"Hey!"
Speaking of this, Gu Si is no longer sleepy.
While swearing and swearing, he recounted the situation of hunting wild pigeons that day in an exaggerated manner.
Liu Qi was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and his eyes towards Han Zhen had completely changed.
Even Zhu Ji looked horrified and said with emotion: "I heard that Li Cunxiao had the power of five horses in the late Tang Dynasty. I thought it was just a folk tale spread by rumors. I never thought that there really was a person with such natural power."
After playing with the horse in his hand for a while, Liu Qi put it back on the ground with a complicated expression.
At this age, he is fond of fantasy.
Today I saw Han Zhen's majestic appearance of riding a hundred horses and defeating thousands of enemies, and my heart surged for a moment, otherwise I wouldn't have come to vote late at night.
Unfortunately, although his physique is far superior to that of his peers, it is far behind Han Zhen. He cannot use this horse.
Seeing this, Han Zhen smiled slightly, pointed at a group of resting cavalry, and asked, "What do you think of them?"
Looking in the direction of his finger, Liu Qi said sternly: "You are strong and courageous. You should be considered an elite. You can't make more concessions than the Western Army."
"Then did you know that a few days ago these soldiers were farmers with hoes."
"This is impossible!"
Liu Qi retorted subconsciously.
He is the son of a general. He has been in and out of military camps with his father since he was a child, and has even seen battles with the Xixia people.
In his opinion, the cavalry charging today were not much worse than the elite of the Western Army.
Now Han Zhen actually said that he was a farmer plowing the fields a few days ago. How could he believe this?
In fact, Han Zhen's words are indeed exaggerated.
The soldiers under his command are carefully selected for their courage and physical strength.
The cavalry went through another round of screening, not just to select one from a hundred, but also to select the elite from dozens of people.
They eat three dry meals a day and one meat meal every three days. In addition, they will be rewarded for their merits. They also accept the training methods of the Western Army. It is not surprising to have such combat prowess.
Nie Dong, who was on the side, saw that Han Zhen was trying to recruit others, so he deliberately cooperated and said: "How is it impossible? There is a secret Taoist technique in our army..."
"Nie Dong!"
Han Zhen pretended to be angry and shouted loudly.
"The county magistrate forgives me."
Nie Dong quickly clasped his fists, then turned and left.
Seeing this scene, Liu Qi's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had discovered some incredible secret.
To be honest, the two of them acted a little too deliberately.
If it were people like Xie Ding and Chang Zhixian, they would be able to see through it at a glance.
Liu Qi was young after all, so he could not withstand this kind of routine.
The main reason is that in this era, Taoism has a mysterious image in the hearts of the people. Let alone the distant story, the miraculous deeds of the ancestor Chen Tuan, who asked the mountain god to be a guarantee, and won the Huashan Mountain in a chess game with Song Taizu, are still spread among the people and are popular among the people. Talk about it with relish.
Even Song Huizong was still obsessed with the method of cultivating immortals.
Therefore, as soon as Liu Qi heard about the secret techniques of Taoism, he already believed it.
The remaining two points were made up by relying on his own brain supplies.
Liu Qi ate his rice porridge in silence, determined to learn this Taoist secret.
After finishing the supper, Han Zhen ordered to continue on his way.
Liu Qi was riding on his horse, deliberately lagging behind and talking to Nie Dong.
He felt that Nie Dong was just a rough guy in the army, not very thoughtful, and could come up with something by just thinking about it in a few sentences.
Zhu Ji saw this scene and wanted to laugh but didn't dare. His face turned red and his shoulders shook.
This silly boy!
Liu Qi cupped his hands and said, "What do you call this soldier?"
"A certain family's name is Nie Dong."
Nie Dong raised his eyebrows, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"Brother Nie used to be a member of the Imperial Guard, right?"
When he was eating porridge, he noticed by the light of the campfire that Nie Dong and a few other cavalrymen all had tattoos on their faces.
Although it is not clear what characters are tattooed, the position, pigment and craftsmanship of the tattoos are the techniques used by the Forbidden Army.
Nie Dong replied: "A certain family was originally a disciple of Mr. Xiaozhong."
Western Army?
Liu Qi suddenly felt close to him and asked curiously: "Since he is a disciple of three kinds of sects, how can he be here?"
Nie Dong said angrily: "It's not all that traitor Tong Guan who allowed corrupt officials to rob us of our military achievements and deduct military pay and rewards. We underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, which led to the defeat of the Western Army."
"Tong Guan, this thief, really deserves to die!"
Liu Qi punched his leg and echoed indignantly.
His father had been robbed of military honors by Tong Guan, and now he was targeted and suppressed again.
Nie Dong struck while the iron was hot: "A certain family has also heard of Mr. Liu's reputation and admired him very much. It is said that it was Mr. Liu's credit for recovering Hehuang and persuading Tibet to surrender, but in the end, he was robbed by the thief Tong Guan."
"Hey!"
Speaking of this, Liu Qi became even more angry and said angrily: "The emperor in Tokyo is also extremely stupid. He clearly knows that Tong Guan has robbed my father of military honors, but he still indulges this gelding like this."
In a few words, the two of them shared the same hatred and became close.
Nie Dong also unknowingly took the initiative and asked: "Xiao Yameni is not in the border army, why did he come to Shandong?"
Liu Qi didn't notice at all, but complained bitterly: "My father was suppressed and excluded by Tong Guan, and he was worried that it would harm me and others, so he sent me to my uncle to abandon martial arts and study for the imperial examination."
"The small Yamen has the qualifications to be a famous general. It would be a waste if he didn't become a general." Nie Dong praised him.
"Wow!"
Liu Qi was overjoyed and said excitedly: "I feel the same way. If you read Lao Shizi's book, go into battle to kill the enemy, and protect your family and country, you will be a good man."
After chatting along the way, he had introduced Nie Dong as a confidant, but fortunately he did not forget his purpose.
Glancing at Han Zhen at the front of the team, Liu Qi lowered his voice and said, "Brother Nie just said the Taoist secret technique, is it true?"
"Of course it's true!"
Nie Dong nodded.
Liu Qi quickly asked: "What's so strange about it?"
Nie Dong added with jealousy: "If you practice this method to a great extent, you can activate the whole body's energy with just a single movement of your hands and feet. Xiaoya Nei is extremely talented. Although he is not as good as the county magistrate, he is still among the best. If he can learn it successfully, he will be able to One for a hundred, no problem!”
"really?"
Liu Qi was surprised and happy, and his voice could not help but rise.
"A certain family never lies to others."
Nie Dong patted his chest in assurance, and with a simple and honest expression on his face, Liu Qi had no doubt that he was there.
"Can I learn?"
"This...the county magistrate said that all our brothers in the army can learn from it."
"Then I'll join the army too!"
Liu Qi didn't hesitate.
At this time, all he could think about was how brave and majestic he would be when he killed everyone on the battlefield after completing his studies.
Nie Dong didn't dare to make the decision and said, "I still need the county magistrate's approval to join the army."
"County magistrate? What kind of official position is this?"
This was the first time Liu Qi heard this strange name, and he looked confused.
"The county magistrate is the head of a county." In fact, Nie Dong didn't know, so he just explained it according to his own understanding.
"But shouldn't the head of a county be the magistrate?"
"Then I don't know."
Liu Qi looked at Han Zhen's back, thoughtfully.
Although he is young, he is not a fool.
Born into a family of generals, his vision was extraordinary. He vaguely noticed that Han Zhen and his group seemed to have some problems, but they were not ordinary bandits or rebels.
Moreover, both Han Zhen and Nie Dong made him feel good about them.
Everyone on the left and right has already escaped, and it is not too late to make plans before arriving in Linzi County.
…
Walking and resting all the way, until the sky brightened, everyone finally approached Linzi County.
No trace of Ganchijun was found along the way, which made Han Zhen feel relieved.
If the Chi Army dares to attack and there are more than 500 infantrymen guarding the city, the county seat will definitely not be breached, but the surrounding villages are hard to say.
When the people in the village were taken away, it was also a huge loss for Han Zhen.
Passing by the military camp, Han Zhen ordered: "Nie Dong, lead the infantry and escort the prisoners of war to the military camp first."
"Got the order!"
After Nie Dong received the errand, he directed the small military officers to escort all the prisoners of war into the military camp.
These prisoners of war walked all night, their feet were sore and their stomachs were empty. After entering the military camp, each of them immediately collapsed on the ground.
Liu Qi did not go to the military camp, but followed Han Zhen.
Seeing this, Han Zhen didn't care and led a long caravan to the county seat.
The gate of the county town is closed, and there are only a few people on the wall.
"It's the county magistrate!"
"The county magistrate is back!"
There was a cheer on the city wall.
Immediately afterwards, the heavy city gate slowly opened, and Zhang He led a group of soldiers to greet them.
Han Zhen asked: "Did any enemy troops attack last night?"
Zhang He replied: "Reporting to the county magistrate, it was calm last night!"
Hearing this, Han Zhen ordered: "This time more than a thousand prisoners of war have been escorted back. You lead the soldiers back to the military camp and take over the custody of Nie Dong and others."
"Got the order!"
Zhang He responded with cupped fists.
After entering the city, Han Zhen went straight to the county government office.
"County magistrate!"
"County magistrate!"
When the officer on duty at the door saw Han Zhen, he immediately raised his hands and saluted with a respectful expression.
Seeing this scene, Liu Qi became more and more curious.
Observing his words and looks, he found that these government officials were in awe of Han Zhen from the bottom of their hearts.
This is very interesting.
His father once served as a border magistrate, and his uncle was a county magistrate, so he was very familiar with state and county yamen.
The most respected person in a county is the county magistrate, followed by the county magistrate, the chief registrar, and finally the county captain.
But he had never heard of this so-called county magistrate.
The government servants in front of them behaved naturally.
Could it be said that the imperial court has established new positions?
Not impossible.
After all, today's officials are so frivolous that they can do such ridiculous things as conferring a title on a stone. It seems reasonable to establish a new position.
After dismounting, Han Zhen handed the reins to the yamen servant and walked into the county yamen.
Chang Zhixian was sitting in the lobby with a sluggish expression. It seemed that he had not slept well last night.
"Brother!"
Zhuji stepped forward quickly.
Seeing that his brother-in-law and best friend returned safely, Magistrate Changzhi breathed a sigh of relief and said happily: "It'll be good to come back, it'll be good to come back!"
"Thanks to Han Erlang's timely rescue this time, the situation was critical at that time. If the rebels entered the city, it would be more serious than bad." Zhu Ji said with lingering fear.
"Han Erlang, thank you very much!"
Chang Zhixian bowed and looked grateful.
Han Zhen smiled and waved his hand: "Why should we be so polite to you two?"
Only then did Changzhixian notice Liu Qi beside him, and said curiously: "This young gentleman is very tight-looking."
Han Zhen introduced: "His name is Liu Qi. His father is Liu Zhongwu, the governor of the Luchuan Army. His uncle Xie Ding serves in Qiancheng County. He came to join me specially this time."
To defect to you?
A flash of surprise flashed in Chang Zhixian's eyes, but he said calmly: "It turns out he is the son of General Liu. It is true that the father of a tiger has no son."
"I have met Changzhi County. My uncle admires Changzhi County's talents and often mentions it in front of me."
Liu Qi cupped his hands and said something nice.
After seeing Changzhi County's attitude towards Han Zhen with his own eyes, he no longer doubted Han Zhen's identity.
I just feel that I guessed it right, and the official family has indeed established a new position.
"You sit down for a while while I discuss some government affairs with Changzhi County."
After giving instructions to Liu Qi, Han Zhen and Chang Zhixian entered the study together.
As soon as he entered the study, Chang Zhixian couldn't wait to ask: "Why did you abduct this little yamen here?"
"This matter has nothing to do with me. He came to me in the middle of the night."
Han Zhen took the tea from Uncle Fu and took a sip.
Hearing this, Changzhi County couldn't help but laugh. Then he looked solemn and lowered his voice and said: "His father Liu Zhongwu is quite prestigious in the border army. My uncle Xie Ding comes from the Xie family in Fuyang and is a benchmark among scholars. If you want to achieve great things, We need to hold this kid tightly."
Han Zhen took the risk to rescue Qiancheng County and saved Zhu Ji, so he naturally wanted to reciprocate the favor.
In addition, he also had some small thoughts.
He could already feel that troubled times were coming.
There have been peasant rebellions in the past, but they were not as intensive as they are now, with wars raging throughout the north.
The north is like this, and the south is not much better. The trouble caused by Fang La in the past two years has greatly damaged the vitality of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The remnants of Fang La have not given up, and have been using Manichaeism to cause chaos everywhere.
There are wars all over the country, and people from Xixia and Jin are looking at it outside. The Song Dynasty is in turmoil.
Therefore, he planned to place a bet on Han Zhen to leave himself a way out.
What if...what if it really happens?
If it really happened, with today's heartfelt words, Han Zhen would have to think of some feelings.
If it didn't work out, he wouldn't have much to lose and would go to Tokyo City to become his own rich man.
No matter whether Han Zhen wins or not, he will never lose!
Hedging your bets has always been a common practice among aristocratic families.
The world only knows that Zhuge Kongming died serving the Shu Han, but how many people know that Zhuge Liang's two brothers defected to Jiangdong and Cao Wei respectively?
Three bets, no matter which family can finally dominate the world, the Zhuge family will be the winner!
Han Zhen shook his head and said, "It's not that easy. I heard that Liu Zhongwu had many heirs, and Liu Qi was just one of them. I'm afraid Xie Ding wouldn't drag the entire Fuyang Xie family into trouble just for a nephew."
Chang Zhixian said meaningfully: "Of course not at the moment."
Han Zhen heard the implication of his words and nodded.
With his current strength, Liu and Xie's family will naturally not invest, but if it becomes more powerful in the future, there's no telling.
After the two of them took a tacit sip of tea, Han Zhen said: "By the way, I have brought back more than 1,500 prisoners of war this time. Among them, the prisoners of war with tough temperaments will be selected and sent into the army, and the rest will be I’ll leave it to you.”
Sure enough, Chang Zhixian's eyes lit up, he stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Right now, we are worried about the shortage of manpower. Leave these prisoners of war to me and ensure their proper placement."
"Is there still enough food in the county granary? If not, I will return some of it first."
The grain purchased this time amounted to twelve thousand dan, which solved Han Zhen's urgent need and made him have a lot of money.
"There is still a lot of food left in the granary. We will use this food in the military camp and Xiaowang Village first. When the food purchased from the south arrives, it will not be too late."
Chang Zhixian waved his hand and then asked: "Zhao Ting sent you another letter yesterday. What did he say?"
Speaking of this, Han Zhen couldn't help but sneer: "He really thinks that I have been taken advantage of. Each set of weapons is only missing a few strings of money. I am too lazy to argue with him. I will reply to a letter later and forget it if it doesn't work out!" "
"..."
Changzhi County was silent for a while.
Even he felt that Zhao Ting's actions were a bit outrageous.
…
Outside the lobby.
After Liu Qi sat bored for a while, he got up and left the lobby.
He found that the county government office in Linzi County had an extremely large number of subordinate officials. There were more than twenty Zaoban government officials standing guard in the county government office alone.
There were hundreds of clerks and tax collectors in the book office next door, constantly coming in and out, making it very lively.
Moreover, these subordinates were walking in a hurry. It seemed that everyone was very busy and full of enthusiasm.
This is strange.
In contrast, the subordinate officials in Qiancheng County Yamen always look tired and sleepy.
Out of curiosity, Liu Qi walked to an official outside the door and asked curiously: "Why are there so many people in the county government office?"
The yamen servant had just heard Han Zhen's introduction and knew that Liu Qi's status was unusual, so he replied: "I'd like to teach you that the yamen know that the county magistrate and magistrate have recently recruited more subordinate staff."
"Why expand enrollment?"
Liu Qi was even more confused.
The officer shook his head: "I don't know about that."
Liu Qi pointed to the direction of the book office next door and asked, "Why are they in such a hurry?"
"The county magistrate has handed over the errand."
"What's the point?"
Liu Qi frowned slightly.
He knows very well what kind of virtue a subordinate official has.
They are all sneaky people who deceive superiors and deceive subordinates. They delay the things assigned by their superiors as long as they can. If they cannot be delayed, they will do it perfunctorily.
On the contrary, when it comes to making money, one is more active than the other.
It is better to expect a sow to climb a tree than to expect subordinates to do their jobs with care.
The yamen servant explained: "I don't know something in the yamen. The county magistrate and the magistrate not only gave us a salary increase, but also re-established the rules, saying that the worst and the worst are eliminated. In short, if you do well, you will be rewarded. If you do poorly, you will be rewarded." , will be kicked out."
"It is said that if you get the first grade for one consecutive year, you can take the office examination, and if you pass the exam, you can become an official. At present, the county is still short of chief registrars and county magistrates, and those six-room subordinate officials are working hard. .”
hiss!
Liu Qi took a deep breath and was extremely shocked.
Can a subordinate official also become an official?
Linzi County is really weird everywhere.
Suppressing the surging thoughts in his heart, Liu Qi asked again: "In this county government, who is the county chief or the county magistrate?"
"this……"
The officer was stunned.
Obviously, this question touched on his cognitive blind spot.
At this moment, Han Zhen walked out of the lobby.
Seeing him waving towards him, Liu Qi hurriedly approached him.
Looking at Liu Qi again, Han Zhen asked: "Nie Dong said you want to join the army?"
"right!"
Liu Qi nodded repeatedly.
"Does the county magistrate know about this?"
"Uh...my uncle knows." Liu Qi ducked his eyes and sneered.
Han Zhen did not expose him and confirmed: "You have to think about it. Joining the army is not just a naughty thing. After joining the army, you will become a soldier of our Qingzhou Army."
Liu Qi hesitated for a moment, nodded solemnly and said, "I've thought about it!"
"In that case, just follow me to the military camp, and then just call me the county magistrate."
After Han Zhen finished speaking, he walked towards the county government office.
Liu Qi hurriedly followed, and after the two mounted their horses, they headed towards the military camp.
On the way, Liu Qi asked expectantly: "County Magistrate, now that I have joined the army, can I learn the secret technique?"
"Of course you can."
Han Zhen suppressed his laughter and deliberately said provocatively: "But the secret technique is extremely mysterious. If you don't have talent, you can only learn a little bit. For example, Nie Dong, after practicing for several years, can only get started."
"I can definitely make it!"
Liu Qi patted his chest and sounded extremely confident.
The military camp was filled with a faint fragrance of rice porridge.
The cook was busy preparing breakfast for the soldiers and the prisoners of war.
"Let's go eat first."
Han Zhen said hello and led Liu Qi to the cafeteria.
At this moment, there was already a long queue outside the canteen.
Seeing the soldiers in the restaurant built in thatched huts holding white rice porridge and cooking cakes eating deliciously, Liu Qi asked in disbelief: "You eat refined grains so early in the morning?"
Han Zhen said in a calm tone: "If you don't eat enough, how will the soldiers have the strength to train?"
"..."
Liu Qi was silent.
That's the truth, but it's too extravagant.
You know, the food of the Western Army is already the best among the armies of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Even so, the Western Army could only eat seventy percent full, a bowl of porridge in the morning and a bowl of wheat rice in the evening.
As for refined grains such as flour and rice, they cannot be eaten twice a year.
"County magistrate!"
Seeing Han Zhen, a soldier immediately gave way.
Han Zhen waved his hand: "Don't worry about me."
After waiting in line for a while, it was their turn soon.
Without Han Zhen's instructions, the cook packed eight cakes and a large bowl of rice porridge and handed them to Han Zhen.
Liu Qi on the side saw it and said, unwilling to be outdone: "I also want eight pancakes and some more pickles."
The pancakes made by the cooks in the army are large and thick, and the average soldier will be full after eating two of them and a bowl of rice porridge.
Even those with larger appetites, such as Nie Dong and others, can only eat three or four.
The cook looked at Liu Qi, then moved his gaze to Han Zhen, with a troubled look on his face.
Seeing this, Han Zhen reminded: "There is a rule in the army. You can eat as much as you want, but you must not waste it. Once discovered, the consequences will be serious."
Liu Qi didn't know what the so-called consequences were, but he could hear the chill in Han Zhen's tone and the joking in the eyes of the soldiers beside him.
Goulon!
After swallowing his saliva, Liu Qi gave in decisively and sneered: "I made a mistake just now, it was four cakes!"
Han Zhen was a little surprised. He had thought that Liu Qi would insist on it for the sake of face.
Being able to bend and stretch, it is no wonder that he later became a famous general.
(End of chapter)
