Chapter 140: True and fake grain merchants

"Don't draw conclusions so early on this matter. After all, today is only the first time we meet, and you don't know many things. If you draw conclusions too early, you will take preconceptions and have prejudices."

Pei Ying brought a cup of tea to Zhang Huan and said with a smile: "Besides, they also specially brought you tea. Although it was the old tea last year, it was always the only one who wanted to do it. You are so happy, but you don't have a single word Xie, but you convicted him of death first."

Zhang Huan took the tea, took a sip and smiled, "I'm just guessing, there's no evidence. She is half of your master. If she wants to leave Hexi, it's up to you to decide how much she gives."

At this time, the door knocked gently, and a personal soldier reported outside the door, "Governor! County Magistrate Li asked for a meeting."

Only then did Zhang Huan remember that he had said during the day that he had asked him to report to the evening that food was indeed a big problem. Although he would not be in trouble at the moment, it would be too late to consider it when the crisis broke out.

"You go to bed earlier! I'll be back later."

Although Pei Ying couldn't bear to leave him, she also knew that letting men indulge in lust too much may not be a good thing. Since she became his wife, she should help him succeed, rather than dragging him down. She grabbed Zhang Huan's hand and kissed him Hu Tiao, then drove him away.

Zhang Huan went out, hurriedly passed through the rockery and walked to the opposite side of the pool. He couldn't help but look back at his new house. He saw Pei Ying's figure reflected on the orange window paper, and his shadow was waving to him! Zhang Huan smiled, he was such a smart woman.

As soon as he turned around, he suddenly found a woman tiptoed out next to his house. He flashed to the rockery and stared at her carefully. Isn’t it just that Yang Feiyu? He was sneaky, what did he do when he was hiding behind his house?

Zhang Huan kept watching her and returned to his room, then he sneered coldly, turned around to the lobby of the county government. He saw County Magistrate Li walking around the lobby with his hands behind his back. It seemed something was wrong. When he walked closer, he found that half of his face was purple, while the other half was swollen.

When County Magistrate Li saw Zhang Huan coming, he lowered his head and went forward and said, "I am not good at doing things well, please punish the governor."

"I understand. If they really refuse to take out the food, it's fine."

County Magistrate Li sighed and said helplessly: "The people here are tough. Many people think they are collecting military rations and want to chop them up after picking up the knife. I have no subordinates and suffered a lot of losses. The governor is in view of the fact that I have no credit and hard work, can I...?"

Zhang Huan knew that he was still obsessed with the position of the county magistrate, so he smiled and interrupted him and said, "I'll ask you another thing, how did the county magistrate Wang be captured by the Tubo people, and how many people were captured with him?"

County Magistrate Li thought for a while and said, "Mr. Wang probably was this time last year. I remember that the weather was surprisingly warm at that time. There was a locust plague here, and the sky was covered with locusts. At the request of the people, County Magistrate Wang took more than 100 people to destroy the locusts. As a result, he encountered a Tubo people patrol and captured 20 or 30. County Magistrate Wang was obese and ran slowly, and was also arrested."

Zhang Huan couldn't hear the flaws and couldn't help but think to himself: "This is strange. Could it be that she is a ghost in the middle?"

He pondered for a while and asked again, "Why did Mrs. Wang refuse to ask me to save the county magistrate Wang when she saw me today? It seemed that she didn't care. What's the reason?"

County Magistrate Li smiled. Seeing that there was no one around, he leaned closer to Zhang Huan and whispered: "The woman married County Magistrate Wang just to clear her innocence and go back to marry again. County Magistrate Wang is already sixty years old and cannot be humane. She is eager to die."

Zhang Huan was puzzled, "What can I cleanse myself from?"

County Magistrate Li smiled and said, "Mrs. Wang heard that she was a famous lady in Beijing and liked a piano player, so she elopeed with him and wandered around. In May this year, she arrived here. Seeing that the mountain was high and the emperor was far away, she wanted to live there for a long time. But soon the piano player got tired of selling her to a brothel. As a result, she started crying. The people in the brothel sued the official for fear of something wrong. County Magistrate Wang asked about her identity and immediately beat the piano player to death and accepted her as a concubine. In less than a month, County Magistrate Wang's wife was so funny that she naturally became Magistrate Wang. Now that County Magistrate Wang is gone, she can go back to her parents' home and get married again, and wash away the scandal of her elopement with others."

Zhang Huan nodded. It seemed that she did not lie to Pei Ying. She was thinking too much, but how could she know that she had kidnapped Cui Ning? This was still a place that puzzled him. He couldn't think of the reason, so he had to put the matter down. He smiled and said, "I will give you another chance. Tomorrow I will ask a team of brothers to try their luck in the forest. You can find some experienced hunters to lead the way. In addition, I also have to recruit craftsmen, all craftsmen, and all craftsmen are required. Take care of a meal, and the salary will be better. Tomorrow I will go to the military camp to register. To do these two things well, I will still keep my word."

County Magistrate Li was speechless. These two things could be done without using the power of swearing. He finally understood that Zhang Huan actually wanted to promote himself, but he just wanted to inspire his enthusiasm to set the test. He did not say a word, bowed deeply to Zhang Huan and left.

The next morning, the military camp became lively. Thousands of men who came to hear the news blocked the gate of the military camp. There was nothing to do in winter, but they could eat a coarse rice and a lot of copper coins to make. Why not do it? Moreover, the general seemed a little stupid. He wanted all kinds of skills. Zhang San could make pottery jars, Li Si could raise horses, and Wang Wu had learned carpentry for several months. These were all crafts. Generally, men who were not beggars would be so slight. So, countless Mr. Dongguo mixed in, smiling simple and honestly waiting for the meal to get the money.

Unexpectedly, the money seemed not so easy to make. The first three days were to log in groups. Everyone was divided into countless teams, one team of ten people, and each team had a soldier as the leader. They offered a clear price. A tree cost a total of twenty cents from being cut down to being transported back to the military camp. Everyone worked together, and many people earned hundreds of cents that day. Everyone was in high spirits and was praised by their wives when they went home. Needless to say, the warmth at night was indulged.

On the fourth day, some carpenters, blacksmiths and horse breeders were called away, while the remaining thousands still followed the team to shovel snow and level the land. On the fifth day, each person gave a knife and began to train on the flat grass, saying that men should learn some martial arts and protect their wives and children at critical moments.

Although many people have some understanding of it, they have taken the money for a few days. If they suddenly lose themselves and others have it, how can they explain it to them when they go home? What will their mothers take to show off? And everyone has a bit of feelings when they cut wood together. After slapping their butts, it is really a bit unrighteous. Most people have a herd mentality. If eight people don’t leave, then the other two people can’t leave. In this way, most people stay to practice martial arts, and some people who run away are driven back by their wives or parents.

"Kill!" The roar on the field of the university was shining with swords. Although he had only practiced for less than half a day, he was already decent. In the distance, Zhang Huan rode on a horse and was inspecting the reserve force accompanied by more than a dozen generals.

"The governor has a total of 3,215 people. In the end, some injuries and older people are deducted, 2,700 or 800 will not be a problem."

Chen Ping handed Zhang Huan a thick roster. He was the chief executor of this military recruitment plan and the future envoy of this reserve force.

“Good job!”

Zhang Huan nodded with a smile. Although he was not kind to deceive them in this way, these people were indeed of great use. He reminded him: "Be careful to select some good physical conditions, one thousand people are enough to form Tianbao Camp, and the rest are organized into militia."

I need to say more here that the Tianqi Camp is an imperial guard organization. After Zhang Huan left Chang'an, the organization disappeared automatically. A few days ago, everyone held a meeting and officially changed the Tianqi Camp to the Xiliang Army. There were six battalions below, all of which were based on the word Tian. The most elite group of fangs was still called Tianqi Camp, which was Zhang Huan's direct relatives. If today's Tianbao Camp is added, his Xiliang Army would have 7,000 people, which was enough to compete with the Hexi Army.

"But the Governor!" He Lou Wuji's eyes were a little depressed, "Our food is only enough to support it for ten days, and the supplies from Huijun cannot be obtained."

Zhang Huan patted his shoulder and comforted him with a smile: "Don't worry, Lu Sigong is even more anxious than us. It should be the last two days, and there will be news."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone shouted from afar, "Governor! I have something important."

"It seems to be the magistrate of County Li." He Lou Wuji put his hand on the curtain and saw him carefully, and he recognized the person at a glance. It was Li County Magistrate who had just been promoted to the magistrate of County Magistrate.

He rode an old horse, looking quite anxious.

Zhang Huan's heart moved, 'Is it?

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’He immediately led everyone to meet him, “Mr. Li, what urgent matter is there?”

County Magistrate Li turned over and dismounted, and he panted and said, "Governor, a group of grain merchants came to the county to collect mountain goods and exchange them for rice, and they exchanged them on the spot."

Zhang Huan smiled, and they came indeed. He immediately asked, "Where did they come from? How many people did they bring? How many meters?"

"Reporting to the governor, they claimed that they came from Jincheng County, with more than twenty people, bringing two hundred stones of rice."

Zhang Huan thought for a while and ordered Chen Ping to stop training and continue to log wood. Then he called the generals over and said, "Everyone will go back to the military camp immediately and deploy as I say..."

About half an hour later, Li Panyu brought more than fifty soldiers to find this group of grain traders who exchanged rice in the small square in front of the county government. They were surrounded by a group of women. The women were carrying fur and medicinal materials in their hands, and some were bargaining with the grain traders with their newly earned copper coins.

Li Panyu took the soldiers and pushed the woman away, walked forward and said with a sarcastic voice: "Go away, all the Mi army here is going to be."

Seeing that these soldiers were vicious and very different from what they saw in normal times, the women were scared and left cursingly. The rice seller was about to pack up, but Li Panyu stepped on the grain bag and shouted sternly: "Didn't you hear clearly? I'll ask your shopkeeper to come and pay the money and get out!"

At this time, the fat middle-aged man walked upstairs, who seemed to be their shopkeeper. He stepped forward and smiled and bowed repeatedly, "You are so happy to say that the villain's surname is Du, and he is the shopkeeper. The grain is 500 yuan per bucket and the cash is delivered."

"Fuck!" Li Shuangyu grabbed his collar and said with a shady face: "You want to blackmail me, right? The grain price in Jincheng County is only 100 cents, so you want to double it at this point?"

Manager Du was not afraid at all. He still smiled and said, "We came from all the way, of course we should sell it a little more expensive. If the Junye wants a large amount, the price can be negotiated."

Li Panyu was overjoyed and asked anxiously: "Then how much food do you have?"

Manager Du saw his expression in his eyes. He smiled quietly and said, "I am a businessman, and I am kind to make money. Jun Ye grabbed me like this, how can I talk about business?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Li Shuangyu quickly let go and said with a smile: "I offended you, I'm sorry."

After hesitating for a moment, he still couldn't control the anxiety in his eyes and whispered: "Shopkeeper, how much food can you get?"

Manager Du slowly stretched out a slap, "I can take out five hundred stones within ten days. If the price you give is good, within one month, there will be no problem with three thousand stones!"

"Three thousand stones!" Li Panyu said in surprise and said with a trembling voice: "Then what price do you want?"

Manager Du glanced at him and smiled arrogantly, "Soldier, what price should I offer? Are you qualified to make decisions?"

"You dare to humiliate me!"

Li Shuangyu was furious and picked up his big fist to fight. The soldiers next to him finally grabbed him, but Manager Du looked at him with his hands behind his back, smiling, without any fear.

Li Shuangyu glared at him fiercely and whispered a few words to a soldier. The soldier agreed and ran away. While waiting anxiously, Li Shuangyu reached out and inserted his hand into the rice, held it up, looked at them greedily, and said to himself: "This is white rice!" He couldn't help but pick up a handful of rice and put it in his mouth to chew it, and shouted vaguely: "I'm tired of eating coarse rice."

The shopkeeper Du saw all his performances, smiling without saying a word. Soon, a large group of soldiers came from the street, led by a very young general. When Li Shuangyu saw him, he immediately saluted. He waved his hand, walked quickly to the shopkeeper Du, and gave a long salute, "Below is the general Yingyanglang He Lou Wuji, may I ask, is the shopkeeper who sells rice?"

Manager Du nodded, "That's right!"
Chapter completed!