At noon, the carriages and horses arrived at the fork leading to the manor under the official road. However, the carriages and horses stopped.
"Master Marquis, there is a checkpoint on the road to the manor, blocking us." Chen Shiyi came to the carriage and reported.
Zhang Yanling was stunned and got off the carriage. Xu Youtang jumped off the carriage first and said, "Let me see who is guarding the checkpoint? Are you so short-sighted?"
Zhang Yanling got off the carriage and walked towards the intersection. Sure enough, he found that there was a checkpoint at the intersection leading to the manor. A log fence gate as high as one person blocked the road leading to Xishan Manor. There was also a long row of Juma wood spurs beside it.
There are two small houses and a watchtower.
"This is the private manor of Lord Zhang, the Marquis of Jianchang. No one can come in without asking," someone shouted.
"Oh, isn't that Miss Youtang?" one person said in surprise.
Xu Youtang had already rushed to the front, put his hands on his hips and said loudly: "Zhao Youcai, you are so powerful, are you trying to stop us from entering?"
A middle-aged man threw the iron fork aside, hurriedly cupped his hands and said with a smile: "It turns out it's Miss Youtang. You didn't recognize it. I'm very sorry. Miss Youtang, don't be angry, I will open the door for you."
Xu Youtang said angrily: "It's okay to stop me. This is the Marquis's carriage and horse. You stopped me too."
The dozen or so people behind the wooden gate were shocked when they heard this. At this moment, they finally saw Zhang Yanling and others striding towards them.
"It's over, this is really the boss."
"That's good, the real master was stopped by us."
“Didn’t this flood wash away the Dragon King Temple?”
Everyone said in panic.
Xu Youtang said angrily: "Now you know you are afraid?"
The middle-aged man hurriedly said: "Please ask Miss Youtang to beg for mercy. We are blind and will never dare to do it again."
Xu Youtang said: "Don't worry, I will intercede for you."
The leading middle-aged man was called Zhao Youcai, who was from Zhaojiazhuang. Hearing this, he hurriedly bowed to Xu Youtang and thanked him. Everyone also bowed and thanked him.
Zhang Yanling walked closer,
Zhao Youcai and others came forward and knelt on the ground to kowtow to Zhang Yanling.
"I didn't know that my boss's carriage and horses were arriving, but I actually stopped him. I deserve to be damned. Don't blame my boss."
Before Zhang Yanling could speak, Xu Youtang whispered from the side: "Master Hou, they really didn't know you were coming. Don't blame them."
Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Isn't this Xiaolan's father? Zhao Youcai, right?"
The middle-aged man said in astonishment: "It's the villain. My boss actually still remembers the villain."
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Of course I remember it. How could the people in my manor not remember it? Not to mention you, Zhao Youcai. You and Yuan Cheng have been playmates since childhood. Get up, what are you kneeling for?"
Zhao Youcai said: "My boss doesn't blame us?"
Zhang Yanling said: "What do you blame you for? You are the newly established village protection team, right? Aren't the village protection team just to protect the manor? You stopped me, that is your duty, what do I blame you for?"
Zhao Youcai was overjoyed when he heard this and said: "Look, my boss is still sensible. Yuan Cheng said that no matter who wants to enter our manor, they must verify their identity. All irrelevant people will be rejected."
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "Everyone, get up. Besides, Miss Youtang is interceding for you. How can I not betray her face?"
Zhao Youcai said hurriedly: "Brothers, please get up. Thank you, Mr. Marquis, and thank you, Miss Youtang."
Xu Youtang pursed her lips and giggled. After hearing what Zhang Yanling said just now, she felt very happy. Her own words were still useful in Ai Lang's heart. She automatically ignored Zhang Yanling's previous words.
Everyone got up hurriedly. Zhang Yanling looked at them with a smile. These were all young and strong tenants in the manor. These dozen of them were carrying sticks and iron forks in their hands and simple bows and arrows on their backs. They were dressed neatly.
"Zhao Youcai, how many people are guarding this intersection?"
"Reporting back to my boss, there are a total of twenty-three people guarding the place, divided into two teams. During the day, there are eleven of us, and at night, it is Zhao Dashu and his team." Zhao Youcai said hurriedly.
Zhang Yanling nodded, slowly entered the wooden gate of the checkpoint, and walked around the room at the back. He found that the small room at the back was equipped with gongs, bamboos, whistles, firewood, grass and other supplies. He smiled and nodded in approval.
"Everything is carefully arranged. Stay vigilant and guard the manor avenue. If someone breaks in by force, stop them."
"Don't worry, Mr. Marquis, Yuan Cheng has told us a long time ago that we will not allow any idlers to enter the manor. If you dare to break in, we will not be polite." Zhao Youcai said.
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Very good, this is the duty of the village protection team. However, we can't do it recklessly. In a situation like this, you clearly saw our team of fully armed soldiers coming, so you can't do it forcefully."
Fight. If we force our way through, the first time
You have to inform the manor, light the beacon fire, and beat the gong. Then everyone in the manor will know about it, and they will be on guard. If you fight hard, won't you lose your life? You have these things at hand,
How can we fight against regular troops? Do you understand?"
Zhao Youcai hurriedly said: "That's what my boss said. Yuan Cheng also said that the main thing is to be vigilant and to give advance warning in case of an emergency."
Zhang Yanling said: "That's right. The village protection team cannot fight with others head-on. I don't want you to be killed."
A junior student said from the side: "Master, we have a blacksmith in our manor, why don't you make some weapons for us. Once we have weapons, we won't be afraid of predators. Unless there are a large number of enemies, we will send them all away."
"Yes, wouldn't it be nice if my boss got us weapons? Yuancheng's father didn't just make steel swords and spears for us." Several people nearby also agreed.
Chen Shiyi scolded from the side: "Nonsense, you are tenant farmers, how can you use swords and spears, weapons prohibited by the imperial court? Isn't that causing trouble for the Marquis? Others read a copy of the Marquis and said that the Marquis raised him
Private soldier, isn’t that going to bring you great misfortune?”
Everyone suddenly realized that there was such a reason here. No wonder they had organized a team to protect the village. Although there were many blacksmith shops on Wild Dog Ridge, making swords was easy, Zhao Yuancheng still strictly ordered them to only use agricultural tools such as wooden sticks and iron forks.
.Get a simple bow and arrow at most. These won't cause any trouble.
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Yuan Cheng is sincere, I did tell you that he cannot equip you with swords, spears and other prohibited weapons, but the weapons you all have are too crude. Later I will ask Yuan Cheng to equip each of you with one.
That’s the woodcutter. The hatchet and ax are not prohibited weapons.”
Everyone nodded, it was the boss's brain that could use a hatchet, an ax or even a kitchen knife.
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "Well, I won't delay your patrol. Captain Zhao Youcai, can my car enter the manor?"
Zhao Youcai was stunned, thinking that Zhang Yanling was teasing him. But when he saw that Zhang Yanling didn't look like he was joking, he immediately understood. His boss was saying that business should be done professionally. He suddenly felt a sense of mission and trust in his heart.
"After checking the people entering the manor, they are our own and can be allowed to enter the manor. Zhao Shuanzi, lead someone to open the wooden gate and let them go!" Zhao Youcai said loudly.
Several young people promised loudly, rushed over, opened both wooden gates, moved the horses in the middle, and shook the log crossbar to get out of the way.
Zhang Yanling cupped her hands and said with a smile: "Thank you very much, brothers from the village protection team."
Everyone hurriedly returned the courtesy.
Zhang Yanling pulled Xu Youtang onto the carriage, which slowly passed the checkpoint. In the carriage, Zhang Yanling smiled at Xu Youtang and said, "Youtang is very proud now. These people are very polite when they see you. Just now you put your arms on your hips.
, they are all very scared. You are the eldest sister."
Xu Youtang smiled and said: "Where? I often go to the manor, so they all recognize me. Then Xiaolan, the daughter of Xu Youcai's family, is following me to run errands."
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Hey, there are all my little followers running errands. I'm going to do better in this Xishan Manor tomorrow than I do. If these people dare to stop my car, they won't even dare to stop our Youtang."
Great ride."
Xu Youtang said angrily: "What the hell, that's nonsense, they are not looking at your face. Otherwise, who am I?"
Zhang Yanling laughed and thought: Xiao Nizi is not swollen at all, she understands very well.
Xu Gao was confused as he listened and hurriedly asked why. Zhang Yanling told him that this was the village protection team of his manor. When he was at the Fusi Yamen in Nanzhen, there were personal guards stationed there. But the emperor patrolled the border.
Sometimes, I don’t
He had no choice but to bring his trusted men with him, so he asked Zhao Yuancheng to form a village protection team in advance and selected fifty or sixty young and strong people to guard and patrol the intersections of the manor to prevent other people from sneaking into the manor to spy on the secrets of Wild Dog Ridge.
After hearing this, Xu Gao suddenly realized. He also heard from Zhang Yanling that these people in the village protection team were so embarrassed when they saw their daughters. It seemed that their daughter was a regular visitor here, and even the tenants of Zhangjia Manor were
They are very familiar with each other, which shows that they come here often. I don’t know how long I have been hanging out with Zhang Yanling. I felt a little annoyed for a while, and felt that I was asking for trouble.
After nearly four months, Zhang Yanling was surprised when he saw the Wild Dog Ridge Arsenal again.
Although he had already heard about the progress of the construction of Wild Dog Ridge from Ma Quan, Zhao Yuancheng, Axiu and others, he also had some images in his mind. However, when Zhang Yanling rode his horse and stood on the broad avenue below the Wild Dog Ridge arsenal, looking up at the wilderness
Zhang Yanling was really shocked when he saw the whole picture of Gouling.
The wild mountains and ridges back then no longer look like they did before. The entire Wild Dog Ridge has been surrounded by three tall walls on the mountainside and at the bottom of the mountain. Between the walls, there are lush trees, workshops and residential buildings scattered on the hillside.
Between the trees. Up and down the mountain, the roads are wide and smooth.
At the highest point of the mountain, a tall tower with the original beacon site as its base stands. Supplemented by various buildings and walled roads on the surrounding hillsides, the entire Wild Dog Ridge is like a huge castle.
Four months can be said to be both long and short. In this limited time, people braved the scorching heat from late spring to late autumn to complete the infrastructure renovation of this barren mountain.
In the barren land, a garden-like fortress factory was built abruptly.
This place where Zhang Yanling poured countless efforts and money is destined to be a place where miracles will happen.