Just as Liu Wei and Yan Shisan received the message from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and were waiting for Wang Fangyi and Yan Da to arrive on a mound two miles away from Mengjin Ferry, a rumble of footsteps and a cloud of dust came from the southeast!
From afar, it was revealed that Li Ying, the governor of Henan, had arrived first with three hundred men under his command!
Liu Wei and the other two quickly crouched down on the hillside.
At this moment, they are outnumbered. If they were to come out and fight, even if they could kill all three hundred people, such a commotion would surely alert the soldiers guarding the ferry.
Besides, there are three hundred people! They're not three hundred pigs.
Liu Wei and his men aren't made of iron; you can't kill them all!
The last time Liu Wei crossed the river, he vaguely remembered that there were at least two hundred soldiers on duty here.
Furthermore, the city walls were equipped with powerful bows and crossbows.
After all, the Mengjin Ferry was a vital passage from Luoyang to Hedong and Henei counties, and it could not be lost.
Just after the three men had hidden themselves, Li Ying led three hundred men in a swarm.
Li Ying, riding his horse, squinted his eyes.
He was very obedient to advice; he listened to his subordinates and rushed to Mengjin in a great hurry.
But the gates of the Mengjin Ferry River Tower Castle in the distance were tightly closed, and all was quiet and deserted!
The Yellow River churns and rolls with yellow sand on both sides of the ferry crossing.
In the hazy distance across the river, the majestic Wangwu Mountain stretches across the northern horizon.
Where are they?
Li Ying looked around, "Could it be that they sneaked into the ferry crossing to cross the river?"
"Sir, it can't be that fast! At this hour, the sun hasn't even risen yet, the ferry guards are still sleeping!"
"You know, there are a hundred soldiers guarding this ferry crossing, and only about ten assassins. They can't possibly enter the fortress to cross the river at this time. The only way is to wait until the gates open and then sneak in!"
His subordinates beside him quickly offered explanations.
“Yes, you’re right! They should be hiding around here, waiting for the ferry to open so they can blend in with the people crossing the river!” Li Ying said, stroking his sparse beard.
"Yes, sir, please order a search!"
"search!"
Li Ying immediately waved his hand and ordered his soldiers to search an area of three miles around the ferry crossing. "You ride quickly to the river station, show them my official card, and tell them that they are not allowed to open the gate without my order."
Mengjin Ferry was a transportation facility near Luoyang City, and therefore under the jurisdiction of Li Ying, the Governor of Henan.
Two fast horses galloped toward the ferry crossing three miles away, while Li Ying's three hundred soldiers scattered to search.
Before long, about ten soldiers broke away from the main force and went further and further away, eventually finding the vicinity of where Liu Wei and the other two were hiding.
They poked at the bushes with their long spears!
"My lord! Shall I go and lure them away?"
As the soldiers drew closer, the Imperial Guard whispered.
Liu Wei was surprised that Li Ying actually had some brains and ordered his men to search the area.
Fortunately, these soldiers had already dispersed, and Liu Wei and his men were far away.
The dozen or so soldiers who are now close to them are on the very edge of these three hundred soldiers.
"Wait a little longer!"
Liu Wei shook his head, "If they get close and discover us, it's not too late to take action then!"
"If there are ten people, the three of us should be able to take them down quietly!"
In fact, Liu Wei had the system at his disposal, and the population count had already exceeded ten million half a month ago!
Now, another half month has passed, and the daily increase represents a new addition to the population.
Together, they have reached over 15 million, but there are still 85 million needed to summon Yue Fei's army.
Liu Wei would never easily exchange troops if he could solve the problem himself.
He could easily exchange his money for an army now.
The problem of marching can also be solved by exchanging for a general to lead the army, but a general costs millions of gold coins, which Liu Wei is reluctant to do!
His current state is very similar to that of ordinary people in the current economic downturn.
Once you have some savings, you're reluctant to spend them easily.
The sense of security you feel while watching the numbers in your account grow is something only those who have saved money can truly understand!
If you don't understand, it just means you have no savings, or even owe money to Alipay, credit cards, and online loans!
Those who only think about exchanging for an army to have fun are only enjoying themselves for a short time and don't think about the long term.
Even if it's just an army of a thousand men, the journey from Luoyang to Youzhou would be a headache in terms of food, clothing, and other necessities.
Moreover, Liu Wei has now become a thorn in the side of He Jin and Empress He.
Originally, last night, when he planned to kill Liu Wei, he would have considered the Emperor's feelings and chosen to act secretly at night.
And it was only using private armed forces.
However, if Liu Wei openly raises an army within the territory of the Han Dynasty, that would be an open rebellion.
The He family had an excuse to mobilize troops from various regions to launch a large-scale encirclement and suppression of Liu Wei.
A civil war was inevitable, and the Han Dynasty was about to be drawn into an unprecedented and massive war.
These are not the results Liu Wei wanted to overturn; they deviate from the original plan!
The soldiers of the Han Dynasty were all fine men who should have conquered the world, not died in civil war.
This is similar to Zhu Di's rebellion in later generations, where Liu Wei, as a prince, fought against the entire nation.
After all, the current consensus both within and outside the government supports orthodoxy.
If Liu Wei were to rebel now, it would set a precedent among the powerful clans and gentry for a son of a concubine to seize power.
The illegitimate sons of powerful and aristocratic families would also become restless, causing the collapse of the patriarchal succession system established by these families over hundreds of years.
They are the beneficiaries of this inheritance system, so naturally they will do everything they can to protect it.
Therefore, they will support He Jinlai against Liu Wei no matter what.
This is also why Liu Wei cannot openly rebel for the time being and must obtain the legitimacy of his succession.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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