"Half of them will go out? But will the manpower left in Laoying and Dongfang be too few?" Tan Zhongxiao was a little worried.
"It doesn't matter. Since it's a feint attack, they won't try their best! Besides, we have just arrived on the other side and haven't figured out the situation yet. The mountain gate and the east side are not in great danger.
With the front camp, the escort team, and the remaining sentry officers and soldiers, the 600-strong force was enough to stop them based on the terrain!
You can go about your business with peace of mind. I will leave this to the west...Shipen Valley to my three brothers! "As he said this, Li Dan handed over his hand, and the three of them hurriedly returned the gesture and expressed their willingness to do their best.
They understood that the front battalion was blocking the front for them, leaving the good work of capturing prisoners and harvesting to the three battalions behind them. It would be too embarrassing if they didn't do it well!
In Li Dan's peripheral vision, someone flashed at the door of the Heavenly King's Palace. "You guys wait a moment." After saying that, he returned to the Heavenly King's Palace.
Song Xiaoniu was waiting. When he saw Li Dan coming in, he immediately got up and came closer and whispered: "Sanlang, good news, the brother who followed Feng San is back!"
"Oh, how about it?"
"The bandits were hiding in Kwun Tong Village. You Sanjiang believed his words, left 500 people in place, and led a large group to feint attack.
Our people showed Feng San the route and made an appointment for him to bring a leader named Zhu and these 500 people into the valley early the next morning. "
"Okay, great!"
"Also, the people who went to the back mountain to explore the road have also returned. They found a road according to the little monk's instructions. It can be easily bypassed from the side of the mountain guarded by the back camp, and leads to a valley.
People standing below can hear their voices above, but the ones above are blocked by tree branches, so they can't see the road and the people on the road. "
"It seems that this battle is really unavoidable." Li Dan bit his lip: "If Xingwu hadn't accidentally said this, it would have almost ruined everything!"
When we first arrived, everyone thought that this place was very secure because it was surrounded by mountains on three sides. The most enemies could do was sneak up from the cliff and just hold the top of the mountain. Unexpectedly, there was a path to the south that could lead out!
If Xingwu hadn't told him, wouldn't it have opened a back door to the sheepfold? Li Dan was scared even thinking about it. But it was precisely because of this that he came up with the idea of using this news to lure you into a trap.
First defeat some enemies or break their will, and then create conditions for cooperation with General Sheng to launch a counterattack from the outside.
Li Dan came out immediately and told the three camp officials about the matter. When everyone heard that the bandits were entering the valley the day after tomorrow, they were all gearing up and smiling happily.
Especially the left camp was jealous that the right camp and the rear camp had received benefits from the shop, including soft goods and weapons (those who got the weapons were given priority, and the surplus and armor were turned in. Under the national law, armor was not allowed to be kept secretly). The pressure on Xiao Wanhe was not small. .
So they got together to discuss in detail for a while, and then separated to make preparations.
Zhou Qin first went to the left camp to borrow a hundred people, led a hundred animals to the right camp, put the prepared bamboo cages on the animals' backs, and rushed to the ferry with some people from the right camp.
He had previously agreed with the brothers who were looking for boats that all the boats would be gathered here.
At this time, there were already twenty boats, and these people, goods, and cargo had to be transported across the river in batches. It was said that the road to Huyan was better from there.
Tan Zhongxiao sent people with tools to go up the floodway of Shipen Valley to meet Xiao Wanhe and Brother Zhu. He himself and his brothers worked hard to build the raft.
The longer rafts can carry three or four people, and the smaller rafts can carry two people. This job is a bit laborious because it requires cutting a large amount of bamboo and wood, binding and transporting it.
Fortunately, I brought the tools with me when I was on a business trip, and everyone heard that there would be a chance to seize them soon, so everyone worked enthusiastically.
Xiao Wanhe led people out of the east valley and detoured south to Yuantouling.
This road was also taken by Zhou Qin and others when they set out to explore the road. It became narrower and narrower as they walked, and in the end there was only room for one livestock or one person to follow them.
Drawing on Zhou Qin's previous experience, everyone put the tools and weapons on the backs of the animals. The ones at the front were wedged into the cliff with long bamboo nails. The bamboo nails were connected with hemp ropes. People held on to the ropes and slowly walked from Walk over the smooth stone back.
On the right side of the road is a cliff, and on the other side is the river.
Everyone is busy, and the front camp obviously cannot rest. The stronger and longer the enemy troops are attracted to the mountain gate, the more conducive it is to confuse the opponent and cover up and cover the actions of each battalion.
In addition to continuing to make more defensive or sheltering facilities such as antlers to resist horses and row-nailed fences, Li Dan sent people to exchange grain from nearby farmers for some rice straw, chopped it up and mixed it with mud to make mud bricks.
Didn't Shi Mao say that there won't be any rain in the next few days, so we should make good use of God.
If he has time, he plans to use these mud bricks to build a new temple wall, and the original green bricks on the wall can be used to build a temple.
The remaining people in the front camp were not idle either, building watchtowers and ramming walls on the mountain, making it look like a small construction site.
The laborers in the village also came to help, and they had enough porridge and one meal for one day's work.
"After we leave, don't demolish this thing." Li Dan pointed to the wall being built on Dongshan Mountain and told Abbot Tongzhi:
"If there are bandits, the people can go in and take shelter. The big house can be used for discussions in the village."
Tongzhi folded his hands and recited the name of the Buddha, and said: "Sir, you are kind-hearted, but I think that house seems to be built with bamboo as dry rammed earth. Can it be kept?"
"Don't worry, Abbot, we'll light it on fire right away!" Song Xiaoniu said cheerfully.
Seeing Tongzhi's shocked face, Li Dan quickly told him that burning the inside and outside of the wall can make the wall as strong as pottery, and the bamboo inside has better support after being roasted and carbonized.
"The outside can be repaired at any time by applying plaster mixed with straw. It is not afraid of wind and rain and can be used for many years!"
Just as he was talking, the flames on the mountain were already rising into the sky. The people in the front camp were cheering on the mountain and down the mountain. Even the old and young in the village stood outside the temple to watch the excitement.
There's not much entertainment these days, and a fire can keep people excited for months.
They were having a good time, and the bandits in Sanjiang and other places in the lower reaches of the mountain didn't know what was going on and ran out to watch.
"What's going on? Lieutenant Zhu has already breached the temple? It doesn't look like that!" You Sanjiang wondered, even if he broke his head, he couldn't figure it out. Convenience:
"Go, find someone brave enough to get closer and take a look. What are they doing up there? Why are they setting fire to it?"
So there really was a bandit who bravely walked to the center of the official road. The people above ignored him and looked at him for a long time, but couldn't figure it out, so they returned to the camp to report:
"General, they built a house on the mountain, and for some reason they lit it on fire. I can't understand it. Come back and ask me if you should continue to stare at it?"
"Forget it, go back and rest." You Sanjiang sent this man away and said to his subordinates:
"The movements on the mountain are often unexpected. I think the leader is definitely not easy to get along with. You tell the brothers to be more alert tonight. Don't let him steal the camp if you are so close.
Then send someone to contact Captain Zhu to find out what's going on with him, and ask one or two legs to report back! "The men agreed repeatedly.
It is said that Captain Zhu and other five hundred people were left behind by You Sanjiang and were bored. Captain Zhu and a few of his men wanted to recruit some chickens, so they caught some common people's chickens and built a fence around them to fight.
I was happy to win, and the chicken that I lost was thrown to the maid who was sleeping with me to kill and stew it. Seeing that You Sanjiang sent someone to ask questions overnight, his boss was unhappy.
"He left me here for two days and then sent someone back to lecture me. What nonsense!"
The chicken was full this night, and Feng San came back. Lieutenant Zhu called him over to answer, and first scolded him: "Where did you hide, Gao Le, you stupid thief? Why bother waiting here!"
Feng San quickly knelt down with an aggrieved look on his face: "Master Zhu, aren't we following the general's order to find a way? We don't dare to be idle. Look, the clothes on this body have been scraped to pieces, and they are all in pieces!"
This man surnamed Zhu was originally an archer in the guard station and also served as a small flag officer. During the war, when he saw that the situation was not right, he shot hundreds of his own family members to death. When Lou Zi was surrendered, he was made a school captain for meritorious deeds.
According to their rules, a captain can lead between 800 and 1,200 people and can act alone. The main force that went north to attack the grain road was his subordinates, which is why You Sanjiang was very polite to him.
But he is a "general" and has a higher status than himself. He only leaves five hundred people. Isn't this a disguised seizure of power? This made Colonel Zhu feel angry.
He was unhappy when Feng San mentioned "the general's order". "You regard You Sanjiang as your ancestor, I won't let him down!" He threatened with bulging eyes.
"This..." Feng San immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing, and raised his hand to slap himself:
"The villain is stupid, captain, don't worry about it. But if the villain finds a path, won't the final victory fall into your hands?"
"Huh?" Lieutenant Zhu blinked his eyes twice and asked, "Why, did you really find that path?"
"Thanks to you, I almost walked to Lingyan Temple without anyone noticing." Feng San chuckled, mysteriously moved closer and lowered his voice and said:
"I will take you to sneak over there. We will kill the sentry and occupy the temple. We will first control the food, weapons, armor, and military pay, and then give them a knife from behind.
By the time the general arrives, the battle may be over. At that time, no matter what you gave to the general, he would continue it with a smile. Isn't this the truth? "
Lieutenant Zhu laughed loudly, and immediately changed his fierce look and asked: "You are so 'helpful', but what's your plan?"
"Scheming is out of the question." Feng Sangong handed over his hand: "The villain is from the same hometown as the general, and I wanted to get some wealth by joining him.
Unexpectedly, the general does not care about villains, and is ready to beat and kill them at every turn. The villain is really scared and wants to change his family and join your family.
You are the real captain who follows Lou Shuai, you are not just a subordinate. Lou Shuai has given him the title of 'general'.
This road is a meeting gift for villains. It will give you wealth and help brothers find benefits.
Please accept villains in the future! The villain will reward you with a title ring to ensure that you ascend to the position of general! "
"Is this what you said, to protect Zhu from becoming a general?"
"Leave it to the villain!" Feng San resolutely decided.
"Okay! Someone is here!" Lieutenant Zhu was in a good mood: "Give me the order to make food at five o'clock tomorrow morning and send out troops at nine o'clock!
I want to teach those reckless people who killed four hundred brothers a severe lesson! See if they still dare to go against the rebels? "
These people who rebelled against the government and soldiers claimed to be volunteers, but they were not restrained by discipline and law.
The consequences of the abuse of force were that they began to kill innocent people and rob property. This was also the reason why the gentry characterized them as "bandits".
