Faced with Bai Qi's direct question, Wei Ran said: "You will govern Hedong, and I will govern Tao. About ten years old, which one is better?"
Bai Qi said: "Qi is not as good as a king."
Wei Ran said: "You Guangdong Hedong, I Guangtao, about ten years old, which one is Guangtao?"
Bai Qi said: "The prince has not risen yet."
Wei Ran said: "I'll give you a try in ten years, is that okay?"
Bai Qi said: "I really don't dare to compete with the princes. I have no virtue, and the princes raise their ministers in the army; I am ignorant, and the princes pull their ministers out of the crowd. The prince in his seventies can still wield his arms and drive his chariot. What can Prime Minister Zhang do?" …”
Wei Ran said: "Did you know that you would attack Hanoi from the east of the river? Zhang Xiang could do it, but I couldn't. Did you know that it was possible to rule the princes with Qin's laws? Zhang Xiang could do it, but I couldn't. You would rather know that Yiqu and Shu Han can do it for Qin. Help? Prime Minister Zhang can do it, but I can't. I can only rule one city, attack and capture it, and do whatever I want, but I can't rule the world! But Prime Minister Zhang can do it. You can see the hegemony of Qin in the world!"
Bai Qi said: "That tourist loves to talk big. He always talks about the world, but in fact he has no plan..."
Wei Ran interrupted: "Zhang Xiangfei just said that if he goes to the east of the river and has effects in Hanoi, he will definitely succeed."
Bai Qi said: "What do you want from this trip?"
Wei Ran said: "I only wish to govern a county that is rich and common."
Bai Qi said: "What should I do?"
Wei Ran said: "It is also necessary to govern a county and make it rich and common."
Bai Qi said: "I am willing to use the power of one county to attack Fen in the north and cross Ji in the south to capture everything in Hanoi and Fen. I dare not know about the others."
Wei Ran said: "It is up to you to attack the city and capture the city. If you want to rule it, I am willing to listen to you. Although he is a captain, he does not need to be placed in the army, but he can rule the people."
Bai Qi said: "Here you go!"
Wei Ran said: "The river wind is about to rise, I hope you can cross quickly. I am in Tao, and I hope you are in the river!"
Bai Qi didn't dare to say anything, so he stood up and left. Cross the Yellow River before it gets dark and the wind blows. Wei Ran sent him out and thought to himself: "Which Lord Wu'an can obey him? If he can't obey him, it will be enough to cause harm to his ears!"
The next day, the convoy will leave Chenggao, Panshui and enter Xingyang. This section of the road is surrounded by mountains on one side and a river on the other, making it narrow and difficult to navigate. Wei Ran relied on his experience in the battlefield and found that there were obviously more fishing boats on the river, and most of them were on the south bank. He felt that this person should be sent by Bai Qi to protect him, so he simply climbed onto the tower, exposed himself, and waited until the convoy had completely passed before leaving. Cheng Gaoshou didn't know why, but he accompanied Wei Ran on the tower for a day to blow the cold wind. He got hot that night, but Wei Ran seemed fine!
From leaving Hangu Pass to entering Beimang, Wei Ran walked this road many times in the past thirty years, and every time it was bloody. Nearly half of the soldiers he brought out of the pass were unable to return home and became ghosts in a foreign land. Like Today, it was the first time in my life that the domestic servant Ji and his concubine were passing by like a tourist with their gold and silver treasures.
We walked for two days from Chenggao to Beimang. When we arrived at Beimang, it was already dark, so we camped at the foot of the mountain to rest. This is the first time I have been sleeping outdoors since leaving the customs. ——Of course, Wei Ran's family still arranged to live in a reverse journey.
At night, with the bright moonlight, Wei Ran stepped out of the room and strolled in the courtyard, when he suddenly heard someone on the roof whisper "Junhou". Wei Ran was startled. When he looked up, he saw a man in black on the roof waving to him. Then he flashed over the ridge of the house and was hidden in the darkness. Then something fell in front of Wei Ran. Wei Ran picked it up and found a piece of silk cloth wrapped with stones, with the word "Xilin" written on it in charcoal.
Wei Ran called a few retainers, went out and ran west. Sure enough, he saw a man wearing a raincoat and a hat by the forest. The retainers were startled and hurriedly protected Wei Ran in the middle. Wei Ran separated the crowd and told them not to follow him, and walked towards the man alone. Walking up to him, Wei Ran asked, "Where is Mr. Chen?"
The man said: "Gone!"
Wei Ran said: "When?"
The man said: "Three days ago."
Wei Ran said: "Why did he die?"
The man said: "Yu Qing went out from all directions, and Chen Gong investigated it and wanted to report it to the king. Didn't he expect that he encountered wind and cold by chance, so he couldn't get sick and died."
Wei Ran said: "Chen Gongsu was so healthy that he died of illness."
The man said: "It is difficult for a healthy person to suffer from a minor illness; for a person who has been ill for a long time, he will suffer from chronic illness."
Wei Ran said: "I also wanted to follow Chen Gong, but he passed away due to illness. Where will he go now?"
The man said: "I have an old relationship with Lord Xinling, and I would like to surrender to him."
Wei Ran said: "Although Mr. Xinling has a reputation of loyalty, he can actually do nothing. I hope you will give it up. I will go to Taojiu to help you!"
The man said: "The princes and princes are close to Qin, so they can gain the power of a country. How can we seal it?"
Wei Ran said: "Qin Prime Minister Zhang Jun has no power to tie a chicken, but he is really a man. I am old and unable to do anything, so I should give in!"
The man said: "If the ruler is unable to do anything, why should he invite the common people to help?"
Wei Ran said: "Sincerely the eyes of Mr. Zeng! I have an appointment with Prime Minister Zhang. I have the power of Hedong, and I have the power of Tao Yi. Who can make a big move! So I hope you can help me sir."
The man thought for a while, took off his hat, and bowed three times on the spot. Wei Ran returned and bowed three times. The retainers fifty steps behind him looked at him. Although they didn't know what he meant, they were relieved.
After a while, two people came over. The man had already taken off his coir raincoat, but it was Zeng Ji. After not seeing each other for several years, Zeng Ji was obviously much older, but his cynical attitude remained the same. The retainers brought by Wei Ran had all met Zeng Ji and knew that he was Chen Zhen's entourage. They had secret missions every time, but they didn't dare to talk to him or inquire about him. After seeing him, they kept silent. Wei Ran said: "Mr. Zeng is going to Tao with you temporarily. I should treat him as a guest!" Everyone said "Hey." After arriving home, Zeng Ji changed his clothes and quickly blended in with his retainers. Although Wei Ran asked to be treated with courtesy, Zeng Ji didn't care at all.
After breakfast the next day, we headed to Xingze. Xingyang Shou was already waiting there. According to Wei Ran's request, Xingyang Shou prepared hundreds of large and small ships to transport Wei Ran's goods. He didn't expect that Wei Ran had so many goods and so many people. Wei Ran comforted him that there was no need to set off all at once, just arrange a hundred ships every day. Xingyang Shou flattered Wei Ran in every possible way, which made Wei Ran very happy.
Xingyang Shou gathered around and asked, "I heard that Qin wanted to attack Jin. Now that Wei has already been attacked, where will we attack again?"
Wei Ran seemed to answer casually: "The ones Qin attacked were only Han and Wei. Wei has already driven Wei Qi away, and the title of Madam He and Princess Gai has already been accepted. Those who are attacked now must be Han."
Xingyang Shou asked again: "Where should we attack?"
Wei Ran said carelessly: "Why do you ask about guarding? The power east of the river is huge now. If we don't attack within the river, we will attack Fenshang. How can we ask?"
Xingyang Shou said: "If it is true, how can you go to Taoye?"
Wei Ran said: "Gai wants to attack Zhao. When we leave Hangu, we are adjacent to Han and Wei, not Zhao, so it is inconvenient to attack Zhao. If we leave Tao, Zhao, Qi, and Yan will all be able to attack."
Xingyang guarded the way: "Chu and Qin are our neighbors, how can we not attack them?"
Wei Ran said: "The prince of Chu marries a daughter of Qin, and the daughter of Chu returns to the king of An. Will Chu An be defeated?"
Xingyang defended the road: "Although Xingyang is in Han Dynasty and has good relations with the princes, I hope not to attack it."
Wei Ran said: "Xingyang is a land connected in all directions, but if you can find it conveniently, you must attack it." Xingyang Shou smiled bitterly and didn't know how to respond.
Wei Ran didn't give up and said very kindly: "Do you know how to guard Zhi? He used to be Wei Shou and now he is Qin Shou. How can it be difficult to guard the same!"
Xingyang Shou could only say: "Thank you very much, Marquis Rang!"
Not only the goods had to be transported, but the livestock and vehicles also had to be transported. Therefore, after the goods were loaded onto the ship, the coachmen set off to Tao in batches by land under the protection of the pro-camp. It wasn't until the third day that all the goods were put on the ship and set sail. Wei Rancai and a group of retainers and relatives set off in the car. Everyone advised Wei Ran to take a boat, but Wei Ran disagreed and insisted on taking a car. Since there were no women and cargo, the lightly packed car traveled very quickly, almost as fast as the boat. The cities along the way still welcomed people and sent them off very respectfully; when they were crossing the Great Wall, the King of Wei actually sent his uncle to the ferry to greet him, toast him and give him gifts. The etiquette was very thoughtful, and it was impossible to tell that Wei Ran was once a Wei Ran. The sworn enemy of the country, who had besieged Daliang several times, became like a good friend for many years.
The last big city in the Wei Kingdom on the edge of Jishui is Jiyang. After leaving Jiyang, we left Wei territory, which is still more than a hundred miles away from Tao. Zeng Ji asked Wei Ran to board the boat, saying that because this area was located on the border of various vassal states, thieves were rampant, so it would be easier for Marquis Rang to board the boat for protection.
Wei Ran said: "It's difficult to move the boat, so how can the carriage and horses move smoothly!" He insisted on riding. At the same time restrain the fleets and convoys, stay vigilant, and cock the crossbows.
Along the way, except for the swaying Jishui River, both sides of the river were deserted. There were only the occasional dilapidated ruins, recording the former prosperity and wealth here. Wei Ran asked Zeng Jida in confusion: "This land has abundant water, but no one is cultivating it?"
Zeng Jidao: "This is a place where there are no mountains and rivers to protect each other, no city walls to support each other, and no one can protect the people. Therefore, although the water is plentiful and the land is beautiful, it is worthy of being roamed by jackals."
Wei Ran looked around, and sure enough, wild beasts appeared from time to time. Asked: "Is there a jackal there?"
Zeng Jidao: "The days may be short, but the nights must be many. I have many oxen and horses, and I must be strictly guarded at night, so that there will be no trouble."
Wei Ran nodded and said, "If we plant acres of land here and gather the people, we can get 100,000 people."
Zeng Jidao: "Although, the carriages and riders came and went, and they died overnight."
Wei Ran said: "It depends on people. If you get the right method, you will definitely become rich."
Zeng Jidao: "May the monarch show his power and benefit the world."
Wei Ran looked at the ruins that occasionally flashed by, and fell into deep thought for a moment.
Suddenly, many horses neighed and some even stopped. Zeng Ji said: "There may be a wolf in front of you, but the horse is also a prophet."
Wei Ran laughed and said, "It's so fun to have chariots and cavalry galloping together in the wilderness, chasing rabbits and wolves!" He took the bow in his hand and gave the order to prepare for hunting.
He asked the infantry to guard the ox cart and move slowly. Fifty chariot soldiers lined up, and with an order, they spurred their horses and drove forward. Soon, groups of wild beasts emerged from the grass. The bowstrings of each chariot sounded continuously, and from time to time, wild animals fell down after being hit by arrows. After galloping for two or three miles, a group of wolves was indeed startled. They did not scatter in panic like other wild beasts, but retreated slightly to the side and observed Wei Ran's movements. Wei Ran was surprised and couldn't help but feel eager to win. He adjusted his formation and determined to wipe out the group of wolves.
