Autumn goes and winter comes, and it is early December. A snowfall falls, turning Kaifeng Prefecture into a world covered with silver.

On that morning, a team of Song cavalry appeared on the Yellow River north of Renqiu County. Perhaps because of the beginning of winter, the number of people in Hebei who could not escape has decreased significantly. It has been a continuous half a month. There are less than 100 people in Hebei who fled south every day. Many porridge relief sheds have been cancelled, leaving only the government's relief sheds and a very small number of folk porridge sheds.

Baoyanzhai’s porridge shed is also at the Baima Ferry by the Yellow River. Li Daqi spent 20,000 yuan to set up five porridge sheds in Tangyin, the north-south ferry of the Yellow River and the capital. This porridge shed on the south side of the Yellow River is one of them and the largest porridge shed. A small manager in Baoyanzhai recruited ten people to cook porridge and deliver porridge every day.

At this time, there were only a short queue of escaped people in the greenhouse, with only about fifty or sixty people. Although there were not many people, the people in the porridge shed were still very busy. Zhang Jie, the young manager, maintained order in the team.

"Today there are good things, and the porridge is full. Each person has two meat buns, but I have a word first. I can only get the buns once, so I can drink them as much as you want!" Zhang Jie's voice was very high, and he said to some people. These guys have been queuing three times. Didn't they just go for the meat buns?

Everyone laughed, and a middle-aged man said, "Shopkeeper, don't be stingy. It's such a cold day, give me more meat buns!"

"No! There are only two people who want to eat meat buns. I go to Renqiu County to buy them first. Jiajialou big meat buns cost ten cents per person, which is much better than our buns."

"Why has the price increased?"

Someone screamed strangely: "It only costs six cents last year, why did it increase to ten cents this year?"

"Now silver is expensive and the money is cheap. Every household takes out the savings for silver. There are several times more copper coins in the market than before. Of course, the prices will rise as a result. A bun worth ten cents per person is already a conscientious price."

After Zhang Jie finished speaking, there was another heated discussion in the porridge pan, while the fugitives talked about the prices in their respective counties.

At this time, a friend shouted: "Manager Zhang, a team of officers and soldiers came over there!"

Everyone looked back and saw a team of cavalry coming from the snow east, about twenty people walking towards their porridge shed.

The heads of this cavalry were Li Yanqing and Li Gang. Li Yanqing and Li Gang came to investigate the freezing situation of the Yellow River. The situation was as expected. The Yellow River was completely frozen and you could directly ride a horse across the Yellow River. This made Li Gang feel particularly heavy. They had received information. The wolf master of the Jin Kingdom was still in Yanshan Prefecture. The Jin Kingdom had assembled an army of 200,000. Now the Yellow River was frozen, which meant that the danger was getting closer and closer.

Li Yanqing was relatively calm. He had done everything he should do in the past two months. If the Jin soldiers marched south in large numbers, they would not be caught off guard. Although the 30,000 rural soldiers who were currently defending the city were still very lazy and had no training, Li Yanqing did not expect the Xiang army to defend the capital. If he wanted to defend the capital, he had to rely on 20,000 Jingzhao Army and 30,000 New Taipei Army.

"Mr. Li, there is Baoyanzhai's relief porridge shed there. Why not sit there! Drink a few bowls of hot porridge to warm your body." Li Yanqing pointed at the porridge shed two hundred steps away with a horse whip and said with a smile.

Li Gang nodded, and everyone urged the horse to go to the porridge shed. Soon, the group arrived at the porridge shed, and the manager Zhang Jie came out. He recognized Li Yanqing at a glance, and couldn't help but be surprised and happy, "Ah! It's the young master."

"The villain Zhang Jie is the manager of the porridge pan. Please see the young master!" Zhang Jie hurriedly bowed to Li Yanqing.

Li Yanqing nodded with a smile, "Put a few tables and stools, let's sit down and rest for a while."

Zhang Jie quickly arranged for a friend to visit the table and bench, and then asked someone to pick up a bowl of porridge. Li Yanqing and everyone tied the horses outside the greenhouse. Then a group of soldiers walked into the greenhouse and found a place to sit down.

Li Yanqing and Li Gang sat down opposite a small table. Zhang Jie brought a plate of buns, "The young master first eats a few buns, is boiling wine, and there are two braised dishes later."

"Is there any wine to drink here?" Li Yanqing asked in surprise.

"This...is made in a nearby village, drinking to keep warm, isn't it very cold?"

Zhang Jie was very vague, but he looked embarrassed. Li Yanqing immediately understood, but he just smiled and did not go into it.

Zhang Jie was a little unable to hold on. He knew that the young master must have understood. If he didn't explain it clearly and revealed this matter, he would be unable to bear it in the future.

He had to blush and hesitate to explain: "Not all the people fleeing south are poor, many of them are rich families. They are not used to the porridge for relief. They have to drink a few cups and eat some side dishes. They are willing to spend money, but there are no taverns and teahouses nearby, so the villain..."

"So you can provide them with convenience and make some money by the way, right?" Li Yanqing said with a smile.

"That's right! But I absolutely have no bad intentions and only make 30% of the profits." Zhang Jie quickly explained.

Li Yanqing laughed in silence, making 30% of the money was called Xiaoli, probably compared to Baoyanzhai's rouge perfume! He waved his hand, "Then bring out all the wine and food, we're all waiting!"

"The villain is going now!"

Zhang Jie ran to prepare the food in a panic. Li Yanqing smiled and said to Li Gang: "The true nature of a businessman is profitable, of course he will not let go."

But he did not get a response to this. Li Yanqing was slightly stunned. Only then did he realize that the Minister Li on the opposite side had not listened to him at all. He didn't know what he was thinking and was completely distracted.

"Yanqing, I think this is not good!"

Li Gang suddenly came back to his senses and said to Li Yanqing solemnly: "You must not let Yao Pingzhong's 30,000 xiang troops defend the city. Those xiang troops have no training at all and have no practical experience. Once the Jin people come, they may collapse. We must take back the power to defend the city."

In fact, what Li Gang is really worried about is Tong Guan. Yao Pingzhong is a little better. After all, he was born in the Western Army, but he has been undermined by Tong Guan. Tong Guan is a famous defeated general. He has been defeated repeatedly in recent years, and half of the army of the Song Dynasty has been lost to him. If Tong Guan is asked to preside over the power of city defense, I am afraid that Tokyo City will be defeated by Jin soldiers in half a day.

Li Gang has been thinking about this for the past two months. The Military Conference Hall has never obtained military power, which makes his heart as heavy as if it is filled with lead. Until today, he saw with his own eyes that the Yellow River has frozen firmly. Li Gang finally felt a sense of urgency. He must take over the power of city defense.

At this time, Zhang Jie brought the wine and food. Li Yanqing picked up the wine pot and filled Li Gang with a glass of wine, and then filled his own wine glass. He said calmly: "I didn't take this matter seriously from the beginning. It is true that Tong Guan got the command power of the 30,000 wing army, but it is just the current city defense power. Once the war breaks out, the city defense power will change hands. I believe that Tong Guan will throw it away quickly like hot charcoal."

"Not necessarily!" Li Gang shook his head, "Tong Guan took power too seriously and asked him to give up the military power of the 30,000-flat army. How could he bear to give up?"

Li Yanqing smiled and said, "He will not be allowed at that time."

"How do you say this?" Li Gang suddenly became interested. He heard something in Li Yanqing's words.

"It's actually not a secret, you can think of it."

Li Yanqing smiled faintly, "It's just that what almost happened half a year ago happened again."

Li Gang was stunned for a while, then he said carefully: "It's not that the official family is going south to spend the winter!"

Li Yanqing nodded, and Li Gang frowned, "But... I heard that the palace in Hangzhou is far from being repaired, so why did the official go south?"

Li Yanqing still shook his head, "If the Jin soldiers kill the Yellow River, he will have to leave if he doesn't leave."

Li Yanqing knew that when the Jin soldiers came, Zhao Ji would definitely abdicate and flee south. This was not a question of whether history changed, but a decision of Zhao Ji's nature. He did not want to bear the historical crime of the possibility of the fall of the Song Dynasty, so he abdicated and asked his son to bear it for him. Otherwise, with Zhao Ji's love, how could he be willing to give up the throne in his prime?

Li Gang understood what Li Yanqing meant. Once the official went south, Tong Guan would never stay in the capital and be dealt with. He would definitely follow the official to the south. At that time, the power of city defense naturally returned to the military hall.

Li Gang sighed softly, "I hope it's as you said!"
Chapter completed!