Unexpectedly, these words made Feng Haijiao frown and scolded sternly: "So, you just ran away if you wanted to?!"
The minions were shocked and turned pale, kowtowing and begging: "I don't dare, I don't dare!" Even though his wife was tied up, she kowtowed and begged.
Feng Haijiao sneered and said: "Pull them all down and chop them all!"
The soldiers immediately came to pull people away. There was a lot of crying in the polder, some shouting "spare my life" and some shouting "unjust". The minions nearby also felt that this was too much, although they were all "new brothers" ", I have been stirring the pot for several months. But they were all afraid of the evil star Feng Haijiao, and no one dared to come forward to intercede. As they watched several people being pulled over, the soldiers slashed them with their swords, and four heads fell immediately. Blood spurted out of his chest.
The soldier shook off the blood on his knife and was about to come over to pull him away. However, Bi Xuansheng squeezed out from behind, panting, looking like he was running over, and persuaded: "Master! Master! Even if they are wrong in all kinds of ways, you, the boss, have more, spare their lives..."
Feng Haijiao said impatiently: "The war is coming. How to deal with escaping before the battle? Sir, you know better than me, right?!"
Bi Xuansheng bowed to the end, showing great humility, and said: "Master! The team is about to leave. It is human nature for couples and family members to come to see each other off. If you want to behead someone, it would be too harsh... …”
"So I have wronged them?" Feng Haijiao asked, glaring at his yellow eyes.
Bi Xuansheng hurriedly said: "The master is serious. If they really intend to escape, the students will never dare to plead for mercy. But now is the time to employ people. It is true that family members send off each other, which shakes the morale of the army. After all, they are all new brothers. , don’t understand the rules, just teach them a few military sticks. Why kill people."
Feng Haijiao saw the expressions of intolerance on the faces of the minions on the fairground, and Bi Xuansheng also begged humbly to prevent another attack, so he said: "Since you intercede for them, spare their lives." Then he called out Come to the captain of the personal soldiers, "Death crimes can be avoided, but living crimes cannot be forgiven. These individuals, regardless of men and women, each get eighty military sticks! Let us serve as a warning!" After saying this, he snorted heavily with his nose, and then returned to the mansion with his riding whip. .
Bi Xuansheng saw the captain of the soldiers coming with a military stick and wanted to tie up a group of people. He said: "There is a woman here. If she is hit with a military stick, it will bring bad luck. Just get some bamboo sticks and beat her with it."
Everyone knew that he was taking advantage of "bad luck" to replace the important with light, and they all watched with grateful eyes as this young master, whom they regarded as an "outsider" in the past, left, and then everyone dispersed, each busy with his own business. ——Everyone is afraid that he will become the next batch of chickens to be slaughtered.
On the polder field, more than a dozen minions and their mothers, wives, and sisters were tied up and thrown to the ground by the soldiers. The bamboo sticks of military sticks crackled and fell, and the whole place was filled with the sound of wailing for mercy. Four headless corpses were abandoned aside, and the soil was stained black with blood.
Feng Haijiao's moving operation was delayed for another day, and it was not until the early morning of the third day that the fleet set off one by one. He and his men were people who were accustomed to eating on the water. The boat was well prepared and they were familiar with the waterway. Although they were worried about an ambush by the Australians and were nervous along the way, the voyage went smoothly.
Zhuangzi in Xinlaonan is located in the mountains at the junction of Yangshan and neighboring counties. It has always been a Sanguang area. There were originally Yao people villages here. Later, most of them were wiped out by officers and soldiers. Many foreign Hakkas moved in to cultivate the mountains, forming a The situation of Han and Yao living together was eliminated.
Xin Laonan's family has been a half-farmer and half-banditry for generations. The place where Xinjiazhuang is located is called Leidapo. It is actually an isolated peak among the high mountains. It is surrounded by ravines and valleys. The top of the peak is slightly flat and has water sources. It became a place where villages gathered.
There are only three ways to go up Leida Slope. Feng Haijiao took the most convenient way. Get off the boat at Huwan on the Lianjiang River and walk twenty miles along Huangdangou to the gate of Toudao Village in Leidapo.
Feng Haijiao's fleet had an uneventful journey and abandoned the ship at Hu Bay. The team walked all the way up Huangdangou. The terrain of Huangdangou is not steep. There are dense jungles on both sides of the canyon. At the bottom of the gorge is a gurgling stream. A sandy and gravel path winds along the stream and extends deep into the valley. The scenery is beautiful.
However, Feng Haijiao and his party had no intention of enjoying the scenery along the road. Although it was only twenty miles from Huwan to Leidapo, the team, including porters and their families, numbered four to five hundred people, and they also carried many boxes and cages.
The box and cage are thin and heavy. Carrying it along the mountain road consumes much more energy than on the flat ground. Fortunately, the mountains here are not steep and the road is not difficult or dangerous. Walking and resting along the way, we only walked less than a third of the way from noon to evening. The porters and minions were exhausted. Except for the big boss's family members who were riding in sedans, the rest of the women and children accompanying the team walked. After all, the journey was not far. Although the team walked sparsely along the way, most of them arrived at the campsite before dark.
Feng Haijiao rode in a sedan all the way to the place where he was staying. He saw people and horses staggering here and there, all kinds of boxes and cages of goods scattered all over the floor, and some of the packages were torn. There was no one on guard around the camp. The gangsters were either lying on the ground and resting. Or they would sit in the cold water and eat dry food. They would get angry, scolded and whipped, and finally drove everyone off the ground. Sentries were posted on all sides. Then he returned to rest under the thatched shed.
After resting for just a moment, the leader came to report that he didn't have much food with him and there was not enough to eat now.
"Didn't everyone receive ten days of dry food before departure? It's only been six days, why is there not enough food already?"
"Dry food was distributed for ten days, but it was only for the soldiers. Many of them had to take care of their families..." The leader was confused, "And the more than a hundred servants, because they had to carry the goods, they couldn't carry them for a few days. Solid food.”
"If the porters don't tell you, don't the families of each family prepare dry food themselves?"
"Every household in the small family is short of food and can't prepare much." The leader said, "I would like to see if I can send some masters back to Huwan early tomorrow morning to carry some food."
There are still hundreds of stones of food left on the ship in Huwan - because there is no manpower to carry it, we can only stay on the ship and send people to guard it.
Feng Haijiao hesitated - it wasn't that he didn't want to part with the grain, but once porters were sent to transport the grain, some of these thin boxes and cages would have to be left behind in the middle of the road before he could continue moving forward. Of course, after arriving at the village, you can send someone to pick it up. However, the boxes and cages were made of gold, silver, and soft materials. He was worried about leaving them in the valley - even if they sent someone to guard them, these things were enough to make people have evil intentions.
"Tell everyone to be patient. When we get to the village, there will be wine and meat, open to the public and eat!" Feng Haijiao was in a hurry to go up the mountain. Firstly, he could only guarantee safety in the village. Secondly, he was also eager to see Master Zhan and listen to him. news - especially news from officers and soldiers.
For Feng Haijiao at the moment, the aura of Zhan Zhekun as Commander Xiong's master has become his life-saving straw. He knew that he was just trying to survive by hiding in Xinjiazhuang. When they defeated the three Lian Yang clans, they would naturally be free to take care of him.
To survive and to continue to be his "Three Hegemons of Yangshan", only the imperial court can be relied on.
However, the rumors these days have made him panic all day long, because it is rumored that Xiong Wencan has been dismissed from his post by the imperial court and his life may be in danger. Once Xiong Wencan was beheaded, Zhan Zhekun would naturally have no value. It is a big question mark whether the new governor can still think of his "lonely loyalty".
While I was worrying, someone came over to report: "Someone from Xinjiazhuang is here."
Feng Haijiao perked up and said, "How many people are here?"
"three people."
Feng Haijiao was secretly disappointed when he heard that only three people came. He originally thought that Xin Laonan would send someone to reward him with wine and meat, which would at least make his subordinates less tired and resentful.
"Call in."
A mountain man came in. Feng Haijiao knew this person and was a close confidant of Xin Laonan.
"Little Huang Daqiao, see Mr. Feng." He kowtowed on the ground as he spoke.
"Please get up." Feng Haijiao put on an "official appearance" and obviously wanted to speak, but he remained silent for a while before asking: "Did you get it from Shopkeeper Xin?"
"Yes, Master." Huang Daqiao said respectfully, "On the order of my shopkeeper, I came here to greet Master Feng, and also brought a message to Master Feng."
"Just say it."
"First, Shopkeeper Xin asked me how many people are going to come. There must be a number so that he can arrange food and accommodation..."
Feng Haijiao secretly thought that this old fox was quite sophisticated! Probably because I was afraid that if there were too many people, I would become more of a guest.
Thinking of this, he sighed pretending to be sad and said: "To be honest, Brother Sun was defeated and died this time, which greatly damaged the prestige of our brothers. Since ancient times, we have shared wealth and hardship, and shared hardships. The various people who originally came to surrender Brother Lu has left a lot - and I can't keep him. Now only the old brothers from before can still follow me."
Huang Daqiao listened respectfully.
Feng Haijiao looked like he had no future and was discouraged, "I have more than a hundred brothers. Including family members, there are also three hundred people. It's just that this time the brothers came out from Qinglianwei to join Shopkeeper Xin, and the whole family was treated as one. We have brought them all, so we hired more than 200 people to accompany them. When these people arrive at the village, they will be given a full meal and then sent home, so there is no need to prepare more food."
These words are false and true, true and false. His team has a large number of people, which cannot be concealed from others. Even if it is dark now and the Yellow Bridge cannot be seen clearly, Xin Laonan's spies will have enough time to count his number once they hit the road tomorrow.
Fortunately, there are indeed many family members in his team. Although there are not as many as nearly two hundred people, it can at least dispel some of Xin Laonan's suspicions. He said that he had about a hundred old brothers, which was something Xin Laonan knew. There are many boxes and cages in the team, and it is also true that most people are carrying them.
"Yes, I will tell the shopkeeper when I get back."
"Since there is one, there are naturally two. What else can Shopkeeper Xin say?"
