SFS Chapter 256 Granting of the General
Chapter 256 Granting of the General
The guerrilla fighter responded with a series of cold laughs.
"A guest advisor, is that right?"
"I'm sorry, but since I'm not from a noble family, the General didn't give his permission to pass."
"Please leave..."
That guest advisor was probably used to being arrogant, and upon hearing this, he raised his eyebrows, his face showing anger, and he was about to lash out.
On the high platform.
The crossbows were immediately pointed at the guest minister.
Faced with an arrow the size of a fist, the noble family retainer immediately calmed down, lowered his head, and retreated.
at this time.
Qi Shushi stepped forward from the escort agency's entourage, accompanied by two servants.
She introduced herself.
"Brother, my husband is also Qi Weitang, the General of Lianglong Province. We are returning to our hometown to pay respects to our ancestors and are passing through your esteemed place. Could you please do us a favor?"
When the guerrilla saw that Qi Shushi was skilled in martial arts and had an air of authority that came from someone who had long held a high position, he dared not be negligent upon hearing that she was the wife of a general.
He asked the advisor a few questions about the affairs of the military camp in Lianglong Province.
As expected, Qi Shu answered fluently.
Then, looking at the elite guards behind Qi Shushi, who took out their camp badges, it was clear that they were genuine.
The two immediately put on smiling faces, saying that they had startled their sister-in-law, and then took their luggage and mounts and left.
Qi Shushi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
It seems that General Wang hasn't gone too far yet. She knows that her husband doesn't know a general surnamed Wang, and it's lucky that he's giving her face.
Miss Shu kept turning her head to look at Li Hui, and whispered a few words in her mother's ear.
Qi Shushi initially disagreed, but she couldn't resist her daughter's persistent pleas.
She then approached the guerrilla and said she had a nephew or son who she wanted to take with her.
The guerrilla nodded in agreement and smiled, saying it was a small matter.
Miss Shu led her servants back, grabbed Li Hui, and left.
Li Hui told Yang Silang that Wu Tiechuan said he would go first and then ask Qi Shushi if he could bring a few more people.
When Li Hui met Qi Shushi, he nervously made his request.
Qi Shu shook her head.
"These aren't my husband's soldiers, and this is all the face I have left."
"Don't even think about bringing anyone else along; they're not stupid."
"We've already taken one of you. If we take any more, we'll anger them, and then none of us will be able to leave."
Li Hui had no choice but to return and bid farewell to Yang Silang and the others, his face showing remorse.
Yang Silang and Wu Tiechuan comforted him, saying that they all had families to support, and that they should try to help as many people as possible escape.
In that instant, more than a dozen members of the hundred-strong escort team left.
The guerrilla leader released those who were to be released, and then showed no mercy to the rest, waving his hand dismissively.
"Alright, everyone, today is the day for you to serve the imperial court."
"My surname is Gui (鬼), and from now on you will all be members of my Gui-character camp."
"All the men were incorporated into the army, with the able-bodied men becoming regular soldiers and the elderly and weak becoming auxiliary soldiers."
"As for the women and children, they were all sent to the auxiliary military camps; their washing and cleaning duties would be useful..."
Everyone was shocked to hear this, and cries broke out everywhere. But those who cried the loudest were immediately dragged out by the soldiers and cut down with a knife, leaving only those who sobbed softly.
The young men were crying because they were afraid of becoming cannon fodder on the battlefield; that was almost a certainty.
A perfectly good boat ride can lead straight to the gates of hell. Who wouldn't be afraid?
Of all the surnames, this general's surname had to be "Ghost," making it even more unlucky.
The women were even more afraid, saying that if they were just washing and rinsing, who knew if they were washing things or themselves?
Will I be assaulted?
The thought of their innocence being tainted made some young women wish they were dead.
Guo Laogan turned to comfort everyone.
"Don't resist yet, lest you get hurt."
"I'll go find that guerrilla fighter alone, try to communicate with him, and see if he can let us go."
Yang Silang blinked and leaned closer.
"Chief镖头 Guo, as long as the other party is willing to communicate, you can name a number when you return, and we can all chip in. This expense cannot be borne by the entire镖局 (escort agency) alone."
When it comes to communication, if connections and networks are no longer useful, the most practical solution is to use money to pave the way.
Everyone realized what was happening and nodded in agreement.
Now is not the time to be stingy with money; we're spending it to save our lives.
-
night.
Many shacks have been erected on the open space of the dock.
Several thousand men and women were intercepted today, but the ghost guerrillas released only a hundred or so people.
The officers and soldiers did a sloppy job; they simply intercepted the people without considering accommodation at all.
The people had to build their own shelters, but fortunately the weather was hot, so they didn't have to worry about getting cold.
Moreover, the distinction between regular and auxiliary soldiers was not made, and people still lived together in groups based on their distance and kinship.
No one even cooked; they just ate dry food to fill their stomachs.
Under a shack.
The members of Yuanwei Escort Agency were waiting anxiously.
Wu Tiechuan rubbed his hands together and looked anxiously into the distance.
"Why did the head镖师 (chief镖师, a term referring to a high-ranking镖师, a bodyguard/escort) take so long this time?"
"I saw several wealthy merchants have already paid their money and left."
"Could it be that the Ghost General is asking for too much money?"
Yang Silang shook his head.
"Brother Wu, please be patient. We are not afraid of him asking for a high price now, but we are afraid that he will not make a price at all."
Wang Daniu asked curiously.
"Are there cats that don't eat fish?"
"It's hard to say," Yang Silang said softly. "The entire team from Yuanwei Escort Agency are skilled in martial arts."
"If the government troops suffer a crushing defeat and urgently need to replenish their ranks with skilled men, money may not be enough."
Wang Daniu sighed deeply.
"These soldiers are truly lawless; they actually blocked the river and started looting."
Yang Silang thought to himself that these soldiers were nothing but thieves in disguise, openly looting and with no discipline whatsoever. Even the imperial edict from the emperor might not be effective.
Just as everyone was getting anxious, Guo Laogan returned with a dark face.
Everyone rushed over to ask.
Old Guo sighed and shook his head.
"It didn't work out."
"To be honest, I did meet this Ghost General, and we had a pleasant conversation at first."
"He asked for one hundred taels of silver per person, and I agreed."
"The problem is that the advisor pointed out the reputation of our Yuanwei Escort Agency in the capital, so General Ghost resolutely refused to accept the money."
"Instead, he made grand promises to me, saying that if I helped them win this battle first, he would then petition the court for credit for the Yuanwei Escort Agency."
"I gave him a thousand taels of silver, and he only got a few things done."
"Firstly, the horses and mules belonging to our escort team can be returned and will not be taken into the supply camp."
"Secondly, we will count the number of people in the escort team to ensure that they do not harm our guests in the slightest."
"Thirdly, we can form a separate team and be given a temporary commander-level position, without needing to be split up."
Yang Silang coughed and asked.
"Chief镖师 Guo, did you find out what happened up ahead with that thousand taels of silver?"
"How did the government troops lose? And at the hands of which rebel king did they fall?"
Guo Laogan took a deep drag on his cigarette and cursed.
"I actually found out about that."
"I spent five taels of silver to find out from the guard who was leading the way."
"That's ridiculous."
It turned out that Governor Chen, leading more than a dozen generals, had driven the rebel kings into a series of defeats.
With the recapture of Jiangbei Province in sight, it was clear that the province was within reach.
A few days ago.
The governor deployed his troops in a formation stretching for dozens of miles and engaged the enemy in battle once more.
The rebel army was indeed demoralized and collapsed at the first contact, turning around and fleeing.
The governor ordered the generals of each household to send their cavalry to pursue and crush the bandits in one fell swoop, capturing the rebel kings.
As a result, the various bandits scattered and fled, and the government troops also scattered and pursued them, and the battlefield gradually extended outward for more than ten miles.
Under General Wang's orders, Ghost General also led his troops into battle.
The mounted bandits ahead only knew how to flee and had no fighting spirit whatsoever.
After turning around a hillside.
Those bandits actually used their trump card.
They cut open the saddlebags, and countless gold and silver pieces leaped out, covering the entire hillside.
The pursuing soldiers were immediately thrown into chaos, and they all jumped off their horses to grab the gold and silver.
It should be noted that while cavalrymen received better pay than infantrymen, it was only in the sense that they were better off eating. Their pay was never enough; they were lucky to receive half of what they were owed.
Now that there's a chance to make a fortune, jump off your horse immediately and grab a handful; you could easily make tens or even hundreds of taels of silver.
The government only rewards three taels of silver for beheading a bandit, and it's uncertain when that reward will be received, or if the superior will withhold it.
Of course, some did not dismount; these were mostly the personal guards of the various generals. They were more disciplined, mainly because they were well-fed and well-paid.
However, compared to the cavalry, these retainers were few in number.
Suddenly, a cannon fired.
The fleeing bandits turned back and attacked.
The officers and soldiers, who had previously pursued with overwhelming momentum and an invincible aura, had completely lost their momentum.
Everyone hurriedly mounted their horses, scattered like a pile of loose sand, and turned to flee.
Before, when they had no money, they risked their lives to behead bandits in exchange for silver. Now that they have the silver and are considered small landlords, who would still be willing to risk their lives?
Thus, the officers and soldiers went from a great victory to a great defeat.
For miles around, silver bullets were being rained down everywhere.
As the soldiers and officers retreated in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons, the rebel kings gathered their elite forces and formed an unstoppable torrent to attack.
The officers and soldiers went from a great victory to a great defeat, leaving corpses for dozens of miles.
The servants protected their masters as they fled. The cavalry suffered nearly half their losses before withdrawing from the battlefield, while the infantry, lacking legs, were almost completely wiped out.
As for the silver that was obtained, almost most of it fell back into the hands of the bandits.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the rebel kings incorporated the surrendered soldiers and launched a counterattack, winning ten battles in a row. Now, even the provincial capital of Jiangbei Province has fallen into the hands of the bandits.
Of the dozen or so generals, most escaped except for two or three who were unlucky enough to fail to flee.
They escorted Governor Chen as he fled north.
Currently, the government troops only occupy three prefectures in Jiangbei Province; if they retreat any further, they will be forced to withdraw from Jiangbei Province altogether.
Such a crushing defeat is appalling.
Governor Chen's eyes turned red, and the generals below were also eager to turn the tide. Even if they couldn't win a great victory, they at least couldn't let the rebel kings occupy all of Jiangbei Province.
Therefore, they carved out territory, forcibly conscripted manpower and resources from the three prefectures, and made efforts to restore the army's organizational structure.
General Hong blocked this section of the waterway and looted all the able-bodied men in the nearby counties.
The crowd looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Wang Daniu finally spat it out in resentment.
"What a damn world!"
"Damn those government soldiers!"
"That damned rebel king!"
A few days later.
A crookedly embroidered Li-character flag fluttered in the wind, revealing the four characters "Yuanwei Escort Agency" on the back.
Chai Qing, fully armored and riding a chestnut horse, stood under the banner.
Yin Ciyou put away the fortune-telling banner in his hand and put on a feather fan, acting as a strategist.
"This horse is not bad..." Yin Ciyou glanced at the horse Chai Qing was riding and said sarcastically, "How does it feel to be a former deputy general and now an unofficial acting commander?"
"This horse is not bad..." Yin Ciyou glanced at the horse Chai Qing was riding and said sarcastically, "How does it feel to be a former deputy general and now an unofficial acting commander?"
Chai Qing smiled wryly and patted the horse's head.
"This was a gift from Wang Daniu, a fellow villager from Yidu Prefecture. I'm a centurion, after all; I can't very well ride a donkey like his brother, can I?"
"Rest assured, Protector, I am utterly loyal to the Holy Church. Even if you gave me the rank of General, let alone a mere acting commander, I would never betray the Holy Church."
"My hatred for the Shun Dynasty is irreconcilable!"
He thought to himself, "If it weren't for you and the Holy Maiden stepping in and making me reveal my past military service so that I could get you two out of the supply camp, I wouldn't be a centurion."
Without me, the Holy Maiden would almost have been kidnapped and forced into prostitution.
You old codger, still feeding horses and donkeys every day, acting as a groom.
To this day, Susu has not been found. I don't know which camp she has been assigned to, and I guess she's a bride every night.
Chai Qing, using the alias Li Qing, followed the two men's instructions to talk to the ghost guerrilla and gave him a large sum of money.
He claimed to be a retired deputy general who had served as a general on the border. In fact, these were his real experiences, but he omitted his time in Jiangdong Province.
The guerrilla commander only asked a few questions about troop deployment, food supply, marching support, and how to train his household guards before he knew that "Li Qing" was indeed an old soldier.
Overjoyed, he immediately appointed him as acting commander and assigned all the members of the Yuanwei Escort Agency to his command.
The position of Qianzong was divided into three officers.
Guo Laogan is a guy.
Wu Tiechuan.
There's also Wang Daniu's brother, Yang Yanhui, who has one eye covering his face and several pimples on his face.
Yang Yanhui was Yang Silang's alias.
Because he and Chai Qing had actually met in person.
He took the martial arts exam once and was chased down in the mountains once. At that time, he was like an ant, and Chai Qing probably didn't care about him.
But he dared not gamble, so he could only use disguise and change his name, and even instructed Wang Daniu to claim to be from Yidu Prefecture, just to avoid being exposed.