Yi Feng's surprise and shock was not without reason, it was not surprising to send a letter with a pigeon, as early as the time when Chu and Han were fighting, it is said that Liu Bang was once chased by Xiang Yu and the wolf bèi hid in an abandoned well to hide, and finally was rescued by releasing a pigeon for help. People domesticated pigeons, used flying pigeons to transmit messages, and called this carrier pigeon flying slaves. In the Han Dynasty, when Zhang Qian and Ban Chao were envoys to the Western Regions, they also used pigeons to transmit information.

It is not unusual for Zhang Si's pigeons to be able to deliver letters. What is strange is that he actually said that his pigeons can send letters from Daning to Chang'an, or from Chang'an to Daning, and even send letters to Chang'an or Daning on the way. This is not the most critical place, Yi Feng heard from Li Si's triumphant words that Li Si's pigeon is not an ordinary pigeon. The average pigeon is trained to carry letters, with a letter strapped to its legs, and can carry letters to and fro. But there is a key to this, that is, this kind of flying pigeon transmission can basically only be transmitted in one direction. For example, if you train a familiar pigeon in Daning, you can take it out with you, and then let him fly with a letter, and the pigeon will return to Daning with the letter. But it is impossible to be in Daning City, and directly let the pigeon take the letter and send it back. That is to say, if Li Si domesticated the carrier pigeon in Chang'an and brought it to Daning, he could let the pigeon fly back to Chang'an with the letter. Or the pigeons trained in Chang'an are brought to Daning, and the pigeons are sent back to Chang'an with a letter. But this kind of carrier pigeon is a one-way message, and will never go back and forth between two places to transmit a message in both directions, let alone send a message to a person who is on the way.

In the final analysis, the pigeon biography is an ability that only comes after special training by taking advantage of the characteristics of the pigeon returning to the nest. But a pigeon is a pigeon after all. They have a strong memory, and the trainer uses a fixed feed and feeding routine, using environmental conditions and call signals to form certain habits in the pigeons. They even have a strong reflex, which relies on the strong homing of the pigeons, and when they are brought to an unfamiliar environment, once they are released, they try to return to the loft as quickly as possible, without staying or perching in any unfamiliar places on the way. Hundreds of miles, thousands of miles. It's all true.

But after all, this is just a kind of reflex that is trained to return to the nest using the homing characteristics, so in general. Flying pigeon messages can only be one-way, and they are directional transmissions.

Li Si said that his pigeons are different, and they can transmit messages in both directions or even at random points, if this is true. This is not a flying pigeon handbook, but a two-line telegraph.

Li Jing said on the side. "Shiro loves to raise birds, and he has been known to everyone since he was in Beijing, so he has a nickname called bird thief."

Even Li Jing said so, it seems that Li Si does have a set of playing birds, and his carrier pigeon is estimated to really have this ability. However, Yi Feng still found it a little hard to believe, but he estimated that such a super carrier pigeon would be difficult to domesticate in large quantities, otherwise, it would be really quite remarkable. However, even if you can only domesticate pigeons, it is quite good to send messages at fixed points. Li Si has an extraordinary ability to train birds, if he is pulled to establish a flying pigeon transmission system for himself. If it is successful, it is also extremely valuable.

Think about it, although most of the pigeons can only return to the nest to pass the book, as long as Yifeng has enough carrier pigeons. Then he could build a pigeon nest in each town and fort, and then transport the skilled pigeons that were domesticated there to other cities. When there is a message to be transmitted, which town and fort needs to be transmitted, then bring the pigeon brought by that castle and release it, so that as soon as the pigeon returns to the loft of the original castle, the letter will be successfully delivered. If you need a reply, you can tie it to the pigeon that it has brought from this castle and fly it back, and the letter will be delivered.

As long as there are enough trained pigeons, it is possible to set up a very fast and convenient system of flying in many castles. Of course, the larger the network and the farther away it is, the more pigeons are needed. The pigeon can be released back to the nest, but after each release has sent a letter, the next time it is used, it has to be brought back by guò manpower. But as long as this system is successful, its effect will be considerable.

Deliver the news with a fast horse, the fastest is only 800 miles to expedite, but the speed of flying pigeons is extremely fast, from Daning to Chang'an, more than 2,000 miles away, carrier pigeons can be sent to the morning and evening, and one day can fly back to the nest. War horses also take five days at the earliest, compared to four days faster than stagecoaches. If it is a round trip, it takes ten days for a stagecoach to fly, but it can be a day for a carrier pigeon to be released on both sides. One back and forth, you can save nine days. If it is some important information, especially the war situation, you can imagine the key role it can play.

If Yi Feng has such a flying pigeon system in his hands, as long as he regularly transports the pigeons trained in Huaihuang to Chang'an, then theoretically Yi Feng can get the big and small things that happen in Jingshi every day. Although in order to achieve this step, not only do you need professional special talents like Li Si, but also you need a lot of manpower, material and financial resources, but Yi Feng feels that it is worth it. The value of information is unlimited, and he is a person who is not short of money and is not afraid to spend it. At this time, when he looked at Li Si again, his gaze became a little hot.

However, in front of Li Jing, Yi Feng did not immediately put forward the idea of establishing a flying pigeon transmission system. Some things are also in a hurry, since Li Si wants to follow him back to Chang'an this time, there is just time to slowly get familiar with it first, and then according to Li Si's hobbies, put forward a condition that he can't refuse, and invite him to do things for himself. The flying pigeon is definitely a very valuable function, but to really play its function, it has to spend a lot of money, manpower and material resources to build, and if the scale is too small, it will play a small role. Li Jing should know these very well, maybe Li Jing knew that he would be interested in flying pigeon biography, so he deliberately took Li Si with him.

After breakfast, Yi Feng and his party left Daning and headed east that day.

After passing the military capital pass, he left Yanzhou and entered the territory of Youzhou. At this time, the New Year is approaching, and on the road from the military capital to Youzhou, there is an endless stream of business travelers, and the comings and goings are endless. Most of the caravans returned from Huaihuang, and some of them couldn't take care of the New Year, and it was about to be the New Year. But he still went to Huaihuang with a large amount of money or purchased goods, ready to make another profit when the New Year was approaching. In the past, the merchants who went out of the jam were out of the jam in autumn and winter. Large caravans are all using camels to bring goods, after the autumn with a large number of goods out of the block, all the way to the depths of the grassland, direct trade with those tribes, with the Central Plains brought goods in exchange for various tribes and herdsmen in the hands of leather goods, etc., before returning to the Central Plains for the New Year. Smaller caravans, on the other hand, used ox carts and horses to transport goods out of the jam in the winter. At that time, the herders would start slaughtering their livestock as they prepared for the winter, and this was the best time for them to buy leather goods.

But this year is completely different. The rise of Huaihuang and the establishment of the border market have changed the original trading methods. The merchants of the Central Plains no longer need to go deep into the grassland to receive and ship goods, and the herdsmen of the tribes do not need to wait for the arrival of the merchants of the Central Plains. Now Huaihuang has become a middleman. There are more than a dozen military towns and hundreds of forts on Huaihuang Dam. These were not only military forts, but also some trading bazaars, especially those newly built towns and forts that penetrated deep into the territory of Xi, as well as newly built roads, and trade agreements negotiated with various tribes, all of which changed the situation greatly.

Nowadays, herders have better shipping channels for all kinds of materials in their hands, and they can also sell at better prices. They can choose to trade it themselves at the Huaihuang Merchant Buying Station near the tribe. You can also wait for the merchants to come to your door on a regular basis, and then buy all kinds of goods from the buyers at the purchasing stations. All sorts of goods that have been recovered from the tribes. Eventually, they will converge on the shops in various towns and cities of Huaihuang and Huaihuang City. And those merchants in the Central Plains no longer have to work hard to sell their goods directly to the depths of the grassland, they can sell their goods directly in Huaihuang. In previous years, I could only run once, but now I can make many trips. Although the profit is not as high as the previous direct trading with herdsmen, but the small profits are quick turnover, and they are much safer and earn more, so everyone is naturally happy to trade in Huaihuang.

Of course, this is not the only reason why the merchants ran to Huaihuang, Huaihuang can not only eat a large number of goods from the Central Plains and Saiwai, but also Huaihuang is not only an intermediate market, but also a manufacturing supplier of many kinds of hot-selling goods. There are many profitable goods, and only here are produced and bought.

Youzhou is an important town in the north, in the north of the Great Sui, Taiyuan in the east of the river can be called the first important town in the north, and Youzhou City should be called the first important town in Hebei. Here is not only a military town, but also a commercial metropolis, all kinds of goods from the south to the north are gathered here, since the rise of Huaihuang, even with Youzhou City is more and more lively, the Central Plains merchants come and go to Youzhou, either go to the east of the river or can only go to Hebei. And those who go to Hebei will inevitably pass through Youzhou. At the same time, after many of the goods come out, they will also be transshipped in Youzhou first. A large number of goods shipped from Youzhou were first sold here. Even those grain merchants and salt merchants in the Central Plains, nearly half of the grain and salt transported to Huaihuang will pass through the important town of Youzhou.

That night, Yi Feng and his entourage rushed to the west of Youzhou City, and the flag guard who played the front station in front of him rushed to report: "It's already dark, there are too many vehicles and businesses on the road, it's not easy to hurry, and Youzhou City will close the door as soon as it gets dark, and we can only rest outside the city tonight." ”

"Then rest outside the city for the night." Yi Feng said that this time he was going south to Luoyang to Chang'an, but he was just passing through Youzhou, and there was no need to go to Youzhou City at this time. It turned out that he had been planning to go to Youzhou City to visit Yan Rong, the governor of Youzhou, at that time, although Yan Rong didn't care about Huai Famine, he still planned to buy food through Guò Yan Rong. However, later Huai was deserted in Wuzhou, Yan Rong did not govern Wuzhou, and the food problem was solved, Yi Feng led his troops north, but he never had time to come to Youzhou to visit the emperor of Hebei. At this time, Yan Rong had already gone to Jingshi, and he was no longer in Youzhou City.

The first flag guard soon came back to report that he had already secured a mansion shop on the side of the road in front of him, although the shop was ordinary and simple, but it was better than the place and had a large courtyard. Yi Feng and his party of more than 100 people were divided into three waves, but they could all live. However, for safety reasons, not all of the three waves stayed in this store. The flag guard asked for instructions, intending to let Yi Feng's team of more than 30 people live in the store, and the other two teams were stationed left and right next to the store to guard. Although it is cold in winter, for these flag guards who are selected from a hundred miles, camping in the field for one night is not a problem at all.

"That's how it goes." Yi Feng nodded.

Yuelaidi store is a big store, can accommodate hundreds of people at the same time, originally the store has already accommodated some guests, but the flag guard made a generous move, directly smashed the big ingots of real money, the owner immediately turned around and arranged for the guys to return the money to the guests who stayed in front.

When Yi Feng and his entourage arrived at the door of the store, they were encountering several small caravans being checked out, with unhappy faces, and a few businessmen were reasoning with the shopkeeper and refused to check out. The two waves of people quarreled, Yi Feng frowned, and after asking about the situation, he said: "Since this store is so big, it doesn't matter if everyone stays, there is no need to ask the guests to check out and find a temporary concession." In this way, the owner of the store will refund all the money of the original customers, but let them keep it. I will pay for their house, and I will ask you to prepare us some food and fodder for the horses, and we will ask for good fines, and then boil some hot water. After speaking, Yi Feng nodded to Wang Bao, and Wang Bao immediately took out a large piece of silver collar, this piece is five taels, full of color, and it is a good copper coin for huàn meat, at least eight thousand. This is our host's reward for you, the store money, food, wine, meat, etc. will be calculated separately tomorrow morning, a lot of yours. ”

The shopkeeper got such a large reward, Zaole's mouth was grinning, and since the rich businessman didn't mind those merchants staying, he naturally had no problem opening the door to do business.

The shopkeeper immediately beckoned a dozen men to come out, pull the livestock, carry the luggage, arrange for the fire to make food, and the other side was busy boiling hot water and feeding the horses fodder, and they were very busy.

A guy led Yi Feng into the best upper room in the store, "This is our Tianzi No. 1 room, which is complete with all things, warm and comfortable, and has built a fire kang to learn from Huaihuang." The guest officer came from the west so late, and he also came from Huaihuang. "That guy is in his early twenties, and he looks clear and smart in the light. Seeing Yi Feng nodded, he said with envy, "Our store is also a century-old store, and every year in the past, at this time, it was already deserted and no one passed by. But this year, good guys, it is full every day, and even the firewood house and horse shed have people who pay to borrow it. Guest officers, they all say that the wilderness is good, and there is gold everywhere, is this true? ”

Yi Feng smiled, "Wouldn't you know if you had the opportunity to go and see it in person?" ”

When the guy was lamenting that he must go to Huaihuang next year, there was a sudden noise in the courtyard outside, and soon there was a sound of shouting, and there was even a faint sound of a knife coming out of its sheath! (To be continued......)