Since the horse bandits retreated, the Tiger Flag convoy has been on the grassland for three consecutive days without encountering any attacks from the horse bandits.
This is also related to the fact that the convoy did not go deep into the grassland, but went horizontally to Zhangjiakou along the Ming Dynasty border fort twenty or thirty miles away.
The tiger-shaped flag convoy has more than a hundred cavalry and more than three hundred tiger-shaped flag soldiers. With such powerful force, ordinary horse bandits would not dare to come and make plans.
"At the current speed, we can reach Zhangjiakou in just over a day." Chen Wen said while sitting in front of Zhao Yutu.
The convoy was stationed a mile away from the river for easy access to water and camping.
Zhao Yutu held a grilled fish in his hand and baked it on the fire.
The fish were caught from the river, and they were quite big. The smallest one weighed two kilograms, and one fish was enough to feed a soldier.
Zhao Yutu turned over the grilled fish in his hand and said, "Thank you, Brother Chen, for leading the way, but the team will not leave tomorrow. We will stay here to rest for the next two days."
"Ah!" Chen Wen was stunned and said in confusion, "Aren't you going to Zhangjiakou? We will be there soon."
"I know." Zhao Yutu said, "That's why I'm not in a hurry to leave."
Chen Wen was puzzled.
"Here, how do you like the fish?" Zhao Yutu handed the grilled fish to Chen Wen.
Chen Wen subconsciously took it in his hand, but didn't eat it.
"Try it quickly." Zhao Yutu looked at Chen Wen with hopeful eyes.
Chen Wen had no choice but to tear off a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, swallowed it, then nodded and said, "It's delicious. The fish has some spiciness and the fishy smell is much less."
"If it's delicious, just finish it all." Zhao Yutu said with a smile, "There is some garlic and dogwood in the belly of the fish to remove the fishy smell and improve the flavor."
After saying that, he reached out and picked up another fish that had been packed and put it on the fire to roast.
"Well, it does taste delicious." Chen Wen tore off another piece of fish and ate it in his mouth.
Zhao Yutu put the grilled fish on the wooden rack, clapped his palms twice, and said, "Brother Chen previously said that he would consider joining my Tiger Flag. How are you thinking about it now?"
"This..." Chen Wen hesitated.
Zhao Yutu said with a smile: "Your younger brother has joined our Tiger Flag Horse Team. Brother Chen, do you want to come with us? This way you two brothers don't have to be separated. As for whether Mr. Li will let him go, Brother Chen, you don't have to worry. Since our Tiger Flag came forward, I believe Mr. Li will still give him this face."
Chen Wen lowered his head and glanced at the grilled fish in his hand, but said nothing.
Zhao Yutu turned over the grilled fish on the wooden rack and said: "I don't need to tell you what the situation is like in Xinpingbao without harvesting food at night. I believe Brother Chen himself knows it. If he continues to stay, I'm afraid the whole family will starve to death. am I right?"
Chen Wen nodded.
Zhao Yutu continued: "Our Tiger Flag Horse Team is fully paid every month. An ordinary horse team rider can earn one or two and a half cents of silver per month. A capable horseman like Brother Chen will not be charged at least four taels of silver per month. If the cavalry team is expanded in the future, It is very likely that he will become the leader of the cavalry team, and his salary will be even greater. If he has done meritorious service, no one will be greedy for credit, and the reward he deserves will not be less at all."
Chen Wen pursed his lips and said, "You really get four taels of silver every month. Didn't you say you only get one tael?"
Zhao Yutu smiled and said: "Those who get one or two wages are ordinary soldiers. The wages of the cavalry are higher. For those who are capable like Brother Chen, the monthly salary will be even higher. Of course, this is only for now. In the future, the cavalry will be paid even more." If you don’t recruit people on a regular night, you can only get one to two or five cents.”
The following words are obviously reminding Chen Wen that now he is willing to spend more money to hire people who don't accept tiger-character flags at night. In the future, when the number of people who don't accept tiger-character flags at night increases, they will naturally not be taken seriously.
Although Chen Wen is a Tatar official, the meaning behind his words can still be heard clearly.
But the feud between him and Beilu for more than a hundred years made him hesitate.
By the light of the fire, Zhao Yutu saw that Chen Wen was already moved, but he didn't agree, so he asked: "Brother Chen, can you tell me why you don't want to join our Tiger Flag? If the reason is valid, you can let me die." Heart."
"This..." Chen Wen hesitated and said, "There is nothing that cannot be said. Even if you don't say it now, I believe Mr. Zhao will know it later."
Zhao Yutu listened attentively.
Chen Wen said: "Starting from our ancestors, generations of people have been fighting against the Northern Barbarians, and the blood feud with the Northern Barbarians is no less than that of you Han people. If the Tiger Character Banner does not act like some businessmen and bribes border generals to smuggle the Northern Barbarians, I will naturally I am willing to join the Tiger Flag, but..."
"I understand." Before he could finish what he said, Zhao Yutu understood what was going on.
"Please forgive me, Mr. Zhao." Chen Wen bowed his hand towards Zhao Yutu.
Zhao Yutu said with a smile: "Brother Chen, the problem you mentioned is not a problem at all. First of all, there is no connection between our Tiger Flag and Beilu. Secondly, even if one day the Tiger Flag smuggles goods to Beilu, there will be no problem." It means that there is no enmity between us Han people and the Northerners."
"I understand, but I really can't pass this test in my heart." Chen Wen shook his head with a wry smile.
Seeing what he said, Zhao Yutu stopped trying to persuade him.
Although Tiger Character Banner needs capable people like Ye Buzai to join, Chen Wen is not the only one who does Ye Buzai.
The reason why he was invited to join the Tiger-Character Banner several times was not only that the Tiger-Character Banner needed a capable horseback rider like Ye Bushou, but also valued his identity as a Tatar official.
A man who understands Mongolian is of great benefit to the Tiger Flag.
As a senior member of the Tiger Flag, Zhao Yutu knew that the Tiger Flag would have a convoy enter the grassland next, and Mongolian was also the language that their Tiger Flag needed to learn. Even if they sent a convoy to the grassland this time, it was to ensure that the Tiger Flag could go smoothly. Actions taken to enter the grassland.
A Tiger Flag soldier came to Zhao Yutu and whispered to Zhao Yutu for a while.
After listening, Zhao Yutu looked up at Chen Wen and said with a smile: "Brother Chen has been tired for a day. Go back and rest early. Please think again about joining the Tiger Flag."
With the addition of Chen Wu, Chen Wen no longer has to recruit. It would be better if he can recruit the Tiger Flag together.
Chen Wen saw that Zhao Yutu had something to do, so he stood up and said, "I won't disturb Mr. Zhao."
Zhao Yutu nodded.
When Chen Wen walked away, Zhao Yutu said to the soldiers beside him: "Bring the people here!"
Shortly after the soldiers left, a man wearing cotton armor came over.
Different from the cotton armor worn by the Tiger Flag Fire Gunman, the cotton armor worn by this man was very shabby, almost as shabby as the cotton armor worn by Chen Wen and Chen Wu before.
"I've met Mr. Zhao." As soon as the man arrived, he immediately saluted Zhao Yutu with clasped fists.
Zhao Yutu looked the other person up and down and said, "Are you a spy from the Foreign Intelligence Agency?"
"This is my subordinate's token." As he said that, the man took out an oval-shaped token and handed it over.
Zhao Yutu took it, glanced at the secret words on it, reached into his arms, and took out a token of the same size.
Two tokens put together can just fit together to form one token.
