and screaming everywhere. The other slave owners and human traffickers who were watching realized the serious problem and fled one after another. The slaves were also at a loss.

Several soldiers shouted again, "All slaves squatted down on the spot, we won't make things difficult for you!"

After hearing this, the slaves squatted down one after another. Then the cavalry team began to shrink their formation, grouped groups of slaves and took them to the military camp outside the city. Soon, all the slaves were taken away, and the whole Sibei Street became empty and there was no one. Hundreds of soldiers searched again, believing that there was no escape net and brought all the valuable things with them. A lieutenant stepped forward to report to Lin Jiuhan: "General Lin, there is no one in the entire street. Can we evacuate?"

Lin Jiuhan glanced at the greenhouses on both sides and suddenly said coldly: "The governor doesn't like buying and selling slaves, so he burned them for me!"

At the command, more than a dozen soldiers lit torches, set fires everywhere, and burned Sibei Street. In an instant, the flames soared into the sky, and the flames quickly swallowed up the greenhouses on both sides of the street, burning until noon. The originally bustling and lively street was burned to white land. After this disaster, the "people city" in Guo County gradually declined and disappeared.

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Zhang Huan had already returned to the inn. Cui Ning was weak and lay back on the bed to rest. At noon, Zhang Huan was talking to Cui Ning. Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps came from outside the door. Lin Jiuhan reported outside the door: "Governor, my subordinates have already done it, I'll hand in hand to hand the order!"

"I'll go and have a look." Zhang Huan smiled at Cui Ning, then walked out of the door, but found two little ladies standing behind Lin Jiuhan, both about eleven and two years old, with a pretty face and a pretty similar appearance, but his eyes were a little timid.

Zhang Huan pointed at them and smiled, "Did you find this from the slave?"

"Yes!" Lin Jiuhan pushed them up and said with a smile: "This is a pair of sisters, one is eleven years old and the other is twelve years old. They are both from Shu County. They are separated from their parents in the war and are kidnapped by human traffickers. I saw that they were very clever, so I brought them to the governor."

Zhang Huan slowly walked up to them and saw that they were so scared that they were huddled backwards, so he squatted down and smiled gently at them, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. It's because my wife is sick and needs someone to take care of, so she brought you."

The older sister was very clever. She immediately saluted Zhang Huan and whispered: "I Mingyue, please see the master!"

The younger sister next to her also gave a tribute and said timidly: "I, Mingzhu, see the master!"

"Mingzhu, Mingyue, all the names are good!" Zhang Huan nodded with a smile and said to them: "Come with me."

The two little ladies followed Zhang Huan into the room obediently. Cui Ning had already sat up. Zhang Huan pointed at Cui Ning and smiled at the two little ladies: "This is your mistress. I will serve you well in the future. I will not treat you badly in the future."

"Huanlang, are they twin sisters?" Cui Ning couldn't help asking with interest when she saw that they looked very similar.

Before Zhang Huan could answer, the sister stepped forward and knelt down, "I am Mingyue, one year older than my sister, I will pay my respects to my mistress."

The sister also knelt down and replied like a follower: "I am Mingzhu, the young lady is one year old, I will pay my respects to my mistress."

"Get up quickly! I don't like people kneeling." Cui Ning was very happy when she saw them being pretty and cute. She bowed to Zhang Huan and smiled, "Thank you for the general!"

Zhang Huan laughed and bowed and replied, "Are we called each other respecting each other?"

Cui Ning couldn't help but laugh so hard that she coughed violently, and gently beat her chest. Seeing that the master was kind, the two sisters were relieved and hurriedly stepped forward to help Cui Ning lie down. Seeing that they were well-behaved, Zhang Huan took out two pearls from her arms and handed them to them, "This is the rule in my mansion. The mistress's personal maids all have a meeting gift, so I'll ask you both in the future."

"Yes!" The two sisters took Mingzhu and thanked Zhang Huan. Seeing that he was thoughtful, Cui Ning patted the bed and said to the two sisters: "Come here and tell me where you are from? How could they be sold by human traffickers?"
Chapter completed!