Starting from the next day and for several consecutive days, the wheat harvest season in Lanlanji officially began. After Li Hui presided over the sickle opening ceremony, people in more than a dozen villages in Lanlanji began to harvest wheat and thresh and dry the wheat in full swing.

Li Hui led his men to patrol the Nianzi Mountain Pass and the northern county boundary to ensure that the wheat harvest could proceed normally.

Although it is hard and hot, the harvest season is always pleasant. Looking at the piles of wheat piled on the drying ground, with the fragrance of wheat grains everywhere, Li Hui is naturally very happy.

The wheat harvested this year will be temporarily adjusted to alleviate the crisis of food shortage that people in Juchao County are currently facing. With this season's summer grain, and through other methods to supplement supplementary grains, we will be able to last until this year's autumn harvest.

By then, the people of Juchao County will have calmed down, and the situation will be completely reversed.

Therefore, this food protection operation is extremely necessary. Although it has experienced great dangers and hardships, success in protecting food is a victory. As long as the people of Juchao County no longer regress to chaos, famine and displacement, all hardships and

The risks are worth it.

For Li Hui, this is also his responsibility as the magistrate of Juchao County to manage the place well and let the local people live and work in peace and contentment. It is also a big test of his political ability at the beginning of his official career.

At least so far, Li Hui thinks he is qualified.

The day after Zhou Che returned to Juchao County, he ordered people to send some clothing supplies for Li Hui and the people who stayed behind. At the same time, Zhou Che asked someone to tell Li Hui that Song Yande, who went to Liyang County to deliver a letter asking for reinforcements, said that Li Hui

The governor Muzhi agreed to send troops that day and sent Song Yande back to Juchao County. Hu Wenli also said that Huanxu, the governor of Lujiang County, also sent troops.

When Li Hui got the news, he could only sneer. According to Song Yande and Hu Wenli, the soldiers from Liyang County and Lujiang County should have arrived a long time ago. However, so far, the soldiers from the two counties have not even been seen.

It was obvious that either Song Yande and Hu Wenli lied, or Wang Muzhi and the Lujiang County Sheriff lied.

Of course, now that the matter has come to this, Li Hui does not want to get entangled in this matter. What he needs to do now is to take charge of the harvest of summer grain. After the harvest of the ten thousand acres of wheat fields in Lanlanji is completed, the summer grain in other places will also be harvested one after another and adjusted uniformly.

to alleviate the food shortage crisis.

In three days, most of the wheat fields in Banlanji Town were harvested, and in two more days, they would all be harvested. On the evening of the third day, Li Hui led his people back to Banlanji Town to end the day's patrol.

As I sat down to drink water, I heard the rapid sound of gongs coming from the west side of the town.

It was a warning gong, and the gong sounded fast and loud. Li Hui spurted out a sip of water on the spot, and hurriedly led people to the west of the market town to check.

The people in the town were frightened when they heard the gong. Not knowing what was going on, they rushed to the west entrance of the town regardless of their fatigue.

"Why are you beating the gong? What did you find?" Li Hui rushed to the temporary guard tower set up in the west of the town and asked loudly.

"Reporting to the county magistrate, there is a group of soldiers and horses coming here in the Nianzi Mountain Valley. There are many people, countless." The people on the sentry tower reported loudly.

Li Hui climbed up the ladder in three steps and two steps, climbed to the sentry tower and looked towards the west. In the dim twilight, outside the entrance of Nianzi Valley, a large group of unidentified people were forming in a long procession and going straight downhill.

The railings come together.

Li Hui was shocked. Could it be that the rebels came back and learned that wheat was being harvested here, so they came to pick up the ready-made crops? This is not good. A large number of troops from the other side are coming, and the hundreds of soldiers and civilians on our side are no match. Don't

He said he resisted, but since the distance was so close, escape was the first priority.

When Li Hui got off the sentry tower, Ding Laozhang quickly asked: "County Magistrate Li, are there any enemies here? Are they trying to steal food?"

Li Huidao: "Unknown identity. My father-in-law seizes the time to inform everyone to prepare to evacuate. I and others will stop here."

"What about the food?" Mr. Ding asked in astonishment.

"Yes, the wheat we harvested is still in the stockyard." The people shouted one after another.

Li Hui looked at everyone and sighed: "Life is important. The green hills are still there, so we don't have to worry about running out of firewood."

The people all looked depressed and miserable. After working hard for several days, the wheat they harvested was still being snatched away. How could they be willing to accept it?

"Everyone, go home and raid the guys. We will fight with them. If the food is gone, everyone will not survive." Mr. Ding said loudly.

"Yes, if we fight with them, no one will survive. If we can't beat them, we can't leave them with the food if we burn it with fire."

"Fight it, fight it!"

Everyone shouted in unison.

Li Hui was anxious and wanted to persuade everyone not to be impulsive. At this moment, the people on the sentry tower shouted loudly: "Magistrate Li, it seems that a few horses are running over. Their large group of people has stopped on the road."

"Oh?" Li Hui was very surprised and hurriedly looked at the road ahead.

Soon after, there was the sound of horse hooves, and three horses galloped over in the dim light, with three black figures sitting on them.

Everyone is staring at the three horses. Some people have already aimed their bows and arrows ahead. If they are enemies, they will shoot them with arrows.

The three horses ran nearby and stopped. They also saw the dark crowd at the entrance of the market town, so they did not get close. One of them, wearing a loose robe, rode forward a few steps and shouted loudly.

"May I ask where County Magistrate Li of Juchao County can be located?"

Li Hui was stunned. The other party actually called his name and knew that he was here. It was really strange.

"Where is Magistrate Li of Juchao County? I am Huang Yukun, Magistrate of Hefei County. You don't have to be afraid. We are soldiers from Lujiang County behind us, not rebels." The man shouted again.

Li Hui was overjoyed when he heard this and shouted loudly: "Li Hui, the magistrate of Juchao County, is here. Are you the magistrate of Huang County, Hefei County?"

The man on the other side heard the words and said happily: "It's me. Magistrate Li is here indeed. That's great. Please come with me to see Grand Administrator Huan of Lujiang County. Grand Administrator Huan wants to see you. I've come here specially to invite you."

Before Li Hui spoke, Jiang Sheng beside him whispered: "Xiao Lang, be careful of scams. Who knows if they are true."

Li Hui slightly thought about it and asked loudly: "Magistrate Huang, why are you here? How come the prefect of Lujiang County is here?"

The man opposite said loudly: "The Shouchun rebels are stealing our summer grain from Hefei County. I am accompanying the Lujiang County prefect and leading troops to resist the enemy. Didn't you, County Magistrate Li, send Hu Wenli, the chief secretary of Juchao County, to ask for help? Do you want to send troops together?"

?Why do you still ask this?"

When Li Hui heard this, he had no doubts. Since the other party told him that Hu Wenli went to Lujiang County to ask for help, there was no need to doubt him.

At that moment, Li Hui told everyone to wait where they were, and he came forward with Dachun and Dazhuang. Huang Yukun, the magistrate of Hefei County, was about 40 people, with a thin face and quite graceful appearance. After seeing Li Hui, he dismounted his horse and saluted.

"I have admired County Magistrate Li for a long time. I have long known about some situations in Juchao County and that Magistrate Li is a young hero. When I saw him today, it turned out to be so. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you!"

Li Hui returned the courtesy and said: "Magistrate Huang is very polite. I have also admired the name of Magistrate Huang for a long time. We are two neighboring counties and drink water from the same lake. I originally wanted to visit Magistrate Huang as soon as possible, but I am troubled by the affairs of Juchao County." There are so many, I can’t escape. I didn’t expect to meet here today.”

Huang Yukun said with a smile: "Yes. Magistrate Li, let's go see Grand Administrator Huan. Grand Administrator Huan is here specially because he wants to see you."

Li Hui was confused, thinking that it must be related to the rebels' food grab, so he followed Huang Yukun and others down Nianzi Mountain without asking any more questions.

At the bottom of the valley of Nianzi Mountain, the wheat fields were flat after harvesting. A large number of soldiers were driving piles to surround the open wilderness and setting up camps. A large number of soldiers were busy setting up tents and lighting campfires. The scene was very busy and grand. Li Hui was still the first I was exposed to such a scene for the first time, and I felt it was very novel, and at the same time I also had some doubts in my heart.

On that day, Wang Muzhi led the soldiers from Liyang County to Juchao County, and he had seen it. His soldiers didn't even have a horse, and their behavior was very loose. When he came in just now, he saw many horses. Gathered in the camp, there were at least dozens of them. This was already very surprising.

You know, horses are very valuable. In addition to the regular army, how can local soldiers like county soldiers have so many horses?

Moreover, the soldiers in Luyang County seem to be very disciplined. When I came in, I not only saw that the soldiers were all wearing armor, but they also set up camps one by one, and were well-guarded and orderly. When I walked to the big tent in the center of the camp, I encountered at least three waves. People's blocking and asking give people a well-trained, busy but not chaotic feeling.

It seemed that the soldiers from Liyang County were completely different from when they first came into contact with them. I felt that the soldiers from Liyang County were a ragtag group, but the soldiers from Luyang County in front of me looked like regular soldiers.

A big tent in the middle of the camp has been erected, and lights have been lit inside. Huang Yukun led Li Hui to the big tent with the lights on.

Huang Yukun said to the guard standing at the door of the tent: "Please report to the governor that Magistrate Li of Juchao County is here and ask for an audience."

The soldier entered the tent and came out shortly after, saying: "Prefect, please come in."

Huang Yukun cupped his hands to express his thanks, stretched out his hand and made a gesture to Li Hui: "Please, Magistrate Li."

Li Hui straightened his clothes and followed Huang Yukun into the big tent. The big tent was brightly lit, but it was very messy. Several servants were busy setting up tables, tea cups, spreading carpets, futons and other items, and they were very busy. Almost.

"Your Excellency, you are changing your clothes. Please wait a moment," a busy servant said.

Huang Yukun smiled and said: "Thank you very much. We will just wait."

Li Hui and others stood waiting in the tent. They could only hear the noise of people outside, the hurried footsteps, and the neighing of horses from time to time. For a moment, they felt as if they were on the battlefield.
Chapter completed!