Chapter 108: Joint Suppression of Bandits

Du Qingtang put away his musket amidst the astonished and doubtful gazes of the crowd. There was no trace of gentleness in his black and white eyes, and his brows were filled with coldness.

"The fighting at Loushan Pass has subsided, and I've come here to take up my post. Unexpectedly, upon entering Shaoqing Prefecture, I was robbed by bandits."

Du Qingtang glanced at the trembling, pale-faced Xiong Dadang, and said, "They said they want me to be the wife of this man."

The bandits blocking the road: “???”

No, what are you talking about?

Weren't you the one who brought up the topic of the chief wife?

We knelt down and begged for mercy, but you pointed your muskets at us and forced us to "capture" you and take you up the mountain to be your wife.

The bandit felt an inexplicable heaviness on his back and turned his head to see—

Oh, it turned out to be a big pot.

Bandit: “…”

Du Qingtang was unaware of the bandits' inner complaints and replied calmly, "I'm unhappy, so I sent troops to raid the Black Bear Village."

Previously, the people had only guessed, but now that it was confirmed from the person involved, there was an uproar.

"She actually destroyed the Black Bear Village!"

"Isn't she afraid of retaliation?"

"No, why is the new prefect a woman?"

The crowd suddenly fell silent.

Thousands of eyes focused on Du Qingtang, filled with shock.

"Could it be that she's not the new prefect?"

"But she just called herself this official."

"Has the imperial court lost its mind? They actually sent a woman here!"

The people were shocked and angry.

Does this mean that the imperial court has completely given up on Shaoqing Prefecture?

No, the imperial court had abandoned Shaoqing Prefecture many years ago, otherwise it would not have allowed them to live in dire straits.

The four giants in the government office were feeling extremely complicated at this moment.

They wanted to give Du Qingtang a warning, but they didn't expect that it would implicate the Black Bear Village.

The Black Bear Village was quite large, and the tributes given to them were also very generous, at least two thousand taels per year, with no upper limit.

Now that Big Bear has been arrested and Second Bear is dead on the street, it means that there will be less filial piety in the future.

Besides feeling distressed, he also felt a little wary of Du Qingtang.

This is a tough guy.

I've seen blood and killed people.

She is completely different from the women they have always imagined.

Zhou Tongzhi clenched his fists, a fierce look flashing in his eyes.

This woman must die!

He had a premonition that if he left it alone, there would be serious consequences.

Zhou Tongzhi's mind was in turmoil, but he looked respectful as he stepped forward and bowed, "Your humble servant Zhou Wei greets you, Your Excellency."

The remaining three people seemed to have just woken up from a dream, and stepped forward timidly to greet and introduce themselves.

Du Qingtang returned the greeting and took out the appointment document: "I am the prefect of Shaoqing Prefecture appointed by His Majesty himself. Du Qingtang, I look forward to your guidance over the next three years."

The four giants stared at the appointment documents, trying to find even the slightest trace of forgery.

Unfortunately, they failed.

The appointment document was printed with the hidden pattern of the word "Xia", and there was also the seal of the Minister of Personnel at the end of the document.

This person is undoubtedly the newly appointed prefect of Shaoqing Prefecture.

The four giants were extremely disappointed and bowed again: "Your humble servants pay their respects to the prefect."

Hearing this name, the half-believing and half-doubting people cried out in surprise.

"What can a woman do?"

"It's over! Shaoqing Prefecture is completely finished!"

The stray dogs on the roadside were also barking, venting their dissatisfaction.

Du Qingtang turned a deaf ear and used his height advantage to look behind the four giants.

Standing at the door, you can see the whole scene inside the government office.

Du Qingtang saw the dancers and musicians, and raised his eyebrows slightly, saying, "The four adults really know how to enjoy themselves."

The four giants followed Du Qingtang's gaze and their expressions changed slightly.

Oh no!

I was so focused on walking out that I forgot to ask these people to leave.

"My lord, this official..."

Of course, they were not afraid of Du Qingtang, but they were wary of the musket in her hand.

If she gets angry and hits them a few times, they won't even have a chance to dodge.

Fortunately, Du Qingtang did not pursue the matter. Before Zhou Tongzhi could finish, he pointed at the bandits behind him and said, "Put them in jail first, and execute them at 9:00 PM tomorrow."

Fang Tongzhi was stunned: "Execution?"

Du Qingtang did not answer but asked: "Such a heinous person, if he is not executed, will he be kept alive for the New Year?"

Fang Tongzhi's throat choked: "...Your Excellency is absolutely right. He deserves to be executed."

What a pity, I will have to pay two thousand taels less as a tribute every year from now on.

Zhou Tongzhi felt the same way, but it was not appropriate to anger Du Qingtang at this time, so he suppressed his displeasure and called ten yamen runners: "Take the man to jail."

The bailiff looked at the thick-waisted and muscular bandit with some fear and agreed reluctantly.

Du Qingtang ordered: "Lü Ping, take your men and go with them."

He then looked at Zhou Tongzhi and said, "The bandits are fierce and I'm worried they might escape midway. Is that okay with you, Lord Zhou?"

Who knows if they will take the opportunity to let the person go.

Du Qingtang took great pains to arrange that drama to prevent the bandits from escaping and returning to their lair.

What opinions could Zhou Tongzhi have?

The firearms soldiers stared at him hungrily, as if if he dared to say "no", the muskets in their hands would be put to his head.

He understands that a man who knows the times is a hero.

The bandits didn't want to die, but were afraid of muskets, so they could only allow the yamen runners to push them impatiently, and the group went to the government prison in a large group.

Du Qingtang brushed off the non-existent dust on his clothes and walked into the government office.

The four giants exchanged glances and hurried to catch up.

The people looked at the tall and thin back of the new magistrate and shook their heads.

"I was just daydreaming. Shaoqing Mansion will only get worse and worse."

"That's it. Once it gets bad enough, it'll be over for everyone!"

Disappointment and anger alternately appeared on their faces. They cursed a few local swear words at the dilapidated government office and left angrily.

The common people scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only the firearms soldiers holding muskets, standing solemnly. On the other side, in the government office, Du Qingtang stood in the lobby, passing by the dancers and musicians kneeling on the ground, and looked at the surrounding furnishings.

Under the plaque with a bright mirror hanging high, the long desk was covered with a thick layer of dust, and the original color of the tabletop could no longer be seen.

The killing sticks were piled in the corner, also dusty and covered with thick spider webs.

Everything indicated that the government office had not held a trial for a long time.

Yes, there are not even soldiers to guard the city, and the local officials are no different from good-for-nothings who only know how to eat, drink and enjoy themselves. How could they care about the suffering of the people?

Looking to the right, there are four tables with wine and meat on them, with all kinds of delicious food.

This place doesn't seem like a government court, but more like someone's backyard.

The four giants secretly looked at Du Qingtang's face, and seeing her cold expression, they felt a little unsure.

Just as he was racking his brains for an excuse, he heard Du Qingtang ask, "I suddenly remembered that the Black Bear Village bandits saw you earlier and seemed to be asking for your help."

The eyelids of the Big Four twitched.

"Could you please tell me why they came to you for help? Is there something shameful going on between you?"

The four giants felt their scalps tingle, and they wished they could turn back time, snatch the muskets from the bandits before they could make a sound, and kill them all.

Wu Tongpan suddenly had an idea: "Your Excellency, be wise! They are desperate and desperate, thinking that I will let them go. Little do they know that I hate them to the core and wish to devour their flesh and drink their blood. How could I let them go?"

Du Qingtang didn't say whether he believed it or not, he just asked, "Really?"

Judge Xue recalled the miserable plight of Xiong Erdangjia, swallowed his saliva, and explained to his colleague: "It's absolutely true! Your Excellency doesn't know that once this man is forced into a desperate situation, he likes to make connections everywhere."

Du Qingtang stared at Judge Xue Tong's face, staring until he broke out in a cold sweat. Then he spoke slowly and calmly, "That's good. I have always been very strict with myself and I hate collusion between officials and bandits."

"I hope the four gentlemen will keep themselves clean and be vigilant at all times, and not follow the footsteps of the previous prefect of Runing Prefecture."

The four giants knew the former prefect of Runing Prefecture, Feng Shu.

The corruption case committed by Feng Shu and his father-in-law shocked the whole country, and even they had heard of it.

It is said that Feng Shu colluded with bandits to kill the imperial envoy in order to destroy the evidence.

At that time, they were still laughing at Feng Shu, suspecting that Feng Shu mistook Runing Prefecture for Shaoqing Prefecture and thought he could do whatever he wanted.

Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, the four giants responded with: "Yes, your Excellency's instructions will be followed.

Du Qingtang added, "Since Lord Wu hates the bandits so deeply, you will be the one to oversee their execution tomorrow."

Wu Tongpan really wanted to slap himself: "...Yes."

After Du Qingtang finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the dancers and musicians who were kneeling tremblingly.

"Before I arrived, were you four enjoying wine and music?" Du Qingtang lifted the chin of one of the dancers. The dancer closed her eyes and trembled like a frightened bird. "You four are truly blessed to have such a beauty."

The dancer trembled all over, and her eyes opened a little as if by magic. When she saw Du Qingtang's appearance clearly, her face suddenly turned red.

Du Qingtang: “…”

The Big Four: "......"

Du Qingtang withdrew his hand, walked towards the table filled with wine and food, lifted the corner of his robe and sat down slowly.

"The last time I drank and enjoyed music was at the palace banquet on New Year's Eve. It's been several months, and I miss it so much." Du Qingtang took a clean wine glass and poured himself a glass. "This opportunity is rare, so I must enjoy it today."

The dancers and musicians subconsciously looked at Zhou Tongzhi.

Zhou Tongzhi gave a wink, and soon the sound of stringed instruments rang out, and the dancers began to dance gracefully.

The four giants stood there like wooden blocks, not knowing what to do, the embarrassment on their faces almost solidified.

Du Qingtang rested his elbows on his legs and waved at them: "Why are you four standing there? Come and enjoy the song and dance with me."

The Big Four: "......"

Zhou Tongzhi opened his mouth, swallowed his refusal, and took the lead to step forward.

From the time they met until now, they have always been at a disadvantage, but that doesn't mean he is really afraid of Du Qingtang.

Even a strong dragon is afraid of a local snake, and the firearms army cannot stay in Shaoqing Prefecture forever.

When the other three saw Zhou Tongzhi passing by, they looked at each other and walked over slowly.

However, Du Qingtang occupied a long table, and Fang Tongzhi could only stand beside him helplessly.

Du Qingtang had no intention of being polite. His eyes fell on the dancer and he treated Fang Tongzhi as air.

Fang Tongzhi: “…”

The sound of stringed instruments in the lobby was pleasant and the dancing was graceful, but the atmosphere was extremely cold.

The two assistant judges were feeling very uneasy and drank their wine absentmindedly.

Judge Fang Tong was a fat man. He felt very tired after standing for a long time. His face gradually turned red and his nostrils flared as he breathed heavily.

Du Qingtang turned a blind eye and was very content.

She didn't ask them to stop, so the dancers and musicians could only keep dancing and playing.

A commoner passing by the government office noticed the commotion in the lobby and fearlessly leaned half of his body in, whistling at Fang Tongzhi, his intention of gloating too obvious.

Fang Tongzhi: “…”

Untouchables! Untouchables!

When the yamen runners stepped forward to drive them away, the people turned and ran, shouting, "The dog magistrate is being punished! The dog magistrate is being punished!"

The eyes of the people who were squatting at the foot of the wall, doing nothing and basking in the sun, suddenly lit up and they ran towards the government office.

For a moment, the entrance to the government office was crowded with people watching the fun, laughing and pointing.

"It's what the dog comrade deserves!"

"What a joy!" A woman clapped her hands and threw stones at Fang Tongzhi.

Fang Tongzhi was caught off guard and was hit directly, screaming in pain.

"Catch them for me!"

Fang Tongzhi was so angry that he jumped up and down, but the law did not allow for the punishment of the masses. When the people saw the yamen runner draw out his sword in an unfamiliar manner, they immediately dispersed.

"The dog knows he's getting anxious!"

"Good job smashing it, I'll smash it again next time!"

Fang Tongzhi almost fainted from anger, leaning against the wall and gasping for breath.

Looking at the other three, they were so embarrassed that they almost buried their heads under the table, not caring about Fang Tongzhi at all.

Du Qingtang: “…”

Half an hour passed in a flash.

Du Qingtang had just finished drinking half a pot of wine when he heard a scream and a dancer slipped and fell onto her companion.

In the blink of an eye, ten dancers rolled into a ball.

"Sir, spare my life!"

The dancer knelt down and begged for mercy, her voice trembling with tears.

Du Qingtang had no intention of making things difficult for them, so he waved his hand and said, "Back off."

"Thank you, sir."

The dancers and musicians retreated as if they had been pardoned.

The hall suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

"Thank you all for your hospitality." Du Qingtang put down his wine glass, stood up, and straightened his clothes. "Before coming to Shaoqing Prefecture, everyone told me that Shaoqing Prefecture was plagued by banditry and the people were suffering terribly."

The Big Four were filled with alarm.

Du Qingtang turned around and said, "Seeing is believing. They even dared to kidnap an official appointed by the imperial court. The bandits in Shaoqing Prefecture are truly audacious."

"It is better to do it now than to wait for a day. I have sent a message to Loushan Pass, asking them to send troops to assist the Shaoqing Prefecture troops in suppressing the bandits."

The four giants were startled. Suppress the bandits?!

Are these repeated displays of power just to force them to agree to suppress the bandits?

Zhou Tongzhi secretly resented Du Qingtang, and his murderous intent towards him grew stronger, but he concealed it very well, speaking only a little faster: "My Lord, why mobilize such a large army? There is no need to bother sending troops from Loushan Pass. Shaoqing Prefecture has 40,000 soldiers, more than enough to deal with those bandits."

Fang Tongzhi suppressed the numbness in his legs and nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, Loushan Pass is a military fortress. How can we arbitrarily deploy troops? If His Majesty finds out, the crime will be even greater."

The soldiers of Shaoqing Prefecture were a bunch of idlers waiting to die. Asking them to suppress bandits was just a matter of going up the mountain and making it look like they had been defeated, and the suppression of bandits would be left unresolved.

But if they request external aid, with the bravery and fighting ability of the soldiers at Loushan Pass, the bandit camp in Shaoqing Prefecture can be completely wiped out within a month.

Without the bandit camp, they would have no filial piety.

This won’t do!

Judge Xue rolled his eyes and sank to his knees. "I am guilty. I shouldn't have been drinking and having fun while on duty. Please punish me, sir!"

The other three exchanged glances quickly, reached a consensus, and knelt down at Du Qingtang's feet like dumplings.

"My lord, forgive me."

"I will never dare to do that again."

"Please punish me, sir!"

First try to change the subject, and then use the tactic of "dragging". During this period, try to drag Du Qingtang into the crime, or kill him directly, and the crisis will be resolved.

In the past, they had dealt with officials who came to Shaoqing Prefecture with great ambitions to suppress bandits in the same way.

It was all because they were caught off guard by Du Qingtang before, and they were a little confused, allowing a woman to take the initiative.

Du Qingtang looked at them coldly as they kowtowed like crazy: "You are just sitting there doing nothing but eating and drinking. You are abandoning your post without permission. You deserve to be punished."

The Big Four paused.

"I will punish you by making you perform meritorious service while serving your sentence. When the troops from Loushan Pass arrive, you will be responsible for leading the government troops to suppress the bandits."

The Big Four: “???”

The Big Four: “!!!”

After going around in circles, how did we get back to the original topic?

Zhou Tongzhi choked and spoke with difficulty: "Sir, I am a civilian official. I am weak and powerless. How can I lead the troops to suppress the bandits?"

Du Qingtang didn't take it seriously: "I am also a civilian official. Leading troops in battle is a matter of practice. I will learn it naturally after repeated practice."

The Big Four: "......"

What does it mean that the first time is unfamiliar, the second time is familiar?

If you don't do a good job suppressing the bandits, you may lose your life!

Zhou Tongzhi had always been as cunning as a fox, playing with every prefect at his fingertips, but he had never been so passive before. He was so angry that his head was buzzing: "Sir..."

Du Qingtang interrupted Zhou Tongzhi, not giving him a chance to argue: "Okay, it's settled."

The four giants said in unison: "My lord!"

Du Qingtang's ears hurt from their noise, and his eyes glared: "If you dare to talk too much again, you will end up like Xiong Er."

Thinking of the scene where Xiong Erdang’s head exploded, the four of them shuddered and could not utter a word.

Du Qingtang walked out, not forgetting to order: "Have someone clean the government office inside and out, all four of you together."

The Big Four: "......"

Du Qingtang walked out of the government office, and Deputy Commander Lu came to meet him: "Commander, the man has been locked up."

"Thank you for your hard work." Du Qingtang pointed to the dozens of boxes of silver he had found in Black Bear Village. "Take half of these back with you."

Deputy Commander Lu quickly shook his head: "How can this be possible? Our Firearms Battalion has no shortage of food and money."

As he walked along, he could see that Shaoqing Prefecture was extremely poor, the people were barely clothed, and everything was in chaos. It was truly a mess, with a lot of work in need of reconstruction.

If you want to make corrections, you'll need a lot of money.

There are at least hundreds of thousands of taels in the box, enough to last for a while.

Du Qingtang shook his head: "Shaoqing Prefecture has no money now, but there will be money after the bandits are suppressed."

The government has no money, but the officials have money, and the wealthy families and bandits also have money. She is not worried at all that Shaoqing Prefecture has no money.

"You accompanying me on this trip is already an extra task, so consider it a reward for you. Whether it's improving your food or distributing your military pay, it's fine."

Deputy Commander Lu hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed: "Thank you very much, Commander."

He planned to take out a part of it to give the boys double their military pay this month, and use the rest on researching and making firearms.

Afterwards, Deputy Commander Lu and his 1,500 firearms troops clasped their fists and saluted, "I will now take my leave. Take care, Commander."

The Firearms Army said in unison: "Take care, Commander!"

Du Qingtang smiled and waved his hand: "Go ahead."

......

The Firearms Army marched away, but the four giants were still unable to look away.

They had just watched the whole process and had never felt so clearly the faith that these firearms soldiers, who were said to be able to defeat a hundred enemies on the battlefield, had in Du Qingtang.

Can you really achieve this by just commanding from the rear?

The four of them looked at each other, their expressions all looking ugly.

Zhou Tongzhi gritted his teeth and said, "Send someone to Loushan Pass to investigate. I want to know what she did."

They underestimated the enemy from the very beginning.

It is true that Du Qingtang is a woman, but she is cold, cruel, and strong, and is definitely not a soft persimmon that can be bullied by anyone.

They should have investigated it in advance instead of letting Black Bear Village act rashly.

Fang Tongzhi's expression was equally solemn: "If the first way doesn't work, then the only option is the second one."

It is better to eliminate the root of the problem as soon as possible to avoid disaster.

Judge Xue, still thinking about the bandit's tribute, asked unwillingly, "What about suppressing the bandits? Are we just going to let her do whatever she wants? Should we tip them off in advance?"

"She's already sent people to Loushan Pass. We can't stop her even if we want to," Fang Tongzhi said angrily. "Besides, do you think she doesn't know that the Black Bear Village incident was instigated by us? There's no way she could have leaked the information."

Otherwise, Du Qingtang would not have disciplined them one after another.

Judge Wu leaned against the door, his eyes blank.

He lost all his filial respect and was even bullied by a woman. He didn't want to say a word now.

......

The yamen runners cleaned the government office from top to bottom. Du Qingtang had the silver delivered to the warehouse and registered, and then he and his guards moved into the third hall, which was specially used for the magistrate's office and living.

After settling down, Du Qingtang took out the results of Du Liuwu's investigation on the bandit camp yesterday and opened it to read.

There were hundreds of bandit camps of all sizes in Shaoqing Prefecture. They were vicious and cunning, and their crimes were too numerous to list.

Du Qingtang had just arrived and was alone, so in order to win quickly, she had to seek external help.

While looking through the documents, he called Du Yi over and said, "Go check the four families of Zhao, Qian, Sun and Li, and the Tongzhi and Tongpan must also investigate thoroughly."

You can't just grab a sheep and plunder it, and you can't let corrupt officials and powerful people go either.

Du Yi took the order and left.

After reading the information about the big and small bandit camps, Du Qingtang has already developed a relatively complete plan to suppress the bandits. When someone from Loushan Pass arrives tomorrow, the two sides will have a detailed discussion.

It was still early, so Du Qingtang took out pen and ink and made a rectification plan.

It is a huge project to get Shaoqing Prefecture rid of its bad reputation.

Du Qingtang worked at his desk until late at night.

-

The next day, at the beginning of the Chen hour.

Wu Tongpan had a gloomy face and stood outside the government prison with his hands behind his back, watching the bandits hugging the prison door and howling like ghosts.

"I don't want to die, don't touch me."

"I want to see Lord Zhou, Lord Fang, Lord Xue, and Lord Wu!"

"A bunch of cowards, actually afraid of a woman!"

The bailiffs cursed and dragged the bandits all the way to the prison van.

The streets were crowded with people who had heard the news.

Both men and women carried bamboo baskets on their arms, filled with stones that were so heavy that they bent their backs.

They grabbed a handful of stones and threw them at the bandits.

The speed was so fast that the right hand almost left an afterimage.

"God has eyes. When you killed my son with a knife, you should have thought of this day."

"You stole my money, now you have to pay me back with your life."

"I have no grudge against the Black Bear Village, but none of the bandits are good people, they deserve to be beaten!"

The bandit couldn't dodge and was hit with blood all over his face.

They wanted to curse, but they didn't dare open their mouths, for fear that if they opened their mouths, people would throw stones at them.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Wu Tongpan was hit several times with stones, and a big bump appeared on the back of his head. The pain made his eyes black and he kept cursing the people.

The parade ended and the bandits arrived at the execution ground.

The bailiffs ignored the bandits' struggles and pressed them to the execution ground. About a hundred people knelt in five rows.

The execution ground had been abandoned for a long time and was overgrown with weeds. The executioner was hired temporarily. His machete was brand new and shiny, reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.

At the hour of Si, Judge Wu drew a fire stick from the stick tube and threw it out with force.

"Execution—"

The executioner took off the death card, ordered the prisoner to lower his head, and raised the ghost-head knife in his hand.

The boss, Xiong Da, refused to bow his head. He stiffened his neck and shouted, "Mr. Wu, I am tomorrow's you. If I die, you won't live long!"

After saying that, he laughed out loud, turned around, and bumped into the ghost-head knife.

Blood splattered and he died on the spot.

The executioner changed his position, raised his knife and chopped off the head of another bandit.

Because he was not very skilled, he failed to separate the body with one stroke of the knife.

The bandits screamed.

The executioner was stunned for a moment, then struck again with the knife.

When the people watching the execution saw this, they not only did not find it bloody, but they danced with joy.

"That's how it should be cut. Killing them with one blow is too easy for them!"

"The new female governor did a good thing."

"Who knows how long she can hold out? Maybe in a few days she'll be like the dog magistrates and dog judges, eating my flesh and drinking my blood."

"But over the years, she's the only one who's successfully eliminated the bandits."

The crowd suddenly fell silent.

They can't help but wonder, can I trust her?

Once upon a time, they thought someone could make Shaoqing Prefecture a better place, with no more banditry, no more refugees everywhere, and no more deaths every day.

But in the end, nothing happened every time.

Those people either died or turned bad.

They rot and stink along with the city.

"Rather than trusting these officials, it is better to believe that I can become a Buddha right here and now."

"Let's go and get to work."

In order to see the bandits being beheaded with their own eyes, they came all the way from home, and there were a lot of things waiting for them.

Instead of fantasizing about unrealistic things, it is better to do more and earn more money.

It is better to live a miserable life than to die. They take root in the dark mud and grow tenaciously.

On the execution stand, Judge Wu repeatedly saw the bloody scene of the bandit's neck being chopped off, with only a layer of skin connecting it, and the curse of the leader Xiong Da before his death echoed in his ears.

No matter which one, it made him feel cold all over.

Seeing him sitting on the stage in a daze, the yamen runner kindly reminded him, "Sir, the people have been chopped off, you can leave now."

Judge Wu came back to his senses and said slowly, "Oh."

When I returned to the government office, before I even entered the door, I heard a loud and unrestrained laughter like thunder.

"We received a message from Commander Du yesterday, and the brothers all rushed to come over. In the end, there was a fight, and General Pei won."

"But last night, news came that a small nation was invading the five southwestern cities, and General Pei led his troops there overnight."

Judge Wu paused and when he entered the room he saw Du Qingtang chatting and laughing with a dark-faced man.

Looking down, I saw that the black-faced man's arms were almost as thick as his thighs, and his body was even stronger than a brown bear.

If the other party punches him, he will die, right?

Du Qingtang poured tea for General Feng and said, "There are numerous bandit camps in Shaoqing Prefecture, numbering three or four hundred. With only forty thousand troops, it's hard to say how long it will take to put an end to them. So, I'm asking for help from Loushan Pass."

General Feng waved his hands repeatedly: "Compared to Commander Du's great help at Loushan Pass, this is nothing."

Du Qingtang smiled but said nothing.

General Feng added, "Originally, the general only allowed me to bring 20,000 troops, but I wanted to fight quickly to avoid any further complications. So, I kept asking for another 20,000 troops."

Du Qingtang stood up and bowed: "I cannot repay your kindness. Please accept my respect."

General Feng was shocked and quickly dodged: "Look at what you said, we all came here voluntarily. We're just resting in the barracks anyway, why not come out and play? After all, it's actual combat!"

Du Qingtang put his hand down and exchanged a few more pleasantries with General Feng. After he finished his tea, he suggested, "There's no time to lose. We can set off later."

General Feng had no objection. He looked around, but didn't see any man in armor. He frowned and asked, "Where is the garrison commander of Shaoqing Prefecture?"

Du Qingtang was silent for a moment, then spoke frankly, "It is said that he died at the hands of refugees two months ago. After reporting to the court, no news has been received yet."

General Feng: “…”

After a brief silence, General Feng wiped his face and said, "How about this? The government troops and the people from Loushan Pass will be divided into eight groups, each led by my men."

Before coming to Shaoqing Prefecture, he was worried that there was no one available here, so he specially brought a garrison, two captains and five captains.

These people have rich combat experience and are more than capable of dealing with the bandits.

Du Qingtang readily agreed and pointed to the four giants sitting in the corner as ornaments: "They have volunteered to redeem themselves for their crimes and will be traveling with you later."

General Feng turned his head to look at them. Some were as thin as bamboo poles, while others were as fat as weights. His disdain was evident in his expression. "What are they going to do? To hold us back?"

The Big Four: "......"

Du Qingtang readily agreed and said, "Then let them take charge of the rear."

The so-called rear includes but is not limited to caring for the wounded, preparing meals and weapons, etc.

Du Qingtang looked at the four giants and said in a tone that brooked no argument: "Don't worry, I will send someone to accompany you and protect you."

The Big Four: "......"

Whether it is protection or surveillance, you know it clearly!

Since Du Qingtang had arranged everything, General Feng didn't waste any time and summoned his subordinates and two captains from Shaoqing Prefecture to discuss the bandit suppression.

Upon learning that the troops from Loushan Pass were leading this operation, the two captains from Shaoqing Prefecture were not annoyed. Instead, they lazily leaned against the table and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you all."

General Feng and others felt uncomfortable with their contemptuous attitude, but thinking that they were working for Commander Du, they suppressed their anger, arranged for the leaders of the troops, and set off in eight groups.

......

The bandit camps attacked were large and small, but without exception, the soldiers from Loushan Pass were the first to rush to the front, and the soldiers from Shaoqing Prefecture picked up the slack from behind.

It would be fine if it happened once or twice, but it happened for ten consecutive days.

On this day, the allied forces captured another bandit camp.

The soldiers of Loushan Pass fought a fierce battle with the vicious bandits, and everyone was injured.

When they were treating the wounds, they saw that the palace soldiers were almost unharmed, and the anger that had been suppressed for ten days finally erupted.

They are not afraid of being injured or sleeping in the open air, but they cannot accept their companions being timid and deserting the battlefield.

Zhang Shoubei slammed his scimitar on the table, his expression stern enough to cure a night-time cry: "Don't you have anything to say?"

Huang Qianzong of Shaoqing Prefecture, holding a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth and crossing his legs, repeated: "What do you want to say?"

He thought about it and slapped his forehead: "Actually, I don't think it's necessary to suppress the bandits. It's time-consuming and laborious, and it may cause injuries."

"Why not just ask the court to give them some benefits, like 30,000 to 50,000 taels a year, and they'll naturally settle down."

Zhang Shoubei looked around and found that not only Huang Qianzong, but all the soldiers in the team he led showed expressions of approval.

He couldn't help but feel frightened by this, and he understood Commander Du's good intentions even more.

These people have completely fallen, and someone must wake them up!

"Don't you have blood in your veins?"

All the palace soldiers were stunned.

"Banditism is rampant in Shaoqing Prefecture. As soldiers protecting the prefecture, instead of focusing on eradicating the bandits and restoring peace to Shaoqing Prefecture, you're just muddling along, trying to curry favor with the bandits and seek peace."

"Ceding five cities today, ten cities tomorrow, blindly compromising is completely useless and will only whet their appetite."

"The day you can no longer satisfy them will be the day Shaoqing Prefecture is completely overthrown."

Just like Daxia and Daqi.

The Great Qi was rich and powerful, so the Great Xia had no choice but to show weakness and seek peace, in return for which the Great Qi plundered and demanded things again and again.

They devoured the flesh and blood of the Xia people, leaving them and the land on the verge of death.

Zhang Shoubei sneered and pointed at the soldiers, saying, "Your bones were broken by those bandits. Now you can't even stand up straight. You've become a bunch of cowards!"

"Even you have knelt down. Who will protect Shaoqing Prefecture? Are we relying on those unarmed civilians?"

......

Yang Tianchuan was a soldier in Shaoqing Prefecture.

Like countless of his colleagues, he lived in a daze, waiting to die.

When suppressing bandits, whenever the soldiers of Loushan Pass charged into battle at the front, he and his colleagues would laugh at them from behind.

"Are they stupid? They are not from Shaoqing Prefecture, is it necessary for them to fight so hard?"

"Let's all hide back. There's no need to make enemies with the bandits. It would hurt if we got hurt."

He secretly rejoiced more than once that he was unharmed.

However, at this moment, the disdain and contempt in Zhang Shoubei's eyes stung his eyes.

Yang Tianchuan felt inexplicably short of breath and felt a tightness in his chest.

He asked himself, had he really done anything wrong?

The memories after becoming a palace soldier are like a kaleidoscope, flashing through my mind frame by frame.

Once upon a time, Yang Tianchuan was full of ambition and wanted to protect Shaoqing Prefecture and its people from being harmed by bandits and refugees.

But he failed.

He and the people around him were dragged deeper and deeper into the city.

No one saved him.

No one saved the city.

Together they fell into the abyss.

Yang Tianchuan didn't know how he got back to the provincial capital.

During these ten days, they traveled around and destroyed more than fifty bandit camps.

The prefect ordered the allied forces to rest for two days. Yang Tianchuan suddenly felt a little homesick, so he said goodbye to Zhang Shoubei and rode his horse back home.

When Yang Tianchuan asked for leave, he didn't dare to look up, for fear of seeing Zhang Shoubei's contemptuous eyes again.

He returned to the city absent-mindedly and was stopped at his doorstep.

"Dachuan, how come you don't look injured at all?" The old man next door stared at him, looking him up and down, his eyes full of suspicion, "Are you a deserter?"

Yang Tianchuan shook his head: "I didn't desert."

Grandpa didn't believe it: "I saw that those people at Loushanguan were all covered in wounds, but you weren't, and your face was still clean."

Yang Tianchuan opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

My face is white and clean because I have never trained in the open air, let alone fought in a war.

I was not injured because I always hid at the back and let the soldiers of Loushan Pass die for us.

The sudden shame almost overwhelmed Yang Tianchuan.

He fled in panic.

Yang Tianchuan pushed open the door and saw his mother sitting under the eaves sewing shoe soles.

The woman was over sixty years old, and her old face was full of traces of time and suffering.

The city buried her husband, her two sons and three daughters.

Now she has only one son left.

Her eyes remained calm, kind and tolerant.

"Are you back?"

Yang Tianchuan stood at the door, his heart felt like it was being squeezed into a ball by an invisible big hand, and he felt very uncomfortable.

He couldn't help but ask: "Mom, did I do something wrong?"

The woman slowly raised her head and gazed at her child.

After a while, she said, "It's not easy for everyone."

You did something wrong, I don't blame you.

Yang Tianchuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He stood there stiffly, his head buzzing.

He pretended to be calm, took a bath, washed clothes, chopped wood and repaired the roof.

Until I sat at the dinner table and tasted the food cooked by my mother.

The meal was very simple, with wild vegetable porridge and steamed corn bread.

Yang Tianchuan was eating voraciously when he heard his mother say, "Why are you crying?"

He was stunned and raised his hand to touch the wet face.

Yang Tianchuan opened his mouth and suddenly burst into tears: "Mom, I'm sorry!"

The woman said nothing, but just stroked her child's hair as she did when they were children, with a gentle and tolerant look in her eyes.

......

Two days later, the coalition forces set out again.

This time, Yang Tianchuan rushed to the front.

Not only him, but also many palace soldiers charged into battle with scimitars in hand.

Of course, there are also many stubborn people who continue to do their own thing and just fill in the numbers in the coalition army.

Yang Tianchuan did not meddle in their affairs and advised them to mend their ways.

He only knew that this time, the soldiers at Loushan Pass looked at him with admiration.

Ten days passed like this.

The joint forces captured more than 60 bandit camps.

Yang Tianchuan returned home.

The grandpa next door called him and asked, "How did you get hurt so badly?"

Yang Tianchuan patted his arm, which was fixed with a wooden board, and held his head high and chest out: "This is the injury I suffered while protecting others."

Grandpa's eyes showed appreciation: "Not bad, he's a good boy!"

Yang Tianchuan grinned and knocked on the door: "Mom!"

With a "creak" sound.

The elderly mother opened the door to welcome her son's triumphant return.