Zhengjiazhuang is one of the few large villages within a radius of more than ten miles. The village has its own village guards and a master named Zheng lives there.
This man's ancestors once gave birth to a civil servant, and over the decades and two generations, it has developed. Now the fields in Zhengjiazhuang have become the fields of Master Zheng's family, and the farmers in the village are also tenant farmers of his Master Zheng's family.
There is a slender forest less than three miles away to the west outside Zhengjiazhuang. There is a large river not far away. When the weather is hot, the forest is particularly cool.
The people from the Archer Camp came to the forest first, drove away some tenants from Zhengjiazhuang who came to cut firewood in the forest, and occupied the forest.
Soon after, Liu Heng led hundreds of new soldiers he had trained into the woods with great swagger.
Not long after that, he secretly withdrew from the forest with others, walked around in a distant circle, then walked swaggeringly from the main road at the entrance of Zhengjiazhuang, and re-entered the forest.
After walking through this several times, I didn't stop until the sunset was like blood and the sky in the west turned red.
A stream of bandits passed by outside Zhengjiazhuang, and the village was already in turmoil.
The people in Zhuangzi knew that there were many bandits outside Zhuangzi, and they were all hiding in the woods to the west of Zhuangzi.
Xiao Hu, the leader of Zhuang Ding, came to Master Zheng's study with an uneasy expression.
Compared with the hot weather outside, the study room is cool and comfortable.
There are six or seven copper basins placed separately in the study. The ice cubes inside are slowly melting, emitting cool air all the time, lowering the temperature in the room.
Sitting at the top is an old man of half a century, with his clothes open on his chest and a bowl in his hand. A maid stands on each side with a fan in his hand and is fanning slowly. A little further away stands the housekeeper She Fu.
"Master." As soon as Xiao Hu entered the room, he saluted the old man above him.
"Xiao Hu!" Mr. Zheng put down the bowl in his hand and asked, "What's the matter with you coming here in such a hurry? Butler, go and close the door. The cool air that has finally accumulated in the room has escaped."
Butler She, who had a mustache hanging from his nose, walked towards the door and closed the study door.
Xiao Hu said with a worried look on his face: "Reporting to the master, there are many people hiding in the woods to the west of our Zhengjiazhuang. According to the villagers who have been to that forest, there is a group of bandits living there, numbering more than a thousand people." .”
"It's a joke. There are hundreds of villagers in our Zheng family village, and it is surrounded by walls. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If thieves dare to come, they are looking for death." Mr. Zheng said nonchalantly, "It's just because the weather is too hot. Those untouchables who follow thieves If you want to hide in the woods to enjoy the cool air, it’s okay and don’t bother with it.”
Butler She, who closed the door and returned, stood aside and said, "Master, we still have to be careful. Recently, a group of bandits have taken up residence in our county. They recently attacked Wangjiazhuang, which is thirty miles away from us."
"It doesn't matter." Mr. Zheng waved his hand and said, "They are just a group of untouchables who followed thieves. Wangjiazhuang was not destroyed by them, but this group of bandits suffered a loss. Likewise, I, Zhengjiazhuang, are not that easy to mess with. Yes, okay, if there’s nothing else, Xiao Hu, please go down and inspect the village, don’t let the tenants be lazy.”
Xiao Hu had no choice but to exit the study.
…
Liu Heng in the forest watched the sky getting darker and darker, and said: "It's almost time, Brother Shuheng, I'll take people out first. You guys wait for my signal in the forest and be ready to light the torch at any time."
Li Shuheng smiled and promised: "Don't worry, I guarantee that there will be our people holding torches in this forest from beginning to end."
Liu Heng nodded and walked out of the woods with the three hundred refugee recruits he had trained.
Three hundred refugee recruits lined up in three lines, each holding a wooden spear in his hand and standing beside him.
The entire team was silent, as silent as the birch trees growing straight and straight on the ground, as if they were rocks standing proudly on the earth, with a heavy sense of oppression.
"Let the people in charge in your village speak out!" Liu Heng shouted in the direction of Zhengjiazhuang.
After waiting for no response for a long time, he let the three hundred people behind him shout together.
"The people in charge in Zhuangzi come out and speak!"
Three hundred people roared in unison, the sound was so loud that the clouds above their heads seemed to be broken, and the last ray of sunset took the opportunity to fall.
The doors of every household in Zhengjiazhuang were closed, and the streets were deserted. Xiao Hu arranged for Zhuang Ding to go to several yards on the west side of Zhuangzi.
Some villagers holding bows and arrows lay behind the courtyard wall, staring at the outside of the village, while others crouched behind the wall with swords and guns.
Many tenant farmers in Zhengjiazhuang were holding farm tools such as manure forks and poles in their hands, guarding their yards with an expression of surrender, but their bodies were shaking like chaff.
In Zhengjiazhuang, Master Zheng learned that the bandits were really coming to attack Zhuangzi, and the family was already in chaos.
In the study, Mr. Zheng was no longer as relaxed as before. He slumped down on the imperial chair. The hand holding the bowl kept shaking. A lot of tea inside was shaken out, and his sleeves were wet.
"This, these bandits, how dare they, how dare they..." Mr. Zheng was trembling and couldn't even finish his words.
Steward She advised from the side: "Master, it's better to use some silver to replenish it and encourage the villagers and tenant farmers to fight against the bandits and defend Zhengjiazhuang with their lives."
"Nonsense." Mr. Zheng shouted, shaking his hands, "Master, I spent money to support hundreds of villagers. Now is the time for them to work hard. Go and tell those villagers that if the bandits break into the village, I will never do it again." Give them another copper, and the tenants will also have to pay an extra cent in rent."
Butler She's expression turned bitter, and he stopped trying to persuade him. He knew that his master valued wealth as much as his life, and he wanted to break a coin in half.
"The rogues are attacking Zhuangzi, the rogues are attacking Zhuangzi..."
At this moment, shouts of rogue bandits attacking Zhuangzi were heard one after another in Zhuangzi.
Mr. Zheng, who had just sat more firmly, heard the shouting, and his face turned pale with fright. He stammered and shouted: "Quick, take me and hide."
Butler She said speechlessly: "Sir, once Zhuangzi is broken, they will be found wherever they hide. Why not take advantage of the fact that the gangsters have not surrounded Zhuangzi and arrange for a few villagers to protect you and escape to the county seat, master. You will be safe once you reach the county seat."
"No." Mr. Zheng shook his head and said, "Once I leave, these things in the house will be cheap and given to the gangsters. If I don't leave, Master, I will stay at home."
Seeing that his master was determined to stay for this small amount of money, Butler She had no choice but to say: "Sir, I will go to Xiao Hu's place first to see if he can withstand this group of bandits and count on Xiao Zhuangtou."
"Yes." Master Zheng said eagerly, "Tell Xiao Hu that you must guard Zhuangzi for me."
Butler She nodded and left the study.
As soon as he walked outside the door of the small courtyard where the study room was located, he met Xiao Hu.
As soon as they met, Xiao Hu said eagerly: "Steward She, I was just looking for you. Now the bandits outside the village are preparing to attack Zhuangzi. According to my observation, there should be many bandits hiding in the woods. If we want to resist such an attack, If there are too many bandits, I am afraid that all the tenant farmers in Zhuangzi will have to go up on the wall to resist the bandits. It would be best if Mr. Zheng can provide a sum of money to encourage everyone. That way, we will be more sure of guarding Zhuangzi. So, can you and The master told me to take out some money and use it to encourage villagers and tenant farmers."
Butler She shook his head and said: "Don't think about the silver. I mentioned it to the master just now. The master is not willing to give out a single copper, let alone a large amount of silver."
"Alas..." Xiao Hu sighed and said, "Then I will try my best to lead people to guard the entrance of the village. If it doesn't work, Butler She, tell me to escape. I think this group of bandits is very unusual. The team is neat and orderly, and there are rules and regulations. It looks like a border army, but with just the few people in Zhuangzi, it will be difficult to defend Zhuangzi."
"We still have to try our best to hold on." Butler She said, "If you really can't hold on, you can withdraw in advance and take a few villagers to protect the master and escape to the county seat."
"That's all it can do." Xiao Hu nodded.
