Chapter 95

Chen Jin didn't know what Chu Xiuming and Chu Xiuyuan said in the study, although she knew in her heart that Chu Xiuming would leave soon after the New Year, which made Chen Jin cherish the days with Chu Xiuming even more, and the family of three kissed each other every day.

Chen Xi and Zhao Jun rushed back. Although the letter was not useful, it brought a message that they wanted to catch up with Chu Xiuming and others and walked from the small path. Who knew that they had taken a fork in the road and took a detour from the Pengyuan. However, after all, the Pengyuan was close to the Prince of King Yancheng, which was the territory of the Prince of King Ying, so a few people disguised themselves and chose a remote path to walk. Who knew that they had discovered it...

"Empty Village?" Zhao Duan spoke. His face was full of strange expression and said strangely, "How could this be so? That area has been good weather in recent years." Without major natural disasters and man-made disasters, it would be impossible for so many empty villages to appear at the same time.

Not only Zhao Duan, but everyone present looked a little bad. Chu Xiuyuan asked, "Do you know what's going on?"

When Chen Xi and his friends came, they seemed to have become two people. Not only did they become dark and thin, but their energy also improved a lot. Zhao Jun stood next to Shen Xi in silence, and Chu Xiuming said, "Sit down first."

The two of them sat down and Manager Zhao poured water for the two of them. They had just returned and had no time to change their clothes. They took a few sips of water before Chu Xiuming asked, "Tell me about it in detail."

"Yes." Chen Xi said, "Because we were in a hurry to come back, we decided to take a detour from Pengyu. For safety reasons, we chose remote paths or even mountain roads, but we were walking..."

Listening to Chen Xi's words silently, Zhao Jun replenished some of them from time to time, mostly because of the surrounding environment and terrain. Because they needed to replenish dry food, they did not force people to leave. Sometimes they would find villages to buy dry food, or even sit down to eat hot soup.

Moreover, this time the Zhao family also sent people to lead the way with them. One of them was to come here to collect mountain goods from the mountains and would not get lost.

If this person had not led the way, they would never have taken such a risk. However, when they found the first empty village, they were not too surprised. After all, most of the villages here were composed of more than a dozen households at most thirty households, so it was inevitable that they would be relocated because of some things. However, when they met the second one, several people felt something was wrong. Even the person who led the way said that last year, they came to collect mountain goods, and there were still many people here.

The nearest village here is a village that needs to be nearly two days away to go to the city. The Zhao family will come here to collect mountain goods once a year, because there is a manager who goes out of the mountains here. He knows that it is not easy for mountain people here, and he worked hard to get some mountain goods, but often he can't sell them at a good price. So after the manager talks to Zhao Ru, he comes here to collect once a year, and the price is very fair. Gradually, villages and villages here like to leave things behind and wait for the Zhao family to come.

When they were in the second village, they carefully checked and found that there was no food in their homes, but some families had clothes and everything, some seemed to have packed up and moved away, and the clothes were all there, and they looked a little panicked. There was even a guard who found hidden blood... but no body was found.

This made Chen Xi and the others feel a little nervous. Finally, they took the risk to a village closer to the town. This time there was nothing wrong with the village. They even asked about the news about the empty villages. Most of them didn't know it. Until later they arrived in the town, the waiter in a restaurant knew something. The restaurant had always collected mountain goods with the people here, and some wild game made by hunters. Some time ago, people who had been working with them said that the government wanted to close the mountains, and that they had relocated the place for them, and that they would not arrange houses and divide fertile land. Many people were moved, but some people were unwilling to leave their original place, especially these hunters, who had no other means of making a living.

Later, it was clearly time for delivery, but the hunter did not come. The restaurant manager muttered for a few days, but he didn't take it seriously. He just thought he had moved away.

After Chen Xi and the others found out the news, they did not stay in the town for too long. After buying dry food, they entered the mountain again. They also discovered a rule that the villages that are far away from people and have poor news are no longer available.

"Later we found a little boy in the mountains." Chen Xi said, "The person has been brought back."

"Bring the person here." Chu Xiuming and others felt heavy at this time. Manager Zhao and Manager Wang looked at each other, and they had some speculations in their hearts.

Soon someone brought the child. The child looked only four or five years old, and looked at everyone with his little face tense. Chen Xi stood up and sat beside him with the child. He poured water for the child first, and said, "Don't be afraid of Xiaohuzi."

The boy called Xiaohuzi nodded, and Chu Xiuming couldn't help but feel gentle and asked, "Littlehuzi, how old are you?"

"Seven years old." Xiao Huzi spoke clearly.

Chu Xiuming narrowed his eyes and asked, "Can you tell me what's going on?" He didn't ask anything specifically. He thought that when he came, Chen Xi and the others had already explained it.

Xiaohuzi nodded and said, he was not speaking in a mandarin language, and his accent was a bit strange, but it would not make people unable to understand it, but it sounded a little difficult.

In fact, what Xiao Huzi said was similar to what Shen Xi and the others found out, but their village was not ready to move. After all, it was a place where ancestors lived for generations. But that day, when he helped his family finish their work and went to play with a few children in the village, a group of people came to the village, including the one who asked them to move away and said they could divide houses and fertile fields.

At that time, he and a few friends were playing hide and seek. Xiaohuzi hid very secretly and far away because he knew that his family was unwilling to leave, and finally hid in such a hidden place. When the villagers went out, he should be exposed, so he continued to hide. But later he found that he didn't know what the old village chief said, and saw the leader suddenly take action. Then Xiaohuzi was so scared that he didn't dare to move. The person following the man caught everyone in the village, and when he met someone who dared to resist, he took action directly, and even killed the most powerful hunter in the village...

Those people moved away all their food, even domestic chickens, ducks, pigs, etc., and they didn't let go... Xiaohuzi watched his relatives and friends be taken away.

No matter how many things happened, Xiao Huzi didn't know. Chu Xiuming spread out the map and found the mountains that Chen Xi and the others mentioned, and then based on what Zhao Jun said, he found out the approximate location of the villages. In the end, his eyes fell on the mountain range where he sent spies. Could it be that he was wrong? It was not where the British prince hid his troops?

"Little Huzi, do you know that those who come are all Apocalypse people?" Chu Xiuming looked at Xiao Huzi and asked.

Xiaohuzi thought for a while and said, "I don't know, by the way, they are quite tall and strong, as if they are taller than the leading man."

"Did you see what their weapons look like?" Chu Xiuming asked in a deep voice.

Xiaohuzi thought for a while and said, "I don't know."

Chu Xiuming looked at Chu Xiuyuan. Chu Xiuyuan asked someone to bring in a few weapons and ask one by one. Xiaohuzi shook his head and finally pointed at a knife with some hesitation and said, "It's a bit similar to this one, but it's shorter than this one, but I'm a little far away and can't see clearly."

Hearing Xiao Huzi's words, everyone present changed their expressions. Chu Xiuming just nodded and gave a few instructions to Chu Xiuyuan. Chu Xiuyuan asked someone to take all the things out. Not long after, he brought another scimitar. When he saw this scimitar, Xiao Huzi screamed and said, "It's this, but it seems different..."

It was indeed the worst result. This kind of scimitar is the most commonly used weapon by the barbarians. Because of different tribes, some weapons are slightly different. The one Chu Xiuyuan brought was a spoil, but this one is even more gorgeous and is not used by ordinary barbarians.

After asking a few more questions, Chu Xiuming asked someone to send Xiaohuzi to the main courtyard and handed it over to Shen Jin for arrangements. At this time, the people in the conference hall looked particularly sarcastic, because when they knew it, the barbarians had already arrived in the apocalypse. If Shen Xi and the others had not taken a detour this time, they would probably not know this.

"Please General Lin and the others come over." Chu Xiuming said.

"Yes." Manager Zhao went out directly and sent someone to invite General Lin, General Wu and General Jin.

Zhao Duan frowned and said, "It seems that why is the British Prince arresting these people? If it weren't for this coincidence, I'm afraid no one would have noticed so many people were missing."

After all, those villages are all closed to news. Even if some people know, they will think like the waiter in the town that they are like mountain people who have moved to the place and have been divided into fertile land and houses, and it is not like the style of the barbarians, because those people usually burn, kill, loot when they enter the village. However, according to what Shen Xi and the others said, it seems to be purposeful and concealed. Not only are the blood stains cleaned, but even the corpse is not left behind. The hunter mentioned by Xiao Huzi will not be the only one who resisted and was killed.

"Actually, we have ignored a little." Chu Xiuming suddenly said, "Copper mines, iron mines and silver mines are in the hands of the court." However, there are also their own ones on the border town, which is secretly mined, which is why they have never lacked weapons.

Manager Zhao thought for a while and said, "How did the weapons under the Prince of England come? Even... we have been investigating who sold weapons to the barbarians privately, but only investigated from the court. If it was the Prince of England..."

"Is it because they don't have enough manpower or find new ones?" Zhao Duan said, "so they need mining people, but they can't be open and honest, so they chose this method."

"There is another possibility." General Manager Wang thought for a while and said, "There are no more people around Yancheng who can get mining, so the prince of the King of England must take the risk of catching people around. At the beginning, he proposed houses and fertile land, one to deceive those people into voluntarily passing by, and the other to find a reason for these people to disappear."

Chu Xiuyuan clenched his fists, and no one spoke for a while. Chu Xiuming was obviously thinking about something. When the three generals were invited, Manager Zhao told the general about the general matter. General Lin frowned and said, "Is it the flood that time..."

Chu Xiuming said, "If this is true, there is good news and bad news." He crossed his hands on the table, looked at everyone, and stopped discussing, "Good news, I'm afraid the British prince's soldiers are far less than we thought."

"Yes!" General Jin said happily when he heard this, "All such an important place actually requires barbarians. I'm afraid it's because the prince of the British is not enough."

Chu Xiuyuan felt a chill in his heart and said, "If the weapons in the hands of those barbarians are more sufficient and more sophisticated..."

The barbarians themselves are difficult to deal with. After all, they are stronger and stronger, and the Tianqi side relies more on their advantages in weapons. If the barbarians have sufficient weapons... Chu Xiuming nodded, this is the bad news he wants to say.

Manager Zhao slowly breathed, "At least this explains why the Prince of Ying has not really fought with Emperor Cheng yet."

"I'm afraid it's going to be soon." Chu Xiuming said, "I'm afraid it's because the other party's demand has increased that people were sent to the Pengyuan to capture people."

Zhao Jun and Shen Xi were both listening. For the first time, they had clearly realized their shortcomings. These people had only guessed so much from the small news they brought back, and the only little bit of arrogance was also polished away.

"Then let's do it in advance." Chu Xiuming looked at everyone and said, "I wanted everyone to have a good New Year together, but now I'm afraid I can't wait."

"Yes." Everyone said with a solemn expression.

Chu Xiuming looked at Shen Xi and said, "Shen Xi, go and pick up King Rui and Princess Rui."

"Father and mother?" Shen Xi looked at Chu Xiuming with some confusion.

Chu Xiuming nodded. Shen Xi didn't know what Chu Xiuyuan was doing, and he was not ready to say now, "Emperor Cheng is going to attack them. The Empress Dowager sent the message out. They were going to escape from the capital from the secret passage. I have asked Kexianju to arrange someone, you can come..."

Shen Xi stood up and walked to Chu Xiuming's side. Chu Xiuming pointed the map and started talking to him, and arranged manpower again. Shen Xi said, "I understand."

Chu Xiuming waved his hand, and Shen Xi retreated. This was the first time he had taken the mission alone. He couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. Chu Xiuming also knew the importance of the will and said, "I will arrange for a military advisor to go with you."

Shen Xi then breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Okay."

Chu Xiuming looked at General Lin again and said, "General Lin, go and accept Yucheng, Zhao Jun, follow General Lin."

"Yes." General Lin and Zhao Jun stood up and responded respectfully.

Chu Xiuming continued, "Rearrange the guards of Yucheng, and can be linked to the border town."

General Lin responded, and Chu Xiuming asked them to sit down, "General Jin and General Wu, you two are divided into two groups..."

General Jin and General Wu listened carefully. Chu Xiuming divided the area for them and said, "There is another task to find out where the Prince of England traded with the barbarians. If he could find that line, he would be destroyed directly."

"Okay." General Jin and General Wu responded one by one.

Manager Zhao looked at Chu Xiuming and said, "What kind of mine does the general think that might be? What should we do?"

Chu Xiuming said, "Actually, we had guessed at the beginning why the place where the Prince of England reigned was not Jiangnan. In the end, it was speculated that Jiangnan was regarded as a wallet."

Zhao Duan took a breath of air and said, "Is it a silver or copper ore?"

"I think it's more likely to be an iron ore." General Wu said.

Mr. Wang nodded and said nothing.

If Chu Xiuming hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have been sure. Now he's speculating, Chu Xiuyuan said, "I think it's a silver mine or a copper mine."

"But if these two things are the case, how could the British Prince allow the barbarians to be infected?" General Manager Wang retorted. After all, this is the money bag needed to raise an army.

"What is certain now is where there are people or things." Chu Xiuming interrupted the quarrel between them, "It doesn't matter what it is."

"Yes, the important thing is what to do now." Manager Zhao said.

Zhao Duan frowned, and Chu Xiuming said, "No matter what it is, the Prince of England must attach great importance to it. In the current situation, those things can only be the icing on the cake."

General Lin only spoke now, "What the general said is."

"What should I do if the general decides?" asked Manager Zhao.

Chu Xiuming spoke, "Originally planned to set fire to the mountain."

Whether it is a silver or copper ore, if it is discovered earlier, it will still have to focus on dealing with it. In the current situation, no matter which side is the most important thing, it is food and grass. Chu Xiuyuan pondered for a while and said, "Can you, the prince of the British and the barbarians use this mine to trade with the barbarians? Or is this the content of the early transaction?"

Chu Xiuming nodded. In fact, he also guessed so, "Earlier, if it were silver or copper ore, it was naturally very important, and the British Prince would definitely hide it very tightly, but in the current situation, this is no longer the most important thing for the British Prince."

War is about spending money, but now it is no longer just a matter of spending money. People, food and grass are the top priority. The barbarians are also unfavorable and do not like to have fun, especially when they were in the British King's generation, they had already suffered a great loss and are still willing to cooperate with the British King's prince, naturally because it is profitable.

If the British prince was not enough, as they guessed, it would be a waste of this part to get help from the barbarians, let alone how long it took to mine and how much was left.

"Actually..." Manager Zhao thought for a while and said, "Catching those mountain villagers may not be just because they want to mining."

"Mental husband!" General Jin said, "Because the prince of the British has reached a real agreement with the barbarians, the barbarians sent people to inspect the goods. Judging from their cooperation, the barbarians should be very satisfied. They are ready to take action, so the prince of the British needs to arrest people to be civil husbands."

"Yeah." Chu Xiuming said, "When we think about it this way, we have some of the directions we think before."

It doesn’t really make much sense to worry about what kind of mine is there now, but what is certain is that it is probably the strongest family background of the British prince.

"Who will the general be sent?" General Jin asked.

Chu Xiuming did not hide this time, "I'll go."
To be continued...