Late Tang

Because the top of the mountain is often surrounded by white clouds, the mountain on the border of Ziqi is named Changbai.The mountain is steep, with many mountains and peaks, stretching for dozens of miles, and has always been known as the "Vice Mountain of Mount Tai".The highest peak, Mahading, is three hundred feet high.

It is often said that bandits come out of dangerous mountains, and Changbai Mountain has always been occupied by bandits and horse bandits.Speaking of it, the most famous one is the Wang Bo Uprising which led to the peasant uprising at the end of the Sui Dynasty. Wang Bo raised troops in Changbai Mountain.

At the foot of the gray mountain, there is a wet haze everywhere, and the continuous drizzle makes the already somewhat untidy military camp at the foot of Changbai Mountain look even more filthy.The sewage spread wantonly along the muddy road, washing the smelly rotten leaves and the feces of cows, horses, mules and donkeys everywhere. Every low-lying place is a natural trap.If you accidentally step into it, you will be covered in filth.

Many shirtless peasants ran in the sewage with a wooden stick.These civilian husbands who were conscripted to come with the army are not even as good as those draft horses that pull carts, let alone the precious war horses of the officers.As long as those officers wearing cloaks stood in the camp and shouted, no matter who they called, they would all have to come forward with a smile.In the current camp, anyone who can be called to do something is still a good job.Those who can be called will basically be rewarded with half a piece of steamed cake.

Don't underestimate half a piece of cooking cake. Now the army is short of food, and the supply is already limited. Even the officers and soldiers only have one liter of rice a day, and the Tutuan villagers are short of food. They only have three meals a day. cake.As for these folk husbands, each of them only has one cake a day.A big man can only eat one piece of cake a day, and he has to clean up the battlefield, dig ditches and log trees, etc. After a tiring day, he can only eat one piece of cake. When it gets dark, his stomach is rumbling like thunder.

Fortunately, in such weather, apart from sometimes running errands for the officers to earn a piece or two of pie, there is nothing else to do.This kind of rainy day made the muddy ground so muddy that if you stepped on it, the mud would cover your instep, even those precious war horses couldn't run.

Whether it is rebels or officers and soldiers, no one wants to fight in such weather.There is no war, but food still has to be eaten.Seeing that the rations have changed from two liters of rice plus meat and vegetables per day, to two liters of rice plus pickles, and then there are only corn rice or pancakes left, and now there is only one liter or even less than one liter of ration per person .If things go on like this, it is estimated that they will have to be like those folk husbands, only having one pancake a day.

In the big tent of the Chinese army, the heads of the various divisions of the Pinglu Army seemed to have made an appointment, and all of them rushed into the big tent today.

As soon as the army leaders came in, they immediately began to cry, saying that their barracks had run out of food and grass. If this continued, the brothers might have to return to the army in less than two days.

"Marshal, the emperor is not short of hungry soldiers!" a military leader said.

Immediately someone answered: "That's right, you want the horse to run, and you want the horse not to eat grass, how can there be such a thing in this world."

"I can't even eat enough, how can I calm down the chaos!"

"Marshal, why don't you go back to the teacher first, and it won't be too late to come back to calm the chaos after raising the food and grass!"

"If this continues, the brothers below will turn against each other!"

Song Wei sat on a chair with a sheepskin robe around his stomach. The wound on his abdomen was scarring, itching and painful.He frowned, and just watched these military chiefs quarreling coldly, but when he heard someone calling for rebellion, he finally couldn't help shouting angrily: "Whoever wants to rebel, who dares to rebel!"

The military leaders were slightly suppressed by this sound, but they still couldn't help whispering: "The soldiers and horses have not moved, and the food and grass go first. Now that there is no food and grass, how can brothers fight? Before the rebels come to fight, we will starve to death." Already!"

"It's really not possible, the commander-in-chief might as well let the brothers from all ministries go out to the camp and collect food on the spot first!"

Song Wei frowned tightly, the so-called food on the spot when leaving the camp is just a nice way of saying, the real meaning is to let the people of each battalion go out to plunder.This head cannot be opened. Once this head is opened, there will be endless troubles.The two prefectures of Ziqi and Qi had been operated by Wang Jingwu and others for a long time. If the government and army were to suppress the chaos and then go to rob the people, how would the government and army still gain a foothold here in the future.

At this moment, the sound of galloping horseshoes suddenly came from outside the tent.

"Report! Report to the Commander, Judge Lei is back!"

Hearing this, all the military leaders in the camp couldn't help turning their heads to look at the soldier.Lei just went to Dengzhou, and they knew about it.They almost knew what Lei Gang was going to do in Dengzhou. Some said he was going to Dengzhou to call in the Eastern Army, some said he was calling in Dengzhou soldiers, and some said he was going to Li Jing to transfer money and food.Li Jing's Zhendong Army is rich, this is something that everyone in Ziqing Town knows.

Now that Lei has just returned, everyone can't help but wait for him to come in, expecting to hear good news.The best news, of course, is that Li Jing brought the Zhendong Army here. With the Zhendong Army here, it is not a problem to suppress the rebellion, and they don't need to stay here all the time.No matter how bad it was, it was a good thing that Dengzhou soldiers came. Of course, the most urgent thing was that Lei Gang brought back the food and grass.

Since the soldiers came to quell the rebellion, the food and grass in the army has been in short supply. Although Sima Jiedu is in charge of preparing food and grass in Qingzhou, but every time there is only a small amount of food, not enough for the army to eat and drink for a few days.

In the anticipation of everyone, Lei Gang walked into the big tent, covered in mud and exhausted.Facing Song Wei's expectant eyes, Lei Gang was exhausted but couldn't help but excitedly said: "Marshal, it's a good job to be honored!"

Song Wei's frown suddenly relaxed, and a rare smile appeared on his face, and the other generals were also smiling at this time.

"General Song Wen led 30 soldiers and horses from various departments in Dengzhou, and they are rushing here day and night. In addition, General Li Jing knew that our army was short of food and wages, so he took the initiative to transfer 300 stones of grain and grass, 30 million yuan, and another [-] sets Swords, guns, bows and arrows, armor, [-] arrows, and [-] horses. All the supplies have been delivered to General Song Wen. I will report the good news first, and General Song Wen will arrive later with troops, horses, money, food, and weapons."

Those generals were all shocked, this number shocked him.When he came back to his senses, all the generals surrounded Lei Gang one after another, and someone said: "Judge Lei, did Li Jing really transfer 30 shi, grain, grass and 300 million yuan?"

"General Lei, Li Jing really gave so much money and food, isn't it fake?"

Lei Gang smiled and said: "It's not fake, it's real. These military equipment, money and food have been escorted by General Song Wen with the army, and they will arrive tomorrow at the latest."

30 shi of grain, even if you add Dengzhou soldiers and civilian husbands, counting 5 horses, you can only consume less than 300 shi of grain in a month. With so much grain and grass, it is enough for the army for a year.What made them even more excited was the [-] million dollars. Song Wei hadn't fulfilled the rewards he had promised everyone several times before, and even owed the first-level merit for killing the enemy.Now that there is so much money, everyone can get a lot of it, and those armored horses, how can they get a share.

Looking at the expressions of the generals, Song Wei couldn't understand what they were thinking, and immediately waved his hand and said: "Okay, pass this news to the battalions to make the brothers happy. Don't worry, everyone. When the money and food arrive, the owed The food and grass for the camps, as well as the rewards, will be made up in full. Even the ordnance will be distributed to the camps. Now, everyone will go back to the camps and get ready. We will send troops to meet Song Wen tomorrow morning."

All the generals were obedient this time, and immediately took their leave and went back in a hurry.

After all the generals left, only the Deputy Commander Kang Chenghui, the Jiedu Rebel Army Lei Gang, the envoy, the secretary, the Tui Guan, the inspector, Ya Tui, the generals of the personal guard camp, and Zhang Wanrong, the supervisor of the army, were left in the tent. , as well as the deputy envoy, the young envoy and other people from the Supervisory Academy.Song Wei and Zhang Wanrong are currently cooperating sincerely and working together to deal with Wang Jingwu wholeheartedly. The relationship between them is very good.

Kang Chenghui was a little surprised and said: "This Li Jing, why did he take out all the money, food and military equipment so happily, without discounting the damage? Is there any particularity in this?"

Lei Gang repeated what Li Jing said earlier, "I don't think Li Jing is what we thought before. Listening to him, he is still very loyal to the commander. I originally planned to take the initiative to reduce it, but he Instead, he took the initiative to ask for the full payment. He said yes, it is important for the general to calm the chaos. He also said that as long as the general called, he and the Zhendong Army would come immediately. The state is still under the command of the general, and Dengzhou's money, food, taxes and taxes will continue to be handed over to the general."

"What do you think of Li Jing?" Song Wei asked.

Kang Chenghui said: "Although Li Jing is old, if you talk about it, he is brave in battle, and he is brave and resourceful. It's nothing to say. He can make money at all. It is difficult for others to raise soldiers, but the more soldiers he raises, the more money he gets. A lot. This kid feels like a strong horse, a strong one, but it's hard to control."

Song Wei agrees with Kang Chenghui's evaluation very much, Li Jing is that kind of horse, knowing that it is a thousand-mile horse, but it is unruly and unruly.

Zhang Wanrong, the supervisor of the army, smiled and said: "I think that although Li Jing is a bit temperamental, whoever is capable has no temper, especially a young man like Li Jing? According to our family, Li Jing's loyalty to the commander-in-chief is still Undoubtedly, if he had other thoughts, how could he bring his elites here when he heard that the general was recruiting him? After learning of Wang Jingwu's plot, he came to the aid of three hundred miles alone and broke into Qingzhou to save us? Look at him and The bloody battle of the rebels, they seized Qingzhou first, and then defeated the rebels. This is all loyal. This time the situation is also the same. I heard that we are short of food and wages. If we don’t send so much money, food and military equipment immediately, it will be a bit delayed Not at all, if such a person still doubts his loyalty, I'm afraid it will be chilling."

(To be continued)