When the big drum beats, it is noon, and the soldiers of each house are in formation under the command of their respective heads. Hearing the sound of drums coming from the city, he immediately sent someone to inquire and learned that it was the newly minted general heading to the school grounds. After the head of the family heard about it, although he said "outsiders have no knowledge", he also ordered people to speed up preparations.
Although Mang Mao made a grand display and arranged five vehicles, there were not many Mang family retainers and only dozens of followers. There were only a hundred people following the flag and drum carriage, and the momentum was not impressive. After entering the school grounds, the curtains were taken down from the carriages that followed, and the shogunate was built next to the general platform. Mang Mao invited Wei Qi and Duan Ziqian to come in. Among his family members, only Mr. Che You came with them. The three sons of Mang and others were waiting outside the curtain. After the chariot was driven away, the twelve disciples, each riding a horse, dispersed to various prefectures to convey the order to summon troops. They also sent a special message to Daliang Wei Mansion to recruit all the soldiers in the city. After the order was issued, Mangmao erected a bamboo pole on the field, waiting for the sun to hit the middle. I sat and talked with Wei Qi, Duan Ziqian and Mr. Che You inside the curtain.
When I was young, the disciples who sent orders from various places reported that each government had received the order and would send their own soldiers to help in the battle. Only the Xinling Lord's Mansion reported that the head of the family was away and there was no one in charge of the family. If he wanted to send troops, he could only inform his brother first. After hearing this, Mang Mao could only smile: "Brother reporting to Lord Ling? It's easier said than done!" He waved his hand and asked the retainer to leave. Just kidding, Lord Xinling is the younger brother of the king. If he reports to his elder brother, doesn’t that mean he reports to the King of Wei? The government said that there is no owner in the family, which is not entirely an excuse: Mr. Xinling is away from home and has not yet married a wife, so naturally he does not have a wife or son at home; you know what fathers, brothers and sisters are. Although this was an excuse, it was watertight, leaving Mangmao helpless.
At the middle of the day, Mang Mao ordered the drums to be beaten to gather the troops. Mang Hai led several retainers to the big drum, and the three big drums were beaten together, and the sound shook the whole city.
As soon as the drums were finished, Mang Mao left the curtain and led everyone to stand under the bamboo poles to observe the time. Soldiers living at home began to enter the school grounds one after another. After a moment, the second drum sounded. The streets of the city were crowded with soldiers from various provinces, each armed with weapons, marching towards the school grounds. Dust rose everywhere in the city and gathered in the sky above the city, lingering for a long time. After another moment, the three-way drum sounded, the school grounds opened wide, and soldiers from all the prefectures entered one after another. At this time, the soldiers who entered first had already formed their formations in the field.
Originally, there were not many military soldiers living in the city, but after the defeat of Beimang, Daliang war police and military soldiers from all over the country have concentrated in various places in Daliang, with about 30,000 people. It was the time of the war, and many guards and guards at various gates had taken up a lot of manpower. There were only one or two thousand people living in the city who could go to the school grounds, and most of them were old and weak. Mang Maojun ordered him to stand in front of the general's platform and guard it. When the soldiers from each government entered, the troops in front of the general stage were neatly dressed and their armor was bright, which was quite impressive. At the opening of the flag gate, Mang Mao, Wei Qi, and Duan Ziqian stood in front of the sunpole with their hands folded, and behind them were the three sons of the Mang family. Next to the general platform, there is another group of well-dressed people, guarding a shogunate.
As soldiers from various prefectures entered, more and more people gathered in the field. The flags are fluttering, the soldiers are shining, and they are well-dressed. They look more and more invincible, making those who are there feel strong psychological support. As the four and five drums were completed, the school grounds were already filled with people. Although no one was making loud noises, there were many who were whispering, and it was impossible to stop them. But with the sound of a bell, all the noise fell silent. The three people standing in front of the pole had left at some point.
I don’t know how long passed in the silence, or maybe only a moment, but it definitely felt very long. A low horn sounded; amidst the horn sound, the big drum beat again. Amidst the sound of drums and trumpets, Manghai held a yue and Mangchen held a festival, climbed up the steps to the general platform, and stood on both sides of the general platform. Subsequently, Mang Mao, Wei Qi, and Duan Ziqian stepped onto the general stage and took a stand in the stage. At the same time, a large banner was raised behind the flag gate. Then the drums and trumpets fell silent.
Mang Wei stepped forward to salute. I don't know what he and Mang Mao were talking about. Then he turned around and gave orders, but no one heard him. But in the flag gate, twelve horses rushed out and scattered. The knights on the horses shouted loudly: "Sign up from each prefecture! Sign up from each prefecture!" The twelve riders galloped past the entire formation and then galloped back. After the riders returned to the flag gate, there was another drum beat, and the heads of each family in the formation, holding their registration slips, went to the flag gate in front of the stage and lined up. With another beat of the drum, the heads of families under the flag family came forward in order, reported their families and soldiers, and presented the certificates in their hands. When each household head came forward, Mang Mao bowed and bowed again, and then bowed again when he left. The slip was handed over to Mang Wei under the stage, and Mang Wei put his hand back on a table in front of the stage.
There were always two to three hundred family heads who applied, and the registration lasted for more than an hour. During this period, Mang Mao bowed and bowed again almost mechanically; Mang Wei turned around and turned around again. Until the last little head of the family presented the completed documents. On the desk behind Mang Wei, bamboo slips were piled up into a hill.
After the registration, Mr. Che You appeared in front of the stage unobtrusively and read out the name of the family head. Under the guidance of Mang Wei, the head of the family whose name was called rose up the steps and stood behind the three of them. These people are roughly the heads of the family who are ranked at the front, about twenty people. After the list was announced, the head of the family who came on stage was asked to stand on the right, Mang Mao stood on the left, and Wei Qi and Duan Ziqian stood in the middle. It was probably under Wei Qi's praises that Mangmao paid homage to all the family heads who came to the stage, and each family head bowed in return. After the other family heads saw the ceremony, they each returned to their own family array. After another round of drumming, the head of the family who came on stage and Mang Mao and others were asked to step down together. With a bell ringing, all the troops withdrew one after another.
The family heads who were called to the stage followed Mang Mao into the curtain. Their nephews, elders, and relatives were waiting outside the curtain. Some family heads with deep family backgrounds even gathered hundreds of people to accompany them. The relatives of various families gathered outside the door. There were more than a thousand people accompanying him, almost drowning the Mang family's retainers. But they all seemed to know their identity and status, and they lined up in order without any confusion.
The discussion in the curtain did not last long. After roughly assigning the responsibilities of each family head and obtaining the approval of all parties, it came to an end. The heads of each family came out and led their personal escorts back to their homes. Only Liang Wei Duanzi was left behind. There are not many clan members in Liang Wei's mansion, and they don't have any retainers. There are only a few distant brothers waiting outside the tent. After the other family heads took their followers away, everything became quiet in front of the tent. Mang Mao personally accompanied Young Master Liang Wei out of the tent and said to the Wei clan members who were accompanying him: "We rely on Young Master for many military affairs, so I can only trouble you to wait patiently!" An elder among the clan members came forward to thank him and said: "The Wei clan has gained a general. How lucky it is to see it in a different light!”
After Mr. Liang Wei had a few words with his tribesmen, he followed Mang Mao back to his tent. At this time, there were not many people in the tent. Mr. Che You was in the middle, and Wei Qi and Duan Ziqian were on the right. After Mang Mao entered the tent, he briefly exchanged greetings with everyone and then went straight to the left table. Mr. Liang Wei sat under Duan Ziqian.
After sitting down, Mang Mao said: "I have just accepted the great kindness of the king to build the shogunate and open the palace, and temporarily lead the troops. I ask for your help in the affairs of the shogunate. Please don't refuse!"
Everyone said in unison: "With few virtues and few talents, he is really unfit for duty. I can only obey the general's orders!"
