The military envoy was praised and felt happy, so he started to talk: "I am unlucky and cannot be assigned to the eastward errand. I only have to run thirty miles to the east before I have to go to the post station, and I have to run eighty miles to the north." This is not just about running an extra fifty miles. You have to adjust your pace, breathe evenly, and know how to rest on time. You must not rely on your physical strength. If you run hard, you will definitely not be able to finish. You must choose to rest well. The location, otherwise the strongman will find out and it will be ruined; you must eat and drink on time, otherwise you will not get cramps..." The military envoy kept nagging. Mang Mao stopped him and said, "Have you ever met a strong man on the road?"
The military envoy said: "Thanks to you, sir, everything goes well for me."
"Have you met anyone?"
"I have seen those who were doing business and working in the fields, but I was careful to avoid them. Those people were doing business and farming when they had nothing to do. When there was a gap, they killed people and took wealth. My life is a small thing, but the delay in military affairs is a big deal!"
When the gentleman on the right side of the car heard this, the corners of his mouth curled up. Mang Mao and Mang Shenze both laughed out loud.
"Well done!" Mang Mao praised, "Are there many people like this?"
"Have you met Sanwuqi?"
"How many people are there in each attack?"
"It's not certain, maybe a dozen people, maybe thirty or fifty people... There are many businessmen, but there are few people working in the fields... But there are still more than ten people. Did they make an appointment to go together?"
"Of course the merchant must make an appointment first. Do you want to make an appointment with Shi Tian?"
"If we have friendship, we will also make appointments... I can invite a dozen people to go to the fields together. This kind of friendship..."
"What do traveling merchants bring with them? Should they carry burdens or drive?"
"Drive, bullock cart, go slowly. What to bring? You can't tell, the cart is covered."
"Are they going south or north?"
"Going south or north?"
"That is to say, their direction is the same as yours, or in the opposite direction."
“There’s everything!”
"Has anyone met you head-on?"
"Yes!" the military envoy said with certainty, "The last one we met was the one we met head-on. I heard the sound of a car in front of me, so I quickly turned to another road and hid in the ditch. I didn't come out until they passed by. It’s a team of traders with many people!”
"Are there any patrols along the way?"
"Not seen!"
"Absurd!" Mang Mao said harshly. Seeing Mang Mao's anger, the military envoy wisely kept his mouth shut.
In the silence, the shadow of the city wall that appeared in front was exactly in the middle of the circle. The disciples who set out first had already led the city guard to wait at the crossing outside the city. Behind him were ten ox carts loaded with grain. When Mang Mao and his entourage were an arrow away, they began to move slowly, and the formation also changed from a wild goose shape to a square, with Mang Mao's car standing at the front. The gentleman on the right side of the car jumped out of the car and ran to the city guard first. He reported to the city guard that General Mang Mao had arrived. The city guard and his entourage immediately walked towards the convoy. When the convoy saw the city guard and his entourage coming on foot, they also stopped the carriage. Youdu jumped out of the car, Mangmao also jumped out and walked towards the city guard. Only the military envoy was at a loss and was still standing in the car. Mang Shen whispered: "Get out of the car and stand behind the car." The military envoy knew what he should do.
After Mang Mao and Yan Shou met, they greeted each other for a while, and then Mang Mao said: "Mr. Jia, I accept Yan Shou's treatment of each other. I am honored to treat you! You still have to move forward. If you are given a horse and carriage, you will be very lucky. !”
Yan Shou quickly asked one of his subordinates to ride into the inn to change horses together with the diners from Daqian Station. Mang Mao whispered a few instructions to the guests and asked them to leave.
After the diners left, Mang Mao said to the guard: "Please step back for now." The two waved their hands, and everyone around them stepped back ten steps away. The two people in the center approached each other, and Mang Mao said: "The Qin people have entered Nanguan, and most of them are going straight to Qifeng. There are already businessmen transporting their luggage, and there may be more to follow."
The guard was surprised and said: "I saw the Nanguan beacon fire in the morning, but did not receive the report. How did the general know about it?"
"The military envoy will enter the field at the end of the day and return to the court with me in the car. There is no need to travel all the way, which is a waste of time. So you know. Otherwise, the military envoy will arrive in time."
"That's it. General, what's your message?"
"I must listen to your Majesty's decision. Kaifeng is south of Daliang. It has always been a gathering place for merchants. There are only a few soldiers from Jing'an. They are beyond the reach of my whip and must not be defended. If Qifeng is lost, Daliang will be in danger!"
"When a general enters the court, he must have a plan!"
"My plan is to call the Liangjiao troops currently gathered to garrison in the Liangjiao as a preparation, so we should abandon the garrison. Only one guard knows about this plan and is prepared in advance to avoid temporary chaos when the king's order is issued."
The guard responded and then asked: "General, you can go into the city to rest your horse. If the king's order is urgent and you have to bear food by the road, you can take a rest."
Mang Mao looked at the ten bullock carts in the distance and said: "The military situation is urgent and there is no need to delay. The moon is shining brightly tonight. You can ride quickly. If you deliver the goods, you will reach Daliang, or you can discuss it with the people in front of the king. The cart is slow, It is only kept in the prison to prepare soldiers."
"If this is the case, how can you rest in peace of mind!"
"Be prepared with all your heart. This time we may be able to solve the problem of Daliang in a defensive position."
"Dare not risk your life!"
"But don't leak it in advance and provoke a civil uprising."
"Here's to you!"
Mang Mao walked back to the convoy and said, "Let's take a short rest and set off!"
At this time, the driver left the car, either for convenience or to drink water, while the driver took off his water bag to drink from the horse. The city guard and his party turned around and left to return to the city. Mang Mao walked around while eating and drinking, communicating with the gentlemen in each car to discuss the itinerary and pace along the way. In the end, it was agreed that if you drive straight into the city at a brisk pace, there should be no problem; if you drive quickly, you should take a break along the way. Each vehicle once again confirmed the formation change signal. After this tipping, everyone felt much more relaxed. They got on the carriages, and the carriages slowly lined up in a predetermined formation. Then each carriage shook its reins in a tacit understanding, and the carriage changed to a fast pace.
The sky has darkened, and the moon rises in the sky, spreading coolness. Everyone in the cars was silent and immersed in driving, except for the military envoy. Riding in the car in the cold weather, his legs were numb and stiff from the cold. Seeing that Mr. Mang Mao, Mang Shen and Mr. Che You were all as motionless as clay statues, he was not worried. To move, I could only quietly change my legs and shrink my shoulders, hoping to fly to the beam in one step.
I don't know how long it took, but Daliang was finally in sight, and a stone's throw away from Daliang, there was a team of torches. This team of torches seemed to have also seen the convoy. A torch came forward to greet it. As it got closer, it could be seen that it was a cavalry. Then a question was heard: "Who is coming?"
The person at the front of the motorcade replied: "General Mangmao returns to the court!"
When the motorcade approached, people could see it clearly. The man turned the horse's head, held up the torch, and shouted: "General Mangmao returns to the court~" The flying horse moved forward. A trumpet sounded from the convoy, and the convoy quickly turned into a column as it marched, following closely behind the cavalry. The cavalry horses ran so fast that the carriages of the team had to change to a gallop, and they passed the team of torches in an instant. It turned out that there were two teams. The front team was made up of cavalry who also held torches, and the back team was horse archers who bent their bows and controlled the strings. . After the convoy passed by, this group of people followed in a horizontal formation until they reached the city gate, then changed to a double column and entered the city gate. After they entered the city, the city gate closed with a creaking sound. The convoy has been guided directly to the Daliang Gate of the Wei Palace by the military envoy holding a torch.
