Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 121: Pacification of Huizhou

Ma Laohei had no intention of staying in Lantian County. After he captured Anqing and Chizhou, he led his troops straight to Huangshan and just passed by this place on the way.

Huangshan is the last big city in Huizhou and also a military stronghold at the end of Huizhou. After taking Huangshan, Fang Yong can connect all the big cities in Huizhou area into a line to form a complete defense.

However, what was unexpected was that when passing through Lantian County on the way, Mr. Geng of Lantian County, who might have lived in the mountains for a long time and had become too bold, not only did he not surrender voluntarily when he saw the army approaching, he even dared to fight back.

He ambushed and attacked a vanguard of the Huaiyin Army responsible for exploring the way in the mountains, and injured 106 Huaiyin Army soldiers!
He acted extremely arrogantly, only injuring people but not killing them. He seemed to be imitating the strategy of the former Duke Shanguo, hoping to use it to hinder the logistics of the Huaiyin army.

Thinking of the days when he had fought with Shan Guogong, Ma Laohei became furious and immediately ordered his army to march into Lantian County.

Upon seeing this, Master Geng immediately hid in the Geng family's small city, which was defended by less than a thousand servants, and was also equipped with several crossbows and small cannons.

Seeing Ma Laohei's army coming, Master Geng ordered his men to fire.

Several artillery shells were fired, hitting the front of the army accurately, leaving behind several arrogant craters.

Ma Laohei was furious. He waved the command flag and the heavy wheels slowly moved forward.

Gao Li commanded the artillery battalion to surround Geng's small town. Hundreds of cannons were lined up below. Master Geng was shocked when he saw this.

In fact, he had no intention of resisting the Huaiyin army.

He had originally planned to surrender to the Huaiyin Army, but the Geng family now almost monopolized the resources of the entire Lantian County. If he surrendered directly, even if the Huaiyin Army was more tolerant of the conditions for the big families, it would be impossible for him to continue to maintain his current status.

Therefore, Master Geng thought that he should first show his strength to the Huaiyin Army, and then choose to surrender after the Huaiyin Army became afraid of him, so that he could get a higher status.

It was with this in mind that Master Geng strictly ordered his men to exercise caution and not to harm anyone when he led his men in the previous sneak attack. This way, even if they were surrounded by the Huaiyin army, there would still be room for easing the situation.

And the artillery fire just now was deliberately fired in front of the Huaiyin Army by his orders, in order to intimidate the Huaiyin Army and use it as capital for subsequent negotiations.

After all, artillery is not something that ordinary people can own.

There are only a few intact cannons in many cities of Daxi, which shows the strength of the Geng family.

However, what Mr. Geng did not expect was that the strength of the Huaiyin Army was so strong.

He originally wanted to rely on the small town that his family was proud of to resist and negotiate with the Huaiyin Army, but now looking at the hundreds of artillery pieces below, it seems that he can't stop it!
The opponent is too strong, so let’s just surrender.

Master Geng quickly ordered his men to call for surrender.

Several servants with loud voices walked up to the city wall and shouted:
"Don't fire, we surrender, we want to surrender!"

Ma Laohei asked Gao Li, what were they shouting?
Gao Li said: "They told us to fire quickly, saying that our guns were not firing!"

Ma Laohei clenched his fist and said, "The cannon doesn't fire? Okay, fire it and see if it fires or not!"

At the command, the artillery fired.

"Boom boom boom!"

Countless artillery fire rang out continuously. Those slaves on the city were not combat soldiers. It was ok for them to pretend to fight when they had nothing to do. But now that such intensive artillery fire was coming, it was like the collapse of the sky and the earth. How could they dare to resist?

After all, the small city built by the Geng family was not a real city wall. After several rounds of bombardment, gaps and cracks appeared in the city wall.

Ma Laohei then ordered his army to advance.

They didn't even use a tower crane, they just set up a few ladders and broke into the Geng family's house.

"We surrender, we surrender."

Master Geng said while crying in great embarrassment.

Ma Laohei sneered. Actually, he heard it. However, the Geng family was so wealthy and powerful. If they really surrendered, how would they deal with the military settlement?

Sometimes, there are things that the general cannot do, so he needs to help the general solve his problems...

"Everyone from the Geng family will be taken to the execution ground and beheaded!"

After that, Ma Laohei continued to lead his troops towards the Huangshan area.

The terrain in this area is complex and the forests are dense, so you need to be much more cautious.

At the same time, the armies of Zhang Yuan and Zhai Xun quickly approached Ningguo Prefecture. Ningguo Prefecture is located in the southeast of Huizhou, in the mountainous area of southern Anhui, bordering Suzhou and Hangzhou to the east and Huangshan to the west. It is a key place for business travel between the north and the south.

This place has good military value, but the city is not large.

Although it is not small, it is far behind nearby cities such as Jinling and Hangzhou.

The defenders in the city did not choose to surrender. They even had the courage to form a navy and fight a naval battle with Zhang Yuan's troops.

Unfortunately, this navy was easily defeated by Zhang Yuan.

The two armies soon arrived at the city and began to attack.

The rain had just started to fall, soaking the city walls and washing away the bloodstains.

After occupying Ningguo Prefecture, Zhai Xun and Zhang Yuan did not stay for long. They immediately marched to both sides and captured the remaining counties and towns.

Then the military settlement began.

The generals of the Huaiyin Army have two essential skills.

One is to fight wars, the other is to cultivate land.

The policy of military settlements spread rapidly. Although the land in Huizhou was not as fertile as that in Suzhou, it was also an important grain-producing area. At all times, grain was the most basic resource for a regime.

The cuckoo is calling in the late spring, and there are many things to do when planting seeds.

Fang Yong fulfilled his promise in Chaozhou.

The people took off their military uniforms and got the land they had long dreamed of.

Although the final ownership of this land still belongs to Fang Yong and 70% of the harvest must be handed over, the people still rejoice and cheer, prostrating themselves on the land and crying tears of joy.

The management of military settlements was very strict, and if one was lazy when farming, he would be severely punished.

But the people had no objection to this.

Because the vast majority of the people are hardworking, down-to-earth, and hardworking, just like an old ox that never stops working, always tilling and tilling, exhausting everything to raise a young ox, and then continuing to till and till...

Such a scene reminds Fang Yong of Mencius' theory of human nature, but if you think about it carefully, this may not be the theory of human nature, but Darwin's theory of evolution.

The fittest survive and the unfit perish.

Those people who were born "lazy" and not so hardworking have all starved to death, so naturally only the current group of hardworking people are left.

Fang Yong rolled up his trouser legs and worked with the people to tidy up the rice fields and draw water to irrigate the fields.

It's all show, but so what.

As long as it works.

Many people gathered around, and some women looked at Wei Xing beside Fang Yong with shining eyes.

General, they dare not even think about it, but Wei Xing...

Wei Xing was half a finger shorter than Fang Yong, but he was much stronger and looked very strong, and was very popular among women.

Wei Xing worked hard, and it was obvious that he also came from a poor family, but he was more skilled than Fang Yong.

The people thought Wei Xing was a soldier. A young girl mustered up the courage to step forward and asked, "Hey, what's your name?"

Wei Xing lowered his head and worked without saying a word.

How can a worthless person be worthy of him?

Even though he also came from a poor family, he had lofty ambitions and was even quite conceited, so he was unwilling to say a word to the other party at this time.

At this time, the messenger arrived.

"General, an urgent letter from Mr. Yin!"

(End of this chapter)