Seiwa

In March of the fifth year of Yongle, Wang Qiqi, the leader of the Xunzhou thieves, gathered more than [-] thieves, crossed Qinzhou, and violated the Siming Mansion.

At that time, Qinzhou did not set up the capital office and guards, and many common people from Annan settled here.When the news of the Annan army conquering Kedongdu came, the Annan people fled away one after another.Only the border residents of the Ming Dynasty and the criminals who were exiled here were left in the territory, and they were managed by chieftains.

When the thieves passed by, the chieftain sent people to Nanning Mansion and Siming Mansion to ask for help, but it was a step too late.Wang Shiqi and other thieves beheaded more than [-] chieftains and border residents. They did not stay long and crossed Shiwan Mountain, aiming directly at Siming Mansion.

Some thieves brought the looted cloth and food with them, slowed down their progress, and were ordered to drop them, and immediately clamored and stopped.

Thief leader Wang Shiqi cut down a bandit who yelled the loudest, and said loudly: "What are these?! Think about the caravan that we have won, the whole caravan of silk, gold and silver!"

The thieves stopped clamoring and looked at Wang Shiqi one after another.

"In Pingxiang County, there are mountains of gold and silver! Salt, silk, tea, and treasures sent back from Annan!"

Wang Shiqi's mouse eyes widened, his dark face, ferocious expression, and endless greed.

"In addition to gold and silver treasures, there are also women! As long as you get it, you can enjoy it in this life and in the next life!"

"The imperial army is going to attack Annan, the defenders in the city are nothing to fear!"

"Pingxiang is just a small county on the border. It doesn't even have a moat. The city wall can be pierced by a gun. What are you afraid of?"

"We fell into bandits and lost our lives. What is it for? Inexhaustible treasures, gold and silver, beautiful women!"

"If Pingxiang is robbed, let's go to Laos, Siam, and Chenla. No matter how powerful the imperial army is, can they defeat all these foreign countries?"

Wang Shiqi's words were quite provocative. As he shouted one sentence after another, the bandit's expression gradually changed, becoming as greedy as him, and even a little more fanatical.

The food and cloth looted in Qinzhou were all thrown away. With Pingxiang's gold and silver treasures, what else do you need!

The "Military Adviser" in the team reminded Wang Shiqi, "Although the imperial army entered Annan, there are still more than a hundred guards stationed in Pingxiang, and there are Cheng Guogong and Xingning Bo, who were appointed by the emperor, so don't be careless."

Wang Shiqi smiled cunningly, and lowered his voice, "The military commander is clear about what he said. The military commander should also know that the purpose of going to Pingxiang is not to capture the county, but to capture gold and silver treasures!"

"What does the leader mean?"

"There are so many people, even if they are killed by the officers and soldiers, it will take two or three hours, right?" Wang Shiqi's expression became more ferocious. These people went to die, made a fortune, and immediately fled to Laos with their cronies!"

The military adviser rolled his eyes and understood Wang Shiqi's intentions.

All gold and silver are all painted cakes.

No matter how few officers and soldiers there are, it is impossible for more than 2000 mobs to capture the county seat.The purpose of Wang Shiqi is the caravan coming out of the city!

"But I heard that the officers and soldiers occupied the salt well in Annan, and they also did business with Fan merchants. The caravans that enter and leave the county every day, salt and spices are transported out in cars. It is good to be able to get gold and silver. Gold and silver, grab a few more bags of salt and spices, and you can still get a lot of gold and silver in exchange for a lot of gold and silver when you arrive at the Fan people's territory. It will not be a problem to feed two or three hundred people! At that time, those Fan people will have to support us!"

"The leader is really clever!"

Wang Shiqi smiled triumphantly, as if seeing a bright future beckoning to him.

The military division turned his back, his face darkened.

In the middle of March in the fifth year of Yongle, more than 2000 bandits finally entered Siming Mansion.

Unexpectedly, the officers and soldiers of the guards encountered along the way did not intercept them, nor did they take the initiative to attack.This situation is very unusual, and anyone with a little brain should think about whether there is a trap waiting for him ahead.

But the thieves who were dazzled by the gold and silver treasures had no time to think about it at all. They just thought that the strategy of picking dense forests and trails worked, and didn't realize that even if people could hide in the forest, the frightened birds Will the poultry and scattered animals be ignored by the officers and soldiers stationed on the border all year round?

The military division was the first to discover that something was wrong, but it was too late to persuade Wang Shiqi.Even if Wang Shiqi was willing to listen to him, the more than 2000 thieves might not be willing to give up their meat.

After passing Shixi Prefecture, Pingxiang County is close at hand.

Outside the city gate, a long line of caravans was waiting to enter the city, and another convoy full of goods came out of the city.A large cart seemed to be overwhelmed, and fell to one side. The unfastened bag loosened its mouth, and fiery red coral and large pieces of silver rolled out, making the eyes of the thieves mixed in the team turn red.Taking advantage of the confusion, he left in a hurry and reported to his accomplices hiding in the woods.

After listening to the narration of the talk, all the thieves kept swallowing their saliva. There are so many treasures in one car, maybe there is a real gold mountain in Pingxiang County.

Wang Shiqi said viciously, "We'll do it when night falls!"

He changed his mind, leaving the treasure mountain in front of him and just grabbing a few bags of salt is a fool's job!

"Old Five also said that the city wall is less than two people tall, so at night, let's go in and set fire to it, and grab him hard!"

Wang Shiqi's eyes were red, and so were the eyes of the thieves.

The military division was still able to maintain a semblance of sobriety, but he was interrupted by Wang Shiqi just as he called out "Boss".

"The military division doesn't need to say any more."

Money touches people's hearts, and everything else is useless.

The military division had no choice but to take the initiative to ask for support outside the city.Wang Shiqi nodded, but the thieves who were named by the military adviser to stay outside the city showed reluctance.

Those who entered the city did not know how many treasures they could grab, and if they were distributed to them afterwards, they must be bones that had been ripped apart.

Listening to the complaints of his subordinates, the military division did not speak.

He was very uneasy, and always felt that it was not a good thing for Wang Shiqi to change his mind temporarily.

If you really enter the city, you may not be able to get out.

In Pingxiang City, Zhu Neng was not wearing armor, but in plain clothes, listening to the scouts reporting the news of the thieves in detail.

Even if they killed Wang Shiqi and others, they would not have expected that since they left Qinzhou, their every move was almost under the surveillance of the officers and soldiers.If Bo Xingning hadn't been thinking about the servants who built the road, they would have never been able to reach Pingxiang, and they would have been cleared away by the guards along the way.

The record of conquering Annan's army was spread one after another, and the cartloads of treasures and food were brought back. It was hard for the soldiers who were ordered to garrison and had no chance to participate in the war not to envy them.

No matter how small a mosquito's legs are, it's still meat, and if you kill a rebellious bandit, it will be reported as a military exploit.

Can't stand shoulder to shoulder with the army that conquered Annan, get some money and food, and be promoted to a higher level, is it always possible?

The thieves were complacent, and regarded Pingxiang as fat meat.As everyone knows, in the eyes of the guards along the way, they are the real pork belly. They want to bite but can't put their mouths down. They are really greedy!

"A total of more than [-] thieves are plotting to attack the county seat tonight."

The scout pouted while reporting.

To say that there are thieves is also flattering, there are quite a few of them, but they are actually a bunch of mobs.

Some of the leaders were carrying waist knives and spears, and the rest of them were mostly holding fire-baked wooden sticks and sharpened bamboo poles, and many of them were carrying agricultural tools, most of which were snatched halfway. of.

To deal with such a group of people, there is no need for a labor force at all, and the strength of the three general banners can be taken down, and it is no problem to wipe them all out.

Seeing what the Duke and Uncle mean, they want to capture him alive.

In this way, it will be more troublesome.For the frontier army, it seems that it is more difficult to catch people whole than to cut them down.

"After waiting for more than ten days, I finally came." Zhu Neng turned to Meng Qinghe, "However, arresting people at night is always better than doing it during the day, and the loss may be more."

After getting along with Meng Qinghe for a long time, Cheng Guogong's thinking direction has also undergone some subtle changes.

In the past, such words would never come out of his mouth.

"It's okay to lose a little." Meng Qing said cohesively, "Anyway, it's free, and you'll earn as much as you catch."

Zhu Neng laughed, "That's reasonable, but I'm thinking about it for my brother."

Cheng Guogong and Xingning Boy were calm and breezy, and the scouts suddenly felt scalp tingling.

Where can't I get rich?Going to Annan to chop wood and work as a transporter for the caravan, the wages earned every day are enough to eat and drink well.Why do you want to be a thief and rob?Still grabbed these two heads?

With these two around, those who dare to fight Pingxiang's idea are better than courting death than courting death.

With such great courage, should I admire a warrior, or call him stupid?

The scouts have no solution.

That night, only a few torches were lit sporadically at the top of the city, and the defenders in the city also held their breaths and concentrated on their positions, making no noise so as not to scare away the thieves who came to the door.

Meng Qinghe opened the account book, picked up the abacus, pushed the book captured by the army to Zhu Neng, and grinned, "Master, please help."

Looking at the pile of booklets, Zhu Neng inhaled and exhaled, finally resigned himself to his fate, picked up a book and opened it.

After reading a few lines, I was stunned.

"land?"

It is not uncommon for the army to seize gold, silver and food. How could it be land?

Li Jiyao and his son have not been caught yet, and the emperor ordered twice to search for Chen's descendants, but he did not reveal his intention to bring Annan under the rule of Ming Dynasty. Is it appropriate to do so?

"You don't need to be surprised." Meng Qinghe crackled his calculations, stopping occasionally to record the numbers in the booklet, "These were sold by the locals voluntarily."

Zhu Neng felt that his head was not enough, the locals sold it?

After reading one account book, Meng Qinghe took another.

"Daming's fields can be bought and sold, so can Annan's. These fields are purchased by merchants, and the Annan family is the guarantee, and the officers and soldiers have not come forward." As he spoke, he began to use his abacus again, with more than enough for two purposes, " Since the Song Dynasty, merchants from the Central Plains have settled in Annan and other foreign countries, and buying and selling land is very common. The lower officials have signed contracts with the merchants who came forward, and the land will be used to grow food."

"All the grain?" Zhu Neng quickly scanned the entire booklet. The fields recorded on it alone add up to a large number. What should I do to get back the fields?"

It's not that Cheng Guogong is narrow-minded. Annan can definitely do such a thing.

"Master Guo's concerns are justified." Meng Qinghe stopped dialing the abacus and nodded seriously, "Your Majesty has always ignored this point. Your Majesty recommends people with sincerity, but a small country with few people is capricious, and it is difficult to be honest. Yi Guogong Lord, how should this matter be resolved? How about using veteran guards and young and strong border residents as guards?"

Zhu Neng: "..."

"In order to prevent the Annan people from seizing it, weapons can be distributed to those who protect the fields, and contracts can be signed with merchants. With such a guarantee, more merchants will be willing to grow grain."

Zhu Neng: "..."

"Thank you, Lord Guo, for your suggestion." Meng Qinghe expressed gratitude, "This official is really enlightened! Lord Guo is wise, and I admire you!"

Zhu Neng: "..." Did he mention something?I always feel that I have stepped into the hole dug by Bo Xingning, and I don’t know it, so I take the initiative to hand over the shovel and fill it with soil.

Cheng Guogong looked blank, and Uncle Meng, who had achieved his goal, snickered.

If you buy the land, you will have food.The rice that is harvested three times a year can be transported back to the country, and the problem of food shortage can be alleviated no matter what.

With the guards and the border people young and strong to protect the fields, after a long time, settlements will be formed, and they will develop into villages and even county towns.There will be more and more border residents living here. As long as there is no accident, these lands will be actually occupied by the Ming Dynasty.

Annan people want to go back?Go dreaming.

Want to grab?As long as the neck is hard enough, welcome.

Great plan, just needs a "helper".

Shen Xuan was still fighting near the Fuliang River, and Zhu Neng became the best choice.

It is obvious that it is necessary to occupy land, and it will definitely not work. After all, Daming is the kingdom of heaven, and the food should not be too unsightly.

Turn a corner and things will be much easier.Even the civil and military officials in the court can't easily find faults in it.

Meng Qinghe thought he was quite kind, at least he bought it with money instead of using more convenient means to grab it by hand.

In fact, even if he really robbed it, it's not a big deal, at most he will be sprayed by the censor.

This is the fifteenth century, and he is a military officer of the Ming Dynasty. His job is to protect the land and property of the Ming Dynasty, deter neighbors, and seize homesteads for the old Zhu's family.

However, considering the court's policy towards Annan and the emperor's will, it is better to keep a low profile and use softer methods.

After achieving the goal, Meng Qinghe immediately pushed the account book aside, spread out the paper, and wrote a memorandum, asking Zhu Neng to have a look.

"Master, please take a look." Uncle Meng smiled, "Is it appropriate to play the Son of Heaven like this?"

If Zhu Neng still doesn't understand what Meng Qinghe wants to do, it's a knot in his head.

"Brother, have you figured it out?"

"Yes." Meng Qing said condescendingly, "After this battle, whether or not the descendants of the Chen family are found, these lands will be used to grow food for the imperial court. You can also choose to grow grain to enrich our dynasty."

After pondering for a long time, Zhu Neng nodded slowly, "A country is based on agriculture, and food is the most important thing for the people. My brother is dedicated to the country, and I write this memorial for my brother!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

Zhu Neng: "..." He seems to be taking the initiative to step on the trap again?

When the two were talking, more than 2000 bandits who attacked the county at night were made dumplings by the officers and soldiers who were waiting.

No matter who climbed the city wall and entered the city, those who stayed outside the city could not escape.

Countless torches lit up in the darkness, illuminating half of the night sky.

The shouts of the officers and soldiers and the cheers of the young people on the frontier, accompanied by splashed blood and heads falling to the ground, frightened the thieves.

"The king of thieves, Seventeen, is dead, put down your weapons, and those who kneel will not be killed!"

A hundred households held up a trumpet and yelled loudly, and the waist knife pointed obliquely at the ground was dripping blood.

"Forgive me!"

A thief is a thief after all.

When meeting merchants and border residents, they are extremely vicious.

In front of the well-trained and murderous guards, they became a flock of sheep.

The military division outside the city led people to run away, but was directly shot through the shoulder by a scout, and none of the bandits under him could escape.

When the scout was about to chop someone with a knife, the military division ignored the pain in his shoulder and shouted loudly: "Don't kill me, I know the whereabouts of Hu Yiyuan!"

Hu Yiyuan was the mastermind who killed the former King Annan, annihilated the Chen clan, usurped the throne, and defrauded the canonization of Ming Dynasty by Li Jiyao.

The scout put away the knife and picked up the collar of the military adviser, "Dare to lie to grandpa, I'll kill you alive!"

"Don't dare! I... I don't dare!"

The military division trembled and confessed his identity, and was immediately escorted into the city.Seeing Wang Shiqi's dead body, he trembled even more. Even if he had the guts, he wouldn't dare to lie.

Meng Qinghe and Zhu Neng were both surprised when they heard the return.

"Who does he say he is?"

"Back to Uncle, the thief said that he is the son of Ruan Xizhou, Minister of the Puppet Ministry of Industry in Annan, and the son-in-law of Li thief. He was ordered by Li thief to sneak into the territory of Ming Dynasty, agitating desperadoes, and plotting wrongdoing."

Desperado?

Meng Qinghe clicked his tongue, "From this point of view, the thieves came to attack Pingxiang this time, not just because of money."

Zhu Neng nodded, and asked the scout, "This thief said he knows where Li thief and his son are?"

"Exactly."

Zhu Neng's face was serious, and he said immediately: "You take someone to send him to Dingguo Office immediately."

"Yes!"

After the scouts left, Meng Qinghe hesitated and said, "Master Guo, what if he lies?"

"That's okay." Zhu Neng smiled coldly, "Ding Guogong knows how to use this person."

Meng Qinghe frowned, and then let go.

He doesn't understand military matters.I believe that with Cheng Guogong's experience and Shen Xuan's strategy, he will not do something like lifting a stone to drop himself in the foot.

Rather than thinking about these, it is better to count the captured labor.

With these hands, we should be able to start building roads.

In March Yihai of the fifth year of Yongle, the bandits in Xunzhou, Liuzhou committed Pingxiang, and 93 people, including the leader of the bandits, Wang Shiqi, were beheaded, and the rest were all captured.

In Jiashen of the same month, Cheng Guogong's personal soldiers escorted the "military division" of the bandits to catch up with Shen Xuan's army.

At that time, the army defeated the bandits in Menhaikou, Jiaoshui County, and captured Ruan Xizhou, Minister of the Puppet Ministry of Industry in Annan, beheaded Hu She, the puppet Yiwei General, and tens of thousands of generals.

In the military tent, Shen Xuan read Zhu Neng's autographed letter, and ordered the guards to detain the "Military Adviser" and Ruan Xizhou together.After confirming his identity, he ordered the army to withdraw from the camp and return to Xianziguan.

If you want to capture Li thief father and son who have escaped several times, these two people should be of great use.