Guo Ning and Tuo Lei came to Jinshan one after another. Considering the fact that Jin and Mongolia have been fighting for many years, it is of course a big event. But the Han slaves who were being resettled in Jinshan City didn't notice.
The numbness caused by years of torture has deprived many of them of the ability to pay attention to the outside world.
A moment ago, someone muttered: "The Mongols in the back all knelt down, it seems like another big shot has arrived..."
But no one responded, no one cared about the situation. After all, slaves are already the lowest class on the grassland. Compared with them, everyone is a big shot. Regardless of whether Marshal Guo or any other marshal or any other Yan comes here, everyone just kneels down and kowtows, what else can they do?
They still moved slowly towards the planned camp in the city, walking fifteen miles for nearly an hour. Until the afternoon, they were divided into groups of twenty or thirty people and led to the front of a newly built shack somewhere.
The shack is very rough, just a few large logs scattered on top of each other, and then covered with withered grass. There is a large shared pit behind several shacks, which should be a place for defecation.
It can be seen that when allocating people to the shacks, the navy is a bit particular. There are more old, weak, women and children in the east of the camp; the strong men are mostly in the west of the camp. After being abducted to the grassland, the old, weak, women and children could not survive long, and most of the people who could come back from the grassland were strong men. Occasionally, a woman or child would cry and say she was separated from her family. After a while, soldiers would take them out to look for them, but others did not care whether they were found or not.
Lu Wusi felt that his legs were about to break, his ankles and knees hurt, and his chest and head also hurt where Master Mongolia had hit him. The other people gathered in the same shack with him were also half dead from exhaustion. Everyone, including the man with dark circles, was paralyzed.
Ding Haijun seems to be more generous in his treatment of others. On the grassland, if the slaves dared to rest, they would have been beaten down with big sticks or horse whips. Now everyone rested until the sunset, and no one came to care.
On the contrary, the Han slaves slowly crawled out of the shack, flexing their stiff limbs and trying to tear open the straw sandals or foot wraps that were embedded in the flesh of their feet and stained with blood.
After everyone worked for a while, they suddenly sniffed and smelled the aroma of food.
It's not the same aroma as the food that everyone often smells, but it's enough to make people salivate. Someone whispered: "It's rice balls."
After a while, soldiers from the Ding Navy passed by between the shacks and threw rice balls and skin bags to everyone: "Marshal Guo has an order, and everyone will be rewarded with one more! After eating, choose someone to come out, take the skin bag and go to the outside of the city to collect it." water!"
The rice balls were packed in bamboo baskets, and the moment they landed in the shack, there was a rush. Lu Wusi was thin and lacked the courage. When he rushed forward, he only saw people in the front row gathered around him. When everyone dispersed, there was nothing in the bamboo basket. There were a few scattered grains of rice left on the ground. Lu Wusi hesitated and wanted to take a few bites to fill his stomach. A yellow-faced boy next to him rushed over and swept them away with both hands.
Inside the shack, everyone was chewing heavily, and there was a sound of smacking around Lu Wusi.
The rice ball is not big, about half a fist at most. The rice used is not good, but even if the slaves are on the grassland, they don't have time to eat mutton, and the wild wheat is not as delicious as rice balls. So everyone ate with grinning teeth. Even if the rice bran choked their throats, they still tried their best to swallow.
They finished their rice balls in three or five mouthfuls, and then looked at others, hoping there would be leftovers.
Lu Wusi covered his face and cried.
Although the captives were numb, they had been forced to travel long distances in the past few days, which was hard and full of doubts. They were also worried about how their lives would continue in the future after their accustomed environment was changed. His cry immediately caused a stir in several shacks.
The Khitan people who were patrolling not far away, and the "Mongolian Master" who was eagerly waiting for the Khitan people's orders, noticed the restlessness. Several people came towards the shack where Lu Wusi was.
"Damn! Why are you crying, a coward!"
The man with dark circles cursed impatiently. Although he had a tough talk, he was actually a little scared when he saw the Mongolian men approaching fiercely. He quickly dug into his arms and took out a rice ball.
He looked at it distressedly, broke the rice ball in half, and threw half of it to Lu Wusi: "Eat, eat, shut up when you're done eating!"
Lu Wusi thought to himself, you stole my rice balls, but you didn't dare to argue with him. He swallowed his cries firmly into his stomach and began to devour them. The rice balls are very fragrant, but also salty and bitter. It doesn't taste like Lu Wusi's tears, but rather like it has been soaked in salt brine.
The Khitan and Mongolian guards didn't go any further. Lu Wusi finished the meal in two or three mouthfuls, and his stomach was just full.
"Send someone from every shack to draw water! Hurry!" a cavalry officer rode back and forth shouting.
The man with dark circles thrust the leather bag into Lu Wusi's hand: "It's you, go quickly!"
Lu Wusi came out in a daze and stood in front of the shack, stunned. When he finally joined the queue drawing water out of the city, he was hit twice on the head with a stick by the Mongolian guard.
As he was about to reach the city gate, there was a loud sound of iron hoofs trampling on the ground behind him. It was still the group of knights in armor who led the way, ordering everyone along the way to retreat to both sides of the road and kneel down.
After kneeling down, someone yelled and cursed again: "What are you looking at! Lower your head!"
Lu Wusi and others immediately leaned over and put their foreheads on the ground.
He heard dozens of knights rushing out of the city gate, the dust kicked up by their iron hooves choking.
When he heard the general named Zhao Xuan reining in his horse in front of the city gate, he said with some confusion: "I thought that the marshal would talk to Tuo Lei for a longer time, but I also asked people to kill two sheep to act like a host. !”
"We eat the sheep ourselves! It's so cheap for the Mongols to do it!"
The one who answered him was Marshal Guo who had arrived at Jinshan City earlier. Listening to his words, he seemed to be in a good mood. Lu Wusi felt that since Marshal Guo was giving extra meals to everyone, he must be a good person.
Guo Ning was indeed in a good mood, so he laughed and made a joke.
But when everyone laughed and agreed, he fell silent again.
So his subordinates stopped talking again and surrounded him solemnly.
Guo Ning stood in front of the city gate and looked out. It gets dark late at the turn of summer and autumn. The sun has set for a while, but the sky is still bright. Therefore, the backs of Tuo Lei and his followers can be clearly seen.
】
When their group was about to submerge behind the forest, Tuo Lei actually turned around and waved in the direction of Jinshan City.
This is the second time Guo Ning has dealt with Tuo Lei. The last time he visited Haicang Town in Laizhou, Tuo Lei was a prisoner, but he behaved very arrogantly. Guo Ning had to fight with fists and kicks to get him to figure out where he was. This time, Tuo Lei was completely different from before.
The young fourth prince became much calmer and smarter. He even learned Chinese and could talk to Guo Ning without the need for an interpreter. Moreover, he very sincerely regarded Ding Haijun as an equal opponent.
This is not an easy thing to do.
Since the three years of Da'an, the Mongolian army has achieved too many victories in battles with the Jin Kingdom. If every city that changed hands and every field battle involving hundreds of cavalry were counted, the two sides fought at least 300 times, of which the Mongols were able to win 290 times.
Too many victories made the Mongols consciously have a psychological advantage when facing anyone from the Jin Kingdom, and did not take the opponent seriously. This psychological advantage is so ingrained that even commanders like Genghis Khan would make wrong choices when facing Guo Ning, thinking that they could kill him with one blow.
But Torrei is really smart.
He was very polite and even a little humble in the conversation just now. He was not at all embarrassed by his past victories, nor did he shy away from his own failures.
Such a person and such an attitude made Guo Ning very wary. Because the only thing more terrifying than ferocious wolves is ferocious and cunning wolves. If Guo Ning had enough troops and logistical support, he would rather raise his troops immediately and kill all the depths of the grassland in one fell swoop, clearing holes and avoiding future troubles.
It's a pity that Guo Ning didn't. Ding Haijun's expansion has indeed reached its limit. The Mongolian tribes scattered on the grasslands have no capital or central area for the distribution of supplies, which is worthy of a navy to attack.
Of course it is impossible for the Mongols to overwhelm the Ding Navy in a field battle, but if the Ding Navy rushes deep into the grasslands, the result will definitely be a tragic failure under the endless harassment and hunting by the Mongolian army.
Guo Ning is very clear about this. According to Tuo Lei, Genghis Khan also knew it very well.
At present, the two families have nothing to do with each other. Both of them urgently need to enrich or restore their own strength in order to win the next war. Before the next war, any conflict between the two sides will be of no practical significance and will only slow down their progress.
Therefore, a mutually tacit agreement became inevitable.
This agreement does not need to be written or pledged, because neither Guo Ning nor Genghis Khan will be restricted by words or pledges.
This agreement not only represents a short-term peace, but also represents a more tragic and terrifying decisive battle that will come sooner or later.
Guo Ning continued to look out until dusk enveloped the surrounding areas. The fields and wetlands around Jinshan City gradually became unclear, and the sparse forests and meadows in the distance were undulating in the wind. Farther away, the mountains stood silently, blocking the way to the grassland.
"By the end of this year, you will push the control area back to Yehuling. The Mongolian ministries will not make any big moves, but you must be prepared for contingency and not slack off. I will fully step up the construction in all parts of the territory."
All the generals said in unison: "Yes!"
Guo Ning turned his horse back. After taking two steps, he noticed that a large number of Han slaves had been kneeling for a long time.
"Let them all get up. So many people are kneeling down at every turn. I feel uncomfortable watching them!"
The generals quickly dispersed and shouted.
