Chapter 259: Cold Wind Rises from the Southwest

Chapter 259: Cold Wind Rises from the Southwest

Chapter 259: Cold Wind Rises from the Southwest

The sun is about to set, and the clouds in the distance have turned orange-red, covering the entire sky.

The originally moderate weather seemed to be disappearing, and a breeze blew, blowing the corners of the clothes of passers-by.

Zhao Dongping, the guard at the west gate of Dali City, was standing lazily at the gate.

Enjoying the breeze, feeling comfortable.
But as time went by, he became more and more impatient, but he couldn't show it.

The city gate will be closed in two quarters of an hour.
Then he will be off duty and can return home to reunite with his wife and children.
"I wonder what my wife cooked today. Is it to your liking? How about buying some braised meat when you go home? Or have some wine?"

But Zhao Dongping soon thought of the upcoming war.
The laziness on his face disappeared, replaced by some worry.

He turned his head to look at the merchants and common people passing by, and sighed in his heart.
The outbreak of war affected his income.
These merchants, under the pretext of transporting supplies to the border, even forgot to pay tributes as usual.

He and his colleagues didn't dare to ask.

If you are caught, you won't be skinned and beaten.

But being exiled to the border of the three prefectures to participate in the war was inevitable.

Zhao Dongping felt the silver in his pocket and decided not to buy it to save some money.

After making the decision not to buy braised meat or drink alcohol,
Zhao Dongping's mood was not so good.
I began to wonder why I worked so hard.

As time passed, his sorrow was soon washed away by the joy of dispersion, and he became happy again.

But soon, he was no longer happy.

Not far away, a caravan appeared, stretching to the corner of the street with no end in sight.

Zhao Dongping looked around and found that many of his colleagues were the same as him, their faces turned cold.
The joy that was about to dissipate disappeared, and was replaced by a feeling of depression that was thick and could not be dissipated.

The government stipulated that during the war, in order to prevent merchants from making war profits and reselling scarce materials at high prices,

All caravans entering and leaving the city are subject to strict, careful and detailed inspection.

As a result, the originally leisurely work of guarding the city has now become extremely tiring.

Even if we meet some wealthy families, we have to load and unload the trucks for them personally.

This made them often sweat profusely in this December weather.

Now, the caravan in front of them was undoubtedly owned by a wealthy and powerful family, and even had an extraordinary background.

The reason for this speculation is very simple.
He saw the handsome young man wearing red and black brocade clothes and riding a white horse standing in front of the convoy.

He looked to be in his twenties, with some signs of sunburn on his face.
But it still couldn't hide his handsome appearance and the condescending attitude that came from his bones.

The man was riding a white horse, his body swaying, and he even sang the song without a care in the world, looking like he deserved a beating.

"Yellow Wind Ridge~~~800 miles~~"

As the caravan got closer, the sun got lower and the noise grew louder.

Finally, the caravan arrived at the city gate half an incense stick of time before the gate was closed.

Zhao Dongping seemed to hear the sighs from people around him, with some regret in them.

As the captain of the hundred men at the west city gate, Zhao Dongping took a deep breath, walked forward slowly, and spoke in a solemn and resounding voice.

"May I ask if the boss is going to leave the city?"

The young man sitting high on the white horse looked down at him, then turned his head away with a look of disdain.

The voice was rhythmic, shaking his head, with a bit of disdain and fearlessness.
"Hey, this West Gate is the face of Dali, and it is the only way to enter and leave the city.

Why are you coming here instead of leaving the city? This is obviously nonsense!

Are you making fun of me, you little thief?

You can ask such a question, maybe it's because the wind is so strong today that your cleverness has been blown away? "

Zhao Dongping didn't dare to reveal the truth and kept smiling apologetically. At the same time, he was wondering what kind of accent was this? It was so strange.

"May I ask which business in the city your goods come from? Do you have any documents and product lists?" Zhao Dongping asked again.

"Okay, you asked this question, isn't it obvious?
In Dali, who dares to ship goods out without documents and product lists?

Isn't that just walking into the hands of the government?
We pay attention to rules and regulations.
Without these proofs, even if I pile up mountains of gold and silver here, I won't be able to leave this city gate!"

The voice was still up and down, making Zhao Dongping feel uncomfortable.

He did not look at the young man, but at the man holding a package on the side, who looked like the shopkeeper.
He was over 40 years old, with a dark complexion.

His tall body and brocade robe made him look very imposing, and he exuded an air of wealth.

The man didn't say anything polite and handed over the documents and the list directly. He walked closer and explained in a low voice:

"Don't be surprised, sir. The young master of our family wanted to go on business with us, so we brought him out."

As he spoke, the shopkeeper waved his hand.
A silver ingot was revealed and stuffed into Zhao Dongping's hand.

Feeling the heaviness and coldness in his hand, Zhao Dongping's eyes widened suddenly. It must be five taels! !
He was not excited but frightened, and quickly stuffed the silver back.

"I dare not take this, shopkeeper, please take it back."

But the shopkeeper was quick-witted and grabbed his hand tightly.
"Sir, we are working for the Xiping Marquis's Mansion. We are transporting in-demand items. We don't mind the money or the face."

Zhao Dongping was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock, and he looked at the shopkeeper suspiciously.

"Your Excellency, please take a look at the document and the list. They have the seals of our Governor Feng and Prefect Geng on them."

As soon as these words came out, Zhao Dongping quickly held the silver in his hand tightly.

Just like that, he touched his chest and the silver slipped out quietly.

He quickly opened the document and the list to check.

The items recorded in the list are all normal business transactions.
There is everything to eat, drink and use. It is incredibly clean.

But Zhao Dongping knew that there might be some scarce supplies among these carriages.

He suddenly felt his lips dry, and quickly opened the document on the other side, his eyes suddenly widened.

[Seeing the words is like seeing the person, you can let him go]
——Feng Cheng.

There are also two bright seals on it, the Commander-in-Chief of Yunnan and the Prefect of Dali Prefecture.

Just as Zhao Dongping was shocked, the rhythmic voice sounded again.
"Hey hey, what's wrong with you?

Reading a document is like embroidery, slow and methodical.
If you keep procrastinating like this, the sky will become your blanket!

Hurry up, we Dali people value efficiency.
At this speed, the sun will laugh at us tomorrow!"

Zhao Dongping reacted, his heart pounding.
He quickly handed back the document and the list:
"Don't worry, boss. I'll check and let you go right away."

The shopkeeper stroked his beard, smiled and nodded frequently.

Zhao Dongping turned around and looked at the soldiers present, instructing them to check many matters.

But all the soldiers looked at his toes, surprised.
One toe is pointed inward, which means that the big shot caravan must be "checked carefully".

Then he looked at his palm, which was open in front of him, five taels!
All of a sudden, the dull atmosphere of overtime work disappeared, and was replaced by the joy of earning extra money.

"Okay, check them all carefully. Don't miss any car."

After assigning the tasks, Zhao Dongping waved his hand and called on the soldiers to go and check.

He stood with the shopkeeper, watching the soldiers looking around the cart.

Sometimes he stood on tiptoe to look inside, and sometimes he bent down to look down, with a very serious look on his face.

Zhao Dongping lowered his voice and said:
"Boss, I heard that things are not going well in this area recently, so please be careful."

The shopkeeper smiled and nodded:

"Thank you for your reminder, sir. I'll treat you to a drink when I return another day."

As he was speaking, he seemed to have discovered something and exclaimed,
He pulled Zhao Dongping to his back and wiped his hand.
Ten one-yuan banknotes were neatly folded in his palm and handed over by him.

"Don't dare."

Zhao Dongping's eyes widened. This time he really didn't dare to accept it. What was in it? Even a bribe would cost fifteen taels.

"Here, I am here to accompany the young master on his business trip. The young master will not care how much money you make.

My Lord, you have many subordinates. If the silver is less, there won't be enough to share. Consider it a good relationship. Please take care of me next time. "After saying this, although Zhao Dongping cursed the official in his heart,
But he still took the silver and said righteously:

"With the adults' written permission, everything is in compliance with the rules, how dare I not let you go?"

The implication is that if you want preferential treatment, you can, but it must be endorsed by an adult.

The shopkeeper smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, we are doing legitimate business."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Soon, in less than two quarters of an hour, all the soldiers returned and reported to Zhao Dongping that there was no problem.

"Okay, let them go! Get ready to close the city gates!"

The guards and fences in front of the city gate were removed, and the road leading to the city gate was opened.

The young man sitting on the white horse smiled, and his rhythmic voice sounded again:
"Oh my god, I can finally get on with my business.
It's as complicated as the endless turns in the alley, and I'm so anxious that I feel like I'm being scratched by a cat!

If I keep wasting time like this, my impatience will be worn down into a patient state. Let’s go, let’s go.”

A convoy of more than a thousand people slowly left the city, with more than a hundred carts.

The cart was loaded with goods, and the horses pulling it seemed to be very proud, with their necks held high.

As the sun sets, the west gate of Dali City slowly closes.

Only then did Zhao Dongping let out a long sigh of relief,

Some soldiers gathered around and started talking in unison.

"Sir, are you just going to let them go like this?

Five taels of silver is not worth the risk. If you are caught, you will lose your job."

Zhao Dongping waved his hands in annoyance and took out the banknotes from his pocket.
"How can I not tell the difference between fifteen taels and one tael? Even if you don't give us the silver, we have to let them go.

Did you see the horses pulling the carts? They were all big horses from the northern grasslands.
A horse costs a hundred taels of silver, and now it is used to pull carts. Can we afford it?"

Zhao Dongping was still in shock, but his hands were busy.

He pulled out a piece of banknotes with a snap, and handed the silver ingot and banknotes back.

"Alright, alright, forget about it, just take the Young Master's reward and divide it among them."

After hearing this, many soldiers present laughed and thought about where to go to have fun after their shift.
Zhao Dongping's face was serious, and he continued:
"Tomorrow, be alert and conduct a thorough inspection. If anyone takes money privately, they will be sent to the front line."

"Don't worry, sir. We will definitely work hard."

At this point, Zhao Dongping's complexion improved a little, and he turned and left.

A faint smile appeared on his face, thinking that he would not eat braised meat today, but roast goose, and he would also buy the best old wine.

The caravan leaving Dali City traveled leisurely on the official road, without the urgency of ordinary merchants, as if they were just sightseeing.

The young master in brocade clothes on the white horse looked back and saw that the lights of Dali City gradually faded into darkness and disappeared.

He looked aside and muttered quietly:
"Zhang Yu, isn't it a bit careless to expose the documents and the list to them? At worst, we can just let them check it."

Li Jinglong had a strange look on his face. He had seen everything that had happened before.
This clearly revealed the caravan's hidden secret.

Zhang Yu, who was acting as a shopkeeper, was also riding on a warhorse, his face looked somewhat relaxed:

"Sir, we are not going to transport these goods to Yunlongzhou, but to fight the enemy on this official road.
If any of the soldiers guarding the city leaked the news,
It would be best if we could attract the enemy troops to come and attack us.

Not only can it reveal our whereabouts, but it also saves us from having to go through the trouble of revealing clues on the road.
You can also find out the traitors in the city.

There are no more than a hundred soldiers guarding the city, and no more than a thousand including their families. It would be easy to investigate."

Li Jinglong's eyes widened slightly, the darkness in his mind was split open, and he suddenly realized!
"I understand. Not only can we defeat the enemy, but we can also catch the traitor. That's also winning twice. What's it called?"

Li Jinglong scratched his head. He had heard a very apt word before, but he couldn't remember it for a moment.

Soon, he remembered:

"Win-win!"

Zhang Yu thought about it and felt that it was very appropriate, so he smiled and nodded:

"So I pretended to be weak and lured the enemy deep into my territory. When they arrived, the ambush troops were deployed everywhere, and the enemy was frightened and fled. This is the strategy of 'luring the enemy into an ambush'."

"By the way, sir, your appearance just now was very appropriate, keep it up.
The team we are waiting for will be slower, and we will stop and rest frequently on the pretext that you have traveled a long distance and are tired."

Li Jinglong smiled and nodded repeatedly.

I touched my crotch again and found that the wound had mostly healed, but it was still a little itchy.

"Then take a quick rest."

Zhang Yu understood and turned around and shouted:
"Rest on the spot after advancing five miles. Master is tired!"

At the front scout camp, it was already dark.
The entire camp went from being bustling with activity to becoming quieter and quieter.
Torches were lit up, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

The soldiers returned to their tents, stretched lazily on their beds, and fell asleep little by little.

But as time passed, the lights in the big tent of the front scout camp were still brightly lit.

Lu Yunyi was sitting behind the desk with a frown on his face.

Looking at the increasingly rigorous battle plan, he fell into deep thought, thinking about the omissions and areas for improvement.

Strangely, the fatigue from the day's journey disappeared at this moment, replaced by a tense mind.

At this moment, Liu Heiying appeared at the door of the military tent.
At this moment he was wearing armor, his face was solemn, and he walked with great vigor.

"Brother Yun'er, everything is ready."

It was not until his voice sounded that the solemnity in Lu Yunyi's eyes slowly dissipated, and he nodded gently.

Just like that, he threw the increasingly detailed battle plan into the brazier on the side.

Looking at the brazier, he was suddenly stunned:
"Black Hawk, we have been traveling outside for a year without realizing it. Time flies."

The solemnity on Liu Heiying's face slowly dissipated, replaced by a simple and honest smile:
"Yes, it was quite slow at the time, but now when I think back on it, it was very fast."

Lu Yunyi laughed, staring blankly at the battle plan burning out.

"Did Jinglong and the others leave the city smoothly?"

"It went smoothly. Judging from their intentions, they seem to be actively trying to lure the enemy."

"Then we have to hurry up and not let them get ahead of us."

Lu Yunyi stood up with a smile, took the head armor from the side and put it on his head, and said:

"Tell your subordinates to wear protective clothing, long clothes and pants, gloves and masks, and shoes and socks that are strong and long.

The trouser legs must be tucked tightly into shoes and socks, and sprinkled with concentrated salt water. Do not be careless.

Especially you, who endure the heat even in the daytime,

Those leeches and mosquitoes are no joke, and they especially like fat people like you.

You must boil the water before drinking it, as the eggs of the insects are hidden in the water.

Be careful not to drink too much, or you'll get a big belly. Even the best doctor can't save you.
In short, everything should be done according to the booklet, and don't be afraid of trouble."

Liu Heiying's dark face showed some warmth, and he nodded repeatedly:

"Don't worry, Brother Yun'er. I've already told you everything. I've brought enough herbs."

Having said this, Lu Yunyi said nothing more.

"You go ahead and leave the horses that are taken out of the city to Jinglong and his men.
We will leave in the second half of the night. If there is any emergency after entering the mountain, please use whistling arrows and fireworks to contact Zhang Yu, and he will rush to help."

Although these have been written in the battle plan,
But Lu Yunyi continued to talk non-stop, as if he could never finish.

At some point, only Lu Yunyi and the burning brazier were left in the military tent.

The crackling sound made his eyes look even emptier.

Time passed, and two hours later, Feng Yunfang walked in quietly:
"Sir, the war horses have quietly left the camp. It's time to set off."

Lu Yunyi's slightly empty eyes suddenly solidified, and he stood up suddenly, his eyes sharp:
"Order all your troops to take their weapons and leave the city and go into the mountains!"

(End of this chapter)