Lü Meng is fourteen today, as big as Pang Tong. In terms of birthday, he is two months older than Pang Tong. In terms of height, he is at least half a head shorter than Pang Tong. Chen Zhi was the most touched, he could lift Lu Meng up with one hand, and he was light and weightless. Seeing that he was so afraid that Sun Ce would drive him away, his heart was inexplicably soft. But he didn't say anything, just put his arm around Lu Meng tightly, lest he fall off his horse.

Lu Meng felt Chen Zhi's concern, his nose was sore, and his eyes were red.

"I'm only fourteen, why don't you go to school?"

"My family's door is too low, no matter how well I read, I can't be an official, so it's better to be a soldier and eat food. Didn't the general's recruitment order say that you can seek peace at the top, defend your homeland at the middle, and seek wealth and nobility at the bottom. I want to be rich. ”

Lu Meng froze all night in the field, and was hungry all night, his whole body was cold, he blew his nose while talking, and there was no place to wipe it, so he had to rub his four fingers in turn, and the four fingers were dirty, so he could only hold it in his hand, but he resolutely refused to rub it on Chen Zhi's big gun. When Sun Ce saw it, he took out a handkerchief from his arms and handed it over.

"Use me for this."

Lu Meng took the handkerchief and said sneeringly: "General, I'm ...... Dirty. ”

"I gave it to you." Sun Ce untied the big coat and handed it over, asked Chen Zhi to wrap Lu Meng up, and asked people to fetch some dry food and water for Lu Meng. Lu Meng took the big drum, wrapped it tightly around his body, and as soon as he took a bite of the dry food, tears came down. He endured it, munching on dry food, choking and sticking his neck, but he didn't bother to stop to drink water. Sun Ce didn't speak, and watched Lu Meng gobble up as he walked, secretly sighing in his heart. Among the famous generals of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Meng is the most utilitarian, because his background is too poor, not only is his status low, but the key is that he is poor, so poor that he can't even eat. If it weren't for that, how could a fifteen or sixteen-year-old child go to the army?

It is difficult to live in poverty, and it is merit to get rid of mistakes, and wealth can be achieved. That sounds sad. There is merit in getting rid of mistakes, this is the meaning of hitting the luck, it is purely a gamble. Even by his brother-in-law's side, he was bullied and eventually killed. He is not easy to kill, he is really unbearable, and there is no way back, so he can only fight back.

Runan is a large county, with complete water conservancy facilities, all kinds of water can be seen everywhere, thousands of hectares of fertile land, and it is a gathering place for party members and celebrities, with morality, it stands to reason that there should not be such a situation as Lu Meng, but the fact is so cruel, the poor people in Runan are not less than other places, otherwise there would not be so many people who became the Yellow Turban Army, and the duration is not shorter than those poor places.

Baume & Mercier? Phew!

Sun Ce knew very well that celebrities didn't look down on him, and he didn't look down on celebrities, but the situation forced him to finish his work in one battle, so he could only advance slowly. He can't do anything about the Runan family for the time being, but this day will not be too far away, and sooner or later he will have to pack them up and seize the land that they annexed. Land annexation is a chronic disease, no matter how they do it. Equalizing land rights is also a necessary means, and the difference is only between slow and urgent, forcible seizure and redemption.

"General, you leave me, I will do anything." Seeing that Sun Ce was silent, Lu Meng pleaded uneasily: "I...... Although I failed the assessment, my skills were no worse than those county soldiers. This adult can testify for me. ”

Sun Ce looked at Dian Wei, and Dian Wei nodded. "He is indeed a good seedling, very flexible, and dares to fight, although he is not up to the standard of the volunteer battalion, he is much stronger than the county soldiers. Practice hard for a few years, it won't be bad. ”

Sun Ce tilted his head and looked at Lu Meng for a while. "Have you ever read a book?"

Lu Meng's eyes darkened, and he slowly lowered his head, clenching his big words and not speaking.

"I'll send you to Nanyang Lecture Hall."

"Thank you General Houde, I won't go." Lu Meng bit his lip tightly and shook his head. "I ...... I can't afford to read, I can't afford to pay for my food, I can't even afford to provide for my own food. ”

Sun Ce smiled and reached out to pat Lu Meng's head. "You don't have to worry about this, I will solve it, you can study there for three years with peace of mind, and I will test you when you come back, I will let you be as big an official as you can get."

Lu Meng was stunned and looked at Sun Ce blankly. Chen Zhi shook him and said in a low voice: "Silly, I haven't thanked the general yet." Lu Meng woke up like a dream, rolled over and rolled off the horse, and kowtowed on the ground. If it weren't for Chen Zhi's quick reaction and strangulation of his mount, the war horse almost stepped on him.

Sun Ce also reined in his mount, turned over and dismounted. In this era, it is not like kowtowing at every turn in the future, kowtowing is a real gift, under normal circumstances, even if you see the emperor, you will not make such a heavy salute, at most, you will touch the ground with your forehead, and you will definitely not kowtow so heavy and so loud. He personally helped Lü Meng up, and let people lead a reserve horse, which Lü Meng rode alone. Although Lu Meng was nervous, he still climbed up cautiously with the help of Chen Zhi, his face was red with excitement, and his speech was a little incoherent. Whatever Sun Ce asked, he said, and he couldn't wait to tell Sun Ce everything he knew.

From Lü Meng's mouth, Sun Ce learned that at the junction of the three counties of Runan, Lujiang and Jiujiang, mainly concentrated near Yingkou and Shaobi, there were many Liukou. Their strength is limited, and they do not dare to make any large-scale operations, except for the occasional robbery of passing merchant ships or the theft of something to make ends meet. Shaobi is a famous waterside within a hundred miles nearby, and if Sun Ce's family came by boat, they would definitely have to pass through Shaobi. Even if you don't come by boat, you may stop near Shaobei, and if you don't have enough escort forces, you are very likely to encounter this group of people.

When Sun Ce heard this, he immediately fell into his mind. It's nothing else, Jiujiang Taishou Zhou Ang and the Sun family can't deal with it, in case he has a bad heart and wants to pretend to be a bandit to rob, then it will be a big trouble. Even if Zhou Ang is a gentleman, if he doesn't do such a thing, he won't be able to meet a rogue.

"Are you familiar with those people?"

"Not very familiar." Lu Meng was a little embarrassed. "I only know a few people."

Sun Ce didn't ask. Needless to say, this kid must know them, and maybe he will make a cameo in it for a few days. He called Jiang Gan and asked him to take Lu Meng and a hundred knights to fight the front station, and return to his hometown to recruit heroes under his banner. Jiang Gan is a native of Jiujiang Shouchun, and he is a little celebrity, with some appeal, and more importantly, announcing the news that he is about to arrive in Shaobi, to deter people who may have unfavorable thoughts about the Sun family, including but not limited to Zhou Ang and those rogues.

Jiang Gan was in the middle of the game and led Lu Meng away.

Sun Ce discussed with Guo Jia again, selected some sailors who were familiar with water from the county soldiers, and requisitioned ships on the spot. Huaishui is an important transportation waterway, there are many boats coming and going, Sun Ce only took half a day to collect more than 100 boats, carrying Sun Ce and 400 guards down the Huaishui and rushed to Shaobei. The rest of the people were commanded by Guo Jun and Qin Mu, and they hurried according to the normal marching speed.