A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 872 Trembling
Seeing the fatigued expressions of his subordinates, You Shiwei nodded in approval. They got up early this morning and hurried on their way. They walked for more than 100 miles, and they were quite tired, so they really should rest.Anyway, it is not far from Xuanfu town, so there is no need to rush for this moment.

He could see a shop not far away, surrounded by dense pergola, spreading along both sides of the road.Taking a closer look, there are still many small roads on both sides of the shop, spreading to the Tunpu village on both sides of the official road.At this time, the road was full of people walking, obviously going to eat and drink in those forts.

After entering Datong Town, You Shiwei already knew that the Jingbian army had set up key points of supply and canteens along the post stations.Marching army horses can eat and drink at these shops without having to light a fire to make food, saving worry and effort.

While being amazed, You Shiwei also felt astonished. The logistics support of the Jingbian Army could achieve this step, which was far beyond their reach.

They can't even imagine that there is such a way of guaranteeing supply in the world.

After entering Xuanfu Town, it seemed that this kind of protection was more intensive and effective, and even the surrounding Tunbao villages were mobilized.The dense villages here, the smooth roads, and the dense population also made them dumbfounded, as if they had entered another world at once, only in the legendary peaceful and prosperous age.

You Shiwei gave orders for a while, and they walked towards the shop. From a distance, they could see the air rising from all over the awning, as if accompanied by the smell of meat-wrapped pancakes. Not only were the officials and subordinates alone, but also You Shiwei. Shiwei felt his stomach growling and his mouth watered.

Suddenly, You Shiwei and the others looked shocked, and saw human heads hanging on the willow trees next to them, all grinning.

Some heads on it gave him a familiar feeling.

While looking at it, his cousin You Zhaiwen quietly poked his head over and said, "It's Yang Qi, the former general of Lanzhou, and the three heads next to him are his three sons. The heads hanging nearby are also his entourage. Personal guards."

You Shiwei sent people to inquire, and soon found out that Yang Qi had also received the call-up order from the General Conqueror, and he brought two hundred servants and three sons to join the battle.Unexpectedly, after entering Xuanfu Town, they saw the peace, prosperity and dense population in front of them, so they were moved by evil intentions.

Especially his three sons, even tried to bring some soldiers to a certain village to rob.

Unexpectedly, they were captured by the patrolling Jingbian army before they could make a move. Yang Qi intended to protect his son, and was ordered to be beheaded by the general Zhenglu.Both father and son were beheaded, and all the guards were killed, and then their heads were hung here for public display.

This all happened the day before yesterday, and they were marching with them that day as well as Gansu General Soldier Ma Jian, but they were relatively honest, so they were safe and sound.

Moreover, after Yang Qi's personal guards were killed, the remaining more than a hundred people were all controlled under Ma Yan's command.

A commander-in-chief killed as soon as he said he wanted to, and the behavior of Wang Dou, the general who conquered captives, made You Shiwei and others feel awe-inspiring.You Shiwei raised his eyes and saw some vigorous knights stationed not far from the road. All of them rode straight on their horses, their expressions were cold, tough and heroic, especially their high-spirited self-confidence, which made people unforgettable at first sight.

They have the same iron arms, the same iron helmets, and the same sturdy horses, with flint guns on their backs and thick-backed sabers pinned to their waists.You Shiwei knew that this kind of firearm could be fired without a match, and it was rare to see it in Yulin Fort, but there was one shot here, even the third-class army walking on the road.

Looking at the hemming of their armor, as well as the red velvet and pompoms on the shoulders, his younger brother You Shilu whispered: "He is a first-class soldier of the Xuanwu Army."

During the Battle Beyond the Great Wall, You Shilu was still the commander-in-chief of Ningxia, and of course paid a lot of attention to this fierce army that captured Guihua City.

You Shiwei gazed at them, looking at their sharp and majestic eyes under their iron helmets, he felt emotional in his heart, and he didn't know how these powerful soldiers Yongninghou were trained.

He said: "Pass down the order, strictly observe military discipline, do not harass the residents and the people, anyone who dares to violate the order, beheaded!"

At this time, a knight came running towards them. He was strong and skilled in horsemanship. You Shiwei saw that the knight was wearing a light waist armor and a small flag on an iron hat with the word "Ling" written on it. horse.

When I ran to the front, I saw that the pond horse was very young, about 20 years old, with a serious face.He first took out something from the bag on his body, unfolded it, looked at it, and looked at You Shiwei for a while, then immediately cupped his hands and said: "The front is the old general You Shiwei?"

You Shiwei said: "This old man is, who is this general?"

Natang Ma said: "The staff department's surname is Yang, so it's good for General You to call me Sergeant Yang. From today on, the staff department will arrange and communicate with General You and his party's basic necessities of life."

You Shiwei saw that there was a beautiful bronze medal pinned to the chest of this pond horse, on which was the coat of arms of the sun, moon and waves, with the words "Sergeant" written in the middle.

After hearing about the rank system of the Jingbian Army, as long as you have the rank of sergeant, no matter what kind of senior officer you meet, you can just bow but not kneel.Looking at this Tangma, although he is young, but his manner is neither humble nor overbearing, and his temperament is outstanding, he can't help feeling that there are so many talents under the Marquis of Yongning, even a small soldier can behave like this.

He said: "I'm sorry, Sergeant Yang. The party is just hungry and tired. I hope Sergeant Yang can arrange some good places for the class."

He turned his head, and a guard behind him quickly grabbed a silver ingot from the bag, about ten taels, You Shiwei took it and said: "I don't know how much it will cost to eat and rest, can you pay the silver taels? I hope Sergeant Yang will take it together." inform."

As he spoke, he handed over the money in his hand.

When the Ming army went to battle, except for a small amount of food and grass supplied by the imperial court, most of it was supplied by the local government.However, the transportation of grain and grass is inconvenient, so the army may purchase money along the way.Or local supplies along the way, and then these local officials ask the army where they are.

It's just that it's very difficult to ask for it afterwards, and many local officials are unwilling to provide food, so it's best to issue the money before leaving and let the generals buy the food themselves.It's just that the imperial court often owes salaries, and often fails to pay out the money, which has caused many problems.

Or there will be many famines, and money can't buy food and grass, just like Lu Xiangsheng back then.

You Shiwei and his entourage went to battle together. Before leaving, every general and officer pooled a sum of money as expenses. They entered from Yulin Weidong. The past two years in Shanxi have been much easier, so as long as they have money, they don’t have to worry about buying it. less than food.

After entering Datong Town, they entered the marching supply line of the Jingbian Army, and there were post shops along the way. They didn't need money for food and water.Last night, I had an unforgettable dinner, and many people were full.

It's just that after entering Xuanfu Town, I don't know if the rules will be different, especially I heard that silver coins are used here, and I don't know if the silver I brought can be used.Moreover, the silver taels they brought with them were not much, if the food was expensive, they should eat less.

That Tang Ma pushed back the money handed over by You Shiwei, and said: "Oh, the Ministry of Staff cannot collect money, this is not allowed by the military discipline. General You don't have to worry, this time the troops and horses from other places will go to battle, and all the food and grass will be provided by me." The frontier army supplies, and there is no money for eating, resting and drinking water.”

He said: "However, it is true that silver cannot be used in Xuanfu Town. If General You wants to buy some goods, the staff department can contact the bank on his behalf and exchange some silver dollars."

Looking at the silver that was pushed back, You Shiwei was a little surprised. Looking at Tang Ma's young and serious face, he suddenly understood why the Jingbian army was invincible.

Not only him, but the generals and servants behind him all showed incredulous expressions. If it was them, they would have received the money early.Sure enough, the Jingbian army has a way, even the sergeants in the army can resist the temptation of this kind of money.

……

Sergeant Ma Yang of Natang led You Shiwei and his party to a fortress. The station shop can be used as a resting place for the sergeants along the way. Drink some water and eat some hot steamed buns to replenish energy, but you must eat enough is impossible.

Sure enough, no amount of steamed buns or flatbreads would be enough, so we had to go to a special canteen to eat.

The Tunpu led by Sergeant Tang Mayang was called Xiajiagoubao, about three or four miles away from the shop, and the canteen was set up on the grain drying field over there.

What I saw along the way, chickens and dogs heard each other, and I saw Tunpu villages densely packed, which is a peaceful and peaceful place.

You Shiwei noticed that this kind of country road is also flat and wide, and two carriages can run side by side.

He also noticed that there were people coming and going on the road, and they were not afraid of the arrival of their officers and soldiers. They all held small flags of the sun and the moon in their hands. When he passed by, they would smile and wave the flags, especially many children, holding the flags in their hands, cheering Shouting, bouncing and following.

The harmony between the army and the people made You Shiwei deeply moved. If it were placed elsewhere, as long as the officers and soldiers passed by, the residents would retreat at least ten miles.

Sergeant Tang Ma Yang was obviously used to this, he just reminded everyone to be careful not to step on the wheat seedlings on the side of the road.

This made You Shiwei notice that the roadside crops are growing well, and it is obvious that there will be a bumper harvest soon. The reason for this seems to be the complete water conservancy everywhere.You Shiwei saw many irrigation wells and pools along the way, and it is unimaginable to put them in Yulin and other places, because there is no such financial resources and no such organizational strength.

Soon, everyone arrived at the grain drying ground of Xiajiagoubao. There was a burst of firecrackers, and they saw that the residents of the castle had already welcomed them here. Spread one by one.

Every table and bench was wiped clean, and the table was full of bowls and chopsticks.

During the greeting from the Baomin, You Shiwei and the others sat down at a loss, and then the sumptuous dishes came up like flowing water, big buckets of noodles, big baskets of steamed buns, large plates of pork, large plates of mutton, large plates of Vegetables, a large plate of chowder.

Every table is like this, at least five dishes and one soup, a large portion, and oily, each dish has a lot of oil and water in it, enough to replenish physical strength and enhance physical fitness.

Not only that, the horses of each member of the Yulin Army were also taken and taken care of by the Fort people, and they only ate and drank.

Seeing the table full of food, You Shiwei and others stared dumbfounded. They wanted to make a move, but hesitated.

A fat woman came up with food, she smiled and said: "Eat, children. Only when you are full can you kill thieves for the country."

She put a full plate of haggis on You Shiwei's table, glanced at You Shiwei, and said with a smile: "Old general, I see that you are also very hungry, eat quickly."

You Shiwei hurriedly stood up, and the generals at the table with him, such as his younger brother You Shilu, his cousin You Zhaiwen, his elder brother You Shigong, former Yansui general Li Changling, former general general Wang Shiqin, Wang Shiguo, Hou Shilu and others also stood up together.

You Shiwei solemnly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Mrs., and all the neighbors for their hospitality...you...you...you..."

His tiger eyes suddenly turned red, never before had the people welcomed them so sincerely, which made him choke up, and he said, "Thank you..."

There was a sound of chewing on the grain drying ground, and everyone was sweating after eating, especially the soldiers, even if they were suffering from hunger and cold all the year round, they had never eaten such good food even during festivals in previous years. .

Around You Shiwei was also devouring, and the generals, lieutenants and generals had no image at all. The sumptuous lunch made them almost have no time to chat, and everyone just ate like wolves.

You Shiwei grabbed a steamed bun and filled a bowl of chowder soup. He took a sip and nodded with satisfaction: "The oil and water are thick enough, and the taste is not bad."

He ate and drank happily, but he was a little worried, fearing that the residents of the fort might not be able to bear this kind of hospitality, and would they wipe out all their grain and rice?He saw Sergeant Yang sitting next to him, and he seemed to eat more politely, so he expressed the worry in his heart.

Shangshi Yang said: "General You don't have to worry, the food, rice and meat supplied by each fort, I have cash to pay the bills. Even if the people in each fort donate money and goods, they will be converted into bonds. The more they donate, the more money they donate. The more you have, the more you will gain in the future.”

You Shiwei said, "Oh."

He seemed to understand half-understood, but he was relieved a lot, and at the same time felt that the Marquis of Yongning had strong financial resources.

……

After having a sumptuous lunch that the Yulin Army could not have imagined, the next arrangement of Sergeant Yang was to let them bathe and change clothes. A huge bathhouse remodeled from a house was full of scalding hot water, so that You Shiwei and others The exhaustion and dust all over the body were washed away, and all of them were radiant.

Then I took them to a place that seemed to be a warehouse. After pushing them away, a pair of sophisticated armors dazzled the eyes. The eight-petal helmet, stamped breastplate, and the shining metal light on it dazzled You Shiwei and others. human eye.

You Shiwei said incredulously, "These... are for the old man?"

Sergeant Ma Yang of Natang said: "Yes, the two thousand sets of armor here are specially arranged by the General for General You and others."

He said: "However, due to the lack of armor of the first and second armies, we have to prepare these armors of the third and third armies. I hope old general You will not mind."

You Shiwei stroked the armor and murmured: "I don't mind, I don't mind... It's already very good, this ceremony is too heavy..."

Looking at the generals around him, they also looked at these armors greedily. Many people tremblingly stroked them. You Shiwei heard his younger brother You Shilu say: "Tsk tsk, look at these armors. They are almost the same thickness, and they are all fine." Made of iron...Look, the sun and moon patterns are all carved exactly the same, the craftsmen here are too powerful."

His cousin You Zhaiwen said: "Yeah, I don't know how this pattern was carved. Just look at the craftsman's craftsmanship. It's really exquisite. Put it in our place. It takes a month to make a pair of armor like this. Here is the second one." Qianfu... and what I saw on the road, could it be that there are hundreds of thousands of craftsmen in Xuanfu Town?"

You Shiwei picked up a pair of armor and tapped it. It was full of thick metal texture, especially the dense pattern on it, which was almost the same. I really don't know how Xuanfu Town was built.

He felt that there should not be hundreds of thousands of craftsmen in Xuanfu Town, and even if there were hundreds of thousands, it would be impossible for these armors to be made almost exactly the same.

You Shiwei sighed in his heart, the more he knew about this place, the more he felt that this place was full of mysteries.

……

The completely new Yulin army set off again. In the afternoon, they arrived not far from the town, and they were stunned by everything in front of them.

Countless sun and moon waves flags were flying, and the open areas on both sides of the road were crowded with people, and then the blackness spread endlessly to the rear.There were raised arms and excited smiling faces all over the place. From time to time, waves of overwhelming shouts and tsunami were set off from the crowd, and then a sea of ​​flags fluttered.

"This……"

You Shiwei and the others couldn't express their feelings in words, and couldn't describe what they saw in words. They sat on the horse blankly, not knowing what to say.

Sergeant Ma Yang of Natang showed a satisfied and happy smile on his face. He turned his head and reminded You Shiwei to rush to the camp as soon as possible, and then went into the city with all the officers and generals to meet the general.

It seems that the general attaches great importance to General You and others, and may ask him some strategies and tactics for this battle against the thieves.

You Shiwei and the others responded in a hurry. They led the army to pass through the official road. There were seas of flags flying on both sides, dark crowds of people, and the same boiling crowd ahead.The oncoming heat waves seemed to make every pore tremble and tremble.

(End of this chapter)