After returning, Wang Jing began to dispatch some craftsmen and hard laborers to the selected city construction site to make advance preparations.
Mu Hong followed the order and led a hundred cavalry southward with an excited look on his face.
The cavalry under Wang Jing's command has been trained and replenished, and now there are two hundred people.
One hundred of them need to be arranged on the east bank of the lake to protect craftsmen and hard laborers. The other half is the mobile force.
…
Half a day later. Under a hill, Mu Hong and many cavalrymen were building up their horse power and feeding their horses with bean cakes and other horse feed.
Boom!
Soon the three cavalrymen returned quickly from the south. They are the spies sent by Mu Hongsa to explore the situation ahead.
Generally speaking, as long as they do not encounter large-scale cavalry, three cavalry spies can completely protect their own safety.
Bring the situation back safely.
The three cavalry spies quickly returned and dismounted, and reported: "Hundred households, we have found out clearly. There are only a few hundred people on the hill in front. There are about a hundred young and strong people. They look like bandits!"
"When my subordinates approached, I saw that they had very few bows and arrows, only spears and swords..."
Mu Hong fed the bean cake in his hand to the horse and finished it, then got on the horse.
"Now that we've found out everything, let's go!"
"They are just a bunch of people. If we dismount and fight on foot, the other party will never be our opponent!"
This was the first sizable force they encountered on their way south. Although they were just bandits, Mu Hong did not despise them in his heart.
He talks powerfully, but is very cautious in his actions.
The lion and the rabbit also used all their strength, and a hundred cavalrymen all rode out and galloped towards the target location.
A few miles away on a hill.
A burly man holding a knife was standing in front of the relatively complete mountain village, looking towards the front of the hill, with a trace of solemnity on his face.
"There are actually cavalry spies..."
This strong man was originally a local powerful man in the late Tang Dynasty.
During this period of time, he worked hard to gather hundreds of young people, and established a stronghold on this hill to have his own foundation.
In the process of development and growth, there were many conflicts with nearby refugee forces.
He knew very well that the nearby refugee forces were just like him. They didn't even have a war horse. Those who had war horses were either powerful forces.
Or they were barbarian cavalry with extremely cruel methods.
There were three cavalrymen approaching the stronghold just now, as if they were inquiring about the situation of the stronghold, which made him uneasy.
I felt like I was being targeted.
Soon, he discovered that his feelings were correct.
Along with the roaring sound, a hundred cavalry came from far and near to the front of the stronghold.
"So many cavalry!"
The strong man gritted his teeth, with a trace of despair in his eyes. He is not an ordinary citizen. As a local powerful man, he still has some eyesight.
Just from the momentum of the galloping cavalry, you can tell that the opponent is definitely an elite soldier who has been trained for a long time!
At this time.
The large group of cavalry came to the open space in front of the mountain stronghold, and an armored general rode out.
"I am Mu Hong, a hundred households of the East Lake Army cavalry, and I am here to attack the bandits and bandits. Please open the gate of the village as soon as possible and accept the reorganization!"
"If you dare to resist, destroy the stronghold and destroy the whole family!"
Hundreds of households of East Lake Army cavalry?
The opponent is coming from the north. It seems to be a powerful force coming from the north!
The strong man's face suddenly turned blue and white, and in his heart heaven and man were at war.
Although this cottage is not large in scale, it is still the result of his hard work, and he is right here. But if he opened the gate of the village and surrendered, he would have no choice but to let the mercenaries eat their flesh.
"Fortress Master!"
The dozens of young men carrying swords and guns beside the strong man were a little panicked. Many of them had their eyes twinkling slightly after seeing the power of the cavalry's sudden arrival.
The strong man glanced around and immediately noticed the reactions of the young men under his command, and felt a chill in his heart.
These days, he has used all his methods, but he has not made these subordinates completely loyal.
Now facing a powerful enemy, these people have other ideas.
"These bastards, if I had dozens of servants guarding the courtyard in the past, I would have beaten these half-hearted people to death long ago... Damn it, God actually sent me to this place, my family property and fields are all gone!"
The strong man was furious in his heart, and he was also cursing God.
He suddenly shouted: "General, please wait a moment, I am willing to join the East Lake Army!"
Instead of waiting for the bastards under his command to surrender to the enemy, he might as well surrender on his own initiative. There is no other way. The force of a hundred cavalry on the opposite side is too strong.
The strong man thought twice, but finally gave up the idea of stubborn resistance.
Crunch! The gate of the cottage was opened, and the strong man took the initiative to put down his weapons and walked out.
"Young man Sun Hong, pay your respects to the general!"
"Okay! Get up!"
Mu Hong showed a smile on his face and said lightly: "Since you have surrendered on your own initiative, I will spare your life, Zhang Dezhu... lead people to recruit young people from the village. These people will be the common people under the lord's rule from now on. Be more restrained in your actions and don't destroy military discipline!" "
The cavalry team named Zhang Dezhu immediately loudly received the order.
Fifty cavalrymen dismounted, broke into the stronghold, and took out all the young men and women.
Various materials in the village were quickly selected and taken out.
Hundreds of young men looked panicked under the guard of the cavalry, and no one dared to resist.
The young man under the strong man's command just now was as honest as a quail. Under the sharp eyes of the cavalry, they trembled with fear.
This time, there was no fighting, and a cottage was successfully incorporated, with hundreds of people gained. The smooth start made Mu Hong feel very good.
"Sun Hong, how much do you know about the forces nearby?"
Mu Hong's eyes fell on the strong man.
Sun Hong's eyes flashed slightly, and he immediately said respectfully: "There are seven villages, large and small, nearby. The total number of the seven villages is about five thousand people...General, I am willing to join the army and serve the general!"
"General, please give this villain a chance!"
Mu Hong tapped his palm with his riding crop and said: "I can give you a chance to perform meritorious service. Whether you can join the army or not, you need to report to the lord and the governor after you return. It doesn't count for me!"
"But if you help me capture these seven villages, I can help you speak in front of the lord! Finally, you join the East Lake Military Attendant to serve the lord, not me! Do you understand?"
"The villain understands!"
Sun Hong nodded vigorously.
He is a smart man. After discovering the military appearance of Mu Hong and the East Lake Army cavalry, he knew that the East Lake Army mentioned by the other party was at least a big force.
Now that he has surrendered, he must show enough value and ability to gain a foothold in this big force.
Perhaps, he can get more benefits after joining the East Lake Army!
Sun Hong is indeed a local leader in the surrounding area.
With his help, Mu Hong led the cavalry to attack one after another and destroyed six villages in a row, gaining more than 3,000 young men and women. The last village had more than 1,000 men and women. The most powerful.
But after Mu Hong, a third-level general, took action personally, he was also destroyed.
There were more than 5,000 men and women in total, as well as hundreds of stones of various grains found in the village, wheelbarrows made by craftsmen, axes and sickles forged by blacksmiths...
All kinds of materials are densely packed.
These things were temporarily stored outside Sun Hong's village, almost piling up a hill.
Mu Hong quickly sent someone back to report and asked Wang Jing to send infantry and auxiliary troops to count and transport them.
