Xianghe County has been living in a desperate situation since the Donglu invaded the bandits two years ago and bloodbathed the county town. Two years later, the number of residents in the city is only one-tenth of what it used to be. The old, weak, women and children all added up, and the number of residents in the city is not large.
There are only more than 20,000 people in the county.
Most of the more than 20,000 people live in the West City. The reason is that the West City wall is much more complete than the other three walls.
Although they clearly knew that the West City Wall was vulnerable to foreign enemies, the people still subconsciously regarded the West City as a safe zone.
When there are a lot of people, there will naturally be businesses. The only two restaurants in the city are located in the west city, and they can barely sustain themselves by doing business with neighbors and foreign merchants on weekdays.
On this day, when the guys had just wiped the tables and benches clean and opened the door to do business, they suddenly saw a lot of officers and soldiers on the street. When those officers and soldiers saw the restaurant, they were like hungry wild dogs seeing a piece of fat.
Just like that, the yelling ones rushed in and knocked the two guys who opened the door to the ground.[
Following the shouts of the officers and soldiers who first saw the restaurant, more and more officers and soldiers rushed here. Looking down from the upstairs door, it was dark, blocking the small street with water.
It was like a temple fair, with hundreds of people attending.
After the officers and soldiers with Beijing accents entered the store, they sat down in groups, banged the table and shouted for the waiters to bring good wine and food.
The guys were frightened by this group of uninvited guests who came in. Looking at the big long swords and guns placed on the table, every one of them seemed to have lost their souls. They were too frightened to move.
The shopkeeper has finally seen the world. When he heard the accents of these officers and soldiers, he knew that something was wrong. Aren't these soldiers from the Beijing camp?
Xianghe is only a few dozen miles away from the capital. In addition, the shopkeeper often goes to the capital to do business, so he naturally knows the virtues of the soldiers in the Beijing camp. Knowing that these old soldiers cannot be offended, the shopkeeper hurriedly asked the waiters to go to the kitchen to bring the wine and food.
The cashier on the counter was from another province and didn't know how powerful the Beijing soldiers were. He stupidly asked the shopkeeper if he wanted to settle accounts. The shopkeeper was so frightened that he quickly pulled him aside and waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he should not do anything.
, just stay at the counter honestly.
The soldiers in the Beijing camp are all businessmen and soldiers. They are not serious on weekdays. They take all the money they get in their own stomachs. They are all bosses who want to eat enough for one person but not the whole family. They dare not be presumptuous in the capital.
, but after leaving the capital, they all regarded themselves as uncles, not like officers and soldiers. In addition, the officers deliberately let them out to relax to prevent the soldiers from being discouraged, so each and every one of them showed their true nature.
Seeing these Beijing camp soldiers eating and drinking, the shopkeeper was really heartbroken, but he had no place to complain, and he had to keep a smile on his face to avoid being beaten up by some drunk soldier.
It's really a loss for the food and wine and for yourself.
The two restaurants were in the same situation. When outsiders broke in, they thought they were entering the same restaurant, because all they saw were officers and soldiers eating meat and drinking from large bowls, dumbfounded waiters, and the shopkeeper whose mouth was twitching.
The two restaurants here were harmed by soldiers from the Beijing camp, and the pedestrians and other shops on the street over there were not spared the harm from the Beijing camp.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"
"The officers and soldiers are catching the thief, and the idlers are waiting to avoid it!"
The soldiers from the Beijing camp, who deliberately wanted to blackmail the people and make some money, shouted loudly along the street, and did not pay attention to the county government officials who came after hearing the news. Those government officials were also very clever, and no one was willing to come over.
They all hid in the distance and watched, sending people back from time to time to report what they saw to the county magistrate.
Xianghe County, which had been peaceful for two years, suddenly came in with so many officers and soldiers, which frightened the people. At first, they thought that these officers and soldiers were just passing through Xianghe, but with the shouts of "officers and soldiers catching thieves", the people began to understand this.
The officers and soldiers were up to no good.
Those with quick minds immediately slipped away or hid in the shops on both sides of the street. Those with slower minds were not so lucky. Those officers and soldiers who had been shouting "Idle people are waiting to avoid" suddenly stopped.
, then one by one they pulled their faces, showing sinister looks, pulled out long knives from their waists, and started to act in groups of two or three.
The common people who were unarmed and scared to death were surrounded by the well-prepared soldiers from the Beijing camp. Before they could figure out what was going on, the soldiers from the Beijing camp began to shout and ask questions.
"What are you doing, Gui Gui Chong Chong!"
"Master Jun, I don't have it"[
"No?! Damn it, I can see it clearly. You still dare to be so stubborn. I think you are impatient with life!"
"Master, please spare my life, Master, please spare your life"
"Do you have any money with you?"
"no no…"
"This guy is a spy of a rogue bandit, capture him!"
"Don't... don't... Master Jun, I have money on me, I have money on me!"
"You're a smart kid, get out!"
The originally peaceful Xianghe County no longer had the peace it had before. There were vicious Beijing troops everywhere, making a riot and making everyone feel chilled. From time to time, the screams of women and children could be heard, as well as the "thump, thump,"
The sound of the door being kicked and the sound of falling pots and pans rising and falling.
Any individual on the street, whether he is a resident of the city, a businessman, or a person passing by to visit relatives, with one exception, as long as he is seen by the soldiers from the Beijing camp, he will be immediately surrounded and intimidated, and will not be allowed to leave without giving him any money.
.
A businessman who was on his way to the capital from Tianjin Wei happened to be passing through Xianghe with his servants. He originally wanted to go into the city for a meal, but he was unlucky. As soon as he entered the city, soldiers from the capital camp came.
At first, the businessman didn't think anything would happen. After all, the people entering the city were government troops, not bandits from the northwest, let alone bandits. There was nothing to be afraid of. But when the soldiers from the Beijing camp revealed their true colors, the businessman was immediately frightened.
He was at a loss because he carried several banknotes in his pocket to purchase goods from the capital. If these officers and soldiers searched them, he would lose all his money.
The servant saw officers and soldiers arresting people everywhere, and his legs were shaking with fright. The master and servant thought about it and quickly left here. When they were about to escape to the south, they saw a Beijing camp school officer leading several soldiers and running towards them.
come over.
"stop!"
The master and servant were startled when they saw each other's eyes sweeping over them. The businessman knew it was wrong, so he quickly stepped forward to apologize and said with a smile: "Master, I don't know why I stopped the common people?"
The school officer asked: "What do you do?"
"Replying to the military master, I am here to visit my relatives." The businessman did not dare to tell the truth. He knew that as long as he said that he was a businessman doing business, he would definitely be in bad luck today.
"Visiting relatives?"
The school official didn't believe it, grinned and cursed: "If you are here to visit relatives, why do you hide when you see us?"
You guys are all over the streets knocking money out, how can it be okay if I don’t run away?
The businessman cursed secretly, but said: "The military master has misunderstood. The common people are hiding from the military master. The common people are just about to leave."
When the school officer heard what he said, he couldn't help but sneered "hehe" and said in a strange way: "Really?"
"Yes Yes…"[
Seeing the unkind look on the school officer's face, the businessman felt a sudden shock in his heart and wished he could leave right away. He said with fear: "This military gentleman, the two servants of the little democratic people have always been law-abiding. The military gentleman is busy catching the thieves, and the civilians will not delay the military."
I have some errands."
After saying that, he yelled at the servant hastily: "What are you still doing? Why don't you make way for the military master!"
When the servant heard this, he hurriedly stepped out of the way, but the school officer and a few of his subordinates burst into laughter. A soldier from the Beijing camp stepped in front of the master and servant, and said with a strange smile: "Want to leave? No way!"
The school officer even darkened his face and shouted: "Tie him up!"
The merchant was frightened, and the servants were also frightened. Those soldiers from the Beijing camp had prepared ropes, and they tied up the master and the servant without any explanation.
The businessman was so frightened that he moved desperately. The two captains who tied him cursed angrily: "Don't move! If you dare to move again, I want you to look good!"
The businessman begged: "Sir, please spare my life."
The school officer said with a "hum", "I can spare my life, but it depends on whether you know the truth or not." As he said that, he was about to touch the businessman's arms.
He has all his belongings in his arms. If he asks them to steal it, how will his family live?
The businessman was in a hurry, and he didn't know where he got the strength to break away from the two soldiers who were holding him down, and he was about to run away. Unexpectedly, he felt a sudden cold on his neck, and a long knife was already placed on his neck.
When the servant saw him, he screamed "Ah", rolled his eyes, and fainted. The two soldiers from the Beijing camp who were trying to tie him up thought he was dead.
The school officer bent down and probed the servant's nose, and found that he was still breathing. He couldn't help but spat angrily, straightened up, glanced at the businessman angrily, and cursed: "I want to run away! Damn it, why don't you give me a toast?"
You'll be fined and drunk, I'm tired of living! Song Laoliu, bleed this blind guy!"
"Okay!"
The man called Song Laoliu was a veteran. He was good at making false threats and pretending to be powerful. With a move of his wrist, the tip of the knife moved slightly against the businessman's neck.
The businessman felt a pain in his neck, and thought that his head was about to be chopped off, which frightened the Six Divine Lords. He kept the green hills, and was not afraid of running out of firewood, and money and other things.
, what else do you need money for?
Thinking of this, the businessman stomped his foot and begged for mercy with a tearful voice: "Masters in the army do not kill civilians, masters in the army do not kill civilians, civilians have money, civilians have money!"
As soon as these words came out, the school officer and several soldiers from the Beijing camp suddenly showed expressions of ecstasy.
"Damn it, if you had recognized your identity earlier, you wouldn't have had to suffer this physical pain!" The school officer said sarcastically while touching the businessman's waist, "Where is the money?"
"In the arms of the little people"
After the businessman finished speaking, he felt like he had let out a breath, and his body was so limp that he was about to collapse. The school officer hurriedly asked his men to support him, and reached out to touch his arms. At this time, he heard "Tata" in his ears.
The sound of horse hooves.
The sound came from far to near, as if it was on the next street, but also as if it was going south.
Where did the cavalry come from?!
The school officer and his men were stunned. Apart from them, there were no other soldiers and horses stationed in Xianghe County. How could there suddenly be so many hoofbeats? Listening to the sound, what could it be if it wasn't war horses?
At this time, not only these few Beijing camp soldiers were wondering, but all the Beijing camp soldiers on the street were curious. They looked around one by one, wondering where the sound of horse hooves came from.
The sudden sound of horse hoofbeats also alarmed Pei Shaokuan, who was drinking and having fun with a prostitute. After confirming that his ears heard correctly, he jumped up and shouted at the top of his voice: "Where are the cavalry from!"