291-300

Chapter 290

Lin Zhen, Guan Peng and others stood on the tower of Lizhou, looking at the people who were traveling with the merchants. "With these merchants taking care of them all the way, they should have no worries on the road. As for how many people they can attract to Lizhou, it all depends on their ability."

"It's a business without capital. The more people we attract, the better. Even if there are fewer, it doesn't matter." Guan Peng said.

Lin Zhen nodded: "That's exactly the case. I was just thinking, if the officials of other prefectures knew that we were recruiting people under their noses, how would they look at us."

Lin Zhen, Guan Peng, and Gao Tong touched their noses at the same time.

Judge Jiang Jing looked at the three of them like this, with his hands in the fur cover, and felt a little funny.

This is the fifteenth year since he came to Lizhou. Gu Lin is the third governor of Lizhou he has welcomed. At present, it seems that he is quite curious about Gu Lin, the governor of Lizhou. He hopes that this governor of Lizhou will stay longer and not toss himself away.

This was Kong Zheng's first time to travel far away, and he left Lizhou where he was born and raised, and went to another place. There were

29 other people traveling with him. As they got farther and farther away from Lizhou, they found that the snow was gradually thinning and there were fewer of them.

Soon, they changed their thick winter clothes and put on late autumn clothes.

Everyone looked at the place in front of them where there was no snow and even the sun was out, and felt extra novel.

"Is this place called Yongzhou?" One person looked at the not-so-bustling town and said.

Kong Zheng said: "Yes, the merchants who brought us here said that this is Yongzhou. There was a drought here just two years ago. I wonder if the people here have recovered."

In view of their friendship with Lin Zhen, the merchants did not completely let go of them when they arrived in Yongzhou, but sent two people to lead the way for them, and told them to find him if they had any problems.

This made Kong Zheng and his companions feel relieved. After two days of wandering in a place called Ma'an County in Yongzhou, Kong Zheng, who was the most active, turned his head and said to his companions, "I have seen these two days that the people in Ma'an County are not living well. The streets are dead, there are few people working, and few people selling things. I am afraid we should go to a distant village to have a look."

Kong Zheng and his companions were not unfamiliar with such a county town. The former Lizhou Prefecture was also like this. The people selling things were dead, and the people on the road were also dead. It was the look of people who had no motivation.

In such a place, Kong Zheng felt that they could cut the Gordian knot quickly. He pretended to be the manager of recruiting workers, and others pretended to be workers recruited from other places and passed by Ma'an County.

At the same time, they released the news that they would continue to recruit workers, and tricked people on the road first. When these people arrived in Lizhou and found the good of Lizhou, were they afraid that they would not take their whole family to Lizhou?

As for the conditions of their prefecture, they were also tempted.

As soon as he said it, Kong Zheng took a few people and pretended to pass by, asking for water from a family not far from Ma'an County.

Yongzhou suffered a drought that was rare in a century two years ago. The people here are complex. Some are the original villagers who returned after the drought, and some are others who suffered the same disaster and stayed after hearing that Yongzhou was settling refugees.

But everyone's life is still not easy. Although the court exempted taxes for two years, where would the grain seeds come from, where would the hoes and sickles come from? If you encounter a cold and headache, there is nothing you can do except bear it.

The family that Kong Zheng and his team targeted was in the middle of several families, in a shaky thatched house. In front of the house, there happened to be a man in his thirties turning over the vegetable field.

Seeing them coming, he stood vigilantly with a hoe.

Kong Zheng, the temporary steward, stood in front and said to the man, "Brother, we are passing by from other places. Can we have a bowl of water to drink?"

"Not for free, give me three cents."

Kong Zheng was not a sucker. There was no drought now, and three cents was more than enough to buy a few bowls of water.

There were still people in the hut. The man whispered to them not to come out. He looked at Kong Zheng and his group and the three cents in his hand, and agreed, "Wait, I will go to the house to pour you water."

"Okay, thank you, brother, take the copper coins."

The man saw that they were polite and did not look like evil people. He walked over to take the copper coins, nodded and went to the house to pour water.

In the house, the man's wife and two children surrounded him, a little scared.

After experiencing drought and losing their loved ones, they were very wary of people. If it were not for the three cents, the man would not agree to give them water.

"Dad, who are those people? Why are they standing outside our house?"

The man handed the three coins in his hand to his wife, "They are passers-by, asking for a bowl of water."

"Are they bad people?"

"They don't look like them."

The man's wife held the three coins, feeling sympathetic.

She quietly looked out the window, and the two children, about twelve or thirteen years old, also looked at Kong Zheng and his friends.

Only to hear voices coming from outside: "When can we return to Lizhou? One day later means seven cents in wages. I'm so anxious!"

"Why are you anxious? Manager Kong is not anxious either. Manager Kong's wages are higher. If he hadn't come to pick us up, it would be so comfortable to eat that greasy meal in the factory every day."

Kong Zheng, who deliberately let them find a topic to talk about, missed the food in the cement factory sincerely when he heard it. He said with a bit of manager style: "The food in our factory is excellent. This," he gave a thumbs up, "every day there are three stir-fried dishes and a soup, and two meals of sorghum rice are enough. If you are still hungry after eating, you can go for more. Even the factory director eats the same as us."

The others also swallowed their saliva and pretended to be the one entering the factory for the first time and said: "Can newcomers like me eat meals? Do I have to pay for it?"

Kong Zheng said loudly: "Our boss said that this is called workers' meals. Anyone who works there can eat it, and there is no deduction in wages."

"We only have one meal here in the factory. The powder factory, soap factory, perfumed soap factory, and vanishing cream factory in the state capital can eat in the workshop in the afternoon when they work the night shift, and they can get an extra six coins, which is more than two hundred coins a month."

They deliberately raised their voices so that not only the people in the house but also the neighbors at home could hear them.

The two children who were peeking at them swallowed their saliva. Although it was only two months after the autumn harvest, the harvest was poor this year, and the family still had to tighten their belts and eat a thin meal a day. However, the two brothers heard from their father and mother that it was still not enough to eat until the next year's grain harvest, and they would go to cut wild vegetables tomorrow, with a bowl of grain and a pot of wild vegetables.

The two brothers stared at the manager who looked very stylish, and heard him say with a smile: "Hey, let me tell you, there are many people who want to join our factory. If it weren't for the fact that the factory has expanded and we need to recruit more people, and we can't use up all the local strong laborers, and we need to keep some people so as not to delay farming, why would we recruit people from outside?"

"There are many people who want to go to our factory for lunch, which must have meat."

The two brothers looked at each other, and the hands that were pulling at the doors and windows were more powerful than at the beginning.

There was nothing better than being able to eat, get money, and have meat.

The woman and the man also heard what Kong Zheng and his friends said. The couple looked at each other, and their hearts tightened for a moment, and they became wary of Kong Zheng and his friends.

Maybe these people were really just passing by, but it's not wrong to be more careful.

The man went out with two bowls of water. Kong Zheng took the bowl and gulped down a few gulps, urging the others: "Drink up and go. I still need to go see how the others are doing. I'm worried sick that we haven't recruited enough people this time."

"Manager Kong, don't worry.

If you can't recruit any more, there's nothing you can do." Kong Zheng nodded seriously, "That's right. If I hadn't worked there myself, I would have thought someone was lying if they told me that I could have food and money."

Kong Zheng glanced at the man's face and accidentally saw the two teenagers who were lying on the window and listening.

The two teenagers were afraid that he would miss something, so they put their hands next to their ears.

Kong Zheng's mind turned and he felt that this matter had a chance. He had planned to go to other villages if this method didn't work. Yongzhou was so big that he didn't believe that there would be no fish to take the bait.

After drinking the water, several people were about to leave. Seeing that the man did not talk to them, except Kong Zheng, the others were a little discouraged. When they walked out of the village, Kong Zheng said, "Walk slower."

"What's wrong?"

Kong Zheng said, "See if the two children from that family can catch up."

"If the children come, we can't take them away, otherwise we will be human traffickers."

Kong Zheng explained, "We want to send the children back and let that family believe that we are not bad people. As long as one person believes it, many people in this village will follow us."

Kong Zheng's family had lived the same life as the other people in the village. Faced with the temptation of being able to get wages and have a meal, not many people could resist the temptation.

After they left, some noises came from that family.

It was the couple's two sons who were talking to the man and the woman: "Dad, Mom, did you hear what those uncles said just now? They are hiring workers in Lizhou. They will get 221 coins a month, and they can also have a meal, which is enough!"

The man sat on a stool, braiding the straw he collected from the mountain into braids, preparing to make straw stools and take them to the county to sell.

The man said: "I heard it, they are doing their own work, it is none of our business."

"Dad, we can go with them to work. Our family does not have enough food this year. We will starve after the New Year. My brother and I are scared."

The man paused while braiding the straw, and still said: "Those people suddenly came to our village. Who knows who they are? Lizhou is so far away. What should we do if something happens on the way?"

The young man was anxious: "But our family is not originally from here. We also fled here. What difference does it make where we are?"

"Okay, go collect firewood with your brother, don't think about it." The man didn't want to say more, and drove his two sons to the mountain to work.

The two brothers obviously didn't understand why such a good thing should be pushed out, but they still obediently carried their backpacks to the mountain to collect firewood.

The woman looked at her husband weaving straw stools and her two sons going to the mountain to collect firewood, sighed and said nothing.

In the past, when the years were good, the straw stools her husband wove could still be sold, but now it's hard for everyone to fill their stomachs, who would buy this thing? There are already seven or eight straw stools in the house that have been woven but not sold.

But she knew that her husband was also holding on to a glimmer of hope, and he would be more panicked if he had nothing to do.

During the escape, all the elderly in the family died, and the couple's youngest daughter also starved to death. No one was more afraid of hunger than them.

The woman turned around, put on her basket, and went to the river to pick hemp willow leaves, ready to take them back and mix them with food.

There were many people who thought the same as her. There were seven or eight husbands and women standing under the hemp willow trees by the river.

One of them was her neighbor. When he saw her coming, he asked, "Who was that person standing outside your house just now, Yang Gui? He looked strong and healthy. I'm sure his family doesn't have to worry about food?"

"I heard them talking about working for more than 200 coins a month. Are you here to work for your Yang Gui?"

As soon as the woman spoke, all the women and husbands on the river bank looked at Yang Gui's wife.

Yang Gui's wife said, "A few passers-by came to ask for a few bowls of water. The child's father and I didn't hear it clearly. Those people left quickly."

Every household was having a hard time. If there was something good, they would want to find out and drink a bowl of soup. When they heard what Yang Gui's wife said, they all stopped talking.

Yang Gui's wife picked a full basket of hemp willow leaves and walked towards home with two or three neighbors.

As soon as they reached the door of their house, her husband Yang Gui came out and said, "Mother of the child, didn't Da Shuang and Er Shuang come to find you?!"

"No." Yang Gui's wife was full of confusion.

Yang Gui was anxious: "Oh no, something must have happened to Dashuang and Ershuang, maybe they were kidnapped by those people!"

Yang Gui's wife dropped the basket in her hand and hurriedly followed Yang Gui to the entrance of the village.

Although they were not old neighbors who had lived together for decades, the neighbors still followed to see if they could help.

Suddenly, when seven or eight people ran to the entrance of the village, they saw a few people who were asking for water and their two sons walking here. Yang Gui and his wife hurried over, pulled the children over, hid them behind them, and looked at Kong Zheng and others in surprise.

The two boys who ran to find Kong Zheng and his friends, but were persuaded by Kong Zheng to come back, quickly said to their parents: "Dad, Mom, it's none of Uncle Kong's business. I took my brother to find Uncle Kong and his friends to ask if they would still accept people to do the work. Uncle Kong said that you would worry about us, so he sent us back."

Kong Zheng smiled slightly and said: "Your two children are a bit brave. They dared to run with us at such a young age. Don't blame them, brother. They just want to share the worries for you and your sister-in-law."

After hearing what their son said, Yang Gui and his wife's expression eased. After hearing what Kong Zheng said, they felt a little embarrassed.

They had wrongly accused the wrong person.

Yang Gui looked at Kong Zheng and others who had gone and returned, and looked at the darkening sky, and said to Kong Zheng and others: "It's getting late, you can rest at my house for a night before going back to the county."

Kong Zheng looked at the people behind him and nodded: "Thank you, brother."

"We husband and wife should thank you, brothers. These two children have caused you trouble."

"It's not a big deal."

Kong Zheng followed Yang Gui's family back to the village. The neighbors who came with them to find the children saw that the children were safe and sound, and they breathed a sigh of relief for Yang Gui's family. Then they turned their eyes to Kong Zheng and others.

The mental outlook of a person who is well fed and one who is not is very different. Seeing the strong and healthy appearance of Kong Zheng and his companions, someone could not help asking, "Brothers, where are you from? Your accent is different from ours."

Kong Zheng smiled and said, "I'm from Lizhou. I went to other places to recruit workers. I happened to pass by Yongzhou. They are my workers."

"Lizhou? I heard

it's very far away." "I heard it snows there all year round and crops can't be grown."

Kong Zheng chuckled, "I, a native of Lizhou, have to set the record straight for our Lizhou. Our winter is indeed longer and the farming time starts in May, but the crops are ripe in August."

The villagers exclaimed, "Can the crops be ripe in such a short time?"

"Yes," Kong Zheng said firmly, "Our new governor is very capable. He has invented the method of composting and manure water. One acre of land used to produce only 80 kilograms of grain, but now it can produce more than 200 kilograms."

"The prefect's uncle is also a very capable man. He has set up many workshops. I am here to recruit workers for him."

This time, Yang Gui, his wife, and the neighbors in the village did not say anything to spoil the mood. If Kong Zheng and his friends were bad people, they could just kidnap the two children and sell them. Two teenagers of twelve or thirteen could also be sold for some money.

Yang Gui's eldest son patted his chest and said anxiously, "Uncle Kong, can I do this? I also want to go to work and earn money."

Kong Zheng touched his head and shook his head: "Our boss said that children under the age of fifteen are still growing and cannot do heavy work, otherwise they will not grow tall and have bad health. Only those over the age of fifteen are accepted."

"And teenagers can only go to the gouache workshop, soap workshop, perfumed soap workshop, and vanishing cream workshop. The work in these workshops can be done by girls and boys."

Yang Gui's wife paused: "Is there any work that girls and boys can do?"

Kong Zheng answered her: "Yes, one hundred and fifty coins a month, and if you work night shifts, you can get an extra six coins a day. In addition to the lunch, you also eat the afternoon meal in the workshop."

...

The next day, Kong Zheng and his friends were leaving the village. They did not sleep all night. The door of Yang Gui's house was knocked on again and again by the villagers, all of whom came to ask about this matter.

After a night of struggle and thinking, Yang Gui's family finally decided to go to Lizhou to find a way to make a living, and some of them had decided last night.

Kong Zheng made a simple registration for these people, and told them that he had not recruited all the workers yet, and he would continue to recruit. If they were interested in going to Lizhou, they could help him advertise and find more people for him. When they had enough people, they would set off immediately.

So in the next few days, all the surrounding villages knew that there was a manager from Lizhou who wanted to recruit workers, with a good salary and a meal.

Except for some people who really didn't want to move, many people wanted to go and take a look.

However, families like Yang Gui rarely went, and most of them sent one or two strong laborers to take a look and make a living outside.

After more than half a month, Kong Zheng set off on his return journey with more than 400 people.

In other places, there were many people like Kong Zheng who tried their best to bring people to Lizhou.

Chapter 292

After several months of rapid expansion, the cement factory is now very different from the original one. After implementing two shifts, the cement factory's monthly output is very large, and it is continuously transported to the counties and towns of Lizhou to build cement roads.

Since this road was built by Lin Zhen alone with money and materials, the state government allowed him to collect tolls for ten years. This tax is specifically for merchants who transport large quantities of goods and pay a certain tax based on weight.

After ten years, the tax revenue from the cement road will belong to the state government.

Lin Zhen felt that he might not stay in Lizhou for ten years, so he had no objection to this regulation proposed by the state government. After all, when he first built these roads, he didn't think about charging any fees.

"You reported before that several groups of people were spying on the cement factory. Have you found any clues?"

The director of the cement factory said, "Boss, we caught a few people, but they didn't say anything useful. They just said they were curious about our cement factory and wanted to take a look. They didn't have any other thoughts."

"We can't do anything with them. We can only lock them up first."

"Take me to see." Lin Zhen knew that this day would come sooner or later. There were also such peepers in several workshops of the Watercolor Factory, but the things in the Watercolor Factory were not irreplaceable. They were all small-scale.

It was different here at the cement factory. There was no substitute for cement at this time. It was easy to shape and dried quickly. It was a sharp weapon for building bridges, paving roads, houses and city walls. Since three months ago, they had discovered dozens of people who came here to spy, not to mention those they had not discovered.

Lin Zhen walked in front and soon arrived at the place where the peeping people were detained. He saw that these people were no different from ordinary workers. They were in their twenties, thirties, and forties, with dark and rough skin and evasive eyes. If the factory manager had not told them what they had done in advance, no one would have thought they would do such a thing.

These people were too mixed. Lin Zhen knew at a glance that it would be difficult to get to the bottom of things with these inexperienced people. He said to the cement factory manager behind him, "Take them to the provincial government office when I leave later."

"Yes." The factory manager breathed a sigh of relief. He was always worried about leaving people here, and he finally felt relieved when he handed them over to Lin Zhen.

He said, "Boss, please go to our factory and take a look. Show us if there is anything that needs to be improved."

"Since you are here, of course you have to take a look. Our factory has suddenly expanded in the past few months. We must take precautions to prevent any accidents." This is what Lin Zhen is most worried about. In this era, cement production relies on manpower because of the lack of high-powered tools. Therefore, from the raw materials to the raw materials, and then to the clinker, the manpower required is not small. This is also the reason why his workshop can swallow so many people who come here to work. With

more manpower, safety becomes a big problem. Lin Zhen wrote two full pages of hard and fast rules to ensure the safety of workers and prevent accidents.

The factory director also knew that this was what Lin Zhen valued most, and said, "Boss, don't worry. I will inspect the factory every day, and the people below have also reminded me again and again."

"It's right to take more precautions. An accident is just compensation for us, but it is tantamount to a disaster for the workers' families." Lin Zhen took the factory director and the small managers behind him and walked towards the production factory.

A lot of dust is generated during cement production, so the workers all wear masks and hats that cover their heads and necks.

When Lin Zhen and his team arrived, workers were pushing a new batch of raw materials in with wheelbarrows for the first process.

Yang Gui, who came from Yongzhou, was doing the first process, following a group of people to move the raw materials down and deliver them to the factory.

From a distance, he saw people wearing masks and hats, and their faces were not clear, but they were dressed differently from the workers. "Who are those people?"

There were old employees working with him, and they took a look and said, "The manager of the factory, he came down to check again, afraid that there would be problems in the factory."

"Oh." Yang Gui bent over and continued to pick up limestone into the basket, and then carried it into the factory with his partner.

This is the seventh month he has been working at the cement factory. He often thinks that bringing his family to Lizhou is definitely the best thing he has done in his life.

Now his family lives in the factory. Although his wife cannot work in the workshop due to health reasons, she can take care of the two children at home and open up five acres of wasteland.

I went to register last month. A few days ago, the people from the prefecture government just distributed the plows and grain seeds. These days, I am planting the grain seeds with my two children.

The local villagers all said that the use of compost and manure water can increase the grain yield to more than 200, which is more than what they used to have in Yongzhou.

Their family's life is getting better and better. Except for some factory fees deducted in the first three months, they now have a little savings.

Although it is not much, Yang Gui is very confident that the future will definitely get better and better.

There are many people who think the same as Yang Gui. Some of them came to Lizhou alone, but they couldn't help asking people to write letters and take them back to their hometowns, asking those who stayed at home to come to Lizhou as well.

It's good to come to Lizhou. There is food and clothing. What else can you ask for?

After inspecting the cement factory, I found that the factory director really managed the cement factory very well. Lin Zhen took those who were arrested back to the prefecture.

As soon as they entered the city gate, they found a group of merchants who were obviously dressed differently from most people entering the city. The leader had her hair tied into a high ponytail, braided with colorful silk threads, and wore a black robe with narrow sleeves.

Lin Zhen took a look and felt that the back was very familiar.

Suddenly, the man on the horse tilted his head to talk to the person next to him, and Lin Zhen saw his profile.

Lin Zhen's eyes were stunned and he rode over.

The crisp sound of horse hooves was very different from the sound without horseshoes. The group of merchants looked over and saw Lin Zhen rushing towards their boss. Several people looked at him warily.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was riding on a horse, turned his head and saw his third brother at a glance. He smiled and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Third brother!"

Lin Zhen was already beside him and put his arm around his shoulders while riding on the horse.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was always strong, picked him up from the horse without hesitation, and held him tightly for a while before putting him back on Hongzao's back: "I haven't seen you for more than a year or two, I miss you."

He had lived and eaten with Lin Zhen since he was a teenager, and they had a deep relationship. Seeing his current appearance, Lin Zhen was very pleased: "You are in better spirits than me. Did you receive the letters I sent?"

"I received them, so I wanted to come and see my third brother with my own eyes and see the excitement."

Lin Xiaoyao and Lin Zhen are three points similar, but his height is inherited from the tall stature of the Lin family. Now he has made the pregnancy mole look like a birthmark, wearing a man's narrow-sleeved long robe, with his hair tied up high, and he is completely a handsome man.

"I will not let you down. Let's go into the city quickly, take a rest first, and eat something." He pulled, and Lin Zhen was happy, and even the red dates under Kua were happily digging their hooves.

The two brothers rode into the city, and Lin Xiaoyao was immediately attracted by the bustling and prosperous Lizhou Prefecture. He had heard about Lizhou before, a bitter and cold place where the people below were hungry and clothed, and the officials above did not have much money.

But the Lizhou Prefecture before him was not like that at all. The vigor on people's faces made people feel that there was a future in life.

Lin Xiaoyao had long been curious about the land under his feet, and asked Lin Zhen: "Third brother, is the cement you mentioned used to build this road?"

"Yes, at present, the area within 60 miles from the state capital has been paved with cement roads. By the end of this year, all counties and prefectures will be connected to the state capital. In the later stage, the roads in the villages will be built to the doorsteps of the people."

"Such a huge project consumes a lot of manpower and material resources."

"It's all worth it. You come from Dongyang, don't you feel it deeply?" The people in the caravan following Lin Xiaoyao were very surprised by the scene in front of them, riding horses, sitting in sedan chairs, and walking.

Lin Xiaoyao was very convinced by what Lin Zhen said. Indeed, they got off the boat at the mouth of the Dongyang County River. The road to the state capital was all cement. It was not only fast, but also flat. It only took one day to get there.

The two brothers talked and arrived at the door of Lin's shop. The weather was getting hot, and all the doors were opened. People outside could see the furnishings and goods inside at a glance.

Whether it was the long counter, the workers in uniform, or the bright floor, people couldn't help but want to go in and take a look.

Lin Zhen pointed to the shop and said to Lin Xiaoyao, "That's the shop I mentioned in the letter to you. It specializes in selling jade powder, flower dew, lipstick and other things."

"I'm going to bring a lot of goods back this time. The jade powder you gave me before is selling very well."

Lin Zhen looked at him and said, "You should have merchants there to sell the goods, right?"

"Yes, but my place is far away and the flower dew is difficult to preserve. If I can transport it there, I can still make a lot of money."

"And the quantity of goods from your workshop is still not enough. There are very few at my place."

Lin Zhen touched his nose. In fact, he had already discovered that jade powder and other commodities should no longer be limited to Dayu. Some more thoughtful people sold the goods to neighboring countries at a higher price.

This gap is huge, and it is not enough for Lin Zhen's workshops to supply, resulting in the fact that the quantity of jade powder, flower dew and other goods in Dayu is still not large.

Lin Zhen said, "I'll bring you to have a closer look tomorrow. Let's go back to the prefectural government office now."

Lin Xiaoyao smiled mischievously and whispered in his ear, "Okay, prefect's husband."

Lin Zhen looked at him, "You're so good, Lin Xiaoyao, you even dare to be mischievous with me."

"It's only a matter of time. That kid is a wolf. He will never give up until he achieves his goal. You can only be tied to him for the rest of your life."

Chapter 292

After several months of rapid expansion, the cement factory is now very different from the original one. After implementing two shifts, the cement factory's monthly output is very large, and it is continuously transported to the counties and towns of Lizhou to build cement roads.

Since this road was built by Lin Zhen alone with money and materials, the state government allowed him to collect tolls for ten years. This tax is specifically for merchants who transport large quantities of goods and pay a certain tax based on weight.

After ten years, the tax revenue from the cement road will belong to the state government.

Lin Zhen felt that he might not stay in Lizhou for ten years, so he had no objection to this regulation proposed by the state government. After all, when he first built these roads, he didn't think about charging any fees.

"You reported before that several groups of people were spying on the cement factory. Have you found any clues?"

The director of the cement factory said, "Boss, we caught a few people, but they didn't say anything useful. They just said they were curious about our cement factory and wanted to take a look. They didn't have any other thoughts."

"We can't do anything with them. We can only lock them up first."

"Take me to see." Lin Zhen knew that this day would come sooner or later. There were also such peepers in several workshops of the Watercolor Factory, but the things in the Watercolor Factory were not irreplaceable. They were all small-scale.

It was different here at the cement factory. There was no substitute for cement at this time. It was easy to shape and dried quickly. It was a sharp weapon for building bridges, paving roads, houses and city walls. Since three months ago, they had discovered dozens of people who came here to spy, not to mention those they had not discovered.

Lin Zhen walked in front and soon arrived at the place where the peeping people were detained. He saw that these people were no different from ordinary workers. They were in their twenties, thirties, and forties, with dark and rough skin and evasive eyes. If the factory manager had not told them what they had done in advance, no one would have thought they would do such a thing.

These people were too mixed. Lin Zhen knew at a glance that it would be difficult to get to the bottom of things with these inexperienced people. He said to the cement factory manager behind him, "Take them to the provincial government office when I leave later."

"Yes." The factory manager breathed a sigh of relief. He was always worried about leaving people here, and he finally felt relieved when he handed them over to Lin Zhen.

He said, "Boss, please go to our factory and take a look. Show us if there is anything that needs to be improved."

"Since you are here, of course you have to take a look. Our factory has suddenly expanded in the past few months. We must take precautions to prevent any accidents." This is what Lin Zhen is most worried about. In this era, cement production relies on manpower because of the lack of high-powered tools. Therefore, from the raw materials to the raw materials, and then to the clinker, the manpower required is not small. This is also the reason why his workshop can swallow so many people who come here to work. With

more manpower, safety becomes a big problem. Lin Zhen wrote two full pages of hard and fast rules to ensure the safety of workers and prevent accidents.

The factory director also knew that this was what Lin Zhen valued most, and said, "Boss, don't worry. I will inspect the factory every day, and the people below have also reminded me again and again."

"It's right to take more precautions. An accident is just compensation for us, but it is tantamount to a disaster for the workers' families." Lin Zhen took the factory director and the small managers behind him and walked towards the production factory.

A lot of dust is generated during cement production, so the workers all wear masks and hats that cover their heads and necks.

When Lin Zhen and his team arrived, workers were pushing a new batch of raw materials in with wheelbarrows for the first process.

Yang Gui, who came from Yongzhou, was doing the first process, following a group of people to move the raw materials down and deliver them to the factory.

From a distance, he saw people wearing masks and hats, and their faces were not clear, but they were dressed differently from the workers. "Who are those people?"

There were old employees working with him, and they took a look and said, "The manager of the factory, he came down to check again, afraid that there would be problems in the factory."

"Oh." Yang Gui bent over and continued to pick up limestone into the basket, and then carried it into the factory with his partner.

This is the seventh month he has been working at the cement factory. He often thinks that bringing his family to Lizhou is definitely the best thing he has done in his life.

Now his family lives in the factory. Although his wife cannot work in the workshop due to health reasons, she can take care of the two children at home and open up five acres of wasteland.

I went to register last month. A few days ago, the people from the prefecture government just distributed the plows and grain seeds. These days, I am planting the grain seeds with my two children.

The local villagers all said that the use of compost and manure water can increase the grain yield to more than 200, which is more than what they used to have in Yongzhou.

Their family's life is getting better and better. Except for some factory fees deducted in the first three months, they now have a little savings.

Although it is not much, Yang Gui is very confident that the future will definitely get better and better.

There are many people who think the same as Yang Gui. Some of them came to Lizhou alone, but they couldn't help asking people to write letters and take them back to their hometowns, asking those who stayed at home to come to Lizhou as well.

It's good to come to Lizhou. There is food and clothing. What else can you ask for?

After inspecting the cement factory, I found that the factory director really managed the cement factory very well. Lin Zhen took those who were arrested back to the prefecture.

As soon as they entered the city gate, they found a group of merchants who were obviously dressed differently from most people entering the city. The leader had her hair tied into a high ponytail, braided with colorful silk threads, and wore a black robe with narrow sleeves.

Lin Zhen took a look and felt that the back was very familiar.

Suddenly, the man on the horse tilted his head to talk to the person next to him, and Lin Zhen saw his profile.

Lin Zhen's eyes were stunned and he rode over.

The crisp sound of horse hooves was very different from the sound without horseshoes. The group of merchants looked over and saw Lin Zhen rushing towards their boss. Several people looked at him warily.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was riding on a horse, turned his head and saw his third brother at a glance. He smiled and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Third brother!"

Lin Zhen was already beside him and put his arm around his shoulders while riding on the horse.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was always strong, picked him up from the horse without hesitation, and held him tightly for a while before putting him back on Hongzao's back: "I haven't seen you for more than a year or two, I miss you."

He had lived and eaten with Lin Zhen since he was a teenager, and they had a deep relationship. Seeing his current appearance, Lin Zhen was very pleased: "You are in better spirits than me. Did you receive the letters I sent?"

"I received them, so I wanted to come and see my third brother with my own eyes and see the excitement."

Lin Xiaoyao and Lin Zhen are three points similar, but his height is inherited from the tall stature of the Lin family. Now he has made the pregnancy mole look like a birthmark, wearing a man's narrow-sleeved long robe, with his hair tied up high, and he is completely a handsome man.

"I will not let you down. Let's go into the city quickly, take a rest first, and eat something." He pulled, and Lin Zhen was happy, and even the red dates under Kua were happily digging their hooves.

The two brothers rode into the city, and Lin Xiaoyao was immediately attracted by the bustling and prosperous Lizhou Prefecture. He had heard about Lizhou before, a bitter and cold place where the people below were hungry and clothed, and the officials above did not have much money.

But the Lizhou Prefecture before him was not like that at all. The vigor on people's faces made people feel that there was a future in life.

Lin Xiaoyao had long been curious about the land under his feet, and asked Lin Zhen: "Third brother, is the cement you mentioned used to build this road?"

"Yes, at present, the area within 60 miles from the state capital has been paved with cement roads. By the end of this year, all counties and prefectures will be connected to the state capital. In the later stage, the roads in the villages will be built to the doorsteps of the people."

"Such a huge project consumes a lot of manpower and material resources."

"It's all worth it. You come from Dongyang, don't you feel it deeply?" The people in the caravan following Lin Xiaoyao were very surprised by the scene in front of them, riding horses, sitting in sedan chairs, and walking.

Lin Xiaoyao was very convinced by what Lin Zhen said. Indeed, they got off the boat at the mouth of the Dongyang County River. The road to the state capital was all cement. It was not only fast, but also flat. It only took one day to get there.

The two brothers talked and arrived at the door of Lin's shop. The weather was getting hot, and all the doors were opened. People outside could see the furnishings and goods inside at a glance.

Whether it was the long counter, the workers in uniform, or the bright floor, people couldn't help but want to go in and take a look.

Lin Zhen pointed to the shop and said to Lin Xiaoyao, "That's the shop I mentioned in the letter to you. It specializes in selling jade powder, flower dew, lipstick and other things."

"I'm going to bring a lot of goods back this time. The jade powder you gave me before is selling very well."

Lin Zhen looked at him and said, "You should have merchants there to sell the goods, right?"

"Yes, but my place is far away and the flower dew is difficult to preserve. If I can transport it there, I can still make a lot of money."

"And the quantity of goods from your workshop is still not enough. There are very few at my place."

Lin Zhen touched his nose. In fact, he had already discovered that jade powder and other commodities should no longer be limited to Dayu. Some more thoughtful people sold the goods to neighboring countries at a higher price.

This gap is huge, and it is not enough for Lin Zhen's workshops to supply, resulting in the fact that the quantity of jade powder, flower dew and other goods in Dayu is still not large.

Lin Zhen said, "I'll bring you to have a closer look tomorrow. Let's go back to the prefectural government office now."

Lin Xiaoyao smiled mischievously and whispered in his ear, "Okay, prefect's husband."

Lin Zhen looked at him, "You're so good, Lin Xiaoyao, you even dare to be mischievous with me."

"It's only a matter of time. That kid is a wolf. He will never give up until he achieves his goal. You can only be tied to him for the rest of your life."

Chapter 294

Lin Zhen sobered up a little, looked at the letter in Lulu's hand, and took it.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was about to leave, said to Lin Zhen: "Third brother, I'm going to take a rest first, and we two brothers will continue to chat tomorrow."

Lin Zhen nodded: "Okay, Lulu, you take the fourth master to the side room to rest. It's still cold recently, so get a thicker quilt."

"Yes, boss," Lulu walked up to Lin Xiaoyao and took him to the tidy room.

Lin Zhen opened the envelope and took out the letter. He saw that the beginning of the letter had a few words of greeting, and then explained his recent situation in Kyoto. Finally, he said that he had arranged a marriage with the youngest daughter of the president of the Hanlin Academy, and they would be married in August this year.

Lin Zhen's hand holding the letter paused slightly and put the letter aside.

Gu Lin was keenly aware of his clarity: "What did he write in the letter?"

Lin Zhen picked up the wine pot and poured a glass of wine: "He said that everything is fine in Kyoto, and he is engaged to the youngest daughter of the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy. The wedding will be in August."

"Very good," Lin Zhen took a sip of wine, "When he was in Luozhou Prefecture, Madam Chen had shown him several marriages. If it weren't for the drought, he would probably have had a child. Now Madam Chen has fulfilled her wish."

Zhong Yan is already 21 years old this year. In the eyes of others, his age is not young. Now he is in the Hanlin Academy, and he is valued by the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, and he is willing to marry his daughter to him. It can be considered a great success for both parties.

Gu Lin heard the content of the letter, said nothing, stretched out his hand to take the cup from his hand, stood up and held him horizontally.

Lin Zhen was dazed, yawned in his arms, and looked up at him.

Gu Lin put him on the bed and pulled the quilt to cover him. Just as he was about to get up, Lin Zhen muttered, grabbed his belt, and hugged his waist. His head rubbed his lower abdomen: "Gu Shuanzi, are you hiding something from me?"

"Yeah."

"You are still very honest."

"If Zhenzhen asks, I will tell you."

"Have you had contact with someone in the court?" Gu Lin had never concealed anything in front of him, but just avoided some things. It was only a matter of time before Lin Zhen found out.

Gu Lin nodded: "Yes, Uncle Lin, do you remember the bandits we encountered when we went to Kyoto?"

"You mean, those bandits were going after someone, and the person you are contacting now is the one who was chased by the bandits that day?"

"Yes, that person was on the ship we were on that day, the eleventh prince Qin Ziwen."

Lin Zhen seldom inquired about matters in the court, and he was completely in the dark about the eleventh prince Qin Ziwen. He looked at Gu Lin: "It is an extremely dangerous thing for officials to take sides. If he is in power, you can rise to the top, and if he fails, you cannot stay out of it. I think you understand this."

"Well, he is doing it relatively covertly now. There are several princes like Prince Rong, Prince Xuan, and Prince Xian who are in the limelight, and few people pay attention to him." After several confrontations, Gu Lin got to know some of Qin Ziwen's background. The eleventh prince is a peacemaker. His goal is not the throne of the emperor, but he has other ideas of his own.

Just like he risked his life to bring back evidence from Xuzhou in order to catch the person behind the scenes, what he did was more like revenge.

From him, and with some information he had gathered, Gu Lin had his own judgment on the situation in the court.

The current emperor Qin Zhong had been ill twice in the past two years, and his temperament had become increasingly irritable and violent. The princes below were ready to make moves, and it was increasingly difficult to maintain the calm on the surface. This was not only caused by Qin Zhong, who was getting older and gradually losing control, but also because the crown prince had not been appointed for many years, and the position of the East Palace was vacant.

This last bit of peace was completely shattered once the emperor, who had been in power for more than 30 years, was bedridden.

Gu Lin had his own plans.

Lin Zhen had no martial arts skills, so it was naturally impossible for him to find anything unusual. If Gu Lin hadn't mentioned it now, he would have forgotten about the encounter with the pirates.

Unexpectedly, these things happened that day, and the identity of Wei San, a traveling merchant, also became suspicious.

Lin Zhen was drunk from his three cups of wine. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, "As long as you have a plan in mind, I'm going to sleep first."

After that, Lin Zhen closed his eyes and fell asleep, his hands were placed beside the quilt, and the lower half of his face was covered by the quilt.

Gu Lin put down the bed curtains and turned back to his room.

The next day, Lin Zhen woke up and got up. When he asked Lu Lu, he found out that it was noon. He got up, dressed, washed up, and went to the side room to find Lin Xiaoyao.

Lin Xiaoyao was sitting on the armchair reading a book, and Pang Feng stood beside him.

Seeing his calm and composed look, Lin Zhen walked over to look at the book in his hand: "What are you reading?"

Lin Xiaoyao asked Pang Feng to move a chair over and let Lin Zhen sit down: "It's a travel note written by a not-so-famous scholar. There are two or four volumes in total. I'm reading the third volume. If you want to read it, you can take it back and read it slowly."

The book was placed on the table. Lin Zhen picked up the first volume and saw that this travel note was not just a record of the scenery. There were also poems written by the scholar. The style was beautiful, fresh and elegant, which made people's eyes light up.

Lin Zhen, who had studied for more than ten years, still had the ability to appreciate poetry. He turned two pages and looked at the third volume in Lin Xiaoyao's hand: "The reputation of this scholar does not match his talent."

Suddenly, Lin Zhen found a piece of paper in the book, and a poem was written on the paper.

The handwriting of the poem was very clean. It was Lin Xiaoyao's, and the poem was simple and affectionate, which made people read it again and again.

Lin Zhen looked at Lin Xiaoyao, who also found that he had seen the lyrics he wrote. He leaned over and said to Lin Zhen, "I wrote this to kill time in my spare time, it's a bit clumsy."

"People say that when you meet someone after three days, you should look at him with new eyes. Xiaoyao, this saying really applies to you." The first word Lin Xiaoyao learned was taught by Lin Zhen. He read a book called Thousand Character Classic for a year.

After that, in Anyuan Town and Fucheng, he would go to the bookstore to buy some books and read them when he had time to practice calligraphy.

Now, he can actually write lyrics that Lin Zhen thinks are good.

Lin Zhen thought of the letter Zhong Yan sent yesterday, and felt that there was no need to tell Lin Xiaoyao the content of the letter.

Lin Zhen asked Lin Xiaoyao, "Do you want to go out and have a look? Many of Lin's workshops are in the state capital. There are also pig farms and slaughterhouses outside the city. The cement factory is farther away. If you want to see it, you can go there on horseback."

"I just want to see the excitement when I'm in Pingzhou. Let's go." Lin Xiaoyao put his book aside and stood up. Pang Feng, who was serving him, immediately handed him the whip.

His horse and Lin Zhen's red dates were tied together in the backyard. When the two horses saw their master coming, they raised their heads from the hay and pawed excitedly.

Lin Xiaoyao noticed the difference in Hongzao's horse hooves, "Third brother, why is there something nailed on your horse's hooves?"

Lin Zhen untied Hongzao's rope himself and touched its mane, "This is a horseshoe. It is nailed on the horse's hooves after resting, which can prevent the horse's hooves from being damaged."

"The roads in Lizhou Prefecture are mostly cement roads, and they can't withstand it without horseshoes."

"I see." Lin Xiaoyao's horse is about the same height as Hongzao, but its fur is white. After being pulled by Lin Xiaoyao, it rubbed its head against him obediently.

The two rode on horses together and went out from the back door of the prefecture government office. Lin Xiaoyao was more interested in cement that could be used to pave cement roads, so they went to the cement factory first.

The sky was high and blue. On the way, they passed many men, women, old and young who were farming. People around the state capital were using curved plows for the second year. They were very skilled in operating them. The soil was turned up deeply. Someone followed behind and put the fertilizer piled up last year into the ground one by one, and then people threw seeds in.

It was the first time that Lin Xiaoyao saw someone farming in May. He slowed down the horse and turned his head to say to Lin Zhen: "At this season, the crops in our Anyuan Town are as high as calves. We have just planted here. How much food can be produced from one mu of land?"

"Without deep plowing and composting, it was about 80 kilograms in a good year. Now it can be more than 200 kilograms."

"It's half less than ours." The crops in Liyu Village weighed about 100 kilograms before composting. After using composting and managing well, if there is no disaster, it can weigh 370, 800 or 400 kilograms, which is more than half more than Lizhou.

But for Lizhou, which snows most of the year, it is a blessing from God to increase production so much. I wonder how many people it can feed.

Lin Xiaoyao suddenly remembered something and said to Lin Zhen, "When our caravan was selling and collecting goods everywhere, we heard some rumors that the court also wanted to teach a method to fertilize the fields and increase production, but from last year to this year, there has been no sign of it."

Lin Zhen immediately thought of what Gu Lin had told him. He had presented a current affairs policy in which he elaborated on composting in detail.

Later, Lin Zhen also heard from Gu Lin that the court intended to try it out in the suburbs of Beijing first, but he didn't expect that it has not been implemented in the local areas yet.

This speed is a bit too slow.

He rode on his horse, looking at the people who were farming on both sides of the road, and said: "The method you heard about that can fertilize the fields and increase production should be the composting method presented by Gu Lin, but the court is slow to act and has not yet been implemented."

Lin Xiaoyao said: "Such a good method, the sooner it is implemented, the sooner the people below can have a full meal."

"Just like our Liyu Village, it only took three or four years for every household to have new clothes to wear and meat to eat."

Lin Zhen naturally wanted to do the same, but it was only in Lizhou that Gu Lin was the governor. Otherwise, who would dare to believe in his words and methods so wholeheartedly and let him mess with the land that the people depended on for survival.

The road to the cement factory was repaired, and it took only half an hour to get there on horseback. Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao saw peddlers carrying things on the road on their shoulders. When they saw the gray factory and factory buildings of the cement factory, they found that many peddlers gathered around the cement factory.

The husbands and wives who lived together in the factory came in groups of three or four to buy needles and thread. With the husbands' wages, these husbands and wives were quite generous in spending.

Chapter 295

"Why is it so lively here?" Apart from the cement factory, there is only a small village with a dozen households around Sanwazi. The other villages are seven or eight miles away from here, but the hustle and bustle here is comparable to that of some small towns.

Lin Zhen and he dismounted, leading the horse forward: "People cannot live without food and drink. As long as people gather, there will be business to do."

"Look at these peddlers, carrying things for so many miles, just to make money from the cement factory workers."

"The cement factory is far from the provincial capital, and needles, thread, seasonings and other things are all brought by peddlers. The peddlers make money here, and then run back to the provincial capital to buy these goods. This forms a small circle of buying and selling, and money begins to circulate."

As they spoke, they walked towards the factory gate. The two men guarding the gate saw people approaching and walked over vigilantly. When they saw that it was Lin Zhen, who often came here to check, they hurriedly greeted him: "Boss."

"I'll take people in to take a look. There's no need to notify the factory director and the manager."

"Yes."

The gatekeeper skillfully handed two hats that could cover their necks and heads to Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao, and gave them two masks.

The dust in the cement factory is very serious. The factory buildings are covered with a layer of fine dust, so Lin Zhen repeatedly ordered that everyone entering the factory must wear a uniformly distributed mask.

These masks were made by him in the state capital. They are made of several layers of fine cotton cloth and yarn, and there is also a piece of charcoal with adsorption in the middle.

The workers have to change and wash their masks every two or three days, and take out the charcoal inside and replace them with new ones.

The young and strong workers moved the limestone, clay, and a certain amount of iron ore powder transported from outside into the factory building specially used to grind these raw materials. At the other end, these powders mixed in a certain proportion are calcined.

After calcination, these materials are ground together with gypsum.

There is no mechanical power, and these processes are all completed by manpower, which is very shocking.

After Lin Xiaoyao started his own business, he understood how much profit there is. "Third brother, how do you sell this cement?"

Lin Zhen shook his head: "It won't be sold within one or two years."

"Not selling?" Lin Xiaoyao was a little confused.

Lin Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Last winter, Gu Lin fought with people from Che Luo at the border of Lizhou. According to Gu Lin's speculation, Che Luo and Dayu will have conflicts in recent years. Cement is very effective in building city walls and roads. I am worried that once the sale is opened, it will flow into the hands of neighboring countries such as Che Luo."

People's thoughts have no limit. The same thing has different effects in the hands of different people. The plasticity and hardness of cement make Lin Zhen have no idea of ​​opening the sale.

Lin Xiaoyao frowned: "How sure is he?"

"Seventy to eighty percent."

Lin Xiaoyao frowned even tighter. Gu Lin would never lie in front of Lin Zhen. To say that there is a seventy to eighty percent chance is a sure thing. This probability is too high.

Lin Zhen said to him, "Pingzhou is similar to Lizhou. Both are the borders between Dayu and other countries. You should pay more attention to it in the past few years and gather more food and manpower to prevent the situation from getting chaotic."

"I understand." Having experienced drought, they know better than anyone what will happen to the people once a disaster occurs. "Did Gu Lin report this matter to the court?"

"It was reported a few months ago, but no measures have been taken."

Lin Zhen hopes that day will come slowly, at least so that the people of Lizhou can store more food, so that the soldiers in Lizhou will no longer have to share one sword for every three or five people, their armor will be in tatters, and horses will be scarce.

Lin Zhen suddenly remembered that Pingzhou where Lin Xiaoyao was seemed to be close to the grassland, so he asked him about horses: "Xiaoyao, what is the price of horses over there?"

"Third brother wants to buy horses?"

"The provincial government should buy some here. The Lizhou army is not equipped with enough horses. It is only called cavalry, but only has four-tenths of horses."

This is not a problem of Lizhou alone. All states are similar. Dayu has been peaceful for a hundred years. The signs of emphasizing culture over military are getting more and more serious. Even the annual food and salary are delayed again and again.

"Horses are more common in Pingzhou than in Luozhou, Yongzhou and Kyoto. There are also merchants from outside the region who sell horses in Pingzhou."

"Third brother needs it. I will go back and make a connection with the horse merchants and ask someone to escort them to Lizhou."

Lin Zhen nodded: "Okay, I will go back and ask Gu Lin how many horses he wants."

"By the way, if there are particularly good horses, keep an eye out for me. I will buy them with money."

Lin Xiaoyao curled his lips: "Are you buying it for that kid Gu Lin?"

Lin Zhen looked at him.

Lin Xiaoyao laughed: "When he was still young, you actually loved him. He was not your own child, but you provided him with food and water and sent him to school."

"At that time, many people said that you were a sucker and that you would definitely raise an ungrateful person in the future. Who knew that you would buy a horse for him when he grew up."

"My good third brother, I think you are a bit at a disadvantage."

Lin Zhen was amused by his perverse logic. "He is seventeen and I am twenty-eight. You are old cows eating tender grass, but you don't protect him. Isn't that taking advantage?"

Pang Feng was beside them when the two of them were talking. Pang Feng's eyes did not change when he saw that Gu Lin, the governor of Lizhou, had such a relationship with his uncle Lin Zhen. He just stood quietly beside Lin Xiaoyao.

Lin Zhen not only took Lin Xiaoyao to visit the cement factory, but also talked to him about some management matters.

Lin Xiaoyao was not unconvinced by him. He listened very carefully and asked some questions.

When they returned from the cement factory, it was already late. Lin Zhengang, Lin Xiaoyao and Pang Feng rode their horses to the gate of the provincial government office, and saw Gu Lin standing at the main gate in a long robe with wide sleeves, looking in their direction.

Lin Zhen got off his horse and walked up to him: "Take your uncle Xiaoyao to the cement factory to have a look. Has the kitchen prepared the meal?"

Lin Xiaoyao also walked over. "Your uncle Lin just asked me to keep an eye out for a good horse for you in Pingzhou. It can be bought with a fortune."

He suddenly lowered his voice and said in a voice that only the three of them could hear: "You still say that you are an old cow eating young grass, so you have to protect you a little."

After he finished speaking, he walked away with a swagger, and Pang Feng followed behind him.

Lin Zhen looked at his back and wanted to kick him in the ass. He was really too comfortable now, and he teased people one after another!

Lin Zhen noticed Gu Lin's gaze on him, touched his nose, licked his lips, and walked inside.

After walking a few steps, he turned around and waved at him: "Eat. It's time for dinner."

Gu Lin followed him with a long step.

Lin Xiaoyao had his own family business in Pingzhou, so he couldn't leave for too long. On the eighth day after leaving the state, he said to Lin Zhen, "Third brother, I'll go back to Anyuan Town, Luozhou, to see my father, my brothers and my sisters-in-law, and then I'll go back to Pingzhou. I'll come back when I have less things to do." They

were not three, five, seven or eight years old, and they all had their own things to do. Lin Zhen felt a little reluctant to leave, and he reminded him of his father, his elder brother, and his second brother.

If he hadn't had too many things to do, and if he wasn't sure if someone would intercept him on the road because of the cement issue, Lin Zhen would have wanted to go back to Liyu Village in Anyuan Town to take a look.

He looked at Lin Xiaoyao, "When you see my father, my father, and my elder brother and second brother, please say hello to them for me. I'll pick them up in person when I'm more settled here."

"Father and father know, you can rest assured, brother." Lin Xiaoyao knew that his brother had postponed all the things he had to do during the days he was here, and accompanied him to walk around.

He knew that his brother was busy with what Gu Lin said about the dispute between Cheluo Kingdom and Dayu, and rushed to get as many things as possible to Lizhou.

This time, the two of them couldn't go home together.

But there will be more opportunities in the future, and this time is not a shortage.

They left as soon as they said they would. The next morning, they came out of the state government office with Du Pangfeng, who had packed up all the things, and took the subordinates of the caravan who came to Lizhou with them. According to the pre-planned route, they first went from the state capital to Dongyang County, and then took a boat directly to the south to arrive at Luozhou Prefecture City, and then drove for seven or eight days to Anyuan Town.

Lin Zhen also packed a lot of things. Everything that Lin's business had, except cement, was packed up, and there were also specialties of Lizhou, various high-quality nuts, precious medicinal materials, and furs, which filled two large carriages and asked Lin Xiaoyao to take them.

Lin Xiaoyao was riding on a horse, leaning forward and hugging his third brother: "I'm leaving, you and Gu Lin are fine, if it really comes to that, don't force it."

"Nothing is more important than your own life. My father, my father, my elder brother and the second brother are waiting for you to come back and arrange your marriage."

Lin Zhen patted his back.

There were people coming and going at the city gate. Among the merchants coming in and out, there were people who knew Lin Zhen. When they saw him appear at the city gate, hugging a man, they looked at each other and were extremely curious about the identity of this man.

Lin Xiaoyao, who noticed the strangeness around him, let go of Lin Zhen: "Let's go."

The goods they brought had been sold out, but the carriages were not empty. In addition to the things that Lin Zhen brought to the Lin family, many goods were also imported. More than 20 carriages were full.

After most of the day, Lin Xiaoyao led the carriage team to Dongyang County and took a boat to the south.

When he returned to Anyuan Town, it was the end of May and the beginning of June. The cicadas in the mountains and forests were chirping endlessly, and the sun above made people dizzy.

The two sisters-in-law of the Lin family opened the Zhen Youwei Snack Shop in the town with their children. After so many years, the bright signboard has become a little old.

When Lin Xiaoyao appeared in the town with Pang Feng and seven or eight other people, they attracted some people's attention. It was because his Pingzhou outfit was very eye-catching, and he was riding a very expensive horse, so people in the town had to take a few more glances.

He reined in his horse and stopped in front of the Zhen Youwei Snack Shop, and dismounted with his people.

Chunxiang, Xingxiang, and Huaixiang, who were helping in the shop, saw that there were customers coming, and they quickly stood up from their chairs and asked crisply: "The customer wants..."

Huaixiang looked at the customer in front of him and widened his eyes: "Uncle Xiaoyao!"

"Huaixiang has grown so tall." He had been away from Anyuan Town for almost two years, and when he saw these three children, he felt that they had changed a lot.

Chapter 296

Chunxiang, Xingxiang, and Lin Shitou, the shopkeeper who was keeping accounts in the shop, all looked at Lin Xiaoyao and called him in surprise: "Uncle Xiaoyao!"

"Uncle Xiaoyao is back!"

As a brother, Huaixiang was closer to Lin Xiaoyao. He excitedly ran to the backyard to call his father and aunt: "Dad, dad, Uncle Xiaoyao is back!" Sister-in-law Lin Da and Sister-

in-law Lin Er, who were working in the backyard, heard Huaixiang's voice and thought they had heard it wrong. Sister-in-law Lin Er looked at her brother: "Huaixiang, who did you say is back?"

"Uncle Xiaoyao, he brought a lot of people with him, so impressive!"

Lin Xiaoyao was not very old when the two sisters-in-law of the Lin family came in, so it is not an exaggeration to say that they have watched him grow up. Before, Lin Xiaoyao went to find Zhong Yan, and then went out alone to make a living, so the two sisters-in-law were worried about him. Now that they heard that Lin Xiaoyao was back, they didn't care whether they were busy or not, they just put down the things in their hands and walked out quickly.

The two saw Lin Xiaoyao and the people behind Lin Xiaoyao: "Xiaoyao, you're back, that's great."

"Who are these people?"

Lin Xiaoyao said: "They are all people in my caravan. Sister-in-law and second sister-in-law, you guys go ahead and do your work. I'm going home first."

Second sister-in-law Lin took off the apron around her waist and said: "It's okay if we lose a few days of business. We'll pack up and go back with you. If your father knew you were back, he would be so happy."

Sister-in-law Lin thought so too. She said to Shitou, Huaixiang, Chunxiang, and Xingxiang in the shop: "There are no customers right now. Put the vegetables and meat that can't be stored for a long time in the backpacks and carry them home to eat."

"Yes." The four of them were already adults, and they worked very quickly. They packed up in no time. Sister-in-law Lin took out the key and locked the door. She said to Lin Xiaoyao, "Let's go home."

As soon as they came out, the people from the Lin family saw several horses outside and a carriage. It looked like quite a big deal.

The Lin family looked at Lin Xiaoyao, and Lin Xiaoyao asked the people below to squeeze the things on the carriage and let them sit separately.

Horses are precious livestock. One horse can be worth several cows. Even the richest Wang Qin family in the town did not raise so many horses. Sister

Lin and Sister Lin looked at each other and asked Lin Xiaoyao: "Xiaoyao, what did you do when you were away for two years?"

Lin Xiaoyao turned around and said: "At first I sold goods, and then I did some jade business."

"Then your business is pretty good..." With so many subordinates, it must be good. Sister Lin and Sister Lin did not expect that Lin Xiaoyao had earned so much money in just two years.

Several children were also very curious about Lin Xiaoyao, and asked questions one after another.

With a carriage, they soon arrived at Liyu Village. The Lin family was a celebrity in the village. First they made compost, then Lin Zhen opened a shop in the town with people, and then Gu Lin, who was raised by Lin Zhen, passed the imperial examination and became a juren master. The year before, he sent a letter back saying that Gu Lin had become the top scholar and became an official.

At that time, even the county magistrate of the town came in person. Everyone in the surrounding villages knew that the Lin family had produced a literary talent. The matchmakers who were trying to find a match for the remaining children almost broke the door frame.

Now seeing the Lin family sitting in the carriage, and the people traveling with them dressed differently from them, they all looked over and greeted: "Lin family, are these people your relatives?"

Sister Lin smiled and said: "His aunt, take a closer look at the person in front, who is it?"

Before the woman recognized him, Lin Xiaoyao took the lead in greeting: "Aunt."

The woman took a look and looked at the rather impressive man in front of her in disbelief, "This, isn't this Xiaoyao? Xiaoyao is back?!"

When these words came out, many people in the village couldn't believe it. In their impression, Lin Xiaoyao had always been inconspicuous, thin and small, with dark skin. Later, he followed Lin Zhen to open a shop in the town, and everyone's attention was also on the more controversial Lin Zhen.

Now he is very different from before, and looks more impressive than the landlords in the town.

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoyao paused as he looked at Lin Adie and Lin Afu, as well as his eldest and second brothers, who were carrying hoes and walking up from Xialiyu Village.

Lin Adie also saw him and could hardly believe his eyes.

"Dad, father, eldest and second brothers."

Lin Adie looked at him who had changed and his eyes suddenly turned red: "Let's go home, go home."

Lin Xiaoyao turned over and got off the horse, took the hoe from his shoulder and carried it on his shoulder: "Okay, let's go home."

Lin Adie held his hand tightly and tilted his head to look at him. Soon, they arrived home.

Lin Xiaoyao said to Pang Feng and others who came with him: "Unload all the things. Except Pang Feng, everyone else should pull the carriage back to the town first."

"Yes." The people below were very sensible. They quickly untied all the things, piled them in the corner, and then led the carriage away.

Father Lin looked at Lin Xiaoyao, then at his subordinates: "Why don't you invite them to dinner at home?"

"We rented an inn for them in town, they can live there. Father, this is Pang Feng. He has followed me since I went to Pingzhou."

Pang Feng saw Father Lin, "Mom."

Father Lin looked at him: "This, this is..."

Lin Xiaoyao explained: "He recognizes me as his godfather. It's nothing to call you, Father, Mom."

"So that's how it is." Father Lin was a little surprised. This young man looked really strange. He had a high nose and red eyes. He didn't look like the people here at all. He was probably a few years younger than his own Xiaoyao. How come he recognized Xiaoyao as his godfather?

As soon as they got home, Father Lin couldn't wait to grab Lin Xiaoyao's hand and asked him about his absence: "You kid, you've been away for two years. You sent letters frequently, but we never saw you. Your father and I were worried to death, but it's useless."

Lin Xiaoyao repeated what he had said in front of Lin Zhen, only reporting good news and no bad news. He then turned his attention to his third brother Lin Zhen who was far away in Lizhou: "Father, you don't know, but third brother is very famous in Lizhou now. Everyone calls him the richest man in Lizhou."

"And those things, they were all brought to you by third brother."

Father Lin hadn't seen the two brothers for a long time. When he heard him talk about his own affairs, he was worried. No matter how relaxed Lin Xiaoyao said it, he still couldn't let it go. His eyes kept looking at the scar on Lin Xiaoyao's left cheek.

And when he heard that Lin Xiaoyao went to Lizhou to see Lin Zhen, he asked, "Is your third brother making trouble in Lizhou again?"

Lin Xiaoyao smiled and said, "More than making trouble, the things produced by Lin's Business are sold everywhere."

As he spoke, he stood up, took a portion of the things Lin Zhen prepared for the family, put it on the table and opened it, "This box is full of jade powder, soap, floral cream, and lipstick are all placed separately."

"Soap?"

"We also bought two pieces at home. They are very easy to use and wash clothes very clean." Sister Lin Dasao and Sister Lin Ersao also wash clothes at home and they love soap very much.

Lin Zhuzi's wife's eyes lit up when she heard about the Jade Face Powder and Snow Cream, and she couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect that even the Jade Face Powder and Flower Dew Lipstick and Snow Cream were made by my third uncle!"

Lin Xiaoyao had never seen her before, and asked Lin's father, "Who is this?"

Lin's father patted his hand and said, "This is Zhuzi's wife. She got married last year. When the wedding took place, your third brother and Xiaolin were still at home, and they went with him to pick up the bride."

That must be his nephew's wife. Lin Xiaoyao nodded to Lin Zhuzi's wife and said with a smile, "Your third uncle thought that there were many people in the family who would need it, so he brought a lot. Those boxes are all of them."

Nowadays, even Anyuan Town sells things like Jade Beauty Powder Flower Dew, but the price is high, a few taels of silver per box. Although the Lin family has some wealth, the women and brothers in the family are reluctant to spend this money.

Only Lin Zhuzi, who is married and does carpentry work himself, has bought a few small boxes for his wife. Lin

Zhuzi's wife is not stingy. She has used Chunxiang, Xingxiang, and Huaixiang several times. The effect is so good that Lin Zhuzi's wife is reluctant to use it.

But now Lin Xiaoyao told them that it was their third uncle who did this business and brought so much back.

Lin Zhuzi's wife, Chunxiang, Xingxiang, and Huaixiang couldn't wait to get close to Lin Xiaoyao and watch him bring up boxes of things. Except for the flower dew that was preserved in ice, the others could be touched.

Lin Xiaoyao also took out other things by the way, specialties from Lizhou, things he prepared from Yunzhou, and various jade ornaments he picked for his family.

The Lin family was very lively, and you could still hear people chatting all night.

After dinner, Father Lin took out new bedding, changed the bed in the room where Lin Xiaoyao lived, and put a new quilt on it.

Lin Xiaoyao walked in and stretched out the quilt with him.

Father Lin asked him, "Is your adopted son asleep?" The child is pure-hearted, sincere, and a good person. "

"He's asleep, don't worry, Father."

The bed was made when he came in. Father Lin patted the bed, asked him to sit down, and stroked the scar on his left cheek with his hand: "Does it hurt?"

Lin Xiaoyao shook his head: "It didn't hurt a long time ago, Father, don't worry."

"They are all children that I gave birth to and raised with great effort, how can I not worry, tell your father honestly, are you still thinking about..."

"No," Lin Xiaoyao knew what he was talking about and gave him a definite answer, "We are not destined to be together, and I won't force it. I am living a good life now. I have my own business and caravan, and I am very busy. "

Dad Lin looked at him, and seeing his expression, he knew that he had really let it go, and he felt much more relieved.

In his heart, his own children were naturally good, but feelings were a matter of course not to be forced. It was really great that Lin Xiaoyao could figure it out and let it go.

Dad Lin continued, "Then have you seen anyone suitable in Yunzhou? If you have a good one, bring it back to me and your father. You are already in your twenties and can start a family."

"..." Lin Xiaoyao knew that he would be urged to do this as soon as he came back, but the problem was that he had no intention of doing so now.

Before he could speak, Dad Lin continued with a sad face, "And your third brother is also a headache for me. You tell me, he is already 28 years old, and he is still very energetic all day, and he followed Shuanzi to Lizhou."

"Is he really not going to get married? Or is he going to wait until Shuanzi's wife is brought home before finding an old companion?"

"..." Uh, Lin Xiaoyao looked at Lin Adie who was indeed so anxious that his eyes and eyebrows were wrinkled, and thought to himself, Dad, you really don't need to worry about my third brother's marriage, and that kid Gu Lin is even less necessary. Just don't be so angry that you beat your chest when you come back and ask you to arrange the marriage.

Seeing that the person that Lin Adie was urging had changed to Lin Zhen, Lin Xiaoyao bowed to his third brother who was far away in Lizhou in his heart, thanking his third brother for saving my life. With his third brother in front, I don't stand out.

Lin Xiaoyao stayed in Liyu Village for a longer time, accompanying the Lin family to walk around and have a look. Pang Feng, who stayed with him, also learned from the Lin family and the villagers that his adoptive father was actually a boy, not a man. He stared at the "birthmark" on Lin Xiaoyao's earlobe with his red eyes for several days, but said nothing.

Half a month later, Lin Xiaoyao set out on the road back to Pingzhou. Once he returned As soon as he arrived, he started to work on the matter of horses that Lin Zhen had told him about. He then paid the money in advance and asked someone who knew about horses to buy the first batch of horses and asked someone to escort them to Lizhou.

When this batch of horses arrived in Lizhou, Lizhou had already started the autumn harvest. Since the whole Lizhou implemented a new farming policy this year, it ushered in the largest harvest in history. The newly built granaries of the prefectural government were filled one after another.

Many blacksmiths also received orders from the prefectural government to forge some new weapons. The fire used in smelting was also changed from the previous firewood to a new fuel called coal in the prefecture.

Another year passed. In July of the third year that Lin Zhen followed Gu Lin to Lizhou, the reorganized border soldiers suddenly sent back news that a vanguard army of the Che Luo Kingdom unexpectedly occupied a county called Zai, and took over several places in succession, and was heading towards the Lizhou prefecture!

Chapter 297

The sergeants in the counties only had a few hundred soldiers under the patrol. After Gu Lin's deployment and training in the past two years, a mechanism was formed to connect the counties and counties. If one place was attacked, other places would quickly reinforce it. Only then could they send a message back as soon as the enemy of Che Luo attacked, and give the people of several nearby counties time to retreat.

The sergeant who came to report the news lowered his head and gritted his teeth and said, "There are too many bandits attacking. Even if there are horse pits and traps that the adults have asked everyone to dig before, they can't stop the endless stream of bandits."

Gu Lin mentioned the speculation that Dayu and Che Luo would have a war with Guan Peng and others under his command, as well as the deputy captain. They didn't expect that this day would come so soon!

The deputy captain, who also received the news, strode in, followed by two personal soldiers: "Master Gu, you have heard about the matter, right?!"

"The court's reinforcements will take at least five or six days to arrive. We must defend Lizhou City in the next few days, otherwise you and I will also be guilty of dereliction of duty."

Gu Lin is a civil servant, and it is his job as a captain to send troops to fight. But now everyone in the Lizhou army knows that Master Gu is a great martial artist, and he is even more of an expert when it comes to sending troops to fight. With him around, the deputy captain will be more confident and can rest assured to leave his back to him.

Gu Lin looked at the officials and others standing in the hall, and said in a deep voice: "I will immediately write a memorial and send it to Kyoto as fast as possible, asking the court for reinforcements. Deputy captain, you will immediately send people to the front to inquire about the news, find out how many bandits are invading this time, and their approximate route."

"Okay." The deputy captain bowed.

Lin Zhen had just returned from the newly discovered quartz sand yesterday. He was writing a plan for setting up a glass factory. When he saw the man who often followed Gu Lin walking towards the backyard with a serious face, he put down his charcoal pencil and walked out: "What happened?"

The servant bowed: "Boss Lin, Lord Gu ordered me to inform you not to leave the state capital in the near future."

"The Che Luo Kingdom suddenly invaded and occupied several counties in succession. Lord and the deputy captain have been discussing strategies to deal with the enemy."

Lin Zhen's heart sank: "Several counties in a row?"

"Yes, Lord has sent people to investigate the military situation."

Lin Zhen stood up and walked towards the government office in front. In the past two years, because he improved the weapons in the army and proposed to dig a large number of horse pits and traps around the counties and towns, everyone was not surprised that he appeared in the government office.

Lin Zhen walked in directly, saluted Gu Lin, the deputy captain and several officials according to the rules, and walked up to Gu Lin.

Gu Lin was speaking, and seeing him pause, he continued: "Chero has been preparing for war for a long time, and the army is coming fiercely. The soldiers of various counties add up to 10,000, and they are scattered everywhere. The only ones who can gather quickly are the 1,000 soldiers under the deputy commander of the prefecture."

"If Che Luo gathers tens of thousands of people to attack, Lizhou will be in trouble."

In order to prevent local officials from holding troops and becoming powerful, the only soldiers available in various places are those under the commander, and most of the commanders have grudges against the prefects and governors who are civil officials, just like the prefects and military officers of Luozhou who were still fighting for power during the drought.

In Lizhou, there are only a few prefects who have a good relationship with the commander, but the generals stationed in various places are the ones who can really send troops to fight the enemy.

And these generals will never mobilize troops without the imperial order from Kyoto.

So before the general with the imperial order from Kyoto arrives with the army, Gu Lin and the deputy commander must defend the Lizhou prefecture at all costs.

Gu Lin made the final decision and said to the deputy captain: "Count the troops and rush to Zai. We must suppress their momentum. Otherwise, the people will be unstable and flee, and Lizhou will be even more difficult to defend." "

Yes." Thinking of the thieves from Che Luo Kingdom looting the people of Lizhou, the deputy captain was so angry that he gnashed his teeth and walked out the door immediately.

Gu Lin and Lin Zhen went back to the backyard together. Lin Zhen personally put on the armor he had made for him. Looking at Gu Lin, who had always been a scholar, at this moment, he was like a cold weapon eager to drink blood, showing his sharp edge.

Lin Zhen took the hat with feathers on the top of the armor and was about to tiptoe to put it on him, but he had already bent his knees and lowered his head.

Looking at his braided hair tied with a hairpin, Lin Zhen couldn't help but touch his head and put on the hat with feathers fluttering and full of spirit on him.

Gu Lin, who was wearing armor, suddenly picked him up with one hand, sat on his arms, and looked at him from below.

Lin Zhen hugged his neck tightly, bent down and bit his lips, almost biting Gu Lin's lips to bleed.

He was fierce, but Gu Lin would be even fiercer than him. His hand in the cold armor stroked his face, looking at him who was a little confused by the kiss: "Let's go."

"Yeah."

Lin Zhen followed him and walked out of the gate of the state government. The horse that Lin Zhen asked Lin Xiaoyao to buy for him from Pingzhou had been led out. The whole body was like black jade, shining in the sun. At this moment, everyone called it a celestial horse. It had long limbs, was tall and majestic, and was faster and more endurance than the horse that Gu Lin had seized from the Che Luo people before.

Anyone who practices martial arts loves horses. When this horse was given to Gu Lin by Lin Zhen, Gu Lin, who was always calm, also rode the horse for a lap.

The soldiers gathered, and the people in the city smelled the urgency inside and asked each other what happened?

Everyone shook their heads.

The families of the soldiers stood anxiously in the crowd, looking at their sons and husbands.

Gu Lin and the deputy captain rode in the front, followed by the captain, the general flag, and the small flag. Compared with two years ago, these soldiers had changed their appearance, wearing new armor, and the weapons in their hands were longer and heavier than the previous swords. Some soldiers pushed five huge crossbow beds that were a full foot long and extremely heavy.

Just by looking at the grooves on the top, you can predict how big the arrows and crossbows would be to fill them.

Lin Zhen followed the army and walked quickly up to the tower of Lizhou. He looked at Gu Lin and others who were running away at a high speed, and he didn't look away until he couldn't see Gu Lin and others.

The next morning, the news came back that Gu Lin and the deputy captain had repelled the Che Luo thieves who invaded Zai, killing 1,000 enemies, capturing 600, and also obtaining a lot of carriages and horses.

Lin Zhen in the state capital breathed a sigh of relief.

Before noon, another soldier returned to the government office with a new report.

Another group of Che Luo thieves was found in a county 40 miles away from Zai. The report also said that according to the Che Luo people captured by Gu Lin and the deputy commander, these scattered soldiers were just here to test the land, and the real army would arrive in Lizhou soon.

Guan Peng, Gao Tong, Jiang Jing, and Lin Zhen looked at the numbers above.

One hundred thousand.

There were actually one hundred thousand troops.

More than a hundred miles away from the Lizhou capital, on the plains that were about to leave the territory of Che Luo, a series of simple fur tents were like rolling small earth mounds, densely packed.

The eldest prince of Cheluo State, Sanghan, heard the news coming from the front and kicked him over: "Useless, so many soldiers and horses were lost in just a few counties, what's the point of keeping you!"

The person standing next to him said: "Prince, I am willing to lead the army to support, and let those Dayu people in Lizhou taste our power!"

Although Sanghan has a bad temper, he is not a mediocre person. He thought of the news he had found out in the past two years.

The cultivated land in Lizhou suddenly increased, the grain production increased, and a thing called cement was made to build roads and walls.

He tried every possible way, but he couldn't get a large amount of cement. He knew that if Lizhou continued like this, it would sooner or later become a stumbling block for them to capture Dayu. So when he felt the time was right, he took advantage of the fact that the grain sown in Lizhou could be stored in the granary in a month. As

long as they took Lizhou, they could use the grain and grass in Lizhou to feed their soldiers, solve the grain and grass problem of the 100,000-man army, and have more confidence to fight to Kyoto.

At that time, he would catch the old emperor sitting in the Kyoto Palace to wash his feet and kill those whining courtiers.

Sang Han stood up and walked out, ordering the soldiers to rush to Lizhou.

He divided the 100,000 troops into three routes, one facing Lizhou, one heading to Dongyang County connecting Lizhou with the outside world, and one entering the main road between Lizhou and Kyoto, and surrounded Lizhou.

In July, when the sorghum, buckwheat and other crops in the field were forming ears and turning into grains, the green seedlings that were taller than people looked very pleasing.

But the people and officials were not happy. In the past few days, the state government issued several decrees, ordering the sentries guarding the fortresses to be manned for twelve hours a day, and to light smoke signals in case of an enemy attack.

The city walls were weak, and most of the villages exposed to the enemy's eyes had to move to the state government immediately, and take all the food they could carry. The crops in the fields were not ready for harvest yet, but they could not be left to the people of Che Luo State, and they had to be burned.

Nowadays, every household has more than ten or twenty acres of land. If all the crops were burned, not to mention the people, even the officials' hearts would bleed.

But it was not possible not to do so. Leaving the crops would only add food and grass to the thieves of Che Luo State, giving them more strength to burn, kill and plunder.

Looking at the continuous smoke rising, and the grain that could be harvested in another month, the people couldn't help but wipe their eyes.

Forcing themselves not to look, they carried the remaining food at home, pulled their young son, and followed the people in the village to the state government.

When Sanghan arrived at the edge of Lizhou with 50,000 troops, he was so angry that his beard was about to stand up when he saw the empty villages.

"Damn Dayu people!"

The Cheluo people were plunderers by nature. On the way here, they wanted to plunder the edge of Lizhou, killing all the men, the elderly and children, leaving only the women and boys who could entertain them.

Unexpectedly, all the people withdrew.

Sanghan kicked down the earth wall with his foot, and looked into the house that had obviously been moved out a few days ago: "Go straight to Lizhou Prefecture, I want them to pay for their teasing me with blood."

Chapter 298

The Lizhou provincial capital, which had been bustling with people coming and going in the past two years, was like a taut string. Gu Lin and the deputy captain, who had successfully blocked the enemy several times, killed thousands of enemies, and seized hundreds of vehicle frames, came back, but without even taking a breath, they were about to rush to the west of the provincial capital, a place called Luanziwa.

After being outside for a few days, Gu Lin's armor was stained with dark blood. He pointed at Luanziwa and said, "This is the only passage into the provincial capital from the west. There are mountains on both sides and it is narrow in the middle. We can set up an ambush."

​​Jiang Jing frowned, "With such an obvious terrain, will the thieves from Che Luo Kingdom pass through?"

Guan Peng's purple face showed some struggle. He looked at Gu Lin and said, "Are you sure, sir, that they will pass through here?"

"Even if you are not sure, you have to set up an ambush here. The terrain of Lizhou is flat. Except for this place, other places are all plains with few hills. If the ambush is successful this time, we can at least leave behind thousands of their troops. This is what we should do before they arrive at the provincial capital."

Gao Tong, a native of Lizhou, was very anxious about the precarious situation of Lizhou: "Sir, the memorial has been sent to Kyoto at full speed. Why is there no news?"

Guan Peng, Jiang Jing, and the deputy captain had the same question. The city wall of Lizhou had been reinforced in the past two years. There is no shortage of food or water, but that is an army of 100,000. Even if they are piled up in numbers, they can be killed.

Only the imperial court's reinforcements can help Lizhou out of its predicament.

Gu Lin looked back at them and said, "When and how many troops from the imperial court will come is beyond our control. The right thing to do is to seize all opportunities in front of us." "

Destiny should be in your own hands. Only after doing everything you can consider whether to listen to fate."

When they heard that Che Luo State had an army of 100,000, their hearts were overshadowed. Guan Peng and others who placed all their hopes on the imperial court's reinforcements looked at Gu Lin, who was only 18 years old, and felt a little proud.

Since the first time they met Gu Lin, Gu Lin seemed to be like this, calm beyond his age, and never panicked at any time. He became the backbone of Lizhou, which made them feel at ease.

Guan Peng's purple face relaxed a little: "Your Excellency is right. Don't put all your hopes on the court. Even if the court sends reinforcements to Lizhou, it will take several days. Are we going to surrender in the next few days?"

Gu Lin glanced at him and said, "Yes."

"The marching speed of the Che Luo Kingdom will not be very fast. We must set up an ambush before their vanguard reaches Luanziwa. Pass the order down, all soldiers should reduce their weight and lighten their clothes, and rush to Luanziwa."

"Yes." The deputy captain was a straightforward person. Without saying a word, he turned around and conveyed this order to the general flag.

Guan Peng, Gao Tong and Jiang Jing bowed to Gu Lin and said, "I hope your Excellency and the soldiers will return triumphantly. I am

waiting for good news in the prefecture." Gu Lin has notified the inspectors of various counties and counties to bring all the soldiers to the prefecture. At this moment, he has 13,000 people under his command.

Except for the 1,000 soldiers of the prefecture who were all equipped with horses, most of the people under the patrol had horses, and they were all wearing armor and holding long spikes similar to those of the Che Luo Kingdom, but with some improvements.

This was the equipment that Gu Lin and Lin Zhen had spent a lot of money on over the past year. They were the most combat-capable and elite army in Lizhou.

In addition to them, Gu Lin also ordered the prefectures to train militia diligently over the past year, and also equipped them with simple armor and weapons, so that they could also fight.

Two days later, Luanziwa.

Qi Erda, who led the 5,000 vanguards of the Che Luo Kingdom, looked at the terrain ahead and reined in his horse: "The terrain ahead is not good for our army, stop moving forward." The

5,000 Che Luo Kingdom soldiers formed a long team, and it took a while for the order to stop to be conveyed.

The deputy general looked at the terrain on both sides of the front, which was extremely high, with only a narrow road in the middle, and said to Qi Erda: "I will go to explore the situation first."

Qi Erda was suspicious by nature, and would never rush over without knowing the situation ahead, so he nodded and agreed to his proposal.

The deputy general immediately drove his horse forward and came back after a while: "I walked this narrow road. It is narrow at both ends and wide in the middle. It is about 500 meters long. I didn't see any traces of Dayu people."

In order to ensure safety, the deputy general deliberately drove his horse to the hill above the narrow road and carefully inspected it to make sure that there were no traces of people before returning.

Qi Erda had great trust in the deputy general who had followed him for many years. When he heard him say this, he believed it most of the time and turned back and said: "All soldiers, listen to my order and pass this narrow road as soon as possible."

If this was not the section closest to the Lizhou Prefecture, the army had limited food and grass, and it was necessary to fight quickly to supply itself with food and grass from Lizhou, Qi Erda would have to find another way.

The entrance was narrow, and the five thousand vanguards were arranged in four teams. According to Qi Erda's order, they went to the narrow road at the fastest speed.

On the narrow road, Gu Lin and the deputy commander hid in the pit dug just big enough for one person. The soldiers of Lizhou, who were tied with wild grass and blended into the grass at first glance, were crawling in the pit. It was too dangerous just now. If the deputy general of Che Luo Kingdom walked a few steps forward, he would have discovered something a little abnormal.

Fortunately, the wild grass in this area was dense, which helped them.

Crawling to the top of the narrow road, the deputy captain looked down at the Che Luo Kingdom vanguard who was starting today's narrow road: "Master Gu, that is the leader of the vanguard."

Gu Lin naturally saw it, and his eyes fell on the burly Che Luo Kingdom vanguard general who looked good in martial arts: "Wait until the people in front of them are about to reach the exit before taking action. Note that except for the people throwing fire oil balls, the rest of the people must shoot all arrows at the first time."

"Understood!" This kind of commanding position, and the terrain where the enemies gathered in the narrow road, is a good opportunity for arrows to play the greatest role. Outside, ten arrows may not have such a good effect.

Qi Erda in the narrow road twisted his neck, looked up at the narrow road with light, and felt inexplicably panicked.

He regretted the decision to send the deputy general to investigate the terrain just now. The deputy general was too courageous and passed by such a terrain lightly. It was not until he personally approached that he felt that it was very inappropriate.

This terrain is really too dangerous.

Qi Erda squeezed the horse's belly, frowned and urged the people behind him: "Leave here as soon as possible."

The horse trotted forward at his urging, and the deputy general and the vanguard behind him also hurriedly followed.

He was getting closer and closer to the exit of the narrow passage, one hundred meters, fifty meters, ten meters.

"Throw fireballs, shoot arrows." As soon as Gu Lin finished speaking, he let go of the bow and arrow that had been aimed at the vanguard general

of the Che Luo Kingdom, and the arrow with great force made a buzzing sound and flew towards Qi Erda. In an instant, the grass ball soaked in oil and wrapped tightly rolled down from the narrow passage, and the black arrows shot at the vanguard of the Che Luo Kingdom in the narrow passage.

The narrow passage here is wide in the middle and narrow at both ends, like a pocket. It was suddenly attacked, and the horses were frightened and trampled in the crowd, injuring many infantrymen.

The blazing fireball rolled in the narrow passage, igniting the clothes and hair of the Che Luo Kingdom's vanguard. The fire spread extremely quickly because it was soaked in oil, and the narrow passage instantly became a sea of ​​fire.

When Qierda heard the sound of the bowstring, he leaned to the side with his years of experience and intuition when facing danger. The arrow originally aimed at his throat hooked the flesh on his neck and nailed to the stone wall with a "bang", and the broken stones fell to the ground.

He was just a little bit away from being killed by this arrow.

He instantly raised a huge shield to block it above his head, and shouted loudly to the vanguard who were scattered by the fireball and rain of arrows: "Form a formation! Raise your shields!"

After the commander spoke, the vanguard soldiers came back to their senses and immediately raised their shields. The dense rain of arrows shot at the shields, but they could no longer hurt them.

Seeing that the rain of arrows had lost its effect, Gu Lin said to the deputy captain: "You take a thousand people to the exit, and leave as many as you can. If the enemy has the momentum to chase us up the mountain, retreat to our side."

"Qiu Baihu, you take another thousand people to block the entrance. Like the deputy captain, pay attention to the enemy's upward momentum in time, and don't let the enemy surround us."

"The rest of you, except for the first and second arrow teams, roll the rocks down."

"Yes." The deputy captain and the captain ran over with their men, and the rest of the people who followed Gu Lin followed his instructions, rolling the rocks on the hill and pushing them down hard.

The huge rocks, because of the high blessing, hit the heads of the Che Luo Kingdom vanguards holding their shields. After two rounds, they broke up the formation they had gathered again and fled in all directions.

This time, no matter how Qi Erda yelled and scolded, he couldn't gather people again.

Qi Erda looked up at the Dayu soldiers wearing silver armor and feather hats on the narrow road. He was so angry that he was about to die. Seeing that most of the vanguards in the narrow road had died, he whipped his horse's butt hard and rushed back with the few remaining people to join the vanguard troops that had not yet entered the narrow road.

Five thousand vanguards, losing more than a thousand people without even seeing who was on the opposite side, a great shame!

He tore off a piece of cloth to wrap around his neck that was hooked by the powerful arrow, and said bitterly: "Form a team, divide into two teams and rush up the mountain in a roundabout way!"

The deputy captain who was blocking the exit on the hill looked at the Che Luo country vanguard who had reorganized the formation and rushed up the mountain, and made a prompt decision: "Retreat!"

A thousand soldiers immediately put away their bows and arrows, and ran towards Gu Lin while the Che Luo country vanguard was going round the mountain.

After Qierda escaped desperately, Gu Lin took the rest of the people on horseback, urged the Ferghana horse under him, and said, "Don't get too far away from them. After going down the mountain, take out the four-shot crossbow, shoot three rounds of crossbows and then charge with thorns."

These were all drills that Gu Lin had practiced with them. Everyone understood what he meant. They drove the horses down the mountain, but controlled the speed and didn't get too far away. It was just the range that the bows and arrows couldn't reach, but their four-shot crossbows could shoot.

On the endless plains of Lizhou, Gu Lin led 3,000 soldiers on horseback, and the sound of horse hooves rumbled.

He looked back at the Che Luo vanguard who was chasing him closely, and said as

he slowed down: "Fire the crossbows!" Everyone was equipped with a four-shot crossbow, which was in their hands the moment they mounted their horses. When they heard his order, the three thousand soldiers slowed down their horses instantly, and placed four crossbow arrows into the crossbow slots as they had practiced thousands of times before. When they pulled the iron plate, the four-shot crossbow bed against their chests shook back, and four shorter than ordinary arrows, but thicker, flew out. The Che Luo vanguard who was following closely fell down like harvested wheat.

The Che Luo vanguard was stunned. They didn't expect that Lizhou actually had such a weapon. Qi Erda quickly asked people to raise their shields for defense, but Gu Lin didn't fight them head-on, but ordered the four-shot crossbows to aim at the horses they had knocked down.

The injured or dead horses fell down, and the people on them were also thrown down.

Gu Lin hung the four-shot crossbow back on his waist, raised the spike in his hand, which was longer, thicker and heavier than the other soldiers, and pointed it directly at the vanguard

of Che Luo State: "Kill--" Qi Erda, who was still sitting on the horse, only saw the general Dayu, who had seen a shadow on the narrow road, wearing silver-white armor and a feathered armor hat, rushing towards him. He subconsciously stretched out his shield to block it.

With a "clang" sound, the spike pierced the shield, and his palm was numb and painful.

Just one encounter, this amazing arm strength shocked Qi Erda.

And how come this weapon is so similar to the ones in their hands? Without time to think about it, Qi Erda held a shield in one hand and a spike in the other, and faced Gu Lin.

"Huh!!!" He dodged the cold and shining spike facing his face, and suddenly, another spike pierced his neck, breaking the bones connecting his head and spine.

Gu Lin shook his wrist and pulled out the other spike.

Under the charge of their conical spikes, the remaining more than 3,000 soldiers all lay here, and no one survived.

No matter how many times they saw it, the deputy captain and others still admired and looked down on Gu Lin.

Such heavy spikes, it would be great if they could use one each, but Gu Lin could not only use two spikes, but also the weight and length were heavier than them. It was not unfair for the vanguard general of Che Luo State to die in his hands.

Gu Lin shook off the broken meat and blood on the spikes, crossed them and inserted them into the leather case on his back that was specially used to hold the two spikes, and drove the horse and said: "Hurry up and clean up the battlefield, collect all the crossbows, take away all the horses that can still run, and don't leave any weapons on them."

On the tower of Lizhou, Lin Zhen and Jiang Jing stood there, looking at the calm plain.

Suddenly, dust and smoke rolled in the distance, and Lin Zhen and Jiang Jing cast their eyes over and stared closely.

When they saw the silver armor of the leader and the two spikes behind him, they were so happy that they slapped the tower pillars at the same time and ran down.

"Open the city gate quickly, the governor and his men are back."

The soldiers guarding the city gate were delighted when they heard this, and quickly asked a few people to open the city gate, which had been thickened several times.

After a while, Gu Lin arrived with his men. He looked at Lin Zhen and Jiang Jing who were waiting here, as well as many people who were worried and anxious: "The five thousand vanguards of Che Luo Kingdom have all been killed. This is the head of the vanguard general."

He rode on his horse and raised Qi Erda's head. The soldiers, the people, and the officials cheered loudly.

Lin Zhen looked at him and walked quickly to his horse.

Gu Lin suddenly stretched out the hand that was not holding the head, hugged his waist and lifted him onto the horse.

Chapter 299

The surroundings suddenly fell into a deathly silence. Gu Lin was the governor of Lizhou, and Lin Zhen was the most famous and richest businessman in Lizhou. However, the two of them had another identity. Lin Zhen was Gu Lin's uncle, and also his husband.

If Lin Zhen was a man, this scene could be teased as a deep uncle-nephew relationship, but looking at the appearance of the two, it was clearly another kind of relationship.

Many eyes fell on Gu Lin and Lin Zhen, who had just won a victory. The deputy captain was the only one among these people who knew about this, and he was impressed by Gu Lin's courage to carry someone on the horse in public.

He clasped his fists towards Gu Lin: "Your Excellency is really majestic in every way."

The soldiers following Gu Lin were also stunned, and most of them began to make a noise, shouting "Oh, oh, oh, oh".

They were facing life and death, and many things were nothing in their eyes, not to mention that Gu Lin's status among them was unmatched by ordinary people.

The noise of the soldiers' noise was so loud that it seemed that even the surging undercurrent was covered up.

Lin Zhen sat sideways on the horse, with one shoulder against Gu Lin's armored chest. He looked up at Gu Lin, whose silver-white helmet was splattered with blood, and was safely held in front of him.

The two of them sat on the same horse, from the city gate to the provincial government office, and almost all the people in the provincial government saw this scene.

Many people were silent and said nothing about it.

Some people pointed at them and whispered that it was unreasonable and would be struck by lightning.

The seven-year-old child who was held by his mother and came to see Lord Gu's triumphant return seemed puzzled: "Mother, why did that uncle say that Lord Gu and Boss Lin, mother, didn't you tell me that Lord Gu and Boss Lin are our benefactors? It's wrong to say bad things about benefactors behind their backs."

The woman holding the child looked at Gu Lin and Lin Zhen who had walked away, and turned back to look at her husband standing beside her.

The woman's husband touched the child's head and said, "Yes, Lord Gu and Boss Lin are our benefactors. We should not speak ill of them."

The woman also smiled slightly, prayed for Lord Gu and Boss Lin in her heart, and agreed with her husband's words.

If Boss Lin had not opened a workshop in the state capital, allowing her, a woman, to work there, and allowed her to bring back the lunch to share with her family, and save the wages to buy medicine for her husband, her husband would have died of illness long ago, and there would be no good life now.

No matter what Lord Gu and Boss Lin do, their family remembers this kindness and will never forget it.

There are many people like the woman. They know that Lord Gu and Boss Lin's identities are not suitable, but they can't bear to say anything to slander them.

Without Lord Gu and Boss Lin, they would not be able to be in Lizhou today.

This great victory made the atmosphere in the city no longer so heavy. At night, many families cooked one or two good dishes that they hadn't had the heart to cook in these days, just to celebrate.

Gu Lin sat in the main hall of the yamen and asked the two centurions below: "How many horses have been brought back, and how much damage has been done to our weapons."

The centurion stood up and said: "My Lord, except for those who were seriously injured and died on the battlefield, a total of 800 horses were brought back, and 3,115 weapons were seized from the vanguard of the Che Luo Kingdom."

"Our losses are not great, and all the crossbows and arrows have been recovered, but the arrows lost in the narrow road cannot be recovered."

The four-shot crossbow is a new weapon that the state government has just made this year according to the drawings given by Lin Zhen. It has a long range and strong power. It can shoot four arrows at a time. It is lighter than the magic crossbow that requires several people to push and is very suitable for fighting on horseback.

In order to make these four-shot crossbows, the state government not only consumed its own iron reserves, but also purchased some from outside. The cost was huge, but fortunately the effect was strongly verified in today's battle.

But the four-shot crossbow also has weaknesses. There are not many dedicated crossbows and arrows, and it is heartbreaking to lose each one. It is best to use it when facing enemies of similar number, and it can be recovered after the enemy is defeated.

Gu Lin nodded and asked the two to sit down: "Chero State claims to have an army of 100,000, but according to my calculations, there are only about 80,000 people who can really be deployed in the war. The remaining 20,000 people are forced to make up the numbers. These people have not received training. Once the camp is blown up, they will be the first to cause chaos. We can plan this and use it for our benefit."

"Another thing, tomorrow we will post a notice to ask each household to temporarily borrow the ironware in their homes from the state government. The state government will return it according to the number after this incident."

The deputy captain said: "Are you worried that there will not be enough weapons?"

"The end of the war is not known yet, and making more preparations may be of great use in times of crisis."

"Yes, I understand." This was done by Guan Peng Gao Tong and others.

The next day, when the people heard that the state government wanted the ironware in their homes, they handed it in to the state government. Some people who had not been notified heard about it outside and handed in their iron pots, shovels, hoes and other items at home. They replaced the cooking utensils with pottery and porcelain.

Two days later, the main force of Cheluo State arrived at Luziwa. Seeing the bodies of the vanguard troops already stiffened, Sanghan was furious.

Nothing went smoothly after entering Lizhou. There was no one in the village, no food or anything, and some of the vanguard troops sent out were killed here.

When he walked forward and saw Qierda and others shot dead on the plain, Sanghan, who was full of anger, calmed down. He carefully looked at the wounds on Qierda and others and said to the people beside him: "The Dayu soldiers who killed Qierda and others have weapons we have never faced before, and they are extremely lethal."

"According to the direction our people fell to the ground and the wounds on their bodies, this kind of weapon is convenient for fighting on horseback, but it is not cheap, so our people only have wounds, but we don't see the weapons that killed them."

Sanghan stood up and kicked up a piece of grass: "I have 100,000 horses and chariots, and it is easy for me to take down this mere Lizhou. Even if he has magic weapons, it is just a mantis

trying to stop a chariot." On the day when he saw the bodies of the vanguard troops led by Qierda, Sanghan led 50,000 horses, excluding the other two groups of troops, and marched to the gates of Lizhou.

Sanghan glanced at the wall of Lizhou and did not find the governor of Lizhou wearing civil official robes, but only saw a few Dayu soldiers in armor, and could not help but sneer.

The Lizhou governor is really a person who is afraid of death. He is probably hiding in the city and not coming out.

He asked the person next to him who is proficient in Dayu language to shout to the tower.

The deputy captain drilled his ears with his fingers, "What is that thing down there saying? Why can't I understand a word?"

Guanpeng Gaotong Jiang Jing looked at Gu Lin standing in the middle of them, listening to what the people of Che Luoguo said under the city wall, asking them to call the Lizhou governor and open the city gate to let them take over Lizhou, and then they would spare their lives, otherwise the day the city was broken would be the day they would be torn into pieces.

It turned out that these people didn't even know that their governor was standing here, and they thought that their governor was hiding behind them.

Fifty thousand troops lined up under the city, like densely packed ants, exuding a murderous aura that made people palpitate.

The deputy captain who had dealt with Che Luoguo in previous years looked at these thieves from Che Luoguo, who were different from the previous ones. They were obviously better equipped and looked like a large army that had been prepared for many days, and looked at Gu Lin.

Seeing that the officials of Lizhou ignored them, the people of Cheluo who were shouting at the city wall started to attack.

This attack lasted for four days. On the city wall, the soldiers' hands were blistered by the bowstrings, and the blisters were broken, revealing the tender flesh under the skin.

A large pot was set up with hot water boiling in it. The soldiers saw the right time to pour it with a large ladle.

Wave after wave of attacks were repelled.

But the Che Luo Kingdom was well versed in siege tactics, and waves of arrows rained down, and if you were not careful, you would be shot. The injured soldiers were carried down and replaced by new ones.

Some Che Luo thieves climbed up the tower along the ladder, and with a "pop", their heads were pierced by the thorns in Gu Lin's hand, and yellow and white things mixed with blood splashed on the silver armor.

The deputy captain wiped the blood off his face and hid behind the city wall, avoiding the fierce rain of arrows. He turned around and said to Gu Lin, who had not been off the city wall for four days, "Sir, you should go down and rest for a while

. The momentum is not as fierce as at the beginning, but you can still hold on." Gu Lin looked at the soldiers who also squatted down to avoid the rain of arrows and said, "After this wave, let another group of people come up and let them go down to rest."

"I mean you, sir."

"I'm fine." With such a fierce rain of arrows, the city gate tower behind him had long been pierced into a hedgehog, and the people of Che Luo also took the opportunity to climb up. Gu Lin looked at the foot that had stepped up, and swung the spike in his hand fiercely. With a sound of bone breaking that made people's teeth ache, the Che Luo people who climbed up fell down.

Gu Lin picked up the spike in his hand and smashed the ladder that was still climbing seven or eight Che Luo people back heavily.

Taking advantage of the moment when the rain of arrows stopped, the soldiers from Lizhou also responded with catapults, arrows, and hot water.

In the past four days, Gu Lin led the deputy captain and others to kill the enemy from the tower, and had consumed four to five thousand enemies, but at the same time, the speed of weapon consumption was so fast that Gu Lin frowned slightly.

After this wave, perhaps the Che Luo Kingdom felt that it would take a long time to break through the gates and towers of Lizhou reinforced with cement, so they stopped the attack.

Gu Lin asked this group of soldiers, half of whom were already injured, to retreat, and another group to replace them. He said to the deputy captain: "Take advantage of this opportunity, you go down and rest."

"Sir, I..." Unconsciously, the deputy captain, who was originally called Gu Lin with the word "Gu", completely abandoned his surname and just called him Sir Gu Lin.

Gu Lin leaned against the pillar, looking at him with dark eyes: "Come and replace me in one hour."

The deputy captain agreed and nodded and walked down the tower.

Down below, the sergeants who had been replaced were being treated for their wounds by a team of doctors who had been temporarily formed by the prefectural government. The deputy captain saw Lin Zhen, who was not supposed to be here, and walked over to him, "Boss Lin, why are you here?"

"I brought something here," Lin Zhen pointed to several large barrels of things behind him, "This is a kind of medicine that I made using a folk method to clean wounds. It works well in my hometown."

This medicine is actually the juice obtained by soaking Lin Zhen's crushed garlic and distilled liquor with a much higher alcohol concentration.

It was when Lin Zhen was traveling in modern times, and the locals told him about the folk method. Lin Zhen's foot was cut by a sickle at that time, and the local hospital was far away, so he tried this folk antibiotic himself. Anyway, there were no bad sequelae in the later period, so he worked it out these days. It's

just that the deputy captain has been on the city wall with Gu Lin, and he only saw it now.

The deputy captain has always admired Lin Zhen. What Lin Zhen did is worthy of admiration, whether it is for a boy or a man.

He looked at the soldier who was using the juice to clean the arrow wound, and clasped his fists to Lin Zhen: "The attack of Che Luo Kingdom has stopped temporarily. The master asked me to come down and rest for an hour before replacing him. Boss Lin, I'm over there. Just call me if you need anything."

"Okay."

Lin Zhen clasped his fists in return, looked at the tower, turned around to get some things, and walked up the stairs.

The tower of Lizhou Prefecture was renovated with cement last year and was no longer as dilapidated as before. Lin Zhen carried the things, squatted on the ground and walked up. At a glance, he saw Gu Lin squinting his eyes and looking outside the tower. When

Gu Lin saw him, his eyebrows, which were made colder and more unfeeling by the silver-white armor, frowned, stood up from the pillar, and walked to his side with a hunched back.

Lin Zhen was pulled by him and leaned against the pier of the city wall: "I heard from the deputy captain that the attack below has stopped, so I brought you some food and drinks."

As he spoke, he looked at Gu Lin and took off the lid of the basket, revealing the boiled water and five or six steamed buns below.

Gu Lin opened his chapped lips, hummed, and pulled him between his legs. Lin Zhen knelt between his legs and handed the wooden cup of water to his mouth. Gu Lin

took the cup of water, tilted his head back and drank the whole cup of water, then looked at him and ate the buns bite by bite.

The buns were made in the kitchen of the provincial government office, and were filled with pig heads from the slaughterhouse. They were delicious and filling.

Gu Lin ate all six buns in one breath and raised the back of his hand to wipe the corners of his mouth.

He was the one who loved cleanliness the most. He usually changed his clothes once a day and never accepted clothes that were left overnight. But at this moment, Lin Zhen smelled the blood and sweat emanating from him, but he did not show any discomfort.

Lin Zhen put the water cup back into the basket, looked at Gu Lin, who had a little dried blood stain under his eyes, and suddenly said, "Gu Lin, when this matter is over, let's get married."

Lin Zhen suddenly didn't want to be like this anymore. They should be together.

Others could say whatever they wanted. It wasn't like he and Gu Lin would lose a piece of flesh.

Gu Lin looked down at him, hugged him in his arms, and held his waist tightly with both hands: "Uncle Lin."

"Zhenzhen."

Lin Zhen's heart was filled with his two calls. He hugged Gu Lin back, feeling more satisfied than ever before.

The soldiers next to him all laughed in good faith.

"Master Gu, shouldn't you give me a kiss?"

"You guys are just watching the fun, Boss Lin will be shy."

"I'm shy?" Lin Zhen was held by Gu Lin, looking at the soldiers who followed him to defend the city, and said maliciously, "Your Master Gu is the shy one, he blushes very badly."

The soldiers didn't believe it, Master Gu looked like a cold-faced devil, how could he blush.

Lin Zhen snorted, thinking that his kid's cold face for many years was still effective, and his aura was well controlled.

He turned around to look at Gu Lin, and suddenly met his eyes. The burning gaze seemed to hide two balls of fire in his dark eyes, which wanted to burn him to ashes.

Chapter 300

Not knowing when this moment of peace would be broken, Lin Zhen stayed up there for a short while before going down, and happened to meet a soldier carrying manure water up.

The soldier quickly blocked him with his body, fearing that he would see these filthy things, and greeted him cordially.

Lin Zhen waved his hand, "Farmer, who hasn't seen this before?"

The soldier grinned. The manure water was used on arrows. Lord Gu told them that if they cut their hair and smeared it with manure water, the traitors of Che Luo State who were shot would easily get sick. When asked about it, he said that it was Boss Lin who taught him. He had used it before when dealing with the refugee army, and it was indeed effective.

In fact, no one could understand better than Lin Zhen. This was to use the bacteria in the manure water to enter the human body through the wounds made by the arrows, causing diseases.

This was a bit mysterious in the eyes of the soldiers, but it was real and useful.

Lin Zhen passed by the soldier carrying manure water, carried the basket back to the state government office, and locked himself in the house.

At this time, he did not hide the distillation equipment. He handed it over to Niu Da, who was free after stopping the business, and asked him to lead a few people to distill liquor day and night, condensing a strong liquor with a high alcohol concentration, which was used to make a simple antibiotic juice with garlic.

He was immersed in another matter. He bought all the raw materials from the firecracker factory in the city, wanting to try whether he could make explosives.

Lin Zhen put on the protective clothing made of thick cotton and iron sheets very carefully, and fiddled with the things on the table.

Kyoto.

The court had been arguing for several days because of the memorial from Lizhou. Some officials believed that the 100,000 troops of Che Luo were only strong on the outside but weak on the inside. The real number of people was probably only half. The so-called attack on Lizhou was just to get some benefits from Dayu.

In recent years, Dayu has suffered from disasters year after year and the treasury is empty. It is really not a good time to start a war. It is best to adopt a conciliatory policy and appease the Che Luo country first, so as to make plans later, so that Dayu can be spared from war.

A small number of people advocated war. Lizhou was the gateway to Dayu. If Lizhou was lost, the Che Luo Kingdom would be at the gates of Kyoto, so they had to fight.

The court officials who advocated peace said only one thing: "Where will the troops be transferred from? Where will the food and military pay come from?"

The court had not mobilized the army for more than a hundred years, and they knew what the current situation in the army was. There was a serious shortage of food and military pay. It was not uncommon for two or three people or three or five people to share a weapon. How could they fight? There

is a saying that goes, behind closed doors, even if it is a pile of shit, no matter how smelly it is, it must be covered. Who wants to lead the army to Lizhou to resist the tens of thousands of Che Luo Kingdom's troops?

The officials who tried to advocate war saw that the emperor's heart had already leaned towards peace, and they knelt on the ground with their robes lifted: "Lizhou is to Kyoto, which is no different from the gate of a house. If Lizhou is lost, Kyoto will be in the hands of the thieves. You really can't let it go, Your Majesty."

After a tug of war, the court decided to send troops, and then the choice of the troops was deadlocked again.

Nowadays, most of the military officers in the court are from the Yin family. Qin Zhong himself has appointed seven or eight of them. Previously, these military officer positions were just rewards to show favor. Now that there is a war, Qin Zhong himself is more relieved when he needs to use these people.

Just when he was in trouble, someone mentioned the Duke of Wei.

The ancestors of the Duke of Wei had ridden with Taizu to conquer the world and made outstanding contributions. The descendants of the Duke of Wei also strictly followed the teachings of their ancestors, and all the men in the family practiced martial arts.

Qin Zhong was able to ascend the throne as emperor because the Duke of Wei had supported him and led his soldiers directly into the capital, opening a way for him.

That's why the daughter of the Duke of Wei became a high-ranking concubine as soon as she entered the palace, and gave birth to the eleventh prince Qin Ziwen.

But since the eldest son of the Duke of Wei fell off a horse and died, and Qin Ziwen's mother, Concubine Hui, hanged herself, the Duke of Wei's family completely withdrew from the court.

Qin Zhong sat on the dragon chair and looked at the courtier who mentioned the Duke of Wei, with a dark look in his eyes.

Someone immediately said, "The Duke of Wei is already in his sixties, how can he lead troops to fight?"

"The Duke of Wei has a son, Wei Min, who once ran into the military camp and became a fourth-rank military officer. He can be recalled to the capital." "

Everyone knows that Wei Min was expelled from his family by the Duke of Wei and became a lowly merchant. If we appoint him as the leader of the army, wouldn't it be a joke that there is no one in the court?"

"Okay, my dear ministers, you all have a point. There is no need to discuss the appointment of Wei Min. Bao Mo will lead

an army of 100,000 to support Lizhou." Standing in the line of military officers, Bao Mo, who was also a third-rank general of Zhaoyi, was delighted to hear that he would be the leader of an army of 100,000. He clasped his fists and said, "Yes, I obey your order."

It is said that food and fodder must be sent before troops move. After a strategy of 100,000 troops to support Lizhou was decided, the people from the Ministry of War ran to the Ministry of Revenue and asked it to immediately prepare sufficient food and military pay.

The Minister of Revenue, who was encouraging and supporting, was so angry that he was fuming. There was no grain or silver in the account of the Ministry of Revenue. The emperor's mausoleum had already cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. Taxes in various places were not enough to cover expenses. Even if he was killed, he would not be able to get silver and grain!

Because of the issue of grain and military pay, the Ministry of

War and the Ministry of Revenue had a war of words in the court. The delay in sending troops was what those who advocated peace wanted, and they watched coldly.

Qin Zhong did not condemn them all at once, but listened carefully to the opinions of both sides. Li Quan ,

who also advocated peace, knew in his heart that their emperor was still observing the situation in Lizhou. If the Che Luo Kingdom had no intention of invading the capital, but just wanted to ask for more grain, gold and silver through this move, it would be fine.

At that time, the matter would be over on the grounds of a princess' marriage.

Li Quan lowered his eyes, and somehow thought of Gu Lin, who was the governor of Lizhou, and felt a little sorry.

Under the Lizhou city wall, the attack that had stopped for half a day began again. This time, Sanghan not only used ladders as before, but also used two adults to hug a thick iron-wrapped wooden stump, and dozens of people carried it to hit the city gate. At the same time, the rain of arrows suppressed it, so that Gu Lin, the deputy captain, and others on the city gate tower could not show their heads.

"Bang-"

"Bang-"

"..."

A series of teeth-grinding collisions were heard, and dust fell from the gates on both sides. Lin Zhen and the military doctors who were treating the wounds of the soldiers nearby on the open space of the city tower looked at the hit city gate and frowned involuntarily.

The city gate was newly built last year. The iron wood soaked in oil for several feet thick is not only strong, but also has a certain fireproof effect. There are two tall door pillars made of cement at the back.

Gu Lin quickly came down from the city tower, "Except for the soldiers, everyone retreat to the city."

The military doctors and doctors immediately asked people to lift the soldiers who could not move, and the soldiers who could walk walked by themselves and retreated to the city.

Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin across the crowd, picked up a bucket of garlic juice and followed him to retreat. He couldn't stay here to cause trouble for Gu Lin.

In the city, the people were hiding in their homes. The streets that were once bustling were empty. Lin Zhen went to the government office with the injured soldiers.

Niu Da came out of the distillery with sweat all over his head: "Boss, all the strong liquor that was just distilled today has been carried out."

"Okay, let the people in the government come out to look after these soldiers. By the way, take out all the cloth stored in our government, tear it into strips, and bandage the soldiers' wounds."

Today is the second day that the Che Luo army resumed the siege of the city. In the early morning, Lin Zhen almost got into trouble while making explosives. If it weren't for the protective clothing made of cotton and iron sheets on his body, he would probably have been injured.

In order to calm down, Lin Zhen went to the tower to help. He didn't expect the offensive to be so fierce this time.

Lin Zhen exhaled, returned to the room where he made explosives, put on protective clothing and continued to work. In order to increase the power of the explosives, he put iron fragments into the explosives. He had to be more careful when making them, otherwise these things would hit him.

"Bang!" In the government office, the injured sergeants and the military doctors who were treating the wounds suddenly heard the loud noise and thought it was thunder in a clear sky. They looked up at the cloudless sky.

Niu Da, who was told by Lin Zhen, ran to the room where Lin Zhen was. A man walked out of the small room with thick smoke and a collapsed corner.

Lin Zhen waved his hand, took off the hat that matched the protective clothing, and had an uncontrollable smile on his face.

Fortunately, he controlled the amount. If he used more materials, he would have blown himself up to the sky this time.

But the power is enough!

Lin Zhen asked someone to store more raw materials in another room. He dusted himself off and said, "I will be busier in the next two days. If there is nothing important, don't bother me. I will come out to get the food at the door."

The gate of Lizhou Prefecture was stronger than Sang Han had imagined. In order to break through the gate, two or three thousand soldiers and horses had been sent in. The people below had already spoken.

He could only stop the attack and think of other ways.

Sang Han stood in the tent, looking at the tower of Lizhou Prefecture, and the bloodthirsty hatred in his eyes almost overflowed.

The person beside him said, "Grand Prince, we don't have much food and grass anymore. If we can't capture Lizhou City..."

"Send someone back to urge for food and grass. We must capture Lizhou!"

"Yes," the person beside him nodded, looking at the tower of Lizhou, "According to the consumption of weapons in Lizhou in the past few days, they don't have many arrows and other supplies to use. As long as we can supply food and grass, we can besiege the city for another half a month, and Lizhou City will be broken."

Sanghan knew this, but he made two preparations. If he couldn't capture it, besieging the city would be his way out.

But Father Khan was not just his son. Several small bastards under him were ready to make a move. This time he finally forced them to lead the troops to go out, and he must fight a beautiful battle.

He said, "Notify E Yinglin and others to cooperate with this side tomorrow and attack another city gate at the same time, regardless of the cost."

Some people beside him disagreed. They had lost seven or eight thousand people in these days, and they didn't even get on the tower. If they attacked from two places according to today's offensive, their losses would be even greater.

But Sanghan's temper was not something he could persuade. If they could capture Lizhou City in one fell swoop, they would not lose out.

The next day, Lin Zhen, who was still in the government office, heard the shouts and screams of Che Luoguo, not only from the East Gate, but also from the West Gate.

The government office was closer to the West Gate, and it sounded as if it was right next to his ear.