Perhaps due to the huge threat from the Mongols, even if they controlled a vast territory, the officers and soldiers of the Ding Navy mostly felt that a powerful enemy was on their side and started to build their foundations. No one was particularly indulgent at the banquet.
Guo Ning himself was not fond of extravagance. In his daily life, he maintained a simple and capable military style in terms of food, clothing and accommodation. Tonight's banquet was just ordinary wine and meat. He himself wasn't that good at drinking, and claimed that he had drank too much with Yin Chang a few days ago, so everyone drank a few glasses, and when the idea was realized, everyone was happy.
On the contrary, it was much more lively inside the military camp.
After the military government won the battle, the soldiers and horses did not get a rest immediately, because the territory expanded, and then the army was mobilized, the station was changed, the organization was reorganized, and other things could not be delayed, and each one was more troublesome than the last. The soldiers worked hard until now, and the military government rewarded them with wine, meat, and money. Everyone took this opportunity to relax and have fun.
Among Guo Ning's six general managers, the ones who are scheduled to lead the troops and be stationed in Yidu Mansion are Monk Luo and Guo Zhongyuan. Monk Luo's soldiers and horses were stationed in Nanyang City, while Guo Zhongyuan's men occupied half of the camp in Dongyang City, north of Yangshui.
Dongyang City was originally a military fortress, and many camp facilities were permanent but in disrepair. In addition to the huge camp, there are also many facilities such as school grounds and stables.
The school ground was built by Wan Yan Sala that day. It can accommodate 20,000 to 30,000 people and is especially spacious. So when Guo Zhongyuan arranged the food and drinks, he added an additional activity of testing shooting skills and horseback thrusting to add to the fun.
Unexpectedly, the walls surrounding the school grounds collapsed in several hidden places. So when the archery competition started, a group of local traders and people from Yidu sneaked in.
Vendors wandered along the marked corridors between the troops, selling snacks to the newly rewarded and well-off soldiers. This move was actually inconsistent with the strict military regulations, but everyone was in high spirits at the moment, and the military government reiterated many times that the new vast territory must be treated with leniency, so the officers turned their backs and let the traders make a small fortune.
The people were a little timid at first, but later they elected a leader and appealed to Guo Zhongyuan.
After asking, Guo Zhongyuan found out that what they meant was that there was a newly opened land in the corner of the school ground. At the beginning of the year, the common people planted some wild garlic and potatoes. Could they ask the military men not to trample on it?
Guo Zhongyuan sent people to see it, and then he realized that the soldiers gathered there to watch the competition and had already trampled the land firmly.
The reason is very clear. Where is the important land on the school grounds that can be used to grow garlic? But seeing the people's faces full of frustration, Guo Zhongyuan relented and simply took out his own wallet and gave dozens of large coins to expose the matter.
As a result of this move, as the archery and spear spear competitions progressed, and one after another extraordinary warriors competed on the stage, people began to climb on the walls around the school grounds, watching and shouting.
Yidu Prefecture is the capital of Shandong East Road. When the Mongolian army attacked earlier, they only passed by and failed to invade the city and massacre and loot, so the number of people was large.
They pushed against the wall. Guo Zhongyuan was afraid that they would knock down the wall and kill himself. After thinking about it, he simply made extra space in the school grounds for them to come in and watch.
The game itself is naturally exciting, otherwise it would not attract the people.
Among the thousands of soldiers, there are quite a few who have confidence in their own martial arts. Many high-ranking officers and officers at the level of general were coaxed out by the soldiers in their units, forcing them to come forward to overwhelm their opponents and ruthlessly defeat them. Give shame to your brothers.
If you lose at this time, how will your face be saved? Will you lead troops again in the future? Therefore, once the officers appear on the stage, the competition becomes more and more intense. There are several consecutive games, and the difference is only a hairsbreadth, making it difficult to determine the winner.
At the other end of the school grounds, there is the territory of the Gangtou Army. They lit a dozen bonfires to roast meat and cook vegetables for the soldiers to enjoy. The soldiers watched the competition for a while, and then sent representatives to the gang leader army to collect food and share it. Everyone was very happy.
The vendors saw that there were many soldiers coming and going, so they gradually gathered there, setting up stalls by the bonfire, and selling snacks such as sugar cakes and jujube cakes.
Some local children ran around among the stalls, staring at the pastries at first, but later they felt that the broth stewed by the gang leaders was more fragrant.
These days, there is no chance for ordinary people to eat meat and fish, and none of the children can walk now. Some of the children, who were better off and bolder, smiled and raised their hands, showing the gang leader the one or two cheap coins they had saved for a long time. They want to buy a bowl, or take a bite, or take a sip of the oily flowers.
However, not everyone is so happy, and the descendants led by Li Quan are inevitably a bit dull.
Ding Haijun and Li Quan's troops had a fierce battle in Binzhou's Anding Town not long ago. Li Quan's troops lost many troops and generals, with many casualties. As for the more than a thousand elite soldiers in Li Quan's headquarters, there were no casualties, but they had followed Li Quan in the north and south for many years, and they were all loyal to him.
Li Quan committed suicide in front of their eyes. Although they had no choice but to surrender to the new master, they couldn't do it without any reservations or make a sudden change in their stance. This was against human nature.
It is not easy to make these fallen soldiers return to their hearts.
Generals like Zheng Yande and Tian Si were just given idle positions such as staff officers to hang out for a while and then make arrangements based on future situations. But for the large number of grassroots soldiers, they cannot be left alone, but must be appropriately dismantled and forced to integrate as soon as possible.
Guo Zhongyuan was very careful in this matter.
He arranged the positions of the soldiers to watch the competition, and calculated them in advance, consciously mixing old soldiers and surrendered soldiers. He came out of the banquet at the Nanyang City Military Mansion, and took a few of his trusted subordinates to wander around the school grounds, talking to the soldiers.
This kind of show of intimacy, even if it is done deliberately, is better than being cruel and harsh from your boss. As Jiang Zu started talking to Guo Zhongyuan one after another, his initial restraint slowly relaxed.
There are only a few who can't adjust their emotions after all, and Yu Maner is one of them.
In fact, he has seen a lot of fighting, and he has long understood the principle of winning the king and losing the bandit, and he has no hatred towards Ding Haijun. Earlier, when he heard the navy officers talking about the land and treatment his family received, he even regretted his ignorance in the past few years and was a little envious.
However, he really couldn't do anything to show his kindness to the officers of the Ding Navy like his companions. He had tried several times, but he just couldn't pull it off; thinking about how he cried uncontrollably that night, he felt ashamed.
At his age, when his mind cannot turn around, he is full of unhappiness that cannot be vented, resolved, or suppressed. As a result, the other surrendered soldiers gradually smiled on their faces, while Yu Man'er always had a cold face.
When it came time for the galloping competition, Yu Man'er thought that this was Li Quan's specialty, and became increasingly unhappy. He simply found an excuse and went outside the school grounds.
There were guards at the four gates of the school grounds, but now, because Guo Zhongyuan allowed common people and merchants to enter, the guards were lax. Yu Man'er swaggered out and no one paid attention to him.
He walked forward aimlessly and unknowingly got lost.
Yu Man'er suddenly stood up and looked around. Inside the military fort, the roads are not straight and horizontal, but rather winding, mostly for defensive reasons.
The sky was getting dark, and he didn't bring a pine torch. He only felt the darkness in front and behind, which was scary.
He listened again, trying to discern the direction of the school grounds. There were so many people shouting and shouting in the school grounds, it was really loud. The trouble was that his home was located in an alleyway, and the sound reverberated off the high rammed earth walls on both sides, reaching his ears, making it impossible to determine where it came from.
He wanted to climb the high wall, but he was worried about his status as a surrendered soldier, so he would not do anything extraordinary and be taken out as a warning to the monkeys and severely punished. After much hesitation, I had to listen again.
This time, he heard regular clanging sounds coming from ahead of the road.
what is that? Blacksmithing? Is there a blacksmith shop there?
