Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 922 Individuals who betrayed the class

Shao Shude was drinking tea by the side of the road, but the [-] soldiers of General Tu did not stop at all and continued to advance.

Sikong Bing was slightly uneasy.

Tens of thousands of warriors like wolves and tigers rushed into Wei Bo.And the Wei Bo generals are still intriguing with each other, and even plan to fight each other, how to resist this?
"Be safe and don't be impatient." Shao Shude glanced at the fidgeting Sikong Bing, and said, "Tell Inspector Sikong a story."

"Please speak, Your Highness." Sikong Bing said patiently.

"At the beginning of the Republic of China, there was Cui Sheng from Boling, who had few talents and was tireless in learning. After becoming an official, he was honest and diligent. In the official residence, he lived in his sixties in the Spring and Autumn Period. His son supported the coffin and was buried in Boling Township. The imperial court issued an edict to give chariots, horses, and murder weapons to accompany him all the way, and he was very honored." Shao Shude said.

Sikong Bing subconsciously recalled the old things in the early days of the country. This "Cui Sheng" looked like Cui Xinggong from the Boling Cui family, and also like his nephew. It seemed that the deeds of many people were mixed together.

"After Cui Sheng's son returned to his hometown and settled down, there have been three generations. For decades, the three generations of the Cui family have not lived apart, and the family is happy. Clan members, no matter how far or near, rich or poor, will eat from far away. The poor and orphans are raised and educated. Encourage the rich and powerful to lead and support the backward." Shao Shude continued.

Sikong Bing listened silently.This was the normal life of the local rich people before the hardships, and it was not made up. He listened to it and was a little fascinated.

"In the middle of Zhenyuan, Cui Sheng's descendants were able to cover the rivers and lakes, and they were able to prepare civil and military affairs. At the age of childishness, they were not childish, studied classics and history, and possessed military strategies. They were not weak, and they already had the reputation of Heshuo, because they were awarded county captains. Although the color He made a great show of his prestige, but his ambition was not strong, so he traveled far away to Jimen to express his depression. Yan Shuai loved his talent, and treated him as a guest of honor, and assigned him to the Yamen of Lulong Festival in Youzhou. Not long after, he went out with the army and fired arrows on horseback. He killed several enemies in a row, and when he rushed to kill, he beheaded the thieves and generals, and passed them on to the governor of Guizhou, Yuhou of the left army Ma Budu, and Chen Guogong. At the beginning of Huichang, he died in the camp behind the mountain, at the age of 52."

Sikong Bing listened more seriously.He no longer tried to figure out who Shao Shude was talking about, because there were too many such people.In the towns of Hebei Province, there are countless generations who have joined the army, and there are very few people who only study writing but not martial arts.Cui's experience is almost the epitome of several generations of scholars in Hebei.

"When Cui Gong was buried, there were few clansmen present. There was a military rebellion in the Wenzong Dynasty, and more than [-] members of the Cui family were killed. Although the rebellion was peaceful, the clan members had already dispersed."

"I don't know how many generations, because of the military chaos in Youzhou, the descendants of Cuigong moved to Jingzhou. This generation of Cui has four sons, the eldest son is the prime minister of Nanpi County in Jingzhou, the second son is the driving officer of the shogunate, and the third son is the prefecture Doctor of Confucian classics, four sons are full of civil and military affairs, well-equipped with books and swords. Hebei has been in war for a long time, and most of the people died. When the Khitan invaded, Cui Gong's eldest son and fourth son died in battle. The second son did not know In the end, the three sons and their family were taken captive and served as slaves in the Pingdi pine forest. They wore fur clothes, shaved hair, and earrings. Killed, laying down tens of thousands of corpses, Cui Gong is now extinct."

After Shao Shude finished speaking, he looked at Sikong Bing, as if he was asking: Do you want to turn against me again?

Sikong Bing knew that this story was fictitious, but listening to it, he was sweating profusely.Because Shao Shude spoke so realistically, from the glorious scene of the aristocratic family before the Anshi Rebellion, to the transition from literature to military when the vassals were separatist, the so-called "both books and swords" living conditions, and the situation in which the rebellious warriors instigated the army and caused heavy losses to the family, It can almost be said to be a true portrayal of the Hebei gentry.

The aristocratic family has not disappeared, but it has been constantly migrating and dispersing during the war. It is no longer like the "poor and foolish suburban villas, all of which will eat from afar" in the early days of the country. The best loot.

As a result, the gentry declined, and gradually dispersed into small landlords who were alone and isolated, and they were precarious.

Just, what does the last Khitan invasion mean?
Sikong Bing raised his head and asked: "Your Highness, is it true that the descendants of Duke Cui died in Khitan?"

Shao Shude didn't hide it anymore, and said: "Fang today, if I can't unify, all the people in Hebei will die."

Sikong Bing felt a little uncomfortable when he heard it, and said: "How can the Khitan go south with so much strength? If they go south, they will be defeated in a single battle. That's normal."

"Today's Hebei, of course, can destroy Khitan. But if there are less than a million households left in Hebei, and the elite soldiers are all lost, you may not be fish on the chopping board." Shao Shude sneered: "Now I am vigorously cutting Fan, even if you can't mix in the whole universe, there is no problem in being the lord of the Western Wei Dynasty. What are you going to do? I'm afraid you haven't even seen the face of the Khitan people, so how do you know their strength? I have fought in the grassland for many years, killing people Countless chieftains of various tribes trembled and did not dare to breathe loudly in front of my riding boots. But the Khitan has not yet surrendered, and there are still many miscellaneous people who have taken refuge in the Khitans. If they attack Haidong Shengguo, hundreds of thousands of soldiers will be there If you can pull it out, you will be the most powerful feudal clan in the north, if Hebei is still a mess, you will die one by one."

"I came to be a lobbyist for Luo Shuai..." Sikong Bing smiled wryly.

"It's not an option for Hebei to go on like this." Shao Shude ignored Sikong Bing's words at all, and said to himself: "After I defeat Wang Shifan, Zhu Jin, and Zhang Tingfan, I will send troops to Weibo and attack with all my strength. Shoulder to shoulder, capture these two towns, and Hedong will be strictly confined within the Taihang Mountains, and you can make whatever you want. Do you still want to be a lobbyist now?"

"Your Highness, it's not that simple to put down Wei Bo." Sikong Bing seemed to have forgotten his original purpose, and said.

"It's up to Inspector Sikong to teach me how to pacify the six prefectures of Weibo." Shao Shude said with a smile on his face.

"There is no other way but to kill." Sikong Bing said after a long silence.

"How to say?" Shao Shude asked calmly.

"Your Highness should be able to see what Li Keyong did in Youzhou." Sikong Bing said, "It's easy to defeat the Wei soldiers, and some people will surrender. But after surrendering, they will rebel again as soon as they have a chance."

"Above the battlefield, would your Highness dare to trust Wei Bing? When confronting Hedong, would you dare not send troops to monitor Wei Bo? It is meaningless to accept vassals. They will fight back at critical moments, because from the bottom of their hearts, they are Those leaning towards the east of the river."

"Inspector Sikong's words are against Wei Bo's interests," Shao Shude said with a smile.

Sikong Bing was a little ashamed and sighed silently.

"It would be great if everyone in Wei Bowu knew current affairs like Inspector Sikong." Shao Shude also sighed.

Conquering Hebei, I am afraid that the reputation of generosity and benevolence that has been maintained for half a lifetime will not be preserved.

******
In the west of Liaocheng County, Bozhou, a group of cavalry stopped at the entrance of the village.

Soon, one person rushed to the village, got off his horse and beat the gong.

"General Li is recruiting warriors. Anyone who is willing to join the army, come here quickly." The cavalry said loudly.

Like a thunderclap, the news spread quickly.

Qian Erlang, who was working in the field, heard the news and went home with a hoe.

His wife, Li Shi, looked at him in surprise.

Qian Erlang threw away the hoe, went straight to the woodshed, and took out a rusty horizontal knife.

Zhou Dalang was chopping wood in the garden behind his house.

When he heard the news, he immediately stopped Qian Erlang who was heading towards the entrance of the village, and asked, "Is Qian Erlang going now? Is Li Gongquan sure?"

Qian Er's father used to be a martial artist, but he died early, and Qian Er has always been very regretful that he failed to succeed his father and son.

He is a member of the military, so of course he knows how good life is for the Wufu family, which is much more comfortable than farming honestly, but it is a pity that he has never had a chance.

"Li Gongquan promised that everyone who goes to Weizhou with him will be rewarded." Qian Er shook Zhou Da's hand and was about to leave again.

"How much is the reward?" Zhou Da asked.

"If Li Gongquan becomes the Jiedu envoy, he will give you five pieces of money and five bolts of silk. We can all join the army, and we will be able to eat like a warrior from now on." After Qian Er finished speaking, he left in a hurry.

"There is another good thing!" Zhou Da did not hesitate, rushed into the main room, took off the horizontal knife hanging on the wall, thought for a while, and brought a bow tip.He cut the tip of the bow himself, and he planned to sell it for money. This would give him a chance to serve as a soldier, so naturally he would not sell it.

The news kept fermenting in the village, and within two sticks of incense, more than a dozen people with knives, guns, and bows gathered at the entrance of the village.There was even one person who put on armor, which was very flamboyant.

Hiding armor privately is a big deal!
In the 43 counties of the six prefectures of Weibo, in Tian Chengsi's meeting, the strong went to the army to fight, and the old and weak worked in the countryside. After 140 years, who has never been a soldier?Who doesn't know a few martial arts?Who can't shoot arrows?
Coincidentally, in another village, recruitment work is also in full swing.

Jin Erlang, a Weizhou yamen soldier who was born in this village, is still loudly spreading rumors: "Luo Hongxin was originally a small infantry school, and he became a Jiedu envoy by chance. But this man is too picky, and he gives Zhu Quanzhong a large sum of money every year." Caihuo, this time colluded with the Xia people again to keep his useless son in power. The Shao thief is harsh and demanding, no matter how rich the six states are, they may not be able to satisfy the Shao thief's appetite. Today General Li is stationed in Bozhou, with a large number of soldiers Wan, the three armies thought they were capable, and they recommended him as the commander in chief. We will enter Weizhou, cooperate with the government soldiers inside and outside, kill the Luo family and his son, and return the world to a bright future. If you follow along, you can also be listed in the army, and drink and eat from now on. Meat, no worries."

Don't tell me, this incitement is still effective.There was an endless stream of people who came to join the army, and many of them brought their own equipment, clamoring loudly, and the crowd was excited.

From July 25th to [-]th, more than [-] troops were recruited in just five days, and they all drove to the state city to gather.

At this time, Li Gongquan was also making the final mobilization of generals and officials.

"The six prefectures of Wei and Bo, the vassal mansions of the past dynasties, the father and son of the army, and the marriage and family are connected. It is not far away from Hemen, leaving the relatives and the family. Once moved to other counties, life would be worse than death." Li Gongquan said loudly: "There is news from the military mansion. , Luo Hongxin begged Shao Shude to present his son Shaowei as Jiedu envoy, so low-key, how can Shao thief be easy to get along with? I don't know what conditions he promised in private."

"He Quantai, your father is the magistrate of Guixiang, your uncle is the commander of the Leopard Army, your son is the Yamen soldier, and you are Liaocheng Lieutenant. Ask yourself, would you like your official position to be taken away by state school students who don't know where, and your children and grandchildren have been fighting abroad for many years? You don't know where you died?"

"Zhao Gong, three generations of your family have worked in the shogunate. Although you are a small official, you have been raised after all. Think about it carefully, if you don't have the money and food from the shogunate, how can you practice this martial art? Ma kills the enemy? The Shao thief is going to cut down the feudal clan, and your family's livelihood will be cut off."

"Zhang Sui, brother Ling died after the battle. It was the shogunate who gave out pensions to support his two children who were waiting to be fed. Shao thief coveted Wei Bo's money and food. If he annexed him, all the money and food would be taken away. Your nephew will still be alive go down?"

Li Gongquan was tirelessly doing ideological work facing the generals who surrounded him.

"It's not up to outsiders to intervene in Weibo's affairs. Since the hardships, the feudal government has created its own bureaucrats and recruited soldiers, and the benefits have all fallen to the 43 counties of the six states. You are not fighting for me, but also for your children and grandchildren. , quickly follow me to Weizhou, don't hesitate." Li Gongquan said.

"Obey." Everyone responded loudly with high spirits.

(End of this chapter)