Mancang is a big city with three walls, from the inside to the outside, one layer shorter than the other, the outermost layer is only one person taller, and it is an earthen wall, but it can still greatly hinder the enemy's attack with the moat. In short, the protection of this city is far beyond that of ordinary cities.

As the name suggests, a large amount of food and grass are stored in Mancang City.

In order to prepare for emergencies, Da Chu built several cities of grain storage on the basis of the legacy of the previous dynasty, distributed in various places in the southeast, northwest and north. Mancang is one of them. It is located on a small plain more than 200 miles north of the capital. The city is densely covered with granaries and pastures. Once the world changes, the entire Guanzhong area can last for ten years based on the grain in the city alone.

Since Taizu established the tripod, there have been several crises in the Great Chu. The warehouse was ready to open the warehouse several times, but they all ended in vain. In addition to regularly handling old grain and supplying a small amount of food and grass to the army, the warehouse has never opened a large-scale warehouse. Even if hungry people are everywhere, it has nothing to do with the warehouse. Its responsibility is to support the court during the turmoil and have other measures to provide disaster relief.

Mancang was not on the only way back to Beijing, but it was dozens of miles eastward. When Chai Yue commanded the northern army to return south, his first goal was not the capital, but this city of grain storage.

When the army really returned to the capital, Chai Yue didn't know what to do. He couldn't really go to war with the Southern Army, so he chose to fully store the warehouse, which not only solved the problem of food and grass during the winter, but also watched the incident in the capital and waited for the next instructions from General Zhenbei.

The vanguard army was led by the governor Cai Xinghai, with a total of 3,000 people heading straight to Mancang City.

Outside the city, Cai Xinghai ordered the entire army to stop five or six miles away, and only brought dozens of soldiers to call the door, claiming that he was the official of the Northern Army's food and grass, and came to collect the food and grass this month, and the rear was full of laborers who transported grain.

The Chu army guarding the city was relatively cautious. This year, there were no peace. There were hungry riots everywhere. In the past few months, Mancang was attacked three times. The officers left the city and carefully checked the documents of Cai Xinghai and others. Everything was correct. They were all sealed by the Great Sima of the Northern Army. The officer complained: "Can't you send some people to support us just by coming to get food?"

Cai Xinghai laughed and said, "Who doesn't want to lie in Mancang City to sleep? But if the imperial court doesn't speak, it's useless to think it's going to happen."

The city gate of Mancang was wide open, and Cai Xinghai sent someone to the inner city to hand over the documents, stayed at the outer city gate, waiting for the arrival of the "grain transport" team.

Three thousand northern troops rushed to the city, and the officers guarding the city were stunned.

In less than half an hour, Cai Xinghai had occupied the warehouse and politely asked the officials in the city to continue working, "You are the masters and we are the guests. It's like heavy rain. We come to take shelter under the eaves. What should you do in the house? Don't pay attention to us and just pretend we don't exist."

But this group of guests had swords and guns. The number of the three thousand vanguards alone exceeded that of all the defenders in the city. The officials were not sure, so they had to nod and agree, hid in the yamen and buried their heads in office, pretending that the soldiers of the Northern Army did not exist, but secretly sent people to inform the county magistrate and the capital.

The Northern Army arrived one after another, half of them entered the city, and half camped near the official road dozens of miles away. They could attack and retreat to defend. Chai Yue and other major generals stayed outside the city, while Han Ruzi's troops camp guarded Mancang.

The next day after the army was camping, the envoy of the Southern Army arrived and warned the Northern Army to retreat to the north of Shenxiong Pass immediately. Liu Kunsheng had already prepared a letter asking the envoy to bring it to Cui Hong, the Grand Marshal of the Southern Army. In the letter, he claimed that the Northern Army was tired and asked the Southern Army to go outside the frontier to change defenses.

On the third day, news said that the Southern Army headed north and occupied various fortresses.

On the fourth day, letters from the capital were coming like snowflakes. There were questions from relevant departments, inquiries from various noble families, and more were orders. Some directly ordered the Northern Army, and some ordered familiar relatives and friends to be loyal to them, return to the frontier, kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions.

Chai Yue did not stop the messenger, but instead hinted to the generals that the capital had been controlled by the Southern Army, so everyone said the same thing as Cui Hong for the Northern Army!

On the fifth day, the envoy of the Grand Sima of the Northern Army arrived and brought the handwritten letter from the champion Hou. The envoy also verbally stated to the generals that the capital was choosing a new emperor, and the champion Hou was almost sure to win the championship Hou. The Northern Army should not cause trouble at this time.

In the eyes of the soldiers of the Northern Army, this was the result of the coercion of the Southern Army. Some people think that things are not that simple, but the northern Army is in the season of heavy snow, and the food and grass are unsustainable. No one wants to leave the large granary behind and guard an isolated city.

"The Huns had already negotiated with General Zhenbei. They had already gone north for winter. What are we going outside the border?"

"The court is not running smoothly, and the support for the outside world has not been enough. There is food in the warehouse, so I only want to send a little at a time. If the Northern Army goes out of the frontier again, will it not be allowed to starve to death outside?"

The soldiers of the Northern Army were like a rebellious boy at this time. They were dissatisfied in their hearts and felt that they had been wronged and criticized by all parties. The dissatisfaction did not weaken, but instead rose.

In particular, Chai Yue and Liu Kunsheng were adding fuel to the fire. One of these two was a general who was respected by the soldiers of the entire army, and the other was a commander of the Northern Army who controlled the Grand Sima Yin, which could easily gain the trust of the soldiers.

There are countless rumors coming to the Northern Military Camp with a large number of letters. Now everyone knows that the throne is competing for thrones, and knows that the champion Hou and General Zhenbei are both participants. They are very happy and think that no matter who becomes emperor, it will be beneficial to the Northern Military.

Han Ruzi's letter came a little later than others, not one letter, but more than a dozen letters, and they were sent to different people. Some generals who thought they were not very familiar with General Zhenbei also received the letter. After that, his letters were almost every day.

The content of the letter is similar. First, I recall the hard battle of the Northern Army in Shattered Iron City. Most of the Northern Army went back, but they did stabilize the morale of the army at the most critical moment. Then they expressed their understanding of the Northern Army's actions of returning to the south. Finally, they claimed that he had a harmonious relationship with the champion Hou, and that the two might come to the Northern Army together.

"The champion Hou and General Zhenbei joined forces to compete for the throne. One becomes the emperor, the other becomes the prime minister or the general of the army." Similar rumors spread immediately. Even Mancang City, dozens of miles away, heard about it. The officials guarding the city could no longer ignore it. They walked out of the yamen, condolenced the soldiers of the Northern Army, and secretly inquire about the secrets of the capital.

The champion Hou and General Zhenbei have not arrived for a long time. After the Northern Army occupied Mangarnia for half a month, it happened to be the first day of the Yuan Dynasty. In the second year of Wuwei, although the emperor in the deep palace was almost forgotten, the imperial court has never issued an order, and various places still celebrate the New Year as usual.

The Zuo Cha Censor Xiao Sheng, trapped in the Northern Military Camp, regained his freedom on this day. He immediately went up the road to the capital, with hundreds of followers and guards, and what he saw and heard in the Northern Military Camp. Most of the soldiers of the Northern Army did not understand the truth about the position, and their support was still the champion Hou. However, in Xiao Sheng's eyes, the Northern Army had deteriorated and had completely turned to General Zhenbei. He had to remind the champion Hou to be careful.

In the capital, although the champion Hou publicly claimed in the Qinzheng Hall to confront the Northern Army with Juenhou, he had never made a journey. The longer he waited, the more the champion Hou felt that the Northern Army had hidden a trap and Chai Zhi was dead. He could not find a trustworthy confidant in the Northern Army, and he had to pass the southern army's territory, which was waiting for him, which was also unsafe.

Han Ruzi often urged him, but he was not in a hurry. The champion Hou did not set off immediately at that time, so he knew that this person was harsh and weak on the outside and was not afraid. He was delayed and could not go to Hangu Pass to meet the general Han Xing, so he had to wait until the New Year before talking.

On the first day of January, Han Ruzi sent someone to bring many gifts to the palace, and gave them to the Empress Dowager, her mother, Princess Wang Meiren and her wife Cui Xiaojun, and even the mother of King Donghai, Cui Taifei.

Except for Cui Xiaojun, no one else returned the gift.

The champion Hou was still hesitating, and the first-rank ministers did not receive the recommendation. However, Han Ruzi and Yang Feng were not idle. They analyzed the situation every day and began to win over teachers and students from the Imperial College and the Imperial College.

"If the prime minister returns without any accident, the successor must be one of the two censors. The left censor is in charge of the Beijing official, and the chance is greater. However, the right censor declared that he is also a minister appointed by Emperor Wu. The chance is not small. He supports the champion Hou, which means that he will win the position of prime minister and will have a fight with Xiao Sheng." Yang Feng had been assisting the champion Hou before, but his status declined later and he was not qualified to participate in many things, so he could only rely on guessing.

"If the champion Hou ascended the throne, Yin Wuhei would make great contributions. Will he give up the position of prime minister and return home?" Han Ruzi couldn't guess Yin Wuhei's background in particular.

Yang Feng guessed, "This is exactly what Yin Wuhe is so sly. His plan is probably like this: make a fuss and claim that after the champion Hou ascended the throne, his wish is already gone and he is old and will hand over the seal of the prime minister. Then he hinted a little, making both censors feel that they may take over the position of prime minister, so he strives to do things for the champion Hou to make great contributions."

Han Ruzi revealed it at once, "Yin Wuhe did nothing. With just a promise of the future, the two important officials fully supported the champion Hou. Failure was Xiao Sheng and Shun Yong's responsibility. If things were successful, the first contribution was given to Yin Wuhe. He would not hand over the seal of the prime minister at all."

"He will give it to you, but the champion Hou will not agree." Yang Feng saw a lot of tricks to push the emperor and his subjects.

"Can you sow discord against Shen Mingzhi and Xiao Sheng?"

Yang Feng shook his head, "We still have to start from scratch."

Yang Feng made a list of as many as a hundred people, all of whom were doctors or disciples from the Imperial College and Imperial College. There were great scholars all over the world and unknown young scholars.

Han Ruzi first sent people to various families to send me a visit, but the result was not optimistic. Most people replied, but without exception, they refused to visit Juanhou or invited him to Juanhou's mansion. The reasons are all kinds of strange, and the simplest one is only two words: Molai.

Yang Feng did not give up and once the month of January entered, he gave gifts to each family.

The matter turned around on the fourth day of the January 2018. The day before, the Zuo Cha Censor Xiao Sheng returned to Beijing, causing a small commotion in the court. Yang Fengzheng asked everywhere what Xiao Sheng said to the champion Hou. A famous scholar came uninvited to visit Hou Jun.

Guo Cong once told the emperor a classic, and together with Liu Kunsheng, he gave the Taizu sword to the Grand Governor Han Xing. Afterwards, he returned home to escape from the world, refused to receive the merits and saw no one.

A few days ago, Guo Cong quietly returned to the capital. Not many people knew about it. After staying at home for a few days, the first person he visited was the Juehou, who he had avoided before.

This great scholar who was very vague when he was preaching, but this visit was straightforward and greeted each other. After entering the study, he said: "For the sake of the great Chu, please withdraw from the battle for the throne." (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!