Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 39 Yan Jingming

The Battle of Songzhou has ended for more than a month. Now, the rebel army led by Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao has advanced to the north of the Huai River and east of Yingzhou.

Yingzhou was the seat of the governor who had previously led the Huaixi mule army and earth immortals to attack Wang Xianzhi's troops and killed more than 2,000 people.

However, Huang Chao and Wang Xianzhi had no intention of causing trouble for Governor Zang, as Yingzhou City was generally considered easy to defend but difficult to attack. Governor Zang's soldiers were skilled, so there was no need to cause trouble.

Continuing eastward along the Huai River, there are many counties with weak defenses waiting to be wiped out by the rebel army.

That day, as soon as Zhu Wen got up, he heard shouting outside the tent.

"Boss, something bad has happened!" The little follower Huo Cun rushed into the tent in a panic.

He often addressed Zhu Wen as "boss" rather than "camp commander."

In fact, apart from the replacements after those who died in battle, most of Zhu Wen's camp were the Tongshan bandits who had followed Zhu Wen for two years. In this respect, Huo Cun was not much different from others.

Since Zhu Wen liked to abandon his village and travel around the world, they spent more time dealing with Zhu Wen's second brother Zhu Cun.

"What's the matter?" Zhu Wen said calmly, "It's just a small matter, but it's like a monkey with a burning butt."

"That Huaixi captive I captured, Ma Yin, has escaped!" Huo Cun said angrily. "He's a small soldier, and his family has no one to redeem him. I thought he was sincere when he agreed to join the gang."

Of course, what Ma Yin didn't tell Huo Cun and the others was that he was actually a captain in charge of ten cavalrymen, not just an ordinary soldier. This would make it easier for them to escape.

"Being a cavalryman always makes you feel that you have some future in the government army, even if you ride a mule." Zhu Wen didn't take it seriously at all.

But that "Ma Yin" was Huo Cun's first capture alive, and he actually ran away. It was understandable that Huo Cun was so excited.

Seeing that Zhu Wen didn't care, Huo Cun reluctantly changed the subject: "Boss, you're the chief strategist of the Salt Army now, so why are you still only a battalion commander? Shouldn't you be the captain of a thousand men?"

"Well said. The question is how do we conjure up those 500 men? Look, Senior Brother Meng Juehai and Junior Sister Duan Hongyan have been with Master for so many years, and they only have one battalion each, 500 men."

Huo Cun lowered his head and hesitated for a while.

Of course, he also knew that the new recruits lacked training and would not be of much use.

"Can't we transfer other ready-made camps to you, boss?" Huo Cun asked.

Zhu Wen placed his left palm on the table and tapped it gently with his index finger. "Xiao Huo, you should know that Master only has a core of over 2,000 soldiers, including Senior Brother Meng and Junior Sister Duan's two battalions."

"And our battalion is not elite enough to be included in it."

"Why is it so little?" Huo Cun asked in confusion.

"This is the difference between the rebel army and the government army," Zhu Wen explained. "The rebel army is a collection of heroes from all over the country who are dissatisfied with the imperial court and have joined us. It has grown like a snowball. Due to their long-term mobile warfare, they lack opportunities to break up and regroup. For example, my battalion is still composed of my former troops, and we haven't exchanged personnel with other battalions."

Huo Cun had read a bit about military tactics these days, and he understood everything immediately: "Boss, what you're saying is that although Marshal Huang has strict military discipline and rigorous training, due to a lack of integration, the rebel army is actually unable to fight a truly tough battle?"

"But if that's the case, how did General Huang previously kill Xue Chong, the governor of Tianping, and how did we defeat Song Wei and Qi Kerang in Songzhou?"

Zhu Wen smiled and said, "Qikerang's troops are insufficient, only 5,000 men. As for Song Wei's old soldiers, they have more problems than the righteous army."

"I'm not trying to destroy my own prestige. If we were facing the elite black armor cavalry and Guanxi garrison troops under Emperor Taizong Li Shimin when he founded the country, I'm afraid we would have been crushed to pieces long ago."

Huo Cun exclaimed "Ah!" He didn't expect the situation to be like this.

"Quality is more important than quantity," Zhu Wen said. "Wang Jian is only a captain, with only 150 men under his command, but his 150 men are more capable than our current battalion of 500. Before we expand the army, we should find some way to improve the individual combat effectiveness of our brothers in the battalion."

"Yes!" Huo Cun nodded and said, "I will strictly supervise their training and not let them slack off!"

"It's autumn now, the weather is getting cooler, and there are more enemy scouts. We are right at his doorstep, and the 'burial governor' of Yingzhou will definitely not be at peace. I will go out of the camp alone to investigate, and maybe I can catch a few tongues." Zhu Wen said to Huo Cun.

After saying this, he walked out of the tent, took his horse, and left the camp.

Huo Cun secretly complained, knowing that Zhu Wen was actually quite lazy and that most of the camp affairs were handled by his second brother Zhu Cun. His so-called reconnaissance trip was nothing more than a way to relax.

But he had no choice but to go to Zhu Cun to report the military affairs that had not yet been reported.

Compared to Songzhou, located in the heart of the Central Plains, Huaibei, though also part of Henan Province, boasts far more extensive waterways and lakes. Overall, it's still a viable area for cavalry operations, as the saying goes, "The terrain is well-connected, and the brave cavalry can gallop freely."

Born in Songzhou and raised in Xuzhou, Huaibei, Zhu Wen knew the difference very well.

Thanks to the humidity brought by the Huai River network and lakes, layers of dew often condense on the reeds in the early morning of autumn, just as the ancients said, "The reeds are lush and white dew turns to frost."

Zhu Wen hadn't read much since his grandfather passed away. But he still remembered quite a bit from the Book of Songs. "The rushes are sparse, the white dew has not yet dried. My beloved is by the water's edge."

He likes the word "Shui Mei" very much. It means water, bank, grass, and also the eyebrows of a lover. A curved eyebrow can touch people's hearts.

Clusters of reeds on the water's edge, in the sudden strong morning wind, lifted up their pink and white reed flowers with a hint of light purple, which fluttered loosely in the air with the wind, and then fell like raindrops.

It was the "reed catkins flying like snow" that even the sons of nobles in Chang'an often ran to the Central Plains to see.

Zhu Wen spread out his left palm, caught a reed flower, looked at it carefully, and felt a great peace in his heart.

But a shrill cry suddenly penetrated his ears, interrupting Zhu Wen's leisurely meditation.

The sound was very soft and faint, but that was only because Zhu Wen was very far away.

But he had good hearing and could vaguely make out what the other party was saying: "You call yourselves... the Zhenyi League... and commit murder and robbery..."

This kind of thing is impossible to avoid completely.

Zhu Wen didn't consider himself a saint like Kou Qianzhi, who would intervene in every injustice he encountered. Perhaps he had such a kind heart in his teens, but after several experiences where those he rescued showed no gratitude or even showed no gratitude, he was rarely willing to intervene in such matters.

But he still mounted his horse and galloped along the leaf-littered fields beside the creek, trying to find out what was going on.

According to Zhu Wen's experience, the boy who had called for help before was now dead. Because killing people is always a matter of thoroughness.

However, when Zhu Wen arrived, he found that it seemed to still be there.

He was a short boy with a handsome face. He was wearing a green cloth robe and a moon-white fu hat.

His face was slightly pale, but he still bravely spread his arms and protected the entire convoy behind him. On one side of the convoy were women, children, and a burly man over seven feet tall.

None of these people are as brave as the little boy.

Because the two braver men, who were as tall as iron towers, had been stabbed to death on the ground nearby, their faces falling to the ground, their blood coagulated into purple, and fused with the fallen leaves and soil.

"Of course, our Zhenyi Alliance is a reputable and upright sect." A sighing voice sounded: "When Alliance Leader Wang started his rebellion, he did so with the intention of leveling the land and mending the sky for the people."

"But I, Yan Jingming, have lost a lot of gold and silver gambling these days, and I'm almost at the point of having to pawn my pants."

"What's more, these brothers behind me really feel that the things they got after the last battle of Songzhou are not enough to cover their expenses." Yan Jingming said as he pointed at a group of ferocious-looking Cao army soldiers behind him.

"That's right! Brother Yan, eating meat and bringing your brothers along is the greatest virtue in the martial arts world!" A man behind him shouted back, "Brother Yan, those two martial artists just fought with you, and you killed them with just two slashes. How could you have continued to fight with such a fool for so long?"

"This androgynous nerd is so annoying!" Another man shouted, "If Chief Yan doesn't take action, we will chop him off on behalf of Big Brother!"

The young man blocking the caravan gritted his teeth, but his eyes remained firm. "You can't do this! You're killing people and robbing them. How can this be consistent with the code of conduct in the martial arts world? If this gets to Alliance Leader Wang's ears, he will definitely not tolerate it!"

Hearing this, a Cao army man burst into laughter.

"Little nerd, do you know who our big brother is?"

The young man dressed as a scholar said softly, "I don't know."

"But no matter who he is, he should at least be reasonable and follow the rules, right?"

As he spoke, his brows etched with extreme seriousness. It was obvious that he believed from the bottom of his heart that these principles should be applicable to everyone.

Zhu Wen hid behind a tall ginkgo tree and observed all this silently.

Of course he knew Yan Jingming's identity.

He also knew that Yan Jingming's accomplices would certainly claim that Yan Jingming was Wang Xianzhi's third disciple, ranking only below the two brothers Shang Junchang and Shang Rang.

Actually, there were some differences. Wang Xianzhi only had two inner disciples, Shang Junchang and Shang Rang, but he had a vast array of outer disciples. Yan Jingming was merely one of the more respected outer disciples.

As expected, the lackeys behind Yan Jingming shouted, "Our Big Brother Yan is the third disciple of Alliance Leader Wang Xianzhi, and is highly valued by the Alliance Leader! He wants gold, silver, money, and women, so why don't you ungrateful people offer them to him obediently?"

However, there was another person with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks, who looked like a dog-headed military advisor. Seeing that Yan Jingming had been entangled with this pretty boy for so long and still hadn't made a move, he immediately had a plan in mind. He leaned close to Yan Jingming's ear, twisted his fingers and said with a lewd smile: "Brother Yan, do you also like that tune? There is a saying - 'Three flat ones are not as good as one round one'..."

As he spoke, the Dog-Headed Military Advisor looked at the stubborn young man who dared to confront dozens of Grass Army soldiers armed with weapons alone. He felt that this boy looked nothing special at first glance, but when he looked closely, he saw that his facial features were delicate, his eyebrows were delicate, and he was indescribably attractive. Even he himself was a little attracted to him.

What the Dog-Headed Military Advisor said resonated deeply with Yan Jingming. But could he really say that he liked homosexuality? Wouldn't his brothers worry about his status? So Yan Jingming looked at the handsome young man, and although he liked him more and more, he also felt more and more embarrassed.

(End of this chapter)