stubborn thief

Chapter 354 Nanshan
Chongzhen six years, March 22.

It was dark at night on the fourth watch, and on the Qijia Mountain in Hezui Nanshan, several large pots and earthen stoves were set up in the drying yard at the gate of Majuanbao Village. The women who got up early lit the fire to cook for the men who were about to go to work. meals.

This fortress belonged to Xiqi Tusi's family, named Maquan, and it used to be a fortress where horse breeders lived together, with only a dozen families.

But now there are nearly a thousand people living in this fort, and the temporary wooden shacks crowded the courtyard drying yard inside and outside the fort into a mess, and many people even directly laid the ground on the drying yard.

The extinguished bonfire is emitting green smoke, snoring and dream talking one after another, the satin bedding is mixed with tattered linen, it looks like a disaster.

Qi Zhaozhou stood on the upper floor of the fort, looked at the fort full of sleeping refugees, and sighed helplessly.

He is the second son of Tusi Qi Tingjian, who is not yet 20 years old. His family is based in Sanqi Fort in the south of Xining. He just came here after the Chinese New Year to hunt and play. Can not go back.

As soon as the news of Liu Shizi's raising troops in Juerwan came, Qi Zhaozhou's elder brother Qi Xingzhou sent soldiers to send a message, telling him not to go anywhere and hide in the mountains, telling him that the old Qi's family would not be able to intervene in this battle—their father was here. Liu Chengzong has it.

The two children of the Qi family are very filial and brotherly, so they never thought about raising troops or anything like that.

The younger brother is going to throw himself into a trap, and the whole family must be tidy even if they die; the older brother tells him not to come, stay in the east and hide well.

Qi Zhaozhou is as good as others. Although he is not very old, his good education makes him not panic. He first sent people to the west to investigate the situation of the battle, and then summoned horse breeders to form a team of 40 horses to protect his family. property.

But war is one of the cruelest acts of human beings. In the face of the general trend of war that has spread to the Hehuang Valley for hundreds of miles, it is difficult for a few people to not only control the situation of the war, but also to protect themselves.

The march of the Marshal's Mansion was so fast that Qi Zhaozhou first saw Yang Yao's garrison at Hezui, and the sentries from the west came back a day later and told him that the imperial court's Turkish army had suffered a crushing defeat in Shangchuan.

The army of the Marshal's Mansion blocked the mouth of the river. What's the use of telling him the news of the defeat of the chieftain army in the west?

In the later time, Qi Zhaozhou was busy contacting chieftains, gentry, and tribal leaders in Nanshan, and agreed that the nineteen families would jointly protect themselves and advance together in this war.

In the place of Hehuang, neither the tribal leaders nor the Han gentry had as much say as the chieftain.

The ambiguous attitudes of the chieftains were surprisingly consistent, and in the end they decided not to send troops to the Marshal's Mansion nor to the court, but to hide in the mountains and sit and watch the success or failure.

This war made Qi Zhaozhou's understanding of his own camp deviated.

The education that Qi Zhaozhou received since he was a child is that the chieftain has been loyal to the emperor for generations, and the whole family is always ready to fight for the order of the court.

But the reality now is that his father Qi Tingjian was on Liu Chengzong's side, which made him an outsider in the war. For three whole months, the news he received every day made him both happy and worried.

But later, as the imperial court marched in, he had nothing to worry about.

Because before the imperial army arrived at Hezui, there was a general named Zhong Bao of the Marshal's Mansion who led more than 3 people from Hehuang to pour into Nanshan.

Eight hundred stones become grain, that is 13 catties of rice noodles.

The leaders of the [-] families in Nanshan were furious, and they jointly elected Qi Zhaozhou as the leader, and gathered [-] people to fight for reason.

The talks between the two sides were very civilized, no swords or guns were used, but Zhong Bao proposed very naturally, since you dare to bring troops to find me, then eight hundred shi does not count, one thousand and eight hundred shi.

The nineteen families agreed with a smile, and donated [-] shi to the Marshal's Mansion as rations for more than [-] people during the war.

For this result, Qi Zhaozhou felt that it had nothing to do with the eloquence of General Zhong Bao, the guard of the Marshal's Mansion, but mainly because the well-equipped pistol cavalry team was too convincing.

Although he offered food, Qi Zhaozhou's enthusiasm for the Marshal's Mansion was not so great, and he felt that Liu Chengzong was sick.

In fact, originally, he believed that the outcome of the war between the Marshal's Mansion and the imperial court was a toss-up. As long as his father and brother were safe, he didn't have any resistance.

Even if Zhong Bao came to ask for food, he didn't care about the fifty or one hundred stones.

But after meeting Zhong Bao, Qi Zhaozhou felt that the Marshal's Mansion had little chance of winning because the coach was not wise enough.

At such a critical moment, such an elite soldier would not stay on the battlefield, but was instead sent over to resettle the refugees. He must have some brain problems, and wait for the army to be defeated!
With this kind of mentality, Qi Zhaozhou was surprised when he saw Yang Yao leading the horse battalion to smash the frontier cavalry of the three towns head-on on the mountain.

Not to mention that the menacing commander-in-chief of the three towns was directly suppressed into quails. The [-] army suddenly developed a special emotion for the soil, and worked hard for ten days in a row holding up the shovel.

Not to mention the strategic situation, just this kind of tactical change alone can imagine the blow to morale.

This was the first time Qi Zhaozhou realized the combat power of the Marshal's Mansion. After that battle, he deliberately approached Zhong Bao, hoping to get more information about the Marshal's Mansion from the Generalissimo.

For this reason, he even gave up the Majuan Fort in Qijiashan to Zhong Bao. He wanted to please Zhong Bao, but he didn't expect that Zhong Bao was also a brain problem. In the wild, more than 400 hungry people were recruited to live in Maquanbao.

Come here every day to have a meal, chat with the hungry people, and go to other things.

"Mr. Qi didn't sleep at night?"

Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Qi Zhaozhou knew that it was Zhong Bazong who came to eat again.

As soon as he turned his head, he saw Zhong Bao, who was wearing a helmet and wearing armor, holding a porridge bowl and holding a burrito. Place to sit and eat.

Qi Zhaozhou was also sitting beside him, nodded and said, "I couldn't fall asleep until midnight, looking at the general, I slept pretty well last night."

Zhong Bao is big and doesn't eat well. Wearing armor, his body is even bigger. He looks like a big bear eating and eating raw. He stuffed a burrito into his mouth in two mouthfuls, snorted half a bowl of rice porridge, and swallowed it down. Cai said: "What can't you fall asleep?"

Qi Zhaozhou was quite envious of Zhong Bao's sleep quality, and asked, "Didn't the general hear the cannons fired in the three towns last night?"

"That's it, Mr. Qi is really from a wealthy family."

Zhong Bao and the left and right guards laughed: "I was born as a guard of the commander in chief. I am awake when the commander is awake, and I am awake when the commander is sleeping. Let me tell you, being able to sleep is a blessing."

"The cannons are so loud, how can I fall asleep."

"It's wrong for you to take guns seriously, you're not smart, Mr. Qi will be a general in the future, can you fly?"

Qi Zhao was stunned for a while, he thought Zhong Bao wanted to teach him something good, but he didn't know how to ask this question, he was dumbfounded: "Can you fly?"

Zhong Bao smiled, then raised his finger and said solemnly: "If the cannon didn't hit you, what are you worried about? If the cannon hit you, would you be able to fly?"

Qi Zhaozhou thought about it carefully, and it seemed to be the reason, but if he was hit by a cannon, he would be gone, can this not be taken seriously?

However, he didn't intend to argue with Zhong Bao. Zhong Bao looked like a rough man fighting in the army. Qi Zhaozhou had seen many people like this. This topic doesn't make sense.

He nodded in response, and thanked Zhong Bao, who had taught him his battlefield experience, before changing the subject and asking: "General Zhong, I have something I'm very curious about. If the battle is not over, the eighteen hundred stone grains will be eaten. What will you do?"

Zhong Bao was stunned for a moment, he didn't think this question was valid in his heart.

In the past few days, he has been asking the guards to observe the state of the hungry people who have been organized into sixty hundred households, and carefully search for those who have acne.

More than 3 people came from Lanzhou and Hekou, and there must be smallpox among these people.

That's why he left the fort untouched, and let the guards and cavalry sleep in the open, so that they wouldn't be infected when someone had pox.

Once the people here have acne, the frontier army of the three towns will also have acne, and it will be time for a decisive battle. He believes that the commander will not miss the great opportunity to defeat the frontier army of the three towns.

But he didn't intend to tell Qi Zhaozhou the news.

Zhong Bao just thought for a moment, and said: "Then your nineteenth family will have to donate another [-] shi of rice grain to the Marshal's Mansion."

Qi Zhaozhou felt that he was asking for trouble, he shook his head and said: "General Zhong also knows that there is only seventy or eighty shi left in the fort, and it will last for at most ten more days. This is on the mountain, and every family's surplus money is like this. What do we do when we're done?"

"Let's talk about the meal after eating. The commander asked me to resettle these common people."

To be honest, Zhong Bao didn't think about running out of food, but even if he did, there was nothing for him to think about.

It is useless to think about those things, military orders are unshakable like a mountain.

This is the case on the battlefield, the military orders to advance, even if you sacrifice your life; the same is true outside the battlefield, if the commander orders the people to be resettled, the people must be resettled at all costs.

Therefore, Zhong Bao could easily come to the conclusion: "First kill the sheep, then the pigs, the donkeys and mules, and then the cattle and horses. After eating them all, the battle is over."

After all, Zhong Bao comforted Qi Zhaozhou: "But you nineteen families, don't think that I am bullying you. This matter is not harmful to you. Even if the court wins, it is a great merit for the people of Hehuang to survive."

"The commander-in-chief wins, I will truthfully report your donation of food to the commander-in-chief, and the commander-in-chief will not treat you badly if you want to come."

Qi Zhaozhou didn't speak at the first moment, but leaned back, paused for a moment and said with emotion: "If the generals of Shuai's government are like General Zhong, I'm afraid the imperial court can't stop you in the west of Lanzhou."

He discovered the characteristics of the Marshal's Mansion.

These generals have no experience in governing the local area, but they have a very strong ability to execute military orders, and this execution ability is based on the great power of the generals who accept the orders.

They exerted their strength in one place without any hindrance, at least since Zhong Bao entered Nanshan, Qi Zhaozhou didn't see anyone restricting Zhong Bao's behavior.

This made him feel that joining the Marshal's Mansion might not be a bad choice for the Xiqi chieftain family... At least for now, the Marshal's Mansion's eastward expedition is not as unreasonable as he imagined before.

After all, Liu Chengzong's Marshal's Mansion has a bad reputation as a Shaanxi rebel.

The vast majority of people in Hehuang thought the same as Qi Zhaozhou, Liu Chengzong sent troops, and they would definitely plunder.

But Zhong Bao did not plunder, although the unquestionable tone was similar to that of Ming Qiang, but if Zhong Bao could truthfully report the food donation to Liu Chengzong after the war, the result would be far from plundering.

"General Zhong..." Qi Zhaozhou said, seeming to be aware of his embarrassment, and asked with a dry smile: "Why didn't you plunder? And obviously you can put the refugees here and let the nineteen families recruit workers and provide food. Why should the commander-in-chief provide rations?"

"Ah!"

Zhong Bao sneered contemptuously: "You think we are soldiers of the imperial court? The commander-in-chief has military laws, and looting is not allowed."

Qi Zhaozhou's eyes widened: "The imperial court also has military law."

"Military law is not just a few rules, I am quite worried that Mr. Qi will lead troops in the future." Zhong Bao smiled and shook his head: "Whether military law can be implemented depends on rewards and punishments. Mr. Qi, think about it, what can the officers and soldiers get if they don't plunder; What kind of punishment will you get if you rob?"

Before Qi Zhaozhou could answer, Zhong Bao had already asked himself and answered: "If you don't plunder, the imperial court will not pay the army in arrears, the rations for the expedition will not be enough, and it will be difficult to be promoted if you have a leader... Just because of you people, how many generals will the imperial court promote? All have the same last name!"

Zhong Bao's words have a strong personal grievance. He was not an officer because of this matter before, and he was still a big soldier until he defected to Liu Chengzong.

"So what if you looted the imperial court? As for the frontier troops of the five towns, the imperial court used them to fight in Shaanxi, they still used them to fight in Shanxi, and they still used them to fight in Hehuang. What if they robbed them? "

After all, Zhong Bao raised his head very proudly and said: "The commander-in-chief gave us enough food for our soldiers, and the war profits were distributed to every soldier who participated in the war. The war profits can be directly exchanged for what they want, and the commander-in-chief also gives us money occasionally. Don't let it go for this day, go to rob?"

Qi Zhaozhou shook his head: "The military discipline of the whole army can't be so good, what if we meet a rich family?"

"The rich family? Do you think we are grassroots bandits?" Zhong Bao shook his head and said, "If it's one of our own, no one would dare to snatch it. If it's the enemy, then just wait for the profit to be shared, and there's no need to snatch it."

These words were very convincing, Qi Zhaozhou felt that if the court lost this battle, he should join the army of the Marshal's Mansion.

Zhong Bao also meant the same thing, he said: "As for you asking me why you are not allowed to recruit workers and provide food for the common people, then these common people are not yours."

The five-year-old Zhong Bao took a look at Qi Zhaozhou, sighed and shook his head, as if he felt that he was not up to date, and said: "The Marshal's Mansion is different from the imperial court in many places, and many places are not as good as the imperial court, but no matter in military affairs or local governance, the most fundamental The things above are much stronger than the imperial court... even me."

Zhong Bao pointed to himself and said, "Even I know that feudal lords are useless to the court, and landlords are useless to the local government; if you don't believe me, think about it, can the world live without peasants? Can it live without soldiers? But without landlords, what? Nothing."

Qi Zhaozhou thought it was bad, the Marshal's Mansion was very hostile to a family like his own.

He rubbed his hands and asked, "General Zhong, can I serve as a soldier under your command?"

"My cavalry team will be sent out as officers in the future, you are quite smart, wait until the battle is over." Zhong Bao secretly rejoiced, this Qi Zhaozhou has some skills, it is a good thing to be recruited, but he did not agree, waved his hand Said: "If the court wins this battle, you have to rebel again, there is no need."

At this moment, a guard walked upstairs quickly and whispered in Zhong Bao's ear, and Zhong Bao's eyes widened immediately.

I have acne.

Someone among the refugees has acne!

　good afternoon!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)