Great Wei Overlord

Chapter 173 The Mysterious Merchant

Chapter 177 The Mysterious Merchant

The State of Wei won a major victory in the Battle of Liangjun, and the [-]-strong Northern Expedition Army of the Jin Dynasty was almost wiped out.

Although the Wei army was victorious, the burden they carried was not small. Among them, more than 3 prisoners of war were captured. This is more than 3 mouths, and they need to eat more than 400 shi of grain every day.

What's more, this time Ran Ming also got dozens of cities and hundreds of thousands of people in Liang County and Qiao County.

Not only do the captives need to be fed, but also the people in the newly occupied cities are waiting to be fed, and there are at most three months of spring plowing. These hundreds of thousands of people need a lot of grain seeds and farming tools.

God knows how long this battle will last, and Ran Ming is even more uncertain. If he misses the next year's spring plowing, Wei Guo will still have a very sad life tomorrow.

"Your Highness!" Seeing Ran Ming's distressed expression, Yang Hui, who joined the army, said, "From the perspective of a lowly position, it's better to release these captives, we can also save a lot of food!"

"Can't let go!" Ran Ming shook his head and said: "These captives are not recruits on the battlefield, they have already overcome the fear of recruits on the battlefield, at least they will not faint at the sight of blood, as long as a little training, they will be a good fighting force It is much easier than training recruits alone. Besides, as long as they accept Wei, they can pick up their families from the Jin Dynasty. In this way, our Wei can get a large number of people. No matter how difficult it is, we can Made it through!"

"Huan Wen's Central Northern Expeditionary Army has arrived in Luyang and is taking a defensive position along Xiangcheng. It seems that Huan Wen does not plan to launch an offensive in winter, and plans to drag the war until next spring. The weather is warm, and the southern soldiers are not used to the severe cold in the north, so , we will definitely miss the spring plowing tomorrow!" Yang Hui continued: "In this way, our situation next year will be even more difficult!"

Ran Ming thought for a while and said: "Qingzhou still has grain in stock. The business alliance bought a lot of grain from Jiangnan, and it will definitely be enough. I plan to ask Lu Yan of Qingzhou to transfer 60 shi of grain and [-] cattle from Qingzhou. In this way, the spring plowing in Luozhou can continue, but it will take time to transport the grain from Qingzhou, and it will take two months at the fastest, so the current period is the most difficult."

Yang Hui pondered for a long time, then sighed: "Our Hongnong Yang family still has some money and food, which can support us for a while! If we add other gentry families, I think we should be able to cope with the current difficulties! It's just that spring plowing can't be delayed. Otherwise, even if the Yang family gives everything they have, there is no other way! The best way at present is to stop the war with the Jin Dynasty and fight to the death after the spring plowing is completed!"

Ran Ming smiled wryly in his heart, the Huan Wen Northern Expedition was actually not for the country or the nation, but to establish personal prestige, so that he could use his personal prestige to add a yellow robe and stand in place of the Jin Dynasty.Although Ran Ming knew what Huan Wen was thinking, he couldn't deal with him.

Seeing Ran Ming's distressed expression, Yang Hui said, "His Royal Highness, it's actually not too difficult to deal with Huan Wen. Since Huan Wen pacified Bashu, his prestige has increased greatly, and he has been at odds with the Jin court. Although Huan Wen and the Jin Dynasty have not turned their faces In fact, there is already a estrangement between them, and their prejudices are deep. If His Highness sends people to spread rumors in Jiankang that Huan Wen intends to capture Luoyang and proclaim himself emperor in Luoyang, then the Jin Dynasty will definitely not allow Huan Wen to use the Northern Expedition to establish his personal prestige as he wished!"

Rumors, Ran Ming remembered the prophecy that appeared in Tongguan back then.Ran Ming suddenly had an idea.

Xie Ai gave Ran Ming a trick in Tongtou. Although Xie Ai was smart, his methods were not too clever. Xie Ai had a sense of the limitations of his time.

Although Ran Ming is not a magic stick, he can still bluff many people if he wants to pretend to be a ghost. Although this era is not like later generations, there are ready-made knowledge of chemistry and physics that can be used, but Ran Ming can still use his thousand years of knowledge , to create miracles.

"Come here!" Ran Ming shouted to the guards, "Tell Hu Guang to come see Gu!"

Ran Ming established Tianyan, an intelligence organization, managed by Jing Zhan.Although Jing Zhan is deaf, he is very smart, and he also knows what organization Clinging Eye is.

Ran Ming has unlimited trust in Jing Zhan, like Tianyan, Qilin Guard, and his Chu Palace guards are all managed by Jing Zhan.

Jing Zhan also understands the truth that prosperity must decline, he only has a name in Tianyan, and the specific leader of Tianyan is Hu Guang, a boy under 14 years old.

At this time, Hu Guang was dressed very maturely.He imitated Ran Ming everywhere, but the imitation was a bit jerky, as if Dong Shi was imitating him.

"See His Royal Highness the King of Chu for humble positions!" Hu Guang saluted Ran Ming respectfully.

"Freedom from courtesy!" Ran Ming said, "How much power does Jiankang have in our Heavenly Eye?"

Hu Guang said without hesitation, "Reporting to His Highness the King of Chu, Tianyan has a branch in Jiankang, with one sub-rudder master and three deputy sub-rudder masters, who are responsible for intelligence spying, special operations, and dead space respectively! The core members of the Communist Party of China 37 people, 170 peripheral members!"

Ran Ming nodded. Although Hu Guang was young, his abilities were not weak, and the Sky Eye developed extremely rapidly in his hands.Today, Tianyan has developed a main rudder for Wei, five sub-rudders, sub-rudders for Liang, sub-rudders for Yan, sub-rudders for Dai, sub-rudders for Qin, and sub-rudders for Jin.Today, in addition to the original training members, Tianyan has developed nearly a thousand members to join.

Ran Ming handed Hu Guang a letter, and then said: "Use internal channels and use the fastest speed to convey this task to the Jiankang sub-helm, and execute it immediately! Therefore, the members who participated in the operation, immediately transferred back to Qingzhou Lecture Hall, as an intelligence instructor! Be careful to keep it secret!"

……

Luyang, which is now Lushan County, Henan Province, is the main road connecting Luoyang to Nanyang in the north, and is now under the jurisdiction of Nanyang County.

Currently guarding Luyang City in the Jin Dynasty is the guerrilla general Mao Anzhi, who is the younger brother of the champion general Mao Husheng (formerly Mao Muzhi) under Huan Wen's command.Mao Anzhi inherited the spirit of his father Mao Bao's commitment to the Northern Expedition. He was Huan Wen's minion in name, but in fact he was a confidant secretly promoted by Sima Yu, the chief regent of the Jin Dynasty.

At this time, Mao Anzhi relied on the relationship of his elder brother Mao Husheng, and Huan Wen trusted him abnormally.

Not only for trust, but also for handing over Luyang, the gateway bordering Wei Jun, to him for defense.

Although Huan Wen was disgraced by Qin Chong in Liang County, the East Route Army was almost wiped out.

But Mao Anzhi understood that after losing more than [-] soldiers and horses from the Northern Expeditionary Army on the East Road, Huan Wen was fine.All that was lost was the power of the Jin court.At this time, he was most worried that the East Route Army was lost, the West Route Northern Expeditionary Army Xie Shang and Xie Shang were all in Hanzhong, and the Jiankang guards were empty. If Huan Wen suddenly turned around, the Jin Dynasty might face annihilation!

At this time, Mao Anzhi is even more cautious, because his own three thousand plays will be the only key straw that can change the balance of victory.

On the gate tower of Luyang City, Mao Anzhi's eyes were bloodshot. He was secretly anxious every day and night, worried about the future of the Jin Dynasty. Now he clearly felt that there was an inexplicable undercurrent in the Central Route Army.

The sky was gradually getting dark, and the weather was getting colder and colder. For a long time, living in Jiankang made Mao Anzhi a little unaccustomed to the cold in Luyang!

At this time, a huge team appeared at the gate of the city, with nearly a hundred carts filled with mountain goods and medicinal materials. There were large herds of cattle and sheep in the middle of the team, and the horses were loaded with furs. This is a typical example. Although the caravan escorted a slightly larger number of cavalry, it still did not arouse Mao Anzhi's suspicion.

Caravans in this era are actually no different from bandits. If they can do business normally, they will do it. When there are few people, they will rob if they can.What's more, in troubled times, there are many refugees and bandits, and there are fewer guards. It's like delivering food!

There were more than 300 cavalry guards in the caravan. Mao Anzhi had no doubts, but in the end he still saw something unusual.These guards all carried a strong murderous aura. As a caravan guard who licked blood from the knife edge, it is not too surprising to have a murderous aura.

What puzzled Mao Anzhi was that these caravan guard cavalry did not seem to be protecting the caravan at all, but marched in the middle. Although they had guard guards on the periphery, they were not guarding the caravan's goods, but the caravan's goods. A key figure in the Cavalry Guard.

Seeing this, Mao Anzhi grinned, raised the Zhangba spear in his hand, and ordered: "The people in the city stop for inspection!"

As soon as Mao Anzhi finished speaking, the obese shopkeeper of the caravan said, "I am the shopkeeper of the Gu's business in Wujun County. May I ask what your job is, General?"

Mao An was startled.

"Gu Shi?"

The Gu family of Wujun is one of the four great gentry families in the south of the Yangtze River. Although the prestige is not as high as Langya Wang's, Chen Jun's Xie's, and Taiyuan Wang's, the Gu's is not a role that everyone can handle. !

As Sima Rui traveled eastward to establish the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the northern and southern gentry squeezed each other out, fighting openly and secretly.A native of Yangwu in Xingyang (now Yuanyang, Henan), he belonged to a family that migrated from the north to the south.

Although checking the caravan is a trivial matter, if it is not done well, it will rise to the height of the confrontation between the northern and southern aristocratic families. Mao Anzhi was silent. He actually had no evidence and did not dare to arrest people indiscriminately.

However, as a guerrilla general, he still has the right to inspect the caravan's goods!

"Stop, all stop for inspection!" Mao Anzhi yelled: "The general suspects that your caravan is carrying prohibited items!"

Speaking of nearly a hundred soldiers of the Jin army surrounded all the vehicles of the caravan, and began to open the tarpaulins and boxes one by one.Naturally, the Gu's caravan would not take the trouble to transport the forbidden items of the Jin Dynasty, they just took the goods normally.The inspection, of course, found nothing.

At this moment, Mao Anzhi came to a middle-aged man who was nearly forty years old and dressed as an accountant.Mao An had noticed earlier that there were more than [-] cavalry guards, but in fact he was the only one protecting him.

Mao Anzhi pointed a gun at the middle-aged man and said, "Who are you? Do you hold any position in the caravan?"

(End of this chapter)