Chapter 3 Beacon Fire (Part 1) From Hanoi, Changping to Shangdang, they did not encounter any group of bandits. The journey was so peaceful that it was frightening, as if the road under their feet no longer led to the human world, although occasionally it would happen on the side of the road.
Several small villages appeared, but the people in the villages disappeared, along with their livestock. The crops that were supposed to be harvested during this season were mixed with weeds, growing like crazy everywhere at the door.
Their weak but indomitable shadows can be seen everywhere on roofs and eaves.
The sowers are not farmers, but the constant mountain winds from all seasons. They blow the seeds scattered in the farmland last year to the eaves of the lost owner. After letting them take root and germinate there for half a month, they will also blow the new seeds from the eaves.
Blowing down, blowing to a new corner where it can get sunshine and rain. When next spring comes, a new cycle will begin, and life will continue.
Such a vast wilderness is partly due to the imperial court's relocation order, which drove the people into the city walls to prevent them from being plundered by bandits. As for what the people would eat and where they would live after entering the city, that was not something that should bother the ministers in the court.
Therefore, many people who are not lucky enough to make a living in the city simply choose to become bandits. Although they will inevitably die in a battle with the army or a firefight between bandits, they can at least live a little longer.
Time will not helplessly watch you become so hungry that the bones under your skin are exposed.
Together with the imperial court, there were "heroes" from all over the country who created this "unparalleled splendor". They took away the last bits of property from the people who refused to enter the city, and either drove them into the city or turned them into their own minions.
When there is nothing left to grab, the heroes will occasionally plant a few pieces of land, but those lands are near the village, so they cannot plant too much, lest the peaceful life destroys everyone's fighting spirit.
In order to avoid being caught off guard on the road, Xuzi, Qin Shubao, and Luo Shixin jointly designed many emergency plans. They even prepared a batch of money to buy the road in case they were polite to some bandits before fighting. To everyone's disappointment, the bandits along the way disappeared together with the common people.
Okay, none of these solutions have been used.
Several times, Xuzi intuitively felt that there were eyes watching him from the nearby mountain ridges. Whenever he turned around and tried his best to look far away from the horse, he could not find anything except layers of flaming woods. "
No need to look, the bandits are afraid of our reputation and have fled long ago!" Luo Shixin followed and said carelessly. His words often triggered a burst of relaxed laughter, but everyone knew that this was not true. Although Li, Qin, and Luo were powerful,
In Dongxia, their fame has not spread here in Hedong. Moreover, the bandits have the advantage in location and numbers, so there is no need to take this cavalry seriously.
"I always feel that there are people on the mountain!" Xuzi smiled and replied in a low voice. At the same time, he denied his own idea, "It feels very much like Liaodong here! There are enemies everywhere, but there is no trace of them!"
"We are surrounded by a pack of wolves. There is no point in worrying. Let's just move forward boldly!" Qin Shubao joined the discussion and gave advice based on years of experience in the army. This is the only practical way. It is better to take one step at a time than to stand still.
Zi nodded, humbly accepting the uneasy feeling, but it lingered on top of his head like fog.
His intuition told him that the looks coming from deep in the jungle contained not only hostility but also a little appreciation and friendliness. But except for the few around him, he almost had no friends anymore: Xu Dayan and Wu Heitai.
Liu Hongji and the warrior Xun Yuan also had several good brothers in Taiyuan. They all died in the fierce battle on the east bank of the Liao River. Their bodies were already covered with weeds.
Occasionally, the county soldiers would pass by some forts where big families lived together. The walls were higher than the Great Wall, and the watchtowers were filled with all kinds of defensive weapons. They heard that the soldiers and horses passing by were going to Yanmen Guanqin Queen, and the forts were within their reach.
Expressing cautious enthusiasm, the elders in the village stood on the top of the city and ordered people to use ropes to descend a dozen bamboo baskets, which were filled with dry food, meat, and occasionally some wine. But they never invited the county soldiers to rest in the village.
, although both sides are now using the banner of the Sui Dynasty
"The village is so small that I dare not invite the generals to rest their horses!" The patriarch bowed and apologized, and motioned to the archers on the wall to start preparing. These days, we have often heard of situations where people were protected by bandits but were robbed by the army. Who is the official and who is?
Bandits cannot be judged just by looking at the flags
"Damn it, this old guy actually thinks of us as bandits!" Luo Shixin was very dissatisfied with the performance of the fortress owner and cursed.
"Don't blame them, someone killed a good person and took credit for it!" Qin Shubao pulled up Luo Shixin and followed the large group of people to continue northward, while comforting him. No wonder the other party was on strict guard against it. The officers and soldiers were disadvantaged in pursuing thieves. In order to avoid punishment from their superiors, they took the people's heads to blame.
Being a person is nothing new in the Sui Dynasty.
"Maybe they and the bandits were wearing the same pair of trousers!" Luo Shi was still confident, looking at the fortress that was gradually broken by dust and smoke, and said bitterly
This is not an injustice. Those big families who formed strongholds to protect themselves were indeed not involved with the local bandits. Some of them were already relatives. Whether they formed strongholds to protect themselves or went up to the mountains to become bandits, it was all for the sake of surviving in troubled times.
Some of the surviving forts were protected by bandits nearby. The government paid a share of the tax, and the bandits also paid a share. Neither party was offended.
"You have to let them live!" Qin Shubao's words contained sighs and helplessness. He is much older than Luo Shixin and Xu Zi, has experienced more vicissitudes, and has a better understanding of the world.
Survival is the only choice in troubled times, so no one can blame them for the methods they used. They can only blame those who contributed to the troubled times. They turned the good world into a gangster's nest and hell, although they could give themselves
Find all kinds of excuses
From Shangdang to the north, the terrain becomes relatively gentle, and there are gradually more people on both sides of the official road. Hedong Comfort Ambassador Li Yuan is a good official who knows how to be considerate of the people. He does not exploit the people as hard as in other places. In addition, the Li family
The counties in Hedong originally had some prestige, so the public security outside the Taihang Mountains was basically peaceful. According to the local officials responsible for providing food, grass and baggage to the county soldiers, another reason for the peace in the hinterland of Hedong was several large gangs active in the plains.
They suffered fatal blows in the summer and did not dare to approach the plains easily.
"The imperial court does not allow Mr. Tang to recruit more troops, otherwise we in Hedong would have been free of banditry!" Qi County Magistrate Zhou Jue is a very talkative person. When delivering supplies to the county soldiers, he said with a slightly proud tone.
"You are talking about Mr. Tang, but Li Yuan?" Luo Shixin looked back at Xu Zi and asked curiously
"You are such a rude general, how can we call Duke Tang by his first name?" Magistrate Zhou, who had been so amiable at first, suddenly turned his face and protested to Luo Shixin with his eyes wide open, "Not to mention his official position, just because of his age, you don't
You should call them by their first names! Besides, if we, Tang Gong, had not said hello in advance and asked us to provide convenience for the troops of the king, who would have prepared food and grass for you!"
"I don't see that your father-in-law's prestige is quite high!" Luo Shixin muttered in his stomach, and then put on a smile, "I don't know Tang Gong's name. Besides, how can I, a foreigner, know how old Tang Gong is?
!”
"Forget it, I'm not as knowledgeable as a young man like you!" Magistrate Zhou rolled his eyes at Luo Shixin, clapped his hands, and ordered his subordinates to bring a ledger, "Which general is in charge, please sign a pledge on the ledger, I'll wait for you
It will be easier to find Mr. Tang to settle accounts in the future!"
What responded to him was another half-grown boy, Xu Zi, who smiled and stepped forward, taking the account book and writing brush from the household. The behavior of local officials was very regular, which was very different from the behavior of officials he had seen elsewhere. It can be said that in troubled times
He also ordered the officials under his rule to behave in an orderly manner. Tang Gong Li Yuan was indeed worthy of his name as an official.
At the moment when he signed his name, Xuzi hesitated for a moment. He had not told his cheap father-in-law that he had married Zhen'er. Did Ban Shihou drop by to Taiyuan to visit Duke Tang? This would bring the relationship between Zhen'er and his father to a close.
How about making up for the rift? He wasn't sure whether he would be beaten with sticks by the other party after he left. But thinking about the nostalgic look in Zhen'er's eyes before setting off for the expedition, he felt a burning sensation in his heart.
"Go early and come back early, I'll wait for you at home!" Before leaving the house, the extremely affectionate Yu'er took his arm and said, "You are mine, you can't get hurt again!" Her face brushed against his.
The scars left on the arms from previous battles also left a trail of wet, warm water.
"The general's surname is also Li?" Magistrate Zhou took over the account book signed by Xu Zi and asked hesitantly. The big black man in front of him looked very young, but the mark nailed to the outside of his armor was already that of a fourth-grade Wu Benlang general.
There were only a few people in the entire Sui Dynasty who had reached such a high position at such an age. He suddenly remembered a certain rumor in the officialdom, and the expression on his face immediately became respectful. "Are you the Tang Gong's nephew, Mr. Li, the Marquis of Chou County? You are
,Are you from Henan?"
"We came here from the starry night near Hulao Pass." Xuzi nodded, confirming the other party's guess. Then he heard countless exclamations coming from all around, "Come from Henan, my God! Running thousands of miles, it's actually better than
The other troops arrived only three days late!"
"Didn't the thieves from the Taihang Mountains stop you?" Magistrate Zhou rounded his eyes again, but this time it was because of surprise, "Hey, seeing what I'm asking, you are our Tang Gong's nephew, so naturally you have also passed on to him.
With his bravery and bravery, he can defeat the bandits from several surrounding counties with thousands of remnant soldiers, so who would dare to mess with you if he doesn't care about his life?"
