Hehehehe, I have it all! I won't turn back even if I'm in danger! I'll shout when I see injustice.
When it’s time to strike, strike! Rushing through the nine provinces!
This song was sung by everyone from Zhao Xiaofei (born in the 1990s), Fang Xinyu (born in the 1970s), and Zhou Shuai and Wan Shan (born in the 1980s). Everyone started singing along. It was deeply immersive, stirring the blood of these Ming Dynasty escorts.
Li Deliang shouted, "What a wonderful song! This is the kind of music we warriors should listen to!"
"Yes! The prince consort is not only good at romance, but also understands us rough guys!" Mao Jiu echoed.
The surrounding escorts also nodded, and some even hummed along.
Fang Xinyu said, "I'll sing a song too! I think you've heard it before! If you can sing, sing along with me!"
"This bow is like the spring breeze meeting a soulmate, and the peach blossoms are smiling and reflecting on the altar." Fang Xinyu
"This bow shows our generous aspiration to protect our country and the nation, and to make great achievements and show our talents!" Zhou Shuai
"This bow is a token of loyalty and courage, a vow to stick together through thick and thin!" Wanshan
"This bow will last forever, even in life or death. The heaven, earth, sun and moon strengthen my feelings!" Zhao Xiaofei
"Spear in hand!" Fang Xinyu sang. Dark! The four of them sang together. "Swords and knives gleam, Yo hey! Look at my brothers, Yo hey! Striding towards the smoke of war!" Fang Xinyu then picked up his suona and began to play.
Everyone joined in the singing, "Hair in hand, Yo-hei! Swords and knives gleaming, Yo-hei! Look at my brothers, Yo-hei! Striding towards the smoke of war!"
Fang Xinyu's suona, in particular, thrilled the listeners. Everyone's feelings were different. Fang Xinyu and Zhou Shuai felt a lingering urge to return to the battlefield. Wan Shan recalled the pain of betrayal and the promises he'd made. Zhao Xiaofei's ambitions were stirred. The surrounding Ming people's blood boiled as they listened, as if they had been transported back to the Three Kingdoms era, witnessing the clashing of drums and horns, and the Peach Garden Oath.
Li Sihong sighed, "What a talent my husband truly possesses!" With the help of these people, if the world truly fell into chaos, her husband might become the new emperor. She secretly resolved to try her best to make her son the crown prince and emperor.
The journey was smooth, reaching Tongzhou City by noon and Huangzhou City in the afternoon. The team rested in the city and set off early the next morning, aiming to reach Tianjin in two days.
That night, Zhao Xiaofei stayed with Li Sihong. Xiao Wen, Xiao Wu, and Fang Xinyu also went to spend time with their wives. Zhou Shuai and Wan Shan took turns keeping watch, and nothing happened until the next morning.
They left the city of Hengzhou and headed south for 40 miles until they reached a hilly area. The terrain here was relatively flat, but there were many trees. When the escort team was halfway there, Fang Xinyu shouted, "Stop! Don't go any further!"
"What's wrong?" Zhao Xiaofei asked.
"Don't go! We need to send someone to scout! This place is a bit like a date pit. If someone on either side puts down rolling logs and sets a fire to trap us in the middle, we will be in trouble! The team hasn't come in yet, so let's send someone to see what's going on behind the hill!" Zhou Shuai said, looking at the surrounding terrain.
"Damn! Are you afraid of being surrounded when there are so many of us?" Zhao Xiaofei asked.
At this time, Li Deliang and Mao Jiu also caught up and asked: Why don’t you leave?
Zhao Xiaofei said, "Send a few people to the top of the slope to check! My brother is worried something might be wrong!"
"Your Majesty! I'll take people there!" Mao Jiu said.
"I'll go with you!" Zhou Shuai said.
So the two men, each with 20 men, headed up the slope. As they neared the halfway mark, they suddenly heard deafening shouts from the slopes on both sides. Many people were shouting, holding things. At the exit ahead, someone had thrown wood from the hillside, forming a fence.
Zhou Shuai thought, "Oh no!" He immediately drew his rifle and rushed up the mountain with Mao Jiu. Many of the hired thugs were frightened and hid everywhere. The Beijing troops were not much better off, with less than 40 men remaining fearless in the face of danger.
Wan Shan immediately raised his gun and took aim. With a snap, a man on the top of the slope fell. Fang Xinyu also took aim. With another snap, a second man fell.
Everyone on the slope was stunned. Zhou Shuai, seizing the perfect moment, took a few steps online, pulled out his hand-grenade, pulled the fuse, and launched it with a large slingshot. Within five seconds, there was a resounding boom. Dust and rocks flew everywhere, and many people were screaming heartbreakingly.
The people on the slope were already in disarray. General Zhou put away his slingshot and called out to his men, "Follow me!" Then he led the 20 men to the top of the slope.
When they reached the top of the slope, they saw a group of peasants, like beggars. Some carried hoes, some shoulder poles, and still others wielded manure forks and wooden sticks. They stared at Zhou Shuai and his men with horror. Mao Jiu, standing right behind him, began hacking away without a word. None of the escorts behind them hesitated, swiftly picking off victims like hungry wolves entering a sheepfold.
Zhou Shuai looked down at the ground again. It was littered with dead bodies and dying men. It was the result of the explosion. Since it was a homemade grenade, it was filled with tiny triangular iron pieces. These pieces pierced the flesh, causing extensive wounds and rapid blood loss. The iron pieces pierced the flesh, causing immense pain to the enemy. Those men wailed as they bled on the ground.
Zhou Shuai lowered his gun and looked off into the distance. Mao Jiu and the twenty men had already killed nearly everyone, with some of us kneeling and begging for mercy. Only a small number escaped.
After a while, Mao Jiu came over and shouted to Zhou Shuai, "Hey! Brother Zhou, give me the iron lump in your hand! I don't want it for nothing! I'll give you as much silver as you want!"
Zhou Shuai asked, "Who are these people?"
"Hey! They are all farmers from the surrounding area. I heard that the leader is called Sun Laosi. They are quite good at fighting around here. These years, the weather is getting drier and drier and there is not much harvest, so they took the risk to deal with the passing merchants. Your iron lump killed that guy in one blow. Several leaders were scared silly! And the muskets in your hands can shoot really far. Better than the muskets of the Beijing camp!" Mao Jiu said with a smile.
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