Xu Zhiqiong walked to six camps in succession carrying firewood, but none of them looked serious.
A bundle of firewood was almost finished being divided. Xu Zhiqiong chatted with more than a dozen soldiers and finally met one who had actually been a soldier.
"Brother, I just noticed that the way you hold a knife is different. It looks like you are good at using a knife!" Xu Zhiqiong took out some firewood and stepped forward to talk.
The sergeant smiled and said: "Can I be like them? I have eaten royal food seriously! When the war comes, you follow me, and I guarantee that I can save your life!"
"What are you doing to save your life? I want to kill the enemy?"
The sergeant sneered: "What do you use to kill the enemy? Do you think the imperial army is made of clay?"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "There are so many of us, are we still afraid of those few people from the imperial court?"
The sergeant shook his head and said: "You don't know that the imperial army is really good at fighting. Ten people can defeat us by one or two hundred, and a hundred people can defeat us by two or three thousand.
Look at those of us who have never even held a knife, and the team cannot stand firmly. What do you want them to fight with?
I see there are a lot of cavalry in the imperial army. If the cavalry rushes over and fights, these people will all be scattered. Once they are scattered, they will stretch their necks and get knifed. As many as they are killed will die!"
What he said was right. From the six camps that Xu Zhiqiong had seen so far, these people went to the battlefield for nothing.
Xu Zhiqiong asked again: "Don't we say that Yunzhou has an army of 30,000? Why haven't we seen a few as powerful as you?"
"Who did you hear that there were 30,000 troops? Don't listen to the nonsense of those foreigners! We are not at war with Yu Xianguo, so what do we need so many soldiers? When I was guarding the border, there were almost 5,000 people. Last year, we were full No, the prefect asked us to go back to farming, and I’m afraid we won’t even have 3,000 people left in the end.”
There are less than 3,000 regular troops left in Yunzhou!
When Emperor Changle wanted to mobilize troops from Yunzhou, no wonder Yunzhou refused to comply. He had no troops to mobilize at all!
But Yunzhou's ordnance, food, and wages over the years have all been distributed based on 30,000 garrison troops!
To what extent has Yunzhou lost control?
Didn't Emperor Zhaoxing take care of it?
Where are the three thousand regular troops?
Xu Zhiqiong continued to act naive: "When I was fetching water just now, I saw a lot of people there. They were neatly dressed and held their swords and guns securely!"
"Over there?" The sergeant was startled, "You mean the east side, right? Those people are all serious soldiers. You can't mess around with that camp. I heard that our prefect is in the camp."
After chatting for a while, Xu Zhiqiong left all the firewood to the sergeant and then went to the camp to the east.
Is the prefect Peng Xiunian really in this camp?
Xu Zhiqiong has many things to ask him, and I am afraid no one can give the answers except himself.
Chu Xin did the right thing. Five thousand men were more than enough to deal with the so-called 110,000 Yunzhou army.
Xu Zhiqiong really wanted to ask Prefect Peng, what on earth is he going to do?
What is the use of raising this incompetent army?
It was said that he had been corrupt and perverted the law over the years and was afraid of the imperial court's liquidation. He could have taken the gold and silver and fled quickly. Yunzhou was surrounded by Yu Xianguo to the south and the sea to the east, so there were many opportunities for him to escape.
What on earth is he going to do with this incident?
While thinking about it, Xu Zhiqiong arrived at the large camp to the east. This camp was indeed quite decent. There were sentries at the door and patrol posts around. The military tents were neatly set up, and the ordnance and uniforms also looked decent.
Xu Zhiqiong used the invisibility technique to sneak into the military camp, walked around the Chinese army's tent a few times, then showed his body and walked straight to the entrance of the tent.
The guard at the door yelled: "Where did the soldiers come from? What are they doing here?"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "I have found out the information about the enemy army, and I am here to deliver a message to the prefect!"
The guard frowned and said, "If you have any news, just send it to the guard on duty, and hurry up and go further away!"
Xu Zhiqiong shook his head and said: "This news cannot be given to the sentry commander, it must be told to the prefect."
The guard raised his sword eyebrows and stepped forward to push Xu Zhiqiong.
Say: "Get away!"
Xu Zhiqiong punched the guard in the stomach, causing him to twitch and vomit.
The surrounding guards quickly drew their sabers, and a middle-aged man walked out of the tent.
"What are you making such a fuss about?"
The guards saluted one after another, and the guard who was beaten cried: "Master Magistrate, a random soldier came from nowhere and wanted to break into the camp. This man is so arrogant!"
Peng Xiunian looked at Xu Zhiqiong and said, "Who are you?"
Xu Zhiqiong leaned over and saluted and said: "I am a sentry from the Pioneer Camp. I found some information in the enemy camp tonight. It is confidential and I want to report it to the prefect in person."
Peng Xiunian stared at the soldier for a moment, nodded and said, "Come in and talk."
Xu Zhiqiong entered the tent and looked at Peng Xiunian sitting in the center of the tent.
This person has a fifth-grade cultivation level.
He Fang brought Peng Xiunian's files, and Xu Zhiqiong also read them when he came.
Peng Xiunian did have some cultivation, but in the court files, it was not the fifth grade, but the seventh grade, a Confucian seventh grade cultivator.
This is not a strange thing. Peng Xiunian has escaped from the control of the imperial court, so lying about his cultivation level is not worth mentioning.
The point is that his criminal karma is very spectacular. According to visual inspection, it must be more than three feet, longer than Liang Yuming's criminal karma.
Liang Yuming killed tens of thousands of people.
How many evil things has this guy done to earn such a long karma?
Peng Xiunian asked: "Tell me, what secrets did you find out?"
"Let me please take a look at this thing first." Xu Zhiqiong took out a cloth bag from his arms and handed it to the guard, who asked him to forward it to Peng Xiunian.
Peng Xiunian opened the bag and was shocked.
Inside the cloth bag was an iron plate with five words written on it.
Situ, Xiao Songting.
This is the identity certificate of the Nufu Cult, and has the same function as Daxuan's tooth tag.
This iron plate was collected by Xu Zhiqiong from Xiao Songting. He thought it was of no use, so he simply used it to test Magistrate Peng today.
If Magistrate Peng had an affair with the Nufu Sect, he definitely should know Situ's identity and status.
If Magistrate Peng had nothing to do with the Nufu Sect, he would definitely not pay for this iron plate.
In that case, Xu Zhiqiong would kill him directly.
Regardless of whether Peng Xiunian was the main messenger of the rebellion or not, there would definitely be no harm in killing him.
But if he is a member of the Nufu Cult, he cannot be killed easily.
The people of the Nufu Cult are likely to have bewitching spells on their bodies. After death, it is difficult to interrogate the soul.
Peng Xiunian looked calm and said to the guards: "This matter is indeed confidential. You all go out and no one is allowed to approach within a hundred steps of the camp."
The guards quickly exited the tent, and after everyone had gone away, Peng Xiunian stepped forward and saluted: "Peng Xiunian, the master of Yunzhou Altar, has met Lord Situ."
The prefect of Yunzhou is actually the leader of the Yunzhou altar of Nufu Sect!
According to the information that Xu Zhiqiong had obtained in the past, within the Nufu Sect, the status of the altar leader is equivalent to that of Shao Situ, but slightly lower than that of Situ. Peng Xiunian can be regarded as Xiao Songting's subordinate.
Xu Zhiqiong leaned forward and returned the salute: "Master Peng Tan, thank you for your hard work."
The two sat down and each kept their voices extremely low.
Peng Xiunian said: "I heard that Situ Xiao was fighting in Yuxian, why did he suddenly come to Yunzhou?"
This man was fairly well-informed, but fortunately he didn't know that Xiao Songting was dead.
Xu Zhiqiong gave a bitter smile and said, "Presumably Lord Peng has heard that Xiao was defeated miserably in Yuxian, and he was defeated in a very embarrassing manner."
Peng Xiunian comforted him by saying, "Victory and defeat are common matters for military officers. Master Situ does not need to blame himself."
Xu Zhiqiong said: "I came to Yunzhou this time with orders to check your deployment."
He didn't say who sent him here, nor did he say what the investigation plan was, which made Peng Xiunian confused.
"Master Situ, did Master Situ order you to come?"
Xu Zhiqiong's heart trembled.
Xiao Songting said that there has been a vacancy for the chief disciple of Nufu Sect. Yu Xian's predecessor, Dadian Ke Juliang, also said the same thing.
Why does a big Situ appear now?
Is he newly appointed?
Impossible. Such an important position cannot be appointed at will.
Xiao Songting, the bastard, lied?
But did Ju Liang also lie?
Xu Zhiqiong responded: "That's exactly what Master Situ meant."
Peng Xiunian's face sank, and he frowned and said: "Yesterday, Da Sikong came to ask about Peng. He asked Peng for nearly a whole night, and he said he was worried about Peng.
Now, Grand Situ asked Xiao Situ to come and ask, why can’t the adults trust Peng?”
Xu Zhiqiong laughed and said: "It's an important matter, so naturally it's better to be cautious."
Did Da Sikong come yesterday?
Isn’t Da Sikong Gongsun Wen?
Didn't Gongsun Wen grab arms in the north last night?
When did you come to Yunzhou again?
Is Da Sikong actually Gongsun Wen?
Could it be that Xiao Songting, that bastard, lied again?
That’s not right! Wan Qiusheng once said that Da Sikong is Gongsun Wen!
Xu Zhiqiong couldn't ask Peng Xiunian directly, otherwise his secret would be revealed, so he had to smile awkwardly at Peng Xiunian.
Peng Xiunian calmed down and said, "That's all, I don't blame Xiao Situ for this."
Xu Zhiqiong sighed and imitated Xiao Songting's smooth tone and said: "Master Peng, we are all on errands. You should also understand my difficulties."
Peng Xiunian nodded and said, "Excuse me, Situ Xiao, to tell the Great Situ that everything is ready and the ceremony will be done without incident!"
What ritual?
Isn't it a war?
How did it become a ritual?
Xu Zhiqiong said: "Master Peng Tan, I can trust you, but if I take these exact words back, I'm afraid Da Situ won't believe me."
Peng Xiunian said: "If Situ Xiao has any request, you might as well just say it!"
"Hearing is false, seeing is believing. Xiao came all the way to see Master Peng and let me see how far the preparations for this ritual have come."
Peng Xiunian smiled bitterly, nodded and said, "That's fine, Situ Xiao, come with me!"
Xu Zhiqiong followed Peng Xiunian out of the camp, and several guards came forward to follow him.
Peng Xiunian waved his hand and said, "You stay here, I will follow this soldier to look around."
The guards did not dare to say anything and stayed in the main tent of the Chinese army.
Peng Xiunian took Xu Zhiqiong to the observation tower.
This watchtower is very tall, higher than the fire watchtower in the capital. Compared with the scattered camps everywhere, this watchtower is solid and exquisite in construction, which makes it look out of place.
The two climbed to the top of the building and had an unobstructed view of the entire camp.
Peng Xiunian looked around and said to Xu Zhiqiong: "Xiao Situ, let's take a look at this altar."