"Our area of Tongcheng is not so easy to get to. Not to mention that there are a huge number of people guarding it now. It is reasonable for the bandits to flee."
In Yiminmen Street, Tongcheng, Ruan Jin followed Pang Yu with his body bowed and said something flattering.
Pi Yingju walked in front with Shi Kefa, followed by a group of officials from Anqing and Tongcheng. Pi Yingju nominally made a special trip to deliver a batch of grain and grass, but in fact he came to flatter Shi Kefa.
This time, hundreds of bandits were killed at Beixia Pass, including three leaders including Xie Zikuai and Guan Duan. They also captured many prisoners. Shi Kefa quickly reported Zhang Guowei's details, and Zhang Guowei returned quickly.
Hurry, I will greatly appreciate this rising star of the Donglin Party, and the good news to the Ministry of War is already on the way.
Although it was autumn, Shi Kefa felt like a spring breeze every day. He walked in the streets of Tongcheng when he had nothing to do, and accepted the support of the people of Tongcheng, which made Ruan Jin have to clean the streets non-stop.
Pi Yingju happened to be there today, and Shi Kefa took Pi Yingju out to inspect the city defense again. Because Yimin Gate is not a thoroughfare, and it is inconvenient to deploy troops outside the city, it is not a key point of city defense. Therefore, Shi Kefa has never been here before, so he went to Yimin together this time.
Checking outside the people's gate, they found that the two of them were neither riding in sedan chairs nor riding horses. As expected, there were many people watching along the street.
Yiminmen is Pang Yu's hometown. Especially after becoming a class leader, I got to know more people. Many people bowed to Pang Yu and said hello.
Pang Yu cupped his fists in return and asked Ruan Jin, "Has the whereabouts of the bandits been determined?"
"The villain sent two horses to Shucheng and risked their lives. They did go all the way to the county seat. There was no trace of the bandits along the way. Shucheng County is fine. I heard from the soldiers guarding the city that the bandits went to Huoshan."
Pang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Some people in Shucheng fled to Beixiaguan on the mountain road and brought news about Shucheng. In fact, the bandits had left long ago. Yang Erming asked Ruan Jin to send a few Tongcheng horses to confirm.
Pang Yu asked his sentry horse to go further, but he had not brought back any news.
"Entering Huoshan..." Pang Yu pondered for a moment. In his previous understanding, the main force of the rogue bandits was cavalry, which were good at mobile combat and should be more suitable in plain areas. However, judging from the two battles this year, the rogue bandits chose to enter the mountainous areas both times.
It seemed a little different from what he imagined.
The Huoshan area is full of lofty mountains and sparsely populated areas, making it difficult for the bandits to obtain sufficient supplies. Pang Yu was not yet sure of their purpose in entering the mountainous area.
Ruan Jin next to him continued, "After interrogating the captives of the rogue bandits, it was found that those who were active in the Shucheng area were Ma Shouying, scorpions, a green onion and several strands. One of the horse soldiers confessed that he had heard someone from Ma Shouying's old camp say that if he encountered
When we reach a large number of officers and soldiers, they will go to Huoshan, and I guess they won't come to Tongcheng again."
Pang Yu looked up at Ruan Jin and said, "Did Yang Erming ask you to tell me this news?"
Ruan Jin didn't hide anything, he buried his head and said, "It was your Majesty who asked me to come down, and my subordinates also know what he meant. It's just that Tongcheng is struggling to supply food and fodder for the army, and he doesn't want to tell Lord Daotai directly that he wants the general to come down."
Let’s play the side drum first.”
Pang Yu smiled noncommittally. Based on a rough analysis of the information collected in the past six months, the rogue bandits, who rely on local food supplies, will not fight in one place for a long time. The government army also has this problem, but when fighting on a territorial basis,
With a local leader like Shi Kefa leading the troops, the local supply of food and grass must be timely, but it is also quite difficult, especially when Tongcheng suffered a disaster at the beginning of the year. This time, there are four to five thousand soldiers and horses here. In addition to food, there are also horse feeds. Judging from the current situation
Yang Erming couldn't stand the situation anymore.
He did not give a reply to Yang Erming's request. He held hands with each other and waited for a while before asking Ruan Jin, "Can you manage the two classes in Tongcheng smoothly now?"
Ruan Jin stood up unconsciously, "To tell you what to say to your lord, my subordinates are not as capable as you used to be. There was a bandit disaster at the beginning of the year. Tongcheng was damaged in many places from north to south. Both Tang Zun and Lord Pi requested from the court."
, in the end, money and grain were not allowed to be reduced or exempted. It was difficult to collect spring taxes and autumn grains. The money received in the yamen was much less. The Zhuangban silver was more than half less than before. At present, only seventy Zhuangbans and Yueyin could be collected.
It was less than one tael, but this time I heard that the bandits were coming, so I ran away more than twenty of them."
Pang Yu snorted. At this time, it was originally a small-scale peasant economy. It was very fragile. The bandits had passed by and it was difficult to recover after the damage. Fortunately, Beixiaguan blocked it this time. Otherwise, if they entered Tongcheng and made trouble again, next year the county government would
The days are more difficult.
In the past, Pang Yu subsidized the equipment, labor, food, and money for the two shifts. Now it is completely supported by the county government itself. Naturally, it is impossible to achieve the previous combat power, and it will soon become the same as the fast shift before.
"This officer's garrison camp is permanently stationed in Anqing. Rescue always takes several days. Tongcheng's own defense cannot be without strong squads. The county government has difficulties in supporting the government. I can help here, but the local pastoral guards and our battalion soldiers are clearly different.
, it can only be done privately, otherwise I will be accused of running the place."
Ruan Jin looked at Pang Yu secretly, "Thank you, sir, but after hearing this..."
"What's the matter?"
"I heard that Tang Zun once mentioned that the Tongcheng Rural Party is proposing to set up Tongbiao Camp. It will be stationed in Tongcheng and is contacting Anqing officials who work in the capital to handle it."
Pang Yu snorted, "Has the county government issued a document?"
"Not yet, it's just the township parties taking care of it, starting from Nanjing."
Pang Yu nodded, "Tongcheng has always had no soldiers. To set up a new battalion, the money and food have to be transferred from other places. It seems that the court is not even willing to reduce the taxes in Tongcheng. This matter has never been easy to handle. If you ask, I can do it."
Pay attention. The affairs of the Zhuang Ban are what we have to do right now. You should check with the Lord first. I can provide some money to the Zhuang Ban. When the city is defended, it will be commanded by the county government. When the garrison battalion fights in Tongcheng, the Zhuang Ban will be commanded by the county government.
At my command."
"I understand, little man." Ruan Jin licked his lips and said, "The bandits have withdrawn..."
"I understand."
Pang Yu didn't give an accurate answer, but Ruan Jin didn't dare to ask anymore. Now Pang Yu's status is not as good as before, and he is still a general with nearly a thousand troops. There are some things that Yang Erming and Pang Yu have to pay attention to when they are officials.
If he can't hold it, he won't discuss it directly and has to test it with his subordinates first. Fortunately, Ruan Jin doesn't have to go to Pang Yu's subordinates, otherwise it will be even more difficult.
At this time, the team in front suddenly stopped. Pang Yu heard someone calling his name and hurriedly walked forward.
A group of officials quickly made way for him. Pang Yu went over and found that Shi Kefa, Pi Yingju and Yang Erming were all waiting for him, and he quickly filed a complaint.
Shi Kefa said with a smile on his face, "Just now, Magistrate Pi said that General Pang lives in Yiminmen, but he is timid about being close to home, so he actually hid at the end."
Pang Yuqi smiled and said: "The villain met the elders of the neighborhood and was paying tribute all the way. I was afraid of disturbing the two adults' planning, so I deliberately stayed behind."
Shi Kefa didn't take it seriously and waved to the front, signaling Pang Yu to go with them. Pang Yu quickly followed behind. Pi Yingju was half a body behind Shi Kefa, and Pang Yu was half a body behind Pi Yingju, tied with Yang Erming.
, does not affect conversation.
Shi Kefa still had the cheerful look on his face, looked around and said, "Prefect Pi praised General Pang for his extraordinary courage. Not only did he have special achievements in the two battles in Tongcheng, but he also assisted the government in arresting rogue spies in Anqing. The military discipline of his troops is awe-inspiring."
, I have never committed any crimes or other acts that disturb the people.”
Pang Yu stole a glance at Pi Yingju and saw that Pi Yingju was listening respectfully.
"The villain thanked Master Pi for his compliment. In fact, the villain has an idea. Sir, you have passed the imperial examination and learned a lot of knowledge. As a military general, you must listen to your sir's words. In this way, you will not go astray. After arriving in Anqing,
This is what the villain did, and he has learned a lot of principles of doing things for others from Master Pi."
Pi Yingju smiled and didn't say much. Instead, Shi Kefa sighed, "In the past, wherever there were garrisons, there were many conflicts with the local shepherds. It's rare that the two complement each other so well."
Seeing that Shi Kefa was in a better mood, Pang Yu saw Yang Erming's figure from the corner of his eye. He remembered what Ruan Jin had just said. After thinking about the words, he said, "This is a matter that belongs to the villain. Master Pi is the pastor of the house. Anqing is
The main thoroughfare stretches vastly from east to west, and if the villain's garrison camp wants to guard this place, it will naturally have to cooperate sincerely with Master Pi."
Shi Kefa nodded repeatedly after hearing this, and Pang Yu quickly continued, "This time the Scorpion Block was broken at the Beixia Pass, and the rest of the troops entered Huoshan together with Ma Shouying. The Yinghuo Mountains stretch for thousands of miles, and the rogue bandits lost their traces as soon as they entered it.
They are leaving the customs one after another, and their whereabouts are unknown. My subordinates are worried that if they meet up in Yinghuo Mountain, once they escape from Susong Qianshan, Tongcheng will not be able to rescue them, and the local area may be plagued by bandits again."
Yang Erming remained silent. He knew that Pang Yu was helping. Tongcheng could no longer support the more than 4,000 people, especially Xu Ziqiang's group. They were large and useless. They had already caused a lot of trouble in the county and Kongcheng Town.
The local gentry exerted considerable pressure on the county government.
"Susong..." Shi Kefa whispered. He had not been to Susong yet, but he had a general understanding of the situation.
Pi Yingju whispered, "Your Excellency, there are no cities in Mingjian, Susong, Taihu, or Qianshan. The official roads around the county were poisoned at the beginning of the year. I am afraid it is not suitable for garrisoning, but after all, Anqing belongs to..."
Pi Yingju only said this. Yang Erming wanted to send the guest soldiers out of Tongcheng, and Pi Yingju wanted to send them out of Anqing. Anyway, the rogue bandits had been repelled. But the rogue bandits were leaving the border in large numbers, and Pi Yingju didn't want the guest soldiers to leave too far away.
It is best to just cross the river, so that he can not worry about the food supply for the guest soldiers, there is no pressure on the local area, and he can cross the river quickly if something happens.
Several people raised difficult questions, but none of the solutions were mentioned, because the three counties of Susong and Susong certainly could not garrison troops and the local supplies could not be supplied, but they could not say that they would not defend, which would only give Shi Kefa a headache.
As expected, Shi Kefa couldn't make up his mind, and his steps became heavier and no longer as brisk as before.
After a moment, he frowned and looked at Pang Yu, "General Pang is guarding Anqing. Is there any way to achieve both ends?"
Pang Yu knew that he had to do it by himself. He looked around and said, "The three counties of Susong are in ruins. Most of the people in the three counties have flowed into the city. If the bandits enter the country, their plundering income will be limited and their march may not be fast. But the three counties are the barrier to the west of Anqing."
, my subordinates were worried that they would reach Fucheng from the west, and there were many casualties among their subordinates. They returned to Anqing to ensure that Fucheng was safe, and they could also provide support from the center. Additional sentries were sent to garrison three counties, and sentries were sent to explore the Huangmei area in Yinghuo Mountain area.
As soon as there is a warning signal, a rapid rescue like this time can not only rescue the three counties, but also respond to Tongcheng. It should be a method that has the best of both worlds."
What Pang Yu said was actually to withdraw troops back to Anqing. He originally wanted to go back to Anqing to reorganize the army. The three counties were placed there. It was no different from before. He just didn't mention the guest soldiers. I think Shi Kefa must have understood.
As for what happens to the guest soldiers in the end, Pi Yingju will continue to work hard.
Shi Kefa pondered for a moment. It was his first time to lead an army, but he also had secret friends. He still had some understanding of these things, and he still understood what the officials were thinking.
There was no other better way at the moment, so Pang Yu gave him a step up. After thinking for a moment, Shi Kefa said to Pi Yingju, "Does Master Pi think this strategy is feasible?"
Pi Yingju thought for a moment that he would have to go to Anqing first before sending off the foreign soldiers, and then talk about Jiang's affairs. He then said, "I will follow your orders."
Shi Kefa had no other choice, nodded and said, "What General Pang said is also a feasible strategy. It can be seen that General Pang usually spends his time. Only when he has a heart to love the people will he work hard. Based on my experience of observing people, although General Pang has never taken the imperial examination
, but has the virtue of integrity, virtue nourishes the spirit, and has the awe-inspiring spirit in the chest, so the soldiers have a dignified formation, three battles and three victories are not without reason. In the future, we must learn more from learned people like Master Pi, and more importantly,
Consistently.”
Pang Yu quickly said, "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely..."
Before he finished speaking, a familiar woman's voice suddenly shouted on the road ahead, "The slave family is filing a complaint. Some people started in chaos and finally gave up..."