Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 122 Who Can Ask Lian Po’s Old Age? (V)

Zhang Baiyu said that he didn't understand how Wei Sheng was winning over the hearts of these villagers, but it was actually a bit early to say that.

In fact, he would soon witness the methods of this loyal and righteous army commander who came from a humble background and had a complicated experience.

Just after noon, at about 1:00 p.m., Zhang Chou's third uncle ate two mouthfuls of dry food and continued to work in the fields. He didn't know the outcome of the battle and didn't want to know. He only knew that if he didn't work harder, the family's food supply for next year would really be rained out.

Just as he stood up to ease his aching waist, he heard many cheers coming from the east. The old man leaned on his hands to look and saw that the laborers who had evacuated in the morning had returned.

The old man couldn't help but yell something, but then he saw his acquaintance, Ding Daxing, riding a poor horse, giving orders while looking over his shoulder. He quickly ran over to Ding Daxing and grabbed his reins: "Mr. Ding, what are you doing back again?"

Ding Daxing was a little annoyed at this time: "What's the matter, father-in-law, you don't want us to come?"

The old man shook his head repeatedly, but then nodded immediately: "Of course I am willing, of course I am willing, but...but it's not a war, right?"

Ding Daxing: "It's over..."

Before he finished speaking, several more Song soldiers in neat armor came from the east and stopped at the intersection beside the old man. One of them rode on horseback to keep watch, while the others dismounted to rest.

This is obviously the regular army of the Loyal Army.

The old man shrank his neck and asked: "What are these officials...going to do?"

Ding Daxing waved his hand and dismounted. "Isn't this just your manor owner's fault? He took the wrong herb and tried to tamper with our camp. We, the regular army, are not afraid, but we're worried that if you send in the auxiliary soldiers and civilians, there might be some foolish manor owner here who will retaliate against them. So we can only send some regular army to protect them. Don't worry, the military judges will be on patrol. No one will throw away a bright future to bully you."

The old man didn't know whether he understood or not, but just nodded randomly. After a moment, he pulled Ding Daxing aside and asked, "Who won the battle?"

Ding Daxing looked helpless: "Of course we won, otherwise how could we send civilians to help you?"

"Oh, yes, yes, I lost my mind." The old man turned around a few times and started to speak hesitantly: "How many casualties have there been in Zhangjiazhuang? And our owner...how is he?"

"How would I know? I'm just a soldier." Ding Daxing muttered.

At this moment, a handsome general from the newly arrived Loyalty Army cavalry said, "You have eight dead in total. Six of them were not killed by us. Some were trampled upon by each other, some were wounded by their own weapons, and some simply jumped into the Shu River and drowned. Seventy or eighty others were injured, and they are all being treated by the army doctors."

Ding Daxing quickly introduced: "This is Commander Zhang, the vanguard of our Loyalty Army."

The old man knew that this man was a higher-ranking officer, so he quickly bowed and said, "Commander... Commander. What about our owner?"

The commander, Zhang Baiyu, was immediately furious when he heard this: "He ran away! He ran away really fast. We had over a thousand soldiers surrounding him and captured over six hundred prisoners, including his second brother. And this guy was still able to run away. He's quite capable."

"Commander, what are you going to do with those captives?"

Zhang Baiyu looked at the old man in confusion. "What else can we do with them? We gave them a lunch and then released them one by one. So, father-in-law, are you still counting on the Loyalty Army to keep them alive? And what about the tail end of the autumn harvest?"

The old man heaved a long sigh of relief: "Just let him go, just let him go, the officials are kind-hearted, kind-hearted..." Zhang Baiyu was still angry, not knowing whether it was because he had not gained enough merit or because he became a little anxious because he came to the front line to guard in the middle of the day. He kept talking: "If you ask me, your owner, that Zhang Chou, is really bored. What do you think he wants from going through all this trouble? If he really wants to fight with his elite soldiers, we will accept it.

He delayed the farming season to gather the young and strong men to our camp, and as soon as our army went out, he immediately fled, causing so many casualties. What was his purpose? Let the farmers become prisoners and eat a meal with us, and then eat the loyal army out of money? It's really incomprehensible!"

The old man was smiling apologetically at first, but became confused in the end.

Indeed, why is this?!
After thinking for a long time without understanding, the old man rubbed his hands and said, "Please sit down, gentlemen. I will go back to the village first. With such a big thing happening, I have to check on my fellow villagers and neighbors to see if they are all right."

"Wait a minute, old man! Our Loyal Army is mobilizing troops from all directions. It's not uncommon for us to be caught and interrogated, not to mention being hit by troops, which would delay our progress." Zhang Baiyu advised, but when he saw the other party's anxious face, he finally sighed again: "I'll find someone to take you back, Fifth Brother Song..."

Zhang Baiyu just called out when he saw his subordinates at the intersection with their mouths full of dry food. He looked up blankly and suddenly remembered that he had hurriedly eaten a few mouthfuls of food, but his subordinates were all starving.

"It's okay, continue eating." Zhang Baiyu said loudly again: "Brother Liang San, please take my place. I'm going to Zhangjiazhuang."

Liang Pan also had his mouth full of dry food, and he could only nod randomly when he heard this.

Zhang Baiyu jumped on his horse and said to the old man, "Old man, I will take you back."

"How can this be done?" The old man quickly waved his hand to refuse, but without delay Zhang Baiyu reached out and grabbed the old man's belt, and with a slight force put it behind his back.

"Father, hold on to my belt."

After saying that, Zhang Baiyu took the old man and rushed to Zhangjiazhuang.

The journey was smooth and uneventful, except for a large crowd of people at the entrance of Zhangjiazhuang.

Among them were men, women, young and old from Zhangjiazhuang, hundreds of dejected captives, and more than a hundred loyal and righteous soldiers guarding a scholar in simple armor.

When Zhang Baiyu saw this scene, he instinctively moved closer to the Loyal Army.

However, the sneering Jianjia scholar was startled when he saw him, and then angrily shouted, "Zhang Baiyu, didn't I tell you to go to the west to guard? How dare you leave your post without permission?!"

Zhang Baiyu shuddered all over and quickly dismounted to salute, pointing at the old man on the horse: "Lu Dapan, this old man wants to come back, but Marshal Wei is mobilizing troops, and the situation is chaotic. I'm afraid of a conflict.

Besides, the cavalry had already fought a battle today and was a little tired, so I personally sent him back. I have already handed over the military affairs to Deputy Commander Liang Pan, and he will definitely not make any mistakes. "

Lu Dapan, also known as Lu You, relaxed a little upon hearing this. "Well, since you're here, do me a favor. Go up and ask the gatekeeper at Zhangjia Manor. My loyal army has released the captured farmers. Even if the owner of the manor doesn't show up, how can he keep the door closed and refuse to let them in? What's the logic behind this?!"

Zhang Baiyu swallowed his saliva, helped the old man who was still in a panic off his horse, got back on the horse, and headed towards the gate of Zhangjiazhuang, which was a few dozen steps away.

(End of this chapter)