Late Tang

(Thanks to Princess Sword for the reward!)

Zhang Chengzong and Liu Shouqian followed behind Li Jing like the second general Hum Ha, followed Li Jing to visit the 53 starving people who were taken in, and introduced the names of everyone to Li Jing.Both Zhang Chengzong and Liu Shouqian were also starving people brought back by Li Jing on his way back to his hometown that day. Zhang Chengzong was Xing'er's father, a big man who was over two meters tall and fell on the side of the road and almost died of starvation.

According to his own statement, his family was originally in Cangzhou, one of the four states of Cang, Jing, De, and Di, controlled by Zheng Hanqing, the military governor of Yichang, Hebei.He originally ran an ancestral blacksmith shop in Cangzhou, and was later conscripted into the Craftsmanship Camp of the Yichang Army.Later, because of his tall stature, physical strength, and martial arts skills, he was selected as the yamen soldier of Lu Jianfang, the former Jiedu envoy of the Yichang Army, and even achieved the position of team leader.However, the year before last, Lu Jianfang was transferred back to Chang'an to serve as a servant. Zhang Chengzong did not follow him because his family was in Cangzhou.After the new Jiedu envoy Zheng Hanqing took office, he cleared up the original yamen soldiers as soon as possible. Zhang Chengzong was involved in an unwarranted crime and almost lost his life.In the end, it took all the family savings to save his life, and he lost his military post and went home.Originally, he wanted to return to his old business after returning home, but he had no capital, so he had to work for another blacksmith shop.This year’s famine was even worse in Cangzhou, Hebei. The blacksmith shop was closed two months ago. After being dismissed, he brought his family to visit relatives in Dengzhou, but he didn’t expect that his relatives had already fled the famine. His family almost starved to death on the road. .

Liu Shouqian's situation is similar to Zhang Chengzong's. His hometown is Laiwu County, Yanzhou.His ancestors also used to be the military academy of the Pinglu Army. Later, after the Li family was attacked by the imperial court, the Liu family ancestors returned to their hometown in Yanzhou and bought hundreds of acres of land as rural landlords.When it was reported to Liu Shouqian, the Liu family already had a thousand acres of land, and they were considered prominent figures with a radius of more than ten miles.Liu Shouqian didn't like reading since he was a child, but he liked to wield knives and sticks. He had practiced horse lance and could ride and shoot.However, Liu Shouqian, who was in his early thirties, kept his family precepts in mind and was unwilling to join the army as an official. He just married a wife and had children, and lived a peaceful life as a landlord.After this year's catastrophe, the famine in Yanzhou was not the worst. However, Yanzhou, Hunzhou, and Caozhou guarded the key points of the Yellow River and the canal, and there were always the most salt merchants who smuggled salt.When the famine came together, the refugees flocked together, and many private salt dealers took the opportunity to gather a crowd and began to sell illegal salt with arms, ranging from dozens to hundreds.Later, some private salt dealers simply became bandits and led people to plunder prefectures and counties.Liu Shouqian's village was robbed by an armed private salt dealer with more than 100 people. He saw the opportunity quickly and ran out with his wife and three children at night.I hid outside for a whole night, and didn't dare to go back, so I wanted to go to Dengzhou to visit relatives. Halfway there, I ran out of money to eat. I came begging for food all the way, and almost starved to death.

After eating a few meals of fatty rice at Li's house, Zhang Chengzong and Liu Shouqian, both over two meters tall and a head taller than Li Jing, immediately regained their warrior spirit.Although the body still can't regain the peak state for a while, but just looking at the energy and spirit is extraordinary.When Li Jing visited the hungry people that day, he picked these two people out of the crowd at a glance.

After testing the two's martial arts by themselves, Li Jing asked them if they would like to serve as soldiers with him and be his servants?He also proposed to appoint two people as the team leaders, and agreed to the conditions of five consecutive monthly salaries and five buckets of rice.Zhang Chengzong agreed without the slightest hesitation. He had been the leader of the Yichang army's yamen army back then, and the conditions at that time were not as generous as those offered by his lifesaver.Liu Shouqian was a little hesitant. Although his house in Yanzhou was burned down, the land was still there.However, under Li Jing's persuasion, he thought about it for a long time, and he knew that for the time being, he would not be able to return to Yanzhou, which was now full of riots and bandits.In addition, even if you go to seek relatives, it is not a good way to bring such a big family.No one knows how long this famine will end. Seeing that Li Jing is also a trustworthy person, he finally agreed to stay.

Li Jing immediately appointed the two of them as the captains of his servant team, and both of them were the team leaders, each leading a team.Zhang Chengzong is the leader of the first team of Jiading, and Liu Shouqian is the leader of the second team.Although it is said that Li Jing can only have fifty servants, Li Jing does not intend to really follow the rules.It's just that although there are now the leaders of the two guard teams, in fact, both of them are just bare commanders, and they don't even have a single subordinate.

It was approaching noon at this time, and the smell of food was wafting from the yard of the thatched hut of Mr. Wang's village chief's house where dozens of hungry people sheltered by Li Jing lived temporarily.There are three rough long tables lined up in the yard.At this time, the food has been set up above, and 51 men, women, old and young are all sitting on the long stools on both sides of the long table.

The two wooden barrels are full of fragrant white rice, and the long table is full of vegetables in large wooden basins.There are not only dried vegetables in the sea such as kelp and salted fish, but also fresh cabbage and white radish.These dishes are also stewed with a lot of large pieces of pork, which is very oily.Although the hungry people didn't have the wolf-hungry look they had when they ate at Li's house on the first day, they still ate very fast.

Li Jing brought the second general Huo Ha into the courtyard, smiled and nodded at everyone, "Eat and drink well, eat as much as you want, just say if you don't have enough." When the hungry people saw Li Jing coming in, they all put down their bowls and chopsticks and stood up. Looking at Li Jing respectfully.

Seeing everyone's tense look, Li Jing smiled, said a few more words, and then left the yard again.He knew that if he stayed in the courtyard all the time, these people probably wouldn't be able to eat well.

"Have their names and identities been registered?" At the beginning, these people said they would sell themselves as slaves and join Li Jing, but Li Jing was not willing to turn these people into his slaves.

Liu Shouqian replied: "All of them have been registered, including me and Team Leader Zhang. One is 55 people. Among them, there are 18 young and strong men who are between 13 and 12, and 53 young and strong women who are between 21 and [-]. In addition, there are three elderly people over [-], nine boys under [-] years old and over [-] years old. There are ten children ranging from five to six years old to ten years old. In general statistics, the [-] people are divided into [-] households." Although Liu Shouqian said that he didn't like reading when he was young, he had read a lot of books seriously, and he could count as well if he could write.The registration work was done in great detail, and the report was also organized.This made Li Jing a little surprised, he didn't expect him to be able to write martial arts.

Zhang Chengzong said on the side: "The lord has taken everyone in for a few days, but they don't do anything except eat and sleep every day. They also add rice and meat every day. This expense is not small. Everyone is also a little bit sorry, isn't the lord Arrange them to work in the fields?"

"No need." Li Jing said with a smile, "I see that everyone's body is very weak. Recently, I will take a rest and recuperate. I will make arrangements after a few years. If you have nothing to do these days, please help prepare for my mother's birthday. In addition, if If you think there are suitable soldiers, you can also ask them. As long as they are willing, they will be selected into the family team. The salary will be two yuan per month plus two buckets of rice. But you have to remember one thing, rather than excessive, although now Both teams are still vacant, but they would rather be vacant than fill them up."

"Understood." Hearing Li Jing's strict request, both of them were a little surprised, but they agreed immediately.Zhang Chengzong was the leader of the team, of course he knows that only good soldiers can bring out the elite.Although Liu Shouqian had never been a soldier, he himself had practiced riding and archery for many years, so he naturally understood that without good iron, he couldn't make good nails.

While talking, Little Shitou rushed over suddenly and said loudly: "Brother Xiucai, there is something urgent."

"Look at your flustered appearance. Didn't you ask you to be in charge of setting up the stage? Why did you run back in such a panic?"

Xiao Shitou is wearing a round neck robe, Luo Sha Fu hair, and a beard on his lips. Looking from a distance, he really looks like an officer, and he can't find the soot-faced man in the blacksmith shop. It looks like a little blacksmith.He leaned close to Li Jing and said softly: "Just now, the Shuanzi sent by sister Wang Jiayueying to buy in Chishan Town came back and said that there were many people gathered in front of the Xinluo mansion shop at the foot of Chishan. It is said that there are about one or two hundred people. The people here are all tall and big horses. Shuanzi said that they are all unfamiliar people, and judging from their appearance, I am afraid that they are coming towards our village."

Li Jing was also a little surprised when he heard this. This time, because he wanted to give the Han family a more lively birthday, there was a lot of commotion for several days in succession, and the villages near and far knew about it.It's hard to guarantee that some bandits and strong men will not want to make a deal after hearing the news.

"Shitou, go and inform Lin Dalang, Erlang, and Wang Sanlang right away, and wake up Xigou and the others. Also wake up all the villagers who are usually on duty at the village wall. It is best to call them immediately. Close the village gate first, and let Lin Dalang and the others go up to the village wall to guard." The identity of the other party is unknown, so Li Jing had no choice but to prepare for the worst.

Zhang Chengzong heard it from the side, and immediately said: "My lord, I'll go back to the courtyard and call everyone. After eating and drinking for several days, it's finally time for me to do something for my lord." Li Jing Knowing that he was talking about those refugees, after thinking about it, Li Jing also felt that more people have more power, so he said: "You call the eighteen young and strong men, as for the other women, children and the elderly, let them stay in the hospital. It's all right."

Li Jing brought two people back to the courtyard and called eighteen young and strong men. As soon as they left the courtyard, Village Chief Wang and Village Chief Li Shugen had already brought the village chief to ring the gongs of the whole village.Amid the rapid sound of the gong, Li Shugen was instructing the watchman in the village to ring the bell.Ringing the gong is to gather the villagers, but ringing the bell means that the people outside the village will return to the village immediately, and the villagers will go up to the village gate and the village wall to guard immediately. Generally, this is a warning of bandits, or a warning that only occurs when there is a fight with other villages.

After leaving the courtyard, Li Jing went home to take the horn bow, horizontal knife, and horse lance, and found some sticks from home for Zhang Chengzong and others to hold, and then went straight to the north gate of the village.

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