Neither Li Dan nor Zhao Jingzi had such a thorough understanding of the Lake Bandits. After hearing Xie San'er excitedly come back and imitate what he heard from "Yu Po", both of them felt suddenly enlightened.
"Hey, it's different when we have inside information!" Li Dan shouted, then looked at Zhao Jingzi: "What do Xianfu think?"
Zhao Jingzi was a few years older after all, so he bit his lip and replied: "If it is true, we can try to take advantage of the contradiction between them.
It would be best to instigate the two families to rebel on the spot. If they don't want to, they can withdraw from the battlefield without intervening. "
He looked at Li Dan: "As long as our strategy is not exposed too early, I have no objection to contacting the Bai and Song families."
Li Dan could tell from his words that Zhao Jingzi was afraid that the arrangements and intentions would be revealed during the contact, so he nodded and said to Xie Saner:
"Prepare some gifts and take them with you. When the camera comes, I will only say that Li Sanlang admires heroes and wants to bring peace to the two of them. Don't talk about anything else. Observe his attitude first, and then decide what to do next."
"Understood!" Xie San'er performed the military salute and was about to leave when Zhao Jingzi called him back: "Do you know why I sent you instead of a staff officer to carry out this mission?" Xie San'er shook his head blankly.
"You are the earliest member of the Green Shirt Team and the earliest member of the Tea Mountain Club. You have been managing prisoners before, and your loyalty to you is obvious to all.
On the other hand, we are very satisfied with your performance in interacting with prisoners and surrendered soldiers, as well as your understanding of the psychology of the rebels and the results of your enlightenment.
Especially since you played a big role in persuading Wang Xi to surrender! Originally this play was supposed to be sung by Shen Wu, but now he has gone to Fuzhou. We chose you after careful consideration. "
Li Dan spoke relatively slowly, trying to make the other party understand and listen to everything.
"When you come back, you can choose whether you want to stay in the Police Department or join the Reconnaissance Department!" Zhao Jingzi said with a smile. In fact, this guy wanted him to jump to the Reconnaissance Department to be his deputy.
"When I want to be an official in the future, I can't always be called Xie San'er, Xie San'er." Li Dan also made fun of him, loving the governor who finally made Wang Xi decide to surrender:
"Go to Mr. Han and ask him to give you a good name. Don't you think Crab King Five has changed his name? Jie Guiting, how nice!"
Xie San'er giggled sheepishly, and suddenly remembered what Zhou Dutou said to him, and quickly reported it to the two of them. Li Dan nodded and said he understood:
"King Zhou Tian said one means one and two means two. Since he said this, I'm afraid Dou Kuaiban (referring to the head catcher Dou Jiong) has really cast his net in Santang Town.
This man is very capable and has contacts with heroes, celebrities, and famous gentry from all over the world. You must cooperate well with him on this trip. "
Xie Saner quickly stood at attention and agreed loudly.
That night, Yu Liang was unexpectedly called up, and Xie Saner took him to meet Li Dan and Zhao Jingzi. The frightened Yu Po, who had not been mentally prepared in advance, almost knelt down again.
Li Dan comforted him for a few words, and Zhao Jingzi asked him in detail about the various leaders in the lake, especially those who participated in Liao Huazi's alliance in Shiziling.
"Okay, not bad." Zhao Jingzi was very satisfied: "He has a clear mind, speaks to the main points and is not verbose.
The key is that he has only been serving as a messenger for a year and a half. It is rare to have such a clear understanding of each family in the lake. When you come back, go directly to the reconnaissance office. I think he learns things quickly and is a good player! "
Santang Town is slightly higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. It faces the Santang River (also called Santang Water), and there are water pools in the south and north.
At this place, the river turned along the terrain of Changling, then went south, turned around again between Dongjiashan and Luoshiling, and only calmed down after entering the wide Sanjuwei section of the river, and slowly and leisurely headed west. .
Although Changling is called a ridge, in fact, in the eyes of northerners, it is probably just a hill at most.
A very conspicuous fortress has now been built on the mountain north of the town, and the tall watchtower can be seen from a distance like a lighthouse.
The crenellations on the fort wall are not yet complete, and many people can be seen working on them. They must make it more perfect before the lake bandits arrive.
The people of the town will be counting on it when the time comes!
The location chosen for this fort is really good. The west, north and east sides are either rice fields, swamps or ponds. There is only one southeast road leading from the town to the entrance. .
The horse-blocking wall outside the door is about thirty or forty steps from the river. There is a small stone pier where seven or eight sand boats of various sizes that were originally used as ferries are parked.
The two boatmen pointed to the river and spoke to a man carrying a knife. Their tone seemed familiar.
"Boss Dou, do you see that the water here is much clearer than what we saw just upstream? The sediment has been deposited in front, so that's why. The polders over there are good land, most of which are owned by the Qian family, and are used every year. The mud from the river bottom is so fat!"
The older one took out the straw from his mouth and pointed at it and said:
"But the ground on both sides of our bank is high, so when the water rises, the water volume and water speed are still very large. The sediment that cannot sink in the front will be brought and left in Nanhuzhou. Then we go forward past Dongjiashan, Once the river is wider, the water will be clearer than here!"
"Oh. When the water is strong, won't Nanhuzhou be flooded?" Dou Jiong looked downstream.
"Part of it will be flooded. The two sides of Nanhu Island are slightly lower and are formed by sedimentation. The high part in the middle is actually a big rock underneath. The rising water can only flood the lower part, but it cannot flood the whole island."
The young man replied: "That's why a few people stayed on it to grow vegetables and fish for a living.
However, they did not build a pier. They only used sand boats to wash the beach. Larger boats were not allowed to go there. Those who were not familiar with the water channels and water conditions below were often stranded. Especially in the wide part of the river in the west, accidents often happened. "
"Do you often get stranded on the wider side?" Dou Jiong asked again in surprise: "Then, what if we get stranded?"
"Hehe, what can we do?" The old boatman said with a wicked smile: "Let's discuss it with the men on the sandbank and ask them to help pull the fiber over. Maybe we have to unload the cargo and lose weight, or the women and children on the boat have to temporarily disembark to the island. Stay one night temporarily."
Dou Jiong looked at the two of them doubtfully, and saw that the young man was also grinning. He suddenly understood that this was also a way for people on the sandbank to make extra money. He couldn't help but curl his lips, secretly laughing that you may not have a chance to make money this time!
This one of the two guardians of Zhou Tianwang (Zhou Zheng, Zhou Dutou) is much more famous in the villages outside the city than in the city.
When these rural people saw him, they all treated him with respect. The reason was that he not only had a wide network of people and good popularity, but also had excellent martial arts skills and never showed his teeth and claws to show his power like Wei Xiong.
Dou Jiong is a local, and his family is considered a middle-class household in Guanshan. Not only does he have paddy fields and orchards, he also rents more than a dozen boats to fishermen, and his life is pretty good.
His elder brother Dou Yi is a scholar and is currently employed as an enlightenment teacher in the home of Mr. Deng, a fellow magistrate of Nanchang Prefecture. Although Dou Jiong was also literate and knowledgeable, he was not interested in the imperial examination.
When he was 20 years old, he went to Fuzhou to help someone place a bid and encountered water bandits. He got on the bandit's boat at night and killed seven people with his own hands, and rescued the hostages and cargo, which made him famous.
Mr. Fan had just taken office at that time. After hearing about it, he hired this brave young man to work as a fast worker. In the past two years, he solved several cases in a row and rose to his current position based on his ability.
After chatting for a while, he parted with the boatmen and walked along the upward dirt road to the fort. Although the fortress was built in a hurry, they actually didn't forget to dig a foot-wide trench outside the gate and divert water from the mountain.
The water was not full yet, but Dou Jiong knew that it was because the gate had not been opened, and he had to be careful when walking on the six-foot-wide suspension bridge. In fact, there were wooden piles and bamboo sticks densely covered under the water, and it was not easy to fall down.
Go to the other side and turn around the horse-blocking wall. The road in front of you climbs up the steps. There is a small door above, which can only accommodate two fully armed men passing by side by side.
In the doorway he met Song Qian from the inspection branch. "Inspector Song." He took the initiative to hand over to the other party. Song Qian was not only the inspection officer of the branch, but also the official and military flag general.
"How, have you talked to the boatmen?" Song Qian still had a serious face, but his tone was much softer than when he was training his troops.
"Well, it's as I expected. The sandbar is in the middle of the waterway. If you get too close, you will be stranded. I have made an appointment with the boatman to take the boat tomorrow morning when the tide is low.
They took me on and around the sandbar.
After seeing it on the spot, I can report it to the inspection team. But... we don’t know how big our ship is yet. Dou Jiong said.
"It doesn't matter. Do you have a way to measure the depth of the water? A letter from the patrol inspector said that we should pay attention to find more points and try to understand the underwater situation clearly."
"Understood. I'll take two or three brothers who are good at water to go and feel it myself."
"Very good, very good!" Song Qian finally showed a smile: "There is a staff officer from the staff who can draw pictures. You take him with you tomorrow morning and let him record what you touch on the ship."
"Okay!" Dou Jiong nodded and asked, "Sir, are you going out?"
"Hey, if an acquaintance comes, I'll greet him. You go wipe your face and come to the meeting hall in the evening." After saying this, Song Qian imitated Li Dan's gesture and patted him on the shoulder, then led a patrolman toward the town. .
When the sky darkened, two bonfires were lit on the pier outside the town. The blazing fire drove away the cold air of autumn.
Song Qian did not wear the armor or the red shirt of the army. He wore the brown arrow sleeves of the inspection department. He wore a cyan cloak and a gray shawl to protect him from the cold.
He originally thought that the clothes designed by Li Dan were not good-looking and eye-catching, but after fighting in Shangrao, he discovered that the color combination was convenient for ambush and night sneaking, and it was also convenient for movement and wrapping wounds during combat, so he gradually accepted it.
"Sir, they are coming." The patrolman who was watching on the pier suddenly called out, and Song Qian immediately got up from the stone and walked over.
In the distance, a small boat approached. There were two torches at the bow and stern of the boat, and a tall man was seen standing on the boat. As the boat gets closer, you can hear someone on the boat speaking softly: "The boat is about to dock, sir, please be careful."
"Yes." Yang Dayi responded. At the moment when the side of the boat rubbed lightly against the dock, he twisted around and jumped up. He stretched out his big hand cheerfully, clasped his fists and said with a smile, "Brother Song, I'm here!"
"Song Qian has met Mr. Bei Yushi!" Song Qian showed a relaxed smile, but he still performed a military salute first, and then asked Yang Dayi to come ashore. "I heard that my lord is here, I feel relieved for my humble position!"
He couldn't help but say something from his heart: "Although this fort is well-built, the teams are all improvised, and the combat effectiveness cannot be said in words.
The general staff sent a message saying that the first battle with the lake bandits would be fought here. I was very nervous. It’s really wise for the governor to send an adult here! "
"Stop praising him. I've been hearing praises all day long. I'm really afraid that this kid will float up. That's not a good thing!" Yang Dayi waved his hand.
Song Qian laughed twice and asked him: "Sir, would you like to rest and eat something first before discussing the matter, or...?"
"Didn't Brother Dan always say that we should be as fast as the wind and Xu Rulin? The war is just around the corner and there is no time to pay attention to it. Let's not hold a feast to welcome the wind. Just make some pickles, porridge, and pancakes. After eating, we can discuss matters! "
"Okay, listen to me, sir." Song Qian already knew this man's temper, so he followed his wishes and told him not to worry about the food and accommodation of his brothers.
"The small village at the bottom of Luosili Ridge has already been prepared, and meals will be served as soon as the team arrives.
Stewed fish with basil, stir-fried snails and leeks, and braised tofu with spinach. The cook was brought by Yu Gan, who was taught by the inspector himself, and everyone will definitely be satisfied...! "
He chattered all the way, completely unlike the serious and rigid look he had during military training. He led Yang Dayi through the town towards the fortress. As he passed by, he introduced to him which road was the commercial street, where the town hall was, and where. It’s local Confucianism and so on.
Yang Dayi walked around and observed, and even at night, he got a general understanding of the town.
When he walked to the door, Yang Dayi said "Hey", pointed to a few boats on the shore below and asked, "Is there a pier here too?"
"This can't be counted as a pier. This is the original ferry crossing of Santang Ferry. The water here is relatively fast and there is no suitable place to build a pier. It's okay to just dock these few small boats. Big ships can't reach the shore.
"Song Qian introduced: "The ferry goes up to Guijia Ferry, and down to Sanjia Ferry. It can only ferry people, but not larger quantities of merchants, cars, or horses. Oh, by the way,"
He added: "I will meet Yu Qian's squad leader Dou Jiong later. He is familiar with this area and has good water skills."
"Really? That's great!" After Yang Dali said, they had already walked into the front yard of the castle. He looked at the newly built fortress by the light of the torch and found that it was not as crude as he thought.
The fort wall is seven or eight feet thick, and the door opening of the gate is about one foot deep. There is a structure similar to an arrow tower above. The inner courtyard was about forty paces in circumference.
On the left, you can see two wooden or bamboo watchtowers built on the slope. They probably didn't have time to build watchtowers with mud bricks, so they built a temporary one.
In the walled courtyard on the right, Song Qian said that there is the meeting hall and warehouse, where the branch and district team headquarters are located. There are some vague houses in the back that should be used for the village heroes to live in.
"If fellow villagers come to seek refuge, can they accommodate so many people?" Yang Dayi asked as he walked towards the meeting hall.
"There are 2,700 residents in this town. In the past two days, we have been informed that the lake bandits are coming. More than 600 people have been evacuated to surrounding villages, and nearly 200 people have gone to the county to visit relatives and friends.
Of the less than two thousand remaining, there are 600 men who have been organized into protective armor and are ready to cooperate with us at any time.
The remaining more than a thousand people are old and weak, women and children, and some businessmen who sit in shops are reluctant to part with their belongings. These people must come in for refuge. But you just looked ahead,"
He smiled and asked Yang Lianjiao to sit down and ordered the meal to be served. Then he came back and pointed with his finger: "Actually, the biggest open space is on the mountain behind. Except for the Dragon King Temple, it is all empty. It is not a problem to accommodate more than a thousand people."
