Jiang Fan sneezed on the Zilai Bridge. He had no time to think about it and hurried to the circular position on the opposite side of the bridge. The circular position on the official road had been completed, and a channel was even opened to the north of the Zilai Bridge to divert the water from Tongxi River.
Introducing deep trenches, during the construction process, various ministries were always coming up with ideas, and the methods the soldiers came up with were often more useful than those of Tongcheng officials.
Jiang Fan felt it was a pity that the area around the official road was dug to pieces. He really wanted to see the rogue bandits come to attack. Maybe the rogue bandits would probably not come, and he would have to work hard to fill it back up.
To his surprise, there were workers building wooden towers in front of them, and people were building wooden plank bridges on the trenches. It seemed that there was no intention of stopping the work.
After inspection by the guarding soldiers, Jiang Fan found Pang Yu in the position.
In front of Pang Yu stood Yang Xueshi and Mr. Hou, and the three of them were talking.
Jiang Fan arrived behind Pang Yu and said, "Sir, the bandits have arrived in Quanjiao, Jiangpu, Liuhe, and Nanjing under martial law. Is there any letter from Xianya here?"
Pang Yu immediately turned around, took it from Jiang Fan and looked at it carefully. He Xianya wrote very briefly, confirming that the bandits had arrived in Quanjiao. It was not clear which camp they belonged to. News spread from various yamen in Nanjing claimed that they were the eight kings.
, Shooting the Sky, Sweeping the Ground King, Cao Cao's subordinate.
Pang Yu put away the letter, "Quanjiao is only a few dozen miles away from Jiangpu, so there can be no further delay."
Jiang Fan agreed, "There are reports of rogue bandits in Hanshan, Quanjiao, Hezhou, and Jiangpu. No matter which one is true, there is no doubt that the rogue bandits are heading east."
Pang Yu turned to Yang Xueshi and said, "Confirm that there are no traces of rogue bandits in Wuwei Prefecture."
Yang Xueshi nodded affirmatively, "My subordinates sent three groups of people to Wuwei Prefecture. They went all the way to Wuwei Prefecture City to confirm that there were no traces of rogue bandits. Sentries in the direction of Luzhou were in Fucheng to check for road traces, and some were captured and confessed. Luzhou rogue bandits were
It was divided into two routes, one going to Chaoxian County and the other to Quanjiao. Chaoxian County collected information from the fishermen of Chaohu Lake and saw rogue bandits passing through Chaoxian County towards Hanshan Mountain."
"Then we are here to confirm the direction of the bandits' movements. We will branch off from Luzhou to Quanjiao and Hanshan, and may meet up at Jiangpu or Yangzhou. Liuhe is the only way.
Based on the difficulty of obtaining supplies along the way, they will not go back to Anqing on the old road. I judge the next move of the rogue bandits. If they grab enough ships, they will cross the river and enter the south of the Yangtze River. If there are not enough ships, they will go north to Chuzhou.
Xuzhou.”
Jiang Fan and Yang Xueshi nodded at the same time. These two people were Pang Yu's intelligence power. Although they were far from being able to predict the enemy ahead of time, they had made great progress compared to the confusion at the beginning of the year. They understood the characteristics and characteristics of the bandits.
The understanding of the form slowly took shape, and after collecting the movements of the bandits downstream within a few days, Pang Yu was able to make a clear judgment.
He turned to Yang Xueshi and asked, "How many people can the sentry cavalry gather?"
Yang Xueshi thought for a while and said, "There are at most seventy people. Some of them have been sent out and cannot be taken back."
"We will no longer send out new exploration horses. We will try to withdraw those sent out. We will gather outside Nanxun Gate before Shenshi today."
Pang Yu looked at Mr. Hou, "Mr. Hou has drafted the following military order. The artillery will immediately set off to Songyang. The county infantry will be ready to march before tomorrow's Mao hour. The Beixiaguan and Kongcheng town infantry will arrive at the county seat before tomorrow's noon. The navy should be at the county seat before noon tomorrow.
Be ready to go before noon tomorrow.
After drafting it, I handed it over to the soldiers and sent it to the various ministries immediately."
Mr. Hou responded. He was a little nervous because he needed to accompany the army this time.
At present, the Anqing water camp and the requisitioned ships have been gathered in Songyang. Depending on Pang Yu's plan, he will set off from Songyang the day after tomorrow at the latest, and a confrontation with the rogue bandits is inevitable.
"Sir, I have something to say..." "Mr. Hou can speak frankly from now on."
Mr. Hou lowered his head, "I think that this time our battalion's rescue should focus on Jiangnan, not Jiangpu, Liuhe, Jiangpu Liuhe, and Jiangnan Ferry, not Jiangpu itself."
If we disembark directly in the north of the Yangtze River and rashly break into the hundreds of thousands of bandits, the outcome will be extremely difficult to predict. How can we go directly to Nanjing to help defend it?"
Pang Yu blinked his eyes quickly a few times, smiled at Mr. Hou, and said, "What Mr. Hou said is right, the emphasis is on Jiangnan rather than Jiangpu, but how to fight depends on the situation. If the rogue bandits have already conquered Jiangpu, we will naturally
Landed on the south bank to help defend Nanjing.
But it’s not necessarily just Jiangpu, Liuhe, and Hezhou that are under the jurisdiction of the Cao Governor. If the rogues grab the ship there, we must also take back the docks, otherwise the rogues can also cross the river and cause harm to Jiangnan."
He only said this. Mr. Hou knew that Pang Yu didn't listen, so he said no more and hurriedly went to draw up military orders.
At this time, only Jiang Fan was left, and he whispered to Pang Yu, "Did Shi Daotai agree?"
Pang Yu shook his head, "He still said to wait, even to confirm whether there are rogue bandits in Yingshan Huo Mountain. Such a big mountain cannot be confirmed in half a year. The rogue bandits are marching quickly, and if there is any further delay, they will not be able to rescue."
After saying this, Pang Yu looked at Jiang Fan, "I dare not say that there are no bandits in Yingshan and Huoshan, and Anqing is not without some risks, but we should also see this opportunity.
Shidaotai has the prospect of being a civilian official and is unwilling to take any risks. However, I, as a military attache, am not the same. If the garrison camp does not go out, it will always be a local force in a corner."
"Then Shi Daotai..." Pang Yu's eyes flashed. In terms of hierarchy, Shi Kefa was his immediate boss, but Shi Kefa also had Zhang Guowei as his immediate boss. Pang Yu's military expenditures and equipment also depended on the military preparations.
Not much, so Shi Kefa's sense of majesty as a boss has been weakening.
"Just say that after receiving Mr. Ma's message, the entire army will arrive at Songyang tomorrow and must leave the river the day after tomorrow at the latest to rescue Jiangnan."
...On December 28th, plumes of white smoke were rising from under the city wall of Hezhou. Various damaged bamboo ladders and tables were placed all over the wall. There were corpses of bandits placed under the city wall, and some people who were seriously injured but not dead were wailing.
Creeping.
Tan Lezi put his hand in his mouth, and his almost frozen fingers finally felt a little warm again. He looked at Zhang in front of his eyes and saw six or seven frostbite on the back of his hand.
"I'm freezing to death."
The traveler next to him huddled up and was still shaking. He raised his head slightly and looked at Tan Leizi, "Jiangbei is Jiangbei, and it's not so cold in the south."
Tan Laizi knelt down and cursed fiercely, "What nonsense are you talking about? Anqing, if it's not Jiangbei, has never been this cold."
The traveler retracted his head again and said, "My feet are numb, I don't want to guard anymore."
After hearing this, Tan Leizi looked to the left. Several people were slowly collecting a corpse. The corpse was that of an old man, his face was charred, and he had blown himself up when he fired a bludgeon.
There are many firearms placed on the top of Hezhou City, but there are very few people who know how to fill and discharge them. Most of the people on the city walls are hired workers. Without any training, they have exploded three times in this area alone, and no one has done it again.
Dare to let it go.
Tan Laizi was too cold to sleep at night and could only eat one meal a day. When the bandits attacked the city, he reluctantly picked up some small stones and threw them down. Fortunately, the bandits also suffered from the effects of the severe cold. In two days, their offensive was weak and they were defeated.
The mob at the top of the city was repulsed one by one.
The condition of the other guards is also bad, they don't have enough supplies, and the most uncomfortable thing now is that they don't have enough charcoal fires. Many soldiers have been on guard for several days and are exhausted.
Someone was yelling and cursing again outside. Tan Laizi looked over and saw the fake Zaobei again, still wearing the same Zaobei uniform.
Tan Laizi struggled to pick up a fist-sized stone and prepared to throw it down.
But the bandit didn't come close and shouted towards the city wall, "Tu Jishan! You promised me to set fire on the night of the 27th, why did you trick me!"
(Note 1) The sound echoed on the nearby city wall. Everyone at the city head looked around. After a while, there was a scuffle outside a grass factory. Many soldiers rushed there, and then a gentry went there, leading all the soldiers.
Take that man under escort.
Rumors abounded on the city wall that there was actually a Tu Jishan on this section of the city wall, and this was the man who had been arrested just now.
"Wu Zhenggui from Jiyefang, Tang Dashan, Qu Daoen from Limin Lane, you were forced to have your family ruined by Yang Xiucai's family, and you still have to work hard to defend the city. How can you be worthy of the enemies of your family?"
Tan Laizi was surprised and said to the traveler, "The bandits even know these people. They all know it. I don't know how many spies there are in the city, and they have been spying for a long time."
"What's the use? The city wall is here. No matter how clear it is, it won't be impossible to get up. Master Ma has already expected it, and everything in the city is guarded."
(Note 2) The bandit yelled and cursed all the way along the city wall, calling out the names of the people in the city. From every street in the city to every place outside the city, there was no mistake. The city was noisy, and he kept arresting those who were called.
people.
Tan Leizi recalled the information on the rogue bandits that was given on the ship when he came here, and said confidently, "My master said that rogue bandits only attack a place for three or two days. They arrived on the 26th, and it has been three days today. They must be
I knew I couldn't defeat him and was about to leave, so I called out the spy's name in revenge."
"It's time to go. If you don't go, you'll freeze to death."
The traveler stammered something, leaned against the wall and remained silent.
After this quarrel for half an hour, all the people who should be arrested on the wall were arrested, the bandits stopped attacking the city, and the fake Zaoli also rode back to the camp.
Tan Laizi stuck his head out and looked out with red eyes. There were many corpses with their heads separated a hundred steps away. They were the people who had been chopped down by the bandits yesterday.
Those who were killed were mainly the old and weak among the common people. Although news of the entry of rogue bandits spread everywhere, there were still many people who could not move. The stronger ones were captured by the rogue bandits, and some were even ridden on horses.
Tan Leizi quickly looked away and looked behind at the rogue camp. It was in a mess, as if they were packing their belongings.
"I told you, the bandits will definitely leave."
The traveler moved slightly but did not answer.
At this time, a gust of cold wind blew, and Tan Laizi shivered. It seemed that the temperature had dropped again today, so he quickly dragged the travelers away, and the two of them retreated into the grass plant.
But today's weather seems to be different from usual. The cold wind blows one after another, and the surrounding area is like an ice cave. Tan Laizi's whole body is chilled, and the travelers next to him are shaking constantly.
The other soldiers around him gradually couldn't bear it anymore. From time to time, someone shouted, and within half an hour, two people died. And no one came to drag them away, so they just left them on the wall.
"Who the hell can give me some carbon?"
When Tan Leizi woke up from his stupor, the weather became even colder. He trembled and cursed, but the traveler beside him did not say anything. Tan Leizi suddenly realized that he was no longer shaking, and gave him a hard push with his elbow. The traveler was still there.
There was no movement.
Tan Lezi turned his head and looked over. The clothes on the pedestrian's chest were pulled open, and there was a strange smile on his face. He had been dead for a long time.
"Give me some carbon..." Tan Laizi said blankly.
... When night fell, Tan Laizi had not yet eaten. Two soldiers from the same grass factory had just returned. They led two hired men, one of whom even had only one leg. When they arrived at the grass factory, they lay down and stopped moving.
Less than half of the people were left in the grass factory.
Anyone in the family who could still find some money paid to find someone to serve as a slave. Many people even went back to the city when they couldn't find a slave. Due to the severe cold weather, all the leading gentry went home to warm themselves up.
No one stopped the head from scattering.
The two soldiers didn't care. They packed up their things and went down to the city.
Tan Leizi moved his tongue and shouted with difficulty, "You are all gone, can I stay alone this night?"
"All the masters have gone back. Who cares about my family when it's so cold?"
Another soldier said, "It will get even colder at night, and the bandits are also human beings, so they can't attack the city.
Your face is also darkened. I advise you to pay money to warm yourself by the fire under the city tower at night. The bandits will leave tomorrow, so don’t freeze yourself to death this night."
After saying this, the two ignored Tan Lezi and hurried home.
Before the rogue bandits arrived, these soldiers had been on guard at the top of the city for several days. Hezhou's overall preparations were sufficient, but resources were not effectively allocated to the people defending the city. When the weather suddenly cooled down, the soldiers and top soldiers
All reached their limits.
Tan Laizi looked back at the dead traveler beside him, touched it in his arms, and found seven or eight copper coins. He sighed, "Brother, due to fate, Lao Tan, I will endure hunger all night.
Save some money and come down and find someone to bury you when the bandits leave."
"I don't know the name, but what is engraved on the monument...Forget it, if you don't have enough money to engrave the monument, there will be a trap. You will always be a trap."
After staying like this for another two hours, Tan Laizi woke up in a daze.
The lanterns on the top of the city swayed in the cold wind, and the yellow light filtered through the gaps in the bamboo strips of the grass plant, swaying back and forth on the stiff bodies of the travelers.
Tan Lezi's whole body was shaking uncontrollably. He tried hard, but he could still control his hands, but his legs and feet were completely numb. But Tan Lezi could hear the movement, and there were fewer and fewer people on the wall. Except for the disabled person in the grass factory,
He was the only one left alive.
"Brother, I can't stand it anymore. I have to warm myself by the fire. Otherwise, if you freeze to death, no one will bury you."
Tan Leizi tried hard to move, but his curled-up legs refused to obey him.
"I'm going to freeze to death too."
Tan Leizi grinned and screamed twice. He was anxious and rubbed his legs vigorously with trembling hands. After a while, he finally recovered slightly, but his movements were still inconvenient. He did not dare to move anymore.
Wait, growling and trying to stand up, but failed.
Tan Leizi roared, rolled to the ground, crawled all the way out, pushed open the bamboo curtain in the grass factory, and reached the wall stacks. After crawling, his legs and feet were actually more flexible than before, and Tan Leizi had blue veins on his face.
He stood up violently and used all his strength to hold on to the cracks in the bricks. He raised his legs one by one, threw himself on the wall stacks, and limped towards the city ladder while holding on to the wall.
There was no one on the city wall, and the city ladder was not far ahead. There was a faint light of fire at the entrance of the ladder. Tan Leizi stared there, not even looking at the other grass farms along the way, and he reached the city ladder with one step at a time.
There is a fire under the city, and there are many people around. Tan Leizi knows where it is. It costs three cents a night, maybe the price has increased, but it doesn't matter, he has seven cents.
The handrails on the city stairs were frozen with ice. Tan Leizi couldn't care so much and walked up one ladder after another until he finally reached the place where he was warming himself by the fire.
"Six articles!"
Tan Laizi's hands were shaking so much that he reached out and touched his arms for a long time. He could no longer tell how many coins they were. He grabbed them and handed them to the man. He rushed towards the crowd and squeezed out a place, even the ground was covered.
It's so warm.
People around him were yelling and scolding, but Tan Leizi became more and more confused, and murmured, "Tan Ya has money, and he has money, and he is full of Anqing to ask about the thief he killed that day... Ask him, who can offend Tan?"
Tooth..." Not long after Tan Leizi fainted, at the top of the city where he left, two bamboo ladders quietly leaned against the empty city wall.
...Note 1: Tu Jishan is a real person. He was a native of Hezhou. He made an agreement with the bandits to set fire to two places on the 27th. He had more than 20 accomplices. Lu Kezao's "The Lost City of Hezhou in Yihai, Chongzhen"
It is recorded that the bandits named each other under the city, and the origins of the names of the people in the city were clearly known.
The local people's internal support for the rogue bandits shows the profound contradictions in various societies in the late Ming Dynasty. It also shows that the rogue bandits attach much more importance to and are proficient in intelligence work than court officials.
Note 2: This Master Ma is called Ma Rujiao, and he is the most outstanding gentry in the city guard of Hezhou.