Xu Mince and Li Zhi discussed it, and the governor's order came down the next day. Li Zhi's boss, Yunfangli Defense Officer Youhua, rode to Li Zhi's Fanjiazhuang and conveyed the governor's order.
Although Youhua had heard about Li Zhi's big move in Fanjiazhuang before he came, he was still surprised to see the new Fanjiazhuang like a large construction site with his own eyes. Who has ever seen a hundred households engage in such a large urban construction project? etc.
He was even more surprised when he walked to the door of Li Zhi's brand-new and elegant Baihu Official Hall.
What kind of tricks does Li Zhi have? He dares to build a new yamen despite the disdain of the world?
However, he knew that Li Zhi was the governor's personal friend, and he did not dare to discuss Li Zhi's behavior. The governor asked a team to exterminate hundreds of bandits. There must be something fishy in this, but how could Youhua dare to ask more questions? He read
After receiving the governor's order for Li Zhi to go to Qing County to suppress bandits, he left in a hurry.
Before leaving, Li Zhi gave him ten taels of silver, which made him smile.
After receiving the governor's order, Li Zhi could lead the troops to the expedition. Li Zhi asked Li Xing to take charge of Fanjiazhuang. He temporarily hired a hundred civilians to transport the baggage in wheelbarrows, and brought along the 120th and 120th Company of the 1st Company of the 2nd Battalion equipped with Minnie rifles.
Fifteen people set out to conquer Qing County. Qing County is in the south of Hejian Prefecture, three hundred miles away from Fanjiazhuang. Li Zhi marched thirty miles every day, and took more than 200 soldiers and civilians with him for eleven days before reaching Qing County.
Without horses, Li Zhi's troops walked entirely on two legs.
Zhong Feng, the commander of the second battalion who accompanied the army on the expedition, had a hard time walking all the way, so he made a suggestion: "Sir, each of the Tatars has two horses, so they can travel hundreds of miles in a day. If our soldiers are qualified,
Ma, then the combat capability will be greatly improved!"
Li Zhi calculated that if a horse costs 20 taels of silver, two thousand soldiers from the vanguard battalion with horses would cost 40,000 taels of silver. But if a warrior has one horse and one person, the baggage team cannot keep up, and the army still cannot move fast. The warriors
If one person has two horses, he can use the horses to carry the baggage, which can really improve the marching speed, but the cost will be 80,000 taels of silver, plus the maintenance cost of raising the horses, this is a lot of money.
Li Zhi replied: "This matter is too expensive and needs to be considered in the long term."
Zhong Feng nodded and said no more.
When everyone reached the county seat of Qing County, they sent messengers to the county government to report the matter.
Li Zhi only said that he was here to help suppress bandits on the order of the governor, and he should naturally receive local hospitality. He parked his troops one mile outside the city gate, preparing to wait for the reception of Qingxian officials and squires.
But Li Zhi did not expect the welcome scene he imagined.
Li Zhi waited from 6 o'clock to noon, and his stomach growled with anticipation. He only waited for two officials to report the news. Neither the official nor the squire had any hair. The two officials who reported the news could not kneel down when they saw Li Zhi.
Li Lili raised his hands and said: "Master Baihu, my master Yan Shize invites you to come to the county government office to speak!"
When Li Zhi heard this, he knew that the county magistrate was not ready to welcome him. He was an officer and soldier sent by the governor, so how could the magistrate be so trusting? Li Zhi cursed in his heart, and had no choice but to call for troops to move into the city. Unexpectedly,
Before the people here moved, the officials hurriedly came up to stop them: "It's enough for a hundred households to enter the city. The army will be stationed here! If the army enters the county and disturbs the people, it will be very bad!"
Hearing this, Zhong Feng couldn't help but scolded: "You shabby petty official, don't you see that we are the officers and soldiers who are here to help you suppress bandits? How come you don't know the etiquette and don't let us go into the city to rest?"
"
The two officials looked at Li Zhi's men with disdain and said, "There are more than three hundred bandits and more than one hundred soldiers of the Hundred Households. Unless every one of them is a heavenly soldier or a heavenly general, I'm afraid they won't be able to defeat them."
A bandit?"
Zhong Feng immediately became furious and cursed: "How dare you underestimate our troops, I will beat you up if I don't!"
Seeing that the officer was about to beat someone, the two officials were very frightened and hurriedly hid behind Li Zhi.
Li Zhi understood: the civil servants and gentry originally despised the military attachés, and because his officers brought so few people, they were completely despised by everyone in Qing County. He stopped the angry Zhong Feng and said impatiently to the two subordinate officials
Said: "You two lead the way, I will go with you to see the county magistrate!"
The two officials then led the way and took Li Zhi into the county government office.
In the second hall of the county government office, the magistrate, the county magistrate and several local gentry were already sitting there. These people saw Li Zhi coming in, wearing official robes, and did not welcome him. They looked at Li Zhi straightly as if they were looking at someone.
The subordinates, especially the county magistrate Yan Shize, sat in the middle of the second hall and looked directly at Li Zhi, as if Li Zhi should kneel down to him.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, civil servants ruled the military, and military attachés had a low status. It was normal for hundreds of households in the sixth rank to kneel down when they saw a county magistrate in the seventh rank. However, Li Zhi only said that he was here to help you suppress bandits, so how could he kneel down to you?
The truth? A bowed hand is regarded as a salute.
"I've met the magistrate!"
When the county magistrate saw that Li Zhi couldn't kneel down, he couldn't help it. He kept a straight face and said nothing for a long time.
Seeing that the situation was frozen, Li Zhi said calmly that the county magistrate will send us a guide today, and we will go to Yanshan to suppress the bandits tomorrow."
The county magistrate was furious when he saw that Li Zhi couldn't kneel down and salute, and refused to let Li Zhi sit down. He glanced at Li Zhi and sneered: "Suppress the bandits? Those three hundred tough bandits are old bandits, how can you be like this?"
Hundreds of new soldiers can be wiped out. Come and familiarize yourself with the situation, understand the situation, and quickly write a letter to the governor to request more soldiers and horses!"
Li Zhi said calmly: "My soldiers are well-equipped and well-trained, enough to defeat the bandits!"
The county magistrate snorted and asked: "You said your servants are well-equipped, but how many of them are wearing armor and how many horses are they equipped with?
Li Zhi answered honestly: "My soldiers are not wearing armor, and except for a few officers, none of them are equipped with horses!"
The county magistrate shook his head and asked again: "I heard that you just took office as a team leader. How long have your servants been practicing?"
Li Zhi said calmly: "I have been practicing for two months!"
"Have you dared to go to the battlefield after two months of training to defeat more enemies with fewer people?"
After hearing this, the county magistrate seemed to be unable to bear it any longer and burst into laughter. The county magistrate and the gentry sitting next to him also looked disdainful and laughed together. After a while, the county magistrate Yan Shize stopped laughing.
, said coldly: "Li Zhi! I really don't know what the governor was thinking, he actually sent you a small team to deal with this long-standing gangster! You went up the mountain to die and angered those three hundred gangsters to take revenge on our Qing County. You should do it."
What crime?"
Li Zhi heard the county magistrate's ridicule and said directly: "I have been ordered by the governor to lead troops to suppress the bandits. The county magistrate only provides guides to lead the way. Otherwise, I will wait for you to suppress the bandits or die in battle."
Let’s talk about it later!”
Hearing Li Zhi's words, several gentry looked at each other, and they all said that although the military attaché had no strength, he had the courage to look forward to death, which was quite a bit imposing.
Hearing Li Zhi's righteous and official remarks, the county magistrate was a little embarrassed, and he also had a little more respect for Li Zhi. He put away his ridicule and said seriously: "Okay! Li Zhi! Anyway, you are not afraid of death. Since
You are determined to suppress the bandits! I will provide you with a guide,"
Yan Shize shouted outside the hall: "Qin Liu, if you are familiar with the roads, go and lead the team officer sent by the governor to suppress the bandits in Yanshan Mountain!"
When Qin Liu outside the door heard this, he ran into the second hall and knelt down in the hall, crying and saying: "Sir, you can't let this villain die! I still have an old mother to support!"
Seeing that Qin Liu was so timid, Yan Shize felt that he was losing face. He secretly glanced at Li Zhi, and seeing that Li Zhi had no expression of contempt, he said loudly: "Letting you lead the way does not mean that I want you to go into battle! What are you afraid of?"
Qin Liu knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "Sir, the bandits in Yanshan are so fierce. When they see the villain leading the way, why don't they want to kill the villain?"
Li Zhi glanced at Qin Liu, stood there and said calmly: "Don't worry, Qin Liu, I won't kill you!"
When the county magistrate saw that his own people were so timid, he felt ashamed and cursed loudly: "Qin Liu, if you don't go, I will kill you for escaping from battle!"
Qin Liu glanced at the county magistrate and knelt on the ground with a pale face, not daring to speak anymore.
Li Zhi and the county magistrate exchanged a few words with each other. Knowing that these civil servants and gentry would not serve him wine, he said loudly: "Okay, I will not disturb the county magistrate today. I will not bother you tonight."
I will camp outside the city with the soldiers and go to Yanshan to suppress the bandits tomorrow! I will take this guide Qin Liu with me!"
After saying this, Li Zhi picked up Qin Liu who was on the ground, took him out of the second hall and dragged him all the way out.
Seeing the resolute and resolute Li Zhi, the county magistrate, the county magistrate and several gentry were all stunned. After a while, the county magistrate said: "Why is this Li Zhi so confident? Could it be that he really has a way to defeat the mountain?"
thief?"
A gentleman from a nearby county said: "My parents! I heard that this Li Zhi is a relative of the governor. I'm afraid the governor is sure to send him to suppress the bandits!"
Even the county magistrate Yan Shize, who looked down on Li Zhi, said: "Could it be that Li Zhi could really defeat more than 300 bandits with more than a hundred recruits? Isn't this incredible?"
Everyone looked at the direction Li Zhi was walking out, speechless.
