The cold wind swept across the wilderness, and the iron hooves broke through the thin ice.
It is extremely rare to see such a large Jingyuan master. When a cavalry team of thousands of people galloped into the wilderness, the desolate scene in the wilderness suddenly became more solemn and chilling, and even the sound of the wind became a bit sharper.
Although the scene of thousands of cavalry rolling around Pinggang is magnificent, when the wind and sand blow against your face, you will know who is indifferent.
Although Li Tai had already worn a thick hakama pleat and a fur robe tightly wrapped around his body, galloping the horse along the way was still like being in an ice cellar. His hands and feet were a little numb from the cold wind. Although his face was painted
He had applied facial makeup and was covered with a towel, but he was also too cold to make any expressions.
Although it was very hard to travel in the cold winter, when he thought about the purpose of his trip, he was filled with enthusiasm. He looked back and saw that the team behind him was already scattered, so he shouted loudly: "We will continue our journey quickly and arrive at Yueyang in the evening to rest!"
In order to get a share of the action to destroy the Buddha, he brought out all the old soldiers this time, more than 600 veterans of the tribe, more than 300 new soldiers, 500 soldiers, and even war horses.
Nearly two thousand horses were dispatched.
Many of the new soldiers who had not yet learned to ride horses were led by the old soldiers, riding two at a time, from the shore of Luoshui River all the way to the west.
Liu Min, who was traveling with him, also brought more than 300 of his own songs with him. He did not know the evil thoughts in Li Tai's mind. He only saw Li Tai mobilizing all his troops because of his request. He was filled with gratitude. He did not know what happened along the way.
How many times have I thanked Li Tai?
Not wanting to avoid the severe cold, the group traveled quickly against the wind, and finally arrived in the evening near Yueyang Fangcheng, where the parade was held last year.
At present, Yueyang Fang does not have as many soldiers and horses as it did last year, but there are still tens of thousands of people gathered inside and outside the city. It is an important town on the Weibei Plain.
"The Romance of Fairy Wood"
When Li Tai and others were still ten miles away from Fangcheng, they were stopped by the scouts and asked. Li Tai asked Liu Min to hide in the ranks while he came forward to contact them.
After he revealed his identity, although the vigilance of the scouts here was slightly restrained, they did not completely relax their vigilance. They invited Li Tai into the city to meet the city guard Shangguan, and his subordinates had to dismount and slowly move under the supervision and guidance of the scouts.
And go.
So Li Tai led ten of his followers and followed several scouts on horseback to Yueyang Fangcheng. When they arrived at Fangcheng, there was already a soldier waiting at the city gate.
"The city lord still has business to attend to, so he ordered his humble duty to go out to welcome Governor Li. I would like to ask Governor Li, is it for official business or a private matter to bring the soldiers in?"
The man who was serving in the army was in his thirties. Although his attitude was quite friendly, his eyes still looked at Li Tai with a look of scrutiny.
"On the mission of Lu Shaoqing, the central minister of the imperial court, we inspect the situation along the Zhengguo Canal. If there are any bandits who harm the canal, we will immediately suppress them. We pass by Yueyang and stay temporarily. I sincerely ask Baitu Gong Xin City Master to provide convenience."
Li Tai turned over and dismounted, pulled down his turban, smiled at the subordinate officer and said.
When Na Xing joined the army, he learned that Li Tai's troops were just passing through, so he no longer inquired about his whereabouts. He respectfully invited Li Tai and his entourage into the city and ushered them into the city lord's palace.
The name of the defender of Yueyang City was Xin Wei, who was in his early thirties. He stood in front of the Zhitang Gate and saw Li Taixing entering. He stepped down and walked down, cupping his hands and smiling: "I saw Li Zhan's heroic appearance in Baishui a few months ago. I will never forget it. I don't want to do it again."
We meet again in the city today. The winter is bitterly cold, but we still work hard on the road. Our loyalty and diligence are admirable!"
Li Tai also hurriedly clasped his fists in return and said with a smile: "Although it is sooner or later to get involved, the favor is the same. Bai Tugong and others are all seniors in the service and have made outstanding achievements. The younger generation is lucky to be in the same rank. Only by working hard can we be worthy of each other."
I’m so ashamed!”
Xin Wei's ancestral home was in Longxi, but his family had lived in Beidi County several generations ago. When He Bayue entered the pass, he led his troops to rise up in the countryside and follow them to quell the rebellion. Later, he and his generals returned to Daxingtai to lead the founding of the Western Wei Dynasty.
He has participated in several battles and is also a brave general with great achievements. Now he is also given the title of Grand Governor, but his rank is much higher than that of Li Tai.
Although Xin Wei was famous for his bravery in battle, he was not an ordinary warrior who prided himself on being rough and wild. He was also very polite to Li Tai, a sudden guest, and the staff prepared a simple meal in the hall to entertain him.
When he heard Li Tai's excuse for his trip, he sighed and said: "The people of Kansai are known for their simplicity and righteousness, but they have been repeatedly harassed by thieves since Zhengguang, and the hometown sentiment collapsed due to military disasters, making it difficult to reunite.
Being concerned about the chaos in the countryside and hating evil as much as hatred really moved people like us on the surface."
"Where the Tao lies, the masses strive to follow it. If the people are united, the rule will not be far away. I have taken the liberty to visit you today, and I would like to ask Bai Tugong, are there rampant thieves in the nearby areas?"
Li Tai said polite words and carefully observed Xin Wei's expression. Although he felt in his heart that this incident was probably a self-inflicted theft, he did not rule out the possibility of powerful military leaders in the situation taking action. Xin Wei was gaining momentum in the situation.
Being the biggest, he is also the most aware of any trouble.
"If we talk about thieves, there are indeed a few. There are often thieves wandering in the north of Fuping. The villagers build fences to protect themselves, and there are soldiers and horses patrolling the city to drive them away. It is not a big problem. There are also a few wandering tribes.
…”
If the thieves in Kansai are not specifically referred to, they are generally referred to as Jihu. When Li Tai heard that there were wandering activities of the Jihu tribe in this area, he couldn't help but sigh that these Jihu were so pervasive that their tribes were distributed everywhere.
The scope of Yueyang Defense Guard is extremely wide. The entire Weibei Plain and the junctions of Yongzhou, Beiyongzhou, Huazhou, and Beihuazhou are all patrolled here. Therefore, the several gangsters under Xinwei are also distributed over a very wide range, including
He learned about the disappearance of Liu Min's department.
"Those who are able work hard. Fortunately, Bai Tugong is here to take charge. Otherwise, thieves on the front line in Weibei will become more rampant and the villagers will suffer even more!"
Li Tai first paid a compliment, and then asked: "I would like to ask Bai Tugong. There is a lot of trouble in the territory. Should the Fangcheng disciples leave immediately after hearing the news, or do they have other plans to go back and forth?"
"It is better to focus on self-defense in each territory, and coordinate the defense of the city. If there is no serious danger of siege and attack on the city, the state officials must report it, otherwise they cannot leave Jingyuan lightly. When traveling on official business, it is also necessary to report and assist in defense.
Send out troops to guide and protect us. Li Cheng, your order is appended here. If you encounter danger, you can send envoys to call for reinforcements."
Xin Wei patiently replied that this does not involve any military secrets. If the city defense does not also hold the title of governor and county official, it is generally not under local jurisdiction and is mainly used to defend strategic strategic points and large city strongholds.
"It seems that although the city defense affairs are difficult and complicated, there are also many restrictions!"
Li Tai sighed after hearing this, and Xin Wei also said: "So I also deeply envy Li for his ability to do his job, and his long history and achievements. Before, he traveled to Beizhou and gained a lot. Although I am more focused on my job, I still have a lot of achievements."
It’s also enviable but impossible.”
Li Tai just smiled after hearing this. Rules are one thing, but actual execution is another. All kinds of personnel disturbances in Kansai, if everything follows the rules, a small disorder can turn into a big disaster.
Before, he did not even hold the rank of a unified military officer, but he achieved a lot in northern Shaanxi, which did not prevent him from judging his merits afterwards.
Xin Wei's family is already powerful in the north, and his subordinates are much more powerful than Li Tai. Although he himself has the restriction of being in office, he can send his subordinates to do private work without any delay.
If he really wants to cause something big like Li Tai, even if he doesn't come forward to be rewarded, he can still let the clan members express their merits in the name of their hometown. Of course, this is just polite, and it does not mean that he will really abide by the rules.
Regardless of whether Xin Wei and Yue Yangfang were suspected or not, Li Tai did not intend to prematurely reveal the true purpose of his trip. He also asked about the banditry around Zheng Guoqu, and then planned to get up and leave, and go to meet his subordinates outside the city.
But before he could say goodbye, Xin Wei looked at him eagerly and said, "I have something to ask Mr. Li during the reception today. The portable grain cake you created before is indeed a good resource for the army. , I was able to conquer Beizhou in the past, and my soldiers were not expensive to raise, so I think I also had a lot of material resources.
To be honest, I also asked my slaves to make some imitations, but the finished products were not as good as the ones I saw here last year. This summer, when I participated in the garrison of the river defense, the troops of Zhao Huqi, the sergeant, were seriously exhausted because of the mold in the grain cakes. It is even more impressive that the craftsmanship is so profound that it is difficult to copy. So I would like to ask the dealer, if there is some surplus of this item in the warehouse, can I barter it and give it to a batch?"
Li Tai couldn't help but feel happy when he heard this. Making and selling military rations was originally a business he had planned. Unfortunately, Yu Wentai disrupted this place last year and put it on hold.
Originally, he wanted to wait until the time was right to restart it. The grain cakes produced by the manor are now only shared by Hui Hui for his own use. Recently, he has taken over the military power and is enjoying fighting to support war. He has long forgotten this matter. But I didn't expect that a business would come to me.
Although he was currently planning to steal the golden bodies of the Buddhas, but in line with the principle of broadening his financial resources and mosquito legs are also meat, he smiled at Xin Wei and said: "It's not that I am humble about my skills, this method of making food It is true that the procedures are cumbersome, because military use requires more caution, and the misfortune suffered by Zhongshan Gongsuo's department should be taken seriously, so I dare not teach this method to others lightly. There is indeed some leftover in the work of the disciples, if Bai Tugong needs it , just let people take it directly.”
"It is difficult to maintain personnel, and everyone in charge is trapped in material resources. The materials are not obtained out of thin air, so how can I shamelessly beg for them? I have benefited a lot from being able to work with Li to balance the surplus and the shortage!"
Xin Wei did not take Li Tai's kind words seriously, and quickly expressed his stance seriously, saying that he would send people to Shang Yuan to discuss the deal, and sent Li Taili out of the city, as well as ten sheep as gifts for his troops to eat in the camp.
After Li Tai entered the camp, Liu Min hurried up to greet him and asked in a low voice: "What I saw in Yibo Mountain, is Bai Tugong here suspected of being involved in the incident?"
After hearing this, Li Tai shook his head: "Baitu Gong has a lot of wealth and a strong position. He should not be greedy for frivolous things and damage his reputation and future."
The crime of robbing a defeated official is not a small crime. Li Tai saw that Xin Wei was neither arrogant and forgetful nor greedy. He already had a high position of power, and there was really no need to engage in such dirty things. .
Liu Min was quite convinced by Li Tai's judgment, and he breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this: "As long as no strong soldiers are involved, the matter is not dangerous and there is still room for redemption..."
Li Tai smiled and nodded in agreement, but in his heart he felt that Liu Min looked down on him. Do you think I am not a strong soldier or a strong general? This chapter has been completed!