4/5, the fifth update has just started, brothers are worried~
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The morning mist had not faded, the north wind suddenly picked up, and a rapid sound of gongs resounded throughout Zhoujiazhuang.
"The bandits are coming! Folks, run!" Along with the sound of gongs, there were bursts of high-pitched warning sounds.
The village suddenly changed from silence to boiling.
"My dear, you should hurry up. Don't wait around. You don't have to take anything. When you get to Zhangjia Village, you will still have food and drink. Do you want to be kidnapped by the bandits?" said the man from the village.
He moved very quickly, holding one hand in each hand, pulling the two and a half young men beside him. When he went out the door, he realized that his wife had not followed him, so he shouted impatiently into the yard.
"Bah!" the woman spat and cursed: "Damn it! This early in the morning, can't you say something auspicious? Are you hoping that I will be taken away so that you can make me happy? Hum, Zhou Zheng, let me tell you,
When I’m here with you, don’t think about such irrelevant things!”
"Dad, are you going to marry Sister Cuihua as your second mother?"
The two young men were still half-informed about the world, and the chaotic scene brought them not panic, but excitement. If Zhou Zheng hadn't held on tightly, it's hard to say whether these two wild boys would have disappeared without a trace. Wouldn't they be able to earn money?
The two boys felt a little resentful when they opened their father's hand, so one on each side, they shook their father's hand and started gossiping.
Zhou Zheng was anxious and embarrassed, so he just stamped his feet: "Hey, what time has it been? Do you still have the heart to talk about this?"
"Why are you so anxious? Although there are people providing food at my uncle's place, you still have to bring a few changes of clothes, right? Didn't Li Zheng say that someone is watching ten miles away? It's too late..." The woman's voice became a little deeper: "Besides, this trip
, it will be at least ten days and a half, maybe... this house will have to be in order, either when I come back, or..."
As he spoke, there were several choked sounds in his voice.
Zhou Zheng sighed silently, knowing in his heart that his wife was reluctant to leave her home. Even if she walked not far away, the feeling of leaving home could not be relieved. However, is it possible not to leave? Waiting for the family to be destroyed and the wife and children to be separated? That is not just talk.
That’s it, it’s a fact that has already happened!
The area around Tobu City is already in shambles. The refugees who have fled from far away and the experiences of the villages and towns to the west have put the cruel reality before us. Is it possible to not escape?
He didn't scold his wife with words like "a woman's hair is long but her knowledge is short". He asked himself, why would he let her go?
Although there are only a few earthen walls, the rafters on the roof have been rotten for too long. It is said to be a house, but it is actually a dilapidated earthen kiln that can barely protect itself from the wind and rain. But in the vastness of the world, there is no place more beautiful than here.
warmth.
This is the place where people feel most relaxed and happy.
No matter whether you are a great hero or a coward outside, whether you are wearing a brocade robe or half-clothed, it will open a door. The few faces that may not be beautiful but are very familiar under the oil lamp behind the door will welcome you and serve you.
A bowl of hot rice and a basin of hot water.
Only the sustenance of home can erase the hardship and pain day after day. Home is everything, it is the most sacred place in the heart, even above the country.
Who can give it up?
Zhou Zheng let go of his hand and stopped his two sons with stern eyes before they ran away in joy. Then, he gently pushed open the courtyard door, just like he had done countless times.
"My dear, stop crying. When you settle down, I will join the army..."
The woman raised her head suddenly, her tearful eyes shining with disbelief. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something to dissuade her, but the unwavering look on her husband's face told her that her determination was hard to shake.
.
"If you want to go home, you can only defeat the rebel army as soon as possible so that they dare not stretch out their claws again. How can you rely on others to guard your home? I am also a man, and I have to contribute!"
"...Yeah!" Thousands of words finally turned into one word, but the meaning of support was fully revealed.
The tears still flowed uncontrollably, but the atmosphere was completely different. The family supported each other and relied on each other as they embarked on the journey away from home, but they looked like victorious soldiers.
The scene in the Zhou family is not an isolated case. Among the surging crowd, there are many similar or even identical answers.
In a sad but passionate atmosphere, the crowd gathered like streams, then dispersed in all directions, and finally disappeared among the mountains and plains.
However, everyone firmly believes that one day, and it is a not-so-distant day, they will gather together again and return to their homes through their own efforts.
…
"Bastard, bastard! Where are the people? Why is there no one? This is the sixth village in a row, how come they are all empty? Search, search for me!"
Abandoning their homes made the villagers extremely sad, but it was also an unbearable pain for the invaders. Yang Chou's current mood was not very beautiful either. To be precise, he was so angry that he was so angry.
In order to ensure safety, he gave up all targets that deviated from the official road, huddled his three thousand troops into a group, and headed east along the official road. At least he did not intend to divide his troops until he got conclusive information about the enemy or engaged the enemy.
Doing this will obviously reduce the efficiency of raising military rations, but for the sake of caution, a certain price has to be paid. The money and rations raised only need to be enough for their own use, and the rear troops will naturally do it themselves.
He had a good idea. Under normal circumstances, there is no hope of success, but there are always accidents in this world, and they often happen when people are least willing, just like now.
"Nobody!"
"Not here either!"
"...Still not!"
The soldiers rushed into other people's homes, shouting from east to west, from north to south, with a fierce momentum, like wolves and tigers. However, without the screams and pleadings, their shouts and shouts seemed so frightening.
Without the target of violence, no matter how powerful or terrible the violence is, it is just a rootless tree.
With the reports filled with disappointment one after another, the atmosphere became more and more strange, even a little scary. In the deathly silent village, the soldiers were no longer as arrogant as before, and even their steps were unknowingly relaxed.
"Here, there is someone here, I, I caught him!" What broke the silence was a shout full of surprise.
"Quickly, bring it up!" Yang Chou unknowingly breathed a sigh of relief, and then smiled bitterly to himself. He breathed a sigh of relief just to catch a rogue man. He, a general with a heavy army, really had no face.
"Here!" In response, the soldier pulled an old man out of a crumbling thatched house.
Like many old farmers in the Central Plains, this old man's image is not unique at all. His face is wrinkled, he is wearing a torn cotton jacket, his hands are folded in his sleeves, shivering in the north wind, but his face is hard.
He forced out a flattering smile.
Yang Chou frowned in disgust and asked his bodyguard to step forward and question him: "Ask him, where have all the people in the village gone?"
The personal guards also avoided him, but with the order in hand, they could only bite the bullet and said: "Old man Wu, are you from this village? My general wants to ask you, what happened to the village?"
"This is Zhoujiazhuang. The old Han ancestors lived here. There is nothing wrong in the village." The old man was very cooperative and replied with a bow and a bow.
"Nonsense, where have all the innocent people gone!" the guard was angry.
The old man was frightened and trembled: "Ah, Master Jun, you are talking about this, I know."
"Just tell me if you know it!" the guard became even more angry.
I don't know if this old man is old and confused or something else, he always misses the point when he talks. Normally, the guards would have hit him with a stick, but now he doesn't dare. This old man looks trembling, with a stick
If you pull it up, you might die. This is the first person caught alive after walking through seven villages. It is very precious. If you are killed by a fool, you will have to be skinned by the general?
Yang Chou was also impatient. He waved his hands to the guards and ordered: "You guys, take him aside and ask him carefully. Then go."
Several of the guards left with grimaces, while Yang Chou himself found a yard and went in, intending to rest for a while.
The general took the lead, and the sergeants were naturally unwilling to lag behind. They did not dare to disperse the queue, but they could squat under the wall to avoid the wind. The emperor was not short of hungry soldiers, and he did not get much profit or water after setting off.
After driving for so long against the north wind, we have to take a break, right?
This break lasted for more than half an hour. After a long interrogation, the guards finally sorted out the clues.
"You are saying that the people in this village have been ready to leave at any time?" The first sentence shocked Yang Chou, and he asked in the exact words.
"Yes, General. It was done by the Qingzhou Army. Many villagers were rescued by them from the food requisition team. They let these people spread rumors in various villages and towns, making people panic, and then they dragged them over and said they were doing it for the villagers.
Keep the food to prevent it from being robbed. Then he said that if there are thieves... the food collection team will also arrest people, and when the army arrives, let them go out and avoid it as much as possible."
"Keeping it for you? Does anyone believe this?" Yang Chou laughed angrily.
He also has a certain understanding of the temper of unruly people. The reason why they are unruly people is because these people have very unruly temperaments and cannot be reasoned with. Only the whip can be used to make them obedient.
You want to borrow food from them with empty talk? Wake up, this is not the time of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
The guards looked at each other, and answered with alacrity: "Believe it, some people still believe it, and there are quite a few people who believe it..."
Not only a lot of them, but almost everyone believes it.
Why? It's very simple. The Qingzhou Army has a good reputation and has credibility.
During the autumn harvest, everyone was asked to collect grain. Whatever they harvested was theirs, and the general’s government did not want a grain of rice. This promise was highly questionable at the time, but as time went by, it became widely accepted.
Praise and esteem.
The people's understanding is very simple. When the kings and princes occupied the whole territory, they did not covet everyone's things, but now they turn around and cheat? It doesn't make sense! Raising military pay? That is impossible. The Qingzhou army only has three hundred troops.
How much can people eat if they are open to eating, not to mention that they bring their own dry food?
When the army from Qingzhou arrives, these grains may be used as military pay. But that doesn't matter, because these grains will be turned into donations, and the general's government will double the compensation next year, and they can also use IOUs in exchange for fields.
As soon as the Qingzhou army arrived, the weather changed again. With the reputation of the champion, would he destroy his promise just for such a small profit? Obviously not, at least the people think so.
Thus, there was everything Yang Chou saw.
"The Qingzhou people also promised that it doesn't matter even if the house is burned down. They are all losses caused by the war. In the future, when the Qingzhou people come back, they will be responsible for building better houses for the villagers, so..."
"Bastard!" Yang Chou was furious. No wonder these unscrupulous people ran away so neatly. Are their feelings ready to trade in old ones for new ones? Thinking of the villages he ordered to be burned earlier, a burst of sullenness came up, and he was depressed in his heart.
, have you been fooled? You bastard!
"Chase, send someone to chase me!" He roared at the top of his lungs, but he already had a clear understanding in his heart. Let alone starting to chase now, even if he chased from the beginning, it would be impossible to catch him. This is the other party's home after all.
, The villagers are extremely familiar with the surrounding mountains, rivers, terrain, every plant and tree. How could they possibly pursue it without the favorable geographical location?
Now that things have come to a point, I’m afraid we have to divide our forces. (To be continued. Please search Piao Tian Literature, the novel will be better and updated faster!)