In July, Sun Chuanting came to Kaifeng again, but he and Li Yan still did not negotiate. The emperor's edicts were still one after another, especially after knowing that Wuchang had also fallen, and the wording was even harsher.

However, he did not report Li Yan's refusal to send troops to the imperial court, because the imperial court had already let the governors of the seven provinces, and he couldn't handle Li Yan by himself, because he didn't have the ability to do it himself. And even if you tell the court, it's useless. Li Yan is in Henan, and he can at least supply him with grain and grass for a month, and can also ensure the safety of his grain route. If the imperial court removes Li Yan, he doesn't know what kind of mess will happen.

But he also has good news here. Xun Yang is still holding on, Gao Doushu has already contacted him, and he has made an appointment to attack Li Zicheng together. And Qiu Zhitao, who served as a squire of the military government in Li Zicheng's Righteous Mansion, also sent a secret letter. As long as the official army and Li Zicheng went to war, Qiu Zhitao would take advantage of his position to report to Li Zicheng the false news that Zuo Liangyu had committed a crime along the river. In this way, Li Zicheng will be in chaos, and the official army will be able to defeat Li Zicheng smoothly.

Sun Chuanting stared at Li Yan and said, "As early as the end of the month, or at the beginning of next month at the latest, I will lead the troops out of the customs." Can you prepare grain and grass? ”

Li Yan nodded and said, "Yes, does the Inspector want to supply along the way?" Or is it stored in one place? ”

Sun Chuanting instructed: "Put them all in Nanyang Mansion, where I will be used as a storage place for grain and grass." Are you sure you can prepare food and grass? ”

Before, Sun Chuanting exchanged more than 1,000 stone of potatoes for more than 1,000 stone of war horses, and he alone exchanged nearly 20,000 stone of grain one after another. Moreover, Li Yan still had to supply his own troops and resettle the displaced people, and he was worried that Li Yan would not have so much food to supply. After all, he was going to send an army of 100,000 this time.

Li Yan said confidently: "Don't worry, Inspector, I have withheld the Lu rice for the sect, which is enough to make up a month's worth of grain and grass for the Inspector." ”

Sun Chuanting glanced at Li Yan in surprise, but he didn't say anything. He also wanted to detain the clan Lumi in Shaanxi, but he couldn't. Since Li Yan is so bold, then he just has to go and destroy Li Zicheng.

"However," Li Yan then demanded: "Please also ask the superintendent to strictly enforce military discipline and let his subordinates not harass the people in Henan." ”

Sun Chuanting said dissatisfiedly: "This superintendent will naturally be strictly restrained!" ”

Li Yan nodded and said, "I will send troops to accompany me all the way, if someone loots and kills, then Li has no choice but to treat them as bandits." ”

"Since there are soldiers who come out to accompany them, then these soldiers will go with me to Huguang to suppress thieves!" Sun Chuanting ordered.

Li Yan said: "The crossing of the army is even worse than the robbery of bandits and thieves. In Huguang, the people are slaughtering cattle with wine to meet the thieves, and the people's hearts have been lost to this point, does the overseer still have the confidence to win? ”

"That's Zuo Liangyu's greed! A thief is a thief after all, and the people are just being deceived for a while. As long as our royal division goes south and defeats the thieves, the people will naturally wake up. Sun Chuanting said loudly: "As for the thief's combat power, although it is stronger than before, it is still not the opponent of my border soldiers. Last time in Jiaxian, if it weren't for the soldiers who would have picked up the assets, the thieves would have been captured by the Governor! ”

Li Yan shook his head and reminded: "Why did the officials and soldiers rush to pick up the assets left by the thieves? That was because the officers and men could not pay their salaries. Without food and wages, there will be no military discipline, and it is impossible to strangle the thieves to the death. Raising a self-respecting soldier is not only known by the generals, but also by the soldiers. ”

"No more!" Sun Chuanting stopped and said: "You just have to prepare the grain and grass, and there is no need to say anything else!" If I die at the hands of thieves, you can continue to wait and see! If I am lucky enough to win, you must rise up and kill the thief with all your might. Otherwise, the Overseer will not spare you! ”

Li Yan had no choice but to stop persuading. He felt that Sun Chuanting was very good and an official who could do things. It's many times stronger than those guys who usually talk about their hearts and minds and report to the king when they die. As for those officials who pay attention to benevolence, righteousness and morality, but only have their own selfish interests in their hearts, let alone mention.

This time, Sun Chuanting only brought more than 100 war horses, and it seems that he has sold all the horses that can be sold in the army. However, Zuo Xun and the others brought nearly a thousand horses, and they finally felt that it was still profitable to do business with Li Yan. And in the last two times, Sun Chuanting did not force them to sacrifice horses anymore, after all, they were going to go to war, and it was also appropriate to give them some benefits to these generals.

In the evening, Sun Sifu came to report: "Dashuai, most of the poor people in the clan have been properly settled, and they are scattered in Guide, Luoyang, Runing, Nanyang, Xinyang and other places. However, there are still 287 people, although they have no skills, but they are not willing to work to support their families, they just want to wait for their lives to live. ”

The imperial court issued silver to the clan in May and November every year, and rice was distributed in August and December after the summer and autumn taxes were completed. Luyin has been stopped for more than a year, and it's nothing. However, there are many clans that rely on Lu Mi to live, and they will starve to death without Lu Mi, so it is necessary for Li Yan to make some preparations in advance.

These clans do not have high titles, they do not have many incomes, they do not have business and granges like some clans, they do not go to study for the imperial examination, and they do not work like ordinary people like some clans that cannot invite the seal. They wandered around all day, wandering around, and put silver rice for two days, and then spent their days with gruel and pickles. But even so, they are unwilling to let go of the dignity of the clan and work on their own to make their families live a better life. And these people, after a while, will become a hidden danger to the Kaifeng order.

Li Yan instructed: "Deal with it, clean it up, and don't let others notice." ”

"My subordinates understand."

Li Yan asked again: "All the royal mansions and the generals' mansions are still calm, right?" ”

"It's not out of the ordinary, I guess we won't do it until after August." Sun Sifu replied.

Li Yan nodded and said, "Well, you have to pay more attention, and report the situation at any time." ”

Sun Sifu agreed, and then reported: "The family of General Zuo from Shaanxi is urging for the price of the horses. ”

Zuo Xun and the others brought nearly a thousand war horses this time, asking for more than 50,000 taels of silver. However, Li Yan's silver had just bought a batch of copper and sulfur saltpeter, so it was not enough to pay. I have to get some of his private money from Qi County.

"Didn't you make them wait two days?" Li Yan asked angrily.

Sun Sifu said helplessly: "But they don't want to wait, they have to settle it today." Otherwise, they will have to take back the horses and trade elsewhere. ”

Li Yan impatiently ordered: "Buckle them down!" Wait until you give them the money and then let them go! ”

The horses they sold needed to be trained before they could be used by the cavalry, so it was best to train them earlier. Don't look at the fact that he has obtained three or four thousand war horses in the past few months, but only Sun Chuanting's more than 1,000 can be used with a little training, and the others can only expand the cavalry after training.

"Yes!"

...