After paying homage to his employer, while a large group of people were resting, Chen Jiaqiao began to speak in a deep tone.
"Master, the time is just right for this round."
"In the inner city area, we received news that one hundred thousand Ji soldiers recalled from the northwest border began to rush to the border."
Xu Mu frowned slightly. Yuan Tao said at the beginning that when 100,000 reinforcements began to rush to the border, that was when he made a surprise attack.
He originally thought it was a bluff. After all, according to Tsuneshiro, the current era is equivalent to a separatist situation.
"Northwestern Territory?"
"They are all veteran households. In the past few years, we have said that retail households have returned to their hometowns. However, after a long time, these veteran households have turned gray and are still unable to leave. They live in the military camp and wait to die."
Xu Mu was a little confused, "Mr. Chen, why is there no military household system in this inner city?"
"It's different. The Northwest Territory is an old problem. There were several waves of rebellions a hundred years ago, so the idiots in the court thought of a way to move the refugee prisoners there as auxiliary troops. After the second and third generations, they didn't know Raised 100,000 soldiers."
Chen Jiaqiao said angrily, "How can these soldiers fight a tough battle? This Daji Chaotang is completely ruined. When I was a high official, I went to the northwest frontier. The business in the military camp was really terrible. A miserable one."
"Mr. Chen was still a big official before?"
Chen Jiaqiao's face was expressionless, "In the second year of Xingwu, I was sent to be a big official. After working for two years, I practiced martial arts and killed people."
A Division, at least a ranking within a hundred people, is already very impressive when looking at the entire Daji. Then I think about that monster Tsuneshiro, who actually got the first prize in the exam. What a big deal!
"In any case, even if we are veterans this round, there are still 100,000 people. If it is what I want, I definitely don't want to help this rotten court."
Chen Jiaqiao paused and raised his head again, his eyes filled with perseverance.
"But the young master said that we are not saving the country, but saving the people. Killing a hundred corrupt officials is not as good as saving this round of border war."
I have to say that Tsuneshiro did see things thoroughly.
"Your young master is indeed a wonderful man. No wonder you guys work so hard."
"My boss, that's not right. These eighty people like me will only be controlled by my boss from now on. Unless we can come back alive from the border."
The topic was a bit heavy, and Xu Mu suddenly didn't want to talk anymore.
"Mr. Chen, do you have a horse?"
"There are some, about fifty of them, all hidden in the woods."
"fine."
Xu Mu breathed a sigh of relief. If these eighty knights had no horses, they would have to wait a long time to get to the border.
Along the way, if you encounter the racecourse in the town, you can only spend more money and buy more.
"Master, please have a good rest tonight. I will arrange for someone to stay on duty overnight."
Xu Mu nodded. After running around for days, his body was a little overwhelmed and he really needed a good rest.
"It's too close to Laoguan, is it okay?"
"It's okay. Those dog officers and soldiers are all blind. They won't go so far for fear of getting their shoes dirty."
This sentence made Xu Mu not know whether to be happy or sad, so he simply thought about nothing and found a place to rest.
…
In the early morning, the breeze swept over the hills and made a "woo-woo" sound on the barren hills.
Xu Mu opened his eyes, faced the morning light in front of him, and exhaled a sigh of relief.
On the withered grassland, Chen Jiaqiao had people bring in the horses. More than eighty knights also abandoned their white robes and only wore close-fitting clothes. They hid their weapons in the robes around the horses' bellies.
Chen Sheng also asked the accompanying villagers to quickly assemble.
A total of more than a hundred men and horses, after Xu Mu gave the order, roared and rushed towards the path beside the official road.
In less than half a month, more than a hundred heroes slept in the open and finally arrived at Monan Town.
"Master, come back!"
Chen Sheng jumped off the horse excitedly, stroking the sand under his feet and crying. Even Tian Song couldn't help it. He knelt on the ground and looked in the direction of Wangzhou.
Afterwards, many people from the border villages also came out one after another and remained silent for a long time.
Monan Town has a very important meaning. Entering Monan Town is equivalent to arriving at the border gate, and conversely, leaving Monan Town is equivalent to leaving the border gate.
Xu Mu's eyes were slightly stern, and he raised his head. From a distance, he seemed to be able to see the black clouds of beacon fire shrouding the direction of Hezhou.
"Mr. Chen, have you ever heard of Tuotou Mountain?"
"Tuotou Mountain?" Chen Jiaqiao thought seriously, "Master, I have never heard of it."
"Let's enter the town first."
According to Xu Mu's intention when he came to the border this time, he didn't want the officials to know. At least, he didn't want any alarm before the 100,000 veteran households arrived.
There is a big reason for this. The general guarding the city in Hezhou is Zhao Qingyun.
In Monan Town, Xu Mu didn't have too many scruples and allowed more than a hundred people to follow steadily behind him. Unlike the inner city, the people at the border are fierce and fierce, and there are even larger martial arts groups that can gather as many as two to three hundred people.
"My boss, this town is different from before." Chen Sheng sighed.
When they left Monan Town, they stayed for some time. Although it was not as good as the inner city, it was still full of people coming and going.
But the scene in front of me, where there was any life, was completely lifeless. There were scattered pedestrians, and no shops were open. Seven or eight refugees crowded in front of a butcher shop, frantically pulling open the wooden windows.
The sick man shivered in the alley, coughing loudly from time to time.
The thin and lonely wild dog had no time to jump up the wall, and was caught by three or four big men. Their necks were suddenly broken, and they died with big dog eyes.
Some of the fairer and thinner children had to walk a few more steps, but their mothers were so frightened that they hugged them, carried them into the house, and quickly closed the door.
"Brother Mu, why don't these people leave? Why don't they escape to the inner city?" Si Hu rounded his eyes.
"Brother Tiger, how do we get there? It's a two-thousand-mile border road." Xu Mu didn't answer, and Chen Jiaqiao already let out a sigh of relief.
Xu Mu was slightly silent. Along the way, they encountered more than a thousand corpses. The dead were guests in a foreign land.
Those who survived, even if they went through great hardships to reach the inner city, they would inevitably be driven out and exiled.
The country where the imperial dynasty collapsed was like a huge cage that enveloped all the suffering in the world. No one, dead or alive, could escape.
"I heard that there were hundreds of thousands of refugees at the North Gate of Hezhou." Chen Jiaqiao's voice was cold. "Many of them were killed by the troops led by General Po Di. Their heads were piled into baskets, and they were admitted to the Ministry of War despite military merit. I was rewarded with silver."
"Who's General Po Di?" Chen Jiaqiao turned around and asked the person next to him.
"Zhao Qingyun." Xu Mu's face suddenly turned cold.
"Don't worry, Master Xu. In my whole life, I, Zhao Qingyun, will be at odds with the Di people. All I want in this life is to serve the country and the people!"
The captain's words were still in his ears, but the blood on the butcher knife in his hand was already flowing into a river.
