From Sizhou to Bingzhou, the fastest way to cross the barrier of Chongchong mountains is still through Xingdao. But that is the direction of Luoyang, and the direction of Pingyang County is not so much barrier. It's just that the Shangdang is now strictly guarded, and the Huns are also waiting on the side, which makes this journey difficult and dangerous.
Huyan Gan finally brought his people and horses, and when he arrived at the predetermined location, the person he was waiting for had not arrived yet. Huyan Gan was a son of the Huyan family, and a first-class surname of the Xiongnu. If someone else dared to make him wait like this, he might have left by now. But this time, he didn't show any signs of embarrassment, so he just kept obediently for a long time. When he saw a small caravan walking across the mountain, he stood up excitedly and greeted it in person.
"Xue Erlang, what troubles did you encounter on the way? Why are you late..." Huyan Gan smiled, and even his complaints seemed a little softer.
However, the face of Xue Ren on the opposite side is not very good-looking: "It's not what you want! This mountain road is so difficult to travel, if it breaks and spills, who can bear it!"
Hearing this, Huyangan's eyes lit up immediately: "Really got it?!"
Xue Ren snorted, walked to the horse team in person, pulled out something from the bulging load, clasped his hands tightly, and walked over: "That's it."
What he was holding in his hand was a clay pot, which was not big, and the firing was extremely rough. But he was like holding the most precious porcelain, instead of directly handing it to Huyangan, he carefully placed the pot on the ground, took a step back, and said, "Check the goods."
With a thud, Huyangan swallowed his saliva, then stepped forward and carefully opened the clay seal of the clay pot. After opening the thin lid, a strong fragrance wafted out of the nostrils. In the can, it turned out to be wine! Moreover, it is a good wine dew that is as clear as water and as strong as a knife!
Huyangan took two deep breaths, as if to inhale all the overflowing wine fragrance into his stomach. Then he took out a wine cup from his arms, poured a small cup into the clay pot, and swallowed it in one mouthful. He is also a good drinker, but with such a small sip, it was like a fire was ignited in the throat, and it burned directly into the belly. In addition to the spicy, there is also a strong sweetness and an endless aftertaste.
"Good! Good! As expected of Shangdang Yuluchun!" Huyangan exclaimed loudly! There are hooks in the eyes, and I can't wait to drink the can! However, no matter how greedy he was, he still remembered his own mission. He sealed the wine jar with great reluctance, and then he got up and said, "It's still Erlang's method, so you can get such a good wine! How much did you bring this time?"
"Not much, only twenty altars. There are still thirty barrels of burning knives. The Shangdang is really heavily guarded, and there is no way to make more." Xue Ren sighed.
Huyan Gan also let out a long sigh: "It doesn't matter, the king will be enthroned in a while, and it is always a good thing to have these jars of good wine. But Erlang, you need to have some snacks, even if Yulu Spring is rare, you must make some more. Just do it!"
"Naturally, I can save it." Xue Ren agreed and asked again, "Where's the salt? Can you bring it?"
"It's all here." Huyangan hurriedly let people open the package on his horse team, only to see bluish-white salt blocks densely piled in the bag.
Xue Ren stretched out his hand and twisted it, put his finger in his mouth and licked it before nodding: "It's still your way of doing things. Okay, before it gets dark, hurry up to change the goods, and I have to rush back."
Knowing that the other party needs to bribe a lot of people to pass the customs, Huyangan did not delay. The two sides didn't even unload the goods. After ordering the quantity, the horses were directly changed. With twice as many horses as before, Xue Ren walked back along the original road.
Another business. After walking out of the sight of the Huns, Xue Ren's stern face relaxed. This is already his third private sale.
Since Pei Dun died and the Pei family surrendered to the enemy. The backer behind Xue Ren fell clean. My aunt's husband-in-law actually died in battle, and it was a delusion to rely on Pei's again. It is also thanks to him that he has been in business for many years and has a wide network of contacts, and finally he died begging Bailai to get on the thigh of Liang Shijun. The business received is also quite simple, that is, selling private goods out of Bingzhou!
After occupying Hedong, Liu Yuan ordered porcelain and glazed wares to be banned among the clan, in order to prevent Bingzhou from exchanging these luxury items for necessary salt, grain and other items. Pei's family collapsed, trying to sell salt from Hedong, but it was several times difficult. However, it never occurred to me that in just over a month, another in-demand goods would appear on this private goods aisle.
That is Yulu Spring! It is a more mellow and spicy spirit than Wei Wu Jiu Niang. Just a small altar is enough for the person who drinks it to become delirious. For the Huns who are used to drinking soft and turbid wine, this wine is more irresistible than any treasure! It is a pity that the Shangdang has long banned the consumption of food and the brewing of spirits. Therefore, Yuluchun has a price and no market, and it is hard to find a thousand pieces of gold.
And Xue Ren, who was able to get Yu Luchun and the worse shochu wine, became the treasures in the eyes of these private merchants.
Although Liu Yuan completely controlled the Hedong Salt Pond, the private salt trade that the Jin state could not contain was impossible to keep in the Xiongnu Han state. The Huyan clan, the wife of the queen, immediately took advantage of the loophole and began to sell illicit salt. It just so happened that Xue Ren was also running a bootleg wine business. You can take a shot on both sides and hook up in one place.
However, Huyan Gan would never have imagined that the bootleg wine sold by Xue Ren was actually brewed by Emperor Liang's secret order, just to pry open the Hedong Salt Road. Although brewing consumes grain, grain can always grow from the ground, but not salt.
Seeing that the Huns took the bait so easily, Xue Ren could only sigh. This Liang Shijun is like a fairy who turns a stone into gold, and he can make people get carried away by creating something casually. It is a good thing that he turned his back on the Pei family and voted for the Liang family. It's a pity that at the beginning, he wanted to marry a daughter, and there was another bad act of mixing with Pei Dun, which made Shijun a little unhappy. Only a little bit of skill can make Shijun re-trust his ability as a broker.
With a light sigh, Xue Ren ordered everyone to speed up and plunged into the wild mountains again.
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Finally got a soldier. After receiving the letter from Xinxing, Liang Feng's dangling heart fell back to his stomach. Zhang Bin never lied, but he really borrowed soldiers from Tuoba's department, and it was much more than expected. For the Tuoba Department, which was in civil strife, this was a rare event.
However, borrowing troops is the second priority. Zhang Bin's letter actually mentioned the ambitions of the Tuoba clan. Nowadays, there are quite a few Xianbei groups in Youbian Prefecture, not to mention Wang Jun's Duan Xianbei and Yuwen Xianbei, these Tuoba Xianbei are also frequently recruited to fight for Sima Teng. To many people, these Xianbei people were not as dangerous as the Huns, and they were more willing to see them as harmless vassal mercenaries.
However, Liang Feng himself was very clear. Just a hundred years later, Tuoba Xianbei will become the victor in ruling the northern land, creating the "Northern Wei" dynasty, and completely ending the chaos of the Sixteen Kingdoms. It is precisely because of the unification and disintegration of the Northern Wei Dynasty that the later prosperity of the Sui and Tang Dynasties was born. Tuoba Clan certainly has ambition, and this ambition should not be underestimated.
He only knew the history, but Zhang Bin not only saw the problem, but also proposed some solutions. For example, limited luxury goods trade; for example, using the disputes among the Xianbei tribes to stir up the hostility of Wang Jun; for example, supporting several heirs of Tuoba Yilu separately, leaving the Tuoba family in chaos. There are many feasible strategies for these strategies, which shows that Zhang Bin has put his mind into it.
This was exactly what Liang Feng needed most at the moment.
Whether there is a mastermind or not, it really makes a difference. Liang Feng put down the letter in his hand and let out a long breath. We are going to fight again. I just hope that this time fewer people will die, and the troubles in Xinxing and Yanmen counties will be resolved as soon as possible.
His eyes fell on another letter, and Liang Feng hesitated for a moment before opening the letter. An ink character resembling a willow body appeared in front of him. This is Yi Yan's letter. As the commander of this expedition, he certainly has a lot of things to tell himself. Liang Feng thought he would attach something else to the letter, but after reading it from the beginning to the end, there was nothing wrong with it. Only military-related narratives and requests.
Grain, weapons, manpower... There is nothing that cannot be made public. After reading that Feng Liangfeng, I felt a sense of loss. Shaking his head, he put the odd emotion behind him. Pick up a pen and write back.
Although this battle is not very dangerous, it is also a battle against Xianbei Baibu after all, and there is no room for sloppyness. Zhang Bin also stayed in Xinxing as a strategist to preside over the overall situation. I just hope that this battle can bring a peaceful enough rear for Bingzhou. At the end of the letter, Liang Feng hesitated for a while, and finally left a line of small characters.
After sealing the letter, he sent a messenger and ordered it to be sent to Xinxing quickly. There was also news from the Xiongnu side that after occupying Hedong, Liu Yuan had already decided to take the throne. This time, it is not the king of Han, but the real emperor of the Han state. This world has finally changed from two emperors to three, and I don't know how many more people will be in the future... But this way, the enthronement is imminent, and the Xiongnu will definitely not cause a disaster. At such a time, it is a great opportunity to resolve the war in the rear, which is not to be missed.
The other counties were to be reverted, and only the Xihe Kingdom remained in the hands of the Xiongnu.
Just thinking about what to do with the Xihe Kingdom, the attendant outside suddenly came to report: "Your Majesty, please see Zhu Fada."
The monk Hu who went to win people's hearts is back? ! Liang Feng immediately said, "Pass him in!"
After a short time, I saw a Hu man dressed in coarse cloth with light hair on the top of his head striding into the back hall. After the salute, Zhu Fada respectfully said: "The little monk lived up to the entrustment of the envoy and persuaded three other tribes of the Xiongnu to come to Jinyang to serve. There are 930 households in the three tribes, and there are enough soldiers to fight. There are thousands."
Three branches! Thousands of people! Liang Feng couldn't help sitting up straight: "Where is the person?"
"It's outside Jinyang City." Zhu Fada smiled slightly, "Can you invite his leader to visit the city?"
"No." Liang Feng stood up and said simply, "I'll go out of the city myself!"