Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3386 Shuo

The sky gradually brightened, but there were still many clouds, making the entire sky look like it was covered by a layer of gray lens, and everything looked a little distorted and weird.

The sky was twisting, the earth was gray, and even the people busy at the Gubeikou Pass seemed to be twisting, like living things, but also like zombies.

Hearing that the Hussars were coming in force, the entire Youzhou seemed to be agitated in an instant, but some people were active and some were passive, but no matter how they moved, they were not comfortable. Whether it was the soldiers on duty on the battlements of the city walls or the civilians carrying and repairing fortifications under the city, they all showed some panic and awkward expressions.

This pass was originally built to defend against the Hu people...

But now, it has become a place for internal strife.

Perhaps there is nothing strange about it. The Chinese tradition is to accuse each other, spit on each other, scold each other, and oppress each other. But in fact, most of the problems between them are caused by stagnant development.

  Just like now, Youzhou is trapped inside the pass, unable to move forward. Won’t the remaining land and population start to roll back in?

Youzhou was relatively good during the Qin and Han dynasties, but when the Ming and Qing dynasties came and made their capital in Youzhou, it was truly squeezed so tightly that even an extra space to catch one's breath was a great luxury.

There are always people who think that they have finally climbed up, so why should they share the sunshine and rain with others? They completely forget how they hated, resented, and resented those who occupied the top, who could neither eat nor use it, but still occupied it and refused to give it up...

The laborers coming and going were dejected, dragging and carrying things on the ground.

Supplies of all sizes, being sent out or in, were crowded together on Gubeikou South Road.

High and low sounds came one after another.

"Make way!"

"Don't cut in line!"

"Make way!"

"Why should I give in?!"

"Will you give in or not?!"

"If you want to fight, get out of the way!"

The civilians on the South Road didn't care who was right or wrong. They just wanted to complete their job quickly and get paid as soon as possible.

  As for what is right and wrong, what is that so special?

Is there such a thing in Shandong?

As long as they could live in peace for a few days, the people of Youyan would feel that they had lived a few more days in the troubled times. As for whether the cavalry won or the prime minister won, they didn't care at all.

The reason why they assisted Cao's army in transporting food and repairing city walls under the oppression of Cao's army was not because they were willing to do so, but because they had no choice but to make a living.

Moreover, even if Cao's army was keeping a strict watch, there were still ways for cats and ways for rats, and the supplies that passed through their hands would more or less be stained with some oil or something. After living a half-hungry and half-full life for such a long time, this little bit of oil, money and so on could extend their lives for a while, right?

  As long as my luck isn't that bad, maybe I can survive this bloody war!

Anyway, the senior officials have said that if you are going to be beaten, you have to take it well. It takes two to tango!

  Don't run, don't make a fuss, otherwise you will be marked red and green without any negotiation!

Don't believe in rumors, don't spread rumors, whatever the master says, you must believe...

Driven by such emotions, whether it is Yuyang or Gubeikou, there is always less vitality and more deadness.

It turns out that this important pass also had some market vendors, but now they have long disappeared. The remaining ones are those who want to leave but have no way to leave, or are unable to leave for some reason. As for those who are living well, most of them are on government payroll...

  Who isn’t struggling these days?

The Han Dynasty was founded three or four hundred years ago. Even when Liu Xiu revived it, nearly two hundred years had passed. The pioneering spirit and the spirit of not admitting defeat at the beginning had long been worn out by the day-to-day trivialities, the frequent changes of orders, and the use of tricks to deceive people.

Especially those laws that require not to fight back, not to help, to predict and to be courteous, have subtly wiped out the last bit of conscience and blood of the Han people.

So here in Gubeikou, most people are just pretending.

For the sake of showing it to your superiors.

After all, the superior of the superior, and the superior of the superior of the superior, are just for show, right?

Lei Zhong led a team of people and looked at Gubeikou from afar.

They circled back.

Lei Zhong felt somewhat emotional.

He originally thought that in this world, one would either become a madman on purpose, or be driven crazy passively!

But unexpectedly, there was a new path in the darkness.

Sometimes, once you make up your mind, many things become simple.

Lei Zhong immediately dropped all his original tasks and responsibilities, and headed straight for Gubeikou South Road with Liu Fu!

As a veteran soldier in the army, Lei Zhong has been in Youyan for quite some time. He can even estimate many things...

For example, now, Gubeikou will definitely send a quartermaster to distribute some wages and food to the Cao army soldiers stationed in Gubeikou. The purpose is very simple, which is to stabilize people's hearts.

Cao Chun must still be in Yuyang, collecting food and fodder, and deploying troops...

But Cao Chun will also arrive in Gubeikou soon.

No one told Lei Chong about this, but Lei Chong knew about it.

He knows it all.

He looked at the southern entrance of Gubeikou and recalled some of the things he had experienced in Youyan over the years...

That’s right, he actually knew everything, but he just pretended not to know before.

It was like a man who had been on a garrison for three years and came home to find that his wife had given birth to a one-year-old baby boy. His wife said that one day when she was away, she saw some big footprints in the fields and stepped on them out of curiosity, and then she got pregnant...

  This is a God-given child!

Lei Zhong had a smile on his face, but he felt uneasy in his heart.

  He even stepped on footprints. Damn, is this the reincarnation of Fuxi? Can he protect himself? This silly woman said that she was caught by a catfish spirit while washing clothes. It's a better excuse than this!

But that's how life is. During the Qin and Han dynasties, this kind of thing happened quite frequently. It was enough for the children in the family to have their own surnames. Why would you be able to accept it if you were to pay so many attention to it?

  Didn’t you see that Prime Minister Cao didn’t say anything? So what can a small leader like me say?

But year after year, one thing after another, even though Lei Zhong said nothing, pretended to know nothing, and kept everything in his stomach, it would eventually ferment, bubbling up.

"belch……"

Lei Zhong took off the gourd, drank a few sips, burped, and then stared at the gourd for a while, suddenly snorted, and threw the gourd on the side of the road. The gourd happened to fall on a stone and broke into two pieces.

Gourd, confused.

Originally, he thought that being confused would bring fortune and luck, but now Lei Chong has figured it out. Why should he be confused?

Lei Zhong didn't look at the gourd again and looked up and walked forward.

When they came back, many people saw it and found it strange, but no one asked any questions.

That's right, in Shandong, no one would ask too many questions if it's not their own business.

Of course, even if someone really asked too many questions, the experienced Lei Zhong could still fool them. However, many people clearly saw Lei Zhong go back when there was no emergency, and still chose to stay out of it.

Before today, Lei Zhong did the same thing himself, but when he really stood on the other side, he realized how big and terrible this problem was...

Lei Zhong turned around and looked at Liu Fu's team who had been following him.

Liu Fu and others dressed up as "ordinary" passers-by in Youyan.

In Lei Zhong's eyes, Liu Fu and the others were not "ordinary" at all. In Youyan, who are the passers-by who can eat like Liu Fu and the others, with red faces, fat bodies, and round waists?

  Look at the real people of Youyan around here. Who isn't pale and thin, ragged and looks pale?

But the strange thing is that many people are strange, but not strange.

Lei Zhong also figured it out. In Shandong, it is better to have less trouble than more. Isn't that right?

Lei Zhong nodded slightly to Liu Fu, and then led his men forward, occasionally pushing away the ranks of civilians blocking the road, "Get out of the way! Don't you have eyes? Get out of the way!"

If they were smart, they would probably be able to perceive Lei Zhong's hidden meaning. If they were dull, they would still think that Lei Zhong was overbearing and unreasonable...

Seeing this, Liu Fu and others followed closely while shouting loudly.

Soon, we arrived at the gate of Gubeikou South Road.

Gubeikou was originally quite majestic, but unfortunately it was breached by the Hu people before, and then by the Hussars, so many fortifications were destroyed. The trench at the southern entrance was originally wide and deep, but now it has been re-dug to make a surface. Even the broken bricks on the city gate have not been completely cleaned up until now, and there are a pile of them on the east side and a piece on the west side.

The soldiers on duty at the city gates were listlessly checking the civilians coming and going. It was called an inspection, but it was just a perfunctory job. After all, the main threat was in the north, and they didn't know how long they could live, nor did they know if there was hope in the future, so they didn't care about anything at all, and they wouldn't pay special attention to anything.

However, Lei Zhong and his group still stood out. Before Lei Zhong's men could get close, the officer guarding the gate shouted, "Stop! What are you doing here?"

Lei Zhong took a few steps forward, "What else can I do? We have no money to eat! Soldiers' pay! Give us our soldiers' pay!"

"Wait!" the gatekeeper stretched out his hand and said, "Stop first!"

Lei Zhong and the others were not in a hurry, so they stopped as the gatekeeper requested, "If we don't get the soldiers' pay today, we won't leave!"

"Yes! I'm not leaving!"

"It is only natural to pay back your debts!"

"Give us back our soldiers' wages!"

Lei Zhong's soldiers shouted in chaos.

When the soldiers on the city wall saw this, they just laughed and didn't care at all.

In Shandong, demanding military pay is a traditional custom, and it happens every now and then.

"If you want military pay, you should go to General Cao. You should go to Yuyang. Why are you here?" The officer guarding the gate subconsciously started to pass the buck, "Yuyang has money. What can we get here?"

Lei Zhong laughed, "Don't try to fool me! I heard that the Yuyang quartermaster is here! Your soldiers' salaries have been replenished! We don't have any! Do you think we are fools? ! Tell the quartermaster to come out and see me!"

"Aren't these soldiers paid only for being useful?"

The gatekeeper wanted to fool around, but Lei Zhong scolded him: "You monkey! Don't be shameless! If you can handle this matter, then come and talk. If you can't, go and call someone! If we don't get paid today, don't expect us to work for you!"

"Okay, okay, you are so arrogant, I don't care, I don't care..." The gatekeeper seemed to feel that he had lost some face, so he added, "Stand aside, don't block the road. It's true that I owe you military pay, but I don't have any grudge against them, right?"

Lei Zhong turned his head, exchanged glances with Liu Fu not far away, and then waved.

Lei Zhong's soldiers moved to the side, making some space.

As for the military pay, according to Shandong custom, it is not paid in full.

Because the clerks in Shandong put themselves in the shoes of these soldiers. They were afraid that after receiving their wages, these soldiers would either spend it all in a few days, or be defrauded and gambled away the money. Therefore, they would not check the money directly, but write a note and stamp it to indicate that it was temporarily kept somewhere.

They are usually placed in the military quartermaster department.

Then when they needed money, these soldiers would go to the quartermaster's office to get it.

  This will ensure that the soldiers' salaries will not be defrauded by some malicious people, and will better protect the interests of the soldiers, right?

But here’s the problem…

The Quartermaster Department has concentrated so much money, should it just be left to mold and rot?

  It must be loaned out!

If they lend the money out, it will be very complicated, the kind that would take three days and three nights to explain. So once the soldiers want to collect their own pay, the clerks in the quartermaster department will make things difficult for them. They will either ask them to get a number and queue up, or fill out an application form, or inquire about the specific purpose of the money. They will even go so far as to dig up the soldier's ancestors for three generations and ask the soldier to prove that he is himself and that the money is his own and not obtained through fraud.

Just don’t give it to me anyway.

It seems that there is an order from above, but they can't produce any specific order...

Therefore, if you want to get your military pay, you have to make a fuss.

This is also a scene in Shandong and appears frequently.

Not long after, the quartermaster from Yuyang appeared at the roadside. Before he even arrived, his voice was heard, "What are you doing? What are you doing? Do you still want money? Huh? If you cause trouble again, I will arrest you all!"

To ordinary soldiers, they are the God of Wealth. They are like old cows standing upside down, looking very cool and there is no need to be afraid at all!

The quartermaster arrived at the door and clearly saw Lei Zhong, but he pretended not to see him, pinching his beard, "Are you the one who wants the military pay? Have you taken a number and filled out the form? You're already such a grown-up, but you don't even understand this?"

If Lei Zhong really wants the soldiers' pay, he will have to be humble. After all, the money is in the hands of the quartermaster. If things get out of hand, even if he gets the money, he will have to settle the account afterwards. So don't think that the quartermaster is the only one who comes out and looks like a vulnerable group, but in fact the quartermaster is not just one person, he is more than just one person!

But today was different, Lei Zhong's eyes gradually became unfriendly.

  Over the years, since he joined the army, he has been deducted from his salary by the quartermaster, year after year. It's not that they can't give it, but that they don't want to!

Now, it's time to settle the accounts.

  Lei Chong certainly knew that the quartermaster in front of him was not the person who had withheld his pay over the years, but so what?

Moreover, he did not come here for the military pay at all. He was shouting for the military pay only to divert the attention of the defenders...

It's your bad luck!

Lei Chong glanced at the quartermaster.

Although he had been in the army for many years, he could not recognize all the quartermasters.

This position has always been a lucrative one, and many people are vying for it, and those who have no ability will soon be squeezed out.

But, today, who cares who he is?

When the resentment accumulated over the years erupts, whoever encounters it will be unlucky!

Lei Zhong walked forward slowly with a smile.

  The quartermaster didn't think anything was wrong at first, and he looked up and waited for Lei Zhong to come over and salute him. After all, there had been so many cases of rioting over pay over the years. If they could just give him some money and get rid of the problem, who would care about the risks involved?

Lei Zhong's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he drew out his sword. The sword flashed, and blood splattered immediately. The quartermaster didn't even have time to shout, and his back and shoulders were cut in half. He fell backwards with dirty blood splattering!

When Lei Zhong made this move, the soldiers following behind him also shouted and rushed forward waving their swords and guns!

The gatekeeper officer was originally standing aside, ready to watch the show, but he didn't realize that he was actually on the stage. He was about to dodge, but Liu Fu got close to him. While the gatekeeper's attention was distracted by Lei Zhong, Liu Fu rushed forward and stabbed the gatekeeper's neck with his boning knife!

Behind Liu Fu, dozens of men shouted in unison, and drew swords and spears from their shoulder poles or packages, and rushed towards Gubeikou together with Lei Chong and other soldiers!

In the blink of an eye, the guards at the southern entrance were hacked to death.

When the civilians at the crossing saw the blood spurting out, they immediately squatted down and raised their hands to signal. Some even thought that they might be a hindrance to those people, so they squatted silently and moved aside. Then they opened their eyes wide, watched the blood spurting out in front of them, and shouted wildly.

Liu Fu had already unfurled a tricolor battle flag and roared like thunder, "Liu Fu, a member of the Cavalry Army, is here! Cao Cao is a ruthless thief! He has brought disaster to Youyan! Now the Cavalry Army is at the gate of the city to save the people from their misery! Those who obey will live, those who disobey will die!"

Behind Liu Fu, the men also shouted, "Those who obey will live, those who disobey will die!"

Most of the defenders of Gubeikou were in the north, guarding against Zhang He's army that was coming from the north with great fanfare, while the defenders of Nandaokou had no sense of defense at all, and these Cao soldiers were still quite confused. On the one hand, due to inertia, they didn't want to or know how to change their lives, and on the other hand, they didn't know what would happen in the future, so they just lived one day at a time.

  Therefore, when Lei Zhong and Liu Fu rushed directly to the south road of Gubeikou and attacked, these Cao army soldiers could not stop them at all!

As long as Lei Zhong and Liu Fu can open a passage to the north from the south entrance, the Cavalry Army will be able to take Gubeikou again!