Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 119 On the Way to My Post

This is the official road within the territory of Qingzhou Prefecture.

The convoy has been traveling for five days.

Starting from Jinan, we traveled northeast along the official road, passing through Zhangqiu and Zichuan, and have now entered the territory of Qingzhou Prefecture.

If you continue for another three or four days, you will reach Dengzhou.

Lu Yan sat in the carriage, holding a scroll of "Illustrated Explanation of Coastal Defense" in his hands, but he did not turn the page for a long time.

His gaze pierced through the gap in the carriage curtain, looking out at the rolling hills.

The mountains are already visible from this area.

It wasn't the gentle hills of Jinan, but real mountains—Qingzhou Prefecture was mountainous, and the further east you went, the higher the terrain became, and the more precipitous the mountains became.

"Master."

Zhao Changying rode his horse closer to the carriage and said in a low voice.

"There's a fork in the road ahead. Going north leads to the main road, while going east leads to a side road. Taking the main road is a detour and will add half a day to your journey; the side road will save you some time, but it's not in good condition."

Lu Yan put down his book and lifted the carriage curtain.

"Take the official road."

"yes."

Zhao Changying turned his horse around and went to the front to deliver the order.

Lu Yan leaned back against the carriage and closed his eyes.

A map of Dengzhou appeared in my mind.

Dengzhou Prefecture is located at the easternmost tip of the Shandong Peninsula.

It is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and only the west side is connected to the inland.

The city is nestled between mountains and the sea, with a wide harbor capable of accommodating large ocean-going vessels.

Starting from Dengzhou, with favorable winds and currents, it only takes three to five days to reach the Liaodong Peninsula.

This is a strategic location.

It is also a place full of opportunities.

But it is also a place fraught with danger.

Lu Yan silently calculated in his mind.

The situation in Dengzhou was much more complicated than in Jinan.

First of all, Dengzhou was the rear area of ​​Liaodong.

Since the Battle of Sarhu, Liaodong has been plagued by constant warfare, and the imperial court has established numerous military institutions in Dengzhou—the Dengzhou-Laizhou Governor's Office, the Dengzhou Garrison, the Naval Camp, and so on.

These military forces, ostensibly there to support Liaodong, each had their own agenda.

The governor wanted political achievements, the garrison wanted military pay, and the navy wanted personal gain.

The various forces are deeply intertwined and their relationships are complex.

Secondly, Dengzhou is a key location for coastal defense.

The Dengzhou Navy was the largest naval force in Shandong.

Although it has fallen into disrepair over the years, it is still a force to be reckoned with, with dozens of warships and thousands of sailors.

These people are not to be trifled with.

Finally, and most importantly, Dengzhou is a maritime trade hub.

Although the imperial court had issued a decree banning maritime trade, private maritime trade never ceased.

Every year, a large number of merchant ships enter and leave the port of Dengzhou, transporting silk, porcelain and tea to Japan and Korea in exchange for silver, copper and sulfur.

This is a shipping route that flows with gold.

This shipping route is firmly controlled by one family.

Li family.

The Li family of Dengzhou was the largest maritime merchant family in the area.

It is said that the ancestors of the Li family were pirates during the Jiajing period. Later, they went ashore and transformed into "legitimate merchants".

Over the decades, the Li family has become deeply rooted and powerful in Dengzhou.

They not only monopolized maritime trade, but also had intricate connections with the government, garrisons, and navy.

Lu Yan's plan to develop maritime trade in Dengzhou will inevitably infringe upon the interests of the Li family.

The Li family will certainly not stand idly by.

"The Li family..."

Lu Yan muttered to himself, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

He knew this day would come.

From the moment he decided to go to Dengzhou, he was already prepared to confront the Li family.

I just didn't expect this day to come so soon.

"Master."

A deep voice came from outside the car window.

It's Shen Qing.

Lu Yan opened his eyes and lifted the carriage curtain.

Shen Qing rode a black horse and approached the carriage at some point.

His expression was somewhat grave.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone is following us."

Lu Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.

How many people?

"Not sure," Shen Qing lowered his voice. "My subordinates spotted three groups of people, located one, three, and five li behind us respectively. Each group consists of about five to ten people, all on horseback."

"When did it start?"

"It started as soon as we entered Qingzhou Prefecture," Shen Qing said. "At first, I thought they were just ordinary merchants, but after observing them for two days, I found their movements to be extremely predictable. We walk, they walk; we stop, they stop. Moreover, they maintain a constant distance, neither too close nor too far."

Lu Yan remained silent for a moment.

"What kind of person do you think it is?"

"There are two possibilities," Shen Qing said. "First, they're bandits. This area is mountainous and densely forested, and there are many bandits. They might be scouting the area, waiting for us to enter the mountains before making their move."

"And the second one?"

"Secondly..." Shen Qing paused, "someone was specifically sent to do this."

"who?"

"The Li family of Dengzhou."

Lu Yan's eyes flickered slightly.

How did you know?

"My subordinates have been gathering intelligence on Dengzhou for the past few years," Shen Qing said. "The Li family has spies in Qingzhou Prefecture, specifically monitoring officials and merchant caravans coming from the Jinan direction. When new officials arrive, they always investigate beforehand to find out their background and decide how to deal with them."

"The Ministry of Personnel issued the official documents for our master's upcoming appointment in Dengzhou long ago. The Li family couldn't possibly be unaware of this."

Lu Yan nodded.

"You mean, the Li family sent someone to intimidate me?"

"Very likely," Shen Qing said. "I know a little about the Li family's methods. They usually have three ways of dealing with newly arrived officials."

"First, bribery. Use money to pave the way, so that officials turn a blind eye."

"Second, intimidation. Send people to 'rob' on the road to let officials know the consequences and prevent them from interfering."

"Third, if the first two methods don't work..."

Shen Qing paused, his gaze turning somber.

"Let this official 'die of illness' in office."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan did not get angry but instead laughed.

"interesting."

He lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the sky outside.

The sun was already setting in the west; it would be dark in another hour or two.

What's ahead?

"Back to our master's house, ahead lies the territory of Yidu County." Zhao Changying rode up, "Twenty li further on, there's a post station where we can rest."

"We're not going to the post station," Lu Yan said. "Let's find a place that's easy to defend and difficult to attack to set up camp."

"Set up camp?" Zhao Changying was taken aback. "Boss, this is in the middle of nowhere..."

"It has to be in the middle of nowhere," Lu Yan said. "Someone's trying to intimidate me; I want to see just how capable they are."

He turned to look at Shen Qing.

"Shen Qing, take a few men and find out who's following us. Don't alert them; just observe and don't move."

"yes."

Shen Qing bowed, turned his horse around, and disappeared into the twilight.

Lu Yan watched his retreating figure, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Li family.

They started before they even reached Dengzhou.

very good.

Since you want to play, then I'll play with you.

……

into the night.

The convoy set up camp in a mountain valley.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one road in and out, this place is strategically important, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Zhao Changying led his guards to set up a defensive line, establishing three hidden sentry posts around the camp.

Lu Yan sat in the tent, looking at a map by the light of an oil lamp.

This is the intelligence Shen Qing has collected about Dengzhou over the past few years, including the Li family's sphere of influence, network of connections, and industrial distribution...

"Master."

The curtain was lifted, and Shen Qing walked in.

His face was covered in dew, clearly he had just come back from outside.

"Have you found out?"

"We've found out," Shen Qing said. "There were three groups of people following us, totaling about thirty. They're all local bandits from Qingzhou Prefecture, who make a living by robbing passing merchant caravans."

"Bandits?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. "Not from the Li family?"

"They were hired by the Li family," Shen Qing said. "My subordinates caught one of them when he was alone and interrogated him. He said someone gave their leader fifty taels of silver, instructing them to 'teach' the newly arrived prefect a lesson on the road."

"Just a lesson?"

"The man said that the employer's exact words were—'Don't kill him, just teach him a lesson.'"

Lu Yan sneered.

"A show of force."

"Exactly," Shen Qing said. "The Li family's intentions are clear: they want their boss to know that Dengzhou is their territory, and not just anyone can come and cause trouble."

Lu Yan stood up, walked to the tent entrance, lifted the tent flap, and looked at the dark night sky outside.

"When do they plan to make their move?"

"Tomorrow," Shen Qing said, "there's a mountain path ahead, with cliffs on both sides and only a narrow pass. They plan to ambush us there."

How many people?

"Everyone is mobilized, about thirty people."

Lu Yan nodded, turned around, and looked at Shen Qing.

"Shen Qing, what do you think we should do?"

Shen Qing was silent for a moment, then said:

"Master, I have two suggestions."

"First, take a detour. Avoid that mountain road and take another route. Although it will take two more days, it can avoid conflict."

"second……"

He paused, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"Let's turn the tables. Let them come, and then... leave no one alive."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan smiled slightly.

Which one do you think is better?

"I think the second one is better," Shen Qing said. "Since the Li family dared to make a move, it shows they don't take our master seriously. If our master avoids them, they'll only think we're weak and easy to bully, and they'll become even more aggressive in the future."

"Only by showing them the boss's methods will they restrain themselves."

Lu Yan nodded.

"That's what I think too."

He walked back to the center of the tent and pointed to the location of that mountain path on the map.

"Tomorrow, let them see what a real 'baptism of fire' is all about."