I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 390: Magnificent Northwest Veteran! For my brother and my benefactor, I am willing to fight tooth and nail!
September 10th.

In the northwest of the Song Dynasty, Xizhou was located on the banks of the Xihe River.

In a town, there are many shops and a constant flow of people coming and going.

It was very noisy and lively.

Lines of caravans carried medicines, furs, jewelry, books and other goods through the town.

Or run towards the more desolate Tubo tribes in the west.

Or head to the prosperous Qinzhou, Jingzhaofu, Hezhongfu and other big cities in the east.

There are also many stalls outside the town.

There are Qiang people selling mutton soup, Dangxiang people selling Xixia horses, and Han people selling medicinal materials and porcelain.

To the west of the town is the endless Gobi desert, which is in sharp contrast to this bustling town.

The leader of the horse.

It was a new border city built after Su Liang proposed the strategy of "setting up towns on the spot and resettling veterans" in the eighth year of Qingli Period.

The houses, bridges, roads, etc. in Xihe Town were basically built by these 8,000 Northwest veterans.

Less than half a month.

This town is called Xihe Town.

And this moment.

This middle-aged man with a broken arm, nicknamed One-Armed Old Joe, is the spiritual leader of the current veterans.

The middle-aged man with a broken arm led people into the city.

Among the eight thousand veterans, some have formed new families, some have become guards in the caravan, some have become merchants, and some have become officials in Xihe Town.

Because Xihe Town was located on the border of Xizhou and was a new town, the imperial court even managed it as a place similar to a land for sale.

But they still have not forgotten their status as "Western soldiers".

Due to the war in the southern border of the Song Dynasty, some Xixia soldiers pretended to be thieves and robbed merchants.

The veterans enjoyed this and had a great time doing it.

Before, they were homeless.

One-armed Old Joe and his old guys captured more than 400 people.

He was a burly middle-aged man with a broken right arm, and he was carrying a large iron sword behind him.

After the Xixia people learned that there was a war in the southern border of the Song Dynasty, they invaded Xihe Town more frequently.

Recently.

As long as you see a man wearing gray clothes, gray trousers and a sheep's waistcoat, nine times out of ten, he is a veteran from the Northwest.

There were five men with their hands tied and their feet bare. Their bodies were covered with dust and their faces were red and swollen.

at this time.

But most are still training, and all will return immediately if called upon.

The news of Di Qing's successful rebellion has not yet reached Xihe Town.

"As long as these Xixia dogs are brave enough, I will catch as many as they come!"

The middle-aged man with a broken arm puffed up his chest.

The middle-aged man with a broken arm and his party had just arrived at the city gate.

In Xihe Town.

behind their horses.

One-armed Old Qiao and a group of old guys formed the Xihe Town Guards.

More than a dozen middle-aged men wearing gray clothes, gray trousers and waistcoats arrived at the city gate on horseback.

The veterans had a bloody feud with the Xixia soldiers, so naturally they would not let them succeed.

The soldier at the city gate smiled and said hello: "Master Qiao, we have captured five more!"

In a tavern in the town.

Eight thousand veterans who once refused to go home have settled here.

Although they retired.

These people are being held in prison in Xihe Town and will be sent to Xizhou City for sentencing later.

Now, Xihe Town is their home.

The veterans took the initiative to petition and became the defenders of Xihe Town.

And this moment.

Say it.

It took four years.

A man in his thirties looked through the window of the private room on the second floor.

Watching the one-armed Old Qiao and others pulling five soldiers who had been beaten with bruises and swollen faces, and listening to the cheers coming from the street, their faces turned livid.

This person was Renduo Liegu, a party nobleman who was the envoy of the Xixia Zhuoluo and Nanjun Divisions.

All coaches make.

That is, the officials in charge of military training in Yidu, who belong to the middle and low-level generals of Xixia.

Under the orders of the Xixia Prime Minister Wu Zangyupang, Ren Duoliegu became the chief general responsible for plundering Xihe Town.

There are more than 2,000 subordinates under him.

At first, he was ecstatic.

Xihe Town is rich and prosperous, with many merchants. Its wealth is even comparable to that of some state cities, but its defenses are very loose.

He had expected to loot a lot.

His soldiers have weapons and fast horses. Whether it is robbery or theft, they can easily capture it.

Even if someone is arrested, as long as he does not admit that he is a Xixia soldier.

According to the current situation, the Song people would never dare to have a violent conflict with Xixia.

Never thought about it.

He dispatched more than 500 people one after another, and more than 400 people were captured and taken into Xihe Town.

until today.

Only then did Ren Duoliegu understand the strength of these veterans.

In terms of combat capabilities, these veterans are no longer what they used to be.

But they are more thieves, more slippery, and more cunning!

He is good at digging traps and laying ambushes, and sometimes he can even tell who a Xixia soldier is with just one look.

This made Renduoligu not only unable to gain benefits.

More than 400 soldiers were lost in vain.

Whenever he entered Xihe Town, he always found a businessman who took refuge with him, so he could disguise himself as a caravan and barely show his face.

Unexpectedly, Ren Dolegu was so incompetent that he failed to plunder and instead lost more than 400 soldiers.

According to the former's moody character, he had to be killed.

Ren Duoliegu thought for a while and said to Bai Gui, the Han fur merchant who had taken refuge with him behind him: "Bai Gui, this general is going to play a big game and completely loot Xihe Town."

Behind him.

A middle-aged businessman with a short stature and a big belly said in surprise: "General Rendo, don't underestimate these veterans. They don't seem to have much fighting power, but in fact... they are actually ruthless!"

Ren Dolegu smiled faintly and looked at Bai Gui.

"Bai Gui, if news comes from the southern border of the Song Dynasty that Di Qing was defeated in the southern border, a large number of Western soldiers were killed and injured, and Su Liang was killed in peace talks, how would the veterans react?"

"Then...then...these veterans may go crazy. Without Su Liang, there would be no Xihe Town. In the hearts of many northwest veterans, Su Liang's status is not weaker than Fan Zhongyan. Those who are impulsive may rush to Southland avenges Su Liang!" Bai Gui said.

Su Liang's status in the hearts of these eight thousand veterans is extremely high.

Without Su Liang.

They may have become bandits in the mountains and forests, killers lurking in Xixia.

Some people have even died of depression.

Today, eight thousand veterans still share a common goal.

One day, I will look for Xixia soldiers to take revenge.

Rendoliegu continued: "If Di Qing is defeated in the southern border and Su Liang is killed, if these veterans are tough enough, they will definitely go to the southern border to avenge Su Liang; if they are timid, they will not arrest our soldiers on a large scale. , because in this case, they are more afraid to fight than us!”

"If those veterans are timid, we will increase the intensity of looting outside Xihe Town. I believe that they will not dare to be so aggressive."

"If those veterans are tougher and want to go to the south to avenge Su Liang, then we will have a greater chance. Once they leave, we will not only rescue the more than 400 soldiers, but also plunder Xihe Town. We pretended to be robbers and refused to admit that we were soldiers. Now they can only suffer the loss of being dumb! "

Say it.

Ren Dolegu couldn't help but smile proudly, feeling that he was really underestimating his talents by being a military coach.

Bai Gui rolled his eyes and said: "General Renduo, do you mean to let me falsely spread the news that Di Qing was defeated in the southern border, the Western troops suffered heavy casualties, and Su Liang was killed during the peace negotiation?"

Ren Dolegu nodded.

"We must spread the news more realistically, and we must not let those veterans doubt it. Maybe our prediction will come true!" "But...but...if the southern border is victorious, Di Qing and Su Liang will probably come to us. Trouble!"

Ren Dolegu smiled and shook his head.

"No. I heard that Nong Zhigao in the southern border defeated several states of the Song Dynasty, which is definitely not a good thing. Even if the Song Dynasty can win, it will be a miserable victory. There is absolutely no energy to start a full-scale war with us again. We do not admit that we have sent troops to Xihe Town. Can."

"After everything is done, your benefits will be indispensable."

Bai Gui was immediately overjoyed and said quickly: "Okay, I'll do it right away!"

Bai Gui also has certain connections in Xihe Town. He climbed onto the high branch of Ren Duoliegu in order to become the most powerful businessman on both sides of the Xihe River.

……

The next day, it was not yet noon.

The news that Di Qing was defeated in the southern border of the Song Dynasty, nearly half of the Western Army was damaged, and Su Liang was killed during the peace talks spread in Xihe Town.

"What? Di Shuai was defeated? Nearly half of the Western Army was lost? Su Yushi was killed during the peace talks? I don't believe it, this is absolutely impossible!"

"Impossible? This is the message from Bianjing. After Di Shuai's defeat, Su Yushi wanted to have peace talks with Nong Zhigao. Who would have thought that Nong Zhigao was unreasonable and directly ordered people to kill Su Yushi. It is estimated that there will be more In ten days and a half, the official notice from the state government reached us! "

"Who dares to spread such false news? What is the benefit of spreading such false news? I have heard many details. This really cannot be made up. It should be true."

"That Nongzhigao is definitely not easy to mess with. In addition, our people will really be acclimatized there! Su Yushi is best at persuading people with words, but this time we encountered a group of It’s a pity for the murderous Nanman. It’s such a pity that he only became the Yushi Zhongcheng not long ago!”

……

these messages.

It was said that there was a nose and eyes, and it was passed on, and many veterans believed it.

Some veterans burst into tears on the street.

The southern border was defeated, nearly half of the Western soldiers were killed, and Su Liang was killed, which seemed to have nothing to do with them.

In fact, it suddenly killed their hope of living.

Many veterans live to seek revenge from Xixia.

Now that the southern border is defeated, the imperial court will inevitably invest more troops in the southern border to quell the chaos.

If there is a war in the south, naturally there cannot be a war in the north.

If the southern border becomes a long-term war of attrition and the country's national strength gradually declines, their desire to attack Xixia in their lifetime will be completely shattered.

In addition, what saddened them the most was the death of Su Liang and the soldiers of the Western Army in the Southern Expedition.

Su Liang is their benefactor.

And the soldiers of the Western Army are all their brothers.

For a while.

Many veterans said they were ready to go to the southern border to avenge Su Liang and the brothers who died tragically.

……

At night, Xihe Town.

In the mansion where eight thousand veterans often gather.

The courtyard and the house were crowded with veterans, and all of them were very angry.

"The reason why I can live until now is because of revenge. Now my brothers in the Western Region have been killed, and our great benefactor Su Yushi has been killed. I want to avenge them!"

"Aren't you a man? If it weren't for Su Yushi, we might have become bandits or even died. Where is Xihe Town? I want to go to the south. Even if I go to die, I will die on the battlefield!"

……

"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment! Don't panic. This matter still has to be decided by the court. It may be a rumor. Don't be impulsive!"

speaker.

It was a young man wearing armor.

His name is Yang Feihu, and he is the capital of Xihe Town.

It was he who managed Xihe Town with more than a hundred soldiers and veterans.

"Yang Dutou, you can't understand our feelings at all. If there are rumors, we will come back. We are not going to cause turmoil, and we will definitely not cause trouble to the court. The defeat in the southern border has wiped out our thoughts of living. We want to Go take revenge and stay in Xihe Town, we won’t be able to survive for a day!”

"Yes, we want to kill the enemy, we want to avenge our brothers in the Western Army, and we want to avenge Yushi Su. In a few years, when we are old, we will really be unable to do anything!"

"Death on the battlefield is our destination. I suggest we set off tomorrow!"

"Yes, we'll leave tomorrow!"

……

Immediately, a group of veterans responded. Everyone was so angry that they no longer wanted to stay in Xihe Town.

Yang Feihu looked helpless and looked at the spiritual leader of the veterans, the one-armed Old Qiao who had never spoken.

The one-armed old Qiao stood up and shouted: "Everyone, be quiet! Be quiet!"

for these veterans.

One-armed Old Qiao's words are more useful than those of Xizhou Zhizhou.

The one-armed old Qiao calmed down and said: "Although we have retired, the soldiers of the Western Army are still our brothers. What's more, Su Yushi gave us a second life. We can't be cowards, we must take revenge! "

"I suggest that we summon the veterans to gather in Xihe Town tomorrow. We prepare weapons and horses, and prepare to rush to the south early the next morning. What do you think?"

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Huge cheers suddenly came from the courtyard.

"Go back and get ready!" One-armed Old Qiao waved his hand.

Immediately, the veterans all withdrew.

Yang Feihu, on the other hand, was anxious.

"Uncle Qiao, this... this is too reckless! It might cause trouble for the court. Mr. Fan has already arrived in the northwest. Do you want us to report to Mr. Fan and make plans?"

The one-armed old Qiao looked gloomy.

"If it is true that more than half of the brothers from the Western Army in the Southern Expedition suffered casualties and Su Yushi was killed, even if we veterans go to the Southern Territory on foot and beg for money, we will definitely go to the Southern Territory to avenge our brothers and benefactors!"

"Can...can...?" Yang Feihu was stunned.

He suddenly realized that the one-armed old Qiao emphasized the words "if it's true" a little too hard.

"Uncle Qiao, do you mean that this information may be false?"

One-armed Old Qiao nodded.

In the entire Xihe Town, only Yang Feihu knew that the one-armed Old Qiao had a group of spies who were distributed on both sides of the Xihe River and specialized in detecting information related to Xixia.

This was authorized by Di Shuai at that time.

Also.

There is also a hidden armory in Xihe Town, which contains not only swords, guns and halberds, but also bows, arrows, crossbows and other weapons.

Only One-Armed Lao Qiao and Yang Feihu knew about this matter.

"This news is spreading so strangely. The source of the news should come from Bai Gui, a fur trader in the south of the city. This man is a big profiteer. It is very likely that he has become the bastard of the Xixia people. Perhaps, this is the false news spread by the Xixia people. , the purpose is to lure the veterans out of Xihe Town, and they take the opportunity to come here to rob! "

"I didn't raise any questions just now and agreed directly because I thought there might be Xixia's craftsman among the crowd."

"Then...then...what should we do next?"

The one-armed old Qiao smiled sneerly and said: "Fake it, just close the door and beat the dog!"

The next day, early in the morning.

One-armed Old Qiao personally announced the news, calling all veterans to gather in Xihe Town, and then went to the south to avenge his brothers and benefactors.

For a time, all the veterans responded one after another.

Before noon, nearly two thousand people had gathered.

Some veterans are not allowed to participate because they are too old, disabled, or traveling with caravans.

At the same time, another news came out.

On the second day when the veterans go to the southern border, some old veterans will send more than 400 Xixia traitors from Xihe Town to Xizhou City to prevent unrest.

This news was spread intentionally by One-Armed Old Qiao.

The purpose is to let the Xixia looters know that if they want to save people, they can only choose tomorrow night.

This day.

Xihe Town is unprecedentedly lively, and the main street is full of veterans wearing gray clothes, gray trousers and waistcoats.

Some people buy horses, while others go to the black market to buy weapons.

In Xihe Town, as long as you have money, you can buy many items that are strictly prohibited by Song Dynasty law.

……

It was early morning on the third day, the day the veterans marched south.

More than 3,000 veterans from the northwest, riding large horses and carrying weapons, appeared outside Xihe Town with murderous intent.

One-armed Old Qiao sat on the horse and said loudly: "Brothers, for the Song Dynasty, for the glory of the Western Army, and for Su Yushi, we are going to the south!"

Suddenly.

The horses neighed and ran south. The flat dirt road was filled with dust.

Outside the town, Rendoliegu stood behind the crowd.

He smiled brightly and murmured in his heart: After Xihe Town is plundered, the era that belongs to me, Ren Dolegu, will come!
(End of this chapter)