The white porridge and pickled mustard is enough, why am I wearing a royal robe?

Chapter 173 Encirclement and Suppression in Five Provinces

Liu Zhenhua didn't know that Emperor Chongzhen had sent the legendary Jinyi Guards to his team.

The team has already begun to move towards Qingyang, although it is not known whether the three governors are still there or whether they have been kicked off their horses by Emperor Chongzhen.

I don’t know what Emperor Chongzhen will think when he finds out, and whether he will believe his subordinates’ words.

However, the only thing that can be known is that after repeated failures in suppressing bandits, Emperor Chongzhen will definitely send more force, and his performance that day was too shocking.

Perhaps due to terrain reasons, there are many small counties and towns south of Ganquan, but towards Qingyang, Liu Zhenhua's team traveled hundreds of miles without seeing any larger counties. They were basically all small villages.

Just one or two hundred people.

"Master, please give me something to eat."

Liu Zhenhua was riding on his horse, and there were more than a hundred people kneeling down in front of him. These people were probably from the same village, and they came out to beg for food because they ran out of food.

Most of these people were still wearing single clothes, and some of them had severe frostbite on their exposed skin.

For these hungry people, summer may be easier, but winter is really deadly.

They don't even have a place without wood for heating. You must know that in ancient times, tree resources were very scarce, because in ancient times, wood was needed for construction, energy acquisition, making fires for cooking, heating, water, etc. For a long time, wood was needed. , by the Ming Dynasty, when the imperial palace was being built, even timber from Vietnam was needed.

At present, Liu Zhenhua has hardly seen many trees along the way.

"My lord, please do as you please."

Seeing that Liu Zhenhua didn't speak, those people simply started kowtowing. They looked at Liu Zhenhua's team. They were all fat and strong, and they were well-equipped and well-dressed. They must have food.

They regarded Liu Zhenhua's team as the Ming Dynasty's army.

The reputation of the Kitchen King has not spread to this valley.

"stop."

Liu Zhenhua said softly.

The hundreds of people in front of them stopped kowtowing one after another.

Slowly raised his head and looked at Liu Zhenhua.

"Look at the ground."

He pointed to the ground, cracked and frozen.

The villagers lowered their heads in shock.

There was nothing on the ground. Some villagers thought that the official was trying to make fun of them, but they did not feel any anger. The old man was rich and powerful, so it was normal to take advantage of them, as long as they could get a bite in the end. Just eat it, just like a dog wagging its tail on the ground.

However, just as they were about to look up, bowls of white porridge appeared on the ground.

Almost everyone has a bowl at their feet.

At an extremely uncoordinated speed that exceeded the limits of the human body, they bent down to protect the bowl of white porridge under their bodies.

Then his eyes looked around cautiously, and even instantly became covered with red bloodshot eyes.

When they are in trouble, they gather together and beg along the streets. However, if food appears, the short-lived and fragile alliance will fall apart in an instant, and each one will start frantically grabbing the limited food.

At the moment, luckily everyone has a bowl of white porridge at their feet. They don't go crazy trying to grab other people's. They just protect the white porridge in their arms.

"If you want to survive, go north to Ganquan City and say that the Kitchen King asked you to come."

Liu Zhenhua said, he had already given these people food. As for the frostbite on these people, Liu Zhenhua couldn't control it. He basically used up all the reputation that was refreshed every day, and couldn't buy much frostbite medicine for the rest. These people have no means of survival, and the frostbite medicine is just a drop in the bucket.

This bowl of white porridge may be enough to support them to walk to Ganquan, and then the county magistrate will arrange for them to work.

Maybe he couldn't hold it up, and he froze to death halfway. This is the way of the world.

No way.

At the very least, under Liu Zhenhua's rule, sweet potatoes have begun to be promoted from Qingjian in the north, Ganquan in the south, Yonghe in the east, and Yan'an in the west. It cannot be said that hunger has been completely eliminated. At least people will not starve to death. At the earliest, A group of people who grow sweet potatoes have already stocked up on sweet potatoes and even have the energy to help others.

Only after he rules this land in the future can he save more people. At that time, he will not only promote sweet potatoes, corn, high-yield rice, etc., the people of this land have also suffered for hundreds of years after the Ming Dynasty. What is called later During the heyday of Kangxi and Qianlong, the common people were still not living well. This is the so-called "the common people are suffering".

"Thank you, Lord Stove. Thank you, Lord Stove."

Some smart people knew that this man was probably the so-called Stove King in his mouth. He was indeed an official and gave them a way to survive. When the time came, whether it was to go to work or anything else, it would be much better than begging and freezing to death along the way.

Liu Zhenhua didn't care about these people's names.

A heavenly soldier under his command asked these people to clear the road, and they stood carefully on both sides of the road with their own porridge.

The temptation of the food in their hands made them forget about anything else. In this weather, the white porridge was taken out. Although it was steaming, it was enough to drink in circles.

Soon the sound of drinking porridge was heard all around.

Liu Zhenhua looked back and saw that many of his soldiers were looking at these people, as if they were remembering the days when they were fleeing from famine.

"Remember the bitter and think of the sweet."

Liu Zhenhua sighed with emotion, and then looked back.

"Wang Wu."

"The end will be here."

"Send people back and ask Ren Fanyi to send some militiamen and village warriors to patrol Qingjian, Yan'an, Ganquan, and the surrounding small villages and counties. Be sure to count all the people alive."

There are too many ravines in Shaanxi. I don’t know how many small villages there are and how many people are nesting in these ravines.

This is the so-called black household. If we don’t count it now, these people will take the initiative to get out in the future, making it even more difficult to manage.

"Yes."

Wang Wu responded, and then ordered his men to implement the matter.

Liu Zhenhua's team went to Qingyang, and the team that came to encircle and suppress him was also approaching Shaanxi.

Shanxi.

The governor of Shanxi, Geng Ruqi, brought six thousand troops and horses, which was the limit of the troops and horses that Shanxi could currently use for expeditions and reinforcements.

Moreover, this was still under the condition that the governors of the five provinces promised that the military pay would be released later.

"The emperor is determined to destroy the Kitchen King this time. It seems that he has realized the power and threat of the Kitchen King."

Geng Zhangguang sighed, this time his father personally led the troops, and he came with him.

The fact that the Kitchen King defeated the second governor of the three sides in Qinzhong had long been spread to the ears of the governor of Shanxi.

Moreover, they also knew the inside story. The Kitchen King defeated thousands of troops by one person.

In this case, Geng Zhangguang became even more worried.

To put it bluntly, if the army is really defeated and captured by the Kitchen King, his father will be able to live a better life with Geng Zhangguang around.

"Kitchen King, you are really shocking," Geng Ruxi still remembers the words in the letter.

The Kitchen King killed thousands of people by himself.

I originally thought that the Kitchen King had the power of change.

Looking at it now, it turns out that he still has the ability to fight.

"If it is not shocking, how could the emperor promote the governors of the three sides to the governors of the five provinces? The governors of the five provinces are like things that have never been seen before." Geng Zhangguang said, "The governors of the three sides, in After the defeat, he was not punished by the emperor."

"Normally, the governors of the three sides are famous in Shaanxi and Shanxi. They have wiped out countless bandits, but they just suffered a defeat at the head of the Stove King."

"I don't know how much better than the previous governor of the three sides," Geng Ruqi said, stroking his beard: "He has experience in suppressing bandits, and now is the time to employ people. Naturally, the emperor will not remove him."

"Too."

Geng Zhangguang nodded. When he was the previous Governor of the Three Sides, he had fought with that person's men.

Instead of controlling other bandits who are easier to control, this person directly wants to gnaw on the hard nut of the Stove King.

In the end, it failed unexpectedly.

If he were smarter, like the current governor of the three sides, he would eliminate other bandits first. This would be regarded as some merit, and he would gain experience while becoming famous.

The final outcome will not be to be sent to the army.

"This time the five provinces are encircling and suppressing the Kitchen King, the total force may not be less than 30,000."

Geng Zhangguang glanced behind him.

"Thirty thousand is still a small number."

Geng Ruqi had a better understanding of the military strength of each province. The number of troops in Shaanxi and Shanxi should be more than 15,000. The two places had been suffering from famine for many years, so they could still produce these troops. As for Henan, it was similar to these two places, with a total of zero and zero. The total number of troops in the three provinces is 20,000.

As for the other two places, which are slightly richer, they should be able to gather about 20,000 troops and horses, plus the accompanying personnel, it is not difficult to get around 60,000.

"Can we win this time? It's almost six times as many troops as the Stove King," Geng Zhangguang said with a worried look on his face.

Geng Ruqi's expression froze, but he quickly returned to normal, "It depends on manpower."

He didn't know whether he could capture the Kitchen King. From the intelligence alone, the Kitchen King's magical soldiers could withstand ten thousand troops, but they had about 60,000 soldiers and horses.

In six directions, it is difficult for two fists to defeat four hands.

"What if we lose."

Geng Ruqi did not reply, but stretched his hands to his waist.

"We, the soldiers, will definitely defeat the Kitchen King," Geng Zhangguang said with a serious expression.

Only then did Geng Ruchi retract his hand. He looked at his son meaningfully. Although Geng Zhangguang might not admit it himself, as his father, Geng Ruchi could tell that his son might have been in Cao Ying's heart. Now in Han.

Although the five provinces are closely connected, the troops and horses from the five provinces are entangled in arriving, and some trivial things will take a lot of time in total.

The route planned by Geng Ruqi took them all the way south, from Huanglong County to Qingyang in the west. Huanglong County was not yet the Kitchen King's territory, nor was it Yichuan to the north.

They went far enough away that the Kitchen King wouldn't know.

While he was thinking, a man came from the front on horseback.

Judging from the clothes they were wearing, they were soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.

After stopping them, the latter glanced at their military flags, then immediately dismounted, knelt on the ground and cupped their hands and said: "Master Governor, Qingyang has received news that the Kitchen King set out from Ganquan and headed south towards Qingyang, preparing to attack Qingyang.”

"My Lord Governor, I hope you will directly join the troops sent by Henan in Huanglong County to surround the Kitchen King."

Geng Ruqi and Geng Zhangguang looked at each other and saw that the Kitchen King had made another move, and this time he directly attacked Qingyang.

To know.

There is quite a distance between Qingyang and the sweet spring that Kitchen King has just conquered. According to Kitchen King's temperament in the past, he should have been advancing city by city.

This time they actually attacked Fucheng directly.

"Could it be that the Kitchen King is going to start conquering the world?"

An idea came into Geng Zhangguang's mind, that he wanted to conquer the world, just like before the Stove King, he would fight city after city for who knows how long.

Yonghe and Qingjian are all small counties.

And by capturing important towns and controlling the surrounding radiation areas, the speed of annexing territory will be several times faster.

"How could I have such an idea?"

Geng Zhangguang shook his head.

"Did the Governor say a time limit?"

Geng Ruqi asked.

They were going to Qingyang along Huanglong County.

At the moment, there is just one more purpose to join forces with Henan.

"We'll arrive in seven days."

"Seven days later."

Geng Ruqi made a silent calculation in his mind, but there was no rush, just go step by step.

"Where is the Kitchen King? If he attacks Qingyang, can Qingyang hold on? How long will it last?"

Geng Ruqi then asked, the current situation of encirclement and suppression in five provinces is urgent, and sometimes one day's mistake can determine the outcome of the entire war.

They surrounded Kitchen King, and the best time was obviously when the opponent was attacking the city. They appeared from all directions, causing chaos.

"There are Wengcheng on all sides of Qingyang, and there are Heshui, Ningcheng, and Qingcheng with three gates. The soldiers, horses, and food are sufficient. If the Kitchen King wants to attack Qingyang, he must first capture the three cities. But the Kitchen King is not good at attacking cities. , Qingyang can be defended, and the governor predicts that when the Kitchen King's attack on the city is in full swing, the governors will be able to reach the vicinity of the Kitchen King."

The soldier said.

The governor conveyed these words to him word for word.

Hearing this, Geng Ruqi and Geng Zhangguang's expressions became a little strange. The Kitchen King was not good at attacking cities.

How did the cities that Kitchen King captured, including a prefectural city, come from?

The most important thing is that they knew about the battle in Ganquan. The Kitchen King attacked Ganquan, and Ganquan had a heavy ambush.

The Shenji battalion and artillery are here.

But he was still easily captured by the Kitchen King.

The Kitchen King was not good at attacking cities. Both Geng Ruqi and Geng Zhangguang were speechless for a while. If it was said that the Kitchen King was not good at attacking cities, then there would be no one in the world who was not good at attacking cities.

What the soldier said was obviously a repetition of the words brought by the governor.

A governor of five provinces actually said these words.

If Chen Qiyu knew about it, he would definitely accuse him of being wronged. The Kitchen King was not good at attacking cities because he was not good at fighting on flat ground.

You must know that the Kitchen King has two magic weapons. One is good at long-distance combat, but it is not a great threat. It can only kill one person at a time. The other is good at group attacks and fighting on the ground.

One person can withstand thousands of troops. Compared with sieges and battles on the Zaowang Plains, one can almost be said to be invincible.

Therefore, Chen Qiyu said that the Kitchen King was not good at attacking the city.

As a farewell to the Xinbing soldiers, Geng Ruqi and Geng Zhangguang headed west all the way to Huanglong.

(End of this chapter)