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

Chapter 123 Who Can Ask Lian Po’s Old Age? (VI)

The old man looked at Zhang Baiyu and turned his horse around. He had no time to say anything more and could only pull a farmer to ask him in detail.

"Where is our owner?"

"I just heard that the owner of the manor returned to the ancestral hall and stayed indoors."

"Who ordered the door closed?"

"Who knows? Zhou's wife came out of the manor and wanted to go to the Song family to look for her son. As soon as she left the manor, the gate was closed. Those two bastards, Zhang Ershisan and Zhang Bajiu, refused to open the door no matter what."

"Song Jun is kind and righteous. He has already released all our children. Why won't you open the door?"

"Not to mention the children who were released, even those of us who wanted to go back to the farm for a drink of water or a hoe were not allowed in. Look, the carts carrying the grain from the Cao family are blocked outside."

"Damn it! I worked so hard to harvest the grain and put it all on the cart. Now it's getting wet in the rain. Isn't it all for nothing?!"

At the same time, someone in the crowd shouted impatiently, "Zhang Bajiu, you've been a scoundrel since childhood, and I won't reason with you. Zhang Ershisan, have you eaten pig shit today? How did you lose your mind? Are you going to stop them forever? Even if you use the owner's order to cover it up, how will the villagers view you in the future?"

At this time, Zhang Baiyu also came to the low wooden and stone wall outside the village, pointed at the two farmers standing on the low wall, and asked sternly: "Why don't you open the door?"

The two farmers who seemed to be leading the group were clearly under immense pressure. One of them was sweating profusely and unable to speak. The other was in better shape and could only respond loudly, "We are enemies, not friends. We are enemies, and I have a duty to defend my territory. How can I let you in?"

Zhang Baiyu laughed heartily, then shouted again, "You bastard! I don't care how long this earthen wall of yours can hold back our loyal army. I just want to ask one thing..."

As he spoke, Zhang Baiyu drew a large circle behind him with his bow, encompassing the captured farmers and those who had rushed back after hearing the news. "Do you think these people are all enemies too? Are you going to fight them?"

After this question was asked, even the originally dejected captives began to make a fuss, but when they thought about their current situation and the murderous loyal soldiers around them, they became panic-stricken again.

A few of the injured on stretchers began to sob softly, not knowing whether it was pain or fear.

At this time, outside the village, there were one hundred loyal soldiers, five hundred captives tied together with ropes, and about six or seven hundred ordinary farmers who rushed over after hearing the news.

Even though no one in the Loyal Army said anything, the more than a thousand farmers in Zhangjiazhuang started to clamor at the same time, and the situation instantly became extremely chaotic.

There were many farmers who found their own family members among the captives and wanted to go forward to pull them away, but they were stopped by the loyal army soldiers, and another round of tearing and making trouble ensued.

Lu You also had to find a high ground and loudly announce that in order to distinguish who among the captives were good citizens who were forced in and who were real bandits, the Loyal Army could release the captives, but they had to watch the captives' families take them back and make a record.

Don't think I'm being harsh. After all, it was you from Zhangjiazhuang who took the initiative to attack our Loyal Army!
At this time, some smart people thought that it might not be a good idea to let the loyal army, who were originally enemies, into Zhuangzi, but more people did not think so much.

The restraint and goodwill of the Loyal Army over the past few days were finally rewarded at this moment, and everyone turned their attention to the closed village gate.

While they were struggling, something unexpected happened at the village gate.

Zhang Baiyu was only about ten steps away from the low wall. He was holding a bow and scolding the farmers on the wall. Although he looked majestic, he was also very nervous.

What would you do if a crazy scoundrel popped out from behind the wall with a crossbow and shot an arrow at you?

Although Zhang Baiyu was wearing full armor, there were gaps in the armor. At such a close distance, who could say for sure? And at that time, should he fight back or run away?
Would a counterattack destroy the harmonious situation? Would fleeing erode the prestige of the loyal army?
Meanwhile, someone inside the wall was indeed trying to shoot Zhang Baiyu with a crossbow, but was tackled by another farmer, and a fight ensued. The farmer continued to beat him, cursing, "My parents and brother are all outside! They're all outside with the Song army! If you kill this guy, what will happen to my family? I'll beat you to death, you bastard."

Zhang Bajiu, who had been able to hold on, finally lost his patience after seeing this scene and was the first to speak: "Open the door."

Zhang Ershisan, who had completely lost his composure, shook his head: "The owner of the manor said..."

Zhang Bajiu, who had always been known as a scoundrel, shook his head sadly: "Not to mention that the owner of the manor dared not leave the ancestral hall, even if the owner of the manor came out, what can we do in this situation?

This isn't the whole village working together to deal with the hundred soldiers outside. It's more than a thousand people plus those hundred soldiers, working together to deal with more than twenty of us... No, less than twenty. At least that little Zhou who beat us up would never raise a knife against his parents and brothers."

Zhang Ershisan fell silent immediately, while Xiao Zhou did not stop for a moment after beating the man with the crossbow. He went straight to pull out the bolt and then struggled to open the door.

The rest of the people just watched in silence, and no one stepped forward to stop it.

Zhang Ershisan just smiled bitterly.

There were not even three people who wanted to hold on, let alone twenty.

However, when Zhang Ershisan turned around, he saw Zhang Bajiu pull a sharp knife from his waist and calmly said, "I have no father, no mother, no children, and have always been a scoundrel. I rely on the owner of the manor for my care. Logically, I should fight to the death for the owner, but today's situation is really difficult. Rejecting my elders is unrighteousness, and betraying the owner is disloyalty. Today, since I have completed the righteous act, I should also die to atone for my sins and fulfill my loyalty."

After saying that, Zhang Bajiu thrust the wrist-cutting knife into his chest fiercely, then twisted his body with all his strength and fell on his back while Zhang Ershisan was stunned.

Bleeding.

At this time, Zhang Chou, who was staying in the ancestral hall, still didn't know that theoretically, his last loyal follower had died.

Lu You, who was outside the village, had no idea that something was happening inside the wall that was in line with feudal values. When he saw the village gate slowly open, he finally laughed out loud.

Lu You naturally knew that the village was empty and could be easily broken into. Were the eight hundred prisoners captured for nothing? However, Zhangjiazhuang's initiative to open the gates and the loyalist army's reorganization and intrusion were two completely different things.

The latter relies on military force, while the former relies on virtue.

You can make people surrender by force, but you must use virtue to win their hearts.

"Enter the village!"

Lu You ordered loudly.

The soldiers were lined up in neat rows, with a long line of captives in the middle. Under the almost impatient guidance of ordinary farmers, they walked towards the training ground near the center of the village.

Neither the dead-end roads, traps, sentries nor wooden fences played any role. These brutal measures that were originally used to protect the manor from falling were easily bypassed under the guidance of the farmers.

Until this time, Zhang Baiyu, who was still standing outside the village, although he didn't understand why Zhangjiazhuang opened its doors after being scolded a few times, he vaguely realized what it meant to win people's hearts.

(End of this chapter)