The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 315

"Sir, there are quite a few spies around."

Shen Lian approached Zhou Chu and said respectfully.

"That's inevitable; our goals are a bit too ambitious."

Zhou Chu had no concept of the Dao.

It would be strange if no one noticed that there were more than a dozen tall, burly men riding horses.

These spies were likely sent by certain forces in Datong to investigate the true identities of Zhou Chu and his group. They wouldn't act rashly until they knew the details.

Through Yu Hai's description, Zhou Chu clearly understood that the situation in Datong was more severe than that in Suzhou Prefecture or even Jiangnan. Officials and merchants colluded here, and even colluded with the Mongols on the grasslands. They were intertwined with each other.

Anyone who is unaware of the situation and rushes in will likely be torn to pieces by these people.

It should be understood that whether in Datong or the entire Hetao region, not only were there Mongols eyeing the area from the outside, but there were also bandits from within.

Zhou Chu didn't know if there was any connection between these bandits and these officials and gentry, but he believed that the garrison soldiers didn't have the ability to suppress the bandits.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the issue of military pay.

To truly turn the tide, we must start with military pay.

The prefect of Datong Prefecture has changed frequently over the years, and each one has died under mysterious circumstances. The imperial court has no good solutions, as its control over local areas has been extremely weak in the past.

Especially in important towns like Datong, the court's overall attitude was to avoid mistakes rather than seek merit.

Before we are certain that we can completely resolve the problem here, taking rash action will only provoke a strong backlash. If the local officials and gentry collude with the Mongols and allow them to invade, it will be a fatal blow to the Ming Dynasty.

If it weren't for Jiajing's deliberate warning, replacing the general ahead of time, and reminding Lu Ying to be wary of the Mongols during the winter, Datong might have already fallen by now.

With the emperor's reminder, Lu Ying and the officials and gentry of Datong, even if unwilling, had to put on a show. If they were to be overthrown in one go, they would likely face the death penalty.

However, Lu Ying did not expect that even though he was prepared, the group of Mongols was still more troublesome than expected. In addition, his soldiers did not have a strong fighting spirit, which made Datong precarious and almost lost.

This gave Lu Ying a fright. He didn't know when such a group of Mongols had appeared on the grassland, but he knew that it must have been those damned merchants who sold them weapons and salt.

However, Lu Ying could only curse in his heart. After all, he also had a share of the money those merchants made. In Datong, officials and merchants had become intertwined, doing business with the Mongols on one hand and making huge profits from the coal mines on the other.

"Take care of all these spies."

Zhou Chu's eyes flashed with a cold light.

Zhou Chu was unwilling to reveal his identity, but that didn't mean he would be manipulated. If he didn't react at all, these people would probably take advantage of him.

"Yes, my lord."

Shen Lian said excitedly.

There weren't many spies around, only seven or eight in total. The area was already secluded, so it was hard for Shen Lian and the others not to notice their sudden appearance.

With Shen Lian's and those Jinyiwei centurions' skills, dealing with these people would be a piece of cake.

"Shen Lian, come with me for a walk."

Zhou Chu walked out casually as he spoke, and Shen Lian hurriedly followed.

The others followed secretly, protecting Zhou Chu's safety at all times.

"Sir, we've lost contact with all the men we sent out."

Inside the large tent, a person approached Lu Ying and the others and said...

Upon hearing this, Lu Ying, who had been looking rather lazy, immediately perked up.

"What do you all think? Who are these people? How dare they kill our people? I'm afraid they have ill intentions."

Lu Ying said.

"Could they be from the capital?"

One of the officials said somewhat uncertainly.

"Who cares who they are? Just have them killed and make it look like bandit raids."