While Han Xuanfeng and the other two were transporting the money back and preparing to leave, the plague of locusts in Tubo had already begun to take shape. Of course, Zhang Xiaobao had left something for Tubo to save their lives, which was the livestock. If they were commanded well, they might be able to recover some losses. However, whether or not they would use them was not up to Zhang Xiaobao to decide.
This was the end of Wang Chong's revenge. What was left was to take advantage of the fact that Tubo did not have enough food after the autumn harvest to trade with them. That was another matter. After all, this place should have belonged to Great Tang.
Because of its geographical relationship with other countries, Zhang Xiaobao did not want to drag things out too much. Wang Juan had told him that Great Tang, or rather, Great Qin, had once fought with Arabia and lost miserably. Even though there were many reasons, a loss was a loss.
Wang Juan was prepared to bring this war forward and personally lead the army there to see if Arabia could continue to win. Any small step on the battlefield was a large step in history.
Thus, Zhang Xiaobao began to plan for Tubo, wanting to make this place belong to Great Tang as soon as possible. He did not intend to use local people to govern this place, as that would cause problems. The better method was to migrate, moving many people from Tubo to Great Tang.
This was the first step, starting from agriculture. When the time came, he would use the second step, and the second step would be to slowly break down Tubo.
Zhang Xiaobao also said that it was easy to bring people from Tubo to Great Tang, but the difficult part was the system. Even though Great Tang was working hard, it was still a feudal society. The people who were unwilling to change were not the slaves or the slave masters, but the nobles. This matter was more troublesome, and he would have to focus on this in the future.
Han Xuanfeng and the other two did not know about Zhang Xiaobao's plan. They left, bringing with them many slaves. Some were bought from nobles at large sums of money, some were exchanged with lottery tickets, and some were won from gambling.
In total, there were more than seven thousand slaves. The army marched toward the Great Tang. In order to prevent others from sending soldiers to attack them, Han Xuanfeng raised the flag of the seedlings after two days of marching.
Furthermore, he had already arranged for someone to report to the Great Tang so that they could send reinforcements. This move was indeed effective. Originally, there were four Tubo nobles who wanted to target this group. However, when they saw the flag, three of them immediately backed out.
They were cowardly and didn't dare to touch Han Xuanfeng's troops. However, there was one noble who didn't believe that the flag was real. He thought that someone had made a fake flag to trick him. So, when he saw that the other three had left, he didn't withdraw his troops. Instead, he increased the number of troops. Now, there were six cavalrymen and four hundred infantrymen.
Han Xuanfeng wasn't an ordinary person. He immediately knew that someone was plotting against him. It wasn't easy for 1,000 people to deal with 7,000 people. He understood that the other party knew that the slaves on his side had just been gathered and weren't very united yet.
Therefore, when Mi Fan kept saying that she hadn't been feeling well recently, Han Xuanfeng, who was the leader, showed his ability.
His family was a family of officials. He knew very well how to win people's hearts. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent here.
On this day, when Mi Fan found him and said that she was having trouble breathing, Han Xuanfeng stopped the army. The seven thousand slaves formed a large circle. Han Xuanfeng stood in the middle of the circle and shouted at the slaves, "Do you know who I am?"
The slaves didn't know who Han Xuanfeng was. After disguising himself and speaking fluent Tubo, Han Xuanfeng was just another slave master from Tubo. The only difference was that this slave master was nicer to them. He was also very smart and knew how to make a fake flag of the logistics camp in Yizhou to trick them.
Perhaps he could guess what the slaves were thinking. Han Xuanfeng continued to shout, "Do you think I'm from Tubo?"
Some of the slaves nodded, some were confused, and some stared at Han Xuanfeng, waiting for him to continue.
"Wrong, I'm not from Tubo. Don't think that I can speak Tubo. Do you see that flag? That's the flag of the logistics camp in Yizhou, but that flag isn't mine. "
Han Xuanfeng continued to shout.
The Tubo slaves looked like they knew it. Some even muttered softly. Most of them thought to themselves, "If I knew, you were just lying to others."
"Can you say it all at once? Look at the people around you. They're about to lose their confidence." Mi Fan covered her chest with her hand and said to Han Xuanfeng unhappily.
"I'll say it all now." Han Xuanfeng observed Mi Fan's expression and knew that there was going to be big trouble. Mi Fan was like this. She was very sensitive to danger. According to the young master and young lady, it was her sixth sense. It was an existence that was beyond the five senses. It was very magical.
Han Xuanfeng nodded to Mi Fan and took out another flag. He opened it and said to the slaves, "This is my flag. Do you see Dao Miao wearing black clothes and a black hat? I am the person in charge of spying for the Zhang Family and the Wang Family in San Shui County of Tang Dynasty. My code name is Dark Night."
The slaves' eyes suddenly widened. They thought that Han Xuanfeng would say which noble he was. They didn't expect him to take out another flag and say that he was from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family in San Shui County. Hearing that, they didn't think he was lying.
But even if the slaves were willing to accept Han Xuanfeng's identity, they were still worried that he would lie. They looked at Mi Fan and Jiu Meileng.
Jiu Meileng spoke first. "Don't look at me. I joined later. I'm not from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. Look at him. Mi Fan is from San Shui County's Zhang Family and the Wang Family in Sky Team. He's in charge of special situations."
While Jiu Meileng was speaking, Mi Fan took out her own flag and put on her own unique symbol. She was the captain of Sky Team. She had people who raised eagles and dogs.
"What are you doing here?" One of the bolder slaves asked the three of them.
"Why are we here? Of course we're here to take revenge on Zhang Xiaobao's order. You Tubo sent people to make trouble there. How can our young master let Tubo go just because they attacked him once? This time, we're here to take revenge. But our young master doesn't want to hurt too many Tubo people. That's why he wants us to buy as many slaves as possible.
"When you get to the Tang Empire, you won't be slaves anymore. You'll be farmers. Although farmers have to listen to their masters, there's a difference between farmers and slaves. As long as a farmer has enough money, he can leave the master's family. It's just that Zhang Family and the Wang Family don't want to leave even if they have more money.
"In the Tang Empire, your lives will be a hundred times better than now. You won't have to worry about food or clothes. You won't have to rest for less than six hours a day. When you have your own children, you can even send them to school to study.
"Right now, the opportunity is right in front of you. Someone wants to keep us in Tubo. Are you prepared to fight for a better life in the Tang Empire or continue to suffer in Tubo? Make your choice."
Han Xuanfeng shouted at the slaves. At the same time, he stared at a few spots in the crowd.
After he finished shouting, the slaves still didn't know how to choose. They didn't trust Han Xuanfeng. If they chose to fight back, they might die.
At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted, "Master, now that you mention it, I remember that I've heard your name before. You're really from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family of Sanshui County. You're Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. I don't know what kind of economic war Zhang Xiaobao won, but I remember Demonfiend Cuckoo.
I'm willing to follow you back to the Tang Empire. I've heard that the people of the Tang Empire are living well, especially the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. I've decided that from now on, if anyone wants me to return to Tubo, I'll fight with my life on the line. "
As soon as this person finished shouting, another person started to shout. More and more people started to shout from the other side. The other slaves were also moved by the shouts. Each and every one of them felt that they had a goal in their hearts.
Seeing this situation, Han Xuanfeng and the others let out a sigh of relief. They had been the ones to call out the slaves, afraid that the slaves wouldn't cooperate. Seeing so many people follow suit, Han Xuanfeng knew that even if the other side had 1,000 armed people, they wouldn't be able to beat 7,000 people.
"You really know how to lie. Look at them. They think you're telling the truth," Jiu Meileng said to Han Xuanfeng.
Han Xuanfeng paused, looked at Jiu Mei, and coldly replied, "I'm telling the truth. I'm not lying to anyone. The Young Master really wants to do this. He doesn't want everyone to be slaves. Slaves don't need to be paid, and they don't need to pay rent. However, slaves don't need to work as hard as farmers."
"Really? He's that kind? Slaves, you just need to feed them. " Jiu Meileng hadn't met Zhang Xiaobao before. Her impression of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family came from other sources. She was especially upset that she didn't get admitted to the hospital during the exam.
"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you? Let's see if they can fight against the people chasing after us," Han Xuanfeng said. He looked at the slaves and continued shouting.
"Don't worry. As long as you escape this time, you'll have a good life. Otherwise, you'll continue to be bullied. You won't be able to eat or dress well. Even if you find a good woman, those Tubo nobles will take her to their houses and enjoy her before you can take her.
"If you're a man, you should act like a man and protect your woman. You can't be bullied when you're about to be together. If you're a woman, you should think about whether you'll have a good life in the future. As long as you go to Tang, not only will you be able to eat and dress well, but you'll also have all kinds of cosmetics and mirrors."
In order to make the slaves love each other, Han Xuanfeng was willing to do anything. He even talked about cosmetics and used women to inspire men's courage.
At this time, Mi Fan suddenly said to Han Xuanfeng, "Let's go. I'm fine. I feel very comfortable now. I think there will be a change soon."
"What change?" Jiu Meileng asked.
"How would I know? Anyway, there will be a change." Mi Fan didn't say anything else after replying. He indeed didn't feel as uncomfortable as before. He even felt that his breathing was more comfortable than usual.
Hearing Mi Fan's words, Han Xuanfeng could only choose to believe him. He gave some orders and continued to lead the seven thousand slaves. There weren't many tents. Only the three of them had two tents. They didn't have much luggage either. When they left, they let the slaves carry the rations themselves.
The slaves were used to sleeping and resting in the wild. They didn't care about tents at all. Therefore, the group moved faster.
They were still three days away from Jin Chuan, and the 1,000 people behind them also sped up. Before they could catch up, 100 Cavalrymen appeared in front of Han Xuanfeng and the others. There were also a few eagles flying in the sky.
Although there weren't many of them, after seeing the riders, Han Xuanfeng finally collapsed. He said to Jiu Meileng, "Help me up. I can't take it anymore."
"If you want to die, die far away. Don't die in front of me," Jiu Meileng said coldly, but she still helped Han Xuanfeng up.
The riders didn't stop. They rushed to the back of the slave group.
Seeing the flags of the riders, the slaves believed Han Xuanfeng's words. The flags belonged to the Chamber of Commerce. There were also seedlings on them.
"Let's go. Let's go back." Han Xuanfeng waved his hand and rode forward.
The slaves, who were originally running out of strength, did not know where they found the strength to run again. Their faces were full of yearning for the future, and they ran quickly.
After half an hour, the one hundred cavalrymen also encountered the one thousand people who were chasing after the group of slaves. The one hundred cavalrymen stopped their horses and stayed where they were without saying a word, nor did they show their weapons.
But even so, the people on the other side all stopped in their tracks. When the one thousand people were in position, the captain of the one hundred cavalrymen shouted to the other side, "The seven thousand slaves in front of us are the people that our young master and young lady want."
After saying this, the one hundred cavalrymen turned their horses around and chased after the group of slaves.
The one thousand people sent by the other nobles looked at each other. They didn't know what to do. They thought about the two tribes that had been destroyed by the other nobles. In the end, they didn't dare to chase.
*****
While Han Xuanfeng met a benefactor and saved the group from danger, Heng Yiwei also met a benefactor in Baoxin County. At least, that was what he said. He was the county magistrate of Xin Cai County, the one with the surname Yan.
After he took over the position in the county, he read the proposal brought back by Li Linfu. He had originally decided to live a peaceful life, but in the end, he couldn't control the thoughts in his heart. He took a leave of absence from the county and ran to Baoxin County.
He Yiwei was currently in the yamen receiving County Magistrate Yan, who claimed to be a benefactor. He Yiwei didn't receive him in his study, nor the signing room. Instead, he received him in the room where he usually received commoners. Here, he could speak freely and wouldn't arouse suspicion.
"County Magistrate Yan, you came all the way from Xin Cai County. I'm very touched. Have you eaten lunch? Why don't we eat together?" He Yiwei didn't believe in benefactors. If there really was one, it definitely wasn't County Magistrate Yan. It was Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
He asked County Magistrate Yan if he had eaten on purpose. He came all the way here and it wasn't even noon yet. How could he have eaten lunch?
County Magistrate Yan also heard the sense of distance in He Yiwei's words, but he didn't care. It wasn't like he hadn't encountered such a person before. In the end, he still dealt with him.
Thus, he nodded and followed He Yiwei's words. "Then I'll have to trouble you, County Magistrate He. I really haven't eaten."
"Good. Someone, bring up the food used to receive guests. It's the kind that is usually served to commoners." County Magistrate He didn't lack a meal. Since the other party wanted to stay and eat, then let him eat. He ordered the people standing outside the door.
The reason why he said the food was for commoners was because he was afraid that there weren't enough commoners today and they wouldn't be able to finish it. Whether it was throwing it away or letting others eat more, it wasn't worth it.
County Magistrate Yan didn't know. When he heard He Yiwei's words, he was puzzled. Why was there a provision for commoners to eat? Since when did the yamen have such a rule? Then, he understood. It must be because He Yiwei didn't want to treat him well, so he gave such an order.
Every county magistrate would always give a secret signal to his subordinates when he gave an order. It was estimated that this meal would not taste good.
Thinking about this in his heart, County Magistrate Yan, who had been treated coldly before, didn't care. It was just a bad meal. As long as He Yiwei could eat it, then he could eat it too. If it was divided into plates, then he could take what was on He Yiwei's plate. What could He Yiwei do? He changed the plate for He Yiwei too.
"May I know why County Lieutenant Yan is here this time?" He Yiwei didn't ask about the important person. Instead, he asked about something else.
County Magistrate Yan pretended to smile mysteriously and said to He Yiwei, "Don't you know you're in big trouble?"
"What do you mean?" He Yiwei suddenly became nervous and asked.
"Do you know what this place is?" County Magistrate Yan didn't answer, but asked another question.
"Is the Feng Shui bad?" He Yiwei said in that direction.
County Magistrate Yan was still smiling. "No, no. It has nothing to do with Feng Shui. It's a matter of money. Your Boxin County is not normal now. Think about it, how much money can you make now? How much was it before? You're the county magistrate of such a good place. Are the others convinced? "
"You're not convinced?" He Yiwei asked.
"Of course I'm convinced. What am I? But if someone's ability is great, will they also be convinced? If it's just a little money, it's fine. The main thing is that many officials here are studying here. You're taking advantage of this. Do you think others won't make trouble for you? Plus, you told the people how much money the county has.
If you do this, won't the other counties learn from you? If they learn, then they won't be able to keep their greedy share. If they don't learn, then what's the point of being an official? Do you understand? "
County Magistrate Yan analyzed to He Yiwei like an expert.
He Yiwei's face finally changed and became very ugly. County Magistrate Yan thought his words had moved He Yiwei. When he was about to continue, He Yiwei waved his hand and said to County Magistrate Yan,
"Thank you for your concern, County Magistrate Yan. Like you said, I won't be here for long. I'll leave after the autumn harvest and let someone else take over. Do you know where I'm going?"
"Where?" County Magistrate Yan asked, puzzled.
"I don't know. Come, the food is here. Eat first." He Yiwei originally wanted to tell County Lieutenant Yan not to think that his side was bad and that his future was smooth, but when he was about to say it, he hesitated. Coincidentally, the servants brought the food over and invited him to eat.
County Magistrate Yan still wanted to ask more questions, but when he saw someone bring the food over, he had to shut his mouth and stared at the food. He wanted to see what He Yiwei was going to use to trick him.
But when he saw the food, County Magistrate Yan was stunned. There were two dishes and a soup. The dishes were scrambled eggs with chives and bean sprouts with meat. The soup was spinach soup with a layer of oil on top. There were also two pieces of fermented bean curd and two pieces of stinky tofu. There was also a plate of radish strips and pickles. The main dish was a cake made of rice flour and rice flour.
Before County Magistrate Yan could ask, He Yiwei said, "This place is used to entertain the people. Sometimes, the people live far away and come here early in the morning. It's either noon or night. We can't let them starve, so we ask people to prepare some food in advance every day.
It's a pity to leave it here. Why don't we eat it? We don't prepare much every day. If more people come, we will ask people to make more for them. This stinky tofu is the best. If you came yesterday, you could eat the salted stinky egg. I can eat two bowls of rice with half a salted egg. Try this dish. "
While speaking, He Yiwei ate first. He used his chopsticks to pick up some stinky tofu and put it in his mouth. He took a bite of the cake and enjoyed it very much.
County Magistrate Yan didn't know what to do. When He Yiwei took a second bite, he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of scrambled eggs with chives and put it in his mouth. The taste was very ordinary. It wasn't particularly delicious, but it wasn't bad either.
County Magistrate Yan didn't understand why County Magistrate Yan would prepare food for the people. He felt that it was better to take care of his own business first. He drank two mouthfuls of the soup and said to He Yiwei,
"Do you want to not be envied by others and still be able to make money? You see, what you are doing is wrong. You are giving food to the people, but aren't you afraid that the people will come here every day to eat? What will the officials of the surrounding counties think if they know about this? "
He Yiwei didn't want to talk to County Magistrate Yan, but he saw that County Magistrate Yan was not going to give up. He put down his chopsticks and asked humbly, "What can County Magistrate Yan teach me?"
"Sigh ~! That's the right thing to do. It's good that you know you're wrong. Come, I'll tell you a way so that you don't have to offend anyone and can earn money for yourself. These words have entered your ears from my mouth. If you tell anyone else, I won't admit it. "
County Magistrate Yan put on a look of educating others and whispered into He Yiwei's ear.
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