Yongping Prefecture is located more than 200 kilometers east of Beiping City and at the western end of the Liaodong Corridor. It is the only way to enter Liaoning and has always been a battleground for military strategists. The north of Yongping Prefecture is defended by the Great Wall, from Shanhaiguan to Jinzhou
There are countless checkpoints and fortresses on the front line, and there are hundreds of thousands of military households, which can be said to be impregnable.
However, the Liaodong Corridor is not the only way to enter the Central Plains from Liaodong. You can also go to the Great Wall by detouring through Daning, but you have to take a long way. The Yan army occupying Liaodong is in collusion with the Duoyan Sanwei who occupy Daning, let alone
All the soldiers had borrowed the roads, so the Great Wall that the imperial court wanted to fortify was very long, and the number of troops was somewhat tight.
Military households have all been dragged to guard the Great Wall, and the land is naturally uncultivated. Unlike the vibrant life of Shuntian Prefecture, there are no roosters crowing for hundreds of miles in Yongping Prefecture, and there are wild slopes and wild houses everywhere. Needless to say, this year’s food supply is
The harvest has been exhausted, and military rations can only be provided by water transportation from the imperial court. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians are crying for food. This must be enough for Grand Duke Xu to have a headache.
It is said that the emperor does not need hungry soldiers. The soldiers and horses must go ahead with food and grass before they arrive. However, Yongping Mansion, like Shuntian Mansion, has just experienced a military disaster. The army rations were either robbed or burned. Now there is a food shortage. We can only urgently come from the south.
The grain was brought here, but the key to the problem was poor transportation.
Due to the Yuan Canal being in disrepair and the Yellow River being out of control, the canal channel north of the Yellow River has long been blocked by silt, so water transportation can only be carried to Jinan, and people to the north of Jinan have to push and pull horses. You know, those
People who transport food also need to eat. No matter how dedicated they are to their duties, they will never starve to death until they eat all the food they transport.
Therefore, when transporting grain by land, it is necessary to prepare extra rations for the transporters. Let them push two grain trucks on the road, transport one to eat, and when they arrive at the destination, hand over the uneaten portion, which is considered a delivery.
, the extra rations often prepared are more than the grains delivered. What will happen if things continue like this?!
Not to mention this, what is terrible is that Shuntian Prefecture has raised the price of grain in nearby states and counties to sky-high prices. Now the price of grain is 2, 25, silver per stone, which is four times that of Jiangnan. As a result, Yongping Prefecture is not only unable to
Even the grain teams sent out to transport grain engaged in smuggling and resold the grain to Shuntian Prefecture for profit, making Yongping Prefecture even more short of food.
As the mastermind of the grain speculation, Wan Lei naturally knows something about these things. He also knows that if he goes to Yongping Mansion to "attend a meeting", he will definitely not have a good meeting or a good banquet. It will be comparable to the Hongmen Banquet, but he
He had no choice but to go there. After all, he was responsible for the safety of more than 400,000 people in Shuntian Prefecture and could not quarrel with the court.
The spring breeze caressed all the way, and Wan Lei rode horses slowly along the trail. Originally, he didn't want to take these guys with him on adventures, but when he went out in the morning, they followed him half step away, like followers who could not be shaken off no matter how much they did.
Finally, he had no choice but to let them go.
"Brother Wan, will we really be detained when we get to Yongping Mansion?" Although Zhao Xue'er went with us, she was unsure in her heart. Not only her, but other trailblazers also thought that they were going to be arrested.
"If the two armies are fighting and the envoys are not killed, I can be regarded as the guest invited by the other side. If they want to destroy the Great Wall, they can detain us all." Wan Lei is not worried. This is not because he thinks the court will insist on the Great Wall.
Integrity is the foundation of a great country, and this is the principle that must be observed when two powerful powers confront each other.
The so-called morality and justice can only be discussed when there is equal strength. Wan Lei only dared to go to Yongping Mansion boldly because he had the backing of the Peking Army. Although the Peking Army had few soldiers, it was in a hurry.
If he really dared to rebel, he would even turn the switch to lure the Mongols south. For this reason, the court had to be wary. Xu Huizu was a smart man and of course he understood this.
"Sir, why don't we keep a few people from entering the city and respond outside the city in case of any unexpected events." Chixin suggested.
"I can go into the city alone, and you guys will wait outside the city." Wan Lei had no intention of taking so many people into danger.
"No, you don't know martial arts. What if someone plots against you? I am your bodyguard and must follow you." Zhao Xueer disagreed.
"Yongping Mansion is Mr. Xu's property. Of course he will ensure my safety. If he really wants my life, there is no point in following you." Wan Lei waved his hand and rejected Zhao Xueer's "kindness".
"But..." Zhao Xueer wanted to say more, but Wan Lei interrupted her with a wave of his hand. While the group was chatting and discussing, they heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. Wan Lei waved his hand, and all the paths were hurriedly flashing.
In the bushes on the roadside, only Wan Lei stood on his horse. After a while, a group of cavalry approached. Judging from their clothing, they were a sentry team.
"Who is coming?"
"My dear, Wan Lei, I have come to pay you a visit as requested by Mr. Xu." Wan Lei cupped his hand and said.
"You came here on an appointment, do you have any proof?" The visitor obviously didn't believe it.
"This is the road leading to the Shuntian Mansion Yamen. Please take a look." Wan Lei took out a piece of paper that should have an official seal and handed it over.
The leading officer glanced at the official seal, then looked at Wan Lei, and said: "Since I'm here on an appointment, why are you the only one here?"
"The common people below are always alone, but Mr. Xu only named the next person to come, and did not say that he would bring others with him."
Seeing Wan Lei's sincere face, the officer believed him and said, "In that case, then come with us."
The officer just waved his hand, and several soldiers swarmed up to surround Wan Lei. Wan Lei did not resist and allowed them to "support" him and headed towards Yongping City. However, Zhao Xueer and others quietly followed behind, strictly guarding against the officers and soldiers.