Under the clear sky, black smoke rose from another village.
The common people, carrying their families, pushed carts and carried loads, and headed towards the seaside under the protection of the Dongjiang soldiers.
From time to time, people would look back, gazing at their homeland, which was getting farther and farther away, their homes filled with black smoke. After this farewell, they didn't know when they would be able to return, and they might never see it again in their lifetime.
Since the fourth year of Hongwu, Liu Yi, the Pingzhang of Liaoyang Province in the Yuan Dynasty, has reported all the military forces, money, grain, and land in the area.
In the 20th year of Hongwu, the Ming Dynasty sent General Feng Sheng to lead 200,000 troops to attack Nahachu, bringing the entire Liaodong under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty.
For hundreds of years, the Ming Dynasty established 25 guards and 2 states in Liaodong, of which 25 guards were Han settlements and 2 states were barbarian settlements.
Following this, millions of Han Chinese migrated from the interior to Liaodong. They reclaimed wasteland, built roads, constructed houses, and cultivated land. It is hard to imagine the hardship and heavy labor they endured.
They set up horse racks and slept on the ground, living in the open air and enduring hunger; the winter was cold and long, crawling on ice and sleeping in the snow; the summer was windy and rainy, with swarms of mosquitoes, small insects, and horseflies.
How many Han people have shed sweat and even paid with their lives for the fertile fields, the crisscrossing ditches, the well-connected roads, and the prosperous towns and markets.
But the nightmare suddenly came during the Wanli period. War, massacre and looting, without any reason, shrouded the Han people in Liaodong in death.
The Jiannu were the ones who plunged the Han people of Liaodong into dire straits. The Jiannu were vicious bandits and murderers who killed countless people.
Leaving their homeland was sad, but they were also grateful to be able to escape from the sea of suffering, not become slaves, and even save their lives.
The imperial court allocated money and land to allow the Liao people to relocate and settle there; once Liaodong was recovered and the Jiannu were defeated, they could return to their homes. If a family member enlisted in the army, their wages would be distributed to their family members; after the recovery of Liaodong, they would be granted 100 acres of tax-free land in perpetuity...
Even without these preferential care policies, and even if the future was uncertain, most Liao people were willing to break away from the rule of the Jiannu and escape the misfortune that could lead to their lives at any time.
The Dongjiang Army was basically composed of Liao people, which made the Liao people who left their homeland feel at ease.
Fatty Zhao was also one of the soldiers protecting the Liao people. He stood with his spear in his hand, watching the people passing by with a blank expression.
There was no other way. After the Battle of Huanggu Fort, Fatty Zhao and other playboys were assigned a difficult job, which was to carry knives and chop off heads.
Under the supervision of the cold-faced and cold-hearted Jinyiwei, these marquises and young masters vomited while doing it and were kicked on the buttocks many times.
When these big babies slept at night, they would see human heads shaking around with their eyes closed, some with eyes open, some covered in blood, some with ears and noses missing... They hardly closed their eyes all night.
I can't eat well, I can't sleep well, and my body smells bad. The young masters have never suffered such a hardship. I feel worse than a beggar.
Fatty Zhao now felt the weight of his armor, which his mother had put on him while crying before he left. It was said to be an heirloom, worn by his great-grandfather on the battlefield.
Fatty Zhao was really envious of other soldiers who walked briskly despite their slightly shabby "fat coats".
Are you hungry again? Fatty Zhao clutched his stomach, his eyes brightening as he pulled out a large, hard pancake from his pocket.
This was the military rations hastily prepared by the Dongjiang Army before their departure. It was made of flatbread baked on various iron objects.
There was some salt but no oil, and the pot was not enough, so spatulas and razor blades were used. Not to mention the craftsmanship, anything less burnt could be considered a master chef's creation.
When it was distributed, I looked down on it and said, "Hmph, even beggars in the capital wouldn't eat it."
But now that he had it in his hand, Fatty Zhao could smell the aroma of the noodles and couldn't help but swallow his saliva. He took a bite, but it was incredibly hard. He had no choice but to hold it in his mouth until it softened a bit before slowly chewing and swallowing it.
At this moment, Fatty Zhao missed the pots of "pig food" he had eaten before leaving. There were meat and vegetables in them, and they were still hot. After eating a bowl, his stomach felt so warm and comfortable.
Not knowing when he could eat such a "delicious" meal again, Fatty Zhao swallowed the cake in his mouth with force. His nose felt sore and he wanted to cry.
"Uncle Bing..." A girl walking by suddenly stopped and took out a steamed bun and handed it to the fat man, "Have this. It's soft and not cold yet."
Fatty Zhao blinked his eyes, stared at the white steamed bun, rolled his eyes, and reached out to grab it.
Looking at the fat soldier with crooked helmet and armor wolfing down the steamed bun, pity and admiration flashed across the girl's face, and she took out another one and handed it to him.
It turns out that he was holding it in his arms, no wonder he was so gentle!
Fatty Zhao took it and put it in his pocket. He felt a little choked and waited until he had enough saliva to smooth it over before eating it.
"Let's go, Yingzi." At her father's call, the girl took a few quick steps and caught up with the advancing group of people.
"Woo, woo, hey!" Fatty Zhao made a vague sound and chased after him.
The girl turned around and looked at the fat soldier in confusion. Her father and brother also stopped and looked wary.
Fatty Zhao took out a piece of silver and came over to hand it over. After swallowing the food in his mouth with great difficulty, he said breathlessly, "This is money for the steamed buns. Keep it."
The girl was still hesitant, but Fatty Zhao had already stuffed the silver into her hand and spoke much more clearly, "I can't just take your steamed buns for free. That would make me a beggar. I'm a big shot in the capital, and I can't afford to lose face."
She didn't quite understand what the fat soldier who called himself "young master" was saying, but she knew that he was not asking for money. The girl smiled and wanted to decline.
"Why don't you thank me, Mr. Bing?" The old father had already reached out to take the silver coins, nodding and bowing.
The girl then bowed and saluted, "Thank you for the reward, Mr. Bing."
Fatty Zhao seemed to have regained some of the respect and compliments he had received in the capital. He puffed out his chest and waved his hand, "No need to thank me. Let's go."
The family set out on the road again, and the low-pitched discussions reached the ears of Fatty Zhao, who felt good about himself.
"Just two steamed buns? But this silver weighs two taels!"
"This soldier must be stupid, but his armor is so shiny!"
"Is he interested in our Yingzi? We have to be careful."
"Soldier is a good man, but he's really hungry. Well, don't tell me, he's a bit silly."
I... Fatty Zhao's straight body shook twice.
Humph, you country bumpkin, you have no vision. When I was in the capital, people said I was smarter than a monkey!
Reaching out and touching the steamed bun in his arms, Fatty Zhao's anger gradually subsided. The bun was quite soft and had a slight fragrance. That fragrance didn't seem to be the smell of flour, right?
The sound of horse hooves came from afar and attracted Fatty Zhao's attention again.
That's my horse, my BMW, my black horse with snow-hoofs! And this fellow is riding it, swaying it proudly in front of me.
Fatty Zhao was filled with grief and indignation, staring at the knight on horseback without blinking.
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