Traveling back to the Northern Song Dynasty: Picking up a princess as my wife

This was the first time Du Qiang and the others had ever seen such a monster emitting black smoke. Two Imperial Guard soldiers were unable to dodge in time and were run over by the tractor.

This tractor, originally a massive agricultural machine, has now become a deadly weapon on the battlefield. The ground is littered with the crushed carcasses of warhorses, and the bodies of the two Imperial Guard soldiers are mixed in with them.

Inside the half-open cockpit, Yue Peng gripped the steering wheel firmly, his eyes gleaming with a burning desire for victory. He seemed to relish the feeling of charging into battle, as if the tractor he was driving was a war god on this battlefield.

Wang Changdao behind him was not idle either, constantly reaping the lives of his enemies with his double-barreled shotgun. If one shot wasn't enough, then fire another. In this era, using a shotgun to kill enemies was definitely a dimensional reduction attack.

Yue Peng's tractor rampaged across the battlefield, unstoppable. Each impact shattered sturdy shields and armor, and each spinning wheel claimed several lives.

The soldiers of the Imperial City Guard, either startled or frightened, launched a siege around the arrogant "iron beast," but neither arrows nor spears could penetrate its solid armor.

Of course, this special battle also tested Yue Peng's skills and courage. He not only had to skillfully operate the massive machinery, moving freely through the enemy lines, but also had to be constantly vigilant against attacks from all sides, looking for the best opportunity to strike. Sweat soaked his clothes, but the determination in his eyes never wavered.

Li Zhen watched from the stockade wall as Yue Peng single-handedly wreaked havoc among the enemy ranks with his tractor, which plunged him into deep thought: Damn, this tractor can be used like this? If I got hundreds or thousands of them, wouldn't I be able to charge into the enemy's ranks?

Finally, Du Qiang was shot in the shoulder with an arrow. With the desperate protection of his men, he escaped from the mountain stronghold. At this time, he had less than ten men left of the Imperial City Guard he brought with him.

Du Qiang glanced back at Li Family Village and said bitterly, "Let's go back to Lin'an to report first, and then we'll come back to take revenge."

The group quickly disappeared into the mountain path.

After this battle, Li Family Village captured nearly twenty warhorses, bringing the total number of horses in the village to nearly fifty, enough to form a cavalry squad.

As for the captured Imperial City Guard soldiers, those who were seriously wounded were killed outright, while those who were lightly wounded were taken back to the mountain stronghold for treatment and then put to work on the basic construction of the stronghold.

To build Li Family Village, Li Zhen boldly designated the entire mountain as its defensive perimeter. He not only constructed walls but also fortified bunkers at key passes, equipped with numerous firework shells and composite crossbows. Anyone attempting to attack the village would first have to conquer these strongholds, a feat virtually impossible given current military capabilities.

It's a pity Li Zhen doesn't have a machine gun now, otherwise...

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Inside Anyang City, Cui Dake, the owner of Cui's Grain Shop, was being helped to urinate by several maids.

From undressing and loosening his belt to opening the floodgates, Cui Dake didn't lift a finger; the young and beautiful maids did it all for him, while he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the process.

Cui Dake was used to all of this naturally. In this era of scarce food and a large population, the grain in his hands was sometimes more useful than money.

These maids were all respectable women bought by the Cui family from a brokerage firm. After professional training, they were exclusively for Cui Dake's personal use. If they disobeyed in the slightest, they would be beaten to death.

Such behavior as Cui Dake is common among many wealthy and powerful families today.

After Cui Dake finished relieving himself, he walked out of the restroom feeling refreshed and met the butler who had been waiting outside.

"Have you found out who's supplying food to the Sun family?"

The steward bowed respectfully and replied, "Reporting to your question, sir, it is Li Family Village south of Tangyin City. I heard that the village chief, Li Zhen, is from the Li family in Jiangling to the south, and he has come here this time to expand trade."

Cui Dake: "The Li family of Jiangling, no wonder they can produce such good grain. Go to Li Family Village yourself, bring some gifts, and see if you can get some grain over here. It would be best to squeeze the Sun family out. Such good grain can fetch a good price if transported to the north. If we can do this well, my Cui family can turn our fortunes around."

Cui's Grain Shop was the largest grain merchant in Anyang City. It not only operated a grain business in Anyang but also sold grain to the Jin and Mongol empires to the north. In this chaotic era, as long as there were safe channels and routes, important commodities like grain could make a large family incredibly wealthy.

After the steward left, Cui Dake went into his study and began writing a letter to General Wanyan Cong of Daming Prefecture.

The letter essentially asked when the grain ordered by General Wanyan would be delivered. With numerous uprisings erupting throughout Daming Prefecture, Cui Dake requested Wanyan Cong to send a troop of soldiers to meet the grain, ensuring its safety. The letter then discussed the price of the grain, detailing costs and profits, and most importantly, specifying how much Wanyan Cong would be paid afterward.

Manager Sun of Tangyin City received the news that Cui Dake had sent his steward to visit Li Family Village.

He hurriedly ordered his men to prepare a carriage: "Quickly prepare a carriage and gifts. I need to get to Li Family Village before the Cui family. I can't let him get ahead of us."

Before long, a carriage sped off from Tangyin City toward Lijiazhai. Manager Sun no longer cared about the bumpy ride and kept telling the driver to speed up. The carriage almost overturned at several turns.

By the time he arrived at Lijiazhai, it was almost noon.

Manager Sun had come to buy grain several times before, so the soldiers guarding the checkpoint naturally recognized him.

"Oh my, isn't this Manager Sun? What brings you here?"

Without making a sound, Manager Sun stuffed a dozen or so copper coins into the soldier's hand and whispered in his ear, "I came in a hurry this time and didn't bring any wine. Use this money to buy some wine for the brothers."

The soldier very naturally put the copper coins away, then brought over a stool for Manager Sun.

"Please don't be offended, Manager Sun. The stronghold has recently changed its rules. All outsiders must report before they can be allowed to enter. Please wait a moment while I go to the stronghold to report."

After saying that, he sped off towards the mountain stronghold. After all, he had received a bribe, and he couldn't keep Manager Sun waiting for too long.

While Manager Sun was waiting, he saw a carriage coming towards them. After the carriage came to a stop, the Cui family's steward got off.

The two sides felt awkward upon meeting, as it is said that competitors are enemies, let alone those from the same region.

The Cui family's steward clasped his hands in a fist salute to Manager Sun, saying, "What a coincidence, Manager Sun."

Manager Sun smiled politely but didn't reply. The Cui family was his competitor, and given their past grievances, he couldn't be bothered with them.

Seeing this, the Cui family steward smiled, explained his purpose to the guards, and took out a visiting card.