The bandits were driven back, and for several days, the entire Zhuangzi was safe and sound.
The bandits who retreated seemed to have lost their courage and did not dare to go down the mountain to harass Zhuangzi again.
Xu Mu knew that this was just the calm before the storm. That leader Hong Dong will definitely not give up. Publicly and privately, Xujiazhuang is already the biggest mortal enemy in the Sitong area.
"My boss, the wooden walls have been renovated! According to my boss's instructions, a trench was dug along the perimeter of the village."
A trench is equivalent to a small moat. Xu Mu did not plan to divert water, but to bury some kerosene down, and then use kerosene arrows to explode the jars containing kerosene. This would surely cause a fire and isolate the enemy's attack.
Of course, in order to prevent the fire from catching on the wooden wall, they were at least ten steps away.
"Master, I'm waiting."
Chen Sheng drove a carriage and hurried out of Zhuangzi with three or four figures on horseback.
The illegal drinking going to Hezhou cannot be stopped. Furthermore, we have already checked before and there are no bandits cutting roads in Laobei Mountain in the past few days.
"Be careful. If you encounter danger, ride around first."
"My boss, I understand."
Chen Sheng was considered a hero who had fought for several times. After raising his sword, he led the people towards Hezhou.
"Huh? Boss, someone is here again." After Chen Sheng's private liquor car had gone away, Zhou Luo, who was patrolling the archery tower, suddenly spoke again.
What Zhou Luo was talking about was not ordinary passers-by, but the rich families who fled one after another in Wangzhou City.
In the past few days, a rough calculation showed that hundreds of carriages packed with gold, silver, soft goods, various antique calligraphy and paintings, and hurriedly moved the nursing home to the inner city.
Another war broke out in the north. Once Yongguan was broken, and after 700 miles of flat plains, it was Wangzhou City's turn to be filled with smoke.
It's no wonder that these wealthy households fled Wangzhou in a panic.
Xu Mu's heart sank.
Tian Song told him that he must collect a few more pack horses and move to the inner city as soon as possible.
But in the current situation, the entire Chenjiafang has just started to improve. If he leaves, it means that everything has to start all over again.
And there is another very important point.
What about these people in Zhuangzi?
What should happen to these people who follow him to beg for food in troubled times? It's a long road, and we can't move everyone there.
They are all ordinary people, and the only one they can rely on is Xujiazhuang. On the contrary, without Xujiazhuang, many people will most likely die.
"Caiwei, how much money is there on the counter now?" Xu Mu asked in a solemn voice as he walked to the wooden house in the middle.
Jiang Caiwei, who was keeping accounts, raised her head and blushed, "Take a look... Xu Lang, there are still one hundred and thirty taels of silver in the village. If the transactions in Hezhou go smoothly, we can add another fifty taels to the account. However, in the village, We don’t have much food left, so we need to buy more as food storage.”
I have to say that Jiang Caiwei's accounting skills are quite good.
"Xu, Xu Lang, many people in Zhuangzi were worried before and asked whether Xu Lang would also go to the inner city?"
"What about you, what do you think?"
"Xu Lang...if Zhuangzi is idle, these people will become the same as before."
Just like before, a new round of displacement begins.
"Caiwei, don't worry. The Eighth Battalion of Dingbian is our elite frontier army of Daji. They can stop the Beidi people."
In fact, Xu Mu had no confidence at all. If the Eighth Battalion of Dingbian were really powerful, they would not sit back and watch Yongguan being broken.
Even the deserters from the two Dingbian camps were able to flee to Sitong Road and became the boss of the tyrants.
…
At night, Xu Mu helped everyone pour out the lees from the wine vat.
Suddenly, the sound of horse hoofbeats was heard outside Zhuangzi.
The expressions of everyone present changed for no apparent reason. During this period of time, the bandits on Laobei Mountain were making such a fuss that people were almost intimidated.
"My boss, I'm Guan'er." Zhou Luo, who was patrolling the sentry, said with difficulty.
Officer? Are you from Wangzhou City? What are you doing in a broken village at this time?
Frowning, Xu Mu asked someone to open the door of the village, then straightened his clothes before walking out.
When I arrived at the village gate, I realized that it was an old acquaintance.
"Master Xu, please excuse me." Tian Song said in a serious tone and waved his hand back. Seven or eight officials on horseback immediately dismounted, each carrying a small lantern, and walked towards a luxurious carriage at the back. go.
"Brother Tian, what is this?"
"Now that we've entered the village, I'll explain it to you in detail."
Not long after, seven or eight officials from behind, surrounded by three scholars in elegant robes, slowly walked over.
Xu Mu knew that Tian Song was an official in Wangzhou City and had some power, but what would happen if he brought several young scholars into the village at night.
Stay overnight?
Or is it refuge?
Even the most ferocious bandit's first reaction when seeing an official official is to run away.
It's hard to avoid anything.
"Xiniang, take the tea first." Xu Mu turned around and called.
Xi Niang, who was looking frightened, responded and hurried to the kitchen.
"What kind of crap is this?"
"Tian Guantou, is this the person you are talking about?"
The two fair-faced scholars spoke with a sneer, and kept shaking their robe sleeves as if to disperse it, as if there was some foul smell in the village.
Only the little scholar at the end stood quietly at the end without saying a word.
What surprised Xu Mu was that after hearing this, Tian Song licked his face and went to comfort him.
"Brother Tian, what exactly does this mean?"
"I heard that a few days ago, Master Xu broke into the siege of the old Beishan bandits."
"It's just asking for life."
The location of the four roads is conspicuous, so it is not surprising that passers-by brought the news to Wangzhou City.
But even if the entire bandit group in Lao Beishan is slaughtered, this is not something that the official should be concerned about.
Give a good citizen award?
"I will speak frankly." Tian Song took a breath, "There is news from the north that two of the eight Dingbian camps have been destroyed by the Di people. You should have seen it in the past few days. In Wangzhou City, there are many They are rich people who fled."
"Brother Tian, what does this have to do with me? I'm just a small brewer."
"Master Xu, listen to me." Tian Song's tone was slightly irritable, he secretly raised his finger and pointed calmly at the three scholars behind him.
"I was given an order from above to make arrangements for these three people."
"Is it because of his prominent status?" Xu Mu frowned more and more.
"Naturally." Tian Song's voice became deeper and deeper, "The martial arts rations we were given earlier were a little careless, and the refugees took away the car as soon as we left the city. If we hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid there would have been a big mess."
"The great discipline decrees that unless there is an official document, the official officers cannot cross the city. Excuse me, Master Xu, please take them with you when you move to the inner city in the past few days."
"I have said that Master Xu is not a dirty person, and he has the ability to break up gangsters. Once he leaves, he will have no worries."
