Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 175 Refugees
That day, Zhang Xian rode his Mo Ying horse ahead of him towards the Taihang Mountains.

After Jinyang has prepared enough food and manpower, it will also set off for Weize Pass to replenish the food and supplies needed for all the passes along the way.

The selection of the two hundred officials to be sent to Baijingbao is still underway, and it will take some time to prepare the appointment letters and official documents.

So Zhang Xian went ahead alone.

Without the burden of others, he is the fastest on his own.

Mo Ying moved with incredible speed, almost as if the wind was blowing beneath his feet, several times faster than an ordinary horse.

The properly prepared horse armor was tied to the back of the saddle, and Zhang Xian could also put it on if needed.

Heading east, we passed numerous post stations along the way.

There was a post station every fifty li, with a postmaster and postmen responsible for the road conditions and minor disputes within that fifty li radius.

Since the reform of the post stations, the security and road conditions on the roads in Taiyuan have improved significantly, which has also reduced the burden on the prefectural and county governments.

The closer they got to the Taihang Mountains, the wider the roads became, thanks to the maintenance work done by Han Ji's engineering team during their spare time.

The closer to the Taihang Mountains, the more post stations there were, changing from one every fifty li to one every thirty li.

Within the area of ​​each city, there are five to eight beacon towers, which can quickly respond and alert in case of any emergency.

Baijingbao.

The dark shadow swept in like a gust of wind.

Today, after several reinforcements and renovations, Baijingbao is like a small town.

It guards the vital passage westward out of the Taihang Mountains, like a nail driven into the slope outside the Taihang Mountains.

The surrounding area is not flat, but it is not particularly rugged either. This place can serve as a base for farming.

Although not as convenient as planting on plains, the terrain of most sloping and sandy areas is actually more suitable for growing crops such as pumpkins and beans.

"Lord!"

After Mo Ying entered Baijing Fort, Han Ji also arrived in a hurry, covered in dust and looking more like a traveler than Zhang Xian.

Without dismounting, Zhang Xian simply went over to greet him: "Sir, you've worked hard. You deserve the most credit for making this Taihang Mountain path pass through smoothly."

Han Ji smiled slightly: "Sharing the burdens of my lord is nothing to worry about, but seeing my lord in this state, are you about to venture deep into the Taihang Mountains?"

Zhang Xian nodded: "Yes, tens of thousands of refugees have gathered over Lan's place. The roads are impassable, and I dare not let them take other dangerous routes, so I can only go there personally to pacify them."

"In addition, the war in Ji Province has also reached a stalemate. Lu Zhi and Lu Zigan have asked Bing Province for help. I need to go and talk to them about the terms."

"Let's negotiate," Han Ji looked around, waved away a few people nearby, and asked in a low voice as he approached.

"Is the Yellow Turban Army the lord's condition?"

Zhang Xian nodded slightly: "You understand me best. I can't explain things to Prince Wenruo and the others in detail, so I can only agree with their request for help."

"Although I don't care much about reputation, if Lu Zigan is willing to accept this favor, it will save many Yellow Turban soldiers from dying."

"Does the lord mean to accept the prisoners of the Yellow Turban Army?"

“Yes, Lu Zigan’s northern garrison is running out of food. Those corrupt officials in the court are unwilling to allocate any food. He will definitely kill the prisoners. My trip to Weize Pass this time is for two reasons: to pacify the refugees and to deal with these Yellow Turban prisoners.”

Han Ji suddenly realized what was happening and cupped his hands in greeting: "Be extremely careful on the main road."

"Hahaha." Zhang Xian laughed and replied easily, "You don't know me yet, do you? This world is vast, but no one can stop me from going wherever I want."

"Alright, Gongzhi, you should also arrange for people to clear the path as soon as possible. Two hundred clerks will come to serve you later, which will reduce your pressure a lot."

"I understand, my lord, please be careful." Han Ji bowed, his tone still full of worry.

Zhang Xian nodded: "Okay, I understand."

After a brief conversation, he set off eastward once again.

We walked along the reinforced and widened cliffside walkway. Oh right, it can't be called a cliffside walkway anymore. Thanks to the Flying Ape Team's relentless cable-lifting work, the walkway is now four or five meters wide, wide enough for two oxcarts to pass at the same time with plenty of room to spare. It has a protective fence on the outside and a drainage ditch on the inside that leads directly to the mountain wall.

Compared to the old roadside inn, this road is now an ordinary main road.

As they traveled eastward, they encountered more and more construction sites. Many of the young and strong migrants from Jizhou were directly dispatched to work on these sites, making it seem as if a black snake was constantly moving forward through the vast Taihang Mountains.

For two consecutive days.

Zhang Xian spent most of his time on horseback.

After overcoming countless obstacles, he finally arrived at Weize Pass.

This is considered a pass leading from Jizhou deep into the Taihang Mountains and close to Bingzhou.

It is also the main gateway through which Zhang Xian gathers refugees from Jizhou.

Further east, there are two more passes: Jingxing Pass and Tumen Pass. However, one of these passes is located in Jingxing County of Jizhou, while the other is the first pass leading into Jingxing Pass of Jizhou.

In early spring, it was still quite cold inside Weize Pass, with many people coming and going, and various work chants constantly ringing out.

Compared to the original Weize Pass, the current Weize Pass has increased several times in size, with towering and thick walls, and is now patrolled by many soldiers of the Fire Battalion led by Zhao Hu.

"My lord?"

Mo Ying's divine handsomeness and Zhang Xian's dashing appearance made the guards recognize him instantly.

They knelt down slightly, somewhat excited, and Zhang Xian rode his horse closer to the pass, waving his hand slightly.

"Get up and continue your duty."

"promise!"

Upon seeing Zhang Xian, the soldiers guarding the pass instantly became as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Several soldiers quickly opened the gate, and a man and a horse entered the pass.

"Gu Yu, Xiahou Lan, Zhao Hu, how many of them are inside the pass?"

Zhang Xian asked.

A guard replied, "Xiahou Yuanshi and Zhao Sima have settled the refugees a hundred li outside the pass. Right now, there is only Gu Zhubu inside the pass."

"Yes, have him come to see me."

"promise!"

The guard ran off in one direction, and soon the two returned.

"My lord!"

Gu Yu's clothes looked somewhat worn. He had put in a lot of effort to oversee Weize Pass, contacting spies in Jizhou and managing its construction.

"Shi Lin, you've worked hard. How many people are there in total, both inside and outside the pass?" Zhang Xian asked softly.

Gu Yu quickly replied, "Reporting to the lord, most of the people housed in Weize Pass are the elderly, women, and children. Xiahou Yuanshi and Zhao Sima are not comfortable with too many able-bodied men entering the pass, so most of them have either been reassigned to repair the roads or gathered at another settlement a hundred miles outside Weize Pass."

"There are now more than 23,000 elderly and weak people inside the pass, more than 10,000 young and strong people outside the pass, and 5,000 displaced people who have been relocated to repair the roads."

"How many soldiers are there?" Zhang Xian asked again.

"The number of soldiers in the Fire Battalion under Zhao Sima is three hundred, and the number of guards in Taoyuan Village under Xiahou Yuanshi is eight hundred, totaling more than one thousand one hundred.

"Hmm." Zhang Xian nodded slightly: "Since the area inside the pass is full of the elderly and weak, Shi Lin should be able to manage it well. I will go to Xiahou Lan's place first. Also, Shi Lin, allocate 10,000 shi of grain and transport it towards Jizhou."

"promise."

Gu Yu clasped his hands in acceptance.

As the pass through which Zhang Xian gathered refugees, Weize Pass maintained a grain supply of around 100,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) within its walls.

During the winter, the post riders also took a detour to transport a lot of grain and fodder, so there is currently enough food.

He had also allocated 400,000 shi of grain when he arrived, and replenishment would not be a problem. Upon arriving at Weize Pass, Zhang Xian immediately rushed to where Xiahou Lan and the others were.

Along the way, many elderly and infirm people were also heading towards Weize Pass.

Just as Zhang Xian arrived.

A small commotion suddenly broke out in the gathering place!

"Let us out! We want to go back to Jizhou!"

"Where's the food? We're eating porridge every day. The good stuff has all been embezzled by the officials!"

"Get out of the way! I want to see the person in charge! If the person in charge doesn't come out soon, I'm going to rob him!"

Several ragged but robust men, their faces contorted with ferocity and inflammatory fanaticism, shoved the soldiers maintaining order, attempting to break through.

Behind them, dozens of refugees were immediately roused and joined in the commotion.

The soldiers on guard immediately raised their spears, and the shields in the front row slammed heavily to the ground, making a dull thud, forming a human wall.

"Anyone who dares to charge the battle lines shall be killed!" the junior officer in charge roared sternly.

The chilling atmosphere instantly silenced the voices of the dozens of young men who had spoken up.

Zhao Hu's eyes flashed with a sharp look, and his hand was already on the hilt of his knife: "Alan, these hooligans are just a menace if we keep them around."

Xiahou Lan's expression was also solemn, his hand on the hilt of his sword: "I know, but it's not easy to kill him. If we do, the entire gathering point will panic."

"What should we do then! If they keep causing trouble, it won't just be a few dozen people making a fuss."

Just as Xiahou Lan was about to reply, a familiar voice rang in her ears.

"Where is the Armored Army?!"

"Lord!"

"My lord!" Xiahou Lan and Zhao Hu were also shocked, and they instantly felt that they had found a pillar of support.

"exist!"

The familiar, steady voice boosted the morale of all the tense soldiers in the Fire Battalion.

"Apprehend the troublemaker!"

"promise!"

The troublemakers who had been making a ruckus were instantly pinned to the ground by shields and spears.

Even when suppressed, these people are still trying to stir up chaos.

"Ahhh! None of you officials are good people! Fellow villagers, do you see this? Their true colors are about to be revealed!"

Their shouts caused some of the nearby refugees to show signs of panic.

The person being oppressed could see clearly, and a hint of smugness appeared in their eyes.

With these refugees around, the local officials wouldn't dare to do anything to them.

"Interesting." Zhang Xian approached alone on horseback, a cold smile curving his lips. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of those around him.

"In chaotic times, there are always clever people who try to profit from troubled situations."

He spurred his horse forward and reached the edge of a high platform.

There was no roar, no drawing of the halberd, he simply stood there calmly, his gaze fixed on the source of the commotion.

Mo Ying leaped onto the high platform, and an invisible, oppressive pressure, like that of a mountain collapsing, instantly enveloped the entire gathering point!
The noise seemed to be choked by an invisible hand, and suddenly subsided.

The refugees in the front row felt a pang of fear and instinctively stepped back.

Even the few men who had been silenced and were making noise felt a chilling killing intent pierce their bones, and their bodies involuntarily stiffened for a moment.

In the brief silence, Zhang Xian spoke, his voice not loud, but it resounded like thunder in everyone's ears.

"This general is Zhang Xian."

The moment those four words were uttered, the entire gathering place became so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

These four words spread rapidly, like ripples on a lake.

"Zhang Xian of Changshan?" someone exclaimed in disbelief.

"The Master of Peach Blossom Manor? Is that the divine physician?" More voices were filled with shock.

The situation has been largely stabilized.

This is Zhang Xian's reputation in Ji Province.

Zhang Xian ignored the whispers, his gaze sweeping across the entire area, and continued, "This place is the territory of Bingzhou, under my jurisdiction."

"Anyone who enters this pass, regardless of where in Ji Province they come from or their origin, as long as they abide by my laws and work diligently, will be a good citizen of Bing Province!"

"Have the officials here been withholding your rations these past few days?"

He raised his voice slightly and asked.

The undeniable authority made people instinctively shake their heads and reply, "No, no!"

"Have you ever endured so much hardship that you resorted to cannibalism and exchanging your own children?"

No, no.

"Then," Zhang Xian's eyes narrowed as he looked at the men who were being held down and the group of thugs gathered around him.

The invisible pressure, like gravity, made those he was watching feel a sinking weight on their bodies.

The area around them was instantly cleared out, as if they had been pierced by an electric current.

"What are you all trying to do by inciting refugees to charge the army formation?"

"Do you know how many lives will be lost once riots break out, with trampling, chaos, and fear?!"

"For your own selfish gain, you commit such a heinous act of cholera; do you even have the heart to do it?!"

Zhang Xian's words were not intended for the few troublemakers, but for the majority of the displaced people in the settlement.

It's hard to say what will happen to these troublemakers if chaos breaks out, but they will most likely suffer.

His words were like magic, instantly convincing the refugees. Many lowered their heads in shame, their hearts burning with guilt.

Seeing that the situation was completely under control, Zhang Xian breathed a sigh of relief. His temperament attribute was arguably the highest among all his attributes.

This attribute allows him to more easily control the situation, and the experience points are derived from reputation.

"Guards, detain the troublemakers and send them back to the rear road to be branded and forced into labor camps! If they remain incorrigible, behead them as a warning to the public!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Hu could no longer contain himself. With a roar, he charged forward like a tiger descending a mountain, leading a squad of armored soldiers.

The men tried to resist, but they were no match for Zhao Hu, a fierce general. They were quickly chained and pinned to the ground.

"My lord, spare my life! Spare my life!" came a desperate plea for mercy.

Zhang Xian remained expressionless, his voice carrying clearly throughout the entire area: "My provisions are for those who earn their lives with their own hands!"
Those with strength, go and clear mountains and build roads, construct cities and houses! Women, children, the elderly, and the weak will be housed in soup kitchens; spinning and weaving can also be exchanged for food! If anyone dares to cause trouble again, these people will serve as examples!

After a minor disturbance ended, my restless heart, which had been wavering for so long, returned to peace.

In the crowd, a pair of bright eyes were fixed on Zhang Xian, while the little boy tugged at his older sister's sleeve: "Sister, Uncle Zixu is so impressive."

Guo Tang patted Guo Tang's head and replied gently, "That's why Father felt at ease letting us go and seek refuge with him."

(End of this chapter)