Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 371 Escort

Jizhou.

Shi Wansui, holding a horse lance, slowly advanced along the left side of the official road, his eyes always fixed on the army on his right.

On his right was a large group of soldiers.

These soldiers were not wearing armor and did not carry any weapons. They were marching empty-handed.

Even with their bare hands and bodies, these people looked exceptionally ferocious.

They are generally tall, with a variety of hair styles, and they march in a neat formation and at a relatively fast speed.

At the front, there were fully armed knights and infantry leading the way, and in the back there were more than a hundred infantry and chariots transporting food, fodder and weapons.

On both sides of the army, there were many knights from the Mandrill Camp shuttling back and forth.

There were nearly three thousand people with bare hands and no clothes among them.

These are all Jinyang soldiers.

A group of old soldiers from Jinyang who do not do farming, but only practice killing skills all day long, and can eat and drink as much as they want. They are far ahead in physique and training.

Two young officers followed Shi Wansui, looking a little unhappy.

"General, ordinary soldiers can do things like transporting money and food for the soldiers. Why do we have to help them escort them? Can we be robbed in our own territory?"

"We heard that the general has ascended the throne, but we can't join the celebration in Pingcheng, but have to escort things in this damn place. It's really a bummer!"

On the way, the two officers heard postmen and customs officials mention the enthronement many times, and people from all over the country were also celebrating.

As the general's most core army, they were very resentful about not being able to participate in the coronation ceremony.

Shi Wansui glanced at the two of them, then stared cautiously at the Jinyang soldiers on the way.

"You think we're here to protect these people?"

"The Jinyang soldiers have always been fierce, and there is no general they are familiar with at the moment. Even if they are unarmed, once something happens, these more than a hundred Shuozhou soldiers will really not be able to stop them. If any hundred of them escape, it will be a great threat to the local area."

"In Jinyang before, they even dared to attack the imperial palace. Without our help, how could they be escorted to various places safely?"

The two officers no longer refuted, but still felt helpless.

Shi Wansui added, "Don't worry. Once we finish these things, we will naturally be able to return to Pingcheng. The general... no, your majesty will definitely reward you!!"

Everyone is happy.

The king currently under Liu Taozi is the same as the original king of the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty. His title is similar to that of the Zhou emperor. It is slightly inferior to the emperor, but much stronger than the princes. It can be regarded as a retro behavior unique to this era.

Therefore, the titles and etiquette basically adopted the emperor's system, but it was much simpler. There was no separate reign title, but there was a king's reign title. For example, this year was the first year of the King of Han.

Everyone walked quickly onto the road, and Shi Wansui deliberately avoided some villages and farmlands along the way, as well as dense forests that were suitable for escape.

Although this approach may take some time, it can at least reduce many risks.

Before leaving, Gao Yanzong warned him many times not to trust these guys easily. If someone said he was sick and couldn't walk, he must not hesitate but whip him directly.

If there are people surrounding him and trying to intimidate him, arrest them all, tie them up, even if you have to hang them on a saddle and drag them away, do not bow your head.

If these tigers and wolves find out that you are not that ferocious, they may bite you back at any time.

Gao Yanzong's words surprised Shi Wansui.

When he was under his father's command, he saw that his father commanded the troops with benevolence, so the soldiers were willing to serve him. This was the first time he heard of such a way of commanding the army.

However, Shi Wansui knew that he had come from afar and was certainly not as familiar with the Jinyang soldiers as Gao Yanzong, so he followed his advice. Along the way, he did not treat the Jinyang soldiers well. Several people who made trouble for no reason were tied up by Shi Wansui and put in the prison cart at the end.

All the way from Jinyang to Jizhou, everything went smoothly and nothing serious happened.

The Mandrill Camp still played a considerable deterrent role.

No matter how fierce the Jinyang soldiers were, they had to think twice whether they could really escape when facing fully armed elite knights.

As they got closer to Xindu, they met more and more people along the way.

There were many bonfires on both sides of the official road. Many people were warming themselves in front of the bonfires. When they saw the marching soldiers, they were very scared and quickly hid on both sides.

The knights of the Mandrill Camp explored the surroundings and captured a few people for questioning.

He came back soon to report to Shi Wansui.

"General, these people are all from Ji in the past. I heard that they came across the river and said they wanted to return to their homeland."

"Oh?"

Shi Wansui was a little confused. "People from Ji? Crossing the river?"

He seemed to understand something. "If they are just the dead, then don't worry about them. Just don't let them get close."

"only!!"

The closer they got to Xindu, the more dead bodies they saw. Fortunately, there were officials at some important intersections registering and receiving these dead bodies. When they learned that the army was coming, they actively came to help, maintain order along the road, and prevented the dead bodies from recklessly confronting the army.

When Shi Wansui vaguely saw the outline of Xindu City through the sunlight, he also saw the Jizhou army ready for battle in the distance.

The enemy had more than a thousand men, mostly cavalry.

The man leading the group, wearing heavy armor and with a solemn expression, was none other than General Kou Liu of Jizhou.

All the provincial governors went to Pingcheng, but not all the local generals went there. Many generals in important areas chose to stay behind. After all, the places could not be left empty, especially in terms of military command.

Kouliu did not go.

But this did not affect his status in the country or the rewards he received.

Shi Wansui quickened his pace and came to the front of the team. After encountering the other side, he dismounted first and bowed to greet them.

"Meet General Kou!!"

Kou Liu nodded, then looked at the unarmed Jinyang veterans behind him, his expression a little complicated.

"Nothing serious happened along the way, right?"

"No."

Shi Wansui lowered his voice and asked, "You only have these few people? Can you do it?"

Kou Liu frowned, "No problem."

Shi Wansui then stepped back a few steps and asked his soldiers to help transport these old soldiers to the Jizhou parade ground.

Kou Liu and Shi Wansui walked in the front. Shi Wansui continued, "General Kou, these people are not easy to manage, and there are so many of them. Please don't rush to arm them. Their families will be sent here soon and become military households in Jizhou. General Gao Yanzong told me that for at least one month, we should not rush to give them weapons, and we should keep a close eye on them to prevent them from escaping or insulting the local new soldiers."

Seeing Shi Wansui's sincere face, Kouliu no longer frowned and smiled bitterly.

"Brother, you trust us too much. You sent three thousand tiger and wolf soldiers here. I have less than five thousand new soldiers under my command. They have just learned how to form battle formations. If we can't control them, it will be a disaster."

"They should be sent in batches."

"There are many things going on in Jizhou"

Shi Wansui hurriedly explained: "The Lord must also want the locals to train as soon as possible. The war is imminent and he doesn't want to delay any longer."

"If it's inconvenient here, General Kou, I can stay a little longer."

Kou Liu looked at the young man and thought that he was a nice guy.

"No need, just go back when you are done. Although I am not a great general, I will not be overwhelmed by some old soldiers. I have my own way."

Shi Wansui nodded.

Everyone came to the parade ground together.

The new recruits had already lined up around the parade ground and were waiting. The parade ground was newly built and covered a very large area. There were eight camps on all four sides, each capable of accommodating thousands of troops.

The Daxiaochang is located in the southeast of Xindu, like a satellite city.

After Shi Wansui brought these people in, he asked the military officers to start the handover.

A total of 2,764 people were sent there, three of whom were arrested for violating military law on the way, leaving 2,761 people.

The military officers under Kou Liu's command came with documents to register these old soldiers from Jinyang one by one.

The old soldiers were now staying in the central army camp, looking around curiously.

Their arrogance was almost engraved on their faces, with their eyes wide open, staring at people without moving away, giving a strong sense of oppression. Many people looked around the parade ground and commented on them.

"Not as good as Jinyang, there's not even a Pegasus."

"Oh, how could the people here know anything about Pegasus? Look at those soldiers, they look so immature that they can't even form a battle array properly."

"Hahaha, do you think they are afraid now?"

Shi Wansui watched the two sides handing over, and then looked at the lawless appearance of those soldiers, feeling a little worried in his heart. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Kou Liu suddenly rushing out on his horse.

Those people who were talking loudly just now felt a gust of wind blowing before they could finish their words. The next moment, Kou Liu appeared in front of them on his horse, with his warhorse raised high.

Several old soldiers subconsciously took a few steps back, and the rest of the people exclaimed in surprise and almost started to change their formation.

Kou Liu stared at the people in front of him.

"Starting from today!!"

"You are the Jizhou soldiers under my command!!"

"Jizhou soldiers are reorganized into 15,000 men!"

"Rest today, and start training together tomorrow to see what you are capable of. Those who are capable will be rewarded and promoted to higher positions, while those who are incompetent will be dismissed and sent back home to farm!!"

"Get enough rest today, and let me see what you can do tomorrow!"

Kou Liu roared loudly, and several messengers rode their horses to convey his words along the way.

The old soldiers were silent for a moment. Will he be rewarded and promoted to an official tomorrow?
Except for a small number of them, most of the old soldiers standing here are ordinary soldiers, not officers.

There is actually a big difference in the treatment of soldiers and officers.

Especially for people like them, whose families are military households, the higher their status, the better the treatment of their families.

The reorganization of 15,000 people means that there are at least nearly 100 mid-level officers and more than 1,000 grassroots officers waiting for them.
The old soldiers who were talking about everything just now suddenly fell silent, and there were inexplicable colors in their eyes when they looked at each other.

They are not afraid of failing the training at all. If they fail, then no one else will be able to pass.

But is it possible to compete for the position of this officer?
I was just a soldier in Jinyang. If I could become an officer here, I could even move up a step and become a lieutenant or a general.
Kou Liu looked at the people in front of him and asked unhappily: "Didn't you hear what I said?!"

The Jinyang soldiers quickly restored the original order.

"only!!!"

Hearing the shouts of the crowd, Kou Liu nodded with satisfaction and rode his horse back to Shi Wansui's side.

Shi Wansui touched his bald chin and asked, "General Kou, what is this?"

"Promise them benefits."

"The Jinyang soldiers are also human beings, and they have their own aspirations. If they can get better treatment and a better position here, then they will naturally not think of escaping."

"Wait until tomorrow, first promote those who are capable and obedient, let them serve as officers, and then mix the new soldiers with the old soldiers, and I will be able to gradually control this army."

"However, I'm afraid we still need to establish some authority in the middle, and see if any troublemakers take the initiative to stand up."

Shi Wansui understood.

Kou Liu glanced at the busy people and said, "Let them be busy for now. You must be tired after escorting them all the way. I will welcome you and give you a warm welcome. Let's go!"

Kou Liu dragged Shi Wansui to a simple mansion in the rear army camp, where many generals lived.

The house here is relatively small, and the inner room can only accommodate three or four people, but the facilities are quite complete. The two of them sat down, and soldiers brought some food.

Kou Liu asked about the situation in Jinyang.

"Before we arrived in Jinyang, the place was destroyed by the rebels. Nine out of ten houses were empty. The Jinyang soldiers were also seriously damaged. They pulled out so many people now. Then the lord wanted to go back to Pingcheng, so he let us stay and help the local garrison to escort the troops."

"Except for places that are a little far away, the troops from other places should have been sent there."

Shi Wansui scratched his head. He could still say something about the military situation, but he could only give a general idea of ​​the local situation. He didn't know any more details.

But he had many questions to ask Kou Liu.

"General, I saw many dead people along the way, and they all said they were from Jizhou. What's going on?"

Kou Liu laughed, "When we went to recapture Jizhou, these people crossed the river and fled to the south. Then, when they learned that the Han Kingdom had been established in the north, they all ran back."

"There are all kinds of nursery rhymes and prophecies in the south right now."

"I didn't understand why the country was named Han before, but now I understand. These people believe in these things."

"They didn't know that he was the general of Qi, but when they heard that Han was established in the north, they thought it was destiny and they all hurried back home."

"The people in the country are the same, they are superstitious."

Shi Wansui was a little surprised, "General, you don't believe this?"

Shi Wansui knew that Kou Liu was a Xianbei. Among all the Xianbei people he knew, there was not a single one who did not believe in things like destiny, ghosts, gods, and prophecies.

Gao Yanzong himself believed in this. Before escorting the troops to Jinyang, they even found a wizard to perform divination and sacrifice before sending out the troops.

Kou Liu waved his hand and said, "I used to believe it, but after following my brother to attack several temples, I don't believe it so much anymore."

"When I was in Liyang, I saw a secret passage beneath the magnificent golden Buddha statue. It was filled with women who had been abducted. The bodies were piled up like a mountain. I thought, if there really were ghosts and gods, wouldn't these temples be punished by heaven first?"

Shi Wansui was stunned for a moment, "They are being punished by God."

"That's fine if you want to think so. The more you see, the less you believe it. Evil people are rampant, and good people have nowhere to stay. Many evildoers have a good end, and those who do good cannot live long."

Kou Liu said a few words and then stopped talking about this topic.

"You just said that a war is imminent. Brother, are you planning to attack Duan Shao?"

Only then did Shi Wansui realize that he had leaked the secret earlier. He quickly covered his mouth and his eyes widened.

Kou Liu laughed loudly, "Boy, if it is a secret, don't tell it easily in the future, or you will suffer a disaster."

Shi Wansui nodded his head and said yes.

The two of them finished their meal and had a pleasant conversation.

"Even if you don't say it, we can actually tell something. My brother ascended the throne, and I didn't dare to leave easily because of the deceased. But Yao Xiong didn't go either. This is obviously a problem. Yao Xiong would not miss such a fun event even if the sky fell. I think, maybe he is doing something very important?"

"But I won't ask too many questions, and you don't need to say too much."

"May he succeed!"

Kou Liu raised the water bag in his hand and bumped it into Shi Wansui's, thinking it was wine.

Shi Wansui lived in the parade ground that day.

The next day, Shi Wansui was still asleep when he heard shouting and killing outside. Shi Wansui was terrified and rushed out with his weapon.

As soon as I rushed out of the yard, I saw the old soldiers in the distance charging hard.

They held wooden spears, constantly changed and combined their formations, and practiced repeatedly in different places in teams of hundreds.

Kou Liu rode past them on his warhorse, constantly recording something.

The new recruits just stood around, watching the demonstrations of the old soldiers, their eyes full of fear.

There is still a big gap between the two.

Shi Wansui returned to the courtyard, changed his clothes and washed up, then came to watch the training.

Kou Liu first asked them to demonstrate the most basic qualities, which was to form a battle array.

Then the difficulty began to increase, with demonstrations of shooting, horse riding, horse archery, map reading, reading and writing military orders, etc.

It was fine at the beginning, but when the difficulty started to increase, many veterans began to be eliminated, with regretful expressions on their faces.

Shi Wansui looked at the busy bandits in the distance and did not dare to disturb them. He led his knights, gave a few instructions to the military officers, and left quietly.

On the way back, everyone was in high spirits and walked much faster.

Shi Wansui's face was full of smiles.

If I return to Jinyang earlier, I might be able to get some military merit! !

(End of this chapter)