Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

Yan Liang, who was at the front of the grain transport team, turned around when he heard the shouts behind him.

Wen Chou galloped away on his horse, his face showing urgency.

The lord has ordered the grain and fodder to be burned?

What's happening here?

Yan Liang looked completely puzzled.

However, just as Yan Liang was stunned, the door to Mengjin suddenly opened.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered.

Wen Chou, who was rushing up from behind, obviously also noticed this scene.

Then Wen Chou urgently shouted, "Brother, our lord was murdered by that vile woman and died in Ye City. He ordered us to burn our grain supplies and not to enter Luoyang!"

Wen Chou's shout shocked Yan Liang so much that he froze on the spot.

"My lord... was harmed by that vile woman?" Yan Liang muttered to himself, his eyes wide.

Before Yan Liang could think further, Zhang Fei, who had charged out on horseback from Mengjin Pass, roared like a tiger, startling Yan Liang awake.

"How dare you scoundrels! Watch as your Grandpa Zhang pokes a hundred and eighty holes in you!" Zhang Fei, wielding his eighteen-foot spear, charged straight at Yan Liang.

Yan Liang's pupils suddenly contracted; now was not the time to be lost in thought.

"Burn the grain! Burn the grain! Set all the grain on fire!"

At Yan Liang's command, he spurred his horse to meet Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as they charged forward.

The many guards who were with Yan Liang also rushed forward with him.

Zhang Fei led the way, with Guan Yu following behind, dragging his sword. The two of them led over a hundred cavalrymen.

The two cavalry units moved like two black arrows released from a bow on the flat ground in front of Mengjin Pass.

"Well done!"

Zhang Fei let out a loud cry, thrusting his eighteen-foot spear forward with both hands, aiming straight for Yan Liang's chest.

"Black Hiss, get out of the way!"

With a roar, Yan Liang used his longsword to scoop the moon from the water and directly knocked away Zhang Fei's eighteen-foot spear.

Just as Yan Liang was about to strike back with his longsword, Guan Yu, who was following behind Zhang Fei, suddenly opened his phoenix eyes.

"Third brother, get out of the way! I'll kill him!"

Hearing the sound behind him, Zhang Fei dodged his horse and brushed past Yan Liang.

Because Guan Yu was following behind Zhang Fei, his view was obstructed, and Yan Liang did not see Guan Yu hiding behind Zhang Fei at all.

When Zhang Fei moved aside from his horse, Yan Liang noticed that there was another person behind Zhang Fei.

However, Yan Liang's moves were already too late, and he didn't even have time to defend with his raised longsword.

Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade, trailing behind him, followed the same move as Yan Liang's parry of Zhang Fei's "Fishing for the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea" technique, rising upwards while Yan Liang's long sword, held high in his hand, remained suspended in mid-air.

Finished!

Yan Liang gasped inwardly and closed his eyes.

With the blade almost touching him, Yan Liang could feel the surging killing intent emanating from the longsword, as if it were about to explode in front of his chest.

However, at that moment, a long spear blocked the path of Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Clang!

Sparks flew everywhere.

Wen Chou felt a numbness in his tiger's mouth.

"Don't hurt my brother!" Wen Chou roared.

Taking advantage of this opening, Yan Liang, who had already given up resisting, suddenly unleashed a strong will to survive.

The long sword in his hand crashed down towards Guan Yu.

This time, it was Guan Yu who was startled by the horse's sudden dodge, his brows furrowing in dismay.

"Brother, don't get bogged down in battle; they outnumber us," Wen Chou warned.

At this moment, Zhang Fei, who had driven off on his horse, turned his horse around and charged back.

Yan Liang glanced at Mengjin Pass, where troops were being mobilized in the distance, and then nodded.

The two cavalry units clashed, and chaos ensued in front of the pass.

The soldiers had already begun setting fire to the oxcarts and horse-drawn wagons transporting supplies.

The grain on the carriages was all loaded from the granaries of powerful families, so it couldn't possibly be this year's new grain.

The price of new grain is higher than that of old grain.

Therefore, the old grain from previous years was extremely dry, and it was ignited instantly by this fire.

Yan Liang and Wen Chou hurriedly turned their horses around and ordered their soldiers to set the fires faster.

The long line of soldiers was filled with flames, and Zhang Fei and Guan Yu alone were no match for them.

The several hundred cavalrymen they brought were also tied down.

Although Liu Bei had already gathered his troops and driven them out of Mengjin Pass, it was clearly too late.

As they watched as cartloads of grain were set ablaze, and as the cattle and horses, startled by the flames, ran amok, setting even more carts and horses on fire, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were filled with anxiety.

I wanted to pursue Yan Liang and Wen Chou, but even if I caught up with them, it wouldn't make a difference.

The most important thing is food.

They brought an army of 200,000 from Langya Kingdom.

We've been waiting for this batch of grain.

The fire grew stronger and stronger, making the grain and straw in the bags crackle and pop.

Looking at Yan Liang and Wen Chou, who were gradually running away, and the grain and grass that were burned black in the raging flames, Liu Bei's thick eyebrows were tightly furrowed.

..............

The billowing smoke from the burning of a million shi of grain rose into the sky like an impenetrable black cloud north of Luoyang.

This caused the people on the streets of Luoyang to stop and look up in disbelief, but they had no idea what had happened.

The front courtyard of the Grand Commandant's residence.

Yuan Wei, who was wrapped in a thick black autumn coat and had a cloak draped over his back, straightened his back and looked in the direction of Mengjin Pass, north of Luoyang.

The attendant was standing bowing beside Yuan Wei.

Yuan Wei waved his hand and dismissed the servant who had come to report the news.

Compared to a month ago, Yuan Wei now has a few more strands of silver hair.

When news of Yuan Shu's death reached Luoyang, Yuan Kui didn't pay much attention to it.

The Yuan family had many descendants, and many of them were smarter and more outstanding than Yuan Shu.

However, after learning of Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Wei sat alone in his study for two days.

Yuan Ji wrote down the details of the incident, including how Yuan Shao was assassinated, and sent it back to Yuan Ji.

Although the letter states that it was Zhen Jian's son, Zhen Ji, who assassinated Yuan Shao in the tavern.

It is also said that Zhen Ji hid in Ye City after escaping.

The reason for choosing Wufanglou as the venue for the banquet to entertain Yuan Shao that day was because Wufanglou was the best tavern in Ye City.

He also mentioned that Yuan Shao did not bring any guards because he had important matters to discuss with him.

He also mentioned Yuan Shao's plan to go to Chang'an to seek refuge with Duan Yu.

But the more you say, the more it resembles an explanation.

He could easily guess why Yuan Shao had died.

He sent Yuan Ji to Ye City to gauge Yuan Shao's attitude and to make plans for the Yuan family's future.

The grudge between Yuan and Duan Yu ran too deep.

From Yuan Shu's decision to force Duan Yu's brother Wang Hunu to his death, it's clear that there was virtually no room for reconciliation between Duan Yu and the Yuan family.

Even though Yuan Shao and Duan Yu had some connection.

However, if Duan Yu wins in the future, then apart from Yuan Shao's branch, the Yuan family will basically have no chance of survival.

That's why he sent Yuan Ji to Ji Province.

Besides observing Yuan Shao's reaction, he also intended to keep Yuan Ji in Ji Province to assist Yuan Shao.

In this way, if Duan Yu wins in the future, perhaps out of consideration for Yuan Shao and the fact that Yuan Ji did not participate much in the struggle against Duan Yu, this branch of the Yuan family's direct lineage can be preserved.

Of course, as a sacrifice, Yuan Ji needed to assist Yuan Shao, which was a change in status that Yuan Ji had to accept.

As the next patriarch of the Yuan family, Yuan Ji has always been the person the Yuan family has wholeheartedly cultivated.

Given Yuan Ji's age, he had already been listed as one of the Nine Ministers several years ago, and it was a foregone conclusion that he would become one of the Three Dukes in the future.

Yuan Shao was at most the magistrate of Puyang, far inferior to Yuan Shu's Tiger-General.

"Hey......."

Yuan Wei sighed.

It is not uncommon for brothers to quarrel. The struggles between brothers in powerful families are no less than the struggles between princes in royal families, and are even more cruel.

Because cultivating outstanding members of the clan is itself like raising a venomous insect.

If Yuan Ji had shown resistance or any other emotion from the beginning, he would have been on guard.

However, Yuan Ji did not show any extreme reaction or dissatisfaction.

Unexpectedly...

This, however, led to Yuan Shao's downfall.

Of course, this not only destroyed Yuan Shao's connection, but also the last link between the Yuan family and Duan Yu.

"Fairness... I hope you can win. If you don't, and if Duan Yu truly triumphs one day, the Yuan family..."

Yuan Wei shook his head and sighed.

If that day ever comes, the Yuan family will likely face dire consequences.

.............

November.

Snow falls in Chang'an.

At that time, the city of Chang'an was covered in a blanket of silver light.

But the city and its surroundings remained bustling.

Construction of Chang'an City is still underway.

Countless laborers set out on foot at dawn to begin repairing the city walls and buildings within the city.

The laborers coming and going all had smiles on their faces.

The reason was simple: the corvée laborers recruited by the Chang'an City Repair Office received wages every day.

Last year, Guanzhong suffered a severe drought. While it's not fair to say there was no harvest at all, the few acres of meager land that the people owned were barely enough to feed their families after deducting exorbitant taxes and levies.

In addition to staple food, seeds for the following year must also be reserved.

If there are no seeds, we will have to borrow from the powerful again next year, and we must repay what we borrow.

But after paying it back, another year of hard work would be in vain. If this continued, even the slightest mishap would lead to the whole family going hungry, or even having to sell their remaining land to become tenants of powerful families.

But everything changed after the emperor ascended the throne in Chang'an and after King Duan Yu of Liang arrived.

King Duan Yu of Liang said that next year he would distribute grain seeds to all the people in Guanzhong who owned land, and that the seeds would be free and high-yield.

In addition, they also rent out farm tools, oxen, and so on.

More importantly, the construction and repair of Chang'an were paid daily, and there was also a free lunch.

Lunch wasn't just thin porridge; it was filling, and there was also minced meat and flatbread from time to time.

They have enough to eat, and the wages they earn can supplement their household income.

Everyone would naturally be happy to have such a good thing.

At first, the people of Chang'an did not believe in such a good thing, and many people were still watching and waiting.

However, once some people received their wages—in full without any deductions—the enthusiasm of the people of Chang'an was completely ignited.

In addition to the repaired Chang'an city, the Jianzhang Palace, which was burned down during the Xin Dynasty, outside Chang'an city, has also begun to be rebuilt.

Of course, it's no longer called Jianzhang Palace; it's now known as the Liang Prince's Residence.

A few miles west of Zhicheng Gate and Zhangcheng Gate lies the newly built Liangwang Mansion.

The newly built Liangwang Palace encompasses the entire Taiye Pond.

After a month of construction, its general outline and basic shape are already visible.

Meanwhile, the Jihou Mansion within the city also displayed the plaque of the Liangwang Mansion.