After clearing out the traitors, Qi Jiguang led his men and horses forward.
The five thousand cavalrymen made up their number in Miyun City and rode lightly along the mountain path. On every hilltop ahead, there are scouts rushing up the mountain, holding binoculars to look at the enemy situation at the bottom of the mountain to avoid being ambushed.
There are many mountain roads between Miyun and Gubeikou. Although they are not wide, it is still possible to march. Therefore, it is difficult for the Tatars who have lost their traitor to ambush again.
On the contrary, with the advantage of telescopes, the Ming reinforcements could more easily discern the opponent's whereabouts and conduct counter-ambushes.
But along the way, Qi Jiguang didn't encounter any Tatar cavalry. Even the 10,000 cavalrymen who had set up an ambush and fought earlier seemed to have retreated.
Qi Jiguang felt a little uneasy and asked Xiao Feng to discuss it. Xiao Feng also felt that something was not right about the situation, but he couldn't explain clearly, so he could only ask Tan Ma and You Qi to step up patrols, relying on the advantages of the telescope to set up defenses step by step. 33
Finally, news came from Tanma that fire and smoke were found ahead, which seemed to be traces of enemy troops. Qi Jiguang immediately ordered the army to approach quickly and prepare for a surprise attack.
However, when the team rushed to where the smoke started, everyone was stunned. The veterans who had killed so many people couldn't help but have red eyes. The war horses roared uneasily, and only the military flags rustled in the wind.
This is a small mountain village, not an enemy ambush. The fire and smoke came from the burning houses, and corpses were scattered in the open space of the village, at the spring near the village, and even on the branches of the mountain forest.
There are men, women, and children. The men were all beheaded, and the severed heads were neatly stacked in the center of the village, as if waiting for Qi Jiguang's team to harvest them.
Women's clothes were hung on the branches like flags of shame, while most of the women's bodies were in the house, on the bed, on the ground, and even on the stove.
Some of the children's bodies were on the millstone, some on the branches, and some in the pot, but most of them were next to the women's bodies.
Qi Jiguang wanted to block Xiao Feng's sight, but Xiao Feng pushed him away roughly. He looked at the slaughtered village silently, his face so calm that even veterans who had fought hundreds of battles were scared.
How strong does one have to be to remain indifferent to such a situation?
Then, they saw Xiao Feng, who looked calm, suddenly raised his hand and pointed in the direction of Gubeikou, wanting to say something, but not a word came out.
A mouthful of blood spurted out from Xiao Feng's mouth, dyeing his cyan skirt and white robe red.
Qi Jiguang was closest to him and quickly reached out to support him. All the sergeants looked at Xiao Feng, their eyes cracked. As long as Xiao Feng gave the order, they would rush forward regardless of life and death, even if there were mountains of swords, seas of fire, and demon caves and caves in front of them.
Then what Xiao Feng said left everyone confused.
Xiao Feng held Qi Jiguang's hand tightly and almost burst out a sentence between his teeth.
"Something's wrong, there's no old man among the dead bodies!"
Everyone, including Qi Jiguang, was stunned. Then the sentry who rushed to the top of the mountain to look out suddenly shouted at them with an earthen trumpet.
"General! Mr. Xiao, what's wrong, the Tatar cavalry are coming from all directions!"
The old people were all in the mountains at this time, running like wild beasts. The flames of hatred burned their aging bodies, making them like crazy wild beasts.
Some old people fell down and never stood up again, but more of them chewed some wild grass from the mountains, took a sip of dirty water from the roadside, and continued running forward.
The years have taken away their strong bodies, but given them calmness and forbearance. When the officers and soldiers began to slaughter the village, they tried to let the young people escape, but the young people, whose eyes were stained red by the blood of their wives and children, chose to take up arms and fight.
So they ran away, not living an ignoble existence, just for the final justice. They want to take revenge, go to the capital to redress their grievances, and make the tragedy that happened in the deep mountains and forests known to the world.
Elderly people from various villages meet from time to time in the mountains and forests. They had measured these mountains step by step with their feet when they were young. Whether it was the Tatars or the Ming cavalry, no one was more familiar with these mountains and forests than they were.
Therefore, they escaped the pursuers, were able to obtain supplies on the way to escape, and were able to join up with the old people who had also escaped.
While passing by Miyun City, the old people had their first argument. Some old people decided to go to the city to inform the guard Lin Tong, while others firmly opposed it.
"When you go to Miyun City, it's obvious that you're like a sheep in a tiger's mouth! They're all in the same boat!"
"No, General Lin has been guarding Miyun City for these years, and everyone says that he is a good man, not the kind of general who drinks the blood of his soldiers and scrapes the land."
"Even if he is not greedy, does he dare to expose the cavalry sent by the capital? I heard that there is a Taoist master in the army this time! Long live trusting the Taoist sect, he dares to confront him?"
"That's right, this place is not far from Miyun City. If they are not in the same group, would that Qi dare to massacre people so blatantly?"
The two sides argued fiercely and finally parted ways. Some people went down the mountain and entered Miyun City, while others continued walking on the mountain road to the capital. Both parties agreed that if anyone entering the city was caught, they would never be able to give evidence to those who came out of the mountain.
The old people who were about to go down the mountain groped in their arms, found a pitiful little bit of food, and gave it to their companions who continued walking on the mountain road. Because the companions have to walk for a long time and need to eat. And they may not need anything anymore
Lin Tong was patrolling the city when he suddenly got news that some mountain people were knocking on the house and complaining about injustice. He quickly walked down the city wall and entered the house.
Miyun City naturally has a magistrate, but since it is a military fortress and Lin Tong's rank is much higher than that of the magistrate, for any disputes related to sergeants, people are accustomed to go directly to the general's mansion to complain, and the magistrate and Lin Tong have always had a tacit understanding. recognized this.
Lin Tong thought that there was another friction between the soldiers stationed in the city and the people, which was also a common occurrence. But as soon as he ascended the throne, he knew something was wrong.
In the military general's mansion, the hall for questioning is not as formal as the civil servants' hall. There are no government officials on the left and right sides, only a few soldiers. The soldiers had obviously asked about it first, and now they all looked at Lin Tong with strange expressions.
There were five old people kneeling in the hall. They were all in ragged clothes and covered in scars. But these were not caused by being chased, but by being hung up on dense forest branches in the mountains and forests.
Because they didn't dare to walk on the main road, they rarely even walked on the small roads, only those ravines and dense forests that horses could never walk.
They were emaciated, like skeletons with wrinkled human skin hanging on them. Between the bones and skin, it's like there isn't a bit of meat or fat at all.
They were supposed to be at an age of peace and happiness, but they encountered horrific misfortunes. What supported them here was the fire of hatred burning in their hearts and shining from their eyes.
"Master General, it's unfair! It's unfair!"
Lin Tong shivered for no reason. The roars of these thin old people, who had lost their human form, were like dying wolves in the ice and snow, making his whole body tense.
"Old men, don't be like this. Speak slowly. Someone, please bring some porridge and rice."
You must not give them dry food at this time, otherwise, not to mention the elderly, even the middle-aged men may eat them to death.
"General, we don't want to eat, we want to redress our grievances. Our village was slaughtered, our family members were killed, those beasts!"
An old man was so excited that he kowtowed as hard as he could. On the third beat, he fell down. Several old people around him turned a blind eye and kowtowed desperately. The bluestone floor was stained with blood in a matter of seconds.
A soldier stepped forward to help the old man, and then froze.
"My lord...has expired."
Lin Tong stood up immediately, waved his hand to the soldiers to help these old people up, and forced them to sit down and talk.
"Who killed him? A Tatar?"
Lin Tong was a little embarrassed at this time. As the general of Miyun City, these old people obviously came from the mountain villages outside Miyun City and theoretically fell within the scope of his protection.
But since the Tatars captured Gubeikou, Lin Tong had already formulated a strategy that he would not be able to escape. This is not because he is timid, but because the troops in Miyun City are limited and he can protect himself. In a field battle with a large group of Tatar cavalry, he will definitely lose.
Miyun Mountain is high and densely forested, and Gubeikou has not been attacked before, but the Tatars have never gone up the mountain to search for these mountain villages. Because this is the territory of the Ming Dynasty after all, even if slaves are captured, it is not as easy to take them out as in Datong.
If reinforcements arrive, they will block the circuit from outside Gubeikou and attack from both inside and outside. The Tatars are also quite afraid. Besides, these mountain villages are not big and have little money. The input-output ratio of Tatars searching mountains is really not cost-effective.
Why did they suddenly go to the mountains to massacre the village? Since it was a massacre of villages, it was not for the purpose of robbing slaves. Why?
While he was thinking hard, the old men started crying.
"They are not Tatars, they are the cavalry of the Ming Dynasty. The military flag has the character 'Qi' in it!"
Some people died, but not completely...
