A caravan of more than 40 people went on the road, and Li Qingyuan instructed Hou Zheng to open up the trade route, which was definitely not just a one-time walk, although the Qing Dynasty did not have a large-scale prevailing gold system in this era, but there were still a lot of checkpoints on the road.

In particular, the green camps in various places, the so-called protected places, and the checkpoints set up by the security and security have now become channels for extorting money from caravans.

Therefore, Li Qingyuan specially instructed Hou Zheng to open up these checkpoints, to find out the situation of the checkpoints along the way, and to have a good relationship with the soldiers and generals at the checkpoints.

In this way, if you can pass through the checkpoint smoothly and smoothly and transport things to the destination safely, this can be regarded as opening up the trade route, otherwise why would Li Qingyuan ask him to go through it on purpose.

Caravans are different from soldiers, soldiers can carry things on their backs from the mountains, forests and fields to bypass these checkpoints, but caravans have carts and horses, goods are heavy and heavy, and small roads mean bandits and road blocks, so caravans can only choose to take the big road to pass the checkpoints.

Fortunately, such industries have their own unspoken rules, how much value of goods you ship, how much you charge for tolls, everyone will not do things absolutely, after all, without businessmen, they will have no oil and water.

In short, the merchants should share a part of the profits to feed these checkpoints, and the checkpoints will also provide convenience for these merchants, and with these soldiers, at least no one will openly rob on the road.

There is another reason why the checkpoints do not dare to have more, that is, in addition to these caravans, there is also a form of business, that is, merchants, a kind of people who rely on their feet to transport goods.

Such a person generally carries one or two hundred pounds of things at a time, bypasses the checkpoint, and after reducing this part of the expenses, although he does not make a lot of money, it is enough to maintain food and clothing.

If the outpost extorts too much, then there will be more backpackers, then the caravan will be reduced, and their income will also be reduced.

Of course, there are some strategic outposts that even backpackers can't bypass, but as long as you bypass most of them, then you won't make money, such strategic points only exist in mountains and forests, like plains do not exist.

Just like the last time Li Qingyuan's troops carried muskets, they must not be able to cross the checkpoint, and before they arrived in Shandong, they were all plains, so there was no need to worry about where they couldn't get around.

Li Qingyuan can't use the army every time he transports goods, right? Isn't it a question of the small volume of cargo, that is, how many troops are needed to go back and forth? Do you have weapons for the troops to transport? What about grain? What about a lot of other supplies?

Li Qingyuan walked on the road, and the checkpoints along the way were all set by Hou Zheng, Li Qingyuan looked at Hou Zheng, who was giggling with those soldiers, and felt that he really didn't choose the wrong person, this guy was born to do intelligence.

Li Qingyuan discovered that his talent was still in Linqing, at that time, everyone was looking for other people like headless flies, only he could roughly know where and how many people should be there.

Li Qingyuan asked and found out that he relied on a good memory to write down everything everyone said, and finally used it at this critical moment.

Li Qingyuan felt that this was a good material for intelligence at that time, and Hou Zheng really did not disappoint Li Qingyuan, Li Qingyuan just briefly told him about the methods of intelligence collection, the transmission of passwords, and so on, which he had watched on TV in a mess.

Hou Zheng has integrated all these things, and he has done a very good job, at least the news of several cities around Li Qingyuan and the news of Wu Duyan's battle with the official army, Li Qingyuan can know it for the first time.

The caravan passed Handan all the way to the east, just after Cheng'an, and there were still fifty miles away from Wei County, suddenly Sanniang pointed to the side of the road and said: "Qingyuan, look! ”

Li Qingyuan looked at the place pointed by Wu Sanniang, and saw three middle-aged people tied to a pillar on the side of the road? Li Qingyuan was stunned for a moment, what is the situation?

Li Qingyuan walked up and saw that the three of them had cracked their lips and were dying, so he hurriedly shouted: "Bring water, these people are dying." ”

Sanniang came over and carefully fed a little water to the three of them, and one of them woke up quietly, saw Li Qingyuan and Sanniang and said weakly: "Thank you, thank you......"

Li Qingyuan asked while untying the rope, "What's wrong with you?" Did you run into bandits? ”

As a result, Li Qingyuan's hand just touched the rope, and the man was anxious: "I can't solve it!" ”

Li Qingyuan put down his hand and looked around at no one else, not knowing what they were afraid of: "What's wrong?" Why can't it be solved? ”

"We owe Huang Dahu a rent, and he wants to tie us up here for three days to show the public, so he will give us three months, if you untie the rope, then our sins in these two days will be in vain."

It was the first time Li Qingyuan had heard of this statement, and Sanniang asked angrily: "Are you willing to be bullied like this by him?" I'll let you go and ask for an explanation......"

"No, you don't! We persevered and survived today, thank you for your kindness, and we're okay. The man said weakly.

Sanniang asked Li Qingyuan angrily: "Look at them!" ”

Li Qingyuan shook his head: "Let's go!" People don't need our help, and if we help, they may not be grateful. ”

"Is that what it is?" Sanniang was a little unwilling and touched the handle of the knife on her waist.

Li Qingyuan shook his head: "Justice is never a gift, but to be fought for by yourself, these people have taken suffering and bullying for granted in their hearts, as if they were obedient, what else can we do?" ”

Sanniang looked at the three of them and scolded: "Waste! What a man! Can you bear being forced like this? ”

The three of them just didn't speak, they didn't even raise their heads, Li Qingyuan shook his head and pulled Wu Sanniang away, he still had something to do and didn't have the time to do justice for them.

Wu Sanniang walked for a while and asked, "Qingyuan, I want to send the team of the Tianli Council to this side a little ......"

Li Qingyuan sighed and said: "The plains are not as good as the mountains, if they are overtaken, they will not even have a place to hide, and although the people here are also difficult, they can barely sustain themselves, unlike the mountains that are dying of hunger." ”

Wu Sanniang gritted her teeth: "That is also the one that can save one, and it is also necessary to make a name for our Tianli Society, at least let the people know that they can not only be obedient in the face of these landlord bullies, but also rely on us!" ”

Li Qingyuan still agrees with Wu Sanniang's words, yes, why do the people choose to endure it, it is not because no one can support them, there is no heavenly reason, so they can only endure it.

The establishment of a branch here, not to mention how many people can be saved, but at least give the people another choice, so that they know that in addition to enduring, there is someone who can give them heavenly principles!