Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 203 Ambush
The eyes of the masses are sharp, this statement is true!

The common people are the simplest and the most sensitive group.

Thanks to the momentum built by the gentry, Jia Lian's reputation in Nanyang City can be described as "stinky".

But the common people didn't care about this. They said nothing and could only watch Jia Lian on horseback silently on the roadside as he walked away.

On both sides of the road, there are dense crowds of people with their children, expressing their deepest emotions and reluctance in sending each other off in silence.

Jia Lian didn't know how many people came to see him off.

Jia Lian, who felt that he had not done enough, did not dismount and accept the gratitude of the people, but just continued to move forward indifferently.

The army moved forward in silence, without a whisper. The soldiers seemed frightened by the power contained in the silence.

Suddenly a woman in shabby clothes with a weathered face rushed out from the crowd. She pulled two children of eight or nine years old and stopped in front of Jia Lian's horse. Without saying anything, the woman took the two children and kowtowed to Jia Lian three times. After finishing the matter without saying a word, he took the child and left.

Jia Lian, who felt deeply ashamed, raised his sleeves to cover his face on horseback to show that he did not dare to accept the full ceremony.

In the Yuan Dynasty, the tax farming system was implemented, and the rights of the local gentry expanded rapidly, forming the basis for the imperial power not to be transferred to the countryside.

Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, in order to save management costs, created a variant system of grain chief. The existence of Da Gao objectively made up for it. The problem is that no system has been formed. After his death, the channels for civil society quickly collapsed, and local gentry and clans became the actual power holders at the grassroots level.

Qi Guoyuan couldn't understand Jia Lian's answer. Hasn't it always been like this throughout the ages?
Three days later, the army arrived at Xiangyang City, but there was still a dilapidated scene along the way, which shows the heavy military disasters suffered under the rule.

I don’t know how many tasks Xia Shouzhong still has. Anyway, Zhang Tingen didn’t tell Jia Lian.

After further investigation, I found out that half a month ago, General Niu, who was guarding Fancheng, led his five hundred men who dared to die, disguised themselves as common people, and cleverly captured the city gate.

Xia Shouzhong, who was accompanying the army, took a step forward and asked, "Where is the prefect of Xiangyang?"

The Niu garrison with few soldiers had no choice but to defend the city and wait for backup.

Zhang Ting'en said: "I understand, it's not easy over there in Wuhan. Mr. Xia will have his own explanation on the way."

During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty issued an order that all wealthy households in the country had to guard the emperor's tomb.

Any reform aimed at easing the central government's finances will ultimately increase the burden on the people at the bottom.

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian quickly turned over and dismounted, without even trying to help the kneeling father, he quickened his pace and walked forward. Everyone saw that this corrupt official, who was said to be full of evil by the gentry, almost fled the scene with tears on his face.

From Huang Chao to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, vassal towns were established and the country was ruled by warriors.

Looking up, I saw a large flag with the character "ox" on the top of the city. The former army reported back that there were troops stationed in the city, but they didn't know where they were.

The two Jin Dynasties reached their peak, and the remaining monkey clans in the Southern and Northern Dynasties were still able to compete with the imperial power happily in the Tang Dynasty.

As if a button was turned on, the suppressed emotions violently exploded.

The people at the bottom who have no bargaining power are destined to be brutally exploited.

Of course, this is just looking at the problem from an improvement perspective.

Xia Shouzhong said to Zhang Ting'en: "Excuse me, Prime Minister Zhang, please send a capable person to lead troops to escort our family to Wuhan."

"I reported it half a month ago, but I haven't heard back yet."

Zhang Ting'en: I'm afraid that you will feel inferior to the world's gentry!

Don't ask them where the tears on their faces come from, they won't be able to answer.

"The survival of the people of a government depends on one person. This is not an honor, but a shame."

If we look at the problem from another angle, people today cannot understand it because they have no economic or theoretical basis.

"Why don't you get off your horse and thank the people?" Qi Guoyuan asked Jia Lian as they walked side by side.

The city gate opened and the Chinese army entered the city. Zhang Ting'en saw Niu guarding and asked: "Where are the Huguang reinforcements?"

Zhang Juzheng's whipping method extended the financial life of the Ming Dynasty, but in fact it also increased the burden on the people at the bottom.

The two Song dynasties learned a lesson, and the power of the government can reach the grassroots. A small official can bankrupt an ordinary wealthy local household.

Wang Anshi is like this, and Zhang Juzheng is like this.

When looking into the root cause, we failed to get to the root of the problem. At the same time, there was a problem with the implementation, and corrupt officials took advantage of it. Officials and gentry colluded to make a fortune. The common people are brought to the table again and again.

At this moment, a woman in the crowd suddenly turned her head, covering her face and sobbing.

After stepping forward to accept the order, Jia Lian also gave a very sincere suggestion: "The thieves are mainly on the run, so it is not advisable to advance in a hurry. Wait for reinforcements from various provinces to arrive and encircle them in multiple ways. At the same time, they will provide food relief to the people and eliminate their source. Otherwise, it will be difficult to cut off the source."

From Jia Lian's perspective, the most effective way is to expand the pie economically and transfer conflicts internally to the outside world.

Well, Jia Lian didn't expect that Emperor Chenghui would come up with a move to drain the fire.

Countless people knelt on the roadside, howling and crying! An elder screamed at the top of his lungs: "Jia Engong, don't leave, please."

Zhang Ting'en was indeed extremely cooperative. He turned to Jia Lian and said, "Jia Lian, lead the 500 elite rear troops to escort Duke Xia. There must be no mistake."

Jia Lian: It’s okay if you don’t want this teacher.

Jia Lian looked at Tongtang, saying what he said, blinking, why didn't you just tell me my name?

The thieves in the city were as frightened as a frightened bird, thinking that the imperial army was chasing them, so they fled in panic, and Xiangyang was recaptured.

The cries are loud and the smoke is billowing!
The rear army marched faster, and every soldier in the team puffed up their chests and raised their chins high.

The army left, but the people refused to leave, staring at the smoke and dust on the road.

Niu Shoubei replied: "I don't know how humble my position is!"

The economic foundation determines a large enough interest group, which generates a theoretical basis and is widely accepted. Only then can modern changes occur. Of course, the European environment for cultivating gu did act as a catalyst.

Mencius said: If you enter, you will be a lawless Buddhist; if you emerge, you will be invincible to foreign patients, and the country will be permanently destroyed.

Sincerely!

If there is no enemy, then create an enemy and don't keep spinning around inside.

Because the prefect of Xiangyang fled without fighting, the navy's warships were either captured or destroyed. It is no longer feasible to travel to Wuhan by boat.

When we left Xiangyang and walked through the mountainous area to Wusheng Pass, it was not peaceful along the way. Jia Lian, who was leading the army, was very cautious. He led by his generals who drove thirty miles ahead, fifty sidecars, and five hundred gunmen. Still feeling that this was not enough, he brought an artillery team of one hundred people, equipped with five furlongs. Rapid-fire cannon.

In short, I am just a hedgehog. I don’t want to hit anyone, and others don’t want to hit me. If they hit me, they will prick my hand and draw blood.

The main theme is a person who is afraid of death.

Xia Shouzhong was very satisfied with this and praised him repeatedly: "The young master has a good family background and is very organized in marching and fighting."

Jia Lian, who was following the army and was the safest, could not complain, so he just asked him: "Has anything changed in Huguang?"

Xia Shouzhong didn't want to say anything at all. He was considering relying on this guy to escort him to safety along the way, so he had to hold his nose and tell the truth.

"Go south this time, arrest a few people, and we'll talk about the rest when the new governor arrives."

Jia Lian quickly shut up and asked no more questions. If you ask again, you are ignorant.

The first few days went smoothly, but on the day when we were approaching Wusheng Pass, suddenly the general in front galloped back on his horse: "There are thieves!"

Xia Shouzhong immediately got off his horse, not daring to get on the horse for fear of being shot by a cold arrow.

Jia Lian was not in a hurry to get off his horse. He had to let everyone see his calm command.

"Stop the car and set up the formation!" Jia Lian gave the order in a leisurely manner. The 500 gunmen and 100 artillerymen of the Shenji Battalion were elite and prepared for the battle in an orderly manner. However, the three hundred civilians were a little panicked. Fortunately, Jia Lian rode back and forth. , shouting loudly to appease everyone, so as not to cause panic.

The reason is simple. Is your life more valuable than Jia Lian?
The twenty generals in the vanguard quickly retreated while fighting. No one was injured, not even the horses were injured.

Zhang San stepped forward and said: "There are thieves with thousands of calamities. The formation is chaotic and without any rules. I am willing to lead fifty generals to rush into the formation and defeat the enemy."

Jia Lian's brows jumped wildly after hearing this. There are thousands of people, but you dare to rush into the formation and chase them, right?
"You and your generals will travel abroad, recharge your batteries, and watch our flags. But if you see a red flag, attack the enemy's flank."

It was impossible to walk, and there was no way to get away. After all, people, carriages, and horses, and given the road conditions, they couldn't go fast at all.

Zhang San's judgment was true and trustworthy. It was half an hour later that the bandits appeared. It was a mess and there were many people.

There are also all kinds of tools in hand, including kitchen knives, hoes, etc.

Jia Lian had a monocular telescope in his hand, so he naturally took it out to observe the enemy's situation.

It can only be said that Zhang San’s observation was half correct, and he probably didn’t see the other half.

There are hundreds of knights in the bandit formation. Although there are horses, mules and donkeys, this is a guarantee of mobility.

At the same time, I discovered that when these people get together, they have some structure.

Of course the Jia Lian of the past would have been worried, but the current Jia Lian was not worried at all. Because of the new fire blunderbuss equipped, the group of thieves in front of him had no chance of getting close.

The leader of the bandit formation is none other than Wu Han.

The thief proudly said to the people around him: "If you want to be an official, you must kill people, set fires, and receive imperial orders! That Jia Lian is the most favored uncle of the country at that time. When I capture him, I will send someone to send a message to the capital, asking for a minor official." He is safe, it is not difficult to think about it. Brothers have already made a fortune. After completing this transaction, it would be good to quit the world and become a rich man. "

The gang of thieves praised the boss for being wise, completely forgetting the serious fact that you are so stupidly using the banner of Dashun.

Recruitment was something Wu Han only thought of recently. He took the first step from Nanyang City and took back Xiangyang, but he still had more than 10,000 people under his command. However, the misbehavior of the people under Nanyang City caused Wu Han to alienate him. Half of the people fled back to Yunyang that night. They were still stubborn when they stopped hanging with him. They wanted to take Wu Han and surrender, but they were killed together by others.

For this reason, Wu Han looked at the various leaders under his command and felt that all of them had evil intentions and wanted to escape or sell him.

The result of mutual suspicion was that in just three days, people left one after another, taking away two thousand elite old thieves.

When Wu Han was in panic in Xiangyang, he had long given up the idea of ​​Dashun's glory. Niu Shouwei sneaked into Xiangyang and launched a surprise attack at night, setting fires everywhere and creating chaos. Wu Han thought that the imperial army was coming, so he brought them with him to search. When he fled with his belongings, there were only five hundred old brothers brought out by Yunyang with him.

In order to appease people's hearts, Wu Han distributed all his property to his old brothers, which boosted morale and set new development goals. Any dreams about Dashun disappeared in the face of the cruel reality, and the heroic ambitions when they conquered Xiangyang without a bloodshed were all gone.

Wu Han found out that Jia Lian, the uncle of the country, was taking him to Wuhan on a business trip, so he took along the thousands of people who had no food and set up an ambush to capture Jia Lian alive, so he started a battle.

The idea is beautiful, but the reality is cruel. Ordinary people without formal training are even unqualified as cannon fodder.

The three-sided ambush plan was a joke. More than twenty generals were not left behind, and a few lives were lost.

Wu Han, who originally had no hope, thought that it would be a good idea if he ran away with his people and the convoy left behind to get some supplies to catch up. Unexpectedly, the convoy did not run away, and neither did the people. Instead, they formed a formation to prepare for battle.

Looking at the comparison of the number of people, there were only a thousand people on the opposite side. They were bringing chariots and horses, and they must be escorting property. Therefore, at most half of the soldiers were soldiers, and the remaining half were civilians. Wu Han made a calculation in his mind. He had at least 7,000 to 8,000 civilians, and he could kill his opponent with their heads. The key opponent is the fire gun soldiers. Wu Han has a certain understanding of this stuff. Without the protection of cavalry and infantry, the fire gun soldiers have a slow rate of fire. When the enemy is approaching, they can be described as a piece of fat.

Jia Lian watched helplessly as his opponents slowly surrounded him. After procrastinating for at least an hour, he managed to form a three-sided formation and slowly pressed forward to a distance of 500 steps.

A horseman came from the bandit formation, holding up a white flag and shouting: "You are surrounded, surrender immediately and spare your life."

Jia Lian looked at the distance, fifty steps away, and said to the pillar: "Shoot him!"

Zhuzi took off his bow and arrow, and with a clatter, the thief turned over and fell from his horse. His horse turned around and ran away.

You don't use fire guns because you are afraid of scaring away your opponents. The deterrent effect of bows and arrows is not that great.

Wu Han saw this and said angrily: "The enemy mainly uses fire guns. If they press on them, they will collapse! Everyone who robs the convoy will have meat to eat!"

Under the temptation of having meat to eat, the thieves slowly pressed forward. Wu Han saw that he had advanced a hundred steps without any counterattack, and suddenly felt that I had the advantage. Then he led five hundred old soldiers to suppress the formation, forcing the cannon fodder to press forward.

The convoy consisted of fifty vehicles forming a semicircular formation, and there was no need to worry about thieves taking the back route. The reason is simple. This ragtag group of people has no ability at all. It is estimated that they did not succeed in getting around, and the team fell into pieces.

"Sir, if the enemy reaches 200 steps, you can shoot." The leading military officer came to ask for instructions. Jia Lian shook his head and said, "No, wait until the enemy reaches 100 steps."

The fire-gun soldiers were arranged in two rows at the front of the chariot formation, forming three square formations with the character [品].

When the enemy reached a hundred steps, Jia Lian ordered: "Open fire from the front line!"

At the same time, a sharp whistle came out from the slowly walking thieves. Those behind pushed those in front, and thousands of thieves sprinted. This was the most organized performance.

The Chinese army raised a black flag, and a hundred musketeers in the front line opened fire when the enemy launched an attack.

How long does it take for an average, healthy person to run 100 meters? According to a better calculation, it would be thirteen seconds.

How long will it take for a group of people who are hungry and struggling to walk to run 100 meters?

The time was after the front formation fired two volleys. When the thieves reached fifty steps, the front formation retreated, revealing the formation of vehicles behind them and the bright muzzles of the guns.

The casualties of the two volleys were not too great, but for the people in front of the formation, the screams of everyone who was shot around them were amplifiers of fear. Seeing that the formation was a little stretched, and many people hesitated, the officers and soldiers in the front line actually retreated.

The thieves were overjoyed and came forward shouting, "Eat meat!"

(End of this chapter)