Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 174: Fan Gong's Ingenious Plan to Alleviate the Hangzhou Disaster

Ye Beixuan stood in the center of the battlefield, his eyes as sharp as torches, and shouted the order: "All troops pursue!"

The morale of the soldiers of the Great Zhou was high, and they launched a fierce pursuit of the defeated army of the Northern Liang like a tiger descending from the mountain.

The soldiers of Beiliang had long lost the will to fight. They threw away their weapons and armor, fled in a panic, and scattered in all directions.

The cavalry of the Great Zhou swept through like a hurricane, killing the scattered Northern Liang soldiers like cutting melons and vegetables.

On the battlefield, dust was flying, and the sounds of shouting and screaming were intertwined and endless.

At the same time, the battle in the sky entered a white-hot stage.

The four monks from the Four Great Emptiness Formation engaged in a fierce battle with the quadruplets.

The Buddha's light and evil spirits intertwined and collided in the air, bursting out with dazzling light.

Although the quadruplets' strength increased greatly after they merged, they gradually showed signs of fatigue under the suppression of the Four Great Void Formation.

Although their attacks were strange and evil, they were cleverly defused by the monks every time.

At this moment, one of them said in a dull tone: "These monks are really difficult to deal with. If we keep wasting time, we will definitely suffer!"

Another man gritted his teeth and said, "Retreat! Wait until we recover, then we'll come back and fight them!"

After assessing the situation for a moment, a black light flashed by and they quickly evacuated the battlefield.

Seeing this, the four great monks did not pursue him, but slowly landed on the ground and reunited with Ye Beixuan.

Ye Beixuan turned around and bowed to the four monks, saying, "Thank you for your help."

The monk who quit gambling waved his hand and said with a smile: "You're welcome. These four people in one are really not simple."

The drug rehabilitation monk nodded and said, "Indeed, their fusion technique is extremely strange. If we didn't have the Four-in-One Formation, I'm afraid it would be difficult to resist."

The monk Jiese smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Ye, what are your plans next?"

Ye Beixuan said in a deep voice: "Beiliang will definitely rally after this great defeat. I hope the four of you will lend me a hand when the time comes."

The monk who quit smoking nodded in agreement and said, "Brother, Master asked us to come and help, but this is good wine and good food."

Ye Beixuan knew that the four of them were playboys, so he laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'll give you enough."

At this moment, a messenger came running over, knelt on one knee, and reported: "Master Ye, His Majesty has ordered you to return to the capital as soon as possible."

Ye Beixuan frowned slightly. Why should I go back now? But it doesn't matter. Tian Huazhi's road will be repaired in a few days. When it is repaired, it will be the moment of the decisive battle. With four monks here, we are not afraid of the quadruplets' sneak attack.

So he turned to the four monks and said, "Four Masters, I'm afraid I have to leave for a while. I'll leave this place in your care."

The monk who had given up gambling patted his chest and said with a smile, "Don't worry. I can't guarantee anything for the other monks, but if those four black guys dare to come, we will make sure they never return. However, this military camp is boring. Do you have any gambling equipment?"

"Uh" Ye Beixuan was speechless for a while after being asked this question.

"Brother, Master has told us not to do that." Jieyan hurriedly spoke out to stop him.

"I know, I know. I just asked." Jie Du waved his hand.

Ye Beixuan nodded, then flashed and headed towards the capital.

Along the way, Ye Beixuan had a lot of thoughts in his mind. Shouldn't the empress call me back?
Is there some new conspiracy at court? Perhaps Beiliang is behind some larger operation.

No matter what, I should go back and take a look as soon as possible.

Night falls.

In the imperial palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the lights in the Hall of Mental Cultivation were still on. The empress and Li Xianglian were reviewing official documents and studying policies. The maids came to add tea every now and then.

"Your Majesty, the various immortal palaces are currently encircling and suppressing the Heavenly Demon Sect. The world is in chaos, and the people are suffering terribly. Food is the most important thing for the people, and now we are facing repeated natural disasters such as torrential rains. Countless farmlands have been flooded, and the harvest has been completely destroyed. Yet, these unscrupulous merchants are hoarding grain and raising prices." Li Xianglian said angrily, "Your Majesty, we must crack down on them."

The empress sighed and said helplessly, "It's not that I don't want to crack down on them, but these grain merchants are mostly supported by certain officials in the court, and some large families are involved. They are very powerful, and I am powerless. If I limit the price, they won't sell, and the people will suffer even more."

"Maybe he'll find a way when he comes back."

At this moment, the maid outside the door hurriedly came to report: "Your Majesty, Mr. Ye is here and waiting outside."

Originally, the empress wanted everyone in the world to call Ye Beixuan Queen. When he heard this title, he got goose bumps all over his body and immediately refused it sternly, asking them to call him Mr. Ye.

"Please come in." The empress's face suddenly turned happy and she said excitedly.

Li Xianglian was even more overjoyed, but her face flushed slightly.

After a while, Ye Beixuan, led by a maid, walked into the Yangxin Palace.

"Your Majesty summoned me at this time. Is there something important?" Ye Beixuan said lightly.

The two women were originally very happy, but when they talked about the matter, they immediately looked worried. Li Xianglian then slowly explained the situation. There were heavy rains in the south, and the people had no food. The national treasury also had little food, and the roads were restricted. Now the price of food has skyrocketed.

Ye Beixuan touched his chin! Isn't this just profiting from a national disaster? This behavior is extremely shameful. It was better in the previous life! Anyone who dares to profit from a national disaster will be dealt with directly. It's a pity that the emperor here sometimes can't care so much.

So he pinched his chin and said slowly, "Your Majesty, let me tell you a story! After listening to it, you will know what to do."

"This story is called Fan Gong's Ingenious Plan to Alleviate the Famine in Hangzhou." (This story comes from the story of Fan Zhongyan who solved the famine in Hangzhou.)
The Empress and Li Xianglian were startled, knowing that his storytelling was a strategy. The Empress hurriedly pricked up her ears to listen, and Li Xianglian even took a pen to take notes at any time.

"Hmm!" Ye Beixuan cleared his throat and began to narrate: "It is said that in a great country, there was a place called Hangzhou that suffered a severe flood disaster."

The Empress and Li Xianglian showed expressions of "as expected", and the story was indeed set against the backdrop of a flood.

There was anticipation in the eyes of both of them.

Ye Beixuan paused and continued, "The floods have engulfed the farmland, leaving us with nothing to harvest. The streets of the city are littered with starving people, and the people are emaciated and pale. The life in their eyes has long been gone, and some are filled with helplessness and confusion."

His voice was magnetic, and the folding fan in his hand would occasionally outline pictures, making the empress and Li Xianglian seem to see the miserable scene of people starving to death on the road.

"What's worse is that rice prices have skyrocketed, more than tripling."

Alas! The empress shook her head. Isn’t she facing such a dilemma now?

Let's hear how he solved it.

After seeing the two women's melancholy fade away, Ye Beixuan continued, "At this time, a man named Fan Zhongyan was appointed as the governor of Hangzhou."

"Fan Zhongyan was resourceful and had the world in his heart. But when he went to Hangzhou, he became even more disheartened. The tree bark and grass roots had already been eaten, and some people even exchanged their own children for cannibalism." Ye Beixuan said this in a high-pitched voice, as if he was describing the tragic scene.

"Eating one's own children is such a tragedy! I will never allow such a thing to happen to my people. Otherwise, I will be ashamed of the Great Zhou and the people."

Li Xianglian said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Let him tell you slowly."

He then began to recount how Fan Zhongyan had invited all the grain merchants in Hangzhou to the government office for a discussion. The merchants had already privately agreed that if the prefect asked them to sell grain at a low price, they would unite and refuse to sell.

At this point, the empress sighed and said, "I am also facing the same problem. How can I solve it?"

She was very curious about how Mr. Fan solved this matter.
Ye Beixuan imitated Fan Zhongyan's calm demeanor and slowly spoke, but his words stunned everyone: "Hangzhou is currently short of food, and the people are suffering terribly. This prefect has decided to double the price of grain again."

"Increase?" Li Xianglian looked puzzled. What kind of strategy was this?
“People already have no money to buy food, so why is the price still rising?”

"Don't be impatient." Ye Beixuan said slowly, "Let me explain in detail."

Then he began to narrate, and the grain merchants were overjoyed. They applauded and praised him, thinking that he was sent by a big family to make them rich, so they nodded in agreement.

Fan Zhongyan even posted price increase notices all over the streets.

For a time, Hangzhou was in an uproar. The grain merchants felt that wealth was beckoning them, and the people were cursing.

However, Fan Zhongyan turned a deaf ear to this and continued to raise prices, with grain prices even showing a subtle upward trend.

Bang! The empress slammed the table angrily.

"I wonder if Fan Zhongyan is one of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Names?"

Li Xianglian made a gesture to keep quiet. She found it difficult to understand, but still wanted to continue listening.

Ye Beixuan knew that it was difficult for them to understand. Not to mention them, even normal people would find it difficult to understand this operation!

So he continued aloud, "Hangzhou's grain merchants are getting rich. Grain merchants all over the country are jealous when they hear the news. How can they let go of such a mountain of gold and silver?"

"So they rushed to Hangzhou, regardless of the weather, with truckloads and boatloads of grain, hoping to capitalize on this crisis."

"It wasn't long before Hangzhou was filled with food."

At this point, the Empress and Li Xianglian seemed to sense something was different, but they couldn't put their finger on it.

At this moment, Ye Beixuan suddenly changed the subject, his tone rising from low to high, and said, "However, at this moment, Fan Zhongyan suddenly ordered the opening of the granaries and the release of grain, selling it at an extremely low price."

The Empress and Li Xianglian soon grasped the underlying strategy. Releasing the grain would inevitably lead to a sharp drop in prices. Due to the torrential rain, the grain merchants had just shipped was extremely damp. If it wasn't sold quickly, it would quickly go moldy and spoil. Even more so, shipping the grain back—the shipping costs and losses alone would bankrupt them.

Those who wanted to make money from the national crisis are now facing the dilemma of not being able to sell their products.

"This is the end! Those grain merchants have no choice but to sell the grain at a low price."

"Okay." The empress slammed the table and stood up, saying, "Okay, okay."

Li Xianglian's eyes were filled with smiles, and she felt extremely proud in her heart. He was indeed the man I chose.

Ye Beixuan had no idea what they were thinking, so he continued, "In addition, Lord Fan Zhongyan also did something that Your Majesty can emulate."

"Hurry up and tell me, hurry up and tell me." The empress asked impatiently, how many good ideas do you have? I want to drain your brain dry.

"There is a flood in the south right now, and the people are suffering, but labor is also the cheapest at this time. We can start large-scale construction and water conservancy projects at this time, and follow the example of Mr. Fan and use labor instead of relief." Ye Beixuan said slowly.

Work-for-relief? What a great work-for-relief policy! It not only saves costs and reduces waste, but also provides disaster relief. This approach benefits both the country and the people. You are worthy of being the one who sleeps with me.

"Besides, Your Majesty, who should you choose to provide disaster relief? This is a matter of study. I believe Your Majesty already has a clear idea in mind, so I won't elaborate." Ye Beixuan said calmly, "The battle at the front is intense, and I have to return to command."

The Empress and Li Xianglian frowned upon hearing this. "Want to run? You can't run away tonight."

"Well! Beixuan! You've been running non-stop and working hard all the way. You must be very tired!" The empress said with a smile in her peach blossom eyes.

"I'm not tired," Ye Beixuan replied. "Oh! Someone come," the empress called out to the door, "Young Master Ye is physically and mentally exhausted. Take him to the Yude Pool to bathe and wait on him."

“.”No, I didn’t say bath!

"Your Majesty, I'm really not tired."

"Oh! I see. You want me to accompany you, right?" The empress smiled calmly and said, "Come here, I want to bathe with Master Ye."

"." I am speechless. I am completely speechless. Why didn't I realize that this woman was so shameless before?
He could only whisper: "I"

"Oh! You still want Xiang Fei to come with you! I agree. Come, pack up Xiang Fei and Master Ye and take them to Yude Pool. I will be there soon." Before Ye Beixuan could speak, the empress had already taken the lead.

Seeing this, Ye Beixuan had no choice but to keep silent. He didn't dare to say anything, for fear that if he said anything more, the maids around him would probably join in.

There is mist in the Yude Pool.

Ye Beixuan was brought to the pool by the maids. Although he felt helpless, he had no choice but to obey.

He took off his clothes, stepped into the warm pool, and immediately felt all the fatigue in his body swept away.

He leaned against the pool, closed his eyes and rested, but his mind was full of thoughts. He must go back as soon as possible, command the army, and prepare for the upcoming decisive battle.

At this moment, the water in the pool rippled slightly. Ye Beixuan opened his eyes and saw Li Xianglian, dressed in a light gauze, slowly walking into the pool.

The gauze was soaked with water and clung to her body, outlining her graceful curves.

There was a hint of charm in her eyes and a smile on her lips as she slowly approached Ye Beixuan.

"Are you in such a hurry to leave? Don't you know I miss you so much?" Li Xianglian's voice was soft, with a hint of coquettishness.

She put her red lips close to Ye Beixuan's ear, her breath was as sweet as orchid, and the warm breath brushed against his ear, making it itchy.

Ye Beixuan smiled bitterly and said, "Isn't this because the war is getting tight?"

Li Xianglian smiled softly, her fingers gently brushed across Ye Beixuan's chest, and whispered, "But I miss you."

Before Ye Beixuan could answer, Li Xianglian's red lips were already pressed against his.

The four lips touched, and the hot touch made Ye Beixuan lose consciousness for a moment.

Ripples appeared on the water in the pool, and the waves gently hit the pool wall, making a subtle sound.

Just as the two were immersed in each other's tenderness, Ye Beixuan suddenly felt a pair of soft hands gently hugging him from behind.

He was slightly stunned, then realized that it was the empress who had quietly entered the pool.

Her body was pressed against his back, and they could feel each other's heartbeat.

"I can't bear to see you go." The empress's voice sounded in his ears, with a hint of doting, and said: "I want a child."

Ye Beixuan was speechless for a moment and could only let the two women hold him.

In the dense fog, the vague figures of three people were intertwined, and the atmosphere became charming.

Ye Beixuan hurriedly left the palace before dawn. Although he was reluctant to leave, he knew that his mission was not yet completed. The unknown sea of blood kept lingering in his mind and could not be shaken off.

Only by achieving great unification can the world be united and Pangu's luck be unified. Then the gods will be enshrined and worshipped, awakening all the gods and Buddhas in the sky to fight against the sea of blood.

The Yude Pool was already empty, and the maids were ordered to go in and clean it.

"Last night I fell asleep while on guard outside, and I had a dream about the loud sound of waves crashing against the shore."

"real or fake."

"I was also guarding outside the door last night, and I seemed to hear the sound of the waves."

The maids discussed the matter at once, but all of them had one question in their minds.

Where does the sound of waves come from in this imperial palace?

What surprised them even more was that the water level of Yude Pool had dropped significantly in the early morning of the next day, as if half of it had evaporated overnight.

Golden Tooth Mountain.

On Jinya Mountain, the north wind was so fierce that the trees were swaying.

Qin Ruoxi was dressed in men's clothes, with a sword at her waist, looking heroic and directing the soldiers to build a road.

Several days have passed since I was assigned here to be responsible for road construction. When will it end?
She's a natural troublemaker, a chivalrous hero. Forced into the military, she finally gets a chance to fight, and now she's being assigned to road construction. Isn't that a waste of talent? A skilled warrior like me isn't allowed to fight?
Although road construction is important, it is boring and not as direct as fighting.

In fact, there was another important reason why she wanted to go to the battlefield. That was the person who saved her that day. Was he him? Why did he disappear after saving her? She wanted to find him and ask him face to face.

"General!" Qin Ruoxi looked at Tian Huazhi who was walking towards her, and said with a hint of pleading in her tone, "Can you let me go into battle and kill the enemy?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Huazhi showed a helpless smile on his face.

He smiled bitterly to himself, "How dare I let you go into battle? Your backstage has specifically instructed that you must not go to the battlefield before he comes back."

He coughed lightly and said in a serious tone, "Captain Qin, road construction is as important as the battlefield. I'm putting you here mainly to temper your temper. If you can't even handle this little setback, how will you lead troops in the future?"

Qin Ruoxi was dissatisfied when she heard this, but she could only persuade him.

She said softly, "General, I have practiced martial arts since I was young. Building roads here, isn't that a waste of my talents?"

Tian Huazhi felt helpless, but couldn't say it out loud, so he could only continue to laugh it off: "Captain Qin, I'm naturally aware of your talents. However, the army has its own division of labor, and road construction is a top priority."

"In two days, the road will be repaired. I will arrange whatever mission you need."

You have your own house and yard, and your treatment is almost the same as mine. Don't you understand? You are favored by Lord Ye, but you really don't know how to appreciate it!
Qin Ruoxi felt choked up when she heard this. "Well, let's just wait for two days!"
the other side.

Ye Beixuan returned to the military tent and said to the signalman next to him, "Go and call Captain Li Shun."

"Yes, General." Now the soldiers finally stopped calling him a coward and were full of admiration and worship for him in their hearts.

If for no other reason, Lin Jiuyuan and Zhang Bei had been defeated time and again since they came to the border, but this guy won a battle as soon as he arrived. Although he was quite frustrated before, now that he had won, everything was easy.

Ye Beixuan began to stare at the sand table again, studying the path carefully, and found that the Cangshan Ridge of Jinya Mountain was steep and extremely difficult to climb, but it was possible to go around behind Tuoba Hong, and Li Shun had climbed Yanmen Valley with him before.

Knowing people and using them well is the right way.

After a while, Li Shun came into the tent, and outside the tent there was a petite figure waiting respectfully. It was Fox Meir.

"General." Li Shun knelt on one knee and bowed, "What are your instructions?"

He became a captain and felt that his ancestors were very proud of him, but he never expected that the man who had been recruited with him would become the commander-in-chief. It was really frustrating to compare yourself with others.

"Captain Li, please stand up. Do you still remember the time when we climbed up the Yanmen Valley and killed the Beiliang general?" Ye Beixuan said with a calm smile.

How could Li Shun not remember it? That was the most glorious achievement of his life.

"In the past, under the leadership of the general, we defeated Beiliang. Whatever the general commands, I will be willing to die for him." Li Shun bowed.

"You don't have to risk your life. From today on, you select soldiers who are good at climbing. I will promote you to General of the Central Army. You will train them in climbing techniques. Your command and dispatch authority will belong to me alone." Ye Beixuan looked at Li Shun with blazing eyes and said calmly, "Can you do it?"

Seeing Ye Beixuan's serious look, Li Shun immediately realized that he was promoting himself and treating him as a confidant. This was a great opportunity to rise to prominence.

So he immediately knelt down and said, "Thank you, General, for the promotion. I will do my best to help you."

"Okay, you can go down! Go to the army and choose in person now." Ye Beixuan waved his hand and said.

"Yes," Li Shun replied respectfully, and then walked out of the tent. He glanced at Hu Mei'er, and they nodded to each other, and then he turned and left.

"Come in!" Hu Meir was still looking at Li Shun's back in fascination. Suddenly, she heard Ye Beixuan calling her. How could she dare to be negligent? She immediately walked into the tent.

Ye Beixuan was staring at the sand table intently and didn't look up at her.

Hu Mei'er's face showed a nervous expression. She suddenly knelt down and said, "Sir, please help me."

Huh? What's wrong with this vixen? Why is she so serious?
Ye Beixuan said calmly, "What's the matter? Get up and tell me first."

After getting permission, Hu Meir slowly stood up and then told the whole story of her and Li Shun's escape, especially the process of Li Shun giving her the shoes.

Send him shoes? Oh no! I was just fooling you. Wait! So, Fox Meier fell in love with him first, then saved him, and that's why she sent him shoes.

This is simply the gears of fate turning. My divine powers were not wrong. It seems that Li Shun might really be Hu Meir's husband.

What should I do? Li Shun! You can't blame me for this. It's you who couldn't resist her advances!
So he still said calmly: "What's the matter?"

"Please, sir, please heal my face." Hu Mei'er bowed her head and said, "I don't want to face him with this face."

Ye Beixuan knew that Hu Mei'er would come to him for help sooner or later, and he had already planned to do so. He would just treat it as a reward for her.

Fortunately, his disciples recently rewarded him with the title of Miraculous Doctor Dadugong, so curing this facial injury is no problem.

"Come here." Ye Beixuan said calmly, "The injury on your face was caused by a hunter when you were young. It can only be removed by the energy of heaven and earth."

He concentrated his true energy into his fingers and waved his hand lightly. The true energy of the Chaos Art instantly began to repair the meridians on her face, and the scars disappeared at an astonishing speed visible to the naked eye.

Soon, she returned to her original appearance, and she was indeed a vixen.

"Your injuries have been healed, and I have already granted you the fate you requested."

Hu Mei'er immediately knelt down and thanked her, "Hu Mei'er will definitely help my husband select someone who is good at climbing for you."

"Go down."

"Yes."

Ye Beixuan continued to stare at the sand table, thinking to himself: The next step is to sneak into Chencang (Baoji).

Tuoba Hong, where should I hang your head?

(End of this chapter)