I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 471 The beheaded censor reappears! Don't mess with Su Jingming
The sun sets in the west.

The wilderness in the distance gradually became blurred.

The vendors at the Caoshi market outside Xihe Town were packing up their belongings and preparing to go home.

The streets in Xihe Town gradually became quiet.

At night, the people and merchants here are accustomed to going home to sleep.

There are very few shops that are open all night.

Upstairs at the city gate.

Su Liang was wearing a black silk round-necked robe. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking ahead expressionlessly.

Liu Sandao, deputy commander of the Longyu Army, Qi Fei, the battalion commander, and Yang Hu, the head of Xihe Town, all had serious expressions and were looking ahead.

pity.

Until the night completely enveloped Xihe Town and the sky and the earth were one color, they still did not wait for the return of one-armed Old Joe and more than 30 other veterans.

Xihe Town is home to a variety of goods.

It is also an intelligence gathering place.

The news that the Tuwo tribe kidnapped veterans from Xihe Town and extorted money from the Song Dynasty had already spread widely in the Xihe area.

Now there is another incident in which a Tuowo tribe stole the robe of Su Liang, the Chief Censor of the Song Dynasty, to make diapers for their children.

Many people who hated the Song Dynasty were laughing at Su Liang.

If this matter is left unresolved.

If Su Liang lets the Tuowo tribe remain at large, many people will become even more rampant in Xihe Town in the future.

About half an hour later.

Qi Fei said, "Central Prime Minister Su, it's windy and sandy here, why don't we go back to the government office first?"

Su Liang shook his head.

"Wait a little longer, there will be news soon!"

By nightfall, Su Liang had already made sure that Tuo's den would not let One-armed Lao Qiao and the others go.

What he is currently waiting for is news from the Longyu Army.

Xu Mang personally led a team to gather intelligence. As long as they could find the location of the Tuowo tribe, they could take action tonight.

Yang Hu, who was standing by, quickly ordered someone to bring a chair for Su Liang.

But Su Liang did not sit down.

The cool breeze mixed with sand blowing in his face can make Su Liang more sober, helping him think about how to deal with this group of barbarians.

About an hour later.

A fast horse came galloping over, it was the intelligence soldier of the Longyu Army.

Liu Sandao hurried downstairs.

Di Qing demanded that no matter what the situation, one of Xu Mang and Liu Sandao must stay by Su Liang's side.

Therefore, when Xu Mang went out, Liu Sandao became Su Liang's personal bodyguard.

soon.

Liu Sandao climbed up the tower again and said excitedly, "Boss, we have determined where Mr. Qiao and other veterans are being held. We expect to bring them back to the camp safely before noon tomorrow! Commander Xu also said that he would bring back your robe and capture the escapee alive."

Su Liang nodded, took a long breath, turned around and walked downstairs.

Hear this.

Qi Fei and Yang Hu on the side were a little surprised.

They knew that the Dragon Feather Army was extremely powerful, but they also knew about the escape route.

There are at least five hiding places in the den.

The old men, women and children in their tribe live scattered around, and almost everyone is a spy who can quickly detect the enemy.

In addition, the area is vast and the population is sparse, so it is very difficult to surround them in one place and kill them.

It is not easy for the Longyu Army to find them.

It is even more difficult to rescue One-Armed Old Joe and others and capture them alive.

But given Xu Mang's calm and mature personality, it is impossible for him to brag.

And Su Liang obviously trusted them very much.

……

late at night.

In a valley, a fire flickered.

Inside a low wall built of stones, there are several simple houses built of stones and wood scattered around.

There were also several shabby animal skin tents and more than ten large flatbed trucks carrying supplies in the middle.

Two men in black and grey robes and woolen turbans sat in front of a simple wooden door, gnawing on large pieces of mutton.

There were four other people sitting outside a stable not far away, surrounding a wooden basin of steaming mutton and eating with relish.

Next to the stable is a sheep pen with a strong smell.

In addition to the sheep in the sheepfold, there were thirty-five men tied up with ropes and their mouths sealed with cloth strips.

These thirty-five people are none other than the veterans including One-Armed Old Joe.

Here.

It is a resting place for the warriors of the Tuwo tribe.

Inside, in the largest house.

The aroma of meat is everywhere.

There were bursts of noise from time to time.

A bald middle-aged man sitting on a leather chair, with a sturdy build and a sheep bone pendant around his neck, is Tuowo, the leader of the Tuowo tribe.

At this time, he held a wine bowl and said loudly: "Brothers, let's eat meat and drink wine tonight, and we will blackmail Su Liang again tomorrow!"

"The leader is mighty! The leader is mighty! The leader is mighty!" The Tuowo tribe warriors below shouted.

aside.

Su Liang's light gray robe hung on one side, very neat.

This is the best trophy for escaping the nest.

If he treated it as a baby diaper, he would certainly invite several other tribal leaders to participate in order to expand his reputation.

How dare he be so presumptuous.

On the one hand, he relied on the fact that his tribe had few people and could escape at any time; on the other hand, he wanted to become famous by stepping on Su Liang's shoulders.

In this place, if you want to survive, you have to be either strong enough or ruthless enough.

He has another plan.

If I were to fall out with the Song Dynasty, I could go to Western Xia and become their hidden pawn. Maybe Western Xia would secretly support me.

Tuowo thinks he is very smart.

All the sheep, horses, and silk cloth that were brought back from Xihe Town today were not brought back. Instead, they were dispersed and transported to the homes of the tribal people.

After some time, these properties will be delivered to him to ensure his safety.

Today, he ordered people to ask for Su Liang's robe to make diapers for the baby. In fact, he also wanted to see how important One-Armed Old Qiao and others were to Su Liang.

Now, he feels that he made the right bet.

Tomorrow, he plans to release ten people first, and then ask Su Liang for a hundred bows and crossbows.

If this can be accomplished, he will become famous among the Tibetan tribes and his strength will be greatly increased.

Tuolu is cautious by nature.

They have always followed the strategy of "fight when there are few people, and flee when there are many people."

This also means that the Tuwo tribe has basically never suffered any major losses.

But he didn't know that Xu Mang had already discovered this place.

When Xu Mang ordered his men to track the herdsmen who took away the sheep, horses and silk cloth, after the latter scattered, he guessed that it would be impossible to rescue Lao Qiao and others with the broken arm and find the hiding place of the Tuowo tribe warriors by tracking these herdsmen.

So they changed their strategy and looked for someone who might be able to report the escape.

Soon, Xu Mang and others found it, and then the soldier in charge of intelligence discovered this place based on the whereabouts of the person who reported the news, and confirmed that veterans such as Tuo Wo and Duanbi Lao Qiao were here.

This attack was not carried out by 500 people at the same time, as 500 people would be too big a target.

Xu Mang brought out a total of 200 people.

These two hundred men were all dressed in black, riding fast horses, with long swords on their waists, and bows and crossbows and twenty arrows on their backs.

It was easy for them to defeat these five or six hundred small tribal warriors who were as powerful as ordinary bandits.

At this moment, Xu Mang and others had already set up an ambush.

They were waiting for these people to fall asleep after drinking.

That would be the best time to rescue and attack.

Two hundred soldiers of the Dragon Feather Army were leaning against a hillside. None of them was nervous and all of them were very excited.

The other party's insult to Su Liang really touched their sore spot.

Xu Mang has issued an order that except for those who have escaped from their nest, everyone else can be killed.

……

An hour later.

There were no stars or moon in the sky, and it was so dark that one could not see one's hand in front of one's face. The only sound was the flickering light of a fire in the valley.

Xu Mang waved his hand.

Two hundred Longyu Army soldiers were divided into several teams and surrounded them.

They spend every day together, practice together, and sleep together, and their level of tacit understanding is unmatched.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
In no time.

All the tribal warriors patrolling around fell down without making a sound.

They never thought that the Song army could find this place, let alone launch an attack at night.

This place is very remote, there is even no road.

Without a guide, it would be difficult for even locals to find this place.

But they underestimated the Longyu Army, which had already practiced this type of terrain several times.

in a blink.

Xu Mang came to the sheep pen.

Old Joe and other veterans huddled in the innermost part of the sheep pen, relying on the surrounding sheep to keep warm, but it was still too cold to fall asleep.

"Shh!"

Xu Mang blew the fire lighter in his hand, instantly attracting the attention of the thirty-five veterans.

"We are the Longyu Army of the Song Dynasty. Untie you immediately and don't make any noise!" Xu Mang whispered.

Hearing the words "Great Song Dragon Feather Army", the veterans immediately became excited. The name of the Dragon Feather Army was known throughout the Song Dynasty.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
soon.

Xu Mang and others untied the hemp ropes and cloth strips on the old soldiers, and then quickly helped them out.

The horses and sheep nearby seemed to have seen many people and only neighed occasionally.

It did not alarm the barbarians inside.

For a moment.

Xu Mang led the thirty-five veterans to a safe area outside, and then waved the newly lit torches forward.

This is the signal to initiate battle.

When the soldiers of the Longyu Army learned that the hostages had been rescued, they had no more scruples and immediately broke out and started the massacre.

These people have all practiced killing skills.

If they were on horseback, the warriors of the Tuwo tribe, relying on their familiarity with the road conditions, might be able to put up a few fights with the soldiers of the Longyu Army.

But the close combat was when they were drunk and asleep.

The soldiers of the Longyu Army killed them as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

Soon, bursts of miserable screams were heard from inside.

When they discovered that there was an invasion by foreign enemies, it was too late.

A quarter of an hour later, things inside gradually became quiet.

Not long after.

A soldier of the Dragon Feather Army ran over and said, "Commander, there were 578 enemies in the village. Except for the leader who escaped and was captured alive, all the others were killed. There were 170 of us who participated in the battle. Three of them were slightly injured, and the others were not injured at all."

Xu Mang nodded.

"Load all the bodies onto a flatbed truck or homemade wooden planks, and then return. We must arrive before noon."

"Yes!"

On the side, veterans such as One-Armed Old Joe were stunned when they heard what they heard.

One hundred and seventy people killed more than five hundred people and only slightly injured three people. This is really amazing.

It’s worthy of being called the Dragon Feather Army.

immediately.

Xu Mang looked at the one-armed Old Qiao who was leading the group, and said with a smile, "Master Qiao, let's take a short rest and then hurry back to the city. Since there are no carriages, you can only ride horses. If you feel unwell, please tell me at any time!"

"We can ride horses, we can ride horses. We...we are not old yet! Commander Xu...Xu...please don't call me 'Master Qiao'. I really don't deserve it. I...I am just a retired soldier, and you are...you are a high-ranking official!"

Xu Mang smiled immediately, and the scar on his nose almost turned into a check mark.

"Even Su Zhongcheng calls you Master Qiao. If I don't respect you, he will scold me. Don't be so modest. I also came from the Western Army. You are my predecessor!"

Hear this.

The one-armed Old Qiao couldn't help but straighten his chest. Just because Su Liang called him "Master Qiao", he felt that this life was worth it.

After a while.

Pulled by more than 200 Longyu soldiers, more than 500 corpses, some lying on flatbed carts and some on temporarily assembled wooden boards, began their return journey.

The village at the rear was ignited by a fire, and soon the flames shot up into the sky. The remaining sheep fled in all directions.

The reason why the Longyu Army pulled these corpses back was naturally to make an example of them and to deter those thieves who wanted to harm Song.

However, Tuowo, who was tied up and lying on the horse's back, still looked confused.

He didn't understand why these people could find him and why they were so powerful.

At the front, Xu Mang wrapped up Su Liang's robe and carried it with him.

……

The next day, the sky was slightly bright.

Xihe Town quickly woke up and became lively.

Accompanied by Longyu Army deputy commander Liu Sandao, battalion commander Qi Fei and Xihe Town chief Yang Hu, Su Liang first drank a bowl of mutton soup and then ran to the government office.

At present, Xihe Town is still a town and has no chief officer. Everything is in charge of the veterans and Xihe Town Chief Yang Hu.

The battalion commander Qi Fei was sent from Qinzhou, and most of the soldiers under his command lived in tents outside the city and did not participate in the management of Xihe Town.

Although Xihe Town does not have a Municipal Exchange Bureau.

But at that time, Su Liang specially ordered Cao Yi, the uncle of the Cao State, to send two accountants to record the business situation here.

As for commercial taxes, they were directly submitted to the Qinzhou provincial government.

In addition, Qinzhou also sent a number of teachers to establish the Xihe Academy here to educate children.

Currently, there are more than 300 children studying and learning to read here, forming a very good Chinese cultural ecology.

Then, Su Liang sat in the government office and began to look through the documents. He wanted to learn more about this area.

And this moment.

People inside and outside Xihe Town were discussing what happened yesterday.

In addition to the fact that the Tuowo tribe took Su Liang's robe to make diapers for their children, there was also the fact that Tuowo did not keep its promise and did not return the more than 30 veterans.

The people scolded Tuowo for being treacherous and cunning.

It is said that the Tuowo tribe may continue to extort money in an even more aggressive manner.

Some people also said that the Tuwo tribe was good at escaping, and it was difficult for the Song Dynasty's imperial guards to catch them.

There are also some people who want to make fun of the Song Dynasty.

It was said that Su Liang's reputation would be ruined in Xihe Town, and the news that his clothes were used as diapers would spread throughout Song and Xia and become a laughing stock among countless people.

Near noon.

Su Liang was reviewing documents when Liu Sandao excitedly ran up to him and said, "Boss, Commander Xu has successfully completed his mission and will arrive at the city gate in a quarter of an hour."

"Okay, let's go to the city gate to meet them!" Su Liang stood up.

……

A quarter of an hour later.

At the gate of Xihe Town.

Xu Mang and two hundred other Longyu soldiers, along with thirty-five veterans, returned triumphantly, dragging more than five hundred corpses and escorting Tuowo, the leader of the Tuowo tribe.

Xu Mang walked in the front, holding Su Liang's still neat light gray robe and raising it high.

This robe represents Su Liang's face and the face of all the people in Xihe Town.

There were many people watching on both sides of the road outside the city gate, including spies from surrounding tribes who were gathering intelligence.

Not long after.

Xu Mang walked to the city gate, dismounted, and shouted to Su Liang: "The Dragon Feather Army successfully completed the rescue mission, please ask Su Zhongcheng to check!"

Su Liang took the robe from Xu Mang and said with a smile, "Well done!"

Afterwards, Su Liang handed the robe to Liu Sandao beside him and walked towards the one-armed Lao Qiao not far away.

"Mr. Qiao, I'm sorry for the suffering you have endured!" Su Liang said to the one-armed Old Qiao.

"Zhongcheng, it's... it's us... we are the ones who have caused trouble for Xihe Town!" The one-armed Old Qiao burst into tears, and the other veterans also had red eyes.

They almost didn't come back.

Su Liang gave the one-armed Old Qiao a bear hug and said, "We're home, we're home already!"

And this time.

While Xu Mang arranged for the soldiers to place all the corpses in front of the city gate, he brought Tuo Wo to Su Liang.

After Su Liang finished greeting these veterans, he looked at Tuo Wo who was curled up on the ground and said, "Take the cloth off his mouth!"

"Su...Zhongcheng, I...I was wrong, I was wrong. I am willing to surrender to the Song Dynasty. I am willing to surrender to the Song Dynasty!"

Tuowo's hands and feet were tied, so he could only curl up on the ground, stretching his head and begging Su Liang bitterly.

Su Liang sneered.

"Now that you are thinking of surrendering, it is too late! The reason why I spared your life is that I want to kill you in front of the city gate of Xihe Town to deter all those who dare to be enemies of our Song Dynasty!"

After hearing this, all hope in Tuo Wo's heart was extinguished.

He suddenly raised his head and looked around, and said loudly: "Fellow villagers, I... I only kidnapped more than 30 people and did not kill anyone, but the Song people killed more than 500 people from my tribe. After they die, all the old and young in my tribe will become captives of other tribes. The Song people are so evil!"

Xu Mang stared, trying to stop Tuo Wo from speaking, but was stopped by Su Liang.

"Let him continue!"

Before, the Song Dynasty did mainly use appeasement, and had never been as bloody and tough as Su Liang.

Suddenly, Tuowo raised his voice again.

"Have you seen the true face of the Song people? They keep saying that they want to pacify us, and that no matter whether we are Fan people or Tangut people, once we enter Xihe Town, we are Xihe people. They are deceiving us. If I die today, you will die tomorrow. If we don't resist now, it will be too late!"

"The Song people are the most treacherous. They are encroaching on our territory and want to make us their slaves. All Qiang people should unite and drive them out..."

Tuowo roared at the top of his lungs, and some people around him started whispering.

Soon, he was speechless and had no strength left.

He criticized the Song Dynasty.

At most, they criticized the Song Dynasty for having ulterior motives, but they could not tell any truth at all.

Seeing that Tuo Wo stopped talking, Su Liang took two steps forward and looked around.

"Everyone, I am Su Liang. I was the one who suggested to the court to build Xihe Town here. My ultimate goal is not to build a town, but to build a big city and turn Xihe Town into Xizhou."

“Let the people in this area be free from hunger and cold, free from war, let all children learn to read and write, and let the elderly have a stable old age!”

"My Great Song has always liked to make friends with foreigners. You should have heard of the reputation of my Great Song officials. My Great Song court has never treated anyone as a slave, and it will never be possible in the future!"

"Whether the establishment of Xihe Town is good or bad for everyone, you should know better than anyone else."

……

"Why did I destroy the Tuowo tribe? Because they violated the taboos of our Song Dynasty. These veterans are the pride of our Song Dynasty. If they are injured, we will bring the murderer to justice even if we have to chase them thousands of miles away, regardless of the cost!"

"I hope everyone can be friends with the Song Dynasty, and even become a citizen of the Song Dynasty. Of course, not everyone is qualified to become a citizen of the Song Dynasty. People like the Tuowo tribe deserve to die!"

"You can tell everyone what I said today. My attitude is the attitude of the Song Dynasty court. If you are exploited or oppressed, you can go directly into the city to find me."

"In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to inform those thieves who recently plundered Xihe Town to apologize and return the looted items as soon as possible, otherwise they will suffer the same fate as the Tuowo tribe!"

Then, Su Liang looked at Tuo Wo and shouted, "The thief leader Tuo Wo kidnapped my Song veterans, took the opportunity to blackmail and insulted me. According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, he should be beheaded immediately!"

Yang Hu, the head of Xihe Town who had been waiting for a long time, took out a big knife and chopped at Tuowo's neck.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, the head and body were separated, blood splattered three feet away, and there was silence all around.

"Back to the city!"

Su Liang supported the one-armed Old Qiao and strode towards the city gate.

His series of actions were flexible and tense, and were not only for the people outside the city gate to see, but also for the surrounding tribes to see.

If you become a friend of the Song Dynasty or a citizen of the Song Dynasty, you will be able to enjoy peace and stability; if you become an enemy of the Song Dynasty or attack the people of the Song Dynasty, your fate will be the same as that of the Tuowo tribe.

(End of this chapter)