After Duanmu Xinmiao left, Wei Changying was about to go back to her own yard, but when she left the door, the little maid Shi Yu, who was guarding the outside, greeted her and reported, "Lord Shen, the chief minister, is asking for an audience, and has asked the maidservants to wait until only the young lady is present to speak."

The other three ambassadors with her were called Fine Rain, Smokey Rain, and Flying Rain - when the candidates were decided on, according to the rules, they had to be given another name, and Wei Changying gave the ambassadors Zhu Yi and Zhu Luo, and the little ambassadors let He start them up. He looked at the rain outside the roof and thought a little before coming up with these four names.

The Four Raines were only twelve or thirteen years old, and they were also naïve and free-spirited. After all, they were not like Zhu Ran, who had grown up serving Wei Changying, and had a strong master-servant relationship, so they were confident that they could be forgiven for any minor mistakes. So they have always been very cautious in front of Wei Changying.

At the moment, Shiyu showed a bit of trepidation while reporting, fearing that Wei Changying would blame himself for agreeing to Shen Lun without asking for permission.

"I was just thinking about whether or not to send someone to invite him over, but I didn't realize that he still has a few eyes!" Wei Changying heard this, but didn't pursue Shi Yu, just hummed, whisked his sleeve back and ordered, "Bring him in!"

A long time later, Shen Lun stepped through the door and heard Wei Chang Ying say nonchalantly, "What is your business?"

Although Shen Lun was older than Wei Changying, he was of the same generation as Shen Yuyi. In other words, he had to address Wei Changying as his aunt, just as Shen Yuyi's brothers did, so he respectfully asked his aunt to rest in peace and carefully said, "Regarding the matter of the lord of the Cao Family Castle, my nephew has some things he would like to say to your aunt."

Just now, in front of Mu Chunmian, Shen Lun called Wei Changying "young lady", which was according to the official relationship, but now he called his aunt and nephew, which was according to the private bloodline.

Wei Changying was very unhappy that he didn't give himself any reminders or introductions before, and just led Mu Chunmian towards himself, and at this moment he faintly said, "The matter of the Cao Family Castle, how come you haven't finished talking about it earlier?"

Shen Lun did not give Wei Chang Ying said the details of the Cao family castle, now naturally understand that this is the opposite, he was embarrassed for a while, compensated for the smile: "Auntie forgive me, is not my nephew intention to slow down auntie. It is really ...... that the nephew had previously entrusted someone to relay some words to the aunt. Nai ...... just listened to the aunt ask that the wood, Cao family fort's fort master how is a woman, nephew just realized that the twenty five brother ...... think is forgotten."

Wei Chang Ying slightly frowned: twenty-five, in Shen Lun's generation, the twenty-fifth in line is none other than Shen Yu Yi!

She couldn't help but look at Shen Lun under the hall, and saw that this clan nephew was very well-behaved and stood with his sleeves together.

So he didn't just come back to remedy the situation, but also to complain?

Wei Changying pondered, but did not mention the words to call Shen Yuyi to confront him, and only said, "Did you ask Yuyi to tell me something before? What was it?"

"My nephew is thinking that the identity of the Cao family fortress owner is a bit special, so he should always talk to auntie first." Shen Lun busily said, "There is also the fact that the Cao Family Fort seems to have some relationship with a nest of bandits in Peach Blossom County over the years."

Wei Changying frowned and asked, "Peach Blossom County? Which prefecture is this under? Why hasn't it been eliminated yet?"

"Back to auntie's words, Peach Blossom County is not our county in Xiliang." Shen Lun said, "Auntie would like to know that the Meng Mountain where the Cao Family Fort is located is not entirely within our Xiliang territory, the three highest peaks of the Meng Mountain are in the neighboring states. This Peach Blossom County is a county bordering Xiliang, and Meng Mountain crosses the county, and the entire county is built on the mountain! The bandits are hiding in the Meng Mountains, and the Guanzhou Prefecture, to which Peach Blossom County belongs, has failed to eliminate them several times, but has not asked for our help, so we are not in a good position to send troops."

Wei Chang Ying yelped, "So it's not in Xiliang ...... I said ...... just how did the Cao Family Fort hook up with this nest of bandits?"

Shen Lun lowered his voice: "This nest of bandits, in fact, is not all about robbing homes, their main thing is still smuggling!"

"Smuggling?" Wei Changying raised an eyebrow, "Is it smuggling salt?"

"Auntie said yes." Shen Lun described in detail the process of the two sides of the line - in fact, to put it simply in just a few words: the Shen Clan from a few decades ago to pinch the Cao Family Castle in the side can be self-sufficient, but in the salt but still have to rely on the outside to buy this, from the salt on the development of the Cao Family Castle dead limit.

With this hand, forcing the Cao family fort although nominally do not need to pay heavy taxes, but in order to be able to buy salt in a timely manner, but had to submit under the hands of Shen ...... Shen Lun although the wording is euphemistic, but Wei Chang Ying still heard out, Cao family fort every time to send people out to buy salt, need to carry another money, silk, firewood and rice and other things, in order to bribery Shen, lest the purchase of fruitless. The purchase was fruitless.

This bribe is actually no worse than they pay taxes ...... It s just that the people of the Cao Family Fort have long been black households on the government side, and they can t return to their original homes!

In this case, the Cao family Fort since to find another way out. It just so happens that in Peach Blossom County there is a nest of private salt dealers ...... who also operate as bandits, but they can not be combined together.

"That wood look is not longer than me a few years old, area a woman family, but really have the courage ...... even thought of the private salt traffickers on the head." Wei Chang Ying dialed the bracelet on his wrist, a little careless, "Since you know this thing, the clan must also know it? How come they have been colluding with each other?"

Shen Lun was busy explaining, "Auntie doesn't know, the clan had decided to deal with the Cao Family Fort immediately, but that nest of private salt dealers in Peach Blossom County is quite something. Twenty-fourth Brother knew about it and specially ordered not to move the Cao Family Fort for the time being, perhaps we can utilize the Cao Family Fort to subdue those people!"

Twenty-four is the ranking of Shen Yujia - this lieutenant nephew although because of years of mixing between the ranks, rough and loose, more or less a little uninteresting, but Wei Chang Ying tasted heard Shen Zangfeng mentioned Shen Yujia is not mediocre, he fancy people, think not ordinary, unexpected: "There is this thing? He was surprised and said, "Is there such a thing? Immediately asked, "What are their origins?"

"According to my nephew's knowledge, there is a man named Lai Dayong within, originally a private soldier recruited by a large household in Guanzhou to guard against bandits." Shen Lun pondered for a moment and said, "This person, as his name suggests, is extremely brave, and has repelled bandits for that large household many times, with not a small amount of credit! As a result, the son of that big family had an affair with his father's concubine, which was precisely discovered by Lai Dayong, and in order to silence him, the son of that big family instigated that concubine to plant evidence against Lai Dayong, and smeared Lai Dayong for forcing . Rape of the master's concubine ......

"This Lai Dayong is also a good means, hard from that big family sent to kill people as well as the irrigation state government officers surrounded by the circle to kill, hiding into the mountain to hide. The state government also issued a period of time for this sea arrest documents, but later because the truth is exposed, that big family is ashamed of themselves, and asked the government to withdraw the documents. After that, no one paid attention to Lai Dayong, and then he attracted attention to him, is to find that he somehow entangled a group of people, not only to the entire city of Guanzhou private salt trade are almost monopolized! And also the smaller nests of bandits in the Mengshan Mountains were swallowed up, occupying a piece of the boss's territory, and set up a name called Mengshan Gang."

Shen Lun's voice lowered, ''This person is quite scheming, when he annexed other bandits, he would always leave a group of people not to be killed, and keep them in the gang! Whenever the government is fighting against the bandits, he will break the legs of those people and throw them on the road where the government soldiers are passing by. So since the officials got the credit, the idea of fighting with him faded."

Wei Changying said, "The Governor of Guanzhou didn't take much of his filial piety, did he?"

Shen Lun smiled without saying anything, but his expression was one of acquiescence.

Wei Chang Ying thought for a while, said: "Since it is Yu Jia's side that has plans, I also don't want to spoil his things. Wood Chunmian there ...... originally today this gold is to give her, now and first so, in any case, the Mengshan gang is not in the western Liang, but the Cao family fort can not fly away. Send someone to watch the Cao family fort, don't tell them to secretly run to the neighboring counties to defect to the Mengshan gang, that can be ridiculous!"

Shen Lun busily said, "Auntie, please don't worry, there is only one road up and down the Cao Family Fort, but there are 3,000 people living in it, it's impossible to let them sneak away!" Then he smiled again and said, "Besides, that Mengshan gang master Lai Dayong is not a charitable person, he doesn't have that kind of heart to accept Cao Jia Fort's 3,000 people to go to Mengshan! If the Cao Family Fort were to defect to the Mengshan Gang, it would be better to surrender to our Shen Family!"

Wei Changying nodded slightly and said, "Then how could the Cao Family Fort ask a woman to take the position of the fort's head, and a woman who has no children at all? Or did she not bring over her son?"

"Back to auntie's words." Shen Lun shook his head and said, "Cao Family Fort's previous Fort Master, Cao Bao, died early, and there is indeed only that Cao Ya, a daughter!"

He added, "That Cao Ya is the young fortress master of the Cao Family Fortress, which is recognized by the entire Cao Family Fortress."

Wei Changying was greatly surprised and said, "How could this be? Is that Mu Chunmian so powerful?"

Shen Lun coughed dryly and said, "The little bit of news that the clan has heard about this matter is that the Mu Clan seems to be having an affair with Lai Dayong, and even Cao Bao's death is somewhat related to both of them."

Wei Changying frowned slightly and said, "When Cao Bao was here, he was the one who contacted the Mengshan Gang. Could it be that Lai Dayong dared to enter the Cao Family Fort? If not, how could he have met Mu?"

"It is said to be like this." Shen Lun said, "Although Cao Bao inherited the Cao Family Fort from his ancestor, however, he is not a virtuous person, and the resolution to buy salt from the Mengshan Gang was still made by Mu. At that time, Lai Dayong asked Cao Bao to personally go forward to negotiate, but Cao Bao was dead set against it, and even accused Mu of doing him ...... harm by doing this Later, Mu, in a fit of pique, went forward in person!"

"Is this going to be ......?"

Shen Lun shook his head again, ''Not that time, because Mu was already pregnant at that time, so when she walked up the mountainside, she was chased back by Cao Bao's elders. In the end, it was one of the elders from the Cao Family Fort who went on her behalf, and it turned out that she really negotiated a price with the Mengshan Gang. Thus the prestige of the Mu Clan rose greatly, while Cao Bao disappointed the people in the fort to no end."

"And then what?"

"Then the Cao Family Fort bought salt from the Mengshan Gang a few times, with price changes in between, and once, the elders who went to negotiate the first time were unable to make a decision, so they went back and requested Cao Bao to go and negotiate in person. Which know that Cao Bao still fear refused to go forward, the result is that the wood at the time of labor is only a full month, after knowing that, despite all the people persuasion personally went." Shen Lun said, "This go seems to be with Lai Dayong talk very happy, and she returned to the Cao family fort not long, Cao Bao died of a sudden illness. Originally Cao Bao died, only a daughter, according to the rules is supposed to Cao Bao's brother Cao Yan to take over the position of the fort. But the wood does not know what means, pulled together most of the elders in the fort, accused Cao Yan in Cao family fort no inch of merit, not worthy of the fort master, hard Cao Yan ousted from the stage, their own appointment of the fort master, but also soft and hard to let his daughter Cao Ya as a young fort master."