The autumn wind blew off the last leaf. When I woke up in the morning, I found a thick layer of white frost on the ground. No matter whether it was people or horses, they would shiver the moment they left the tents and stables, and then white air would come out of their mouths.
My day's work. On the official road on the bank of the Yellow River, a group of cavalry was running wildly. The knights on the war horses tried to lower their bodies as low as possible to avoid being blown by the cold wind. The birds that had not yet left the nest were awakened by the hoofs of the horses, and quickly
Fly high into the sky to avoid the arrows shooting at you.
Huo Qubing ran at the front, with his clothes open in the cold weather, exposing his bronzed chest. He had been taught a lesson by Su Ren several times, but this kid never stopped and still went his own way. There were several game animals hanging on the horse, and the biggest one was
A rabbit without eyes, its fur has been peeled off, leaving only red muscles and white oil.
Another fast horse rushed to Huo Qubing's side, clasped his fists and said, "Captain Huo, where did the general ask?"
Huo Qubing looked around: "This should be not far from Baima. We can reach the ferry before noon. I have already sent someone to find a boat at the ferry. Please don't worry, general. There won't be any problems."
Su Ren yawned and got out of the carriage. Outside the carriage, a group of guys were crying and howling. He couldn't sleep for a while. He didn't need to guess. He knew that Huo Qubing must be causing mischief again. This time he went out, and the people who had been by his side before
Huo Jin and Shi Bao all ran to Gongsun He and were on their way to Jincheng. Huo Qubing was left alone as his confidant.
Stretching out, he happened to see Huo Qubing showing off his archery skills among a group of people. To say that Huo Qubing was very good at archery. He learned from Li Guang and was even better than Li Danghu and Li Gan.
When he learned that Huo Qubing was going to follow Su Ren to the battlefield, Li Guangdun beat his chest and said that he had taught a white-eyed wolf and worked hard to make wedding dresses for others.
Huo Qubing shot an arrow at a bird flying overhead, and received applause from the crowd. Huo Qubing was so proud that he kept shooting arrows. The bird above his head was hit, and it fell down like rain. It was unlikely that it would be gone.
Several were shot down.
Su Ren shrank his neck and rubbed his hands: "Old Huang, go and call that boy over and tell him to be honest!"
Huang Shisan nodded and rode away. Su Ren looked at the surrounding scenery, with the rolling Yellow River on one side and the misty mountains on the other. They set out yesterday, passed Tongguan last night, and then walked a while to the north to cross the Yellow River.
, walk east of Hedong and pass through Jinyang, it will take up to five days to reach Yanmen. The first batch of soldiers are already waiting at Yanmen, and the next ones will arrive one after another. They need to stay at Yanmen Pass for a winter and wait until the spring comes.
This is the best time to attack the Huns.
Before setting off, Emperor Liu Che personally met with his three commanders and described his battle plan in detail. Su Ren could tell that he was just a decoration for this expedition against the Huns, and the main purpose of his east-route army was to
He took over Yu Shan, frightened the eastern Xiongnu, and contained Yin Zhixie's troops, allowing Wei Qing to capture Yin Zhixie's home base of Yinshan in one fell swoop.
In this matter, Liu Che was obviously partial. Wei Qing was his brother-in-law, and the most exciting and most productive battle was placed in Wei Qing's middle lane. It is said that the three armies were not subordinate to each other, but in fact all the battles revolved around Wei Qing's ability to
Successfully captured Yinshan and laid the foundation.
Huang Shisan brought Huo Qubing to Su Ren. At this time, Huo Qubing was well-dressed and had a smile on his face. He had already put away his previous pride and smugness. Although he and Su Ren had not been together as master and disciple for a long time,
But Huo Qubing knew Su Ren very well, and he knew that his teacher didn't like people who showed off, so for his behavior just now, a scolding was inevitable.
Su Ren did not follow the routine. He stretched out and waved. Huo Qubing ran over with a flattering smile on his face. Su Ren looked at Huo Qubing: "From tomorrow on, you are my dear."
Captain, there are two of you, Lao Huang and Man Niu. My troops are at your disposal. If you don’t know what to do, you can ask Lao Huang, do you understand?"
Huo Qubing nodded like a fool. Although he wore the title of a captain, he was just a polished commander. He had nothing to do except hunting all day long. He was not even as good as a rough guy like Zhang Tong, at least Zhang Tong
Tong also has three thousand former troops under his command, who are responsible for the safety and security of the entire brigade. Today, Su Ren handed over his troops to Huo Qubing, which made Huo Qubing very happy. Even though Su Ren's troops only had 500 people, it was indeed
The most elite existence in the entire army.
Su Ren also smiled and said: "Let's talk about this, if you do anything wrong, you will immediately go back to Chang'an, do you understand?"
"Ah? This is too..."
"What's too much? Have you studied in the academy in vain these past few years? Then why should I bring you out? Go back and fool around as soon as possible. Remember that you have no chance to make mistakes, not even once!"
No longer paying attention to Huo Qubing, Su Ren turned over and got into the carriage. He immediately stuck his head out and said to Huo Qubing: "Now go get me a pheasant. I want the fattest one. Roast it a little bit. Sprinkle some salt on it and prepare more."
A bottle of wine will be delivered to me in half an hour. Come quickly? Why are you standing here?"
The big river is now the Yellow River. At that time, the Yellow River had not turned yellow yet. The water was clear and the current was fast. Especially at Baimadu, because of the inflow of the Wei River, the current of the Yellow River suddenly increased, and the boat in the water was like falling leaves.
It goes up and down, and if you are not careful, the boat will capsize and people will die. Therefore, the boatmen of Baimadu have always been local people.
Su Ren's boat is the largest and most luxurious one, and it actually has an extra gray-white canopy than the others. Because of this canopy, the splashing waves are less likely to splash on people. The bottom of the boat has begun to leak.
, Su Ren's feet were almost standing on the side of the boat and he was still talking and laughing with the boss of the boat: "Old man, how long have you been holding the boat in this river?"
"Hey, it's been a while. I remember I was still in my mother's womb when I first boarded the ship, hahaha..."
Su Ren also laughed: "So I can be considered a good punter?"
While the old man was rowing the boat, his face showed pride and pride: "I am not a good hand, but I have never had any trouble with my boat. No matter how big or fast the waves in the river are, I can safely send the guests to the other side. Xiao
Isn’t this your first time on a boat, Mr. Lang? You are also very impressive in reaching out, there are not many people who can stand on the side of the boat!"
Su Ren looked around and saw that Huang Shisan and Man Niu were fine. Huo Qubing and several personal guards were all standing at the bottom of the bilge, hugging the ship's plank tightly, for fear that a wave would come and overturn the ship: "I actually didn't
I have been on a boat a few times, but a few years ago when I was in Kuaiji, I went into the sea with a group of seafarers."
"That young man has seen the big world. The Sea Dragon King is much more powerful than the River God. Not everyone can go. Someone from our village followed a caravan to Jeju. I heard that they were going to the south by sea. In the end,
He never came back." The old man was also a talkative person, but he did not relax at all while talking.
Su Ren smiled and said: "Then you can't blame the Sea Dragon King, you can only blame yourself. The sea and the river are the same. As long as you can accurately feel the pulse of the Sea Dragon King, everything will go smoothly. You are older than you and have already accurately sensed the pulse of the River God."
Same."
The old boatman laughed. He would not believe Su Ren's lies. Although he had never been to the sea, he still knew the difference between the river and the sea after living on the water for so many years. He escaped from a wave and got into the cabin with splashing water.
The person hiding inside was showered with chills.
Su Ren dodged the big wave lightly and continued: "I wonder if my father-in-law is interested in helping me build a big ship that can run on the sea?"
The old man was stunned for a moment, then turned around and looked at Su Ren: "I know a little bit about the shipbuilding business, but I have never seen this ship before. As long as I have the plans, I can summon some boatmen to build it.
I'm afraid that it will delay Xiao Langjun's affairs."
"It can't be delayed. There's no need to rush this matter. One year won't work for two years, two years won't work for ten years. I don't have to worry about materials and money. As long as I can make it happen."
"Then this salary..."
Su Ren had already experienced the shrewdness of the lower class people, and he was mentally prepared for the old boatman's question: "I wonder what the average craftsman charges?"
"Ordinary craftsmen are cheaper. If you want to build a sea-going ship, you need a master craftsman. This will cost a lot."
"How about fifty a month?"
The bamboo pole in the old boatman's hand almost fell into the water, and he swallowed hard: "Aren't you kidding me?"
Su Ren smiled: "Do you think I'm joking, father-in-law? As I said just now, as long as it can make money, it's not a problem. Just a ship like this must be able to sail on the sea. If it sinks into the sea, it will sink. I won't pay.
!”
"Don't worry, little Langjun. The people in Baimadu are the ones who keep their word. They will naturally not break their promises to Xiaolangjun. I wonder if Xiaolangjun has any plans?"
Su Rendao: "I will send someone to deliver it to you in a few days, but there is one thing. The shipbuilding matter must be kept secret. To be honest, I am a businessman and want to go to the south by sea. My father-in-law may not know the current situation in the south.
The price of transporting grain and rice to the north is doubled, and my big ship has to carry at least three to five million shi at a time. How much money can you make from this trip?"
The old boatman's eyes lit up, and he patted his chest and repeatedly assured that as long as Su Ren had the drawings, there would be no problem. At the same time, he recommended his son to Su Ren, saying that his son was the one who knew the best about water. As long as he had two experiences on the sea,
Once, he could help Su Ren sail the boat. Su Ren chuckled and nodded as he agreed. The deal was finalized at this point in time when he was crossing the river. When he got ashore, Su Ren asked someone to give him ten taels of gold as a deposit.
Ask the old boatman to help. After getting ten taels of gold, the old boatman wanted to crawl at Su Ren's feet to promise, and sent a guard back to tell Liu Gao about the matter. Liu Gao naturally knew how to deal with it. What Su Ren didn't expect was that it was just like this.
A few casual words made his most important decision in the future.
Five thousand soldiers and horses were not much, and they were transported by a few small boats. It took three days. When Su Ren came ashore, a piece of bad news completely destroyed the good mood that had just been created. (To be continued)
