Now that safety issues have been ensured, everyone's nervousness can relax.
But before Li Xiaoqi could relax, his calmness was suddenly interrupted.
"Hey, please give way!"
Everyone raised their heads and saw three men wearing square scarves and looking like country scholars, riding short southern horses and mules, running towards them in embarrassment.
Xu Qin and the others quickly got up and moved out of the way.
"You should also turn around and don't go forward."
A Confucian scholar who was walking at the end turned around to remind him.
At this time, 'Master' Xu Qin couldn't help but speak.
"Don't you think it's degrading for you to run away in such a panic?"
Unexpectedly, his kind report was met with ridicule and reprimand.
And he is still a young man younger than himself.
The leader, a Confucian scholar in his thirties, stopped his horse and raised his head and said disdainfully:
"To put it lightly, all the villages twenty miles ahead were burned by the army! Those officers and soldiers would kill anyone on sight. If you don't run away quickly, you will die!"
Everyone was stunned after hearing this.
Xu Qin thought about it carefully and thought it was impossible.
It was right to clear the Yanghuai area with heavy troops, but the Ji Zheng Guards led by Zhang Fu were actually Yilin Guards.
They are all carefully selected, and the family backgrounds of ordinary soldiers are clean and have no criminal records.
It is even less possible to mix with the gangsters, bandits and thieves.
Moreover, before departure, he had given repeated orders and emphasized military discipline.
The logistics supplies for this unit are all transported by civilians coordinated by the Fifth Army Governor's Office.
Each unit brought tents, cooking utensils and other necessary items, and there was a sufficient supply of food, water and horse grass.
The sergeants will never be allowed to disturb the people under any pretext, otherwise they will be grouped together and military law will show no mercy.
It would be possible if one or two daring soldiers lost their minds and killed or looted.
But doing evil things in the village, especially burning and killing, is definitely not something that one or two soldiers can do.
How could an officer risk his head and career, and risk the lives of his entire family, to do such a stupid thing?
Yi Linwei, let alone a general and non-commissioned officer, as an ordinary soldier, his salary in a year is much higher than that of looting a village.
Moreover, once they are deployed abroad, they all have tasks. With Zhang Fu's level of military management, who would have enough time to go to the village for a walk?
Still making trouble?
"Li Xiaoqi, take a few people to the front to investigate and see what's going on? Be smart."
"As you command, my lord."
Li Xiaoqi beat his chest and saluted, took three personal guards and rode forward.
Seeing this scene, these Confucian scholars were frightened.
Do you think these guys are also officers and soldiers?
The most careful look shows that these people are all riding tall war horses, with standard knives and bows and arrows hanging on the saddles.
"You...are you also an officer?"
The three Confucian scholars were so frightened that they trembled all over.
"Please don't be afraid. We are appointed by the imperial court to inspect the villages in the Yanghuai area to protect the lives and property of the people."
With that said, Xu Qin took out a gold token from the East Palace from his arms, pushed it in front of the three Confucian scholars and shook it.
At the end, he asked in a deep voice:
"The officers and soldiers burning, killing, looting, etc. that you mentioned, did you see it with your own eyes?"
The three Confucian scholars stopped talking.
"Gentlemen, please don't be afraid, but it doesn't matter." Xu Qin patiently comforted him.
The thirty-year-old Confucian scholar cleared his throat. He was probably the leader.
He took out his handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, straightened the square scarf that was blown askew by the wind, and said in frustration:
"This officer, if we saw this with our own eyes, how could the three of us escape with our lives?"
makes sense.
"Then who did you listen to?" Xu Qin asked inquiringly.
Unexpectedly, the three Confucian scholars looked at each other and hesitated.
Just as they were about to refuse, Xu Sanlang beside him lost his temper.
"Clang..." With a sound, he pulled out the Yanling knife from the saddle.
"Speak quickly, don't wait any longer!"
The guards who were on alert around him saw Xu Sanlang roaring angrily and drawing knives. They couldn't help but draw their knives and surrounded him.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, sir... I said... said..."
When the Confucian scholars saw this, they quickly begged for mercy.
This little drama, played by Xu Sanlang in his true colors, frightened the three Confucian scholars until they turned pale, and finally they were willing to tell the truth.
"The news about the burning, killing and looting by the army in the village was not witnessed by us, but came from a group of people we met on the official road."
"where?"
"It's like ten miles ahead."
Looking at Xu Qin who looked calm and dismissive, another Confucian scholar explained:
"My young official, please don't think that we are timid. The right principle is that 'a gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall'. No matter whether the news is true or false, there is no need to go any further."
Just as he was talking, the sound of horse hooves came from ahead, and several figures flashed.
"Master Xu, he is a small flag officer."
A perimeter guard shouted loudly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xiaoqi reined in the reins, cupped his hands and said:
"Master Xu, I ran for more than twenty miles and found no signs of fireworks or burning. Instead, I found a large village that looked like an earthen fortress."
This reconnaissance result made Xu Qin's heart drop.
"A large, fort-like village?"
He couldn't help but mutter.
From his understanding, this kind of earth-fort-style village should not appear in Jiangnan, especially in Nanzhili, where the safety factor is relatively high.
This is very common in the northern region.
Especially on the border, where horse and mountain bandits are rampant, it is common for rich men or large villages to build castles to live in.
"Li Xiaoqi leads the way, I'll go take a look."
Xu Qin got on his horse, shook the horse's reins, and ordered.
"As commanded."
Li Xiaoqi turned the horse's head and led the original team forward.
The three Confucian scholars looked at Xu Qin's dozen or so fully armed guards and said with some covetousness:
"Master Xu, why don't we follow you around and take care of each other along the way?"
Xu Sanlang sneered when he heard this.
Damn, are you still taking care of each other?
As long as you don't become a dragster, you are considered Amitabha.
These acid readers are hypocritical and hypocritical.
"Okay then, I'll run away, and you should keep up."
Unexpectedly, Xu Qin agreed.
He actually felt that with three Confucian scholars by his side, he could easily ask if he had anything to ask, and he wouldn't lose anything.
"Thank you, sir."
The three Confucian scholars were extremely happy.
They turned their horses and hurriedly followed the team.
The team of sixteen people jogged for a while and walked for seven or eight miles on the official road. Then they turned off the official road and started walking on a small road.
After walking about another mile and a half, a village appeared in front of us.
It's not quite accurate to say it's a village.
According to Xu Qin's perception, this place is more like an earthen castle.
The so-called earth castle is very different from the ancient castle in medieval England.
This is a form of civil self-defense in wartime that has been passed down in the Central Plains for thousands of years.
There are relatively complete fortifications, and there are simple granaries, water wells and concentrated residential areas inside.
When you get closer, you can see that there is a circle of earthen polder outside the village, which is about two feet high and half a foot thick.
If you look closely, you can see that they are all made of gravel mixed with silt, and only the base layer is paved with large stones.
