When the hunters saw Ang Lee reveal their identities, they all dispelled their unrealistic fantasies. Being a hunter in the mountains was the most reliable way for them to live. It was very unrealistic and very difficult to achieve. They might even kill themselves. Being a soldier was very torturous. They had to always obey orders. It was completely incomparable to being a free hunter.
Moreover, in the era of the Tang dynasty, the status of ordinary soldiers was very low. There was not much difference between them and hunters. It was meaningless to sacrifice freedom to pursue a low-level position of similar status. Only when one became a general could one be considered outstanding. However, this was very difficult. There were so many sons of generals. It was not easy for ordinary people to compete with them.
Because Ang Lee had also hunted in the mountains of Yingzhou and was relatively approachable, he did not use his identity to bully the hunters in front of him. Therefore, the hunters were very respectful of Ang Lee. They did not alienate Ang Lee because of Ang Lee's higher identity. Instead, they were more respectful to him.
Along the way, although the speed of the journey was relatively fast, they also took the time to hunt some prey. The number was not much, but it was enough to satisfy the food and drink of nearly 200 people.
The soldiers and hunters were each given more than a jin of meat. In addition to the dry rations that they had brought along, it was more than enough to fill their stomachs. Moreover, they were able to eat very well. In the end, they even drank the meat soup that filled their stomachs, making everyone very satisfied.
After eating and drinking their fill, the sky was already completely dark. The soldiers walked nearby to digest their food. There were also some who were too tired and didn't want to digest their food. They directly went into their tents to rest. There were also some soldiers who were responsible for the night watch to prevent the wolves from coming over to cause trouble.
This campsite was indeed very ideal. Next to a large piece of flat land, there was a small hill that was more than a hundred feet high. It looked like an earthen wall. However, it could be seen that it was not man-made, but a masterpiece of nature. The group of earthen walls made this area almost windless. People would not feel very cold if they stayed here. It was an ideal campsite.
However, Li An was very curious about the scenery behind the slope. Therefore, after eating and drinking to his heart's content, he still led a few guards up the slope. Since it was only a few hundred feet high, it wouldn't take long for them to reach the top.
There were no big trees at the top of this small slope. There were only a few small shrubs. The rest were grass. Standing on top of it, the field of vision was very wide. They could see a large area nearby.
On one side of the small mound was Li An's camp, and on the other side was a rather large valley. The valley was very deep and large, and it was full of lush trees. Most of the areas had no roads at all, and even people could not walk in unless they used a machete to open a path. In a few areas that were relatively sparse, it was estimated that only animals could pass through freely, and people could not enter.
....... The slope under the foot...... If they were not careful, they would fall.................
"Assistant Minister Li, the glowing thing in front …"
. Chen Long found that there was something glowing in the valley in front of him. Of course, Ang Lee also saw it.
"It's an animal, but I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's an owl, a cat, or a wolf."
Ang Lee said faintly.
Soon, these glowing gems became more and more numerous. It seemed that there were more than a dozen of them. It was obvious that this was a group of animals. The only animals that lived in groups were wolves. Owls and cats lived alone. Only wolves lived in groups. Ang Lee was obviously not afraid of wolves. The soldiers of the Tang dynasty were all here. These were just small animals that posed no threat to them.
"Assistant Minister Li. Is it a pack of wolves? They are right under our feet. Should we add two more guards at night to make sure nothing goes wrong? "
Chen Long said.
Li An felt that it made sense. He nodded and said, "Although the soldiers are very tired, safety is the most important thing. Then let's add two more guards. We must ensure that nothing goes wrong. If these wolf cubs attack, don't hold back. We'll wipe them all out."
Ang Lee would not be polite to these wolves. His own life was the most important. In order to protect his own life, he had to be ruthless to these wolf cubs.
The tall hunter also climbed up. Seeing the glowing spots in the distance, he could not help but feel nervous. He said, "The wolves are below. The sheds we built are all fixed by rough wood. We are not afraid of wolves. But the tents below are all made of cloth. The claws of wolves can break these tents. It's too dangerous."
Ang Lee naturally knew that the claws of wolves could break cloth. However, there were so many people in the team. As long as the guards on duty were in place, there would not be any big problem. No matter how powerful the wolves were, they were no match for armed soldiers. Moreover, there were so many soldiers.
Originally, there were only five people on duty. Now, there were ten people on duty. Moreover, the number of wolves had not appeared so far. Therefore, there was naturally no need to worry. With ten soldiers in charge of protection, the rest of the people could have a good night's sleep.
"Don't worry! We have ten soldiers on duty at night. With so many bonfires, the wolves should not dare to come close. If they do, they will be courting death. "
Ang Lee said calmly.
Hearing this, the tall hunter nodded in relief.
Although these hunters were not very afraid of the wolf pack, they would not let their guard down. After all, the combat power of the wolf pack was there. If they were attacked by the wolf pack when they were asleep, it would be a dead end. Therefore, the shacks they built were very sturdy. As long as the door was locked, no matter how hard the wolf outside tried, it would not be able to enter. Even if the wolf's teeth were broken, it would not have the slightest effect. During this process, the hunters must have been awakened. They could kill the wolf that was destroying the shack as soon as they made a move.
Because there were more tents, three bonfires were arranged. These three bonfires were enough to illuminate the entire area. Among them, there were two soldiers beside each bonfire. The remaining four were responsible for patrolling. From time to time, they would replace the soldiers who needed to relieve themselves to ensure that the defense was absolutely reliable.
Although the soldiers on duty at night were more tired and could not sleep when it was time to sleep, they could take turns to warm themselves by the bonfires. It was not too hard. At least their bodies were not cold at all.
The wolves had been in the valley in front of them. Ang Lee and others could see clearly. It was estimated that the distance was only about two hundred meters. These wolves only needed one charge to rush over. The threat was still relatively big. But as long as they were well prepared, there was nothing to worry about.
Looking up at the night sky, Ang Lee found that tonight was actually a full moon. The bright full moon hung in the sky, illuminating many places. But the valley in front of them was dark. After all, the valley was sunken and full of lush trees. It naturally looked darker. At the same time, it also set off the brightness of the eyes of the wolves, a kind of brightness that exuded a fierce light.
"I hope people live long. I haven't seen Yefu for many years. I don't know how she is now. Is she still so young and beautiful?"
Ang Lee said to himself.
Although Zhao Yefu was a queen, she did not have the airs of a queen at all. At least in front of Ang Lee, she was a full woman, a petite and gentle woman. After not seeing her for so many years, he really missed her. It was just that he had not taken the time to see Zhao Yefu. Thinking about it, it was quite wrong.
The moonlight was very bright. But no matter how bright the moonlight was, it could not illuminate the darkness of the valley in front of them. The eyes of the wolves shining like jewels added a rare brilliance to the valley. If a timid person saw these cold lights, he would be scared. But when Ang Lee and the soldiers saw these cold lights, they would only think that these were beautiful scenery.
Ang Lee was looking at the scenery in the small hill. In the watchtower of Dongnu Province, Zhao Yefu was also looking at the moon. At this moment, she looked up at the bright moon in the sky and looked forward to the peaceful life in the future. It was too tiring to be a queen. She had never thought of being a queen. It was just luck. For so many years, she had been suffering in her heart. Dongnu Province was just a small country. Whether it was the Tang dynasty in the northeast or the Nanzhao in the south, they were all powerful neighbors.
Such a small country, living in such an environment, had its own pressure. Although the Tang dynasty and Nanzhao had never invaded Dongnu Province, the inferior mentality in the hearts of the people was still quite obvious. Dongnu Province was too weak. So the people of Dongnu Province and the neighboring villages of the Tang dynasty were naturally dissatisfied when they saw others living more and more prosperous while their lives were not. The recognition of the people of the imperial court gradually decreased, so the ruling pressure of the imperial court naturally increased. The pressure in their hearts could be imagined.
Even many people of Dongnu Province fled to the Tang dynasty to live. After entering the Tang dynasty, very few people were willing to come back. The reason was very simple. The Tang dynasty had developed too fast in these years. The material life was much better than Dongnu Province. Life in the Tang dynasty was more prosperous, but if they continued to stay in Dongnu Province, they would be poor.
Logically speaking, since the Tang dynasty could rise, Dongnu Province could also imitate it on the policy level! However, it was too difficult to do. There were many aspects that Dongnu Province could not do at all. It was not that they did not want to imitate the Tang dynasty, but they could not do it at all. The difference in national strength was too big, and they did not have the strength to imitate it at all.
For example, the Tang dynasty could use machines to replace labor, so as to achieve higher efficiency and reduce the cost of unit products, so that similar products in Dongnu Province would not be competitive. Because the machines in the Tang dynasty were far from being popularized, they could only be regarded as popularized on a small scale. Most of the machines were controlled and divided up by the aristocratic families. It was obviously impossible for them to give a part of it to Dongnu Province. It was very likely that Dongnu Province could not buy the machines even if they had money, and they did not know how to maintain them.
In addition, if the economy wanted to achieve a big development, more roads must be built. Road building was very important to improve the economy. It was very difficult to achieve a big economic development in a place that was very inaccessible. Probably everyone in Dongnu Province knew how bad the traffic in Dongnu Province was. The various agricultural and animal husbandry products produced in the mountains could not be transported out at all. The consequence of spending a lot of manpower to transport them was the increase of the manpower cost, which greatly increased the total cost of the products. They would not be competitive in the market. Some fruits and vegetables that were not ripe could only be helplessly rotten in the ground and had no commercial value at all.
Road building was a necessary step for Dongnu Province to achieve prosperity. Unfortunately, Dongnu Province not only lacked manpower, but also financial resources. There were not enough construction talents. If they hired the construction team of the Tang dynasty, the cost would be higher. Moreover, roads and bridges were being built everywhere in the Tang dynasty, and even railways were being built everywhere. There was no extra manpower to help Dongnu Province build various internal roads.
Even if the imperial court of the Tang dynasty came forward, at most, they would help Dongnu Province build a main road to the border of the Tang dynasty. As for the internal roads, the imperial court of the Tang dynasty was really not interested in it, and it was not realistic. The Tang dynasty was already busy building internal roads, so how could they have the time to help the neighboring country to build internal roads?
The traffic was not good, the imperial court did not have enough financial resources, advanced machines, and talents in all aspects. These obvious difficulties made the development of Dongnu Province difficult. Not to mention catching up with the Tang dynasty, they could not even maintain the gap. This was a fact that Zhao Yefu could not change, and the ministers under her command could not solve it either. They could only take one step at a time.
With the increasing gap between the Tang dynasty and the people of Dongnu Province, and Zhao Yefu did not want to continue to be the king, so she boldly proposed to merge into the Tang dynasty, so that the people of Dongnu Province could improve the living standards of the people of Dongnu Province with the help of the power of the Tang dynasty, and let the people of Dongnu Province live a good life with money and meat. She could remove her identity and go to Ang Lee as an ordinary woman. Even if she could only see Ang Lee once a day, she would be satisfied.
When she first proposed to revoke the title of the dynasty, all the ministers under the Great Minister Zhao Daiwen opposed it. After all, the foundation passed down by the ancestors was not easy. How could they give it up casually? It would be disrespectful to the ancestors.
Naturally, Zhao Yefu had expected the opposition of the ministers. However, this could not change her determination. She used her own reasons to persuade them one by one, so that most of the ministers accepted her idea. Only a few still opposed it. Therefore, she boldly wrote a letter to the court of the Tang Empire and put forward the request to officially merge into the Tang Empire, with some conditions.
Of course, these conditions were what the Tang dynasty could afford. For example, the officials of the original Dongnu Province would not be treated badly. The Tang dynasty would help the people of Dongnu Province to build roads so that the people here could live better, like the people of the Tang dynasty in the surrounding Central Sichuan. Of course, she had to marry Ang Lee. These conditions were really not high at all.
Looking at the moonlight in the sky, the corner of Zhao Yefu's mouth revealed a smile. Although she was not young, she still looked quite young because she took good care of herself, just like a teenage girl. Moreover, she was a girl who loved to smile.
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