After Li Desheng learned of Guo Shao's origin, he warmly invited their brothers to move in to live at home. But Guo Shao saw that the Li family's house was not spacious, and he had a wife and concubine, so he kindly refused.

A month later, a few merchants came to Wuzhen Town. It was the first time in days that people had seen someone from outside.

The middle of the main road in the town was very lively for a while, and suddenly there was some commercial atmosphere in this ruined town. It is said that trade between countries was very frequent at this time, even between hostile countries; However, it should be mainly concentrated in the metropolis and the more peaceful areas of the south, and in this almost abandoned town of Wuyan, there is really not much business to speak of.

The merchant who sells goods is not very far away, from Luzhou, one old, two young and three people, two donkey carts. They sell all kinds of goods, most of which are things that the people cannot produce on their own. Guo Shao looked at it for a while, not only can it be bought with coins, but it can also be bartered, wheat, cloth, skin, beef tendon and even livestock are the things that the merchant is most willing to accept.

Guo Shao saw a bow on the stall, so he said hello and reached out to take it, and as soon as his fingers touched the bowstring, he put it down and took it back. Seeing this, the old man smiled and said: "Hunting can be used, and if a strong man wants to buy it, he has to place an order in advance." ”

Guo Shao said: "Do you only come once every month? ”

The old man shook his head and said, "I don't know when it will be next time...... The streets and alleys of Luzhou are talking about the Khitan soldiers going to cross the turbid water to plunder Luzhou, haven't you heard the wind yet? ”

Guo Shao shook his head when he heard this, and said in surprise: "I besiege Taiyuan with a large army, where can the Khitans go south?" ”

"I don't know, but I heard that I will come to Luzhou, and if I really want to come, it may be soon."

Guo Shao wanted to inquire about more news, but unfortunately the old man didn't know much, and his words were unknown.

He had to beckon Shang Yang Luo and the others to leave. Yang Biao wondered: "I'm afraid the merchant is a false man." The army of the official family attacked Jinyang, the Northern Han was in danger, and the Khitans did not save the Northern Han, so they ran to Luzhou to do something? ”

Guo Shao said: "If the Khitan people have a way to plunder Qin, Lu and other places, of course it will be useful." The purpose of the forbidden army's expedition this time was originally to repel the foreign invaders, but after the Battle of Gaoping, it continued to besiege Jinyang, which was inevitably underprepared, and it would cause supply difficulties after the route was lengthened; If the Khitan attacks our rear grain route, it will inevitably exacerbate the problem of food shortage at the front. What I can't figure out is just where did the Khitan army come from, they have already opened up the Daixin Basin? We don't have any drawings in our hands, so it's hard to guess what's going on. ”

Yang Biao listened and said: "Go and ask the town general Li Desheng to see how much he knows." ”

"Exactly." Guo Shaodao.

The two discussed, but Luo Mengzi couldn't talk in the back, and he didn't interject. Compared with Yang Biao's knowledge, Luo Mengzi is much worse, and he can only listen when talking about business.

The three of them walked to the door of Li's house while talking, but saw that large boxes and small boxes were carrying things out. There were two mule carts at the door, and everything was almost full, and the battle seemed to be moving. After a while, Li Desheng came out to look at things, found them, and hurriedly came to meet them. Guo Shao pointed to things and said, "General Li is going to move to a new house?" ”

Li Desheng raised his eyebrows and said with a bitter face: "What are you moving!" The Khitans wanted to plunder Luzhou, so I quickly asked my wife and children to go to Luzhou with their things to hide for a while...... Just as he was saying that he was going to send someone to tell General Guo, you came to the door in person. ”

According to the grade, the town will be bigger than the officials in the capital, not to mention that Guo Shao's actual military system is actually only ten generals, but he has been promoted to the capital. But a bare-bones general like Li Desheng has no status without soldiers; He learned that Guo Shao had made miraculous achievements, and even the officials and the front division of the palace had been rewarded by the commanders, so the words were very polite.

"I see...... General Li is also going to Luzhou? Who is in charge of Wuyan Town? ”

Li Desheng stomped his foot, gritted his teeth and said, "Hey! How dare I run! Don't you know, the new official family ascended the throne, and in the Gaoping War, the monster generals were greedy for life and afraid of death, and many people have been cut down, and it is said that the class teacher will have to settle accounts after that. On this knife edge, if I dare to run away, isn't it looking for death? You have also seen that this Wuxu Town is a place where the old and weak are waiting to die, and it has long been deserted, and there are no soldiers and no generals...... Alas, I just hope that the Khitan soldiers know that we are poor here, don't come. ”

Guo Shao said: "You are busy today, so I won't bother much." ”

"Look, at least go in and have a cup of tea......

Guo Shao looked at the white fat fat in this town and felt that he had no skills, but he didn't look like a bad person. This calculation confirmed the news that there were enemy soldiers coming, and the town generals began to send their wives and children away, and there should be no fake; If the news is completely unreliable, why should the town general be in such a hurry?

Leaving the Li family, Yang Biao said: "It seems that our brothers should have made plans early." This Wuzhen town is the territory of Li Yun in Luzhou, and it is not related to the forbidden army; What's more, the top has placed a group of us here to recuperate, and there is no military order to defend this town. Now that the injury is almost healed, it is better to leave here with the wounded soldiers and go to Luzhou to find the Zhaoyi Army Military Mansion for resettlement first. The city of Luzhou is high and strong, and it will be much more stable in the city. ”

Guo Shao listened noncommittally.

Several people returned to their dilapidated residences, and for a while they were worried about something, and the atmosphere was a little dull. Guo Shao pondered for a long time and finally broke the silence: "I think the Khitans have not yet opened up the Daixin Basin, otherwise they will be in Jinyang as soon as they pass Xinzhou; In this way, the official family will not be able to continue to besiege Jinyang, and may have withdrawn from the army. It is impossible to come from Hebei, if the Khitans run from the east of Taihang Mountain and run to Luzhou, what will they do?

At present, this Khitan army of soldiers and horses came from nowhere, maybe it is from Liaozhou? But in any case, as long as there is no Tong Dai Xin, its troops will never be too much. It should just take advantage of the harassment and wait for the opportunity to rob the grain. ”

Yang Biao said: "What the eldest brother means is that he wants to stay in Wuzhen Town and not leave?" ”

Guo Shao frowned, hit the palm of his left hand twice with his right fist, gritted his teeth and said: "I think so, I have waited for many times in the past to carry my head into battle and fight hard, which time is not more dangerous than this time?" Although this place is close to Luzhou but not on the main road, the number of Khitan soldiers may not be large, and it is very likely that it is just a straggler to fight here, are we still afraid of him? ”

Yang Biao immediately said categorically: "You are the eldest brother, as long as you say a word, just say how to decide!" ”

Guo Shao looked at Luo Mengzi who couldn't speak, Luo Mengzi touched his round head: "We are brothers, where does the eldest brother go, can the brothers follow?" ”

Guo Shao was very relieved to hear this, and his eyes showed a strange brilliance, "What are we working for?" In the past in the (later) Han Dynasty, and now in the Zhou Dynasty, the most fought are the people of their own clan who fight for power and profit! And today, in order to protect the Han people, in order to repay the kindness of the people who cut down on food and clothing, serve tea and food, and voluntarily go into battle to fight it...... In this way, when one day we hear the people's gratitude for the righteous deeds and recall the enthusiasm of the beginning, will we regret today's decision? ”

Luo Mengzi was very excited when he heard it: "Big brother! ”

Yang Biao also looked solemn, looking at Guo Shao with a pair of tiger eyes and nodding slightly.

Guo Shao stretched out his palm again, high-fived and said, "Good brother, it is a great honor for me to fight side by side with my brother!" ”

Guo Shaoping calmed down, paced back and forth for a few steps, and then turned around abruptly and said, "I have made up my mind to do some preparations." First, let the town general Li Desheng assist and obtain the right to use local manpower and material resources in moderation; second, to repair weapons; third, to organize soldiers; Fourth, prepare fortifications and tactical plans. ”

Yang Biao saluted and said: "Although the eldest brother commands, the brother will work hard before and after the saddle!" ”

Guo Shao nodded: "Then there is no need to wander around, let's go our separate ways." I went to the town general first, and the second and third brothers went to the town to spread the news, shake out the Khitan soldiers who were coming, and let everyone go to the door of the town general to listen to the news. ”

The town commander Li Desheng is naturally not comparable to the rich people in Tokyo, but he must be the richest person in this dilapidated Wushu Town. The gate of the Li family can be seen, with a wall and a foyer.

The three mule carts that had been parked at the door had already left, and Li Desheng led Guo Shao to the hall to sit down, and called two more teas. Guo Shao sat down and said, "There is a sentence I don't know whether to ask or not. ”

Li Desheng raised his hand and gestured: "Guo Lang has something to say, but it doesn't hurt to say it." ”

Guo Shao asked calmly: "If General Li sacrifices his life for the country, the wife, children and property sent to Luzhou City will ......" He deliberately paused for a while, just to give Li Desheng time to think in his mind, in this era, it is normal for women to remarry, but it is not as particular as after the rise of science. However, Guo Shao was inconvenient to say it explicitly, just hinting at such a prospect, and then he continued, "If you don't have to worry about the green mountains and no firewood, why doesn't General Li want to think about it?" ”

Sure enough, the fat on Li Desheng's face wrinkled together, "It's not a secret, this general has never brought troops, not to mention what kind of way can be tossed in this shabby place in Wuzhen Town." ”

"As long as there is a place for living people, you can toss a way." Guo Shao said categorically, "If General Li can trust our brothers, we are willing to help." ”

Li Desheng hurriedly asked: "What is Guo Lang's good plan?" ”

Guo Shao said unhurriedly: "It is rumored that (later) Emperor Yin of the Han Dynasty loved money and hid a large amount of property in the deep palace, and even did not pay the soldiers' salaries. When the Zhou army invaded Daliang, no one under the Hidden Emperor obeyed the order, and finally died and the country was destroyed, even if there were hundreds of millions of wealth, what was the use? ”

"What Guo Lang means ......"

"Why don't General Li take out some money and buy ordnance in Luzhou, the armor soldiers can't buy it, and it can be done to get some raw materials back; It would be even better if you could buy a batch of food...... If you fight a war, you have to be full, and even if you are a god if you are not full, you can't do it. Next, General Li could order the people to be mobilized to save themselves, and some old and weak people could be used to build fortifications and form infantry. In this way, you can fight in the face of enemy attacks and harassment, and you don't have to be reduced to fish. ”

Li Desheng got up and paced, as if he was a little hesitant...... What is the hesitation to send to the door to help him guard the town, is it reluctant to scatter wealth?

Guo Shao hit the railway while it was hot: "The following military positions can be directly handled by Shangfeng, General Li can appoint me to concurrently lead the deputy post of Wuzhen Town, and then order me to guard Wuzhen Town, and you go to Luzhou to buy military quartermasters and send someone back." ”

"How dare this general give the rank of a general of the forbidden army......" Li Desheng said busily.

Guo Shao smiled and said: "In the future, if the Zhaoyi Army is to be held accountable, General Li at least has something to say, he has tried his best to arrange defense and prepare military supplies, and he has not derelicted his duties." ”

I'm afraid that Li Desheng originally wanted to run, but recently it was the time to clean up the portal, and the atmosphere was more terrifying, and he was afraid that he would hurt the fish in the pond. Hearing Guo Shao say this, Li Desheng suddenly showed a heartfelt look.

At this moment, the house slave came in and whispered: "There are many people gathered outside, and they have heard that the Khitan soldiers are coming. ”

"Let's go, go out and have a look." Li Desheng said.