Hanhou

When Liu Rong and his entourage arrived in Yanmen County, Feng Zhidu ordered to check the county and re-register the household registration.The senior officials and young officials in the county are so busy that their feet do not touch the ground every day, and the three elders, wanderers, and cowards in the village are also not idle.

When the team passed Mayi, they met three pavilion chiefs in a row, each holding a hemp rope in his hand, and behind the rope were the rangers, rogues and villains captured during the investigation.

Generally speaking, these people wander around the countryside, as long as they don't commit serious crimes, the official temple seldom orders arrest people.

It's a pity that they met Zhidu, and unfortunately encountered the big case of assassinating the prefect of Yunzhong. Naturally, they couldn't be as indulgent as before.In addition, the villagers were fed up with these idlers and rascals, and they went to the official temple to report.The counties posted notices one after another, and the county lieutenant even personally led troops to capture people.

The immediate boss has already done something, so you and the pavilion chief can't do nothing.In the vicinity of Mayi alone, the number of rangers and rogues arrested exceeds double digits.

Mayi is not a big city in Yanmen County, but a place where horses were raised in Qin Dynasty.After the founding of the Han Dynasty, horses were still raised here, but there were no counties and townships, and only lieutenants and horse officials were in charge.Looking around, in addition to groups of war horses and pack horses, there are only sporadic gatherings and fortresses where troops are stationed.

Different from what Liu Rong saw in the outskirts of Chang'an, these frontier residents have walls made of rammed earth, some of them will pile up mud bricks or erect wooden planks on the top of the walls, and some will set up simple arrow towers as lookouts and For warning purposes.

When Liu Rong went north, Empress Dowager Dou ordered people to send a large amount of silk, copper coins and millet.And there are more than 30 healthy riders and several strong servants.

The cart was arranged in advance outside the city without attracting any attention.

Liu Rong didn't want to accept it.

Although he was abolished as a commoner and no longer belonged to the clan, he was still the Liu family after all. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, he was exempted from all corvees.After entering the border county, reclaiming wasteland and housing land, life is definitely not related to hardship.Bringing these money silks may attract people's eyes.

As if expecting this kind of development, the leader Qi Tong handed over a bamboo slip, saying that it was the order of Queen Mother Dou, and asked Liu Rong to read it carefully.

Unfolding the bamboo slips and scanning the contents, Liu Rong's face changed slightly.Looking at the cavalry boys in front of them, they were all tall and burly, with evil spirits on their bodies, and they had obviously been on the battlefield.

It is impossible for the emperor not to know that Changle Palace sent such a person.

What's more, there is the arrangement of the emperor.

Liu Rong smiled wryly, completely giving up the idea of ​​sending him back.

In any case, he must stay with these people.

Because there were too many things to carry and there were no signs symbolizing the clan and nobles on the car, many people along the way regarded Liu Rong and his party as a caravan, thinking that they were carrying grain and silk to the border county for trade.

When the team rested halfway, a bold hunter brought the prey he had caught and wanted to exchange it for corn from Liu Rong.

Qi Tong wanted to drink people away, but was stopped by Liu Rong.

After seeing the hare and deer brought by Orion, Liu Rong turned to ask Yunmei.After a few words, Liu Rong nodded, ordered his loyal servant to unload the truck, and exchanged for fifteen hares and two deer at a price [-]% higher than the market price.

The hares were all shot into the eye sockets with one arrow, and the fur was not damaged in any way.The two deer are very strong, with sharp antlers, and the wounds are distributed on both sides of the neck. It must be taken by many people.

Putting the corn onto the carriage, Orion thanked Liu Rong for his generosity, touched his body, and took out two sharp canine teeth.

"This is the tooth of a tiger. Don't dislike it. When you have a child, hang this thing in front of the door. The young man will be strong and brave."

The Han style favored martial arts, whether it was Huang Sheng, who admired Taoism, or Confucian students who worshiped Confucianism, they all wore swords.Regardless of the long sword or the short sword, they can hurt people when they are drawn out of the sheath, which is very different from "decorations".

The folk custom is like this, to praise someone's children for their good looks, it must be compared with tigers, leopards and bears.Regardless of the boy, the same is true for the girl.After all, during the Han Dynasty, daughters born to wives also had the right to inherit, such as Wei Qingmo.But there is a premise, you can't marry outside, you need to find a son-in-law.

Orion sent Huya with blessings and sincerity.

Liu Rong accepted it with a smile, put away one by himself, and handed the other to Yunmei.The girl clenched her fingers tightly, a blush appeared on her face.

Orion left with the millet, and the convoy continued on the road.

Considering the long journey, Liu Rong's carriage was built after An Che, with a cover on the top and boards on three sides, so he could sit on it.The interior has been remodeled, and you can also lie down and rest.

There was a cage in one corner of the carriage. Yunmei opened the lid, took out a leather robe and put it on Liu Rong.

"Sir, the weather gets colder in the north, can you get used to it?"

Liu Rong smiled, unfolded his cloak, held Yunmei in his arms, leaned against the car, and said gently: "It is indeed colder than Chang'an, and it is also different from Jiangling City. To live here for a long time, I need Amedo to make it for me." A few leather robes."

Yunmei nodded, leaning in Liu Rong's arms, thinking of the letter she sent before, and thinking of meeting her family soon, she was inevitably a little excited.

"homesick?"

The two get along for a long time, and Liu Rong can easily guess Yunmei's mind.

The girl didn't have any cover in front of him, and the longer they were together, the more pity he felt.After asking Yunmei to be his wife, he said that he would not marry another wife, and that the girl would not call him "lord" as a concubine, but "beautiful man".

At first Yunmei hesitated, but Liu Rong held her hands with a smile, and finally opened her mouth slowly, saying the word "beloved".

The loyal servants who followed Liu Rong respected Yunmei very much, and the riding boys and servants rewarded by Empress Dowager Dou were not qualified to speak.

From Chang'an to Bianjun, Yunmei gradually adapted to her new identity, and lost the last bit of restraint when getting along with Liu Rong.

The convoy passed Mayi and set foot on the road leading directly to the county town.

You can occasionally see gatherings in villages along the roadside, but unfortunately most of them have been abandoned.Overgrown with weeds and covered with snow, the ruined walls became hiding places for small animals.

Along the way, Liu Rong has a deeper understanding of the hardships of the border people.He finally understood how difficult it was for Wei Shang to sit in Yunzhong since the time of the first emperor, to protect the safety of one side, and to drive the Huns to the grassland, so that they would not dare to set foot in the county.

Ten miles away from the county town, the passing village Liju finally gained popularity, and the number of pedestrians on the road began to increase.In addition to the border residents and the officials who arrested the thieves, there were also some merchants and peddlers, some were resting and gossiping by the roadside, and some were speeding up and rushing to the city.

After another three miles, Liu Rong and his party met the army coming out of the city.

The leading military marquis rode his horse and whipped his whip, obviously entrusted with important tasks.Liu Rong immediately ordered the cavalry boy and the loyal servant to give way, and waited for the cavalry to pass by, then assembled the cart and continued on the road.

Due to the snow on the way, the speed of the convoy slowed down again and again, and it did not arrive at Yanmen County City until the evening.

The county city was built in Shanwu, and it was a fortress in Qin Dynasty.

The city wall is made of rammed earth. It has been battered repeatedly, and the wall is mottled and has many potholes, but it has always stood firm.

There are gates on all sides of the county city, and there are army guards in front of the gates.Unlike Chang'an City, the gates of Yanmen County City are high enough, but very limited in width, and can even be called narrow.Especially in the north, only two horses can be accommodated in parallel.

Liu Rong's team entered the city from the south, showed the wooden sign to the guarding army, verified their identity, and was escorted by a group of soldiers to the prefect's mansion in the south of the city.

"Your Excellency, please."

Even though Liu Rong was dressed in short brown, the army did not neglect in the slightest.

Liu Rong wanted to explain, saying that he was no longer a noble person.But the door of the mansion opened at this time, and an official wearing a cloth crown and holding several books of bamboo slips walked out of the door.

"The master of the Yanmen sect is in charge of Fang, and the gentleman is very polite."

Liu Rongzheng bowed his hands to the opponent.

Knowing the purpose of Liu Rong's visit, Fang Fang didn't say much else, and went straight to the point, saying that Zhi Zhi was not in the mansion, and was being interrogated and beheaded by prisoners in the north of the city.

"To the eunuch to supervise and kill himself?" Liu Rong didn't think that the master book was perfunctory to him, but based on his knowledge of more than 20 years, he really didn't expect such a development.

"There are officials in the county who committed crimes, and their family is very famous, and when the Huns invaded, they would not retreat, and they were full of heroic souls." Fang Fang sighed, his voice became low, "It's a pity that the living is unworthy."

The chief secretary didn't continue to speak down, and Liu Rong didn't ask any more. He declined the proposal of entering the mansion, and asked the motorcade to stop on the side of the road, and then waited respectfully in front of the prefect's mansion, waiting for Zhidu to return.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long, and Zhidu's frame returned from the north.

Seeing Liu Rong in front of the mansion, Zhidu's reaction was very normal, still with a cold face, he didn't even invite him into the backyard, and went directly to the front hall to do business, and arranged Liu Rong and his party to Woyang, north of Shanwu county.

Woyang was originally a large county. Last year when the Huns invaded, the county magistrate and county lieutenant died in battle, and the county magistrate lost an arm. Now he is acting as the county magistrate temporarily.Most of the young and strong in the county died in battle, and most of the old people died. Women and children either died under the sword of the Huns or were taken away.

The county where caravans used to come and go is now dead, and more than half of the Liju villages under its jurisdiction are deserted.

"Dare to ask the envoy, after the glory arrives, may the field be opened?"

Knowing the situation in Woyang, the first thing Liu Rong thought of was population and food.He is not without talent, otherwise he would not have governed the Linjiang Kingdom well and won the love of the people in the country.

The Huns were a great threat to the border counties of the Han Dynasty. To stop this butcher knife from the north, population and food were the top priorities.

Only when there are people can there be soldiers, only when there is food can the soldiers be fed, and only when they are full can they go to battle and kill the enemy.

Zhidu checked the population in the county and re-registered the household registration. The ultimate goal was to bloodlet the grassland, but before the bloodletting, the problem of the source of soldiers and military rations must also be solved.

"Yes." Zhidu took the bamboo slips, took a pen and wrote a warrant, and handed it to Liu Rong face to face.

After reading its content, Liu Rong's eyes flashed with surprise.

"Your Majesty, don't be suspicious, what I do will not lie to the Son of Heaven."

Liu Rong nodded and carefully put away the bamboo slips.

"There is another matter, I need to ask the prefect."

Liu Rong asked himself to guard the border, but he was not included in the army. Traveling with a good nationality is not restricted.But after all, he has a special status, and he needs to ask Zhidu whether he can leave Yanmen County.

"Can Rong go to the cloud?"

"In the cloud?"

Hearing Liu Rong's explanation of the reason, Zhi Du thought for a while, then nodded and said: "There are often spies and bandits in the border county, and you need to bring enough people when you go out."

"Thank you, Prefect."

After the matter was settled, Liu Rong thanked Zhidu and got up to leave.

He wants to open up wasteland, and in addition to hired farming, he also needs labor-saving farm tools and improved seeds.In this regard, Yunzhong County is obviously a leader.

In addition, besides buying farm tools and taking Yunmei to meet his family, he also wanted to meet Zhao's son in Shaling County.With the riding boy sent by Empress Dowager Dou, he can move more freely without worrying about making mistakes, which makes everything today a mirror image.

Back at the temporary foothold, Liu Rong wrote a letter and sent it to Yunzhong County.The next day, we bid farewell to Zhidu and set off north to Woyang County.

The people who delivered the letter worked on their horses and arrived in Shaling County very quickly.

Yunmei's parents were overjoyed when they knew that their eldest daughter would be in Yunzhong, but at the same time they were apprehensive, and couldn't sleep peacefully for several days.

Zhao Jia received Liu Rong's personal letter, and was very puzzled about the reason why the former Linjiang King wanted to see him.Feeling unsure, he wrote a short message and asked Wei Tong to send it to Wei Yue's residence.

The fortress in Hu City has not yet been built, and Wei Yue led the cavalry to station at the border. There were not enough houses, so he simply lived in tents like the Hu people.

However, unlike the Hu Ministry, the tents in the barracks were neatly and orderly, and the walls were built with snow and water, wooden turret guard posts were erected, and several catapults were set up inside the walls.

If Zhao Jia walked into the barracks, he would immediately find that these catapults were very similar to the ones he sent into the city, and they were more flexible than those used by the army.It cannot be used to attack the city, but it is more than enough to guard the barracks.

When Wei Tong rode his horse to arrive, Wei Yue had just spread out the map in the tent and drew his fingers on it, obviously planning where to go to clear the map in the next stage.

"Third son!"

Wei Tong clasped his fists in salute and presented Zhao Jia's letter.

The wooden tablets are not sealed with mud, and after unfolding, there is a faint scent of ink.

After reading the content, Wei Yue did not reply, and directly ordered Wei Tong to pass the message: "Tell Ah Duo, this matter should be reported to Ah Weng. On the day of the meeting, send someone to the barracks to find me."

"promise!"

Wei Tong clasped his fists and left, jumped on his horse, and quickly disappeared into the wind and snow.

Wei Yue rolled up the map and stepped out of the tent.

The sound of the horn sounded in the barracks, and except for those left behind, all the rest got on their horses.

Today's cloud cavalry all wear high saddles and stirrups, military marquises, village chiefs, and team leaders have iron armor, and the rest have leather armor.In addition to strong bows, knights wear long blades and are equipped with short spears and round shields.

There is a piece of armor wrapped in front of the horse's head, and the armor is embedded with sharp thorns. When it charges and hits, it can exert terrifying lethality.

Strictly speaking, this cavalry has been out of the category of cavalry archers, but it cannot be classified as heavy cavalry.As far as its arms are concerned, they are still being explored and developed.But no one can deny that this team of thousands of people is a perfect killing machine, and every time it steps into the grassland, it will set off a bloodbath.

The horns of the Han army sounded, and the sound of rumbling horseshoes shattered the ground.

The surrendered Qiang warriors also started to act, armed with bows and arrows, jumped on their horses, followed behind the Han army, and marched towards the grassland together.

Yunzhong County seldom enlisted Hu cavalry as leading soldiers, and there were restrictions on auxiliary soldiers, but they couldn't hold back the Qiang people's desire to follow and fight.Witnessing Wei Yue's return from victories several times, the leaders of the three other tribes almost hugged their legs and asked to follow them into battle.If you go out, you will win, and if you win, you will get back the cattle and sheep. A fool would not do it!

If the main soldiers are not able to become auxiliary soldiers, they do not need the Han army to pay food and salary, and they are allowed to participate in the battle. After the battle, they can snatch the spoils!

Over time, every time Wei Yue went to Prairie Qingtu to train troops, there would be Qiang cavalry following him, and the scale continued to expand.Now that the horn of the Han army is sounding, the warriors of the Qiang tribe do not need to be summoned at all. They grab their weapons and mount their horses and leave.

The leaders of these three Qiang tribes were able to follow Lanji as envoys, so their status among other tribes was naturally not low.They knew the cavalry of the Huns and the terrifying combat effectiveness of the cavalry of the headquarters.

It is precisely because of their understanding that they hugged their thighs desperately after they had seen riding in the cloud.

As long as Wei Shang continues to sit in the cloud, as long as Wei Yue is still galloping on the grassland, as long as Yun Zhongqi continues to crush Hu Bu, they will wholeheartedly be the pendant on the leg of the emperor of Han, and they will not be able to tear it off.

Han cavalry roared past, followed by Qiang cavalry.

Accompanied by the sound of desolate horns, the cavalry broke through the wind and snow, like a sharp long arrow, piercing fiercely into the grassland.