These two people, one was a cunning staff member who was responsible for shady means under the powerful minister at that time; the other was a generous and heroic general on the battlefield. They seemed to be completely different, but unexpectedly they had a good friendship.
Maybe it's because neither of them regarded themselves as big shots.
No matter how many contacts Du Shisheng had with high-ranking officials and nobles in the imperial court, what he really relied on were the old friends he had known for decades in Zhongdu. Most of the old friends' identities could not be put on the table.
For example, in a certain market, the clerk who was supervising the laborers and supervising the transportation found a side door for Monk Luo to escape. This clerk's father had been favored by Du Shisheng in his early years.
Another example is the old man holding the donkey's bridle and leaning on his cart. He is looking at the skinny Du Shisheng and the fat monk Luo in the corner of the courtyard and chuckles. This old man is Du Shisheng and the others.
Chess friends who have known each other for a month.
As for Monk Luo...
Whether he is fighting in the army, whether he is king of the mountains among the ponds, or whether he is sitting at the center of the Dinghai Navy, like a deputy commander, he himself always thinks that he is still the fair-weather monk in Xuanzhong Temple. So, this
After a while he laughed and said:
"The officials of the Song Dynasty were all poor and thieves. It took so much effort for the Sa family to follow them all the way north! Believe it or not, Lao Du, he gave me a mouthful of meat along the way! Just one mouthful! Come on, come on.
, what delicious food do you have, please take it out quickly to fill your belly!"
Du Shisheng smiled so hard that his old face almost blossomed, and said repeatedly: "This is a small matter, Master, just wait!"
Although there were only a few people living in his house, some decent food was indispensable. He immediately asked the servants to light a fire and heat up some wine and meat to eat. Monk Luo couldn't wait any longer, so he went up and picked up a piece of meat pie, thinking
After thinking for a while, he took another piece and put it into the hands of the servant who led the way and the old man with the handlebar.
"You guys have worked hard too, come and eat together and be full!"
Although the old man with a handlebar style didn't have much knowledge, from Du Shisheng's posture, he knew that the person he secretly brought to his house had an extraordinary status. He waved his hand and stepped back halfway with a smile.
That servant was Du Shisheng's confidant, and he didn't even dare to say anything.
Monk Luo made a silent gesture, pulled the two of them to sit down by the stove, and said cheerfully: "We are all our own people, you're welcome!"
If any outsiders saw him with such a relaxed and happy expression, they might really think that he was here to visit relatives and friends.
Du Shisheng only looked on with a smile.
When he first discovered that Monk Luo had come here, Du Shisheng was a little worried, fearing that Monk Luo's drastic style of doing things was not suitable for lurking in Zhongdu.
But now he discovered that Guo Xuanshi knew his old friend better than he did.
Monk Luo may look rough, but he is actually very careful. As soon as this monk left the Huitong Hall, he had already begun to get acquainted with his companions and prepare for the next task.
Chen Ran was also very happy when these three or five people were enjoying the extra meal in the courtyard.
In the eyes of outsiders, he led his troops to march halfway, but was forcefully forced to retreat by the imperial troops, and failed to achieve his goal of entering the capital. However, Chen Ran understood that as long as Mr. Jinzhi did not make any mistakes, the mission had been successfully completed...
And Mr. Jinzhi is a very careful person, and he will never make mistakes.
Therefore, when he arrived at Zhigu Village early the next morning, he specifically notified the quartermaster and gave extra meals to all the soldiers, treating it as a secret celebration at home.
This group of soldiers and horses turned back after a long journey, leaving behind five military villages and 700 to 800 soldiers along the Lushui River. At this time, only more than 200 people returned to Zhigu Village. However, they reunited with those who originally stayed behind.
There are still more than a thousand troops and a number of armed Tsunado civilians.
When the foreman made a fire to cook, bursts of aroma floated to the bottom of the high ground, causing many people to raise their heads and look up with envy. Several subordinates also dispersed, and the eyes of the imperial officer who was temporarily accommodated by the navy turned red.
, because Ding Haijun did not invite them to enter the camp and enjoy it, they were so angry that their teeth itched.
Liu Ran wasn't angry at all, he just had a toothache. He had just finished eating two of his own rice dumplings. The dumplings were very rough, and when he bit into them, he hurt his teeth, and he covered his cheeks hard for a long time.
This kind of dumpling is a product made by mixing several kinds of whole grains and wild vegetables together, steaming, drying, and kneading. It is about the size of a child's fist, and two of them can make a meal. As long as the weather is not hot, the dumpling can be stored for a long time.
Liu Ran and others fled to Pingzhou. After signing the military certificate, this was the most common military ration they ate.
Some people didn't even have to eat dumplings, so they had to light a bonfire and roast the wild wheat they picked up along the way to dip their lips. This kind of wild wheat can grow in saline-alkali soil and tastes astringent and bitter.
There was a musty taste in the mouth.
Ding Haijun did give some rice and noodles, but the quantity was far from enough. Liu Ran took the decision honestly and divided it equally among the wounded and the old and weak.
A few men who were accustomed to eating from the sea couldn't bear the hunger and went directly to the direction of Xin'an Beach, hoping to dig up some large shellfish on the mudflat after the tide went out.
Someone did manage to bring some weird stuff back, and the smell was frightening. Moreover, the mud and water they brought with them when they moved around made the originally dry ground in the tent half dry and half wet, making it suddenly feel cold.
Zhang Pingliang couldn't stand this environment, so he crawled out of the tent.
But there is no place to go around. Of the legendary and prosperous Zhigu Village, only the military fortress on the high slope behind it remains. The rest is full of tidal flats, weeds, and ruins that have been set on fire.
Village. Occasionally, you can see figures moving among the ruins, which are wild dogs eating corpses.
Most of these dogs were domestic dogs raised by people in the cities and villages around Zhongdu. After those cities and villages were broken down, the dogs fled to the wilds and lived in groups by hunting. For them, eating dead people was probably a
A big meal.
The dogs patrolled around the camp, briefly confronted the humans a hundred paces away, and then slowly retreated.
Zhang Pingliang felt the biting cold wind more and more. He turned around and saw that the soldiers of the Ding Navy were still sharing food, and the aroma of the food was tempting.
He swallowed and said angrily: "It's nothing more than a navy."
Liu Ran held the almost untanned animal skin and slowly applied the oil on the surface of the animal skin to his hands. Hearing Zhang Pingliang's complaint, he chuckled: "Why can't it be like this?"
"Brother Ran, we have thousands of people here, and half of them have been soldiers and have seen blood! Now that the Mongolian army is approaching, it is the time to recruit people. If Ding Haijun gives us a little sweetness, we will help! As a result, they will
Do you look down upon us so much?"
Zhang Pingliang threw a handful of burnt wild wheat and hit it on the grass and reeds, making a rustling sound.
"What you said is wrong."
Liu Ran shook his head.
"The officers of the Ding Navy are very different from warriors like us who just want a bite to eat. Not only do they have food to eat, clothes to wear, and sophisticated weapons, but also, do you pay attention to their conversation? They have fields in Shandong.
He has a wife and parents who are well-supported, so his morale is high and he is well-trained. Everyone is willing to fight to the death for their commander-in-chief. And we..."
Liu Ran smiled self-deprecatingly: "We people are not familiar with Ding Haijun's fighting routines, and we don't know our origins. Why do they want to use us? We want to make a living, so we have to perform well.
"
Zhang Pingliang was a little dissatisfied.
"Brother Ran, after all, in wars, numbers of people take advantage. When we fought with the surrounding foreign races in northern Xinjiang, there was no time when thousands of people did not go into battle. The elite fought with swords, and the old and the weak filled the trenches. Isn't that the same?
coming?"
"Did you win?" Liu Ran asked.
"What?"
"Have we defeated the Mongols? Aren't we so beaten that we lost our armor, abandoned our homes and careers, and fled?"
Liu Ran smiled bitterly and said: "Not to mention the Mongols, the people who are now taking refuge with the Mongols are all elite soldiers. Once they start to attack, they can easily hijack a manpower ten times or a hundred times more than ours. If they want to
To deal with them, relying on a mess of soldiers like us, fighting like a swarm of swarms, will definitely not work!"
Zhang Pingliang's face was full of frustration, and he sat down without paying attention to the wet and dirty ice and snow on the ground.
Liu Ran was also a little excited, and when he said the last few words, his voice was very loud.
Chen Ran, who was standing in the high-up military camp, heard this. He looked down and asked the deputy general next to him in a low voice: "Is this boy the one who killed three Tatars with three arrows on the day I arrived at Zhigu Village?"
"Exactly." The lieutenant replied, and then continued to fight against the food in his mouth.
Ding Haijun's food seemed very good to the defeated soldiers, but in fact it was not much better. The staple food was also grain dumplings, but they were pressed more tightly, and there was a little pickle for each person. The soldiers felt that the aroma was fragrant.
, mainly the bacon left in Zhigu Village.
That thing was a serious war preparation material, but because of the inexperience when making it, several pieces of meat were infested with insects. When it was boiled into a salty soup, there were white insects floating on the surface of the soup.
However, hot soup is always a good thing, at least it relieves the sharp confrontation between the cheek muscles and the tight pancake.
Lieutenant General Gudong swallowed the hot soup and said with a smile: "This kid is very useful. The day before yesterday and yesterday, some Mongolian troops came to cause trouble. He led dozens of people to fight with him and made great achievements. I plan to wait for them for a few more days.
,Then……"
Before he finished speaking, the sound of drums and horns suddenly sounded from deep in the reeds.
"Here we go again!" the lieutenant said casually as he continued to swallow his food.
In the past few days, the Mongolian vassal troops have been harassing him from time to time, and the lieutenant general has become accustomed to it.
Chen Ran raised his head and looked at the watchtower high up in the camp. On the watchtower, there were soldiers waving two-color flags violently.
"The Mongolian army is not a fool. We made this trip with great fanfare, and they will definitely block the Caohe River channel with all their strength. So, this trip is real... at least four fortresses in the upper reaches of Lushui were attacked! Lao Tian, let's prepare for war!"
The lieutenant turned to look at the watchtower, bowed and said, "Yes!"
He turned around and waved, arrows flew into the air, and several horns sounded one after another. Inside the camp, at first there were merchants who had not yet left, looking around in the courtyard, and then soldiers from many camps that were requisitioned rushed out.
These warriors have long been accustomed to vigilance. They do not take off their armor when sitting or lying down, and they also carry weapons and bows with them, so they take action immediately after hearing the order. The Alixi carry several huge leather bags on their backs, and the bags contain
Spare weapons.
After these days of continuous harassment, there will always be a fierce battle. I just don’t know who the enemy is. At this time, many soldiers who have experienced hundreds of battles have solemn expressions. On the contrary, the new recruits are patting their armors and feeling
With the heavy and sophisticated weapons in his hands, he couldn't suppress the excitement on his face.
To the north of Zhigu Village, the Wuqing Inspection Department station, which was designated by the Navy as a water transport node, has been breached. However, not every offensive has gone smoothly.
"The prince, three forts in Xianghe County and Wuqing County have all been captured. Only the fort in Miaoyin County is said to be extremely strong. Boke suddenly attacked it four or five times, killing and wounding many soldiers. He said,
Please ask the king to send another thousand people. As long as there are one thousand reinforcements, he will definitely break the wall by tomorrow at the latest."
At Zhigu Village, we have not yet taken action. There are four routes of troops, but only this one is blocked. Bokehu is from Yi. I am afraid that after Genghis Khan surrendered, he relied on his background as a grassland tribe and became a little slack. Shi Tianying
After pondering for a moment, he raised his voice and asked: "Officer?"
"exist."
"Take a thousand people to assist Bokehu. If you can capture the city before dark tomorrow, you will return. If you cannot capture it, behead him and withdraw your troops in return."
"yes."
The Ding navy officers stationed along the Cao River obviously did not intend to die with the walled city. Once they found that the enemy's power was unstoppable, they retreated toward the river, boarded a speedboat anchored in the harbor, and left.
This rapid retreat means that Ding Haijun can return at any time. Even if the Black Army soldiers can destroy the camp, what can they do against the ships traveling on the water?
Therefore, this kind of victory did not make Shi Tianying feel happy.
On the way to attack Zhongdu, Shi Tianying's performance was praised many times by Genghis Khan. His black army also continued to expand with victory after victory. But the greater the strength, the more cautious he was. Along the way, he
Try your best to collect all kinds of information about the enemy through various channels, so as to know yourself and the enemy, and win every battle.
Due to the restrictions of the war, a lot of information overlapped or contradicted each other. Fortunately, after reference and comparison, we can always get some decent results.
For example, in the past few days, Ding Haijun, who was surrounded by Song envoys and rushed to Zhongdu, is now increasingly valued by Shi Tianying. By interacting with experienced Mongolian hundreds and thousands of households, Shi Tianying can
It is certain that the nature of this army is exactly the same as that of Jinzhou's black army. They are both the personal belongings of a certain hero.
However, they have occupied most of Shandong and Liaodong, and they are indeed a strong enemy of Mongolia. They can even influence Genghis Khan's grand strategy through fierce tactical victories.
This kind of performance made Shi Tianying a little envious, but also a little disgusted.
What they envy is that they are ahead of the curve and have accumulated strength earlier, so they can stir up troubles. What they hate is that they were able to defeat the powerful regime that Shi Tianying had to surrender several times... This kind of record is simply incredible.
A mockery of everyone!
Shi Tianying said in a deep voice: "The key lies in Zhigu Village. Ding Haijun will not let go of that place easily... Just let me see it!"
I'm so exhausted. I haven't driven long distances for so long that I can't even open my eyes now... I'll just do this for today. I'm sorry.