Shang Cheng narrowed his eyes and took a look at the situation in the barracks.

It was a vertical barracks, with a passage twenty paces long and three paces wide connecting the doors on the north and south sides. There were no windows on all four walls, and the north-facing doors were tightly covered, so the room was not ventilated, and the air was filled with a musty smell, mixed with the faint smell of kang ash and charcoal, which always wafted around the nose of people. On the east and west sides of the large kang, near the south door, there are several messy black bedding wrapped in a mess; Two or three old sheepskin jackets with black collars were also buried in the bedding. At the foot of the door were two clumsy wooden shelves, one with seven spears and the other with six waist knives.

Shang Cheng examined the weapon rack. Noticing that two spears had rust on their tips, and that they had not been sharpened for a long time, he asked, "How many soldiers live in this barracks?" ”

Qian Laosan hesitated. It was his soldier, but he really didn't know how many people lived in this barracks. He looked at the clerk in the military village as if asking for help, but the clerk straightened his waist and stretched his chest and pressed his knees, and he looked like he was sitting precariously and engrossedly, and it seemed that he couldn't count on it. He glanced quietly at the armory shelf, and then said uncertainly, "Thirteen...... Fourteen soldiers? ”

Shang Cheng glanced at him, and then asked Tian Xiaowu, who was standing in the aisle with a distracted look: "How many people live in this house?" ”

Tian Xiaowu subconsciously said: "Twelve people." He immediately felt several sharp stare in his face, and then he realized who he was talking to. He immediately straightened his feet together and replied loudly again, "Tell your lord!" Twelve people live here. ”

This answer was obviously a surprise to Shang Cheng. He frowned and asked Qian Laosan: "What's the matter?" Twelve people, how did they put thirteen knives and guns? ”

Qian Laosan was already standing in front of the kang. He straightened his neck and blushed, staring back at Shang Cheng with wide eyes, his Adam's apple kept rolling up and down, swallowing saliva one after another, but he didn't know how to answer Shang Cheng's question.

Shang Cheng had a gloomy face, stared at Qian Laosan very dissatisfied, and then turned his gaze to Tian Xiaowu.

"Tell you, in September, the beacon took four brothers on duty, and we were left with five men. The other one was originally only seven people. Tian Xiaowu said loudly.

Shang Cheng directly asked the commander of Shangzhai: "The various items in Shangzhai are also equipped with straight knives and crossbows, right?" ”

"Yes, each with a straight knife and three bows." The commander of Shangzhai hurriedly said, "This is an important ordnance, which is kept by the military village in peacetime, and it will be brought out by the chiefs of each party during the meeting, and it will be returned in time." In fact, he didn't know why there were thirteen knives and guns among the twelve people in this barracks, but he couldn't say that he didn't know, so he had to dig out his mind to find something to say, and at the same time secretly glanced at the documents of the military village. The clerk couldn't sit still for a long time, and stood in the ground with a cower, bowing his head to avoid Shang Cheng's cold gaze, and said uneasily: "...... This, however, may be after the soldiers are withdrawn, and then ...... Armament was not collected...... Take back the storeroom. ”

Shang Cheng nodded, staring only at the two wooden shelves, and was noncommittal to the words of the two men.

He sat in this unventilated barracks for a long time, and he felt that the smell of charcoal ash on the tip of his nose was getting heavier and heavier, and even though he was wearing an eye patch, his injured right eye was still sore and swollen with tears. He reached into his arms and touched it, and then he remembered that he had changed his robe only before noon, and now he was wearing the largest border army cotton jacket that he had found temporarily, and he did not carry a cotton handkerchief with him; Moreover, those few Mianpa, which were soaked in rain and snow all the way, could not be used again for a long time, and they had just been washed and dried in the command post and were not brought out. He couldn't help but feel irritable in his heart, took a deep breath and stood up, walked back and forth in the aisle for a few steps, suddenly stopped and turned around to stare at Qian Laosan, and asked, "Sentry Commander Qian, this is the soldier you brought, right?" ”

"Yes."

"How long have you been transferred to Shangzhai?"

"Tell your lordship, twenty-seven days!"

"Twenty-seven days, it's not a short time, it's a month soon." The corner of Shang Cheng's left mouth was slightly raised. "Why don't you know your own soldiers?"

Qian Laosan puffed out his chest and replied loudly: "My subordinates know that they have done something wrong!" Adult's military law, please! ”

"Go get the five whips yourself."

"Yes!" Qian Laosan hissed and agreed, stepped on his leather boots and pedaled out.

Several officers looked at each other, all of them looking worried. They knew that before Qian Laosan came to Shangzhai, he was originally the deputy of Jin Xi, the commander of the military sentry on the border of Xiazhai, and he had been sitting in the position of the second post for six or seven years, and he had already done it with a lot of complaints; As a result, Shang Cheng had just taken office and had an opportunity, first he was promoted to the rank of captain of Zhengjiupin Renyong at the same time as Jin Xi, and then he was transferred to Shangzhai to be the head of the big whistle, obviously a competent person under Shang Cheng. Who knew that even his henchman would have to be court-martialed......

Shang Cheng paced back to the weapon rack, pinched the rusty slag on the tip of the spear with his fingers, turned his face, looked at the Shangzhai officers who were standing in a circle one by one, and said slowly: "Swords and guns are the foundation for the soldiers to fight on the battlefield to save their lives, and they are their second life. Not only straight knives and crossbows, but also these knives and guns also need to be properly maintained and stored in ordinary times. You are all veterans, and you are all the ones who lead the soldiers, you should know this, and you should also tell these things to the soldiers below. Not only should we talk to them repeatedly, but we must also check them frequently, and we must cultivate the habit of caring for the armament among the soldiers. And these words are not only spoken in words, but you yourself must take the lead in doing them; Not only do it, but also do it well......"

Several officers were ready to be severely reprimanded, but they didn't expect the young boss to say such a thing in the end, and the expected storm suddenly turned into a serious and earnest admonition, and they were a little stunned for a while, until the military village clerk shouted "yes", and then he found his mind in a panic and bowed down in unison.

Shang Cheng looked at them fixedly, and said with a smile: "Don't just stand and say 'yes' to me, the key is to do it in a down-to-earth manner." Weapons must be well maintained, and the appearance of the army must also be done well, and such things as this kind of bedding are stacked indiscriminately, and pants and clothes are thrown all over the ground, and they must not happen again. Otherwise, if I see this rusty knife and gun again, and then I see this dusty shelf, and the barracks are in a mess, you must be careful of your buttocks. ”

Listening to his warning, there were already two jokes, and several officers knew that there would be no more storms in this matter today, and their hearts were relieved, and their expressions became lighter. The commander of Shangzhai took the lead in guaranteeing that if he found these problems when Shang Cheng came over next time, he would also go to get five leather whips one by one, and fifty leather whips!

Shang Cheng said: "If I don't come, there can be no more such things in the military village." To be a soldier is to have the appearance of a soldier. He added, "There is another matter, you must immediately arrange the supplies of the four beacon towers in front of you, and organize people to send them as soon as possible!" You have to pick the best food, the best clothes, and the most trustworthy people, and send them as fast as possible! ”

The commander of Shangzhai put away his smile and said, "I'll go to arrange it right away." ”

Shang Cheng stopped him, and then ordered: "Let Qian Laosan take someone there!" ”

The commander of Shangzhai looked at it lengly, and for a while he couldn't figure out what Shang Cheng meant, and he didn't know whether he should follow this order, and whether he should defend Qian Laosan. After all, this is a thankless drudgery, the four beacon towers are all rooted in the ravine, the farthest distance from the village can be sixty miles, the weather road is not good, running back and forth can not even spend the New Year...... Looking at Shang Cheng's face, it didn't seem to be a joke, so he hurriedly said, "Okay, let him lead the team." As he spoke, he took the paperwork with him.

Only then did Shang Cheng turn his face to the foreign border soldier in the innermost part of the barracks and greeted: "Suza, why haven't you spoken?" ”

The two remaining officers in the room, Tian Xiaowu, were all stunned, and looked at the guy named Suza in surprise. This Tu Ji people were brought to Shangzhai by Qian Laosan, but Qian Laosan didn't take much care of him on weekdays, and he didn't stand up for him when he saw him being bullied by other border troops......

Su Zha listened to Shang Cheng's call, straightened up and clenched his fists to give a military salute first, and saw that Shang Cheng returned the salute before saying in his unique straight tone: "Tell your lord!" The adults didn't ask me. ”

Shang Cheng smiled, beckoned him to approach, and asked, "Are you still used to staying in the military village?" ”

Suza exclaimed, "Tell your lord, get used to it! ”

"They didn't bully you, did they?"

Suza held his head high and said, "Tell your lordship: no one bullied me. ”

Shang Cheng didn't hesitate to hear him say it, but he laughed first and said, "You are lying. Although you have entered our Da Zhao's household registration, after all, you have a Tu Tu from a background, and you are the most united and exclusive place in the army, how can you be a newly naturalized soldier, not being bullied. He waved his hand to stop Suza from pleading, and continued, "Just look at the bunk you live in, there are more than a dozen bunks left vacant in this house, but who are you in the innermost dark and damp corner, and say that no one bullies you?" ”

Su Za stiffened his face, stared at the beam of the room with a pair of eyes red from the corners of his eyes, and insisted loudly: "Tell your lord: I asked for that bunk myself!" Everyone treated me very well, no one bullied me! ”

Shang Cheng's gaze looked him up and down several times, pursed his lips and nodded: "That's good." He took two steps and stood still, stared at him with blazing eyes, and said in a calm voice, "Do you know that I asked Qian Laosan not to defend you?" ”

“…… I don't know. ”

"Actually, it's nothing to tell you. The reason why I don't let Qian Laosan defend you is because you are a Tu Tu people. ”

“……”

"Although you have entered the nationality of Da Zhao, in the eyes of others, you are still a sudden; If you want others to recognize you and treat you as a brother who can be entrusted with life and death on the battlefield, you will have to suffer more and suffer more sins than others, until when others think of you, the first thing that comes to mind is no longer your origin, no longer your past, but you as a person, and when you are a trustworthy comrade-in-arms, then others will truly trust you and respect you! You can become a real big Zhao border army! ”

“……”

"Captain Qian is going to give supplies to the beacon, you go too, even if it is climbing, you must send supplies to me! This is my command to you! ”

"Yes!"

…… When Shang Cheng left the barracks, he pulled Tian Xiaowu aside and said, "I will go back to Zhongzhai tomorrow, you come over later, and tell you in detail what happened to you in the guards; I'll find someone to record it, and you can draw a bet. I'll pass on your story to the Camp Zhibing Section to see if I can find justice for you. ”

Seeking justice, this was originally Tian Xiaowu's dream, but I don't know why, but now when he heard Shang Cheng's words, he didn't feel half of the joy and excitement. He pursed his lips and looked at the empty school grounds, and suddenly said thoughtlessly: "I'm also going to give supplies to the beacon tower." Brother monk, you can do me this favor and ask Captain Qian to put me into the team of sending me to the send. ”