The troops who followed Xue Kui had dispersed. Tan Ma and the imperial guards had placed their war horses and stood outside the garrison.
Chu Qing, Fu San, Chang Xian, Tao Weiran, Tong Gui, Xiao Yi, as well as Cuiyu and others who were silent and just observing along the way, entered the main hall, which was covered with gravel on the ground.
Chu Qing sat in the main seat, watching Xue Kui of the fifth grade busy making tea, closing the windows, and wiping the desk.
Without words or a flattering smile, Xue Kui used actions to show his humility.
When the tea was served, Chu Qing blew the tea leaves and spoke softly.
"In the future, I will take care of the food and fodder for the border army."
Xue Kui, who was closing the door, paused for a moment and continued busy with his work. He did not come back until a gap was left in the doors on both sides and covered with gauze.
Facing Chu Qing and lowering his head, Xue Kui gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Chu Qing put down the teacup: "Why, don't you agree?"
"I will be brave enough to ask Lord Chu how long I will stay at the border."
"Why do you ask?"
"If Mr. Chu stays here for three to five years, the matter of food and grass will naturally be under Mr. Chu's control."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tong Gui slapped the table: "Bold!"
Changxian shook his head at Tong Gui, and Chu Qing asked with a smile: "You mean, I can't do this job in a short time?"
"That's not what I meant by the general. It's because border crossings have their own rules."
"Did you set the rules?"
"Decided by the border."
"Who is the border gate?"
"Border officers are the ones who make everyone obey the rules."
"Can I change this rule?"
"Changing the rules means changing the border." Xue Kui raised his head: "If you can change the border, sir, you are the rule. If you can't change it, you have to abide by the rules."
This time even Changxian couldn't stand listening anymore and sneered again and again: "Did you know that in the capital, not to mention the fifth-grade generals, even the lieutenants, ministers, and Lord Chu have captured dozens of them!"
"You are talking about Beijing." Xue Kui said with a normal expression on his face: "This is the border."
Chu Qing's face was full of curiosity: "You mean, I can't kill you?"
"You can kill, kill at will, kill the last general, the border is still a border, the rules are still the rules."
"Then how do I change the border?"
"I'm sorry to say it bluntly, but you can't change it."
Chu Qing was not angry and was very interested: "Well, tell me how you did the job of transferring food and grass from Jinge Town. If I can't do it, keep going."
"Fifteen days later, a large amount of grain and grass will arrive in Jinge in the pass, including ten loads of rice. The last general will ask for three loads."
Chu Qing suddenly stood up: "You fucking want to die?"
Fu San had already drawn his waist knife, and Tong Gui also stood up.
Xue Kui still showed no fear on his face: "You, at most, want 20%."
"How much I can ask for is my own business." Chu Qing came to Xue Kui: "But you can only ask for 30%, which is enough for me to kill you."
Xue Kui was much closer to Chu Qing. He raised his head and a hint of sarcasm flashed across his face: "How much do you think Mr. Chu should pay?"
"Originally, the imperial court thought that Liang Rong was about to start a war, so it urgently allocated food and grass and asked the military guards and auxiliary soldiers and young men from all over the country to transport the food and grass. How dare you cheat on such a big matter!"
"Ten loads of grain and grass, the auxiliary soldiers eat along the way, accounting for 30%, losses, accounting for 10%, and the final part will account for 30%, isn't it?"
Chu Qing snapped his fingers, and Fu San came behind Xue Kui and kicked him out, causing Xue Kui to kneel to the ground.
"Eating, 30%, loss, 10%, a total of 40%, minus the 30% you can ask for, and the remaining 30%, where did it go, did you eat it?"
Chu Qing knelt down and stretched out his hand, and Fu San handed over the short sword Qianji.
"One hundred thousand soldiers at the border are short of 30% of the food and grass. Xue Kui, if I kill you, it's not because you are greedy for 30% of the money, but because you are too crazy. In front of me, you dare to say that you can only
It’s going to be 30%.”
Looking at the flashing dagger Qianji, Xue Kui shook his head: "Thirty percent, the border army, I still have to be grateful to my subordinates."
"Are you... suffering from any terminal illness?" Chu Qing was no longer angry, and was extremely curious: "You are so anxious to die?"
"I don't want to die."
"If you don't want to die, you only get 30%?"
"If you want to die, you get 60%."
"Who asked you to die?"
"Xunyang Road, border army."
"Who is Xunyang talking about?"
"Enemy."
"Who is from the border army?"
"All frontier troops."
Chu Qing frowned and said, "Why did the enemy kill you? Why did the border army kill you?"
"The enemy gave me 60% today, but he will kill me tomorrow. The border army got 60% today, but he will kill me tomorrow if he doesn't even get 30%."
Everyone looked at each other, Chu Qing looked out the door, and Fu San shouted: "Wang Tongtong."
Wang Tongtong ran in quickly, and Chu Qing spit out two words: "Enemy."
"The enemy family, the head of the family, Qiu Haocun, was the former right minister of the Ministry of Industry. He retired and returned to his hometown seven years ago. His disciples and former officials are all over Xunyang Road. Qiu Haocun's son Qiu Zhi is appointed as the magistrate of Tongcheng, Xunyang Road."
Chu Qing looked at Xue Kui condescendingly: "You mean to say that the enemy will withhold 30% of the grain and grass sent to the border?"
"yes."
"Will the enemies withhold 30% of the food and grass shipped by the imperial court to the border troops to resist Liang Rong?"
"If Liangrong fights, the lower officials will ask for 60%. If they don't fight, 30% will be charged."
"Last question, are you a good person?"
"no."
"Should he be killed?"
"Shouldn't."
Chu Qing turned around, walked back to the stool, sat down, and spoke again: "Should I be killed?"
"answer."
"Give me a reason not to kill you."
"My lord, it will take three years to adapt to the rules of the border. During these three years, you will be in charge of the dispatch of food, grass, ordnance. For more than three years, you can now kill the generals. For less than three years, you cannot kill me."
After going around in a circle, we finally returned to the original question, how long will Chu Qing stay.
Chu Qing said that he wanted to seize power and seize Xue Kui's right to transport grain and grass. This was justified because there was an imperial edict.
Xue Kui did not say whether he could do it or not, but asked Chu Qing how long he would stay, thus eliciting the rules of the border and the enemies of Xunyang Road.
Chu Qing is not a fool, and no one is a fool. They all understand what Xue Kui means.
Xue Kui has an old relationship with his enemy, or has cooperated for many years, so if he can ask for 30%, even if it is 30%, the border army will be grateful.
If Chu Qing goes to ask for it, he can only ask for 20%. If he stays for three years and adapts to the rules here, he will ask for 30%. His enemies can give him face.
As for Xue Kui, he could ask for 60%, which is a lot of rice per load, but he would have to die because he would have to quarrel with his enemy.
If he breaks his skin, his enemies will kill him.
Not only his enemies would kill him, but also the generals of the border army would kill him, because if he broke his skin, Xue Kui would not be able to come back even once in the future.
"To adapt to the rules, you have to bend down. I am not a person who likes to bend down, let alone a person who likes to bend down to aristocratic families."
Chu Qing took out the imperial edict from his arms: "Can I not bend down for this?"
"Okay, but how about no food and grass?"
Chu Qing slapped the dagger Qianji on the table: "With this, can I get food and grass without bending down?"
"Yes, but you can only come once."
"Then how can I not bend down and have to get food every time?"
"Change the rules at the border."
"How to change."
"You can't change it."
"Oh." Chu Qing snapped his fingers again: "Take him out and give him a good beating."
Tong Gui was waiting for these words and rushed forward with Fu San.
