Although after Li Yan's year of development, Dengzhou City has increased significantly in terms of population and per capita income. Taking the population as an example, it has increased from the initial 300,000 to nearly one million people. Most of these increased populations came to find work from other nearby states. After all, Dengzhou has opened so many factories at once, with an extremely shortage of manpower and insufficient slaves, so it can only recruit workers at high prices. Of course, these migrant workers' household registration is still in the original prefectures and counties. Although some of their families even brought them to live in Dengzhou, they can only be considered as black households. For these black households, Li Yan not only ignored these black households, but also secretly supported them. When other states saw the loss of local population, they not only dared to ask Li Yan for people, but even did not dare to take care of them. After all, they were princes, and they did not dare to offend them.

The increase in the population of Dengzhou has also caused the scale of Dengzhou City to grow. However, due to the limitations of the city walls, the land in the city is limited. In order to cope with this situation, there are already several large-scale satellite cities outside Dengzhou City. These satellite cities are managed by officials sent by Li Yan. At the same time, for safety, they have also built thick city walls with bricks and stones and cement, and closed the city gates on time every day. After all, opposite Dengzhou is the battlefield of Goguryeo, so you must be careful about everything.

The long-term population of Dengzhou City is about 150,000. If there are several satellite cities, it is estimated that it will be at least 300,000. Almost one-third of the population in the entire Dengzhou area is concentrated here. There is also a large number of invisible population. The so-called invisible population is slaves, slaves, etc. These people do not have household registration and rely on their respective masters to make a living. In addition, there are many wealthy households in Dengzhou. The size of the slave group is very large. Therefore, if these people are added, the population of Dengzhou City has exceeded 350,000. Moreover, this is because of the war in Goguryeo, many people are worried that the war will burn to Dengzhou, so they temporarily left Dengzhou before the New Year.

A city has a population of 350,000, which is already an extremely rare city for the Tang Dynasty. Apart from super cities like Chang'an and Luoyang, there are no cities in the entire Tang Dynasty that can be compared with Dengzhou. Therefore, although the Spring Festival in Dengzhou this year is not as lively as Chang'an, it is also a limited difference. In addition, there are some customs different from Guanzhong area in the local area, which makes Li Yan and Wen Xin feel very fresh.

For example, in the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, there is a very interesting custom in Dengzhou. All the children in the city dress before dawn, and then run around the city in groups, going from house to house to eat. At this time, even poor families usually prepare some homemade snacks, and the rich even set up stalls in front of the door early to distribute various dried fruit snacks, and the work of distributing these things is usually delivered by the hostess of each family.

Wen Xin feels very fresh about this custom, because I heard that this custom has the same function as the custom of touching the copper nails of the city gate on the Lantern Festival. The more food I sent to my children that day, the more chance I would get pregnant and have a child in the new year. Although Wen Xin is only sixteen years old this year, two years away from the agreed age, this is a good intention after all, and there are many maids in the royal palace. Therefore, Wen Xin took the lead and all the married young women cooperated to prepare a lot of snacks. In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, they lined up in front of the royal palace and distributed them to the children with a smile.

Wen Xin followed Li Yan to show off several times in Dengzhou City. Almost everyone knew that Princess Qi was a gentle and beautiful girl. This time, her popularity rose sharply, almost surpassing Li Yan's reputation. Li Yan sighed in his heart. It seemed that no matter which era, beauty would take a lot of advantage. She racked her brains to do so much for the people of Dengzhou, but she was not as good as Wen Xin's accidental actions on a whim.

After the Chinese New Year, the supplies prepared by Dengzhou and several nearby states were also delivered. All the supplies rewarded by the army before the Chinese New Year have been delivered. This time, the main preparations were some unique foods such as Lantern Festival. After all, for the Tang people, the Lantern Festival is more important than the New Year. The soldiers fought hard outside and were also worth a meal of Lantern Festival.

However, in addition to sending Lantern Festival and other supplies, Su Dingfang, Xi Junmai, and 300 guards of the royal palace were also on the ship. They took a letter written by Li Yan to General Niu Jinda to serve on the front line, hoping to win the credit for his wife and son. Although there is no sword on the battlefield, it is very likely that he will die in this battlefield, but if you want to make a name for yourself, you must make a contribution, and they are all prepared.

When Su Dingfang and the others left, Li Yan went to the dock to see him off. However, in that occasion, Li Yan said nothing, raised the strongest Five Kings Zui, and everyone did three bowls in a row. Then, Su Dingfang and Xi Junmai led the team to give Li Yan a solemn military salute, and resolutely set foot on the distant sea boat.

However, as soon as Su Dingfang and the others were sent away, Li Yan had to make him angry and smoke. The boy Li Yong disappeared. He spent two days searching the royal palace and Dengzhou City, but he couldn't even find a figure. There is no need to guess at this moment, Li Yan can be sure that this boy must have sneaked on Su Dingfang and his ship. At the current speed, he probably had arrived at the opposite Beisha City.

"Yanbei, do you dare to say that you don't know about this?" Li Yan shouted at Yan Bei who was standing below with an angry look on his face. Since he learned that Li Yong had run away, Li Yan was furious and finally calmed down, he immediately thought that someone must be helping Li Yong in this matter, otherwise he would not have been able to get on the military ship with strict defense.

"Hehe, Liulang is worthy of being Liulang, and he guessed the facts in one go!" Yanbei smiled and said, as if he had known that Li Yan would find him.

When Li Yan heard the other party admit it, he was furious and kicked Yan Bei's butt. However, he didn't expect that although Yan Bei was a scholar, he hid quickly and let Li Yan kick him in vain.

"Bastard! Do you know that the Ninth Brother is only sixteen years old this year, and how dangerous it will be to let him go to the battlefield at such a young age?" Li Yan's sneak attack failed, but he did not give up. While chasing and attacking, he pointed at Yan Bei angrily and questioned.

"I know, but Jiulang's reasons for this matter are very sufficient, and I am not the only one who helps him. Brother Yuwen has a share in this matter!" Yan Bei escaped while irresponsibly confessed his other accomplice Yuwen Hu.

"What? Brother Yuwen is the ninth brother-in-law, how could he be so confused?" Li Yan was not only angry when he heard that Yuwen Hu was also involved in Li Yong's escape plan, but also felt a little incredible. At the same time, he stopped chasing Yan Bei.

Yan Bei saw Li Yan stopping and hurriedly tidy up his messy clothes, then said with a serious look: "Liulang, I know you have always regarded Jiulang as your brother, thinking that he is young and ignorant, but don't forget that he is actually the same age as you, and now he has the courage to make a career on the battlefield. You, the elder brother, should be happy for him!"

"Hmph, what you said is light. If something happened to my ninth brother, would I still have the face to see Uncle Wang and his wife?" No matter what Yan Bei said, Li Yan couldn't listen. Although he had not seen the cruelty of the battlefield in the era of cold weapons, he could also know based on similarities how bloody and dangerous it was to fight with swords and guns.

"Liulang, you are wrong. In fact, you don't have to worry about this problem!" Yan Bei suddenly looked calm and said seriously, "I think who is Hejian King? In the royal family, except for your father, he is the first person in the army. He was invincible in the battlefield. He pacified the entire south of the Tang Dynasty. Although he no longer paid attention to military and political affairs in recent years, as a general and father, he saw that his son had such ambition and wanted to inherit the glory of their Hejian King's Mansion on the battlefield. Do you think he should be happy or angry?"

"But……"

Li Yan was about to refute, but was immediately interrupted by Yan Bei and said, "I know you are afraid that Li Yong will be in danger, but who is Hejian King? He has been rolling on the battlefield since he was a teenager and knows the dangers on the battlefield more clearly than anyone else. To put it bluntly, even if Li Yong encounters any accidents on the battlefield, Hejian King will only be proud of his son and will not blame you, let alone Brother Yuwen is blocking him in front?"

Yan Bei's words were very reasonable, and he was well aware of Li Xiaogong's psychology. He even pointed out in the end that Yuwen Hu was Li Yong's brother-in-law, and Li Yong also received his approval. Even if something happened in the future, Yuwen Hu was the first one who was unlucky, and Li Yan was the second one.

However, Li Yan was not so easy to convince. No matter what Yan Bei said, he firmly disagreed. Yan Bei called Yuwen Hu, but the two of them could not convince Li Yan. In the end, he sent someone to General Niu and asked someone to take Li Yong back. Although Yan Bei and Yuwen Hu sighed on the surface, they were happy in their hearts. The battlefield in Goguryeo was so big that there were two marching generals alone, including deputy generals, generals, etc., and many generals were old with the King of Hejian, and Li Yongke did not plan to go to General Niu.

Just when Li Yan was upset about Li Yong's affairs, another news came from Chang'an that made him helpless. His father, who could not stay in his spare time, finally decided to command the new command of Goguryeo as in history. He rushed east after the Spring Festival. Unfortunately, the Yellow River was frozen at this time and could not take a boat at all. He could only take land, so he was slower. However, it is estimated that the army would arrive at the Goguryeo frontline by early February at the latest.

In addition, with this news, there was also a Li Shimin's imperial edict. Li Yan, who received the imperial edict, looked sad and felt resentful towards his emperor father. (To be continued)
Chapter completed!