The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 293 You actually became a support soldier?

A short while later, Li Bao walked up to Yue Wenxuan and Gong Erniangzi.

Yue Wenxuan looked him up and down and found that this guy was also a typical Shandong man, tall and strong, with a certain air about him. He was also looking at Yue Wenxuan and Gong Erniangzi, with a hint of admiration in his eyes, and a hint of... unwillingness to admit defeat?

“Li Bao of the Cheng clan greets the Privy Councilor.” Li Bao said loudly, “I have long admired the name of Gong Yi of Jimo. Meeting her today, I can see that she is indeed a woman who is no less capable than any man.”

He pointed to the pile of tall grass that was still being fought: "My brothers and I, as well as the local villagers, were all saved by the timely rescue by the Grand Councilor. Otherwise, even if we had managed to escape, we would have suffered heavy losses."

Gong Erniangzi: "They're all men, it's only right that we help them."

When Gong Erniangzi first debuted, she was still an innocent young girl, but after leading the rebel army for several years, she has also developed the temperament of a "female general". Her tone of voice is calm and her expression is composed, which makes her look quite heroic.

Li Bao thought to himself: As expected of a heroine who has defeated the Jin bandits many times and established a firm foothold in Jiaodong, my little bit of Jianghu spirit seems inferior in front of her.

Li Bao: "I fought a guerrilla war against the Jin invaders in Chengshi for a year or two, but I couldn't make a living anymore. Of the ten thousand brothers under my command, less than three hundred are left. I originally wanted to go south and surrender to the Song Dynasty, but I heard that a prince in Jiaodong had established a new Song Dynasty, so I brought the rest of my brothers to surrender. If you don't mind, I would like to serve as a soldier under the Grand Councilor. I only ask to kill the enemy to my heart's content, and I have no other desires."

Gong Erniangzi said, "I have long admired Brother Li's name. How could I possibly refuse a hero like you who is willing to come? From now on, I would like to ask Brother Li to lend me a hand, and together we will fight to kill the Jin."

Li Bao was overjoyed.

They joined so easily! This Privy Councilor is quite easy to talk to.

People are like this: with every step they take forward, they also look to a higher place.

Having successfully joined the group, he immediately began to worry about his future status in the Northern Song Dynasty. Saying things like "I want to be a lowly soldier under the Grand Councilor" was just a polite way of putting it. People always strive for higher positions, and he still wanted to rely on his martial arts skills to become a general. He couldn't help but wonder: What kind of general will I be appointed?
Just then, he suddenly spotted a familiar face in the crowd: "Ah! Sui Yi! You lackey of the pseudo-Qi state, what are you doing here?"

Sui Yi had been hiding behind Gong Er Niangzi, trying to make himself invisible and not wanting to be seen by Li Bao. Little did he expect that Li Bao would have such sharp eyes and find him out. He looked embarrassed and said, "Hi, Li Bao, hello."

"Damn it!" Li Bao clenched his fist, which was as big as a bowl, and said angrily, "You followed Pang Di to besiege me three times, and I've remembered that debt. How are we going to settle this score today?"

Sui Yi was in the wrong and dared not argue back. He could only admit defeat and muttered, "I was forced into this situation. Haven't I already abandoned the darkness and turned to the light? From now on, I'll be a general of the Northern Song Dynasty, so please stop insulting me."

Upon hearing the phrase "they are all generals of the Northern Song Dynasty," Li Bao suddenly realized that Sui Yi had already surrendered to the Northern Song Dynasty. If he, as a newcomer, insisted on causing trouble for Sui Yi, he would be creating "internal strife," which would be disastrous.

You can't be a troublemaker right from the start.

He could only snort at Sui Yi and say, "Fine! Since you've reformed, I won't bother you anymore. From now on, just focus on killing traitors."

After saying that, he leaned close to Sui Yi's ear and asked in a low voice, "What military rank do you hold in the Northern Song Dynasty? How many soldiers do you command? You're quite a fighter. Back then, the Yan'an soldiers were able to chase down and beat ten times their number of Western Xia soldiers. Your official rank must be quite high now, right?"

Sui Yi looked embarrassed: "I'm currently in an auxiliary battalion. The Yan'an soldiers are all serving as auxiliary soldiers in the army."

"what?"

Li Bao was taken aback, thinking: The Yan'an soldiers are so elite, why would they be auxiliary soldiers? Could it be because this guy worked for the puppet Qi state, so he is not trusted?
His thoughts were laid bare on his face, and Sui Yi saw right through them.

Sui Yi said, "Don't overthink it. I can only serve as an auxiliary soldier because I don't know how to fight."

Li Bao glanced at him sideways: "Saying that the Yan'an soldiers can't fight? Who are you kidding? If the Yan'an soldiers can be labeled as 'incapable of fighting,' then wouldn't the Western Xia soldiers be nothing but babies who only know how to drink milk?" Sui Yi smiled bitterly: "I used to think I was very capable, but after coming here, I realized that I really can't fight. Li Bao, just you wait and see, you'll soon find out that you can't fight either."

Li Bao: "???"

As the two were talking, the firebreak had already been dug. The fire reached the edge of the firebreak and stopped, unable to go any further. The large patches of tall grass along the lake were saved, and the villagers' grain hidden in the grass was also saved.

The Northern Song soldiers, the rebel soldiers, and those dozens of villagers all breathed a sigh of relief.

Some people laughed loudly and scooped up lake water to wash their faces.

Some people simply took off their clothes and jumped into the lake.

It's winter, yet this person jumped into the lake and started winter swimming, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

Li Bao's soldiers immediately mingled with the Northern Song soldiers: "Wow, brother, what's that iron pipe on your body for? Why is your sword so narrow and long? How do you cut people with that? You only have this one iron pipe and a narrow sword as your weapons? Don't you have anything else?"

The Northern Song soldier laughed and said, "These are called muskets and bayonets. These two things are enough. Other weapons are just a burden."

Li Bao's soldiers looked on with suspicion.

The Northern Song soldier said, "Oh dear, look at your eyes, you don't believe me, do you? Heh, wait until the next battle, I'll show you."

Li Bao's soldiers: "Show me what you've got now!"

The Northern Song soldier shook his head: "Our ammunition management is very strict; we can't just fire it for fun."

Li Bao's soldiers: "..."

Northern Song soldier: "Don't worry, we'll be fighting another battle soon. We've come here to reclaim the iron mine. The officials from the pseudo-Qi state in the mine will definitely resist, and you'll see what happens then."

As everyone chatted, Lady Gong Er was already giving the order to continue the march.

Li Bao followed behind Gong Erniangzi, walking alongside Sui Yi.

As they walked, Yue Wenxuan, who was ahead of him, suddenly turned around and smiled at him: "General Li Bao, hello there."

Li Bao quickly replied, "I dare not call myself a general, young master, just call me Li Bao."

Yue Wenxuan laughed and said, "You'll become a general sooner or later, so don't worry about the way you're addressed."

Li Bao didn't know who Yue Wenxuan was. He only knew that Yue Wenxuan was walking side by side with Gong Er Niangzi, and that Gong Er Niangzi treated him with great respect. He couldn't tell who was the boss...

Therefore, Li Bao did not dare to be negligent and simply smiled.

Yue Wenxuan: "General Li Bao, are you skilled in naval warfare?"

(End of this chapter)