"The conditions here are cramped, Mr. Ruan, don't be surprised."
Pang Yu served Ruan Dacheng a cup of tea in a private house inside Xiangyang Gate.
This is a house borrowed from an old man inside, and it has become the temporary headquarters of Xiangyangmen. The conditions inside are naturally not exquisite. The outer hall is used for offices, and there is a bed in the inner room. The quick shift also moved coffee tables and chairs. As Pang Yu
A place to rest.
"Pang Bantou doesn't need to worry about some small things."
Ruan Dacheng had a sad look on his face. He picked up the tea cup and found that it was a coarse porcelain cup. He put it back on the coffee table. Seeing that Pang Yu was turning around, he quickly put it to his mouth again.
Pang Yu didn't notice Ruan Dacheng's little thoughts. He had just come down from the top of the city. Today was the second day of the soldiers' training in the city. There were constant situations everywhere and he was busy all day long.
When Ruan Dacheng came just now, he brought his servants and troupes with him, and asked Pang Yu to deploy them to defend the city. He also sent two carts of food. He still looked generous. In addition to the help he had given to the strong troupe in the past, Pang Yu still had to do it no matter how busy he was.
Take some time to receive it.
"How come Mr. Ruan hasn't gone to Nanjing yet? Some people from Lujiang have fled today. It is confirmed that the bandits are besieging Luzhou Prefecture and may attack Lujiang at any time. We have to stay here. Mr. Ruan has somewhere to go, so there is no need to stand in
Under the dangerous wall."
"I thought it was a false alarm before, so I didn't take it to heart."
After Ruan Dacheng put down his tea cup, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Ruan has a gracious invitation here."
"Mr. Ruan is very helpful to me. Whatever I can do, I will definitely help him do it."
Ruan Dacheng hesitated to speak several times and kept looking around, as if he was afraid of someone eavesdropping.
This made Pang Yu a little strange.
According to what he learned about Ruan Dacheng's style, as long as he was sure that the bandits were coming, he would definitely turn to Rufeng, go to Songyang even at night, and then quickly go to Nanjing. As long as he got to Songyang, he would be safe.
Ruan Dacheng asked for something from him at this time. Pang Yu guessed that it was just to help look after his house and property, otherwise Pang Yu wouldn't be able to think of anything else.
Ruan Dacheng hesitated and kept looking at the bed in the room. He fiddled with the lid of the teacup in his hand a few times, and suddenly fell to the ground with a thud. There was no stone slab in this room, and the lid turned around intact.
Pang Yu hurriedly went to pick it up, but Ruan Dacheng had already squatted down quickly and took the teacup in his hand. Pang Yu noticed that he took advantage of this moment and glanced under the bed.
After confirming that there was no one under the bed, Ruan Dacheng's expression became much more relaxed when he got up.
"Young friend Pang may have heard about Ruan's past events."
Ruan Dacheng finally said, "The past is over. I don't want to pay attention to being framed for nothing, but there are always some regrets."
Pang Yu nodded affirmatively without interrupting.
"To be honest with you Pang, Ruan has many contacts all over the world, and there are many upright people in the court who have long wanted to help me recover.
However, there are always people who try to obstruct it, which is nothing more than trying to silence everyone with false accusations.
Ruan is not motivated by utilitarianism, he just thinks that this useful life can one day relieve our emperor's worries and help the people.
Therefore, I am also enthusiastic about public welfare in the countryside. Whenever I can contribute, I must do my best. As long as I do it right, my name will always be heard in heaven."
"Mr. Ruan has indeed done a great job. Not only did he help to establish the strong troupe, he also donated money and materials this time. The servants and troupes in the family all tried their best to help. No matter who asked, Pang said the same."
"I heard that Yang Zhi County appointed Pang Bantou with full power to guard the city. With Pang Bantou guarding Tongcheng, I am relieved. The rogue bandits will definitely be defeated."
Pang Yu naturally knew what Ruan Dacheng was telling lies. If he was so sure that the bandit would flee, he wouldn't look like this now.
But he was a rural official, so even if he escaped, no one could tell him why he went around in a circle to summon reinforcements.
"But the city cannot be defended without help. I am thinking of going to Songyang to raise food and grass for the county government. If the city is besieged by rogue bandits, I will definitely call in soldiers from the countryside in Songyang for rescue."
It turned out that he still had to run away, and the reason was found. Pang Yu still had a touched look on his face, "Thank you, Mr. Ruan, for your great righteousness."
Ruan Dacheng sighed and said, "But the gentry has been favored by the country and has the responsibility to protect the land in the countryside. What I am worried about is that others cannot understand my painstaking efforts. Some people even plan to arrange for me to run away and ruin my good reputation in the scholar forest."
"
Ruan Dacheng paused for a moment. He may have found it difficult to justify himself, but he finally said, "It is more appropriate to defend the city. I am thinking about how to provide aid to Tongcheng in Songyang without being criticized, especially
Come to Pantou Pang to discuss and see if there is a way to achieve both ends."
At this time, Pang Yu suddenly realized that the rogue bandits were more powerful than the native bandits, and the contribution to defending the city must be greater than the civil unrest, so Ruan Dacheng started thinking about military achievements again. If Tongcheng was successfully defended, he could get a share of the military achievements. He hoped that in the future
Both Shilin and the imperial court expanded their reputation.
But he was afraid of death and dared not stay. A perfect solution was needed, and it fell on Pang Yu.
The trouble in this matter is that neither Yang Erming nor Zhou Xiancheng wants to have anything to do with Ruan Dacheng. Ruan Dacheng has exhausted all his agencies and may not be able to get the merit report in the end.
However, Ruan Dacheng is currently Pang Yu's only connection with the upper-class officialdom and scholars. Although he doesn't know what the use is, Pang Yu subconsciously wants to maintain this bond, not to mention Ruan Dacheng has been providing practical help.
Pang Yu hesitated for a moment and then said, "Mr. Ruan is anxious for justice and has brought dozens of healthy servants to my place today, volunteering to go to the city wall to defend it, and provide several strategies for fighting and defense.
I am thinking that Mr. Ruan is already very old, and due to the large number of soldiers and soldiers gathered in Nancheng and the large number of refugees living here, people's livelihood is difficult.
I would like to ask you to take charge of the food supply in some neighborhoods in Nancheng.
This matter is very important, but Mr. Ruan is very righteous and will definitely fulfill his duties. I am thinking that if Mr. Ruan accepts this job, I am afraid he will have to be busy until the bandits retreat before he can have time to meet me again. I will definitely repay the truth. "
Ruan Dacheng raised his head slightly. This job was obviously done casually by Pang Yu. There must have been no one to come to Ruan Dacheng to handle the matter. He was in charge of food supply in some neighborhoods in Nancheng. He didn't say which neighborhood it was. It would be difficult to verify it afterwards. As long as Pang Yu told him afterwards.
If it is indeed done, then others cannot question it.
Pang Yu didn't have much risk in this matter, because he said that he would have time to meet Ruan Dacheng after the bandits retreated. Even if Ruan Dacheng went out in the middle and was seen by others, it would be excusable for Pang Yu not to notice.
At that moment, Ruan Dacheng stood up, cupped his hands and said, "I see, I have no shirk in my duty."
The two reached a deal, but how Ruan Dacheng managed to escape from the city without everyone knowing was still an important technical issue.
Sure enough, Ruan Dacheng said again, "I accept this errand, and I have to send one or two family members away, and I still have to bother Bantou Pang."
"Mr. Ruan, please arrange for your family to leave the city as soon as possible. Before noon, bricks and stones were used to block the Dongzuo Gate and Nanxun Gate. The Xiangyang Gate is still in place. In case of any real warning, all six gates will be blocked.
It’s inconvenient to leave the city at that time.”
...A carriage arrived in front of the door. The driver was Ruan Dacheng's housekeeper. There was a red floral cloth draped on the carriage's frame. It looked like it was used by the women of wealthy families.
But there are two horses tied behind the carriage, and the reins are tied to the frame. They are walking slowly behind the carriage, which looks a bit strange.
Pang Yu was looking at the carriage at the top of the city. He naturally knew that the two horses were left by Ruan Dacheng for riding after leaving the city. It seemed that he really planned to drive all night and hide somewhere in Songyang before dawn, so that there would be no witnesses.
witness.
If Pang Yu were to choose, the hiding place should be a big ship. That way the news would never be leaked and it would be safer.
There were not many people walking outside the city gate, but there was a long queue outside the city. The county seat was preparing intensively, and there were many rumors nearby. The atmosphere around the city began to become tense. Some people near Guanxiang began to enter the city one after another. The government officials
Identities must be checked one by one at the door. Regardless of whether there is a household sticker, accent verification and body search are required before entering the city. Dongzuo Gate and Nanxun Gate were blocked again. Although additional yamen were deployed, long queues still formed quickly.
.
According to the rules, carriages leaving the city must also be searched.
Before the Kuaishou guarding the city could step forward, Pang Ding, who was in front of the gate, walked over and said, "Both the carriages and horses must be inspected."
The housekeeper responded quickly, "They are all women, please just take a look at them."
When the other Kuaishou saw Pang Ding coming forward, they all knew he was the squad leader's confidant. Anyone who dared to compete with him stepped aside.
As expected, Pang Ding only opened a corner of the curtain, and then quickly lowered it, "It is indeed a female family member, let me go!"
He waved his hand, and those quick guys who dared to check again quickly got out of the way. The red carriage slowly drove along the deep ruts on the bluestone. Under Pang Yu's gaze, the carriage creaked along the official road.
Go a long way.
The banknote in Pang Yu's arms was worth one thousand taels, which was twice as much as the five hundred taels that Ruan Dacheng donated to the county government. This time the bandits invaded Tongcheng, Ruan Dacheng not only donated money, but also sent all his servants to guard him, including his beloved
The theater troupe was also assigned to Pang Yu, which was indeed a great contribution.
Ruan Dacheng has a rich family, and more than a thousand taels of silver is nothing, but this time he also changed his usage.
During the last civil unrest, he donated 1,300 taels to help the Chizhou soldiers march out. In the end, he was not even listed in the Tongcheng County government's application, so he simply donated 500 taels this time, but it went to Pang Yu.
Big capital.
In the original history, Ruan Dacheng went to Nanjing early, but now he was delayed because of a Huangmei Opera, and then he met the bandits.
Pang Yu had no idea about this. Looking at the carriage going away, he had an indescribable feeling. He didn't know whether it was good or bad for Ruan Dacheng.
Just as I was thinking about something, there was a shout from below the tower.
"Why don't you line up? Don't squeeze...it's Captain Jiang. Captain Jiang is back. Go and call the squad leader!"
...In the temporary command post at Xiangyangmen, the unkempt Jiang Fan wrapped himself in a quilt and took a sip of sugar water.
"The rogue bandits have arrived in Lujiang County."
Jiang Fan looked at Pang Yu and said, "The rogue bandits besieged Luzhou Prefecture and divided their troops to Chao County and Wuwei Prefecture. The people in Shucheng don't know that there are rogue bandits everywhere and the rogue bandits are coming."
Pang Yu comforted him with a gentle tone, "Don't worry, tell me slowly, how did you meet the bandits?"
"The rogue bandits came from the vicinity of Gushi County, Henan Province on the seventh day of the lunar month and entered Nanzhili in two groups. They attacked the city along the way and defeated Yingzhou. They attacked Fengyang Prefecture on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and arrived at Luzhou Prefecture on the 21st."
"Check "Water and Land Journey", how far is it from Gushi County to Fengyang?"
Pang Yu stretched out his hand and said to a calligrapher next to him.
The calligrapher went to check it out. The "Water Routes" mentioned by Pang Yu, whose full name is "Water and Land Routes in the World", was a book kept by merchants in the Ming Dynasty. It recorded the distances between major trade routes. Pang Yu found it from Yahang
I bought two copies and kept them as spares during the fast class.
While the calligrapher was rummaging around, Jiang Fan continued, "My subordinates were scouting outside Hefei County that day. The rogue bandits were coming very fast and marched at night to break through the pass.
At that time, his subordinate and Ma Kuai Guo Dong were resting in the gate. They were suddenly attacked. The two subordinates fought all the way. Unfortunately, they got separated in the dark night. Guo Dong was besieged by a group of thieves. The subordinate ventured back to find Guo Dong.
Dong, but he had died. At that time, the bandits were chasing him fiercely. Lao Guo bravely killed the thieves, but his subordinates were unable to retrieve Guo Dong's body.
I am ashamed of my colleagues..." Jiang Fan started sobbing softly as he spoke. Pang Yu patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Guo Dong was the first Kuaishou to die in the line of duty. He died for Tongcheng. The leader of this squad will definitely do the same.
Take good care of his home."
Jiang Fan wiped away his tears and said, "The rogue bandits cut off Shilipu on horseback that night. During the day, the sentries and horsemen plundered everywhere. My subordinates took small paths to avoid them. The road was unfamiliar. They only returned to the official road at the border of Lujiang River. Who knew there was a band of rogue bandits?"
The troops were divided and headed straight to Lujiang County, so my subordinates had to go back to the trail. After a long delay, they did not dare to rest along the way, and finally reached Tongcheng before the rogue bandits."
"Captain Jiang, thank you for your hard work."
Pang Yu's face was solemn, "The bandits have arrived in Lujiang County."
The calligrapher who was searching for it said at this time, "Sir, it's four hundred and thirty miles from Gushi County to Fengyang Prefecture."
Pang Yu murmured, "We set out on the seventh day of the lunar month and broke through Fengyang on the fifteenth day. It took only eight days in between. We marched more than fifty miles every day and attacked the prefectures, counties and towns along the way. It would take us at most two days to reach Lujiang. If we only march
, you can even get there in one day.”
What he was even more worried about was that the second batch of horses sent by Yang Erming did not report back, and they might have encountered rogue bandits, so the news that the rogue bandits entered Lujiang was not even sent back.
Pang Yu stood up suddenly and said, "Go to Dongzuo Gate and Nanxun Gate to deliver the order. The two gates must be blocked today. Start blocking the west gate and the north arch gate in advance. Send the husband who returned to the city yesterday to ride a sentry to explore Lujiang County.
Prepare more food at various resettlement sites in the city, as the fleeing people will arrive soon."
A Kuaishou immediately took the order, but Jiang Fan raised his head and asked Pang Yu, "Have all the Ma Kuai brothers who went to Qianshan come back?"
Pang Yu shook his head, "Only three people came back. I don't have the manpower to find the others. I have too few horses. I have to rely on them to call the police to the four towns, patrol the sentry, and contact the Anqing Mansion. I really don't have the manpower to look for them."
.”
Jiang Fan stood up unsteadily and said, "Then go to Qianshan."
"But the bandits will arrive at any time, and you are so weak..." "I can do it. For the sake of my comrades, these are nothing."
Jiang Fan said firmly, "The bandits are approaching. They don't know it. If they encounter them along the way, they will definitely die."
Pang Yu nodded approvingly, "That's good, but at least take a day's rest. If the bandits don't arrive tomorrow, you can go out to the south."
...Before noon on the second day, Pang Yu bid farewell to Jiang Fan at Xiangyang Gate.
After Jiang Fan's figure disappeared on the official road, Pang Yu turned back and boarded Xiangyang Gate.
Within sight of the city tower, fleeing people were pouring into Tongcheng like a tide.