Tiger Guards

Chapter 14: Abundant Martial Arts
Later, Pei Xiu and Guanqiu Xing each led a few people out of the small camp and went to find the three small camps in Anyi, Beijiang and Nanjiang respectively.

Beijiang is Jiangyi, and Nanjiang is Xinjiang, located southeast of Zijin Mountain and in the upper reaches of Sushui River.

These two Jiangs are close neighbors to Wenxi.

Anyi was the capital of Hedong County, located south of Wenxi.

These people didn't know who Wei Xing and Zhao Ji were, but they definitely knew Pei Xiu and Guanqiu Xing.

Jia Kui's hometown was Xiangling, located near Pingyang in the north. It was the main force of the Baibo Army and suffered great damage from the war.

Many powerful people and county officials were captured in large numbers by the Baibo Army. After surrendering them, the Baibo Army obtained official positions and took over the county officials who were defending the city.

Especially during the previous period of serving the king, no one dared to resist the call of the Baibo Army.

Now that the Huns continue to migrate south, there is a subtle trend of Hedong being divided into north and south by the Fen River.

A large number of Huns appeared in the area where Jia Kui lived, and the counties around him volunteered to become Hu Ben and advocated deep-level integration, but they suffered the loss of fighting alone.

Only through this deep-level integration can the people of Hedong unite as one in the long run to cope with the continued southward migration and growth of the Xiongnu.

This was the idea of the scholars around Pingyang, but not the idea of the scholars in the south.

In the south, there are the natural barriers of Jishan and Fenshui, which provide the conditions for fighting against the Huns alone.

In the small camp where the Anyi team was located, there were more than fifty volunteers who had applied for the Tiger Guards, and nearly half of them were followers of the Wei family.

The brave and strong soldiers from other families are not eligible to apply to join the Tiger Guards.

To participate, one must at least have a clean background, some savings, or be well-known in the county, and at the same time be free.

Respondents, guests, refugees and the like were not taken into consideration at all.

No matter how poor the emperor is, he is not qualified to be approached by the evil proletarians or servants.

The Hedong Wei family has a strong foundation and no shortage of affiliated families. These followers are either students, children of former officials, or relatives of the Wei family.

The one who applied for the position was Wei Gu, the second son in the family. Although his family was wealthy, the inheritance rights had nothing to do with him. This time, he could be considered starting a business and serving as an official.

Wei Gu was one year older than Pei Xiu and had already entered the adulthood ceremony, with the courtesy name Zhongjian.

Inside the barracks, Pei Xiu briefly recounted the events of the previous night and asked, "Master Jia Liang has long-term ambitions, but our limited fodder and military supplies make it difficult to train our troops. The road to Henei is treacherous and mountainous, and bandits abound along the way. The emperor is surrounded by dangers, so how could he sit idly by and watch us defend him? My elder brother is knowledgeable about military affairs. You should restore order and work for the benefit of all. What do you think?"

The two families are of similar status. In terms of family prestige, the Ma Shi family is ranked first or second in the county, far surpassing the third in the county.

Compared with these three families, the Jia and Guanqiu families are of lower rank, the Liu and Fan families are even lower, and then the county's wealthy and powerful families are the next in rank.

Wei Gu has a heroic appearance and is more handsome than Pei Xiu.

He sat upright and asked with a smile, "From what you said, Qilang has made up his mind?"

"Yes, I have asked Guanqiu Xing to persuade Beijiang and Nanjiang. If successful, our four teams will be reorganized into one. Even if we encounter difficulties in the future, we can advance and retreat together and support each other. If we advance, we can serve as the emperor, and if we retreat, we can return to our hometown."

Pei Xiu said calmly, "Wang Zhi has a big appetite, I won't let him have his way."

Wei Gu naturally did not like Jia Kui's reorganization plan. He had the most followers in his family, and his personal safety would not be guaranteed after the reorganization. However, Jia Kui had a long-term vision, and what he said last night left Anyi Bingcao speechless.

After a moment's hesitation, Wei Gu asked, "We recommend a brave and strong man to be the commander of the garrison, but Wang Zhi doesn't agree. What should we do?"

"The current situation depends on both Brother Zhongjian and me. How can we let them slaughter us?"

Pei Xiu clenched his right fist and waved it gently: "It's good that Wang Zhi is obedient. If he dares to make trouble, Brother Zhongjian can just watch. My brother Zhao Aji is very brave and resolute, and with the likes of Wei Ziang, we will make Wang Zhi know our methods!"

If this generation is controlled by Wang Yi's nephew, then going back to the past, will the fathers and brothers of each family also be controlled by Wang Yi?
Just take action and don't kill Wang Zhi. My father and brothers at home will withstand Wang Yi's pressure.

Wei Gu also had concerns, as his home was in Anyi.

But this involves a matter of principle. If he dares to give in, he will find it difficult to hold his head up among his peers and will be looked down upon by his elders.

The emperor appointed Wang Yi as the General Zhenbei, on par with Liu Biao, the General Zhennan... Did Wang Yi really think he could emulate Liu Biao, kill the commander-in-chief, and seize the troops of various families?

From the moment he received the golden seal of General Zhenbei, every family began to treat him like a thief.

The counties in the north of the county were oppressed by the Xiongnu who migrated south, and were eager to move closer to the royal city.

Wei Gu weighed the pros and cons again and again. What he hesitated about was not whether to participate or not, but whether he wanted the fame and influence.

He cannot be compared with Pei Xiu. Pei Mao is the Imperial Censor, one of the most important arms around the emperor, and a hero of the eastward migration.

Then, Wei Gu smiled and said, "If Wang Zhi is ignorant and stubborn, Qilang will take action. If Qilang cannot capture him, I will lead my men to kill him." "Brother, you are so righteous. I bow to you!"

Pei Xiu stood up and bowed deeply.

Wei Gu stood up and supported Pei Xiu. "They are ignorant of fate. For the safety of our men, I have no choice but to do this. I will send people to Beijiang and Nanjiang immediately. With the combined strength of all of us, perhaps we can force Wang Zhi and Jia Kui to retreat."

"With my elder brother's initiative and my younger brother's support, this matter will be accomplished!"

Pei Xiu praised, and Wei Gu was quite impressed. He took Pei Xiu's arm and walked out the door: "There is no time to lose."

Several small camps were located adjacent to each other. Guanqiu Xing was still trying to persuade Beijiang to enlist as a Tiger Guard when a representative from the Nanjiang team opened the door and said, "What's there to consider? There are many bandits in the Taihang Mountains. They're forming a group with strangers. Are they trying to kill us? Are we going to stick our necks out and be killed?"

The representatives of the Beijiang team looked embarrassed. They had direct contact with the Xiongnu tribes north of the Fen River and knew very well that if they wanted to fight against the Xiongnu who migrated south, they had to unite the forces of all counties.

So Jia Kui's proposal was exactly what he wanted.

Nanjiang is different. It is located on the southernmost of the eight paths of Taihang Mountains, Chenguanxing, and to the east is the area of activity of the Black Mountain Army.

Although Emperor Lingdi issued an edict to pacify the Black Mountain Army, Zhang Yan was only the nominal leader and was unable to forcefully restrain and manage the various units of the Black Mountain Army.

The Black Mountain Army that occupied various valleys was similar to the Huns, and they would go out to plunder during the slack season.

Only when fellow villagers gather together and rush to Hanoi can they save the majority of people when encountering an emergency.

If attacked in the mountains, there will inevitably be chaos and confusion.

The more you stick together, the more likely the thieves will bully the weak and fear the strong, and they will not dare to force you too much.

If we really follow Jia Kui's plan and carry out deep mixing, we will be surrounded by people we don't know... This will be really bad.

If you hang out with fellow villagers, the worst that can happen is death, but your fellow villagers can still bury you or take you back home.

Seeing that the three leaders of Beijiang were silent, Ximen Jian, a Nanjiang native, glared and said, "Jia Liangdao can hardly protect himself. Who can save you when the Xiongnu invade?"

The only ones who can save Beijiang are Nanjiang and Wenxi.

One person sighed and immediately stood up: "Although Jia Liangdao's idea is good, it is impractical."

Another man also stood up and said fiercely, "Since that's the case, assemble in the training grounds and elect a garrison commander!"

If there really were Xiongnu bandits invading and looting, the people of Xiangling in the north would be too busy guarding their gates to come to the rescue of Beijiang.

Now the third person had no choice but to sit there with his head down. His father had studied in the Jia family and was a disciple of the Jia family.

If he doesn't object at this time, it means he agrees.

Guanqiu Xing breathed a sigh of relief. After they left together, he whispered to Ximen Jian, "The Xiongnu's sword is still more effective."

Ximen Jian smiled and said, "It's not just the Xiongnu. The Black Mountain bandits are like tigers and wolves right beside us. We are from the same hometown and should be of the same blood. If we harbor disloyalty, how can we survive?"

As he spoke, he saw the gates of the Wenxi camp on the other side of the low wall had been opened. Wei Xing, wearing a red scarf on his head, walked out quickly and waved his arms behind him, shouting, "Hurry up!"

Guanqiu Xing's gaze fell on Zhao Ji, and he saw Zhao Ji striding out with a bow on his back, a sword and quiver on his waist, and an iron halberd in his hand.

Yang Ji, who had the best relationship with Zhao Ji, was wearing a tattered cloak, covering his face with a heavy crossbow in his hand.

Five county soldiers, all armed with spears and halberds, stood inside the wall with Hu Ban, along with the clerk.

Hu Ban looked at the Anyi team diagonally opposite, and the Anyi team sent people straight to the camp gate.

The five Jiangyi garrison soldiers guarding the camp gate immediately ran away and ran towards their small camp.

An Anyi Tiger Guard who had lost his horse rushed to the front, shouting, "Where is the horse thief?"

While cursing, he threw the stone in his hand hard.

The garrison soldier who was hit and fell behind also looked back, dodged to the side, and ran wildly, overtaking two people in a row.

In the open space of the training ground, Zhao Ji stopped and looked around, enjoying the sunshine and the sense of relaxation brought by the spacious ground. Infected by the emotions around him, he shouted to Yang Ji: "We are full of martial virtues!"

Yang Ji was quite nervous because he had secretly brought a strung crossbow, which would be a serious crime if caught.

Seeing his uneasy expression, Zhao Ji patted his shoulder and said, "We are the ones in charge now. If any thieves dare to take advantage of the chaos to kidnap Sima Wang, give me the crossbow immediately!"

"Yes~!"

(End of this chapter)