A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 205 Staying behind
Going to the northwest of Xingtang County, the surface gradually becomes rough and uneven, and finally large areas of mountains and hills appear.

This is the junction zone between the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain and the North China Plain. The stronghold of Han and Chao and others is located in a place called Jiukouzi by local people.The camp is surrounded by mountains and rivers, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the transportation is also convenient. Walk along the river and walk for dozens of miles to Xingtang County.

This camp was originally a bandit camp, with hundreds of old bandits and horse thieves running around, and the management was very perfect. The local officers and soldiers surrounded and suppressed them several times, but they had nothing to do with them, so they had to let them go.

Yiye did not accept the information provided, and Han Chao and others attacked the enemy camp at night. After breaking through the stockade, they killed all the horse thieves inside, and occupied the camp as a storage place for the captured army in Zhendingfu.

Most of the harvest of the Korean and North Korean troops in the past few months is here. In addition, a large number of refugees have been collected. Including the refugees collected this time, it is estimated that there are as many as 2 refugees.

With such a large population, they could not live in the village, so many refugees built shacks in the rivers around the village, lived on the rationed rice porridge every day, and waited patiently for the day when they would go to Baoanzhou.

When the Han and Korean troops returned, the entire camp was in a commotion. The camp was guarded by two teams of sergeants under the command of General Huang Yujin of the Chinese Army, one team of spearmen and one team of firecrackers.The two team officers greeted them out of the camp, and when they saw the mighty convoy and refugees, they couldn't help but rubbed their hands and said joyfully, "My darling, there are so many confiscated again."

The newly arrived refugees feel more at ease when they see the refugee shacks on both sides of the river.

Curls of cooking smoke rose from the camp, and the camp became even more noisy. It was almost noon, and it was time to start a fire and cook.The return of the army, with so many confiscated, should also be celebrated. The pigs and sheep seized from the bandit villages killed dozens of them, and the soldiers let go of their stomachs and had a good meal.

For the first time, the refugees also had enough to eat, and each was given some broth, and there was laughter everywhere.

In the Juyi hall, Han Chao, the governor of the town, Huang Shibian, the comfort officer Li Jinpei, and Gao Shiyin and other three generals ate at the same table. After eating and drinking, Han Chao took out his pipe and put some I lit the tobacco leaf with a fire, and took a puff comfortably. Everyone around the table also took out their pipes and began to puff.

Speaking of this tobacco, it was introduced from the south to Liaodong Town on the Nine Sides as early as the Tianqi period, and then quickly spread to several other important military towns. At that time, people believed that tobacco had medicinal value for eliminating cold and miasma.The special army often marches and fights outside. Sergeants who eat and sleep in the open are prone to diseases such as rheumatism and malaria. Therefore, tobacco smoking was very popular among the army in the late Ming Dynasty.

During the reign of Chongzhen, the cultivation of tobacco was common in all parts of the Ming Dynasty. In particular, Junzhou and Xunyang Prefecture in Hubei were tobacco bases. Because the profits were far greater than that of grain cultivation, there were many people who planted tobacco. Emperor Chongzhen strictly prohibited it several times. , all with little effect.

Wang Dou believed that growing tobacco would greatly occupy farmland and reduce grain production, so he strictly prohibited the military households under his rule from growing tobacco, but he did not prohibit the sale of tobacco.

In the later generations, he himself was a smoker. At this time, people in the Ming Dynasty called smoking tobacco, and many people chewed tobacco leaves in their mouths. Some clever people smoked with paper or pipes.However, paper is precious at this time, and the folks respect paper as a god, especially paper with words. Anyone who uses paper to make cigarettes will be stabbed in the back in private.

After Wang Dou smoked cigarettes for a while, he also switched to pipes. For a while, Wang Dou's army used pipes to smoke as a fashion, and no one put tobacco leaves in their mouths to eat.

Han Chao and Gao Shiyin are all smokers, and their pipes are also various, some are long and some are short.After swallowing the clouds for a while, Han Chao said slowly: "It's been a few months since I've been out, it's time to go back to Baoanzhou."

Huang Shibian, the governor of the town, said coldly: "Mr. Han Qian, the fugitive Xu Yue'e has not been arrested and brought to justice. So, are you going back?"

After receiving the news of Xu Yue'e from Han and North Korea, Wang Dou ordered Han and North Korea to arrest Xu Yue'e, and the horse thieves under her subordinates either recruited or exterminated them depending on the situation.The military law is merciless, Xu Yue'e, as a military household in Shun Township, fled privately, violating military discipline and military regulations, even if Wang Dou is her fellow villager, she cannot break the rules she set.

Unexpectedly, Ye Bu received the news that Xu Yue'e took her horse thieves and went somewhere to rob houses. For a month, there was no news of her returning to Zanhuang County's stronghold.Her whereabouts are erratic, and she can't find out exactly where she went out.

Huang Shibian's tone was indifferent, although he respected Han and North Korea, he kept his distance, and his tone was quite blunt.

The chief general and the governor of Wang Doujun are two different systems, which do not interfere with each other and check and balance each other.Han Chao is a calm and generous person, and he doesn't take it seriously, and he knows that Huang Shibian is cold on the outside and hot on the inside, and he is serious and responsible in his work, and he never does anything to abolish public affairs for personal reasons.The two have been colleagues for so long, but they are happy to cooperate.

Han Chao said slowly: "Your Excellency has sent an order to let us return to our hometown. The matter of Xu Yue'e can only be dealt with later."

Hearing that this was Wang Dou's order, Huang Shibian stopped talking.

Gao Shiyin said: "Miss Xu is ruthless and spicy enough, and my old Gao even sighs to himself that she is not as good as her."

The flesh on his face trembled, obviously remembering something.

Then he sighed again: "But this little lady is also a miserable person."

Wu Zhengchun also said: "Indeed, the general admires Miss Xu's skill. She is able to gather thousands of elite Hummer thieves as a woman. The general also finds it inconceivable. I don't know how she did it."

Huang Shibian said coldly: "Military law is merciless, no matter how hard she has to hide, it is not the reason for her to escape privately. She learned the skills in Shunbao, but went outside to become the king of the mountain. Why become an army?"

Gao Shiyin and Wu Zhengchun coughed and stopped talking.

Han Chaodao: "My department rested in the village for two days, and our team will go back after two days."

He said: "According to my lord's order, a group of soldiers and horses were left behind in the camp, and four thousand shi of food was left behind. The rest were captured and transported back to the prefecture. All the refugees were also brought back to Baoan prefecture."

Gao Shiyin and the others looked at each other. Four thousand shi grains of rice could feed an army of 5000 men for a month. Why did the garrison keep food here?Gao Shiyin and the others also knew that in Zhending Mansion and the rest of Baoding Mansion, the garrison also ordered to store food, but did not explain the reason, which made everyone feel unfathomable.

Thinking about how the guards acted, they always had a long-term view, and they started planning very early, and finally gave everyone a pleasant surprise. This was the case in the nine-year war in Chongzhen.Although Han Chao and Gao Shiyin were the first to follow Wang Dou, they couldn't figure out his inner thoughts.

Han Chao thought even more, if there is food stored in Tang County, is there going to be a war in Zhending Mansion soon?And who are you fighting against?How can Lord Garrison be sure that there will be a war in Zhending Mansion? Does he have the ability to predict?

His thoughts turned, but he said in his mouth: "The people who stay behind must be calm and reliable. Discuss, who is suitable for your subordinates?"

Everyone was silent, Gao Shiyin slapped his legs and said with a smile: "Gao Xun, the officer in charge of my subordinate, is very skilled, and he can rely on his work. If not, let him stay behind."

……

Inside and outside the camp, there were sergeants from Baoan State who were resting after meals. Many of them were sitting and puffing, bragging to each other about the harvest they had made in fighting bandits for several months, and calculating how much reward they could get when they returned to the state.Those who talked loudly included those new soldiers who trained last year.

Except for Huang Yujin and Gao Shiyin's many veterans, most of the soldiers under Wu Zhengchun's subordinates were newly trained recruits last year, especially those soldiers.However, in the past few months of blood and fire fighting against bandits abroad, most of them have become qualified fighters.

The thought of registering their meritorious deeds and captures stimulated their belligerence even more.

They laughed loudly, all of them had thick skin and bold manners, no different from veterans.

Gao Xun, the officer of Team C under Gao Shiyin, took a few of his guards to patrol around the refugee camp. Among them, they appointed some team leaders according to their rural accents, consciously or unconsciously, according to their respective village clans. Some simple shacks are densely packed along the river.

These refugees just ate a good meal and drank broth, and now they are all gathered in groups of three or four to discuss, looking forward to the future life.Seeing Gao Xun and the others approaching with knives and guns, they all stood up in fear, all showing flattering and respectful expressions.

When some women saw Gao Xun, who was slender and handsome, his eyes were full of fascination. Gao Xun turned a blind eye and passed by them.

When passing by a nest of refugees, Gao Xun suddenly heard a voice: "My lord, please stay."

Gao Xun turned his head away, but a homeless man called him in a rough voice. He was stout, in his twenties, with a square face, quite fierce.It was the man surnamed Yang who was slapped by him yesterday.

Gao Xun was also deeply impressed by this man, he said lightly, "What's the matter with you calling me?"

The man knelt down and clasped his fists and said: "Young man Yang Shiqi admires your heroism and hopes to serve in your army."

As he spoke, he looked straight at Gao Xun.

Gao Xun glanced at him: "Everyone in my security army is a hero, are you qualified?"

Yang Shiqi said loudly: "The villain thinks he is good at fists and feet, and he was also a first-class hero in the village back then. He will definitely not embarrass you."

He shouted: "If the adults don't believe it, you can try the villain's skills, and you will know that what the villain said is true."

He scratched his neck, as if he thought that Gao Xun's statement that he was not qualified made him extremely unconvinced.

Gao Xun stared at him, admiration flashed in his eyes, this man was rebellious, but he was still a man, after he was whipped yesterday, he could see everything in his eyes.

He was about to speak when he saw a big man striding forward and shouted loudly: "Executive Team, Mr. Qian is looking for you."

But it was a guard next to President Qian Han Chao, Gao Xun gave Yang Shiqi a meaningful look, and hurriedly followed the guard.

(End of this chapter)