A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 44 Changes
Wang Dou is going to Shunxiang Fort. He will bring Zhong Tiaoyang, Gao Shiyin, and several military households in the fort. They are driving a few mule carts, ready to carry iron materials, etc. things.

At the beginning of the year, Wang Dou had planned to let Han and North Korea create a new team, which would specialize in training horse scouts such as Yebushu, but in the following spring plowing and building the fort wall, all the strong laborers in the fort would go to work.This makes the plan of Wang Dou and Han Dynasty only on paper.

Han Chao, Han Zhong, and Yang Tong are each leading a team of soldiers. Indirectly, these soldiers and their families are under the jurisdiction of three people, and this is mostly the case for work, training and combat.

Right now, the Han and Chao brothers, Yang Tong, and Qi Tianliang all want to urge the military households in the fort to work hard. Zhong Rong is a literati, and Zhong Tiaoyang and Gao Shiyin are the ones who are a little free, so this time they Then he followed Wang Dou to Shunxiang Fort.

Also at the beginning of the year, Wang Dou bought a batch of mules, horses and vehicles from Du Gong, and spent a lot of money on him. This time, he bought iron materials with a large load, and he just happened to drive a few vehicles and horses.

The group set off early in the morning and entered Shunxiang Fort.Shun Township Fort is still as lively, but the streets are dilapidated and dirty, soldiers and civilians are ragged, and their expressions are numb, but it seems that they have not changed for decades.

Wang Dou asked several military households to find an inn to live in first, and he took Gao Shiyin and Zhong Tiaoyang to find a shop to buy a gift, planning to visit the defense officer Xu Zhongjun's residence first.Xu Zhongjun has appreciated and flattered him, now that he is seriously ill, it is reasonable, he should visit him first when he arrives in this castle.

Wang Dou had inquired about Xu Zhongjun's house of thousands of households in Xicheng, but when he arrived at Xu Zhongjun's house, his family told Wang Dou that Mr. Xu was still working in the government hall, so Wang Dou had to take Gao Shiyin and Zhong Tiaoyang with him again. Come to the front of Qianhu Official Hall.

As soon as I got to the door, I saw a few people coming out of it.The first middle-aged man was wearing the official uniform of Deputy Qianhu, his face was full of arrogance, his head was held high when he walked, and he seemed to always look at people from the corner of his eyes. It was Du Zhen, the governor of Shun Township.Next to him, there are a few acquaintances.

One was wearing the official uniform of Baihu, with a gloomy expression, but it was Xiao Daxin, the team officer of Dongjiazhuang.One is short and fat, with scorched yellow mustaches, and he is also wearing the official uniform of Baihu, but it is Du Gong.There was another person who was slightly younger, tall and thin, with a pale face, and was wearing the official uniform of the General Banner. Wang Dou recognized him, but it was the gatekeeper school that he had met when he first arrived at Shunxiang Castle.

In addition, there were a few strong servants behind everyone, all of them looked domineering.

As soon as Du Zhen came out of the gate, he raised his head and smiled and said: "Wu Shan, your sister is really from Wangfu. Not long after my official accepted her, she was appreciated by Master Wen of Zhoucheng. Now she is pregnant. If you can give birth to a male and a half female, this official will not be able to do without your benefits!"

It turned out that the school's name was Wu Shan, and it seemed that his sister was regarded as a concubine by Du Zhenna or something.

After hearing this, Wu Shan was overjoyed, he hurriedly stepped forward and said with a coquettish smile: "It's all thanks to the cultivation of the adults of Qianhu, the little girl can get the mercy of the adults, it is her blessing from her previous life!"

Du Zhen laughed loudly: "You are sweet-talking, but it's too early to call me Mr. Qianhu, isn't it?"

Wu Shanmei smiled and said: "It's not too early, in my heart, Master Du is already Master Qianhu!"

Du Zhen laughed out loud again, with a smug expression, Xiao Daxin and Du Gong beside him also laughed together.

At this moment, Du Zhen and others saw the three Wang Dou in front of the gate, Du Zhen was startled, he said: "Wang Dou? Why did you come to the castle?"

Xiao Daxin, Du Gong, and Wu Shan also looked at Wang Dou together. Except for Du Gong who was still smiling, Xiao Daxin and Wu Shan both had gloomy expressions, especially Wu Shan, who looked at Wang Dou with even more vicious eyes. of.

Wang Dou stepped forward to pay respects to Du Zhen, then nodded to Du Gong and the others with a smile, he clasped his fists and said loudly: "Master Du, I came to Shunxiang Castle this time to ask you to remove some iron materials, such as the memory of the castle. There are not many goods, and the humble job can buy it with money."

Du Zhen looked at Wang Dou for a while, his eyes were inexplicable, and after a while he said calmly: "Are you asking for some iron materials? Wang Zongqi, you have quite a lot of requests. You need so much iron materials for a mere fortress." for what?"

His voice was flat, but the meaning behind his words was shocking.Wu Shan's eyes showed a look of gloating, Du Gong was still smiling at Wang Dou, but now he was startled when he heard Du Zhen's words, and his expression changed immediately.Only Xiao Daxin remained gloomy and unchanged.

Gao Shiyin and Zhong Tiaoyang behind Wang Dou were surprised, they didn't understand why Du Zhen gave Wang Dou a look, they both looked at Wang Dou.

Wang Dou quickly calculated the reason for Du Zhen's change today, but his face was still calm, he just clasped his fists and said: "Master Du, there are a lot of agricultural iron tools in the castle, and now bandits are rampant. I want to make some weapon guards."

Du Zhen saw Wang Dou's expression was calm and his eyes were even more unkind, he snorted and said: "Wang Zongqi go ask the defender for it."

As he spoke, he led the crowd away.

When Wu Shan passed by Wang Dou, he deliberately sneered a few times.

……

Seeing the figures of Du Zhen and his party going away, Wang Dou fell into deep thought.

Zhong Tiaoyang did not regard himself as Wang Dou's cousin in front of people, but cautiously called him an adult.

At this time, he walked to Wang Dou's side, and said in a low voice: "My lord, the reason why Du Fuqianhu and others have changed today is intriguing, and we must wait for it."

Gao Shiyin clenched his fists, and the flesh on his face was throbbing from time to time. He said angrily in a low voice, "Could it be that when the guard came down to inspect at the beginning of the year, that Du Zhen thought he had slapped his face? At that time, Na Du Zhen really just pulled the cattle four head, several pairs of plows, even the captain of Dongjiazhuang’s team is inferior, what face does he have to shame?"

Wang Dou said: "This may be one of the reasons, but the matter is not so simple. When he first came out, he said that he was appreciated by a big man in Zhoucheng. Maybe it was because Mr. Xu was seriously ill and someone praised him, so he fell in love with it." The defensive officer's position."

He said again: "Perhaps he saw that Mr. Xu thinks highly of me again, so he used me to show his prestige."

He sneered, and then said calmly: "Go and see the defender first."

……

When Wang Dou saw Xu Zhongjun, he couldn't help being startled. The calm and elegant Xu Zhongjun in the past had disappeared. His face was thin and his body was gone, as if he could be blown down by a gust of wind, and he coughed violently from time to time. He stood, looking at the document in his hand while supporting himself.Next to him, a sturdy man in a hundred official uniform was looking at him worriedly.

Seeing Wang Dou, Xu Zhongjun was very happy.

Wang Dou stepped forward to pay respects, and he tremblingly said: "My lord, you have to take care of your body."

Xu Zhongjun smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't die yet."

When he saw Zhong Tiaoyang behind Wang Dou presenting generous gifts, he nodded and sighed: "As long as you have the heart, why buy these gifts?"

He asked Wang Dou why he came, and Wang Dou said.

Xu Zhongjun said: "Don't worry, I support you."

He said to the sturdy man next to him in official uniform from a hundred households: "Xu Lu, you go to the storeroom immediately to pick up four hundred catties of good iron and Wang Zongqi."

Then Xu Lu hesitated for a moment, and said, "My lord, is Deputy Du Qianhu?"

Xu Zhongjun snorted, and said proudly: "I'm not dead yet, how dare he resist me?"

When Xu Lu left, Wang Dou ordered Zhong Tiaoyang to call the military households of Shangjingbian Fort to go with him to get the iron. Zhong Tiaoyang was a steady man, and Wang Dou was always at ease when his cousin was doing things.

Xu Zhongjun said again: "Wang Dou, before you entered the official hall, did you meet Du Zhen and the others?"

Wang Dou said: "Yes."

Tell me about the situation when you met Du Zhen and others just now.

Xu Zhongjun sneered: "I haven't died yet, some people can't wait to jump out. Speaking of which, I promoted Du Zhen, and I thought about promoting him in the future. Unexpectedly, when I became seriously ill, he would become a Huh, short-sighted people, think that he can get carried away with Wen Shiyan? But I didn’t expect that I was still the defense officer of Shunxiang Castle, and there was also Mr. Xu who supported me in the city. Hmph, with me Yang Fengyin disobediently sings the opposite opera, I will see how he will die in the future!"

There was a gleam of light in his eyes, only then did Wang Dou realize that his eyes were still sharp, and the awe-inspiring aura on his body had not weakened at all, and everyone who despised him would pay a heavy price.

……

Wang Dou, Gao Shiyin, Zhong Tiaoyang and others came out of the fort. During this trip, they got four hundred catties of iron materials without spending a penny, all of which are good iron that can be made into armored weapons immediately. down joy.

They drove the mule cart with the iron materials, and when they approached the Dongfang River, there was a hill in front of them. After crossing the Dongfang River, they were not far from Jingbian Fort.

Suddenly Wang Dou and the others heard the sound of babies crying from the other side of the hill.

Wang Dou stopped his horse and said, "Did you hear that?"

Zhong Tiaoyang also listened carefully for a while, and said, "It seems like a baby is crying!"

Wang Dou said: "Could it be some abandoned baby? Go and have a look."

The three of them rode their horses over, and before they turned around the hill, they heard the baby crying more and more urgently, and then a woman's sad voice came faintly: "My child, don't blame your mother..."

Then they heard the baby's crying stop suddenly, and then Wang Dou and the others saw a woman put a baby's body into a pit and covered the surrounding soil.

"Xu Yuee..."

Wang Dou was shocked, but he saw that Xu Yue'e just slowly covered the pit with soil and slowly piled it into a small tomb.

Then Xu Yue'e stood up and walked slowly towards Wang Dou and the others.But her eyes were always straight, she seemed to see Wang Dou and the others, but she didn't seem to see them, she just walked past Wang Dou and others like this, and walked away slowly.

Seeing her figure, Wang Dou and the others were too surprised to speak.

Gao Shiyin also took a deep breath: "This woman is ruthless!"

(End of this chapter)