It can be seen that this boatman has some experiences and stories, but Feng Ziying does not have so much thought to explore. Being able to punt a boat on the bank of the Yellow River is not afraid of such a chaotic situation. He has some origins, but that so what?
Whether it's the informants on the rebel side or the real eyes and ears of some big shots in the area, I'm afraid they won't be of much use in this situation.
The food supplies in Wubao City have become a magnet that no one can abandon. Although rebels are constantly coming here, the government does not dare to let go easily. The magistrate Xia Zhiling has performed well, and now I Knowing this, he did not dare to let Wubao County and many materials and food fall into the hands of the rebels easily.
The boat slowly crossed the river. There were seven or eight people crossing the river with Feng Ziying and his party. They were not all the way. Three of them should be a business trip, two were singles, and the other two should be father and son. It seemed that they were going home. Home.
The entire group crossed the river, and there was nothing too unusual. Feng Ziying also looked for opportunities to chat with several other groups of people, but everyone was very cautious and refused to say more. They only said that the weather was bad and the harvest was bad, so that was why they did this. It was so difficult, and he didn't even mention the siege of the city by the rebel army on the other side of the river, as if he didn't know about this situation.
After getting off the ferry, Feng Ziying immediately felt a completely different tension from the one in Shanxi.
The bustling scene of people coming and going at Qikou Ferry can no longer be seen on the ferry. People are coming and going in a hurry. Several houses beside the ferry are closed, and only one or two are open. There are tea shops and restaurants, but just by looking at the guise, they are all hung feebly on bamboo poles, giving off an aura of desolation.
The guests who got off the boat immediately parted ways and left in a hurry. However, Feng Ziying and her group seemed to have nowhere to go and went to the restaurant to have something to eat.
The owner of the restaurant must be a local, with a greasy face and a flattering smile. The scarf on his forehead has already been wet with sweat. The sweat towel on his shoulders shows a kind of ocher yellow sweat stains, which are spotted in spots. When Feng Ziying and his party came in, they hurriedly wiped the tables and stools for them and asked Feng Ziying and his party what they wanted to eat.
Feng Ziying was very curious that since the food shortage in Shaanxi was so severe, there were still restaurants on the ferry. Aren't they afraid that hungry people would come to the door?
When people are starving to death, how can you control your rules and laws?
"Old man, I heard that things are not going well in Wubao now. It's not easy for your restaurant to be able to open." Feng Ziying asked casually while picking up a cake.
This kind of ferry restaurant can only supply very limited food, such as pancakes, cooked mutton, and chicken. These three items are expensive, but they are quite good if they are available.
"Sir, to tell you the truth, in our small shop, if it were anyone else selling vegetables, it would be pancakes at most, but no chicken or mutton. Your status is different, so..., but today is It's the last day, and the store will be closed tomorrow." The boss glanced at Feng Ziying and said very expertly: "You are people of status, you won't rely on me for these few copper coins."
"Hey, are you so sure that we have our identities?" Feng Ziying didn't care. People who have been in the car and boat shop for many years have unusually sharp eyesight.
"Haha, look at your shoes and the way you walk, you will know." The restaurant owner smiled and said: "These days, at this time, those who dare to cross the river from the east are seeking wealth. It shouldn’t be the way you look,..."
He didn't say it clearly, but Feng Ziying also knew that the other party was probably aware of the identity of his group of people in the government.
"It seems that you also know the situation in the county town?" Feng Ziying asked again.
"There are so many people coming and going, who are chasing me? It's just that these people are heading towards the county seat, so this ferry can be preserved without encountering major disasters, but it is estimated that tomorrow will be the same, heading towards this There are more and more people coming, and naturally no one will follow the rules, so I have to pack my things, get off the boat and hide, and check the situation."
The shop owner made no secret of it, "But looking at the situation, I'm afraid it won't be able to return to normal in a year and a half. If Wubao County is really defeated by them, it won't turn into a white land. How can it be restored in the future?" Come here? I’m afraid I’ll have to find my own way out.”
While Feng Ziying was talking to the shop owner, Liu Dingfeng was also talking to two rich and rough waiters.
It can be seen that the shop owner and the waiter are both characters who are used to seeing the wind and waves and have some experience. They are not too resistant to the questions asked by Feng Ziying and his party, and they do not hide anything, but they will not answer topics that are too deep, or He simply ignored it, which was in line with Feng Ziying's view.
Besides, it is a local snake, but when the torrent comes, if you still want to use the mantis as a chariot, it would be overestimating your capabilities.
After paying the money, Feng Ziying and his party left quickly.
It is necessary to be on guard against others. Although it is not sure which side the shop owner belongs to, he still has to be on guard against the danger caused by the spy of a certain group of rebels who senses that his group is suspicious and reports the news.
The group of people walked quickly and stopped when they were less than three miles away from Wubao County.
This area already has some battlefield conditions. From time to time, you can see small groups of rebels, or in other words, mobs, holding bamboo poles, hanging a flag with a homespun cloth whose color is difficult to distinguish, or hanging a long handle around the waist. Swords, hatchets, or simply sticks, or one or two spears among them, passed randomly on the road.
Liu Dingfeng led a few people to the foot of a cliff behind a mound. A cave dwelling was dug under the cliff. However, the entrance of the cave dwelling was obscured by dry vines hanging down from above. If you don't get closer and look carefully, you can't see it. There is a cave dwelling specially dug out here.
This place seems a bit remote. It is more than a mile away from the road from the ferry to the county seat. From the road, you can't tell there is anything surprising here. It is a good place to hide.
There were dry biscuits, water bladders, and some weapons and armor in the cave dwelling, but the number was not large and could only be enough for a few people.
"Sir, I reserved this place in advance. It turns out that I considered that our group may have to stay temporarily..." Liu Dingfeng explained and then said: "We have made an appointment to meet with the rebels tomorrow."
"With your cousin?" Feng Ziying asked in surprise.
"No, my cousin and the others should still be on the way. According to the day and the speed of travel, they will probably arrive tomorrow or the day after." Liu Dingfeng smiled bitterly, "I contacted the group of people from the Divers. When we came out, He said that we might have to go in again, and if we haven’t conquered the county by then, we would have to go in again, so we have to ask him to be accommodating.”
"Or give money? Will the other party not be suspicious?" Feng Ziying asked.
"Both groups of Diver Tigers and Leaping Stream Tigers are doing this kind of thing. Businessmen come out quietly, but they can't bring too many items, and they don't dare to bring too much, otherwise people can turn against them at any time. They are not interested in human life. , are only interested in gold, silver, pearls, jade and food, so this business became popular a few days ago..."
Liu Dingfeng obviously put a lot of thought into it and was very familiar with the situation of the rebels outside the city.
"What about the Waving Sky Flag?" Feng Ziying asked again.
"The people under Shake Tianqi have stricter control. Maybe there are still people below who do this kind of thing, but the leaders don't dare to do it openly..." Liu Dingfeng praised, "Shao Tianqi controls the people below. Very strict and very skilled. In fact, the reason why there has never been a formal large-scale siege of the city is that the Earth-Drilling Tiger and the Leaping Stream Tiger were unwilling to go all out because they were worried that the loss would be too great. If you go to attack the city, you will not only lose yourself, but also benefit in vain for these two groups, so you don't want to attack the city alone when you wave the sky flag, so you take it off, thinking of waiting for a few more people to join forces to attack the city. , but they probably only know about this group of people from Baiyun Mountain, but they don’t know that the people from Boyan Village and Baitang Village are also going south.”
Feng Ziying nodded. He already had an idea in his mind. He looked around and motioned for everyone to sit down. He needed to inform them of his intentions and not let everyone feel that he was doing something hopeless.
"Okay, let me tell you my plan. Wubao County cannot be lost. This is my bottom line. So how to do this, especially when external rebels are still gathering here, everyone has If you have any doubts, let me tell you."
Feng Ziying stood tall and raised her head slightly. The confidence on her face made the people around her subconsciously feel a sense of high-spirited aura.
"The rebel army we have now is about five, one is from the Earth-Drilling Tiger, one is from Wubao, one is from Leaping Stream Tiger, one is from Qingjian, one is Wailing Sky Flag, and one is from Suide Fenghuang Ridge. This force is At present, it seems to be the strongest and most effective in combat. The leader is also the most prestigious and can be regarded as the most dangerous. However, I feel that the Digging Tigers should be the ones with the weakest fighting will. After all, this is my hometown. Of course, they are just trying to survive. To seek wealth, if you give them some opportunities, you may not be able to bribe them or recruit them to rebel..."
Feng Ziying majestically protruded the words "recruitment and bribery" from his mouth. Li Guibao remained calm, but Liu Dingfeng's expression changed a little.
Perhaps for officials, bribery to backstab is a common thing, especially for these rebels. It may be difficult for outsiders to accept it, but it is really nothing.
"Of these three forces, we only need to worry about the one that is waving the flag in the sky, and the one that is jumping into the river can be ignored..." Feng Ziying said eloquently, "What we need to worry about is actually the two following ones, which are Boyan Village The rebel forces in Baitang Village and Baiyun Mountain, but now the rebel army in Baiyun Mountain has a good opportunity to break in..."
