Chapter 736: Entering Guanzhong

The gatekeeper of the Xiliang Army carefully examined the document in his hand, then looked up at the approaching convoy in the distance. After a moment of contemplation, the gatekeeper said, "The convoy will stop two miles away. You wait here for a while. I will report to the general and then make a decision."

Hu Feng, who was at the gate, also heard the words of the cavalry under the pass. He was moved. Could it be that Luoyang had received the news of the prime minister's death? But if he had received the news, then why did he send people to the court to meet him? If he hadn't received the news, why would he suddenly send people to the capital at this time?

Just as he was thinking, the gatekeeper took the document and walked up to the tower, handed it to Hu Feng and said, "General, it is indeed the document of the governor of Sizhou."

Hu Feng opened it and took a look, then looked up at the convoy in the distance. Although he couldn't see the specific number, the number was definitely more than the hundreds of people mentioned on the document. So he said, "Ask them how many people are there in the convoy?"

The garrison officer stuck his head out and shouted a few words to the city, only to hear the soldiers of the Sizhou Army answering, "Reporting to the general, there are only a few hundred people in the convoy entering the pass, and there are a thousand soldiers who will escort us to this place and return to Hongnong."

Hu Feng nodded and said, "Let their escorting soldiers return, you lead two thousand soldiers to meet them, and after a careful inspection, they can be allowed to enter within one mile in front of the pass. If there is any abnormal movement, kill them without mercy."

After receiving the order, the garrison officer went down the city to gather the soldiers and horses and headed towards the convoy outside the pass.

Watching the garrison officer leave, Hu Feng said to the deputy general beside him, "Order the army to be on guard. If there is no abnormality in the convoy, let them pass as soon as possible. Before the convoy leaves, all soldiers must not slack off, and those who disobey the order will be executed!"

The deputy general received the order and turned to leave. Then, the sound of the horn sounded in Tongguan, and the 10,000 garrisons in the pass and the 10,000 garrisons in the camp behind the pass quickly entered a state of alert.

Two miles away, Zhao Rui and the captain of the Hu County army stopped their horses and looked at the majestic pass in front of them. Their minds were churning. Just as they were wondering what was going on inside the pass, they suddenly heard the continuous sound of horns from the top of Tongguan.

Startled, just as they were about to give orders to be on alert, the tightly closed gate opened again, and about two thousand soldiers and horses came out from inside, heading towards them.

Seeing this, Zhao Rui said to the generals around him with a wry smile: "General Chen, it seems that it is really as the military advisor expected. It really won't work if you want to fish in troubled waters. Please report the matter to Luoyang as soon as possible after returning to Hu County."

"General Zhao, don't worry. Since there is no chance, it will depend on General Zhao and the brothers next." As he said, he bowed his hands, and then said to the soldiers around him: "Give the order, we are ready to return!"

The soldiers behind him immediately ordered the troops to assemble, and then slowly evacuated to the back of the convoy. As for the safety of the convoy, it depends on them next.

However, everyone was not too worried. They were legitimately going to Chang'an to meet the emperor, and the Xiliang Army would not dare to do anything to the convoy so blatantly. Especially when Guo and Li were confronting each other, their attitude towards the Guandong princes could only be to win them over rather than offend them.

Sure enough, when the two armies were a hundred steps apart, a soldier from the Xiliang Army ran out and shouted loudly, asking the Sizhou Army to escort the troops and horses to retreat two hundred steps away, and they would take over the escort of the convoy. After a careful inspection, they would escort it to Chang'an.

Zhao Rui and the captain of the Hu County Guard Army nodded, and the thousand soldiers who were escorting left the convoy and slowly retreated two hundred steps away.

Seeing that the Sizhou Army had retreated, the Xiliang Army stepped forward and surrounded the convoy. Then the captain of the city gate stepped forward and said, "I am here to meet the convoy under the order of General Hu. Please accept the inspection."

"I am Zhao Rui, the loyal and righteous general under the command of General Pingdong and Sizhou Mu. I have not asked the general's name yet."

"I am Hu Jian, the captain of Tongguan. Please order the soldiers to cooperate with the inspection."

"General Hu, please tell the soldiers to be careful. The convoy contains items presented to the emperor." As he said this, Zhao Rui took a purse from Ma Jin and handed it to Hu Jian. There were about ten strings of copper coins in it.

Hu Jian took the money bag and padded it twice in his hand,

and then put it into the bag on his warhorse with satisfaction, saying: "General, don't worry, they won't be ignorant of the importance of the matter."

He then shouted to the soldiers who were walking towards the vehicle: "You bastards, be careful, if you break anything, I will peel your skin."

Hearing their shouts, the soldiers who were about to take action did not dare to move at once, and carefully opened the boxes on the top two layers of each vehicle, checked them, and then came back to report that there were indeed some tribute items on the vehicle.

Hu Jian nodded with satisfaction and said to Zhao Rui: "General, please follow the army into the pass. General Hu has ordered that the convoy should not stay in the pass. After leaving the pass, the general will issue a document to the convoy. At that time, the convoy will be escorted into Chang'an by two thousand soldiers and horses led by General Wei."

Zhao Rui knew that this was because the Xiliang Army was not confident in their own troops and horses. The so-called escort was actually surveillance. Fortunately, the convoy no longer had the idea of ​​seizing the pass, and was not afraid of the surveillance of the Xiliang Army.

After hearing this, Zhao Rui nodded and waved at the convoy, which began to slowly move towards Tongguan. Then, he turned to Hu Jian and said, "Thank you very much, General Hu. I will reward you handsomely after we successfully reach Chang'an."

Hu Jian laughed heartily after hearing these words, and happily led the convoy towards Tongguan.

As soon as he arrived at the gate, Zhao Rui saw a group of generals coming down from the wall, and the leader was a big man in his thirties from the northwest. Seeing this, Hu Jian hurriedly whispered: "General Zhao, this is General Fengyi, the commander of Tongguan, General Hu Feng, the nephew of the general of the chariot and cavalry."

He quickly stepped forward to report to Hu Feng, and after he finished speaking, Zhao Rui quickly stepped forward to greet him, and then asked someone to take thirty jars of wine, twenty pieces of cloth, and some other gold and silver treasures from the vehicle to offer to Hu Feng. Afterwards, he asked someone to bring three good horses and sent them to Hu Feng and two deputy generals respectively.

Zhao Rui's understanding made Hu Feng and the two deputy generals very happy. Other things were fine, but thirty jars of wine and three good horses were the three people's favorite things. Although Hu Feng was Li Jue's nephew, Li Jue had too many relatives, so he could not get many good things at ordinary times.

The other two lieutenants were even worse off, so the three were very satisfied with Zhao Rui and his party, and did not make things difficult for the convoy. They just checked it out briefly and let them pass quickly through the pass.

After leaving Tongguan, the convoy rested for a night, and then continued to head west under the escort of Hu Jian's 2,000 Xiliang troops.