Chapter 160: Village Massacre
Simon sent a few infantrymen to carry Qu Ao's body back, and no one dared to make trouble again.
Bai Dalang and others rode out of the city early to greet them. Bai Li continued to stay at the base camp (on the city wall), guarding against any bastard's sneak attack again, otherwise she would shoot him in the head.
When Bai Zongren returned, Simon lost two generals in a row, and King Jin ordered a retreat.
Simon's army came in a mighty force, but fled in disgrace with its tail between its legs.
When Simon's army arrived, the common people who did not have time to leave hid in the woods not far from the city gate. At this moment, they saw Simon's 100,000-strong army fleeing in disgrace, fearing that there would be pursuers behind them, and they all burst into laughter.
"Haha! I thought the Simons were gods with three heads and six arms, but now it seems they can still bleed and die. They are flesh and blood just like us. We don't have to be afraid of them anymore!"
"Dad, keep your voice down, Simon's army hasn't gone far yet!"
"What are you afraid of? Do they dare to come back and kill us?"
"Dad, should we go back to the village or into the city now?"
"We haven't sold today's eggs and vegetables yet, and we're out of food at home. What's the point of going back? Let's go into the city!"
An old man with a white beard waved his hand and came out of the woods with a son and a daughter.
"Fellow villagers, have all of you who were hiding in the woods come out?"
Several soldiers rode out from the city gate to check the situation and happened to see the old man and asked him a question.
"Sir, there are still a few people in the forest. I'm afraid they have returned to the village by now?"
"Fellow villagers, please go and tell them to go into the city first and hide, as they may not be safe if they return to the village.
This is what our Marshal Bai instructed, please trust her."
"Oh, Marshal Bai, we are just peasants, and we have to worry about it. It's really... I'll go right away and call for help."
"Dad, your legs aren't very strong. Let me go. I can run fast."
A boy of about fourteen or fifteen stood up, wearing patched clothes. The sleeves and trouser legs were much shorter, like he was wearing a half-length shirt and trousers.
While he was talking, the man had already run out. He was quite smart.
"This kid runs pretty fast!"
The soldiers praised him, and a moment later, several men and old men carrying things on their shoulders and in their hands followed the young man.
"Sir, we are all villagers from the nearby Dawangzhuang and Xiashui villages. We have been waiting for the rain to stop today. We would like to exchange some vegetables and eggs from our homes for rice. We hope that you will be lenient with us."
The old man was afraid that the soldiers would think too much, so he quickly revealed his identity.
"Hurry up and go into the city. Your goods are needed in the city."
"That's great, thank you, sir. Thank you, sir."
"We are soldiers under Marshal Bai, not officials. Go now!"
The old man and others thanked them profusely and carried their things into the city.
Luo Yang just remembered something after he finished speaking. He suddenly slapped his head and said, "Oh no! Dawangzhuang and Xiashui Village are on both sides of the official road that Ximeng's army passed through. Before, the people of these two villages refused to enter the city. Now I'm afraid..."
"Let's go, hurry up! Let's catch up and see!"
Several soldiers looked at each other. Simon had an army of 100,000. Even if they wanted to do something, what could a few small shrimps like them do?
"What are you guys still standing there for? Hurry up and catch up!"
Luo Yang ran for a distance but didn't see anyone catching up with him. He turned around and saw that the person was still standing there, and there was a hint of anger in his words.
"Oh, here it comes, here it comes."
A few soldiers came to their senses and followed. Let them die, but obeying military orders was their duty, and they had to do it.
Simon's army was large in number, with some on horseback, some in sedan chairs, and some on foot, so even though they were in a hurry to escape, they were not very fast.
In addition, the King of Jin predicted that Yuanzhou had a shortage of troops and did not dare to send people to pursue them, so he was fearless and slowed down when he was five miles outside the city.
"General, the people of the Great Zhou are truly despicable. They actually dared to kill our General Qu. I will never be able to bear this humiliation until I avenge this!"
Qu Ao's deputy general Qu Shi often chatted with crickets in front of King Jin along the way.
He and Qu Ao are cousins. When his cousin died, he was filled with resentment and didn't know who to vent it on.
"So what do you want?"
"General, look, there are villages on both sides. Let's kill all these peasants and burn down all the houses to vent our anger!"
Qu Shi's twisted face was full of viciousness. No matter how many of these lowly people's lives died, they were not as precious as his cousin's life. However, killing them first would make him feel better, and he could settle the score with Bai Zongren later.
"I'll leave this matter to you!"
Prince Jin didn't even raise his eyelids, and his cold voice showed no emotion.
After receiving the confirmation, Qu Shi immediately ordered the Qu family army of 1,000 men to be divided into two groups and march towards the villages on both sides.
Two groups of soldiers entered the village with ferocious looks, and the village was suddenly filled with the sounds of chickens and dogs flying around, mixed with people's screams.
After a while, thick smoke rose from the village, followed by flames shooting into the sky. The quiet and peaceful village suddenly turned into a hell on earth.
A group of soldiers came out of the village with gloomy faces, cursing something.
Luo Yang pricked up his ears and listened carefully, only to hear them cursing that the people of the Great Zhou were too cunning, that everyone in the village had fled, and that they had massacred the entire village but only killed a few people who were paralyzed in bed and unable to walk, which was not enough to vent their anger.
"Damn it! Simon the dog actually massacred the whole village!"
"Fortunately, the villagers had already gone to the city, otherwise it would have been terrible!"
"There are still a few stubborn old men who refuse to leave. This time they are doomed!"
"I'm afraid they'll continue. Let's go back and report to Marshal Bai!"
Luo Yang only brought four people out, and there were only five including him. There was no need to fight these little shrimps, because they could be drowned to death with just a mouthful of saliva!
"Lieutenant General Luo, should I stay and follow them?"
After Luo Yang returned from Simon, he was promoted to deputy general by Nangong Min and became Bai Li's right-hand man.
Before, Bai Li’s military rank was not high, so it was not easy to say publicly that she was her subordinate. Now that the emperor has personally promoted her to marshal, those around her who are suitable for promotion can help her, and no one can say anything about her.
"Well, you just need to follow from a distance. If you are discovered, turn back immediately. We can't take that risk."
A warm current flowed through the subordinate's heart, and then this warmth flowed to every part of his body. He felt a warm sensation in his heart, and he couldn't tell whether he was touched or what.
After thinking about it, Luo Yang decided that it would be safer to keep the two of them.
Luo Yang and the other two went back, and the remaining two followed the Simon soldiers from a distance, and saw another team of soldiers coming out to raid the village.
The two men heard them talking about how they humiliated and killed the villagers as they walked, and they were so angry that their eyes were about to burst. They suppressed the urge to fight them to the death, and finally waited for Marshal Bai to appear.
"Marshal, you are finally here!"
"Where did they go?"
As soon as Bai Li heard Luo Yang's report, he immediately rode over.
Li Dazhuang was worried, so he had to send her cavalry to catch up with her.
"Marshal Bai, they went to the village behind. It's a plain on all sides. We were afraid of being discovered, so we didn't follow them."
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