Royal road

Before the weather fell, it was already terribly hot. Coupled with the continuous severe drought, the sun was even more unbearable.However, in the fields near Yecheng, countless people were sweating profusely, burying their heads in the fields.Most of the millet has been harvested, and the stubble is all over the ground. Following the footsteps of scythes ahead, groups of women and children follow behind, rushing to pick up the fallen ears of grain before the birds.No one has the energy to take care of other people's affairs. The crops in front of them are their lifeblood.

A burst of noise rang in my ears, and a villager looked up at the official road next to him.I saw hundreds of ragged men walking towards the city ahead under the guidance of officers and soldiers.It stands to reason that ordinary villagers may not be able to meet so many strangers in a few years. Who doesn't stay in their own fields and live their whole life with their faces facing the loess and their backs to the sky?However, this large-scale flow of people did not arouse his surprise, just a glance, and the farmer went back to working hard.

This situation has become very common in recent months.Disasters are raging everywhere, and locusts have crossed the border in Yuzhou and Yanzhou, and it is said that there is no grass growing.Are there more than a hundred people fleeing?Earlier, some people were worried that so many refugees would deprive them of their food rations.Now it's just a casual glance, and at most a sigh, it's too late.

That's right, those who came earlier might still be able to get a share of the work of building the city, but now they are probably dragged to build roads.Are the roads easy to repair?I'm afraid it's a hundred times more tiring than farm work!

It's better to be in Ye City!

Wu Yu, who was walking in the crowd, couldn't hear such a heartfelt voice.Wearing a ragged shirt that was almost the same as the others, he carefully lowered his head, hiding his surprise on his face.

Who would have imagined that such a scene would be possible in such a life-threatening calamity year?

The fields are full of golden ears of grain, and cart after cart of grain is transported to the city.Tall waterwheels stand in the distance, and canals are vertical and horizontal, most of which are trickling.Even the farmers who harvested the crops looked much better.This is more than not starving, it is almost like a good year!

In this way, Yecheng is still taking in refugees?How much grain should there be in the city?A look of greed appeared in Wu Yu's eyes.

As expected by the general, it was really good!

This Wu Yu is one of Shi Le's confidantes.At the beginning of the uprising, he was a member of the "Eighteen Riders".Later, after several fights, most of the brothers who rebelled with Shi Le were killed or injured, but he survived by luck and became a general in the army.After all, there are very few Jin people among the Eighteen Horsemen. It is easier for someone like him to command refugees and surrender troops.

For Shi Le, who is like a benefactor, Wu Yu has always obeyed.And this time mixing with the refugees was precisely for the next goal of the general: Yecheng.

Wu Yu also fought Yecheng, and was a member of the vanguard army, so he was very familiar with this city.It's just that Sima Teng didn't dare to defend the city back then, so he lost quickly.If it is really defended, this is the most fortified city in the north, how can it be easily broken?But a hard attack is not enough, but a clever take is not impossible.If you can sneak into Yecheng and capture the city gate when the general is attacking the city, wouldn't it be easy to attack the city?

So Wu Yu led eight hundred cronies and mixed in with the refugees.In order to pretend to be a real refugee, he took all his subordinates with Yuzhou and Yanzhou accents, and avoided the cities of Jijun and Dangyin, and went straight to Yecheng.It took three or four days for this journey. He couldn't eat enough and couldn't sleep well every day. He mixed with the refugees in order to make his subordinates more like the people who had been disaster-stricken.Now that he has reached the foot of Ye City and is stopped by soldiers, he has no fear in his heart.There are two thousand refugees in this line, who can see their purpose?

Wu Yu hid the pride in his heart, and walked forward with the group like other refugees who were frightened and hungry.However, it was not as expected, this group of people was not arranged to enter the city immediately, but came to the nearby wilderness in groups to start road construction.

"This is your shovel, if you break it, you won't have anything to eat! Go dig the sand!"

As soon as he arrived at the place, a small official stuffed the wood and shoveled it over.Being pushed and staggering two steps, Wu Yu felt a little angry.He is a general in the army, how many people are flattering, eager to get closer to him, how long has it been since he has been treated so weakly?But for the sake of the task, Wu Yu didn't get angry, and obediently followed the foreman to the side and started digging sand.

Because of the reassignment, there were only about [-] cronies who followed him.Wu Yu didn't bother to contact other people either, and just got up to work.Building roads is not an easy job. Grinding stones, digging sand, and stirring dust from dawn to noon. Not to mention sweaty and tired, the food handed out is just mush in wooden bowls.The chaff in it has not been removed, and it hurts your mouth when you eat it.However, this kind of food that is only suitable for feeding horses, all the refugees around me gobbled it up and ate it with gratitude.

The anger in Wu Yu's belly had nowhere to vent, and he was so hungry that he couldn't help but swallow.After hastily eating, he rested for another half an hour and continued to work.Just like this, I worked from morning to night, until I finished work and returned to the grass shed to rest.

I haven't done farm work for a long time, and the wooden shovel hurts my hands, and my shoulders and back are rattling.Wu Yu lay in the haystack, gritted his teeth secretly.Endure it for a while, and wait until the general arrives, and then he can make meritorious service.As a general under Shi Le, he is also very aware of the practices of the cities in Bingzhou.Whenever an enemy comes, he first thinks about gathering the nearby people into the city.This woman's benevolence will eventually bring disaster to Yecheng...

Secretly imagining how to enter the city to plunder, how to seize money, and the legendary Shangdang brocade and white porcelain.Amid the soreness all over his body, Wu Yu quickly fell asleep.

■

"It's time to come, it's finally here." In the Yecheng prefect's mansion, Ge Hong breathed a sigh of relief.

For this day, he has been worried for a long time.Ever since he took over as the prefect of Wei County, Ge Hong has also worked hard to manage the land of this county.Yecheng is close to Zhangshui. After the sea trade was opened in Jizhou, it has become an important thoroughfare from east to west.I don't know how many cargo ships transfer from Yecheng every day.With the sharp increase in commercial taxes, Ge Hong was able to free up his hands to dredge the canals and build water reels, so that Yedu, which was dilapidated at that time, restored the atmosphere of Wei Dynasty.

It is also because these tasks are done in a down-to-earth manner that the impact on Yecheng was reduced when the severe drought came.It also makes it an important place to receive refugees.

It's just that the common people need protection, and wolves have to guard against it.Wei County where he is located, and several nearby counties, are close to Yanzhou.The Shi Le army entrenched there has always been a serious problem for him.To raise troops, build forts and build walls, Ge Hong did not make little preparations, and even made a lot of arrangements for the refugees to prevent spies from sneaking in.

These, of course, kept Yecheng safe.However, the severe drought continued and the situation became more and more deteriorating. How could it be possible to prevent thieves?A new military order came from Jinyang.

"Since the spies have sneaked in, within five days, Shi Le will send troops." The man sitting on the side said, "This time is a good opportunity to wipe out the bandits, and we need the help of Governor Ge."

"This subordinate naturally knows." Ge Hong said, "With General Yi in charge, Ye City will have no worries."

Sitting in front of Ge Hong was the right Sima of Bingzhou, General Zhenwei Yiyan.Being able to command the three armies of the Shangdang, and having the strength to be invincible in a hundred battles, Ge Hong was really relieved to come to Yecheng to sit in town.

It is precisely because of this that the strategy set up by the staff headquarters can be realized.

Shi Le's movements have actually been under the surveillance of Xinling.When he left Yuzhou and turned to Sizhou, he immediately reported military information.The rest is not difficult to guess.Yecheng is not an easy city to attack. The best way to attack the city is to use traitors and civil strife.

Even if they are all Jin people, with similar accents, the physique and temperament of refugees and bandit soldiers are quite different.Therefore, when the spies sneaked into Wei County, they were identified immediately.Without hesitation, Ge Hong separated the group of people.It seems that they are all building roads, but these spies have already arranged many Xinling tribesmen.Once Shi Le strikes, most of these spies will disperse into nearby Wubao and deal with them on the spot.Only a few can really enter the city as bait.

This strategy is not without boldness.But facing an enemy like Shi Le who is cunning and capable of fighting, and who is good at running and attacking, it is the best way.

"I'm afraid the pressure of this battle is not small, and the heavy responsibility of defending the city has to be entrusted to Governor Ge." Yi Yan did not intend to relax.This time when Shi Le entered the bandits, he would not only bring 3 to [-] people, but probably a large army.The strategy of luring the enemy has always been accompanied by many risks, so it must not be careless.

"General, please don't worry! I built the defense of Ye City by myself, so I won't embarrass the general!" Liu Gong said, and answered this sentence.

This move was somewhat impolite, but Ge Hong was not angry, and said with a smile: "What Liu Duwei said is true. Yecheng is not what it used to be, and it is definitely not something that can be broken by tens of thousands of soldiers. This battle depends on the general's help." Decide the outcome!"

He is not afraid of defending the city, but to defeat the enemy, he needs Yiyan to lead his troops.If this group of locust-like locust soldiers continue to run around, the threat to Sizhou and Jizhou is too great, and it is time for them to stop.

■

Day after day, Wu Yu worked so hard that he hardly had time to rest.The road is surprisingly long, and it seems that it will never be repaired.He was anxious and annoyed, and when he opened his eyes every day, what he expected was the army to crush the situation.However, the real wait until that moment was six days later.

The wolf smoke flew, and the alarm bells roared.The construction site, which was originally a pool of stagnant water, also panicked.The small official who led the team was quite calm, and immediately gathered the crowd and ran towards Yecheng.Others who were far away also evacuated to the nearby Wubao.

Wu Yu was overjoyed, his team actually went to Ye City!In this way, wouldn't it be right in his arms?After winking at his cronies in the team, he suppressed the agitation in his heart, and followed the flow of people into the tall city wall of Yecheng.

"Someone will arrange for you to be in the outer city. Once the enemy attacks, you will help the soldiers carry logs, buckets and other defensive equipment. Don't worry, you will not be allowed to climb to the top of the city."

They are all refugees who have been attacked by soldiers and bandits. How can they not panic when they encounter the enemy attacking the city?Hearing Xiaoxiao's reassurance, everyone gradually calmed down.Wu Yu remained silent, followed the team, and walked towards the huts below the city.