Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 157: A Flash Attack on Datong

The porridge was divided. It was impossible to eat enough, but at least everyone got a small bowl.

After finishing the porridge, the townspeople looked at the Huaiyin army again, and there was less vigilance and more gratitude in their eyes.

Liang Lie stood on the platform and told everyone that he would distribute porridge again tomorrow and then leave.

When the people in the audience heard this, they became anxious.

Didn’t you say you were going to provide disaster relief? Why are you leaving so soon?
Liang Lie told everyone that disaster relief was indeed disaster relief, but it was not disaster relief here.

The disaster relief location is in Yizhou. They have to go to Yizhou to get relief from Yonghuai Gong. Those who want to go can go to Yizhou with him. He is responsible for ensuring their safety and food along the way.

When this was said, some people believed it and some did not.

Most of them were skeptical. After all, it was Liang Lie's first time here, and the townspeople could not believe him directly.

The next morning, Liang Lie ordered people to cook porridge, and the people all came to eat.

After eating, Liang Lie began to count the number of people who were willing to leave with him.

A total of 643 people, accounting for only about 20% of the total population
When we were getting ready to set off at noon, perhaps because they missed the taste of the meat porridge, more people came, and there were more than 800 people in total.

Then Liang Lie took these people away.

The remaining townspeople looked in the direction Liang Lie left, feeling a little regretful.

Perhaps leaving with Liang Lie is the right choice. If I stay here without any relief, I will starve to death sooner or later.

Liang Lie was just one of the many Huaiyin troops. There were more Huaiyin troops besides him. They went deep into the hinterland of Shandong, cracked down on cults and bullies, and persuaded the people to leave.

At the border area between Yizhou and Suzhou, this place was set up by Zhai Xun as a special disaster relief site.

After the victims arrive here, they will be carefully assigned to do different jobs according to their abilities and receive rewards.

Disaster relief does not mean giving food for free; disaster victims also need jobs.

Relatively speaking, the young and strong will get more rewards. They are usually responsible for some heavy physical work, such as building bridges and roads, opening mountains and digging canals, and they may even be selected into the army and become new soldiers.

Different people receive different rewards based on their contributions. It may not be absolutely fair, but at least it can ensure that everyone will have food to eat after working hard.

Sometimes, the people’s demands are really few. Compared with the court’s indifference, Fang Yong’s behavior made most of the Shandong victims grateful to him.

As Fang Yong's reputation grew, the people of Shandong began to trust him more and more, and many people came to him to seek refuge.

When Liang Lie set foot in Xiaonian Town again, the townspeople's attitude towards him suddenly changed, and they all rushed to follow him.

In addition to disaster relief, Fang Yong also has a special combat force.

After the Yellow River disaster, various large and small bandit forces appeared throughout Shandong.

Among them, the more important ones include the Daqingshan bandits, Taishan bandits, Lushan bandits, etc.

Fang Yong's combat unit was specifically responsible for clearing out these bandits, either by persuading them to surrender or by eliminating them, and then taking their place and occupying various key locations in Shandong to prepare for subsequent operations.

At that time, the late rice was harvested and Fang Yong's food reserves skyrocketed.

The sufficient treasury allowed Fang Yong to move faster.

His influence extended throughout Shandong.

There was a group of Taishan bandits in Shandong who took advantage of the disaster to plunder towns and gather disaster victims, thus growing to a group of about 10,000 people.

After Fang Yong intervened in Shandong, since Mount Tai was easy to defend but difficult to attack and there were many bandits in Mount Tai, Fang Yong did not want to increase casualties, so he sent people to appease the bandits in Mount Tai.

Unexpectedly, the Taishan bandits pretended to surrender during the negotiations, but actually broke their promise and hid in Taishan after defrauding Fang Yong of a batch of supplies.

Fang Yong was furious.

Not long after, Zhou Shuan led 12,000 elite Huaiyin troops to Mount Tai. After finding out the main areas where the Taishan bandits were located, Zhou Shuan chose to set fire to the mountain without hesitation.

The forests after the beginning of winter are already flammable, and once a big fire is set, the Taishan bandits on the mountain will have no escape.

The Taishan bandits desperately fled down the mountain. Zhou Shuan had anticipated this and had the Huaiyin army set up a defense line at the foot of the mountain and surrounded them.

After the Taishan bandits appeared, Zhou Shuan ordered his soldiers to fire cannons and shoot arrows.

The Taishan bandits were surrounded in front and a fire behind them. They had nowhere to escape and could only die in large numbers on the mountainside.

It was snowing lightly at the time, and the snow was blown by the wind. The snowflakes fell from the sky and turned directly into hot rain.

Soon after, the largest group of bandits in Shandong was completely wiped out.

Following Fang Yong's order, Zhou Shuan stationed his troops in Mount Tai and waited for the opportunity.

At the same time, winter also arrived in the north.

Wang Ziteng led his soldiers on a march through Shanhaiguan and arrived at Fengtian in Liaodong.

The climate in Liaodong is not really good. It was freezing cold along the way and the soldiers couldn't help but complain.

Upon seeing this, Wang Ziteng decided to take the opportunity to win people's hearts and personally paid for winter clothes for the soldiers.

But after some calculation, I found that winter clothes were too expensive, so I changed to cotton gloves and socks.

Even so, the soldiers were still very grateful.

For these low-level people, cotton gloves are already very good. Other soldiers want them but don’t have them yet!

on the grassland.

With the arrival of winter, the activities of cattle and sheep decrease and the herders begin to have more free time.

The cavalry had already assembled under the order of Kah Khan. After spies reported the situation, it was found that the Han people had fallen into the trap and the Da Xi army was transferred to Liaodong. Now was the best time to advance into the Central Plains!
There was a gleam of excitement in Kah Khan's eyes.

The wizard was chanting ancient scriptures on the side.

Kah Khan threw the liquor into the air and prayed in his heart:
"May the Eternal Heaven bless us to victory in this battle, and may our people rule the Central Plains!"

After that, he smashed the wine glass and ordered:
"set off!"

The war horses neighed, and the grassland army officially set off.

In addition to war horses, there were also large numbers of driven cattle and sheep, which provided food for the army.

Kah Khan was still somewhat nervous at this time.

His family was originally a small family. It was only with the help of Li Hao that his father's generation carried out slave reform and gradually became powerful.

All in all, it is only about fifty years.

Previously, Kah Khan's goal had always been to recapture Liaodong first and then attack the Central Plains. But now, he suddenly had to advance directly into Zhongxia, and Kah Khan felt somewhat lacking in confidence.

Kah Khan even wanted to give up at one point, but it was Li Hao's repeated insistence that gave Kah Khan confidence.

Li Hao followed beside Kah Khan. He was only four years younger than Wu Yuan and rode on a warhorse, not looking old at all.

Li Hao looked far into the distance towards the capital and thought to himself, "I'm back."

A sentry post outside Datong City.

The guards inside were baking steamed buns without any precautions. Suddenly, the earth shook and the buns jumped in the pan.

"It's the cavalry!"

The defender ran out to check, and the scene before him made him pale.

"The grassland has crossed the border!"

Li Hao knew very well that what Caoyuan needed to win the war was speed!
We must take the city quickly at all costs.

Otherwise, once Da Xi reacts and recalls his troops to defend the city, the grassland will have no chance at all.

(End of this chapter)