Bai Yu looked at the old village chief.
This was actually what Ning Que taught them.
The people are the foundation of the army.
Especially for a job like suppressing bandits, the support of the people was even more crucial. They had just arrived in Linzi and were unfamiliar with the area. The Ma family bandits were different; many were locals, and there was a possibility of collusion between the locals and the bandits.
Therefore, we must first win over the people.
Let them know who the enemy is.
This is the key to this bandit suppression!
The old village chief looked embarrassed and sighed softly.
“Some of them are miserable people too.”
"Before leaving, the King of Qi released all the prisoners and bandits."
"We didn't have many people in Shilipu to begin with. Some were forcibly abducted by the Ma family army, and those who disagreed were hacked to death on the spot! Some county soldiers didn't dare to take action when they saw this, and some even took the initiative to defect to the Ma family army. They looted Gaotang's arsenal and granary, and even took our poultry and livestock to the mountains..."
Bai Yu nodded in understanding.
Gaotang County is now extremely poor.
All the valuable things were taken away by the Ma family army.
Only the old, weak and sick are left.
In other words, the Ma family army is not simple.
With the support of the arsenal, it can be comparable to the regular army!
It’s better to be cautious.
"I'm not very clear about it now."
“But there are also many ordinary people among them.”
"We were robbed by bandits and had no other choice."
The old village chief choked up and looked at Bai Yu, "I hope that Commander Bai can distinguish between good and evil and show mercy, and absolve those innocent people of their guilt."
"Um."
Bai Yu did not refuse.
This was also what Ning Que requested.
Because Linzi is currently short of people.
It would have been easy for him to order them all to be killed.
It can save a lot of time.
But how will Linzi develop in the future?
Of course, the premise is that they do not become accomplices of the evil.
And surrender in time, or change sides in the middle of a battle.
The old village chief sighed again.
"The Ma family army currently has about 3,000 men, some of whom are women and children without combat capabilities. They primarily roam around Mount Li and have also occupied the Li River. The stronghold is equipped with fortifications such as arrow towers and crossbow carts. Its high position makes it easy to defend and difficult to attack. If they encounter danger, they can evacuate by water. The mountains are dotted with scouts, making a surprise attack difficult."
The old village chief confessed the truth.
That was all he knew.
After all, the Ma family army is not a good group.
They have come to Gaotang several times during this period.
They blatantly stole their money and food.
Some of the beautiful women were also taken away.
Fortunately, the old village chief is of high enough seniority.
Some bandits who still had some conscience did not do anything to him.
They were even secretly notified to hide.
"Okay." Bai Yu seemed to be lost in thought. "Yelü He, arrange some people to act as envoys. Go up the mountain first to investigate the situation and persuade the Ma family army to surrender. Tell them that if they honestly lay down their weapons and surrender, I, Bai Yu, will guarantee their lives. We will share the good and the bad from now on. If they are able to join the army, those who perform well can be promoted to military officers."
"But if they refuse to surrender, we will have no choice but to take drastic measures. At that time, we will wipe out the Ma family army at all costs!"
"promise!"
Yelu He raised his hand and took his leave.
As the saying goes, "begin with courtesy before force", it is also about finding out the real situation.
If we can persuade them to surrender, we can also reduce some casualties.
Bai Yu was impulsive by nature, often causing trouble in his early years. Later, he entered Prince Ning's palace and was one of the first personal guards to follow Ning Que. Over time, he was influenced by Ning Que. Leading troops in battle was no game; as long as it helped minimize casualties, even a little injustice was acceptable.
Just like when Ning Que conquered Shuofang, he resorted to a self-torture scheme. Countless soldiers secretly cursed him, but Ning Que persevered. Only after conquering Shuofang did they realize how much he had sacrificed, and shame-stricken they all came to apologize and admit their mistakes.
…
Mount Li.
This mountain forest is extremely dense.
There are towering trees everywhere that require several people to cover.
Halfway up the mountain, there was a forest stronghold. Arrow towers stood at the main gate, guarded by bows. Bamboo and wood walls surrounded the fort, and the ground was strewn with caltrops, along with numerous fortifications.
This Linzhai is located on a high ground, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.
If you want to capture it, you need thousands of people!
"The boss!"
"Someone is coming down the mountain."
"oh?"
The burly man holding the beauty frowned.
He also ignored the spies who came to report.
A big hand reached in through the clothes.
The beauty blushed and made strange noises.
The burly man had a full beard and a wicked grin on his face, his belly looking as if a raging fire was burning. He looked at the spies below the stage and said coldly, "Tell me, is there someone coming from Gao Tang?"
"The boss is really smart!"
"Oh, let them in." Ma Gang didn't care. "I also want to see what tricks they have."
He is the leader of the Ma family army!
He killed many people with the axe in his hand.
His wife, children and the elderly were all in the care of Tian Zhongxun.
I specifically told him this before leaving.
Delay Ning Que at all costs.
No surrender, no negotiation, no provocation!
This is how the Ma family army handled things afterwards.
When Ning Que launched a large-scale encirclement and suppression, they ran away.
Anyway, they are quite familiar with Mount Li.
Even if we send a small force, we will not be able to defeat them.
Soon, three envoys arrived at the lobby.
"Meet the boss."
"Hey, no need to be polite." Ma Gang pulled his hand away from the beauty's chest and said calmly, "I wonder what brings you to visit my Ma family army?"
The leading young man took a half step forward, raised his hand and said, "As the saying goes, a man who understands the times is a hero, and a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. Now that Prince Ning is stationed in Linzi, it's the perfect time to use people. As long as the leader leads the people in line, he will be of great use. By then, you will have an official title, which is much better than being a bandit in this mountain."
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