The heavy snow has slowed down a bit and light snow continues.
This is not a good time to send troops, because the weather is cold and the roads are difficult to walk... The snow on the lower layer is about to freeze, but the upper layer is new snow, making it unbearably slippery.
But at this time, more than just troops were dispatched. With the Ban County Camp as the core, civilians and field soldiers, including the newly formed troops who were routinely responsible for the transportation of military supplies, hundreds of thousands of people were dispatched to the woods and fields within a hundred miles. The roads and fields are full of people logging and clearing snow and transporting firewood.
In fact, if you say that there is no firewood and they are about to freeze to death, then so many living people cannot be suffocated to death by urinating. It is perfectly natural for them to come out to look for firewood tied up in straw sandals and winter clothes. The only thing that is abominable is that the Deposed Dragon Gang People always like to be unconventional and unconventional... When they recruit peasant husbands to work, they must give them a symbolic amount of money when dragging them out of the house. In the winter, even if you have money, you can't buy food and clothing, okay?
What's the use of a few copper coins?
Then they built military depots along the road, one station every ten miles. They cooked porridge in the depot. The porridge was so thin that you couldn't stand it with chopsticks. Walking ten miles with a bundle of firewood, such a heavy job, you can only get such a bowl of porridge with a lot. On the contrary, Seems ridiculous.
Not to mention, later on, the man who deposed the leader of the Dragon Gang and was known as the Lord of the Eight Counties actually came out to work with the leaders.
They were also clearing snow and hauling firewood, which made many people feel uncomfortable.
"What do you think this is for?" He led the troops off the road to transport firewood. In the snow, the leader Shan Tonghai, who was leading his troops to march, couldn't help but complain to his confidants. "Before, I was more respectable in the east, but after crossing the river, it was like a new person... The whole army was organized in this way, so that the generals didn't know the soldiers, and the soldiers didn't know the generals. Then they turned around and tried to win people's hearts again. Winning people's hearts doesn't go as far as this, right? With such a plan, don't the other leaders have to follow suit?"
"Actually, it's okay?" Xiahou Ningyuan, who was on the side, was stunned. He was careful on his horse, but he avoided the whole army. "Da Longtou said it when he came up today. It has nothing to do with his status. The main thing is that he has cultivation. He goes out to help, leads by example, and supervises the soldiers... And those with cultivation basically have to work hard to do this kind of work. It’s not worthy of being called that.”
"Of course I know this, I mean he bought the wrong person by buying people's hearts." Shan Tonghai responded with a sneer.
"No, right?" Xiahou Ningyuan thought for a while and said seriously. "Since the Tang Dynasty crossed south, the world has been in chaos for hundreds of years. The Wei Dynasty... the Wei Dynasty also collapsed just as it was about to unify. It can be seen that the matter of soldiers and horses still needs to be taken seriously, and those with force should always win over them. ? In my opinion, whether it is to win people's hearts or to win them over seriously, it is understandable no matter how much the leader cares about the sergeant."
"Xiahou, you don't understand." Shan Dalang was speechless. "I didn't say that we shouldn't win over the morale of the military. What I said was that his method to win over the morale of the military was wrong... He is a big leader. If he wants to win over the people's hearts, he should also buy over the people's hearts among the leaders and the 'scholars' who have cultivated their abilities. It’s okay to have people’s hearts, and then he can control the army through the leader and these cultivators, but in the end, he directly recruits the soldiers at the bottom... What’s the use of soldiers?”
Xiahou was silent for a moment and rode in the snow for a while. Then he seriously asked his boss: "Brother, do you really think the soldiers are useless?"
"That doesn't mean...this is just my words." Shan Dalang immediately corrected him. "Without soldiers, who will guard the city? Who will rule the place? Who will fill the military formations? If the soldiers are useless, then what is the use of the cultivation of the Zhengmai? If the cultivation of the Zhengmai is useless, what about the Qijing? This Planting things is one layer after another. If you really go on to say this, wouldn't it mean that everything below Condensation Pill is useless, and you can't form a decent military formation anyway? What I mean is that there are rules in everything. This is my own words... He For this kind of faucet, all we have to do is grab the leader. We, the leader, grab the leader, and then go down one level at a time. If he pulls him in directly to the bottom, those of us in the middle will be uneasy."
Xia Hou nodded, understanding what his eldest brother meant, but after riding for a while, he slowly shook his head: "Brother, I think there are a few inappropriate things about you..."
Shan Tonghai originally just complained casually and expressed his attitude, but he didn't expect Xiahou to be more serious and regretted it. But now, seeing that his brother has an opinion, why does he want to just shut up and let it go?
"What do Xiahou think?" Shan Dalang asked bravely.
"The thing is like this. First of all, the eldest brother feels something is wrong because he is the leader and is in front of the leader..." Xia Hou spoke seriously in the snow.
Halfway through the words, Shan Tonghai suddenly woke up and laughed dryly: "I have already said that it should be the leader. There is no need to distinguish between the big leader and the leader."
Xia Hou still shook his head: "That's the problem. The leader comes out to win people's hearts. It only stops at the big leaders. Big leaders like Big Brother are comfortable, but the leaders will definitely have their own ideas. It stops at the leaders. People like me are comfortable. Local leaders What about the leaders? But what about the generals, those who have cultivated extraordinary scriptures, the team leaders and those who have cultivated the true lineage? In addition to the military class, there is also the region. The eastern border of Hebei is the biggest talking point in the military today... …Everyone starts from their own perspective. One side of one’s mind is one idea, and the other side is another’s idea...This matter should not be compared based on our personal opinions alone, otherwise nothing is appropriate.”
"That's the truth." Shan Tonghai smiled, feeling that his complaint was getting burned, so he wanted to stop, but he still couldn't help but be mean. "Then let's go back to the original meaning. To be fair...Zhang Dalongtou just ran out to win over the sergeant. Isn't he biting off more than he can chew? Sergeant of the 25th Battalion, did he win over everyone?"
"Since he wants to do great things, he should be greedy enough to win people's hearts." Xia Hou did not give in. "The key is to see whether the spiritual energy of the people he spends at various levels and places is fair or unfair, even or uneven... Brother, don't forget, why is the Wei Dynasty in its current situation? Haven't you always said it, it's the two saints It is unfair to win people's hearts. In the eyes of the late emperor, only the people of Guanlong were counted as human beings, and he did not win the hearts of people in Hebei and the east. In the eyes of this tyrant now, he only looks at the people above him and treats the common people as dirt. One look at it, and the result is broken. And what he did and did today was obviously aimed at the sergeants. It’s not like he has never bribed the hearts of the leaders and big leaders before. If he didn’t bribe them, where would the twenty-five battalions of soldiers come from? "
Shan Tonghai was embarrassed for a moment and could only remain silent.
But Xia Hou Ningyuan was not finished: "Now that we have talked about this, in addition to these few principles, I would like to take this opportunity to ask my eldest brother today... I think we brothers have nothing to talk about... Can you tell me Clearly, what’s going on between you and Longtou? Do you still hold grudges about your elder brother and your clan uncle? Or is there some other big problem? Let me tell you, all the eight counties in the east are in trouble, and they are all here now. Now in Hebei, the military and horse system is not the same as before, and it’s time to turn the page.”
Shan Tonghai was not in a hurry to reply, but looked at the winding military columns in the snow on his horse, thinking as he walked forward. After a long time, he shook his head in reply:
"This matter is indeed a thorn in the side... My temperament is like this. You should also know that even if you are angry, you will retaliate. If you hold a grudge deep in your heart, you will never forget it... What's more, when the incident just started that day, it was just a pattern of two leaders and three big leaders. Who among the five kings and Xu Da has not secretly separatized counties and towns? Isn't it even Niuda? It's just that those three people were more tactful and took advantage of me. How can I forget this? I will never forget it in my life. "
Xiahou Ningyuan nodded slightly, neither refuting nor catering, but silently urging the horse to move forward. He knew that the other party must have other words to say.
"But in the end, it was no longer a matter of face, but the life of a clan uncle. As you said, the eastern border was all over, and people came to Hebei." Shan Tonghai seemed to face his confidants. It was a bit heartbreaking. "But I have long been involved in the dispute between the two leading figures. In both of the two important decisions, I also made the one that was the most thorn in his side... Now I just want to get rid of it, but how easy is it? I feel in my heart Even if he doesn’t give in, he won’t let me go.”
"If he doesn't let the eldest brother go, how come he is still the stable leader now? And even though the system has been changed, our brothers' troops and horses have not been reduced by half, and the family foundation in the east is also there... If he says that he has no ability to move Big boss, this is also nonsense, isn't Zu Chenyan just a clerk in the barracks now?" Xiahou spoke sincerely, and his thoughts were self-evident.
"What do you know?" Shan Dalang responded proudly. "Am I the same thing as a loser like Zu Chenyan? I have failed, but it was also a failure for everyone, and the one who said he couldn't lose looked better than Cheng Dalang. Arguments over decisions are just arguments, and work is done without decisions. , Have I ever delayed my military duties? Have I ever shied away from official duties in the gang? As long as I do my best for the gang, why should he touch me?"
At this point, Shan Dalang thought about it and immediately responded seriously: "Actually, he shot himself in the foot. He was an empty leader before, so naturally he has to work hard to establish our Dragon Gang. The rules and authority within the gang, but later his prestige increased greatly, and he could have dominated the gang, but instead he was subject to the rules of the gang. So as long as I stick to the rules and keep my feet to the ground, everyone above and below will know that we will not deal with it. , what can he do? Unless he loses his face and abolishes his own rules, is it worth it for my position as a big leader? "
Xia Hou narrowed his eyes slightly, but he had to admit that his once arrogant eldest brother actually grasped some key points and did not become an untimely fool like recent rumors.
This is indeed an idea.
Moreover, Xia Hou himself was slightly inspired by his eldest brother's thoughts and had some other ideas... That is, he vaguely felt that Zhang Longtou might have deliberately kept his eldest brother, a recognized opponent and thorn in his side, to show his magnanimity. It means, or to think more boldly, to use your eldest brother as a rule, to show that you are willing to maintain the unity of the gang.
In other words, Shan Dalang may look shaky, but in fact he is able to stand firm precisely because of his opposition status.
At this thought, Xiahou Ningyuan felt relieved and didn't bother to care. As long as his eldest brother didn't rebel or the big leader could endure it, why should he care?
My future lies only in the first battalion of soldiers.
Leaving the eastern border and coming to Hebei, there was a clean battalion of soldiers and horses, with a lot less involvement, and there was no need to feel tired.
Just as I was thinking about it, during the march, a messenger suddenly came on horseback from the snow in front of me.
"Leader Shan! Chief Xiahou!" The envoy spoke with a Hebei accent. "My leader Dou is here to invite you."
"He asked me to go to his place in the former army?" Shan Tonghai asked coldly.
"No, let's go to the leader of Xiong to discuss it together." The envoy clearly heard Shan Tonghai's mood and quickly corrected him.
Shan Tonghai sneered and said nothing.
However, Xiahou Ningyuan nodded, and then the envoy left in confusion.
"These Hebei people are obviously shaking." Shan Tonghai shook his head.
"There are disputes everywhere, not to mention that this is Hebei, and people think we are outsiders coming to oppress us!" Xia Hou hurriedly came to persuade. "King Xiongtian still needs to be respected."
"The main reason is that these guys from Hebei can't get on the stage, they are all petty and petty..." Shan Tonghai said disapprovingly. "That is, Wei Xuanding and Xiong Bonan are two people from Hebei. Keep an eye on them."
Xiahou Ningyuan shook his head repeatedly, but he didn't care much about the topic compared to before.
Let us also say that after the army was reorganized, each battalion would be full of 2,500 men, which must include many warriors, horsemen, trumpeters, charioteers, and some necessary craftsmen... This is another criticism of Zhang Dalongtou. One thing about him is that he has long been used to being called cooks and grooms. He had to change his name to a sergeant, saying that he wanted to be equal to a sergeant... In short, basically every battalion has a final soldier of about two thousand, which can be used in a small area for short periods of time. A unit that attacks independently within a certain period of time.
But this time, isn’t it necessary to transport food and trophies to Dawu Fort? Moreover, we were fighting in the snow and seeking safety. Therefore, the Banxian camp specially allocated many specialized craftsmen and vehicles, and temporarily removed some field soldiers to serve as auxiliary troops. This number was also three to four thousand.
Therefore, the marching column is a large marching column with these baggage vehicles and auxiliary troops as the core... Dou Lide moved in front, followed by Xiong Bonan and Zhou Xingfan, then Xiahou Ningyuan, and finally Dan Tonghai. It is precisely because of this that the two generals who had been chatting with each other before just moved forward slightly and came to Xiong Bonan, and then they saw Dou Lide who had been waiting here.
Several people met each other and turned to the roadside. Dou Lide got straight to the point: "Everyone, I sent a local scout yesterday. I just came back to inquire about the news. They said that it was because of the snow that blocked the traffic, and that Wubao relied on itself in Jiangling City. I didn't notice anything from the side, but the big faucet behind me was getting firewood, making a lot of noise. I was afraid that they would notice it tomorrow or the next day, so I came up with an idea... Why not find a place in front of me and set up camp in the afternoon? , eat well, sleep well and keep warm, then set off at night by taking advantage of the snowy scenery, and rush over at night, wouldn't it be easy to win?"
"It's not impossible." Xiahou Ningyuan nodded in approval. "According to what I said before coming here, the key is to quickly occupy the Wubao, establish a stronghold, and then transport the food back... If the raid can be successful on a snowy night, it will save a little effort and the Wubao will be more complete, so of course it won't hurt."
Of course Xiahou would agree... Although everyone came to Wubao, their specific tasks and ideas were not exactly the same.
For example, Dou Lide was from Hebei, and he was getting more and more useful. He also got a new battalion that was no worse than any other, and he was fed meat porridge by Zhang Dalongtou. He really wanted to take the opportunity to prove his army and personal ability, so he wanted to fight. Try to be as nice and crisp as possible;
According to the deployment before coming here, after conquering these forts and grabbing the food, we will not give up directly. Most of the forts in the plains and Bohai Sea will be taken advantage of and become strategic fulcrums for expansion in the spring. For example, the purpose of this trip After the war, it was Xiahou Ningyuan who led the main camp to stay in Wubao, a local family with the surname Huang. Therefore, in addition to victory, he valued the integrity of Wubao more.
As for Xiong Bonan and Xiao Zhou, they wanted to ensure that the military discipline of the two battalions was refined during this operation. This is something Zhang Xing has repeatedly emphasized;
Only Shan Tonghai, because he was just a reserve team, didn't have much to think about.
"There's something." Xiao Zhou asked seriously and thoughtfully. "The key to our trip is to improve military discipline in each battalion, fight at night, and take advantage of the opportunity to hide personal interests. How can we achieve a decisive decision now?"
"It doesn't matter." Dou Lide seemed to have been prepared. "We can calculate the time accurately, march at night, and raid in the early morning. It will be dawn by then."
At this point, Xiao Zhou had nothing to say, and the matter was settled. Everyone began to calculate and discuss the distance and speed, and study the camping location. Then Dou Lide personally chose a location, and the entire army took a stand in the snow. A simple camp.
It is really difficult to dig trenches in winter, but according to the "Six Tao" version of the Dragon Slayer Gang, they temporarily piled up ice and snow and made a simple camp.
Immediately, they started cooking and had a hearty meal. Most of the sergeants, civilian husbands, and craftsmen also went to bed early.
Among them, Shan Tonghai and his troops were responsible for peripheral security because they were considered as backup. Even though the possibility of military information leakage was extremely low, they were still meticulous and watertight. They only took good care of the surrounding villages and towns, blocked all roads, and sent sentries to the target. Wubao surnamed Huang and the nearby Jiangling County are under surveillance... It can be seen that although the leader Shan has always been full of complaints, after all, he had family military education when he was young, and then he had military experience. Now it seems that he has no Shao Wang has been constantly revising the "Six Tao", so whether it is personal cultivation or military level, it has not dropped even half a point.
It can really be regarded as the core combat force of the Deposed Dragon Gang.
Don't tell me, Shan Tonghai's hard work actually paid off. In the evening, the snowflakes had stopped, and the scouts in front came to report that there was a team coming from the northwest, which was Jiangling County, the target of this march.
The exact number of people is unknown, and the equipment is unknown, but there are approximately a thousand people.
The thousand-man team that came out at this time must be taken seriously... Shan Tonghai did not dare to neglect, especially since the troops could set off at any time, so he communicated with several other leaders and personally led his bodyguards to conduct reconnaissance.
Immediately, he met Wang Xiongdan who was leading a dozen cavalry in the van.
"Why is Chief Shan here?" Wang Xiongdan asked in surprise with a tired face. "We noticed someone peeping in the snow, but we didn't expect it to be one of our own...are we going to mobilize troops?"
Wang Xiongdan is a serious leader. Shan Tonghai just frowned slightly and told him bluntly: "Yes, we are going to attack the Wubao southwest of Jiangling City ahead... You didn't disturb them on the way, right?"
"That's not true." Wang Xiongdan explained seriously. "Most of the team is old, weak, sick and disabled, and more than half of them are family members of rebels. Instead of going to those Wubao for help, it is better to go to Ban County as early as possible... It is also good luck to bump into the big boss."
"By the way, you are going to Gaojibo to pick someone up." Shan Tonghai thought about it and laughed. "It just so happened that Dou Lide was behind him, so we bumped into him."
Wang Xiongdan also laughed when he heard the words, but suddenly lowered his voice and moved forward: "Big leader, there are not only the family members of the rebels in Gaojiboli, but also some refugees from Changhe County, and Li Si from Wu'an County. One of my students, although he is young, he is a serious and thoughtful officer. He has more than a hundred elite sergeants, more than us... In order to do things, we must prevent him from causing trouble, and we must also prevent the refugees from dispersing. Leak the news.”
"I know." Shan Tonghai understood. "I'll go with you now and keep an eye on the situation. You can go ahead with your own people and rest in the camp."
In this way, Shan Dalang followed Wang Xiongdan who turned around and went forward. In a moment, he met a team of thousands of people stopped in a forest.
The composition of the team is complex. As Wang Xiongdan said, most of them are old and weak, women and children, but there are also capable and tired sergeants. There are obviously two types of soldiers and old and weak... There are two to three hundred people there among the old and the weak. It was obviously organized and well-organized. There were only four or five hundred people scattered, but they were just following behind. The capable sergeants were also divided into two groups. One group had forty or fifty people, who were under Wang Xiongdan's command, and the other group had more than a hundred people. The person is probably a soldier of Wu'an County.
His eyes swept over, and as Wang Xiongdan secretly rubbed his fingers, Shan Tonghai looked at a young knight, but he just looked at it, and then he was not in a hurry. He just calmly asked a row of cars at the front of the team. :
"Who is Sister Dou or Mrs. Cao?"
Unexpectedly, everyone in the car just cowered and looked, and no one responded.
Instead, on the snow behind the motorcade, a middle-aged woman with frostbite on her hands rubbed her hands and stuck her head out: "If you want to ask about Dou Lide's family and Cao Chen's sister, it's me."
Shan Tonghai was startled, laughed dryly for a moment, and sighed again: "Good luck, Leader Dou...Sister-in-law Dou, I am Shan Tonghai, the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang. Our camp is ten miles away. Your husband and brother are both there." There, don’t delay, let’s set off immediately!”
As soon as these words came out, the whole team seemed to come alive. Mrs. Cao also swayed in the snow and raised her forehead with her hands.
The team set off again, and the young officer came first to hand over his hand: "Uncle Shan! We were originally ordered to send people here..."
"Then it's time to send it to the end." Dan Tonghai replied coldly. "Now listen to my military order. Throw the corpses in the team to the ground and collect them later. Abandon all the cars. Place the sick and injured on the horses. You can lead the horses and set off immediately."
Su Jingfang was stunned. After all, he did not dare to resist a famous rebel and master of pill condensation, and he had two hundred elite cavalry.
But he was always unconvinced. After a moment, he asked again: "Uncle Shan, there are not enough horses and there are too many wounded people. What should we do?"
Shan Tonghai immediately dismounted and handed over the reins, causing Su Jingfang opposite to look at him again before leading the horse away.
Frankly speaking, there were actually a lot more women, children, the elderly and the weak in the team. After marching in the snow for several days in a row, a lot of people had been lost due to illness, injury and frostbite, and deaths were not uncommon. But the team was all family members, and Wang Xiongdan and Su Jingfang couldn't make the decision, so no one dared to abandon the corpses, bottles, and vehicles.
At this time, Shan Tonghai made a decision, but it allowed the team to go into battle lightly in an instant.
Including, the distance was twenty miles, but he only said ten miles, which stimulated the speed of the team.
Just like that, the team set off on the road, with Shan Tonghai personally walking behind to hold down the formation. Ruoding was the commander along the way. When it got dark, no one complained. They just continued to advance by the snow light, and soon they could really see the light of the camp.
By this time, many people who were backward but struggling to persevere had gathered around him. There was even a girl wearing a red headband and a sword who took the initiative to help maintain order along the way... I only found out about Shantong Sea Road. , this young lady is Dou Lide's daughter, she is also amazed, thinking that the country bumpkin is really lucky.
"Single Chief!" When they arrived at the camp, a deputy general from the auxiliary camp led hundreds of auxiliary soldiers to come to meet him. After presenting a new horse, he told him something. "Leader Dou knew that his wife and daughter had arrived before, but the troops had been mobilized before, but he asked me to thank him, and then he still led the troops in person."
"Where are King Xiongtian and Xiahou?" Shan Tonghai immediately mounted his horse and asked seriously.
"The Xiahou leader will send troops soon. King Xiongtian and the Zhou leader are waiting for the leader Shan to send troops together." The officer continued to report.
"Okay, let's move these family members into the auxiliary barracks and arrange them safely. After we leave, we will listen to the arrangements of the two leaders Wang Xiongdan and Ma Ping'er. I have to go to the camp to prepare for dispatching troops first... Mrs. Cao, Dou Xiaoniang, you There's no need for you two to be busy anymore. It's best to rest after entering the camp." Shan Tonghai made arrangements properly, and when he said this, he looked at Su Jingfang who had been observing coldly. "You kid, bring your people with me and send troops together."
He seemed to be worried about this court officer.
Su Jingfang could only exhale white air.
Mrs. Cao and Xiaoniang Dou were both aware of the situation and did not dare to waste time to express their thanks. Instead, they followed each other and bowed to each other. Hundreds of women, children, old and weak, seemed to know what this stern big boss was going to do. No one dared to delay their business, but they all struggled to get up and stood still in the bright snow. They waited for others to pass by before saluting in turn.
Shan Tonghai was used to being a big boss and a dignified man. This kind of scene seemed rare and strange, so he just held his head high, waved his hands casually, and didn't look sideways.
It seems that he doesn't take it seriously.
After a long time, Shan Tonghai also led his troops to attack. Su Jingfang, who was forced to follow him, couldn't bear it anymore: "Uncle Shan acted like that along the way. It can be said that he is deliberately trying to win people's hearts, but don't you feel too tired? A group of women and children, is it worth it?”
He was neatly dressed and put on a half-length white short cloak that represented the identity of the big leader. Shan Tonghai turned back coldly, but did not talk to this kid. Instead, he pointed at this guy and the King Xiongtian and others who were dressed the same as him and said sincerely:
"Look, this is the reason why Wei Wei lost the world! Little do you know that Hai Nei has long understood the simple truth that in everything, people should be put first... To win people's hearts, you have to judge whether it is worth it or not, that is what the imperial officers can say. "
Below Xiong Bonan, many cultivation masters of the Deposed Dragon Clan, mainly from the Eastern Border, nodded one after another, saying that Leader Shan's words were extremely true, and the imperial court was indeed hopeless.
By the way, I despise Su Jingfang for his short-sightedness.
PS: Thank you to the new alliance leader Shengxian Qitian... I am grateful.
When I woke up today, I felt like I was five years older. I also had oral ulcers and had been feeling groggy for a long time... The broken back last night was indeed a sign.
(End of chapter)
