After Elwin came out of the palace, he went straight to the market in the outer city, where mercenary groups of all sizes had been buying all kinds of supplies for the past two days, and the market was bustling with people. Alvin looked at the scene and felt his legs go limp.

Fortunately, after squeezing for a while, Alvin found Langyun in a shop that specialized in dried meat, noodles, fried noodles and other marching dry food. Langyun was bargaining with someone, and when he saw him, he nodded, and then bargained with the boss. Erwin didn't bother the waves, he looked at all kinds of dry food by himself, picked up one and took a bite and tasted it, lamenting that this hard day was coming.

After Langyun negotiated and paid the deposit and wrote the delivery location, Alvin found an opportunity to talk to Langyun.

"Tell them to go directly to Chenzhu's horse farm later?" Alvin asked.

"Yes, Your Highness, everything has been negotiated, they will send it over in the afternoon, order good goods and pay them the rest of the money. Langyun replied.

"How many days of rations do you have to buy?"

"If we have 500 people, we can eat enough for 20 days today, and we will have to load about five truckloads of dry food. ”

"And what about five days from now?" Alvin asked.

Lang Yun glanced at Alvin with a smile, and then pulled him out, "Your Highness, you don't go far when you see you, and you will definitely go to the next supply town to buy it in twenty days." ”

"Oh. I get it. Now these mercenary groups in the city are buying dry food, and the price must be high. It will be cheaper to buy another one along the way. Alvin suddenly realized.

"It's not much cheaper, but it's definitely going to be cheaper than Salyushi. Langyun smiled, "These twenty days are enough for us to get to the next town." ”

Alwyn nodded, and then asked, "Or are you still calculating?" By the way, did you buy those wagons that carried the goods?"

"Yesterday I saw a few wagons in the stable, so I bought a few less today. In a while, Your Highness, you go and talk to His Highness Chenzhu, and you can requisition his family's carriages that pull goods. Langyun said embarrassedly.

Alvin looked at Langyun in surprise, "Didn't you ask me to beg for a curse?"

"There's no way, Your Highness, just the Looney in our hands still have to buy this and that, if you can save it, you can save it. Langyun said helplessly, "Didn't you complain about the tight military budget yesterday?"

"That won't save much. Alvin smiled wryly.

"Hey, Your Highness, a carriage that pulls goods costs five Lunneys, and the most expensive ones cost three Looneys, and these Looneys saved can buy more wine, dry food, tents, etc. Langyun explained.

"Langyun, if I become king one day, I will definitely make you the Minister of Finance. As long as you don't move the money to your own house. Alvin teased with a laugh.

Langyun was also embarrassed by Alwin's laughter, and said with a wry smile, "Then I have booked Your Highness's Minister of Finance." ”

The two of them didn't drink a few sips of water that day, just buying this and that at the market and negotiating the price, they were busy for most of the day. Alvin thought to himself, indeed, as Langyun said, this money is really easy to spend, and it really has to be saved, and the baggage and materials of these hundreds of people alone cost nearly a thousand Looney. This was advanced from the 28,000 military spending.

In the evening, the two parted ways, and Alvin had to go home to pack his bags, and Langyun went back to the racecourse to count the supplies. Alvin did not forget to tell him to urge Laiwu to hand over the printed flag of the "Quartet" mercenary group to the Military Affairs Office.

By the time Alvin returned to the Earl's Court, he had collapsed into the couch. The housekeeper in the house saw that Alvin had returned, and he came up, apparently having something to say.

"Childe, the master will not come back today, and he will live in the camp outside the city. The butler said and took out an envelope from his chest, "This is what the master asked me to give to you." ”

Alvin took the envelope and looked at it, and asked, "Didn't you say that the army would only start tomorrow, why did you have to live in the camp today?"

"Childe, don't you know?" said the butler in surprise, "The commander of the army is going to the army the night before he starts to warm up with the soldiers under him." ”

"Commander-in-chief, the old man is the commander-in-chief?" asked Alwin, looking up in surprise.

"Yes, the lord is the commander of the Right Route Army this time, don't you know, Childe?" the housekeeper was also a little surprised.

"I've been too busy these two days. Alwin looked helpless, and then asked, "Then who else is the commander this time?"

"Your Majesty is in charge of the Chinese army, and the commander of the Left Route Army heard that it is the governor of Yuankang. The butler replied.

Alwin nodded, "Alright, you can get busy first." ”

After the butler left, Alvin opened the letter and read it.

The Count of Philip had written over his own appointment as commander of the Right Army, but he and Alwyn gave a detailed list of what possessions he had in the family, how much gold and silver he could call, and where he had sealed them, all of which were clearly recorded in the letters. He also encouraged Alwin to form his own mercenary group, and at the end he didn't forget to ask him to pay attention not to lose his life when marching and fighting.

Alvin couldn't cry or laugh for a while after reading it, and he didn't understand what his father meant at all, "This old guy, why did you write these family properties so clearly, it's not that you can't come back." ”

He returned to his room a little melancholy, glanced at the clouds outside the window, and began to pack his bags, first putting "The Law of Time and Space" and "On the Final Damage of Magic" into his bag, and then putting some clothes, shoes and socks in the closet that he wore in autumn and winter.

"I don't know if Fei Lao will go to the front line this time. Alvin looked at the two books and wondered. Since the Pillow Sword Meeting, he has either been injured or busy with everything, and he hasn't been scolded by Fei Lao for a long time, and his heart is a little itchy.

Alvin had planned to pack his bags and stay in bed without going out, but when he thought of what the butler had just said, he felt that as the deputy head of the five hundred men, he still had to go to the horse farm outside the city.

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When he arrived outside the city, he found that the horse farm of the Chen Zhu family had now become the camp of the "Quartet" mercenary group. As far as the eye could see, the tent had been erected, the bonfire had been lit, the leg of lamb had to be roasted, and the beer was inevitably drunk.

Everyone saw that it was the deputy head of the regiment who arrived with his bags and horses, and they all raised their glasses to celebrate. When Laiwu and the others saw that Alvin was coming, they also greeted him.

"Meaning I've been busy all day, and you're already drinking here?" said Alwin.

"We're not waiting for you. Chen Zhu said with a smile, "Originally, Laiwu was going to come to the stage to say a few words, but I also said that I would wait for you together, and the two regiment commanders got together and said." ”

"What do I have to say, everything is arranged by Captain Laiwu. Alvin picked up a bottle of rum on the ground and took a gulp.

"That's not good, if you don't come, Lai Wu won't dare to go up and say it. Keba teased with a laugh.

"By the way, Laiwu, has the flag been handed over to the Ministry of War?" Alvin asked.

"It's been handed over early, and I'll hand it over as soon as I get it. Ouch, you've been urging you to death. Lai Wu complained.

Erwin walked to Laiwu's side with a wine bottle, and the two touched one, and then Alvin asked in a low voice: "You went to the military affairs department, you should have also asked, how many mercenary groups are there this time, and how many people are there in total?"

"We'll talk about this in the evening. Lai Wu also whispered.

Alvin nodded.

Taking advantage of the fact that people were drunk, the four young people gathered together more than 500 people. Lai Wu saw that everyone jumped on the top of a carriage and began an inspiring speech, and everyone was enthusiastic about what he said, and they couldn't wait to fly to the front line to fight with Tingxiao people. Overall, the humble pledge meeting was a great success.

Alvin thought to himself that this was a good thing to say, but the rules had to be established. He pulled Langyun to his side and asked him to draft a list of mercenary group's rules and regulations as soon as possible.

That night, the four young people gathered in Laiwu's tent, and their faces were a little solemn.

"Today, I went to the Ministry of Military Affairs to inquire, and the largest mercenary group has 3,000 people, but that is very rare, just one or two. There are more than a dozen regiments with a size of 1,000 people, and there are probably dozens of regiments with a few hundred people left. Lai Wu was the first to speak.

"Wow, if you make such a rough calculation, all the mercenary groups dispatched by the empire this time add up to about 30,000 people?" asked Chen Zhu.

"I guess it's about the same. Lai Wu said.

"There are so many people, you can't rush to eat meat?" Chen Zhu said in surprise.

"It's not easy to rob, saying that when you get to the front line, you have to listen to the unified dispatch of the Ministry of Military Affairs, and you can't act without authorization. Lai Wu said helplessly.

"Then you can't listen to them. We pay for the military ourselves, why should we listen to the Ministry of Military Affairs?"

"If you act without authorization, if you are found by the Ministry of Military Affairs, you will be notified of removal and punished as a rebel. Lai Wu glanced at Alwin.

"Then you plan to come according to the arrangement of the Ministry of Military Affairs? Then maybe I will arrange some miscellaneous work for you, such as guarding the unimportant city passes, so that they will not pay attention to the difficulties of our little mercenary group. Alvin said.

"It's just a matter of guarding the unimportant city passes, don't let us go to death when the time comes, this is the most exciting. Keba smiled wryly.

"I have an idea. Lai Wu said and unfolded a parchment map on the table, "We will first follow the large army to the Twin Mountains of Lundno and enter the territory of Maine, and then they will definitely go north directly to the front." Let's go east first, along the coastline of Yaofan. ”

"You mean not to report to the Maine Front?" Alvin asked, "What's the point?"

"You see, the Tingxiao people have come in from the Mallord Plain, and the castles on the plain will certainly not be able to stop the siege of the Tingxiao people. But further south, to this Yiling Berner Castle," Lai Wu carved a mark with his fingernails in this place, "this place is a choke point, easy to defend and difficult to attack, with Prince Resa in charge, the Tingxiao people will definitely not be able to defeat it." ”

Erwin and the others studied it carefully, and nodded their heads to indicate that this was indeed the case.

"But they have so many mercenary groups, it's impossible to sit and stare dryly. Lai Wu continued, "These mercenaries will definitely go east and plunder along the Yaofan coastline. ”

"Yes, we have military difficulties, and they certainly have them. Tingxiao's regular army can afford it, but these mercenaries can't afford it. Chen Zhu suddenly realized.

Lai Wu nodded and said with a smile: "So, I expect that there will be a lot of small units of the Tingxiao mercenary group that will not be able to sit still. We will surely be more fruitful as we go north along the coastline than if we followed the large army directly to the front line of Yiling Burner Castle. ”

"When we are cheap, and then report to the front line, we will say that we have lost our way during the march and lost our way, and we can't do anything with us if we want to come to the Ministry of Military Affairs. Chen Zhu said.

"Yes, Laiwu. Kaiba clapped his hands and smiled, "I didn't expect that there was a wizard in the army, haha." ”

"That's, after all, it's the head of our mercenary group. Chen Zhu followed and puffed.

"However, with our 500-strong army, wouldn't it be too dangerous to go through this route?" Alvin wondered, "Although we can't encounter any regular troops along the way, the number of mercenaries of the Tingxiao people must be more than ten times, or even dozens of times more than ours." ”

"There's no way, starve the cowardly, support the bold, right now Laiwu is the most suitable route for us. Chen Zhu retorted.

"Well, anyway, I don't want to grab food with a group of people, so it's dangerous to be dangerous. Alvin nodded.

"Okay, let's just discuss it together. Keba clapped, "That's it." After passing the Twin Mountains, we marched along the coastline of Yaofan. ”

"The march of the 'five hundred' is really exciting. Alvin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"What are you doing, it's five hundred now, and maybe it will expand to a few thousand after a few battles," Lai Wu said with a smile, "You deputy head of the regiment have no ambition at all." ”

"Yes, dreams still have to be had. Chen Zhu echoed.

"Then I have to go back to my big spring and autumn dreams. Alvin glanced at the night sky outside the tent, and thought to himself that the gates of the city should be closed this day, and he could only sleep in the camp tonight, and return to the Earl's Court tomorrow morning.

He was distressed in his heart, knowing that he still had a problem to solve here.