When he returned to the garrison envoy's house in the evening, Zhang Xiaowu was still so angry that he couldn't eat when he thought of the Crown Prince's disgusting appearance and hatred. The cook in the house thought that the food he cooked was not good, so he hurriedly told Wang Yijin that he had tried his best, and still couldn't eat.
Please don't punish the city lord. Wang Yijin told the cook that you have something on your mind and you don't have to be grudge, so he asked someone to give him some boiled noodles.
Zhang Xiaowu simply took a bite and then stopped eating. Mang Zhong put away the bowls and chopsticks, felt a little distressed, and suddenly said: "City Lord, let me tell you a story."
"Well, you tell me."
Mang Zhong said: "Once upon a time, there was a child who was only three years old. Her father sold her to use as gambling capital. But even if he sold his daughter, she still lost money. In order to gamble, he sold his wife, but he
He still lost, and then he bought wine and got very drunk. He slept in the snow and froze to death. The little girl worked as a servant. When she was nine years old, she accidentally broke a vase.
, that vase was worth five taels of silver. The little girl was frightened to death. She thought she would be beaten to death by the master. At this time, a cook said that she had broken it. The little girl watched the cook being beaten half to death by the master, and then
The cook was sold by the master. Later, the little girl heard someone say that the cook was her grandma. The little girl has been looking for her grandma, and she will definitely find her grandma."
Zhang Xiaowu asked: "The little girl stayed in Mucheng just to find her mother-in-law?"
Manzhong nodded: "Yes."
"Why are you telling me this story?"
Manzhong said seriously: "I heard people say that if you are sad, just look at others. If there are people who are sadder than you, you will feel less sad."
Zhang Xiaowu narrowed his eyes and said, "I am indeed feeling better, thank you, little mango. That girl will definitely find her mother-in-law."
Manzhong said: "Are you in a better mood now?"
Zhang Xiaowu said: "It's much better. Please cook me another bowl of noodles."
Wang Yijin was astonished. This little man was actually the elixir that unlocked Zhang Xiaowu. He didn't know what this little black girl was capable of, but with just a few words he regained his composure.
The next day, Zhang Tongming went to the garrison office to report that a large number of returning veterans surrounded Mucheng County Government Office and caused trouble. The officials in the county government office were so frightened that the officials went to the gate. Zhang Xiaowu hurriedly led people to the county government office, and the returning veterans were busy
He stepped forward to respond, but there were many people talking and Zhang Xiaowu couldn't hear a word he said clearly.
Bai Hao was afraid that someone would take the opportunity to assassinate him, so he shouted: "Get out of my way, anyone who blocks the way, I will kill him?" This Bai Hao looked like the Black Evil God, ugly and fierce, and his voice was extremely loud.
The crowd was calmed down, and everyone gave way.
Only then did Zhang Xiaowu walk into the county government office. He saw Guan Xiang was worried and had sweat on his face. After meeting Zhang Xiaowu, he felt relieved and said: "City Lord, you are finally here. If you had come later, I would have been torn to pieces by them."
"What happened? Did you mistreat them? Or were the rewards and punishments unfair?" Zhang Xiaowu asked. Due to the heavy snow and wind, almost all the veterans who had received orders to return home were sheltering in Mucheng for the winter, waiting for the spring to bloom.
They returned to their hometown with the order to return home. Some of these four thousand people were idle in the city, some worked as small workers, and some started businesses. The Mucheng County Government in charge of Xiang also helped them very much.
, never felt sorry for them.
Guan Xiang shook his head and said: "No, no, how can I do anything to embarrass them? The one who embarrasses them is the Wolf Guard."
Zhang Xiaowu said in surprise: "Wolf Guard? Why are the Wolf Guards making things difficult for them? What hatred does the Wolf Guard have against them? Besides, the Wolf Guards are at Lianglang Pass and ours is Mucheng. How do the two conflict?"
It turned out that it was not Guan Xiang who treated the returning veterans harshly, but that a few veterans had earned some money and planned to go to Two Wolf City to buy some goods and sell them during the Chinese New Year to earn more money. Since the last military pay was issued, Mucheng
Finally, they had money, and people needed more. These few people had business acumen and planned to buy more spices and powder for women. As a result, when a few people came to Lianglang Pass, the Wolf Guard did not admit that Mucheng was still there.
The township order ordered them to return to Mucheng.
These few people refused to accept it and argued hard, but were beaten up. The wolf guard guarding the city also said: "Your return order has been invalidated. If you break in by force, you will only be punished as a deserter and executed without mercy."
After several people returned to Mucheng, they told other people about the matter. The news that the return order was invalidated became more and more widespread. All returning veterans knew about it. Everyone rushed to the county government where the return order was originally issued.
Ask the county magistrate for help.
How could Guan Xiang solve this problem? Fortunately, Zhang Xiaowu came forward in time and immediately sent people to Lianglang Pass to understand the situation. A few days later, Wang Yijin finally brought back Cao Yan's explanation. It turned out that it was Du Shanbo's request to not allow deserters to pass the pass.
The defeated Sixth Regiment in Yashan was also taken directly to Longdu Camp.
, and once the deserters from the northern part of the Great Wall return to the Central Plains, it will definitely cause dissatisfaction in various parts of the Central Plains, especially now that the rebellion continues in the south, someone will definitely make a fuss about this and blame the court. Du Shanbo asked the Wolf Guard to strictly prohibit the deserters from crossing the border, even if they were previously
There was a return order from the imperial court, but it was also invalid.
Some people were disappointed, some cursed the court, and some even committed suicide in despair. The invalidation of the return order made the veterans who returned home completely confused.
Zhang Xiaowu knew that the reason why they were panicking was because most of them had their hopes shattered and were sitting on their hands. He immediately discussed with Guan Xiang how to settle everyone. It was freezing cold today, and many soldiers were holed up in the barracks, not to mention
What a livelihood.
But Mucheng still has to do a few things to make a living. The first is to dig four tunnels, the second is to dig smokestone mines outside the city, the third is to look for herders to exchange grain for meat, and the fourth is to shovel shovels inside the city.
Snow and sanitation, and the fifth is the work of auxiliary soldiers. Zhang Xiaowu quickly ordered the calculation of the number of people needed in each place, and then the county government posted notices to calm the people. In addition, in order to appease the soldiers, the Mucheng defenders recruited a thousand soldiers and a thousand auxiliary soldiers. The Mucheng defenders
Re-expand to 10,000.
Zhang Xiaowu now has money in his hands, and he is not panicking at all. He is just arranging the work of four thousand people. At the end of this year, the minimum requirement for many people is not to die of hunger.
Although their ideals were shattered, life still had to go on. Under the comfort of the county government and the new work arrangements, the returning veterans no longer gathered to make trouble.
In order to survive, human beings often burst out with powerful energy and wisdom. Each of these four thousand returnees found something suitable for themselves. Guan Xiang reported that there were even a few returnees who occasionally married the wives of local herdsmen.
I got a wife and children for no reason.
Zhang Xiaowu asked curiously: "Are Tartar women willing to marry Han soldiers? They speak Tartar and we speak Chinese. Can we communicate?"
Guan Xiangxia smiled and said: "The city lord should ask, are the Han people willing to marry Tartar women? Of course they are willing to marry over, although they are all widowed women, but this winter seems to be colder than in previous years, and sheep and livestock froze to death in various places in the northern part of the country.
Countless, many families are struggling to survive. Marrying one of our returning soldiers and receiving food is better than starving to death as a family. Besides, men and women can’t communicate even if they talk, but they can communicate even if they get into bed. The city lord doesn’t listen to an old saying.
Is it good?"
"What old saying?"
"The way into a woman's heart is the trickling vaginal path."
Zhang Xiaowu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Guan Xiang didn't look like a good person. He was indeed not a good person.