Volume 1 Xiao Yuanba Chapter 44 The Police Encountered by the Department Store
"Hey, is that a promotion? Congratulations, congratulations!" Zhao Jingzi quickly handed over his hand.
"Stop talking nonsense, come here quickly!" Li Dan stopped him with a smile: "I asked you to come here to help me copy this picture. I need three copies. They need to be sent to the Yamen for filing very carefully."
As he spoke, he took out his draft and as soon as he handed it to Zhao Jingzi, he saw Chen Salmon coming in. He pointed to the temporary "table" and said:
"Xianfu (Zhao Jingzi), you can draw here, don't be restrained." After saying that, he turned around and took out another piece of paper and handed it to Chen Sanwen: "Look at this first."
Chen Sanwen opened his mouth at the first sight and turned his face to see Li Dan laughing at him:
"How about it? Take it back and think about it, think about it.
There are four hundred vehicles in the camp that need to be modified. All the carpenters, blacksmiths, and carriage makers in the city will come soon. A factory will be opened on the north side of the camp, and they will be modified and numbered on the spot.
You take charge of this matter, I will send Goshiro to you, and you can find two or three highly respected craftsmen as assistants.
A thousand trained people go to your factory to do three hours of work every day, and it must be completed within seven days!"
Chen Sanwen went out in a daze. Li Dan looked back and saw Zhao Jingzi still holding the draft there, and asked: "What's wrong? Is there anything you don't understand?"
"This, what is this?"
"Oh, let me explain it first." After Li Dan finished speaking, he pointed to and explained roads, rivers, contours, cliffs, woods, houses, etc.
Zhao Jingzi looked at him in surprise, shook his head, and reached out to grab the pen. In fact, he was muttering in his heart, who taught this kid all the stuff in his head?
Working for four cents a day was still very attractive to the craftsmen. Han Shoubei had a talk with the local county magistrate. Hearing that the money came out of the Shoubei Yamen, the county magistrate immediately sent someone to post the notice.
People started to sign up soon, and a long queue quickly formed in front of the door.
But livestock and vehicles were more difficult to deal with, and the county magistrate spent a lot of effort going to the garrison office to bargain. The main reason was that four cents of silver a day was too little, and it was difficult for the people to respond.
Finally, Han Shoubei raised the price of the livestock to six cents, and the rent of large vehicles was increased to one cent a day. If there was any loss, the livestock and vehicles would be compensated according to the price. The county magistrate then agreed.
Even so, it took three days to collect enough carts. Livestock was even more troublesome. Even including cattle, by the seventh day there was still 60 horses (heads) short of the expected number.
Fortunately, Lin Baihu recruited more than a hundred mules and donkeys when building roads in Xing'an. Li Dan agreed to use some of the donkeys they had if it didn't work.
On the seventh day, there were still more than 30 cars that had not been fully modified, but the group had to set off.
Sheng Huai'en, who was walking at the front, had just left the north gate of the city with two hundred officers and soldiers, when Su Piantou and Han Si drove two brand-new carriages to the west gate camp.
Li Dan was overjoyed when he saw the two of them, and hurriedly hung up the two spare shaft logs stored at the bottom of the carriage, took them out and hung them on the iron rings. The scene was changed into a four-horse carriage, and the remaining supplies were loaded onto the carriage as much as possible and set off.
"You don't have to be too hasty. After the other vehicles have been modified, twenty more will be sent to chase us. Ten will be loaded with livestock feed, and ten will be left empty as backup vehicles.
The rest can be left in the camp for dispatch, remember to give the documents to the garrison Yamen."
In the document calling for carriages, horses, and personnel, Li Dan mentioned that he would be escorted to Chen Sanwen, and he would leave a group of bamboo spears to guard him.
Then he boarded Zaoliu, taking these two cars and the eight cars that had just been refitted (the sergeants were given 10% of the rations for 12 days, and the civilians were given 60%). Behind them were forty spare mules and horses, and
Zhao Jingzi and Hei Laosi went to chase the brigade.
On the way, he learned that Su Piantou was sent by Yang Dayi to deliver the two new cars (and four horses), while Han Si was preparing to replace Ma Jiunawu who left first (but he didn't know that this Wuwu had already left).
was dismantled).
They met Li Biao who was rushing back in Guixi. When they heard that they were about to set off, they walked through the night and finally met up with the team.
"You two arrived in time, just stay with me as my personal bodyguards." Li Dan's words surprised and touched both of them. They didn't expect that a lowly person like themselves could be Li Sanlang's personal bodyguards, and their chests suddenly stood out.
Woke up.
Because it was the first day, the team didn't move very fast, but it was much easier to follow the train empty-handed than to carry a heavy load.
In addition, this section of the road was wide and flat, so they had already passed Xing'an County that night, passed outside Beiguan and arrived at Hengfeng Station at the foot of Tashan Mountain in the east, and settled down and camped not far away.
Sheng Huai'en (General Manager Sheng Bao) went into the city to meet with the county magistrate. There were guards stationed and patrolling outside the camp. Li Dan arranged for everyone in the camp to eat, drink and rest.
Li Dan divided these 1,200 people into four battalions, front, rear, left and right, into twenty teams, with each team having sixty people (five or so). He himself led the front battalion composed of people from Raozhou and Nankang.
Zuo Yingying was Xiao Wanhe, a twenty-seven-year-old native of Ji'an. Legend has it that he was a Miao descendant of the Emperor Zhou. His ancestor had served as a young minister of Taichang Temple in the Southern Song Dynasty. His family was very prestigious in the local area.
The people of Fuzhou recommended Youyingyingzheng Zhou Qin. He was in his early thirties and seemed to be a man of few words. It was said that he had a good reputation as a chivalrous person among the Shuishui people in Ru River.
Hou Yingying was Tan Zhongxiao, a book printer from Jianchang Prefecture, who was famous for his generosity and wealth. Half of his people were silver miners, so they should have strong fighting ability.
The captains of each team are appointed by Ying Zheng himself. The five leaders of the front battalion are Gu Da, Yang Yi, Song Jiuyi, Zhang Bo and Liu Hongsheng. Gu Da and Yang Yi are the left and right battalion deputy.
Ma Jiu was appointed as the supervisor to lead the escort team and the archery team. He placed Ba Shiye in the administrative position, and Zhao Jingzi became a staff officer.
Hei Laosi was difficult to place, so Li Dan kept him by his side as a bodyguard first.
Setting up camp is an old trick, so we used bamboo stakes to fence it as instructor Yu Gan taught us.
The Ji'an people also invented the method of cutting a hole in a bamboo pole and using another pared pole to support it on the ground. Everyone soon learned it.
Each battalion also learned to cut bamboo into soldiers, and a large number of bamboo spears appeared in the camp. During the march on the second day, the green poles became a forest, which was quite spectacular.
Ma Jiu selected 20 of the guards he taught to serve as governors for Song Xiaoniu, while Huang Qin's 30 archers rode on mules to watch and protect Song Xiaoniu.
Behind Li Dan, in addition to ten messengers riding mules to deliver messages back and forth, there were also two axemen under Zhang Bo who carried square wooden shields and had knives hanging on their waists with hatchets stuck in their backs.
This is a group of flexible and courageous guys, the commando of the entire team, dedicated to dealing with the most difficult situations.
Ma Jiuye's two hundred people did not expect to have the opportunity to hold guns and knives when they went out to the civilians. Today, they all walked with their heads held high and their chests high, looking very impressive.
Unexpectedly, after camping, others could rest, but they still had to stand guard and patrol at the camp gate, fence, and behind the cart. Fortunately, no one dared to joke with them, so they only kept a respectful distance.
In fact, the governors of Mavericks are the most tiring. Not only do they have to patrol in separate shifts, but they also have to mediate various disputes and suppress those who are emotionally unstable. This job is much harder than standing guard!
After the first night, I became much more experienced when I camped the next day. However, because this section is a mountainous road and there are two or three crossings of streams and rivers, the walk was quite strenuous at the end of the day, and the distance was not as far as the previous day.
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Camping at the shop that night, Li Dan washed his feet and sat down on his bunk. He had just picked up a pen and was about to lay down on the folding table to record what he saw along the way today. Suddenly, Mao Zaidi walked into the tent and reported: "Defense, General Sheng."
Here we come.”
"Ah?" Li Dan was a little surprised. Sheng Huai'en came so late. Something strange must have happened. He quickly put on his shoes and came out to meet him.
Li Dan's tent was a military tent built for him by Sheng Huai'en. It was divided into two parts by a curtain, with the front one for discussion and the back one for sleeping.
I saw Mr. Sheng wearing his usual homely quiver sleeves and a blue cloth knitted headband. He was standing in front of the map (one-third of the copy copied by Zhao Jingzi) with his hands on his hips and his brows knitted together.
"My lord, you haven't rested at this late hour. Is there anything important?" Li Dan asked with his hand raised.
"Sanlang, there's something strange that I'm not sure about. I feel uneasy and can't sleep, so I came to discuss it with you." Sheng Huaien turned around and sat down first, beckoned Li Dan to sit over, and said in a low voice:
"I sent two brothers on horseback to contact Lin Baihu and take a look at their road construction.
As a result, they met two or three panicked savages on their way back, with flashing eyes and panicked responses, which was quite suspicious."
The so-called "savages" refer to people like mountain villagers. Li Dan blinked: "What kind of savages? May I ask more?"
"A strong man with a fierce gaze, short clothes and linen trousers, and a dark complexion." Mr. Sheng's voice became deeper and deeper:
"They said they were catching fish in the ditch, but there was no catch and no fishing gear.
When I came up from the river bed, I saw the officers and soldiers approaching on horseback. Instead of turning around and running away, I knelt on the side of the road and waited for questioning. What's going on? Are you suspicious?"
"My lord, do you think... they are spies for the bandits?"
"Humph." Sheng Huaien sneered twice: "It's fine if he's a country man. If he's a bandit, then we may be in trouble."
"But... doesn't it mean that there are no rioters on the north bank, and this road has always been safe?"
"That was before, and I believe that Mr. Han is indeed telling the truth. Is it possible that the bandits accidentally encountered my people?
Because they said that these three people were slightly panicked when they saw them on the shoulder of the road, but they quickly calmed down."
"If that's the case," Li Dan gasped, "then he might be an old gangster! Have you ever asked, sir, where did they meet these guys?"
"Xitang."
Li Dan looked up at the picture and murmured: "Xitang?
There is a road to the south there, passing through Shiling, between Jianshan and Xianrenyan, and you can go to Bangshan West Ferry. Opposite the ferry is Ehu Town. Three miles up the river is Pangrendu, and Pangrendu is four miles to the north.
Here is the mouth of Tongmu River.
Sir, is Ehu Lake lost? Or maybe the bandits crossed the river by boat and occupied the Bongshan Ferry, and then sneaked here quietly?"
"It's hard to say, everything is possible!" Sheng Huai'en shook his head: "We brothers are here without knowing where to go, walking around like fools.
Being ambushed is not a big deal, but if we lose our food and supplies, our belongings and our lives, Shangrao and Guangxin will not be able to defend themselves!"
"Well, there are more than a thousand lives outside." Li Dan said, tilting his head and looking at the night outside.
"I don't care!" Sheng Huai'en thought for a moment, thinking that Li Dan was a little scared and wanted to back off. He shook his head: "If we don't deliver the food, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians will fall into the hands of the bandits.
Shangrao cannot be saved, the situation is very bad, and several surrounding counties will be destroyed. But what! At this time, we can only rush forward and rush to deliver the food. There is no other way.
In this way, when we arrive in Xitang tomorrow, I will order people to form a formation to cover you and lead the team through quickly...!"
Seeing that Li Dan seemed to be lost in thought, he waved his hand in front of him: "Sanlang, what are you thinking about and you are so absorbed in it, but you didn't listen to my words?"
Seeing him complaining, Li Dan bowed his hands apologetically: "Excuse me, sir, but I suddenly remembered that if that group of people are really spies for the bandit, then it seems that... their number is not large!"