"My lord, Fan Jinhu, the magistrate of Yugan County, kowtows on the steps and wishes His Majesty the Emperor long live, long live!"
It's not the scene, it's Mr. Fan himself simulating it in his study.
Mr. Fan was in a good mood. If a county suppressed more than a hundred bandits, he would definitely have to take merit. And for someone like him who only had one year left in his term, he would definitely be promoted to the state capital.
But it's different now. Two thousand bandits were suppressed! Are you kidding? Come and try?
Humph, Mr. Fan dares to say that since the war against Japan along the coast of Fujian six years ago, there has never been a record of any county killing more than a thousand bandits alone!
In the past two days, not only was the wind blowing under his feet, but he was also much more powerful on the bed. The two concubines were scolded, but Master Fan was so happy that he almost floated up.
Chen Yuanhai and his son are both wanted criminals on the list!
Although these two heads were plastered with lime and placed in a box with grinning teeth, Mr. Fan thought they were too cute. They were their treasures to ensure his promotion!
He seemed to have heard the emperor twirling his beard and saying with a smile: "My dear, you did a great job!" Oh, Your Majesty's grace is so great!
But Li Dan stopped Mr. Fan who was extremely excited and asked, "Why are you so anxious about this?" In any case, we cannot go to Poyang immediately to report our victory. why?
He said: Anyway, the head is here, and the rest of the lake bandits (referring to the Jinxi Lake group) also fled back to the lake and can't make waves for the time being.
However, the largest and most vicious force - the Polygonum subsides - is still there, and the danger has not passed yet.
According to the strategy set by Li Dan and Zhao Chongbi, the two sides should pull back and forth to distract the lake bandits and buy time for Yu Gan to reorganize the city defense.
The role of the Leijiawan Three Lakes Fort is also to serve as a horn to disperse the enemy's strength.
What would happen if the news of the great victory was revealed now?
Either the Polygonum Flower Seeds will stop coming and they will retreat into the lake to act cowardly, and Zhao Tongzhi’s plan will come to nothing;
Or if he gets angry and mobilizes his entire team to attack with all their strength, can Yu Qian really be able to resist?
"Now the south of the city is empty, and there is a loophole in our rear. Yang Baihu and others are still on their way back to the division. When thousands of naval troops and hundreds of regiments and officers arrive at Yugan, they will no longer be afraid of the Polygonum bandits going crazy and besieging the city.
Anyway, you already have this credit in your hand, so what does it matter if you are delayed a few days? "Li Dan advised him. Mr. Fan thought it made sense and temporarily suppressed his thoughts.
However, the servants in the yamen were not stupid. Seeing that the eldest master was so happy every day, they immediately passed on the complaints of Master Fan's concubines in the yamen to all the big families, and then the whole city basically knew:
Oh, it seems that the battle is really won, otherwise how could the county magistrate and his old man suddenly become energetic?
Of course, there is no need to take things that are tacitly understood by everyone, and the people are all smiling.
Zhen'er went out to listen to the neighborhood rumors about the story of "Yang Baihu flying rocks to hit Chen bandits". Her little breasts were so high that she felt like willows blowing in the wind all the way home. She felt so happy and contented with Yourong.
Li Dan was not a fool. He walked around the construction sites twice and realized something was wrong.
The masters in the iron shop were swinging their sledgehammers with great enthusiasm. When the villagers who dug the soil saw him, they said, "Congratulations to the inspection team." They asked them, "Where did the joy come from?" But they all said, "We all know." ” and fought with him haha. Wow, that’s really weird!
When I got home, I saw Needle's lips pursed and smiling. My aunt was also attentive and asked a series of questions about where Yang Dayi had been, when he would be back, whether there had been any letters recently, etc.
Li Dan got goosebumps when he asked. He returned to his room and asked quietly: "Beixi, what's going on with my aunt? Why do you keep asking me about Yang Jianfail? Could it be that they two...?"
"Bah!" Beixi nodded her finger on his forehead: "You are already leading troops in war, but you are still so stupid! Is it possible that there are rumors on the streets that you don't know the story about Yang Baihu throwing rocks at Chen bandits?"
Seeing Li Dan's confused look, Bei Xi retold the story that Zhen'er had heard from the street.
"What flying rocks? That's a catapult made by Chen Sanlang!" After Li Dan blurted out, he felt that Bei Xi looked at him wrongly, and immediately woke up: "The people are spreading the news.
Where did they know this? "
"So this is true?" Beixi shouted in surprise.
"Quietly!" Li Dan shushed and beckoned her to come closer, and whispered:
"My good sister, it was so easy for me to convince Fan County to respect Gaiden about this. Where did you learn about it? Besides, the thief was really killed by a trebuchet, and it had nothing to do with Lao Yang. At that time He is taking command a few miles away."
"After talking for a long time, he was the one who commanded it!" After Bei Xi finished speaking, he asked puzzledly: "Brother, I don't understand, since we won the battle, why don't we shout loudly?"
Li Dan smiled slightly: "What do you think our city is busy with now?"
"Building city walls, training troops..."
"That's right, we can only fight the Lake Bandit when we are prepared. If we are not prepared, he will come in anger, and our losses will be great." Li Dan said, "Or if he shrinks back into his shell when scared, then Even if we can’t fight, it won’t work.”
"Why is it a bad thing to retreat when the lake bandits don't come?"
"No, it will be even worse when he comes back after he has regained his strength! So, now that he has come out, there is no way he can go back without being crippled!"
"Brother is great! But...," Bei Xi frowned: "How can someone listen to you and just do whatever you tell them to do?"
"Yes, so we want to make him blind and deaf. Why do we have to set up militias, guide roads, set up patrols, and fortify walls and clear the fields in various places, all to prevent him from getting information. Similarly, there is no news about this great victory. It was sent out just to deceive him!"
"Oh, I understand what you said. Brother is really a Yue Wumu alive!"
Li Dan waved his hands hurriedly: "I don't want to be Yue Fei!"
Beixi giggled. She was in a very good mood at this time, so she joked: "If I want to be Yue Wumu, I'm afraid I have to be reborn hundreds of years ago!"
"Uh," Li Dan didn't want to talk as soon as he heard the word "rebirth". He patted his forehead awkwardly: "Oh no, I suddenly remembered that I forgot something important! I have to leave quickly!"
"What's the matter? You didn't even eat?"
"Well... the second uncle of the Xu family asked me to come over for dinner. As I was walking and thinking about it, I came home unknowingly and forgot about his invitation. I have to leave quickly and come back for dinner in the evening."
Li Dan was really afraid that this girl would continue to talk to him about Yue Wumu on the topic of "rebirth". After confessing to his aunt, he would call Mao Zaidi and run away as fast as he could.
It's true that the Xu family's invitation was true, but...it wasn't scheduled for today. Li Dan was walking on the street, and many villagers and elders around him came to congratulate him. He was very embarrassed, so he actually ran to the front of the Xu Mansion on Shunxian Street.
The person at the door was stunned for a moment when he saw him coming, and immediately someone who responded quickly ran in to report, and another doorman invited him into the side room to have tea first.
Li Dan was so thirsty after running that he drank six or seven drinks in a row, which made people confused. When he looked back, Mao Zaidi was hiding in the corner and covering his mouth, enjoying himself.
Xu Tong came in at this time, clasped his fists and raised his hands: "The patrol inspector has come to visit, and the humble house will be full of glory!"
"Alas, my second uncle is laughing." Li Dan waved his hand and said, "My nephew was treated warmly by all the fathers on the street. I really had no choice but to flee to your mansion for a while. I am here unexpectedly, offended, offended!"
Xu Tong laughed loudly after hearing this: "It turned out that my good nephew ran away? The fact that he came to my house at this time is a sign of trust in my Xu family! How can I be blamed for this? Come on, come on, let's go Talk in the front hall!"
After saying that he ordered people to make arrangements to entertain Mao Zaidi, he realized that neither of them had eaten yet, so he hurriedly asked his servants to prepare.
So he asked in confusion: "My good nephew didn't even have time to eat. I don't know why he was in such a hurry? Didn't everyone say that we won the war?"
"Second uncle also knows this? To be honest, I don't want the news of this victory to spread too early." Li Dan smiled bitterly.
When I looked up, I saw brothers Xu Bu and Xu Xian waiting for each other at the entrance of the hall. It was actually three brothers who came together. They were busy bowing to their elders and saying that they did not dare to work to greet them.
Everyone politely invited him into the room. After the guests and hosts took their seats, Xu Tong asked again why he wanted to hide the victory. Li Dan explained to the three brothers
, everyone suddenly realized.
Xu Bu was older and acted steadily. After listening to his words, he pondered for a moment and said:
"The intention of conducting inspections is good, but such a cover-up may cause rumors to spread and be exploited by villains. Secondly, the rumors will become more and more irrelevant, which is detrimental to the prestige of the government.
I think the best solution for today is to give some explanation to calm the people's minds! "
"What my uncle said is true, and I am also worried. It's just... I haven't made up my mind yet as to what kind of explanation I should give." Li Dan said:
"It's definitely not possible to tell the truth. There are inevitably enemy spies hidden outside here. If word gets out that the fact of Huxi's pacification is prematurely revealed, it may be detrimental to Yu Gan's safety. But it seems inappropriate for the government to issue a notice to deny it."
After hearing what he said, the three brothers smiled and exchanged glances with each other. Xu Xian said, "Why should Sanlang be serious? If you take something seriously, it will become true even if it is not true. Why not just go with the flow?"
"Following the trend?"
"That's right, since the people are eager to win, it's not a bad idea for us to give everyone a victory. But we don't have to tell the truth or exaggerate the victory. We just need to meet the people's needs and expectations." Xu Bu nodded slightly.
"Oh, I understand! What you mean is that there is a victory, but it is not as exaggerated as the rumors, but it is not too small. It should be more appropriate, right?" Li Dan narrowed his eyes:
"Well, we need to make up such a story so that Tenghuako won't be angry or frightened even if he hears about it. Instead, he will think it is just a trivial matter and has nothing to do with the overall situation. In this way, he can continue to act according to his own ideas on the Eastern Front."
"That's right. It's like what you just said: He hits his, and I hit mine. We have to gradually let our side take the initiative. In the end, if he can't hit his, he has to hit mine.
The idea of changing from being passive and being beaten to actively guiding opponents is actually similar to how we do business. "
After Xu Bu finished speaking, he glanced at Xu Tong, nodded appreciatively to Li Dan and said, "It's really not easy for you to think like this and arrange things like this at such an age!"
Li Dan was modest. At this time, the housekeeper came in and informed that the meal was ready. Xu Bu then asked Duan to come into the house, and the three brothers would accompany Li Dan to have a meal with him. After three drinks, Xu Tong told Li Dan that the first batch of the 300 long-necked porcelain bottles and 300 spherical bottles that Mr. Master Ba came to order with the drawings the day before yesterday had been delivered to Tang Kai of Yujiazhai. "However, I still don't understand. What Saburo wants is obviously not a practical device. It is neither exquisite nor beautiful. What on earth are you using it for?" He asked, and then quickly added: "Oh, if it involves 'Military secrets, don't tell Saburo if it's inconvenient."
"It's not an inconvenience." Li Dan smiled and said, "It's just a thunderbolt that can be thrown or tossed."
"Throwing thunder. But you used it in Shangrao? What does throwing mean...?"
"For catapults." Li Dan pointed to the north: "Weren't the catapults being installed on the city wall? Didn't the second uncle see it?"
"But... shouldn't a catapult be used to throw stones?" Xu Xian asked.
"Uncle Third, the catapult can throw anything. No one stipulates that it can only throw stones! Of course it can also throw lighted thunderbolts.
However, the killing effect of porcelain's sky-shaking thunder is limited. It is best to use stone balls or iron balls filled with gunpowder and thrown out to be powerful. We didn’t have time or that much material, so we used porcelain balls.
It can definitely hurt people, but I can't say whether it can kill people. I haven't tried this yet, so I only ordered 300 of them. Li Dan replied nonchalantly:
"This thing has been used in the West for a long time, especially in the previous wars when the Muslims attacked the Europeans. Later, the Europeans also imitated it, but their gunpowder was mostly black powder and was not powerful enough.
Unlike us, the granular gunpowder shaken out by Yujiazhai using isinglass and alcohol is much more powerful! "
The three brothers looked at each other in shock. "Oh, I really don't know where you learned all this at such a young age?" Xu Bu was surprised: "Aren't you afraid that bad people will learn from you?" Kanshu La
"What are you afraid of!" Li Dan chuckled: "They can't learn it. Besides, even if they learn it, I can make something better right away!"
"Uh..., Saburo, I heard
Your third uncle wants to buy a stake in your carriage shop? "Xu Tong asked tentatively, changing the topic.
"Third uncle is also interested? Sure!" Li Dan nodded: "After the war, we will go public and all three of you are welcome to participate. But..., in fact, you don't have to participate in this horse-drawn carriage project. Well."
"Ah?" Xu Xian looked at his two brothers: "What Sanlang means is that there are other good things we can do?"
Li Dan didn't say anything, but took out a pencil from his pocket and handed it to him: "Please use this to write on the paper."
The three of them were hesitant and took turns to look at the thing that had been repaired to the length of a fist. Xu Tong got up and found a piece of paper. He wrote the word "Xu" first, and his eyes immediately lit up. Seeing that he was stunned, Xu Xian stretched his neck to look at the screams, took a pen and paper and wrote a few words, and finally handed it to his elder brother who was quite calm. After Xu Bu finished writing, he didn't speak for a long time. Then he raised his head and said, "This is an incredible skill. Are you going to mass-produce this thing and sell it to the world?"
"This thing is portable, does not require the work of grinding ink, and is very light. It can be used by traffickers and naive children. However, Chen Sanlang has already invested in the stock. If there is a new shareholder, I need to ask for his permission." Li Dan told them: "What I mean is that there are a lot of similar good things, and there are also a lot of ways to make money. We can all pool our ideas without having to fight for the same path."
"for example?"
"For example, I plan to build a smelting field in Anren after the war, using new methods to smelt iron and forge steel with water. My second uncle's business knows many people who can provide us with refractory bricks, black lead crucibles, and ceramic crucibles.
As Sanshu makes condiments, we can use the tinplate produced by Anren to make cans that can seal fruits, vegetables or fish and preserve them for a year or more, and sell them to the north, west and even the north where such things are lacking. In the army.
My uncle is in the grain business, so he should be familiar with this. "He said, taking out a gourd from his waist and handing it over.
"Wine?" Xu Bu opened the gag and immediately smelled the aroma of wine. Xu Xian went to get three wine cups and asked Xu Bu to pour a little each.
"It smells so good, and it's as clear as water!" Xu Tong praised loudly, "What kind of wine is this?"
"It was made during the days when we were blocked at Fengqiguan in Shangrao. This wine is called Fengquan."
"Oh, I've heard that there are also phoenix breasts, right? I didn't expect it to be made by my nephew," Xu Bu said in surprise.
"There is also a jade clear flow made by me."
Now the three of them were shocked. "It is said that these three kinds of wine are very rare on the market today, and they are the best wines. I didn't expect that I would be lucky enough to taste them today!" Xu Tong took a sip and smacked the wine and said, "My nephew, do you want to sell this wine?"
"The sales rights of Shangrao, Geyang, and Wannian are already occupied. Is uncle interested in taking the sales rights of Yu Qian and Anren?
My condition is that you provide my winery with the best-priced grain. How about this deal? Li Dan asked with a smile.
