Chapter 288: The Great Harvest

The March nights are changeable and cold, and the moonlight is dim, which makes people feel a little more desolate out of thin air.

Shang Rang looked depressed, and his subordinates and soldiers who followed him were also tired. In the first battle of Longweipi, it was flanked by the coalition forces of Zhuzhen led by Zheng Jin, and the Shang Rang army suffered heavy losses. Of the 50,000 army, there are less than 30,000 left.

All the grain and grass carried by the army were discarded at Longweipi, and in order to prevent the pursuit of the officers and soldiers, the troops did not dare to light the torches to light the way.

However, walking in the dark often encounters inexplicable dangers, such as falling into a pit or being attacked by poisonous snakes and beasts, etc., but the official strictly prohibits igniting fires, and those who violate the order will be beheaded.

And after giving the order, Shang Rang killed dozens of people before he suppressed the routs and made them obey the order.

The team had been walking for a day and a night, and when they returned, the villages along the way had been looted, and the officers and soldiers who were pursuing behind fell far behind like tails, driving the Shang Rang army in the direction of Chang'an like driving livestock.

Hunger and exhaustion made the procession of tens of thousands of people look as lifeless and energyless as the corpse, and the march of this team in the night looked horrible and terrifying.

The long march also made Shang Rangjun feel tired and uneasy, but fortunately, the front was not far from Qingshui Town, which Meng Kai guarded.

There are sufficient supplies there, and there are more than 5,000 fresh troops as backup, which can give their team on the verge of collapse a good rest, and Shang Rang also plans to go to Qingshui Town to reorganize the army and straighten out the formation.

Shang Rang has been pondering two important issues for the past few days. The first is why he suffered such a fiasco, and the second is how to explain after returning to Chang'an.

The second thing is that he has already thought of a countermeasure, he needs to discuss this matter with Meng Kai, he has the most trust of the emperor, as long as Meng Kai can stand on his side, then he will be able to shirk the charge.

In addition, Wang Bo has already surrendered to the official army, as long as he and Meng Kai insist that it was Wang Bo who caused the fiasco of Longweipi, then the Emperor of Great Qi will still believe him.

After solving this thorny problem, Shang Rang put all his attention on how he failed, maybe he had eaten too little in the past few days, and he couldn't concentrate on thinking about the problem at all, Shang Rang could only comfort himself like this.

Shang Rang looked up and saw that the moon shadow was gone, and the wind was strong, and he didn't know if there would be rain tonight. Before he finished studying the weather forecast, a personal guard came to report: Qingshui Town is almost here, and Meng Kai and Meng's military envoys have brought people to greet the captain. ”

Hearing that Meng Kai was coming, Shang Rang was overjoyed. Hurriedly said: "Quickly take a certain person to meet the Meng military envoy." ”

Shang Rang was in an embarrassed situation, and he didn't care about putting himself on the official's shelf, so he took the initiative to see Meng Kai, which shows how down the Great Qi State Shang Taiwei has become.

When Meng Kai saw Shang Rang, he found that Shang Rang, who had always emphasized the demeanor and bearing of officials in the past, had become like this. The robes are scattered, the faces and the corners of the mouth are still black and gray, the sideburns and beard are messy, and the head is missing a side, which doesn't look funny.

Meng Kai glanced at Wu Xiaowu behind him, and then he stepped forward and said to Shang Rang: "Taiwei has worked hard, I haven't seen you for a few days, why has Taiwei become like this?" ”

Shang Rang waved his hand and said, "Hey, this matter is a long story, let's wait until we rest." ”

Meng Kai hurriedly said: "What Taiwei said is reasonable, a certain person has already ordered someone to prepare a banquet, and Taiwei will please go to the town with him to rest." As for the rest of the generals, they have already ordered their subordinates to arrange camping and resting, so please rest assured. ”

Shang Rang nodded and said, "Envoy Meng is relieved that he has already made arrangements, let's go, let's go to the town first." ”

Shang Rang turned around and got on the horse, and when he passed by Wu Xiaowu's side, he suddenly stopped the horse, pointed at Wu Xiaowu and said: "This son has a good face, the one who is followed by Meng Jun's envoy on weekdays is a man named Ye or something, and that person is still a fellow villager of Meng Jun's envoy." ”

Wu Xiaowu glanced at Shang Rang, and then at Meng Kai, who was pale and sweat was dripping from his forehead, and he was disdainful in his heart.

He bowed to Shang Rang and said loudly: "Back to the captain, Ye Mingsheng Ye Dutou was ordered by the Meng military envoy to arrange the housing of the army, so he was not here, but he was not worried about the safety of the Meng military envoy, and the skills of a certain were quite agile, so Ye Dutou let a certain follow the Meng military envoy to protect first." ”

"I see, I can see that Ye He is very loyal to Meng Jun to make you," Shang Rangyi got out of danger, and people became a lot more funny.

Meng Kai nodded yes while quietly wiping the sweat from his forehead. Then he said to Shang Rang: "Tai Lieutenant, come with so-and-so", and then rode his horse to Qingshui Town.

Shang Rang and the generals in the army rode their horses to keep up with Meng Kai, Wu Xiaowu looked at so many thief generals, and he couldn't help but smile on his face.

After a short walk, Meng Kai led the group to the big manor in the town, there were not many servants in the manor, and most of them were soldiers as attendants. Shang Rang didn't care, he just wanted to eat Meimei and replenish his strength.

More than 10 tables of exquisite dishes have been arranged in the hall, which are full of fragrance and arouse people's appetite.

The guest and host sat down, and Shang Rang didn't wait for Meng Kai to speak, and ate and drank the wine and food on the table. The other generals also followed the example of Captain Shang and devoured and drank a lot.

Meng Kai watched these people cooperate with him so much, and his heart was relieved when the task was completed, and he took a glass of wine and tasted it with a smile.

It wasn't until Shang Rang feasted that he remembered that he was so embarrassed, he raised his glass to Meng Kai and said, "Thank you to Envoy Meng tonight, a certain ......."

Before Shang Rang finished speaking, he felt dizzy, and Meng Kai in his eyes was actually divided into three, and he vaguely heard the voice of the personal guard who claimed to be Meng Kai: "The king's method is really convenient, and he can finally wipe out these dead thieves." ”

When Shang Rang still wanted to think about who the king was, he couldn't support it anymore and fell asleep.

………………………………………………

Outside Qingshui Town, in the army camp, the soldiers of the Shang Rang Army followed the sergeants under Meng Kai to live in the barracks specially built for them.

Looking at the hay and the burning fire in the barracks, many of the routs felt warm and safe. The sergeant who brought them waved their hands to silence them, and then they would find a high ground and address the rout.

"Brothers, I know that everyone has been working hard for the past two days, so don't worry about it when you come to us. A certain Meng military envoy instructed a certain to settle the brothers, and soft hay has been arranged for everyone in this barracks, and there is some hot water, and the meal will be specially arranged for someone to bring it to the big guy later.

Big guy, don't get impatient! If you are sleepy, you will sleep for a while, and if you are thirsty, we have hot water in the camp. When it's cold, roast around the fire, do you see the wood next to the fire, these woods are for everyone's heating, everyone can use them.

In addition, I want to tell the big guys that there are too many brothers here this time, and there are not enough firehead soldiers to prepare the meals. ”

The rout soldiers saw that they were so well prepared, the barracks, the fire, the hot water, everything was available, and the meals were late, anyway, they had been sleepy to the limit in the past two days, and it was a big deal to sleep first and wait for them to wake up before eating.

So the soldiers shouted, "No, just wait as my brother said, go and prepare the meal." ”

The sergeants who spoke generally smiled and thanked them, and then slowly left the barracks with their own people. When everyone had exited, they nodded to each other, and then they teamed up and hid quietly, as if waiting for an opportunity to come.

After the defeated soldiers in the barracks saw the sergeants who had entertained them withdraw, they gradually relaxed their tense nerves, went to drink water when they were thirsty, went to sleep on the hay bunks when they were sleepy, and did not forget to tell their fellow villagers or friends to wake them up when the food was delivered.

Those who were not sleepy or thirsty sat around the fire and began to talk nonsense, and the thrill of escaping for their lives and the anecdotes they heard on weekdays became the capital of conversation and boasting at this time.

Some relatives and friends who died during the breakout wanted to find a corner in the barracks to pay respects and pray.

Such a large barracks have different lines, and they don't bother, and this kind of life is quite comfortable, what do people live for, isn't it just to live comfortably?

Ma Sandan took a wooden ladle and filled it with hot water and handed it to Fuda, who was the most messy in the camp.

Ma Sandan was demoted several levels by Shang Rang, who was furious because of the rout of Longweipi, and became the head of a hundred people.

It was because he was not qualified to follow Meng Kai to the banquet today, so he could only starve in the camp like those big-headed soldiers, and there was nothing to do, so he begged Fu Da to talk and have fun.

The people in the barracks were busy and did not notice that there were more and more people around them, and they began to fall asleep.

Even when the big mouth of Hu Kan was asleep while drinking water just now, and even when the wooden scoop with hot water in his hand fell on his lap and was unconscious, Ma Sandan realized that they were plotted.

Ma Sandan stood up and found that the smoke in the camp was getting more and more because of the burning wood, and he could hardly see the people opposite.

Ma Sandan shouted loudly: "Big guy, hurry up, something is wrong here...... Ahem...... This smoke is not ...... Right......"

"It's not easy to take a large camp of tens of thousands of people if you want to storm it, but with the king's clever plan, it's easy to clean up these guys. Haha, that's wonderful! ”

"The king's plan is certainly clever, but the sweat medicine configured by the Taoist chief is also very wonderful. That is the Taoist and the king are both capable people, the Taoist is a first-class living immortal, but the king is even more magical, I can't help but know astronomy, geography, and five hundred years in front of the five hundred years after the five hundred years, it is really a god and a man descending to earth. ”

"Nonsense, otherwise how could the Dao Leader ask the king to take him in the first time he saw him?"

"Oh, there's something like that, tell me about it."

"Well, it's a secret, and the fewer people who know, the better."

"Good third brother, you know that a certain family has the strictest mouth, tell me quickly!"

"Okay, for the sake of us growing up together, I'll tell you, when the king was still the sixth prince......"

"I know a secret about our king and Weiyangzi Daoist."

"Oh, what a secret, tell me quickly, and promise not to tell anyone."

"Really? Well, you must keep it a secret, that's because of the twelfth year of Xiantong, when the king ......"

In Qingshui Town, Li Bao looked at a room full of thieves who had been tied up and were still sleeping soundly, with a smile on his face.

Hu Sanbao next to him was handing over the account book to Meng Kai, and Qingshui Town hoarded about 300,000 stone of corn, as well as 100,000 quintals of forage urgently needed in Weizhou.

In addition, Meng Kai Shangrang and others looted a total of 500,000 pieces of money, land deeds, cloth, etc., which can be handed over to the people of Shanhe Society to receive.

In addition, the harvest is more than 30,000 young and strong laborers, and now there are endless battles in Datang, and the labor force will only become more and more scarce.

Li Bao planned not to let these people leave this time, and all of them were pulled down in the vast world of Shannan West Road to implement Tuntian. Accumulate population for future frontier reclamation.

Meng Kai waited until the handover was completed, and then stood aside respectfully, waiting for Li Bao's instructions.

After Hu Sanbao handed the account book to Li Bao, he pouted at Li Bao again, and signaled to Meng Kai behind him what to do.

Li Bao looked at it roughly, then closed the account book, and said to Meng Kai: "Envoy Meng did a good job today, and caught Shang Rang." But you must know that Datang has always wanted to kill you thief chiefs as soon as possible. ”

When Meng Kai heard this, he fell to his knees and said to Li Bao: "The king spares his life, you said that as long as you have a petition for you, you will not kill you." ”

"Don't worry, Lone didn't say he was going to kill you, since you have surrendered, you are Lone's person." Li Bao said with a smile, this expression is very similar to the strange Shu millet who tricked Lori into going to see the goldfish in later generations.

Meng Kai was obviously much smarter than Little Lori, and he said in a trembling voice: "Since I met you, I have understood the destiny of heaven. I swear from the bottom of my heart that I will be loyal to you......"

"Well, your faithfulness has been understood. Let's sign this. After speaking, Li Bao handed him a piece of hemp paper, which was densely filled with words.

Meng Kai took a look, and immediately his heart was beating wildly, and he said to Li Bao: "King, most of what is written on this piece of paper is not true, if you sign it, you will feel uneasy!" ”

"Oh, this piece of paper is your next military order, only after you sign it, Lone will be able to give you a mission. Sign it! ”

Meng Kai stubbornly signed this yellow that has been passed down through the ages