If someone wanted to sneak into the ditch, they could only walk sideways, couldn't bend over, and their movements were extremely inconvenient. If a strong, healthy man fell in, he would most likely get stuck there.
Upon closer inspection, the ditch was filled with sharpened pebbles and splinters. Even if a short Xiongnu soldier sneaked in, he would be shot because the ditch was too high, exceeding 1.5 meters in height. Above was a crossbow watchtower, to the right were catapults, and to the left were piles of rocks and logs. Releasing the mechanism would cause these mountain-like fortifications to collapse, completely burying what lay below, as it was a concave valley and all these areas were within range of arrows.
Moreover, the Hu and Xiongnu mostly selected strong and robust soldiers as their elite troops. This place was narrow and small, full of danger, which almost deterred the Hu and Xiongnu elite troops from their ambition to invade from here.
The intricate design of the trenches here greatly increases the difficulty of intrusion.
Xie Lanzhi finally witnessed the power of Prince Li Li of Yelü, who was rumored to have intimidated 200,000 Xiongnu troops on the Red River border with only 10,000 soldiers.
It truly lives up to its name.
Xie Lanzhi paid the most attention to the gable walls and ditches along the way.
Xie Shangguang and Xie Ying rode their horses in the second row. After Xie Ying surveyed the area, she whispered to Xie Shangguang, "This plank road alone is enough to withstand 100,000 troops."
Xie Shangguang said, "With high rocks and ditches everywhere, it would be difficult to sneak in even during the day, let alone at night."
Moreover, this is just one place. I heard that Crown Prince Yelü has set up heavy defenses and taken advantage of the terrain to send people to guard it closely. The ravine is just a barrier; the most formidable thing is a unique set of weapons.
That was a beast tide. It was said that in a certain place, 100,000 cattle and sheep gathered, and every day, a trainer would choose a valley to train them. As long as the trainer gave the order, the 100,000 cattle and sheep would only charge in one direction. Crown Prince Yelü once used this tactic to annihilate a thousand-strong Xiongnu cavalry force that was launching a surprise attack.
I heard that when they collected the bodies, they were so bloody and mangled that it was impossible to distinguish the flesh of the horses from that of the people, let alone tell which one was the leader of the cavalry.
As the two were talking, Xie Lanzhi waved for them to stop. All one thousand people halted in a specially dug recess in the wall. This recess was difficult for horses to traverse, so Xie Lanzhi dismounted and walked down into it, where she saw a black iron gate in the middle. As soon as she reached the top of the wall, she called out, "Are you perhaps Master Xie?"
Xie Lanzhi nodded: "I have come at your invitation."
"Please wait a moment."
The black iron gate was three meters high. Inside, there were sounds of chains grinding together, clacking, and gears grinding. The heavy iron gate was being hoisted up.
Xie Lanzhi did not go in immediately.
At this moment, a man riding a strong ram came out of the iron gate. It was Yelü Lili, who was holding the horn of a ram in his right hand as he slowly walked over.
He pointed to another sheep: "The marshal will ride this one in, otherwise he won't be able to get in."
Xie Lanzhi walked to the side of the sheep and straddled its back.
Later, a number of soldiers who had come out riding sheep with him emerged one after another. However, all the sheep were black, and each soldier led one sheep in to welcome the Xie family's thousand cavalry.
The horses that remained were quickly driven away to other places by the soldiers.
Xie Lanzhi then understood why she had to ride a sheep in. It was because she needed to pass through a passageway in a grotto, which was only 1.5 meters high and could only accommodate one rider at a time. She was just the right height to ride in on the sheep. Anyone too tall could lie on the sheep's back and be carried in.
Xie Lanzhi was just the right height, and Li Li wasn't much taller than her either. He said from the front, "I have shown my sincerity by having the Marshal lead a thousand cavalrymen to visit my secret base."
Xie Lanzhi replied with a smile, "My thousand cavalry also brought some local specialties that His Highness the Crown Prince loves."
One hundred rounds of ammunition.
Yelü Lili said, "To express my gratitude, I will tell you something."
Xie Lanzhi: "Hmm?"
Yelü Lili's expression gradually turned serious. He said, "The Great Khan Suha sent his Xiongnu son-in-law Anshan across the Red River, but last night my people found Suha's body downstream, and all his property and valuables were looted."
"And Suha was the richest merchant in the country; his wealth could buy all the cattle and sheep in the country."
"So here's the question, Marshal: how did such a vast amount of assets disappear overnight without anyone noticing?"
"And who is the murderer?"
Xie Lanzhi could tell from his tone that he had already investigated thoroughly. She smiled and said, "Your Highness, what do you think?"
Yelü Lili rode a sheep out of the cave passage. At that moment, his voice echoed throughout the entire cave, and the thousand riders behind him heard it one after another.
"The marshal's men took 20,000 taels, and the rest disappeared without a trace. It's impossible for it to have been moved out so quickly. The murderer is undoubtedly Anshan, whose body has not been found."
“Anshan was once captured by your general, but was released. The 20,000 taels can be interpreted as Anshan’s ransom.”
"I sent men to search every possible place, but they couldn't find it. But if there wasn't someone working on it from the inside, how could Suha's fortune have disappeared so quickly?"
These words were spoken.
Yelü Lili felt as if Xie Lanzhi behind him had suddenly disappeared without a sound, while Xie Shangguang and Xie Ying behind the grotto were terrified.
Could it be that the Xie family really is plotting to seize someone else's family property?!
If you can't find it, then what's left that you haven't searched for is a suspicious area.
The suspicions surrounding this matter are undoubtedly challenging the relationship between Yifan and the Xie family. Yelü Lili's deliberate reminder in front of everyone is clearly intentional.
Their marshal remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Xie Ji could never have embezzled money. Even if he accepted the murderer's ransom money, he cannot be accused of being greedy and murdering the Da Fan family's property."
"The Crown Prince is telling me this to remind me that some people are beginning to suspect and alienate Xie Ji."
The money he received as atonement money undoubtedly became a smokescreen, causing Xie Ji to not only divert attention but also create trouble for himself.
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 18:40:38 on December 31, 2021 and 11:32:18 on January 2, 2022!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Wu Yumao and Ruyasuihe (10 bottles each); Suijiangtian (7 bottles); Lu Congjinyebai (5 bottles); Jiuli (4 bottles); and Xinxin (3 bottles).
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 113 A Smokescreen for the Xie Family
Yelü Lili's base was easy to defend and difficult to attack; the narrow stone passage just now collapsed after only one use.
The Xie family's thousand cavalry were all shocked. The place was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with towering peaks that seemed to distort the sky, giving the illusion of a giant cage. They were like caged birds with nowhere to escape.
Xie Lanzhi followed Yelü Lili into the Stone Cave Mansion, a simple command post made of piled stones. It was drafty and let in light from all sides, making it completely uninhabitable.
A small river meanders around the entrance of the Shikufu (Stone Cave Mansion), and the grasslands are lush. With mountains, water, and green spaces, it's no wonder that herds of cattle and sheep graze nearby. The fertile soil, with its high and low-lying areas, ensures that even heavy rains will collect in the lower areas to form lakes. In ancient times, the air was fresh and untouched by industrial pollution, so rainwater and freshwater were practically indistinguishable and drinkable.
This place can not only be used for storing grain, but also for raising cattle and sheep, and it is not short of water.
Even living in seclusion wouldn't be a problem.
Yelü Lili dismissed the crowd, leaving Xie Lanzhi alone in the grotto to discuss matters.
"Marshal, were you serious when you said that?"
Xie Lanzhi felt he was pretending to be confused, so she reminded him, "You said these things in front of my men, it's hard to guarantee there wasn't some attempt to sow discord."
“You are indeed cautious. I will take this as a mistake, but I must remind you that you should keep an eye on the general. He is good at maintaining the status quo, but he is not suitable to fight alongside you to conquer the country.” Yelü Lili said, “Logically, you should leave this person to guard the rear, not the front line. The front line should be guarded by another capable and shrewd person.”
Xie Lanzhi said, "It seems that His Highness the Crown Prince has someone he thinks highly of from my Xie family. Why don't you recommend someone? I don't need to bother choosing anyone myself."
Yelü Lili: "You don't need to be angry and shut me up with words."
Yelü Lili was quite cunning, and Xie Lanzhi was well aware of this. If Yelü Lili softened her stance even slightly, the Xie clan would fall into disarray and become a disorganized mess.
Moreover, she believed that Xie Ji's act of accepting the 20,000 taels of silver as atonement was not problematic; the fault did not lie with him, as he did not know the details of what happened in Weidu.
With mountains high and rivers far away, raising military funds was his primary task. Whether or not he recruited private soldiers, having money in hand would give him more leverage. Logically speaking, Xie Ji had already skillfully grasped the current advantageous situation.
In fact, intrigue and backstabbing were not his main focus. The blame lies with the enemy for being too cunning, specifically targeting the Xie family with multiple escape routes.
And it's not just targeting Xie Ji, but also the relationship between Yi Fan and Xie Ji. That's the most fatal part.
However, Xie Lanzhi became suspicious about one thing.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince has repeatedly hinted to me that you are dissatisfied with Xie Ji?"
Yelü Lili said, "I only wanted to maintain good relations between our two armies, not because I was dissatisfied with him, but because I felt he was not reliable enough."
"Or is it that no one in the Xie family is better than him, so they had no choice but to send him?"
“Then you don’t need to belittle Xie Ji. Xie Ji is quite capable; he can always react quickly at the right time,” Xie Lanzhi said. “You don’t understand him. That doesn’t mean he can’t do the job.”
Yelü Lili still didn't believe it.
Compared to Xie Ji, both leaders have now discovered that someone is secretly targeting them and constantly trying to sow discord between them. Currently, only the relationship at the lower levels is being shaken, and the higher-ups can still suppress it, but it is hard to guarantee that the higher-ups can maintain a tacit understanding of loyalty and cooperation.
Yelü Lili's repeated questioning revealed this tendency; he believed Xie Lanzhi but not Xie Ji.
After learning of Li Li's suspicious nature, Xie Lanzhi also made adjustments.
"If you insist on proof, then let me do it. You just need to cooperate with me."
Yelü Lili generously said, "You can use my people as you please. I will also personally cooperate with you."
"Then please first understand the case of Xie Fengqing in Weidu." Xie Lanzhi suggested that this case was only for reference, and to reconstruct the general pattern of the merchant named Anshan.
First, he bribed local officials, including Si Lei, to leverage the power of the state to intimidate envoys from other regions, thereby strengthening trade and deterring foreign states from acting rashly. They all acted according to the Xiongnu's wishes. As long as the Xiongnu did not make excessive demands, he turned a blind eye to everything.
Then there's Xiaoyao Palace. Wei Du's Xiaoyao Palace is blatant and powerful, unlike Yifan, which is just a small tent. The Hu and Xiongnu dare not act recklessly here and can only contact Yifan's merchants to corrupt Yifan. However, many places are controlled by Yelü Lili, so Fushou Gao (a type of rice cake) cannot spread far, and it will even face suppression as soon as it appears.
Similarly, it was impossible to prevent the circulation of Fushou cakes among the lower and middle classes. Now that it had been completely eradicated in ten days, the situation was under tight scrutiny, and no one would dare to defy the law. The absence of Hu and Xiongnu merchants was no longer a cause for concern. Anyone who had come into contact with them was being closely monitored by Li Li.
The fact that Suha, the richest man in Taiwan, was involved in the incident first, followed by surveillance, inevitably raises suspicions. Were Suha and Xie Fengqing victims of the same ilk?
Xie Lanzhi said, "I don't know your richest man, but you might as well start with him. He has never been involved with Fushou cake, so he may be under Anshan's control."
"Logically speaking, the power of life and death is in our hands. Suha could have used this to interrogate Ansan, even if it meant exchanging his incriminating evidence. Why would he have to flee with Ansan?"
"Doesn't Your Highness find this strange?"
Seeing that she was focusing all her attention on Yi Fan, Yelü Lili's face darkened: "Marshal, although I said a few inflammatory words to your subordinates, you don't deserve to retaliate like this?"
Xie Lanzhi said with a smile, "It is impolite not to reciprocate. Your Highness, you must prioritize eliminating troubles. Otherwise, the loss will not only be the wealth of a richest man and hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep, but the entire army and the generals under my command will be manipulated and ultimately go bankrupt!"
In the end, it wasn't Xie who went bankrupt, but Yifan.
Weighing the pros and cons, Yelü Lili is now the one who is most at odds with the situation, which makes Yelü Lili's handsome face even darker.
"Marshal, what you say makes a lot of sense, but I am not a lowly soldier. You don't need to scare me like this."
"My style is to always consider the worst-case scenario in everything I do," Xie Lanzhi said. "Only in this way can we be more cautious and avoid losses."
Yelü Lili carefully considered the matter. The merchants of Luochuan were currently suffering the most severe losses, most of whom he was still holding captive. He had followed Xie Ji's example and imposed a ransom payment, practically draining them dry before releasing them. This gain was already considerable.
To resolve the culprit behind the rift between him and the Xie family, it seems necessary to intensify the investigation.
"I'll listen to you this time."
"You, Marshal, should keep Xie Ji under control. Otherwise, any move he makes will only solidify the superficial harmony but inner discord within the North-South alliance. In that case, I alone will not be able to maintain our cooperation."
Xie Lanzhi agreed to his request.