It is naturally not difficult for Liu Xin and others to enter the military horse farm. Although the military horse farm is tightly guarded and cannot be easily entered and exited, if you only arrange a manpower fixed in the military horse farm, you do not need this person to deliver news to the outside world. You only need to It's not difficult to contribute at critical moments.
Naturally, there are people from the East Factory in charge of the guards entering and exiting the military horse farm. The key is to have a cover so that no one in the military horse farm can notice anything unusual. Once the situation is alerted, it will be difficult for Liu Xin to find out the traitor inside the military horse farm.
This is Liu Xin's first case since he became an official. Unknowingly, he has assumed this role and is completely focused on this case.
Liu Xin naturally accepted the invitation from Dansi. In the name of choosing a mount for his younger brother, Dan Si naturally had no doubts about others. Zheng Xiao found it strange. With the capabilities of the generals and families in the border army, there was no shortage of good horses, at least for the children of their family.
You can tell by looking at the mounts of Liu Xin and the other three. They are precious horses. Among the best war horses, one must be the best!
But his family knew about his own affairs. Although Zheng Xiao was surprised, he didn't delve into it.
Only a moment after Shan Si and others entered the inn, they came out with three others. The remaining second generation Xungui were still hungover and stayed outside to enjoy the breeze, so they did not enter the inn.
For Liu Xin and the others, these second-generation nobles simply bowed their hands, and the pain in their heads was more severe than before after a hangover. A few people could only complain that the wine in this remote area was of inferior quality.
Leng Peijun observed several second-generation nobles at close range. Their faces were pale, their eyes were dark-rimmed, and they were listless. He couldn't help but glance at Liu Xin secretly, and was quite shocked by the methods of this Jin Yiwei Qianhu.
He didn't know whether this was Jin Yiwei's method or Liu Xin's own unique secret skill. If it was the latter, ask him for some after getting familiar with it. Sometimes these small methods can have a big effect.
The group of people hurried on, walking ten miles for about three-quarters of an hour, and finally the Hanzhong Army Racecourse was in front of them.
Liu Xin looked around and saw in the distance a city wall that stretched for forty miles and connected the east and west hills. The wall was only three meters high, but it was still majestic.
This is just an outer wall, and there is a higher inner wall inside. The distance between the two walls is eight miles, which is enough distance for the cavalry to charge.
Once a foreign enemy comes, relying on the power of cavalry between the two city walls is enough to defeat an enemy several times larger than one's own.
At the gate of the outer wall, there are inspection documents from the officers and soldiers responsible for the outer garrison. After the documents are confirmed to be correct, they are simply released. The key is the second city gate. The inner city gate is guarded by the garrison inside the military horse farm.
After entering the outer city gate, the scene changed. It was the first time Liu Xin saw the sight of thousands of war horses galloping. The high dust kicked up by the horses' hooves and the rumble caused by the horses trampling on the ground all shocked Liu Xin. , but he has good training as an actor, restrained his face, and did not reveal his flaws as a novice.
Apart from him, only Shan Si's face was calm among the others, and others such as Zheng Xiao had never seen such a scene.
When a few horses gallop, it is still a single sound, but the intensity is different. When a thousand horses gallop, it is a deafening roar, like thunder that does not stop for a moment.
The military attaché responsible for guiding them looked forward with pride. Behind him were all noble men, but they showed various expressions of surprise. This was a different kind of cool thing. It was his closed garrison horse farm. During this period, there were only a few ways to relieve emotions.
Thousands of horses galloping are just training. Each horse has a dedicated horse trainer. Those people can only live in the military horse farm for almost their whole life. The existence of the military horse farm is both a fortress to protect them and a prison. Their cage.
Who makes them important strategic resources?
But as their family members, they will also live a much better life than ordinary people.
In the Eight Mile Land, the tired look on the faces of the second generation of nobles was temporarily swept away, replaced by a sense of excitement. Because I saw the power of the war horse and thought that I would have an exclusive mount soon, I was naturally very excited.
The guards of the honorable nobles were unable to enter the interior of the horse farm, so they could only rest in a specially established post station outside the inner city wall. They are also happy to be free and have a good rest. They are the freest and happiest without a master.
Including Liu Xin and three others, there were nine people in the group. Each had their official credentials checked and were released one by one.
Then the person who received them was replaced by a guerrilla general, with the rank of Qianhu. He was estimated to be around forty years old, with a tall build and armor. He acted with a serious attitude, and his face lacked the humility and flattery of other officials when facing a group of second-generation nobles.
Liu Xin even felt that he could clearly see the three big characters formed by the wrinkles on the other person's forehead:
impatient!
"Your official credentials can only allow you to go to a few areas. Without the leadership of my subordinates, you cannot go anywhere alone. Remember, any offenders will be killed on the spot!"
The middle-aged guerrilla general had a crisp tone and cold eyes. After speaking, he led everyone forward.
After entering the inner city wall, what comes into view is a vast complex of buildings. Most of the buildings here are low and are prepared for the handymen and horse masters who serve in the military horse farm.
Through the gap in the building, you can see that behind the building is a vast sandy land, endless as far as the eye can see. You can only see a river in the distance, shining slightly in the sun.
There are military camps on the east and west sides of the military horse farm, and the troops stationed here are stationed there.
It was not yet noon, and walking on the simple streets, except for their group, they could not see anyone else for a long time.
"We are going to Dongying now. There are no redundant restaurants and inns here, so you can only live in the camp. The time for you to choose your war horses is three days. You can choose the area you want to go to during this time.
There are a total of eight areas in the military horse farm, corresponding to eight types of war horses. The commander asked me to popularize the knowledge of war horses to you, so that you don't have to make excuses to stay here! "
Everyone was speechless. The guerrilla general spoke too bluntly.
The middle-aged guerrilla general continued: "We have eight types of war horses here, the most numerous of which are grassland species. They were originally distributed on vast grasslands and have strong adaptability to various terrains. Their advantage is that they endure hardship. Hard-working, with a strong and sturdy physique, a long, deep and wide body, and a strong character.
Followed by the forest species, they are horses that live in forest areas with a colder climate. They are generally small in size, but relatively thick and heavy. Their advantages are developed intestines and stomach, strong endurance, strong muscles and strong explosive power.
Mountain horses are horses that originally grew up in the mountains. They have a solid constitution, a small body, strong limbs, an alert personality, flexible movements, are good at walking on mountain roads, and have a body shape that can be used for both riding and carrying. The advantages are the above, but the disadvantage is that the body is not big. If you wear full armor, it will be too heavy for a mountain horse.
Desert horses, horses that originally lived in dry desert areas, are relatively light and small, with delicate and dry constitution, thin skin, narrow chest and small abdomen, lively temperament, and fast running speed. The advantage is that it can run fast, but the disadvantage is similar to that of a mountain horse.
There are four other rare horse breeds, but the commander said that you are not qualified to choose those horse breeds, so I won’t introduce them to you! "
Everyone was speechless again. Just when they heard the wonderful point, they suddenly stopped and killed them, but there was nothing they could do. Even Shan Si could only bear it silently. It is not known whether he slandered or even cursed the guerrilla general's family members in his heart. .
Soon, everyone came to a large military camp with flags fluttering. After inspecting the waist badges, the guerrilla general led everyone into the military camp and came to a small horse farm.
Of course, this small one is for military horse farms. Horse farms with a length and width of more than one mile are only found in the imperial palace in the imperial capital city.
The impatience on the guerrilla general's face had reached its limit. He remained silent all the way, which was uncomfortable to think about. Maybe he was a chatterbox by nature, Liu Xin secretly cursed in his heart.
"Okay, you can rest here. Soldiers will bring you tea and snacks later. Don't run around. If you want to leave, find soldiers and they will lead you. Now all the war horses are training and cleaning up. I guess you We still have to wait for another hour!”
After saying that, the guerrilla general greased his feet and left quickly, leaving everyone confused.
Soon, soldiers brought snacks, low-quality steamed buns, and tea, which was just water.
Where are the good conditions in the military camp?
Except for Dan Si and Liu Xin who ate a little with a trying attitude, the others drank at most two sips of water.
Liu Xin made an excuse to escape and left with Leng Peijun. Gou Liangyu had a cold temperament, and the others couldn't talk to him. Shan Si and Zheng Xiao were standing aside, feeling the smoke and dust in the distance, and discussing what horse they would choose later.
In a certain barracks deep in Dongying, a middle-aged general took off his armor. The armor was covered with dirt. This was caused by the contact between the cold dew in the mountains and the dust in the air, indicating that he was garrisoning in the mountains yesterday.
Just as he was about to wipe his armor, a soft cry came from outside the barracks:
"Master Jiang, have you rested?"
The man in the barracks stopped wiping, stood up, opened the door, and welcomed someone in.
The person who came in was the guerrilla general who had just led Shan Si and others into the military camp.
"Zhigu, why are you here? Aren't you on duty on the inner city wall today?"
The middle-aged guerrilla general named Wu Zhigu came to find this man. His name was Jiang Chengdu, commanding envoy Tongzhi, and the third-in-command at the Hanzhong Army Horse Farm.
He was originally the second-in-command of the army. When he came to the military horse farm, the garrison commander followed suit, and then he fell down a level. But there were still three months left. In October, it was time for the garrison to change its defenses. At that time, he would feel comfortable. He would not have to command his colleagues and go on duty in the mountains like he did now, even at night.
Wu Zhigu said respectfully: "Master Jiang, Commander Li asked me to bring nine people in today."
"Nine people!" Jiang Chengdu's body, which had already reached the table and chairs, suddenly froze, then turned around: "What's the reason?"
Wu Zhigu said: "It seems they are some second-generation nobles from the imperial capital!"
Hearing the word "Imperial Capital", Jiang Chengdu's heart tightened, but he pretended to be calm: "Here from the Imperial Capital, why are nine people here all at once?"
Wu Zhigu shook his head: "I only know that these nine people are here to pick horses, and they are all noble sons."
"They are all honorable sons?" Jiang Chengdu thought for a while and seemed to have this impression, so he said: "Go and get the booklet reporting entry to the military horse farm."
After a while, Wu Zhigu came in with a thick booklet in his arms. This was the guest register of the military horse farm. There were three copies in total. One was archived, one was placed in the document library, and one was kept by the commander Li Longshan himself. .
This is the only roster since the establishment of the military horse farm, and it is also the request of Qin Guogong.
Jiang Chengdu looked at today's registration list and found Shan Si's registration.
"Jinwu's avant-garde Qianhu, Fujunwei deputy Qianhu, the son of Marquis Jingning... They are really a group of extraordinary second-generation nobles, many of whom already hold real power." Jiang Chengdu closed the list and felt a little relieved. install.
"Put it back in the archives. There are just a bunch of boys anyway. Don't worry about them. Just do what Commander Li has arranged. There will be a change of defense in three months. At that time, I will invite you all to visit the Flower House together. I will pay for the expenses!" Quantity It was right, and the itinerary was right, so Jiang Chengdu temporarily put down his vigilance.
Wu Zhigu's face suddenly showed joy, he thanked him repeatedly, took the roster and left.
"Master Jiang, have a good rest!"
It was Jiang Chengdu's private move to ask Wu Zhigu and several other guerrilla generals who took turns guarding the inner city wall to pay attention to the situation of outsiders. Entering the military horse farm, all defense matters were handed over to the commander Li Longshan. He could only do things in private. After all, everyone was a member of the same army, and no one would inform.
Jiang Chengdu, who was already very tired physically and mentally with his worries on his mind, could not sleep. He always had an ominous feeling hanging over his heart.
After hesitating for a long time, he decided to go and see those second generation nobles.
At this time, Liu Xin had used Leng Peijun's Dongchang method to find the person in charge of Dongchang here.
Dai Bangzheng, the commanding officer, was under Jiang Chengdu, and he and the other three commanding officers were responsible for various affairs in the army. Dai Bangzheng is mainly responsible for logistics and is also the place where intelligence is most easily obtained.
Before arriving, the Dongchang side had already identified a commander, a fellow commander, and three commanders as suspects. Except for these three people, no one else has the ability to obtain the complete secret of horse breeding.
"The commander is Liang Chonglun, the commander is Jiang Chengdu, the commander is Yan Zhaodong, Duan Shaoqiu, and Qu Daji. There are five suspects in total. We just need to screen them one by one." Liu Xin looked at the list provided by Dai Bangzheng.
Before they came, Dai Bangzheng didn't know what was happening in the outside world and acted solely on the Dongchang token. Therefore, Dai Bangzheng should not be suspected. As long as he hides his identity and enters the military horse farm, the party taking the initiative becomes Liu Xin and others.
Soon, Liu Xin and Leng Peijun returned to the racecourse. They used urine to escape, and of course they couldn't stay too long.
Liu Xin and the other three people had nothing to say to other second-generation nobles except for a brief exchange of words with Dan Si Zheng Xiao.
Just like this, another two quarters of an hour passed before someone finally came to take them into the small horse farm.
At this time, soldiers had already entered the field leading the war horses. There were a total of twenty in this group, all of which were tall horses. Looking at their strong bodies and muscular limbs, it was not difficult to judge that they were all high-quality horses.
Shan Si and others stepped forward happily. According to the leading soldier, these were all war horses in their prime. They were all grassland species, with relatively balanced abilities and relatively strong carrying capacity. Horse riding also depends on fate. Whichever horse you like, you must first develop a relationship with it. You can't ride it as soon as you get started. This will make it feel that you don't respect it.
It's like looking for a wife.
Liu Xin looked at Leng Peijun curiously. He did not expect that the latter would have such a perception of life.
When I inquired about it, I found out that Leng Peijun got married before he was twenty. Now he has a wife and three concubines at home. Because Dongchang is rich in oil and water, he can easily support the family. Now he has four children, two boys. Two women.
I can't tell. Liu Xin was curious about the relationship between men and women. He was still a young boy, but after all, he was old enough and it was time to worry about this aspect.
Shan Si didn't like his own horse, so he went back. Seeing that Liu Xin didn't go up to choose the horse, he couldn't help but ask: "Brother Liu, why didn't you go to choose the horse?"
Liu Xin looked at the few second-generation nobles wandering among the twenty war horses and said: "These are all grassland species, not what I need."
Shan Si nodded, expressing the same feeling.
In the first round of horse racing, there was a noble second generation who paid attention to a tall black horse. The body of this horse was the most outstanding among the twenty horses present, and this noble second generation himself was also considered to be burly. The key is that the man and the horse look at each other, and the man and the horse look at each other for a moment, and then the noble second generation will try to mount the horse.
You must know that this does not come with a saddle. If ordinary people do not have excellent riding skills, they will not be able to ride this kind of horse.
But the horse was unusually docile and allowed this noble second generation to ride on it.
"Hahaha, Zheng Xiao, I have my own mount!" This second-generation nobleman was extremely excited.
As a second-generation nobleman, his parents taught him from an early age that a military commander's biological brothers are not his own brothers, but his own mounts. Whether on the battlefield or elsewhere, your brothers may backstab you, but your mount will not. Your life and death, honor and disgrace will be bound to your mount until one of them dies.
Shan Si looked envious. It was not easy to find a horse that suited him.
For example, in the next three rounds, there were a total of sixty good horses, but no one liked them. Either people didn't like horses, or horses didn't like people.
After four rounds of this, more than an hour had passed, and the sky was gradually getting dark. They arrived at noon and waited for an hour. Souma spent an hour, and now it was almost half past midnight.
Except for the noble second generation who had already fallen in love with the horse, he stayed beside his horse and kept brushing its hair. Everyone else returned to the place where they rested before.
Just at this moment, the middle-aged guerrilla general from before appeared with a tall and burly middle-aged man.
"This is the commander, Mr. Jiang Chengdu. Mr. Jiang knew that all the young talents came to Xiangma and happened to have nothing to do, so he came to take a look."
The guerrilla general made an introduction. As a social butterfly, no, a good communicator, Zheng Xiao naturally took over the right to speak. He first exchanged warm greetings with Jiang Chengdu, and the two even forcibly brought their respective relationships together.
It turns out that Zheng Xiao's father once served in the frontier army, and the comrade-in-arms of his father's Shangguan's son is now the Shangguan of Jiang Chengdu's nephew's comrade.
Zheng Xiao briefly introduced the nine of them, briefly introducing their names without mentioning their specific positions. Zheng Xiao understood that the other party came here just to make acquaintance, but if he reported his position and family, it would feel like he was using his power to overwhelm others.
After all, the other party is also a commander of the same party, and a senior official from the fourth rank can be regarded as a big boss in the local area.
Jiang Chengdu smiled and chatted briefly before leaving with the guerrilla general.
No one else paid attention to this little incident, especially this group of second-generation nobles. Everywhere they went, they were greeted personally by the local chief military officer, not to mention the fourth-rank military attache, and the third-rank military attache and them. Be polite.
Everyone didn't care, except Liu Xin. He looked deeply at Jiang Chengdu's leaving figure. He may have discovered the clues. If everything goes well, the task here can be solved in these three days.
