Mancang is a large city, the city wall is as many as three layers, from the inside to the outside, one layer is shorter than the other, the outermost layer is only more than one person high, and it is an earthen wall, but with the moat, it can still greatly block the enemy's attack, in short, the protection of this city is far beyond the ordinary city.

As the name suggests, there is a large amount of grain and grass hoarded in the city.

In order to prepare for the need for emergencies, on the basis of the legacy of the previous dynasty, Da Chu built several cities of grain hoarding, distributed in various places in the southeast and northwest, Mancang is one of them, located in a small plain more than 200 miles north of the capital, the city is densely covered with granaries and pastures, once the world changes, with the grain in the city alone, the entire Guanzhong area can hold on for ten years.

Since Taizu Dingding, there have been several crises in Dachu, and Mancang has been ready to open a warehouse several times, but it has ended in nothing, except for regularly dealing with old grain and supplying a small amount of grain and grass to the army, it has never opened a large-scale warehouse, even if the hungry people are everywhere, it has nothing to do with Mancang, its duty is to support the imperial court during the turmoil, and there are other measures for disaster relief.

Mancang was not on the way back to Beijing, and was dozens of miles to the east, when Chai Yue commanded the northern army to return south, the first target was not the capital, but this city of grain hoarding.

When the army really returned to the capital, Chai Yue didn't know what to do, and he couldn't really start a war with the southern army, so he chose to fill the warehouse, which not only solved the problem of grain and grass for the winter, but also waited for the incident in the capital and waited for the next instruction of General Zhenbei.

The vanguard army was led by the overseer Cai Xinghai, a total of 3,000 men, and went straight to Mancang City.

Outside the city, Cai Xinghai ordered the whole army to stop five or six miles away, and only brought a few dozen soldiers to call the door, claiming that he was the grain and grass officer of the Northern Army, and came to collect this month's grain and grass, and the rear was full of labor to transport grain.

The Chu army defending the city is still more cautious, this year is not peaceful, there are hungry people rioting everywhere, in the past few months, Mancang has been attacked three times, the officer went out of the city, carefully checked the documents of Cai Xinghai and others, everything is correct, all have the seal of the great Sima of the Northern Army, the officer complained: "Just come to get food, can't you send some people to support us?" ”

Cai Xinghai said with a smile: "Who doesn't look forward to sleeping in Mancang City, but the court doesn't speak, and it's useless to think about it." ”

The gate of Mancang was wide open, and Cai Xinghai sent people to the inner city to hand over the documents, and he stayed under the outer city gate, waiting for the arrival of the "grain transport" team.

Three thousand northern troops galloped in, and the officers defending the city were dumbfounded.

In less than half an hour, Cai Xinghai had already occupied Mancang, and politely asked the officials in the city to continue to work, "You are the host, we are the guests, it's like a heavy rain, we come to the eaves to take shelter from the rain, what should you do in the house, don't care about us, just when we don't exist." ”

But this group of guests has knives and guns, just 3,000 forward troops, the number has exceeded all the defenders in the city, the officials do not know why, so they have to nod and agree, hide in the yamen and bury their heads in the office, really pretend that the soldiers of the Northern Army do not exist, but quietly send people to report the situation to the county guard and the capital.

The northern army arrived one after another, half of them were stationed in the city, and half of them were camped near the official road dozens of miles away, and they could attack and retreat, Chai Yue and other major generals stayed outside the city, and Han Ruzi's subordinate battalion went to guard Mancang.

On the second day of the camp, the envoy of the southern army arrived, warning the northern army to immediately retreat north of Shenxiong Pass, Liu Kunsheng had already prepared a letter, asking the envoy to bring the southern army to the great Sima Cui Hong, in the letter he claimed that the northern army was tired and asked the southern army to go outside the fortress to change defense.

On the third day, news came that the Southern Army was heading north and occupying various fortresses.

On the fourth day, letters from the capital came like snowflakes, with questions from relevant ministries and departments, inquiries from various noble families, and more orders, some directly ordered the northern army, and some ordered relatives and friends who knew each other, asking them to fulfill their duties, return to the outside of the Saiwai, and kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions.

Chai Yue did not stop the messenger, but hinted to the generals that the capital was already controlled by the Southern Army, so everyone said that the requirements for the Northern Army were the same as Cui Hong!

On the fifth day, the envoy of the Northern Army arrived, carrying a letter from the champion Hou, and the envoy also verbally said to the generals that the capital was electing a new emperor, and the champion Hou was nine out of ten, and the Northern Army should not cause chaos at such a time.

In the eyes of the soldiers of the Northern Army, this is the result of the coercion of the Southern Army, and some people feel that things are not so simple, but it is the season of heavy snow in the north, and the grain and grass are unsustainable, and no one is willing to leave the big granary behind them to guard a lonely city.

"The Huns have made peace with General Zhenbei, and they have already gone north for the winter, what are we going to do outside the Saiwai?"

"The imperial court is not running smoothly, the support for the outside of the fortress has not been enough, there is a full warehouse of grain, and only a little is willing to be sent at a time, if the northern army goes out of the fortress again, it must not starve to death outside?"

At this time, the soldiers of the Northern Army were like a rebellious teenager, they were already dissatisfied in their hearts, and after feeling that they had been wronged and were blamed by all sides, their dissatisfaction did not weaken, but on the contrary, the tide rose.

Especially Chai Yue and Liu Kunsheng are adding fuel to the fire, one of these two is a general admired by the officers and soldiers of the whole army, and the other is the captain of the Northern Army who controls the Great Sima Yin, and it is easy to gain the trust of the soldiers.

There were countless rumors that came to the northern military camp with a large number of letters, and now everyone knew that the princes were vying for the throne, and that the champion Hou and the general Zhenbei were both participants, and they were very happy, and felt that whoever became emperor would be beneficial to the northern army.

Han Ruzi's letter came a little later than the others, not one, but a dozen, sent to different people, and some generals who thought they were not very familiar with General Zhenbei also received the letter, and after that, his letters came almost every day.

The contents of the letters were similar, first recalling the hard battles of the Northern Army at the Broken Iron City - most of the Northern Army went later, but they did stabilize the morale of the army at the most critical moment - then expressed understanding of the Northern Army's return to the south, and finally claimed that he had a good relationship with the champion Hou and that the two might come to the Northern Army together.

"The champion Hou and the general Zhenbei join forces to compete for the throne, one is the emperor, the other is the prime minister, or the governor of the soldiers and horses." Similar rumors spread immediately, and even Mancang City, dozens of miles away, heard about it, and the officials guarding the city could no longer turn a blind eye, walked out of the yamen, condoled the soldiers of the Northern Army, and quietly inquired into the secret news of the capital.

The champion Hou and the general of Zhenbei have not arrived for a long time, and after the northern army occupies the full warehouse for half a month, it is the first day of the first month of the first month, entering the second year of Wuwei, although the emperor in the deep palace is about to be forgotten, and the imperial court has not promulgated a will, and the New Year is still celebrated according to the custom.

Zuocha Yushi Xiaosheng, who was trapped in the northern military camp, regained his freedom on this day, and immediately rushed to the capital on the road, taking hundreds of retinues and guards, as well as what he saw and heard in the northern military camp. Most of the soldiers of the Northern Army did not understand the truth of the battle for the throne, and the target of support was still the champion Hou, but in Xiao Sheng's eyes, the Northern Army had deteriorated and completely surrendered to General Zhenbei, and he had to remind the champion Hou to be careful.

In the capital, although the champion Hou publicly claimed in the Qinzheng Palace that he wanted to go to the Northern Army with the tired Hou, he never made the trip, the longer he waited, the more the champion Hou felt that the Northern Army was hiding a trap, Chai Zhi was dead, he could not find a trustworthy confidant in the Northern Army, and he had to pass through the territory of the Southern Army on the way, which was also unsafe.

Han Ruzi often urged, but he was not in a hurry, the champion Hou did not set off immediately, he knew that this person was very inward, and he was not afraid. He was delayed and could not go to Hangu Pass to meet the general Han Xing, so he had to wait for the next year.

On the first day of the first lunar month, Han Ruzi sent people to bring many gifts to the palace, which were given to the Queen Mother, her mother Wang Meiren and his wife Cui Xiaojun, and even the mother of the King of the East China Sea, Concubine Cui.

Except for Cui Xiaojun, no one else returned the gift.

The champion Hou was still hesitating, and the promotion of the minister of Yipin was not obtained, but Han Ruzi and Yang Feng were not idle, analyzing the situation every day, and began to win over the teachers and students of Guozijian and Taixue.

"If there is no accident, the prime minister will be the successor, the successor must be one of the two imperial histories, the left inspection of the imperial history is in charge of the Beijing official, the opportunity is greater, but the right patrol imperial history Shen Mingzhi is also the minister designated by Emperor Wu to take care of his life, the opportunity is not small, he supports the champion Hou, that is, the prime minister's position is determined to win, and Xiao Sheng must have a good fight." Yang Feng had been assisting the champion Hou before, but his status declined in the later stage, and he was not qualified to participate in many things, so he could only rely on speculation.

"If the champion Hou ascends the throne, Yin is harmless, and he will give up the position of prime minister and return to his hometown?" Han Ruzi especially couldn't guess Yin's harmless details.

Yang Feng guessed, "This is where Yin Wuwu is a treacherous man, and his plan is probably like this: let it go, claiming that after the champion Hou ascends the throne, his wish has been fulfilled and he is old, and he will hand over the seal of the prime minister, and then hint slightly, so that the two imperial historians feel that they may take over the position of prime minister, so they compete to do things for the champion Hou to make great contributions." ”

Han Ruzi was able to understand it at a glance, "Yin Wuwu didn't do anything, just with a promise for the future, he made the two important ministers fully support the champion Hou, and it was Xiao Sheng and Shen Mingzhi's responsibility to fail, and the first credit was attributed to Yin Wuwu, and he would not hand over the seal of the prime minister at all." ”

"He'll hand it over, but Champion Hou won't agree." Yang Feng has seen a lot of this kind of push-and-concession trick between monarchs and ministers.

"Can you sow discord between Shen Mingzhi and Xiao Sheng?"

Yang Feng shook his head, "We still have to start from scratch." ”

Yang Feng made a list, as many as 100 people, all of whom were doctors or disciples of Guozijian and Taixue, ranging from famous Confucians all over the world to unknown young scholars.

Han Ruzi first sent people to each house to send worship stickers, but the results were not optimistic, most people had a reply, but without exception refused to visit the tired Hou or were invited to the tired Hou Mansion, the reasons are strange, the simplest is only two words: Mo Lai.

Yang Feng did not give up, and as soon as he entered the first month, he gave gifts to each family.

Things took a turn for the better on the fourth day of the first month of the first month, the day before, Zuocha Yushi Xiao Sheng returned to Beijing, causing a small commotion in the court, Yang Fengzheng asked everywhere what Xiao Sheng said to the champion Hou, a famous Confucian came uninvited, came to visit the tired Hou.

Guo Cong once told the emperor about the classics, and together with Liu Kunsheng, he gave the Taizu sword to Han Xing, the governor of the capital, and returned to his hometown afterwards to escape the world, refusing to receive merit, and did not see anyone.

A few days ago, Guo Cong quietly returned to the capital, not many people knew about it, and stayed at home for a few days, and the first person he visited was the tired marquis who he had avoided before.

This great Confucian, who was extremely vague in his lectures, was straightforward in his visit, greeted each other, and after entering the study, he said: "For the sake of the great Chu country, please withdraw from the battle for the throne." (To be continued.) )