Chapter 554: The Tiger Ben Army is going to make a rose with thorns

After noon, Zhang Zhun set out from Qixia County, and those backbones of the Wenxiang Sect had obviously not yet arrived here, so the former residence of Wang Xuzhai was still deserted for the time being, and only a few dozen local military households were doing some rough work. The fleet commanded by Zhang Haibin is already waiting for Zhang Zhun here. Zhang Zhun boarded the boat here, crossed Laizhou Bay, and went directly to Cangzhou in North Zhili.

The distance from Wang Xuzhai to Cangzhou was very close, and the ship sailed for half a day before landing on the coast of Cangzhou. At that time, there was no Huanghua Port in Beizhili, only some simple fishing villages. Most of the fishermen have a very hard time fishing and drying salt at the same time. When he went ashore, Zhang Zhun saw the local fishermen, all of whom were ragged, with yellow faces and thin muscles, and all kinds of acne on their bodies, and they didn't know how they were infected. It stands to reason that there should be no schistosomiasis in Beizhili!

Zhang Zhun rode his horse from the fishing village to the interior, and most of what he saw along the way were abandoned fields, with only a few farmers cultivating them. Most of the abandoned fields were abandoned due to the lack of water conservancy equipment and facilities, which could not be irrigated. There is already a shortage of water in Beizhili, coupled with the disrepair of water conservancy equipment and facilities, and the drought situation is naturally more serious. The two Tatars' entry into the Kou also brought great chaos to Beizhili, and there were not many people who could cultivate the fields with peace of mind.

Especially after the Apocalypse Dynasty, the situation in Beizhili has not been very good. Not to mention the drought and lack of rain, the climate is still very cold in winter. Not to mention the lack of crops, it seems that there is a problem with fishing. In the past, the freezing time in Bohai Bay was only about one month, but now it has increased to two months. This year's Bohai Bay is frozen, and I don't know when it will start. Zhang Haibin is actually still very worried. If a large area of Laizhou Bay freezes, the sea transportation of the Tiger Ben Army will be affected.

However, the hydrological conditions here are still good. Because there is a fishing village, there is naturally a wharf. There is certainly no deep-water port, but there is no problem with berthing ordinary merchant ships. It's like the No. 2 lucky boat, and the draft is about one zhang. With a long coastline, it's easy to find a few of these ports. The displacement of the No. 2 Fu ship is only 300 tons, and the warships of later generations are often several thousand tons, and they are still made of steel, which is completely incomparable.

Zhang Haibin sent people to survey here, and near the place called "Huanghua" circled by Zhang Zhun, five ports were identified that could be used to unload supplies. There is also no need to build a dock that is too high-end. There are primitive wharves all over the place, and it is good to enclose a large piece of land so that many merchant ships can dock smoothly. As for the unloaded supplies, they can be placed on the beach and handed over to the army people to carry themselves.

However, there is no big problem with the port, and the choice of the battlefield is a matter of knowledge. If the position of the Tiger Army is too dangerous, the Tartars will not pounce stupidly, let alone continue to come up to die. Therefore, it is necessary to make the Tartar feel that it is possible to eat Zhang Zhun, so he will pounce on him frantically. However, if the Tiger Army does not have any favorable terrain at all, it is easy to be broken by the Tartars. If tens of thousands of Tartars pounce on them like a tide, the Tiger Ben Army has no solid permanent defense measures at all, and I am afraid it will be very dangerous.

Zhang Zhun came to Cangzhou to look for such a place on the spot. Cangzhou City is still too far from the coastline, and it is easy for the Tatar cavalry to cut off their rear route and cut off the supply between themselves and the port. Therefore, Cangzhou City is not a very good choice. Only in the east of Cangzhou, near the coastline, look for some relatively fortified towns to use as support points for camps. Then spread their forces along these towns, set up strong camps, and fought the Tartar cavalry again and again until the Tartar cavalry was almost depleted.

What the Tiger Benjun wants to do is the most gorgeous rose, which looks beautiful, but is very prickly. When the tartar sees this rose, he will pounce on it desperately, and then he will be pricked all over the blood, and finally he will fall back in ashes. The most ideal area for growing roses is around Huanghua Port in later generations.

"My lord, there is a Dongjiabao nearby, which may meet your requirements."

Zhang Haibin suddenly introduced.

"Dong Jiabao?"

Zhang Zhun knew that Zhang Haibin must have something to say, so he said casually.

"My lord, I've been to see it, the terrain around that Dongjiabao is good, and if we fight the Tartars there, there should be a lot of favorable conditions."

Sure enough, Zhang Haibin said quickly.

"Oh? Is it? ”

Zhang Zhun suddenly became interested.

"However, the locals are more xenophobic. It is difficult for outsiders to have access to their castles. We're here to take the initiative to attract the Tartars, and they may not want to. ”

Zhang Haibin changed his tone and said with some worry, which suddenly disappointed Zhang Zhun's interest.

"Tell me about the situation."

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Zhun said thoughtfully.

"The people of Dongjiabao rarely interact with outsiders, and they are all immersed in martial arts. They built their own forts to resist external pressure. They have their own laws, which are called family laws, which are also known as clan rules. The patriarch is the greatest here, and the word of the patriarch is the law. The government of Beizhili didn't dare to do anything to them. ”

Zhang Haibin said euphemistically.

"Martial arts training...... Fortress...... Captive...... Patriarch...... Family Rules ......"

Zhang Zhun frowned and muttered to himself softly.

This Dongjiabao, why does it look like a foreigner?

In Zhang Zhun's impression, Cangzhou's martial arts should be very strong. From the ancient Yan Kingdom to the Ming and Qing dynasties, many generations of dynasties built their capital in Youyan, Cangzhou is an important place for the auxiliary of Qi, and it is a place where soldiers of all dynasties must fight. According to historical records, since the 22nd year of Huan Gong (664 AD) Huan Gong aided Yanshanrong, there have been many wars in Cangzhou in all dynasties and generations. Yan Zhao is a strong man, Hebei is a hero, these two sentences are definitely not casually said, there is a lot of historical basis.

Frequent wars, of course, lead to the people being devastated, and the people's livelihood is difficult, so it is necessary to master the skills of offensive and defensive combat in order to save themselves. To put it simply, it is to practice martial arts. As long as your kung fu is high, you are not afraid of the encroachment of others, and you can protect yourself. Therefore, Cangzhou was known as "Far Evil County" in ancient times, and it was nicknamed "Xiaoliang Mountain" in the Ming Dynasty. The Ma Zheng Rebellion that broke out in the Jiajing period had the shadow of Cangzhou people.

Zhang Zhun from later generations knows this best. Many of his teammates in the Marine Corps are from Cangzhou. The ancient Cangzhou, along the Bohai Sea with a radius of more than 100 miles, are all reed barren beaches, sparsely populated, not only the place where the criminal army is distributed, but also the good place for the rebel generals to hide. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, some rebel generals who were wanted by the imperial court took advantage of the strong and martial customs of the Cangzhou people to cover their bodies. There are also many people who are incognito, disguised as monks and rangers, and pass on their art to make a living.

Cangzhou's martial arts practice is extremely prosperous, and it is inseparable from the local people's livelihood. Cangzhou is located at the "lower end of the nine rivers", the land is barren, and drought, waterlogging, and insect plagues are lowered from time to time. In a normal year, many people have half a year's ration of bran vegetables. In the year of the severe disaster, it is not uncommon for wandering and begging, and selling children and women. Folk song cloud: "Abandon Huangkouer, a milk is gone; But hate life, don't blame your parents for forbearance. "Many strong men make a living by selling salt, and the government is very strict in arrest. If the people can't survive, they will inevitably resist, and if they resist, they must learn martial arts.

"Cangzhou Chronicles" contains: "Cangyi is vulgar and martial arts, light life and death, and has been known for its integrity since ancient times. In the world of peace, the home gives people feet, the toes are high, and the majestic wind of the sea is like the sea. Once something happens, put on the liver and gall, and exert the strength to defend the countryside, although it is not sympathetic. This fully shows that the people of Cangzhou have been righteous and chivalrous since ancient times.

From a military point of view, Cangzhou people are a good source of soldiers. No matter what time it is, young people with martial arts are always favored by the army. In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, although hot weapons were gradually replacing cold weapons, and the power of gunpowder was getting stronger and stronger, but in the vast majority of the time, the army still needed soldiers with good physical fitness. The same is true for the Tiger Army. The same was true of the future PLA Marines.

"Haibin, do you estimate that if there is a war, how many young people can Dongjiabao pull out?"

Zhang Zhun asked with interest.

"There are a lot of people in Dongjiabao, and there is definitely no problem in pulling out seven or eight hundred people. Together with the nearby Liujiabao and Caojiabao, at least 1,500 people can be pulled out. These are all based on martial arts, and if you add the average young man, it may exceed two thousand. ”

Zhang Haibin said affirmatively.

"In that case, let's go and visit this Dongjiabao!"

Zhang Zhun quickly made a judgment.

To expand the power of the Tiger Ben Army to the area of Beizhili, Hejian Mansion is a very important bridgehead. Cangzhou people have always been good at martial arts, and once they join the army, they can quickly form combat effectiveness. With such a source of troops, of course, the Tiger Ben Army must control it in its own hands as soon as possible. Even if they can't control it in their own hands, they can't be allowed to join the imperial army.

This and that, as is commonly said, cannot be used by me, and must not be used by the enemy. Of course, Zhang Zhun believes that things should not develop to such an extreme point, especially in the context that the Tartars are about to launch the third invasion of the Kou, and the Cangzhou people will definitely not refuse the arrival of the Tiger Ben Army in order to protect themselves.

"Your Excellency...... I'm afraid Dongjiabao won't welcome us. ”

Zhang Haibin said with some worry.

It turned out that Dong Sanhuai, the owner of Dongjiabao, was a martial artist in the Chongzhen period, and he was still well-known in Cangzhou. Dong Sanhuai's Dong family gun is said to be derived from the famous Yue family gun. Everyone knows that in the Northern and Southern Song periods, marksmanship was the most prevalent, especially in the army, the gun was the strongest weapon, known as the king of weapons.

Empress Wu Zetian's major initiative was to set up a martial arts examination to select people with strong martial arts. In the imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty, there was also a martial arts test, and the winner would receive an eye-catching title, that is, the legendary martial champion, Wujinshi, and Wuju people. Cangzhou martial arts is very developed, often can occupy a considerable share of the gold list, the past dynasties of martial champions, martial arts, martial arts people emerge in endlessly, and gradually form a relatively strong group.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, many Cangzhou people actively entered the army as soldiers to make a living. With the continuous accumulation of military exploits, there are not a few people who have risen to prominence. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Song, Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, the regimes in Hebei continued to alternate, and the situation was always very turbulent, and the war gradually changed its taste. Many Cangzhou people gradually lost themselves and killed people indiscriminately for the sake of their military exploits. Slowly, some people became pure martial artists, pure executioners, and some became traitors.

It was not until the founding of the Ming Dynasty that this situation was fundamentally changed. The Ming Dynasty restored the legitimacy of the Han people again. The people of Cangzhou slowly came to their senses again and realized the great righteousness of the country and the nation. They actively served the Ming army and made great contributions to the expulsion of the Tartars. The Ming Dynasty army absorbed a large number of Cangzhou people. In the foreign wars of the Ming Dynasty army, there were a large number of Cangzhou soldiers.

However, as the large-scale war gradually subsided, some problems that were originally hidden gradually became prominent. That is, the so-called prohibition of using force is also. The Ming court actually had a more complicated attitude towards the martial arts figures in Cangzhou, hoping that these people would serve the country, but also worried that these people would embark on the road of rebellion against the imperial court. Therefore, Jinyiwei and Dongchang are still very close to Cangzhou. At the same time, for the sake of safety, the imperial court also consciously suppressed the status of Cangzhou warriors.

The Ming Dynasty implemented the basic principle of using literature to control martial arts, and the same was the Jinshi and Renren examinations, and the treatment of civil and military affairs was completely different. In the Ming Dynasty, Wen Jinshi was generally able to get better treatment, at least starting from the compilation of the Hanlin Academy of Qipin. Most of the martial artists only have one way to be promoted by making military achievements, and this road is generally not very smooth. Some martial arts characters are in a very miserable situation after being admitted to the Jinshi.

The most prominent example is that during the reign of Wuzong Zhengde, 60 people including Cangzhou Wushi An Guo were ranked first in the martial arts examination, and Liu Jin asked them for bribes in the name of arranging official positions. An Guo and the others had no money to give, so Liu Jin incorporated all of them into the army, sent them to the border, ordered the police to listen to the investigation, and forbade them to return without permission. An Guo and other sixty people were greatly trapped by it, and they were the same as ordinary soldiers, and the border generals were afraid of Liu Jin's obscenity and did not dare to accept mercy. In the end, An Guo and 60 other people all died of old age at the border pass.

In addition, the hereditary system implemented by the army of the Ming Dynasty, all the officer positions are hereditary, and there are vacancies not enough for the emperor's relatives or wealthy magnates to install their relatives, so naturally there are no vacancies to place these so-called martial champions, Wujinshi, and Wuju people. Therefore, over time, the relationship between most of the martial champions, Wujinshi, Wujuren, and the imperial court gradually became estranged. Even if they pass the imperial examination, they will not be reused by the imperial court, so what is the point of such an imperial examination?

The civil official system of the Ming Dynasty was actually more exclusive to the military attache system. knows the grievances suffered by Cangzhou people, but he will never fight for them in this matter. As a result, the actions of the Cangzhou warriors gradually became low-key, and finally almost obscure. However, this does not mean that it is possible for them to get together with the anti-thief. Martial arts practitioners are very particular about the so-called "chivalrous" character, and they will not do anything to oppose the imperial court on a large scale.

In fact, because these people can fight, have hard fists, and have a strong style, they are definitely first-class local snakes on their own turf. What's more, they take the form of clan organization, and they have a large number of disciples, so the cohesion is relatively strong. They were also keen to build strong fortresses. These forts are not as large as the towns, but they are as strong as they are.

Zhang Haibin takes a fancy to such a castle. The terrain of Beizhili is very flat, and in front of the Tatar cavalry, there is no defensive role at all. Zhang Zhun tried to fight the Tartar cavalry in the field, but he couldn't be completely without any support. If there is a fortress like Dongjiabao as the core, the camp of the Tiger Ben Army will be much safer.

As for whether Dongjiabao welcomed Zhang Zhun's arrival, Zhang Haibin was a little worried. Although Zhang Zhun is wearing the title of the Governor of the Houjun Metropolitan Mansion, in fact, his real identity is a big thief. If Dong Sanhuai didn't even know this, he would be the castle master of Dongjiabao in vain.

"My lord, there is Dongjiabao in front."

Zhang Haibin pointed to the front and said.

Riding a horse galloped all the way, about ten miles to the north, and arrived at the outside of Dongjiabao. To be precise, Dongjiabao should be called Dongjia Village. Dongjiabao was only built in the core area of Dongjia Village. Around it, there are also a large number of village houses, which are inhabited by thousands of people from Dongjia Village.

Zhang Zhun raised the clairvoyant mirror and looked at Dongjiabao carefully.

The area of Dongjiabao should not be large, the radius may be about three or four miles, the shape is a little weird, it seems that there is no professional design, and it can be built wherever you want it. As a result, some walls were very high and some were very low. The highest wall may be four zhang long, and the lowest wall is less than two zhang. However, it should be very sturdy. Because, Zhang Zhun can see from the clairvoyant mirror that the city wall is basically made of granite stones. In a place like Beizhili, where there are no mountainous areas and no stones are produced, it is no less difficult to build a fortress with stones than to dig a vacant land in a stone mountain.

From this, Zhang Zhun can easily deduce a piece of information, that is, Dongjia Village is still very powerful, and the people are also very united. Without the help of external forces, relying on Dongjiacun's own strength, the strong Dongjiabao was built, which was no less difficult than the construction of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty. It can be inferred from this that this Dong Sanhuai is definitely not an ordinary person.

Outside Dongjiabao, there are quite a few locals busy working. Looking at their work, we know that they are relatively assured of their safety. In many places in Dongjia Village, there are still many children playing, and from time to time there is the laughter of children like silver bells. There is no sign of destruction in the surrounding wilderness. Zhang Zhun hadn't seen such a comfortable scene for a long time.