Muling Pass was first built during the Western Zhou Dynasty. It is located at the pass of the ancient Daxian Mountain bordering Linqu and Yishui. Daxian Mountain is connected to the east mountain of Shaojiayu in the east and Yishan Mountain in the west. Muling Pass is located in it, making it a dangerous place. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period,
It is an important pass in the Qi State. It is known in history as "Muling Pass in the east and Qingshi Pass in the west."
After Qin Shihuang unified the world, Mulingguan also lost its original border force function under the unified situation. However, due to its special geographical location, it has not been lost for thousands of years. It has been used as a control area in Shandong.
The choke point of transportation between the south and the north has been an important military stronghold in Shandong throughout the ages. Because of the current Qing invasion and the invasion into Shandong, Mulingguan also serves as a barrier to the south of Qingzhou Prefecture.
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Meng Honggong, the prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture, was also very happy. After all, Shang Yi was stationed at Mulingguan, so he could feel more at ease. So after the war in Yishui County ended, Meng Honggong also bid farewell to Zeng Hualong and personally sent Shang Yi to Mu.
Lingguan has come to take office.
Shang Yi was accompanied by 500 regiment soldiers. The group was also very large. When they arrived in front of Muling Pass, Shang Yi discovered that Muling Pass was not big, roughly in the shape of a square, with the length of the city walls on its four sides.
They are about more than 300 meters each, with one gate on each side, which is equivalent to the size of two Qingshui villages. Although the entire city wall of Guancheng is not high, only about 30 meters, it is still strong and is located on both sides.
In the mountain, only the north and south gates lead directly to the highway, while the exits of the east and west gates are mountain paths. It is indeed a pass that is easy to defend but difficult to attack.
It turned out that Jiang Feng, the inspector of Muling Pass, had already received the news that Muling Pass had established General Qian, and the prefect personally sent the new General Manager Qian to take office, so Yi Qing had already brought all the inspectors with him.
Soldiers were outside the door to welcome the arrival of Meng Honggong and his party.
After the two sides met, even Shang Yi didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He saw more than a hundred soldiers standing in front of the door. They all looked sallow and thin, and looked listless. They were wearing armor, and they were fighting.
His robes were also in tatters, and the swords and guns he held were rusty. Many of the spear shafts and handles were rotten.
If Shang Yi had not been informed in advance, he might have thought that he had arrived at the headquarters of the Beggar Clan. The inspector Jiang Feng was a man in his forties, wearing a tattered armor and a helmet with a big hole in it.
, wearing a patched-and-patched war robe, and the scabbard of a saber that he is wearing has six or seven large holes and small holes. If he puts a few pockets on his shoulders and holds a bamboo stick in his hand, then there is no need to wear them again.
His attire is exactly like that of a nine-pocket elder.
In contrast, although what Shang Yi brought was just a militia group, they were all brightly armored, with dazzling swords and guns, full of energy, and radiant faces, making them more like a regular army.
Even Meng Honggong felt a little bit offended. After all, Mulinguan was also a place under his rule. It was like this, and he couldn't stand it. He was also a little angry and said: "Jiang Feng, what's wrong with you guys?"
, how come they all look like beggars and don’t even have a good piece of armor?”
Jiang Feng was also frightened and hurriedly knelt down and said: "Reporting to your lord, I don't want to dress like this. It's just that the palace only has armor and weapons like this, and I don't have any..." Before he could finish his words,
There was a "pop" sound, and the armor piece of the left shoulder guard fell off.
Several people among Meng Honggong's entourage laughed out loud. Although no one in the regiment laughed, many of them were forced to endure it. Meng Honggong was about to get angry again when Shang Yi said: "Prefect Meng, just
Don't blame him anymore, let's talk about it in the city first."
Meng Honggong gave a fierce "hum" and said: "If it weren't for Mr. Shang Qian's face, I would never let you go. Lead the way into the city."
Jiang Feng hurriedly agreed, got up from the ground, and led the large group of people into the city. As he walked, he was still thinking, "Mr. Shang Qian? Could this young man be the newly appointed Mr. Qian? He was the one who led a team not long ago.
The militia annihilated the bandits at Qinglang Peak, and defeated Shang Yi who killed the bandits at Hugou in Yishui County? He looks so young, can he be twenty-five years old?"
After entering the city, Shang Yi saw that the road into the city was still muddy, and the ground was full of garbage and a lot of feces. There was a strange smell in the air. Most of the houses on both sides were full of dirt.
They are made of adobe, with thatched roofs, and only a few are made of wood or bricks. And there is only one two-story building on the entire avenue. Behind the houses facing the street, you can still vaguely see some simple shacks. And shops
There were only two or three shops selling daily necessities. The passers-by were all in ragged clothes and had dull eyes, as if they were walking zombies. Occasionally, a few children would chase them across the street.
There was a laugh or two.
Shang Yi also became more and more disheartened as he watched. Is this the place where he will take office? To be honest, even Qingshui Village is much better than here.
Entering the Inspection Department Yamen, it was also in tatters and the public cases had long since disappeared. There was still a chair in the middle, but it was still holding two bricks on one foot to hold it steady, and it also gave off a musty smell. Meng Honggong could only
He could pinch his nose and sit down on the chair. He thought that Shang Yi was supposed to be a Qianhu of Qishansuo. It was his own suggestion that brought him to this hellish place. He couldn't help but apologize and said: "Mr. Shang Qian"
, I didn’t know that Muling Pass has become like this, it’s really…”
Shang Yi hurriedly said: "Your Excellency, you don't have to blame yourself. It's difficult in this time and place, so I can't blame you entirely."
Meng Honggong was very moved after hearing this and said: "Mr. Shang Qian, thank you for your understanding! Don't worry, I will make arrangements immediately after returning to Qingzhou. Whatever you need, I will prepare it for you.
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Shang Yi also nodded and said, "Thank you, Mr. Futai."
Then Meng Honggong called Jiang Feng again and told him that Shang Yi was the newly appointed Lord Qian, and that everything in Muling Pass would be decided by him from now on. Jiang Feng hurriedly met with Shang Yi again.
Then Shang Yi found some paper and pen and made a list: not only did he list a large number of tables, chairs, benches, bed stands and other daily necessities, but also a group of civil engineering, clay and iron craftsmen and doctors, he also needed a large amount of medicinal materials and food.
, pig iron, wood, cloth, livestock, seeds and other items, and even soft materials such as charcoal, nitrate and sulfur are also listed.
When Meng Honggong saw it, he couldn't close his mouth immediately. Shang Yi opened his mouth like a lion, playing with so many things at once, worth at least two to thirty thousand taels of silver, Qingzhou Mansion couldn't get so many things.
I also regretted that I had spoken so much in a hurry just now that I couldn't take it back. I had a grimace on my face and couldn't say a word.
However, Shang Yi has long seen it, and he also knows that Qingzhou Mansion cannot give all these things to him for free, and the previous battles have been fruitful, with a total of more than 100,000 taels of silver and more than 2,000 taels of gold seized.
After using some in the militia, there are still more than 80,000 taels of silver left, and the gold has not been used yet, so the current financial resources are still strong, and Guan Jian wants to get things in place as soon as possible.
So Shang Yi said: "Master Futai, of course I cannot rely on the government to provide all these things free of charge, such as medicinal materials, grain, pig iron, wood, cloth, stone and other items. I am willing to pay for them, but please introduce a few.
Merchants with fair prices, and craftsmen who come to Mulinguan to do work, and their wages are paid by humble positions, are definitely the same as those in Qingzhou Prefecture, but the more people, the better, I wonder what do you think, sir?"
After Meng Honggong heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Mr. Shang Qian, this is really hard for you. Well, I can't let you pay for everything. I can give you two thousand shi of grain and three thousand kilograms of pig iron."
, 500 pieces of wood, 100 pieces of cotton, and some other supplies. The rest can only be purchased by you. But don’t worry, the price is at least 20% lower than the market price. Your craftsman will also guarantee to arrange it for you.
"
Shang Yi also nodded and said: "Thank you sir, I have one more thing to do. I would like to ask Mr. Futai for help."
Meng Honggong said hurriedly: "What's the matter? You just said there was no interview."
Shang Yi said: "Now that the Qing chiefs have entered the customs, they will invade the territory of Shandong. He is a teacher of a militia. He established a militia just to protect the territory and the people. Once the Qing chiefs come, it will be difficult to save several villages. And this Mu
Lingguan is a small place and cannot accommodate so many people, so I want to move the villagers to Qingzhou Prefecture to live in peace, and I would like to ask you to arrange a place to live."
Meng Honggong thought for a moment and said, "How many people will move into Qingzhou Prefecture?"
Shang Yi said: "There are about a thousand She households and a population of 4,000."
Meng Honggong said: "For a population of 4,000, Qingzhou Mansion can accommodate it, but for a while, we can't find that many places to live, and the food for these 4,000 people is also a problem."
Shang Yi said: "Please don't worry, sir. If we don't have a place to live, we can ask you to provide some tents and we can live in peace. It's just some squires and elders. Please try your best to arrange it. In addition, you don't have to worry about food. We will bring enough rations ourselves."
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"Oh!" Meng Honggong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Okay, that's the case, I promise you."
Shang Yi also nodded and said: "Thank you, Master Futai. Beizhi will arrange for the villagers to relocate immediately. However, the materials and craftsmen needed by Beizhi will be in place as soon as possible."
After Meng Honggong heard this, he stood up quickly and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Shang Qian, I will not delay in Muling Pass. I will set off immediately and return to Qingzhou Mansion. I will collect supplies for you right away. I promised to give you the goods."
The things will be delivered to Muling Pass within three to five days, and there will also be a group of craftsmen accompanying them." He stood up and left.
In fact, Meng Honggong didn't want to stay in Muling Pass for any longer. He just wanted to go back to Qingzhou Mansion to collect supplies for Shang Yi, so it was better to leave as soon as possible. If he stayed for a moment longer, he would probably vomit.
, if it takes too long, the sky gets dark, and you have to spend the night here, you might as well risk your life.
Shang Yi did not try to persuade him to stay, but just sent him off in person. When he walked out of the inspection department's yamen, he saw the 500 regiment soldiers brought by Shang Yi standing at the door of the inspection department, neatly arranged, as if they had not moved at all from just now to now.
It has not been touched, but it also attracted some people and soldiers from Mulingguan to watch the fun.