On the afternoon of the fourth day, Zhang Yuankong arrived at Cheonggye-dong again.

This time, the atmosphere was completely different from the last time, thousands of highly guarded armored soldiers were displayed in formation, vigilantly inspecting any movement around them--- Zhou Fuhai once again made great efforts to seize the main force of the two armies to arrive, he gathered the villagers around the Wang family trading station and the port first, and bought their security with money.

"If it is found that some of them are faithful to the cult, or there are foolish husbands and foolish women who are lost and cannot return, the little old man will definitely make friends, but if it is really not involved, my Wang family is willing to accumulate some merits."

said so frankly, and took out the silver of the white flowers, Zhou Fuhai bought the safety of hundreds of people...... But it doesn't stop there. Most of these mountain people scattered around the port and trading station had the experience of working as part-time workers in the Wang family's industry, and they were famous and well-known, but apart from them, those mountain people who lived deeper in the mountains, whether Wang De or Saifuding, refused to give a promise.

"It's not easy, Mr. Zhou's hard work."

"There, Xiao Lao'er is just handling it, and this money needs to be from the owner."

The smiling eyes narrowed into a slit, Zhou Fuhai thanked him again and again, and told Zhang Yuankong that the news he heard would be that tomorrow morning, the two armies would advance separately and search the mountains and forests.

"These days, the people in the mountains have been fleeing deeper and deeper."

After repulsing the small group of soldiers who had scattered to plunder the population, the Taipingdao people did not attack, but dispersed to the villages, persuading them to relocate and flee deeper into the mountains.

"It's not a secret, there were a few times when they actually showed their traces."

But pretending not to see it, whether it was Wang Shoujie or Zhou Fuhai, they all signaled the family members not to make any interference, and even took the initiative to throw away or lose some food or living utensils.

"Killing officials and rebelling, that's never going to be done. But this is just a few lives...... If you can, do something. ”

"But what are they going to do?"

Questioning, Zhang Yuankong felt incomprehensible about Taiping Dao's actions.

"They may have a small group of loyal and capable men, but in a place like Cheonggye-dong, they can't hide an army that can hold off the imperial court head-on. And if you threaten these mountain people...... He should have known that it didn't work. ”

Fleeing deeper into the mountains, into places where there are no roads and no ripe fields, this can indeed make the officers and soldiers gradually lose their fighting spirit in the pursuit, and make the government feel that the gains outweigh the losses, but before that, the vast majority of old people, children and women in poor health will die on the roads and in the mountains first, and only those men who are in good physical condition and those who are the strongest and most tenacious can survive such an escape and reopen the fields and establish homes in the deep mountains.

"What's more...... It's not chasing the north. ”

The banner of Taiping Dao has been clearly played, then, before completely destroying this group of core personnel and showing evidence to prove that they have been destroyed, it is impossible to stop the attack here, if they really want to help these mountain people, then from the beginning, the Taiping Daoists should not show their identity, so that the government may also announce the end of this attack after going deep into the mountains to a certain extent.

"Who knows." Zhou Fuhai seemed to be in a good mood, and joked: "If I can know what the anti-thief is thinking, won't I also become a anti-thief?" ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early the next morning, when the sky was dark, under the command of the junior officers, who were scolding more than talking, the soldiers walked out of the camp in silent formation, and after having a hurried breakfast, they began to stand in formation, ready to enter the mountain.

"The terrain of Qingxi Cave is still relatively familiar to us."

This time, in the name of "joint advance and suppression," the two armies did not command each other, and everything had to be discussed and handled. Fortunately, both Wang De and Saifuding are veteran generals who have been in battle for a long time, although they are extremely hostile to each other, but when they are about to enter the battlefield, the two can still grasp the bottom line of infighting and know that they should stop there.

While having breakfast, he hastily divided the area on the shoddy map, although Safudin preemptively demarcated the area searched by the Yisba Xi army under the pretext of "being familiar with geography", but he had a good sense of proportion and took advantage of it, but it was not so big that it was intolerable. After confirming with the guide sent by Han Sha, Wang De blackened his face and confirmed the arrangement.

"As for Zhang Zhenren, you ......"

The identity is a nondescript "counselor", this is the reason why Zhang Yuankong can stand in the tent to participate in the military meeting, as for what he should participate in and what he praises...... Whether it is Zhang Yuankong himself or Wang Desaifuding, they are all confused and have no clue at all.

"I'll go and take a look in the mountains."

Neither of them had any objection to Zhang Yuankong's idea, in their opinion, in this kind of battle with a very small number of opponents but extremely elite, it is actually a very good thing to have a strong player like Zhang Yuankong who has a background and can fight in the battle, and after a few days of getting along, they also found that Zhang Yuankong does not talk nonsense, does not point fingers, and is obviously not an envoy sent in by Han Sha or other forces, so there is no need to be an enemy at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the hell do you want to do?"

Randomly chose a direction to enter the mountain, and after walking for about two miles, Zhang Yuankong stopped, did not turn around, turned his back to Carmen, and asked coldly.

Zhang Yuan and Zhang Yuanjin both stayed in Wurong City, and Ma Daokong was named by Zhang Yuanhe to let him follow Zhang Yuankong, as for Carmen...... Zhang Yuanhe actually wanted to leave her out of the game. Whether it is Wu Rong's matter or the matter of Qingxi Cave, it has nothing to do with it. This decision was also unanimously agreed by Zhang Yuankong and Zhang Yuanjin, but, the next morning, when Carmen took the initiative to ask to accompany him, Zhang Yuankong agreed again--- which even made Zhang Yuanhe show a very rare look of ghostly worship, and secretly looked at the two of them several times.

"Da Zhenren, you are a good person, I will not harm you."

Zhang Yuankong took the initiative to uncover the topic, and Carmen was also unprecedentedly happy, saying that he insisted on coming, and he did have other plans.

"What are you going to do?"

Avoiding answering this question, Carmen asked Zhang Yuankong rhetorically, do you remember what he said when he first wanted to come to Qingxi Cave.

"I wonder what is it that makes them rebel again and again?"

"If you want to know."

Smiling, Carmen said, "Just come with me." ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking through the mountains and forests, it was several miles of mountain roads, and while walking, Carmen told Zhang Yuankong that he was not 100% sure, but only speculated.

"But if this speculation is correct, then I am probably sure of the other thing you care about."

What Carmen is talking about is why the Yisba Xi army suddenly changed its course and began to kill the people. In hindsight, if it weren't for those killings, it might not have been forced to appear in front of the Taiping Dao. Now, this is boasted by them as their own judgment and credit, but obviously, Zhang Yuankong will not believe it at all.

"Da Zhenren, you and Sanzhen are both good people, but ah, ......"

Walking in front to lead the way, Carmen asked Zhang Yuankong, that day, Zhang Yuanjin Zhang Yuankong was furious and killed seven soldiers of the Yisi Baxi army, saving the remaining few lives.

"But what, Dazhenren, I really want to ask, what if the people who killed people there that day were not Yiren?"

The family members of the Lin Liu family, the servants under Han Sha, or simply Wang De's subordinates, Carmen asked Zhang Yuankong, if it was the Xia people who killed people that day, these people, would he take action?

“…… Such a question does not make sense. ”

"That's right."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After walking for more than three miles, Zhang Yuankong finally saw the first village.

"How can this little field feed so many people?"

At first sight, there are more than a dozen houses, according to the minimum estimate, there must be more than 100 people living here, but it is clearly only a corner of flat land at the foot of the mountain, no matter how Zhang Yuankong looks, he can't see that there will be enough arable land here.

"Oh, over there, turn around, there's still a bit of terraces. In addition, when the Wang family was busy with the goods, they were still very generous, and they could also earn some food. ”

As she spoke, Carmen walked to a high spot with a view of the village and crouched down.

"No, look, that's the old man."

Looking in the direction pointed by Carmen, Zhang Yuankong saw an old man with gray hair and beard, who was hoeing the ground hard.

"His name is Hua Fusheng, and he has been honest and afraid of things since he was a child. There is also a younger brother named Hua Qisheng, who likes to think crankily since he was a child. ”

Later, when the Taiping Road Incident occurred, Hua Qisheng ran to join the rebel army, and later, the uprising was suppressed, and after Hua Qisheng was caught, he was tied up and buried alive along with hundreds of other colleagues.

"And Hua Fusheng, who is honestly afraid of things, he survived, although he lived very badly, but at least he has survived until now."

“…… Taiping Demon Dao, there is the ability to confuse people's hearts, but the power of the country can move mountains, even if they can be rampant for a while, but after all, they will die. only took pity on those people, who were bewitched and implicated, and finally died on the streets. ”

Hearing Zhang Yuankong's emotion, Carmen smiled and pointed to another place.

"Look, that grave, the person buried in it, is called Mo Xiaoxian."

Mo Xiaoxian, there are three brothers, Mo Daxian, Mo Erxian, Mo Xiaoxian, their family's land is small, and they can't feed the three brothers anyway, so Mo Daxian went to Wurong City to find a job, and after being spotted by a sea boat, there was no news. Mo Erxian, like Hua Qisheng, was involved in the Taiping Rebellion a few years ago, but he was lucky that he didn't die in the final suppression, and he secretly went home to see it last year.

"Then Mo Xiaoxian?"

"It's dead."

To put it calmly, it's just dead, and it's normal.

"Life in the mountains is not good, a sip of salt is worth a few skins, and the vast majority of people are just struggling to survive every day, getting sick and dying, what's so strange?"

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

At first, he felt unhappy, and he could detect that Carmen was using a method similar to "lobbyist", hiding what he wanted to say in gossip, Zhang Yuankong told Carmen that if he had something to say, he would say it directly, and there was no need to use these small means.

"Da Zhenren, you're still mistaken."

Shaking his head, Carmen told Zhang Yuankong that he had brought him here today, not to let Zhang Yuankong "listen", but to let him "watch".

"Take a look, take a look......"

Then Carmen sat down on the stone, crossed her legs, and looked silently at the village below, without saying a word.