Originally, a mission like this should not be led by a general. Among the materials that could be returned were a batch of soldiers and armor, so it made sense for Houlin to send the Beitao clan as the national envoy. As the Beidao clan,
General Zhenbei was originally responsible for the defense of the northern border of the Bashi Kingdom, and the Zhengshi Kingdom in the south was not very familiar with him. However, Beidao himself was very familiar with the situation in the Zhengshi Kingdom, because when he was young, he went to Wufuqiu to study.
Hou Lin inspected the city walls within the territory, and the first place he went to was the northern border; while the Beidao clan also left the capital and led the delegation to the south. Hou Lin was very interesting. Not only did he return the goods and utensils requested by Zheng Shiguo as required,
He also specially thanked King Zheng for another batch of very valuable gifts.
Therefore, the size of the mission is very large, and the team walking on the road is very long. There are only two carriages at the front and the back, and the middle ones are all ox carts transporting goods. This mission looks more like a huge caravan.
In fact, it is also a caravan. It does not need to pack so many cars to return Zheng Shiguo's belongings and objects, as well as the gifts specially given by Hou Lin, as well as the materials needed by the mission personnel themselves on the road.
The caravan was also brought in.
Because such missions will not be taxed when passing through checkpoints, well-connected caravans often bribe envoys to mix their own goods with them and transport them to neighboring countries for sale, and then buy goods in neighboring countries to mix with the missions.
brought back from the team.
Sometimes the envoy himself would temporarily engage in business as a merchant. He would bring a batch of goods with his team and ask his subordinates to sell them, so he could earn more. Traveling thousands of miles to travel to neighboring countries is a hard job.
It's an errand, so do something like this to compensate. As long as it's not too much, the monarch and the garrison will turn a blind eye.
It's just that people didn't expect that General Beidao, who had an upright temperament and had always disdainful of making a living, would actually engage in this kind of business on his first mission to a neighboring country! There was obviously a caravan in the envoy team, half of which were
The above bullock carts are all caravans. But they are pretending to be the entourage of the envoy. They are carrying too many things, right?
Others were sneaking into the caravan among the envoys, but looking at what this general did, it was like he snuck into the caravan into the envoys! It seems that the general's sword skills are powerful, and his methods of making money are even more ruthless.
Ah! The Beidao clan has recently achieved great success by recommending a miracle doctor. It is at this moment of pride that he becomes particularly courageous.
Even if everyone tacitly agrees on this kind of thing, it cannot be done so openly.
Oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages go together, and the speed of course depends on how fast the oxcart can go. The general is an impatient man. Although he cannot ride a horse, he still urges the entire envoy team to travel all the way. If there happens to be a village without a city wall
If they had a place to spend the night, they would set up tents and camp, which was very much like a marching war.
Of course, the personal guards led by Beidao didn't feel it was hard, but for the caravans that sneaked in, it was quite difficult to travel like this. But after all, everyone is looking for money, and they usually go out to sell goods over long distances.
, I have also experienced many hardships, including food and shelter, and these difficulties can still be overcome.
A caravan mission, mainly composed of ox carts, actually took only two days to cross the mountains surrounding the capital. On the second night after setting off, it happened to arrive at the pass between Pengshan and Meishan. Here is the front and back
There was no village, but there was a group of soldiers stationed there. The small military camp was not enough for everyone. The general lived in the military camp. Most of the people pitched tents in the fields beside the road.
General Beidao leads an envoy like he leads an army. His orders are very strict. He stops when he says, and leaves when he says. Even things like setting up tents, lighting fires, and cooking must be completed within the specified time.
It was such a hectic day.
While sleeping in the open that day, someone moved out a batch of things from the military camp and joined the delegation. There were a few new faces accompanying them. These were the general's personal belongings, and there were also businessmen secretly carrying them.
He muttered, General Beidao had a reputation in the country, but he didn't expect that he would not be able to make enough money doing this kind of thing. Halfway through, he ordered his subordinates to bring in a batch of things.
The people escorting the property should be three strong young sergeants dressed in casual clothes. They did not know each other at first. Among them was a handsome young man with simple clothes. There was also a dog beside him. The dog swayed.
With a flowery tail, he would jump into the car when he was on the road and hide in the cargo pile in the carport. He would only get out and run around when camping at night.
This dog is of course Panhu. It is very inconspicuous in the caravan. There are several dogs in this team, and they are all yellow and white spotted dogs. It is normal for caravans to take dogs on the road at night.
Dogs can also guard goods when sleeping in the open, and bark loudly to warn if something happens. As for the simple young man who looks like a sergeant, he is a tiger boy.
Uncle Dao knew that Huwa and Panhu had sneaked into the mission and that he had arranged it. However, even the general's close personal bodyguards only knew that General Dao had secretly infiltrated a group of valuable personal property. That boy
Along with the other two people escorting him, he would never have guessed that he was Lord Peng Keng, who has gained a great reputation in the country recently. Moreover, for matters like this, subordinates only need to follow the instructions and must not ask any questions.
There was nothing strange about Uncle Dao along the way. Not only did he not say a word to Huwa, he didn't even look at him and Panhu. As a general and envoy, he and a servant driving an oxcart
What else is there to say?
But Beidao himself felt very depressed. The king ordered him to send Huwa away from Bashi Kingdom to Zhengshi Kingdom in an inconspicuous way, and not to let anyone discover the whereabouts of the little gentleman. The general wanted to come
If you want to go, the best way is this. He has always acted upright and selflessly, but now in order to fulfill the king's orders, he has gained a reputation of being greedy for money, and he is so greedy for money!
A month later, the envoy team arrived at the Zenchuan Castle that was hit by the disaster last year. Countless people lined the road to greet them. Many people stood by the roadside to bring water and food to the envoy. Along the way, village chiefs also presented various gifts and specialties. Because
Everyone knows why the monarch sent this mission to Zheng Shiguo.
How many carts of goods and goods were sent to Zheng Shiguo? In fact, only Lord Cangzheng, who was responsible for counting and receiving supplies between the two countries, fully knew that Zheng Shiguo's checkpoints would also conduct a symbolic inventory, but it was impossible for ordinary people.
Informed. Even if the envoy carried the caravan's supplies, who would have thought that the general would carry so much? It was actually more than half!
People along the way saw so many cattle's belongings, thinking that most of them were what Zheng Shiguo wanted, and they all scolded the greed of Zheng Shiguo and his ministers. Beidao was making money, but the king of a neighboring country took the blame for him.
, this job was done quite beautifully. In fact, Zheng Shiguo and its monarch were not unjustly scolded, because they also extorted things from Bashiguo.
When the envoy team passed the border checkpoint of Zhengshi State, the guarding sergeant was also shocked. They were also well-informed. They secretly thought that this envoy was heard to be a general, but he was too greedy. Why?
Bringing so many things to pass the customs? After a brief inspection, the guard asked Beidao: "Your Majesty the Ambassador, do you have too many goods in your team?"
Beidao scolded: "No matter how much there is, it's not all what your king wants! If it's too much, you can report it to the king of your country and ask us to send less. I can just wait at the border for two months. It doesn't matter."
Of course, the general had to let the envoy go in the end. While he was secretly muttering that the envoy was too greedy, he also criticized his own monarch for being too ruthless. He knew very well how much food was transported last year, and how much money the envoy brought with him this year.
Although there was a lot of goods, Zheng Shiguo also wanted a lot, which made him, the guard, embarrassed to say anything.
When the mission entered the territory of Zhengshi Kingdom, at the request of the Beidao clan, the mission went faster, and the journey was not as convenient as in Bashi Kingdom. It was like marching at dawn and sleeping overnight. Starting from the border pass, Zhengshi
The country sent two small military formations one after another to escort them. After all, there were so many people carrying two trucks of ordnance deep into the country's border, so there could not be any accidents.
But no one noticed Huwa. Huwa behaved very ordinary and simple during this period. Whether he was loading and unloading goods, or setting up tents and lighting fires for cooking, his hands and feet were very nimble and diligent. He was just like a child from an ordinary village.
He was able to endure hardships and stand hard work. Those who walked with him had a good impression of him, but they were not very profound.
Everyone knows that it is impossible for all the goods and people in the team to enter the capital. Before arriving at the capital, there are fewer and fewer oxcarts and people in the team. Passing through the city walls along the way, there are always people left to do it.
Transaction. They will also purchase various local goods, but will not go through the checkpoints again. They will just wait for the envoy to come back again, and then follow the envoy back to Bashi Country.
No one noticed when Huwa left. The team walked for more than two months before arriving at Gantian City, the capital of Zhengshi Kingdom. Half a month before arriving at the capital, Huwa was at another city.
He left it behind, along with the cart of goods and two other sergeants. At that time, the general's bodyguard specifically told one of the sergeants to sell the goods at a good price.
This city outline is actually a fork in the road. If you turn westward, you will go to the capital of the Zheng family. If you continue southward, you will reach Wufuqiu. Huwa spent a day hanging out in the market, but Panhu did not enter the city at all. When passing by the mountains outside the city,
It jumped out of the car and ran away. When Huwa also appeared in the mountains outside the city the next day, Panhu ran over again, wagging his tail.
No one knew or even guessed that the young gentleman from Xiangshi Junior High School, Mr. Peng Keng from Bashi Junior High School, had now appeared in the hinterland of Zhengshi Junior High School. With the help of Hou Lin, Huwa successfully
Hiding their past whereabouts, they led Panhu forward alone again. They left the road, and there were rolling mountains in front of them. This place was close to the southern wilderness on the edge of Ba Yuan. (To be continued...)