Sure enough, Han Chen, the ambassador of the Salt Division of the Jiaoxie Field, rushed over as soon as he received the letter. Seeing that he only brought three family members, Han Xiufeng asked eagerly, "Brother Yuzhi, what about the sister-in-law and the two sons?" ”

"Later, I'm coming by clipper!" Han Chen followed up with the signing room, and said with palpitations without even drinking tea: "Zhixing, if you hadn't sent someone to deliver the letter, I would really have no idea about external affairs." The news would not have been so closed, isn't it just in time for the New Year, so let the cousin who usually stays in Yangzhou come back to celebrate the New Year together, I never thought that I almost missed a big event! ”

The main hall of the state and county has a family member in the whole city of Fucheng, and Han Chen, as the ambassador of the Salt Division, naturally does not need to befriend the Yangzhou prefect, but he can't help but send his family to Yangzhou to deal with the officials of the Yunsi Yamen, and he can't help but arrange for his family to go to Yangzhou to find out the news of the Yunsi Yamen. Thinking of this, Han Xiufeng reacted: "I thought you didn't arrange to sit in the house." ”

"How could it not be arranged?" Han Chen sighed lightly, stared at him and asked, "Zhixing, what are you planning on your side?" ”

"Send back your family and your hard-earned money first."

"This is natural, your sister-in-law and they can arrive at the latest after dark, and when the time comes, they can walk with your family, and they can also have a care on the road. I mean, what are we going to do in the future, do you have a charter? ”

"I don't know where the Taiping bandits were, and I don't know if the bandits will kill us, it's too early to say this, I'm going to see the situation first."

"Zhixing, we are a salt farm here, not a poor mountain with nothing, if the Taiping bandits enter Jiangsu, they will definitely not let Yangzhou go. If they really capture Yangzhou, they will definitely not let go of the salt field, and in my opinion, if they want to do it, they must plan for the worst! ”

I have to admit that Han Chen's words have some truth.

Han Xiufeng asked with a bitter face: "Sue the sick?" ”

Han Chen groaned: "It's a way to tell you to get sick, but is it too late to tell you?" Besides, what if the Taiping bandits hadn't been killed? Although it is not easy for you and me to be officials, it is not easy to be this official! It's easy to tell a doctor now, but it's hard to remember it again in the future. ”

It was not easy to be an official and sign a vacancy, and this official said that if he didn't do it, he wouldn't do it, Han Xiufeng was also reluctant, and after weighing it again, he said meaningfully: "Then let's see the situation first, but we can't wait and see what happens, we have to prepare for both from now on." If the Taiping bandits really kill us, we will come out of the city to meet them, and the thieves will go back to the city to recover. ”

The attack is fake, and the dodge is real.

Han Chen nodded, thinking that this was a good idea, but after thinking about it, he shook his head: "Zhixing, although you are guarding the salt luck, but after all, it is only a nine-rank inspection, not to mention that it is your duty to gather young people to fight the bandits." And although I am only an ambassador of the Eight Grades Salt Division, not the main hall of the state and county, it is not much different from the main hall of the state and county, and it is my responsibility to defend the territory, even if I die in battle, I can't leave the corner without permission. ”

"Brother Yuzhi, as the saying goes, if you keep Qingshan and don't be afraid of no firewood, if the battle situation is really erosive to that point, you and I can only serve the court if we first preserve our useful bodies."

"But ......"

"Not so much, but if the battle situation really erodes to that point, there is only hope for the preservation of useful bodies."

Ants are still greedy for life, not to mention a big living person, thinking of the old and the young, Han Chen couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Okay, that's the only way." ”

"Then we have to prepare early," Han Xiufeng thought for a while, and then said: "If the war is really eroded to that point, since you and I have to go out of the city to meet the attack, we have to look a little like a face-to-face attack." The soap Li archers and young men must be summoned, no matter how unbearable they can be used to pull the posture out. The soldiers and horses have not moved the grain and grass first, and it is absolutely impossible to do without food, but unfortunately I am only a nine-grade inspection, and I have no right and no blatant ability to raise food. ”

"Zhixing, you can rest assured, although my corner is not as good as Fu'an and Anfeng, but there are no fewer stove households, households, and boat households in the field than a small county. As for grain and grass, there are two salt warehouses in my corner slope field, which are enough for four or five hundred people to eat for a year. Han Chen paused, and then said: "If the war really erodes to that point, as long as someone has food, we will have hope." ”

"When the time comes, maybe you can exchange people's food for one dismissal and stay in office."

"That's it!" The more Han Chen thought about it, the more reasonable it became, but he was so worried before, and when he heard Pan Er talking to his family outside, he couldn't help but ask, "Zhixing, how many family members do you plan to go back?" ”

"Well, let them all go back." Han Xiufeng took a sip of tea, and added: "You have seen that kid in Shiheng, his father worked for Lord Wu in the Sichuan Salt Tea Ceremony, and the Taiping bandits went to Jiangning, Yizhen is next to Jiangning, it is too dangerous, I plan to let him go to Yizhen to pick up his sister and brother-in-law, and go to Sichuan with Pan Er." ”

"Since you're a friend, you naturally have to help if you can, but then there's no one around you?"

"No one is good, no one is not concerned."

"There is no concern, but there can't be two people who can do things!"

"So far, I don't care about it so much. By the way, Brother Yuzhi, how many people from your side will go back?

"Leave four, and the others will all go back, including your sister-in-law, a total of twenty-two people."

"There are many people, and the road is not peaceful, so you can rest assured when there are more people." Han Xiufeng didn't want to say this anymore, so he immediately changed his words: "Brother Yuzhi, the top priority is to know yourself and your opponent, but you can't wait for the Taiping bandits to kill you and know in front of you." In fact, I still have a family member, but I received it after coming to Jiangsu, and I plan to ask him to take two archers to Yangzhou early tomorrow morning to find out the news. ”

"I also plan to let my cousin go back, Zhixing, otherwise, let your family go to Yangzhou with my cousin, one in the city to inquire, the other in the east of the city to wait for news, and let my cousin go to Taizhou to wait. Give them more pestering, send them a few more people, and let them send someone back as soon as possible, and don't go to the post shop, so as not to make a mistake. ”

"It's for the best."

……

The two were discussing when Zhang Shiheng knocked on the door and walked in.

"Uncle Han, I'm back, and the second brother said you were looking for me."

"Close the door first."

"Oh." Zhang Shiheng reacted and hurriedly turned around and closed the door.

"Shi Heng, what Uncle said next, you just need to know, and you can't leak a word."

"Uncle Han, don't worry, I'm tight-lipped!"

Han Xiufeng told Han Chen in front of Han Chen that the Taiping bandits had captured the three towns of Wuhan and were going down the river to kill Xiang Jiangning, and then talked about his plan to let him go back to pick up his sister and brother-in-law to go to Sichuan to join his father. Zhang Shiheng was taken aback, and asked with a sad face: "Uncle Han, I know that you are doing it for my good, but what should you do if we are all gone?" ”

"Even if you don't leave, how can you help by staying?" Han Xiufeng asked rhetorically, picked up a letter written at noon from the table, took out a small money bag, looked at him with a smile and said, "It's ready for you, the letter is for your father." If your sister and brother-in-law really don't want to go to Sichuan with you, let them go to Yangzhou to find Su Jueming, and Su Jueming will arrange for them to come to Hai'an. ”

"Uncle Han, I ......"

"Don't be willful, you're not small, be obedient."

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