Sweep Yuan

Chapter 44 Fu Youde Falls into the Trap
"Li Xixi? Under which general?"

"The deputy commander under General Peng was promoted to centurion just a few days ago for his bravery in battle, so he doesn't recognize him."

Fu Youde was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, over six feet tall, with a broad chest, thick waist, and long arms that reached his knees. He carried a long spear and a hard bow on his back, and had a very good appearance. He also dealt with his superiors with great tact. It seems that he must be the "historical figure" himself.

"I see. Si'er, get Brother Fu a stool."

Although Tong Si'er was young, he was very well-behaved. Shi Shan had previously asked him to study with Chen Cheng in the rear, but the boy could sense Chen Cheng's malice towards him and insisted on coming along.

Thinking that Tong Si'er had successfully assisted Chang Tietou in gathering intelligence on the enemy, and that he was indeed hardworking and capable, Shishan decided to take him under his wing and train him carefully, since he might be useful on this journey.

"Thank you, Deputy Commander, for the seat!"

Fu Youde didn't know why Shi Shan was being so polite to him, but seeing that Chang Tietou and the others still looked unfriendly, he didn't want to lose face, so he sat down generously.

"Judging from your accent, Brother Fu is from Suzhou?"

"My ancestral home is Liweizi Village, Chenggou Township. Due to a major flood in my early years, I moved to Dangshan County with my father."

Liweizi Village is located about ten miles downstream of the Huan River, while Dangshan County is more than two hundred miles northwest of Xuzhou on the north bank of the Yellow River, and is currently still under the control of the imperial court.

If Fu Youde had come from enemy-occupied territory to join the Red Turban Army, Sesame Li would definitely have made a big deal out of it, and Fu Youde's current status would not be that of an unknown soldier.

Shishan pretended not to know the intricacies of the matter and asked:
"So, Brother Fu must have joined the army in Xuzhou?"

Fu Youde was slightly embarrassed and replied:
“When I was returning to my hometown to visit my family, I encountered the Red Turban Army burning down people’s houses. We argued and a fight broke out, injuring several righteous men. Fortunately, Li Baihu spoke on my behalf, and that’s how I joined the army.”

Although Shishan disdained murder, arson, and coercing young men, how could he quickly turn a group of honest and law-abiding villagers into rebellious thugs without resorting to violence?

That's how chaotic times are. Fu Youde knew about the Red Turban Rebellion in Xuzhou, yet he still dared to speak out for justice. After being coerced, he was still able to chase after the elite Tartar troops and fight to the death. This shows that he had already seen through the ways of the world, and there was no need for Shishan to comfort him with feigned sentimentality.

"The four Fu brothers dared to chase and fight against ten times their number of Tartars, they are truly audacious!"

Shi Shan was testing Fu Youde, and Fu Youde was also observing Shi Shan and the "Red Heart Camp".

The spoils of war have been counted and sorted, and the prisoners have been divided into two groups and placed under guard, awaiting the deputy commander's disposal. Apart from the group of soldiers standing beside Shi Shan, the rest of the soldiers sat down to rest under the orders of their respective officers.

Compared to the various Red Turban Army units in Xuzhou with their chaotic attire, the Red Heart Battalion, with its uniforms, appeared to have exceptionally good military discipline, and Deputy Commander Shi's demeanor was quite approachable.

"After the army broke through the city, they rushed in, and my unit was scattered. I had just managed to grab a horse when Commander Xue dragged me out of the city to chase the Tartars. The Tartars' horses were fast, and they left behind a lot of money and goods along the way. After chasing for a while, only the four of us were left."

Fu Youde spoke very briefly, but Shi Shan had already imagined the chaotic scene of the Red Turban Army swarming into the city to plunder.

As for the Tartars scattering money and valuables along the way, other pursuers could dismount and pick them up, but these four guys were stubborn and didn't care about money, chasing after them for their lives. Shishan absolutely did not believe that "after chasing for a while, only four people were left."

How can you be so sure you can catch up with these Tartars?

Seeing that Shi Shan had noticed this detail, Fu Youde secretly praised him and replied:
“I am familiar with the roads of Suzhou and I expect that the Tartars will cross the river at this shallow shoal. The deputy commander should also be lying in ambush here. Besides, the two horses that broke through the enemy must be protecting your esteemed person and fleeing for their lives. This is how I persuaded my three brothers to come and seek great wealth and honor.”

Putting aside his amazing insight, Ishiyama was also impressed by Ishiyama's ability to persuade unfamiliar teammates while pursuing the enemy, but he still had one question.

"After Generals Peng and Zhao besieged Suzhou, my troops were separated from the main army. You should have just joined the Red Turban Army at that time. Even Li Baihu might not have known about the strategy of dividing troops and setting up an ambush. How could you be so sure there was an ambush here?" "I guessed."

Seeing Shi Shan's intense gaze, determined to get to the bottom of this, Fu Youde knew he couldn't hide it any longer and added:
"The army's attack on Suzhou is in line with the military strategy of 'surrounding three sides and leaving one open, leaving a way out for survival.' General Peng and General Zhao have set up such a formation and are not short of several hundred men. They will definitely set up an ambush to the south of the left-open way out."

Snap-pop-pop!

Shi Shan clapped his hands in approval, stood up, stepped forward, took Fu Youde's arm, and said with a smile:
"Haha, good! Brother Fu, you're quite impressive! I have two suggestions for you: first, you can choose whichever you capture or take prisoner—"

"Deputy Commander-in-Chief!"

Before Shi Shan could finish speaking, Chang Tietou, who was standing to the side, objected and interrupted:
"We've worked so hard for over ten days to get this little bit of soup, why should we give it to an outsider!"

Once the bandit leader started, the officers, who had been eagerly waiting to divide the spoils, chimed in.

"That's right, what's the use of just talking? I've never seen him actually kill any Tartars."

"If you want to capture them, why don't you go yourself? Why shamelessly come to us—"

"Everyone, take a break and listen to what the deputy commander has to say!"

When Sun Xun, the most senior member, spoke, the crowd finally quieted down, but their gazes toward Fu Youde remained hostile.

Shi Shan knew all too well what kind of people his bandits and scoundrels were. He glared at Chang Tietou, the ringleader, then grabbed Fu Youde's hand and continued:
"Secondly, since Brother Fu has switched allegiance to me, I will temporarily appoint you as a squad leader. Hmm, this position is equivalent to a junior centurion, and you will actually be in charge of five squads. What do you think?"

"this?"

Fu Youde was sure he would be promoted for his merits upon returning, but he didn't dare to think he could become a squad leader in one step. After all, Li Xixi had only been promoted to centurion after attacking the city walls twice.

Shi Qianhu made no secret of his appreciation and desire to win him over; staying on as a squad leader was just the beginning.

However, Li Baihu has treated me well, and rashly switching allegiance to Shi Qianhu might damage my reputation.

"I've already been registered under Commander Li, which might put the Deputy Commander in a difficult position."

Shi Shan sensed Fu Youde's hesitation. As long as Fu Youde wasn't genuinely against following him, he immediately expressed his opinion:

"Needless to say, once we return to Suzhou, I will personally discuss the matter with General Peng and Commander Li, and I will certainly not make things difficult for you. Also, we have already captured Liang Zhongyi, and there are not many remaining defeated soldiers. We don't need to keep so many people here. It's still early. Brother Fu, would you be willing to go back to Liweizi to recruit your relatives?"

The Fu family was not a large local clan. There were not many of them living in Liweizi, and their relationships were not very close. Otherwise, Fu Youde's family would not have moved away after the disaster.

But unfortunately, he was born in a chaotic era. Whether or not he had relatives to support him was a completely different matter. Fu Youde knew he couldn't refuse, so he immediately knelt on one knee and shouted loudly:
"Thank you for the promotion, Deputy Commander Xie!"

……

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The savage bowed in gratitude!

(End of this chapter)