Si Mang asked Gongzi Jiu to help contact Yicheng. Gongzi Jiu immediately agreed and sent his retainers to Yicheng together with the envoys sent by Si Mang. Si Mangtong reported that merchants had entered the Duan clan and asked the Duan clan to allow the army to enter, or at least to obtain supplies locally. Young Master Jiu said: "Since you have entered the Duan family, you should wait for retribution!" Si Mang also felt that he should not be in a hurry. It would be more appropriate to first understand the Duan family's intention and then send an envoy to the west.
But in this case, the army must stop at Duanshi; and the longer it stops, the easier it will be to cause friction with Duanshi. Mr. Jin said: "That's what we are worried about. The current plan is to move ten miles west to temporarily avoid the front."
Si Mang looked around at the soldiers lying down in various directions. If an army came to kill them, they could easily be harvested. This state is definitely not possible. But if they were ordered to continue marching now, I don’t know how many of them would be able to obey the order. After thinking for a while, Si Mang said to all the guests: "May Sir tell the whole army to march ten miles and find a good place to camp!"
All the guests said politely: "Your welcome!"
Si Mang stood up again, and all the gentlemen also stood up and separated. Si Mang shouted loudly: "Listen, all the troops, go back ten miles. If there is a good place to camp, get up and go!" He called several times, but no one seemed to answer. Si Mang was a little anxious, took out a horn from his arms, and started blowing it. As soon as the horn blew, all the troops woke up, and Commander Mang ordered: "Quickly prepare for formation!" As he walked, blowing and calling for formation, he finally called up all the soldiers who were lying down due to fatigue, and each held a halberd and formed a formation. The formation, although not very neat, is still in line.
Each battalion commander came to Si Mang and reported: "A certain battalion has completed its formation." Si Mang looked at the nearest town, where people were also beating drums to gather people. Si Mang ignored him and said to everyone: "Ten miles ahead, there is a good place to camp. Everyone go there, set up camp fences, and beware of thieves!" Then he arranged the order of each camp's advance.
This time the guide became Mr. Jin. In fact, Mr. Jin didn't know what was going on ahead. He just saw that there was a faint road leading down the mountain. I guess there may be a wide, dry place ahead.
Sure enough, after walking for more than ten miles, at the end of the fields, there were stretches of wilderness. Although overgrown with weeds, fortunately the terrain is open and the ground is dry. The river twists and turns here, embracing this meadow. It is a great camping place. The assembled people of the city were relieved as they watched the group leave, and naturally they would not come out to pursue them.
Mr. Jin divided twenty barracks beside the avenue. The barracks faced each other and echoed each other. They were surrounded by water and mountains, occupying a large area. I don’t know whether it was because they had just rested and regained some energy, or whether the mountains and rivers here gave everyone a sense of security. After the troops arrived here, they did not lie down immediately, but struggled to build a camp fence and dig a stove pit. The Chinese army also built livestock camps. After setting up camp, it was already noon. Simang ordered two horses and two cows to be killed and boiled soup for everyone. Although each stove was only given a pound of meat, the aroma was still inspiring. After eating solid food with broth, everyone seemed to be alive again.
At dusk, the merchant returned and brought a gentleman in a long coat. The businessman said that this was a local doctor. Si Mang looked at it and said with some doubt: "There is no cure, but what can I do?"
The doctor said: "Now there are ten thousand people. If we diagnose them one by one, we may not be able to cure them for years. But now we can get the key points and treat them simply."
Si Mang was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "This is what a sincere doctor thinks!" He asked a soldier to lead a tour of each battalion.
After the doctor left, Si Mang asked the merchant leader: "What can I do about his condition?"
The leader said: "When I entered the Duan family, I first took out the goods, and then saw Duan's order. They all told him what happened. He told Wei Gongzi Xinlingjun and Han Gongzi Jiu to lead their troops here. They would like to enter the city for a while and return soon. Duan ordered the merchants to enter the city to buy food, but they still had their conveniences. Duan's city was small, and the money and food were not sufficient, so the army would not dare to fight. The common man said that there were injuries in the camp, and he wanted a doctor to treat them. So he ordered the city's traditional Chinese medicine doctor to treat them. Go out and see. However, doctors all regard entering the camp as a fearful way, and no one dares to go out. The common man invited him with a hundred coins, and he was able to get out."
Si Mang said: "If the army survives, it is all thanks to Sir's gift. The expenses must be repaid. Why do you have a hundred coins?"
The leader said: "If I serve the party's order and lead the army to Anyi, I will surely get it all. One hundred coins is what I get from Jia Shan's goods."
Si Mang said: "Since he said that he can't help buying food, if the army stays here for a few days and buys his food, he might be able to get it."
The leader said: "Now, I am bringing a load of mountain goods into the city. They are rare in the city. They will be used up in a moment, and they only cost more than a hundred coins. If you buy the grain, it costs a thousand dan per day, and it is worth 30,000 to 50,000 coins. It is beyond the power of common people. .”
Simang said: "Now the goods from Bashan are sold to him, what is their value?"
The leader said: "If you cheat on it occasionally, it may exceed its value, but if it exceeds its value, it will be cheap!"
Si Mang said: "That's true!" He sent the businessman back to camp to rest. I went to find Mr. Jiu.
Prince Jiu easily gave up on the Han army and became concerned about the Wei army. After setting up camp again, Prince Jiu and Si Mang were in the same camp, and they joined Si Mang during a dinner party. After eating, he lay down in the grass and didn't care about anything else. Seeing Si Mang coming over, Young Master Jiu hurriedly sat up and said, "We have been working hard all day long, and then at night, to build the city of Chengguo!"
Si Mang smiled bitterly and said: "I was commanded by the emperor to command ten thousand people and marched thousands of miles. Now I have been defeated. Fortunately, my soldiers did not abandon me and followed them in life and death. I must return to my hometown and then go back. Now I am at peace here. If I can get a few rest, Day, what can I do?"
Young Master Jiu clapped his hands and said: "Excellent, excellent! Excellent! The soldiers are all exhausted, some have difficulty holding their halberds, and some are panting frequently. It would be a great blessing if they could rest for a few days to regain their strength! - I am afraid that the Duan family will not be able to allow."
Si Mang said: "There is an order in the end. If Dan Bian is allowed to stay, he will still have his way, but he is not allowed to stay. If I stay here for a few days, it may not be taboo. If he drives him away, I will go! However, if you stay, The army needs one thousand dan of food for one day, and if we buy it in the countryside, it will cost 30,000 to 50,000 taels of food. Now we can only get it in Yicheng, and there is no other way. I hope you can raise it, how much money can you get in Yicheng?"
Young Master Jiu was completely helpless and could only look at the retainers around him. A retainer said: "Yicheng is the Confucius Road of the Jin Dynasty. The land is vast and the people are densely populated. It is easy to transfer a hundred gold coins. Use the public money to go to Korea. After entering Zheng, report it to the king in person, and you may get a reward!"
Seeing that the retainer was so sure, Si Mang said: "In that case, we should go to Yicheng and get a hundred gold to alleviate the emergency. The army will rest here for a few days and then go to Anyi."
We discussed tomorrow's lobbyists, rhetoric, and related details. Si Mang said goodbye and left. Soon after, the doctor came back and reported: "Every camp has been visited, and the soldiers are suffering from blood-heat due to fatigue, water accumulation, shortness of breath, and even cold and heat. But if the blood is cooled, the symptoms will be constipation. Or there are old chronic diseases." , not in this case. The prescription is to decoct the root of Imperata cogongrass in water and take it, one liter each time, three times a day. If there are many Imperata cognacs, the soldiers can dig them up overnight, and the effect will be seen in the next day. Those with external injuries , you can pound the thatch root and apply it to make it heal sooner."
Si Mang was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately ordered the whole army to dig the roots of Imperata cogongrass, wash them by the river, and make soup for everyone to drink. The doctor was left to spend the night in the camp. The doctor thanked him respectfully and left.
Although he got the doctor's convenience, Si Mang was still confused. He didn't know how effective it would be. If it didn't work, what would happen tomorrow? That night, the whole army dug up the roots of Imperata cogongrass on the spot, and each camp held a fire, cooked the soup and drank it. Although the medicinal soup has a bit of a strange taste, it is not unpleasant to drink and almost no one can resist it. That night, all sick soldiers were given one liter. As soon as you wake up, about half of the edema will subside.
Si Mang also drank a bowl himself. He fell asleep well that night. When he woke up, he saw that his calves had lost half of their weight. When he got up and walked around, he was more energetic than yesterday. He couldn't help but be ecstatic and shouted loudly: "God bless us!" !” He knelt down and cried bitterly. He was so shocked that everyone around him came to try to persuade him. Si Mang stopped his lamentation and said: "Horn!"
Each camp began to sound their trumpets and gather the crowd. Since everyone left Jidi, there has never been a gathering at dawn. Today, they heard the sound of trumpets and didn't know what it meant. They all stood up in formation. After the formation of each battalion was completed, the battalion commander and the school leaders went to the middle camp in person. They saw Si Mang standing proudly in the camp, holding a halberd in one hand, raising his head and chest, although he was covered in filth. Upon seeing this, all the camp commanders did not dare to neglect, and reported the situation of each camp one by one with courtesy. Due to injuries and illnesses, there are still many people in each battalion who were unable to line up. However, all battalions said that after taking the medicine last night, the severe ones became less severe and the mild ones gradually recovered. Si Mang waited for all battalions to finish their orders, and said with emotion: "I am like a soldier, and I have suffered like this for more than ten days. Today, our army will re-establish the camp fence and regain its majesty, just like dying and resurrecting. I got a good doctor last night. After giving the medicine, there are many diseases, so I should take it again now to get the full effect."
All the officials responded: "Here!"
Si Mang said: "God has blessed our army with such a good land and good doctors. Although our army has been attacked, it has not been damaged so far. All the soldiers have been with us and have never been separated. Even though we are suffering from injuries and illnesses, we are still strong and will not retreat. This is also true." God! God bless the Wei army, and the Wei army will win!"
All the officials shouted: "Long live! Long live! Long live!" When the people in the middle camp heard the shouting of long live inside the camp, they also shouted outside the camp: "Long live! Long live! Long live!" Then all the camps one after another shouted: "Long live !Long live! Long live!" The jackdaws on the tree were so startled that they flew up and screamed in mid-air.
Si Mang announced to everyone that he would sleep here for a few days and wait until his injuries improved before going down the mountain. Everyone is welcome.
The commanders returned to the camp and ordered the soldiers to boil some Imperata root in soup and use this soup as dry food. We spent the whole night digging Imperata roots last night, and we have to dig again today, so we have to go far away. Each camp sends a hundred people to dig grass five or seven miles out of the camp. It is considered meritorious for someone to get ten stems. At this time, the spring cold is steep, and there is a slight green under the mountain. All the troops came out to look for medicine. Imperata is everywhere in the mountains and plains. It is impossible to say that it has been dug up all. You can find it if you go further. In a short time, everyone dug back enough medicine for two days, washed it at the river, took water to make a soup, and pounded a few plants to apply to the injured soldiers. Many of the soldiers whose wounds had become suppurative began to feel better after applying this medicine. In the camp, those with fever, swelling, and wheezing all had their own symptoms. All the soldiers also believed that there must be God's blessing: How could such a cheap medicine have such an effect?
