Ding Yuanzhi wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued: "Master Wei, according to the shopkeeper of Mihang, the situation in several surrounding villages and towns is the same. All the grain has been purchased, and the grain buyers look very vicious.
However, he still paid the store the currency according to the market price, but told the store not to say anything. The shopkeeper of a rice store in the town was a distant relative of Ding, so he knew about this. As for who those people were, it was unknown.
"
Xiao Qi nodded thoughtfully and said: "Mayor Ding, this Meilin Town is closely connected to Xiaomei Mountain, and there may be hidden secrets of the rebels. Therefore, our army has temporarily blocked the town. Mayor Ding, please tell me
As long as the people in the town do not leave, our army will not interfere with their freedom. When the matter is over, the blockade will be lifted."
"Yes, sir," Ding Yuanzhi said, "Sir, you have worked hard, please come to your humble residence to rest."
"No need, Mayor Ding. You can just rest here. You can go and do your work. If anything happens, I will ask someone to invite you."
After Ding Yuanzhi left, Xiao Qi and others found a shady place, sat on the ground, and asked Xiao Shiba in detail about the terrain of Xiaomei Mountain. In the evening, Suo Wuhun and Yun Zhongfei, who went to inquire about the news, were dusty.
Return to the gate of Meilin Town.
Suo Wuhun drank some water and reported: "Sir, according to the information obtained by my subordinates and Master Yun, most of the people in black are in Xiaomei Mountain. The front mountain of Xiaomei Mountain is divided into East Mountain and West Mountain, while the back mountain is basically uninhabited.
There are more than 300 men in black on the east mountain and nearly 900 on the west mountain. There are currently no signs of leaving,"
Xiaoqi said "yes" and said: "Okay, then according to the plan, we will attack Xiaomei Mountain at midnight tonight."
"Yes, my lord,"
In a simple cottage on the West Mountain, the fifth elder Fang He, who had just arrived from Shenggong Cave to Ningguo Mansion, was anxiously walking back and forth in the room, muttering from time to time: "Why haven't the people from Luzhou arrived yet?"
According to the evacuation plan discussed in advance by Yang Lianzhenjia and Officer Fang Chen, someone should have come to Xiaomei Mountain two days ago to tell them the route to the north.
"Fifth Elder, don't be anxious," Yang Lianzhenjia said coldly, "The matter has come to this, maybe the people from Luzhou have been delayed on the way."
Fang He was a little impatient and said: "High Priest, it is not the best idea for us to stay here for a long time. The Tiandao Alliance has a large number of people. They are coming west and have a big target. It is very likely that the Song Army will find this place. It is better to do it early."
Make plans,”
"What the fifth elder said makes sense. The poor monk has just reached an agreement with the big master. If the news is not received tonight, early tomorrow morning, he will order everyone to break up into pieces and go north one after another, passing through the north of Zhenzhou. The terrain in that area is poor.
The monk is very familiar with it and can bypass the defending Song army,"
Fang He's face softened slightly and he asked: "High Priest, will the people coming from Luzhou encounter anything on the way?"
"Probably not. Even if something happens, they will not reveal Xiaomeishan. They have all received special lurking training. Don't worry, Fifth Elder."
Fang Chen, who had been silent all this time, said: "He'er, go and invite the elders here."
"Yes, father,"
About a quarter of an hour later, the seven elders of the Tiandao Alliance came to the house where Fang Chenqian was.
This so-called cottage is composed of more than ten huts. It is a resting place for hunters in Xiaomei Mountain before going into the mountains to hunt. The East Mountain and the West Mountain are both the front mountains of Xiaomei Mountain, and there is a large mountain range behind it, called the back mountain.
, are all uninhabited places, mountains
There are many birds and animals in the area. Hunters living in Xiaomei Mountain often gather in groups to go hunting in the mountain. Most of these hunters are members of the Tiandao Alliance. More than ten years ago, for the sake of convenience, they expanded the resting place into a small mountain village.
usefulness.
Fang Chenqian said with a solemn expression: "Elders, if there is no news tonight, we will all go separately to the north of Zhenzhou tomorrow morning. Two hundred miles away from Zhenzhou, there is a large mountain forest. Through that mountain forest is the territory of Song and Mongolia. At the junction, fifteen days later, we will meet at Xiaofengzhuang in the north of the mountain forest. The high priest will lead everyone to the Mongolian border. According to the agreement between the priest and the Mongolian Khan, our Tiandao Alliance will settle there and form our own army. ,"
Kongming Toutuo said: "Master, why don't we start here and take Ningguo Mansion first, and then try to develop it?"
Fang Chenqian shook his head and said: "In the battle with the Gunpowder Supervisor, everyone knows how powerful the imperial firearms are. Presumably, the Ningguo Mansion has received the news and is tightly defended. If our alliance rashly starts an attack, even if it takes the Ningguo Mansion, it will be very likely." Being surrounded by the surrounding Song armies, for the present plan, we should defect to Mongolia first, develop our power while waiting for the outcome of the Xiangyang battle, and then plan for it slowly."
"Yes," Yang Liangzhenjia agreed, "the decision made by the great master is the best policy. The Song army's firearms are sharp. Even if the elders are not afraid, it is difficult for the generals to compete. In order to preserve their strength, the poor monk also agrees with the great master,"
The Great Elder Wang Shangyuan said: "The subordinates also agree with the decision of the Great Master,"
Fang Chenqian let out a listless "hmm" and continued: "There is a hidden road to the north of Xiaomei Mountain, which was accidentally discovered by hunters while hunting. Therefore, we only need to pass through this small road to leave the small road. Meishan, the food we have purchased in the past few days is enough for us to reach Xiaofengzhuang. Let's go back and prepare. If there is no news from us tonight, we will leave separately in the early morning tomorrow. Elders, it is the time when Song and Meng are fighting. Be careful along the way and see you all in Xiaofengzhuang."
"Yes, the boss,"
Pang Zeyao finally asked: "Master, there are more than 300 brothers on Dongshan Mountain. Do you want to inform them?"
Fang Chenqian sighed: "The brothers on Dongshan Mountain are all injured. Let them stay there and return to their original place after recovering from their injuries." Fang Chenqian's intention was very obvious, that is, to abandon them. .
Pang Zeyao said "yes" helplessly. He knew that there was nothing that could be done about it. From Xiaomeishan to Zhenzhou, a place thousands of miles away, these wounded people could not reach it at all, and in the end they could only become a burden to everyone.
Yang Lianzhenjia said: "Okay, everyone, let's take a rest early. Elder Shi, add a few more hidden sentries fifty meters away."
"Yes, Lord Priest,"
At this time, Fang Chenqian and Yang Lianzhenjia did not know that Shi Yuqi in Luzhou and the main personnel of the sprouting trading company lurking there had left Luzhou with five muskets and dozens of rounds of ammunition, so they did not send anyone Go south to meet Yang Lian Zhenjia.
After Kublai Khan saw the sharpness of the firearms with his own eyes, he asked Shi Yuqi to notify him and ordered him to get a few firearms no matter what for Alaowading and others to study. As a senior general of the Song Army, Shi Yuqi knew that all major military regions There are more than ten muskets in each army, specifically to let the senior generals in the army understand the performance of the firearms. There are five in the Luzhou Army. Of course, these five muskets are high-level military secrets in the army. Since General Xia Gui's Western Expedition, , among the entire Luzhou garrison, only the top generals Miao Zaicheng and Shi Yuqi had the power to mobilize.
In order to successfully bring the musket to the north, Shi Yuqi had no choice but to give up the mission of continuing to lurk and personally escort the Germinal Man out of the north gate of Luzhou.
Near midnight, Xiaoqi and others came to the entrance of Xiaomei Mountain.
"Mr. Suo Wuji, you, Mr. Yao, and Mr. Yun will take the brothers from the Thirteenth Battalion and fifty imperial guards to Dongshan. There are not many people in black on Dongshan, and there must be no experts among them. You will bring thirty throwing bombs. , Annihilate them as quickly as possible, and then rush to Xishan immediately. If necessary, do not use throwing bombs, so as not to let the experts on Xishan get the news. I and other soldiers are waiting for you on the mountainside of Xishan."
"Yes, sir," Suo Wuji nodded and replied, then led more than 500 people to the east.
Watching Suo Wuji and others disappear into the night, Xiao Qi said to Suo Wuhun: "Master Suo, come and lead the way. We will set off immediately and go to Xishan first."
Compared with the West Mountain, the East Mountain is much smaller. There is an abandoned Taoist temple on the mountain. More than 300 wounded people are all crowded into this Taoist temple. Fortunately, the Taoist temple was originally large enough to accommodate these wounded people.
Speaking of Suo Wuji, Yun Zhongfei and others quietly came to Dongshan and walked to the Taoist temple about 30 meters without any obstruction. Yun Zhongfei stepped forward and nodded to Suo Wuji, then led fifty guards to rush towards the Taoist temple. Yao Chaohui led the Sandu troops of the Thirteenth Battalion to follow closely behind, while Suo Wuji and the commander of the battalion led the remaining Yidu soldiers to surround the Taoist temple gate.
The battle went surprisingly smoothly. In less than half an hour, all the men in black in the Taoist temple were wiped out. There was no leader among these men in black, and they were all wounded. They were still sleeping, so they became confused. The souls of those who died under the sword of the Song Army.
"It's over,"
Yun Zhongfei said: "Well, Mr. Suo, we have captured more than ten prisoners, and the others have been eliminated. These people are the men in black from the Tiandao League who attacked the gunpowder prison and claimed to be the Yongle Army. There is no leader in the Taoist temple, so It’s so easy,”
Yun Zhongfei was very angry about these men in black. That night, if Yun Bofei had not decisively used throwing bombs at the last moment, the gunpowder prison would have been broken through by the men in black, and he would not have been able to report to the emperor. I confessed that as the leader of the royal guards stationed in the Gunpowder Prison for a long time, Yun Zhongfei knew the importance of the Gunpowder Prison better than other guards. After entering the Taoist temple, Yun Zhongfei showed no mercy, except leaving more than ten prisoners behind. Except for taking confessions, all the others were killed.
"Okay," Suo Wuji ordered, "Leave all the soldiers in the capital to clean up the battlefield and bury the corpses of the traitors on the spot. The others will rush to Xishan immediately."
Everyone knew that Xishan was the main gathering place for the men in black, and no one dared to neglect them. They marched all the way and reached the halfway point of Xishan in half an hour.
"Master Wei, the matter in Dongshan is over,"
"Mr. Suo, thank you for your hard work," Xiao Qi said, "Hurry up and take a little rest."