The next morning, the soldiers began to call the people up early in the morning and asked for a procession. Many people thought they could procrastinate like they had done the previous two days, but soon they realized that this was not the case.

Within the time of a stick of incense, more than half of the tens of thousands of people were ready to hit the road, but thousands more were still sitting on the ground, refusing to get up. Some even slept on the ground. Wang Yuan sat on his horse and looked at the crowds of people who still refused to get up, frowning. Yan Zhenqing saw Wang Yuan's dissatisfaction, so he personally led hundreds of soldiers to urge the people to get up. These people seemed to know that Yan Zhenqing loved them, and they were babbling about their grievances but were reluctant to get up. Yan Zhenqing had to persuade them bitterly to get up.

Wang Yuan really couldn't stand it anymore, so he ordered someone to call Yan Zhenqing over and asked in a deep voice, "Yan Taishou, how did you promise me last night?" Do you think my words are a joke? That's a military order. Let these people get up and hurry within a stick of incense, or I will punish you for your sins. ”

Yan Zhenqing confessed again and again, and hurriedly led people to urge again, but the verbal persuasion was completely ineffective, and those people were still stretching their waists with their mouths open, and some were even sleeping. Yan Zhenqing was extremely helpless, looked back at Wang Yuan, who was looking at him with stern eyes, and finally gave a long sigh and ordered: "Take out the whip, you don't want to get up...... Call me. ”

Hundreds of soldiers in Plains City were very puzzled, Yan Taishou had always loved the people, how could he give such an order? They all looked at Yan Zhenqing in a daze, thinking that they had heard it wrong.

"Don't you understand? Whoever does not hurry up and hurry away is whipped with a whip without pity. Don't go yet. Yan Zhenqing said angrily.

Only then did the soldiers realize that the order was not a joke, and they whipped their whips. Moments later, there was a burst of screams and screams from the camp. Those people never imagined that these soldiers of Plains City, who had been together for more than nine months, would actually raise their leather whips and whip themselves.

Someone shouted at Yan Zhenqing while screaming in pain: "Yan Taishou, what's wrong?" Why are you hitting us? ”

Yan Zhenqing gritted his teeth and shouted: "Fathers and fellow villagers, the thieves are chasing after you, at this time, don't blame me Yan for being disrespectful to you." Whoever delayed the march of the army would have killed tens of thousands of people. Not only must they be beaten, but if the situation is bad, they will be beheaded for public display. After a long journey, if the slow movement is left behind, the army will abandon it, and life and death will be borne by it. So please follow the order, otherwise you can blame Yan for being ruthless. ”

The people were stunned, they suddenly understood that these words came from Yan Taishou's mouth, and it was definitely not a joke. In addition, the leather whip fell down, and a bunch of people were beaten to the point of crying dad and mother, and they didn't dare to be lazy anymore, so they hurriedly got up and lined up. Before the time for a stick of incense arrived, no one in the camp could not get up, and all of them were put into the queue.

Wang Yuan, who was in the rear, nodded with satisfaction and gave the order for the army to advance. Li Heng rode his horse to Wang Yuan's side and said in a low voice: "Marshal Wang, this time you know that these people can't fight if they don't fight. It was the same in the woods that day, and the people were sometimes really hateful. ”

Wang Yuan frowned and glared at Li Heng and said, "Lord Wang, I gave this order as a last resort, for the sake of the safety of everyone here. It's not the same as beating people in the woods. Are you still haunted by what happened that day? Think I've wronged you? ”

"No, no, no, I didn't mean that, I just wanted to say that sometimes it's not that we want to hit them, it's that they find it themselves."

Wang Yuan was speechless, frowned, and said: "The prince is a person who refuses to admit defeat, but he has to ask for an explanation to feel at ease." ”

……

The team of men and horses drove at a high speed, because the goal of traveling forty miles was set today, so the soldiers kept supervising the front and back of the team. After traveling for several miles, some of the people began to fall behind, and began to complain and curse, and did not want to move quickly. Since Yan Zhenqing had already whipped the heads of the people, he no longer hesitated, and ordered the soldiers to drive them away with leather whips in the rear. Due to the power of the whip, these people dared to be angry and did not dare to speak, so they could only fight up and hurry forward.

At noon, Wang Yuan only gave half an hour to rest, eat and drink, and then continued to drive forward. It was not until the evening that Wang Yuan agreed to camp on the spot and rest on the flat ground on the side of a hill more than ten miles north of Qi County. Facts have proved that people need to be persecuted, and Wang Yuan only hoped to travel forty miles. When I arrived here, I calculated the itinerary, and I actually walked 423 miles in one day today. How difficult it is for a team of people who carry the old, weak, sick and disabled.

The people were weary and dying, and as soon as they said that they had set up camp, many of them immediately became ill. They ignored the area where the people camped pointed out by Zhao Qing and others, and occupied the camping position that they thought was comfortable. Complaining to each other about taking off their shoes and socks to look at their feet that were aching from walking. Many people also began to scold the soldiers for not understanding human feelings and treating them as human beings. Some people have already begun to cut down thatched trees and make fires on the spot, intending to cook food, eat a good meal, and sleep well.

But soon, the leather whips in the hands of Zhao Qing and more than a thousand cavalrymen taught these people that they could no longer do whatever they wanted. Camping must be made in designated places, no campfires, and no loud movements. As soon as these three rules were announced, there was a burst of complaints and curses. Zhao Qing and the cavalry didn't say much, and directly used leather whips to tell the noisy and disobedient people to understand what the rules in the army were. Dozens of fierce guys were also subjected to even more ruthless punishments, they were hung from trees by Zhao Qing and whipped with leather whips, beating them until their skin was torn apart.

Obviously, Wang Yuan also did not want to cause confrontation. That night, Wang Yuan invited dozens of elders from the people to meet and told them why he had set such strict rules, hoping that they would understand. The old men said that they could understand, and they all said that after they went back, they would tell everyone to act according to the rules of the marshal and get out of danger as soon as possible.

In fact, there is no need for Wang Yuan to talk to these old men, the vast majority of the people here understand this matter, because they already know that tens of thousands of rebels are chasing after them, and everything Marshal Wang and Yan Taishou have done is to ensure the safety of everyone. Most of the people did what they were told, and they did what they were asked to do. But there are always some people who don't care about it, and when others persuade them to obey the rules, they still look at each other angrily and curse in their mouths, so these people are whipped, and in the eyes of the vast majority of people, they deserve it.

Soon, things settled down. After all, the people were tired enough after a day's trek. After eating the rice balls and water, they quickly fell to the ground and fell asleep. Wang Yuan didn't fall asleep immediately, although he was also very tired, he still went out of the camp and went up to the top of the hill to check the arrangement of the soldiers and horses on the hill for night.

After turning around, Wang Yuan sat down on a dirt slope on the west side of the hill. Quietly looking in the direction of the west side of the hill in a daze. The moonlight is hazy like water, and the scenery is misty, like a light veil. In the early autumn night, there is already a slight coolness, and it seems that you can feel the feeling of night dew quietly gathering at the corners of your hair and clothes. After sitting for a long time, Wang Yuan's hands and exposed parts of his face seemed to feel a little wet. But Wang Yuan didn't realize it, and just sat there quietly. After a day of noise and exhaustion, Wang Yuan enjoyed a moment of tranquility here.

"Erlang, why do you want to be so distracted?"

A soft word came, waking up Wang Yuan, who was half-asleep and half-awake. Turning his head, he saw Gongsun Lan standing a few steps behind him, staring at him quietly.

Wang Yuan hurriedly got up and said, "Why are you here?" Your body has not yet recovered, so why can't you rest? ”

Gongsun Lan approached with a smile and said, "I'm almost recovered, I just woke up in the middle of the night, I wanted to see how you slept, but I found that you weren't in the tent." When I asked the soldiers of the night watch, I found out that you had come here. How? Is there something on your mind when you sit here and are distracted? I've been standing for a long time, and you don't even notice it. ”

Wang Yuan hurriedly said: "It turns out that you have been here for a long time, but I don't know at all. If you're tired of standing, sit down and rest for a while. ”

Wang Yuan pointed to the stones under his feet and motioned for Gongsun Lan to sit down. Gongsun Lan smiled and nodded, and sat down side by side with Wang Yuan. The two of them were speechless for a while, and both looked at the hazy mountains and fields under the hills, but they saw that the mountains and fields seemed to be slowly flowing under the moonlight, and it was like a dream.

"It turns out that the mountains are so beautiful at night, but this is the first time I've seen such a beautiful scenery." Wang Yuan praised softly.

Gongsun Lan smiled slightly: "I have seen a lot, in my plum garden back then, the mist surging lightly under the moon night, it is much more beautiful than here." Isn't it possible that Erlang is sitting here enjoying the scenery? ”

Wang Yuan shook his head and sighed: "I have such Yaxing there, I'm worried about Xin'er and them." To tell you the truth, I chose to march to Qi County in the southwest, in fact, on the one hand, I also wanted to march closer to the southwest, so that it would be easier to find Xin'er and them. Because I always think that Xin'er and the others may be going directly to the bank of the Yellow River from the north, I hope to see them appear here in Qi County. ”

Gongsun Lan sighed faintly: "I knew you were worried about them, yes, it is indeed very worrying." I had thought that I would go to look for them when I was recovering, but now it seems that I can't leave in Kishui or a battle, because you need my help. Hey, it's really embarrassing. ”

Wang Yuan nodded and said: "At this time, it is impossible to separate people to find them, I only hope that the twelve mothers and their auspicious natural appearance can return unharmed." By the way, how do you know that we will have a battle with the rebels in Qi County? ”

Gongsun Lan smiled and said, "You can't hide it from me." If you want to hide the traces of the horses and soldiers, you should not remove the dung pockets from the back of the horses' butts. Isn't it the best guide that all the dung pockets on the buttocks of the horses have been removed, and the dung balls pulled by the horses are all over the ground? ”

The so-called horse manure pocket is a small cloth bag hanging under the tail of the cavalry war horse, as the name suggests, it is the pocket that receives horse manure. If the cavalry wants to hide their whereabouts, they wear this kind of cloth to catch the horse dung, otherwise the dung of the war horse will be scattered all over the place, and the people who will follow the horse dung will chase after them. This is equivalent to following the animal's feces when hunting. Gongsun Lan keenly noticed that all the horse dung pockets of the war horses were taken off, and naturally knew that there was a lot of articles here.

Wang Yuan was taken aback and said in astonishment: "It's amazing, you can see it." ”