Meng Yiyong went to Chang'an as an envoy of the imperial court.

Ren Yuan didn't see him outside, and saw him in his study.

"Meet my uncle." Meng Yiyong used family etiquette after seeing Ren Yuan, he was Meng Zhixiang's son, and Ren Yuan's wife was the niece of Emperor Wu Li Keyong, so he was a relative.

"You didn't go to Chengdu to find your father, why did you become an official in Jinyang?" Ren Yuan asked Meng Yiyong to sit down under him, and then asked.

"The eldest and fourth went back, and the younger nephew and the third brother felt that it was more promising to follow His Majesty in Jinyang and do something underneath." Meng Yiyong replied.

"Is the Son of Heaven in Jinyang?" Ren Yuan asked after a pause.

"The Son of Heaven is now going to Wuzhou, Shanbei, and I came here by order from there." Meng Yiyong said, "I brought an edict and a message from His Majesty." ”

"Why don't you take out the edict?"

"Your Majesty said that you want to make your uncle the prime minister, and if the minister is unwilling, he won't take out the edict."

"Why is that?"

"Before leaving, His Majesty said that Ren Envoy had made great contributions to the country after the change in Luoyang for a long time, and he was unwilling to force it."

Ren Yuan tapped his fingers on the table, and was silent for a while before he said: "If you go to be the prime minister, isn't that Zhang Xian competent now?" The old man saw that he was doing a good job. ”

"Life in the world is nothing more than wealth and fame, Your Majesty is willing to appoint your uncle as the prime minister, and he can be regarded as a very good minister." Meng Yiyong said, "Your Majesty said that this employment is more reliable than your own brother. ”

Ren Yuan was silent, although Yizhen Jiedu was considered the emperor of the soil, and he was also a man of his word under his rule, but he also had a great responsibility. The Yongping Army is not a big town, and there is only one place under its rule, Jingzhaofu, and Yaozhou and Fangzhou in the north are the territories where Yijiedu makes Yaoyan thick. Yao Yanchou and Suining Jiedu made Mao Zhang's attitude waver, Mao Zhang captured Fenshui Pass with Li Congke, and was transferred to Suining Jiedu Envoy and then had a private relationship with Ren Yuan.

After Li Qi led the Jinyang army to defeat Wang Yanqiu in Quyang and capture the two prefectures of Youzhen and Zhen, these two people sent people to Jinyang to congratulate them.

However, the two brothers Li Jiyan and Li Jichang, who were made by Fengxiang Jiedu, and Li Jichang, who were made by Huanzhou Zhangyi, may have blocked Chen Cangdao because of their cold lips and teeth, so that Zhang Yun, who was eager for revenge, was helpless, and he helped Li Qi once.

Ren Yuan had more than 20,000 men under him, and there were a lot of soldiers and horses, but the cost was also large, and the civil wealth looted in Jingzhao Mansion was spent on raising the army. The current Chang'an is no longer in the Tang Dynasty, and the circumference of the city is only fifteen miles, which is comparable to ordinary state cities, and much worse than heavy cities such as Zhenzhou and Youzhou.

Ren Yuan was originally from Jingzhao, and he was one of the few talents in the Jin army who was proficient in civil affairs. Fortunately, the Jingzhao area of Guanzhong has been developed since the Han Dynasty, and the water conservancy and irrigation facilities are relatively complete. Ren Yuan renovated the water conservancy in Jingzhao Mansion and recruited people to farm, but he could barely maintain his expenses.

Now Li Qi wants to transfer him back to Jinyang, which seems to have the intention of cutting off the military handle, but this has become the prime minister and is in charge of the court, which also makes it difficult to refuse the more important Ren Yuan.

Ren Yuan hesitated for a long time, and he couldn't make a decision, so he said to Meng Yiyong: "Now that it's almost the season of autumn grain harvest, you go back and tell Your Majesty that you will return to Jinyang after the autumn harvest to meet you, and then you will discuss with the Son of Heaven." ”

Meng Yiyong said: "I hope that my uncle will make a decision early, the Son of Heaven seems to have some plans." ”

Ren Yuan frowned: "Do you want to take Shaanzhou?" ”

Meng Yiyong shook his head: "It should be a plot in Hanzhong, the connection between Neng and Shudi, the Son of Heaven has always acted mainly for profit." The trade route in Shu is what he values more, in fact, my eldest brother returned to Shu and was supported by him. ”

"Oh......" Ren Yuan answered, but didn't say anything more.

Meng Hexiang is in Xichuan, Chengdu Mansion is in hand, and he makes a lot of profits every year and has strong strength. And Dong Zhang occupies Dongchuan, although most of it is mountainous, but there is also a frame to fight against Meng Zhixiang. The relationship between the two is bad, and I don't know if there will be a fight. If the two of them fight, it is possible that the fisherman will make a profit.

The Son of Heaven is now plotting against Zhang Yun, does he also see this?

Ren Yuan still agrees with the strategy adopted by Li Qi in recent years, and does not directly conflict with Li Siyuan, but adopts a defensive position, first trying to conspire with some weak forces around him to strengthen himself.

At least now, after getting the two military towns of Youzhen and Zhen, Jinyang already has the capital to compete with Luoyang in the south, and if the two sides really fight, it is difficult to predict whether they will win or lose. However, looking at Li Qi's intentions, he was not ready to start with Luoyang, but came in the direction of Guanzhong and Shudi.

I heard that Li Renyu fell for the trick of Jinyang this time, but he was caught off guard by the Jinyang army, and finally lost Yinsui Erzhou. Although it was intentional or unintentional, the Dingyan Army was also considered a strong town, and being able to defeat them and finally surrender also showed that the strength of the Jinyang Army had become very strong.

It only took three and a half years to build a strong army in Jinyang, and Ren Yuan asked himself if he couldn't do this.

……

More than 130 carts transporting ordnance and supplies from Jinyang crossed Weishui from the stone bridge in Chishui Town and entered the military camp set up here by the Tonghua Army. After staying with the Chinese army, Zhang Jinda rushed over from Huazhou to accept these military supplies.

"A total of 30,000 copper coins, 7,000 taels of silver, 500 sets of chain mail, 1,600 steel crossbows, 500 steel tire bows, 50,000 crossbow arrows, and 20,00......0 feather arrows," Liu Yan, the general in charge of the escort, held the list in his hand and reported to Zhang Jinda. The income of the Tonghua army was not enough to support the army, and the weapons and equipment and part of the salary needed support from Jinyang.

"There's still brown sugar?" Zhang Jinda asked in surprise.

Sugar is a luxury, the market price of a pound of brown sugar in Guanzhong is one hundred and fifty Wen, which is equivalent to an acre of dry land.

"This time it's only three hundred catties, and Your Majesty said that you will take the lead in tasting first, and it will be a lot more by next year." Liu Yan replied.

"Hmm, it's good to eat something fresh, is this steel crossbow newly created by the Jinyang Weapons Supervisor?" Zhang Jinda said, and then ordered someone to move a box of steel crossbows.

Inside this box were five "Divine Machine Crossbows", Zhang Jinda bent down and took out one from it, and under Liu Yan's guidance, he assembled it with his own hands. This shape is somewhat different from the original tension crossbow, with a wide grip that seems to be used against the shoulder, aiming through the lookout mountain. It's just that the lookout mountain has changed a little, with a scale on it, and then it is aimed through a small ring.

"What does the number mean by that?" Zhang Jinda asked.

"Oh, it's the distance, the bottom 2 of this means that the target is twenty steps away, which is more conducive to ordinary soldiers to quickly grasp the shooting angle."

"Well, it's convenient, and it's easy to wind up the wrench, so you can see that the craftsmen are putting their hearts into it." Zhang Jinda said to Liu Yan who was standing beside him while winding the steel crossbow with his own hands. Then, grasping the grip with one hand, he squinted his eye from the opening of the aiming gauge above the board machine to a post at the entrance of the camp fifty paces away, and pulled the trigger.

Sou!

The bolt flew out, and although it hit the post, it seemed to be low......