Sui and Tang Dynasty Generals

Chapter 46: Zhou Zhubu of Xian County

"Father, mother, Hou'er will go to the Li residence to take care of Brother Cui! He will not be coming back home for the next few days!"

"Okay! Hou'er, remember to build a good relationship with him! Hey, Hou'er, whose sword do you have in your hand? Don't just take someone else's!"

With three small bamboo tubes and a small gourd hanging around his waist, Fu Zihou left home, taking Cui Wenjin's sword, on the pretext of staying at Li's house.

Fu Zihou did not look back, for fear that any hesitation or delay would be noticed by his family.

Inside the government office of Xin County.

"What can we do about this? What can we do about this?"

Zhou Hao, the chief clerk of Xin County, was walking back and forth with a frown on his face.

Although Xin County has tried its best and continuously sent people to Qinghe for rescue, as long as the siege of Qinghe has not been lifted and people are facing a life-and-death situation, no matter how much they say, it will be of no use.

County Magistrate Wang also knew this, so he was currently at Li's residence, discussing the matter with Cui and others.

"My lord, my lord!"

Seeing his trusted clerk running towards him in a hurry, Zhou Hao hurried forward.

"how is the situation?"

Zhou Hao asked.

The clerk shook his head and looked at Zhou Hao breathlessly.

"My Lord, we are all defeated..."

The clerk reported to Zhou Hao with a bitter face that the last group of troops rushing to Qinghe's rescue were also killed by Zhang Jincheng's men, and the generals were also beheaded.

"what!"

When Zhou Hao heard his confidant's words, he froze in place, staring blankly at the sky in the direction of Qinghe with a look of despair.

All the troops that came to support Qinghe in the past few days were defeated by Zhang Jincheng, and no one escaped.

Right now, even the last glimmer of hope is gone!
"Sir, Zhang Jincheng is no ordinary thief! Back then, General Duan Da of the Left Guard was defeated by Zhang Jincheng, and then General Wang Bian, the Wu Ben Lang Jiang, also led a large army, together with Yang Shanhui, the prefect of Qinghe County, and Yang Yuanhong, the governor of Pingyuan, to encircle and suppress Zhang Jincheng. As a result, if Yang Shanhui had not selected 500 elite troops and rushed to Wang Bian, Wang Bian would have been killed by Zhang Jincheng! This time, Zhang Jincheng is obviously here for revenge, and he is obviously determined to kill Yang Shanhui!"

The clerk said to Zhou Hao.

In the eyes of the yamen officials, Xin County had done its best. After all, Zhang Jincheng was too powerful. Not to mention Xin County, but in the entire Xindu County and Qinghe County, the only one who could fight against Zhang Jincheng was Yang Shanhui.

But it happened that Wang Xuba captured Gaoyang County last month, and he and Wei Daoer each plundered the land in the north. The troops of Qinghe, Xindu, Pingyuan and Bohai counties had all been transferred to the north.

Zhang Jincheng must have also wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of the biggest obstacle, Yang Shanhui.

"Does Mr. Dou have any news?"

Zhou Hao ignored his confidant's words, but thought of something and asked hurriedly.

The clerk had a bitter face and shook his head, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Looking at Zhou Hao who seemed to have lost all his strength, he sighed and spoke his true feelings.

"Sir, the Qinghe County Magistrate Yang Shanhui is upright and famous for his integrity. In the early years, he led troops to encircle and suppress rebels everywhere. Countless rebel leaders died at his hands. When Yang Shanhui's name is mentioned, all rebels are terrified. In addition, Yang Shanhui has always hated rebels and is irreconcilable with them. I am afraid that at this moment, apart from Lord Dou, even the warriors under Lord Dou's command want Yang Shanhui to die!"

The yamen official advised Zhou Hao not to hold on to any more illusions, as Qinghe County was now in a dead end.

"What should I do? Cui helped me in my early years. If I can't help relieve the siege of Qinghe..."

Zhou Hao's tone was a little confused. As long as the siege of Qinghe was not resolved, he would not be able to face the Cui clan members.

"Find a way to recruit some more men! If that doesn't work, I will lead the troops myself!"

Zhou Hao said helplessly, still not giving up.

The clerk's face changed drastically. He knew better than anyone that Chief Clerk Zhou Hao was just an ordinary scholar. He had lived for more than 40 years and had never touched a sword, let alone mounted a horse and led troops. In the past few days, all the generals and warriors selected from the clerks of the Xin County yamen and the Xin County garrison had died or been injured in the battle with Zhang Jincheng. Wouldn't Zhou Hao be going to die in vain?

However, before the clerk could say anything to persuade him, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Sir, this man said he is here to lead the troops to rescue Qinghe!"

A clerk came to Zhou Hao to report.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hao and his confidants couldn't help but look at the young man who was approaching.

"Nonsense! The battlefield is not a child's play. You can lead the troops just like that? Take them out!"

Zhou Hao scolded.

Seeing how young Fu Zihou looked, Zhou Hao's first reaction was that the boy might have been instigated by someone or was just acting on impulse.

Zhou Hao was so angry that he immediately asked the officials to take the man away.

In Zhou Hao's eyes, the boy was quite brave, but he probably had never been to the battlefield and had never seen people being hacked to death. Even if the boy was courageous and did not flee in fear, the act of leading the troops depended on the success or failure and thousands of lives. How could he easily hand it over to a stranger?

It’s better to be a soldier!

"Sir, he...he has Cui's keepsake!"

The yamen official felt a little embarrassed when he heard what Zhou Hao said. If he had not seen Cui's token just now, he would not have brought the young man here to see Zhou Hao.

"Cui's keepsake?"

Zhou Hao frowned when he heard this, and looked at the boy with some doubt.

It was not until this time that Zhou Hao, who was observing carefully, noticed that the sword in the boy's hand looked familiar. It seemed to be... the favorite sword of Cui Wenjin, the daughter of the Cui family.

Zhou Hao had seen the sword before, or rather, he had some impression of a carved pattern on the scabbard.

"What is your relationship with Cui?"

Signaling the clerk who had reported the matter to leave first, Zhou Hao looked at Fu Zihou. At this time, he couldn't help but be a little reserved. When he raised his hand to ask, his tone was also much more polite.

The Qinghe Cui family has this weight in any place in Hebei and any government office. "Fu Zihou, I pay my respects to Zhou Zhubu! Zihou and the Cui family are a cooperation..."

Fu Zihou came up to Zhou Hao, bowed to him in return, and without waiting for Zhou Hao to ask, he took out Cui Yuzhe's wooden sign from his arms and handed it to Zhou Hao.

“Friends too!”

Fu Zihou discovered that Cui's reputation was really useful. No wonder so many people got excited and looked longing when they mentioned Cui.

Judging from Zhou Zhubu's attitude before and after, it can be seen that the Cui family's name is really useful.

"Choi Woo-cheol..."

Zhou Hao took the wooden sign and was stunned when he saw the name on it.

Because a few days ago, Cui Yuzhe came to him and took away the recruited soldiers and horses to rush to Qinghe for assistance.

But Zhou Hao had already heard that Cui Yuzhe had been defeated and seriously injured, and returned to Xin County, and was now recuperating in Li's Mansion.

At this moment, looking at the young boy in front of him, Zhou Hao frowned slightly and hesitated for a moment. Logically, since the boy could produce the token of Cui Yuzhe and his sister, he should believe the boy.

But seeing how young the boy was, Zhou Hao was afraid that the boy would take the able-bodied men of Xin County to die in vain.

"Zihou came here today because he wants someone!"

Fu Zihou looked at Zhou Hao and said softly.

Be quiet for a long time.

Zhou Hao was a little hesitant, but in the end, looking at the wooden sign, he sighed.

"How many people are needed?"

Logically, Zhou Hao should not have said this. After all, the siege of Qinghe has not been resolved yet. As long as there are people willing to lead the troops, Zhou Hao should be eager to gather everyone and lead them all to the other side.

However, looking at the young boy in front of him, Zhou Hao felt a little uneasy.

Over the past few days, the number of men that could be recruited has become fewer and fewer. If Zhou Hao had not seen that the young man had Cui's token, he would not have handed over any man to the young man.

"In the past few days, the soldiers from Xin County who went to support Qinghe suffered heavy casualties. There are less than a thousand soldiers who can still fight, and the number of men recruited is getting smaller and smaller. I can't give you too much! At least not now!"

While Zhou Hao was explaining the current situation to Fu Zihou, he returned the wooden sign and signaled Fu Zihou to think it over carefully. This was leading troops, and it was not a joke. Moreover, there were not many males that could be mobilized in Xin County at the moment, and most of them were the defeated soldiers before.

If we recruit, it's too late.

"Less than a thousand? That little?"

Fu Zihou frowned slightly. No wonder when they were at Li's house, those scholars and dignitaries all said that there was nothing they could do about the current situation.

"Zihou will not take all the remaining troops! I hope that Master Zhou can agree to let Zihou choose the people himself!"

Fu Zihou took back Cui Yuzhe's ID card, put it in his arms, then raised his hand and said to Zhou Hao.

"pick?"

After hearing Fu Zihou's words, Zhou Hao, who had originally thought that Fu Zihou would ask for all males, and Zhou Hao's trusted clerks, all stood there in a daze, looking at each other.

This young boy actually said that he wanted to choose someone himself!
How many meals has this young man eaten? How many people has he met? He actually said he wanted to choose people himself!

"But... I have already said that there are not many soldiers left!"

Zhou Hao frowned, sighed, and reminded Fu Zihou.

No matter where the young man heard it from, some famous generals would select elite troops when leading the troops. But given the current situation in Xin County, there were not many soldiers left, and they were all defeated soldiers who had previously rescued Qinghe and fled back after being defeated.

In the past, when there were more troops, those soldiers could not defeat Zhang Jincheng. Now they are all defeated soldiers who have run back, and this young man still wants to pick people. No matter how Zhou Hao thinks, he feels that this young man is fooling around.

At this moment, if the young man did not have Cui's token, Zhou Hao would have wanted to drive him away.

Zhou Hao also knew that many famous generals would select elite soldiers from the army when they led the troops, but Zhou Hao knew it better, not to mention that other famous generals had led troops for many years and knew the army inside and out, even Yang Shanhui, the then magistrate of Qinghe County, had spent time and energy, repeatedly selecting, and only then did he select 500 elite soldiers before the battle.

Zhou Hao had never heard of the general who selected the troops that day.

At this moment, facing the critical situation in Qinghe and the remnants of the defeated army who fled back to Xin County, this young man came up and said that he would pick the people. Zhou Hao even suspected that this young man had a problem with his brain.

"Zhou Zhubu did say that there were not many soldiers left, but he did not say how many prisoners were left in the prison in Xin County?"

Fu Zihou said softly, looking at Zhou Hao and the yamen official beside him.

"prisoner???"

When Zhou Hao and the yamen official heard Fu Zihou's words, they all looked at each other. At this moment, looking at the young man in front of them, they quickly thought of the young man's plan.

This boy!
He planned to lead the prisoners from Xin County to Qinghe for rescue!!!

After learning about the boy's idea, Zhou Hao and the yamen official beside him felt their scalps tingling in an instant, and they could not help but look at the boy with shock on their faces.

"This young man actually wants to use prisoners!"

Zhou Hao looked at the young man with a dazed expression.

At least for Zhou Hao, he had never seen anyone express such crazy ideas in front of him in his life.

But along with it comes hope.

yes! !
Prisoners can also be used as soldiers! This situation was not uncommon in the Northern and Southern Dynasties a few decades ago!

Although the Sui Dynasty was prosperous for decades with strong military and horses, and the situation of the Northern and Southern Dynasties had never occurred again, it was indeed a method for the siege of Qinghe at the moment.

　Note: In ancient times, information was not well developed, many people had never read books, and information was not transmitted well.

　　Not everyone remembers or knows about things that happened decades ago. Be the first person to try.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)