This kind of fortifications is only possible in the south.
In the eyes of this group of wealthy people who had never seen large-scale cavalry field battles in the north, they thought it was very safe.
But compared to the real fortress in the north, it is far behind.
This kind of clay-sculpted earth wall, without the protection of a wide trench, could not withstand one or two large-scale cavalry attacks and collapsed under the iron hooves of tall war horses in the north or outside the fortress.
There was a guard tower on the earthen wall. A captain saw sixteen or seven armed cavalry approaching, and among them were Confucian scholars wearing kerchiefs, thinking they were one of his own.
"You guys are coming over."
"Um…"
Li Xiaoqi, who took the lead, didn't know why and snorted vaguely.
The little leader Zhuang Ding who was guarding the door didn't ask any questions, and he just asked someone to open the door.
Li Xiaoqi was clever, and with a wave of his hand, he led five guards to ride into the fort, guarding the perimeter of the fort gate and protecting Xu Qin and others from entering the fort.
The young leader then noticed something was wrong with his posture and frowned.
"Mom, you are not from Zhang Dalang's side, where did you come from?"
The little gatekeeper asked unkindly, holding an iron rake in his hand.
Many villagers gathered around, holding hoes and rakes in their hands.
Li Xiaoqi raised his whip and gave the little boss a slap on the face.
"Snapped!"
The little leader subconsciously dodged, but the linen clothes on his shoulders were still torn apart by the horse whip.
The flesh inside instantly burst into a bloody streak.
"Idiot! Who said we are not Zhang Dalang's people? We just arrived today. Zhang Dalang asked us to go into the fort to rest for a while. He will arrive soon."
Li Xiaoqi's whip, coupled with his fierce appearance, really frightened those villagers.
The beaten little leader Zhuang Ding looked ugly, but he did not dare to say anything back.
He saw people like Li Xiaoqi, all of whom looked mighty and majestic, carrying swords and arrows, and riding tall war horses.
These people are like warriors recruited by Zhang Dalang.
The little boss's expression became calm, and he quickly raised his hands and said:
"Please forgive me, strong man. The world is not peaceful now, so we have to be careful."
Li Xiaoqi nodded noncommittally.
Xu Qin and others dismounted and walked into the fort. He also reached out and touched the soil and gravel on the wall.
"This new practice hasn't been around for long, has it?"
The little boss didn’t want to hide anything and stated:
"Before May last year, the Yan army was preparing to attack Yangzhou Prefecture, and all parts of the prefecture were engaged in defense."
"This thing is also a big fight, and it takes a lot of effort, but it's not just our family doing it, it's everywhere. It's just to protect ourselves during the war."
"Then there's no war happening now, so why don't you just dismantle it yourself?"
Faced with the fierce pursuit of this group of men who kicked his nose and face, the little leader clenched his fists so tightly that the wooden handle of the iron rake made a sound.
"Master, you have asked too many questions."
"What nonsense?"
When Xu Sanlang saw that the little leader was disrespectful to the young master, he puffed his beard and glared and rushed up.
Seeing this, some of the villagers came up.
Seeing that the two sides are about to conflict.
"What's the noise here?"
A young man in his twenties, dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe, appeared in people's sight, surrounded by seven or eight bodyguards holding simple knives and red cherry guns.
"I've met the young master."
"..."
The villagers all saluted the man in brocade robes very respectfully.
"Master, this person is the one who told us on the road not to go forward, saying that the army was burning and killing the village."
A Confucian scholar standing next to Xu Qin whispered.
Xu Qin nodded, knowing what he was doing.
He strode forward and said to the man in brocade robes:
"Young Master, we are sent to the countryside to inspect the people's situation. We ask for your cooperation."
After hearing this, the man in brocade clothes showed neither fear nor flattery, but glanced at Xu Qin coldly.
Imperial officials, inspecting the public sentiment?
He does have the style of an official.
Although he is young, he carries himself with airs and a sense of invisible authority.
There are more than a dozen strong men around, all armed with swords as guards.
The man in brocade robe raised his eyebrows slightly, and a hint of gloom flashed through his eyes.
He calmed down, cupped his fist slightly towards Xu Qin and said:
"Wang didn't know that Shangguan was coming, so he was rude."
“He who does not know is not guilty.”
Xu Qin raised his right hand slightly and returned a half salute, "Young Master, can you take me to your village to have a look?"
Seeing this trend, the young master surnamed Wang was frightened and angry. He glanced at the panicked little leader of Zhuang Ding with a fierce look.
He barely suppressed his anger and forced himself to calm down.
When he travels around the countryside on weekdays, he has a bit of a bad temper, and he really doesn't do enough to cultivate his energy.
Seeing the young master surnamed Wang who had everything written on his face, Xu Qin knew what was going on and pretended to be businesslike.
"Shangguan, please follow Wang."
When Young Master Wang saw Xu Qin's reluctance, he had no choice but to lead the way.
Under his leadership, Xu Qin and other people wandered around this earth fort village.
The situation in the village was not as bad as Xu Qin imagined.
The wealthy places in the south of the Yangtze River are much better than the desolate north.
But compared to the Zhao Mansion in Zhujia Town, there is still not enough to see here.
There are only a few dozen acres of dry land scattered into small areas, surrounded by hills behind the village.
Every household has pig pens and poultry.
This is a small village, perhaps just a piece of territory belonging to the Wang family.
There is a small hill in front of the village. It is generally invisible from the official road and there is an earthen fort village hidden behind the hill.
Xu Qin intuitively felt that this was not a local natural village, but a newly built one in the past year or two.
Maybe it has its own special purpose.
There is a small stream behind the village, the kind that adults can jump across in one leap.
In short, there are mountains and water here, and it can be regarded as a geomantic treasure.
In addition to the main gate at the front, the earthen fort also has a small gate at the back.
Opening the door is a dirt road, which should lead to the back mountain.
"Is there a woman here?"
Xu Sanlang, who has always been vigilant, has sharp eyes.
In a stinking pen where livestock were kept, a woman with disheveled hair, with fearful eyes open, huddled in a corner and shivered.
What is strange is that she was put on homemade handcuffs and shackles, which were heavy and weighed several kilograms.
Seeing Xu Qin's special attention, Young Master Wang said casually, "This woman has made a mistake and must be punished according to the clan rules."
Damn it, even if you make a mistake in treating a village woman, do you need to be put in a pigsty with handcuffs and shackles?
Xu Qin opened his mouth to ask, but then thought of something and remained silent.
The sun in early spring sets as early as in winter, and the days are no longer than in summer.
This place is as big as a palm. After walking around and looking at the flowers, it was already dark.
There is no one outside the village anymore.
Young Master Wang arranged for Xu Qin and others to rest in a big house.
The steamed buns and water that were delivered were put aside. Even though they were steaming, no one dared to take a bite.
Just afraid of losing his life.
Li Xiaoqi and his personal guards were on guard around the house, and they carried Yanling knives, bows and arrows with them.
