The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 298 I'm Here to Save You

Liu Lin, the general in charge of suppressing rebellion in the pseudo-Qi state, is leading an army of up to 5,000 men on a clandestine march from the northern part of Qingzhou.

Qingzhou has flat terrain, which is very suitable for farming.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao used this place as a granary.

Marching through rural areas like this is not as discreet as marching through mountains and forests, and it is easy for news to leak out.

Therefore, before setting out on the expedition, Liu Lin had already decided to arrest and control all the civilians he encountered along the way, keeping them under the control of the army to prevent the news from leaking out...

When he reached the northeastern part of Qingzhou, the army had already taken control of more than 500 civilians.

These people were incredibly unlucky. They were just farming peacefully at home and hadn't done anything to offend anyone. The army was simply passing by the village when they forcibly seized them and forced them to follow the army. They were not allowed to make any noise along the way, and even if they spoke too loudly, they would be whipped by the soldiers.

She didn't even dare to cry loudly, only sobbing softly.

Someone couldn't help but mutter curses: "We finally managed to escape the Jin invaders, but it turns out that the Qi Kingdom is no better."

Someone nearby said, "I heard that Qi sent troops to attack Song. They arrested us to accompany the army in case we leaked the news."

"How could I have leaked any information? I've never left the village more than ten miles in my entire life, how could I have leaked any information?"

"This time we're far from the village! We're at least 150 li away from the village."

"My God, we're so far from home? Will they send us back to our village after the war is over?"

"Don't dream about it! Send you back? You wish! When they start fighting the Song soldiers, we'll have to rely on our own abilities to see who can run the fastest. By then, nobody will remember you."

"But I don't remember the way back to the village, so how do I get back?"

Everyone: "..."

A group of farmers who had never left their homes for more than ten miles in their entire lives were suddenly taken to a place 150 miles away. They were completely lost and didn't even know which direction their homes were.

An old man sighed, “Stop talking. It’s not even certain if we’ll survive. You’re still thinking about going home. Think about what’s in front of you first. I’m afraid that when war breaks out, the State of Qi will send us to the front to take the arrows. That would be truly terrifying.”

Upon hearing this, all the people panicked.

Just then...

Several soldiers walked over, leading a disheveled middle-aged beggar. One of the soldiers kicked the beggar in the buttocks and cursed, "You stinking beggar, from now on, you'll be walking with this group of people. No loud noise, no disturbances, understand?"

The beggar responded with a soft "hmm".

The soldiers then ignored him.

The common people were quite used to this scene; people were often thrown into their midst like this along the way, forced to move forward together.

Immediately, a kind-hearted person went over and whispered to the beggar, "Don't make a scene, keep your voice down, or you'll get beaten. Come with us. Are you from around here? Tell us, where are we now?"

The beggar raised his head, revealing a fairly decent face beneath his disheveled hair; it was none other than Su Qier, the martial arts champion.

Moreover, it's a version possessed by Yue Wenxuan.

He chuckled softly and said to the people around him, "This is the northeastern region of Qingzhou. A few dozen miles further east is the Bailang River, and beyond the Bailang River is Weizhou." Upon hearing this, the people panicked even more: "Oh no, will there be a war once we enter Weizhou? We might be used as scapegoats."

"Don't be afraid!" Yue Wenxuan said with a low laugh, "Actually, I'm here to save you."

Everyone: "?"

The people were completely bewildered, thinking: How can you save a ghost all by yourself, empty-handed?
Yue Wenxuan: "Don't panic, don't rush, just wait and see the show."

The people couldn't believe it...

Not long after, the soldiers captured another group of villagers and sent them into the crowd of people.

The people were about to come over and comfort these "newcomers" when they saw them walk to the beggars who had come earlier and stand quietly without saying a word.

The smarter people suddenly realized something.

But some clueless people still don't understand.

The beggar, who was actually Yue Wenxuan, chuckled at the crowd: "Don't make a fuss, don't cause any trouble, pretend you don't know anything, otherwise, if my rescue operation fails, you'll be the ones who suffer."

For the next several dozen miles, Liu Lin's army seemed to be passing through a "densely populated area," capturing a dozen or so villagers every few miles, and then capturing another dozen or so villagers every few miles...

The captured villagers initially appeared very "terrified," cowering at the mere glare of the Qi soldiers. However, when the Qi soldiers turned away from them, a cold glint flashed in their eyes.

When the army was still a few miles from the Bailang River, the Qi soldiers captured another group of civilians and herded them into the army camp for control.

Then, a well-dressed man among the group of people walked up to Su Qier and whispered, "Are you Chief Su of the Beggars' Clan? My name is Yu Fanwen. My brother sent me to find you."

Yue Wenxuan chuckled and said, "Brother Yu, there's no need for introductions. I recognize you. I've known you since you were the second-in-command of the bandits in Jimo. You're a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of outlaws and outlaws), while I'm a multitude of people from all walks of life. There's no need for formalities."

Yu Fanwen was overjoyed: "So you're also a brother who's been in the underworld before."

After saying that, Yu Fanwen's face darkened, and he lowered his voice and said, "I just arrived and don't know the situation. Brother Jialiang told me to follow your orders. As long as you give the order, I will be the first to grab a knife and go."

Yue Wenxuan nodded: "I will lead a group of men to protect these civilians in the chaos of battle, preventing them from being used as shields by the puppet Qi army. You and your men will be responsible for launching a surprise attack on the Qi army, disrupting Liu Lin's army from behind. When the fighting starts, you will help me eliminate the enemy soldiers surrounding the civilians as quickly as possible. Then I will lead the civilians to retreat, and you will lead the soldiers in a surprise attack."

Yu Fanwen grinned and said, "Hehehe, I love doing this job! My brother is making more and more use of musketeers, and I'm so frustrated because I have no place to use my martial arts skills. This time, the firearms will finally be useless, and it's my time to shine."

Yue Wenxuan patted him on the shoulder: "Firearms have their uses, and martial arts have their uses. That being said, I still suggest you practice gunnery."

Yu Fanwen: "..."

The two of them were flirting over here...

the other side!
General Liu Lin, the commander of the Qi State who was leading the campaign against the rebels, looked at the Bailang River in front of him with a smug expression: "We've arrived! We've arrived at the Bailang River! As long as we cross this river, we will enter Weizhou without anyone noticing. When their scouts discover us, we will immediately increase our speed and send the whole army rushing towards Weizhou City to catch the pseudo-Song rebels off guard."

The adjutant beside him fawned, "The General's strategies are divine and unparalleled."

Liu Lin waved his hand: "Cross the river!"

(End of this chapter)