The content of the discussion is nothing more than the changes in Hebei over the years. Among them, a group of merchants came from the west road, passed through Dingjun Mountain, and prepared to return to Hebei County when the wind and snow eased. Travelers and merchants chatted in the inn, and what they said more or less reached Li Yanqiu's ears.
Regarding Hebei, the most important point is not the gradual recovery of people's livelihood this autumn and winter, nor the preferential tax treatment of the imperial court, but the only four thousand soldiers and horses in Hejian and Yecheng, Hebei Commander Wu Du, retreated twice. Yuan people's army of 60,000.
This portends that in the three years since Li Jianhong's death, perhaps Da Chen finally has a general who can resist the invasion of the northern barbarians. Nine years ago, it was in such a winter that news of a mutiny came from the north, and Li Jianhong, the king of Beiliang, was relieved of his military power. After several transfers, two lieutenants guarded Tongguan and Yubiguan. The Liao State blocked the northern barrier.
In the past three years, with the defeat of Shangjing and the death of Yelu Dashi, the Liao Kingdom faced the constant intrusion of Yuan people, and its territory has been further squeezed. . Now that the Hebei Army has risen again, many people see hope in it.
"What do you think of him?" Li Yanqiu asked casually.
Zheng Yan sat behind Li Yanqiu and replied, "I can afford it, I can put it down, with his father's temper and open-mindedness."
The traveler outside the screen was talking about Wangshan, the prefect of Hebei, that is, Duan Ling. Li Yanqiu listened for a while and couldn't help but think of the past.
"Call someone in." Li Yanqiu said.
Zheng Yan went out to say hello, first inviting everyone in the station to drink, and then calling in a fat businessman.
Li Yanqiu politely greeted him for tea, the merchant surnamed Wang, and after a few words of greetings, Li Yanqiu introduced himself as Li, a historian who had traveled south from Shandong and was planning to go to Jiangzhou City to study history.
Li Yanqiu naturally carried the temperament of a scholar, and the businessman smiled and said some customs and knowledge in the west, most of which were related to the people of the party and the Liao.
"Why did Xiongtai go to Hebei?" Li Yanqiu asked.
"My wife sent a letter." The merchant said, "He said that Hebei has been exempted from taxes, and the prefect is recruiting caravans. In preparation for the spring of the coming year, they will organize officials and merchants to do business with Shandong, Shanxi and other places."
Li Yanqiu asked again: "How is the situation in Hebei now?"
"It's okay," said the merchant, "at least it's better than the south. The taxes in the south are too heavy, and the trade routes into Sichuan have been levied heavy taxes for more than ten years. It is said that when the new prefect first took office, he paid his own military salaries from his own pocket. Scrape some people's fat and people's cream. I think the court is anxious, if Hebei doesn't get up again, everyone will run out, and the army will not be recruited, so what are you going to use to fight against the Yuan people?"
Li Yanqiu replied, "There will always be someone to guard the north."
"Yes." Xingshang said, "I don't know what my plan is today, I don't know when to call back."
Li Yanqiu substituted tea for wine, toasted him, and sent him out. The businessman walked out of the screen, and told his friends that he was a scholar and a historian, and he would always inquire about all kinds of news along the way.
"His temper is too soft." Li Yanqiu said, "He is soft-hearted. If he was in a peaceful and prosperous world, it would be very good."
Zheng Yan didn't dare to comment, and Li Yanqiu asked again, "How's the guy in the woodshed?"
"Give me something to eat." Zheng Yan said, "I just went to see it, and I'm falling asleep."
Li Yanqiu said: "The days are short and the nights are long. If nothing happens, you should rest first."
Zheng Yan nodded and stepped back outside the screen. Li Yanqiu drank tea alone and thought about it for a while. The cold wind was howling outside, and it got dark. The inn is still brightly lit, drinkers drink, gossips gossip.
Lang Junxia dozed off leaning against the firewood room, with a small brazier in front of him, crackling and burning. Occasionally, wind and snow spilled in from the cracks of the door, and pieces fell on the fire and melted silently.
In the dark night, the mountains fell into darkness, and occasionally the rustling of wolf howls through the snow came from afar.
Suddenly, a faint bark woke Lang Junxia.
The bark stopped abruptly, as if it was suddenly choked off by something, Lang Junxia suddenly opened his eyes, swept the snow, threw himself on the fire, extinguished the brazier, staggered up, leaned over to the crack of the door and looked out.
Assassins dressed in black came from all directions, and with a soft noise, they turned over to the room and crouched on the roof, each holding a strong crossbow.
Lang Junxia held his breath, picked up a piece of firewood, and pressed the door with one hand. Just as he was about to push the door to go out, the voice of a soldier was heard outside.
"who?!"
"There is an ambush!" Someone yelled.
Immediately after a "crash" sound, the tiles scattered, and the assassins fell from the sky. The bricks and tiles in the inn collapsed, and the sleeping merchants were suddenly awakened and panicked. The poisonous arrows flew in all directions, and after a while, there was silence, and there was only a dead silence in the inn.
The leader of the assassin was wearing a black hood, tall, and raised the quilt behind the screen with his sword.
The place where Li Yanqiu was supposed to be sleeping was empty.
In the backyard, a sword gently pushed open the firewood room door. When Lang Junxia was about to shoot, he found that it was Zheng Yan. Zheng Yan's lips moved, signaling "go", and Lang Junxia followed him out and got on the horse behind the station. Everyone shook the reins tacitly, and the war horses set off at the same time, escaping from the station.
The assassin heard the sound of hooves and immediately spotted them. The man in the lead blew the whistle, and everyone shot arrows from the roof. Ben Xiao took the lead, threw off the dark arrow behind him, left the station with more than ten horses, and rushed to the trail.
Assassins descended one after another, but running on foot could not catch up with Li Yanqiu's team.
The Cang River has been snowing heavily for days, and a layer of ice has formed on the river. In the darkness where no one could see five fingers, no one spoke, and hurried to the river.
"Drive!" Li Yanqiu urged.
As soon as Ben Xiao reached the river, he stopped, unwilling to step on the ice, no matter how Li Yanqiu urged him, he just remained motionless.
Zheng Yan first rode his horse onto the glacier, and the ice surface made a cracking sound, and it shattered as soon as he stepped on it.
"Your Majesty, we can't cross the river!" Zheng Yan said, "It has to be diverted. There is a road in the reeds in the west, which leads to the official road."
Li Yanqiu said, "Who is coming, can you see clearly?"
Zheng Yan replied: "I have never fought, so I can't see the identity of the opponent."
Li Yanqiu said, "Go!"
Li Yanqiu rolled his cloak and rushed along the reeds. There was no way to cross the river. He could either enter the Dingjun Mountains or go north along the way he came, and return to Hebei County for help.
Ben Xiao stopped again in front of the reeds, Zheng Yan frowned and said, "Your Majesty!"
"This horse has spirituality." Li Yanqiu whispered, "There may be an ambush ahead."
In the dark night, the wind and snow were rustling, the reeds were blown one after another, and the cold wind was like a knife, Li Yanqiu said decisively: "Change the route to Dingjun Mountain, don't take risks."
When the team was about to turn around, there was a cry from the reeds, and thousands of people were killed!
Li Yanqiu's expression changed immediately, and Zheng Yan roared, "Let's go! I'll stop!"
Li Yanqiu turned around decisively and rushed in the direction of Dingjun Mountain. Zheng Yan took out Zidian Jinmang, rode the war horse, and rushed into the oncoming enemy army!
The sky was bright, and Duan Ling was already very tired. He marched in a hurry for two nights and a day, even sleeping on Wu Du's body. More than 1,400 horses arrived at the foot of Dingjun Mountain. Black smoke rose from a distance, and there were still a few embers in the post that was destroyed by the fire.
When Duan Ling saw this scene, he almost fainted, and the thing he was most afraid of happened.
Wu Du dismounted, led someone to rush into the inn for inspection, and rushed out like a gust of wind, saying, "Without him! Come to the backyard!"
There was a small road in the backyard leading to the pier on the Cang River. Wu Du and Duan Ling led their troops to chase out, and found several bodies in the reeds. It was obvious that a bloody battle had taken place here.
"Who is this?" Duan Ling couldn't believe his eyes, "Is it ours?"
The other party was wearing Hebei Army clothes, and Wu Du was shaking like a lightning strike.
"Who is this?!" Wu Du said, "There is no such person in the Hebei Army!"
The military leader searched the corpse over and over. The weapons and armor were all standard equipment of the Hebei Army, but there was no waist badge.
"Find someone first." Duan Ling said decisively, "They have retreated to Dingjun Mountain! Let's go!"
In the heavy snow, Duan Ling and Wu Du rushed to Dingjun Mountain along the West River Road. As soon as we entered the mountain, the heavy snow covered the tracks of the horses' hoofs. The mountain road was rugged, and the canyon was full of snow, which made it even more difficult to find.
"There is still hope." Wu Du said, "Shan'er, don't give up."
Duan Ling had been on the road for several days. At this time, his fear and tension had reached the extreme. He was holding a helmet, and he didn't know whether it was the enemy's or his own. However, according to the collapsed trees on the fork in the road, it seemed that there were many people charging and colliding here. .
"Report—" The newspaper came and reported the situation to the military independence, "There are traces of troops stationed in the valley to the northeast! It's our own people!"
"Have you found a living person yet?" Duan Ling asked hurriedly.
The letter replied: "I don't know where I went!"
"I see!" Wu Du thought for a moment and explained to Duan Ling, "After he came here, he stationed more than 100 people outside the inn, leaving only a dozen or so. When the assassin came, he first went with Zheng Yan. , Wuluohoumu and others, left with a team of more than ten people, and sent people to deliver letters to the main force."
"Understood." Duan Ling said, "the enemy thought that they would flee Shangguan Dao, so there was an ambush in the reeds. After they found the ambush, they fled to Dingjun Mountain first, and when the large army came, they would meet here. , was caught up, hurriedly fought, and then fled into the mountains."
With the speed and spirituality of running to the sky, Duan Ling Xindao as long as he is not hit by the arrow, there must be hope, it has survived countless battlefields, and this time it must be okay!
"Separate to find someone!" Duan Ling immediately ordered, "Everyone is separated! Search the entire Dingjun Mountain, and send a whistle arrow to notify if there is any situation!"