Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 2 Complain

Wang Wenzuo looked to the left and right, and saw resentment on the faces of all the people traveling with him. It turned out that although the military laws were strict during the reigns of Taizong Zhenguan and Gaozong Yonghui, the imperial court treated meritorious soldiers very generously. The emperor will also issue an imperial edict to send envoys to his hometown to offer condolences and sacrifices to the soldiers who died in battle. The descendants can also inherit the official titles of their ancestors and receive preferential treatment of exemption from labor taxes.Therefore, every time an expedition is made, many people volunteer to join the army with their own weapons and food.

However, since the Xianqing period, the soldiers who went to war have rarely been rewarded by the court, and the dead have rarely been compensated; the Tang army conquered Baekje, broke through the enemy's capital, and the soldiers who made great contributions to destroying the country did not receive official titles after returning home. , the family was often conscripted into labor service (the title of honorary officer in the family can reduce labor tax, which was also the main motivation of volunteers at that time), and even because of some minor offenses, they were convicted and deprived of the title of honorary officer they had obtained. Yes, the trophies obtained from the desperate battle in foreign countries were also taken away. Naturally, these Tang soldiers who stayed in Baekje will feel chilled and become more and more resentful.

"Brother Liu, according to me, it's not all bad to be here in Baekje!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile. Everyone was dissatisfied, but he was the only one with a smile on his face.

"What's the benefit of such a remote place in Haidong, where even dogs are not allowed?" He Bayong replied angrily, "If the military order comes down in the morning, I will board the boat in the afternoon. If I stay for one more night, I will be a stray dog ​​on the roadside." !"

"Hehe!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile, "You are exaggerating. It is said that Luweize is the royal garden of the King of Baekje. After leaving Baekje, how can there be such an opportunity to hunt here?"

"What is the King of Baekje, a mere barbarian chieftain, who is crowned with monkeys!"

"You can't say that!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Although Baekje cannot be compared with the Tang Dynasty, there are 5 households in Sibi City alone. If one person is counted as a family, there are 30 troops. And Sibi City is just one of the five capitals of Baekje. Counting other states and counties, the household registration is at least 30, and the number of victorious people is no less than [-]. This is at least the governor of a big state in Datang, right? We want How much blood is shed and how much merit can be done to become the governor of a state?"

After hearing Wang Wenzuo's analysis, everyone laughed and the atmosphere became lively.Liu An said with a smile: "I heard what Sanlang said, if you were allowed to stay and be the king of Baekje, would you be very happy?"

"Why not?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "As the saying goes, it is better to be the head of a chicken than to be the queen of a cow. Although this place is remote, the land is fertile and the city is dangerous. Wouldn't it be far better to be king here than to go back to your hometown to suffer? People rule?"

"That's true!" A white-faced man next to him said with a smile: "Let's talk about that King Yici, who was beaten by General Su and threw away his helmet and armor, and surrendered with his face bound. But the court still moved him back to Chang'an and gave it to high-ranking officials. Xianjue, get rid of the crimes, eat and drink well, it’s not like we have worked hard here to make great achievements, and when we go back, we will be made things difficult by those petty officials, this comparison is really frustrating!"

"Yes, the imperial court really favors the barbarians and treats the Xias poorly! It's very mean!"

"Yes, look at the palace of the barbarian chieftain. Although it cannot be compared with Chang'an Taiji Palace, it is definitely much better than the Yishifu Palace!"

"Shut up!" Liu An stopped his colleague's complaints, and turned to Wang Wenzuo: "Sanlang, what do you think of the current situation?"

Wang Wenzuo hesitated for a while, although he said that these people had a good relationship on weekdays, and they came from the same place, so they could be regarded as the township party.But after all, too much talk is bound to be lost, and I already felt a little Meng Lang when I said that sentence just now.Liu An saw what Wang Wenzuo was thinking, and said with a smile: "Sanlang, I didn't think what you said was wrong when I told them to shut up just now, but what they said just now were all angry words, and they were happy but it didn't help the matter. You are causing trouble. But you are different, everyone here is the township paoze, and here in Baekje they are people on the same boat, if you mention something, everyone will miss your kindness!"

"Brother Liu is serious!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile, "How can I dare to mention a few words, little brother with little talent and learning?"

"It's okay, you just talk, we just listen!" Liu An's face was no longer smiling: "What you say makes sense, I owe you a favor, if what you say is wrong, just pretend you didn't hear anything!"

Liu An has the highest official position and the oldest age among this group of people, so he is already the leader.He asked Wang Wenzuo such a solemn question, and everyone's eyes gathered at once.Wang Wenzuo knew that he couldn't get away with it this time, so he forced a smile and said: "Then just say a few words casually, please forgive me if I am wrong!"

Liu An didn't say much, and made a "please!" gesture.

"My little brother thinks that the current situation in Baekje is quite bad!"

"Is it because of the sound of the flute just now?" Liu An asked.

"Yes, but not all!" Wang Wenzuo said: "It is true that the morale of our army is not high right now, but this is not a big problem. As long as the generals award heavy rewards, the imperial court fulfills the original promise of officials and sends reinforcements, the morale will naturally improve. It will cheer up. After all, we are now in the enemy's country, surrounded by enemies, separated from the mother country by the sea, even if we want to run, there is no place to run. In terms of military tactics, it is a deadly place. Sun Tzu said: put it in a dead place and live later! Don't worry Someone refuses to fight to the death!"

"That's right!" Liu An nodded, showing a satisfied smile. Obviously, he also thought of what Wang Wenzuo said earlier: "Then what do you mean by bad?"

"There are two places!" Wang Wenzuo stretched out two fingers: "First, there is no food; second, there is no hope."

"There's no food, isn't that very good?" Liu An frowned and said, "As far as I know, the food stored in this city is enough for the entire army for half a year, and the army can go out of the city to collect it on the spot. Besides, there is Silla for me. Allies, if it’s not possible, you can let Silla transport grain to come?”

"Brother Liu, when the chief executive and Silla led an army to attack Baekje, even though they destroyed the country, took the chiefs and brought them back to the Tang Dynasty, the centipedes died but did not freeze. The country has been established for hundreds of years, with many children, You are deeply favored. When our army broke through the city, there were many slaughters, but the favor was not given. Moreover, there are many mountain cities in the country, with more than a thousand households of the big ones and more than a hundred households of the small ones. And Shou, right now, is just pretending to be obedient. Once the situation changes, how can there not be one or two heroes who will rise up and restore the country? Right now, the autumn grain has been harvested and stored in the warehouse. Until next summer, the wild land will be without grain. Where do we get food from? It seems that there is a lot of food for half a year, but this is based on the tens of thousands of people in the city guarding the city. If we go out to fight, it will not be enough?"

(End of this chapter)