Realistic difficulties turned all counter-reconnaissance methods into a joke, and as the large and delayed fleet continued to move forward for several days, although there was no sign of delay, it already made everyone tense.
Finally, shortly after the fleet entered Pengcheng County, the county officials in the fleet finally couldn't bear it anymore.
"Please Inspector Bai, please save us!"
"If we mess up, what good will it do to you?"
"You guys have so many boats loaded with stuff, how can those thieves who come here still know who owns the boat?"
"Jing'antai has its own regulations, but this time it is a serious plan to make up for the autumn tax and spring. Once things are not harmonious, where will the eggs be intact after the nest is overturned?"
"That's right. Nowadays, everyone is just a grasshopper on a rope... It will definitely not work if this continues."
"..."
"Where did Zhang Sanlang go?"
In the afternoon of the twelfth lunar month, the weather was not very good. On a two-story ship in the center of the fleet, Bai Yousi watched the monkey show for half a day on the top of the ship. However, the monkeys still wanted to perform, and they finally felt helpless.
, and then go back and ask where the administrator is.
"I don't know." Li Qingchen looked a little anxious. "How about I go down and drive them away?"
"You're going to do something bad if you go down." Bai Yousi shook his head in denial... "Forget it, come up to them and let me see them... Then you go and call Brother Hu and Qian Tang, and we can discuss a countermeasure together...
No matter how hopeless these people are, one sentence is correct, but it will definitely not work if this continues."
Li Qingchen had no choice but to leave, and the two patrolmen in brocade clothes next to him were also preparing to go down to lead the people up. But at this moment, a puff of smoke and dust rolled up from the far end of the east bank of Huanshui River. It turned out to be the regulation of six or seven riders.
Come here in a dignified manner.
Seeing this, Bai Yousi raised his hand to stop the two patrolmen from disembarking. Li Qingchen glanced back and could only call for someone in a low voice.
Sure enough, after a while, the six or seven cavalry were stationed nearby, and it was Zhang Xing and others who came to protect them from the right wing. Under the gloomy weather, Zhang Baishou's arrival was like the sun shining through the clouds, and all of a sudden those who were planning on the plan were
When the county officials saw the sun, the two groups greeted each other, avoided the hard-working trackers, and immediately communicated on the shore for a while, not knowing what was said.
But in the end, those county officials left with great gratitude. At this time, Zhang Xingfu handed over the team to Qin Er, and he directly followed the fleet and boarded the ship alone to see Bai Yousi.
.
"What did you tell them?" Bai Yousi was curious for a moment.
"It's all nonsense." Zhang Xing said disapprovingly. "But there is also some definite information that can comfort me for a while... I set out early this morning, taking Qin Erlang and two horses with me, and ran seventy or eighty miles in one go.
I took a look around Guyang City upstream."
"How to say it?" Bai Yousi was also concerned.
"There will definitely be no problem in the first section of the road. Huanshui River is the main transportation channel for materials from the Central Plains to the Eastern Capital. The surrounding counties basically build cities along the river." Zhang Xing explained seriously. "Guyang is also one of them...
With the protection of Guyang City, the thieves will not choose to intercept in the city. Not only this, but also the following Qixian County and Linhuan... And by that time, the reply from above will inevitably arrive, we
You can make a decision based on the reply. I just gave them this explanation and gave them a guarantee."
Bai Yousi nodded, noncommittal: "In other words, it won't be like this after Linhuan?"
"good."
Zhang Xing responded frankly. "I have asked the trackers and the locals. When we reach Qiaojun, pass Linhuan City, and reach Yongcheng County, the Whale Gang loses its power. You have to be careful wherever you go...
…The reason lies in the terrain. On the plain, there are suddenly several more mountains, among which Mount Ji is right next to the Huanshui River, while the county seat of Yongcheng County is dozens of miles away from the Huanshui River.”
"It's directly next to the Huanshui River. It's also convenient to go to the dam to block the water." Bai Yousi was a little helpless. "Do you know how many bandits there are in Jishan?"
"It is said that there were only four or five hundred originally, but after Yang Shen's rebellion, the number suddenly increased to two or three thousand." Zhang Xing answered seriously and without reservation. "But the thieves are definitely more than that... In the northernmost part of Yongcheng County, Qiaojun and Pengcheng,
At the junction of Liangjun and Sanguang, there are also a large number of mountains such as Dangshan and Yutou Mountain... It has always been the base camp of bandits from the Central Plains. After Yang Shen's rebellion, there were tens of thousands of people inside, and there was no shortage of good players."
"I understand." Bai Yousi nodded again and again. "And I've heard about it a long time ago."
How could you not understand? It is a rare mountainous area in the Central Plains that is left unattended. Not to mention gathering people to become thieves, but even fugitives on the blacklist, I am afraid they will use it as their base.
After a long pause, Bai Yousi asked softly: "Do you have any countermeasures?"
"We definitely can't defend it alone." Zhang Xing shook his head in reply. "There are so many people in the mountains, and there will definitely be a shortage of food in winter. So what if we risk our lives just for a bite to eat? It's rare to see such a wave in winter.
There is no food to keep up with the autumn grain team, and the conditions are so favorable. If they don't come to grab it, the village leaders will be annexed by fire... But if they come to grab it, they only need to wait until our fleet passes Linhuan City.
Jishan built a dam and forced the troops to stop. Tens of thousands of people swarmed up at night, grabbing as much as they could... Even if they let us kill them, they wouldn't care."
Bai Yousi nodded, then shook his head: "I'm asking you for countermeasures."
"There is only one countermeasure." Zhang Xing met the opponent's gaze calmly. "We need reinforcements, and reinforcements from a large group!"
"What's more specific?" Bai Yousi couldn't ask further.
"Forty miles west of the Huan River and sixty miles south of Jishan, there is a ready-made army in Chengfu County." Zhang Xing answered with arms crossed. "It is said that there are three thousand fine armor... That was the result of the imperial court's rebellion after Yang Shen's rebellion.
, a force that stayed locally to prevent disaster victims from escaping to the east, and they were also responsible for the autumn grain protection...it was originally affiliated with Xuzhou and was the old department of Lai Gong and Zhou Xingfan's father, but now it belongs directly to Nanya."
At this point, Zhang Xing couldn't help but sneer: "Actually, if it weren't for this army and their station location, the thieves wouldn't have gathered in those mountainous areas... The leader of this army is definitely a slippery man... And we were in
The 'reinforcements' we started to invite from the Huaihe River, no matter whether they go through Jingantai or Nanya, I am afraid they will eventually fall to this slick army."
"So, it's better for the county magistrate to take charge now." Bai Yousi said with a smile. "The key is whether we can dispatch this army to rescue the situation?"
"Even if we dispatch them, we won't be able to save the situation." Zhang Xing answered calmly. "The people in the village will come to grab food no matter what... Successfully dispatching this force is nothing more than being able to dispel the dam in advance, preserve the food, and then
Just kill more bandits to ensure that we can do business... Moreover, this is not something we can decide. The people in Jing'antai cannot mobilize an organized army. Anyway, there is enough time, so it is better to wait quietly for the reply from Nanya and Taichung.
"
Bai You thought for a while and shook his head: "Zhang Xing... This is another way of papering within the system you mentioned... Even if the court did not reply, that army is also responsible for stabilizing the place. In other words, as long as it can
Just like if we persuade this army in Jiangdong, they can help us in the circle...it's only sixty miles away, I don't believe that their commander-in-chief doesn't even have this power and responsibility."
"so what?"
Zhang Xing couldn't ask further. "What does inspection mean?"
"I would like to ask you and Qian Tang to exchange the left and right wings, and then you take Qin Erlang's group, plus Zhou Xingfan, to go to the city father and contact the army in advance." Bai Yousi stared at Zhang Xing with bright eyes. "
I am not forcing you, but I am saying that this kind of thing is your ability, Zhang Sanlang, and I can only count on you."
"Then I'll go." Zhang Xing finally laughed. "Why is the inspection so tense?"
The two armored patrolmen on the deck turned around in surprise, but neither said a word.
"However, since I want to visit the city father, I can't go directly." Zhang Xing continued with a smile.
"I know, you can take gifts of gold and silver as you please." Bai Yousi was extremely honest. "My name is either powerful or tempting... you can use it as you wish."
"This is something that already exists." Zhang Xing responded sternly. "What I mean is that after I leave, the inspection must have two guarantees..."
The two patrolmen couldn't even hold their heads this time.
"Say." Bai Yousi responded seriously.
"First of all, the people in this Whale Gang are half-black. Once they encounter trouble, they might take advantage of the situation. Don't trust them during inspections. Just take action when necessary." Zhang Xing reminded seriously.
"This is natural." Bai Yousi smiled in response.
"Secondly, the Whale Gang is a Whale Gang, but the trackers and the ice-breakers are the trackers and the ice-breakers. The former is a rentier, half black and half carnivore, and has always been lawless. Even if he is beaten and killed, he will not suffer any loss.
, but the latter are all living people who come to beg for food during the winter. They are first-class good citizens, and inspections must treat them as human beings!" For some reason, Zhang Xing's tone seemed a little serious. "On weekdays, I have to give them to them.
Eat well and drink enough to make enough money for processing, so as to prevent them from defecting to the thieves out of dissatisfaction after the chaos breaks out... And once the chaos breaks out, unless they openly defect to the thieves to steal and rob, the thieves will also ask for inspections and be merciful."
"This is natural." After a moment of pause, Bai Yousi still answered like this.
"That's it, I won't delay any more and let's go." With that said, Zhang Xing ignored Li Qingchen and Hu Yan approaching from a distance and instead disembarked from the boat.
PS: It’s the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month! Happy Happy New Year to everyone! And thank you to the two legendary classmates Lao Wang for showing up on the same day!