Chapter 122: Ambush
There was a huge commotion in the team.
It was difficult for two people to walk side by side on the narrow valley path. The two dozen guards responsible for escorting were all experienced veterans. Without waiting for Du Da Chong's greeting, they quickly divided into two groups and struggled to move towards the head and tail of the team. Before the dog officers and soldiers came over, the formation had already been set up: there were two or three spears at the front and rear, seven or eight swordsmen behind them, and the Bangbang brothers carrying salt bags in the middle were also there. Putting down their burdens, some pulled out long daggers from the baskets, and some pulled out iron rulers. Their eyes glowed fiercely, and their faces were full of fearlessness... The smuggling team on the winding mountain road quickly turned into a smuggling team. The two-headed snake covered with spikes arched its body, as if it was accumulating strength and waiting to devour someone, and it also seemed to be waiting to be bathed in blood. Everyone in this era knows that, without exception, private Salt dealers are also strong men and bandits. As long as they leave their own territory, it is common for them to rob homes and rob merchants.
"Come on!" Du Da Chong thought to himself, and suddenly felt the new scar on his face itching. He knew that this time the dog officers and soldiers came well prepared, and the governor's battalion came out in full force, obviously determined to win, and everyone in his team had no physical signs.
He also believed in his brothers. Not only the guards, the porters are also good guys! Selling smuggled salt is an act of licking blood with the tip of a knife. The "Da Ming Law" has several clear provisions on selling smuggled salt: "Those who sell smuggled salt will be punished until death, and those who forge citations (salt citations) will be punished." "Anyone who sells smuggled salt shall be punished." A hundred sticks and three years' service; if you have weapons, you will be given an additional rank; if you resist arrest, you will be killed!" "Those who are taken across the border will be sent to the army."
The first article refers specifically to the leader Yan Xiao, who has nothing to say and will have his head chopped off. The second article refers to the Bangbang porters who were taken away from the army and started as soldiers. In fact, there is a high probability that they will die - not because of the so-called armed resistance to arrest. , but if the officers and soldiers want compensation for casualties, they will exaggerate the charges as much as possible. Killing all the people who resisted arrest with weapons is regarded as bandit suppression. Anyway, there is no evidence of death, and everyone has their heads to be claimed. If you don’t kill them, it’s your own fault. The third rule is that even if it is the lightest, some private salt mixed with other goods when selling other goods will have to be confiscated. As for whether to travel two thousand miles or three thousand miles, it depends on the mood of the adults at the time. No matter how many miles you travel, you will be working as cattle and horses for the military commanders. You will work under the whip for the rest of your life. Anyway, you will never come home alive again in this life!
As for the crime of trail-cutting bandits, it is much lighter than selling smuggled salt: "The first offender will be punished, and the followers will be exiled"! Did you see: only the first criminal was killed, and most of the others were sent to the army. Don't think that murder and arson are much worse than selling smuggled salt. The score is up to you!
Who did you kill as a robber?
Just ordinary people.
Whose business are you robbing by smuggling salt?
The government!
If you understand this level, you will know why the court has this attitude. Therefore, this is also the reason why all those who sell smuggled salt, whether they are salt lords or porters, without exception, will work part-time in the side business of banditry - as long as they are caught, they will die anyway, and if they don't rob, they will get nothing!
All brothers know these consequences. As long as you take this road, once you fall into the hands of the army, you will be dead no matter what. On the contrary, as long as you don't be a spineless coward, you can rest assured that your wife, children and family are young! To any of the family members who lost their brothers, did Du Yuanwai ever owe anything? Needless to say, the Yuanwai will help you take care of the simple matters of burial. The family will be at least two taels of silver a month - the more children you have, the Yuanwai will give you more, and rice, flour, and oil will be delivered to your home during the holidays. ! Who dares to bully an orphan or a widowed mother? Du Yuanwai was the first to refuse: wait and find the body in some abandoned mine!
These things are seen by everyone every day.
There are also negative examples. More than ten years ago, a boat was intercepted in the Daning River. Most of the brothers died, and only a few Fu Shui narrowly escaped death. A guy named Gao Ali was captured by the government. This weakling actually led the army to Daning to identify his companions! Of course, no one was found - Du Yuanwai had already arranged for people to enter the mountain. Du Yuanwai stood next to the county magistrate and looked at him coldly, his eyes that were always smiling at that moment were like a knife that could kill! The night the officers and soldiers left, the Gao family fled and was burned to a white ground. No one in the family escaped. Although Gao Ali cried like a turtle and begged for his life and was taken away by the officers and soldiers on the spot, a few days later, his body, which had been stabbed into a sieve shape and with no good piece of meat visible from top to bottom, suddenly appeared in the ruins of his home. Everyone spat when they passed by, and it wasn't long before they were eaten by wild dogs until no bones were left... Everyone was secretly rumoring that Du Yuanwai gave a thousand taels to the government to buy his dog's life, but Du Da Chong knew that, My uncle spent a full one thousand five hundred taels!
do my best!
It's a death anyway, so let's fight to the death! With more than a hundred men, the numerical advantage of the officers and soldiers in this kind of terrain cannot be used. They have to step on corpses every time they take a step forward. How can they take dozens of them with them even if they are dead or disabled? If my whole army is wiped out, the Fubiao camp will also have its teeth broken. My uncle's business will be smoother for a long time, right?
But... I really broke old dog Jian's arm. The old dog was in great pain and would definitely not give up. The county magistrates of Daning and Dachang might not be able to save their uncle, right?
Oh, never mind it! At this point, what's the use of thinking so much!
Du Da Chong shook his head, driving all the messy thoughts out of his mind. He made up his mind, firmly grasped the handle of the knife, and looked back at his brothers. Everyone had a look of determination on their faces.
"Come on!" Du Da Chong roared out.
"Here comes the turtle son!" the brothers in the team responded loudly.
coming.
After seeing clearly the officers and soldiers approaching, Du Da Chong felt that something was wrong, and then a chill rose from the soles of his feet and went straight to his head.
Du DaChong is scared!
Obviously, the section of road where the ambush was set up was carefully selected by the officers and soldiers. The one on the officer's side is more spacious and can accommodate three people walking side by side. In front are several rows of long guns: the first two rows hold rifles measuring 1.6 feet long, and the two rows in the middle hold carbine rifles measuring 1.2 feet long. The lance used for charging under the arm has to consider the front and back balance, so it is much longer than the carbine). The two or three rows at the back put the carbine, which is more than 20 feet long, on the shoulders of the people in front! Twenty or so spear points scattered up and down blocked the narrow mountain road tightly, and it was impossible to get through it no matter what! Farther away, above the ranks of the officers and soldiers, dozens of bright spear points pointed straight at the sky, reflecting a little bit of cold light - seeing the slender and sharp spear heads, Du Da Chong recognized at a glance that these were used for throwing. The javelin!
It’s over!
Seeing the army's formation clearly, Du Da Chong knew that not only would he become a dead insect today, but he would also die worthless - the army had no intention of fighting you desperately: they would trap you with a gun formation, and then The javelin's long-range projection will destroy you!
Du Da Chong couldn't see the situation behind his team, but he thought that the dog officers and soldiers must be in exactly the same formation.
Du Da Chong felt like a pig's urine bubble that had been fully inflated. When he was lightly touched by the tip of the spear with a cold light, the heroic spirit that had just filled his heart was instantly drained.
Du DaChong was afraid in his heart - he was not afraid of death, but he was really afraid of dying in such a useless way.
Unconsciously, Du Da Chong's hand holding the knife dropped. It's useless to block it. Sooner or later, there will be a time when it can't be blocked. Instead of struggling for a long time and then being crucified, and just being a joke for the dog officers and soldiers to talk about after dinner, it is better to regard death as home, and no matter who talks about it in the future, it will be awkward. He raised his big finger and said: "That Du Da Chong insists on getting it, he is a good man!"
Du Da Chong spat heavily to the side, took a deep breath, and straightened his chest. The sun that had just passed its zenith was very dazzling, so I half-squinted my eyes, waiting for the javelin that was roaring in the wind to pierce my body.
Du Da Chong thought wrong again.
With a sharp bamboo whistle, what hit us was not a javelin, but locusts all over the sky!
The spearmen and the sword and shield soldiers holding javelins squatted down neatly. For a moment, Du Da Chong was surprised to see that behind the sword and shield soldiers were all densely packed archers!
Because the distance was relatively close, the archers in the front row fired flatly, while those in the back fired half-length bows. Feathered arrows flew toward them, and screams of agony immediately rang out from the team.
In an instant, Du Da Chong, who was standing at the front of the team, was hit by four or five arrows and fell heavily to the ground. Each arrow was like a heavy blow, with heartbreaking pain.
Du Da Chong, who was lying on his back on the ground, watched arrows flying through the air two to three feet high in front of his eyes. He reflexively raised his arms to protect his head and face... He was surprised to find that his arms could still move!
Before Du Da Chong could understand, another arrow flew towards him and hit his forearm!
Then……
Then it fell down.
The arrow feathers brushed against my face, it was very itchy!
Du Da Chong tilted his head and looked at the arrow next to his head: How come there is no arrow cluster?
After moving his body again, Du Da Chong discovered that except for the pain where the arrow hit him, he could move anywhere in his body!
There were several gongs ringing in my ears, and there were no more arrows flying from the opposite side. With one hand in front of his face to protect it, and the other hand on the ground, Du Da Chong raised his upper body and looked around in confusion: none of the arrows scattered around him had arrow clusters. In order to maintain weight and flight stability, the front end of the arrow shaft was There is a small wooden ball stuck to the arrow cluster!
Du Da Chong, who was full of doubts, struggled to stand up. Before he could straighten his back, there was a burst of noise and pain from behind, and then the brothers got up one after another. From their eyes, Du Da Chong saw that everyone was just like him, completely confused.
"Get a hammer!"
"It hurts so much, Ge!"
Du Da Chong ignored the shouts of his companions and raised his head to look across. This time he finally remembered what was wrong with these dog officers and soldiers!
Except for a limited number of three or four red tassels mixed in between, most of the armored iron helmets are decorated with black tassels!
At a loss, a greeting came from the opposite side: "Fellow heroes, who is the leader, please come out and answer."
Following the words, a long-robed scholar came out of the formation and looked at him with a smile.
Of course it was Luo Shifan who shouted.
