Chapter 263: There Are Always People Who See Money in the World
After hitting the wall one after another, Shi Dayong knew that there was no hope of getting food and grass from Xiaoguantun. He didn't know anyone in the Sichuan Army. The other party was also a guest army, and they must not have much food and grass. If he went to them for help, he would be afraid of looking for a bachelor.
There is no difference.
A living person would not suffocate to death. In desperation, Shi Dayong asked Jiang Wanli to go to the nearest Shang County to collect grain by himself with an official document from the Ministry of War.
Since going south, the Jinzhou Army has been collecting military rations on its own, and it has been going smoothly. Therefore, after Jiang Wanli led people to collect rations, Shi Dayong felt relieved and thought that he could collect some first.
But no one expected that Jiang Wanli also harvested grains in Shang County. When the magistrate of Shang County heard that he was here to collect grain and grass, he quickly waved his hand and refused in one bite. Then he saw that the person who came to ask for grain was just a guard.
He even pretended to be superior to other civil servants and ignored Jiang Wanli.
Jiang Wanli suppressed his anger and repeatedly asked Shang County to provide food and grass assistance, even if it was only enough for three days. However, the Shang County magistrate was determined and said that there was no food in the warehouse for a long time.
No![
The county magistrate and others are worried that the Jinzhou Army is also a soldier after all. Although they are guest troops from Liaodong, they are still soldiers with swords in their hands. If the county magistrate angers them, these poor guest troops may cause some trouble.
.
Therefore, they came forward and talked to each other, saying that it was not that they were unwilling to donate military rations to Jinzhou, but that the military rations in the city had long been taken away by the Beijing camp. In the end, these petty officials even complained.
When the rebels crossed the border, Tashang County was able to avoid disasters because of its strong city walls. But now it is better. As soon as the government troops came, Tashang County's treasury was in ruins. Not only did the government have no food, but the food stores in the city also had no food.
There is no food, so the price of food in Shang County has skyrocketed. In the past, three cents could buy four catties, but now thirty cents can barely buy one catty.
Natural disasters, man-made disasters, disasters add to disasters, and the people suffer.
The county magistrate, the chief minister, and the county magistrate all had bitter expressions on their faces. Jiang Wanli's anger gradually disappeared. Although he didn't know if there was food in Shang County, he really saw the people after entering the city.
Gathering in front of the grain store, it seems that there is indeed a food shortage crisis in Shang County, and it is indeed not to blame for the local government's refusal to provide assistance.
Unable to levy food, and unable to tear off his face and send troops to plunder, Jiang Wanli had no choice but to go back and recover, and find another way.
After listening to Jiang Wanli's narration, Shi Dayong sighed. If the local government did not provide food and grass, he couldn't snatch it. In that case, wouldn't he really become a rebel?
If he really sends troops to rob the people of food, not only will his conscience be uneasy, but it may also give Gao Qiqian an excuse to destroy them. Therefore, Shi Dayong will not take this desperate path until the end of the road.
Opening the map and looking around, Shang County is the closest county to Pingdugou, except for Yanxing County, which is more than 60 miles away. However, Yanxing County has long been burned down by Chen Youyou.
I still don’t know if there is a government. Where can I collect food? Are I going to rob the people who have their homes to return to?
There used to be several villages and towns nearby, but thanks to the rebels, all ten houses were empty, leaving only the old and weak women and children. There was no food for the Jinzhou Army to collect. Even if they bought it with money, they couldn't buy it.
Enough food.
More than a thousand people need at least one thousand kilograms of food every day. In addition, the war horses have to be fed and eat more than people. At the end of the day, no matter how much you save, you still have to eat three thousand kilograms.
You have to count the fodder. If there was no fodder, these war horses would cause the Jinzhou Army to run out of food a week in advance.
What makes people anxious is that there is not much fodder. It is freezing now, so even grazing by oneself is not possible.
Food, food must be found as soon as possible!
Jiang Wanli and others said that if it didn't work, they would send people to Cangzhou to collect grain.
Cangzhou and other places have not experienced military disasters. Although they have also suffered natural disasters, their situation is better than other places. They should be able to collect some food and grass to meet their immediate needs.
However, Cangzhou is too far away from Pingdu Valley. It covers more than 180 miles, and a round trip takes more than 300 miles. Not to mention how much food Cangzhou can provide, the Jinzhou army cannot bear the transportation back and forth.
Come on.
I'm afraid if I transport a thousand kilograms back, I'll eat half of it on the way, and the rest won't help at all. Besides, I don't know if they are willing to give it to me.
An army without food can either resort to plundering to feed itself, or it can be disbanded on the spot. What else can it do?
Do we expect the soldiers to be like the armies of later generations who have gone through long marches of thousands of miles, still holding on with strong faith on an empty stomach? [
grain, grain
Shi Dayong was so worried for two days in a row that he didn't even go to the temporary school grounds where captured soldiers were trained, and stayed in his tent all day long.
On the 12th, Pei Shaokuan arrived late, but did not come to Pingdugou to report to Shi Dayong. Instead, he went straight to Xiaoguantun. If the reconnaissance cavalry sent out as usual had not bumped into them, Shi Dayong would have
I didn't know Pei Shaokuan was here.
Shi Dayong didn't want to see Pei Shaokuan. They came when they wanted and didn't want to pull him down, so Shi Dayong didn't bother to pay attention to Pei Shaokuan.
The order has been passed, and the daily rations have been reduced by one-third, and the rations of the captive soldiers have been reduced to one-half of the original supply. If it is not necessary, the activities of the war horses should be reduced as much as possible to prevent the horses from losing their physical strength.
Consumption of food and grass.
As a result, Pingdugou, which is approaching the end of the New Year, has no festive atmosphere at all and is lifeless.
The weather is getting colder and colder. Even if there is sunshine during the day, it is still very cold. Shi Dayong estimates that the temperature is probably more than ten degrees below zero. It seems that God is deliberately trying to make fun of people. There is nothing wrong with the northwest wind blowing.
No sound, the cold wind blowing on the face is like a knife cut, causing pain and pain.
Although the weather is cold, fortunately, the Jinzhou Army comes from Liaodong and has long been accustomed to the cold weather. Warm clothes are also prepared. Those captive soldiers, Wang Tiande, and Qi Sanbao's soldiers grabbed the cotton clothes when they were following the rebels.
There were not a few, so no one died from freezing. But frostbite was inevitable. Many people's hands and feet were broken by the frost, swollen, red, and full of cuts.
The training of the captive soldiers did not stop because of the reduction in rations and the cold weather. Despite the horror of the November 11 massacre, the captive soldiers participated in the training honestly, and no one dared to complain. However, their current training is mostly focused on formation and slashing.
The killing training and the firing training of firecrackers have stopped. The Jinzhou Army does not have enough gunpowder for these captive soldiers to practice firing.
The more than 200 people under Qi Sanbao were used as supply camps during the reorganization in Shahe and were not used as combat soldiers. Therefore, their training intensity was much lighter. They only practiced slashing for an hour every day, and the rest of the time was more
Stay in the camp.
I don’t have any requirements for Wang Tiande and Shi Dayong. In the battle of Xiaoguantun, Wang Bu was not afraid to fight and joined the battlefield in time, which saved the Jinzhou Army from being destroyed to a certain extent. Therefore, I am still somewhat grateful to Wang Tiande and Shi Dayong. Give him
He also has much greater autonomy and basically does not interfere with the affairs of his camp.
However, Wang Tiande led his soldiers to participate in training on the school grounds every day. The time was longer than that of the supply camp, but much shorter than that of the captured soldiers.
On the second day after moving to Pingdu, Shi Dayong briefly talked with Peng Dachui. Shi Dayong did not hide his current situation and told Peng Dachui that his remaining brothers could leave. They had fulfilled their obligations.
Promise, in the battle of Xiaoguantun, they have proven that they are real men, and their bravery has won them freedom. From now on, they can leave Pingdugou immediately. Should they continue to be thieves or return to their hometown to serve the people?
It's all up to them.
Peng Dachui said that it was freezing cold and their brothers had nowhere to go. If the general refused to give up, they might as well allow them to stay temporarily. After the spring warms and the flowers bloom, the brothers will decide whether to stay or go.
Peng Dachui's decision made Shi Dayong a little surprised, and he didn't understand why the other party would go out again with the freedom he had obtained. But since they want to stay in the Jinzhou Army, no matter what they think, Shi Dayong cannot refuse them thousands of miles away, laugh
Zhuo agreed. Then Guo Yi was asked to build a separate camp for the thieves to use, and the daily supply was the same as that of the Jinzhou Army.
Guo Yi reported to Shi Dayong that something was wrong with Zhao Xueqi. He had seen this man leaving the camp late at night, but he came back soon, and he didn't know what he was doing.
Shi Dayong asked Guo Yi to monitor more secretly and not to alert others. He wanted to see what Zhao Xiucai wanted to do.
On the 14th, the last batch of horse meat, which had been sparing to eat, was finally eaten up. The only things left in the army were wheat, some sorghum grains, and some beans. The quantity was not much, and they could only hold on for a while.
If no food has arrived within four or five days, Shi Dayong must make a decision - whether to lead his troops to loot all the way back to Jinzhou or to disband on the spot and let the soldiers find their own way to survive.
If you choose the former, you may be accused of being a rebel before leaving the territory of Zhili in the north and be annihilated by the army sent by the court. If you choose the latter, Shi Dayong's trip south will be a big joke. No
People would believe that this army that could not even feed itself would defeat the bandit general Chen Youyou in Shahe and defeat the rebel Li Jiucheng in Xiaoguantun. Even if Shi Dayong successfully returns to Jinzhou, his future will also become
Gloomy. How would the emperor view Shi Dayong, whom he personally met on the platform and whom he called "my fat cavalry general", who could not even save his troops and horses, and who was in vain for his expectations?
How can Shi Dayong regain a foothold in Liaodong after losing the trust of the emperor? You must know that his backer Qiu Hejia, the governor of Liaodong, has been dismissed. In Liaodong, what can Shi Dayong do if he loses the support of the governor. Therefore, these two paths
Shi Dayong can't even go. The only way he can go is to raise food. Only food can resolve his crisis!
[
"What are you doing in Xiaoguantun? Gao Qiqian won't give us a grain of food. He wants to starve us to death!" When Jiang Wanli heard that he wanted to go to Xiaoguantun, his face immediately showed reluctance.
I still remember the look on my face when I went to Xiaoguantun to ask for food. The life of looking at people’s faces is really not a human life.
"Yes, Eunuch Gao has made it clear that he wants to put us to death. It won't help the general if he goes now, and he might be detained instead. This eunuch is the easiest to hold grudges. The general has offended him many times, and last time he did it in front of him like that
Many people have offended him and even said they wanted to kill him. How can he not remember this grudge?" Shao Wu also disagreed with Shi Dayong's adventure in Xiaoguantun.
Shi Dayong sighed: "Right now, only Xiaoguantun has food. If I don't go, what will we eat and drink? Are we really going to starve to death in Pingdu Valley?"
Jiang Wanli hesitated for a moment and then said: "Forgive me for talking too much, general. Why doesn't the general send someone to the capital to find Wang Cheng'en, tell him our situation, and ask him to help solve it?"
Hearing this, Shao Wu immediately nodded and said: "Yes, it was Wang Chengen who asked the general to go south. Now that we are short of food, we should go to him for this matter. I heard that Wang Chengen is a popular man in front of the emperor, and he will suffer more than Gao Qiqian."
The emperor favors us, and with his advice, Gao Qiqian will definitely not dare to make things difficult for us again!"
"Far water can't save nearby fire. The army only has enough food for three days. It's too late to go to Beijing now." Shi Dayong shook his head helplessly and asked Wang Chengen for help. This method was indeed good. Why didn't he think of it earlier?
With Wang Chengen's identity, he should be able to solve his predicament. But it is definitely too late to find him now. I am afraid that the army will run out of food while he is still on the way.
Jiang Wanli also knew that it would definitely be too late at this time. After a moment of silence, he suddenly thought of something and said hurriedly: "How about we leave Pingdugou and go directly to Shandong."
"The emperor wants us to be promoted by the governor of Shandong. Of course, Shandong will take care of our food and grass. Yes, let's go to Shandong! Instead of sitting here waiting for death and being plotted by the high eunuch, it is better to leave this ghost place and go to Shandong. At least we can survive!
"Shao Wu also agreed to go to Shandong to find food to survive. He was really fed up with this ghost place. This ghost place was so desolate that there was not even a living thing on the nearby mountains. He couldn't even make a tooth sacrifice.
Shi Dayong shook his head and said: "Things are not that simple. Do you think Gao Qiqian will let us go to Shandong?"
Jiang Wanli was startled for a moment, then hesitantly said: "Eunuch Gao will not send troops to hunt us down, right? Although we have offended him, we have not rebelled after all. If he really sends troops to deal with us, what will he have to explain to the court?"
"If Gao Qiqian wanted to get rid of us, he should have done it that day in Xiaoguantun. Why let us go and let us come to Pingdugou? Didn't the general also say that his high eunuch is afraid of the emperor?"
"At this moment, at that moment, the senior eunuch didn't dare to kill me that day, but if we really went to Shandong, he would dare."
"Why?"
"If I'm not wrong, I'm afraid we are now under his control and have nothing to do with Shandong."
"How can it be?"
"It's impossible for Shandong to really forget about us, but there is only one reason why we haven't seen any official documents coming from them, and that is that we are no longer under their control in Shandong."
"If we are really promoted by Eunuch Gao, wouldn't it be a violation of military orders if we leave Pingdugou without authorization?"
"That's why his high eunuch dared to send troops to hunt us down!"
"this"
"There is only one way to go now, which is to go through mountains of swords and seas of fire. I can only go there once. Otherwise, what can I do?"
"If Eunuch Gao was willing to give us food, he would have given it to us a long time ago. He insists on not giving it to us, which is forcing us into a desperate situation. The general is looking for him now because he is afraid that Eunuch Gao will not even see him."
"Who said I'm going to find Eunuch Gao?" Shi Dayong smiled.
"If you're not looking for Eunuch Gao?" Jiang Shao was confused, "Then who should we look for?"
"Looking for someone who can give us food." Shi Dayong patted the bag of gold, "I don't believe there are people in this world who are blind to money!"