In addition to the more than 1,000 people from the Dongping Army, there are also 500 people from the Qilu Trading Company escort team, and more than 300 people from the Qingyang Camp.
Altogether, there were about two thousand people.
Two thousand people, plus thousands of war horses and pack horses, and dragging more than a dozen warships, the marching speed can be imagined, and it cannot go fast at all.
Starting from Dongping Mansion, we rested in the wild for a night yesterday. We need to rest for another night today and it will take two days to reach Nanhu.
In fact, this marching speed can no longer be considered slow. If it is a long-distance march, it will not be enough to just bring pack horses. You must bring carts to transport grain and grass, and the speed will be even slower.
The people in Qingyang Camp were miserable.
During the day, they stretched fiber, set up camp in the evening, and buried pots to make rice.
Each one was as tired as the third grandson.
However, when they thought that they had sent so much military resources to Brother Chao, everyone felt happy, and they were willing to do it even if they were a little tired!
Dong Ping is worthy of being the military supervisor of Dongping Mansion, and his level of military management is simply not comparable to that of Dong Chuan.
Not only did the camp be set up to be both offensive and defensive, but the night watch was also arranged to be airtight. Let alone people, even a wild goose flying over would be shot down by the night watch's whistle.
There was no talking all night, and the soldiers slept until dawn, full of energy, not to mention feeling comfortable.
Of course, except for the people in Qingyang camp.
Brother Chao, why haven't you sent someone to rob the camp?
Because this operation was different from the past, many soldiers in the Qingyang Camp did not know Yun Chao's specific plan, even if they were undercover agents.
This thing is not a matter of trust or distrust, it is a matter of the fewer people knowing about it, the better.
It was dark the next day.
The people in Qingyang camp were called up and continued cooking.
After cooking and waiting for the Dongping Army and the convoys to finish eating, they had to clean pots, wash dishes, and set up camp.
He couldn't even take a break, so he had to continue dragging the warship to stretch it.
"Sir, please talk to Inspector Dong. If this continues, our brothers will really not be able to hold on any longer!"
"Yes, sir, look, what are the brothers so exhausted?"
"..."
Dong Chuan was yelled at by his subordinates until he had one head and two heads.
I was already dissatisfied with Dong Ping, and now I am even more dissatisfied.
If you let your own soldiers do everything together, you don't regard me as a dish at all!
Unfortunately, Dong Chuan only dared to think about it in his heart. No matter what the people below said, he simply did not dare to approach Dong Ping.
In addition, Dong Chuan was also afraid of the people from Qilu Trading Company. After all, he had lost all his five hundred escorts, and he was afraid that the people from Qilu Trading Company would cause trouble for him.
Just like that, don't hesitate and stumble, until noon, we finally got out of the river branch and entered the big puddle of Nanhu Lake.
Thump thump thump thump…
As soon as the warship entered the wide water, everyone in Qingyang camp lay down on the ground.
"I can't stand it anymore. I can't walk anymore. Do whatever you want!"
"I can't walk anymore. If you make me work again, you might as well kill me!"
"Me too, if you let me work again, I will jump into the lake and commit suicide!"
"..."
Dong Ping originally wanted the people from Qingyang camp to row the boat, but seeing this situation, he simply ignored them.
After all, these are his cousin's soldiers. If he really forces them to rebel, it will be a loss to his own strength.
"Dong Chuan, take your people, stay here to rest, and take care of our retreat, do you understand?"
Dong Chuan hesitated again and again, and then muttered: "Sir, we have no weapons. If bandits come to kill us, we can't stop them with our bare hands!"
"waste!"
Dong Ping was so angry that he wanted to slap Dong Chuan again.
"Come here, leave your spare weapons with them!"
Some soldiers have backup weapons, such as pikemen, who sometimes carry a short sword to guard against enemies getting close.
In the end, Qingyang Camp obtained more than a hundred daggers, which was barely enough to protect itself.
The navy boarded the boat and marched hand in hand with the infantry. They chose some people from the Qingyang Camp as guides, bypassed Nanhu Town, and went directly to the Nanhu Water Bandits' lair.
Unfortunately, the terrain of Nanhu is too complex, and it is impossible for both land and water armies to move in parallel.
Warships can move in a straight line, but infantry cannot and must go around in circles.
However, this is what Dong Ping likes to see. Let the warships pass by first and block the Nanhu water bandits in the water stronghold when they are not prepared.
Then the infantry went over and gave the Nanhu water bandits a big hit!
Dong Ping thought well, but was slapped hard by reality.
When the navy's warships arrived at the Nanhu Water Village, the water village was empty, not even a bandit hair was seen.
After more than half an hour, the infantry finally arrived.
Looking at the empty water village, Dong Ping was so angry that his beard stood up.
How could a group of low-life bandits be so cunning? Where did the news leak out and they were allowed to escape!
"Go, send all the warships out to look for water bandits. As long as they are floating on the water, whether they are people or boats, whether they are common people or bandits, bring them all back to me!"
"yes!"
The navy commander agreed and left with his warships.
Dong Ping took his officers and part of the escort into the water village to rest.
As for the soldiers below, because the water village has limited space, they can only stay outside and bask in the sun.
…
It was approaching dusk, and warships returned one after another.
Dong Ping's face became increasingly ugly.
After searching for half an afternoon on the water, not even a single civilian was seen, let alone bandits.
As for the boats, there were not even one, and even the two villages by the lake were empty!
"Forget it, let's rest for the night. After we fully recover our strength tomorrow, we can think of countermeasures!"
Dong Ping has already made up his mind to go to Nanhu Town for inspection at dawn tomorrow.
No need to ask, the patrol in Nanhu Town must have something to do with the Nanhu water bandits. The army is pressing down on the border. If you don’t believe that the patrol in Nanhu will not give in!
…
In a forest not far from the river branch.
Jia Ming and Chen Teng met Yun Chao.
"Brother Chao, the brothers are all ready, please give instructions!"
Yun Chao patted the two people on the shoulders.
"Well done to you two brothers. You have worked hard during this period. When you go back later, you don't have to do anything. Just adapt to the situation. Even if Dong Ping escapes, don't touch him. And Dong Chuan, not only don't touch him, We also need to try our best to protect his safety, do you understand?"
Jia Ming and Chen Teng both nodded.
"clear!"
"Brother Chao, don't worry. We will protect that bastard Dong Chuan and let him send us more weapons!"
Yun Chao nodded with satisfaction: "Very good! I have wronged you and the other brothers."
A sense of mission enveloped Jia Ming and Chen Teng, and they clapped their chests loudly.
"Brother Chao, compared with what you have done, our grievances are nothing. As long as we can make the people live a good life, our brothers will die without regrets!"
