On the rickety carriage, Wang Cheng actually fell asleep.
He dreamed that it was raining heavily in spring outside.
The raindrops fell on the hood of the car, making him feel particularly peaceful.
It seemed that the south wind was blowing, blowing the large rainwater towards the car curtain, but it was blocked by the tarpaulin covering the outside.
"Dang!" Amidst the sound of wind and rain, there came the crisp sound of copper and iron.
There are also faint human voices, which are not very clear.
Wang Cheng, who was half asleep and half awake, was a little dissatisfied and turned around.
"Dong dong dong..." The dull drum sound sounded.
It seemed to be the sound made by a small waist drum that could be hung on a person's body, but it was still not quite clear despite the sound of wind and rain.
The sound of "rustling" footsteps sounded very neatly, and from time to time there was the sound of jingling rings.
Huh? That’s not the jingle of rings, it’s the sound of equipment clashing!
After staying in Jingzhou for a few years, Wang Cheng suddenly woke up, opened the car curtain with a "swish" sound, and looked out.
In the wind and rain, countless sergeants passed by the carriage, and occasionally someone looked at Wang Cheng with indifferent eyes.
Wang Cheng stepped forward again and looked forward.
The post road winds eastward and disappears into the fine rain and mist.
At the end of the rain and fog, groups of sergeants, vehicles and horses appeared out of thin air, heading west.
Wang Cheng looked back again.
The long queue has disappeared around the corner of the post road.
There was another crisp "dang" sound in my ears, and hundreds of people stopped and stood in silence in the rain.
The officers held their scabbards, slashed and struck, and aligned the ranks of the soldiers.
The drums sounded again, and hundreds of people began to march in silence.
Wang Cheng listened carefully, and there seemed to be drum sounds on the other side of the mountain. Darling, the marching line is so long, there must be tens of thousands of people?
He was fully awake. Seeing this situation, he immediately ordered the coachman and guards to move to the roadside and not block the advance of the army.
There are locust trees as far as the eye can see along the roadside, and there are many people squatting or standing under the trees. They all appear to be travelers.
Wang Cheng was not interested in talking to them, but huddled in the carriage, preparing to catch up on some sleep.
The travelers whispered to each other in low voices.
"The Silver Spear Army from Chen County may be going to Luoyang."
"Why are you going to Luoyang? Could it be..."
"No, not really. Maybe the emperor has called me, but I don't know if Mr. Chen is here or not."
"For such a big battle, Mr. Chen must be here."
"Then why didn't we see the red-robed knight?"
"Are you stupid? Mr. Chen must be sitting in a carriage, guarded by his own soldiers. What if he is riding a horse and is ambushed by someone lying on the roadside and plotting against him?"
The conversation among the travelers was actually not loud, but it made Wang Cheng, who had something on his mind, unable to sleep.
He sat up straight, opened the car curtain, and looked at the post road where troops were passing.
The sound of the golden drum, the sound of passwords, the sound of footsteps and the sound of the collision of equipment combined together were extremely harmonious.
What a ghost!
He used to hate the sound of the military camp the most, because it meant anxiety, fear, fear, and failure. But now it sounded much more relaxed, without any nervousness at all.
Perhaps, the commander-in-chief of this army has repeatedly won battles, which naturally gives people a sense of security.
But why did Shao Xun come to Luoyang with his army? I didn't hear his brother mention it.
He frowned and thought hard, but couldn't figure it out.
However, the commander-in-chief is in charge of the military affairs of the two states of Henan. It is not a big deal to mobilize troops near Luoyang, although it may cause a certain degree of commotion.
"What the hell are you doing?" Wang Cheng put down the car curtain and lay down straight with his body raised.
He is going to Xuzhou to share the post of governor and governor with Xun Zui.
Everything in Luoyang has nothing to do with him, no matter what he loves.
As long as Shao Xun doesn't risk the world's disapproval and depose the emperor, then he can do whatever he wants, he doesn't care.
****
The south wind blows away the evening, bringing tranquility and nostalgia.
When it was almost dark, the large group of people arrived at the northern edge of Gwangseongze.
After the long journey, everyone was a little tired.
But after seeing the dense smoke, I felt unspeakably calm.
Under the weak light, houses are scattered all over the mountains and plains.
There are better houses on the mountain. They are built according to the mountain terrain. They use a lot of bricks, stones and huge trees. The materials are very solid and the decoration is very elegant. At first glance, they are the homes of dignitaries.
At the foot of the mountain are mostly adobe houses and thatched houses. The better ones are just wooden houses. The place is not big. At first glance, they are the residences of ordinary people.
"Why did you bring so many mules?" In the dusk, a strong man in armor, about forty years old, came down the mountain road and asked loudly.
Behind him were two to three hundred people, apparently divided into several groups.
One of the groups was wearing iron armor and holding spears and axes, forming a faint formation.
The rest of the people were scattered in the wet woods on both sides of the mountain road, picking up their bows and arrows, and making general preparations.
"Mingzhi, it's me." Someone shouted from the bottom of the mountain.
"I know it's you. Just stop at the foot of the mountain. Someone will bring food down soon." The strong man in armor replied.
"If I forget it, there are still disciples of Mr. Chen." The visitor added.
The armored man was silent for a moment and said, "Just wait."
After saying that, he went back directly into the house.
Xiangcheng Princess Sima Xiu stood leaning on the railing, looking at the lake gradually shrouded in the night.
The lake is named "Princess Pi". After several years of construction, it can irrigate two thousand hectares of fertile farmland. It is a very important water conservancy project in Guangchengze.
The property in Wuyang was either sold or given to Shao Xun, leaving only two or three shops and wine shops.
Now her family business is mainly concentrated in Guangchengze and Runan.
The house in Guangchengze is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with pleasant scenery. She likes it very much.
There are also farmland and orchards below the village, which are self-reliant. The mountains can be used for grazing, providing meat and milk, and all basic needs are met.
From now on, the two of them lived here and depended on each other.
She doesn't care about the Shao family's wealth and doesn't want to mess with it. She will leave her daughter with wealth that she can't enjoy in two lifetimes.
Furthermore, she didn't believe that that person would ignore his daughter.
Cheng Ming hurriedly went up to the terrace and reported the people coming from Runan.
After hearing this, Sima Maoyao just asked: "Is Mr. Chen here?"
"No."
"Find a place in the village at the foot of the mountain for them to stay. After all, they are Chen Gong's soldiers."
"As commanded."
After the family leader Cheng Ming retreated, Sima Maoyao looked at the towering mountains in the distance, silently lost in thought.
Mr. Chen borrowed a thousand mules from her, which was actually no small matter. It almost took away most of the money of the donkey business she opened in Runan - ordinary gentry estates really couldn't afford such large livestock.
But she didn't pay much attention.
Her greatest asset now is her daughter, who was born nearly two months ago. She is pink and adorable.
She is already forty this year. This is her first child and most likely her last child. It is the support of her life and the continuation of her bloodline.
From now on, raising children is the most important thing, and taking care of the family business is secondary.
Except for the property related to that person, she plans to entrust the management of the rest to the children of other branches of the clan who are attached to her and the retainers of the Princess Mansion.
As for what the related industries are, it is obvious: Longpi Ranch - there are not many horses in this ranch, mainly donkeys and mules.
After all, it is still prepared for men's war.
"We have to fight again." Sima Mao sighed softly.
She vaguely felt that this time it might be more dangerous, because even the new recruits from Runan, which had only been established for half a year, were transferred here.
Is the situation so critical?
Can't the Imperial Guard help?
Simimao frowned, looked down at his lower abdomen that had not fully recovered, and secretly thought about when he would go to the palace to meet the emperor.
****
In the Nanyang Palace in the east of Luoyang City, the maids and maids started cleaning the house one day in advance.
By the afternoon of that day, dozens of riders arrived and took over the mansion.
After nightfall, Lu Zhi, the servant, arrived quietly and stayed there, preparing to meet Duke Chen the next day.
After a simple dinner, Lu Zhi read the letter Shao Xun gave him again. The letter talked about his vision for Hebei, and the central idea was to surround Wei and save Zhao.
This relieved him.
If a large force goes north, it may be possible to defeat Shile, but it is unlikely to capture Hebei.
Even if it is temporarily occupied, Shi Le can retreat to Bingzhou and ask Liu Han for support. By then the situation will become more complicated and he may suffer big losses.
After feeling relieved, he went back to his desk and started writing.
On April 27, nearly ten thousand people arrived in the east of Luoyang City and camped outside Dongyang Gate and Jianchun Gate. The capital was shocked.
"Zidao." Shao Xun came over with a big smile, took Lu Zhi's hand, and asked with concern: "How are you doing lately?"
"It's very leisurely. There isn't much to do in the court." Lu Zhi said, "It's better to be a lieutenant."
Shao Xun glanced at him and realized that Lu Zhi was not joking, so he immediately advised: "Zidao, please bear some responsibility for me, so as not to cause any trouble for me during the night. How is the emperor doing lately?"
Lu Zhi thought for a while and said: "I am much more settled than before, but it seems too settled."
"Oh? Do you know why?" Shao Xun asked.
"I don't know." Lu Zhi said, "I can't find anything from the people around the emperor and empress."
Shao Xun said "Huh".
When Lu Zhi said "inquiry", he was just trying his best. In fact, you can't bribe everyone around the emperor and empress.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Shao Xun said: "What does Zidao think of the strategy of surrounding Wei and rescuing Zhao?"
"It is really risky to go deep into Yecheng in the wilderness." Lu Zhi said: "It is better to find a way to regain Ji and Dunqiu counties."
Shao Xun was noncommittal.
Jijun and Dunqiu were abandoned one after another in the past few years. The reason was that the Huns' cavalry was too superior and the isolated strongholds deep in the interior were difficult to defend. After being repeatedly harassed and destroyed by rangers, the food was not enough, and in the end they had to lead the soldiers and civilians south.
Withdraw, use the Yellow River as a screen.
Are we going to regain these two lost territories now? Then we will inevitably be besieged by the Huns.
People may attack your city by force, or they may imitate Shi Le's method and destroy your crops, leaving you without food.
Why can the three cities of Heyang hold on? Because one of these three cities is located on the island in the middle of the river, one is located on the south bank of the river, and one is located on the north bank of the river. The enemy cannot cut off the logistics.
Jijun and Dunqiu are far away from the river bank and can easily be cut off from the logistics supply line. This is different from the three cities in Heyang.
"The strategy of encircling Wei and rescuing Zhao has been decided and will not be changed." Shao Xun said: "No matter what, we must attract Shi Le's main force to give Wang Jun a chance to breathe. It is best for the imperial court to come forward in this matter. How to contact us now
Liu Kun, Wang Jun?"
"If we can't contact him, the messenger will be easily arrested," Lu Zhi said.
Shao Xun sighed regretfully and said, "Then let me fight with my family, and I have to hold Shi Le down no matter what."
"How to fight?" Lu Zhi asked.
"There is only one way for infantry to fight cavalry." Shao Xun pointed to the north and said, "Build a city."
Chapter completed!