Chapter 367: Refugees and Bandits (Part 6) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
The messenger's eyes reddened slightly as he gazed in the direction of the Luxia County seat.
He cursed the refugees and bandits as beasts.
Although the world was in chaos and such tragedies were commonplace, seeing the messenger in this state still touched many people's hidden wounds, causing them to sigh with sympathy. But they could only turn their sympathy into fighting spirit, turning back to kill a few more bandits.
Only Shen Tang sighed softly, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
I don't seem to agree.
Noticing his lord's mood, Chu Yao spurred his horse forward a few steps to get closer to Shen Tang and reassured him, "The dense fog will soon dissipate; the torrential rain will last no more than a day. The bandits, who commit many injustices, will surely perish. Our army will surely achieve a great victory!"
He pulled Shen Tang's wandering attention back.
He paused for a moment, then said, "I'm not worried about the outcome of this battle."
Shen Tang never imagined she would lose.
Besides the thousands of second-class soldiers mentioned by the messenger, the enemy army also included several high-ranking martial artists. Most of the enemy troops were ordinary commoners who were starving and emaciated, tenant farmers who had lost their land, and most of them had families to support.
It's hard to say how much of their fighting power they can actually unleash.
Chu Yao asked, "Then what is this, my lord?"
"The setting sun melts into gold, and the evening clouds merge into a perfect harmony. I admire the sunset, but at the same time, I feel a deep sense of regret..." As the sun sets in the west, looking up, you can see the clouds edged with gold, a breathtakingly beautiful sight. Looking down, you are pulled back to reality by the devastation and ruins. "It's such a pity."
Chu Yao looked at his lord with a complicated expression.
The post was filled with complaints about how "they lie so carelessly".
Shen Tang smiled awkwardly and lowered her voice.
"It's not that I'm unwilling to tell Wu Hui, it's just that I feel the occasion is inappropriate, and it wouldn't be good if others overheard."
In particular, it must not be heard by the messenger.
Their homes were just ravaged by bandits and refugees.
"That's easy."
Chu Yao raised his hand and unleashed a technique called "The Secret of the Technique Must Not Be Told to Six Ears," a faint, almost imperceptible aura of literary energy that surged forth and then vanished without a trace.
Shen Tang: "..."
I almost forgot that words can be used like this.
Without any worries, Shen Tang can speak freely.
She hesitated for a moment, her usually cheerful voice suddenly filled with a hint of confusion: "I just feel that compared to the hateful vagrants and bandits, shouldn't the most hateful be the powerful and wealthy represented by Zheng Qiao? If they could just farm and make a living peacefully, who would want to tighten their belts, grab a hoe and a carrying pole, and fight against elite soldiers and generals? Being driven around like stray dogs, running east and west all the way?"
Intense land consolidation;
Landlords' exploitation was cruel;
The government's corvée labor was heavy;
Political corruption is rampant.
Zheng Qiao indulged his vicious dogs in extravagance and waste, engaging in large-scale construction projects, indulging in debauchery, and exploiting the people. The common people under his rule lived a life of hunger and cold, eating dates, vegetables, tree bark, and clay. They were driven to the point that corpses littered the fields and people resorted to cannibalism...
If you don't want to die, you have no choice but to fight back.
The will to survive is an innate instinct in everyone.
Who can say that their rebellion is treason?
These conclusions are all drawn from the perspective of local sovereigns and nobles.
Because it is their interests that are harmed and their status that is shaken, if the common people rise up in rebellion, they will not be able to sleep peacefully or indulge in pleasure without any worries.
These people would naturally be labeled as bandits and traitors.
But were the culprits behind the devastation in the Lu Xia County truly just the displaced peasants and bandits? Or were they the commanders who gathered them to plunder and kill? Or were they the powerful figures who forced them to lose their land, make it impossible for them to survive, and leave them with no choice but to rebel?
Chu Yao asked, "Does the lord sympathize with them?"
Shen Tang thought to himself that he was now practically the head of an armed group, and grinned inwardly before giving a wry smile: "Yes."
Chu Yao was exceptionally rational, even devoid of any emotion.
"But in Yao's opinion, the moment commoners take up arms and begin indiscriminately slaughtering the innocent, they cease to be innocent. Those most deserving of sympathy now are the innocent commoners threatened by their knives. Yao knows your lord is kind-hearted, but your sympathy should be reserved for when they are defeated, captured, and no longer pose a threat to you. Until then, your sympathy will only have meaning."
"enemy!"
As long as they are the enemy, regardless of whether they are well-equipped elite troops or poorly equipped and poorly fed rabble, there must be no leniency. This has nothing to do with justice or evil, nothing to do with rules and ethics; on the battlefield, there is only victory or defeat.
Shen Tang naturally understood this principle as well.
Kindness must have its edge.
However, her sharpness is not yet keen or powerful enough.
Chu Yao then asked, "Does the lord wish to save them?"
Shen Tang honestly replied, "I want to, but I'm powerless to do so."
Chu Yao's lips curled into a gentle smile. Instead of sneering, he said softly, "It is enough that my lord has such a heart."
This is also the biggest difference between our lord and others.
With this intention now, and with the effort in the future, ordinary people may truly be able to live a peaceful and happy life. Perhaps that life won't be particularly wealthy, but it will at least be better than it is now.
so--
“My lord, there is no need to hesitate to kill these refugees and bandits. Even if their weapons are just carrying poles and hoes, even if their rebellion is a choice forced upon them. The only thing my lord can do is to survive, rise higher, and uphold righteousness for the world.”
Chu Yao's voice softened, yet became even more forceful.
"We will not repeat the same mistakes!"
These six simple words carry more weight than mountains.
Because Chu Yao knew in his heart that this was impossible. The world has always been a place where unity is followed by division, and division by unity.
He didn't aspire to live to see the inevitable division after a long period of unity, but only hoped to witness the inevitable unity after a long period of division in his lifetime; one glance would be enough.
At this moment, Shao Chong came over carrying a gray eagle that had been hit by an arrow.
This eagle is extremely large and has powerful wings.
But in Shao Chong's hands, it was extremely "obedient".
Chu Yao waved his hand to dispel the spell.
Shen Tang quickly composed herself: "What is this eagle?"
Shao Chong, holding the eagle's wing with one hand, proudly showed off to Shen Tang, saying, "This thing was flying overhead the whole time, it was really an eyesore, so I just shot it down. Shen Jun, do you want some? If you do, I'll have someone roast it and give you half!"
In the past, he would either eat the prey he hunted himself or share it with his other sworn brothers. Shen Jun was the first outsider to receive such treatment. Shao Chong weighed the thing in his hand; it was quite heavy, and half of it would be enough to fill him up.
"Flying overhead the whole time?"
Chu Yao was very sensitive to this word.
He asked Kang Shi, who was a few steps away.
"Did Ji Shou see it?"
Kang Shi, who was named, shook his head.
Chu Yao then asked Shao Chong how he discovered it.
Shao Chong was completely bewildered.
How was it discovered?
Of course, you find it with your eyes.
Shen Tang asked, "Is there something wrong with this eagle?"
Chu Yao: "I'm worried they're scouts."
"Oh, a scout..." After Shen Tang realized what she had said, she asked in surprise, "Huh? Wait, you said a scout?"
An eagle?
As far as she knew, scouts were a special branch of the military; they were reconnaissance soldiers. Before battle, they would get as close to the enemy as possible to understand their true strength, deployment, and unit types, inquire about unfamiliar terrain, and find out where clean water sources were located…
These details can even determine the outcome of a war, but scouts are all human, this is an eagle.
On second thought, it doesn't seem so surprising.
With so many powerful words and phrases, both literary and martial, applied to all aspects of the battlefield, it's not surprising that a reconnaissance eagle was created.
only--
Shen Tang ruffled the eagle's feathers and frowned: "In this way, won't our forces be completely controlled by the enemy?"
Chu Yao shook his head: "It's alright."
They were originally there for rescue.
The army did not carry much food.
The sooner we engage the enemy, the better.
If the enemy runs away upon hearing that reinforcements are coming, and then returns after they have withdrawn, then Luxia County will be in real danger.
This eagle must be the totem of courage for some scout.
Some martial arts practitioners may have limited talent and progress extremely slowly, but that doesn't mean they have no future. The martial arts totem of some of them can be used for battlefield intelligence gathering.
The so-called Martial Spirit Totem refers to the various beast shadows that appeared when Gong Xichou fought against generals on several battlefields.
These scouts are quite valuable; they can obtain relatively accurate intelligence without getting very close to the enemy.
The reason it is considered relatively true is that the literati accompanying the army also had counter-surveillance methods to prevent intelligence leaks.
Kang Shi laughed and said, "I was careless."
He said he was worried, but he didn't seem to care at all.
As the strategist accompanying the army, he had long ago laid out his counter-surveillance spells, and he would change them from time to time in case the enemy discovered them.
The deception is made real, and the real is made deceptive; the deception and the real intertwine, creating unpredictable changes. The other three companies also made moves, providing multiple layers of protection.
Chu Yao said, "I thought these refugees and bandits were just a bunch of scattered people, but now it seems there's more to them than meets the eye."
Shao Chong asked, bewildered, "Why?"
"Because these scouts need to be carefully trained."
Having talent in this area doesn't mean you can use it directly.
Such scouts are usually in the hands of powerful local magnates or warlords, and only they have the resources to cultivate them. The training period can range from a few months to two years.
The leaders who commanded this group of refugees and bandits besieging Luxia County were mostly well-established and had been lying low for a long time, preparing for the current situation. The time was ripe—the common people could no longer tolerate Zheng Qiao's tyranny—and stood up and raised their arms.
In this world, human life is worthless.
But human resources are different.
Of the more than 200,000 civilians who were driven out, at least 50,000 able-bodied men and women were able to go to the battlefield. Women, children and the elderly could help with logistics and transportation, and could also go to the battlefield to put some pressure on the enemy during wartime.
In addition, with their sweeping and looting, more and more desperate commoners joined them... It didn't take long for them to build up a warlord force with considerable fighting power.
The messenger had previously mentioned that the bandit camp had over a thousand second-class superior warriors and several high-level martial arts experts in command. Is this the kind of lineup that commoners forced into rebellion could muster? Haha, even our lord couldn't muster 30% of that in a year of hard work.
Shen Tang frowned with worry.
"Are we about to kick a hornet's nest?"
Chu Yao chuckled: "It's not as tough as a rock."
He summoned a soldier and informed Gong Shuwu and Zhao Feng of the news.
The two were in complete agreement.
Gong Shuwu was immediately excited upon hearing this, rubbing his hands together eagerly: "Haha, we've come all this way, we can't leave empty-handed. This is all military merit delivered to our doorstep! Any invaders will be annihilated!"
Weakening the enemy's strength is strengthening oneself.
Zhao Fengdao said, "Don't try to take it from me!"
Gong Shuwu laughed heartily: "On the battlefield, everyone relies on their own abilities!"
If it were only the He Yin family, they would indeed be badly beaten by this lineup of enemies. However, with the elites of all four families present, if they still lose, the four lords might as well give up on this place.
Chu Yao raised his hand, and Gong Shuwu understood immediately.
He said, "The way of a general is to be on the battlefield."
"All troops, heed my command!"
Chu Yao followed up, saying, "Keep your eyes open and your ears open!"
A powerful aura spread from beneath their feet to the entire army.
All four armies sensed something.
The initial relaxed mood instantly turned into a peak of excitement, and they were invigorated and ready to deal with any attack at any time.
They marched another three miles to a wasteland overgrown with vegetation.
They thought that with their elite scouts out in force, the enemy would launch a night attack when their troops were off guard in the dead of night. But before it was even completely dark, the bandits had already lined up to meet them, using the terrain to their advantage to surround their more than ten thousand troops.
Shouts suddenly burst forth from all directions.
The sky was dark, and shadowy figures could be seen everywhere.
I couldn't tell if it was the shadow of the grass or the shadow of a person.
A volley of arrows rained down from the sky.
But they were all blocked by the rising walls of the city.
Only ripples of literary elegance remain.
"It's finally here!"
Shao Chong, who was riding a horse and eating dried meat to replenish his energy, suddenly perked up and tossed half a piece of dried meat to his subordinate.
"The credit is mine!"
The hastily assembled team had virtually no teamwork; their willingness to follow Shen Tang's orders and their willingness to move around were two different things. They were all elite soldiers, and that was all the military merit they could earn.
Who plays forward, who provides support, and who covers the rear?
It's a long story, and it's hard to explain.
No matter how the profits are divided, everyone else has their opinions, feeling that they have worked hard, taken great risks, and made little contribution.
Shen Tang didn't get the short end of the stick.
The most brutal method was adopted—
Each family defends its territory; if it can't hold out, then it calls for help. The four defensive lines—east, west, south, and north—are intertwined; whoever collapses loses face.
Zhao Feng: "..."
The other three companies: "..."
They had never fought such a brutal and simple battle before.
Chu Yao wanted to save face for his lord.
Unexpectedly, Shen Tang didn't need any of that. He coaxed and lied, "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! All of you generals are veterans who have fought and fought, and you are all experienced in combat. The battlefield situation is ever-changing, and only you can adapt to the changing circumstances."
She's still a complete novice in this area.
She could bring them out, but she couldn't bring them into battle. She didn't know their individual fighting styles, and if she misjudged them and injured one of them, wouldn't Wu Xian and the other two fight her to the death? It was better to let them each do their own thing.
They were also worried about a lack of coordination, which could lead to friendly fire during the melee, so they decided to divide the battle into lines, with each unit guarding one side.
Everyone fights their own battles, as long as they're killing the enemy.
The generals: "...???"
This works too?
However, it must be admitted that this is indeed a relatively feasible method at present, and they are confident that they can defend their respective lines of defense.
Call for help?
Asking for help is out of the question.
Apart from Heyin County, the other three families have deployed roughly the same number of troops. If the defensive line collapses at this point, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting that their strength is weaker than the others? We can lose our heads and shed blood, but we can't lose face, at least not in front of them!
The enemy will not be able to break through the defense line!
Driven by a damned competitive spirit and an urgent desire to make a name for themselves, they were itching to attack the moment the enemy showed themselves. The leader, a valiant warrior, spurred his horse forward, donned his armor, and brandished his weapon, charging straight at the enemy. Whoever stood in their way, they would kill!
The two armies...
No, the five armies clashed, and shouts of battle arose.
Even faster than Shao Chong's figure were two streaks of bright white light, like shooting stars, which suddenly lit up and pierced the dark night.
Shao Chong retorted angrily, "You've crossed the line!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the enemy soldiers charging ahead had already fallen to the ground, their heads rolling on the ground. The newcomer did not pause; his figure moved as nimbly as a dragon, and with each strike of his twin swords, one would pierce the heart and the other would behead the enemy.
Shen Tang was much luckier than the other three families.
Because she was facing the enemy's main force.
In the army, Chu Yao and Kang Shi made their moves almost simultaneously.
The latter said, "Scattered like stars in the sky!"
A vast, intricately designed chessboard spanned the entire battlefield.
The former, however, said: "Submerged in water or burned..."
Kang Shi: "???"
|ω`)
This is so annoying! Someone reported my book about mushrooms...
(End of this chapter)
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