After the heavy snowfall, it cleared up for several days and the snow on the ground melted cleanly.
The garrison camp was ready to go. The soldiers took their weapons and barely stood in formation under the small flags of hundreds of households.
"Sir, the county magistrate is here, as well as the police officers from the Yamen." Chen Yusheng came to Li Huaixin and whispered.
"Let's go and greet him." Li Huaixin turned and walked towards the outside of the camp.
The whole camp was in chaos. The servants were sorting out their weapons and feeding the horses with black beans. The camp soldiers were running all over the camp, looking for their respective flag teams. Some soldiers found that they had forgotten their weapons after finding their teams. , and went back to the camp to get weapons.
The garrison camp was like a vegetable market, with all kinds of shouts, footsteps, and chaos.
Li Huaixin took Chen Yusheng to the camp gate and saw a sedan carried by four people parked outside the camp gate. The four bearers stood beside the sedan and stamped their feet from the cold.
"I pay my respects to you, sir." Li Huaixin walked to the side of the sedan and bowed.
Guo Binchang opened the sedan curtain and said, "Mr. Li, I will go with the garrison camp to suppress the bandits. Most of the police officers in the Yamen have been brought by me to help you suppress the bandits."
In his eyes, as soon as the imperial army comes out, the bandits in Hutou Village will naturally be wiped out.
This time he came to guard the camp. As a civilian magistrate, he could only be the nominal commander of the army. The court really valued magistrates who knew the military, so naturally he would not let go of such an opportunity to gain political achievements.
"My lord, please follow me into the camp and take a short rest before setting off." Li Huaixin invited Guo Binchang to enter the camp.
Guo Binchang lowered the sedan curtain, and the four bearers lifted the sedan and walked into the camp step by step.
The police officers also followed into the camp.
An hour later, the sun was getting higher to the south, and the soldiers and horses guarding the camp finally set off, leaving the camp and heading north along the official road.
Li Huaixin rode beside Guo Binchang's sedan, while Chen Yusheng and Wang Tong, two thousand households, commanded the team.
After the snow melted, the ground became slippery. The large group of people walked over, leaving muddy footprints. After only five miles, the soldiers in the group were already complaining incessantly.
After barely walking another five miles, it was almost noon before reaching the vicinity of Dongshan. The army stopped to rest and eat the dry food they carried.
More than 800 people, including the garrison camp and the Yamen's police officers, stayed on the official road in a long way. The carts coming down from Dongshan Mountain in the distance saw so many officers and soldiers, so they walked away from a distance. .
"Master Guo, let's have something to eat." Li Huaixin handed the horse to his subordinates to take care of him, and he came to Guo Binchang's sedan with two pieces of dry biscuits.
When Guo Binchang saw the dark pancake in Li Huaixin's hand, his eyes were filled with disgust. He waved his hand and said, "No need, I'm not hungry yet."
Seeing that Guo Binchang was unwilling to eat, Li Huaixin stopped trying to persuade him and walked aside to eat by himself.
The soldiers guarding the main camp ate the dry food they had brought with them, but the police officers in the Yamen did not bring any food and could only watch others eat.
Li Huaixin could give some food to Guo Binchang, because the other party was the magistrate of Lingqiu County. As for these yamen spies, he didn't even look at them, let alone give them food.
It was gloomy inside the sedan and it was not as warm as outside. Guo Binchang sat in the sedan for a while and couldn't help but get out of the sedan.
When he came outside the sedan, he was warmed by the sun, and then Guo Binchang walked towards Li Huaixin.
Guo Binchang stood next to Li Huaixin and said with dissatisfaction: "Master Li, there is Dongshan in front of us. Why don't you send troops to capture it in one go and let the army stop here to rest."
Li Huaixin ate the last piece of cake in his hand, and then said: "The road is wet and difficult to travel, and the march is slow. The enemy will consume a lot of physical strength. It is impossible to walk on the road behind without taking a rest, and there are still more than ten kilometers from here to Hutou Village." There is a long way to go, the soldiers are in danger and the battle is fierce, and the bandits are waiting for work. How can the soldiers suppress the bandits when they are well fed and drunk?"
"Didn't I tell you that Dongshan is right in front of you, so why go to Hutou Village instead of the near distance?" Guo Binchang said dissatisfied.
Li Huaixin laughed and said: "Sir, Hutou Village is the foundation of these bandits. Even if the army captures the iron field in Dongshan, when the army leaves, the Hutou Village bandits can still take back the iron field. The camp cannot be guarded often. Send troops to suppress the bandits, of course, if Mr. Guo can find soldiers’ wages, I will be willing to lead troops out of the city to suppress the bandits.”
Guo Binchang heard the disdain in Li Huaixin's laughter. He knew that he was not as knowledgeable about military affairs as Li Huaixin, but he did not want to be overwhelmed by Li Huaixin. You must know that the Ming Dynasty has always had a tradition of civilians commanding troops and generals leading troops.
He said: "There are also bandits from Hutou Village in Dongshan Iron Station, and I believe that the bandits in Dongshan cannot be let go."
Li Huaixin frowned when he heard that Guo Binchang must go to Dongshan to suppress the bandits.
In his eyes, Dongshan doesn't have much oil and water, it's just some iron gada. It's far inferior to the bandits' lair in Hutou Village. There must be a lot of gold and silver hidden there. Compared to Dongshan, he would rather go to Hutou Village.
But after all, Guo Binchang is the magistrate of Lingqiu County. It would be okay if he didn't come with him. Now that he has come and said that he is going to Dongshan to suppress the bandits, he has to listen. On the surface, the magistrate Guo Binchang is the nominal commander-in-chief of the army. It is also very troublesome for him to write a letter to him.
Li Huaixin thought for a moment and said tentatively: "Otherwise, the police officers brought by Mr. Guo will go to Dongshan Iron Field, and the lower official will send two general banners to assist, and the army will still go to Hutou Village."
Seeing that Li Huai was convinced, Guo Binchang nodded and said: "Then I will follow what Mr. Li said, but I still have to stay with the camp."
Li Huaixin frowned and was unwilling to take Guo Binchang to Hutou Village with him, so he advised: "The bandits in Hutou Village are vicious, sir, it is safer to go to Dongshan."
In his eyes, the bandits in Hutou Village were both collecting Ping'an money and working in the iron field, so they must have a lot of hidden silver. He didn't want Guo Binchang to go with them. Although part of the money from Hutou Village must be shared with Guo Binchang, It is still less than what Guo Binchang would get if he went to Hutou Village in person.
"As a parent, I naturally want to go to Hutou Village. There is no need to persuade Mr. Li."
Guo Binchang's idea was very simple. Only by staying with generals like Li Huaixin would he be safe. He hoped that the police officers he brought with him would not be a match for the bandits at all.
"Since your Excellency wants to follow Xiaguan to Hutou Village, please return to the sedan chair first. Xiaguan will order the army to move out." Li Huaixin saw that Guo Binchang was determined to go to Hutou Village, so he stopped trying to persuade him. At most, he would get less. silver.
Thinking that Hutou Village always has tens of thousands taels, he should be able to get a lot for Lingqiu's defense.
Guo Binchang nodded and walked to his sedan chair.
Halfway through, he suddenly stopped and said in surprise: "The bandits are coming, Mr. Li, the bandits are coming. Let the soldiers stop the bandits quickly."
No need for Guo Binchang to remind him, Li Huaixin saw it himself.
In the direction of the east mountain, one or two hundred people came down the mountain. Everyone had weapons in their hands, and some of them were wearing armor, walking towards the official army.
"Damn it, I haven't gone to suppress the bandits yet, I came here first." Li Huaixin cursed and immediately shouted, "Chen Yusheng, Wang Tong, bring people to me to take down this group of bandits."
"yes."
The bandits came so suddenly that Wang Tong and Chen Yusheng did not bother to wear armor, so they picked up weapons and summoned their servants and soldiers to meet the enemy.
