After taking over the defense of Xuanfu Town, it was already evening.
Yan Yingyuan and Jiang Yingkui sat in a small courtyard near the city gate, drinking rice porridge and eating pickled cabbage.
There was an iron pot on the fire next to it, and the boiling water inside was bubbling and bubbling.
A circle of soldiers sat around the fire, eating the same rice porridge and pickles.
The person who had eaten and drunk his fill took a bowl of boiling water from the pot, put it on the open space next to him to cool, and then drank it all in one gulp with a look of happiness on his face.
In that era, only the elite could enjoy refined rice and pickles.
Ordinary soldiers would be lucky to have a bite of fried noodles.
(The fried noodles here are fried flour. The advantages are that they are easy to carry and can be stored for a long time. When you are hungry, just grab a handful and put it in your mouth and drink some water. The disadvantages are that they taste bad, are not good for hunger, and consume a lot of water. The fried noodles of the Ming army were very popular among the soldiers. Even the Mongolians and the Eight Banners soldiers at that time were recorded to carry and eat them.)
Unlike the happiness of other people, Yan Yingyuan's face was as calm as water, but he was very anxious in his heart.
He urgently needs to do two things now.
One is to take back the military power, and the other is to win over the hearts of the people.
Both were preparations for defending the city.
If the task of taking back the military power is handled well, everything will be fine. If it is not handled well, it will cause a mutiny!
As for winning the hearts of the people, he still hasn't thought of a good way.
How can we win the hearts and minds of the people in the shortest possible time?
"Master Yan, there is someone outside the door asking to see you!" A soldier on duty ran in to report.
"Who?"
"He said he was a local businessman, his last name was Fan, and his name was Fan Yongdou."
Yan Yingyuan put down the rice porridge he had not finished eating and narrowed his eyes.
Before coming, the emperor specifically told me about eight names. These people betrayed their country and their crimes were unforgivable. Anyone could be spared, except these people.
Fan Yongdou's name ranked first.
If it were Yan Yingyuan a quarter of an hour ago, he would have refused the meeting without hesitation.
He was afraid of alerting the enemy.
Now his thoughts have changed, and he has come up with a way to kill three birds with one stone!
"Let him in!"
"Yes, sir."
Soon, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe walked in.
This man was short and slightly fat, with a facial profile very similar to that of a monkey, with round eyes and a wide mouth above a pointed chin.
It gives people a feeling of being sarcastic, sinister and cunning.
Yan Yingyuan picked up the bowl and continued eating, pretending to be indifferent.
Fan Yongdou was stunned when he walked into the yard. In his impression, a second-rank official of the court would occupy a yard alone.
Unexpectedly, Yan Yingyuan would eat and live with so many soldiers.
It was a bit unexpected indeed.
but.
After all, he had seen a lot of things in the world, and he quickly recovered from his shock. He knelt down on his knees and banged his head on the ground: "I, Fan Yongdou, greet the governor of Xuanfu, Lord Yan!"
Yan Yingyuan asked casually: "If you have something to say, just say it. No need to be polite."
Fan Yongdou looked embarrassed as some things could not be brought to the surface. He came here to discuss things with Yan Yingyuan in private.
But Yan Yingyuan didn't give him a chance, and even asked him the purpose of coming here in front of so many people.
It made him very embarrassed.
However, he was prepared and said immediately: "I am doing business with the Mongols at the border, and I have some cattle and sheep at home. I heard that the government troops have recaptured Xuanfu, and I am willing to offer the cattle and sheep to Lord Yan as a reward for the three armies."
Yan Yingyuan sneered in his heart, what a familiar routine.
When businessmen bribe officials, they don't just give them money. Only fools and young people would do that.
Smart businessmen will use various means to get close to officials and understand their preferences through their words and actions.
Then they would cater to their interests and drag the officials into the water.
More sophisticated businessmen will set traps for officials, and use threats and inducements when the officials are caught in the trap and it is too late to regret. In order to protect themselves, the officials can only become tools for the businessmen to make money.
This guy is executing the first stage of the strategy: approach him.
Yan Yingyuan quickly finished the rice porridge in his bowl, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and patted his stomach: "I'm not full! Then I'll trouble Mr. Fan to bring the cattle and sheep over, so that I can fill my stomach."
Fan Yongdou was overjoyed after hearing this. As long as Yan Yingyuan accepted these cattle and sheep, it would mean that there would be opportunities for cooperation in the future.
Even if he could not cooperate with Yan Yingyuan, his behavior this time had already left a good impression on the Ming army, and he would be able to become familiar to them when they encountered checkpoints later.
He pointed outside the door and said, "Master Yan, the cattle and sheep are just outside the door. Please accept them."
As he said that, he walked out the door first.
Yan Yingyuan followed behind with steady steps, and the other soldiers swallowed their saliva in frustration and surrounded Yan Yingyuan as they walked out.
When I arrived outside the courtyard, I saw five or six people standing on the street with two cows and dozens of sheep.
Just as the soldiers were about to charge forward, Yan Yingyuan said, "Wait!"
"Mr. Fan, how much can these cattle and sheep be sold for?"
Fan Yongdou thought Yan Yingyuan was embarrassed to accept it, so he smiled and explained: "Master Yan, you are joking. This is a gift from Fan to Master Yan. I don't want any money."
"No!" Yan Yingyuan said firmly, "Before I came here, His Majesty told me not to steal a single grain of food or take advantage of anyone. If you don't tell me, I won't be here anymore."
After a little thought, Fan Yongdou understood Yan Yingyuan's idea.
He wants to act noble in front of these soldiers!
In this case, Fan Yongdou decided to help Yan Yingyuan. He counted with his fingers and came up with a number: "A total of two hundred taels of silver."
"Give Mr. Fan the money! Each tribe will divide the sheep equally, and each tribe has the final say on how to eat it!"
After paying the money, the soldiers rushed towards the sheep like hungry wolves.
Cattle cannot be eaten, firstly because they are too expensive, and secondly because they are needed to transport food and equipment, especially artillery guns, which can be exhausting to transport by manpower alone.
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