When Chuangying was defeated and retreated into Shang and Yunshan Forests, due to the emergency situation, many family members were forced to disperse throughout the Qinba Mountains. It was not until Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai respectively raised troops in Gucheng and Fang County that the focus of the army shifted.
Li Zicheng was able to free up his hands, reaccommodate the soldiers and family members scattered in various places, and rebuild the old camp.
At this time, the old camp of the Chuang Army was located in the mountains of Yunyang. The families of the soldiers and many craftsmen who were not suitable to participate in the war formed a camp among the mountains and forests to protect themselves.
There is an iron flagpole on the tree in front of the village. There is only a blue flag hanging on it as a mark, but there is no word "李" or "Chuang" written on it.
At this moment, Li Laiheng, Bai Wang and others escorted a large amount of supplies through the dangerous mountain roads and finally returned to the old camp. He saw that the small old camp was very solid and surrounded by wooden walls.
There is also a deep trench under the wall, which looks very organized.
"This old camp's copycat camp is well organized!" Li Laiheng said to Bai Wang. His confidence in the small force that broke into the camp was growing. Although the number of soldiers and horses in this camp was small, each of them had endured ten years of hardships and dangers in the camp.
Under the mobile operations, the essence refined by the waves made Li Laiheng feel uniquely capable and powerful in every aspect.
Bai Wang pointed to the iron flagpole in the distance and replied with a smile: "This is all the arrangement of the old master. From the time the iron flagpole was set up until now, we have been living here for several months."
Bai Wang mentioned Li Zicheng again. When he mentioned this, Li Laiheng felt a little strange. The night attack on Zhuxi had a decisive impact on the life and death of the camp. Liu Zongmin even risked his life to stay behind. As the leader of the camp, he could
How come Li Zicheng never showed up?
While he was wondering, he saw a middle-aged woman with an ordinary appearance but a tall and fit figure coming out of the camp. There were a group of people behind her, most of whom were older and looked like craftsmen.
old man.
"Jixuan, Bu Zhi, you are finally back! We stayed in the old camp and were anxious all the time. Zicheng immediately asked Fang Liang to go ahead and meet you when he received the people from Shuangxi."
Liu Zongmin and Li Guo stepped forward and handed over the list of supplies recorded by Bai Wang to the visitor. Li Guo replied: "Sister-in-law, don't worry. Although this trip has many twists and turns, we have seized far more than we expected."
many."
Liu Zongmin also said: "Yes, the rich households in Zhuxi County are all stingy, and they actually hoarded so much food and meat, which is enough for our march."
Li Laiheng heard the name sister-in-law from Liu Zongmin and Li Guo, and then he realized that this tall and fit woman was Li Zicheng's wife, the famous Empress Dowager Gao in Zhongzhen camp.
He also thought that Li Guo called Mrs. Gao his sister-in-law. It seemed that although Li Zicheng and Li Guo were uncles and nephews by blood, they treated each other as brothers. So should he call Li Zicheng and his wife uncle?
Auntie? Or according to the custom of people in northern Shaanxi, call Li Zicheng "big brother"?
Li Shuangxi also stepped forward. He was Li Zicheng's adopted son, so naturally he was very familiar with Mrs. Gao. Li Shuangxi introduced Li Laiheng to Mrs. Gao, and he said: "Foster mother, this is a little tiger, and it is to be replenished in Zhuxi County.
Adopted adopted son."
Only then did Mrs. Gao notice Li Laiheng. She was plain-looking and dark-skinned, even a bit ugly in Li Laiheng's eyes. However, her temperament was obviously very gentle and her tone of voice was also very soft. She asked: "Child, please let me go quickly."
Come and see, this handsome boy will become another warrior in the camp in the future."
Li Laiheng didn't know what kind of etiquette was popular in the camp. He thought about it, knelt on one knee on the ground, clasped his fists to Mrs. Gao and said: "The child's real name is Li Chong'er. He was rescued by his adoptive father in Zhuxi County.
I just lost my life. The adoptive father changed the child's name to Leghorn, so the child will naturally work for the old boss and the eldest lady in the future."
In fact, the men who broke into the camp were all rough and uncivilized men with no etiquette. When Mrs. Gao saw Li Laiheng's well-behaved and polite answers, she was also surprised. She covered her mouth and chuckled: "Okay.
, Okay, okay, he is such a well-behaved child. Besides, you should treat him well from now on."
Li Guo nodded, but then added: "Lai Heng is very efficient at doing things, so we shouldn't pamper him too much. We should give him more opportunities to do errands and take more walks with Shuangxi."
"Okay, okay!" Li Shuangxi next to him immediately replied. He always thought that Li Laiheng was the talent he discovered, so he was particularly interested in Li Laiheng. Then he heard Li Guo talk about letting Li Laiheng train his talents with him in the future.
Naturally, he was even more delighted, "I will teach Laiheng well and treat him as my own son... ah no, teach him as my biological brother!"
Li Laiheng also took a breath at this time. It seemed that he had not aroused anyone's resentment after entering the camp for the first time, and it would not affect the next development.
However, he was still very confused. Even Mrs. Gao personally came out of the camp to greet Liu Zongmin and Li Guo. Considering Li Zicheng's relationship with them, why hadn't he seen Li Zicheng yet?
After meeting Liu Zongmin, Li Guo, Liu Fangliang and other heroes, he became even more curious about Li Zicheng, who single-handedly led the heroes.
Although in later history, the impression left by Li Zicheng on people is mostly the lessons of failure. But to be able to leave his name in textbooks and to be cited as examples many times by the great man who founded the Republic is an extraordinary figure.
But Li Laiheng was worried that asking such a question casually would cause displeasure to others, so he had to suppress his curiosity. Fortunately, at this time, Li Guo finally raised the question. He asked Mrs. Gao: "Old Master
Is Pan's illness not cured yet? We are also worried outside. This time we seized some medicinal materials in Zhuxi County and hope they can be put to use."
Hearing Li Guo's question, Mrs. Gao's expression became much more sad. She sighed: "The man in charge of the dishes is always thinking about you. He is sick with a fever, but he still manages to prepare the troops. I don't know when."
Only then can you recover.”
Only then did Li Laiheng know that Li Zicheng, who had seen the dragon but had not yet seen its end, fell ill in the mountains and forests of Yunyang. This was not surprising, because it was different from the later invading army, which was mainly composed of people from Henan and Huguang.
Among the soldiers who broke into the army, people from northern Shaanxi still had the absolute advantage.
These people from northern Shaanxi were probably not so adapted to the water, soil and climate of the Qinba Mountains. In addition to Li Zicheng who fell ill, there may be many unknown generals who broke into the camp in later generations and also fell in this deep mountain forest.
Hidden dragon in the abyss.
Li Zicheng's situation at this time was indeed the lowest point he had ever seen since he started his army. Especially compared to Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai who re-raised their troops after being pacified in Gucheng and Fang County, Li Zicheng's refusal to be pacified seems to have become a problem.
A somewhat foolish persistence.
But Li Laiheng knew that in the deep mountains of Shang Dynasty, the trough days during which Chuangying went to war had tempered the backbone of Chuangying. As a result, Chuangying gradually became like Xiying, Caoying, and Gezuo 5th Camp, who were also former bandits in Qinzhong.
A big difference has emerged, which will ultimately lead Chuangying to its peak in the Jiashen year.
"Hey, are you awake now?" Li Guo asked Madam Gao, with a serious look of concern on his serious face.
"Although I can't get out of bed yet, I'm already awake and fiddling with drawings and studying military affairs." Mrs. Gao replied, "Are you going to see your elder brother?"
Li Guo and Liu Zongmin nodded at the same time, and Liu Zongmin said: "Zicheng has a fever, and he has to plan the attack on Zhuxi County all night long. It's really hard on him."
Liu Zongmin said to Liu Fangliang again: "Fang Liang, you take the little tiger to get familiar with the old camp. A tiger and I will go visit the old palm pan first."
"Okay." Liu Fangliang nodded and replied. He looked back and said to Li Laiheng and Bai Wang, "You go with me to collect the captured items first."
Mrs. Gao, Mr. Liu, and Li Guo have returned to the old camp. Liu Fangliang arranged for the injured Li Shuangxi to treat his injuries. The group of old people following Mrs. Gao were almost all skilled craftsmen. Liu Fangliang asked them to help.
Li Laiheng was used to being surprised when he came to take stock of supplies. As expected, Liu Fangliang, a fierce and bloodthirsty general, also had some management talents.
Under the guidance of Liu Fangliang, Li Laiheng was finally able to see the whole picture of the old camp of Chuangying. It was a wooden village built between valleys relying on the mountains. The wooden walls were upright and there were trenches outside. It looked very solid except for the gate.
Apart from the iron flagpole outside, the tallest building is a small two-story watchtower used to observe the situation.
The living places were concentrated together. Whether it was leaders such as Li Zicheng and Liu Zongmin who broke into the camp, or ordinary soldiers and their families, everyone lived in similar houses.
Although the house is very simple, it is in good condition everywhere. It is not like the thatched house where Li Laiheng lived in Zhuxi County, which had air leakage from all sides and rain from the top.
The whole old camp gave Li Laiheng the feeling that it was a simple atmosphere, although it was simple, but it was quite perfect, reflecting a simple and capable spirit.
Behind the living area is a warehouse where armor and weapons are stored. They are warehouses, but in fact they are just simply built rooms. They are much simpler than rooms for people to live in.
Liu Fangliang guided Li Laiheng and Bai Wang and asked them to direct and coordinate the family members and elderly people in the old camp to help them count and place all kinds of seized materials.
Bai Wang left a deep impression on Li Laiheng. Although this man's status in the camp was not that of Liu Zongmin, Li Guo, Liu Fangliang and other independent figures, or even lower than Li Shuangxi, he was alert and cautious, and he was also literate and able to do things.
Very capable.
But what Bai Wang did at this time surprised Li Laiheng. In the statistical table he originally designed, the seized materials had been classified and counted according to several major categories such as grain, wine and meat, gold and silver, and medicinal materials. At this time, Bai Wang
Wang Que asked everyone to mix various materials in one place and store them together regardless of category.
Li Laiheng was very puzzled and asked: "The White Guards... Let me tell you something, rice, wheat, beans, bunches, gold, silver, pearls, shells, these things are of different types, properties, and the place and time of preservation."
They are all different. Isn’t it inappropriate for us to store them all in one place?”
When Bai Wang heard Li Laiheng's question, he was stunned. He hesitated for a while and said, "This... this is how we always arrange the break-in camp."
Seeing Li Laiheng's somewhat disbelieving expression, Bai Wang added, "It's not just breaking into the camp, but also the Xiying of the Eighth King Zhang Xianzhong and the Cao Camp of Cao Cao Luo Rucai. As far as I know, they also deal with captured goods in this way."
Yes."
"ah!"
Li Laiheng was deeply shocked. The capable and efficient style that Chuangying had always shown almost made him regard Chuangying as an existence like the Eighth Route Army. At this time, Bai Wang's actions made Li Laiheng wake up. After all, Chuangying
It was a peasant uprising army in the late Ming Dynasty. Even though it had some qualities of a real army, it was still full of a lot of weaknesses and limitations.
This kind of extensive handling of seized materials will inevitably lead to huge waste. What worries Li Laiheng even more is that this incident actually reflects some deeper problems of Camp Chuang. It is still in the process of management and logistics.
A very backward and primitive state.
Li Laiheng quickly corrected Bai Wang's statement and said: "No, no... Although the Eight Kings and Cao Cao have their own talents, this approach is clearly wrong!"
Li Laiheng clapped his fingers and said one by one: "First, grain, medicinal materials, gold and silver are fine and soft, and the environment for storing these things is different. Can we use rice warehouses to store meat? Second, we can mix these materials and store them together in the future.
It’s also very inconvenient to mix it up when taking it out.”
"Third, food and meat will rot. If we don't classify them now and store and place them properly, it will be difficult to manage them in the future. Food that is easily perishable should be eaten first. Such a management method requires us to classify it in advance.
.”
The content of what Li Laiheng said was a bit complicated. But Bai Wang was more flexible and he gradually understood it. The more he listened, the more he felt that Li Laiheng's words were particularly reasonable.
Bai Wang looked at Li Laiheng, who was talking endlessly about warehousing and logistics management, and his eyes radiated with great admiration. Originally, because of Li Laiheng's design of statistical tables, he felt that Li Laiheng's skills were very brilliant, no less than those of big companies.
Now I feel that even the chief steward who broke into the camp, Tian Jianxiu, who was out collecting exiled soldiers at this time, can't compare to Li Laiheng.