In late November, a sudden blizzard swept across Gyeonggi and Jingdong, marking the beginning of the midwinter season for the entire Beizhili.
The entire official road from Tongzhou, Shunyi, and Pinggu to the east was submerged in the white snow. The thick snow that covered the ankles made all travel on the road extinct. Of course, this was just an ordinary trip, and there were tens of thousands of people who were struggling. From Tongzhou - Xianghe - Baodi, cross the frozen Baoqiu River, Gu River and Xi River, and arrive at Fengrun.
They will take a short rest in Fengrun before entering Zhenzi Town in Luanzhou, which is also known as the "No. 1 Town in Jingdong" - Yongping Prefecture in Jingdong. They will accept simple arrangements here before heading to Lulong.
This is only the southern route for relocation, while the other route is the northern route.
Gather from Sanhe and Pinggu, then pass through Jizhou, cross the Lihe River that has also been frozen for a long time along the official road through Shimen Town, go south along the Luanhe River from Zunhua and Santun Camp to Qian'an, and then from Qian'an to Funing.
The goose-feather heavy snow fell to the ground silently, and the whole world was shrouded in flying snow flakes. It was completely white and deserted, except for the slightly undulating mountains in the distance covered in silver, and the old black doors and windows exposed under the eaves of a nearby inn. , a wine cup hanging alone in the snow, looking particularly lonely.
In fact, this is the busiest post road from Beijing to Yongping and to Liaodong.
"Lei Si, why don't you go up to the room and have a look? I always feel the rafters creaking, but don't let the snow collapse the roof." He burrowed through the thick double straw curtains and cotton curtains. When Lao Luan came out, the cold wind penetrated into the crook of his neck. He was so cold that he quickly put his hands into his arms and stomped his feet. "Hurry up. It's not a big deal if the roof collapses. Put the inside inside out." The guests were suppressed and we cannot afford to pay for it.”
"Shopkeeper, didn't you just change the roof last year?" The young worker named Lei Si came out with some dissatisfaction, holding a ladder and looking up and down on the roof.
"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and see. If you can't, use a broom to sweep it away for me. Who knows how deep the snow has accumulated overnight. It's not getting any smaller now. If this continues, no one can bear it." Luan Ping is not polite. The ground kicked Lei Si.
Lei Si had no choice but to grit his teeth and curl up his neck to put the ladder up on the eaves. White mist spurted out from his mouth and nose. He climbed up the room gropingly. He took the long broom handed over by the shopkeeper and began to sweep the snow down.
There was a rapid sound of horse hooves in the distance. In this weather, there was not only snow on the road, but also thin ice. No equestrian would dare to be so reckless, and it was impossible for a caravan to be so careless. If you are worried about riding a horse, except for urgent reports, only the cavalry in the army is possible.
Luan Ping and Lei Si both turned their heads and looked east.
This is the only way to go from Fengrun to Zhenzi Town, and it is also the last stop on this official road in Shuntian Prefecture. Next to it is the inn, and this restaurant and hotel depend on the inn. When a character enters the inn, ordinary traveling merchants can only choose this hotel.
The Mongols have completely retreated. To the north, the Santun camp and Jizhen cavalry have officially moved in to recover. It is said that a group of Mongolian soldiers were defeated by Minzhuang and the remnants of the Jingying camp in Yongping, and hundreds of them were captured. This is a new thing. The thing is, didn't it mean that those losers in Jingying were beaten to pieces by the Mongols? How can we regain our glory?
There were about five or six cavalrymen coming to ride. The horses were pure and clear. They didn't look like cavalry in the army, but they didn't look like businessmen either. Businessmen didn't have such good horses.
Luan Ping and Lei Si both couldn't hold it anymore.
It was almost impossible to sit inside. Due to the sudden increase in snow, none of the guests who stayed overnight had time to leave. There were also one or two groups of people who rushed out from Fengrun and found it difficult to hold on, so they all chose to leave. I rested my feet here.
"Shopkeeper, prepare two tables for seven people. Quickly boil a few pots of hot wine and prepare a few dishes to go with the wine."
The person at the front was very young, with a black face and sharp eyes. His eyes were cold and scary, but he was also a little more presumptuous. The narrow-edged knife resting on his waist, with its sharkskin sheath and heavy wear marks, was obviously a bribe. It is a thing of human life, not the sword and sword used by ordinary scholars for decoration.
"Uncle, I'm afraid I won't be able to get a table together..."
Before Luan Ping had time to finish, the other party suddenly said "hmm", and his eyes suddenly turned cold, making Luan Ping shrink subconsciously.
"Okay, Kunshan, where do you get such a bad temper? They are all just struggling to make ends meet. In this snowy day, boss, let's get a table. Along the way, it seems that Bojiagou can still He’s become a bit popular, so I’ll give it a try.”
The voice behind the black-faced youth seemed to be very young, and his words were not harsh, but there was an aura that could not be rejected.
Only then did Luan Ping clearly see the person behind the dark-faced young man. He was wearing an ordinary blue cotton robe with a black leather belt around his waist. It was neither an official's jade belt nor an ordinary businessman's cloth belt. The leather belt is more similar to the leather belt used by some children of aristocratic families. It is both decorative and practical.
He has sword-shaped eyebrows and bright eyes, a face like a crown jewel, and a tall stature, but he is a little more high-spirited and oppressive than the ordinary children from aristocratic families. As he looks around, there is an indescribable sense of sharpness and sharpness.
"Hey, well, okay, if you don't mind it, I'll make some room for you and the others to settle down. In this snowy day, be careful of falling when you walk..."
It is not that Luan Ping has never seen big shots. In his early years, Li Chengliang went to Liaodong twice to serve as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong. He also fought and rested here. Twenty years ago, the Chahar people also fought hard during their first southern invasion. He had been here before, but he only hid in the mountains for two days before quietly coming out. He even hunted and killed a Chahar cavalryman.
He also had to work as a horse thief for a period of time because of his livelihood. Later, he found that this horse thief was not easy to work. Fortunately, he didn't get involved deeply, so he quickly slipped out and returned to his hometown. He has spent the past twenty years Just settled down.
Because he has had the experience of traveling all over the country and has seen a lot of the world, from Yutian and Fengrun to Luanzhou and Lulong, he can be considered a moderate figure. He is the leader of Kaiping Zhongtunwei and Liangcheng in the south. , he also has a few friends with whom he can talk, so he is not too afraid of official and underworld figures.
Not long ago, the Horqin cavalry went south to harass this area. He once picked up a bow and hunting knife and prepared to fight again. However, he already had a wife and children, and he no longer had the passion and courage of the past. After much persuasion, he finally had no choice but to abandon his hunting knife, bow and arrows, and hide in the mountains in dejection. He did not return until the Mongols withdrew.
He was used to big scenes, but this time he felt inexplicably restricted when facing the young man in front of him.
This feeling only passed by briefly. He shook his head and pushed Lei Si into the house to get ready.
The visitors were naturally Feng Ziying and his party, and the dark-faced young man was naturally Zuo Liangyu. During this rare free time, Zuo Liangyu insisted on following him out, but Feng Ziying was stubborn but the other party had no choice but to agree. Except for Zuo Liangyu, Only Wu Yaoqing and a few guards were there.
Although the Mongols withdrew, during this period, whether it was the Mongolian stragglers who were dispersed and became horse thieves, or the deserters who broke up and escaped from the Beijing camp and were unwilling to return to the army, there were zero survivors in Shuntian Prefecture and Yongping Prefecture. There were at least several hundred people scattered.
Some of them hid in the mountains together in groups of three or five, and chose the time to come out to catch a handful. Some of them gathered together in groups of thirty or fifty, and even got together with the horse bandits that originally existed in the area, making them even more powerful.
Now neither the Jizhen Army nor the newly formed army in Yongping have the energy to clean up this area, so incidents of robbing the caravans have occurred frequently during this period.
Feng Ziying and his entourage came across the border naturally for the refugee group who set off eastward from Shuntian Mansion.
After the refugees were divided into two routes and headed eastward, on the one hand, he arranged for businessmen and local officials to make some preparations. On the other hand, because the weather was getting colder, he also wanted to come and take a look at the situation of these refugees in advance.
It stands to reason that the officials of Shuntian Prefecture will be responsible for transporting these refugees to Santun Camp on the northern route, and to Zhenzi Town on the southern route for the official transfer. However, Feng Ziying is not at ease with these officials. This is neither profitable nor laborious. Everyone hates thankless work.
This group of refugees has little fortune, but it is urgently needed for Yongping. Feng Ziying does not want anything to happen, and during this difficult trip, Feng Ziying is even more worried that the White Lotus Church will take the opportunity to cause trouble.
"Yao Qing, the snow is so heavy, these refugees must be offended." Feng Ziying exhaled a white breath and looked to the west.
"Sir, this weather is what it is. At any rate, Shuntian Prefecture has prepared some dry food for them. I think back then there was a flood in the Huaihe River and then there was a drought. Many people who were fleeing from famine starved to death on the road. And then No matter how cold or tired you are, it’s better than starving to death, right?”
Wu Yaoqing thought it was normal. It was heaven for these refugees to let the government control how many days they would make porridge and cook cakes. He was still not satisfied. Could it be that he would have to rest on a snowy day and be unable to walk? Did he really think that he was a guest?
"Besides, your Excellency also arranged for the county to prepare enough hot soup and wheat cakes in Santun Camp and Hazel Town. You can be said to be extremely kind to these refugees. No one can say anything wrong. If I were These refugees should all want to build a shrine for you."
"Nonsense!" Feng Ziying laughed and cursed, who dared to build a temple? Living impatiently makes me feel like my life is too long.
"Hehe, I was just making an analogy." Wu Yaoqing also felt that he had broken his promise and quickly explained: "Sir, come in."
Just as he was talking, the waiter also came out, "Gentlemen, leave the horse to the young one. You can come in and ask for it. The shopkeeper has arranged it for you."
"Well, the horse is well settled. Don't be hungry and cold. You will not be short of money." A man under Wu Yaoqing handed the horse's rein to the other party, "Sir, please wait a moment. I'll get in and take a look."
Feng Ziying laughed and said, "That's not the case. This place is only twenty miles away from Fengrun. How can we still..."
"Sir, please don't ignore it. There are so many defeated troops fleeing, and the situation here has never been peaceful. Be careful when sailing." Wu Yaoqing shook his head and motioned for his men to go in and take a look first.
Lei Si vaguely heard the other party's words and was shocked. Could it be that they were really some officials? When I looked at these healthy horses, they were all top-notch horses, even the post horses were not as good as them, and I became even more confused.
What kind of official can he be at such a young age? Are you afraid it's a seventh- or eighth-grade official, an inspection officer, or a bookkeeper? Can an inspection or chief clerk afford such a good horse? We need to arrange for someone to go in and investigate first. Do you really think that this hotel next to the inn is a black shop?
Seeing the guy staring at her suspiciously for a long time before leading the horse to the stable in the backyard, Feng Ziying ignored her until the four people who went in came out and two of them nodded, indicating that there was no big problem inside. Feng Ziying took the lead. And enter.
