Under the autumn sun, Gongzhou governs the county seat of Longxi, on the endless plain, the dilapidated and low city wall looks particularly depressed.

At the gate of the city, three or four sergeants and six or seven idlers were listlessly chattering about the mountains, while watching the sparse people entering and leaving the city.

The sergeants wore Great Song Dynasty jackets, and had knives and guns in their hands. Although the idlers are the costumes of the common people of the Great Song Dynasty, they either carry big bows and quivers, or carry long knives, and everyone has knives and bows.

"Second brother, you said that we have a place, what is there to wait for! If I were you, I would stay in Tokyo City with the great officials!"

An idler held a dry grass in his mouth, leaned against the root of the city wall, looked at the Weishui rolling away in the distance, and said lazily.

"Li Mu, what do you know!"

The thin black sergeant with a gun was wearing a red military jacket and a Fan Yang hat, and he looked quite strong. Hearing the words of his accomplice, his eyes widened, and he shook his head and said, "My eldest brother offended Li Gang, and that is the celebrity in front of the Great Song Dynasty's official family." The eldest brother asked me to go first, saying that he would come back later. Who knew that he himself joined the Loyal Army, and this time it was five or six years. Now I don't know what the eldest brother looks like, it's worrying to think about. ”

"Second brother, don't worry."

Another stout sergeant comforted: "With the ability of a big official, you will definitely be able to be a big official in the loyal army." Those guys who ran back from Tokyo City back then will regret it one by one and die. If you follow a big official, how can you mix up an official and a half-job. ”

"That's right, the eldest brother has the ability!"

The black thin sergeant nodded and said, "The eldest brother has written several times, saying that he is now in the loyal army, and everything is fine. did not reveal what he did in the army, but he said in his letter that he would take his family to the Daimyo's mansion, saying that the school there was good, and he would send Brother Yi to go to the school there. ”

The envy of everyone was fully revealed, and an idler put on the shabby shirt on his head, and hurriedly said: "Second brother, tell the big officials about it, and bring your brother with you when you leave." I heard that this daimyo is now more prosperous and wealthy than Tokyo City, and it is easier to earn money. Second brother, you have to go when the time comes, and let the brothers touch your blessings. ”

Another sergeant also said: "The big officials must be mixing well, otherwise they wouldn't have brought the family to the Daimyo's mansion, which is the most prosperous place today." Second brother, you have to think of a way to take the brothers out. We can't stay in this place!"

Also, for these young men, staying in this dilapidated backcountry all day long, muddy, where can it compare to the prosperous world outside.

"According to me, it's better to join the army!"

Another man said: "Second brother, I read it in the newspaper, saying that in the loyal army, even the soldiers who have been soldiers for a year will be given land, at least 50 acres. Otherwise, if we go to the loyal army and become a soldier for a few years, we can also become a big family in the village. ”

"If you join the army, you have to fight, and fighting is to die!"

Someone next to him immediately replied: "We are all in our thirties, I'm afraid we can't be soldiers." It's better to go to the Daimyo's Mansion to find an errand, and life at home will be better!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Let's go together!"

Someone said loudly: "Anyway, there are big officials over there, how can they let us eat!"

Although the black and thin man felt a little weak in his heart, he still nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll tell the eldest brother, and take a few of you there, and everyone will be more lively together."

The others were overjoyed together, and hurriedly said, "Thank you, second brother!"

The black and thin man who spoke was called Li Kui, and he was the younger brother of Li Yanxian, the current deputy envoy of Pingxia Jingluo. The Li family is a famous family in the local area, otherwise, Li Yanxian would not have been able to recruit 3,000 soldiers to enter the king of Beijing Qin.

Because Li Yanxian offended Li Gang, he absconded in fear of crime.

Only let his brother Li Kui bring the villagers back to Gongzhou. Li Yanxian later joined the army of the seed division, and the army was defeated in the seed division, and he joined Wang Song's loyal army, until now.

Speaking of which, from the first year of Jingkang to the present, for more than five years, Li Yanxian has only sent a few letters, but he has never returned, nor has he revealed his official position.

An idle man said: "This county takes good care of the second brother's family, and the county magistrate often comes to greet him, and he is very attentive." It seems that the big officials still have face!"

"The imperial court has already gone to the south, and it is difficult to protect itself, the north is the world of the loyal and righteous army, and the county commander is also a sensible person, and he will never dig his own grave!"

Li Kui said coldly: "On the ground in Gongzhou, no one has to give our Li family some face." Otherwise, let's see if he can be an official in the end!"

The Li family was originally a famous family, the family was powerful, and the children of the family were all over Shaanxi, and even if the county officials and other foreign forces wanted to govern the locality, they had to cooperate with these local forces.

In the first year of Jingkang, Li Yanxian, then known as Li Xiaozhong, led 3,000 soldiers into King Qin, but suffered repeated setbacks. The three thousand soldiers scattered as birds and beasts, and the vitality of the Li family was greatly damaged. In addition, Li's father passed away and Jin and Xia invaded, and the Li family also fell into ruins.

"That's, that's!"

Several idlers and sergeants hurriedly nodded their heads and glanced at each other, but there was a coldness and disdain that could not be concealed.

"Brother Li Mu, I heard that your brother went to Sichuan with the army of the imperial court, and he is already the commander of a battalion, yes or no?"

A sergeant said enviously to a long, black-faced idler, his scorched face piled with a flattering smirk.

"That's still fake!"

Another idle man immediately accosted: "When I came back last time, Brother Li Mu also brought a few sergeants, but they were majestic!"

Li Mu showed a smug smile on his face. Who knew that he hadn't spoken yet, but he was coldly gagged by Li Shu next to him.

"I brought a few sergeants, but I didn't even have a horse, and I walked all the way, and when I left, I took the silver from my family, saying that I wanted to honor my superiors."

Seeing that Li Mu was depressed and fell like a deflated ball, he said softly: "What's the benefit of following the imperial army, sooner or later the big turbans of the imperial court will be a scourge." If you want me to say, go early and call Brother Li Gan back, it's not easy to be a soldier in the imperial court. ”

The black-faced sergeant was on the wall, and then he envied Brother Li Mu, and now when he heard what Li Shu said, he hurriedly continued: "That's the reason, what Brother Li Shu said is." I heard that the Jinghu water thieves in the south are making a lot of trouble, and the imperial army is retreating one after another, Brother Li Gan must not go there!"

"The newspaper said that this Dongting Lake water thief killed the officials and soldiers, and his heart can be ruthless."

Another idle man said: "Li Mu, let's call your brother back, those people in the court, from north to south, are about to become lost dogs, it's not good to fight, but killing these thieves is not merciless, as if there is a lot of hatred." Those water thieves are also ruthless, and the court kills people like hemp, so they naturally want to return it!"

This newspaper said that in order to exterminate the rebel army, Huguang Xuanfu ordered Li Gang to send troops to occupy the rich villages around Dongting Lake, so that the rebel army in Dongting Lake had no river to fish, no land to cultivate, and there was a serious shortage of food, and countless people died of starvation. Cheng Changyu, the envoy of Dingzhou Town, burst the embankment by 400 zhang and flooded a large area of farmland in the area occupied by the rebels. They blocked the exits of the fortresses, cut off the main routes for the rebels to transport grain and grass, forbade trade between the people and the rebels, and used cruel methods to trap the rebels.

You Kou Kong Yanzhou was appointed by the Great Song Dynasty as the Hubei Road Capture and Killing Envoy and went to Huguang to suppress the rebels. Kong Yanzhou cut off his fingers, or cut off his ears and nose to the rebel soldiers he caught, and also inserted a bamboo stick in each person's hair, which read, "If you are on leave, I will also take a break", Ye refers to the rebel army, that is, he will withdraw the army only when the rebel army surrenders.

The officers and soldiers were bloody, and the rebels naturally retaliated bloodthirsty. The two sides come and go, and the land of fish and rice in the lake and the land of fish and rice is barren, the water town is barren, the state and county are barren, and countless people die of starvation and disease.

Originally, it was just a worrying thing, and everyone just talked about it casually, but Li Mu was panicked.

"I'll hurry home and tell my dad and ask him to send someone to find my eldest brother."

"Li Mu, don't worry!"

Li Kui opened his mouth and said: "What is the situation now, no one knows whether your brother will go to Huguang or not." You go back and ask the family to write a letter first, and ask what happened. ”

Hearing Li Kui say this, Li Mu quieted down.

"Second brother, recently, it seems that many Song people on the border have returned from Western Xia, what is going on?"

Before Li Mu's words fell, a sergeant said loudly: "What else can happen, it's going to be a war!" You didn't look, Liu Xianggong of Xihe took tens of thousands of people and horses to Weizhou. It's clearly going to be a big deal!"

Although these guys can't do their jobs, they know a lot about the grapevine. Now the newspapers of these two rivers have already been distributed throughout Shaanxi, and they are all keeping up with the trend, and they are all clear, so they naturally know the movement outside.

"Second brother, is what you said on Tuesday true?"

"Li Shu, have you read the newspaper that just came out? Judging from the newspapers, it seems that the loyal army is going to use troops against Western Xia. ”

Li Kui did not answer Li Shu directly, but turned to the matter in the newspaper.

"For example, the party and the Tibetan people, although they are not of the Chinese race, but between the same heaven and earth, there are those who can know Chinese etiquette and righteousness and are willing to be subjects, and they are no different from the Chinese people......"

Li Kui said in a deep voice: "Li Shu, you know some articles." Tell me, what do you mean by that?"

"Those who can know Chinese etiquette and righteousness and are willing to be subjects are no different from Chinese people to raise."

Li Shu read it in his mouth, suddenly realized, and nodded hurriedly: "It's true!" Second brother, it seems that this loyal army is going to take Xixia seriously!"

Li Kui nodded, and muttered to himself: "I just don't know, there is a big brother among the generals who command the army."

Everyone's words slowly shifted to local gossip and parents, whose woman was unmarried and pregnant, whose woman was red and apricot out of the wall, and whose family was a red and white happy event, and all kinds of vulgar laughter also rang out.

Everyone was chatting with each other, and suddenly, they saw a dusty official road by the Weishui in the distance, and about a hundred knights came from the east like a whirlwind and clouds, coming towards the city gate.

Everyone stopped talking, looked up in surprise, and saw that in the distance, the knights on the horses had stopped their horses, and they seemed to be dressed as officials and soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty. All the knights dismounted together, followed the official road, and walked towards the gate of the city.

Everyone was relieved in their hearts, and the hands that held their weapons were loosened. It seems that this is neither the Western Xia team nor the Jurchen rangers, but I don't know that the Song army knights there have such great momentum.

Li Yanxian carefully looked at the surrounding scenery as he walked towards the city gate. It can be said that every plant and tree here is so familiar and so unfamiliar.

The towers outside the city, the bells in the temples, the ancient willows on the banks of Weishui, and every hill outside the city, he was so kind.

Leaving home is even more timid, and I dare not ask anyone.

When he arrived at the gate of the city, he couldn't help but be stunned when he saw a group of soldiers and idlers staring at the enemy.

"Who are you and why did you come to Gongzhou? Why don't you report your name quickly and show your identity, lest you be caught in the yamen!"

Seeing that the other party was neatly dressed, all of them were ironclad, the dragon spirit was fierce, and they were not angry and arrogant, Li Kui and the others were frightened, and they stood up together and gathered into a pile.