Chapter 219 Yichang City
A few days later, Zhu Family Fortress was outside the phosphate mine.
This mine has been taken over by the imperial court, and officials sent by the Ministry of Industry have inspected it and found that the reserves are extremely astonishing.
What thieves dug before was just the tip of the iceberg.
Phosphate rock may be used in the chemical industry in the future, but it has very little use today and the court doesn't pay much attention to it.
But now, due to the development of firearms in the military, a large amount of Yellow Phosphorus is also needed, so the guard station directly sent troops to close the waterway and build a mine here.
Mining phosphorus is dangerous, and miners' lives are short.
When a war broke out in Ezhou, prisoners and prisoners of war from all over the country were escorted here to mine and excavate.
Naturally, there were sorcerers accompanying the army. The ferocious spirit of Zhu Family Fortress's corpse-suppressing land had been released, so they knocked down the statue of Fan Monk and set up another Mountain God Temple to suppress it.
The mine at this moment is already crowded with people, densely built shacks, and guarded by troops.
Under the night, candlelight was dotted, and it was very busy.
On the high mountains in the distance, several men in black were stopping to watch.
One of them had an extremely strange appearance. He was abnormally thin and stooped, squatting on the ground like a giant monkey.
He had a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, but huge eyes. He pinched Yang Seal with his hands and stared straight ahead. At the same time, he said, "There are about five hundred soldiers in the guard station. They all look like raw melons and eggs, and the defense is not rigorous."
This place was far away from the mine, and it was dark at night, but he could see it clearly, as if he was right in front of him.
Several men in black, all with solemn expressions and cold aura.
In the middle of them, an old man with white beard stood with his hands behind his back. He was tall, with a tiger's back Bear Waist, eyes like a torch, and a hooked nose.
His eyes were unusually gloomy, "Have you checked it out?"
A middle-aged man next to him waved and clasped his fists, "Reporting to your Majesty, it's a few Heretical Art Practitioners who have traveled around the world. They came from Shaanzhou and have some reputation there."
"They were attacked while passing by and killed Garma Master, but these people hid <Thunderbolt Fire Scripture> and did not report it to the court."
"Hmph!"
The white-bearded old man said coldly, "These Heretical Art Practitioners, they don't know the heights of the world, they dare to touch anything."
"Where are they now?"
"The news has come over there that they showed up at Jingzhou yesterday and have gone to Yichang. Commander Wang has gone to intercept them in person."
"Hmm."
The old man nodded slightly, looked behind him, and said calmly, "Are you sure that Zhao Changsheng will show up in Ezhou?"
One person slowly raised his head, held his hands respectfully and said, "My lord, 'Red Woman' has appeared in Ezhou many times. She is Zhao Changsheng's confidant. She must have some conspiracy to stay here for a long time."
If Li Yan is here, you will find that this person is Bai RuoXu, the master of Yaxing Hall who escaped from Chang'an.
The old man pondered for a moment and said, "You were once a member of the Maitreya Sect. I will leave the matter of contacting 'Red Woman' to you."
"Ask her to send a message to Zhao Changsheng. Heavenly Saint Sect and the mountain people will be ready soon. As long as this happens, I will give away the treasure he wants."
"This..."
Bai RuoXu When he heard it, he immediately hesitated.
A person next to him smiled and said, "Brother Bai, what are you afraid of?"
"You acted with the Maitreya Sect, and Zhao Changsheng was hunted down by the Maitreya Sect's people. We are in the same boat, how could we attack you?"
"Now that you're under the command of the Lord, you can't be too precious about yourself when doing things."
Looking at the indifferent eyes of the people around him, Bai RuoXu sighed in his heart, knowing that he could not avoid this errand, so he had to slightly hold his hand.
"I obey my orders."
Yichang is also called Yiling, originally ancient Xiling Tribe.
It is rumored that Leizu, the wife of Yellow Emperor, is the daughter of the Xiling Clan.
The Eastern Jin Dynasty divided the western territory of Yiling and named it "Yichang" when a separate county was established, which meant that it was suitable for the prosperity of the country. The name "Yichang" first appeared in history.
Great Xuan Dynasty established the dynasty and formally established the name of Yichang...
"Young Hero Li, we're here!"
On the deck, the cheerful voice of "Fast Boat Zhang" sounded.
He was on tenterhooks all the way.
Not because of the complicated and dangerous waters, but because of the numerous firearms on board.
Although as a man in the martial arts world, he had to do a lot of dirty work in the past, it is now well known that the imperial court attaches great importance to firearms.
Coupled with the current war in Ezhou, there are obviously many more officers and soldiers patrolling the river. Once detected, even if they can escape, they will definitely be wanted and have to live in the green forest.
Fortunately, he has extraordinary boating skills, and Lu San has been sending falcons to patrol. If he spots the imperial navy from a distance, he will immediately avoid it.
Finally, I arrived in Yichang without any danger.
Naturally, these firearms could not enter the city, so they found a hill by the river halfway and hid them in a secret place in the cave.
Li Yan and others heard this and walked out of the cabin.
At this time, it was just dawn, the sky was overcast, and drizzle was falling.
On the broad Yangtze River, the water waves are surging, and hundreds of boats and thousands of sails are criss-crossing. In the distance is a huge river bend, and a huge city is built on the river bend.
This place is as busy as the Jingzhou I passed by before.
Old Man Zhang smiled and introduced, "Everyone, Yichang City Ferry controls Bashu at the top and Jingxiang at the bottom. It is an important river and lake terminal in Ezhou."
"On the Jianghu Road here, in addition to Ezhou, there are also many gangs from Bashu. It can be said that they are a mixed bag of dragons and snakes. But with your ability, you can stand firm wherever you go."
Li Yan nodded, and said seriously, "Senior Zhang, it's been a tiring journey. We'll part ways when we get to the pier."
"Fast Boat Zhang" was startled, "After you finish your work, don't you have to go somewhere else? I can wait."
Sha LiFei on the side smiled and said, "Don't say more, we have caused some trouble, and the enemy is not a good enemy, so as not to hurt you."
"When the world becomes peaceful, I will definitely meet you for a drink, Senior Zhang."
"Fast Boat Zhang" was silent for a moment, nodded slightly and said, "That's fine, I'm not afraid at this age, but these disciples have young and old to support at home, so I'm sorry."
Li Yan laughed dumbly, "Senior, what did you say?"
Old Man Zhang turned to look at Wang Dao Xuan, bowed deeply and handed over his hands, "Daoist Wang is highly righteous, please accept my respect."
The boatmen on the boat also turned around and paid their respects.
Along the way, although Li Yan is the leader, the one they respect the most is Wang Dao Xuan.
Wang Dao Xuan is a generous person and treats others like a spring breeze. He also never hides his secrets and tells all the taboos to avoid evil spirits.
"Fast Boat Zhang" recorded it himself and actually copied a large book.
He knew that this was a treasure that could be passed down from generation to generation!
With this thing, although it is not as good as those Xuan Gate People, they do not rely on exorcism to make a living. They travel around the world and encounter some weird things, so they also have a way to protect themselves.
As he spoke, the wooden boat gradually approached the dock.
The riverbank here is wide and there are several docks for docking ships. Some only allow official ships to come and go, and some are designed for large merchant ships to unload cargo.
The pier for small passenger ships is relatively small.
"Everyone, farewell!"
"Take care on the road!"
After getting on the pier and saying goodbye to each other, the four Li Yan watched "Fast Boat Zhang" leave, then turned and walked towards Yichang City.
Looking from a distance, I can see that the Yichang City Wall is completely different from Guanzhong. It is based on red sandstone and built with green bricks, and is oval in shape.
Around the city wall, moats were dug, up to four feet wide, with water from the Yangtze River overflowing into it, and the danger of the Yangtze River forming a natural moat.
At this time, the city gate had already been opened. Although it was busy, it was very smooth. There was no need to queue up to enter the city, but there were a large number of soldiers patrolling and inspecting the gate.
As everyone walked forward, they soon discovered something was fishy.
These soldiers conduct extremely strict inspections on people dressed as ethnic minorities, as well as Jianghu people carrying weapons.
Several people looked at each other and guessed the reason.
Although they were on their way, when they passed by Jingzhou, Sha LiFei also entered the city and bought a copy of the latest information.
Yunyang City Over there, the war is in a tense state.
After the mountain people occupied Zhushan County, they gathered a large number of troops and wanted to continue to attack the city and even capture Yunyang City.
However, Yunyang City was very different at this time.
Governor Yuan Qun, who was recuperating at home, showed up dragging his sick body.
This is a truly capable minister. He has guarded Yunyang Prefecture for many years, opened up wasteland, cultivated land, and attracted mountain people, which has improved the situation.
It was precisely because he was so capable that he had a good reputation even among the mountain people. He was gradually eroding his reputation, which forced Heavenly Saint Sect to take risks.
As soon as he took action, he immediately took control of the situation.
The daring Regional Military Commissioner was captured directly, and prudent generals were temporarily promoted to defend various waterways.
With precautions, the effect of gunpowder is significantly reduced.
The rebellious mountain people wanted to lure the enemy again, but instead they were ambushed by Yuan Qun, and they won their first victory since the war began.
However, Yuan Qun did not rush forward either.
Heavenly Saint Sect The number of troops is too great. In a short period of time, an army of 200,000 has been gathered.
Thanks to the emergency support from the Shaanzhou Guard Station, we were able to barely hold on.
Yuan Qun's strategy is very simple, just stick to it.
This riot was a slap in the emperor's face. Great Xuan Dynasty has mobilized troops from all walks of life to rush to Ezhou to suppress the rebellion.
As long as Yuan Qun controls the war within a certain range, once the army arrives, Jingchu Mountain Area can be wiped out and Heavenly Saint Sect can be completely wiped out.
Of course, they have a bigger enemy.
Those are the chieftains who caused trouble.
Great Xuan Dynasty The imperial court has made up its mind to resolve the Jingchu Mountain People and Replace Tusi with centrally appointed officials matters in one fell swoop this time and stabilize the Divine Land situation.
But Yichang is a little special.
One side borders the chieftain territories in the southwest, and the other side is also connected to Bashu, and is heavily garrisoned.
If the Jingchu Mountain Area war subsides, this will be the front line to suppress all parties and wipe out the rebellious chieftains.
Prior to this, the court was unwilling to be too forceful.
After all, there are still some chieftains who are loyal to the court and willing to cooperate with Replace Tusi with centrally appointed officials, while others are waiting and watching and have not participated in the rebellion.
If these people can be won over, the war can be ended as soon as possible.
At the same time, the rebel chieftains were also active. First, they were trying to infiltrate Yichang City to prepare for war, and second, they were trying to win support from various forces.
Today's Yichang City is like a gathering of all kinds of demons and monsters...
"Stop!"
Sure enough, as soon as they arrived at the door, they were stopped by soldiers.
At first glance, they look like they are not good people.
Li Yan calmly took out the black ultimatum and said, "I am a warlock from Shaanzhou. I have accepted the Yunyang Prefecture City God Temple mission and came to the southwest to investigate a few cases."
The effect of the black ultimatum is revealed.
When the commander of the soldiers guarding the city saw it, his eyes softened a lot, and he bowed his hands respectfully and said, "Please wait a moment. Someone from Yichang City God Temple is here to check."
After saying that, he quickly turned around and said, "Quickly go and invite Daoist Master Yu Lingzi!"
There is a guard room near the city gate, and a gray-haired Daoist priest is meditating inside. He is slightly fat, his head is nodding, and he is snoring constantly.
"Daoist, Daoist!"
The soldiers guarding the city quickly woke him up, "Several warlocks came from Yunyang Prefecture, saying they had received the City God Temple mission."
"By the way, they said they were from Shaanzhou. Mr. Banner Officer asked me to check."
"Oh."
The fat Daoist opened his eyes in a daze, then he got excited, pulled the soldier and said, "You said they are from Shaanzhou?"
"Is the leader a young man?"
"Well, do you know the Daoist priest?"
As soon as the soldier asked, the fat Daoist quickly put on his shoes and ran out in a panic.
When he came to the gate of the city and saw the Li Yan people, he immediately smiled and stepped forward to salute, "But is this layman Li from Guanzhong?"
Li Yan was stunned and said somewhat suspiciously, "Does the Daoist priest know us?"
The fat Daoist shook his fly whisk, with a smile on his face, "I have a letter from my nephew Yu Lingzi, Gu Hanzi, saying that you are coming here. I have been waiting for you for a long time."
"Pindao has arranged a place for you, please come!"
Li Yan The four of them looked at each other.
Although they have gained some fame, they are nothing compared to the behemoth Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect.
There may be something wrong with being so enthusiastic.
But now that things have come to this, we have to act according to circumstances.
"Thank you, Daoist priest."
Li Yan winked and led everyone to follow the fat Daoist into the city.
As soon as you enter the city gate, you will see a long street with numerous shops on both sides and many pedestrians coming and going. Even under the clouds of war, it looks extremely prosperous.
"Liang Xia, Liang Xia, cool and quench your thirst!"
"Carrot dumplings!"
Along both sides of the street, there are many restaurants with constant hawking sounds.
Li Yan and others traveled for days without stopping day and night. They had food and accommodation on the boat, and could not light a fire. Most of the time they ate dry food.
When I heard the cries, my stomach suddenly started pounding.
Sha LiFei couldn't help but licked his lips, "The folk customs are indeed very different in different places. This is the first time I heard that shrimps can cool down and quench thirst."
Fat Daoist Yu Lingzi smiled and said, "You guys don't know, this Liang Xia is not a shrimp, but a kind of food. It is steamed with rice milk and dropped into a basin of cold water with a colander. It has a big head and a thin tail like a shrimp, so it is named after it."
"When you eat it, mix it with sucrose water to give it a unique flavor. There is a restaurant Peng Family in front of you that makes the best one. Let's go and try it."
"Yichang brings together delicacies from both places. When it comes to where the delicious food is in the city, Pindao knows it all..."
Seeing his triumphant look, Li Yan immediately understood.
Gu Hanzi said that in order to cope with the war, all the elite Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect from Ezhou have been transferred to Yunyang Prefecture.
In Yichang, the Dharma lineage is stronger. Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect only occupies City God Temple, and although Yu Lingzi is senior, he is obviously not an elite...
It seemed that Li Yan didn't notice anything strange at all. Yu Lingzi walked forward, spitting non-stop, introducing the scenery of Yichang city.
Of course, the most talked about are the various delicacies.
Unknowingly, everyone had passed through the middle city and came to a street on the right. On the opposite side was City God Temple.
When everyone saw it, they were immediately dumbfounded.
I saw that half of the City God Temple facade collapsed, and many workers were repairing it in the rain...
The third one will be posted later.