Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

With no other options, the rebel commander had to mobilize heavy armored infantry to suppress the city gates again to prevent the other side from closing them.

Several huge fireballs flew over and hit the rebel troops outside the city hard, instantly blowing them to pieces and causing heavy casualties.

"Damn it, use the crossbowmen!"

The rebel commander roared angrily and ordered the crossbowmen to shoot arrows. Unfortunately, the rebels had lost all their crossbowmen and had no way to suppress the city gate.

The rebel commander had no choice but to issue an order to force a landing, trying to capture the city wall first, and then use the superior force to turn the defense into offense. As a result, hundreds of bandits ran towards the north gate from all directions.

The sound of arrows piercing the air could be heard from the tower, and from time to time, some of the rebels fell to the ground. However, these were ordinary bandits, and they did not carry any heavy weapons, so even if they were injured, they continued to fight forward without fear.

Finally, the rebels reached the city gate, and the two sides engaged in a desperate fight, hacking and killing each other, with screams and wails intertwined in their ears.

Yang Ling's spear pierced the enemy's chest, and blood splattered all over the ground when he pulled it out.

Then he drew the sword from his waist, beheaded the enemy in front of him, and added a few more slashes.

Suddenly, orderly footsteps were heard in the distance, and the rebels' camp was also in commotion. Yang Ling looked in the direction of the sound and suddenly found that several cavalry units appeared behind the rebels and were charging towards the enemy.

The rebel commander's face changed drastically, and he shouted: "Stop the enemy and protect the prince!"

Then he turned his horse around and prepared to return to stop the rebel reinforcements.

Yang Ling sneered and said, "You can't get away!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the rebels' formation was broken up, and the rebel cavalry broke through the enemy formation and began to madly kill the surrounding enemies. Yang Ling also joined the battle, bravely moving forward, killing many enemies with a single blow of his sword.

Yang Ling led the militia to gallop among the enemy, constantly reaping the lives of the enemy.

The rebel commander saw that the situation was not good and turned his horse around to try to escape from the north gate. But just as he turned his horse around, he heard an urgent roar from behind: "Capture him alive!"

Yang Ling led the civilians to hunt down the rebel commander, while other soldiers rushed to the west gate for reinforcement. After paying a heavy price, the rebels finally broke through the city gate, but there was an ambush outside the west gate. The main force of the rebels suffered an unprecedented heavy blow, and soon fell into trouble, and finally the whole army was destroyed.

The main force of the rebels was annihilated, and the rebels were leaderless.

Due to the lack of sufficient food and fodder, Yang Ling and his men had to abandon the North Gate and the East Gate and return to the county town with the remaining 500-odd prisoners.

Yang Ling brought more than 16 captives to the county government office. These captives were all villagers near Yangjiazhuangzi, the youngest was only years old, and more than a dozen people squeezed into the narrow living room, which seemed quite crowded.

At this time, the county magistrate and the county lieutenant hurried over to greet them.

Yang Ling called the sturdy man named Wu Daniu to his side and asked, "Your name is Wu Daniu?"

Wu Daniu immediately clasped his fists and replied, "Your Excellency, it is me, the humble general."

"Okay, from now on you will follow me and be responsible for training the new recruits for the time being." Yang Ling patted Wu Daniu's shoulder and instructed.

Wu Daniu's eyes sparkled, and he excitedly promised, "I will serve you loyally, Marshal, till my death!"

Yang Ling nodded, then looked around at everyone in the living room. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Who is willing to stay and work in this mansion?"

There was silence in the living room.

Although most of them were born into poor peasant families, they were all educated, so how could they not see that this new commander-in-chief was not to be trifled with? Because no one stood up, the atmosphere became very awkward.

Yang Ling frowned and said, "Why? Don't you guys want to show me your favor?"

"Marshal, you have misunderstood. It's not that we don't want to help you, but we just don't know how to express our gratitude!" someone explained awkwardly.

"Since everyone has no objection, let's just consider us colleagues!" Yang Ling said calmly.

Yang Ling's words really worked, and those who had not dared to express their opinions rashly began to speak up. These people included men and women, old and young, and generally seemed to be simple and kind.

Afterwards, Yang Ling assigned them tasks such as repairing houses and planting crops, or taking care of farmland, or purchasing salt and medicinal herbs.

Yang Ling assigned all the tasks and then convened generals at all levels to discuss the next battle plan.

Yang Ling first briefly introduced the situation in Qingzhou: "The situation in Qingzhou is basically stable now. This commander has decided to rest and recuperate first, and then plan to seize Hejian Prefecture."

Everyone agreed, except Han Shizhong, who hesitantly reminded: "General, if we rest and recuperate, those bandits will surely take advantage of the situation and head north. I'm afraid we won't be able to resist them!"

Yang Ling waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, the bandits' target is Shanyang, and they will not dare to act rashly in the short term. I have already contacted the Taiping Army, and they are willing to send troops to assist us in defense. As for going north, I will find a way to deal with them!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Han Shizhong then said worriedly: "But the bandits are very cunning, the commander must be careful!"

Yang Ling nodded and said, "You are right. Bandits are indeed a problem. We need to be more cautious to avoid being taken advantage of."

Han Shizhong nodded slightly when he heard this.

Yang Ling thought of the long journey northward and sighed, "Alas, this road is too dangerous and dangerous. If you are not careful, you may be crushed to pieces!"

"The Marshal is a pillar of the country. He should overcome all obstacles and forge ahead. If he retreats because of bandits, then who among the heroes in the world can be convinced by the Marshal?" Han Shizhong said solemnly.

The other generals nodded one after another, obviously admiring Yang Ling's courage and determination.

Yang Ling nodded with satisfaction and said, "Okay, let's all act immediately according to the results of today's discussion."

"Yes!" Everyone responded loudly.

Everyone performed their duties and rushed to their respective posts. Yang Ling was also not idle, personally leading the militia to patrol the city.

Yang Ling climbed over the wall from the backyard of the county government and entered the warehouse area of ​​the county government. This warehouse stored a large amount of food and supplies, which was the basis for defending the city. However, Yang Ling took out this batch of food to use as food relief for the victims.

In addition to food, there were also a lot of copper coins piled up.

Seeing the pile of copper coins, Yang Ling suddenly became excited. He immediately asked the laborers to move the copper coins and load them onto the boat, ready to be shipped to Hejian Prefecture.

Yang Ling asked the laborers to transport 5,000 kilograms of rice to Linyi City first, and then transport 50,000 kilograms of flour and rice. In the next two days, the army escorted the grain to Hejian Prefecture, setting up checkpoints and inspections along the way to prevent it from being looted by the enemy.

The barricades and trenches that Yang Ling had set up at the north gate were also torn down and dismantled to form a defense line outside the city. These projects took several months and cost a lot of money. But Yang Ling thought it was worth it. If Qingzhou City was lost, Hejian Prefecture would be the capital of Qinghe County, and the people and troops of the entire Qinghe County would gather in Hejian Prefecture. By then, Yang Ling's hope of capturing Qinghe County would be slim. Because it would become Yang Ling's home ground, Yang Ling would be under strict precautions, and it would be very difficult to succeed in the surprise attack.

Why did Yang Ling choose Qinghe County? It is the throat of the border between Shanyang County and Jizhou, and it is close to the Yellow River. If the bandits want to invade Qinghe County, they will have to go here. Yang Ling can use the Yellow River to build a Great Wall defense line here to stop the bandits' invasion. At the same time, there are a large number of young and strong people stationed on the banks of the Yellow River. This is Yang Ling's trump card and also a barrier to protect himself.

Yang Ling chose to attack Qinghe County for deeper considerations.

Yang Ling discovered that the soil of Qinghe County was rich in iron ore, because it was an important gathering place for the Yellow River water source. Yang Ling built the Great Wall at the junction of Hejian Prefecture and Qinghe County, laying a solid foundation for the construction of the Yellow River sluice, the introduction of the Yellow River water storage, and even the construction of the Yellow River wharf in the future. At the same time, it was too far from the capital, so Yang Ling could conquer the four directions without any scruples.

Yang Ling was very familiar with these matters, and it only took him two days to complete all the work.

On the evening of the third day, Yang Ling personally led his troops to escort the grain and grass back to Qingzhou City, and then met with the Taiping Army in Qinghe County. The two sides met at the Qinghe County posthouse and exchanged greetings.

This is the second time we meet, and we are quite familiar with each other.

Yang Ling enthusiastically took Chen Deng's hand and said, "Brother Zijing, are you healed?"

"Thanks to the Marshal's good words, I have recovered soon. Thanks to your care over the past few years, I have been able to survive until now. I am deeply grateful." Chen Deng bowed respectfully.

"Brother Zijing is too modest!" Yang Ling said with a smile.

"Marshal, this is not the place to reminisce. Let's go somewhere else and chat slowly." Chen Deng said.

Yang Ling nodded: "Okay, please lead the way, Brother Zijing."

Chen Deng walked in front, and Yang Ling followed closely behind with his troops. Yang Ling thought to himself: This Taiping Army commander is very straightforward and does not drag his feet at all.

Soon, everyone arrived at Qingzhou City, the capital of Qinghe County.

Qingzhou is located on the west side of Qinghe County, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with steep terrain, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Due to the rampant bandits, many refugees and mountain bandits gathered near Cheongju. They took the opportunity to rob and kill, causing huge losses and suffering to the people near Cheongju, making Cheongju a city of death that everyone was afraid of.

Although the Taiping Army in Qinghe County tried its best to suppress these bandit problems, the results were not obvious. They could only barely maintain the balance of Qinghe County and were unable to completely eliminate these scourges.

However, the Taiping Army did not expect to completely suppress these bandits by force, so they dispatched the most elite cavalry and archers from Qinghe County, organized them to build fortifications outside the city, and equipped them with sharp artillery.

The garrison commander of Qingzhou was Li Dongyang, the former prefect of Jiangning. Accompanying Chen Deng to welcome Yang Ling this time were Wang Tingchen, the former prefect of Jiangning, and Lin Danhai, the younger brother of Lin Danhan, the former lieutenant general of Jiangning.

Wang Tingchen and Lin Danhai were high-ranking generals of the Taiping Army. This time they were ordered to accompany Chen Deng to welcome Yang Ling. Since they were both civil servants, they could not accompany Yang Ling to the battle.

"This general pays respect to the Marshal and welcomes his triumphant return!"

The three of them saluted to Yang Ling.

Yang Ling smiled and said, "No need to be polite."

Yang Ling carefully observed the defense of Qingzhou and found that trenches and chevaux de frise were dug outside the city walls and gates to block the entrance to the city. A simple camp was built outside the city to prevent the bandits from charging through the camp. However, it can be seen that the scale of the Taiping Army's camp outside the city is not too large, and it is obvious that the defense was hastily built.

It seems that for the Taiping Army in Qinghe County, defending the city under such circumstances is not as difficult as he expected, and they can at least hold out for ten days or so.

Yang Ling nodded with satisfaction, and then ordered: "Pass the order, leave some soldiers to guard the prisoners, and the rest of the troops will immediately go into battle!"

"Yes!" all the troops answered in unison.

"Marshal, there are tens of thousands of bandits causing chaos in Qingzhou City. Our soldiers may not be able to resist them." Lin Danhai reminded.

Yang Ling waved his hand and said, "It's okay. I've made all the necessary preparations. I know how many bandits there are in Qinghe County. As long as we proceed step by step, we can definitely solve the troubles in Qinghe County within half a month."

"I obey your command!" all the soldiers responded in unison.

That night, Yang Ling led the army to attack overnight, captured the south gate of Qinghe County, and successfully controlled the large area of ​​wilderness and farmland outside the south gate.

In the early morning of the next day, Yang Ling led an army of fifty to sixty thousand and rushed to the South Gate in a mighty manner.

Outside the South Gate, smoke rose from the Taiping Army camp, and the aroma of meat could be smelled from time to time. The Taiping Army soldiers were sitting around a campfire to keep warm and rest.

Yang Ling rode his horse to the top of the South Gate Tower and stood on the watchtower, looking into the distance.

The South Gate was brightly lit inside and outside, smoke rose from the camp outside the city, and the clatter of weapons and armor and the shouts of soldiers in training could be faintly heard.

These camps were very simple, with fences, tents, trenches and fences made of wooden planks, looking like shabby shanties in the countryside. However, this also indirectly proves that the strength of the Taiping Army was indeed not very good.

Yang Ling turned around and asked Zhang Shijie beside him: "Brother Shijie, what do you think?"

Zhang Shijie stroked his beard and pondered, "These forts may seem simple, but they are very organized. They should be professional camps. However, these camps have poor defense. If they encounter a cavalry raid or infantry attack, I'm afraid they will be difficult to resist."

"Oh?" Yang Ling narrowed his eyes.

Although these camps were crude, they were ingeniously designed for cover, especially the trenches and ditches, which were arranged in a circle, allowing archers and spearmen to avoid arrows and fully block the enemy's attack path.

If Zhang Shijie was not a veteran, Yang Ling would definitely think he was exaggerating.

Yang Ling turned to Li Dongyang and asked, "Mr. Li, where are the main forces of these bandits?"

Li Dongyang shook his head and said, "It's not clear yet. According to the spies' report, there were only more than 2,000 bandits here last night."

Zhang Shijie snorted coldly, "More than 2,000 people dare to stir up trouble. How daring! I will lead the light cavalry to capture the base camp of these bandits and see how arrogant they can be."

Yang Ling shook his head and said, "Brother Shijie, please don't be reckless!"

Li Dongyang also advised: "Yes, these bandits are cruel and vicious, and their methods are extremely bad. If we rashly send troops and get ambushed by them, we will probably suffer a great loss."

Yang Ling thought of the tragedy in Qinghe County and could not help but get angry. He shouted: "Since these guys are unwilling to surrender, then we will not be polite. Pass on my order and send out scouts to investigate the enemy immediately. If the bandit leader is found, kill him without mercy. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!" (End of this chapter)