Chapter 220: Ten Thousand People Are Enough

Han Di Yi Yang.

In the past two days, blood-stained pigeon feathers have been falling from the sky and the sound of eagles' cries can be heard from time to time.

These extremely abnormal events made some people in Yi Yang feel uneasy, and they were not sure whether they were signs of natural or man-made disasters.

But perhaps it was because the money earned from mining iron for the noble family in recent days was too much.

Only a minority of the people are uneasy; most of them are immersed in the mood of working hard, making money and living a prosperous life.

There was still an endless stream of iron trucks on the streets, and every blacksmith shop was clanging and banging iron ore as if in competition.

The Lu's Chamber of Commerce does not have high requirements and does not require tools such as iron swords and shovels.

All you need to do is simply purify the iron ore to produce pig iron, and the Lu's Chamber of Commerce will accept it.

Inside a shop of Lu’s Chamber of Commerce.

Lu Buwei, who had just sent scientists back to Qin, lay on his back in a bamboo rocking chair , rocking back and forth, listening to his subordinates report on the latest situation, looking calm and composed.

The bamboo rocking chair squeaked softly.

The twenty-two people, who were already nervous, looked at the rocking chair with annoyance in their hearts, but held back their words.

"In the past two days, all the pigeons have been captured by hawks. The number of hawks we raise is far less than that of the Zhang family, and they have all died. Now the order cannot be sent out of Yiyang. If we want to control other cities and counties, we can only send them by fast horses."

"The paper fell into the hands of the Zhang family, who rewrote it and sent it to various cities and counties. The cities and counties were unaware of the current situation in Yiyang and acted according to the new order on the paper. Some cities and counties raised the price of iron by twenty times, some by thirty times, and most of them fell into chaos."

"The grain your Majesty has stored in Han is only enough to feed the people of Han for seven days. We can't keep the grain prices in Han unchanged for much longer."

“…”

The twenty-two men talked one after another, sharing all the recent news and waiting for the merchant's orders.

Today, these top business talents in their respective regions have great resentment towards Lu Buwei.

He bought iron at a high price for no reason, ignored people's advice, and distributed all the grain to stabilize the grain price in Korea.

It was a stupid act to spend countless money and food just to get some iron that can be found everywhere in Korea.

How can this person deserve the nickname of merchant? Your Majesty must have been deceived!

"It sounds like there is no good news." Lu Buwei smiled with his eyes closed.

Squeak, squeak, squeak

The rocking chair continued to make noises.

Do you know this?

The elites thought to themselves.

"If the pigeon can't fly, then it can't fly. It doesn't matter if you spend a little more money. Send a message to stop selling food. Let the wise fill the gap in the food shortage in Han."

The twenty-two people looked at each other, confusion written all over their eyes.

“Don’t stop buying iron?”

One person couldn't help but ask back.

"Han is different from Guanzhong. Han has no shortage of iron. A railway cut in Guanzhong can cause chaos in one place, but not in Han. The two cannot be generalized."

Another person echoed.

Then, most people spoke up and said that this order was really bad!

"The food that was enough for the people of Han for more than a month was sold at such a low price that only seven days' supply remained. Why is this happening?"

"We can't restore pigeon messaging, so we will always be one step behind the Zhang family in obtaining information. How can we have a chance of winning ?"

"At this time, we should ask the king to send someone who can train eagles to Yiyang. We can't send them by letter, and we want the Zhang family to block this road!"

“…”

The crowd became more and more excited as they talked, expressing all their inner thoughts and advising the merchants on their business wars.

"Gentlemen."

The rocking chair stopped. Lu Buwei tapped the ground with one foot to keep it still, then turned his head to look at everyone.

The more they spoke, the quieter their voices became. Under the calm gaze of the merchant, they all quieted down, and most of them lowered their heads slightly.

How could there be such great pressure from a superior? It was even greater than meeting the county governor.

Lu Buwei's true identity was kept secret.

They only knew the merchant, but they didn't know that the merchant was Lu Buwei.

"Do as I say."

Everyone was silent for a while, not wanting to obey the order.

They can't see what the businessmen are trying to do or how to win.

"only."

Suddenly, someone, unable to bear Lü Buwei's calm gaze, lowered his head and answered.

The first domino fell.

Lu Buwei nodded to the first person who responded to indicate that he understood, and looked at the people who had remained silent.

"What about you?"

"only."

One of them sighed and whispered.

"only!"

One person responded loudly, with a hint of resentment in his heart.

"only!"

One person turned around and responded as he walked, his anger evident in his words.

"See how you explain this to the Lord!"

One of them had a defiant look on his face. Not only did he not respond, he also pointed at Lu Buwei and scolded him boldly.

…

Shangjun.

County Magistrate's Office.

The Qin prince Ying Fusu sat in the position that should have belonged to the county governor.

Under its seat.

The first person on the left is Han Fei, followed by the county magistrate and the county chancellor.

The first person on the right is Li Mu, followed by Meng Wu and Meng Tian.

The seven most distinguished men in Shangjun were sitting in a room, discussing the Xiongnu invasion, and their discussion was coming to an end.

Meng Tian, who was at the end of the right hand, stood up and clasped his fists. He said solemnly to Ying Fusu, whom he had watched grow up and whom he regarded as his nephew, "I am willing to die under the sword of the Xiongnu if I am not willing to return to Yanmen and Jiuyuan!"

Ying Fusu looked hesitant and undecided.

My uncle asked Li Mu for advice on foreign affairs.

He gently turned his head to look at Li Mu, who had his eyes closed and had not said a word since the meeting began, and seemed to be completely unconcerned about the battle.

"Mr. Wu'an, do you think it's okay for General Meng to attack?"

Li Mu didn't open his eyes, but with a sneer on his face, he said, "There's only Meng Tian in the room, how can there be General Meng?"

During the Qin Dynasty, the correct usage of the word "general" was to refer to military generals who led troops to war.

Will be led.

The army is a large army.

General means leading an army.

If a military general does not lead troops outside, he should not be called a general.

The title of general is overused.

One reason is that the word "general" to a military general is like the word "beauty" to a woman, and it caters to their preferences.

The second reason is that the First Emperor didn't care about these red tape at all.

There was only Meng Tian in the room, not General Meng. This was opposition.

"Li Mu, are you taking your revenge lightly by attacking Tian in Chang'an Junfu?" Meng Tian glared at Li Mu with anger.

Jiuyuan County was his fiefdom, which was lost to the Xiongnu during his reign.

His soldiers, his confidants, and his comrades were all buried in his fiefdom.

He looked forward to fighting back day and night.

Li Mu's sneer widened, mixed with a hint of mockery, but he still kept his eyes closed.

In Meng Tian's eyes, that expression meant that even if Mu didn't bother to pay attention to you, how could you be qualified to talk to Mu?

"How dare the people of Zhao bully me like this!"

Meng Tian angrily drew the sword at his waist.

Squeak

A sword, Meng Tian's sword, flashed from the hall.

Meng Wu stood in front of Meng Tian, with a dark face, holding the sword at an angle, looking at Li Mu with murderous intent.

"Wu'er can't go out, how can Wu go out!"

Li Mu yawned, seeming a little tired, his eyes still closed.

"Your last name isn't Meng?"

There is no General Meng in the room. No one with the surname Meng is worthy of being a general.

"How dare Zhao Gou insult my father!"

Meng Tian drew his sword and rushed forward angrily.

Meng Wu blocked it with his arm across.

Meng Tian glared at his father angrily.

Why did my father stop me?

"My son is rude, Lord Zhao Wuan, please forgive me."

As Meng Wu spoke, he took a step forward with his sword in hand, getting closer to Li Mu.

"But if Zhao Wuan cannot explain today why my father and I cannot leave, don't blame the sharpness of the sword!"

Li Mu did not respond, with a disdainful expression on his face, as if to say that you two are not worthy of asking Mu for an explanation.

Seeing Meng Wu, Meng Tian and his son became furious and were ready to go into battle together.

Ying Fusu gave Meng Wu and Meng Tian a look that told them not to move rashly, then turned his head and whispered to Li Mu, "Wu Anjun, can you tell me something?"

Li Mu then opened his eyes and his expression relaxed a lot.

Without even looking at Meng Wu and Meng Tian standing in the hall, Li Mu said coldly, "I heard that Meng Tian's army was defeated in Jiuyuan and Jiuyuan was conquered by the Xiongnu. He ran back to Shangjun like a stray dog that lost its master and begged Meng Wu to send troops. County governor, county magistrate, is this true?"

Why are you talking to us like that? Do you think we are your soldiers?

The county magistrate and the county chancellor didn't want to talk.

Ying Fusu gave him a stern look.

"have."

"Um."

The county magistrate and the county magistrate spoke reluctantly.

"Losing the border counties to the Xiongnu is a disadvantage in this battle."

Li Mu said coldly.

"Jiuyuan only has 5,000 soldiers and horses. Can Zhao Wuan defend it?"

Meng Wu said in a deep voice.

Take Shangjun as an example, it takes 50,000 soldiers to garrison it. Although Shangjun is the barrier of the northwest, there are more soldiers left behind.

But it was really inappropriate for Jiuyuan County, which was the same county as Shang County, to have only 5,000 soldiers and horses, and Jiuyuan was a border county directly facing the Xiongnu.

It seems normal that 5,000 soldiers could not defend Jiuyuan County, and it should not be classified as a disadvantageous situation.

If you insist that my son is not doing well in the battle, then please tell me, Li Mu, how can five thousand soldiers defend Jiuyuan.

"Ha." Li Mu laughed and said casually: "Mu is in Jiuyuan, and he alone can make the Xiongnu dare not go south."

"What arrogant words!" Meng Tian sneered.

Even if Sun Tzu, Wu Zi, or Sun Bin were resurrected, they couldn't defend Jiuyuan with 5,000 soldiers, so you're just bragging!

"Shut up!" Meng Wu turned around and shouted angrily.

Meng Tian was puzzled.

Meng Wu took a deep breath, suppressed the anger on his face, and bowed deeply to Li Mu.

"Yanmen and Jiuyuan have been safe for ten years, all thanks to the remaining power of Zhao Wu'an. If my son loses Jiuyuan, the battle will be at a disadvantage."

After hearing this, Li Mu turned his head and looked at Meng Wu, staring at him for two breaths.

"That was originally the border of our Zhao State. Mu was not fighting for your Qin State."

"Since you have received my protection, you should acknowledge it."

The county magistrate and the county chancellor felt very unhappy and cursed inwardly.

It is shameful for the Qin general to worship Zhao's dog!

Han Fei secretly observed the faces, demeanor, and expressions of everyone in the room, wondering what they were thinking.

Sitting in the first seat and holding an absolute dominant position, the Crown Prince of Qin leaned back and resisted the urge to say something.

"I may not be good at being a soldier, but I can still be a good human being." Li Mu said calmly.

Meng Tian was furious and took two steps forward.

Meng Wu held his son's shoulders tightly and said in a suppressed voice: "Please continue to teach me, Lord Zhao Wuan."

"What more need I say?"

Li Mu's tone was full of sarcasm, enough to make Meng Tian's eyes bloodshot.

"After the Xiongnu captured Jiuyuan, your son fled back to Shangjun and said that the Xiongnu had not occupied Jiuyuan completely. He pointed to the wolf smoke in the sky and said it was a call for help. Even those who have just learned the art of war know that it was wolf dung lit by the Xiongnu to lure people into taking the bait.

"You don't even know this, why give him troops to Jiuyuan? Are you sending heads to the Xiongnu? Your Meng family was invaded by Meng Ao, and is a family of Qin generals. Meng Ao lost many battles in the beginning, and you don't even know the simple military principles.

"How powerful can you be, a man who is not as famous as his father or son? Since Bai Qi, the most powerful person in Qin State is Wang Jian. His soldiers are stronger than Mu's and his numbers are greater than Mu's. Yet, he still could not conquer Mu and was defeated by Mu. His deputy general was beheaded outside Handan City."

Li Mu closed his eyes, his face became calm, and he said calmly: "Mu thought Wang Jian was the last of the Qin generals. I never thought that each generation of you is worse than the previous one. I regret not fighting with Bai Qi."

Bang~

Meng Tian broke free from his father's hand on his shoulder, his face full of ferociousness.

"Who said I didn't know the Xiongnu set an ambush? I knew it! But even if that's the case, give me 10,000 elite soldiers, and I have the confidence to lead the army to defeat the Xiongnu! That day, I said that because I wanted my father to send troops, but I pretended not to know!"

"Is that so?" Li Mu closed his eyes and said casually, "You have confidence? Where does your confidence come from? Do you want to let 200,000 Qin soldiers die in Chu, or let 5,000 Qin soldiers die at the hands of the Xiongnu scimitars?"

"you!"

Bang~

Meng Wu turned around and slapped Meng Tian hard in the face.

Meng Tian was caught off guard by this blow, his head tilted to the side and blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

"Rebellious son! Don't you think you haven't embarrassed yourself enough? Did Wu Anjun say anything wrong?"

"General Mengwu, please calm down." said Crown Prince Ying Fusu.

Li Mu closed his eyes and stopped talking, seemingly having no interest in the subsequent discussions.

Meng Tian licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, turned his head, and did not blame his father for beating him.

Looking at Li Mu, who was the first on his right, with bloodshot eyes, he said, "Tian wants to ask..."

Meng Wu was furious and interrupted him.

"Rebellious son..."

Li Mu opened his eyes and looked coldly at Meng Wu and his son Meng Tian, and interrupted Meng Wu.

"Let him speak. Mu wants to hear what shameless words he can say."

Meng Tian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the raging anger in his eyes turned into a thousand-year-old ice. His voice was as cold as Li Mu's.

"Tian wants to ask, how many troops and horses do you, Li Mu, need to recover Yanmen and Jiuyuan?"

Sneered.

"Don't tell Tian about your past. It's meaningless. Just tell me how many soldiers you need now to recover Yanmen Jiuyuan!"

"Mu only needs 20,000 soldiers and horses." Li Mu sneered and said, "Why, do you want to compete with Mu?"

"good!"

Meng Tian's eyes flashed with a gleam of light. He stomped his feet heavily, clenched his fists, and bent his body ninety degrees.

He said in a loud voice: "Tian only needs 15,000 soldiers and horses! I am willing to issue a military order! If you don't take Jiuyuan and Yanmen within three days, I will behead you!"

Meng Wu's face darkened.

"You rebellious son..."

Ying Fusu's face changed.

"General Meng Tian must not act rashly..."

The two spoke at the same time, and when they were halfway through their conversation, Li Mu suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Okay! You, Meng Tian, will fight this battle! Fifteen thousand soldiers, not one more, not one less. If you can't win, you will die!"

"Can!"

Meng Tian spat heavily on the ground.

"Bah! It's just a small matter in Chang'an Jun's mansion, but you're retaliating. Zhao Wu'an Jun is just a narrow-minded villain!"

The next day.

Meng Tian led 15,000 soldiers and horses out of Shangjun.

On the city wall of Shangjun.