Zhao'an thieves, coercion and temptation are the only methods. As for Ma Liang's words, of course, there is also moisture, just like a march to war, 50,000 soldiers and horses can be claimed to be 200,000.

Now Ma Liang has just doubled the number of people in Xinye and Fangling, which is already a conscience.

The two pairs of guards in the stockade were country buns, and when they heard this, their faces suddenly changed, revealing a look of fear. But Hu Shu was not a good person, he sneered and said, "If it is really as powerful as you say, then he will attack me directly." Do you need the two of you to persuade me to come down the mountain? ”

"I think that Guan Taishou is just a strong outsider."

Rough people also have resourcefulness.

Moreover, Hu Shu is also blind and arrogant because he is a native bun in the countryside and does not know Guan Yu's prestige. I am sure that Fang Ling is just a strong outsider and a middle-class cadre, and he has no fear.

It's simple logic, but it works.

At least Ma Liang had nothing to do.

Xu Yi, a beautiful woman, a field house, don't believe it.

Coercion, and I don't believe it.

So what does this person believe?

Ma Liang's three-inch incorruptible tongue, what else can he say?

Ma Liangxin thought that it was fortunate that he brought Zhang Bao this time, otherwise if he came alone, he was afraid that he would go back if he wanted to come. Ma Liang looked at Zhang Bao the same.

It means, "You're on." ”

Zhang Bao immediately pressed the hilt of the sword, drew the sword in the blink of an eye, and then turned around and killed one of the guards, grabbed a spear, threw it with his left hand, and the spear hit the left shoulder of the invincible Ba King Hu Shu, nailing Hu Shu to the seat.

Don't look at Ma Liang's weakness, but there are countless literati who protect themselves with swords in troubled times, and Ma Liang is one of them. As soon as he stepped down, the man had already rushed forward, drawing his sword and killing Hu Shu.

This is a shocking change.

The thieves didn't expect that Zhang Bao and Ma Liang would actually do it in the stockade, otherwise they wouldn't have invited the two in, and they were even allowed to wear swords.

It's also because of the local buns in the countryside, these bandits have never seen anything called a fierce general. So when Zhang Bao killed a guard and stabbed Hu Shu for a few breaths, the remaining guards reacted.

The nine guards swarmed up, and with a roar of rage, they planned to stab Zhang Bao to death. Zhang Bao did not retreat, but advanced, rushed into the formation and killed three people in a row before stopping.

It's not that Zhang Bao is afraid, but because Ma Liang has already restrained Hu Shu.

This King Ba, who had just been invincible, was nailed to his seat with a spear by Zhang Bao, and he was seriously injured and almost fainted, so he naturally couldn't stop Ma Liang. Ma Liang just gently placed the sword on Hu Shu's neck, and the remaining guards didn't dare to move anymore.

"Ordered them to get out." Ma Liang held the sword and placed it on Hu Shu's neck, but his tone was still calm.

"Go down." Hu Shu no longer had the same life as before, looked at Ma Liang in horror, and then ordered. The guards hesitated, and Hu Shu shouted out of control, "Get out." ”

So the rest of the guards left the stockade in a hurry. Zhang Bao yelled: "Ma Zhong, Chen Yuan, Li Gou, Chang Wei, Li Sheng." King Ba is already under my control, and you bring people in. ”

Outside the stockade, as the guards walked out, the five soldiers and entourage under Da Zhang Bao immediately entered the stockade, and the group guarded the stockade.

And the whole stockade was immediately alarmed. Many bandits with bows swarmed and drained the water around the cottage, but they did not dare to come forward, because the king of Ba was now a hostage.

Soon after, Ma Liang pressed the hilt of his sword, walked out of the stockade under the protection of Zhang Bao, and said to the bandits around him: "Listen, we are dead soldiers. Now that Hu Shu is under control, he will not let go. If you invade, the jade will be burned. And my 50,000-strong army in Fangling has been stationed in Qu County. Once they get the news, they will attack the Iron Pestle Mountain. When the army came, the chickens and dogs were not left. If you wait obediently, the Taishou will move you down the mountain to cultivate, and you can cultivate as much land as you want, and the government will collect 30% of the tax. Isn't it better to be a thief and be scared every day? ”

There was a commotion among the bandits, and then it was like that. This is just a group of bandits, and besides, Hu Shu has been controlled, and the dragons have no leader.

After that, several leaders of the bandits came forward to speak to Ma Liang and expressed their willingness to submit. After Ma Liang calmed down, he did not let down his guard.

While sending people to treat Hu Shu, he sent people down the mountain to rule the Quxian army, and transferred more than 1,000 from the two small battalions.

Five days later, the army arrived at Tiepestle Mountain, but the overall situation was decided. But unfortunately, Hu Shu, the king of Naba, died, not because Ma Liangxin killed him ruthlessly, but because he was too seriously injured and died.

However, Ma Liang did not move until his own army came to the mountain, and the news was announced. Now that the wood is complete, neither can the bandits.

Coming to the two military waiters on the mountain, Zhang Bao ordered one of them to collect two or three thousand bandit men and women, plus pots and pans, livestock, cattle and horses, and went down the mountain.

Zhang Bao and Ma Liang, as well as more than 500 people led by another military candidate, guarded Tiezhu Mountain and sent spies to advance westward into Daba Mountain to find the remaining mountain people.

And with the occupation of Iron Pestle Mountain, the road to the west has been opened. As the spies continued to listen, the news from all sides came one after another.

The population and ethnic groups in the western mountainous areas are gradually becoming clearer.

It was a sunny day and cloudless.

Iron Pestle Mountain. A large part of the cottage has been demolished, and the remaining small piece has been renovated into a highly defended military village.

On the gate of the camp, there is a banner with the word "Zhang", and there are soldiers guarding with swords and bows, or patrolling, and the atmosphere is calm.

But if you look closely, the soldiers are actually a little nervous. After all, Zhang Bao's men and horses are all newly recruited soldiers, and they have not been trained for a few months.

It's just an empty shelf.

But bluffing is enough.

It was only by relying on this group of people, Ma Liang, and Zhang Bao that Hu Shu's two or three thousand men and women were forced down the mountain. The former Dazhai of Bawang Hushu has also become a big tent of the Chinese army.

The messy village was cleaned up, and it looked much fresher.

Ma Liang sat on the main seat on the north side, and Zhang Bao sat on the side seat.

"Sima Zhang. The news has been gathered, and it is not clear how many households there are in this western mountainous area. However, there are seven main ethnic groups, including three Han people, four Ba people, and Yi people, and countless other small tribes. These people are different from Hu Shu, they also have warriors with bows to guard the cottage, but they are all ordinary mountain people, and they do not make a living by robbing houses and houses. And the life on the mountain is naturally hard, although there is no government exploitation, but it is only barely satisfied. I heard that most of them are people with yellow faces and thin muscles. I plan to summon the leaders of these seven mountain people to come to Tieple Mountain to consult, and persuade them to come down to the mountain to cultivate with the promise of benefits. ”

Ma Liang said to Zhang Bao.

Zhang Bao couldn't bear to listen to this, he hated these tirades the most. So he waved his hand and said: "Ma Changshi is in charge of this kind of thing, so you don't need to tell me." If you need to use troops, just tell me where to fight. ”

Since the other party is not a bandit, but an ordinary mountain people. Zhang Bao was a new soldier, and he also had the courage to go into the mountains to crusade.

Ma Liang understood, so he asked Zhang Bao to get out. I chose a clever person by myself and went to invite the leader of the seven mountain people to meet with the Iron Pestle Mountain.

Temptation is the only way to lure these mountain people down the mountain, because the place where these mountain people live may be cliffs.

Besides, these mountain people are scattered in the mountains for hundreds of miles.

It is completely impossible to fight.

As for how to lure, it will vary from person to person.

And to those chiefs they were promised heavy profits, and they were only rich in money. And relying on the prestige of those leaders, gather the mountain people down the mountain, in order to increase the attractiveness.

Of course, you have to take out the plough and the waterwheel, and give the land.

For mountain people who don't have enough food and clothing, it is a dream to have land at the bottom of the mountain. It is said that the productivity brought by the plough and the waterwheel is also said.

Ma Liang is very confident in the temptation.

After Ma Liang sent the people one by one, he patted his knees and stood up and walked out of the village, out of the camp, and came to the hill outside the camp.

This Iron Pestle Mountain, as well as the surrounding hills, are lined with many mountain fields. In addition to robbing, these bandits also farmed to make a living.

Ma Liang came to a mountain field, bent down and grabbed a handful of land and pinched it. Ma Liang is also a farmer who understands it, and he knows at a glance that the fertility of this land is not good. And it is far from water sources, so only some drought-tolerant crops can be grown, and the yield is extremely low.

"It's the mountain. In this mountainous area, there must be no less than 100,000 mountain people, or even more. But it is also impossible to attract all the mountain people down the mountain. In some places, news is cut off, and in other places, mountain people are attached to the land. But even so, as long as it can attract 70,000 or 80,000 people down the mountain, it is considerable. ”

Ma Liang clapped his hands, patted away the dirt, and smiled on his face.

This time it went really well.

If the situation is better, the farmers can be brought down the mountain before the start of spring. This fall, there will be more taxes. Based on the grain of the tax, soldiers and horses can be recruited after the autumn harvest.

Expand the number of people in Fangling County to 30,000 or 40,000.

At that time, whether it is to the east, to the south, to plot Jingzhou, or to the west to plot Hanzhong, you will have the ability. Otherwise, relying on the 120,000 horses currently owned is tantamount to a fool's dream.

"Although there are thorns in front of us, as long as you have perseverance and a sharp firewood knife, you can open up a road to Zhuangkang. I, Ma Liang, am by no means a person who does nothing. Sooner or later, the world will be returned, and it will be clear. Ma Liang held his hands behind him, looking at the north, and the expression on his face was absolutely unpalatable.

Generous and worried, hearty and straightforward.

And talent.

This is the white-eyed Ma Liang, Ma Jichang.

You can't do it alone.

Only when a lot of Ma Liang and Ma Jian are combined can they make a career. Guan Yu really can't be a family, but Guan Ping is a thief.

Therefore, the Guan family is thriving, and the future is also beautiful.

And Ma Liang did these things on the Iron Pestle Mountain, of course, it was impossible not to tell Guan Ping. Ma Liang is a person of rules, although he did not ask Guan Ping's consent in advance this time, he always had to report afterwards.

Furthermore, if there are really 70,000 or 80,000 people descending the mountain. It is also necessary for Fangling County to arrange fields and divide the population into nine counties for resettlement.

Things are messy, but it is not something that Ma Liang can do alone, and it needs the support of a county.